Ellie Brecher is a general assignment reporter for The Miami Herald. Email her at pets@miamiherald.com.
Pet lady: That's my role in the Miami Herald newsroom. I've been here since 1989, during which time I've had 11 dogs, a ring-necked parakeet, a chicken, and a lizard named Lance. At the moment, I have four dogs, one step-dog, and two cockatiels. A native New Yorker, I came here from Louisville, Ky. I'm a graduate of the University of Arizona, and had a Nieman Fellowship at Harvard in 1988. I have written 309 stories containing the word "dog" in the past 20 years.
They may be wearing fur coats, but in SoFla, pets aren't used to temps in the 40s. Here are some tips for keeping them comfy (mine are curled up on two loveseats in front of a roaring fire, if you please....)
PETFINDER.COM
PROVIDES TIPS FOR KEEPING PETS SAFE IN EXTREME COLD
WEATHER
January 5, 2010, Silver Spring,
MD - As
frigid temperatures sweep over many parts of the country, it is critical for pet
parents to take the appropriate measures in keeping their pets warm and safe.
Below are some tips from Petfinder.com,
the largest online database of adoptable pets and the No. 1 pet-related site on
the Web.
After
a walk, remove any ice or snow from your pet’s paws and towel him / her off to
avoid a chill.
Make
sure your pet has plenty of high-quality protein if he / she is outside -
staying warm burns more calories.
Always
give the hood of your car a sharp knock before starting the engine. Cats and
other small animals sometimes climb up under the hood of a car to get warm. The
noise will wake them up and give them time to escape.
Never
leave your pet in a car in cold weather. Your car is like a refrigerator and may
cause hypothermia.
Make
sure your pet has a warm place to sleep.
Never
use metal water bowls outside. When it is cold, your pet’s tongue may stick to
the metal. Check water frequently to ensure it has not frozen.
Save
that shaved look for warm weather. A dog can use a bit of a fur coat when
temperatures dip.
For more
information or to speak with the co-founder of Petfinder.com, Betsy Saul,
contact Katy Layton
at 917-595-3057 or klayton@cooperkatz.com.
About
Petfinder.com: Petfinder.com is an
online, searchable database of animals that need permanent homes. A directory of
over 12,900 animal shelters and adoption organizations across the USA, Canada and Mexico, the organization’s technology helps
visitors search adoptable pets in their areas that fit their family’s individual
needs and preferences. In addition, Petfinder.com also offers a wealth of
information about how to select a family pet and how to raise and care for an
animal. The Web site is free to use. Animal shelters and placement groups can
register to join Petfinder.com online and can start entering pets the same day.
Petfinder.com was
named one of TIME magazine’s 50 Best
Web Sites of 2008.
One of the largest cat
rescues in US history came to an end Monday, December 21st, after the closure of
a rural South Florida cat sanctuary led to the transfer of hundreds of thin and
diseased cats to other agencies for rehabilitation.
Following a citizen's
complaint regarding conditions at the sanctuary, a team of animal cruelty
experts from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the
Humane Society of the United States, and the University of Florida Shelter
Medicine Program accompanied La Belle Animal Control Director Doug Morgan on a
surprise inspection of the facility on November 16.
After confronting
sanctuary owner Maury Swee with their findings that unacceptable conditions at
the sanctuary resulted in a high rate of illness and death among the cats, he
stated that he was unable to make improvements and had insufficient resources to
continue operating in its current state. The following day Swee elected to
relinquish all of the cats to animal control and to close the sanctuary. An
Animal cruelty investigation is ongoing.
Thirteen critically ill and
suffering cats were immediately euthanized and submitted to the state's Animal
Disease Diagnostic Laboratory in Kissimmee where necropsies revealed the
emaciated cats suffered from severe anemia, infections, and organ failure
brought on by parasitism, malnutrition, and untreated diseases. Swee said none
of the cats had received veterinary care for their illnesses.
Morgan
immediately recruited an interagency team of specialized volunteer responders
from across Florida to help the nearly 600 cats remaining on the property.
Responding agencies included experts in disaster animal sheltering led by the
Bay Area Disaster Animal Response Team (DART), animal cruelty investigation led
by the ASPCA Crime Scene Investigation unit, and animal triage and medical care
led by the University of Florida's Veterinary Emergency Treatment Service and
Maddie's Shelter Medicine Program.
Over a three-day period beginning
November 23, the UF Shelter Medicine Program lead a team of veterinarians,
veterinary students, and technicians in a triage operation to examine each cat,
collect forensic documentation, test for feline leukemia virus, feline
immunodeficiency virus, and heartworms, implant identification microchips, and
treat for internal and external parasites. During this initial evaluation phase
93 cats were identified by the veterinary team as having severe illness
affecting quality of life. It was determined that the most humane choice for
these severely ill cats was humane euthanasia.
Volunteers from Bay Area
DART remained on site to assist LaBelle Animal Control with the disposition of
the remaining cats. A plan was implemented to give cat owners a chance to
reclaim the animals that they relinquished to the sanctuary, to transfer cats to
shelters and rescue groups throughout the southeast, and for the public to adopt
unclaimed cats. While the sanctuary owner did not make information available
regarding who originally relinquished the cats, he was asked to personally
contact former cat owners to give them an opportunity to reclaim their
cats.
"We were heartened by the response from so many humane agencies,"
said Connie Brooks, Operations Director of SPCA Tampa bay/Bay area DART. "Even
though infectious diseases were rampant throughout this facility and about half
of the cats were feral, we were able to transfer the vast majority to other
agencies. The entire humane community pulled together to create a happy ending
for this sad story."
The record for the longest distance traveled went to
5 cats flown to Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Utah for treatment of advanced
medical conditions. The largest transfer was 46 cats sent to Animal Refuge
Center in Ft. Myers. Each agency received a thorough background and reference
check to assure that the cats would not be transferred from one unacceptable
situation to another.
"The vast majority of cats sent to this sanctuary
died within a few years of arrival and many of the survivors had substantial
medical conditions and carried multiple infectious diseases," Morgan said. "Some
had even arrived as victims of previous cruelty and hoarding investigations. We
knew we had to be sure these cats were going to new placements that were
prepared to provide for their special needs."
The cat rescue project was
made possible by more than $40,000 in grants and free diagnostic testing
services, cat food, litter, crates, and other supplies from IDEXX Laboratories,
Petsmart Charities, ASPCA, HSUS, and private donors. Thousands of volunteer
hours were expended. After more than 4 weeks, the interagency task force that
kept the sanctuary open after its owner gave up the cats had exhausted all leads
for cat placements.
The final statistics tell a story of success and
sadness. The closure of the 10th Life Sanctuary represents one of the largest
cat rescues in US history. A total of 110 cats were euthanized in the first days
of medical triage due to critical medical illnesses, including 17 that were
euthanized immediately following the unannounced inspection. Of the remaining
485 cats, 75 of the ferals were euthanized when new placements could not be
found for them. This 15% euthanasia rate for the savable cats is in stark
contrast to the vast majority of large-scale feline cruelty impoundments in
which mass euthanasia is the most common outcome.
Doug
Morgan Director, City of LaBelle Aniaml Control
