You don't like sleep, right?

Lisa Milton, Squish's Mom, @summitLisa, lisa.miltonwork

Depending on where you get your next animal from, you may or may not have a choice of whether or not to spay or neuter your animal. Squish wasn't spayed when I got her and for a while I really struggled with that decision.

In my first few years working for PetLynx I spent a lot of time working directly with the Calgary Humane Society. Educational is the way I describe it now, it's amazing how much I didn't know about animals. My family had cats and dogs as I grew up and by that time I was actually living on a farm raising cows and horses, I had every opportunity to be more educated.

What I didn't have the opportunity to understand until then was how many animals have unintended litters and how overwhelming that can be for a pet owner. Imagine your cat or dog starts to get a little chubby, you think "Chubby can be cute, but maybe a few less treats and a little more exercise." Eight weeks later, out pop six kittens or puppies! Your pet is a first time mom so she's not very good at it and you spend the next eight weeks hand-feeding six little runts first every two hours, then four hours then six hours ect.... Eventually you're exhausted and stuck with six animals you somehow struggled to get to an appropriate age and now you have to find them new homes. You post an ad online and have a multitude of people you don't know tramping through your house for the next few weeks until hopefully you get them all into a new home. While you've been busy homing her last litter your lovely little lady has gone and gotten herself knocked up again.

Ok admittedly that last part might be a stretch, and I stress might, but either way, just writing that left me feeling exhausted. It's no wonder that so many animals end up in inappropriate homes or surrendered to shelters. Imagine if that whole story happened to you and to top it off you had a brand new baby or a sick parent you were caring for or even a hospital stay! My time at CHS really helped me to understand how easy it is to become completely overwhelmed as a pet owner and wind up in a place you never intended to be.

It's true there are a number of studies that attest to the medical reasons why spaying or neutering is a good idea but for me they weren't nearly as convincing as the scenario above. Squish was, and still is, the cutest dog in the whole wide world (ok I'm a little biased) and that legitimately made me consider breeding her at least once or at waiting until she got a little older to make the decision but the second I thought of the care, process and stress involved in the aftermath of that decision there was NO way I was going to risk it. The truth is there are lots of intentional sources of animals out there who do a much better job than I ever would. Just think of all the sleep I gained from that one tiny decision!

Dog Rescues Human

In the spirit of love and compassion that is the foundation of the Christmas season, we share the following adoption story as a way to acknowledge and thank people across Canada who work tirelessly to rescue and re-home lost, abandoned and abused animals.

In the companion animal industry we always talk about humans adopting animals... but in many cases it is the animals who give unconditionally of their love and are our salvation. Enjoy this adoption story from an dog's point of view! 

Merry Christmas from PetLynx Corporation

I RESCUED A HUMAN TODAY. 
 

Her eyes met mine as she walked down the corridor peering apprehensively into the kennels. I felt her need instantly and knew I had to help her. I wagged my tail, not too exuberantly, so she wouldn't be afraid.

Could YOU resist adopting Harvey?

This creative video may be promoting the power of television advertising ...

but at PetLynx Corporation we felt it does double-duty by promoting adoptions from animal shelters!

Too bad every 'Harvey' can't get this kind of promotion ...

so that all homeless companion animals could be HomeSafe!

Find out how you can help a homeless animal this year!

Check out Iams Homes4the Holidays.

Posted by Terri Perrin, Online Communications Editor

Little Bird Lost .... HomeSafe, Thanks to PetLynx Poster

Dear PetLynx;

My name is Jonas and I am a cockatiel. My family was heartbroken when I got scared and flew out the door ... and they couldn't find me. A pet is part of the family and they missed me so much!

The next day my guardians gave the City of Hamilton Animal Control a copy of the 'Lost Bird' poster that they printed using the PetLynx website.

Pet Adoptions That Really Rock!

There is always cause for celebration when a lost pet is reunited with their guardians. Whether PetLynx played a role in a successful recovery or not, we are always thrilled to hear when a wayward dog or cat gets home... safe!


But in animal shelters across the world, many dogs, cats and other companion animals are never claimed and must wait to find a new 'forever home.' Knowing that every new animal adoption is something special, the good folks at the Nevada Humane Society have put a new spin on saying "congratulations" as they present one lucky dog to an excited new owner! Watch their adoption entrance dance ... it is sure to put a smile on your face!

