BE KIND TO ANIMALS WEEK

A new pet can provide you and your family members with more unconditional love than you can imagine. But please remember that acquiring a pet is a lifetime commitment and should not be taken lightly. There are several things to consider before adding a new member to your family:

DO YOU WANT AN ADULT DOG OR CAT OR A PUPPY OR KITTEN?
The amount of time that you will need to spend training your new pet depends greatly on its age. A young puppy will need to be housebroken, and will need to be given the opportunity to relieve itself at least every four hours. Puppies will go through a teething phase, which can mean chewing! Kittens, while more easily housebroken (litter box trained), are full of boundless energy and may release it by climbing up curtains and other household items unless trained not to do so!

HOW MUCH TIME DO YOU SPEND AWAY FROM HOME?
When pets are left alone for long periods of time (more than 8-10 hours) they may display frustration behaviors such as barking, digging and chewing. In addition, if you are frequently away on overnight trips, it will be necessary to have someone care for your pet. Dogs, especially large breeds, need regular exercise. Will you have time in your schedule for a nightly walk?

DO YOU HAVE SMALL CHILDREN?
Are they old enough to interact with a dog or cat responsibly without hurting themselves or the animal?

COST
Remember that the average life span of a dog can be 10-15 years, and that of an indoor cat even longer (up to 20 years). Your pet will need to have regular veterinary care (not to mention veterinary attention for any unforeseen emergencies), a nutritious pet food, toys, a crate (for housebreaking) or litter pan and litter, a pet carrier (for trips in the car) and other miscellaneous supplies. All this can add up. Are you and your budget ready for the additional expense?

UNFORESEEN SITUATIONS
There’s an old saying that the only constant in life is change. At some point, you and your family are bound to be affected by a change in job, location, family status — or perhaps all three! How will this affect your pet? If you are required to move, will you be able to take your pet with you? Are you willing to consider your pet in the re-location process? What if you or another family member becomes allergic to your pet? Do you plan to have children? Do you plan to have more than one pet? What if your pet comes down with a debilitating disease? How will you provide for your pet under these circumstances?

Unfortunately, many of the pets in shelters today are there because their previous owners didn’t consider these possibilities. Please, before you make your decision, think about it seriously so your pet doesn’t become a statistic once again.

(10) Each hour, every day, over 3,000 dogs and cats are born in the U.S. Most of these animals are unwanted and many end up in animal shelters. You can save a life by adopting a cat or dog from your local shelter.

(9) Many dogs and cats awaiting adoption at a shelter are already housebroken! With most family members gone during the workweek for 8 hours or more a day, house training is certainly an important consideration.

(8) When you adopt an older dog or cat from a shelter, you already know how big the animal is, what his temperament is, how active he is, and if he has been trained.

(7) Adoption staff works with you to make that perfect match. They will try and make sure that you are choosing the pet that will make both your family and the animal happy with each other.

(6) Instant companion! When you adopt from a shelter, you have a devoted friend for life.

(5) You will be an example to others and they may become inspired to visit the shelter.

(4) There are puppies and kittens at the shelter as well as older animals. Whatever age you are looking for, you can find a loving pet.

(3) Purebreds can be found at the shelter. Experts say approximately 10-12% of animals in shelters are purebreds. So, if you have your heart set on a certain breed, try checking with your local shelter. Most will keep you on a waiting list if they don’t have what you’re looking for.

(2) Most shelters have provided all necessary shots and spay/neutering before the animal goes home with you. Spaying/Neutering helps to end the tremendous pet overpopulation problem, is healthier for your animal and saves you time and money.

AND THE #1 REASON TO ADOPT A SHELTER ANIMAL ……..

(1) UNCONDITIONAL LOVE! Your new pet will love you regardless of all other factors. Where else can you find that kind of devotion?

The pictures below are of some of our rescued animals that need good loving homes. If you think one of these pets would be a good fit for your family, please call our hotline at (318) 219-7387 or email us at hsnwla@yahoo.com to make an appointment. Please note that we will not ship or transport animals for adoption, if you want to adopt you will have to show up in person to meet the animal and fill out your adoption contract.

Our adoption fee is $50 which reimburses us for animal care expenses and medical care. All animals have been checked by a veterinarian and had their first shots. Those that have not been spayed or neutered will come with a voucher good for $50 towards the cost of spay/neuter surgery - this voucher is accepted by nearly all area veterinarians.

We require that all intact animals be spayed/neutered within 90 days of adoption, and we will check to verify it has been done. You will also be asked to provide the name and phone number of your veterinarian as a reference. You must be 18 years or older to adopt an animal. We reserve the right to deny adoption to any home we deem unsuitable for any reason.

