The Harbor Master's Log

Siberian Husky Rescue in Virginia

Monthly Archives: October 2009

Vermont Governor declares October as “Adopt a Shelter Pet Month”

October is now “Adopt a Shelter Pet Month” in Vermont thanks to a resolution signed by Gov. Jim Douglas. 

“Adopting a shelter pet not only saves the lives of wonderful animals, it also helps reduce the amount of money taxpayers currently spend to shelter abandoned pets,” said The HSUS’ Vermont state director Joanne Bourbeau. “With October designated as ‘Adopt a Shelter Pet Month,’ Vermonters are encouraged to make animal shelters and rescue groups their first choice when bringing new pets into their homes.”

 Also, be sure to check out the newly launched “Shelter Pet Project.”  It’s the first national public service advertising campaign to promote shelter pet adoption.  The Humane Society of the United States estimates that approximately 6-8 million cats and dogs enter shelters each year.  And, sadly, it is estimated that 3-4 million of these animals will be euthanized.  Therefore, it is strongly recommended those who want to add a pet to their household consider adopting from a shelter or rescue — you could, quite literally, be saving a life!

“Reading Fur Rescue”

“Reading Fur Rescue”

Holiday Fundraising Special!

The Ultimate Gift Fur Your Dog-Loving Friends and Family:

Great Books that Give Back!

During the month of November, Happy Tails Books will donate $5 back to Pet Harbor Rescue from any book you buy at the following website: http://happytailsbooks.com/rescue/petharbor.htm.

Sharing books from the “Lost Souls: Found!” series, which contain over 50 heartwarming stories about adopted dogs, is a great opportunity to help raise awareness about dog rescue. It will surely be one of the most memorable and appreciated gifts you give this year.

“Hollywood Barks!” is revered Hollywood Studio Wrangler Kathryn Segura’s memoir, which brings to light the fact that many Hollywood “star” dogs are actually rescues! The “tails” within are funny, poignant, and a must-read for any dog-lover or movie buff.

Previews of all books are available on the website. Please visit http://happytailsbooks.com/rescue/petharbor.htm today to pick up some books – your purchase will help us to give our rescue dogs a merrier Christmas!

Finding a Lost Pet

Losing a pet can be a terrifying experience.  Even if your dog or cat is never allowed outdoors without supervision, you should always ensure it has proper identification in case it ever becomes lost or stolen.  Proper identification could mean the difference between life and death for your best friend.

The most common forms of ID include:

1)  An ID tag*.  A personal ID tag can attach easily onto your pet’s collar.  At a minimum, it should include your name and phone number.  Additional information can include your address, your pet’s name and an alternate phone number.  If you’re willing to pay a reward, you may also want to include the word “reward” on the tag.

2)  A tattoo.  A tattoo involves permanently marking a unique code on the pet’s skin, usually on the belly.  By calling a database, this code can be used to obtain your address and phone number.

3)  A microchip**.  Microchips are tiny, rice-sized capsules injected painlessly under an animal’s coat. If your animal is brought into any vet’s office or animal shelter, the microchip can be scanned and its unique number can be matched to your contact information.  Microchipping is a safe, convenient way to permanently identify your pet and is recommended by most veterinarians and rescue organizations.

Remember, with each of these identification methods, it is critical that your current contact information is kept up to date.

Should your pet ever become lost, be sure to act fast!  Don’t wait for your pet to come home on its own.  If your pet was adopted from Pet Harbor, contact us!  Also, consider this helpful information provided by the Michigan Humane Society:

1)  Call your local animal control or police to alert them of your missing pet and inquire if any stray animals have been picked up matching your pet’s description. Leave your contact information.

2)  Take a walk. Sweep the area on foot that your pet was last seen. Be sure to talk to neighboors, mail carriers or others working in the area about your lost pet. Take at least one walk daily.

3)  Post flyers. Download a template and create a flyer for your lost pet that you can post, with permission, in local businesses and municipalities. You will need a clear, recent photo of your pet. Include your phone number(s). Adding a reward can be helpful.

