National Shelter Appreciation Week Event Saturday November 8th

November 2-8 is National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week so Dallas Animal Services and the Dallas Association of Young Lawyers Animal Welfare Committee are teaming up to help hundreds of pets find a home!

On Saturday, November 8, Dallas Animal Services will offer discounted micro chipping services for $15 for eligible pets who are adopted or brought to the shelter.

The DAYL will sponsor the cost of pet registration for the first 200 eligible pets who are adopted or brought to the shelter.

Companions For Life and Metroplex Animal Coalition will host an educational table at this event. We’ll educate guests about the new ordinances and provide spay/neuter resources.

Join us! Details below:

• Date: Saturday, November 8, 2008
• Time: 10am-4pm
• Location: The Dallas Animal Shelter, 1818 N Westmoreland, Dallas, Texas 75212
  

Eres mucho gato, Homer

This is a story for all those people who think that a black cat is bad luck, or that a blind cat is helpless.

Author Gwen Cooper is writing a book about her black cat Homer - a slip of a thing at 3 pounds, and blind after the surgical removal of both eyes due to a bad infection as a kitten.

On her blog, she tells stories of Homer. One particularly gripping post recalls a night when Homer proved that he truly was larger than life, and GOOD luck to boot! You'll have to read the story, no spoilers here - but hopefully you'll think twice when you overlook that little runt or that black cat in the shelter...

Saturday night fever

This footage of frolicking felines will have you laughing out loud - enjoy!

(Found on geniusbeauty.com and shamelessly cross-posted)

Some Monday puppy play

This puppy is having a grand old time and getting some exercise while he's at it - without ever having to leave the yard! Who needs to go for a walk when you have a trampoline?

Thanks to Cute Overload for the video!

Technorati Tags: Cute Overload,boxer,trampoline,dog exercise

You're invited - save the date: Oct 26, 5pm!

Meet Spotty, a recent adoptee from Dallas Animal Services - you can see he's on TOP of the world!

Click to view this invitation in a browser

We're on TOP of the World!
SAVE THE DATE & CELEBRATE WITH US!
Sunday, Oct. 26, 2008

We're on top of the world because The Ordinances Passed (a.k.a TOP) - we hope you will plan to join us to celebrate this important milestone!

Our exciting TOP of the World celebration evening will include:

A Silent Auction to raise money for the Shelter Fund that will support and promote the animals at Dallas Animal Services.

A Raffle to watch the Cowboys play their Farewell Game at Texas Stadium!

You could win tickets for two in Sec. 29, Row 39, for the Cowboys’ Dec. 20 game against the Baltimore Ravens, plus reserved Blue Section parking and a delicious Sunday Brunch at Café Pacific—a total value of over $360.00!!

Where:

Sambuca Addison, Morrocan Room, 15207 Addison Rd, Addison, TX

When:

Sunday, October 26, 2008 from 5:00pm to 7:00pm

Cost:

$25 per person entry fee includes light hors d'oeuvres and 2 drinks (alcoholic & non-alcoholic)

We will also be welcoming back TOP Dog, Kent Robertson, as Manager of Dallas Animal Services.

On-line event registration will be available soon.

Have a question or want to donate a silent auction item?

Our gratitude to Holly Forsythe and Sambuca for generously underwriting this event.

http://www.metroplexanimalcoalition.org/

Pet limits and tethering - are you legal?

Time's up for Dallas pet owners who have yet to comply with the city’s pet limitation and tethering regulations!

The two ordinances were part of a package of amendments to the City Code approved by the City Council on June 25. Pet owners were given 90 days to comply with most of the new regulations - that 90 days was up on September 25.

Pet Limits 411

According to the amended regulations, a resident of a single-family home is limited to a total of six dogs, cats or any combination of the two. If the resident’s lot is a half-acre or larger, the pet limitation increases to eight dogs, cats or any combination.

The limit for dwelling units that share a common wall, such as apartments or townhouses, was not amended - it remains at a total of four dogs, cats or any combination. The pet limitations do not apply to puppies or kittens younger than six months of age. Other details of the new pet limitation are explained in Section 7-4.6.

