Sophie's Great Escape...

...And Safe Return

Sophie, an 18-month-old Lhasa Apso, must have felt she was getting too many baths because she dug a hole under the fence of her guardian's back yard and made a break for it. (She wasn't wearing a collar and tag because she had just been bathed again, after playing in the melting snow and resulting muddy yard.)

The little dog was found several blocks away and dropped her off at a nearby veterinarian's office. The vet assistant called the City of Calgary Animal & Bylaw Services and they came and picked her up. They also kindly gave her another bath, as she was really dirty by this time.

According to her guardian, Lorrie K., Sophie was away two sleepless nights. When she went to the City of Calgary to claim her lost pet, she was very impressed with how clean the facility -- and Sophie -- both were

"As for PetLynx," wrote Lorri. "Thank you so much for letting me use your website to post her picture and information. You have a very good service for all of us pet owners. The PetLynx website was so easy to use! I highly recommend PetLynx to anyone who is looking for his or her lost pet.

Sophie and I would like to thank everyone involved with her return home. She is a special little gift from God to me.

Lorri R., Calgary

Posted by Terri Perrin, Online Communications Editor

PetSecure Helps Pet

PetSecure pet health insurance was happy to deliver some great news to Romelda Morson, an active volunteer in her Toronto community and pet parent of two dogs - Impulse and Fynnegan. The company paid for Impulse's $2,500.00 ligament surgery after she was attacked by a stray dog and her former pet health insurance company denied the claim.

Prior to the attack, Romelda faced a hydro explosion in her apartment and was forced to leave her home with nothing but the clothes on her back, cell phone and pets in hand. After this disaster, she formed a tenants' association to ensure everyone living in her building would be treated equally and fairly.

"As pet parents ourselves, we are proud to give back by providing resources and support to the pet community across Canada," says Randy Valpy, President & CEO of PetSecure. "When we heard what Romelda had been through, we wanted to help; our goal as a company is to ensure that pets across Canada enjoy longer, fuller and healthier lives, even if that means helping one pet parent at a time!"

"Things like this don't happen often in our society, let alone happen to me," Romelda stated after Petsecure told her the good news. "Petsecure has reinstated my faith in insurance companies and I'm truly grateful for their generosity and willingness to support Impulse. This has made a huge difference in our lives and has taken away a burden of not knowing how we would take care of this payment."

Petsecure wants all of their members to feel secure knowing that in their time of need, and when they really need that extra help, they can rest assured that they will be taken care of.

Posted by Terri Perrin, Online Communications Editor

Halloween Tips

Keep your four-legged friends safe this Halloween

Candy, costumes, trick-or-treating and frighteningly fun times are what most people think of around Halloween. But pets may find strangers coming to the door dressed as ghosts and goblins a little too scary. Here are some tips from the American Humane Association to help you and your pets have a fun and safe Halloween.

Safety first — If your pet is upset by the commotion at the front door, put her in a quiet room to reduce stress and chance of escape. Leave the TV or a radio playing as a distraction or have another member of the family stay with the pet.

Let your pets celebrate Halloween, too — If — and only if—your pet sits calmly while the door is opened repeatedly, let her help you greet the trick or treaters! Keep a supply of pet treats handy, and reach for one to give her before you open the door for trick-or-treaters.

Mr. Dress-up — Consider a Halloween-themed collar or bandanna to show your pet’s spirit, instead of a costume that may be constricting or unsafe.

Double-Check ID— Make sure your pet is wearing a collar with up-to-date ID, in case he does escape with the trick-or-treaters. Register your pet with PetLynx — just in case!

Pet-friendly Halloween decorations — Instead of an open flame in the jack-o’-lantern, opt for battery-powered, kid- and pet-friendly pumpkins. Open-flame candles and pumpkins with lit candles are especially dangerous because a pet’s fur can catch fire. Don’t let your pet chew or eat things like crepe-paper streamers; these are often colored with water-soluble dyes that will discolor your pet’s mouth and can cause an upset stomach.

Remember: No chocolate and candy! — Dogs love chocolate as much as humans do, but it is very dangerous for dogs and cats if ingested. Keep all chocolate and candy out of reach of your pets. Have healthy pet treats on hand for your pets, and enjoy the candy and chocolate yourself.

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!

Dogs & Cats Meet in Cyberspace!

New York, NY – Attention all dog and cat lovers, the American Kennel Club (AKC) and the Cat Fanciers’ Association (CFA) – invite you to log on to www.meetthebreeds.com to learn more about dogs and cats.

The site is a comprehensive one-stop-shop for all things dog and cat, and is inspired by the upcoming Meet the Breeds™ event that will be held October 17 & 18, 2009 in New York City.

For those of us who can't be in New York for the main event, we can still participate in cyberspace!

