When we receive a stray cat, sometimes they are obviously someone’s pet. We post photos to social media with the location where they were found, and some general descriptions of them. Sometimes, their family comes to get them. Although this is the best outcome, it’s not typical. Year to date, only 10% of stray or found cats that have come to Second Chance are reunited with their family. That is lower than the national average, likely because we are rural, and our service area is so large.

Our hearts go out to those in our community whenever there are wildfires, floods, or other natural disasters. In those cases, you are likely thinking and planning for “what if”. When planning, don’t forget to have a plan for your pets.

Every year, Second Chance Humane Society and other animal welfare organizations warn about the negative impact of July 4th fireworks on pets. More pets go missing on Independence Day than on any other day. Shelters see numerous frightened dogs and cats who have escaped due to the loud noises and strange smells of fireworks. Those that end up in shelters are the fortunate ones; others may be hit by cars, remain lost, or get injured while trying to escape.

There are many reasons why a family surrenders a pet. Economics, lack of pet-friendly housing, illness, and behavior challenges are the most common. For the past few years, we’ve had a waitlist for people who want to surrender a pet to us.

We’ve all seen situations where someone clearly has taken in too many cats. But what is that number? Where does the scale tip from several beloved cats to being overwhelmed? There are things to consider when you are a multiple cat household.

In a rural community such as ours, people love their pickup trucks and their dogs. While we know we won’t convince the truly committed dog-in-pickup defenders, we encourage everyone to consider the following:

Dogs who ride in the backs of pickup trucks can look like they’re having fun, noses testing the wind, and ears flopping freely. They are going places with their parents. However, an estimated 100,000 dogs die every year because of falling or jumping off of pickup trucks. If a driver hits a bump, slams on the brakes, or swerves to avoid an obstacle a dog can easily be thrown from the truck bed.

It takes only minutes for a dog left in a vehicle on a warm day to succumb to heatstroke and suffocation. Most people don’t realize how hot it can get in a parked car on a balmy day. However, on a 78-degree day, temperatures in a car parked in the shade can exceed 90 degrees — and hit a scorching 160 degrees if parked in the sun (in 30 minutes or less)!

Another day, another lost pet. While our area may not be unique, it sure seems like there are a lot of lost and found pets. When we get a stray at our shelter, we first scan them for a microchip and check to see if they have a tag. More often than not, our found pet posts include this phrase: “no chip, no collar, and no tag”. This makes it difficult to facilitate a happy reunion if the pet is loved and the family wants to be reunited. Although we reunited 47 pets with their people in 2023, that was only 25% of the stray cats and dogs we received.

The term “feral cat” is one of the most misunderstood terms in animal welfare. Some people believe that a feral cat is a wild and dangerous creature that needs to be feared or even shot. Others use the term to describe any homeless outdoor cat. For example, we get calls like this: “There’s a litter of feral kittens under my porch. My kids have been playing with them, and they’re super friendly.” In this case, the kittens are not feral but are stray, homeless, abandoned, or community cats.

Shelter from the Storm

“I came in from the wilderness, a creature void of form

Come in, she said

I’ll give ya shelter from the storm

Try imagining a place where it’s always safe and warm

Come in, she said

I’ll give ya shelter from the storm” -Bob Dylan, 1974

It’s goblin, candy, and party, time again. Halloween can be so much fun for kids and adults.

But how does this evening look to your cat or dog? They see scary, unfamiliar creatures running around screaming. You know that the monster in the scary mask is your neighbor kid, but your pet has no idea. The doorbell rings and rings, which is super confusing for the dog who thinks he needs to bark every time.

Our dogs and cats are family. It’s difficult to think about when they’ll no longer be with us. But what if something happens to you first? Death or serious illness are often reasons why a dog or cat ends up in a shelter.

Second Chance Humane Society had two lost dog cases in a recent year. Both were nervous dogs who escaped from a new home or foster home. Louie was missing for nearly two weeks, while Oscar was recovered in less than a week. Why the difference? One reason is we learned from an expert who helped us with Louie.

Are dog noses emotion detectors? We know that dogs have a formidable sense of smell. It’s estimated that an average dog has 600 million smell receptors (compared to only 12 million in you). But can a dog smell things other than food, toys, and each other? Recent studies say yes. They can smell stress, depression, sadness, and grief.

Mascara. Shampoo. Perfume. Laundry Detergent. Oven Cleaner. Yes, these products might help us look and feel prettier and make our house shiny and clean. But, did you realize there is a very ugly side to some of these products? Yes, I’m talking about animal testing.

In the human world, there are entire fields of research dedicated to making mobility and communication easier for those who have challenges. From titanium prosthetic limbs to technology that helps hearing impaired people, it’s a dynamic and ever-changing world.

So here is something that doesn’t make a lot of sense to me, that as humans enter their “senior” years, when pets are more important than ever in providing companionship, love, and a long list of health benefits, that they are often separated from their beloved pets. It is heart-breaking for the senior and all involved in the senior’s life, including the pets. So let’s take a few moments of preparation so we can prevent this from happening to you.

Breed discrimination is just that, discrimination, and those that suffer the most from it are Bull breeds. I was dumped, along with my pup, at the front gate of the Second Chance Humane Society shelter. We were underweight and clearly poorly cared for. I am not saying my hardships were due to my breed, but I certainly won’t rule it out. So today’s Pet Column is dedicated to addressing misperceptions about my breed.

I like to get high. I get high often. A soft belly rub is one of my favorite highs. Playing with toys is a medium high while hiking with people I trust is off the charts high. Yes, fun living is my recreational drug and I write today to encourage you to keep the other types of recreational drugs away from me and other pets. We just don’t know how to say no – especially if it tastes good.

I am a mutt and proud of it. I don’t intend to trash talk the purebred dog but for this week’s Pet Column topic I thought you should be aware of the impact that the demand for designer dogs (crossing purebreds with other kinds of purebreds) is making upon all dogs. From overcrowding shelters with unadoptable “designs” gone wrong to dogs living a life of suffering because of their failed “design”, I can help you avoid these pitfalls.