This blog post is contributed by Michelle Williams, a San Jose Animal Advocates volunteer.  

Every single day, things happen that affect the way we think, the way we behave, the way we feel… and most of the time, we are hardly aware. If you ask me when animal welfare became personal, I can tell you exactly when that happened.

The date was May 15, 2010 – this is the story of my “turning point”.

It was 10am on a Saturday morning and my husband came into the house muttering something about kittens in the backyard. This wasn’t your typical Saturday conversation over coffee. We have no pets, and there was certainly no reason why there should be newborn kittens behind our air conditioning unit.

I knew I had to do something and since the feral cat population is a sore subject for my husband, I also knew that would not include bringing them into our home. After placing an ad on Craigslist, I realized that I may be attracting the wrong kind of attention. So, I looked up information for a *local shelter, went and found a box and a soft fuzzy blanket. Let me just mention – for such little creatures, those little teeth were sharp!

Several days later, I called the shelter to enquire about trapping feral cats and asked how the kittens were doing. I was told they were euthanized… I was beyond heartbroken. The reality of the situation was that the kittens were unable to eat on their own and would have required around the clock care. At that weight, the kittens needed a foster “meowmie” to bottle feed and teach the kittens how to eliminate.

The weeks that followed continued to break my heart over and over as the momma cat repeatedly came into my back yard looking for her kittens. At one point, she brought another cat with her as if to say “I swear I left them here! Please help me find them!”

Once I let myself off the hook, I decided to try and make a difference.

Every shout begins with a voice. This is mine.

Adopt. Foster. Spay. Neuter.

* prewean kittens that are brought to our area shelters are typically euthanized.  If the mother is still around, the best thing you can do is leave the kittens with their mother until they are old enough to eat on their own.  There are wonderful resources such as Itty Bitty Orphan Kitty (IBOK Rescue's) Prewean packet (free at all Bay area shelters and Pet Food Express stores) and video.  These resources can help you care for the prewean kittens until they are old enough to eat on their own, and then able to be adopted into a permanent home.  Monthly classes on how to care for prewean kittens will be given at Humane Society Silicon Valley, and they are always looking for kitten foster parents.  Read about their foster program, and save a kitten, save the world!

_This blog post has been contributed by Karen Zamel, a cat lover and first time attendee of Best Friends National No More Homeless Pet Conference.

As an animal lover, I was recently reminded by the brilliant folks from the Best Friends Animal Society in Utah that love alone isn’t enough to provide for our pets.  It’s a great place to start, but pet ownership brings with it immense responsibility as well as enormous reward.  Animals need much of the same nurturing, care, and protection that many people reserve for, well, other people.    It’s an important concept and one my husband and I take seriously…our three rescue cats are our kids.

We adopted our first kitten 14 years ago – she had been abandoned at my mom’s vet.   My husband and I were both new to cat ownership, but we promised the vet that “Mopps” would only be an indoor-only cat.  Period.  "Gates" and "Stray Cat," our two other rescues, are also indoor-only cats, too.

We found some great vets and cat sitters, learned as much as we could, and have protected our cats from the stresses of kitchen remodeling, a few lengthy vacations, a couple of potentially serious illnesses, various teeth extractions, and the trials and tribulations of finding the right food, cat litter, scratching posts and toys. 

In return, we are so fortunate that the three feline members of our family -- all between 14-1/2 and 12-1/2 years old -- are healthy and happy.  Each day, I am grateful for the company, comfort, love, and fun they provide us.   They have changed our lives for the better, and I will ardently argue with anyone who asserts that cats are nonchalant, aloof, or disinterested in the TLC of a good owner. 

I would also like to apologize to my mother-in-law for sharing with our cats, the blanket she gave us for Christmas.  This is the same blanket she said was too expensive for them, but they love it as much as we do, and are only laying on it, I promise.  I would also like to share these essential pet care tips provided by our friends at Best Friends…

• License your pet and provide permanent ID.
• Spay and neuter your pets.
• Provide training, physical care, socialization, and attention their entire lives.
• Don’t allow pets to become a nuisance or threat to the community.
• Procure your pets only from a responsible and ethical source.

These tips -- along with a lot of love -- can change the lives of pet owners and their pets!