Pet owners who had more than six animals on June 25 must apply for an exemption for any cats and dogs over the limit of six. Exemption forms are available at Dallas Animal Services and Adoption Center and may be filed there: 1818 N. Westmoreland Rd., Dallas, TX 75212.

The low-down on Tethering

The new tethering regulations ban the practice of tethering or chaining a dog unless it is in the owner’s immediate possession and control. According to Section 7-3.1, the only exemption is if the dog is properly tethered “for a period no longer than necessary for the owner to complete a temporary task.” Proper tethering and confinement requirements are spelled out in Sections 7-4.7 and 7-4.9.

You still have time to get your pet spayed or neutered!

The City’s new Intact Animal Permit requirement, also approved on June 25, goes into effect on October 25. The new ordinance requires pet owners to have their cat or dog spayed or neutered unless they obtain an annual $70 Intact Animal Permit for that animal.

Exemptions include puppies or kittens younger than six months; service, assistance and police dogs; purebred competition animals; animals exempted by their veterinarians, and others listed in Section 7-4.10. Applications for Intact Animal Permits are available at Dallas Animal Services.

For more information about these ordinances call Dallas Animal Services at 214.670.8246. To view Chapter 7 of the City Code or to download permit or exemption forms, log on to http://www.dallascityhall.com/.

DFW Pet Net

If you’ve ever lost a pet, you know the heartbreak - the endless searching; the guilt; the fear...

The SPCA of Texas understands that sinking feeling, and has taken steps to help reunite more Metroplex pets with their owners by launching PetNet, a website where anyone who has lost or found a pet can post a photo and description of that pet.

This isn't just another website with a database of lost pets though - PetNet is unique in that the SPCA staff actually help you through the process by searching the lost & found records of participating shelters throughout the area.

Participating organizations to date include the municipal animal control agencies in Denton, Arlington, Collin County, Frisco, Irving, Rowlett, Addison, University Park, Wylie, Watauga and more! Dallas Animal Services and Operation Kindness are both in the process of signing up, and the SPCA is working hard to sign up even more partners.

For more information, or if you’ve lost a pet, visit the PetNet website or call 214-742-7722.

For information on lost pet behaviors and search techniquest, also check out Missing Pet Partnership.

Posted with a special thanks to Skip Trimble of Catyln Capital Corporation for providing the initial funding for this project.

Law Reforms Help Keep Pets and People Together When Disasters Strike

According to news reports, the most cited reason by thousands of people who stayed behind in New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina struck was that they didn't want to leave their pets.

Forced evacuations excluded animals and literally tore animals from the arms of their distraught owners and emergency support did not extend to pets. The toll was unimaginable: animals abandoned and left to fend for themselves; people's hearts broken and worse: because of the exlusions, many people put themselves in harm's way by either refusing to evacuate or by returning to dangerous areas too soon. Human and animal lives were lost unnecessarily.

One of Katrina's many lessons was that human and animal rescue efforts have to be coordinated to include companion animals. This lesson was so profound that it resulted in a bi-partisan initiative and, as a result, the PETS Act (Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act) was passed by congress in 2006, for the first time, providing standards that included the evacuation of companion animals in times of disaster.

The most significant difference between the recent Ike and Gustav response was that people were told to take their companion animals with them when they evacuated. Specific instructions were provided to animal guardians how to safely take their pets on public transport. Thousands of pets accompanied the millions of people who fled inland in the face of the latest hurricanes - shelters throughout Texas and neighboring states set up emergency accommodations for evacuated pets, while animal rescue groups deployed early response teams and shipped thousands of crates to facilitate animal transportation.

"This is the first time in history that pets have been a priority in an evacuation," said Ana Zorrilla, CEO of the Louisiana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (LA-SPCA), based in New Orleans.

And Texas has been at the forefront of this new mindset.

