ASPCA survey shows an increase in kittens spring to fall season is really three seasons in one, starting in spring, peaking in late spring or early summer, and ending in fall. “One female and one male cat and their offspring can produce 1728 kittens in just 3 years….420,000 in 7 years” (http://www.peopleforanimals.net ).Those statistics are staggering.

We live in a world with a major overpopulation problem where there are 3-4 million animals euthanized a year. In April 2013, The Tennessean reported that Metro Animal Control  (Davidson County) had an intake of 10,000+ animals annually with a euthanasia rate of 76-78%.

How you can help:

1-Spay and Nueter your pets (and any feral ones in your community)

There are lots of low cost spay and neuter clinics in Middle Tennessee and financial support programs. The Pet Community Center just opened a new clinic in East Nashville and also offers a Trap Neuter Release Program to humanely help curb the feral cat program. View the list of resources available to help in Middle Tennessee. Read an article that also lists prices and additional details.

Here are some benefits of spaying and neutering your pets according to People For Animals
-
“Sterilization of your cat or dog will increase his/her chance of a longer and healthier life. Altering your canine friend will increase his life an average of 1 to 3 years, felines, 3 to 5 years. Altered animals have a very low to no risk of mammary gland tumors/cancer, prostate cancer, perianal tumors, pyometria, and uterine, ovarian and testicular cancers.”

-“Sterilizing your cat/dog makes him/her a better pet, reducing his/her urge to roam and decreasing the risk of contracting diseases or getting hurt as they roam. Surveys indicate that as many as 85% of dogs hit by cars are unaltered. Intact male cats living outside have been shown to live on average less than two years. Feline Immunodeficiency Syndrome is spread by bites and intact cats fight a great deal more than altered cats.”

2-Adopt a kitten or a cat

Consider adopting a kitten or a cat. Kittens are easier to adopt because they are so cute so take the time to consider rescuing a cat instead! Read an article about the pro’s of picking a cat instead of a kitten, published on Veterinary Partner.

Click here for a list of rescue groups, shelters and animal control agencies who will all have animals to adopt!

Other ways to help:

Foster, volunteer or donate time or funding to help support efforts.
You can even purchase an animal friendly license plate and $15.62 of the annual $56.50 fee will be “allocated to the Animal Population Control Endowment Fund.”http://www.tn.gov

Other Resources
Pet Statistics, ASPCA, http://www.aspca.org/about-us/faq/pet-statistics
Spay/Neuter Statistics: People for Animals, http://www.peopleforanimals.net

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If a storm hits at night with lightning and thunder he is scratching at the bed and trembling. I do my best to make him feel safe and protected by creating a small, tight space between the bed and a table where he can lay with my hand on him. During the day I will turn on music, tv, extra lights anything to dull out the noise and light. I even tried the Thundershirt. I don’t remember him always being afraid of storms.Why are dogs afraid and what can you do?

It actually appears to be a common problem in dogs to be afraid of loud noises such as thunder, fireworks, guns etc. In Holly Nash’s article on Doctors Foster and Smith peteducation.com website, she noted that a recent study conducted showed “certain breeds of dogs have an above average risk of developing noise phobias” like “Collies, German Shepherds, Beagles, and Basset Hounds.” “The study also found that dogs who had separation anxiety were more likely to also have noise and thunderstorm phobias.”

Patty Khuly, a vet in Miami wrote an article for USA Today called “10 Steps to calm dogs during lightning storms.” I was doing some of the things she suggested as well as others intuitively:

Few tips to help your pet during storms:

1-Create a safe place for your pet. It could be a crate, closet, some interior space that feels safe and is comfortable.

2-Try and mute the noise-move to a quieter location and add other calming noises-music, fan etc.

3- “Counter the effects of electromagnetism” “Though it may sound like voodoo, your dog can also become sensitized to the electromagnetic radiation caused by lightning strikes. One great way to shield your dog from these potentially fear-provoking waves is to cover her crate with a double layer of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Another method involves clothing her in a commercially available “Storm Defender” cape that does the same work. If she hides under the bed, consider slipping a layer of aluminum foil between the box-spring and mattress.”

4- “Offer treats, cuddlings and other good stuff when storms happen.” “This method is best employed before the phobia sets in –– as pups. Associating loud booms with treats is never a bad thing, right?”

5- “Desensitize him.” “Sometimes it’s possible to allay the fears by using thunderstorm sound CDs when it’s not raging outside. Play it at a low volume while plying him with positive stimuli (like treats and pettings). Increase the volume all the while, getting to those uncomfortable booming sounds over a period of weeks. It works well for some.”