Please come to our Adoption Days at Petco and meet many other cats and dogs that we transport in from Caddo Parish Animal Services! Adoption Days are held the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Saturdays at Petco on Youree Drive in Shreveport from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM.

DOGS

STILL AVAILABLE TO A SPECIAL HOME: This is Brittanie, so named because she is a Brittany Spaniel mix. She is 3 years old and was abandoned with a litter of puppies that have all been adopted. She is a SPECIAL NEEDS dog - she is BLIND. She has completed heartworm treatment and has been spayed. Britannie is very loving and sweet and ready for her forever home. However, because she is blind and she startles easily, she needs to go to a home with no other animals and no small children. Please come to see Britannie in person at Petco every Saturday - we are sure she will charm you!!! We are currently taking applications on Brittanie - if you are interested in adopting her, please send us an eMail - hsnwla@yahoo.com - or call us at (318) 219-7387 to request an adoption application. A home visit will be required.

SUGAR is a female Beagle mix. She is approximately 2-3 years old. Sugar was heartworm positive and has completed her treatment and is now heartworm negative. She had a litter of 10 puppies which one of our Board members promptly dubbed as “The Sugarbabies”. Only two of her puppies are still available for adoption (see their pictures below). Sugar is super super sweet. She loves people and is good with other dogs. She has been SPAYED and is up-to-date on her shots and heartworm prevention. We know Sugar’s puppies are adorable, but after all this precious Mama dog has been through, she deserves a forever home too.

MEET THE SUGARBABIES

8 of the 10 Sugarbabies were adopted on Saturday, May 3, 2008 at Petco - Our thanks to all you new Moms and Dads!

THESE 2 LITTLE GUYS ARE STILL WAITING FOR THEIR FOREVER HOMES:

DASH

DIAMOND JIM

MAX


Max is a male Pug/Shit Zhu mix found in the 300 block of Albert in Shreveport. He is approximately 2 years old and is up-to-date on all shots and heartworm negative. He has been neutered. Max is very sweet but does not like to be held. He is very active - loves to play. He needs to go to a home with no small children.

PRECIOUS


This “Precious” girl is a Rat Terrior mix who was so named because she is truly precious. She is the sweetest thing and so loving and affectionate. She is approximately 6-9 years old and was a stray that was taken to Caddo Animal Services - We “bailed her out of jail” and now she is ready for someone to give her a forever home. Precious is spayed and up-to-date on shots. She is heartworm negative and currently on heartworm prevention. She LOVES to sit in your lap and will make a wonderful companion for someone.

Again, if you are interested in giving these wonderful dogs a forever home, please call or send us an eMail.

100 Ways to Help a Rescue Group

So many times we hear people say that they don’t know what help they can be, since they can’t foster. Here’s one hundred ways to help your rescue group:

Can you..

1. Transport a dog?

2. Donate a dog bed or towels or other *bedding* type items?**

3. Donate MONEY?

4. Donate a Kong? A Nylabone? A Hercules?

5. Donate a crate?

6. Donate an x-pen or baby gates?

7. Donate a food dish or a stainless bucket for a crate?

8. Donate a leash?

9. Donate a collar?

10. Donate some treats or a bag of food?

11. Donate a halti or promise collar or a gentle leader?

12. Walk a dog?

13. Groom a dog?

14. Donate some grooming supplies (shampoos, combs, brushes, etc.)?

15. Go to the local shelter and see if that dog is the breed the shelter says it is or go with rescue to be a second opinion on the dog?

16. Make a few phone calls?

17. Mail out applications to people who’ve requested them?

18. Provide local vet clinics with contact information for educational materials on responsible pet ownership?

19. Drive a dog to and from vet appointments?

20. Donate long distance calling cards?

21. Donate the use of your scanner or digital camera?

22. Donate the use of a photocopier?

23. Attend public education days and try to educate people on responsible pet ownership?

24. Donate a gift certificate to a pet store?

25. Donate a raffle item if your club is holding a fundraiser?

26. Donate flea stuff (Advantage, etc.)?

27. Donate heartworm pills?

28. Donate a canine first aid kit?

29. Provide a shoulder to cry on when the rescue person is overwhelmed?

30. Pay the boarding fees to board a dog for a week? Two weeks?

31. Be a Santi-paws foster to give the foster a break for a few hours or days?

32. Clip coupons for dog food or treats?

33. Bake some homemade doggie biscuits?

34. Make book purchases through Amazon via a web site that contributes commissions earned to a rescue group?

35. Host rescue photos with an information link on your website?

36. Donate time to take good photos of foster dogs for adoption flyers, etc.?

37. Conduct a home visit or accompany a rescue person on the home visit?

38. Go with rescue person to the vet to help if there is more than one dog?

39. Have a yard sale and donate the money to rescue?

40. Be a volunteer to do rescue in your area?

41. Take advantage of a promotion on the web or store offering a free ID tag and instead of getting it for your own dog, have the tag inscribed with your Club’s name and phone to contact?