• In Austin, officials drop off pet supply kits — including carrying crates and waste disposal bags — before evacuees even arrive at the shelters.
• Fort Worth keeps evacuees' pets at the city animal shelter and provides free microchips for the critters to make sure they will be matched with their owners.
• Evacuees staying at the Dallas Convention Center can play and cuddle with their pets at another area of the complex just across the street.
• "We get a lot of hugs from folks with tears in their eyes," said Kent Robertson, a division manager with Dallas animal services. "Their homes have been destroyed, and they don't know what they're going to do, but they have a place for their animals."

Inland Texan shelters have taken in hundreds of animals from Lousiana and coastal shelters - over 500 additional animals doubled the number of dogs cats and dogs already at the SPCA's two shelters in Dallas and McKinney, several hundred of whom still remain - they are up for adoption and won't return to their former shelters, which have to make room for stranded pets found along the Gulf Coast.

So far, Humane Society workers have rescued several hundred animals after Gustav and Ike. But they said they expect the number to be far less than the 10,000 pets rescued in Louisiana and Mississippi after Katrina. "This act is not only saving pets' lives — it's saving human lives," said Scott Haisley, senior director of emergency services for the Humane Society of the United States, which supported the federal law. "We are seeing fewer animals left behind," Haisley said.

You can still help! Visit your local Texas animal shelter and adopt or foster one of the evacuated animals, or donate supplies for their extra guests!

Mars Petcare September Recall

Back in August, Mars Petcare announced a pet food recall in California and Nevada.

This month, Mars Petcare US announced a voluntary nationwide recall of products manufactured at its Everson, Pennsylvania facility. The pet food is being voluntarily recalled because of potential contamination with a type of Salmonella.

Many of the brands involved in the recall are national brands produced at multiple facilities, so be sure to check the chart available the Mars Petcare website.

The company said consumers should look for "17" as the first two digits of the second line on the UPC for products affected. For Pedigree products, they should look for "PAE" on the bottom line.

They can also call (877) 568-4463 or consult http://www.petcare.mars.com/.

The brand names include some items under the names: Country Acres, Retriever, Doggy Bag, Members Mark, Natural, Ol' Roy, Special Kitty, Paws & Claws, Pedigree, Wegman's, Pet Pride, PMI Nutrition and Red Flannel.

Free! Speaker Session September 18 for Rescuers and Shelter Staff

As part of our Top Dog Speaker Series, Companions for Life hosts evening receptions for shelter workers and rescue group volunteers featuring presentations from experts in various areas of animal rescue and animal welfare. Each Top Dog Speaker Series event offers a unique networking opportunity, refreshments, door prizes, and most importantly - exciting, interesting speakers. Here are details of our featured program this month.

Working With Dallas Animal Services
Presented by
Kent Robertson, Dallas Animal Services Director

Date: September 18th (THIS THURSDAY)

Time: 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Venue: REI, 4515 LBJ Freeway, Dallas, Tx 75244

Please join us as we welcome Dallas Animal Services’ new director.

Find out about new initiatives to increase adoptions and reduce euthanasia.

Learn everything you need to know about the new animal ordinances
and how they affect you, your staff and your volunteers.

We’ll have an opportunity for questions after the presentation and applications will be available if you need to register your group with Dallas Animal Services,
or apply for foster or grandfather exemptions under the new ordinances.

RSVP to: mailto:info@companionsforlife.org

Class size is limited, so RSVP now!

Please no pets except certified service dogs.
Refreshments and door prizes courtesy of Companions For Life.

www.companionsforlife.org

Dallas animal ordinance forms and permits available now!

It is now easier to comply with the new Dallas City animal ordinances thanks to new forms available on the City of Dallas' website.

The following forms are available now:

• The grandfathering exception under the new Pet Limits law,
• The fostering exemption under the new Pet Limits law,
• Permits for intact animals under the new Intact Animals law

Forms are available here in both Word or PDF format.

