ASPCA Pet of the Week: Lover Boy

Chivalry isn’t dead, thanks to a four-year-old orange tabby. Meet Morris. Ever the gentleman, he believes in old-fashioned romance. Head rubs are permitted on the first date, but he is the type to court his adopter before he takes the relationship too far—you know, rolling over on his back and purring.

And just like some modern-day lover boys, Morris gets cold paws just before he’s greeted at the door. “He’s a little nervous in new situations, but very sweet,” says Katie Watts, Feline Behavior Counselor.

But don’t worry—he won’t love you and leave you. Morris isn’t interested in playing the field. All he wants is to settle down in a “quiet household, with someone who wants some cuddle time.”

If you think you are a match for Morris, please call (212) 876-7700, ext. 4120. To see other animals who are waiting for homes, please visit the ASPCA Adoption Center online.

Don’t Forget to Remember the Recall

This may seem obvious, but better safe than sorry. The FDA’s peanut butter recall, which you may have heard about last week, applies to our animals, too. It traced sources of Salmonella contamination to a plant owned by Peanut Corporation of America (PCA). Please discontinue offering your pets any peanut butter products until further notice.

In case you’re wondering if pets even consume peanut products, “Peanut butter is often used in small amounts as an occasional reward for dogs, commonly used in treats and activity toys” said Dr. Pam Reid, Vice President of the ASPCA Animal Behavior Center.

If you want more info, here’s our press release, which details Salmonella and how it affects pets—and consequentially, their humans.

We Are Their Voice ™ Caption Contest: Just Plumb Adorable

Kathryn is a captioning superstar! Our MySpace friend has won three times already! If you want to overthrow the queen, and you’ve got a creative caption for the photo below, enter our contest and show us what you’ve got.



Update: Winning entry from Andrea on MySpace:
“The good news ... I can fix it.The bad news ... It's not going to be cheap.”

Honorable Mentions:

From Lori Meade on MySpace:
"I'm gonna wash that gray right outta my hair"

From Des:It’s not what it looks like. I really do hate water.

From Lynn on MySpace:
"Can you pull the curtain on your way out?"

From Antoinette on MySpace:“Dude, help me out here .You know i don't have opposable thumbs.”

Caption away! Congratulations to last week’s winner (again), Kathryn, on MySpace. Thanks to everyone for your participation!

To enter your caption in the contest, just send it as a comment and remember to include your name! The winner will be posted next week with a new photo. This contest is just for fun, so the prize will be simple bragging rights.

Waaah, I Feel Left Out—I Wanna Take an Oath, Too!

Congratulations to President Obama on his big day! Are you in the mood for an inauguration of your own? Scoop up your pet in your left arm, raise your right hand and repeat aloud:

"I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the role of Pet Parent, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend my pet, as dictated by the Pet Care section of the ASPCA’s website!”

Now give your pet a kiss. That was fun! And we got in a shameless plug while we were at it. ;)

Bet You Didn’t Know MLK’s Smartest Statement of All

Happy Martin Luther King Day! If Dr. King were here today, he would surely remind you of his dream that animals should not be judged by the color of their fur, but by the content of their character.







All three of these feline superstars are available at the ASPCA Adoption Center. From top to bottom, their names are Spirit, Maybelle and Tulip.

We can all take a lesson from cats, who don’t judge others based on color. Scent, however, is another story. But they’re working on that.

Adoption Diaries: Cuteness on Wheels

Elyse’s Adoption Diary:

How ‘bout I skip to the good stuff? Without further ado, I give you skateboarding puppies:



Trish McMillan, ASPCA Director of Animal Behavior, took this footage while conducting a training session with the pups. Yes, training. Knowing I’d want to write about this, I asked Trish what was up with the skateboard. She says she uses it with every new litter of pups they get in.

Me: Do you bring out the skateboard with the puppies just for fun, or is there actually a behavior/training reason to go along with it?
Trish: It gets them used to novelty, skateboard sounds and moving surfaces.

So there ya have it. Our way of justifying that which needs no justification. Come on—cute puppies on a skateboard!

But wait—there’s more. This is Peanut, who loves to stand up. Nickname: Teddy Bear Supreme, so lovingly dubbed by the staffer in this video, who claims Peanut is her boyfriend…but then again, as she added, she’s had a lot of boyfriends at the ASPCA.






