Frequently Asked Questions

A: Image from the Huffington Post A couple of weeks ago, animal control officers in Savannah, Georgia picked up an unusual pair. Joanie the pit bull carried Chachi the Chihuahua in her mouth. Joanie would put her friend down from time to time to lick the Chihuahua's infected eye. Animals can be be devoted, and Joanie carried her injured friend to safety. The dogs are so close the shelter staff call them soul mates. Despite Joanie's best efforts, veterinarians had to remove Chachi's eye and the two had to live separated while he healed, but shelter staff made sure to give them together-time every day.  Neither of them care about other dogs; only each other. Savannah police hoped the owners would come forward as the dogs got publicity. No one claimed them and the shelter put out pleas for an adopter, hoping the dogs could find a new home together. The dream is coming true: the couple move to Florida some time this month. We love a story with a happy ending!

A: In many cultures black cats are seen as good luck. Here in the US they're sadly more associated with bad luck, and they have a hard time finding homes. Cats with black coat are nearly five times as likely to be put to sleep in a shelter than cats with another color. Black cat appreciation day is intended to change the myths that keeps them from being adopted. Many people don't understand cats. Some fear them, or even hate them, and keep spreading misinformation about them. Not everyone has to like cats, but distancing oneself from a species because of myths and erroneous information is a loss both for the person and the cats. Here are some fun facts about black cats: According to the Japanese and the British, black cats are good luck In Scotland, the black cat is believed to bring prosperity Black cats are believed to be the best ship cats, because they bring good luck Black cats are actually just like all other cats, except for being black. They're just as sweet and cuddly as all other cats. Black cats are like miniature panthers. They're natural ninjas. Having a ninja panther is cool. If you have a black cat, or adopt one, take some photos and share on social media. Together we can debunk the myth about black cats being bad luck!

A: Many children have problems reading. The school environment can be intimidating, and it's no fun to constantly be corrected. At the same time, shelters are overcrowded with pets yearning for some human affection. The connection between reading problems and shelter pets might not be perfectly clear, but bear with us. It's there. The children need practice and purpose in an environment that won't judge them. The shelter pets need socialization and human interaction. Turns out that children love to read to animals, and particularly cats are soothed by the rhythmic child voice. Organizations around the country now offer programs where children are invited to read to animals. In many cases the same child comes back over and over again, and might even rehearse the story before presenting it to the pet. These programs are particularly beneficial for many autistic children who find the animals a great source of support. Researchers at Tufts University claim the events lead to an increased use of language and improved social interactions.

A: Today is a good day to take some extra time to play with your cat - August 8th is International Cat Day, celebrating our feline friends. The day was first celebrated in 2002, and has become a yearly festivity. Around the world, an estimated 500 million cats frolic in homes and gardens, regardless of country and climate. In the USA, there's almost 100 million owned cats. Around 46 percent of US kitty-households have one cat, 31 percent share their home with two cats, and 24 percent have three or more cats. Having a cat in the household has been proven to relieve stress, depression, and anxiety. Cats are particularly good for the heart - over a ten year period a cat owner is 30 percent less likely to die of a heart attack or stroke than a person without a cat. They may even lower the risk of cancer. If you don't already have a cat but you've been thinking of getting one, celebrate International Cat Day with going down to your local shelter and giving one a new home.

A: About a month ago, Arlington Sergeant Gary Carter responded to a call of a vicious dog trotting down the road. He found a pit bull wandering along the road, but the dog was anything but vicious; he was lost and trying to make friends. Carter picked up the dog and brought it to animal services, who reunited him with his owner. A photo of Carter with the dog was posted on the police department's Facebook page and went viral - it has been seen over 12 million times. After that, Carter didn't think he'd ever see Jeffrey the dog again. A few days ago, Jeffrey snuck out of his yard again, and ended up with Arlington Animal Services, again. This time the owner didn't bail him out, and Jeffrey was stuck at a shelter overflowing with animals. That meant he had days to find a new home, or he would be euthanized. When Carter heard that Jeffrey was back, and what a pickle he was in, he went to the shelter to take some photos, thinking he could help Jeffrey find a home. It didn't turn out like that: he adopted the dog instead. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fwRAW7tCKY

