News

Sometimes Love Means Letting Go

The idea of giving up a pet is unimaginable for most of us. However, there are individuals who find themselves in dire circumstances where this becomes their only option.

In early May, we received a heart-wrenching call from a woman who had been living in her car with her six cats, Tigger, Fluffer, Linus, Lucas, Major, and Cutie Pie. Despite her best efforts to care for them, she knew that their current living situation was unsustainable. She made the agonizing decision to surrender her cats with the hopes of us finding them new families, an act out of pure love.

Although it was an incredibly difficult decision, we are grateful that she placed her trust in us. Our hope is that by having her kitties under our care, she can find peace knowing they will be okay. 

Now, just a few weeks later, Tigger, Fluffer, and Linus have been adopted and moved into their forever homes. While leaving their mom must have been hard for them, they are going to be well cared for and loved – which is all their mom wanted for them. We know it won’t take long for the others to find their forever homes. We have called the woman to check on her situation as well and look forward to helping her in whatever ways we can.

Fluffer and his new mom

Tigger goes home

Linus and his new dad!

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Learn How to Keep Pets Safe During Pet Poison Prevention Awareness Month

March is Pet Poison Prevention Awareness Month.  

The perfect time to learn about the dangers of accidental pet poisonings and how to prevent them. Understanding what potentially harmful poisons exist in your home and yard is the first step to keeping your pet safe. Some common items are very obvious but others might be new to you. Often when pets are accidentally poisoned by something, it’s safe for humans, but toxic to pets. 

Below are the most common items that are toxic to pets to help keep your pets safe. Ensuring that your pet doesn’t ingest them will be well worth the time and effort needed to keep them a safe distance away. 

Many foods that are safe for people to eat can be deadly to pets. Keep the following toxic foods away from your furry companions. 

    • Chocolate
    • Xylitol (found in sugar-free products)
    • Macadamia nuts
    • Grapes and raisins
    • Onions
    • Garlic
    • Alcohol
    • Coffee

There are several plants that are especially toxic to pets. These are just a few of the plants. Visit this website to learn more about poisonous plants. 

    • Lilies (especially around Easter)
    • Tulips
    • Daffodils
    • Azaleas 
    • Lily of the valley
    • Sago’s palm
    • Olender
    • Hyacinths 
    • Rhubarb leaves

In 2018, almost 20% of all calls the ASPCA received were related to the ingestion of over-the-counter medications, such as ibuprofen, naproxen, cold medications, and herbal supplements. Never give your pet a medication that is not approved for veterinary use. Keep all medications (both RX and over-the -counter) away at all times and never leave pills lying around in purses and backpacks.

Prescription animal medications are often flavored to increase palatability, so pets may mistake them for treats and eat more than prescribed. Keep all medications out of your pet’s reach. Animals can chew through plastic bottles, so child-proof may not mean pet-proof!

Many household cleaners and other products can be used safely around pets. However, the key to safe use lies in reading and following product directions for proper use and storage. Read labels carefully on items like Bleach, Essential Oils, Insecticides, Detergents, and Paint.

Know the Signs and Symptoms of Poisoning:

Pets who have been poisoned may behave strangely or only exhibit mild symptoms. Signs of poisoning in dogs and cats can range tremendously based on the underlying poison. While this list is not exhaustive or complete, some common signs of poisoning generally include:

    • Vomiting or diarrhea
    • Excessive drooling
    • Inappetance
    • Excessive thirst or urination
    • Weakness or lethargy
    • Pale gums
    • Coughing or vomiting of blood 
    • Nausea
    • Racing heart rate

If you suspect your pet has ingested any of these items or any other questionable substance, call ASPCA Animal Poison Control at (888) 426-4435, Pet Poison Helpline at (855) 764-7661, or your veterinarian for assistance. 

When it comes to poisoning, the sooner you treat your dog and cat, the better the outcome. Pets love to chew on all kinds of things, so please keep any potentially dangerous items and substances out of your pet’s reach. 

Learn more about the warning sign, common dangerous substances, and other resources at: 

    1. https://www.petpoisonhelpline.com/pet-owners/basics/signs-of-poisoning-in-dogs-and-cats/ https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control 
    2. https://www.aspcapro.org/resource/pet-poison-prevention-infographics-and-resources 

Here are a few emergency vets local to Duluth, GA. It’s a good idea to keep your local emergency vet’s information on your fridge in case an emergency ever arises. 

