PETS AND ANIMALS

Today in America thousands of animals are homeless and completely lack the hope of joining a warm and loving family. As dog and cat overpopulation continues, euthanization of homeless pets occurs. Animal shelters, rescue agencies, and pet adoption organizations are daily putting forth valiant efforts to save the lives of these unfortunate animals and provide loving, caring homes for these hopeless animals.

Though these agencies work tirelessly, they are in dire need of helping hands. These organizations are almost always non-profit; that means they rely on financial donations and willing local volunteers for their subsistence. If you are looking for a way to volunteer or give back to your community, consider volunteer work at your local animal shelter. Here are a few reasons why you should help, and how you can help save the lives of these precious, unfortunate dogs and cats.

Why should you help your local humane society or animal shelter by volunteering? The rewards are endless. First, you will be saving the valuable life of an animal. Stray animals that have been on the streets too long or who have been at local shelters for too long of a time period are euthanized. By donating your time, you are helping the shelter find people who will adopt these pets and provide them with a home. By volunteering at your local shelter, you will also gain a tremendous satisfaction in helping your local community by caring for and saving the lives of unfortunate cats and dogs. You will receive the love and gratitude of the animals you work with and play with; the warm fuzzy feeling of being appreciated and loved by an animal is an irreplaceable one. By volunteering, you may also find out that you possess skills you were completely unaware of. Discovering new affinities and talents may surprise you. Finally, if you are significantly interested in helping animals and possess a love for the unfortunate, there are many careers available in the non-profit animal organization arena as well.

First, you will want to start by locating the animal shelter nearest you; you can search under “animal shelters,” “humane society,” or “animal control.” Once you have located them, the best thing to do is to contact the organization directly and inform them that you may be interested in volunteering your time there. They will be able to give you information on their volunteer requirements, as well as be able to inform you of what areas they are most in need of volunteer work. Volunteer work at shelter may include walking dogs, playing with dogs or cats, bathing or grooming the animals, stuffing envelopes with informative letters, aiding in fundraising events, or helping publicize for an event.

Animal shelters, your local humane society, or an animal control center near you will value and greatly appreciate your volunteered help, not to mention the animals you will interact with. Take a chance and invest in the priceless lives of unfortunate pets. Help these organizations find loving, caring homes for these pets that deserve a second chance at life by volunteering your time and efforts. It will be well worth it!



By: Elise Rogers

About the Author:

We have all heard of animal shelters where stray, lost, unwanted, abused, and neglected pets can be found. Some of these animals are found on the streets and others are dumped there by their owners who for various reasons no longer seem to want their faithful pets. While some animal shelters have no other choice than to euthanize these innocent animals there are no kill animal shelters.

While these types of no kill animal shelters are in the minority they serve a very valuable to service to the community. Like the regular animal shelters these no kill animal shelters look after homeless animals that have been left behind or turned out by their human families.

In the no kill animal shelters the animals are brought in and given a gentle cleaning to rid them of all of the filth of the streets and unwanted parasites on have decided to make their homes on and in these pets. The veterinarian staff at the no kill animal shelters will treat any of the wounds and injuries that these pets have sustained. In addition any diseases will be cured or the pets will be made as comfortable as possible for the duration of their life.

Once the new tenants to the no kill animal shelters have been groomed and treated by the vet, they are given a new meal and bedded down for a while. These animals at the no kill animal shelters will stay in the shelter while a suitable foster family or adoptive family is found.

The various foster families who work with these unwanted animals will work hard to regain the trust of these animals. In addition the pets will learn to be a part of a family again. They will learn the various commands and obedience commands that are necessary for a household pet. When the animals are ready to be adopted the foster family will bring them back to the no kill animal shelters.

Here the screened and prepared adoptive families will be waiting to see if they are ready to adopt these gentle creatures who are just crying out for some love and caring. These families will be allowed to take their new pets’ home but it will be for a short trial period. During this period the family and the pet will have a chance to bond and grow comfortable with each other.

The adoption process will be allowed by the no kill animal shelters only when they are satisfied with the caring and love that these previously unwanted pets are receiving from their new adoptive families. In many ways no kill animal shelters are the answer for a new life for many pets.



By: Muna wa Wanjiru

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Through the efforts of organizations and committed individuals, support is growing for the establishment of no kill animals shelters. An alternative to the traditional dog pound or animal shelter, no-kill animal shelters advocate adoption over euthanasia.

