News
Top Ten Cold Weather Pet Safety Tips
Brrrr…it’s cold outside! The following guidelines will help you
protect your companion animals when the mercury dips.
1. Keep your cat inside. Outdoors, felines can freeze, become lost or be stolen,
injured or killed. Cats who are allowed to stray are exposed to infectious
diseases, including rabies, from other cats, dogs and wildlife.
2. During the winter, outdoor cats sometimes sleep under the hoods of cars. When the motor is started, the cat can be injured or killed by the fan belt. If there are outdoor cats in your area, bang loudly on the car hood before starting the engine to give the cat a chance to escape.
3. Never let your dog off the leash on snow or ice, especially during a snowstorm—dogs can lose their scent and easily become lost. More dogs are lost during the winter than during any other season, so make sure yours always wears ID tags.
4. Thoroughly wipe off your dog's legs and stomach when he comes in out of the sleet, snow or ice. He can ingest salt, antifreeze or other potentially dangerous chemicals while licking his paws, and his paw pads may also bleed from snow or encrusted ice.
5. Never shave your dog down to the skin in winter, as a longer coat will provide more warmth. When you bathe your dog in the colder months, be sure to completely dry him before taking him out for a walk. Own a short-haired breed? Consider getting him a coat or sweater with a high collar or turtleneck with coverage from the base of the tail to the belly. For many dogs, this is regulation winter wear.
6. Never leave your dog or cat alone in a car during cold weather. A car can act as a refrigerator in the winter, holding in the cold and causing the animal to freeze to death.
7. Puppies do not tolerate the cold as well as adult dogs, and may be difficult to housebreak during the winter. If your puppy appears to be sensitive to the weather, you may opt to paper-train him inside. If your dog is sensitive to the cold due to age, illness or breed type, take him outdoors only to relieve himself.
8. Does your dog spend a lot of time engaged in outdoor activities? Increase his supply of food, particularly protein, to keep him—and his fur—in tip-top shape.
9. Like coolant, antifreeze is a lethal poison for dogs and cats. Be sure to thoroughly clean up any spills from your vehicle, and consider using products that contain propylene glycol rather than ethylene glycol. Visit the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center more information.
10. Make sure your companion animal has a warm place to sleep, off the floor and away from all drafts. A cozy dog or cat bed with a warm blanket or pillow is perfect.
Pet Safety Tips for the Holidays
‘Tis the season to decorate our homes with live Christmas trees and holiday greenery. Be careful, some of these yuletide traditions can be hazardous to your pet’s health?
- Lovely lilies are commonly used in holiday floral arrangements, but many varieties—including tiger, Asian, Japanese show, stargazer and the Casablanca—can cause kidney failure in cats if ingested.
- Bag the boughs of holly and live mistletoe. Sure, they add a nice touch to your holiday décor, but holly can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and lethargy if eaten by your pet. And should he sample mistletoe, he could suffer gastrointestinal upset and cardiovascular problems. Opt for just-as-jolly artificial plants made from silk or plastic.
- Christmas tree water may contain fertilizers that can cause stomach upset. Stagnant tree water is a breeding ground for bacteria—and your pet could end up with nausea or diarrhea should he imbibe.
If you suspect that your animal companion has eaten a potentially toxic substance, call your veterinarian immediately or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center’s emergency hotline at (888) 426-4435 for round-the-clock telephone assistance.
Area Individuals Launch New Animal Welfare Organization
Madison County, Indiana (March 1, 2005) - A group of area citizens have formed Indiana's newest animal welfare organization, Countryside Animal Rescue. The new charitable organization will focus on pet education through outreach and enrichment programs; spay/neutering initiatives, building an extensive network of animal foster homes and finding permanent homes for cats and dogs through its adoption program.
Countryside Animal Rescue is an all-breed rescue, including mixed-breeds of mistreated and unwanted animals. Unlike traditional animal rescues that normally focus on pure-blooded breeds, Countryside's team will work to adopt mixed breeds, along with pure-bred animals into permanent homes.
Animal care clinics, spay or neutering services and programs to promote adoption are planned for by the new all-volunteer group.
The organization will compliment the efforts of other central Indiana rescues, shelters or groups and support the opportunities to improve animal welfare in the area. "There can never be enough education" according to the new group's president, Mike Kase. "We encourage area residents to become involved and more knowledgeable about pet care and animal welfare issues in our community".
Countryside Animal Rescue has developed a placement program to match persons seeking specific types of dogs or cats. A search service to locate a pet from a network of rescues, shelters and other organizations is offered to seek out available animals currently in other rescues or shelters.
A comprehensive website, www.countrysideanimalrescue.org features education information, pets for adoption, and ways to join the foster home network or becoming a volunteer. The site also has a vast resource of web links to other pet welfare organizations.
Countryside Animal Rescue is a charitable organization that operates solely on contributions or donations from individuals. The group receives no government grants or tax monies. The group's non-profit 501(c) (3) status is pending. Persons may make donations to Countryside Animal Rescue, P.O. Box 991, Anderson, IN 46015. Anyone interested in becoming a member or supporter will find more information at www.countrysideanimalrescue.org or by calling 765.649.7944. For a downloadable .doc version of news release click here
Neuter Scooter Days in Anderson Always A Success
The mobile spay/neuter clinic, The Neuter Scooter, made another successful visit to the Anderson area on Tuesday, April 12th. Hosted by Countryside Animal Rescue, the Neuter Scooter team conducted spay or neutering procedures and provided free vaccinations for 58 cats during today’s stop.
The Neuter Scooter has become of regular feature of many animal welfare organizations throughout the state and during the past two years has provided services to spay or neuter more than 800 cats in the Anderson area alone.
“This is only one of our spay/neutering programs or initiatives planned for the coming months. We definitely will host the Neuter Scooter again along with some other new programs for the community” commented Mike Kase, president of Countryside Animal Rescue, “We’re pleased to work with Dr. Peavy and her staff”.
The clinic is based in Bloomington, IN and is operated by Dr. Tess Peavy. Her Neuter Scooter team travels all corners of the state to provide the low-cost spay/neuter program.
The program includes feline spay or neuter, rabies shot and annual vaccinations. The fee is $50.00 when paying the day of the clinic and offers a $10.00 discount for advance payments online. Complete details on the mobile clinic can be found at www.neuterscooter.com or www.countrysideanimalrescue.org. The next scheduled visit to Anderson is May 31st.
Not For Profit Status Approved
On September 22, 2005, The Internal Revenue Service granted our application for tax exempt status under section 501(c) 3 of their Code. Countryside Animal Rescue, Inc. has been classified as a public charity which qualifies contributions or gifts to the organization as tax deductible.
We are pleased to inform our donors that your gifts, contributions or bequests are tax deductible under the guidelines of section 170 of the Code effective January 24, 2005.
Countryside Animal Rescue, Inc. is grateful for your past and continued financial support of our animal welfare programs.