Hot Cars Are Death Traps for Dogs and Other Pets Too.

We are posting this article from another source to help alert  pet owners.

Hot cars are death traps for dogs
Five reasons not to leave your dog in the car this summer, even for "just a minute"

SACRAMENTO, CA (May 18, 2010) – RedRover (.org) is imploring pet owners to avoid leaving their dogs in hot cars this summer – a practice that can lead to serious illness and even death. Leaving a dog in a hot car is dangerous and often deadly.
Visit MyDogIsCool.com to learn more.
 “Often people leave their dogs in the car while they shop or run errands, but doing so when the weather is warm can literally be a death sentence for your pet,” said RedRover President and CEO Nicole Forsyth.Forsyth offered five reasons why leaving a dog in a hot car can be deadly:
 1. Dogs are especially vulnerable to heat-related illness because they can only cool off by panting and through the pads in their feet.
2. Even on seemingly mild days, an enclosed car can be deadly. In a Stanford University study, when it was 72 degrees outside, a car’s internal temperature climbed to 116 degrees within one hour.
 3. Enclosed cars heat up quickly. In a study by San Francisco State University, when it was 80 degrees outside, the temperature inside a car rose to 99 degrees in 10 minutes and 109 degrees in 20 minutes.
 4. A dog’s normal body temperature is between 101 to 102.5 degrees; a dog can only withstand a high body temperature for a short time before suffering nerve damage, heart problems, liver damage, brain damage or even death.
 5. Studies show that cracking the windows has little effect on a car’s internal temperature. Already this year, RedRover has received reports of dogs like Snuggle, a Maltese/Lhasa Apso who was locked in a car while her owner visited a Tampa, Florida amusement park. When Snuggle was rescued, the temperature inside the car was more than 90 degrees and her core temperature was nearly 106 degrees.
 To learn more about the dangers of leaving dogs in hot cars, visit www.MyDogIsCool.com.

 What happens to dogs left in hot cars? Exposure to excessive heat causes the body’s cells to stop working properly and release dangerous chemicals, which can lead to nerve damage, heart problems, liver damage, brain damage and even death. Essentially, all of the dog’s organ systems shut down at once. Signs a dog is suffering from a heat-related illness include: Excessive panting Excessive drooling Increased heart rate Trouble breathing Disorientation Collapse or loss of consciousness Seizure Respiratory arrest.

 Visit MyDogIsCool.com to get educational materials, like this visually powerful poster. What is RedRover doing to protect dogs from the dangers of hot cars? RedRover operates MyDogIsCool.com, a repository of free resources to help people spread the word about the dangers of leaving dogs in hot cars. MyDogIsCool.com offerse educational materials, including: “Don’t Leave Me in Here – It’s Hot!” fliers that can be left on windshields Free downloadable posters that can be hung in store windows to remind customers not to leave their dogs in the car on a warm day. A weather forecasting tool that indicates if it is too hot to leave a dog in the car.

What should people do if they see a dog in a hot car? If the dog looks distressed (see above signs of heat-related illness), call the police, the local animal control agency or 911 right away. Leave your name and phone number with the person who takes the call in case the responding officers need more information.
 Go inside the nearest business(es) and ask the manager to make an announcement. RedRover focuses on bringing animals out of crisis and strengthening the bond between people and animals through a variety of programs, including emergency sheltering, disaster relief services, financial assistance and education. Learn more at www.redrover.org. ###

Wildlife Rescue

Last week our outdoor barn cat discovered a nest in a tree near our house. While I had hoped this cat would keep itself occupied with the field rodents, I guess as long as it is outside it will follow it's instincts. (though our other cats really don't bother).

Anyway, my efforts to wrap wire around the trunk did no good as the cat could actually jump from the roof of the house to the tree itself. Short of removing all the branches, I could not reach or protect the nest as I had wanted to. The birds in the nest almost ready to fly, but not quite. The cat carried the first bird into the house, and I grabbed it and put it in a soft nest in a box hoping it could survive the attack. A short while later I heard a commotion outside and the mother bird was raising heck and the cat was again at the nest. The next bird fell out of the nest to the ground. I grabbed it and it seemed alright. I know the fall hadn't been good for it though. While most of us are not savvy to helping wildlife, and trips to the vet often prove fruitless, there are places that can assist. Fortunately, we have a wonderful wildlife rescue center within driving distance. I was able to take both birds to them in hopes they might survive this attack. This agency cares for many lost, injured, and abandoned wild animals and birds. They are a blessing to our area. They are Sarvey Wildlife Center is in Arlington, Washington. Please visit their site for more information, and if you would, please consider them for donations. They certainly need them and put them to very good use.

Revisitng Tony the Tiger court Case: In an update: May 16, 2012 it seems Tony will have a chance to move to a hand picked humane sanctuary if the case is settled against the owner. Now that more of the information about the case on both sides is being revealed, I too, would agree that Tony deserves a chance to be free of his cement habitat, and the owner, if he really cares, will let Tony go. He would probably be free to visit him, and that should be good enough for him and the best for Tony.

