In This Issue:
Pawsitively Pets-- 1
A Note From The Editor:
It ' s always heartwarming to shine a light on good things people are doing for animals in our state.
One Pennsylvania organization has made senior pets its mission. Founded by Denise Pavitt, Senior Hearts Rescue and Renewal takes in older dogs from shelters and families in the Pittsburgh area who can no longer care for their pets. Through its home-to-home program, Senior Hearts helps prevent beloved older dogs from having to enter or live the rest of their lives in a shelter. Since it was founded in 2015, the rescue has helped nearly 1000 at- risk senior dogs, showing that an animal ' s age does not have to determine its future.
St. Luke ' s Episcopal Church in Lebanon, Pennsylvania, has opened its doors for shelter animals in the area to simply decompress. Created in partnership with the Humane Society of Lebanon County, The Animal Cabin has become a sanctuary for dogs and cats stressed out by kennel life. Volunteers can bring homeless pets there for much needed time in a calm and quiet space, away from the daily chaos of noisy shelters. Workers and volunteers benefit from the tranquility too, and get to see the animals they care for in a different environment.
Bucknell University students have been making a difference for homeless and stray animals in the Lewisburg community through the Bucknell Animal Rescue Club( BARC), founded in 2022. When students noticed the large number of stray cats living around campus, they set up feeding stations and used trail cameras to monitor the cats and determine which animals needed help. Friendly cats and kittens are taken into foster homes and eventually matched with permanent families. Through trap-neuter-return( TNR), feral cats that cannot be socialized for indoor life are humanely trapped, spayed or neutered, and returned to their outdoor colonies. The students ' efforts have had a meaningful impact around and beyond the campus, as local residents sometimes pitch in. The club has reportedly rescued and found homes for over 70 cats so far, and for the students involved, the work provides a hands-on way to address animal overpopulation, while giving the homeless cats safe, permanent homes.
And the Altoona Public LIbrary has established a PAWS for Reading program, where kids can practice reading aloud to shelter pets, boosting their literacy skills while giving the homeless dogs and cats some much needed company and attention. Such an easy but worthwhile thing to do!
Do you know an individual or organization doing good things for animals in need? Let us know and we will give them the acknowledgement and appreciation they deserve in an upcoming issue!
- Karyn Stratton
In This Issue:
Pet Calendar of Events.............................................. page 2 Upcoming Pet Events................................................ page 3 Around The Hydrant: News You Can Use............... page 4 Veterinary Technicians.............................................. page 4 The Toy Box Test....................................................... page 5 Health Highlights- Halloween Safety......................... page 6 Breed All About It- The Siberian Husky.................. page 7 Cute & Crazy Critters................................................ page 8 Adoption: A Loving Option..................................... pages 10, 11 Pawsitively Delicious................................................. page 12 Ask The Groomer- Safe Halloween Costumes........ page 13 Win A Kong Air Dog Toy.......................................... page 13 Hidden Xylitol Dangers............................................ page 14 Subscriptions- Let Us Fetch Your Next Copy.......... page 15
On our cover: " Koda "
Thanks to Ruben Boekeloo of Breukelen, Holland
for providing us with his photo!
Pawsitively Pets-- 1