Unleashed: Southern Oregon Pet Blog

A recent story about the plethora of unclaimed adult cats at Jackson County’s animal shelter begs the proverbial question: Why do we have so many unwanted pets?

The obvious answer is irresponsible pet owners who do not spay/neuter their animals – letting them wander about procreating willy nilly. The folks at SNYP (spay/neuter your pet) put it well in their blurb announcing July’s efforts to get unfixed tom cats…er… snipped - for the low, low price of $10.  

Summer is all about warm evenings, soft breezes and lots of back alley action. And while we’re enjoying backyard BBQs, unfixed toms are cruising the streets looking for action, they said.

Less than 30 percent of cats that are fixed are males, yet they contribute to the cat overpopulation problem more than any single female. Unalterered male cats does not have a heat cyle. He’s always ready. So let’s do the math. While a female cat can have up to three litters a year, an active male cat can be responsible for impregnating dozens of females which can result in hundreds of kittens. 

Thanks to SNYP, beginning July 1 anyone in Jackson County can get their male cat fixed for just $10. This will not only help save lives by cutting down significantly on the pet overpopulation problem, neutering your tom also reduces spraying, cat fights and injuries.

So get it done, folks. Please.  

Certificates will be sold at Pet Country, Medford Mini Pet Mart on Stewart and the Grange Co-ops in Medford, Ashland and White City. For more information, email SNYP at snyp@spayneuter.org.

Woof! Woof! Woof! Gotta love a good dog tail….er… tale. But this one has gone a bit viral.

Speaking of viruses… Jack, the beloved German Shepherd of Marsha Bellici, was deathly sick with some sort of funky flu last week when Bellici shagged her pooch to Best Friend Animal Hospital in Medford.

Both Bellici and her vet, Dr. Shannon Sierra, had concerns about Jack’s survival based on his symptoms. Poor fellow had pneumonia-like chest rattles, zero appetite and was placed on IV antibiotics. We are talking sick as the proverbial dog, here.

Little did anyone know just 72-hours later, after Jack busted free from his Medford vet’s office ,tripped burglary alarms, door locks and caused heart palpitations in the humans desperately searching for him, he’d end up home safe – and an internet star?

The story hit Tuesday’s paper and took off like a jack (sorry) rabbit. MSNBC, cbsnews.com, chicagotribune.com, thestar.com (Toronto Star) and dogpostdaily.com hopped on the Houdini dog train. There are dozens more, including extremeskins.com, which describes itself as the official message board of the Washington Redskins football team.

It’s been the most read story in the Mail Tribune for the past two days. Editors are now second-guessing Jack’s original placement. Perhaps he should have been on the front page, as suggested by our city editor as a joke.

Personally, I thought Jack’s story was fun. Loved that the police responded to the alarms twice and saw the large dog at large in the vet’s office.

But for a really compelling story, check out this one about Titan, The 150-lb Great Dane who went missing for 16 days in Portland, only to be reunited with his Ashland owner after being rescued off a muddy cliff by a tiny slip of a woman.

Meanwhile, there’s this recent column where my own critters  are vying for their 15-minutes of fame – and giving me a heart attack in the process.

I’d been trying to get out to Sanctuary One at Double Oak Farm to do a story about Ashland Middle School students’ experiences at the care farm for a solid week. But inclement weather and breaking stories on my “real” beats – courts and social services – kept getting in the way.

Finally, on Monday, the sun shone brightly and the courts’ cases eased. By mid-morning I was on my way, driving down winding roads, enjoying the sights, sounds and smells of the beautiful Applegate Valley.

Life is pretty good when I get to go on a critter assignment, especially when it takes me to Sanctuary One. There is something healing about even being at the farm. I also love the fact the last-chance rescue takes in”unadoptable” animals not from the public, but from other facilities. 

Sanctuary One affords these creatures comfort and care for the duration of their lives, unless or until a proper adoptive home comes available. Many of the animals are aged. Most have suffered some form of abuse and/or neglect. Some still bear the scars - and worse.

