What to do IF...
I find a dog...
So you're driving down the road and what do you see but a pooch running loose! Being the good citizen you are, you pull over and get the dog into your car and... NOW WHAT? We have all been there. Most of us here seem to be homeless animal magnets.
First and foremost you should bring this animal to a veterinary clinic or shelter so they can be scanned for a microchip. Despite the condition of the animal, they may be owned! Always check this first. If the dog is not chipped, you may also want to get this dog checked quickly by a vet tech or trained veterinarian to be sure the animal has no serious injuries or illnesses. We recommend at least getting this dog a rabies shot, just for safety reasons. Now that you know this dog is not owned, it is decision time... are you looking to add some extra love to your life or do you need to find this dog a home? ALWAYS keep new dogs seperate from any other animals. It is very unsafe to bring a foreign dog into your home and expose your animals to whatever it is that dog may have picked up. Make a comfortable spot in a sunroom or a garage in the mean time. If you absolutely cannot house the dog PERIOD, call one of the following rescues. Please be advised, these are all limited intake facilities and therefore we can only take in animals if we have adequate space! US (of course!) 336-375-3222 Red Dog Farm 336-644-7807 ARFP 336-574-9600 ARF 336-768-7387 For more rescues or breed-specific rescues visit ARGNC.com which lists every rescue by city/region of NC. Also check petfinder.com which lists many rescue agencies, as well! **Please never approach or attempt to "pick up" an animal that has been badly injured or that seems to be aggressive. Even a highly fearful dog can turn aggressive. Please call animal control for either case: 336 641 5990** |
I find a cat...
Do you have one (or 20) cats hanging around your house? Possibly a kitty has recently shown up? Here are some facts to help you best care for or place these feline friends.
Some cats are born or have spent most of their lives outside and prefer to be outside, we call them "feral". To learn more about feral cats and how to help them, please visit the FCAP website or the Alley Cat Allies website. As for friendly kitties hanging around or showing up, we recommend following some steps: First make sure this cat is not owned. Some people adopt cats or kittens to be outdoors, and there are ways to find out if that is the case. Ask around- has anyone seen the cat hang around a particular house? If no one believes the cat to be owned and he/she is friendly, put her into a cat carrier and bring ehr to a veterinarian or shelter to scan for a microchip. We recommend getting the cat an evaluation and a rabies shot at this time. If you would like to keep this kitty- yay! If not, there are several rescues to call. Please remember that homeless cats are in such great number. Rescues try to save as many as possible, but it is the community's responsibility to help us, too! Us! NC Cat 336- 342 -1131 Goathouse Cat Refuge 919-542-6815 Check ARGNC.com and petfinder.com to locate other cat-friendly rescues. |
I need to surrender my own animal...
Surrendering an animal is very hard to do and it can be a heartbreaking thing for a family. Here at the SPCA, we love offering assistance and alternatives to keep pets with their loved ones. Here are some answers to the most common problems:
We cannot afford food or health care for our animal.
At the SPCA we have a food pantry dedicated to helping families who cannot afford to feed their beloved pets. Our pantry is open the first Thursday of every month and we offer a reasonable amount of food to help you and your pet(s) make it through the month. We do require that all pets be spayed/neutered and up to date on rabies shots. There are NO exceptions. We do not subsidize breeders. If the family is simply unable to afford spay/neuter surgery, we provide the financial assistance needed. In 2010 we helped 143 families spay/neuter animals and in 2011 we surpassed 200 families!
We also provide financial aid, as our funds allow, for sick or injured animals. It is heartwrenching to think that because you cannot afford an expensive procedure, your animal must suffer or die. We understand that and we want to help whenever we can. We also partner with The Sergei Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to providing veterinary financial assistance when you need it most! Visit their website by clicking here. The Humane Society of the United States has also aggregated a list of organizations nationally and by state that provide veterinary financial assistance. You can view that list by clicking here.
I am pregnant and we need to give up our cat for health reasons.
Did you know that as long as you clean your cat's litter box daily there are no health risks to a pregnant woman? The toxins that build up take days or weeks to reach levels that may cause you or your child harm. Simply clean the litter box daily and your best friend can stay! What a beautiful gift that your feline companion can grow to know and love their human-sibling as opposed to ending up in the shelter, scared and confused.
Here is a website that offers other insights, such as having others clean the litter box or wearing gloves to do so: Just Mommies.
We just had a child and our dog/cat is not reacting well.
Uh oh! I used to be number one and now there is someone else stealing all of my attention! Sound familiar? That may be how your cat or dog feels after you have a new baby. Ridiculous as it may be to you- your pets are still very important- they may still feel this way and harbor some unpleasant feeling towards the little one. We work with a trainer who offers phone conversations at no cost, and reduced fees for families trying to keep their pet in the home as opposed to turning them in to shelters. Please call us if you would like to speak with her!
Behavioral issues with pets can almost always be solved and worked on, you just need the right tools.
Our cat is not using the litter box.
Always bring your cat to the vet first! If this behavior has never happened before, it may be health related. If you bring him to the vet and all health tests check out- Try Cat Attract or Kitten Attract! We have had several cats with marking issues and this litter is a miracle. There are also several calming agents you can purchase at pet stores that may do the trick. Marking behavior, if not health related, is usually related to stress or discomfort. Has something in the house changed? Even simply moving a chair or your pet's food bowl can throw them off.
Our dog has developed behavioral issues.
