January 27, 2009
Tough economic times hard on pets too
I’ve seen stories in the media recently about more pets going to animal shelters now that their owners are facing tough financial times. When money is tight, pets become an unaffordable luxury for some.
For those of us who can afford to help, this is a time when shelters and rescue organizations need us the most. Below are some links to Cedar Rapids-area animal organizations that can always use dollars or volunteers.
If you would like to plug your rescue group or shelter, just add a comment and put in a link to your organization.
Gazette Online posted this story about cats that are living in abandoned homes in Cedar Rapids’ flood-damaged neighborhoods. If you want to donate to help these cats, read the story to find out how.
Safe Haven of Iowa County is raising money to build a new facility. They’re also participating in a contest to win a $1 million makeover. Click here to participate and help them earn points to make the top 20 (they’re currently #21) and put them in the running for the makeover. It’s free! (See comments below for more information about this shelter and an update on their current ranking in the makeover contest.)
The Cedar Valley Humane Society is another local shelter that always can use your help. They are located in Linn County, Iowa.
If you’re a horse-lover and want to help our equine friends, check out this group: Iowa Equine Rescue and Awareness League. This group has been busy the last few years helping abandoned, abused and/or starving horses from all around Iowa. They can always use your help. Horses are costly!
Miracles in Motion specializes in therapeutic riding. Located just outside of Swisher, Iowa, this group isn’t a shelter or rescue organization, but does rely on volunteers and donations for much of its operating costs. It’s a very worthy cause helping many people with disabilities.
I know there are many more worthy groups in our area that need help. Please consider making an extra donation or volunteering some time if you are fortunate enough to be in a position to help.
December 9, 2008
Tips for winterizing your dog
The calendar may still say that it’s autumn but here in the upper Midwest winter has already arrived. In Cedar Rapids, Iowa we have about 2” of snow on the ground, and a winter storm watch has been issued with more snow expected. At night temperatures already are falling into the single digits on a regular basis.
My long-haired dogs (a collie and a keeshond) do pretty well in the cold temperatures and the snow without too much extra preparation. But some of my friends and colleagues have smaller dogs, or dogs with shorter hair, and we’ve been discussing how to keep these dogs warm and comfortable during their outside excursions in the winter.
Below are a few tips I’ve been able to think of to help our dogs stay comfortable and healthy when they’re outside in the cold. If you have tips to add, please do! And I’m not addressing what to do for dogs who remain outside all of the time since my dogs are indoor dogs and only go out for walks and nature calls. So if you keep dogs outdoors during the winter, please chime in and offer suggestions on how to keep the dogs safe and warm when winter is at its worst.
Tips for winterizing your dog
1. Trim the excess fur from the pads on the dog’s feet. When you walk your dog outdoors during the winter, snow and ice will accummulate in the fur that grows out from the pads. This can make the dog uncomfortable when he’s walking. Snow-melt chemicals can be trapped in this fur also which will irritate the feet.
2. When re-entering your home, clean and dry the dog’s feet. This will remove the salt and chemicals that are used to melt snow and ice. If you don’t clean and dry the pads, the dog will do it himself by licking his feet, which means he’ll be ingesting the chemicals. Not good!
3. Some dogs can be trained to wear doggy booties, another way to prevent salt and chemicals from irritating the dog’s pads.
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- Shelbie the Chihuahua modeling his Christmas sweater
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- Photos courtesy of Chris Doty
4. If you have a short-haired dog, have him wear a doggy sweater to help retain his body heat. He’ll be the envy of his doggy peers and you can have fun and create a fashion statement with your pet. A search of “dog sweaters” on the web will turn up plenty of choices, and many local retailers carry these in their pet supply areas.
5. Shorter, more frequent walks will keep both of you warmer than one long walk during the worst of the winter weather, especially when wind chills are in the dangerous levels. Dogs are subject to the effects of wind chill just as humans are. It is important to continue to walk your dog as many days as you can during the winter, for your health as well as for your pet’s. Just be careful when footing is treacherous. Train your dog not to pull and drag you on the leash. Last year 3 of my friends and co-workers had broken bones from falling during the winter — not because they fell on the ice but because they tripped over their dog! Also, if your dog walks calmly beside you he will be less likely to slip and fall himself.
And if you don’t find it safe to walk outdoors during the winter, find another way to exercise your dog. Some people have trained their dogs to exercise on a treadmill. I take my dog to agility practice at my dog club’s indoor facility. Turning your dog out to play in the yard unsupervised is not providing exercise. Most likely the dog will just sit by the door waiting to come back indoors where it’s warm!
6. Be careful with the use of antifreeze. Make sure any accidental spills are cleaned up and the dog is not allowed any access to the spills. Antifreeze is deadly. Store it out of reach of pets (and children!).
7. When letting dogs out into the yard for their nature calls, don’t leave them out unsupervised for any length of time. Give them enough time to do their business then bring them back into the house. My dogs sometimes signal when they’re ready to come in by holding up a front paw, letting me know that their feet are getting too cold!
8. Keep your dog well-groomed and unmatted. Fur that is unmatted is much better insulation than fur that is full of mats.
I found this link to Bark Busters safety tips for winterizing your dog to be very helpful, especially since it offers information about how to recognize signs of health problems that can be brought on by the colder temperatures. This includes some safety tips for dogs that are kept outdoors as well as for those kept indoors.
Please add any other suggestions for caring for your dog during winter’s extremes. Stay warm, safe and healthy!
December 2, 2008
Get ready, it’s time to count birds
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- Canada Goose
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- American Crow
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- Northern Cardinal
Christmas Bird Counts — that’s why!
The 2008 Christmas Bird Count season officially starts on Dec. 14 and runs through January 5. All around the country birders will be out during this time period, carefully plotting their routes, staying inside the official “count circle” for their area, and scouring every nook and cranny for birds.
On CBC day, every bird counts. Not only do you count the number of bird species you find, you count the number of birds of that species as well. See 1 cardinal? Check. See another cardinal? Another check. Count every bird as best as you are able to estimate the flock size.
Certain birds appear in large numbers in Iowa. American Crows, Canada Geese, House Sparrows, Northern Cardinals, Mallards, Mourning Doves, Dark-eyed Juncos and European Starlings were the most-counted birds on the 2007 Iowa City CBC. (See results for past Iowa City CBCs here.)
Some CBCs have a friendly competition to see which can find the highest number of bird species. Generally, a CBC that has an open water source (such as a reservoir or a large river) will have a higher number of species since the waterfowl will flock to the open water.
Dedicated birders start their day before dawn with “owling” — checking habitat that should support owls and listening for the owls to call before the owls settle in for the day. On CBCs, you can count “heard” birds as well as “seen” birds.
Those of us who want to sleep just a little later still start the day at first light to search for birds. Birds, as a general rule, are more active during the morning hours than afternoon.
And birders who want to participate but don’t want to go outside can monitor their feeders and turn in their feeder reports.
The CBCs are sponsored by Audubon — you can read all about them here. The web site tells the history of the CBCs, how CBC information is used to monitor bird populations, how to get in contact with your local Audubon chapter, etc.
The Iowa Ornithologists’ Union maintains a web site that lists all Iowa CBCs, including contact information. You can find that web site here.
Locally, the Iowa City Bird Club has information about their CBC here.
So let the games begin. On Dec. 14 I’ll be out with the Iowa City Bird Club counting birds. And on Dec. 20 I’ll be out again with the Cedar Rapids Audubon group.
I can’t wait! It’s a highlight of the winter birding season for me.