If nothing is working, talk to your vet about possible medication or a referral for a veterinary behaviorist.

I am thankful Winston’s response seems minor in comparison to others. Nash’s article  offers an extensive list of noise phobia signs including: “Hiding (most common sign in cats), Urinating, Defecating, Chewing, Panting, Pacing, Trying to escape (digging, jumping through windows or going through walls, running away), Drooling, Seeking the owner, Expressing anal glands, Not eating, Not listening to commands, Trembling or shaking, Dilated pupils, Vocalizing (barking or meowing).”

My sister in law, who is a vet, rescued a Border Collie when he was two. After years of enduring bad storms in southern Florida and heightened stress, anxiety and destruction she choose to let her parents, who lived in the midwest, care for him. While it was incredibly sad to not have him around daily, he was much happier in an environment that was less stressful.

Other helpful articles:
“Fear of Thunder and Other Loud Noises” Adapted from material originally developed by applied animal behavorists at teh Dumb Friends League, Dencer, Colo featured on The Humane Society of The United States

“Thunderstorms: Help Your Pet Conquer Fear” Drs. Foster & Smith Educational Staff

The post Why do some dogs fear storms? appeared first on Stray Magnet | Helping Lost, Stray, and Abandoned Pets.

Nigel’s Story

From homeless to hero… that’s the journey that Nigel is on. Nigel is Irish for “Champion” and that is what he has become.

This 2 ½ year old Airedale mix was left behind when his family moved away. A kind neighbor left food out for him, but he spent the next year wandering the neighborhood and living in the woods.

A wonderful group of women decided to help. They took him to a vet, got him groomed and medically evaluated, and planned to find a home for him. When Nigel was found to have heartworms, they asked the Music City Animal Rescue in Nashville, TN to help with his treatment. These women even raised the money to pay for it. During Nigel’s treatment, the foster saw his potential for therapy dog work and decided to keep him.

Despite his past, he has an extremely calming presence around people. He enjoys being around big groups and will make sure he visits everyone who wants to love on him. He has attended church functions, nursing homes, and events for Music City Animal Rescue as an ambassador for rescue dogs. He even attended the Midnight Jamboree, a country music radio show in Nashville. The picture of Nigel is when he attended the 2017 Breakfast with Santa as Nigel Claus. He had so much fun that day and the children loved him!

Nigel will continue to be a hero and champion in the future as he will be trained as a therapy dog.

Awards, Voting and Prizes

Voting to determine the 2018 American Hero Dog is open!
From now until 12pm Pacific Time on April 25, you can vote for your favorite dog in each of the seven categories each day, for a total of seven votes each day. This round of voting will determine the top three dogs in each category!

Seven lucky finalists and their human companions will be flown to Hollywood for a star-studded awards gala, which will be broadcast nationwide on Hallmark Channel next fall. Of all the courageous canines, one dog will be awarded the grand prize American Hero Dog title. In order to cultivate the next generation of hero dogs, American Humane will donate $2,500 to each of the seven finalist’s charity partners, and the American Hero Dog will win an additional $5,000 for their charity partner!

Key dates for the 2018 American Humane Hero Dog Awards contest include:

1st Round Voting: Now until April 25, 2018
2nd Round Voting: May 16, 2018 – July 11, 2018
3rd Round Voting: July 25, 2018 – September 5, 2018
American Humane Hero Dog Awards gala event in Los Angeles – September 29, 2018

For more information about the 2018 American Humane Hero Dog Awards®, and to vote daily in the contest, please visit www.herodogawards.org.

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We live on an incredibly busy street and immediately the head thinks of all the bad things that can happen while the heart speeds up rapidly.

The second time it happened, I was at home alone with the kids and we were actually playing in the backyard while he was with us and then he was gone. I yelled at them to get in the car, grabbed my car keys and we jumped in the car to start canvasing the area. Thankfully, we found him fairly quickly as he had run to the street behind our house and was in a neighbor’s yard a few houses down.

Fence, microchip, collar, you can have all the precautions in place and still most everyone has experienced the horrifying scare of a missing pet.

The uncertainty, the complete lack of control, the worry it’s almost paralyzing. BUT the quicker you can respond and the faster you can start the search process the more likely you will have a happy reunification.

Stray Magnet strives to be a helpful resource if you ever lose or find a pet.
The best NEWER RESCOURCE around is NEXTDOOR. It’s an online neighborhood bulletin board. We highly recommend you post pictures and information immediately on the website through your computer or the NextDoor App.

We have helpful resource section (tips and phone numbers to call), a bulletin board to post the pets picture and information and we will post the information on facebook, twitter and send out an email alert for your county. Consider helping others, by signing up to receive lost/found pet alerts for your county.