Some important things to know when you complete an application or permit form:

• The application for fosters must be notarized. A Notary Public is on hand at Dallas Animal Services & Adoption Center during normal business hours, although it would be advisable to call first to be sure someone is available. Or you can have the application notarized elsewhere and mail it in. Some businesses provide this service, including most banks, and UPS stores will also notarize your signature for a small fee.
• The foster exemption is available to those providing foster care for an organized foster care program approved by the Dallas Animal Services.
• If your organization is not already approved to work with Dallas Animal Services, ask them to contact Maggie at DASRESCUE @ yahoo.com (no spaces) for the appropriate forms and instructions.

Once completed, all forms should be returned by mail or in person to Dallas Animal Services & Adoption Center, 1818 N. Westmoreland, Dallas, Texas, 75212.

Questions? Email DallasAnimalAdvocates @ gmail.com (no spaces) or visit the Dallas Animal Advocates website at www.dallasanimalservices.com.

You might also want to read our recent post on the ordinance changes, with links to downloadable information flyers that you can share with friends and family.

Get Ready For Gustav

Animal rescue organizations have deployed teams of disaster response experts to Louisiana and the Texas coast to help with pre- and post-storm evacuation and sheltering in anticipation of Hurricane Gustav. In addition to having people on site, organizations are also frantically sending supplies, coordinating logistics and keeping the public updated. Thousands of pet carriers have been rushed to New Orleans to help with pet evacuations.

Shelters in Louisiana are being closed until the hurricane passes, and scores of animals are being evacuated to shelters in Texas.

These evacuations will impact shelters in and around Dallas - because of the influx, they will be desperately in need of supplies, blankets, kennels, crates and even foster homes for some of their longer term residents awaiting adoption.

What you can do:

Please don't wait to volunteer, offer assistance or donate needed items - this IS in your backyard, and you can help now!

Keep up to date on what's happening:

• Best Friends rapid response
• Humane Society disaster response team - notes from the field
• ASPCA Hurricane Gustav updates

Get prepared for a disaster:

• Humane Society information resources - includes disaster preparedness guides for horses, pets and livestock.
• ASPCA Pet Emergency information - including evacuation preparation.
• American Humane disaster preparation tips for pets and livestock.

Don't wait for Gustav to hit - you can help get ready now!

Help us spread the word about Dallas animal laws!

The Dallas City Council recently passed several new ordinances designed to encourage responsible pet ownership in our City. Changing the law is one thing, but to make sure those laws can be upheld takes education and the support of every responsible pet owner in the community.

Dallas Animal Advocates and the City of Dallas Education Committee are requesting your assistance getting information about these new ordinances to the public. A new brochure is now available detailing each of the new ordinances, when they go into effect, and whom to contact for more information.

You can help by sending the brochure to your friends, family, co-workers, and fellow volunteers, as well as distributing the brochures at vets, groomers, adoption events, and anywhere pet lovers are found. Download the new brochure from www.dallasanimaladvocates.org or send a message to dallasanimaladvocates @ gmail.com (no spaces) and we will email it directly to you.

If you have any questions, please visit www.dallasanimaladvocates.org or email dallasanimaladvocates @ gmail.com (no spaces). We will also have this information available in Spanish shortly.

Information and forms will soon also be available for the grandfathering exemptions, fostering exemptions, and intact animal permits so watch this space.

The City of Dallas Animal Shelter Commission Education Committee & Dallas Animal Advocates thank you for your help!

Dangerous Toy Alert: Four Paws Pimple Ball With Bell

A potentially lethal toy

A horrifying report on consumerist.com last week is a painful Buyer Beware story: In what is apparently not the first problem with the Four Paws (r) Pimple Ball with Bell, a dog called Chai sustained severe injuries from playing with the toy, ultimately resulting in the amputation of the dog's tongue.

The ball only one hole in it, which can cause a vacuum effect as an animal chews on it - in this case, sucking the dog's tongue into the ball and causing such extensive damage that the tongue could not be saved.

After finding out from others that her dog has not been the only one to suffer injury as a result of chewing this toy, the owner is now calling for the toy to be recalled and a movement is growing among animal lovers to boycott products from Four Paws. The company is allegedly refusing to take responsibility for the multiple injuries - some of which have resulted in the death of an animal - and Chai's owner may sue.

