Join Cares4Pets at the Halloween Bizaare (Bizarre Bazaar?) & Flea Market on Halloween!!
Adopt a Boxer and the Delco SPCA are putting on an event that we'll be at, showing off our adorable, adoptable animals.
The days activities include a meet & greet with our dogs for adoption, and animals from other rescue groups, a costume contest for the dogs and the kids, fun games with prizes for kids, our popular ask the dog trainer and Canine Good Citizen Test, and Emerald Du Cour the Animal Communicator (reservation required for Emerald) Add to that raffles, 50/50, silent auctions, lots of food and music and you have a day of fun for the whole family.
Saturday October 31 from 8:30 to 3:30
Rosetree Park
Providence Rd
Media, Pennsylvania 19063
Monday, October 26, 2009
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Henry Needs a Foster Home, STAT!!
Hello. My name is Matt and I’m a Cares4Pets volunteer. Last week, my wife and I found a young dog. Natalie from Cares4Pets encouraged us to write a blog post to help find him a home.
We saw Henry trotting on the grassy area on the side of the road and pulled over. His emaciation was horrifying. That he could move so well was surprising. He was shivering, both from the cold and fear. It was clear that he wouldn’t have made it much longer against the elements. I rode with him in the back seat of the car, holding him until we got home. Amanda cleaned off his beautiful brindle coat and dried him. Henry was still obviously shaken up. We’ve been mostly keeping him in the travel kennel we had been using for Emerson, our foster dog. At first Henry would not relax, keeping his eyes open the whole time he was in the kennel. But after a while he closed his eyes and got some much needed rest. He’s improving continuously in our small apartment, but with two very playful and energetic pit bulls, he doesn’t get the stress-free environment or attention he really needs. He really wants to be out of the crate much more often than we can work out at this point. Three dogs in a small space is creating a strain on everyone, and we REALLY need to find a better suited place for this little guy to go.
Henry is about a year old and fairly small; he’ll probably only be about 30-35 pounds when he reaches his proper weight. His interaction with dogs and cats has been very limited, but shows promise in his socializing abilities. Henry has a playful personality. With a few sweet words and gentle pats, he’ll give you kisses while playing with a tennis ball on your lap. He’s already crate trained and possibly even house trained, evidence that he’s a quick learner. He also walks wonderfully on a leash.
Henry needs a foster home in which he can recuperate without the stress of other dogs. Cares4Pets will cover all costs related to his foster care including food and veterinary care. He’ll be a wonderful companion for anyone gracious enough to care for him. If you have room in your home to foster this sweet dog worthy of a fresh start, please contact Cares4Pets at cares4pets “at” hotmail "dot" com.
We saw Henry trotting on the grassy area on the side of the road and pulled over. His emaciation was horrifying. That he could move so well was surprising. He was shivering, both from the cold and fear. It was clear that he wouldn’t have made it much longer against the elements. I rode with him in the back seat of the car, holding him until we got home. Amanda cleaned off his beautiful brindle coat and dried him. Henry was still obviously shaken up. We’ve been mostly keeping him in the travel kennel we had been using for Emerson, our foster dog. At first Henry would not relax, keeping his eyes open the whole time he was in the kennel. But after a while he closed his eyes and got some much needed rest. He’s improving continuously in our small apartment, but with two very playful and energetic pit bulls, he doesn’t get the stress-free environment or attention he really needs. He really wants to be out of the crate much more often than we can work out at this point. Three dogs in a small space is creating a strain on everyone, and we REALLY need to find a better suited place for this little guy to go.
Henry is about a year old and fairly small; he’ll probably only be about 30-35 pounds when he reaches his proper weight. His interaction with dogs and cats has been very limited, but shows promise in his socializing abilities. Henry has a playful personality. With a few sweet words and gentle pats, he’ll give you kisses while playing with a tennis ball on your lap. He’s already crate trained and possibly even house trained, evidence that he’s a quick learner. He also walks wonderfully on a leash.Henry needs a foster home in which he can recuperate without the stress of other dogs. Cares4Pets will cover all costs related to his foster care including food and veterinary care. He’ll be a wonderful companion for anyone gracious enough to care for him. If you have room in your home to foster this sweet dog worthy of a fresh start, please contact Cares4Pets at cares4pets “at” hotmail "dot" Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Ladybug: A Lesson in Feline Leukemia
Ladybug is quite possibly the nicest cat you will ever meet. Whenever someone comes to visit her, she purrs up a storm, climbs into their lap, and begs to be loved. She's also just about as cute as they come: a cute, tiny tiger tabby with big, soulful eyes. And yet, despite all of her charms, you won't see Ladybug on our list of adoptable animals. Why not? Because Ladybug comes from a home that had an active Feline Leukemia infection. Even though she snapped negative (more on that later), she has to be quarantined from other cats for 3 months before she can be cleared from this devastating disease.