Click Here for some helpful steps if you lose your dog.

Click Here for some helpful steps if you lose your cat.

On the other side of things, you can be instrumental in helping a lost pet reunite with their owner.

Click Here for some helpful steps if you find a dog.

Click Here for some helpful steps if you find a cat.

The post Help We Lost Our Dog appeared first on Stray Magnet | Helping Lost, Stray, and Abandoned Pets.

Dave thought he took it mainly in the face-not good but he wasn’t bitten or visibly injured. The only concern were his eyes. He was rubbing them and they were red and teary. We called our sister in law, who is a vet, to help us determine if we needed medical attention. She seemed to think it was okay to watch him and so we shifted gears to focus on the smell. Several articles conferred that tomato juice is not the way to go and the newest homemade concoction includes-baking soda, hydrogen peroxide and dishwashing detergent.

Here are the ingredients, keep them on hand

-1 quart hydrogen peroxide
-¼ cup of baking soda
-1 tsp of dishwashing detergent preferably Dawn (any will do)
***if you have a large dog you may need to double, triple the recipe

My sister in law sent a link to the very same concoction from Dr. Karen Becker. Read the article for helpful detailed directions on how to administer the bath.

I sprinted off to the nearest pharmacy to buy the critical ingredients, some gloves, and dog shampoo for after. I wished I had received my sister in law’s email first so that I could have bought enough ingredients for 2-3 treatments instead of just one. I got back, quickly made the recipe in a old juice container and Dave headed off to the self cleaning car station (only outside water source) at the apt. complex by himself because one of us had to stay with the kids. Once he left I was able to read the full article outlining the steps to treating your dog (NO WATER first). I quickly called Dave trying to stop him from putting water on the dog but I was too late.

Directions were to apply the solution directly on your dog and lather it in then let it sit until the smell subsides 5-10 minutes. Wash and repeat as necessary. ***But be very careful with the face, especially the eyes because the solution has hydrogen peroxide and could burn the eyes. Dave had enough for only one treatment, washed poor Winston off with practically a power washer and came back. He hadn’t done his face yet (bad idea with power washer) and that was the part that smelled the worst.  I located a small amount of hydrogen peroxide I had, mixed up a smaller batch in a juice box, got some towels and a sponge so we could gently apply the solution on his face, around his eyes.

We snuck Winston into the bathroom, passed a sleeping child, and washed his face and gave him a warm rinse before drying him off. All his hair in the bath stopped up the drain-oh well. He was trying to rub his eyes on me a lot. As soon as we toweled him off we put him on the little porch to dry off. He proceeded to throw up a significant amount. Thank goodness he was on the porch. It literally smelled like he had eaten the skunk. I was worried that he might be really sick and that maybe we should take him into the vet. Back to the search engines.

On all accounts nausea and throwing up seemed common after a skunk spray but the main concern were the eyes. According to a client sheet by Cheryl Yuill, DVM, MSc, CVH, if sprayed in the eyes there’s concern because “it can damage the delicate cornea of the eye and cause temporary blindness.” I called back our sister in law to see if we should go the emergency vet clinic. She thought not but said she would not be the one to tell us not to go. I called the local emergency pet clinic, Blue Pearl Veterinary Partners, to inquire about wait and cost. They were extremely cordial and said no one was waiting and it was $85 which to me seemed pretty reasonable for an after hours emergency clinic. I told the receptionist what happened and said we were concerned about the eyes and that he had thrown up. She checked with a tech and confirmed everything we had already done-bath ingredients-careful with eyes, vomiting normal and said to flush the eyes with water if possible.

While I was writing the article, Dave was off on another pharmacy run of which he has been to three because most close at 10p.m. to get saline solution and gentil, an eye lubricant to help Winston’s eye discomfort. While it was challenging couple of hours (fun Friday night) and a comedy of errors, at least the kids were asleep and we were able to give Winston our full attention. All in all, it’s good to know what to do when you are sprayed by a skunk, however unlikely.

(Originally written August 2012)

The post Skunk Attack, blow by blow personal story and helpful recipe appeared first on Stray Magnet | Helping Lost, Stray, and Abandoned Pets.

Stationary Card Sets Available: (Cats, Flowers, Animals, Scenic and Travel)

Cat Set

-12 cards (6 different cards with 2 copies each) $15
-18 cards (6 different cards with 3 copies each) $20

This set is titled “family” and is a part of our family. We rescued the stray pregnant female May of 2015 and she is now our Mama June, a wonderful mother and sweet cat. Having just days before lost our cat of 15 years it was an incredible experience to watch the kittens grow. Want to read more about the rescue story, click here.