Stevie, one of their several goats, mostly walks on his knees due to deformaties and injuries caused by a neglectful owner who didn’t bother to trim his hooves. Lisa the 700-pound Yorkshire swine was rescued from a farmer who’d beat her because this not-so-little piggy used to break out of her lonely enclosure and seek companionship down the road.  

The students were clearly happy to be there and seemed eager to learn about everything from composting cow manure to what makes a llama tick. But I was most curious to see how they would interact with the animals. It was heartening to see their compassion. The ‘tweens were well-mannered, respectful and kind.

Best of all, I was thrilled to see the changes wrought in the critters. By the end of the middle-schoolers visits, some of the animals, previously fearful of human contact, were now letting these curious kids approach them. One anxious llama actually turned amorous, giving a bashful boy a kiss. Another aged sheep, notorious for her stand-offishness, actually let 13-year-old Madison Crook, who’d been initially leery of the llamas, crouch by her side. The woolly one even accepted a friendly stroke or two from the gentle girl.

Like I said, Sanctuary One is a place of healing. Even if you’re just watching it happen.

 Horse owners facing financial hardship are invited to participate in the free clinic which will feature veterinary assessments, de-wormer, hoof care, equine chiropractic, and an equine nutrition specialist, all at little or no cost to qualifying participants.

As I explained in this week’s Southern Oregon Journal column, there are those who say that critters hath charms to sooth the savage breast - not to mention elevated blood pressure.

Mine? Not so much. At least not lately. My aged feline – a “gift” from my beau, The Englishman, recently went totally berserk over a nocturnal interloper. My parrot has been fighting invisible foes in the wee hours of the morning. And I am pulling my hair out trying to keep up with their antics. And retain some semblance of sanity.

This weekend the aforementioned beau’s snoring drove me from my own bed - and into the guest room. Squiggy followed and tromped around on my head, stepping on my hair. Then she hopped up on to the dresser – where she stumblefooted her way thru my miniature perfume bottle collection. Crash! Clunk! Tinkle! ARRGH!

How about you? Has Spring brought new zaniness to your life – via your beloved pets? Or do your kitties sit quietly purring in your lap? And do your parrots murmur sweet nothings in your ears? Just wonderin’…

This just in from Ashland Fire Chief Margueritte Hickman:

Ashland Fire & Rescue received a donation of pet oxygen masks from Invisible Fence Brand through Project Breathe. This is a program aimed at helping firefighters care for everyone in the family after a fire, including the family pet.

Veterinarian Dr. Alice Sievers of Bear Creek Animal Clinic will be volunteering her time to teach Ashland firefighters how to use the pet oxygen masks and evaluate pets that have been rescued from a fire.

Pet oxygen masks will be carried on Ashland Fire & Rescue engines. This program will provide a better way to provide oxygen only to animals who are victims of a fire.

We’re baaaaaaaaaaack! Me, the Unleashed pets blog and (drum roll please) Lisa the Pig! 

When last we left this porcine goddess, rescued in 2010 from a frustrated and cranky owner in Washington, Lisa was happily ensconced in her new digs, enjoying belly rubs and snabbling snacks from Sanctuary Onemanager Sansa Collins.   

Last year I had the happy assignment of reporting Lisa’s tale of her roadside rescue to her current position as beloved belle of the ball at Sanctuary One. And I will never forget my initial astonishment when I caught my first glimpse of my now favorite Ms. Piggy. Wow! She is one humongeous porker!

But before Lisa made it to safety in the Applegate Valley, and was visited by yours truly, she was originally rescued by the kind folks a Whatcom Humane Society. And they are coming down to film Lisa’s “happy ending” on Tuesday, March 15.

