EBHS Unleashed

I am sure that I am not alone when I say that I wish I was sitting next to a warm fire right now...where did the nice fall weather go? I can always tell when fall has arrived when the Italian Greyhounds who "work" at the shelter start wearing quilted coats instead of just their regular casual wear.

I have always known that there are distinct differences between cat people and dog people. Now, there is a study that confirms my suspicions, along with some other concerning information. It turns out that having a cat is more attractive to single people, while living with dogs is more attractive to families.

The study also showed that almost 50% of pet owners considered their animal companions to be a member of the family. I thought that would be higher.

In 2006 there were 72 million canine companions in the US and 82 million feline companions. There were more households with dogs (43 million compared to 37 million for cat households), but many households with cats had more than one cat, which explains the disparity.

 I do not know who you are, and I cannot imagine what possessed you to abandon an incredibly sick puppy at a mall in Brookfield. I am not sure what kind of thought process leads someone to think that turning a sick puppy loose in a mall parking lot in the middle of the night would be a good idea. Aside from the fact that the puppy obviously needed medical attention, the poor little thing could have been run over, attacked by wild animals looking for food in the dumpsters, or just suffered from exposure, as it was very cold last night.

No matter, I guess. When you put him in that parking lot and drove away while he watched and wondered what was going on, his death sentence was certain.

Last night at 4am our Humane Officer responded to a call from the Brookfield Police when they found your emaciated puppy at Brookfield Square. Your puppy was completely dehydrated, and incredibly sick. Our Humane Officer knew right away what was wrong with your puppy by the smell, it had Parvo. She brought your puppy straight to the emergency vet who tested your puppy, confirmed that it was positive for Parvo, and left him overnight for treatment.

This morning we transferred your puppy back to the shelter to prepare it to be picked up by a foster family for the long-term care it was going to need. By lunchtime your puppy passed away, as it was too late to save the little guy. The disease had taken its toll on his vital organs and he was too weak to live.

I wanted YOU to know that.

Because the police officers who found your puppy, the humane officer who rescued him, the shelter staff and the vet clinic staff who administered his medical care, all have to feel sick inside about the short life and miserable death of the poor little puppy that you could not even bother to take to a vet for vaccinations that might have saved its life, or for treatment when he became ill. We tried to save him. We did not even know him, or his name. But we did more to save his life than you did. He died with a stranger at his side wondering where you were.

You must have had him for a few weeks. He must have had a name. He must have been really cute, and done funny puppy things. You knew him, and you should have loved him enough to care what happened to him. Instead you took the easy way out and you chose to not know what happened to your puppy, by dropping him off and leaving him for us to take of.

For all I know, you think that this little guy was saved, and has gotten medical treatment, and is being taken care of by the nice family who found him. You know, the nice family who was shopping at the mall at 4am on a Monday night. Maybe in your imagination you think there was a happy ending for your puppy. Well, there was no happy ending, and his cold little body is in our freezer.

I hope that you remember him next time you think about adding an animal to your life. Remember that if you cannot commit to taking care of an animal for better or worse, in sickness and in health, or for richer or poorer, you should not buy one, adopt one, or otherwise take responsibility for one.

I hope you sleep well tonight. I know I won't.

My friend Lolita sent this information to me regarding the Top 10 Human Medications (courtesy of the ASPCA website) that are harmful to your animal companions if ingested. There were a couple I was unaware of, so I thought I would share:

NSAIDs
NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) like ibuprofen or naproxen are the most common cause of pet poisoning in small animals, and can cause serious problems even in minimal doses. Pets are extremely sensitive to their effects, and may experience stomach and intestinal ulcers and—in the case of cats—kidney damage.

Antidepressants
Antidepressants can cause vomiting and lethargy and certain types can lead to serotonin syndrome—a condition marked by agitation, elevated body temperature, heart rate and blood pressure, disorientation, vocalization, tremors and seizures.

Acetaminophen
Cats are especially sensitive to acetaminophen, which can damage red blood cells and interfere with their ability to transport oxygen. In dogs, it can cause liver damage and, at higher doses, red blood cell damage.

Methylphenidate (for ADHD)
Medications used to treat ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) in people act as stimulants in pets and can dangerously elevate heart rates, blood pressure and body temperature, as well as cause seizures.

Fluorouracil
Fluorouracil—an anti-cancer drug—is used topically to treat minor skin cancers and solar keratitis in humans. It has proven to be rapidly fatal to dogs, causing severe vomiting, seizures and cardiac arrest even in those who’ve chewed on discarded cotton swabs used to apply the medication.