A: The list of most popular puppy and kitten names in 2013 was recently released by vetstreet.com. The list is based on 925,000 puppies and 425,000 kittens. Bella is the most popular name for female cats and dogs. This is the eight year in a row it tops the puppy list, and the seventh year in a row it is number one for kittens. For boy dogs, Max is the most popular name, also for the eight year in a row. When it comes to kittens, Max kept the top position for five consecutive years, but was poked down by Oliver. Here is the top ten list!  Female puppy names  Male puppy names Female kitten names Male kitten  Bella  Max  Bella  Oliver  Daisy  Buddy  Lucy  Max  Lucy  Charlie  Kitty  Tiger  Molly  Rocky  Luna  Charlie  Sadie  Cooper  Chloe  Simba  Sophie  Duke  Molly  Milo  Lola  Bear  Lily  Smokey  Chloe  Jack  Sophie  Leo  Zoey  Bentley  Nala  Jack  Maggie  Toby  Daisy  Kitty

A: Wally is a Tampa Bay rat terrier who recently suffered a stint of bad luck. His human, Rebecca Pierce, dropped him off at their vet's kennel service for a quick trip out of town, and came back to find Wally's back legs paralyzed. The vet believes Wally has a herniated disc in his spine, and poor Wally uses his front paws to get around, dragging his legs behind him. Clearly, Wally needed help while the vet worked on figuring out both what happened and whether the condition can be reversed. Pierce saw videos of people making their own pet wheelchairs, and brought Wally to Home Depot, hoping to find material to build something for her pup. Little did she expect to meet guardian angels dressed in orange aprons: two of the store employees spent hours building a perfect wheelchair. To make things even better, the store management decided to cover the cost. Wally is seeing a doggie chiropractor and he is regaining strength in his legs, but it will take a while for him to walk again. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwEK3d0JzXE Read more of the story here.

A: While no one has measured exactly how many pets die from secondhand smoke each year, vets know from lab tests and office visits that inhaling smoke causes cancers, allergic reactions, and inflammations in pets. Several schools, including Tufts University's School of Veterinary Medicine in Massachusetts and Colorado State University have studied the connection between secondhand smoke and cancer in pets. The results are discouraging; breathing in smoke can cause malignant lymphoma in cats, lung and nasal cancer in dogs, and various respiratory problems in both species. Dogs are susceptible to smoke, but cats even more so, and it is important to make pet homes smoke free. Lymphoma is one of the leading causes of death in cats. Repeated exposure to smoke doubles a cat's risk of getting cancer. Living with a smoker for five years or more quadruples the risk. Symptoms of cancer include coughing, problems breathing or eating, excessive drooling, weight loss, nasal discharge, vomiting, and bleeding and sneezing. Cancer kills more dogs and cats than any other disease. If you're trying to quit smoking and turn to e-cigarettes, be careful how you store your cigarettes and accessories. Dogs are attracted to nicotine cartridges from e-cigarettes and can take them out of the trash. Make sure to store all parts of the cigarette along with any fluids used out of reach of pets and children.

A: The Red Mountain Resort in St. George, Utah, has a new attraction. The Pound Puppy Hike matches guests with a local shelter dog for hiking and similar activities. The dogs come from the Aspen Animal Shelter that welcomes volunteers and loans dogs for a stroll through town or a daylong hike.  These outings serve a double purpose. The dogs get exercise and socialization, and many are adopted. Some of the pet-friendly Aspen hotels waive their pet fees for anyone who invites a shelter dog to spend the night. A couple of the hotels also provide shuttle service to and from the shelter. Fairmount hotels have caught on, and at eight hotels around the country "canine ambassadors" greet guests and can be booked for walks or runs around town. The dogs are a bonus for younger guests and for travelers longing for their own pets. Other hotels offer cats for company, or even fish.

A: Police officers have probably heard it all, but a Georgia Sheriff was served a new story when he rescued a dog from a hot car the other day. According to Fox 6 Now, Sheriff Sgt. Partain responded to a call about a dog locked in a car, rescued the pup, and went to look for the owner.  The car's driver was highly intoxicated, and claimed the dog had driven him to the store to buy corn. Supposedly the pooch waited patiently to drive him back home again. The man was arrested and has been charged with animal cruelty as well as driving under the influence, and the dog is resting with animal control. Moral of the story? Police officers do not give points for creativity. And, as comical as this story might seem, don't leave pets or children in cars.