4)  Leave food and water and something familiar (such as a blanket, bed or favorite toy) outside near your door. Animals may return on their own when no one is home, and having food, water and something familiar may encourage them to stay in the area.

5)  Visit in person your local animal shelters, daily. There are most likely several facilities in your are that could have your pet. Start with the facility that is legally responsible for holding strays in your area (usually, but not always, this is an animal control shelter). Then visit other nearby facilities as well.

Other options include posting an ad in your local newspaper, posting an ad on Craigslist or another online classifieds site,  searching the “found” sections of your local newspaper and online classifieds sites, informing your vet and/or pet groomer, and contacting local radio stations that may broadcast your pet’s information for you.

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*Every dog adopted from Pet Harbor Rescue and Referral is required to forever wear a Pet Harbor tag.  Please contact us if you need a replacement tag.

**All cats and dogs adopted from Pet Harbor Rescue and Referral are microchipped.  The microchips are registered to Pet Harbor and, thus, Pet Harbor will be notified if your missing animal has been found.  We will then contact you with your animal’s location.  If you have moved or changed your phone number since you adopted your pet, please call or email us to confirm that we have your most current contact information.

Siberian husky plays foster mother to kittens

By Martin Snapp


Click photo to enlarge

Siberian huskie Tamerack looks after one of her young adopted feline charges,Roxana.

OAKLAND — When Sarah Kidder adopted a 12-year-old female Siberian husky named Tamerack last year, she knew she was getting a loving, friendly playful dog. But she never suspected that Tamerack had a hidden talent: as a foster kitten raiser.

It all started last month, when Kidder, who lives in the Grand Lake area, was taking Tamerack for a walk.

“About a block away, I saw this beautiful, blue-eyed, chocolate point Siamese adult and two little black kittens playing in a driveway,” she said. “I was like, ‘Why would those little kittens be there?’”

After talking with the neighbors, Kidder found out that the family who lived there had moved away and abandoned the Siamese — which she assumed was the mom — and the two kittens. So she decided to take them home.

“It wasn’t safe for them to be out there. And we don’t need any more feral cats in the neighborhood, because they would keep on breeding. Plus, they were just ridiculously cute.”

That’s when Tamerack unveiled her hidden talent.

“She was like, ‘Oooh, kittens!’ I was a little concerned at first because she was so excited, but then I realized she was excited because she wanted to mother them. She would follow them around and lick their heads and make sure they were OK. After 24 hours, they started following her around. Whenever she sat down, they sat down, too.”

By the next day, Tamerack was sharing her food with her little feline friends.

“Even when she was gnawing on a bone, she’d let them munch on it, too. I just sat there, slack-jawed, for a week.”

Now Tamerack and her kittens are inseparable. They sleep together, eat together and play together.

“She understands that she’s a lot bigger than they are, so she’s very gentle with them. If they’re gone too long, she searches for them and hangs out wherever they are. If I’m looking for them, I just look for her because I know she’ll be where they are.”

She named the mommy cat Choco Kitty and the kittens Roxana and Stetaria, after Alexander the Great’s wives. (Kidder is the product of a classical education.)

The next order of business was to get Choco Kitty and the kittens fixed, so Kidder called Island Cat Resources and Adoption, which arranged and paid for the surgeries.

That’s when Kidder got another surprise: Choco Kitty isn’t the kittens’ mother. He’s their father!

“It’s not unusual for adult male cats to be a great guardian for kittens,” said ICRA’s Gail Churchill. “When his owners moved away, he must have realized the kittens were helpless and took it upon himself to be their guardian.”

It’s not unusual for large dogs such as Tamerack to be kind to kittens, as Churchill can attest. Her golden retriever, Rosie, was in the news in June for fostering homeless kittens, too.

“Gentle, sweet dogs will take to anyone,” Churchill said, “especially young ones.”

Now that they’ve been spayed or neutered, all three cats are available for adoption.

“They’re all incredibly sweet and friendly,” Kidder said. “I’d love to adopt them myself, but I can’t. It wouldn’t be fair to my cat, Enkidu.”