Isoniazid
Often the first line of defense against tuberculosis, isoniazid is particularly toxic for dogs because they don’t metabolize it as well as other species. It can cause a rapid onset of severe seizures that may ultimately result in death.

Pseudoephedrine
Pseudoephedrine is a popular decongestant in many cold and sinus products, and acts like a stimulant if accidentally ingested by pets. In cats and dogs, it causes elevated heart rates, blood pressure and body temperature as well as seizures.

Anti-diabetics
Many oral diabetes treatments—including glipizide and glyburide—can cause a major drop in blood sugar levels of affected pets. Clinical signs of ingestion include disorientation, lack of coordination and seizures.

Vitamin D derivatives
Even small exposures to Vitamin D analogues like calcipotriene and calcitriol can cause life-threatening spikes in blood calcium levels in pets. Clinical signs of exposure—including vomiting, loss of appetite, increased urination and thirst due to kidney failure—often don't occur for more than 24 hours after ingestion.

Baclofen
Baclofen is a muscle relaxant that can impair the central nervous systems of cats and dogs. Some symptoms of ingestion include significant depression, disorientation, vocalization, seizures and coma, which can lead to death.

Dog years? Most of us think of dog years as the equivalent of 7 human years for one dog year. Recently when going to my vet they had a new chart that showed a correlation between a dog's weight and their "age" - meaning the heavier a dog was the older it was.

As far as human years, I took a test online about a month ago that told me I was 3 years younger than my actual age because of my lifestyle. Apparently, being boring is extending my life. However, the site suggested that I could live 2 years longer if I started flossing religiously, and since I plan to live long enough to drive my children and grandchildren crazy, I have started flossing a lot!

Today I received an email from the same website that promised to tell me my dog's real age.  Since I have 3 dogs, and only one is a senior, I just tested Murphy, my 11 year old black Lab. The site asked all kinds of lifestyle questions about Murphy, and what he eats, and what his personality and activity level are like.

I was happy to find out that he is 63 years old, which is 7 years younger than his age/breed average. Not too shabby for a dog that would forsake me for anyone with food for him.

Here is the link if you would like to see how old your dog is:

http://www.dogage.com/reg/regassess.aspx?cbr=RA66_RA

The test does take a few minutes so be patient. I am happy to know that Murphy should be with my family for more years than I thought!

 We have a lot of happy things to share with our readers today!

First of all, Charlie, an English Springer Spaniel mix, who was so unhappy in his kennel went to his new home today! He was one of those dogs that looked so pitiful in his kennel, but outside of his kennel he was a total firecracker. He has a great personality, and he is so handsome. I am glad that he has found his forever home.

Trace, a long-term feline resident also went home today. My heart always goes out to the cats here, there are so many people surrendering cats, and so few people adopting them. Trace won his lottery today, and he has a great new family to call his own. I hope the other 40 cats we have here can get just as lucky!

We have a few great events coming up that we hope you can come to. First is the Barkitecture event hosted by Vetter Denk. On Thursday, October 23rd they are having a party to help EBHS raise funds, and to show off their amazing homes in downtown Milwaukee. My two passions are animals and architecture, so I will be there checking out their Bluff Homes, and supporting my beloved shelter.

On Saturday, October 25th we have two great events happening. For rabbit lovers, we are having a rabbit training class called Rabbitopia II...the Training Begins. There will be two classes, one at 11:30am and one at 1:30pm. These classes will teach rabbit lovers great ways to help reinforce the positive behaviors in their rabbits, and then discourage unacceptable ones. You can call the shelter to sign up for either class at 262-782-9261. Crated rabbits are welcome for nail trims and gland cleaning.

Also on Saturday, October 25th, EBHS is taking part in Harvest Fest at the Village Court Shopping Center in Elm Grove. There is going to be free pumpkin decorating for kids, a kids costume contest, and an animal costume contest, cart rides, food, music, treats and raffles to enjoy. It will be a great way to spend the day, with your children, and your dog! The event is from 10am - 3pm. We hope to see you down there!

The M&I Bank Employees Association came in today with one of those giant checks (which I totally love! It makes you feel like Ed McMahon just showed up!) and made a donation to EBHS from the employees at the local M&I Banks. I want to give them all a big shout out and thank them for their generosity. With the economy the way it is, we need all the financial help we can get! Christmas in October courtesy of M & I Bank! Thanks to all of the M&I employees for their generosity and kindness!

Also, have to mention our good friends at Elite Electric. Gerry, the owner, came to the rescue of the shelter and did some electrical repairs that we needed done and donated his time and materials. He has definitely confirmed his awesomeness to me through his always professional work, and his generosity! Turns out he is an animal lover too! Thanks to Gerry and Elite Electric (located in Milwaukee).