_Company, Cookies and Canines

Holidays transform many of us into seasonal entertainers. This time of year, we put a lot of demands on ourselves to cook stunning meals, decorate our homes, and shop for perfect gifts. We also expect our dogs to channel their inner Emily Post and transform into gracious hosts and hostesses.
Not all of our canines are naturally well-mannered entertainers. Your dog may feel that Aunt Millie’s newly knitted scarf is a perfect tug toy and the gingerbread cooling on the counter is a delicious mid-morning snack.   Most dogs are not Santa Claus believers, so we need other strategies to convince Rover to be on his best behavior.  Training good manners is possible at any age, but it takes time and a bit of practice to learn new skills.  Considering all you are juggling right now, here are some time-sensitive suggestions to make sure Rover adds a bit of charm to your holiday celebration.

Door

Would you like to welcome guests to your home without a barking chorus?  Noisy dogs and our shouts of “quiet” start any party off with an unwanted dose of stress.  Take the doorbell out of the equation by securing the lock mechanism with duct tape and hanging a “Welcome, Come In” sign on your door.
An open-door policy will minimize barking but you will need to take steps to prevent Rover from charging out of the front door to greet guests and visit neighbors.  Instead of trying to do battle at the door, shut off Rover’s access to the front hallway.  A walk-through baby gate placed in your front hallway is a perfect option to keep an open flow for humans while preventing Rover from charging through the door.  A few brave souls try to jump a gate, so test your setup before the party.
Creating a dog-free zone at your front door has the added advantage of allowing you to control greetings between your dog and guests.  The doorway is the most challenging place for shy or overexcited dogs to meet visitors.  Barking or jumping can be minimized by moving greetings to a lower stress place in your home.  Even a welcoming and well-mannered mutt can not help with guests.  Once your company settles in, they can greet your friendly pooch with the attention that she deserves.

_Food

No one wants to spend the party at the emergency vet with a dog who scarfed the baking chocolate or order a pizza after FiFi samples the Christmas ham.  Dogs are genetically determined to be on the lookout for food and no other time of year presents a better opportunity for finding forbidden goodies.

• Prep time - Save yourself stress by giving Rover something else to do during your cooking marathon.  He can keep the kids company in the family room or play with a new toy on his bed.  I enjoy the help of my resident crumb cleaners during every-day cooking, but I want all non-essential hands and paws out of the kitchen when cooking for a crowd.
• Hors d’oeuvres - Most of us do not routinely leave plates of special snacks sitting unattended at dog nose level.  So it is not surprising when Roxy helps herself to your fancy cheese board in front of company.  The beginning of a party is a busy time for the party host so you will not be able to guard against food thieves. Test out your pup before the party by baiting the coffee table with something delicious and surreptitiously monitoring the table from the other room.  If Roxy goes for the goods, plan to put party trays on high tables that she cannot reach.
• A sit down meal is often the highlight of a holiday celebration and another busy time for the host.   Have a Kong stuffed and ready to give Rover before you sit down to eat to avoid any embarrassment of a begging dog.
• Leftovers - Your company has left and leftover breads and sweets are all over your counter.  Pack leftovers away in air-tight/dog proof containers. If Rover often helps himself to midnight snacks off of your counter, consider asking Santa to bring you a breadbox this year.

More Holiday Tips

• For large gatherings and for dogs that may be extra sensitive or new to crowds, consider designating a primary dog minder.  This is the person to remember to take dog out for potty break and keep an eye to make sure she is not getting overwhelmed or stealing food.
• Dogs are part of our families, but luckily do not have a sentimental attachment to our holidays.  If you have a fearful dog, it may be the kindest to keep her confined in a safe zone away from the party chaos.
• If you are going to confine your dog to a new room, do a few test runs before the party to make sure she will be calm and quiet.  Set aside special rawhide chews or stuffed Kongs to keep her busy during the party.
• A leash can be helpful tool to manage interactions between dog-shy guests or with a rambunctious dog.  A leashed dog is still a part of the party but cannot jump on small kids or steal food.
• Establish a new holiday tradition of a post-meal walk.  This is a great way for willing guests to enjoy time with your dog and also helps with digestion. 
• Make Roxy a central part of the celebration by dressing her up or showing off tricks to your guests.

