“Lifers” Noun, Slang. 1. … sentenced to or serving a term of life imprisonment
Tri-County Animal Rescue Center (TCAR) would like to introduce their canine and feline lifers. These are the ones staff grow especially fond of because they have been with there for so very long. They are given a life sentence because they require time and effort, or because they look ordinary, but the right person is out there. Could you be the one to grant a lifer the freedom they so dearly deserve?
Leon
Say hello to Leon! Leon has a deformed rear foot and he sometimes favors it, holding it up while he walks or plays, but it does not slow him down. With those he knows and trusts, Leon is an absolute gentleman, taking treats gently from hands, getting hugs and pats, fetching his ball and coming when called. With those he does not know, however, Leon is loud, boisterous and jumpy; he pretends to be a lion that needs to be tamed. What Leon needs is simply “time to trust.” If you are someone who understands the value of a diamond in the rough, if you have the time to visit Leon regularly, to gain his trust, and develop a relationship with him, then you will be richly rewarded with the love and devotion of a very good, handsome, smart and playful dog.
Celeste
Meet Celeste, TCAR’s feline lifer who is just an ordinary tabby, nothing special about her. She isn’t an in-your-face kind of cat — Celeste is quiet and dignified —and she was discarded like trash until Tri-County rescued her. Celeste isn’t extraordinary, but she was to the three kittens she birthed, kittens that were quickly adopted into forever homes. Now, Celeste waits for her forever home, but the odds are against her because she’s an ordinary tabby cat. Her fur is not luxurious, she has no beautiful markings, but she does have an abundance of love to give and would make a wonderful couch buddy! Celeste has been imprisoned long enough. If you have room in your heart and in your home, drop in and visit our “ordinary” Celeste.
Ace
Ace has been with our rescue since he was 8 months old and sadly holds TCAR’s title of “longest lifer.” Ace was born with deformed front legs but that has not slowed him down; he loves to play but can play rough. Ace needs an owner who knows pit bulls and understands how to work with him. He loves to carry his toys with him and give kisses to those volunteers he trusts. Due to his deformed front legs, Ace will need a home where his special needs can be met. We recommend no small children or other dogs.
To adopt Ace you must be willing to spend time coming to our rescue to meet him and to let him get to know you. Ace is a great dog once he trusts! He really loves his people, playing in the yard and is a big fan of going to get ice cream.
More information is available by contacting the center on Facebook, by call (814) 918-2032, or emailing contactus@Tricounty-arc.org.
The center will also be at Tractor Supply’s Demo Days which will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 30, 2016.
The center’s volunteers will be serving up hot dogs, chips, pop and something sweet.
“So stop by our table and grab a quick lunch while you check out our adoptable animals. Thank you for your support,” the center said.
It’s flea and tick season
(Editor’s note: The following article appeared in The Animal Advocate which runs in the Good Times. It was submitted by Precious Paws Animal Rescue and SNYP. The Spay Neuter Your Pet is Precious Paws’ low-cost spay neuter program.)
Flea and tick season has started. Actually with the mild winter we had, it likely never ended. Flea season usually runs from May through to winter. You can typically stop flea preventive treatments once the temperature is consistently below freezing point. However, if your inside animals have fleas or flea eggs have been deposited in your carpeting, you could have flea issues all year round.
The symptoms that an animal experiences when they have fleas can vary depending on if they are allergic to the flea saliva. Some animals that are not allergic may not even itch if infested with fleas. On the other hand, an animal that is highly allergic to the flea saliva may itch and scratch excessively even after one flea bite. Most animals that have fleas will either have the presence of a black pepper substance on the fur, or they will be scratching and/or chewing at the back end of their body.
Fleas can be the cause of tapeworms. When the infected tapeworm eggs are released into the environment, they have to be swallowed by immature flea larvae. Once inside the larval stage of the flea, the tapeworm egg continues to develop into an infective tapeworm as the flea matures into an adult flea. During grooming or in response to a flea’s bite, the dog or cat can ingest the flea carrying the infective tapeworm and the life cycle is completed.
Fleas can also cause anemia in young or emaciated animals. A single female flea can take up to 15 times her body weight in blood over the several weeks of her adult life.
Flea allergic dermatitis is also a common problem. Symptoms include, but are not limited to, excess scratching generally over the rear half of the body. This scratching can cause the skin to become red and irritated, hair loss and sores. Animals with flea allergic dermatitis can also lick their feet.
Unfortunately for our pets, ticks never take any time off — they are always around and ready to attach. Besides the painful bites and sometimes difficult removal, ticks also carry serious diseases that can affect both animals and humans. Year-round protection is crucial for pets who spend any amount of time outdoors.
Depending on where you live or visit determines the type of tick lurking in hopes of infecting your pet.
On the West Coast, the brown dog tick causes ehrlichiosis, a disease that attacks blood cells and can be fatal; the American dog tick carries Rocky Mountain spotted fever as well as causes paralysis; and deer ticks are responsible for Lyme disease. Some places, like California, are hotbeds for all three types.
In Southern and East Coast areas, where ticks love the weather and are plentiful, the deer tick, American dog tick, brown dog tick, and the Lone Star tick (which also carries Rocky Mountain spotted fever) are waiting to make a meal out of your pet.
Lyme disease is the biggest risk in our area. Lyme is found in every Pennsylvania county. Franklin Animal Clinic estimates that 25 percent, or 1 in 4 dogs in our area are infected with Lyme disease.
Most veterinarians recommend using tick-specific tweezers, gently grabbing hold of the tick’s rear end, and slowly easing it out with a twisting motion. While this may remove most of the tick, it doesn’t guarantee complete removal, especially with tick types that secret a cement-like substance to literally glue them into your pet. There is a chance that the most dangerous part can be left behind, the mouth, with disease-riddled saliva. So, you’re only solving half the problem while leaving the dangerous half embedded.
Fortunately, there is a way to get the whole tick out and not leave any behind, plus you’ll get a nice clean spot on the skin as a bonus. Soak a cotton ball with some liquid soap and swab the exposed part of the tick a few times with it. Then hold the soaked cotton ball on the tick so they are touching. Within 15 seconds, the tick will dislodge itself and come away from the skin, attached to the cotton ball. Rinse the spot with some hydrogen peroxide to kill any remaining germs.
There are several different kinds of treatment for fleas and ticks. Vectra-3D (canine), Vectra (feline), Frontline Plus (canine or feline), or Revolution (canine or feline), Advantage (imidacloprid), K9 Advantix (with permethrin), Frontline Spray, Frontline Plus and Frontline Top Spot (fipronil). The SNYP Clinic has Seresto collars that work great for your pets for approximately 8 months.
Homeopathic treatments, such as diatomaceous earth or essential oils on dogs, can also be effective if you have not already experienced an infestation.
One thing to always remember is, even though you use preventive measures for fleas and ticks you should always check your pets for fleas and ticks and treat them as needed.
More information is available by calling (814) 671-9827 or emailing SNYPVenango@gmail.com.
(All About Animals is a weekly blog that appears on Venangoextra.com and Clarionextra.com. Interested persons or groups can submit information to bigdogs.thederrick@gmail.com. More information about the blog is available by contacting Anna Applegate at (814) 677-8364.)
