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Ho...ho...I mean...Arf! Arf! Arf!
Merry Christmas! Time to grab your canines and get creative!!! Once again PUPS will be participating in the Sealy Festival of Lights. If you’ve never been to this event, you’re in for a real treat and so is your dog.
The town of Sealy hosts a 2-day celebration, including a BBQ cook-off and dance on Friday; and then lots of activities, vendor booths, great food, home tours, a REAL snow fall at 3pm, and parade on Saturday.
PUPS will have a booth set up complete with lots of really neat merchandise (great time to Christmas shop for all of your canine friends and their owners). We will also be offering pet adoptions for that “ultimate” Christmas present! (And we all know this kind of present is a two-way street—your adopted dog or cat will think he/she has received the ultimate gift in you as well.)
NOW for the REALLY FUN part…
The PUPS float will be participating in the annual Fantasy of Lights Parade which begins at 6pm on Saturday evening; and you and your dog are welcome to join us. You may walk beside the float or ride on it. This is where you get a chance to be creative, if you wish, by decorating your dog and yourself for the occasion. However, decorations are not required to participate in the parade, so bring your dog and COME ON! It’s a great way to spend your evening with your favorite canine friend.
Having been a past spectator at this parade, I can tell you that the crowd just loves it when the dogs parade by!
—Sandy
A Happy Ending for All
At
the end of August I received a call from D. Quentin Steltz. She had a stray
black lab and a litter of puppies at her property in the country by
I’m WAY too busy to take this on, I thought, There’s no way I can help out here. I hemmed and hawed, but something (Somebody?) compelled me to go and pick them up.
Oh,
boy, those were the cutest, blackest, roly-polyiest puppies I had ever met!
And the mother, Jackie, was an absolute dream. Shirley Dahl called a friend of
hers, Bill, and the mother dog had a new home within two hours of arriving at
my house. The puppies took about a
week to place, and they went to some of the best people I have ever met.
Before they went to their new homes, I had a blast playing with those pups and
socializing them with my dogs.
All
the “busy” stress I’d been under just melted away the week those cute
puppies were here.
Thanks
to everyone who networked to find those little ones their new forever homes.
—Cheryl Mellenthin, President
Sofa: 101
Everyone
knows a pet can wreak havoc on upholstery. If you are in the market for a new
couch or considering having your present one recovered, you should know that
all fabrics are not created equally when it comes to Bowser or Miss Kitty.
Bowser prefers looped fabrics and nubby knits that his nails can really dig
into, catch on and pull apart as he leaps so athletically from the couch;
while Miss Kitty prefers a lighter fabric, such as chintz, that she can ever
so delicately pull apart thread by thread. What fun—especially if the fabric
is all natural, like 100% cotton—ah! The better to stain, too, my dear…
So what does that leave you, the Keeper-of-the-Couch, with? Heavy-weight
synthetic blends—a mix of nylon or polyester and cotton—tightly woven (no
gaps between the weave) would be the fabric to choose. And unless you want to
vacuum the couch everyday, you might want to consider choosing a color that
corresponds with your furry love. Good luck with THAT, you calico owners!
Or you could just shop for some bargain-priced blankets and drape them over
your couch and chairs. They can be whisked off in a flash before company
arrives! Wah-lah!!!
Well-deserved
Respect...
PUPS would like to salute all the animal control officers in
WOW! It’s Snowing…
No wait—that’s not snow—it’s...it’s…it’s DANDRUFF! Gee, and
your head’s not even itching. Whoa Nelly, Bowser, has a problem! Better
start adding some fresh meat and essential fatty acids to his diet. And
contrary to what many of us may think, you should bathe him more often,
not less. Just make sure you use a gentle shampoo that contains a moisturizer.
Sudsy shampoos are not Bowser’s friend during a time like this. More
“dos” include: coat and skin supplements such as conditioning sprays,
hypoallergenic skin lotions, moisturizing crème rinses, or canine formulated
dandruff shampoo.
A BIG DON’T: human dandruff shampoo—it may be toxic to your pet.
If the condition does not improve after a reasonable amount of time, you
should seek the advice of your veterinarian.
In the meantime, you could turn down the A/C, put on some Christmas music
and pretend you’re living in the
“I’m
dreaming of a white Christmas…”
Nothing
Spells LOVE
like
a p-u-p-p-y!
Don’t forget your “puppy love” on Valentine’s Day, February 14th!
If you don’t have one of your own, you can visit a local shelter with a
Valentine’s treat for some lucky dog or kitty and “adopt” one even if
it’s just for a moment.
They are ready to accept whatever you have to offer—a kind word, a pat on
the head...that treat I mentioned earlier! You could make someone’s
day really special.
