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Giving You and Your Dog a Stress Free Halloween

Samantha R • October 30, 2022

Decorations and Costumes

     Large, moving, or noisy decorations can be very stressful for some dogs. If yours begins to show signs of stress, limiting these interactions with your dog and making sure you have decorations your furry family members approve of is important! Decorating part of your home and restricting access to these areas, as well as keeping the volume turned down are simple ways to keep your dog happy and calm this Halloween. Small, loose decorations like plastic spiders, squishy eyeballs, or cobwebs can be dangerous for your pet to swallow or a choking hazard, therefore keeping these decorations off and away from the ground is necessary. If your pet reacts particularly anxiously when trick-or-treaters knock on your door, you might want to discuss the steps you can take to aid your pet when they become frightened with your veterinarian. Costumes for your dogs may also make them uncomfortable, so if a costume is restricting your dog or they’re showing signs of distress, we encourage you to not force them to wear it. Take the photo and move on, so they can enjoy Halloween too! Masks and any costume that interferes with your pet's ability to see, hear, breathe, move, or open its mouth should be avoided, and you should never leave your pet unattended while they’re dressed up. If your pet likes to dress up, watch out for any loose parts or dangling decorations that could be bitten off and pose a choking hazard. The removal of costume accessories that wind up in your pets' stomachs may require surgery.


The Dangers of Chocolate and Candy for Dogs


     Sure, we’ve all heard it. Dogs aren’t allowed to have chocolate. But even with preventing access to chocolate, accidents happen. These are the signs to look for if your dog has eaten chocolate and why it can be so dangerous for dogs. Theobromine is the ingredient in chocolate that can seriously ill your dog or cat. Theobromine is most abundant in cooking chocolate and darker chocolate. Around this time of year, veterinarians notice an upsurge in pets displaying symptoms of theobromine toxicity after they have helped themselves to your Halloween haul. When your dog eats chocolate, symptoms of poisoning typically show up 6 to 12 hours later. A sudden death from chocolate poisoning is more likely in older dogs and canines with heart issues. The following are the symptoms, which can last for up to 72 hours:

 

-Vomiting

-Diarrhea

-Restlessness

-Increased urination

-Tremors

-Elevated or abnormal heart rate

-Seizures

-Collapse and death

 

  A sugar replacement called xylitol is frequently present in candies, mints, and "sugar-free" chewing gum. However, it is extremely harmful to pets and can lead to significant issues, just like chocolate. Keep sweets out of reach of pets, and don't leave wrappers, candy bags, or lollipop sticks lying around because they pose a choking hazard or could be ingested by pets. If you believe your dog has eaten chocolate or candy, call your veterinarian immediately or call the Pet Poison Helpline (855-213-6680) for advice.

 We hope that these tips help you and your dog to have a safe and fun Halloween!

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Do Your Part

By Samantha R • October 28, 2022
The Importance of Supporting Small Rescues Rescue work is like a dam; if it doesn't keep flowing, it all stops. In a time of historically high shelter overcrowding, the heartbreaking reality is that dogs are being killed in exchange for space to accommodate the constant intake of more dogs. It's a vicious cycle that we rescues strive to interrupt. The most efficient way for rescues to save dogs is to utilize a foster based approach, and for the community to get involved. Without fosters, we are either forced to place the dog in a boarding facility or to leave the dog's life hanging in the balance at the shelter. Though the dogs placed in boarding have technically been “saved,” the rescued dog is still in a shelter like environment while the search for a foster or adopter continues. Often times, the public and networkers often forget about them since they aren't at risk of immediate death. Boarding for long periods of time can negatively impact their stress levels and they may exhibit signs of anxiety or depression. For some dogs, it can mean regression or behavioral changes. Not only does this put additional stress on the dog, but places financial stress and responsibility onto the already overworked rescue. While rescues certainly appreciate the shared passion from fellow advocates who pledge and plead for the safety of dogs in the shelter, rescues NEED FOSTER FAMILIES!!! Foster care greatly improves the chances of a dog being adopted. It is imperative for their rescue. We urge you to help the dogs in your community. If you have the ability to foster, do it. Even just a week of fostering can be the catalyst for a beautiful future. When the community comes together to support the flow of animal rescue, we will see greater life saving outcomes.