Posted by Terri Perrin, Online Communications Editor

Family Pets: Unseen Victims of the Gulf Oil Disaster

Think about how animals have been affected by the Gulf Oil Disaster and chances are good that the first images that come to your mind will be oil-soaked pelicans and turtles ... not the pleading eyes of forlorn dogs and cats languishing in animal shelters.

According to a recent news segment on CNN's Anderson Cooper 360, hundreds of family pets now face an uncertain future because their guardians are no longer able to care for them. Many who have become unemployed have little hope of things changing for them anytime soon. Sadly, they have been forced to choose between feeding their families and providing for their companion animals.

Adopt Some Cattitude!

June is Adopt-A-Cat Month and our friends at Best Friends Animal Society have adopted a new motto that puts a new spin on a popular old saying:

Live, Love, Meow!

PetLynx salutes all animal shelters and animal services agencies across North America who work diligently to find forever homes for the cats in their care.... and the people who adopt them.

Do you have a cat (or kitten!) adoption success story that you would like to share with others? Comment below or send us an email today!

Posted by Terri Perrin, Online Communications Editor

Step by Step to Help a Lost Pet

Found a pet? Here help:

Be safe! Not Sorry! If the animal is aggressive or you fear for your safety, call your local animal control centre for assistance.



If the animal is manageable, check for identification and record this information on a sheet of paper.



Once you have written down all of this information, register the animal as "Found" on PetLynx. Don't worry if you can't find any form of I.D.! PetLynx's AutoMatch system can make matches based on physical description alone! 

Look for ID on collars: If there are no visible tags, take the collar off and check for a hand-written phone on the underside o the collar

Check for tattoos: Look inside both ears, on the inside hind legs and on the abdomen. Don't worry if you can't decipher the tattoo, PetLynx can search for AutoMatches even with a partial tattoo number.

Check for a Microchip: This form of "electronic identification" is smaller than a grain of rice and is inserted under the animal's skin. You can't actually see or feel a microchip, so will have to take the animal to a veterinary clinic or animal shelter to have the animal "scanned" for a microchip.

In addition to adding the pet to the lost and found network, PetLynx enables you to easily create and print posters to distribute around your neighbourhood.

You should also:

• Contact your local SPCA and Animal Control Centre. 
• Contact local veterinary clinics, pet groomers and pet supply stores. 
• Check the "Lost and Found" column of your local paper. 
• Place an ad in your local paper -- this ad space is generally offered free of charge.  
• Ask neighbours if they recognize the animal. 
• If you have found a purebred animal, contact a breed organization. 

When you find the guardian, don't forget to contact the various groups keeping records -- including PetLynx -- and let them know the animal is HomeSafe so they can take the animal off their records.

When to Help a Stray Pet....

And when to call for back-up!

It is instinctive for most animal lovers to want to rush forward to help a stray pet. Sometimes, however, catching and transporting stray pets should be left to your local humane society or animal services provider.

Whenever you see a stray dog or cat in your neighborhood, THINK SAFETY FIRST! Never put the safety of you, your family or your own pets in jeopardy.

• If the animal is showing ANY signs of aggression, leave it alone. If there is imminent danger to people -- especially children -- call '9-1-1.' In most cases, however, you should contact your municipal animal control centre.

• If you can safely transport it, a sick or injured stray should be taken to your local animal shelter or a veterinary clinic right away. (You will not have to pay for its care.)

• Leave a mother cat or dog with a litter, or an orphaned litter, alone! (Unless they are in immediate danger.) Call your humane society for advice before taking action.

• If you have been able to safely contain the animal, check for any form of identification - PetLynx tag, city license, tattoo, rabies tag, personalized identification tag, or microchip. Call these contact numbers and, if you have no luck finding the owner, register a 'Found' report on PetLynx and call area service providers right away.

• Before taking healthy strays to an animal shelter or vet clinic, do a search on PetLynx. There may already be a record of the lost pet and you may be matched with the owners right away, saving the animal a trip to the shelter.

• If someone claims to be the animal's owner, insist on identification and proof of ownership before releasing him or her.

Vital Stats are Vitally Important

Can you hear me now?

Your dog or cat may have a wide repertoire of tricks, but no matter how smart they are they’ll never be able to tell a stranger their address and phone number. Ensuring our companion animals have traceable pet identification (I.D.) is one way that we can guarantee that they can "speak" for themselves should they become lost.

However, the most important thing to remember about any kind of pet I.D. is that it is completely useless if you fail to update your personal information when you move or change phone numbers.

