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- Written by: DJ Geribo
- Category: Petpourri
An article in the Herald-Review.com took a poll asking if people thought there were more cats or dogs that are kept as pets. The answer was there are more cats - 88 million compared to 75 million dogs.
A second question asked if there were more breeds of dogs or cats. There are more than 4 times as many dog breeds (170) as there are cat breeds (40).
They also asked which animal has a more acute sense of smell and hearing? Although the dog wins hands down with the most acute sense of smell (220 million olfactory cells, cats have 100 milion, humans have 5 million), cats kicked butt in the hearing sensitivity area with dogs hearing 5 times more acute than humans and cats twice as sensitive as dogs.
To read the full article, go to www.herald-review.com.
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- Written by: DJ Geribo
- Category: Petpourri
PAWS Chicago, a no-kill animal shelter, will need about $300,000 to remodel and operate the shelter plus pay for medical services and employee salaries at the Petco location.
"The Planning Commission's approval is contingent on several conditions, among them that there be no special sales of animals that can be considered to be predatory or environmentally hazardous, or are related to specific holidays, such as bunnies or chicks for Easter", reported Donald Liebenson in the Chicago Tribune.
Founded in 1997, Paula Fasseas, founder and chair of PAWS Chicago said their mission is "to solve the problem of overpopulation of homeless animals by not only adoption but also providing free spaying and neuter services for low-income family pets."
Lance Schwimmer, vice president of regional operations and a member of the board of directors of Petco Foundation, an animal welfare charity, said "The opportunity to add an adoption center in the Highland Park store provides more exposure for homeless animals and more opportunities for people in the community who are looking for companion animals." The foundation works with more than 8,000 local animal welfare groups across the country to find homes for homeless animals.
This sounds like a win/win situation that hopefully more Petco stores will adopt.
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- Written by: DJ Geribo
- Category: Our Own Doggone'd Thoughts
I just watched the 137th Westminster Dog show and the tiny, black, spunky Affenpinscher won! He was my choice to win - my husband, Jim, picked the Smooth-Haired Fox Terrier.
I'm sure the winners come from the best breeders around. But I'll also bet more than a few winners have come from your local shelters. Whether it is Best in Show, or Best in Your House, or Best Next to You on the Couch, all dogs are winners! I can't imagine my life without them.
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- Written by: Super User
- Category: Petpourri
Six animal shelters in Portland, OR have joined together to reduce the number of euthanized animals in the area. In 2006, 18,000 animals were euthanized but in 2012 that number was reduced to 6,000.
Their success is attributed to a commitment to saving more lives and finding homes for the stray dogs and cats. If one shelter is overcrowded, the others will take in more pets. A state-of-the-art vet hospital helps with a speedy diagnosis for sick and injured animals, saving more lives. A microchip system allows stray animals to be identified and returned to their owners so they never have to enter a shelter.
Although these improvements have made a significant difference in the number of animals that are euthanized, the executive director of the Oregon Humane Society, Sharon Harmon, says that the community can help and get involved by fostering pets and donating to their local shelter.
- Details
- Written by: DJ Geribo
- Category: Our Own Doggone'd Thoughts
I recently heard talk about all the fur out there that claims to be faux may not be. It may actually be real fur, from a once live animal. Now personally, I just avoid the whole idea of any fur on a coat or any other article of clothing or any type of statue that is covered in anything that even resembles fur, just to be safe. I would hate the idea of inadvertently purchasing something that I thought was faux fur to find out it could possibly be real, ripped from the hide of an unfortunate animal. Makes me sick just to think about it.
According to the Humane Society, there are three tests you can do to find out if the item you want to purchase is actually real or truly a fake.
1. Check the base of the fur for skin or fabric - pull away the base of the fur. If it is fake you will see threadwork backing from where the hairs emerge. If it is real, it will look more like leather/skin.
2. Check the tips of the hair for tapering - if it is fake, the hair will be cut straight across (although this may change in the future). If it is real, it will taper to a point.
3. The Burn Test - check by burning a few hairs - animal hair will smell like human hair, fake fur made from acrylic or polyester does not have the same smell.
But again, things are changing and the "experts" are learning new techniques all the time to get away with using real animal fur instead of the synthetics. Why, you may ask, use real instead of synthetic? Perhaps stray dogs/cats are more abundant and thus cheaper than purchasing synthetic fur as collars on coats. As sickening as that thought is to even think about, consider the possibility the next time you go to purchase something that is labeled as "faux" fur.
In the Press
News about Help Shelter Pets.
Our Pack
Life with our "pack" - Meko, Kitsu, and Jacquay.
Our Own Doggone'd Thoughts
Musings by the Cofounders of Help Shelter Pets.
Shelter News
News about and shared by the shelters we're supporting.
Tail it Like It Is
Stories you've shared with us about your adopted pets.
Petpourri
Animal news, product reviews, and other useful information for pet owners.