Kids Can Join Paws In The Park Too!

Every student from all the towns in Stratford County can be part of the action at PAWS IN THE PARK Sunday, Sept. 26, 2010.  Form a team and join us for this day of fun.  Family teams are welcome too.  Or walk alone ages 13 and over. You don't need a dog to walk.  Come with or without a canine friend.  Youth under age 12 need an adult with them.  Anyone who rses $50 in pledges receives an official PAWS IN THE PARK t-shirt.  Raise $200 in pledges and receive an official tote bag along with your t-shirt.  Raise $500 and also receive a CVHS hooded heavy-weight sweatshirt (to be ordered in your size at the event).  Special prizes will be awarded to the top individual and team pledge collectors in the Youth and in the Adult divisions.

What's happening that day?  It begins at 10 a.m. with our Barkin' Market opens with local crafters and vendors with their unique pet goods, treats and services.  At 11 a.m. Registration for the Walk opens and will stay open until 1 p.m. The Walk, lead by the Dover Mounted Police, begins at 1 p.m.  After the Walk, Canine Capers gets underway.  Show off your dog's talents.  Register at the demonstration ring to compete for best costumes, best tricks and best sloppy kisses of the canine competitors. Prizes awarded to the winners.

To get your pledge form, go to the CVHS home page and click on PAWS IN THE PARK to get pledge forms for you or for your team.  Everyone is welcome to come support the animals! 

Tons of Fun...Playing with your pet!

Dogs and cats need to play!  An "over-active" pet may just need the exercise and action that playing offers.  This also makes your pet love to be with you.  And it prevents the destructive behavior of a pet making their own fun.  So here are some ideas for helping your pet put that extra energy to good use!

Dogs: 

• Dogs like to be in the middle of the action. Take your canine friend for lots of walks and give the pooch a good workout at a local park where dogs are welcome.  Dog parks are also a good place for your dog to socialize with other dogs.
• Puzzle toys like a Kong toy you fill with kibble or one you make out of a two-liter plastic soda bottle with holes and filled with some kibble are fun for your pet.  Tough toys that make noise or a large ball the dog can roll are also fun for your pup.
• Retrieving is great exercise for any dog.  It's a great skill to teach and provides lots of action.
• After obedience training, agility course training can give your dog a super challenge you will both enjoy.  Agility training lets dogs use their brains and their bodies together to achieve a successful goal such as jumping over equipment, climbing up a plank or moving through a hoop or tunnel.
• "Find it" is a great game your pooch will love.  Start by putting a treat under a plastic cup.  Have the dog push over the cup to find the treat. Show your pup several times until they catch on.  Then move it a little bit away from your dog and say "find it".  They may like to find a favorite toy.  Or they might like to hunt for a family member and get a reward treat when they find the person.  This burns off energy and is mentally fun for the dog.

Cats:

• Cats love toys too but avoid toys with small parts that could be eaten.  Try catnip-filled mice, fishing-pole toys with something fun to chase like a feather you can drag, wadded up paper balls, ping pong or racquet balls, empty cardboard boxes with holes cut out or even a tissue box with a ball inside. 
• Change toys alot as the excitement of something different keeps your cat curious and active.
• Play peek-a-boo or hide-and-seek around furniture.  Give her a treat reward is she finds and your cat will want to play more!
• Although we like cats to stay indoors a screened in porch is a great way to let your cat enjoy the outside without being in danger. 
• Cat perches near a window are appreciated by many kitties.  Scratch post and cat trees provide hours of fun and can be great places to catch a cat nap. 

Respect for Animals and Their Habitats Helps Us All!

There are loads of wild animals that people plain don't like!  Bats, skunks, rats, mice, snakes and many others are all part of the New England wildlife family,  Since all these animals share our environment it is important to understand what makes these animals unique and interesting.  They have valuable roles in the places we call home and in our lives. 

When we all show respect for the environment we protect the wildlife's source of food and shelter. Polluting, littering, picking plant life destroys the habitat and animals have to look for new homes. CVHS recognizes that wild animals should be allowed to live free and in privacy.  Avoid chasing animals, picking up their babies, or making noise that would disturb or frighten them. And never keep wild animals as pets. Recognize that all animals in the wild are part of a larger plan that makes our world the amazing place it is.  Treat others they way you want to be treated, with kindness and respect.

It's A DISASTER! What about your pets?

It's raining, it's pouring, it's flooding!!! Are you ready to get safely away? Plan and pack for your pets  But don't wait for a disaster to occur.  Prepare now so you will be ready to quickly get you and your pets to safety.  

Planning ahead...

• If you evacuate, take your pets with you.  If it is dangerous for you, it is just as dangerous for them.  Leave early before mandatory evacuation orders. Roads can get clogged if you wait too long. You may be told to leave pets behind if you wait and the situation becomes too dangerous.
• Your pets should have up-to-date identification tags.  Microchips are even better should your animal gets lost.
• Find a safe place to go well ahead of time.  Evacuation shelters usually don't accept pets.  Contact hotels and motels outside your immediate area to see if they accept pets. 
• Have a carrier large enough for the pet to stand in to transport your pet and to put your pet when you leave it in another's home or a hotel or motel.  This will prevent damage and give your pet a spot to sleep. 

What to take...

• Medications and medical records for your pet.  Include phone numbers for your veternarian.  Also a first aid kit.
• Sturdy leashes and harnesses as needed. Toys and comfortable bedding should also be included.
• Food and water for three days for each pet.  (Cats need cat litter and a box too) 
• Information sheets on how to care for your pet with a feeding schedule, medical condition, behavior problems, phone numbers where you can be reached and the name and phone number for your veternarian in case you have to board your pet. 

Foster Parenting:  A Great Way To Help Animals!

With kitten season here,  Cocheco Valley Humane Society is always in need of foster care families.  When a family has time to foster, it gives kittens the time they need in a home to socialize, be picked up and loved by a family.  Then, when the kitten reaches about 8 weeks it is ready to go back to a new shelter and find a new home.  And the foster family can have the flexibility of only taking a pet to foster when it is convenient for their schedule.  Just call Cocheco Valley Humane Society for more information