SPEAK FOR THOSE WHO CAN'T
IF YOU ARE WORRIED ABOUT AN ANIMAL IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA,
PLEASE CALL ANIMAL CONTROL,
202-576-6664
OUR OFFICERS ARE AVAILABLE TO HELP 24/7



Friday, October 29, 2010

Another Happy Homecoming

Cyrus -- WARL alum --tells Maggie that he is thrilled to be part of the family!
"He's so big," was a frequent comment heard when people looked in the den and saw Cyrus (formerly known as Thor and Big Foot).   Lucky for this big-hearted shepherd, there are people who are looking for BIG, goofy dogs.   Staff love getting updates from adoptees.  I was going to excerpt the report from Cyrus' new person, but could not decide which  paragraph or sentence to leave out.  It's all so good.  So here is nearly the entire text. 
Cyrus' doggie brother (Toby-"the boss"-pug) and sister (Maggie-"the playmate"-labradoodle)keep him very busy, his dad does a great job with his exercise, and our afternoon dog walking team wear him out (for awhile anyway). He spends his evenings stalking me around the house, licking the dishes in the dishwasher clean (gross) and carrying his stuffed moose who now (sadly) has one antler left.


 He enjoys a simmering energy with the cats who he would love to chase (unfairly of course-mom and dad say "no"), so he settles on glaring at them with a twinkle in his eyes every chance he gets. He enjoys invading the bathroom when it is occupied, stealing any shoe not put away in the closets (I love this because we all seem to be putting our shoes away more often now), learning to unscrew the top of a peanut butter jar (we still don't know how he did it), laying in the sun and dozing, sprawling on "his" couch, tucking his nose under his tail when he sleeps, and gently laying his nose against your knee in a really sweet "I'm here with you partner" kind of gesture.

He LOVES children and will try and make himself smaller and less threatening to every child he meets so they will come pet him. In fact, while hiking in a creek he rolled over for four small children to pet his belly and ended up putting his nose underwater and practically drowned as a result. He didn't seem to care though as the children now felt sorry for him and gave him even more attention (I think it was staged).  He apparently also enjoys coffee as he stole mine today and got completely amped on caffeine (note to self-no coffee for the dogs).


 He is an all around comical, soulful, playful, generous, spirited, gentle and kind family member that we will cherish and love (and laugh at-often).
Can't wait to hear more about the adventures of Cyrus, Maggie & Toby!

Friday, October 22, 2010

Name That Cat Toy

 Cat toys can be very expensive. BUT, cat toys are also easy to make. See Klaus playing with my yet to be named cat toy. All it is a pom pom and a bell covered in a scrap of material. I bunched the material together and tied it with a long piece of sewing ribbon. I tied a second bell onto the dangling piece of ribbon. AND, I curled an orange pipe cleaner and wrapped that into the ribbon. Presto -- a cat toy! The entire thing was made with craft supplies and scraps on hand. Maybe it cost $.20 in materials. That's it.   By the way, Klaus would like to play with this and other toys in a new home

Monday, October 18, 2010

Flying with Four-Footed Friends -- Forget It!

An article in the Washington Post's Sunday travel section profiled Pet Airways, an airline dedicated solely to the safe travel of animals.  But, the more newsworthy statistic printed, in my opinion,  was this -- "Since May 2005, the Department of Transportation has collected monthly data  from airlines on pet incidents.  Through August 2010, the total was 154 pets who died, 63 injured and 38 lost."  Animals traveling are stowed in their carriers in the cargo hold -- imagine traveling in a dark, loud cargo area, without anyone to oversee your trip.   That's what the founders of Pet Airways did, and then they created an airline that transports just animals -- two-footed passengers have to find their own means of transportation! 

Years ago, I flew with my cat, Sidney, from Tallahassee, Florida to Miami.  Sid was in a carrier tucked securely under my seat.    The man behind me sneezed the entire trip.   After a several hour delay, due to fog, Sidney and I, along with the sneezing passenger, arrived safely at our destination.  What if she had been cooped up in the cargo area for, not only the duration of the 90 minute trip, but the extra ground-hold as well?

Joe Yonan's article brought back memories of a very interesting trip, and made me realize how lucky my my animals have been -- none of them, after that flight with Sidney, have ever had to travel by air.     In fact, if it were up to Nigel ,he'd travel by car 24 hours a day.

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Prescott Has a Computer, a Real Bed and His Very Own Person in His Forever Home!

It's always wonderful to get an update, especially when the update is from an office buddy. 
Things are going very well so far. Prescott is the star of the house. Everyone loves him and the feeling seems to be mutual. He likes his new toys and sleeping on my bed with me. He's actually cuddling with me right now. He also seems to have a strange fondness for my laptop. He likes to lick the base right beneath the keyboard. I think he will love living here and we will all love to have him here! I've also attached a few pictures that I've taken of him so far. Thanks so much giving me a chance to bond with this wonderful animal!

Maybe someone should call WAMU-88.5's Animal House and ask Dr. Gary why Prescott licks the computer.


Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Cool Book for Want To Be Veterinarians and Others Who Care About Animals

Did you know that a dog's normal heart rate is 80-120 beats per minute?  Does a cat's heart beat faster or slower?  What about a small bird's?   Those answers are in a wonderful resource, ER Vets -- Life in an Animal Emergency Room by Donna M. Jackson.  The book is filled with many critical-care cases coupled with graphic pictures, including one of a cat who had a piercing arrow in her abdomen.  The cats, dogs, birds, bunnies, SNAKES, and other animals were all treated at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital at Colorado State University.   You'll learn Emergency room codes like -- FB (foreign body -- something odd showing up on an x-ray like a needle, cell phone or rubber duck); BDLC (Big dog, little cat: a big dog attacked a little cat); and CHF (Congestive Heart Failure).  Wat do you think HBC stands for?  There's information on toxic treats -- many of us know that chocolate is bad for dogs and cats, but did you know that onions are harmful, too.  The book suggests items for an animal first aid kit, addresses the history of veterinary medicine, and offers resources for where to go for more information.   A school , classroom and personal library must have!

Monday, October 4, 2010

Tsu Tsu -- A Quiet Kitty Looking for Just the Right Forever Home

Prescott relocated to his forever home over the weekend.  I'm certain that he is busy organizing his five human roommates and making himself right at home -- googling and answering the phone.     My office is cat-less for the time being -- it gives Nigel a chance to come to work with me.  However, I did have a temporary border over the weekend.  Tsu Tsu spent some quality time chilling and enjoying her time as an only office cat.  However, I told her that I could not offer her an office placement at this time.  She needs to work her charms on visitors to the cat room.    She is one of those under-the-radar cats.  At first glance a visitor might just walk right by her condo, but spend some time with Tsu-Tsu and you will be charmed by this sweet, mellow beauty.