So while Ladybug is waiting, let's take a few minutes to think about Feline Leukemia and what it means for us as rescuers and pet owners.
Feline Leukemia (or FeLV) is a retrovirus that exclusively infects cats and causes immune suppression. It's also one of most common causes of cancer in cats. Cats that are sick with FeLV can present with a variety of signs; because they are immune suppressed, they tend to get sick from bacteria and viruses that they would normally be able to fight off. Cats with FeLV often present to veterinarians with severe respiratory illness (trouble breathing, pneumonia), GI disturbances (inappetance, bloody diarrhea), and any number of other signs. Although these animals can be treated for their presenting disease, FeLV doesn't go away, so they are will get sick with something else in the future. The life expectancy of a cat with FeLV is generally only around 2-3 years, although acutely infected kittens often die within a month or two of infection.
FeLV is easily passed from cat to cat via bodily secretions. Cats that groom each other, fight, or even share food and water bowls can pass virus to one another. Although many cats will become immune to the disease, kittens and sick or stressed cats are at very high risk of contracting the disease.
So what does that mean for us as rescuers (and cat owners)? First of all, under no condition should any cat be brought into our homes and allowed to interact with the existing cat population before being tested for FeLV. Every time that we at Cares4pets find a stray cat or a kitten, the very first thing that we do is to get them tested. The simple, 15 minute blood test for FeLV checks for active virus, so it tells us if the cat is actively fighting the disease. So, since Ladybug tested negative, the question still remains; why is she in quarantine?
The answer to that is because Ladybug came from a home with an active infection. What happened in her home could happen to any one of us. Her "dad" found a stray kitten on the street and, being a bleeding heart like most of us are, brought him inside. He didn't know about FeLV, so he allowed the kitten to be loose in the house with his other cats. A week later, it was clear that something was really wrong. He took the kitten to the vet and found out that it was FeLV positive. Because the kitten was so young and already sick, he was euthanized immediately. In the week that he was in that house, he came into contact with the rest of the cats that lived there, one of them being Ladybug. A few weeks after that, Ladybug's brother came down with a terrible respiratory disease, tested positive, and was euthanized as well. For the next 6 months, everyone seemed to be fine, and Ladybug's owner crossed his fingers and hoped that all the rest of his cats would be fine. However, Princess, one of the older cats in the house, started looking worse for wear and eventually went the same way as Ladybug's brother. Ladybug came to us for reasons completely unrelated to the FeLV part of her story, but right after Princess was euthanized, so we have to consider that she, like all the other cats in her house, may be infected. The fact that she was so young during the initial infection and has remained healthy helps us to think that she has become immune and will be fine, but there is always the chance that her second test, a month and a half from now, will come up positive. For most rescue cats, that would be a reason to euthanize immediately. For Ladybug, we'll all have to sit down to make the difficult decision as to whether we euthanize her, send her to an FeLV positive cat sanctuary, or keep her in one of our few foster homes while we try to find her a home that will understand that she will most likely have a very short life expectancy.
But the FeLV infection has impacted Ladybug's dad's life too. Because his house now has to be considered "positive" for the disease until each of his cats test negative in two tests three months apart, all of his cats have to remain indoors, and he can no longer bring in any stray cats or kittens, as they would be at risk of picking up the disease from his current cats. He has to constantly watch his cats to make sure they don't get sick and has to be concerned about every little sneeze or cough that they may have. He has to be prepared to lose more of his cats in the next few months, all in return for bringing one sick kitten into his home.
So while Ladybug is waiting, let's take a few minutes to think about Feline Leukemia and what it means for us as rescuers and pet owners.