Next month we will focus on New Year’s resolutions and National Train Your Dog Month.

Contributed by  Lisa Perrault of MyWellManneredMutt.  Lisa is a professional certified dog trainer and behavorist.

Last month, I discussed how physical and mental exercise can help alleviate behavior problems related to boredom when dogs are left alone.  This month, I’ll discuss general confidence boosting training exercises that can also help a mildly stressed dog. 

Please note: If your dog is showing signs of serious separation anxiety, it’s always best to contact a training professional.

Your Dog’s “Go To” Place

Our bedrooms are sanctuaries from the busy world and dogs also deserve a place of their own. This exercise will make your dog’s bed a happy place where they can retreat in times of stress.

Out of Sight Stay

Stay commands can be paired with the “Go to Place” exercise or done on their own. “Stay” means, “stay in one spot until I come back and release you.” Remember, it isn’t reasonable to ask your dog to stay when you are away from home because she will need to get up and move around during the day.

• Begin by teaching your dog to stay when you are in sight.
• If your dog can do a solid stay for 10 seconds with you in front of her, begin to make it harder by walking around the room.
• Always return to your dog to release him from the stay.
• Think about the 3Ds of stay - distance, duration, and distraction. Work on one “D” at a time, gradually increasing the difficulty level of the command.

            Distance—How far you are from your dog?
            Duration —How long you are asking your dog to stay?
            Distraction —What is going on that might be interesting to your pup? (Including your motions- moving                   around, touching a food container or picking up a toy.)

• After your dog can hold a stay for 30 seconds while you move around the room, you can try your first out of sight stay. Walk out of the room, turn around, and walk right back in.
• Gradually build up the distance you are out of sight.
• Remember, the “Stay” command is hard for dogs! Give them an easy one once and awhile to keep the game fun.
• Out of sight training and a safe place can help dogs that are experiencing mild levels of stress at home.  They are also useful training techniques to get our dogs out from underfoot and impress our holiday visitors.

2nd Chance 4 Pets provides very straightforward steps and proper documentation to put in place which will prevent your beloved pet from ending up at the local animal shelter.  This topic may seem difficult to think about, but the reality is no one ever knows when something tragic is going to happen to them.  It is easier than you think to make arrangements for your pets (just in case).  The following information was provided in the recent webinar from 2nd Chance 4 Pets:


In the confusion that accompanies a person’s unexpected illness, accident, or death, pets may be overlooked. To prevent this from happening, take these simple precautions:

• Identify at least two responsible friends or relatives who agree to provide temporary care if needed. Give them keys to your home, feeding and care instructions, the name of your veterinarian, and information about any permanent care provisions you have made.

• Make sure neighbors, friends, and relatives know how many pets you have, and provide them with contact information for emergency caregivers.
• Carry an “alert identification card” that lists the names and phone numbers of emergency caregivers. Post removable “in case of emergency” notices on your doors or windows, specifying how many and what types of pets you have. (Emergency cards can be downloaded from the  2nd Chance 4 Pets website)
  

Awareness of this issue is  the first step in helping our animal companions and preventing our animals from unnecessary euthanasia as well as providing pet caregivers with peace of mind.

2nd Chance 4 Pets has a wealth of information on their website, with easy downloadable forms to get all in order related to life time planning for your pets.  Your pets will thank you!

Please welcome Lisa Perrault to our blog team!  Lisa is a professional certified dog trainer and behavorist.  She will be providing us regular posts with training best practices!  Lisa's website is MyWellManneredMutt.

As our fall schedules become packed with soccer games, back-to-school nights and work deadlines, our dogs often find themselves spending more time home alone. Combined with less exercise from shorter days and rainy weather, dogs begin to get restless this time of year. Some signs that your dog could use some at-home stress relief include: whining or barking when you leave, more frantic greetings then normal, or getting into mischief during the day. 

