Pet Dish for November 2, 2010

In this issue:

Give to the Max by giving to Max!
Lost and found: Tyra's story
Sharing the golden years
All new! Online pet behavior library
Don't forget! Smart Tax Strategies with Erica Whittlinger
Pet Tips with Paul Zukoff - Simple steps to correct overexcited greetings
More treats
Scratching posts

Give to the Max by giving to Max!

Tuesday, November 16 is GiveMN.org’s second annual “Give to the Max Day.” Last year 38,000 Minnesotans donated over $14 million dollars to charities across the state on this single day. Animal lovers like you helped Animal Humane Society receive over $70,000 and take third place in the fundraiser for having the highest number of donors.

This year we’re hoping we can count on your support and have a few great incentives for you to donate on this special day! First, some generous animal lovers have pledged to match your donations — dollar for dollar — for the first $31,000 donated to Animal Humane Society through GiveMn.org.

Plus, our friends at GiveMN.org are offering a couple fundraising challenges that can make your donations go even further!

Help Animal Humane Society earn an extra $20,000! A $20,000 and $10,000 prize grant will be awarded to the top two nonprofits in the Twin Cities and the top two nonprofits in Greater Minnesota that attract the largest number of individual donors on Give to the Max Day.

Animal Humane Society had the third highest number of donors last year and we’re confident that with your support we can secure the #1 spot! Click here to learn more about this challenge and find ways to help spread the word!

Golden Ticket Challenge. Throughout the event, an individual donor will be randomly chosen every hour to have $1,000 given to the charity that received the donor's original donation.

While this challenge is based on chance there are ways we can help increase your chances of winning. Click here to learn more about this challenge!

Your support this year will help us care for animals like our Give to the Max Day spokesdog, Max. When Max came to Animal Humane Society this past October he was covered in ticks. Sadly, along with those ticks came anaplasmosis, a disease that is causing Max muscle and joint pain that creates difficulty when he walks. Because of the support of people like you we were able to welcome Max with open arms, help him recover and place him in one of our adoption centers where he’ll soon find a home to give him the love he deserves. On November 16, please be sure to Give to the Max by giving to Max.

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Lost and found: Tyra’s story

Sarah and her boyfriend Damien had just moved to Minneapolis from Mankato when Tyra, their 11-year-old German shepherd, wandered off. Sarah was heading to the grocery store to fulfill an order for her lefse-making business and the dog followed her down the driveway. Always her loyal sidekick, Tyra was never far from Sarah. But the dog couldn’t tag along on this trip, so Sarah sent her back to Damien who was raking leaves in the yard.

“I came back from the store and she wasn’t there,” Sarah said. “When I found out that Damien thought I had taken her to the store with me my heart just sunk.”

The couple immediately took action. Damien who had to be at work in 45 minutes found someone to cover his shift and they searched the neighborhood for Tyra. When they came home without her, they began to spread the word about their missing pet. “We made posters, told our family and friends on Facebook, and posted her picture and story on several websites,” Sarah said. One of those websites was Animal Humane Society’s Lost & Found Bulletin Board.

The online bulletin board allows families to post pictures and information about lost and found pets. It is also the place where we post stray animals in our care. Damien had looked at the stray animals page when he posted Tyra’s information, but she wasn’t listed there. A short time later, Sarah returned to refresh the page and she cried tears of joy when she saw a picture of Tyra on the page.

It had been just a few hours since Tyra had gone missing and they already knew she was safe and sound. Someone had found her just a two blocks from their home and brought her to Animal Humane Society.

“Even if I hadn’t gone back to the website, I would have found out she was at Animal Humane Society,” said Sarah. “I received several texts from people who were on the site and noticed our lost dog was listed on the stray animals pages.”

Now is the time to ensure your pet is not lost in inclement weather. Follow these simple steps to keep your pet safe:

Supervise your dog’s outdoor time and keep them contained with a leash or fencing.
Identify your pet with a collar and tags and a microchip. If your pet becomes lost, the chances she or he will be returned home safely increase significantly. Low-cost microchip clinics are held at each AHS location every month.
If your pet does become lost, use our Online Lost & Found Bulletin Board and the helpful tips listed there to help get your pet back home.

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Sharing the golden years
November is Adopt a Senior Pet Month

The image of a cute puppy jumping up to get your attention, or a fuzzy kitten clinging to the side of the cage is hard to resist. It’s human nature to gravitate toward baby animals. But if you look past the pint-sized puppies and kittens you’ll find happy, healthy senior pets looking for a comfortable home and a loving family with whom to spend their golden years.

November is Adopt a Senior Pet Month. Here are just a few reasons why you should adopt a senior pet:

5 reasons to adopt a senior dog:

Take the mystery out. Not only will you know just how big they will get, you will also know their personality, activity level, and grooming requirements. All of these things make it easier to pick the right dog for your lifestyle.
Teaching an old dog new tricks is easier than you think. Most older dogs are calmer, making it easier for them to focus. Better focus means faster learning.
Less mess and fewer trips to the shoe store.Shoes are for walking, bones are for chewing, and grass is for peeing, right? Senior dogs are less likely to be destructive chewers and more likely to be housetrained.
They require less of your time. Puppies are high-energy and need constant supervision while most senior dogs are more independent and happy with a daily walk.
Instant family. The majority of senior dogs have already had a home, so they know what it’s like to be part of a family and may settle in faster.

5 reasons to adopt a senior cat:

They know what to do with a litter box. Kittens can often be found sleeping or playing in their litter boxes. Older cats are more inclined to use the litter box for its intended purpose.
Avoid kitten chaos. Kitten antics may be fun, but they can also be a bit too mischievous. Older cats have mellowed and are less likely to cause chaos in the home.
Great for all types of homes. Older cats are better for families with young children. They are also great for working adults as they require less supervision. And senior cats are more laid back making them perfect for senior people too!
What you see is what you get. Senior cats’ personalities are already established. Whether you want a lap cat, an active cat or an independent cat, more than likely you know who you’re bringing home before you get there.
Less stress for your other pets. If you have other animals, a senior cat will be much easier to introduce to your brood because they may already have experience living with other pets.

If you want to experience the joys of owning an older pet, check out some of the seniors currently available for adoption at Animal Humane Society.

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All new! Online pet behavior library

Our pets count on us to make sure they’re happy and healthy. Managing their behavior and helping them through life’s changes are keys to doing that. We’re here to help through all the stages of your pet’s life and invite you to use our improved online pet behavior library to navigate those common pet behavior issues. Click here to see what’s offered.

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Don’t forget! Smart Tax Strategies with Erica Whittlinger
Free tax seminars for charitable giving offered by fellow AHS supporter

We know that your humane values are important to you. They’re important to Erica Whittlinger too and that is why she is lending her 20 years experience as CEO of Whittlinger Capital Management and weekly appearances on Minnesota Public Radio’s Sound Money program to other Animal Humane Society supporters. During a free Smart Tax Strategies for Charitable Giving seminar on November 11 and 13, Erica will share with you how to develop a financial plan with those humane values in mind. Space is limited. Learn more and reserve your seat today.

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Pet Dish Pet Tips with Paula Zukoff
Don’t start the holidays with Buddy the dog jumping up on Grandma spilling the family’s favorite pumpkin pie to the floor. Follow these simple steps provided by Paula Zukoff to ensure your dog’s holiday greetings aren’t overexcited.

Don’t forget to send us your training questions
Let us know your training question by sending us an email, or better yet sending a video showing us the problems you're having with your dog or cat! Send videos and emails to petdishideas@animalhumanesociety.org.

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