Facts about Animal Shelters

Here are some intersting bits that were published by ASPCA.org

Facts about U.S. Animal Shelters:
There are about 5,000 community animal shelters nationwide that are independent; there is no national organization monitoring these shelters. The terms “humane society” and “SPCA” are generic; shelters using those names are not part of the ASPCA or the Humane Society of the United States. Currently, no government institution or animal organization is responsible for tabulating national statistics for the animal protection movement.

• Approximately 5 million to 7 million companion animals enter animal shelters nationwide every year, and approximately 3 million to 4 million are euthanized (60 percent of dogs and 70 percent of cats). Shelter intakes are about evenly divided between those animals relinquished by owners and those picked up by animal control. These are national estimates; the percentage of euthanasia may vary from state to state.
• According to the National Council on Pet Population Study and Policy (NCPPSP), less than 2 percent of cats and only 15 to 20 percent of dogs are returned to their owners. Most of these were identified with tags, tattoos or microchips.
• Twenty-five percent of dogs who enter local shelters are purebred. (Source: NCPPSP)
• Only 10 percent of the animals received by shelters have been spayed or neutered, while 78 percent of pet dogs and 88 percent of pet cats are spayed or neutered, according to the American Pet Products Association (Source: APPA).
• More than 20 percent of people who leave dogs in shelters adopted them from a shelter. (Source: NCPPSP)

Bill Would Allow Advocate to Speak for Animals in Court

A Connecticut legislator has proposed a bill that would allow the appointment of an advocate to act on behalf of an animal during court proceedings.

Rep. Diana Urban proposed the bill, known as HB 6310 "An Act Concerning Animal Advocates in Court Proceedings." It would permit a veterinarian with the Department of Agriculture to be appointed as an advocate for an animal whose welfare or custody is the subject of a civil or criminal court proceeding.

"HB 6310 would give the option for an advocate in court for an egregiously injured animal," said Urban, a Democrat from North Stonington. "This would enable the animal's injury to be identified as a red flag for future violent behavior. We are putting together a public/private partnership with the state Department of Agriculture and non-profit rescue groups including Connecticut Votes for Animals to be available to speak for the animals in court."
Urban was joined at a news conference Thursday by Asa Palmer, a North Stonington high school student who discovered two of the cows on his family farm shot in the face in January. One of the cows had to be euthanized.

"If this was in place today, Asa Palmer could request an advocate for his young cow, 'Angel,' who was shot in the face and left with her jaw hanging off," Urban said.
Two men have been charged with shooting Palmer's cows.
The bill, which is awaiting action in the legislature's Judiciary Committee, has the support of other lawmakers.

"Much like our children who cannot advocate on behalf of themselves, innocent animals that are abused or worse, killed, deserve that same right," said Rep. Brenda Kupchick, a Republican from Fairfield. "Violence of any type is unacceptable and we must do whatever we can to give a voice to those who cannot speak for themselves."
It was not clear if or when the Judiciary Committee would take action on Urban's bill

Cute Photo

Phillips Continues Hurricane Sandy Relief Efforts

Phillips Pet Food & Supplies has donated over five truckloads of supplies to shelters, charities and retail locations following Hurricane Sandy. The donations included dog and cat food, cages, litter and pet toys. The company has been working with the retail stores, shelters and charities that were affected, and will continue to send donations.

Petmate Partners with Mossy Oak

Petmate has partnered with Mossy Oak to create co-branded pet products across multiple categories. Mossy Oak specializes in developing and marketing modern camouflage designs for hunters and outdoorsmen. Products featuring Mossy Oak’s Break-Up Infinity camouflage patter will include collars, leads and bedding for dogs.

Blackwood Pet Cat Food Packaging Gets a Makeover

MINNEAPOLIS–Ideas that Kick, a Minneapolis-based design consultancy, redesigned the packaging for Blackwood Pet Food's full line of super-premium cat foods. The new design places key nutritional information for each recipe front and just a bit off-center on each bag.



The nutrition-based bag fronts make it easy for pet store employees to recommend Blackwood foods to pet owners. The design concept was first applied to the company's super-premium dog recipes.