Every year, thousands of animals find themselves in the custody of local animal pounds. The primary function of these facilities has been to collect unwanted animals, hold them for a prescribed amount to time, and then euthanize the animal. Often, the method of euthanasia is less than humane.

In defense of some local shelters staff members work long and hard to find unwanted animals an adopted home. It is common for local shelters to work with the Human Society or other animal advocacy groups to reduce the numbers of unwanted animals. These efforts include low-cost or free-of-cost spay and neuter clinics. In many cases, local governments support these efforts with additional funding and staffing.

Sadly, even the most gallant efforts are not enough to stop the euthanasia of thousands of animals every year. The truth is that most local shelters lack sufficient funding to hold animals for a prolonged period of time. Shelter cost is minimal but the cost of food, supplies and veterinary care can quickly outstrip meager shelter budgets.

My own local county-run shelter has placed a tremendous effort on educating the public about the plight of unwanted dogs. Much of their effort has been toward finding suitable adopted homes for the dogs in their care, often holding dogs longer than the minimum time allowed by law. In contrast to past practices, the change in focus has born fruit with a sharp increase in the numbers of adoptions. Perspective owners must pay a fee that helps to defray some of the operational cost, including veterinary care.

Still, the shelter is forced to kill many more dogs than are adopted. The stark reality is that there are always more dogs than adopted homes. A casual drive through the county often results in many dogs on the loose, abandoned or otherwise without homes. Abandoned and lost dogs on the loose only compound the problem, assuming that most of these wandering souls have not been spayed or neutered.

The situation is worse for cats, since the only local, no-kill cat shelter closed due to lack of funding. Cats that otherwise might have been sheltered and cared for until adoption now roam the countryside doing what cats in the wild do best – make more cats.

The No-Kill Philosophy

One way to think of no-kill animal shelters is to think of sanctuary for lost and abandoned souls. Animals who might otherwise find themselves the victims of the elements, lack of food or highway traffic are given a place to stay. As the term implies, no-kill means exactly that. Animal guests are not put to death after a defined period of time. Those animals in need of medical attention received it. Many shelters will accept animals without question or judgment.

The idea behind most no-kill animal shelters is to keep and care for lost or abandoned animals until the owner arrives or the animal can be given a new adopted home. There are obvious challenges to this type of operation. Space and funding are the biggest hurdles and it takes a dedicated fundraising effort to support these unique shelters. As the numbers of animal guests grows, space can be a limitation, even if adequate funding can be generated.

Like many non-profit organizations, no-kill animal shelters rely on the efforts of dedicated volunteers. Community members, veterinarians and other animal lovers are a vital part of these animal shelters. Corporate sponsorship is often received in the form of food and medicines.

In virtually every state, there is a no-kill shelter available. While local shelters will care for animals until the day comes for euthanasia, no-kill animal shelters are a wonderful alternative.



By: Michael OBrien

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Anyone who has ever started looking around for an animal to add to the family knows that getting a new pet can be very expensive, and it seems almost impossible to find a free pet. Many breeders ask for several hundred dollars, even for the smallest dogs or cats. Golden Retrievers are usually $700 to $800, Maine Coon cats can cost up to $900 or $1000, and rare exotic animals run much higher.

However, considering all of the pets in the world who are currently homeless, and are living in animal shelters without a loving family, it seems unreasonable and nonsensical to spend hundreds of dollars for a pet when there are so many who need to be saved.

While there are a number of animal rescue organizations and pet shelters around the country, there is only one resource which you should always start with, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA).

Healthy Pets Aren’t Always Free

Before we examine why it’s best to start with the ASPCA, which does charge some fees for adopting and rescuing pets, it’s important to note that it is possible to find a free pet, if you are careful and follow a few important guidelines.

Searching through the classified ads in the newspaper or online classified ads like PetsAds or PetsClassifieds.us, you can locate listings for free pets that people are giving away. It’s critical to understand that most free pet ads are from people who are giving away their pets for the following reasons:



They are moving to a place that doesn’t take pets.

They can no longer afford to have a pet.

They found a stray, but can’t keep it.



These are usually well-meaning people, but keep in mind that if they have a pet that they can no longer afford to keep, the pet may not be 100% healthy. If you do decide to take the classified ad route, just remember that most of the things that the fees pay for at the ASPCA, you will have to pay for anyway – including all shots, medical checkups and neutering.