We won’t beat around the bush. Mr. Daisy is fat. But boy, can he move! Look at that sweet, innocent face. The last thing I expected was for him to roll around like an ecstatic looney! Watch this video and tell me if you don’t swear Mr. Daisy is moving to the music. I know I’ve mentioned this before, but I adore the music the cats get to hear all day! Usually it’s classical, but on this day it was jazzy standards. Cool.



Brooklyn’s in the house. This pit bull is a little nutty, but she’s only eight months old. She’s as sweet as they come, though, and is gearing up to make a great forever pet for someone soon.



** Be sure to check out my Flickr page to see all the photos from my visits to the adoption center.

** View available animals at our adoption center.

ASPCA Pet of the Week: Put on a Happy Face

Is that a winning smile or what? We bet that Opel is probably thinking about meeting a special family that's ready to make a lifetime commitment. A one-year-old shepherd mix, Opel was returned to the ASPCA because her owner moved and could not take her along.

Our behavior staff dubbed Opel as Life of the Party. That means she’s loads of fun, with brains to match! “She’s very eager to learn for a taste of her favorite treat!” said her former owner. “She knows her basic commands, like ‘down’ and ‘sit,’ and she has no behavior issues.” Opel loves to play with other dogs and get lots of exercise while on the town.

We’re thrilled to report that, as we went to press, Opel found a great new home. You go, Opel! But there are other great dogs just like her waiting for you at the ASPCA Adoption Center online.

Let This Post Shock You Instead of Your Dog

Winter’s chill may have settled in your neighborhood, but your energetic pooch still wants to go for walks in the great outdoors. Take it slow and steady, pet parents. According to our experts, the danger of stray voltage on city streets can turn a simple stroll into a devastating event for our furry friends.

Most common in northern climes and urban areas, stray voltage occurs when dormant utilities leak excess electricity. Combined with wet streets and salt-based ice melts, this current can shock, injure or even prove fatal for those in its path. “Since salt used to treat icy streets is a great conductor of electricity,” says Dr. Louise Murray, ASPCA Director of Medicine and author of Vet Confidential, “the risk of shock from stray voltage is that much higher during the winter months.” The ASPCA offers the following tips to help you avoid potentially hazardous areas, and advice on what to do if your pet has suffered an electrical shock:

• Keep your dog away from metal fixtures, such as lampposts, grates or manhole covers. While these spots may be your pet’s favorite place to relieve himself, they may also conduct hazardous electricity.



• Your dog's snazzy, rubber rain boots may look good, but they won't protect your pooch from a strong current. Don’t depend on them to keep your pet safe. Some boots—those with metal studs, for example—may even make the situation worse.



• Observe your dog’s behavior. Is he skittish, frightened, angry or upset for no apparent reason? These sudden behavioral changes could be an indication of electric shock.



• If your dog is incapacitated due to shock, don’t try to touch or move him without protective gear. Your pooch may pass the current to you, rendering you both incapable of seeking help. Instead, call your local fire department immediately.

Know of an area in your neighborhood that could be affected by stray voltage? Contact city services—in New York City, dial 311—to alert the proper authorities. For more information about keeping your pet safe during the winter months, please read our cold weather tips.

Cutie Alert: Now Applying for Laps in the Metro Area

Name: Regina
Color: Black/White
Age: 8 months
Gender: Female

Ideal Home: Imagine me and you so happy together. Translation: no other cats!
Greatest skill: I can offer you my typing skills (as long as you don’t care about accuracy).
Biggest Secret: I’m a career woman, not a model, but when there’s a camera around I can’t help but strike a pose!
Dream Job: Executive Assistant.

We Are Their Voice ™ Caption Contest: Pile o’ Puppies!

My goodness, you guys really outdid yourselves last time. There were so many fantastic entries, we had to list more than usual! Scroll down to link to the winners.

This group of shar pei/pit bull pups is currently cute-ifying our ASPCA Adoption Center. Here’s a bonus video thrown in for your viewing pleasure, and to serve as inspiration. But just caption the photo!


If you’ve got a creative caption for the photo below, enter our contest and show us what you’ve got.



Caption away!

Update: Winning entry from Kathryn on MySpace:
“When Jean-Luc Picard asked the replicator for "puppy, brown, wrinkled", he failed to specify quantity and shade.”

Honorable Mentions:

From Kayla on MySpace:
“Looking this cute makes us exhausted.”

From Samantha Jo on MySpace:
“Waiting for change.”

