FROM THE HUMANE SOCIETY OF ELMORE COUNTY
REA CORD, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Christmas week is upon us and looks like it is going to be a cold one indeed! Where our pets are concerned the easiest way to keep them warm and safe is to bring them inside. Since we call our dogs and cats “companion” animals, it would seem inside WITH their humans should be easily understood. But, for those pets that are not allowed to come inside, please make sure they have shelter and protection from the cold, wind and rain. Shelter means a ‘house’ with a solid floor and walls, and adequate DRY bedding to help provide warmth. UNDER the house where rain can run through is not appropriate, nor is a pet ‘crate’ meant for transport since those have slots for air flow and the animal cannot build up any warmth or stay dry. Placement of the pet house opening away from the prevailing wind direction can also go a long way to helping a pet stay warm inside.
Cold air is also very dry (just think of your chapped lips) and livestock and pets need more water than you think in the winter. Keeping outside water from freezing for your outside pets/livestock is easy. Just go to your local feed store, pet store, or on-line and purchase in-tank water heaters or heated water buckets. They do need to be plugged in (can run a long outdoor extension cord if need be) and are quite safe. Hauling water is no fun at all and these heating devices will ensure your pets and/or livestock will have clear fresh water no matter how low the temps go. It is possible, of course, for the water ‘source’ like the stand-pipe/faucet to freeze, but there is heat tape or even heated hoses that can help. For our area of Alabama, generally, if your pets/livestock have a large tank of water that is kept from freezing, the daytime higher temps and sun will thaw out the hose/pipe/faucet so it can refill.
Don’t worry about our Shelter pets as we are locking all the dogs inside in our heated kennels at night and the dogs & cats have plenty of bedding because of the continuous donations by so many pet loving people – thank you all so very much! We do need a continuous influx of ‘bedding’ as some dogs destroy their beds and some just reach a point of no return so thank you ahead to all who bring us their old comforters and blankets to help our pets.
While adopting a pet should never be a last minute decision, our pets available for adoption can always be seen on the online adoption sites like www.petfinder.com & www.adoptapet.com. If you see a pet that is of interest, please get your application (link is in the narrative for every pet) in soonest. We will do adoption appointments this week Mon – Fri. Saturday is only for pickup of already approved adoptions and the Shelter will close at noon on Sat, 24 Dec and reopen Tue, 27 Dec. The Tail’s End Thrift Store will also close noon, Fri, 24 Dec and reopen Thu, 29 Dec.
Just like at Thanksgiving please watch for too many treats or rich food that might make pet(s) sick. And please keep an eye on Christmas trees, presents, decorations that might be unsafe for an inquisitive pet – especially a new puppy or kitten. The last thing you want is an emergency Veterinary trip over the Christmas holiday weekend.
Our Board and Staff hope that everyone has a peaceful Christmas with family (pets included) and friends. We want to thank so many incredibly generous supporters who have stopped by this month to donate food, supplies, money and more, and are grateful to all who share our love for animals and their welfare. And a huge thanks to adopters who have welcomed a Shelter pet to their home at any time this year in the spirit of Christmas. Thank you for your support and we wish everyone a very Merry Christmas!