We urge all pet owners to be careful when buying toys, especially chew toys, for your pets - check out consumer reports and always supervise your pet when playing with chew toys.

Our sympathy goes out to Chai and all other dogs wounded or killed by poorly designed products that should have simply brought them some joy.

Contemplative Cat

When you notice a cat in profound meditation,

The reason, I tell you, is always the same:

His mind is engaged in rapt contemplation

Of the thought, of the thought,

of the thought of his name:

His ineffable effable

Effanineffable

Deep and inscrutable singular Name.

~T.S. Eliot

Cleburne TX Steps Up to Fight Animal Overpopulation

The city of Cleburne, TX has its priorities straight in the fight against pet overpopulation - when people face tough economic times, they can find it hard to justify the cost of sterilizing or vaccinating their pets - but they're also not prepared to support the unwanted litters that result. To help counter this vicious cycle, the Coalition for Animal Protection and Cleburne Animal Services partnered together to support their local community and in 2004 they introduced a low-cost spay/neuter and vaccination program.

Once a month for two days, animal services opens the low-cost spay and neuter clinic. Veterinarians from the Metroplex perform spay and neuter surgeries by appointment and conduct low-cost vaccinations from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

"[The Cleburne clinic] served as a model for our organization to set up clinics in other cities,” said Stacey Taylor, executive director of the coalition. “We have stand-alone clinics in Denton and Fort Worth and satellite programs in eight other cities.” The coalition spays and neuters about 20,000 animals a year in North Texas, and in Cleburne it averages about 35-50 pets a day during their clinics - even so, the pet overpopulation crisis continues to grow statewide, and the Coalition for Animal Protection is urging other cities to follow Cleburne's example.

The next clinic will be Aug. 25-26, but the spay and neuter appointments are full. Surgeries are being scheduled for the October clinic. To schedule an appointment or for clinic dates, call 817-837-4500 or 866-310-7387.

Pets available for adoption in Cleburne are listed on petfinder.com or you can call Cleburne animal services on 817 648-0650.

Download a flyer about Cleburne's low-cost spay/neuter clinic here.

Pedigree Pet Food Recall - California & Nevada

Today Mars Petcare US announced a voluntary recall of 100 of the 20-pound bags of PEDIGREE® Complete Nutrition Small Crunchy Bites sold in Southern California and Las Vegas, Nevada to a limited number of Albertsons locations due to potential Salmonella contamination.

There have been no complaints or reports of injury resulting from consumption or handling of the recalled product at the time of this release.

The product should not be sold or fed to pets. Pet owners should dispose of product in a safe manner (example, a securely covered trash receptacle) and return the empty bag to the store where purchased for a full refund.

Recalled Pet Food Details:

• Product: PEDIGREE® Complete Nutrition Small Crunchy Bites
• Size: 20-pound bags
• UPC Code: 23100 14719
• Lot Code: 830BFCAT02
• Best Buy Date: 07/2009
• Best Buy Date Location: Back of bag
• Affected Stores: Albertsons locations in Southern California and Las Vegas.

In an effort to prevent the transmission of Salmonella from pets to family members and care givers, the FDA recommends that everyone follow appropriate pet food handling guidelines when feeding their pets. A list of safe pet food handling tips can be found at: www.fda.gov/consumer/updates/petfoodtips080307.html

Pet owners who have questions about the recall should call 1-877-568-4463 or visit www.petcare.mars.com. A full listing of Albertsons stores in Southern California and Nevada can also be found on the site.

In addition, Mars Petcare US voluntarily recalled a limited number of 52-pound PEDIGREE® Complete Nutrition Small Crunchy Bites bags from limited Costco stores in Northern California and Nevada only. Costco has notified all of its customers in Northern California and Nevada about this issue directly.