"The combination of photography, key facts and a clear sense of content organization really help the brand stand out on shelves," said Stefan Hartung, creative director at Ideas that Kick.

9 Things Parents Should Know About Cats and Kids

Thanks to Summer Nanny for providing this guest post:



If you’re considering adding a pet to the family, cats can seem like the ideal choice. They don’t have to be taken for walks, housebreaking is a breeze and their largely independent attitude means that they don’t need the same level of attention and companionship as a puppy or even a full-grown dog. Households that count small children among their number, however, should take a few things under consideration before adding a feline friend to the family.




1.Growing Up Together isn’t Always the Best Route – Common advice for parents considering a new pet dictates the addition of a kitten when children are still young. This recommendation is given with the assumption that the two of them will “grow up together.” In fact, adult cats are usually much better choices for young children than kittens. The fragility and delicate nature of a kitten’s physiology does little to protect them from accidental rough treatment, which may be difficult for very young children to understand.

2.Proper Handling is Imperative – Before you adopt a cat, you should make sure that your child is well informed about safe and proper handling. In addition to running the risk of hurting the cat or causing it to become withdrawn, wary and antisocial in reaction to being handled roughly too often, you’re also increasing the chances of a hiss, swat or bite that turns your child off from cats altogether.

3.Supervision is Required – Because cats are typically very independent, it can be easy to forget that they still need to be supervised all the time when they’re in the same room as a young child. If you’re present when a child pets too roughly or picks Fifi up by her neck, you can put a stop to the behavior before someone is injured or gets upset.

4.Declawing isn’t the Kindest Answer – In preparation for bringing a cat into the house, some new owners opt to have their feline friends declawed. What most of them don’t realize, however, is just how cruel and painful the process is for cats. Rather than having a part of the cat’s body removed because you’re nervous about scratched furniture or children, you may just want to reconsider the idea of adding a cat to the family in the first place. The human equivalent of declawing would be the removal of each of your fingers at the last knuckle.

5.Cats Can Help Kids Learn Responsibility – When your child helps to feed and water his new cat, clean the litter box and look after her, he’s learning very valuable lessons in responsibility and compassion. There are plenty of reasons why adding a cat to the family may be the perfect choice for your family, but this is potentially the best.

6.Sharing is Caring, But Not When it Comes to Chocolate – You may be aware of the fact that chocolate is toxic for dogs, but it’s just as dangerous for cats to ingest. Make sure that your child knows that even though she wants to share her chocolate candy, doing so can make her new cat very, very sick.

7.Cat Scratch Fever isn’t Just a Classic Rock Song – If the only thing that comes to mind when you hear the term “cat scratch fever” is an old Ted Nugent record, you’ll probably want to brush up on the subject before you bring a cat into a house with children. Cat scratch disease is caused by the bacteria Bartonella henselae, and is spread through bites and scratches from an infected cat. While it’s generally not serious, cat scratch disease can cause fatigue, fever, headache, swelling of the lymph nodes and overall discomfort. If your child is showing any of these symptoms, it’s best to inform his doctor that you do have a cat in the family.

8.The Great Outdoors isn’t All That Great – Your child needs to spend plenty of time outdoors engaged in physically active play. Your cat, however, has a statistically higher chance of living a long life and dying of natural causes if it spends its life indoors. Outdoor cats are much more likely to be injured or even killed by other animals and moving vehicles than their indoor brethren.

9.Patience is a Virtue – When you first bring your new cat home, it’s normal for your child to be so excited that she wants to spend every moment with her new friend. As a parent, it’s important for you to understand that your cat will need time to adjust to new surroundings, and may be a bit standoffish until he’s more comfortable in your home.

Cats are beautiful and gracious creatures with their own individual personalities and quirks. For some families, they’re irreplaceable members of the household that are dearly treasured. Others may find them too aloof and disinterested, depending upon the temperaments involved. Before making the decision to bring a cat home, you should make sure that the lifestyle of your household is conducive to caring for a cat.