Feline Leukemia (or FeLV) is a retrovirus that exclusively infects cats and causes immune suppression. It's also one of most common causes of cancer in cats. Cats that are sick with FeLV can present with a variety of signs; because they are immune suppressed, they tend to get sick from bacteria and viruses that they would normally be able to fight off. Cats with FeLV often present to veterinarians with severe respiratory illness (trouble breathing, pneumonia), GI disturbances (inappetance, bloody diarrhea), and any number of other signs. Although these animals can be treated for their presenting disease, FeLV doesn't go away, so they are will get sick with something else in the future. The life expectancy of a cat with FeLV is generally only around 2-3 years, although acutely infected kittens often die within a month or two of infection.
FeLV is easily passed from cat to cat via bodily secretions. Cats that groom each other, fight, or even share food and water bowls can pass virus to one another. Although many cats will become immune to the disease, kittens and sick or stressed cats are at very high risk of contracting the disease.
So what does that mean for us as rescuers (and cat owners)? First of all, under no condition should any cat be brought into our homes and allowed to interact with the existing cat population before being tested for FeLV. Every time that we at Cares4pets find a stray cat or a kitten, the very first thing that we do is to get them tested. The simple, 15 minute blood test for FeLV checks for active virus, so it tells us if the cat is actively fighting the disease. So, since Ladybug tested negative, the question still remains; why is she in quarantine?
The answer to that is because Ladybug came from a home with an active infection. What happened in her home could happen to any one of us. Her "dad" found a stray kitten on the street and, being a bleeding heart like most of us are, brought him inside. He didn't know about FeLV, so he allowed the kitten to be loose in the house with his other cats. A week later, it was clear that something was really wrong. He took the kitten to the vet and found out that it was FeLV positive. Because the kitten was so young and already sick, he was euthanized immediately. In the week that he was in that house, he came into contact with the rest of the cats that lived there, one of them being Ladybug. A few weeks after that, Ladybug's brother came down with a terrible respiratory disease, tested positive, and was euthanized as well. For the next 6 months, everyone seemed to be fine, and Ladybug's owner crossed his fingers and hoped that all the rest of his cats would be fine. However, Princess, one of the older cats in the house, started looking worse for wear and eventually went the same way as Ladybug's brother. Ladybug came to us for reasons completely unrelated to the FeLV part of her story, but right after Princess was euthanized, so we have to consider that she, like all the other cats in her house, may be infected. The fact that she was so young during the initial infection and has remained healthy helps us to think that she has become immune and will be fine, but there is always the chance that her second test, a month and a half from now, will come up positive. For most rescue cats, that would be a reason to euthanize immediately. For Ladybug, we'll all have to sit down to make the difficult decision as to whether we euthanize her, send her to an FeLV positive cat sanctuary, or keep her in one of our few foster homes while we try to find her a home that will understand that she will most likely have a very short life expectancy.
But the FeLV infection has impacted Ladybug's dad's life too. Because his house now has to be considered "positive" for the disease until each of his cats test negative in two tests three months apart, all of his cats have to remain indoors, and he can no longer bring in any stray cats or kittens, as they would be at risk of picking up the disease from his current cats. He has to constantly watch his cats to make sure they don't get sick and has to be concerned about every little sneeze or cough that they may have. He has to be prepared to lose more of his cats in the next few months, all in return for bringing one sick kitten into his home.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Adoption Event THIS SUNDAY!!!
Join us this Sunday, June 21st (yes, we know it's Father's Day!) for an adoption event at the Bucks County Horse Park. Also at the horse park that day will be "Driving for a Cure" a carriage driving show for a cure! We'll be set up from 9 am to 2 pm with some of our critters, and they'll be excited to meet you (and to see the horses!). You can stop by to visit us and to enjoy the show free of charge. Lunch is provided for $10. We hope to see you and your families there! Please email us at cares4pets@hotmail.com for more information and if you are interested in meeting any of our dogs specifically.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Rescue in the recession
While people are losing their jobs, pushing to make ends meet, and trying to cut back, it's easy to forget that we are not the only ones struggling in the current recession. As families fight to keep their children fed, something has to give. Unfortunately, more often than not, that something is the family pet. We see the effects in our animal rescues and our veterinary practices every day.
