A Handsome Storm Has Rolled In!

Meet Storm, a wonderful, handsome one-year-old yellow labrador retriever mix! Storm is a pleasure to have around and is a gentle, sweet, obediant animal who just wants to hang out with you all day. If you're looking for a happy-go-lucky young dog with expressive white eyebrows, this is your dog!

Storm loves to play fetch and once he's tired, he likes to nap and sometimes even sleep with a toy or tennis ball between his paws like a teddy bear! Very much like a teddy bear himself, Storm is just as content to lay at your feet while you work or watch TV. His only wish is that you let him follow you around and keep you company.

















Storm is a really calm young dog,very gentle when accepting treats, and is friendly and happy when meeting strangers. He sits and lays down on command and is very treat motivated.. Storm is a dog used to being loved and adored by his humans, so please come visit Storm today and take this perfect pet home with you!

Happy First Day of Autumn!

Happy First Day of Autumn!

The leaves will start to turn soon, the weather will start to get a little crisper, and excitement for holidays will begin to build! Most humans will be thrilled to get away from the heat of summer, and most animals will be happy to get outside more as well! However, animals can be more sensitive to the weather, so please keep an eye on all of your pets to make sure they're adjusting well to the changing weather.

Along with the entrance of Autumn comes several seasonal dangers to look out for. The following tips are taken from the ASPCA's website at http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/pet-care-tips/autumn-safety-tips.aspx.

"Autumn Safety Tips"

"The use of rodenticides increases in the fall as rodents seek shelter from the cooler temperatures by attempting to move indoors. Rodenticides are highly toxic to pets—if ingested, the results could be fatal. If you must use these products, do so with extreme caution and put them in places inaccessible to your pets.

It’s back-to-school time, and those of you with young children know that means stocking up on fun items like glue sticks, pencils and magic markers. These items are considered “low toxicity” to pets, which means they’re unlikely to cause serious problems unless large amounts are ingested. However, since gastrointestinal upset and blockages certainly are possible, be sure your children keep their school supplies out of paw’s reach.

Training tip: If you and your pooch haven’t been active outdoors in a while because of the summer heat, do some remedial recall training. Dogs, like people, get rusty on their skills if they aren't using them.

Fall and spring and are mushroom seasons. While 99% of mushrooms have little or no toxicity, the 1% that are highly toxic (PDF) can cause life-threatening problems in pets. Unfortunately, most of the highly toxic mushrooms are difficult to distinguish from the nontoxic ones, so the best way to keep pets from ingesting poisonous mushrooms is to keep them away from areas where any mushrooms are growing. Contact your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center immediately if you witness your pet eating a wild mushroom.

In order to generate body heat, pets who exercise heavily outdoors, or who live outdoors, should be given more food during colder seasons. Make sure horses and other outdoor animals have access to clean, fresh water that is not frozen.

Autumn is the season when snakes who are preparing for hibernation may be particularly “grumpy,” increasing the possibility of severe bites to those unlucky pups who find themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time. Pet owners should know what kinds of venomous snakes may be in their environment—and where these snakes are most likely to be found—so they can keep pets out of those areas.

Many people choose fall as the time to change their car’s engine coolant. Ethylene glycol-based coolants are highly toxic, so spills should be cleaned up immediately. Consider switching to propylene glycol-based coolants—though they aren’t completely nontoxic, they are much less toxic than other engine coolants."

We'd love for you to share your own Autumn tips to keeping pets healthy!

Tiggers Are Wonderful Things

"Tiggers are cuddly fellows
Tiggers are awfully sweet
Everyone else is jealous
That's why I repeat
The wonderful thing about Tiggers
Is Tiggers are wonderful things!"

Our first adoptable Tigger is a six-year-old domestic shorthair mix. He's a smaller-sized cat that just overflows with friendliness. He's orange with splotches of white on his face and what a charming face he has!

















Our second adoptable Tigger is an eight-month-old female domestic with medium hair length. She's brown and white striped and small for now, but she is still young! She would make a wonderful, loving addition to your home!

Venti Mocha

Looking for something sweet in your life? Something that will warm you when you're cold? Need something to wake you up in the morning and put you in a good mood for the rest of your day?

The answer isn't Starbucks coffee or espresso. The answer is mocha!

Mocha is a "venti"-sized two-year old Labrador Retriever mix that is available at the Peninsula SPCA. Her honey brown eyes and beautiful coloring will give you that warm full feeling in your heart! She'll gently wake you up in the morning, love on you until you leave, and welcome you back exuberently when you return!

Please come visit our beautiful Mocha today!