Sources:

https://www.aaha.org/your-pet/pet-owner-education/ask-aaha/Household-Toxins/
https://www.petpoisonhelpline.com/pet-safety-tips/national-poison-prevention-week-march-20-26/

 

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The Rescue World is Small, We Have to Stick Together!

Planned PEThood is helping keep 22 cats safe after a burst pipe at Barrow County Animal Control this Christmas!

The day after Christmas we received a call from Barrow County Animal Control’s director. Their pipes had burst, causing damage to several rooms in their shelter and leaving them without running water. They needed to move all their animals out of the shelter ASAP!

When we got their call, we were more than happy to help. Fortunately, our barn cat room was temporarily empty so we had lots of room for their kitties. 

Barrow County was able to transport their 22 cats to our Duluth clinic where they were met by staff, volunteers, and board members who all stepped up to help get these kitties off the van and settled into their area. We are so thankful for all who stepped up to help these kitties out! (especially on our day off when our clinics  and offices were closed)

While the original plan was to keep these kitties with us for a few days, giving Barrow County time to work on repairing water damage from the burst pipes, things changed! We are now bringing 8 cats into our foster program and 4 cats into our working cat program. These kitties will go through their quarantine period, receive any vaccines or spay/neuter surgeries needed and then start their search for their forever homes. The remaining cats will be sent back to Barrow where they will be adopted. 

Plus, our friends at Java Cats helped placed one of the senior kitties in a new adoptive home. The kind adopter had been thinking about adopting a kitten to keep her 11-year-old cat company when she saw a posting on Java Cats about the senior cat and instantly fell in love. 

While the cats from the shelter are currently safe, they are in desperate need of placement for the remaining dogs in their shelter. 

Please reach out to them if you can help by fostering or pulling if you are a licensed rescue agency!  kpoe@barrowga.org 

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Grinch Helps Habersham

On a cold and rainy day in December, 220 pets received much-needed assistance in Habersham County. Planned PEThood’s outreach team, Go Fix Georgia, teamed up with Habersham County Animal Care and Control to provide free vet care and supplies to pet owners in need. In total, 133 dogs and 87 cats received assistance and 150 pets received free spay/neuter vouchers. 

The need for outreach events like this is obvious. Hundreds of people lined up early in the cold morning, some arriving hours before the event started. For hours, staff and volunteers helped a continuous line of animals whose owners drove through the pop-up event. Habersham county residents do not have easy access to low-cost veterinary services, and as a result many pets in the community are unable to see a veterinarian and get basic care.

There were so many amazing organizations and volunteers that came together to help make this event successful – including the Grinch. His heart really did grow three sizes!

Without their support, this would never have been possible! THANK YOU!

Event Sponsored in part by: BISSELL Pet Foundation, Atlanta Humane Society, Petco Love, GA Department of Agriculture, Fi Nano Microchips

You can read more about the event in the local newspaper article.

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Kitty Claws Makes an Appearance

Kitty Claws made an appearance at this month’s KIRA Club meeting. These meetings are for kids interested in rescuing animals. Our rescue kids had a great time making ornaments from the Orphan Kitten Club and decorating kitty and puppy-shaped cookies!

They also learned lots about one of our recent rescue dogs, Sasha, and helped write thank-you notes to supporters. We love our little helpers! Have a look at the precious pictures from the event!

Animal rescue, compassion, and kindness can and should be taught at a young age, which is why we developed the Kids Interested in Rescuing Animals (K.I.R.A.) Club, named in memory of Kira Serisky. Thanks to a grant from the Orphan Kitten Club and Kitten Lady in Kira’s memory, we were able to start this program. 

We have monthly meetings to discuss certain topics and educate/inspire children on the importance of animal rescue. These meetings include crafts, projects, speakers, presentations, and opportunities to meet a few special furry guests. Children ages 5 to 17 are welcome to join.


Visit https://pethoodga.org/kiraclub/ to learn more about the club and sign up for meetings.

 

 

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Third Time is the Charm for Westley

It’s been quite a journey for Westley, but he finally found his perfect forever home (again)!