42. Talk to all your friends about adopting and fostering rescue dogs?

43. Donate vet services or can you help by donating a spay or neuter each year or some vaccinations?

44. Interview vets to encourage them to offer discounts to rescues?

45. Write a column for your local newspaper or club newsletter on dogs currently looking for homes or ways to help rescue?

46. Take photos of dogs available for adoption for use by the Club?

47. Maintain web sites listing/showing dogs available?

48. Help organize and run fundraising events?

49. Help maintain the paperwork files associated with each dog or enter the information into a database?

50. Tattoo a rescued dog?

51. Microchip a rescued dog?

52. Loan your carpet steam-cleaner to someone who has fostered a dog that was sick or marked in the house?

53. Donate a bottle of bleach or other cleaning products?

54. Donate or loan a portable dog run to someone who doesn’t have a quarantine area for quarantining a dog that has an unknown vaccination history and has been in a shelter?

55. Drive the fosters’ children to an activity so that the foster can take the dog to obedience class?

56. Use your video camera to film a rescue dog in action?

57. Pay the cost of taking a dog to obedience class?

58. Be the one to take the dog to its obedience class?

59. Go to the foster home once a week with your children and dogs to help socialize the dog?

60. Help the foster clean up the yard (yes, we also have to scoop what those foster dogs poop)

61. Offer to test the foster dog with cats?

62. Pay for the dog to be groomed or take the dog to a *Do It Yourself* Grooming Place?

63. Bring the foster take out so the foster doesn’t have to cook dinner?

64. Pay a house-cleaning service to do the spring cleaning for someone who fosters dogs all the time?

65. Lend your artistic talents to your club’s newsletter, fundraising ideas, and t-shirt designs?

66. Donate printer paper, envelopes and stamps to your club?

67. Go with a rescue person to the vet if a foster dog needs to be euthanized?

68. Go to local shelters and meet with shelter staff about how to identify your breed or provide photos and breed information showing the different types of that breed may come in and the different color combinations?

69. Go to local businesses and solicit donations for a club’s fundraising event?

70. Offer to try and help owners be better pet owners by holding a grooming seminar?

71. Help pet owners be better pet owners by being available to answer training questions?

72. Loan a crate if a dog needs to travel by air?

73. Put together an *Owner’s Manual* for those who adopt rescued dogs of your breed?

74. Provide post-adoption follow up or support?

75. Donate a coupon for a free car wash or gas or inside cleaning of a vehicle?

76. Pay for an ad in your local/metropolitan paper to help place rescue dogs?

77. Volunteer to screen calls for that ad?

78. Get some friends together to build/repair pens for a foster home?

79. Microchip your own pups if you are a breeder, and register the chips so if your dogs ever come into rescue, you can be contacted to take responsibility for your pup?

80. Donate a small percentage of the sale of each pup to rescue if you are a breeder?

81. Buy two of those really neat dog-items you “have to have” and donate one to Rescue?

82. Make financial arrangements in your will to cover the cost of caring for your dogs after you are gone - so Rescue won’t have to?

83. Make a bequest in your will to your local or national Rescue?

84. Donate your professional services as an accountant or lawyer?

85. Donate other services if you run your own business?

86. Donate the use of a vehicle if you own a car dealership?

87. Loan your cell phone (and cover costs for any calls) to someone driving a rescued dog?

88. Donate your *used* dog dryer when you get a new one?

89. Let rescue know when you’ll be flying and that you’d be willing to be a rescued dog’s escort?

90. Donate a doggy seatbelt?

91. Donate a grid for a van or other vehicle?

92. Organize a rescued dog picnic or other event to reunite the rescued dogs that have been placed?

93. Donate other types of doggy toys that might be safe for rescued dogs?

94. Donate a roll-a-treat or Buster cube?

95. Donate clickers or a video ..for training?

96. Donate materials for a quarantine area at a foster’s home?

97. Donate sheets of linoleum or other flooring material to put under crates to protect the foster’s floor?

98. Donate an engraving tool to make ID tags for each of the rescued dogs?

99. Remember that rescuing a dog involves the effort and time of many people and make yourself available on an emergency basis to do *whatever* is needed?

100. Do something not listed above to help rescue?