EBHS Unleashed
Staff and volunteers of the Elmbrook Humane Society will be blogging about what's going on at the society, as well as other observations about life in Wisconsin.
The mission of the Elmbrook Humane Society is to promote the human-animal bond through adoption and education, to provide shelter to homeless animals, and to prevent animal cruelty and neglect. EBHS services the city of Brookfield, the villages of Butler, Chenequa, Elm Grove and Nashotah, and the towns of Brookfield and Delafield. EBHS shelters unwanted pets and strays, and rescues injured domestic animals and wildlife, provides resources for individuals with companion animals and provides Humane Education to schools and civic groups.
Visit our web site at www.EBHS.org.
Back to the Blog!
I'm baaack!
I have been away far too long. I was busy getting ready for Wag Fest, then recovering from Wag Fest, then catching up from all the work that did not get done because of Wag Fest. So, I apologize for my long absence.
No Easy Answers for Animal Aggression...
Today at the shelter I was sitting at my desk when I heard some children in the lobby start crying and wailing. Typically, this occurs when a family surrenders a companion animal for some reason, and I felt terrible for the kids. Their crying was so long and insistent I felt myself almost start crying because it was really heartbreaking to hear. When they left I went out to investigate what happened, and I found out that the family was euthanizing their dog here at the shelter because it was dangerous and had bitten a few people, including small children. The family was worried that the dog would really hurt someone and that this was the most humane way to handle the situation.
When good people have dogs with bad behavior, there are no easy answers. Euthanasia in the case of a seriously injured or ill animal is an easy call to make. Deciding to euthanize an animal because of a behavior issue like aggression is incredibly difficult. You ask yourself "Will the animal ever do this again? Can I change my lifestyle so that this animal will never be in this situation again?" If an animal has been an otherwise wonderful companion except for this one incident, how do you forget all the good and make the ultimate decision to end it's life?
Happy Tuesday
We have a lot of happy things to share with our readers today!
First of all, Charlie, an English Springer Spaniel mix, who was so unhappy in his kennel went to his new home today! He was one of those dogs that looked so pitiful in his kennel, but outside of his kennel he was a total firecracker. He has a great personality, and he is so handsome. I am glad that he has found his forever home.
How "Old" is Your Dog? I Know How You Can Find Out!
Dog years? Most of us think of dog years as the equivalent of 7 human years for one dog year. Recently when going to my vet they had a new chart that showed a correlation between a dog's weight and their "age" - meaning the heavier a dog was the older it was.
As far as human years, I took a test online about a month ago that told me I was 3 years younger than my actual age because of my lifestyle. Apparently, being boring is extending my life. However, the site suggested that I could live 2 years longer if I started flossing religiously, and since I plan to live long enough to drive my children and grandchildren crazy, I have started flossing a lot!
Top 10 Human Medications that are Harmful to Animal Companions
My friend Lolita sent this information to me regarding the Top 10 Human Medications (courtesy of the ASPCA website) that are harmful to your animal companions if ingested. There were a couple I was unaware of, so I thought I would share:
NSAIDs
NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) like ibuprofen or naproxen are the most common cause of pet poisoning in small animals, and can cause serious problems even in minimal doses. Pets are extremely sensitive to their effects, and may experience stomach and intestinal ulcers and—in the case of cats—kidney damage.
An Open Letter to the person who abandoned the sick Vizsla puppy at Brookfield Square last night
I do not know who you are, and I cannot imagine what possessed you to abandon an incredibly sick puppy at a mall in Brookfield. I am not sure what kind of thought process leads someone to think that turning a sick puppy loose in a mall parking lot in the middle of the night would be a good idea. Aside from the fact that the puppy obviously needed medical attention, the poor little thing could have been run over, attacked by wild animals looking for food in the dumpsters, or just suffered from exposure, as it was very cold last night.
No matter, I guess. When you put him in that parking lot and drove away while he watched and wondered what was going on, his death sentence was certain.
Cat People vs. Dog People
I am sure that I am not alone when I say that I wish I was sitting next to a warm fire right now...where did the nice fall weather go? I can always tell when fall has arrived when the Italian Greyhounds who "work" at the shelter start wearing quilted coats instead of just their regular casual wear.