In the past few months, all of our veterinary friends have been commenting on the effect the recession has had on their practices. The common trend is that appointment numbers are down, way down. But that's far from the only effect the veterinary community is seeing. Even when clients do make the commitment or find the funds to come in for an office visit, they frequently don't have the money to do necessary diagnostics and have waited to make an appointment much longer than they normally would, leaving the veterinarian with little they can do to help. As a sad consequence, this means that euthanasia rates are up, way up. When clients can't afford medical care and wait until their animals are really sick to bring them to the vet, there oftentimes isn't another option. Veterinarians are tired of killing animals, but they don't have much of a choice.
Of course, veterinary practices aren't the only ones hit by the recession. Animal rescues and shelters have been slammed. Intakes in shelters are through the roof, and every day animals are dropped off not because they are strays, not because they are sick, not because they are unloved, but simply because their owners can't afford them and can't keep them. Shelters are full of animals that simply don't belong there. On a daily basis, we get emails from at least a handful of owners looking to find a place for their pet in a no-kill rescue, and we sadly have to turn them away.
What's worse than the increase in animal intakes, is the decrease in adoptions. Because families are being cautious about their finances, they aren't adopting. Our adoption number are less than half of what they were last year at this time, as are many other rescues. We have a huge number of highly adoptable cats and dogs just waiting for their home. Unfortunately, it looks like they'll have to wait a little longer. This breaks our hearts; it's hard to say "no" to animals that have no where else to go, but again, there isn't really another option.
So in these tough times, take a minute to think about your furry loved ones and to appreciate the fact that you CAN still take care of your pet. Remember that we're not the only ones hurt by the recession. If you have an extra dollar burning a hole in your pocket, think about donating it a local rescue group that can put it to good use. If you have a little extra room in your house, think about adopting another friend or fostering for a while to give a needy pet a place to go. And please, if you do nothing else, spay and neuter your furry friends.
In the past few months, all of our veterinary friends have been commenting on the effect the recession has had on their practices. The common trend is that appointment numbers are down, way down. But that's far from the only effect the veterinary community is seeing. Even when clients do make the commitment or find the funds to come in for an office visit, they frequently don't have the money to do necessary diagnostics and have waited to make an appointment much longer than they normally would, leaving the veterinarian with little they can do to help. As a sad consequence, this means that euthanasia rates are up, way up. When clients can't afford medical care and wait until their animals are really sick to bring them to the vet, there oftentimes isn't another option. Veterinarians are tired of killing animals, but they don't have much of a choice.
Of course, veterinary practices aren't the only ones hit by the recession. Animal rescues and shelters have been slammed. Intakes in shelters are through the roof, and every day animals are dropped off not because they are strays, not because they are sick, not because they are unloved, but simply because their owners can't afford them and can't keep them. Shelters are full of animals that simply don't belong there. On a daily basis, we get emails from at least a handful of owners looking to find a place for their pet in a no-kill rescue, and we sadly have to turn them away.
What's worse than the increase in animal intakes, is the decrease in adoptions. Because families are being cautious about their finances, they aren't adopting. Our adoption number are less than half of what they were last year at this time, as are many other rescues. We have a huge number of highly adoptable cats and dogs just waiting for their home. Unfortunately, it looks like they'll have to wait a little longer. This breaks our hearts; it's hard to say "no" to animals that have no where else to go, but again, there isn't really another option.
So in these tough times, take a minute to think about your furry loved ones and to appreciate the fact that you CAN still take care of your pet. Remember that we're not the only ones hurt by the recession. If you have an extra dollar burning a hole in your pocket, think about donating it a local rescue group that can put it to good use. If you have a little extra room in your house, think about adopting another friend or fostering for a while to give a needy pet a place to go. And please, if you do nothing else, spay and neuter your furry friends.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Adoption Event THIS SATURDAY!
Just wanted to pass on some more information about our adoption event this coming Saturday. We'll be at Greensgrow Farm in the Kensington/Fishtown area of Philadelphia this Saturday (5/30) from 10 to 2 pm. As always, we love to have people stop by to give our dogs (and us) some attention. The address is 2501 E. Cumberland Street in Philadelphia. While you are visiting, please thank the Greensgrow staff for having us join them for the day; they've been fabulous to work with and we're very excited!