If you suspect a change in routine and less exercise is to blame for the new stress-at-home behavior, try these tips to liven up your doggie’s day:

• Increase exercise intensity.  Pick up your walking pace to a brisk walk or add a few short sprint zones to your normal routine.  Your dog will think it is great fun and get a bit more of a workout. 
• Use your weekends.  Bring your pooch on a weekend family hike and you will have a calmer dog for the first part of the week.  For most dogs, exercise has an immediate and cumulative effect so you can use your weekends to make up for shorter mid-week walks.
• Daylight savings resolution.  Use the extra hour of sleep you will gain when the clocks go back to switch your long dog walk to the morning. 
• Play indoor games.  Hide and Seek, Tug of War or Go-Find are all fun ways to burn off energy without getting wet or cold outside.  Kids will appreciate the homework break.
• Go somewhere new.  Change up your routine by walking in a different neighborhood or park.  Fido will be more stimulated be the new smells and sights, even if the length of the walk is the same. 
• Replace food bowls with toys.  Extend the fun of mealtime and give your dog a mental workout with stuffed Kongs and food puzzle toys.
• Hire a pro. Professional dog walkers will come to your house on designated days and take your dog out for a walk, hike or play. It is a great feeling to come home to a happy and well-exercised pet.

If adding brain-games and exercise do not help to calm your pet when left alone, consider what changed in your dog’s world that would cause her to feel anxious.  Going to the vet to rule out a medical issue is always a good first step.  One dog began to urinate indoors at the same time new roadwork construction project was causing noise just outside of the window.  Another became frantic when a family of squirrels took up residence in the walls.  When you are at work, your dog may be dealing with new neighbors, changes in flight patterns from a nearby airport or a free-roaming neighborhood dog or cat.  Ask a neighbor or set up a webcam during the day to get to the bottom of a puzzling situation.

In the next entry, I will describe training exercises to help a mildly stressed dog.  What are your tips for keeping your dog busy during the day?  Do you have any food toy recommendations to share?

This blog post was contributed by blogger, Jeff Narucki whose blog, Senior Pooch explores the adventures and love of owning a senior pooch!

Why so old?  I recently had someone at work ask me why I would get a dog so old, although I suspect the question was really, "Why did I adopt an older dog again?"

Quite simply, I did it because they deserved a second chance, I wanted a dog, and I felt I could handle the challenge and expense.

Senior dogs do come with baggage, but honestly, some handle it much better than others. My pal Boo Boo, for example, was afraid of everything when I got him. I couldn't put my foot up to block him from going out the door first without him cowering like he was going to be kicked. For some dogs, trust doesn't come easy. It was probably six months before I noticed that he wagged his tail for the first time.

The expenses can get up there quickly. Not in every case, and sometimes not until the very end. I'd venture that breed, size, and how well they're taken care of play big factors in these areas. 

Patience is another big factor. Some dogs are stubborn, and none more so than some older dogs. I've been lucky in that once we achieved a certain degree of trust, that my dogs have had an open mind about working with me. It may very well be that older dogs are so set in their ways that they take longer to train, so patience is something that I've had to learn when dealing with challenges. On the dog's side, the biggest challenge would appear to be, at least from what I've read in the many ads for older dogs on PetFinder.com, is that they recommend the older dog, being an only dog. I could definitely see that and would never recommend dropping a puppy in with an old dog, who is more interested in sleeping than jumping around and playing all day.

That said, older dogs are frequently house trained, and are usually eager to please their new owners (at least in my case). With Rusty, this has translated into me teaching him a variety of new tricks and skills, the most important being "Leave It". We still have a ways to go, but with persistence (and the occasional treat... OK sometimes more than occasionally) he's learning all sorts of new things and is much less of the madman that I adopted. 

As far as I'm concerned, there will always be an older dog in my house.

A recurring theme we see in the animal welfare world is the economy causing severe hardship to the local animal shelters and local animal rescue groups.  In an effort to raise much needed funds to continue saving pigeons and doves, MickaCoo Pigeon and Dove Rescue has applied for a Pepsi Refresh Project grant and is eligible for $10,000.  Elizabeth Young, Director of MickaCoo has contributed the below story.  Learn about the great work this local animal rescue group engages in, and in this case, it's as easy as a click to make a difference in the lives of pigeons and doves in our community!