Spooky Friend at the SPCA

Still a month away but Halloween is coming early to the Peninsula this year! Grocery stores are already stocking candy for the big night, magazines emblazoned with Jack-O-Lantern carving ideas and costumes stock the shelves. Can anyone escape this pre-Halloween madness? Why would you want to!

Here at the Peninsula SPCA, we're excited for Halloween too and we have our very own Spook!

Spook is a one and a half year old hound mix that's waiting to be adopted. He's not very big, a medium sized dog with a big personality! He's all our favorite fall colors, black, brown, and gold. We promise he'll sneak into your heart just like a friendly ghost! Please come visit Spook today at the Peninsula SPCA!

Preparing For The Storm

This weekend is supposed to be wild and windy with just a dash of hurricane rain thrown in. You've packed a bag, bought bottled water, and made sure you have enough food for several days in case the power goes out or you have to evacuate. But have you made sure that your pets will be safe?

Everyone should have a pet plan for disasters. We've all seen the heartbreaking pictures and videos of Katrina pets that were either left behind to weather the storm, or were wandering about lost because they no longer had a home to hide in. We don't want any of our beloved pets being left to fend for themselves.

Below is the Peninsula SPCA's Pet Checklist. Please read this plan and prepare for the worst-and make sure you keep your pets safe.

Pet Emergency Supply Kit Check List

-Food
Keep at least three days of food in an airtight waterproof container.

-Water
Store at least three days of water specifically for your pets.

-Medicines and medical records
Keep an extra supply of medicines your pet takes on a regular basis in a waterproof container.

-First aid kit
Most kits should include cotton bandage rolls, bandage tape and scissors; antibiotic ointment; flea and tick prevention; latex gloves, isopropyl alcohol and saline solution. Include a pet first aid reference book.

-Collar with ID Tag, harness, or leash
Your pet should wear a collar with its rabies tag and identification at all times. Include a backup leash, collar and ID tag in your pet’s emergency supply kit. Also, include copies of your pet’s registration information, adoption papers, vaccination documents and medical records in a clean plastic bag.

-Crate or other pet carrier
Provide a sturdy, safe, comfortable crate or carrier ready for transporting your pet. The carrier should be large enough for your pet to stand, turn around and lie down.

-Sanitation
Include pet litter and litter box if appropriate, newspapers, paper towels, plastic trash bags and cleaner.

-A picture of you and your pet together
A picture of you and your pet together will help document ownership and allow others to assist you in identifying your pet. Include detailed information about species, breed, age, sex, color and distinguishing characteristics.

-Familiar Items
Put favorite toys, treats or bedding in your kit. Familiar items can help reduce stress for your pet.

www.peninsulaspca.org

What's in a Name?

Last week, I was fortunate enough to be able to rescue and find the home of a very sweet, very old gray poodle. When I picked him up, he was walking (not running) down a very busy street, was slightly bowlegged, and once I was able to see his face, noticed that he had cataracts and probably couldn't see very well. He also was not wearing a collar and had no tags.

Thankfully, I was able to drive around the neighborhood and knock on doors until I found his home, with an equally old, very nice man who had accidentally left his gate open. Apparently, this little poodle is more than 15 years old and has arthritis. He likely would never have found his way back home (especially since he was headed in the wrong direction when I picked him up) and he likely would have been hit by a car that he wasn't able to see.

The most important aspect of this story is how much easier and less stressful for this old dog this whole process would have been if he had been wearing a collar with tags. Even just a tag with a phone number would have eliminated hours of effort spent knocking on doors and driving around showing this dog to different people. If I hadn't been able to find his home, it may have been very hard to find this loveable old dog a home if he had ended up at the shelter.

PLEASE put some kind of collar and identification tag on your pet! Pets are sneaky creatures who regularly learn to open doors, dig holes under the fence, and squeeze through impossible places to get loose. No matter how careful an owner you are, accidents do happen and pets do end up walking along busy roads trying to find home.

Tags are available at most major stores, including WALMART, pet stores, and online. They're available in a wide array of colors, styles, and scripts, but these tags are SO important for the safety of your pet.

Unfortunately, this reminder is coming too late for some dogs, like the ones below. They were found as strays or brought into the SPCA and brought to the Peninsula SPCA looking for their new homes with responsible pet owners who will keep collars and tags on these animals and will do their best to never allow them to get permanently lost again. Please come visit these animals and give them a better home!

Alfonso is a 3-year old Terrier/Pit Bull Mix who loves to give doggie kisses! He's a big red dog with a big heart just looking for someone to love!












Hops is a 2-year old Plott Hound who just loves to run and play! He would do well with an active person who loves having company on runs, walks, bike rides, or who just likes to play fetch!













Please come visit our wonderful animals today!