The front office cat - who is adoptable - has decided that my office is the best place to hang out. He sits in my window, and since there is 23 pounds of him, he rolls around knocking things all over the place. He is so funny when he sleeps, and everyone that walks past my window on the way into the shelter laughs as they walk by, but unfortunately, no one has applied to adopt him yet. If you would like a big chunk of cat to call your own, come in and visit Louie. He is polydactyl too, so he has too much body and too many toes. He is a big gray meatball. You will love him!

Today at the shelter I was sitting at my desk when I heard some children in the lobby start crying and wailing. Typically, this occurs when a family surrenders a companion animal for some reason, and I felt terrible for the kids. Their crying was so long and insistent I felt myself almost start crying because it was really heartbreaking to hear. When they left I went out to investigate what happened, and I found out that the family was euthanizing their dog here at the shelter because it was dangerous and had bitten a few people, including small children. The family was worried that the dog would really hurt someone and that this was the most humane way to handle the situation.

When good people have dogs with bad behavior, there are no easy answers. Euthanasia in the case of a seriously injured or ill animal is an easy call to make. Deciding to euthanize an animal because of a behavior issue like aggression is incredibly difficult. You ask yourself "Will the animal ever do this again? Can I change my lifestyle so that this animal will never be in this situation again?"  If an animal has been an otherwise wonderful companion except for this one incident, how do you forget all the good and make the ultimate decision to end it's life?

Obviously, the situation described above is very difficult to go through. But, I would have to say that even harder is having your dog harm another animal or even worse, a person. The guilt some people feel when their dog has injured another person, especially a child, is enormous. Other people get angry and blame the victim and it can tear families or neighborhoods apart. My own sister was bit in the face by my Uncle's dog, and had to undergo several painful plastic surgeries to try and fix her mouth. Her upper lip was practically torn off her face, and her face will never be the same. My mother and her brother, my Uncle, have not spoken in 20 years because of this.

What is the right decision to make when your family dog is dangerous to the general public?

Every day in the U.S. hundreds of animals bite hundreds of people. Many animal bites are never reported. Some are reported to authorities, others to humane societies, for investigation and "bite quarantine" which is essentially a rabies hold. In 10 days, if the dog or cat has not developed rabies, most of these animals are given back to their owners. Some owners make the painful decision to euthanize the dog. There is never a rhyme or reason in why one animal goes home and why one does not. It is almost always the owner's decision to make.

When it comes to other living things, there is never a one size fits all solution. If you have an animal with aggression issues, I would advise you to start with your veterinarian to make sure there is not a medical cause for it, then seek the advice of an animal behaviorist who can give you a better idea of what you are dealing with. They may recommend training, intense behavior modification, or even have you consider re-homing the animal to an environment that is better able to handle the behavior. At some point you may have to consider if euthanasia is the right decision.

I do not have all the answers and I wish I could end this story in a happy way. Today, there was an unfortunate outcome. I can only hope that this family can find peace in the fact that they made the right decision for them, and that this dog is now in a place where it will not hurt anyone else, or be hurt by anyone else. It is hard for children to understand these things, and I can still hear those kids crying in my head and my heart is breaking for them all over again.

I'm baaack!

I have been away far too long. I was busy getting ready for Wag Fest, then recovering from Wag Fest, then catching up from all the work that did not get done because of Wag Fest. So, I apologize for my long absence.

I want to congratulate Team Raman for their second consecutive win in Wag Fest fundraising! This is not only testament to their winning personalities, but also their dedication to the animals at the shelter. They are excellent supporters, generous donors, and two people that I consider dear friends. Thanks again to all the Wag Fest fundraisers, because without them, we would not be as successful in fundraising at Wag Fest!

The shelter has been busy and very active and we are trying our best to weather the storm created by the flailing  economy. We have the double whammy of receiving less financial help from the community, and the added work of the many surrenders from people who are truly suffering financially by losing a home or job during this mess. I am praying that this is as bad as it can get but when you turn on the news the talking heads keep saying it is going to get worse before it gets any better. That does not bode well for a lot of companion animals out there who may lose a family.

On the bright side, we have some wonderful animals on the adoption floor right now. Darby is the best dog ever, and I wonder how she ever ended up here. She is a beautiful mixed breed dog with the best temperament. We have had some puppies, and some great cats and kittens come available as well. What we need now is to find them some forever homes.

Startling fact of the day: If every single person in America adopted one dog or cat today there would still be thousands of animals without a home. Can you imagine how many animals there must be waiting for a new home?

Please adopt your next companion animal! I never get tired of saying it, and I mean it!