Westley came back to us in March 2022 after nearly five years with his parents. He was adopted as a kitten, and sadly his sweet owners both passed away from COVID. 

As if that wasn’t sad enough, he had several different medical issues that needed immediate attention including a heart murmur, kidney issues, and a mass in his throat. At first we thought the mass was cancer and he would be a hospice case.

The mass in his throat needed evaluation, and he ended up visiting the UGA Veterinary Clinic for extended scans and tests. After a biopsy and time, that tumor actually disappeared. Our vets were stunned. We were all so happy about the miracle of his disappearing airway lump!

On top of all his medical issues, he has a VERY large personality. He’s VERY bossy and will tell you when it’s time to eat, go to bed, or pet him. He doesn’t get along with dogs, cats, or kids so finding him a home was a challenge. He’s been in many of our fosters’ lives and was most recently our wonderful office cat. He’s been searching for his forever home for months with no luck or prospects.

Finally, after months and months of searching, he found his perfect match. One of our tech guys had met Westley quite a few times while working on different projects around the offices. He connected with Westley immediately, but he wasn’t sure if he was ready to adopt. While our offices were closed over Thanksgiving, he offered to pet-sit Westley, and the rest is history. Westley will have a home all to himself where he will be the king of his castle and get all of the attention he deserves.

Happy life Westley. We will miss seeing you around the office!

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Holiday Miracle: Cali Returns Home Thanks to Microchip

They may be tiny, but the impact of microchipping is great. Whether the reunion comes after days, months, or years of being separated, it means everything to a pet and its family. These reunions are proof of just how important microchipping can be.

Lost Kitty, Zach (rescue employee), Hadyn O’Hara (office manager)

A few weeks ago, a kind lady trapped an outdoor kitty that had shown up recently to bring into Planned PEThood. She was planning to get her fixed through our Trap, Neuter, Return (TNR) Program for community cats. While prepping the kitty for her surgery, we found out she was already fixed, PLUS she was microchipped. We immediately knew she was someone’s furry kid.

Thanks to her microchip, we were able to track her chip number to a local rescue group. She had recently been adopted, and they were working to contact her owners. Her name was Cali! They arranged to pick her up at our clinic in hopes of reuniting her with her family.

Thankfully, the the owner was located and they had been searching for Cali for days. The kitty had somehow escaped while the owner was moving. A scary thought for any pet owner. Now she’s reunited with her family, and they are all overwhelmed with joy!

Microchipping is a beautiful thing and stories like this remind us of the importance of making sure your pets are microchipped. Without a microchip, on average, only 2% of cats are returned to their owners. 

Microchips save lives by reuniting lost or displaced pets with their families. Not only is having a microchip important but keeping your registered contact information up-to-date is crucial. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, cats who are microchipped are over 20 times more likely to be reunited with their families.

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Keep the Mama, Not the Drama!

Earlier this year, a family reached out to Planned PEThood for help. They needed assistance with their kitties, Pumpkin and Reesee. Reesee had an accidental pregnancy and the family did not know what to do. They loved their animals so they wanted to do whatever they could to keep their kitties healthy and safe, but finances were tight. 

Thanks to our Keep the Mama, Not the Drama Program, sponsored by Orphan Kitten Club, we were able to get both pets fixed and take their two baby kittens, Jamie and Claire, into our rescue program.

The goal of this program is to help struggling pet owners with accidental litters keep their cats while we spay, vet them, and find homes for their babies. This ends the cycle, saves lives, and prevents future unwanted litters.

Their family is so grateful that we were able to find loving, forever homes for the kittens, plus they do not have to worry about their pet’s health anymore! No more babies! Yay!

Jamie and Claire found their forever homes quickly. Just look at their faces, how could they not! Sweet Claire was adopted at one of our Pet Supermarket adoption events and Jamie was adopted at one of our Petco adoption events.

If you or someone you know needs help from this program learn more or apply here. 

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Entire Year of Laundry Detergent Donated

With over 200 surgeries a week and 150 pets in foster care, we go through a lot of laundry! Tons of it! Over 150 loads per week! This makes detergent a HUGE expense for us. 

