Kasey’s Cure

Recently, I received an email about a lost dog on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.

Clearly upset and new to the area, the owners asked for some information to help find their dog quickly. I offered the list below provided by the Humane Society. I am happy to report that just 6 days later, Tiger was found thanks to an ID tag and some kind firemen.

Here are some suggestions to help find a lost dog or cat quickly:

• Contact local animal shelters and animal control agencies. File a lost pet report with every shelter within a 60-mile radius of your home and visit the nearest shelters daily, if possible. To find your local shelter go to www.pets911.com or check your phone book. If there is no shelter in your community, contact the local police department. Provide these agencies with an accurate description and a recent photograph of your pet. Notify the police if you believe your pet was stolen.
• Search the neighborhood. Walk or drive through your neighborhood several times each day. Ask neighbors, letter carriers, and delivery people if they have seen your pet. Hand out a recent photograph of your pet and information on how you can be reached if your pet is found.
• Advertise. Post notices at grocery stores, community centers, veterinary offices, traffic intersections, online at www.pets911.com, and other locations. Also, place advertisements in newspapers and with radio stations. Include your pet’s sex, age, weight, breed, color, and any special markings. When describing your pet, leave out one identifying characteristic and ask the person who finds your pet to describe it.
• Don’t give up your search. Animals that have been lost for months have been reunited with their owners.

A pet—even an indoor pet—has a better chance of being returned if they always wear a collar and an ID tag with your name, address, and telephone number. All three of our dogs have had microchips implanted. Ask your local animal shelter or veterinarian if permanent methods of identification are available in your area.

Based on news reports that the U. S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) regards widespread contamination of pet food with acetaminophen to be unlikely, pet owners can ease their guard somewhat against another mass pet food recall related to this issue. However, vigilance is the key to keeping your pets safe and healthy—coupled with a strong dose of common sense.

Approximately eight to 12 million companion animals enter shelters each year in this country, and approximately five to nine million of those animals are euthanized—about 70 percent of those are cats.

This is why it is so important to adopt a cat from a shelter and have any current felines spayed or neutered to avoid over population and unwanted kittens.

Many different breeds of cats that can be found at your local shelter, but the most popular felines of all are non-pedigree—that includes brown tabbies, black-and-orange tortoiseshells, all-black cats with long hair, striped cats with white socks and everything in between.

When you first adopt your cat, you’ll need to spend approximately $25 for a litter box, $10 for a collar, and $30 for a carrier. Food runs about $170 a year, plus $50 annually for toys and treats, $175 annually for litter and an average of $150 for veterinary care every year. Relatively inexpensive for all of the love you will receive in return.

Adopt a cat from your local shelter this month and send a photograph to us to publish along with your story.

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Virginia State Senate Bill SB 787 is legislation that will require that an emergency response plan be developed to address the needs of agricultural and companion animals in Virginia during times of disaster and evacuation.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, several states have already passed legislation similar to SB 787. If you want Virginia to be next, let your representative know that you care. Contact them today