Always take your dog to the veterinarian FIRST. Grumpy or even aggressive behaviors can be signals alerting you to a serious health problem. Human beings are easily agitated when sick, and so are your pets. Unfortunately, they cannot speak. Once your dog visits a veterinarian and all health tests check out, it is probably time to call our behaviorist. She offers the first phone conversation free, as well as offers discounted rates to families struggling to keep their animals in the home.
Ask yourself- has anything changed? Just as humans can be uncomfortable with change, dogs can be the same way. Is there a lot of stress in the home? Dogs can pick up on those feelings and react accordingly. Maybe it is time to offer a veterinarian recommended stress aid to your pet. Pet stores sell supplements and air-borne stress aids, you may just need to try a few out to see which works best.
Please, please don't be quick to give up on your best friend! Behavior changes are almost always health related, and when health is not the issue that can indicate a stressed animal. We are here to answer your phone call if you need someone to talk to, or if you need some advice.
We would love to spend time talking through the problem with you!
Our homeowners insurance does not cover Pit Bulls or our apartment complex does not allow our Pit Bull.
There are two resources we recommend for this problem. Hopefully breed specific legislation will fall by the wayside soon, once the rest of the world realizes the breed itself is not to blame for an incident. Until then... check into these two resources:
Pit Bull friendly homeowners insurance companies.
Best Friend's Article on finding pit bull friendly apartments or housing.
We also strongly recommend speaking with the wonderful volunteers at Carolina Care Bullies. They may have resources or advice we don't know about! Even if you don't need help, check them out because they are awesome! Click here to visit their website!
We cannot afford food or health care for our animal.
At the SPCA we have a food pantry dedicated to helping families who cannot afford to feed their beloved pets. Our pantry is open the first Thursday of every month and we offer a reasonable amount of food to help you and your pet(s) make it through the month. We do require that all pets be spayed/neutered and up to date on rabies shots. There are NO exceptions. We do not subsidize breeders. If the family is simply unable to afford spay/neuter surgery, we provide the financial assistance needed. In 2010 we helped 143 families spay/neuter animals and in 2011 we surpassed 200 families!
We also provide financial aid, as our funds allow, for sick or injured animals. It is heartwrenching to think that because you cannot afford an expensive procedure, your animal must suffer or die. We understand that and we want to help whenever we can. We also partner with The Sergei Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to providing veterinary financial assistance when you need it most! Visit their website by clicking here. The Humane Society of the United States has also aggregated a list of organizations nationally and by state that provide veterinary financial assistance. You can view that list by clicking here.
I am pregnant and we need to give up our cat for health reasons.
Did you know that as long as you clean your cat's litter box daily there are no health risks to a pregnant woman? The toxins that build up take days or weeks to reach levels that may cause you or your child harm. Simply clean the litter box daily and your best friend can stay! What a beautiful gift that your feline companion can grow to know and love their human-sibling as opposed to ending up in the shelter, scared and confused.
Here is a website that offers other insights, such as having others clean the litter box or wearing gloves to do so: Just Mommies.
We just had a child and our dog/cat is not reacting well.
Uh oh! I used to be number one and now there is someone else stealing all of my attention! Sound familiar? That may be how your cat or dog feels after you have a new baby. Ridiculous as it may be to you- your pets are still very important- they may still feel this way and harbor some unpleasant feeling towards the little one. We work with a trainer who offers phone conversations at no cost, and reduced fees for families trying to keep their pet in the home as opposed to turning them in to shelters. Please call us if you would like to speak with her!
Behavioral issues with pets can almost always be solved and worked on, you just need the right tools.
Our cat is not using the litter box.
Always bring your cat to the vet first! If this behavior has never happened before, it may be health related. If you bring him to the vet and all health tests check out- Try Cat Attract or Kitten Attract! We have had several cats with marking issues and this litter is a miracle. There are also several calming agents you can purchase at pet stores that may do the trick. Marking behavior, if not health related, is usually related to stress or discomfort. Has something in the house changed? Even simply moving a chair or your pet's food bowl can throw them off.
Our dog has developed behavioral issues.
Always take your dog to the veterinarian FIRST. Grumpy or even aggressive behaviors can be signals alerting you to a serious health problem. Human beings are easily agitated when sick, and so are your pets. Unfortunately, they cannot speak. Once your dog visits a veterinarian and all health tests check out, it is probably time to call our behaviorist. She offers the first phone conversation free, as well as offers discounted rates to families struggling to keep their animals in the home.
Ask yourself- has anything changed? Just as humans can be uncomfortable with change, dogs can be the same way. Is there a lot of stress in the home? Dogs can pick up on those feelings and react accordingly. Maybe it is time to offer a veterinarian recommended stress aid to your pet. Pet stores sell supplements and air-borne stress aids, you may just need to try a few out to see which works best.
Please, please don't be quick to give up on your best friend! Behavior changes are almost always health related, and when health is not the issue that can indicate a stressed animal. We are here to answer your phone call if you need someone to talk to, or if you need some advice.
We would love to spend time talking through the problem with you!
Our homeowners insurance does not cover Pit Bulls or our apartment complex does not allow our Pit Bull.
There are two resources we recommend for this problem. Hopefully breed specific legislation will fall by the wayside soon, once the rest of the world realizes the breed itself is not to blame for an incident. Until then... check into these two resources:
Pit Bull friendly homeowners insurance companies.
Best Friend's Article on finding pit bull friendly apartments or housing.
We also strongly recommend speaking with the wonderful volunteers at Carolina Care Bullies. They may have resources or advice we don't know about! Even if you don't need help, check them out because they are awesome! Click here to visit their website!
