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IS
AN ID TAG NECESSARY?
BY:
Janet Weiss
Many pet guardians mistakenly believe that their cat or dog
will never be lost. After
all, the pet is never out of sight, too smart to get lost, and too
well-trained. Sometimes, though, the unexpected happens-someone
leaves a door open, the pet becomes disoriented due to age or
confusion, a house burglar leaves a window open. When an untagged
pet is found wandering the street, generally, the public is
unlikely to stop and search for the guardian because it's too much
trouble. If a pet is tagged, however, a simple phone call can
safely return the pet to its family.
Although the pet might have a microchip, there is no
guarantee that it will be returned safely.
Microchips add protection, but are not a replacement for ID
tags. Surprisingly, neither the Atlanta Humane Society and Fulton
County Animal Control (which is managed by Atlanta Humane) scan
for microchips. For animal shelters that do scan, oversights can
happen. Also, keep in mind that a good Samaritan will often step
in and return a pet that has an ID tag, but won't get involved if
the pet isn't tagged. Tragically,
the final outcome is that the pet dies.
There are many styles of tags. Flat tags are available
for guardians who don't care for the jingling of metal.
Quiet tags can be found at gotags.com.
As an added precaution, write a telephone number on the
reverse side of the collar just in case the tags are pulled off.
Also, attach the tag to the collar with a split ring, not
an S hook, which can be easily opened.
ID tags are so important to pet guardians and can be life
saving. It just takes one incident to lose a dog or cat forever. A
$5 tag can save a million tears. NO ONE PLANS ON LOSING A PET, SO
BE PREPARED!
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CINNAMON'S
STORY
Last June, we received a phone call on the SPOT hotline asking for
help with spay surgery for a dog named Cinnamon and her 7 week old
litter of puppies. Volunteer
Missie Edwards made the trip to East Point to help the dogs, but
unfortunately the caretaker had given away all of the puppies except
one.
Cinnamon and her remaining pup were a pitiful sight.
Both were covered with fleas and had severe ear infections,
and Cinnamon was forced to live on a chain.
A trip to the vet revealed even worse problems.
Cinnamon had heartworms and a prolapsed rectum that made
her unable to be spayed immediately.
Even though Dr. Ronald Gladstone was kind enough to examine both dogs
and offer discounts on the necessary vet work, the guardian refused
to pay for the medical treatment and relinquished them to
Forgotten Paws who SPOT had contacted.
Forgotten Paws Pet Rescue
took Cinnamon and Little Jack into its foster program to allow her
to recover from her procedures, be spayed, and placed in a new
home. With the help
of Forgotten Paws, Little Jack found a home with a wonderful
family with a big fenced yard and lots of love to give.
Cinnamon was adopted by a single mom with two children and
two cats. Both are
doing great in their new homes and in obedience training.
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PET
GUARDIANS SEEK PUBLICITY HOUNDS
Are you a publicity hound? If
so, our innovative Pet Guardian program is for you!!
Sponsor a foster cat or dog who is currently advertised on
the Pet Orphans Web Site,
and your name will appear on the site so the world can admire your
generosity!
The rescue group who is fostering the cat or dog you sponsor will
receive 25 percent of your donation, and the remaining 75 percent
will be contributed to SPOT's spay/neuter program.
Both individuals and companies are welcome to participate.
The Pet Guardians program has taken in more than $1,000
since its inception last summer!
If you would like your entire donation to go to SPOT, we invite you
to make a tax-deductible donation directly to us. We especially need donations for our spay/neuter program,
which pays 100 percent of the cost for spaying or neutering pets
whose caretakers cannot afford this critical surgery. Since we initiated this program in 2000, we have paid to
spay or neuter approximately 700 pets.
SPOT also gladly accepts property donations, including land, cars,
boats, houses, stock, and estate bequests.
These donations are tax-deductible at their fair market
value at the time of donation.
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Stopping
Pet Overpopulation Together (SPOT) is a non-profit alliance of dog
and cat rescuers, veterinarians, and pet lovers working to reduce
the number of dogs and cats killed in Atlanta-area shelters. Contact Janet Weiss to volunteer: 404.584-SPOT (7768) or info@spotsociety.org
SPOT,
P.O. Box 801012, Acworth, GA 30101
Education
Web Site: www.spotsociety.org
Adoption Web Site: www.petorphans.com
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PET
OVERPOPULATION STATISTICS
- Four
to five million dogs and cats enter shelters every year
- 25%
of dogs and 23% of cats entering shelters each year are
adopted
- 16%
of dogs and 2% of cats are returned to their families by
shelters each year
- 56%
of dogs entering shelters are killed each year
- 71.8%
of cats entering shelters are killed each year
- There
are between 4,000 and 6,000 animal shelters in the United
States
- An
unspayed cat produces an average of three litters per year; an
unspayed dog, two litters per year
- The
average number of kittens in a littler is four to six
- The
average number of puppies in a litter is six to ten
- In
seven years, one female cat and her offspring can produce
420,000 cats
- In
six years, one female dog and her offspring can produce 67,000
dogs
Source: National Council on Pet Population Study and
Policy
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HEALTH TIP: BEWARE OF
BACKYARD
PET DANGERS!
As the weather warms up, more and more animal companions will be
heading for the great outdoors. Even if that means no more than a
daily romp in your backyard, always be there to supervise--and
please make sure your pets stay safe with the following tips from
the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center:
- Always
store lawn and garden products in areas that are inaccessible
to animals. Ingestion of large amounts of fertilizer, for
example, can cause severe gastric upset and gastrointestinal
obstruction.
- Do
not allow pets to go on lawns or in gardens that have been
treated with fertilizers, herbicides or insecticides until the
time listed on the label by the manufacturer.
- Know
which plants and trees can be poisonous to your pets.
-Cardiotoxic plants--those that can affect the heart--include
lily of the valley, oleander, rhododendron, azalea, yew and
foxglove.
-Rhubarb leaves and certain species of lily can cause kidney
failure.
-Cycads and some species of mushrooms can result in liver
failure. Remember, toxic and nontoxic mushrooms can grow in the
same area; to be on the safe side, always assume that any ingested
mushroom is highly toxic until it has been identified.
- If you suspect
that your animal companion has eaten a poisonous plant, call
your veterinarian or the APCC's emergency hotline-- (888)
4-ANI-HELP --for round-the-clock telephone assistance. If you
are unsure of the species of plant ingested, you may need to
bring the plant to a nursery for identification.
For more information on what's toxic and what's not--and what
you can do to prevent your pet from being poisoned visit APCC
Online.
Source: ASPCA
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