It is perfectly okay to find free pets on your own, just remember that pets are never “free”. You will need to pay for the up-front (and continuing) health care for the rest of it’s life.

ASPCA and Pet Adoption

The ASPCA is a wonderful organization that helps to promote animal shelters and rescue organizations that take excellent care of animals across the country. At the ASPCA Website, you can adopt and save homeless animals in the following ways:

Find a Shelter

By clicking on the “Find a Shelter” link, you are taken to a search page where you can search for local animal shelters by city and state. The ASPCA doesn’t technically endorse the shelters listed by this utility, but it provides the search function to animal lovers who need a resource to find local shelters.

This is a very comprehensive National Shelter Directory, and it is a service to help families with lots of love to offer to connect with animals that need the love. Buying a pet from a local shelter is essentially like getting a free pet, because the fees to adopt a pet cover many of the upfront medical costs you were incur if you’d picked up the animal as a stray or free from a classified ad. Animal shelters take care of the upfront health concerns, so that when you adopt a pet from a shelter, you can be certain that the animal is healthy and well cared for.

In addition, many shelters offer a unique incentive for people to have their pets properly neutered by offering a discount or refund for the procedure with local vets.

ASPCA Adoption Center

The ASPCA Adoption Center provides listings of hundreds of cats and dogs who need a home. The main page of the adoption center explains everything you will need in order to adopt a pet. This is good to read even if you aren’t going to the ASPCA, because most shelters require the same information. Things you will need if planning to adopt a pet:

· Two forms of identification with your address on it (at least one picture ID)

· Two personal references who can be reached by phone

· Proof of vaccination for the pets that you already own.

· Proof of income

While this may seem excessive to some people, it’s important to understand that there are a lot of people out there who would not think twice about harming or being cruel to animals. The job of the ASPCA and all animal shelters across the country, is to protect animals from cruelty, and to make sure that animals are placed in homes where they have the best chances of being as loved and cared for as they deserve to be.

The benefits of adopting through the ASPCA (many animal shelters offer these same benefits):



14 days of free follow-up vet care

A leash, collar, and pet carrier to help bring the animal home

Educational literature about pet behavior and pet care

Free spay/neutering, vaccinations, microchipping and registration, all provided as part of the adoption fee.





Obviously, the only good option for finding a free pet is going through the ASPCA, or through a local animal shelter. This will ensure that you are getting a healthy pet, and you can feel good about doing your part to save an animal from a live without a home, and without love.

Support Animal Rescue Efforts With a Portrait

When you adopt your new pet, show people how much you love your new furry friend by having a pet portrait done by professional artist Nikky Hughes of Los Angeles. Nikky was classically trained at the Mission Renaissance art school, and she focuses on capturing not only the beauty, but the unique character of each animal. She will accept photos through the mail of pets, and then create stunning portraits from those pictures. Pet portraits are ideal because they can be done from a photo (as apposed to getting the pet to “pose” at a studio.)

The great thing about Nikky is that she’s a pet lover herself, and this is reflected in how she runs her business. Nikki donates 5% of every commission to an animal rescue foundation. This is a wonderful way that you can help to support the cause of animal rescue – and receiving a stunning portrait of your new pet in the process.



By: Nikky Hughes: Pet Portraits

About the Author:

Man can essentially build a simple and unbreakable bond with a companion animal. Adoption gives a pet another chance to have a happy and healthy life. It makes the owner happy as well.

When planning for pet adoption or looking for a pet to enter into your life, contemplate adopting a homeless pet from a local shelter. The shelter has the finest selection of pets and animals. The shelter also has everything - whether it’s a matured dog or puppy, mixed breed, and purebred. They even have hamsters or rabbits. Besides, you can be assured that all animals at local shelters are all screened for good health and proper behavior.

Adopting from an Animal Shelter

Most of the pets and animals at shelters are abandoned by their owners because of unrealistic expectations of time, money, and effort in sustaining a lifelong association with their pets. Based on the national figure of abandoned animals, half of them are euthanized due to lack of homes or adopted family. Staff and volunteers at animal shelters are dependable when it comes to assessment of the animals. These people also do every attempt to collect detailed history of the animals. They also learn as much as they can about the animals’ behavior and temperament in order to make the best adoption matches possible.