The Meet The Breeds website features:

Meet the Dog and Cat Breeds – Learn about 160 dog breeds and 41 cat breeds.
Meet the Breeds Game from ZooToo – Test your breed knowledge and compete for the top score. Each round asks you to choose the correct dog breed from three choices.
Declare your Pet Preference! – Are you a doggy devotee or a feline follower? Weigh in on this centuries-old debate by taking our definitive one-question survey and tell us why dogs or cats are your preferred pet.
Virtual Sticker Downloads for your Social Media Pages – Choose your favorite breed and download a virtual sticker to your Facebook or MySpace page, Web site or blog.
Meet the Breeds Blog from AOL’s Paw Nation – Follow the latest news, learn about who will be attending and get in on all the behind-the-scenes action at the Meet the Breeds event.

“If you’re crazy for cats or passionate about pooches you cannot miss Meet the Breeds both online or in person,” said AKC spokesperson Gina DiNardo. “Both meetthebreeds.com and the event itself present an entertaining way for friends and families to enjoy quality time together while learning how to become responsible pet owners.”

Post-Summer Seperation Anxiety

The end of summer can be tough for dogs and cats

SAN ANTONIO, TX /PRNewswire/ Fall 2009 - Back to school time creates a dramatic shift in family schedules, which can have a devastating impact on companion animals that have spent more time with their owners over the summer vacation season. PurinaCare(R) Pet Health Insurance is urging all pet owners to be aware of the signs of post-summer separation anxiety in both dogs and cats.

Signs of Post-Summer Separation Anxiety include:

• Hyper-salivation or drooling.
• Soiling the pet owner's belongings.
• Chewing or scratching at doors or crate.
• Non-stop howling, barking, meowing.
• Compulsive grooming or licking.
• Tearing up furniture or pushing items off counters.

"Dogs are naturally social animals and are especially sensitive to loneliness this time of year. The family fills the role of 'the pack' and in their absence; dogs can feel abandoned and become quite destructive," says Dr. Bill Craig, DVM, Chief Medical and Underwriting Director of PurinaCare Pet Health Insurance. "Teaching dogs that their owners will return and the 'pack' will be reunited is the key to alleviating the stress of post-summer separation anxiety."

Ensure your pets are HomeSafe by preparing your Pet for Post-Summer Routines:

• Wean them into new post-summer schedule. Give positive reinforcement with praise and treats for appropriate behavior.
• Resume normal leash/walking schedules.
• Take the drama out of leaving - grab your coat and keys at times when you are not leaving so your pet doesn't connect the action with being left alone.
• Create a pet safe haven - a well-lit area where the family "pack" normally gathers, keep the TV or radio running, leave plenty of toys and safe clothing/items with family scents on them
• Don't punish bad behavior related to anxiety; it will only reinforce the stress
• For pets with severe stress, medications are available. They will rarely work alone without a behavior modification regimen. A veterinarian must prescribe these drugs

The Search for the Top Ten Dog-Friendly Cities in America

To celebrate the joyful life people share with their dogs, Beneful(R) Brand Dog Food recently launched an interactive, online destination where dog lovers can find and share everyday adventures with their dogs. WagWorld.com

WagWorld offers visitors the opportunity to find new dog-friendly places to visit, add their favorite places to go with their dogs, write reviews, upload pictures of themselves with their dog and pass along their favorite posts to friends and family.

In celebration of the WagWorld launch, Beneful announced its search for the Top 10 Togetherful Cities in America, the dog-friendly locations where dog owners and their dogs can enjoy daily adventures together.

Dog owners are invited to visit WagWorld to "buzz" about their favorite dog-friendly places. The 10 cities with the most activity on WagWorld.com, including postings, reviews and photo uploads, between July 27 and September 27 will make the list of Top 10 Togetherful Cities in America that will be announced in October 2009.

"Dog lovers know that life truly is better together with their four-legged friends. Our dogs are our best friends and help make every day full of play and adventure," said Matt Ferch, Beneful(R) assistant brand manager. "We created WagWorld to celebrate the relationship between dog owners and their best buddies and to provide them with a place where they can discover and
share dog-friendly places wherever their adventures may take them."

Finding My Molly - A kid's book about a lost cat!

What is the worst thing that could possibly happen when your cat steps outside for the very first time? As Peggy Krause tells us in Finding My Molly, lots of things can go wrong!

Written for children age 8-12, Finding My Molly is great for young readers who are making the transition between being read to and reading for themselves.

The story follows "Soupy," a tabby cat that ventures outside one day only to be chased by dogs, get lost in the forest, and find himself as the foster father for a stray raccoon. But none of these roadblocks can keep him from searching for "his Molly," the little girl who owns him, and is "the most beautimous human-kitten in the world."

The story is broken into short, easily tackled chapters, and Krause uses a perfect blend of familiar and new words to add a little challenge for slightly older readers. The book uses the animal stars to teach little safety lessons, but the cat perspective--the drama, turns of fortune, and heartfelt concerns of this special feline--is irresistible, and the message of conscientious involvement in immediate social issues is appropriate for the upcoming generation.

Finding My Molly is even on the National Humane Education Society's recommended reading list. All this mixed with a lighthearted story and a sweet, witty style, makes it a hit.

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.

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