Some information about Salmonella:

Salmonella can cause serious infections in dogs and cats, and, if there is cross contamination caused by handling of the pet food, in people as well, especially children, the aged, and people with compromised immune systems. Healthy people potentially infected with Salmonella should monitor themselves for some or all of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever. On rare occasions, Salmonella can result in more serious ailments, including arterial infections, endocarditis, arthritis, muscle pain, eye irritation, and urinary tract symptoms. Consumers exhibiting these signs after having contact with this product should contact their healthcare providers.

Pets with Salmonella infections may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever, and vomiting. Some pets will have only decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. Animals can be carriers with no visible symptoms and potentially infect other animals or humans. If your pet has consumed the recalled product and has these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian.

Responsible Pet Ownership In Dallas, Texas

The recent Dallas City animal ordinance changes are really all about responsible pet ownership - and that goes beyond simply ensuring humane treatment of companion animals (although that's a big part of responsible pet ownership); it takes into account the societal responsibility of owning pets in a community where other people (and their pets) create variables often out of control of each individual.

Creating a community where animals are treated humanely; people respect each other's properties and families; and everyone (animal and human) can live in a clean, safe environment relies on everyone participating and keeping the greater good in mind - that's why these standards are codified in law with consequences for non-compliance.

Understanding the new laws, and the reasons for them, is an important part of any change so Dallas Animal Advocates have created some resources to help with this.

Feel free to download the flyers and distribute them around your neighborhood! It's a great way to update people who may be unaware of the changes.

• An overview of the ordinance changes approved in June
• Pet registration - an overview of the law and benefits of registering your pet
• Download a flyer on the anti-tethering law - English
• Download a flyier on the anti-tethering law - SPANISH

And finally, we all know that it takes time for a city to implement changes and some people who may need to apply for permits or exceptions - so why not make it easier on yourself and sign up to be notified by email when all the appropriate new forms are available?

Heartworm - it's not just for dogs

How many of you cat lovers took a look at our recent post about heartworm in dogs and thought, "well I don't need to worry, I have a cat"?

Well, don't get complacent! Cats can get heartworm too - in fact, the number of cats testing positive for heartworm disease has steadily increased even though it can easily be missed because standard blood tests often don't detect heartworm in cats because fewer worms make it to adulthood in cats than in dogs.

"Well," you may think, "Cats have fewer worms so it can't be that serious, right?" WRONG. Because cats are actually not the preferred host for heartworms, even a few worms cause a lot of damage, and can even cause death. In fact, heartworm disease is considered more serious for cats because treatment after the fact in cats is often about as bad as the disease.

The worst part is that while heartworm disease can be fatal, many cats don't show any symptoms until suddenly they're seriously ill or even die unexpectedly.

Bottom line - for cats, heartworm prevention is CRITICAL! Outdoor cats aren't the only ones at risk - even indoor cats can get heartworm, all it takes is one infected mosquito getting in through a screen.

So how can you prevent your cat from getting heartworm disease?

As always, talk to your vet and get their professional opinion. If you suspect your cat may have heartworm disease, discuss testing and treatment options. For prevention, your vet may prescribe a heartworm preventative, or they might suggest an over the counter solution such as Advantage Multi for cats (applied topically; also protects against fleas and intestinal parasites), or Heartguard (taken orally).

A Happy Ending for Duncan

Last week we told you about a lost dog who wandered onto a large company's campus without identification - and we're happy to report that the story has a happy ending!

One of the company's employees had taken the dog (we now know his name is Duncan) home, while others had posted flyers, notified local vets and posted his picture on craigslist. Almost a week later, someone recognized his picture on craigslist and notified his owner who got in touch with the employee who was taking care of him.

After a stern conversation about the importance of making sure your pet has identification (preferably tags and a microchip), Duncan was released into his owner's care on Wednesday evening and everyone celebrated his safe return.

So it goes to show - if your pet does go missing and somehow loses their tags, it pays to use all means possible to try and find them - flyers, friends, networks, vets, animal control and high-traffic websites. This applies just as much to found animals - don't assume you'll never find their owners! Easy identification makes for a quick reunion but sometimes having eyes all over town is the best backup you can have.