Whenever you change any of your contact information, be sure to alert all organizations and agencies with your new details. Ensure your dog or cat has a "ticket home" by registering with PetLynx, too!

CITY LICENCES & OTHER TAGS
Even if your cat or dog is already tattooed and/or micro-chipped, a City licence tag is an excellent form of traceable identification.

• A collar with tags is an instant alert that an animal is owned and is not a stray.
• It provides instant contact information if a lost pet requires emergency medical care.
• Unfortunately, tags may be lost if an animal loses its collar.

TATTOOS
There are two types of tattoos for companion animals – breeder tattoos and pet identification program tattoos. Each serves an entirely different purpose.

Purebred dogs registered with the Canadian Kennel Club (CKC) may have a registration tattoo on their belly or in an ear. This tattoo is applied when the puppy is just a few weeks old and identifies them as being a purebred from a specific breeder and litter. More recently, however, many breeders are opting for microchip I.D., so CKC tattoos are becoming less common. Purebred cats are never tattooed by the breeder.

Pet I.D. tattoos – which can be used for dogs, cats and rabbits – have been established in many communities across Canada. Ideally, the tattoo is put in an animal’s ear when it is spayed or neutered, because it has to be done under general anesthetic. The alphanumeric tattoo assigned to each animal is unique to them, identifying the year the tattoo was applied, the vet clinic that did the tattoo and the specific animal it is registered to.


MICROCHIPS
A microchip is a small coded device, about the size of a grain of rice. It’s inserted using a special syringe under the skin between your pet’s shoulder blades. All animal shelters and veterinary clinics in North America have special scanners that can ‘read’ the encrypted information on the microchip. The owner can be traced using this information.... if the information on file is correct!

Actress on a Mission to Help 1.5 Million Pets Find Homes

After 10 years of successfully helping millions of orphaned pets find homes, Iams Home 4 the Holidays announced that two-time Academy Award-winning actress Hilary Swank will serve as the drive's 2009 North American ambassador.

Swank will share her personal experience with adoption and rescue in an effort to help educate others about how they can make a positive impact on the lives of homeless pets. Along with founding partner Helen Woodward Animal Center and nearly 3,500 participating animal organizations from around the world, the program has set a goal to help 1.5 million pets across North American find homes.

The program runs October 1, 2009 - January 2, 2010 and is in partnership with the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies , Swiffer and Febreze.

"I'm so proud to be working with Iams Home 4 the Holidays to help raise awareness about the importance of pet adoption," said Swank. "Last year, the program's adoption goal was to get 1 million pets adopted in just three months, but this year the goal is even bigger - we're on a mission to find loving homes for 1.5 million orphaned pets during the campaign."

Swank has adopted many pets throughout her life, including her two dogs Karoo and Rumi. She rescued Karoo from the side of a road while filming in South Africa a few years ago and adopted Rumi last fall from a participating Homes 4 the Holidays shelter in Los Angeles.

DNA My Dog Event

Trace Your Dog's Family Tree

Although all dogs are descended from common wolf ancestors, each breed has specific genetic markers that uniquely identify it. Now there’s an affordable test to reveal all of the breeds contained in a dog through that unique genetic makeup.

‘DNA My Dog’ have been offering pet owners a special kit that involves a one minute cheek swab. The swab is then sent away and in just over a week a full analysis is returned that includes your dog’s dominant breeds, personality traits and health concerns. The Canine Breed Test was developed and validated using U.S. dog populations and will show all popular breeds in Canadian and U.S. dogs. (95% of all breeds). The test has been popular in the U.S. for years and is catching on with curious Canadians.

‘DNA My Dog’ will be on hand at the Hamilton/Burlington SPCA's premier pet event -- the Wiggle Waggle Walk-a-thon -- on Sunday September 13th with registration beginning at 9am.

“We’re thrilled to be able to offer this service to everyone participating in the walk,” said Jacqueline Roth, VP at the HBSPCA. “All proceeds from pledges raised and a portion of the ‘DNA My Dog’ fees will go to support our protection and adoption departments as well as the educational programs offered by the Hamilton/ Burlington SPCA.

Local Service Providers: Hamilton Burlington SPCA

Supersized cat gets a second chance

Killing with kindness?

Like many dogs and cats who are surrendered to shelters across North America each year, Alice, an eight-year-old domestic short-haired cat, was given up because her owners could no longer give her the care she needed.