That is why we are beyond grateful to be recipients of the Buy One Give Ten donation program from Earth Breeze Eco Sheets. Thanks to Earth Breeze we have not had to purchase laundry detergent in more than 6 months, and they just surprised us with another huge donation. 6 more months of laundry detergent. WOW!

Thanks to Earth Breeze and their generosity, we can use every dollar we save on detergent to go back into the care of an animal in need. 

Earth Breeze offers sustainable, eco-friendly laundry detergent sheets delivered right to your door. Their product uses zero-waste packaging and aims to help reduce plastic jugs from reaching our landfills and oceans. 

Thank you doesn’t seem like enough, given the money we’ve saved not having to buy detergent! Please show them some gratitude by heading over and making a purchase, while helping eliminate plastic from our planet. With every purchase, they donate 10 free washes to a cause closest to your heart. And if you select animal rescues, that might very well mean us!

Their mission to reduce waste and improvement goes hand in hand with our mission to help pets and people. 

If you want to learn more about Earth Breeze, visit their website: www.earthbreeze.com

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Thanksgiving Pet Safety Tips

Thanksgiving is a holiday that brings friends and family together. Thanksgiving can carry some hazards for our pets, ranging from food, to company, to travel. While it’s tempting to include our furry friends in this celebration, it’s best to leave them out of the festivities or purchase them a special pet specific treat before the big day.

Here are a few tips to help make the holiday as pet-friendly as possible and keep your pets healthy and safe. 

Thanksgiving is all about food, but not all human food is safe for pets. Here are a few common Thanksgiving foods to keep an eye on. If you have Thanksgiving guests, ask that they don’t feed your pets. It could save your pet’s life!

1) Turkey Bones – They can be a choking hazard and can damage your pet’s digestive tract. Now matter how much they beg, say no!

2) Fatty Foods – Items such as butter, cream, gravy, bacon, and turkey skin, are hard for pets to digest. They can cause a painful and serious condition known as pancreatitis, inflammation of the pancreas. 

3) Human Foods – Foods that are perfectly safe for humans, such as garlic, onions, raisins, and grapes are poisonous to pets. Bread dough and yeast dough can cause painful gas and event dangerous bloating. To be safe, avoid giving your pet any human foods and buy them a special pet specific treat instead at your local pet store.

4) Chocolate and Sugar – Most people know chocolate is bad for dogs and cats, but artificial sweeteners, such as xylitol, can be dangerous if consumed by your pets, so avoid these as well. These are even in many peanut butters these days.

6) Cover the Trash – Put the trash away, where your pets can’t find it. Cover the trash in a tightly secured trash bag, and place it in a closed trashcan outdoors. All your hard work keeping them safe can be undone by a quick trip in the trash.

Lots of people buy decorative arrangements, plants, and flowers around Thanksgiving. Be careful with these as some flowers and plants can be toxic to pets. The ASPCA has lists of plants that are toxic to both dogs and cats. To be safest, keep your pets away from all plants and floral arrangements. 

If you are hosting or having overnight visitors for Thanksgiving, plan ahead to keep your pets safe. Unfamiliar visitors can be stressful for everyone. 

1) If you know your cat or dog is nervous when people visit your home, put him/her in another room or crate with a favorite toy. This will help reduce the emotional stress of your pet. 

2) Even if your pets are comfortable around guests, watch the exits, especially when people are entering or leaving. Your four-legged friend may make a break for it out the door when you are greeting guests. 

3) Make sure your pet has proper identification with your current contact information. This includes both microchips and tags. This way, if your pet does sneak out, they’re more likely to be returned to you.

If You Are Traveling With Your Pets for Thanksgiving: Be sure to take precautions if you are traveling with your pets for the holiday. 

1) Never leave your pets alone in vehicles, even for a short time.

2) Remember to pack for your pets – any medication, food, identification information, toys, etc. 

3) If you are driving a far distance, stop regularly so that your pet can stretch their legs, go potty, and have a drink of water. 

Thanksgiving and pets go hand in hand – after all, we’re forever thankful for our furry family members. That’s why it’s a good idea to follow these tips and make your Thanksgiving as pet-friendly as possible. 

Source: American Veterinary Medical Association (https://www.avma.org/resources/pet-owners/petcare/thanksgiving-pet-safety)

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