But what will Tamerack do when her kittens are adopted?

“I’m going to take her up to the snow as a reward,” Kidder said. “If she’s still missing them after that, I’ll guess I’ll have to start fostering more kittens.”

To adopt these cats, either singly or in combination, call ICRA at 510-869-2584 or visit www.icraeastbay.org. Reach Martin Snapp at catman@sfo.com.

Mind Games Dogs Play

After your humans give you a bath, DON’T LET THEM TOWEL DRY YOU! Instead, run to their bed, jump up and dry yourself off on the sheets. This is especially good if it’s right before your humans’ bedtime.

Act like a convicted criminal. When the humans come home, put your ears back, tail between your legs, chin down and act as if you have done something really bad. Then, watch as the humans frantically search the house for the damage they think you have caused. (Note: This only works when you have done absolutely nothing wrong.

Let the humans teach you a brand new trick. Learn it perfectly. When the humans try to demonstrate it to someone else, stare blankly about.

Make your humans be patient. When you go outside to go potty, sniff around the entire yard as your humans wait. Act as if the spot you choose to go potty will ultimately decide the fate of the earth.

Wake up twenty minutes before the alarm clock is set to go off and make the humans take you out for your morning potty. As soon as you get back inside, fall asleep. Humans can rarely fall back asleep after going outside, this will drive them nuts!

When out for a walk, alternate between choking and coughing every time a strange human walks by.

Make your own rules. Don’t always bring back the stick when playing fetch with the humans. Make them go and chase it once in a while.

Hide from your humans. When your humans come home, don’t greet the at the door. Instead, hide from them, and make them think something terrible has happened to you. Don’t reappear until one of your humans is panic-stricken and close to tears.

When your human calls you to come back in, always take your time. Walk as slowly as possible back to the door.

Halloween and Pets

Halloween is that special time of year where we can dress up and pretend and get goodies for the effort. While your pets may enjoy this holiday as well please remember the safety and comfort of the animal first.

  • Candy is not for your companion animals. It can make them sick and even cause death. Chocolate is the most famous offender but there are ingredients in candy that are not safe for pets. Sorbitol, Malitol, and other artificial sweeteners can cause serious problems. Don’t leave your pet out of the fun – just make sure their treats are PET FRIENDLY and healthy snacks for them!

  • Jack o’ Lanterns and lit candles can pose a risk to pets. Curious cats or the wag of a Husky tail can cause serious injury to your pet and property. Please keep live flames out of pets reach.

  • Decorations are shiny and interesting new toys for pets. They want to investigate everything. Make sure that your pets are safe when it comes to holiday decorations. Fake spider webbing can be especially dangerous if your pet has to “taste” everything in the house. It could cause a blockage and result in hefty vet bill or even death.

  • Playing dress up with the pets can be a lot of fun, just remember their comfort comes first. Avoid costumes that block its vision. Make sure the costume fits snugly but not constricting. Do not force your pet to wear a costume if they show discomfort. I have found that pull over costumes for children work best – or costumes that are made specifically for pets.

  • While most enjoy the time to dress up and have fun there are some people with malicious intent. Many animals disappear during this holiday – keep your pets safe! Be especially watchful of black cats, who which are frequent targets of cruel activities on Halloween. Try to keep black cats inside for the week of Halloween. Many animal shelters make black cats unavailable for adoption the week before Halloween because of black cat abuse.

  • Loud noises and treaters at the door can cause stress on any animal. Even the gentlest giant can become snippy when the doorbell is constantly going off or you have a house full of noisy guests. I can’t stress enough that the pets comfort is paramount. Put them in your bedroom, or in their room for the evening if you even think it might be an issue.

    • Hope you have a safe and fun Halloween.
    Lehnanne G. Kidd

Welcome!!

Pet Harbor Rescue & Referral, Inc. is a non-profit animal rescue that saves Siberian Huskies and cats. This is the Harbormaster’s Log – a blog where you can find event listings, news, articles of interest and other general information. This site is part of http://www.petharbor.org.