Greensgrow Farm, if you haven't been there, is a fabulous place. Every Thursday and Saturday through the summer (and starting this week), they host a farmer's market with a slew of produce, meats, cheeses, etc, that are locally produced and direct from the farmer. You'll also have the chance to pick up any plants that you haven't gotten into your garden yet. They have a fantastic selection of veggie, fruit, and herb starters, as well as flowers and plants for your garden. On top of that, their staff is amazing at giving out tips and suggestions for all of your urban gardening. Their website is: Greensgrow Farm.
And if you're looking for something specific, here's a list of what will be available this Saturday at the Market:
LOCAL PRODUCE:
Asparagus
Beets
Leeks
Radishes
Scallions
Spinach
Greenhouse Tomatoes
Yams
Strawberries
Spring Mix
Baby Arugula
Baby Spinach
Red Leaf Lettuce
Green Leaf Lettuce
Romaine Lettuce
Radishes
Alfalfa Sprouts
Pea Shoots
B+B Garden's Organic Produce (Saturday only): Radishes, Pac Choi, and a variety of greens
Greensgrow Farm, if you haven't been there, is a fabulous place. Every Thursday and Saturday through the summer (and starting this week), they host a farmer's market with a slew of produce, meats, cheeses, etc, that are locally produced and direct from the farmer. You'll also have the chance to pick up any plants that you haven't gotten into your garden yet. They have a fantastic selection of veggie, fruit, and herb starters, as well as flowers and plants for your garden. On top of that, their staff is amazing at giving out tips and suggestions for all of your urban gardening. Their website is: Greensgrow Farm.
And if you're looking for something specific, here's a list of what will be available this Saturday at the Market:
LOCAL PRODUCE:
Asparagus
Beets
Leeks
Radishes
Scallions
Spinach
Greenhouse Tomatoes
Yams
Strawberries
Spring Mix
Baby Arugula
Baby Spinach
Red Leaf Lettuce
Green Leaf Lettuce
Romaine Lettuce
Radishes
Alfalfa Sprouts
Pea Shoots
B+B Garden's Organic Produce (Saturday only): Radishes, Pac Choi, and a variety of greens
LOCALLY PRODUCED GOODS:
Fruitwood Farms' Honey
Patterson Farms' Maple Syrup
Blue Water Coffee
Lilith's Apothecary
C.O.P.A. Soaps
Metropolitan Bakery Granola
Antonia's Pierogis
Nature Soy Tofu
Ray's Wheat Meat
Vrapple
Hot Sauce
Apple Butter
Greensgrow's Pesto
Slowrise Breads
Tony Rolls' Baguettes
'Baked' Coffee Cake + Scones
North Port Fishington Vegan Cookies
MyHouse Cookies Scones + Brownies
Gilda's Biscotti
Spelt Flour + Noodles
and much more....
AS ALWAYS, you can also find local meats, cheeses, eggs, and milk from humanely raised, grass-fed animals in our fridges and freezer in the greenhouse.
We hope to see you there!!!
Monday, May 11, 2009
Upcoming Adoption Events
Spring is here, and with it comes warmer weather. What does that mean for us? It means we can finally start getting back outside with our adoptable animals at adoption events! Adoption events are a great chance for people to meet our animals and to get a chance to chat with us about the work we do. It's also a fantastic opportunity for our critters to get a day's worth of love and adoration! Since most of them are being fostered in homes with other animals, they rarely get 100% of anyone's attention for very long. Adoption events are the perfect way for us to remind them just how special they are! We are always looking for volunteers to staff our table at adoption events and to hold dogs; the more volunteers we have, the more dogs we can bring!
We currently have three events scheduled in the upcoming month or so; we'll update with more information when we have it. We'd love it if you can stop by to stay hello to our critters (and us). If you have a little more time, we can also use a few volunteers for each event. As we schedule more events for the summer, we'll keep you posted with dates and locations.
THIS SATURDAY!!!
Location to be announced
Saturday, May 30th
Greensgrow Farm in Kensington
Sunday, June 21st, 9-3
Location coming soon!
We currently have three events scheduled in the upcoming month or so; we'll update with more information when we have it. We'd love it if you can stop by to stay hello to our critters (and us). If you have a little more time, we can also use a few volunteers for each event. As we schedule more events for the summer, we'll keep you posted with dates and locations.
THIS SATURDAY!!!
Location to be announced
Saturday, May 30th
Greensgrow Farm in Kensington
Sunday, June 21st, 9-3
Location coming soon!
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