Flower Set

-12 cards (6 different cards with 2 copies each) $15
-18 cards (6 different cards with 3 copies each) $20

This flower set is from different areas of Nashville, Huntsville and St. Louis.

Animal Set

-12 cards (6 different cards with 2 copies each) $15
-18 cards (6 different cards with 3 copies each) $20

These animal pictures were taken on different trips from Alabama to Hawaii. There is so much beauty and strength in these amazing creatures.

Scenic Set

-12 cards (4 different cards with 3 copies each) $15

These pictures were taken from left to right (Kauai, Hawaii, Kennebunkport, Maine, Bald Head Island, NC, and the Bahamas).

Travel Set

-12 cards (4 different cards with 3 copies each) $15

All four of these photographs were taken on the beautiful island of Santorini, Greece. An unforgettable spot especially as there were community dogs lying around everywhere.

If you want to purchase cards, you may do so through our Etsy shop https://www.etsy.com/shop/StrayMagnet. Prefer to cut down on fees and have more go to the animals, just email us at contact@straymagnet.com. You can designate which animal organization your proceeds go to from our list or choose your own.

Nashville Organizations that we support:

Nashville Cat Rescue
website: http://awos.petfinder.com

Nashville Humane Association
website: www.nashvillehumane.org

Happy Tales Humane
website: happytaleshumane.com

New Leash on Life
website: newleashonline.org

Humane Society of Sumner County
website: www.sumnerhumane.org

Agape Animal Rescue
website: www.agaperescue.org

Music City Animal Rescue
website: www.MusicCityAnimalRescue.com

Proverbs 12:10 Animal Rescue
website: proverbs1210.rescuegroups.org

Walden’s Puddle Wildlife Rehabilitation Center
website: www.waldenspuddle.org

National Organizations:

ASPCA
website: https://www.aspca.org

Best Friends Animal Sanctuary
website: http://bestfriends.org

Humane Society of the United States
website: http://www.humanesociety.org

Photographs taken by Brooke Schroeder.

The post Stationery Cards For Sale To Benefit Animal Shelters, Humane Societies and Rescue Groups appeared first on Stray Magnet | Helping Lost, Stray, and Abandoned Pets.

The first favorite book was Kitty Up, by Elizabeth Wojtusik. It’s a story of a cat that jumps out of a window chasing a ball, gets lost and finds his way home through his friend, the family dog. It’s beautifully illustrated. We received the book for free through Dolly Parton’s imagination library program. Through the program, participants receive a free age appropriate book each month until the age of 5. It the program is in your area, it is free to participate and a wonderful way to foster the love of learning especially to low-income families.

Another animal favorite of mine featured in the Dolly Parton program is The Roar of the Snore by Marsha Diane Arnold. It has a wonderful rythmic rhyme and a most charming ending. All the Huffles are waking all the members of their family to stop the “roar of the snore” which is keeping Jack from falling asleep. In the end the guilty party is none other than a small lost kitten sleeping in the barn and the family decides to adopt him.

Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney is a sweet tale of unmeasurable love and learning how to express it. A baby rabbit, “Little Nutbrown Hare” wants to express his grande love for “Big Nutbrown Hare”. As the young rabbit tries to describe his love for Big Nutbrown Hare, he is seemingly limited by his physical restrictions-how far he can stretch his arms and how tall he can reach. Since Big Nutbrown Hare is physical bigger his responses of love always seem greater. Little Nutbrown Hare continues to stretch his imagination and grasp larger ways to express his love.

The character Pete the Cat, by James Dean and Eric Litwin, became a favorite this year when their girls 92 year old grandmother sent Pete the Cat, I love My White Shoes and accompanying stuffed animal for as a birthday present. It’s cute and catchy and a great way to learn colors and basic words. The moral of Pete’s story when confronted with challenges is don’t worry, keep a positive attitude and move forward. It’s illustrated repeatedly in the storyline “Did Peter cry? Goodness, no! He kept walking along and singing his song.”

Everytime my children request Hermie, A Common Caterpillar I question if it’s because they want to see me cry. It’s a beautiful story written by Max Lucado about a caterpillar who appears very ordinary except that he talks to God. God always responds to Hermie’s question “God, why did You make me so common?” with “Don’t worry Hermie,” “I love you,” “And I am not finished with you yet.” It’s a beautiful story about waiting patiently to become who you are intended to be.