Canine
Influenza Virus
Canine Influenza Virus (CIV) was discovered in the
The first signs may include a green nasal discharge; persistent, moist cough
(unlike Bordetella, which has a dry cough); and/or a fever. The incubation
period is 2-4 days, but is very contagious before symptoms appear. The virus
evolved from the equine influenza virus, and it is not passed on to humans.
Dogs can become infected by people who do not wash well between the handling
of many different dogs and by dogs who are coughing.
The cough will last for a few weeks, and will usually clear up. The
mortality rate for these dogs is less than 8%. However, some dogs develop a
secondary pneumonia, which will require antibiotics. The mortality rate for
dogs with pneumonia may reach 44%.
Intervet/Schering-Plough has developed a vaccine for CIV. If your dog is
boarded frequently, is housed in a group facility, or if you are traveling to
an area where CIV is prevalent, please ask your veterinarian if the CIV
vaccine is right for you.
PUPS
has great gift items available:
t-shirts
baseball caps
jewelry
car magnets koozies
dog
apparel: coats, etc.
2010 wall calendars of cats, dogs, horses,
or pigs
Please
call Cheryl Mellenthin,979-732-5591 or email her at k9luvrs@hughes.net if you
would like more information on PUPS merchandise and prices.
And remember, 100% of the proceeds, as always, goes directly to
cover spaying and neutering costs.
We
wish to thank these contributors to PUPS:
John and Mary O’Neal
in memory of their dog,
Jackson
Gloria Tipp in memory
of her dog, Lakota.
FOUND...by a dog!
Flora
Martinez and her family were fishing under a bridge near Brookshire one
weekend this summer when a really big dog approached them. They quickly picked
up some big sticks for defense in case the dog was mean.
Well, the dog turned out to be quite the opposite. She was very
friendly and VERY HUNGRY, and by the time the Martinez family was ready to
leave—about 5 hours later—the kids were having fun with the dog (they have
7 children).
When they were ready to leave, everyone boarded the van—including the dog!
And furthermore…they couldn’t get her OUT!
Of course the kids began to cry when they were told the dog couldn’t
go home with them, and they made all the usual promises about how “they
would take care of her if they could ONLY keep her.”
Bottom line, “Roxie” now has a new home in Sealy with a family who loves
her very much. The children are happy, the parents are happy because she is
such a good dog, and Roxie is definitely happy!
However, I have a feeling Mrs. Martinez and her husband are the ones
who get to feed and care for Roxie.
The finishing touch to this wonderful story???
PUPS provided assistance in getting Roxie spayed so she wouldn’t make
any puppies.
Now
if YOU want to adopt a pet, just read on:
Home is where the pet is.
A pet without a home can be heartbreaking. We want to change that.
We can help a pet find a home faster.
Petango Online Pet Adoption – the source for adoptable pets – online,
real time, up to date pets looking for homes.
Using the same flexible and easy to use technology as the PetPoint
system, Petango Online a Pet Adoption will bring your pets and their future
families together, faster.
For inquires or to learn more about PetPoint and online pet adoption, please
call them at 1-866-630-7387 ext. 425.
Other online sources of pet adoption: petfinder.com and craig’s
list.
Canine
Health:
Foods
no dog should eat…Some human foods
are toxic to dogs. IF you supplement your dog’s diet with whole foods,
don’t include these: onion, grapes or raisins, avocados, fruit pits,
chocolate, spoiled food, any food or beverage containing caffeine or alcohol.
L-Carnitine:
Fat Buster Available
in health food stores, the amino acid L-carnitine is a safe and natural
supplement that may help your pudgy pooch drop a few pounds. It is believed
that supplementing with L-carnitine helps the body burn fat more efficiently.
(The results of a study by
How
can I help my puppy’s teething process?
First, give the pup chew toys (e.g. nylon bones). These can help as the
teeth emerge. Cold items like ice cubes or frozen wet cloths might also be
soothing. Try putting a firm chew toy in the freezer before giving it to your
puppy.
PUPS
1884 Bostik Rd.
Cat Spring,TX 78933
979-732-5591
email: k9luvrs@hughes.net
Board of Directors
President............
Cheryl Mellenthin
Vice President............
Mary O’Neal
Secretary......... Charlene
Surovcak
Treasurer......................
Shirley Dahl
Member.....................
Jennifer Kloss
Newsletter editor....
Sandy Bartlett
WELCOME
We would like to welcome our new board members
Jennifer Kloss & Shirley Dahl
and newsletter editor,
Sandy Bartlett.
Remember, all fund-raising and administrative costs are donated to PUPS – every penny of your donation is applied directly to spay/neuter costs!