Unlike a family move, financial constraints or allergies, however, Alice's owners were not prepared to combat the effects of obesity... the cat weighed an alarming 24 pounds! In their effort to care for Alice they were overfeeding her... to the point where they were practically killing her with kindness.

Alice was surrendered to the Rhode Island Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
(RISPCA) by her owners, who said they felt it was cute to have a cat that was so large – until she became unable to care for herself.

Because of Alice's obesity, she had difficulty moving and began excessively soiling her surroundings. She had a loving and caring demeanor but found it difficult to walk more than three feet at a time before she would need to stop and rest. Because of her lack of mobility, she was also fearful of other cats and tried to hide if she felt scared. In addition to her lack of casual movement, Alice required extra grooming maintenance because she could not reach many areas to clean herself.

Watch a video about Alice's ordeal.

Safe and Found

Found a Dog?
Think Safety First!

If you see a stray dog in your neighborhood, your first concern should be for your own safety. If, for any reason, you suspect the animal may bite or it is acting aggressively, contact your local Humane Society or Animal Control Centre. They have the proper equipment and skill to get the dog safely under control without harm to man or beast.

If the pet is manageable, you may choose to put him (or her) in your fenced back yard or in a room in your home.

Safe and Found
Before you log onto the Internet or begin phoning in an effort to locate the dog’s owner, make sure it cannot escape from your home or yard. Put it in a bathroom or other small room where it can’t hurt itself or anything around it.

Creature Comforts
Provide the dog with an old towel or blanket to lie on and a bowl of water to drink. But don’t feed it right away! Give the dog an hour or so to settle down first and then feed small quantities of dog food over a period of a few hours. A ravenous dog may overeat and then become sick. Or it may have dietary restrictions that you are not aware of and certain foods could be harmful. If you don’t have any pet food, offer a bowl of plain cooked rice—or nothing at all for the time being.

Never, EVER, feed milk to a stray dog (or cat) of any age. Milk can cause severe digestive upset and diarrhea, especially in puppies and geriatric pets.

Start your search to get the lost dog HomeSafe by registering it with Petlynx.

Calgary Shelters at Full Capacity

Vacationing owners and the recession result in kennels being filled to capacity

CALGARY, August 12, 2009 ~ A story published in today's Calgary Herald revealed that Calgary's two largest animal shelters are in crisis.

The City's shelter is getting close to capacity, with 70 cats and 44 dogs waiting to be claimed by their owners or be adopted into new homes.

Similarly, the Calgary Humane Society is overrun with 484 cats and 95 dogs.

"We always get a bit of a spike in our numbers in August," said Bill Bruce, The City's director of Animal & Bylaw Services. "But it's our return-to-owner statistics that really slump out on us because of [the fact that people are on] vacations. We have trouble reaching the owners to let them know their pet is here. At some point--after 10 to 14 days of trying to reach them and getting no response to our calls -- we have to act in the animal's best interests, which is not to keep it languishing in a shelter forever and it gets adopted."

"[Capacity] is usually high this time of year," said Calgary Humane Society spokeswoman Pamela Amos, noting it is kitten season so some owners are surrendering the mother cat and her entire litter. The shelter has also noticed an increasing number of owners turning over their pets due to the recession.

Local Service Providers: City of Calgary Animal & Bylaw Services, Calgary Humane Society

Finders, Keepers?

Found a pet?
Considering keeping it? Think again!

The Calgary Humane Society warns that if you choose to keep a stray pet, rather than make every attempt to find its rightful owner, you are vulnerable to legal action if the pet family comes forward to claim the animal.

Please don't make the assumption that the pet has been abandoned. Very likely someone, somewhere is frantically looking for it!

Take the steps under "Locating the Owner" on the PetLynx website before deciding you want the animal and make sure you register the animal as "Found" on PetLynx.

Every province (and state) has legislation relating to the length of time stray animals are held before they become the property of the animal shelter and can legally be adopted. Calgary animal shelters, for example, operate according to the laws set out in the Animal Protection Act of Alberta.

If you find a stray pet -- regardless of how cute and lovable it is -- take it to your local animal services centre where it can be cared for the appropriate legal holding period. This gives the pet family a fair chance at claiming their pet. Most shelters will give the individuals who bring in a stray pet the "first right of refusal" to adopt the animal. Waiting out the obligatory holding period gives you the peace-of-mind that the animal will legally be yours.

If a pet family comes forward to claim the pet, don't be disappointed! If you really want a new animal companion there are always dozens more willing to steal your heart at your local animal shelter!