Adopting from a Purebred Rescue Group

When adopting a purebred animal from rescue groups, be sure to get full information on how they care about them and how they decide what kind of pets are adoptable. Also, ensure the post-adoption information and other services available while adopting a purebred animal. The animals that rescue groups accommodate came from failed breeding operations, stray animals, or arrived from boarding kennels with veterinarians where they were abandoned. Adoption fees may vary depending on veterinary doctors and other expenses occurred during stay of the animal.

Choosing the Right Cat

Cats also make great pets. Most of them can easily adjust to different lifestyles and environment. They have their true individuality, appearances, and age, as well. You will notice it through their own meow when you are strolling along cat cages at animal shelters. Some would show special attention whereas still others simply lie back and watch you with an air of authority.

Kittens are more playful, curious, and full of energy while the adult cats are more tranquil and well-behaved. Kittens need more time to train as well as feed. Young children usually don’t have enough understanding on how to handle kittens responsibly. Thus, the best time to adopting and having cats at home are when they are at least four months old.

Choosing the Right Dog

Adopting dogs typically entails selecting one that matches your lifestyle and desire. Dogs are wonderful and lifelong companion for you and your family. You can choose them from an ample collection of breeds, sizes, shapes, and personalities. You can visit an animal shelter and ask the assistance of an adoption counselor for the dog qualities and breed that you are looking for. He/she can help you choose dogs from two categories: the mixed breeds or purebreds.

The important variation between the two is that purebreds come from the same breed and are similar to breed standard. It means that when you adopt a purebred puppy you will know right away what general physical and behavioral characteristics it will have. A mixed breed puppy on the other hand, is a combination of different breeds. This breed is considered as the natural dog, too and adopting one is a unique choice of companion. It is better to know the ancestry of a particular mixed breed so that you can easily identify what type of dog he will turn out soon after.

Things to Consider in adopting pets

? Why do you want a pet?

? Do you have time for a pet?

? Can you afford a pet?

? Are you prepared to deal with special problems that a pet can cause?

? Can you have a pet where you live?

? Is it a good time for you to adopt a pet?

? Are your living arrangements suitable for the animal you have in mind?

? Do you know who will care for your pet while you’re away on vacation?

? Will you be a responsible pet owner?

? Are you prepared to keep and care for the pet for his or her entire lifetime?



By: Christa Kowalczyk

About the Author:

When it comes to adopting pets, there are many options. People have different reasons for adopting a pet, and often this reason influences where they look for their new friend. For some people, whether the animal is a purebred or not is important, so they will pursue breeders. Others are interested in saving an animal from the fate of a life without a loving family. These people will typically search animal rescue organizations or animal shelters. Both purebred and mixed breed animals can be found at these organizations, as well as older animals and animals that need special care. This guide will help you explore your options when considering the adoption of a new family pet.

Choosing a Breeder

You’ve decided that it’s time for your family to have a brand new pet. Everyone is ready to play with it, feed it, clean it, and care for it every day. You know that you want a purebred, and you’ve researched the genetic and behavioral disposition of every breed, and you know the breed that’s best for your family and your lifestyle. The final step is to find a good breeder.

First, avoid pet stores. It is a known fact that most pets that are offered in pet stores come from mass breeding facilities more commonly known as “puppy farms” or “pet farms.” This is not a business practice that you want to support. It’s best to do the ethical thing and avoid them at all cost.

There are several methods you can use to evaluate breeders. Initially, obtain a list of referrals of reputable breeders from your veterinarian or local dog shows. Always visit where the breeder raises the dogs or cats, and bring the following checklist in order to determine whether the breeder is a good one.

Does the breeder:



Raise the animals in a home, as part of a family?

Have animals that appear healthy and excited when visitors arrive?

Maintains a clean area where the animals are raised?

Shows you the animals parents when you visit?

Knowledgeable about the breed?

Can produce records of veterinary visits for the animals?

Provides references?

Offers guidance for caring for your new pet and for the particular breed?





Purebred Rescue

An even better option than buying a new animal from a breeder, is to invest in saving a purebred living at a purebred rescue group. Purebred breeding groups are wonderful organizations that accept purebred animals that are typically abandoned, found as strays, or from local animal shelters. Purebred rescue organizations typically have a great deal of knowledge about the breed they work with, and usually offer a great deal of guidance for adoptive families.