Great Gift Book:
One of my favorite books to give new parents is My Very Own Name personalized animal book written by Maia Haag. It introduces the child’s name with animals holding letters like a “Deer” holding a “D.” The kids love the animals but I love the lasting memory of a child’s name bound in a book with animals. You can also personalize it with a message at the beginning.

One of my favorites because it reminds me of daily interactions with my own children is Anna Dewdney’s Llama Llama Red Pajama. It illustrates the need for patience and how easily children’s basic needs can escalate to mass frustration. I love it because it teaches the lesson of patience which I know I can always use more of and is not easy to teach young children. It makes me laugh as Baby Llama’s needs for mama escalate from needing a drink to major drama crying and screaming for his mama. I laugh at mama’s reaction “Baby Llama what a tizzy! Sometimes Mama’s very busy. Please stop all this llama drama and be patient for your mama. If that only worked!

What animal books do your children like? Send us a message at contact@straymagnet.com or comment on facebook.

The post Our Favorite Children’s Books Featuring Animals appeared first on Stray Magnet | Helping Lost, Stray, and Abandoned Pets.

Brief Description:

-Domestic Short Hair
-Black/Tan/White
-Spayed Female
-7 years old
-9 lbs
-Up to date on shots

Hi! I’m Madison Grace and I am a sweet, older girl who is looking for my forever home. I love to watch birds out the window and enjoy just hanging out with you and being a lap cat.” I would love a good home to call my own. Please visit me soon!

For more information or his full listing visit Nashville Humane Association.

View other adoptable cats, adoptable dogs.

Nashville Humane Association
213 Oceola Avenue
Nashville, TN 37209
Phone: (615) 352-1010
Website: http://www.nashvillehumane.org

Hours:
Monday-Tuesday 10AM–5PM
Closed Wednesday
Thursday-Saturday 10AM-5PM
Sunday 12PM-5PM

The post Past Featured Pet: Madison Grace appeared first on Stray Magnet | Helping Lost, Stray, and Abandoned Pets.

This week’s pick is Lady from Music City Animal Rescue.

Brief Description:

-2 years old
-Border Collie mix
-Spayed
-Up-to date on shots

Meet Lady!  She is a 2 yr old Border Collie mix who was rescued from a hoarding situation in May of 2015.

Lady is very lovable and smart.  She is shy when she first meets you (but she will warm up) and watch out when she does!

She is very energetic and loves to run and play outside.   Because she was not as socialized and lacked some of the manners a lady should possess,  Lady has been attending obedience training and just graduated this month.  She learned so many things, we think Lady has become quite “the Lady” that she should be.

She is housebroken and crate trained. Good with cats and other dogs ( she loves puppies)!  Lady is up-to-date on all of her shots, heartworm negative, spayed and microchipped.

If you are interested in meeting Lady, please contact Rebecca Wilson – Dog Team Coordinator at (231) 920-4044

About Music City Animal Rescue:

Music City Animal Rescue is a non-profit, 501(c)3, no-kill animal rescue. Established in July of 2013, the rescue may be new but it’s founder, Vickie Harris, and those that volunteer and work with the rescue are certainly not new to the tremendous need of animals in and around Middle Tennessee as well as across the United States.

Music City Animal Rescue is different than many rescues because we take in not only cats and dogs, but rabbits, horses, goats, birds, reptiles etc….If we have experience or know someone who does, we do all that we can to rescue an animal in need.

“We are a foster home network”, says Vickie, “and we are limited to the number of animals we can help by the number of foster homes we have”. If you or someone you know, would be interested in getting more information on how to become a foster or volunteer, please contact Vickie Harris at (615) 485-4452 or email MusicCityAnimalRescue@gmail.com.

The post Past Featured Pet: Lady appeared first on Stray Magnet | Helping Lost, Stray, and Abandoned Pets.

This week’s pick is Alex from the Nashville Humane Association

Brief Description:
-Domestic Short Hair
-Orange/White
-2 year old
-Neutered Male
-10 lbs
-Up to date on shots

“Hi! I’m Alex and I am shy at first but I warm up pretty quickly. I love to play fetch with cat toys. I have lived with another cat and a dog and seem to do well with them. I would love a good home to call my own. Please visit me soon!”

For more information or his full listing visit Nashville Humane Association.

View other adoptable cats, adoptable dogs.

Nashville Humane Association
213 Oceola Avenue
Nashville, TN 37209
Phone: (615) 352-1010

Hours:
Monday-Tuesday 10AM–5PM
Closed Wednesday
Thursday-Saturday 10AM-5PM
Sunday 12PM-5PM

The post Past Featured Pet: Alex appeared first on Stray Magnet | Helping Lost, Stray, and Abandoned Pets.