From Kristin on MySpace:
“Ugh, we definitely ate too much…”

Congratulations to last week’s winner, Lori, on MySpace. Thanks to everyone for your participation!

To enter your caption in the contest, just send it as a comment and remember to include your name! The winner will be posted next week with a new photo. This contest is just for fun, so the prize will be simple bragging rights.

ASPCA Pet of the Week: Me Tarzan. Me Available.

Naturally, we think all of the cats who enter the ASPCA Adoption Center are beautiful. But once in a while, someone comes along who takes our breath away! Meet Tarzan, a Siamese/Bengal cat with an amazing beige marble pattern on his fur. Tarzan is a truly extraordinary sight! Not just because of his looks—we love to witness the affection he has for his feline friends.

Tarzan has spent most of his two years of life with other kitties. “He grew up around cats and loves them dearly, so he needs a nice brother or sister in his adopted home,” says Amy Geduldig, ASPCA Manager, Media & Communications. Tarzan knows he’s into the feline kind. People, however, he is still unsure about! (Who can blame him?) He’s a bit shy and will take some time to warm up to his new humans.

A sweet housecat who looks like an exotic jungle animal? Cool! To adopt this unique feline, please call (212) 876-7700, ext. 4120. To see other animals who are waiting for homes, please visit the ASPCA Adoption Center online.

We’re Fixin’ to Fix Animals!

Cool—a task force of 22 vets was convened by the Association of Shelter Veterinarians to create guidelines for spay-neuter programs nationwide. (Isn’t it nice when we all work together toward a common goal?) On the task force was our very own Dr. Kathleen Makolinski, ASPCA Director of Veterinary Outreach.

We’re thrilled to have helped set these guidelines. Says our ASPCA prez and CEO, Ed Sayres, “We endorse the guidelines document as a means to ensure the welfare of individual animals when they undergo sterilization procedures, regardless of where such surgeries occur.” Read on for more information about the guidelines and where they can be found.

Setting the bar for spay-neuter programs is a milestone in the animal welfare industry! Wahoo!

Adoption Diaries: What a Way to Start the Year!

Elyse’s Adoption Diary:

Haaaaappy New Year! I hope your holidays were relaxing and filled with family, both human and furry. And scaly, and feathery, etc. My brother, mother and I all exchanged Christmas gifts for our respective cats, which was completely unplanned! My two orange kids made out pretty well—they got a Chia Cat Grass Planter. Grass they can eat! We can’t have any flowers in the house because they will be attacked by my little monsters, so the cats probably don’t deserve a plant of their own—but hey, I’m a sucker. They have me wrapped around their pretty paws, for sure. By the way, if anyone has any experience with this cat grass stuff, shoot me a comment and share your tips!

Speaking of family, my niece joined me at the adoption center last week. Gianna is 10 years old, and already an animal advocate! She knows all about the plight of pit bulls and watches our show, Animal Precinct, religiously. A horse lover and rider, she wants to be an equine surgeon one day! I sure didn’t know about any of this stuff at that age; I think it’s so cool. It was a blast giving a tour to such an enthusiastic guest! She got to watch Victoria Wells, ASPCA Manager of Shelter Behavior and Training, in a behavior session with two dogs. Victoria granted Gianna’s request to see “the arm” used on TV in Animal Precinct. (It’s a fake arm used to gauge a dog’s level of aggression, if any.) Gianna also got a tour of the hospital, and was really excited to see an actual animal cop! Big thanks from me to the ASPCA staff for helping me to give my niece such a positive experience! She’s a special kid.

After Gianna left, it was time to get to work playing with the pooches and kitties. I had the privilege of watching Doug work with Spud, last week’s Pet of the Week. Doug is a regular volunteer at the ASPCA, and one of our dog captains. See how Doug shows off Spud’s skillz!


























Here’s Doug working with Precious, our big ‘ole charming St. Bernard











This is Morris. He’s five years old and has a hyperactive thyroid gland—but what a mush!







Shy Peter likes to keep one eye open, always on the alert and ready to pounce. But the more human attention he gets, the more he warms up to the idea! We’re slowly breaking him down. Hopefully soon, he’ll be putty in our hands!






Thanks for reading. It’s good to be back and blogging in 2009. Here’s to a great year ahead. Cheers!

Love,
Elyse

** Be sure to check out my Flickr page to see all the photos from my visits to the adoption center.

** View available animals at our adoption center.