With contributions on a continued decline, the Humane Society of Southeast Missouri in Cape Girardeau is asking several governmental bodies to ratchet up their level of funding to the organization that took in nearly 4,000 animals last year. In the past few months, board members have made appeals to city leaders in Cape Girardeau, Jackson, Chaffee and the Cape Girardeau County Commission. Their message was straightforward -- the organization is struggling with its bottom line. "We are stable, but money has never been easy," board member Charlotte Craig said. "We've always had to work hard to keep the doors open, as does every shelter." Now, the local Humane Society is proposing what it describes as a "Fair Share" program, which calls on the communities that have contracts with it to pay half of the actual cost that is spent on housing, food, medical care, vaccinations, cleaning, manpower and, in some cases, euthanization. Craig, who is also the director of the Cape Girardeau County Public Health Center, said the actual cost per animal is $90.25. Actual costs for the local Humane Society in 2011 were $360,000 in a year that saw 3,989 animal intakes. That number includes runaways, strays and abandoned pets.

for more information: http://www.semissourian.com/story/1848991.html

Target: Division of Policy and Directives - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services Sponsored by: Center for Biological Diversity Please speak up to protect chimpanzees who can't defend themselves.

The worldwide population of wild chimpanzees has fallen by nearly 70 percent in the past 30 years -- take action now to save these animals. Wild chimpanzees have been protected under the Endangered Species Act since 1976, but a special rule exempts captive chimpanzees from protection. This loophole in the Act is preventing the recovery of the species in the wild by encouraging their illegal trade. Chimpanzees are endangered due to habitat loss, poaching and illegal trafficking -- wild chimpanzees are captured and sold for use as entertainment, as pets and as test subjects. We have a critical moment right now to help captive and wild chimpanzees: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is considering whether to protect captive chimpanzees under the Endangered Species Act. Send your comments today in support of protecting every chimpanzee as endangered. http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/330/325/298/

Thinking about Tony the Tiger in Louisiana

There is much on the news and paper articles about Tony the Tiger, currently residing at a truck stop in Louisiana. When the articles appear they usually show Tony in a small cage. However, Tony has a 3,600 square foot area with a pool and toys and a large grassy area. Tony has been with the owner since he was 11 weeks old. While I have never met the owner, people who know him, like him and say he is a very responsible 'cat' owner. Because of safety issues (recall the outbreak in Ohio a few months ago) there is pressure to remove Tony from his current home. Maybe if the issue is the barrier fence - then maybe people can help him upgrade it.

Where will 'they' (the permit pullers) put Tony? In another cage away from people he 'might' attack? I say leave Tony alone until he is assured an immediate space in the 'wild'. There is a cat sanctuary in Colorado, for instance, where there is mega acreage for large cats to roam. I would definitely reconsider signing any petition to 'free' Tony until his new home is assured. We all know how politics works. The cure could be worse than the disease.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/03/truck-stop-tiger_n_1073640.html

Tick season

If you own a warm blooded animal of any ilk, who is outside and especially near tall grasses, you should be on the look-out for ticks. The outdoors can be a wonderful place for pets, but many owners live in fear of their furry loved ones bringing home unwanted guests -- ticks. While ticks are seasonal one should be on the look out for them year round in many areas..

Ticks love dogs or any other warm blooded body for that matter, including humans!

They live in more woodsy areas, but many parks and hiking trails have them as well. Animals can also get ticks from other animals.

Ticks are tiny relatives of spiders. They can cling to tall grass and easily climb on to and bite their victims, becoming engorged with blood.

Ticks can transmit diseases such as Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis, and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. These diseases vary by area, with Lyme disease being prevalent more in East Coast and mountain areas. Generally, disease transmission is minimal until a tick has been feeding for 24 to 48 hours -finding the tick and removing them during this time is important.

Always check your pets for ticks after they come indoors. You can run your hands over their fur, head, ears and neck and under their stomachs. With special attention to the head,

If you find an attached tick (they can be tiny) use tweezers to grasp it as close to the head as possible. Concentrate on drawing it (slowly) straight out - twisting can dislocate the body from the head leaving the head almost impossible to remove. (Then you need a vet.) If this is really difficult to do you might try one old trick we used. Light a match, blow it out and lightly touch the tick while the matchhead is still hot, The tick will generally let go. Finally clean the bite with antiseptic, or alcohol. Kill the tick in the alcohol as well. Don't discard a live tick.

Tick preventatives are (Frontline) and products containing permethrins (i.e., K9 Advantix, etc.) are topical medications that you would apply between your pet's shoulders once a month to repel ticks.

There are also amitraz tick collars, which kill ticks upon contact -- before they can transmit disease. Do not use amitraz collars or permethrins on cats, as they are toxic for them; Fipronil is toxic for rabbits. Lastly, your dog can be given a Lyme vaccine, if you live in a populated tick area.

If your pet has a tick bite and you are concerned about disease, call your veterinarian immediately to discuss the need for tests and treatments. If you or your child has a tick bite contact your Doctor immediately, tick diseases can be serious for humans too.

Information on tick medicines gleaned from information from a Vet in Washington.