MickaCoo Pigeon and Dove Rescue (MickaCoo.org) provides vet care, foster homes and adoption placement for hundreds of domestic, unreleasable pigeons and doves that would otherwise be euthanized in Bay Area animal shelters.  Since 2008, we have been an all-volunteer division of nonprofit parrot rescue Mickaboo Companion Bird Rescue (Mickaboo.org) and we are always in need of donations, funding and adopters to help these gentle, intelligent and usually overlooked birds.  MickaCoo has an opportunity to win a much-needed $10,000 grant in this month's Pepsi Refresh Project.  The little birds that many disparage are making a surprisingly strong showing in this month’s Pepsi Refresh Challenge for a $10,000 grant. Currently, the pigeons are hanging tough in 14th place out of 160 worthy entrants in the $10K category. They need to be in the top 15 to win the funds that will keep MickaCoo’s rescue efforts afloat. Voting closes in just a few days, on September 30.

Domestic Pigeons and doves are different from urban pigeons. They can’t survive without human care.  Abandoned domestic pigeons and doves that aren’t rescued will die of starvation, illness, predation, or euthanasia.

• Most animal shelters consider domestic pigeons and doves “unadoptable.” Shelters euthanize them at a higher rate than almost any other type of animal.
• Pigeons and doves make great pets. They are gentle, smart, and easy to care for.
• The San Francisco Bay Area’s MickaCoo Pigeon and Dove Rescue has mobilized enough support, volunteers, donations, and aviaries to save more than 450 of these “impossible” birds in the past 3 1/2 years, placing them in safe, forever homes. This year alone, MickaCoo has found homes for 200 pigeons and doves, like Yuzu and Quince. 

To learn more about MickaCoo Pigeon and Dove Rescue, please see their website at http://MickaCoo.org.

With our society's preoccupation with reality television, perhaps the next new show should be "Kitten Season: San Jose"?   Unfortunately most people would be shocked and horrified at the realities of how our area shelters, humane societies and cat rescue groups struggle to save these tiny lives during kitten season in the greater San Jose area.

Every year between April and October area stray, feral and domesticated cats give birth to many kittens.  Statistic:   Did you know that left unaltered a cat and her offspring can produce over 420,000 kittens in 7 years?

Sadly six months into kitten season, pre-wean kittens (kittens under 8-weeks-old) are still pouring into our local shelter, San Jose Animal Care Center.  The shelter reaches out on a daily basis to area rescue groups with a list of cats and kittens who need rescue.  Many of these are underweight kittens.  If the *rescue groups can't take these kittens which are typically under 8-weeks-old and weighing less than 2 pounds, they are sadly euthanized because  they are not "adoptable" until they are old enough--and big enough--to be spayed or neutered. Statistic:  More than 3500 pre-wean kittens are euthanized in Santa Clara County shelters every year.
*rescue groups rely on having foster homes to allow them to save more animals

So the logical question you might have is, what should you do if You find homeless kittens? According to Laurie Melo, founder of Itty Bitty Orphan Kitty Rescue "If people would only foster these kittens until they are big enough to be spayed or neutered, they could be placed for adoption through a shelter or rescue group and have a chance at life."  This community involvement is critical due to lack of resources and staff at our local shelter to care for these kittens.

In an effort to educate the public on what is involved in fostering kittens, Itty Bitty Orphan Kitty Rescue created the Pre-Wean Kitten Project.  As part of the Pre-Wean Project, IBOK Rescue provides Starter Packs available to more than 20 Bay Area shelters and to all 40 Pet Food Express stores.   In addition, IBOK produced a 30-minute instructional video on how to care for pre-weaned kittens.  The video shows you everything you need to know to hand-raise the kittens until they are old enough to be adopted and is available on DVD and online (watch it here).  I personally have used the pre-wean packet and attended IBOK's class at HSSV.  As a result, my current foster kittens are thriving.  Until you try bottle feeding these little ones, you have no idea how rewarding it is, not to mention life-saving for the kittens.

What else can you do to help? Spay/neuter ALL of your pet cats.  This act alone helps save thousands of lives!  In our area, the San Jose Animal Care Center has low cost/spay neuter clinics for cats on a weekly basis.  Make your appointments online and for $20 females, $15 males you can do the responsible thing for your cat/s.

Reality check:  As I was leaving HSSV with my foster kittens, someone had brought in a card board box full of kittens found in a dumpster.  Again, please save a life and spay/neuter all of your pets.  That's the least we all can do!