Stop Posting your pets for free!

By Samantha R • October 7, 2022
If you have considered rehoming your dog, it is critical to do so humanely and responsibly. When dog owners advertise their pups as being "free to a good home," they may have the best of intentions. In reality, it can put the dog in a dangerous situation. Listing any animal on Craigslist, Facebook, or other websites and forms of social media as “free to a good home” may put the animal at risk of falling into the wrong hands. With shelters overcrowding and dogs being turned away, people often resort to this method of rehoming out of desperation or blissful ignorance. Many may not grasp the potential harm and it is crucial for pet parents to understand the risks of posting for pets for “free”. Criminals scour the internet in hopes of finding these listings, knowing they can easily prey on these families and their pets. They will rely on that raw emotion and make every effort to persuade you that they will make a good guardian to the pet. Naturally, people want to believe others are good and would never harm an animal, which is to criminals' advantage. In many unfortunate instances, the dog may end up involved in dogfighting, unethical breeding, resold commercially, or to a laboratory. Some laboratories try to save money by recruiting dishonest middlemen who deal in stolen animals. These sellers are referred to as "Class B dealers" and are recognized by the USDA as random source animal sellers who are permitted to sell animals to research facilities for use in experiments. Animals are often obtained by Class B dealers in dishonest ways. Your animal will become unprofitable to them if you charge a little adoption fee, so they'll probably look elsewhere. Those searching for animals to abuse typically won’t pay an adoption fee. By having an adoption fee and a screening process, you can also stop people from impulsively adopting your animals, returning them to the shelter when they lose interest, or leaving them otherwise neglected or abandoned. Dogs require expenses past being adopted, so an adoption fee can also guarantee that the person is willing to pay these expenses and are more likely to take them to the vet and supply their needs. An adoption fee is just one way to ensure the new pet parent is willing to make an investment in the animal. Preforming a home visit, asking for personal and vet references, checking animal abuse registries, and forming a contract are just some of the important ways of making sure that your dog is going to a good home. If you are unsure of how to rehome your dog in a proper way, consider reaching out to your local shelters or rescues for help to ensure their safety. If a dog owner truly cares about the life and well-being of the dog being re-homed, taking the steps above to ensure he goes to a good home are worth the time and effort.

The Urgent Need for People to Adopt and Foster Rescue Dogs

By Samantha R • September 24, 2022
With shelters filling up quickly, rescue dogs all over are facing euthanasia at faster rates than ever before. South Carolina specifically, has an overflow of rescue dogs. Everyday more dogs are coming in than are being adopted or fostered, putting shelters in a state of emergency. With the population of humans increasing, and the growth and development of areas like Charleston County, there naturally will be a surge in dogs, but it is common that lack of responsibility that is one of the main reasons hundreds of dogs are being surrendered on a daily basis. A shortage of veterinarians is also a contribution to the overcrowding, as South Carolina has a law that adopted dogs must be fixed, and 75% of the shelters don’t have a dedicated veterinarian. Due to the lack of space and large population of dogs, it is becoming more difficult for shelters to establish a calm and comfortable environment for them. The shelter is already often a scary place for dogs, so with adding pop-up kennels and additional dogs, comes new stress and fear for dogs. This may also affect how quickly they become adopted as people commonly avoid reactive dogs, but it is hard for many dogs to remain calm in this situation. If you are unable to adopt, shelters ask for you to please consider fostering as it will open space in shelters to maintain a positive environment and bring comfort to the dogs you choose to foster. Medical bills are also a major issue for shelters and animal rescues as many dogs come in with injuries or sick and face costly care. Viruses like distemper are spread easier and are more common because of the overcrowding. Due to many of these places being ran on volunteers and donations, these costs are extremely hard to cover making donations crucial. Sharing this crisis on social media and helping to spread the word is also vital in getting these dogs the second chance they deserve.
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