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Pets need more than kibbles
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By ANDREW SCOTT TOBYHANNA — Monroe County's animal rescue volunteer groups say the whole point of rescuing animals from unhealthy situations is to make sure they stay out of those situations. The best way to do this is to enlighten the public on how to properly care for animals. "If you want to apply with an animal rescue group to adopt an animal as a pet, there are certain things you should know beforehand," said Kathy Kane of Pocono Pet Rescue, a Pocono Mountain-based animal rescue group. "We screen adoption applicants to see how they will treat these animals as pets," said Kane. "We ask certain questions on the application form. There's a contract we go over with the adopter. We want to make sure these animals will go into better homes where they'll stay permanently." Pocono Pet Rescue and some other groups recently held one of their Adoption Days in Tobyhanna for residents looking for new pets. Out of nine adoption applications, seven were approved and two were rejected. Some of the rescued animals, mostly dogs and cats, at Adoption Days were left behind by former owners who moved to new homes. Some of these abandoned animals were left without food or water while others are strays. Some are dogs whose former owners left them chained up outside all day before deciding they didn't want them as pets anymore. Others came from puppy mills which breed dogs for money but leave the dogs in cramped cages in their own waste with little food or water. Kane said Monroe County's animal rescue groups want to have an area "no-kill" shelter for these animals so that they are not sent to the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, which euthanizes those deemed unfit for adoption. Many rescued animals are adoptable, said Kane, but there would be no need to rescue them in the first place if the public were more educated on how to properly care for pets. Myths about fixing your pet One of the biggest things people need to know is that pets should be spayed or neutered so that they won't produce litters of unwanted strays that might end up euthanized at the SPCA, Kane said. People may think they can find new homes for these litters, but there are many unwanted animals who need homes, she said. People should not be deterred by myths about spaying/neutering or "fixing." For example, fixing, which occurs only once in a pet's life, can be cheaper than having to treat tumors and cancers that develop if pets are not fixed, according to National Humane Education Society literature. Pets don't get fat and lazy from being fixed, but from getting too much food and too little exercise. No medical evidence supports the statement that female pets must produce litters. Fixing a pet will not break its spirit or negatively affect its disposition. In regard to dogs, people should know it's physically and emotionally unhealthy to leave dogs chained and alone when owners are away, according to New Jersey Animal Rights Alliance literature. Doing this denies dogs the social interaction and mental stimulation they need. They become timid, anxious, hyperactive or neurotic. Dogs should be treated as family members. Dogs left chained are vulnerable to other dogs, animals and strangers who mean them harm. This vulnerability makes dogs overly territorial, aggressive and vicious. Chained dogs, since they cannot go too far, are forced to stay in or near their own feces and urine, which draws flies and maggots and can cause infestations. Dogs should not be left on chains outside when owners are away, but should be kept in the house in a room of adequate size. Owners who put dogs in crates should not do so for more than eight hours in a 24-hour period and should make sure the crate is big enough for the dog to stand and turn around in. The crate should also have a proper floor for the dog to lie down comfortably. The application form and contract used by Pocono Pet Rescue and other animal rescue groups are designed to ensure adopters follow these and other proper care procedures for their pets. For example, the contract for dogs also states owners will not train pets as attack or guard dogs or to show any aggressive behavior. Rescue groups routinely check up on adopted animals and the contract, if found to be violated by the adopters, gives rescue groups the right to reclaim these animals without notice or refund to the adopters. The contract also states the adopters will pay all legal fees and court costs. Anyone seeking more information on animal rescue volunteers, adopting an animal, reporting an animal in an unhealthy situation or turning an animal in can call Pocono Pet Rescue at (570) 894-3322 or access Web site http://www.petfinder.org/~PA45.
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Copyright © September 05, 2000, Pocono Record |
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