When you purchase a purebred from a rescue group, you can feel good about having saved an animal from living a life without a loving family. You can find local rescue groups in your area through the newspaper classified section. A great resource for rescuing purebred dogs is to search through the contact list at the American Kennel Club. Another great resource for both cats and dogs is AllAboutDogsandCats.com, which provides a list of hundreds of national breed rescue clubs and organizations.

Animal Shelters

An animal shelter is the best source where you can find a family pet. Family shelters are home to many wonderful animals who mostly are only there because of the humans who previously owned them, not for any fault of their own. Often life changes, unrealistic expectations, or other reasons force families to give up their animals to animal shelters. Half of these animals end up euthanized because there simply isn’t enough space. This is why, obtaining your family pet from an animal shelter is the greatest thing you can do, and it is something you can feel very good about.

It is a common misconception that the animals at animal shelters are all mixed-breeds, poorly behaved, or poorly kept. While this may hold true for a minority of them, many of the animals found at shelters around the country are actually purebreds, nicely kept, and very well behaved. Many shelters even offer adoption counseling, training classes, and even discounted or free neutering. Some great resources to locate animal shelters around the country include Pets 911, 1-800-Save-A-Pet, or Petfinder. Another good resource is the classified section of your local newspaper, or the yellow pages under “Animal Shelters”.

A Pet Portrait of Your New Pet

Once you discover that special pet that will become your friend for life, there is no better way to celebrate than to commemorate the beauty and overwhelming “cuteness” of your new family friend with a painted pet portrait.

Pet portraits are sweeping the country as a very popular form of recognizing how much your animal friend means to you and your family. Pet portraits can be especially meaningful because when you see a pet portrait on the wall, it is a statement that this animal isn’t just “another animal”, but it shows that your pet is a loved and cherished member of the family.

The best pet portraits in the country are created by artist Nikky Hughes of Los Angeles. Nikky was classically trained at the Mission Renaissance art school, and she focuses on capturing not only the beauty, but the unique character of each animal. Her artwork is soft and romantic, and a portrait of your pet by Nikky will become a family heirloom for many generations.



By: Nikky Hughes: Pet Portraits

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Pet adoption agencies are available throughout the United States and it is an excellent way to get your own pet. The adoption agencies in the U.S provide homes for the pets brought from animal rescues, animal shelters and humane societies. Some pets are brought there due to ill treatment by the pet owners or would have got lost having not having a family. Many of the pet adoption agencies work over time in order to find a constructive solution for the U.S pet population issue. They work hard in finding adoptable pets and provide them caring and loving family homes.

The websites of the pet adoption agencies provide the potential pet parents to search for a pet of their choice without any need of going to chaotic and noisy locales. You can search for your preferred pet of any breed, size, age, and sex and also even from any specific organization from where the pet came before it made its way to the adoption agency. The websites have pages that list photos of the animals offered by the agencies with their names, their place of birth or from where they came and such related information along with their preferences. Information like vaccinations, eating habits, likes and dislikes and health conditions are all available prior to pet adoption.

If you are not in a position to adopt a pet but you love pets and want to help them, then you can send your donations to the pet adoption agencies. They always welcome volunteers for helping them in services like pet adoption, administrative support, and marketing and fund raising events. There are many programs that facilitate pet lovers to play with pets for certain duration of hours. This service is offered especially to help those pets that are homeless and mistreated earlier, for spending time with loving and caring humans. All the pet adoption agencies provide help and extend their support for the families who have adopted pets recently and for pet adoption seekers. They offer advice on what kind of a pet can suit your family and in-house training. They advice you regarding separation anxiety, basic techniques on obedience, introduction of new pets and how to adjust the new pet with additional pets in your home.

You have multiple benefits in adopting a pet, which was already owned. By adopting a pet you are giving a chance to the pet to live with committed parents in a happy home. Many pet animals when adopted tend to be closer with your family. Initially after pet adoption some pets will be cautious and tentative but they will change along with time when they realize that they have actually been rescued it. When you adopt a pet it will reward you with the satisfaction that you have helped your community by some means. Though pet adoption is a lifetime commitment it will not be that hard for you. All these unfortunate pets are waiting for a chance to join with your loving families to take care of them very well. You always have this option of adopting a pet and a pet will make your family complete. Pet adoption is available not only for cats and dogs but you can also adopt pets like bunny rabbits, rats, hamsters, gerbils, guinea pigs and also some varieties of birds.



By: David Hensley

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