Pigmalion: A love story in three acts will deput in Bellingham, Wash. on April 9. The 30-minute film will tell the tale of Lisa and her quest to find a new home – and the lives she touched a long the way. Rest assured, we shall try to snabble a copy for our local viewing pleasure!

 Got a dirty dog that needs washing? But don’t have the time, energy or bathtub to get the job done? For $10 you can get Fifi or Fido a bath - and a mani-pedi - thanks to The Friends of the Animal Shelter.

All proceeds from the Medford and Ashland doggy “spaw” days will benefit the FOTAS, a volunteer organization that supports the efforts of the Jackson County Animal Shelter.

Volunteers will wash your dog for only $7.  Nail trims are being done by Land of Paws professionals and are only $5.  The complete “spaw” package (wash and nail trim) is only $10.

Those in Medford can take their pooches to the sixth annual Medford Dog Wash at Pet Country, 2833 N. Pacific Hwy., from 10 a.m. to 2 pm., Saturday, July 24.

Ashland pooches will need to hold out a bit longer for the 18th annual Ashland Dog Wash which will occur on Saturday, Aug. 14 at the Ashland Food Co-op on First Street.

 For more information about Friends of the Animal Shelter, visit www.fotas.org.

This summertime plea goes out to all dog owners - Please! Please! Please! Do NOT leave your dog in the car. Not even to dash into the store, post office or drop off a Jell-O mold at the kiddies’ pool party.

Each year we run stories about the dangers of hot cars and pets. Each year we lose beloved animals to this totally preventable tragedy.

As temperatures soar, hundreds of beloved canine companions are unintentionally killed or injured each year by being left in hot cars, even with windows cracked and only for a short time.

Don’t forget your dog is wearing a fur coat. According to the Animal Protection Institute, a 2007 study by San Francisco State University found that temperatures inside a car with the windows cracked can rise almost 20 degrees in 10 minutes, 35 degrees in 30 minutes and as much as 50 degrees in one hour.

Heatstroke can lead to organ shutdown and intestinal damage. A dog who is panting heavily, appears anxious, has glazed eyes or a rapid heart rate or is vomiting may have heatstroke and should immediately be placed in an environment with cool air and rushed to a veterinary care center.

If people see an animal or child trapped inside a hot car, they should call the police immediately, especially during the summertime

Leaving a pet in a vehicle can lead to charges of animal neglect if a person intentionally, knowingly, recklessly or with criminal negligence fails to provide minimum care for an animal in his or her care.

July 4 is fast approaching. And a lot of folks are super excited about the pending festivities. Who doesn’t like a fiery display of flash-bang-boom?

Um… The answer to that would be many of our sound-sensitive pets.

Each year many dogs run away at the sound of fireworks, which can be going off nightly for a week. Jackson County Animal Care and Control shelter sees dozens of extra dogs in the month of July because of the fireworks, and there’s often no way to know where they came from because the majority don’t have any ID.

It’s an equally frustrating time for the Southern Oregon Humane Society. People call and say they’ve lost a pet. Others come in from those who have found one. Sometimes they match. Sometimes they don’t.

It’s important for people whose dog has bolted to contact the humane society, the animal shelter and the vet offices. If possible, bring in or e-mail photos to the shelters and vet offices, because one person’s description of a dog may not match another’s of the same animal. One person’s border collie mix is another person’s Aussie mix. Also, visit the county shelter frequently. Do not assume one phone call will suffice. New dogs may come in daily. And you’d be surprised how long it might take for your pet to settle down enough to be found.

The best solution for this annual dilemma is for dog owners to think ahead and keep their pets inside — in a cool, comfortable, contained area with a roof on it – during fireworks season. Here are some more tips:

• Be sure your dog is wearing contact information on a dog tag or collar at all times, and have an identifying microchip implanted.
• If your dog vanishes, check lost and found ads and visit the animal shelter frequently.
• Have a photo of your dog on hand that you can send to the county shelter and humane society.
• Stay with your dog while fireworks are going off and create some distracting noise such as music.