Top 10 Austin Pet Heroes of 2011
A Variety Of Pets Media based in Austin, Texas is comprised of radio shows and documentary videos highlighting heroes and pioneers. These individuals share their lives with two or more pets. The radio show portion has been featured in three magazines in two years and received an award in 2010.
Everyday individuals associated with non-profit rescue organizations devote great passion to furry or feather family members. Today these HEROES are being honored for their contributions.
#10 Humane Heroes are children under fourteen to young to volunteer. The Austin Humane Society created this program to empower children interested in helping the sheltered pets.
# 9 Therapy pet parents know the value of having their pets provide comfort to children, adults or patients. Of course, the therapy is also shared with family and staff members. Love-A-Bull’s program is called The Pit Crew and PAWS of Austin also offers Pet Therapy programs.
# 8 Stray cats share our communities. Feral Cat Feeders travel to cat colonies ensuring these living creatures are feed while other individuals have cats visit them in their yards. Click here to watch one man feed feral cats in east Austin. Everyday, these dynamic feeder heroes roam the neighbors of Austin.
# 7 Feral Cat Trappers believe TNR (Trap-Neuter-Return) is the only humane and logical method of lowering the feral cat population. In July, Austin Humane Society’s medical team spayed their 20,000th feral cat. One of Street Cat Rescue‘s missions is fixing (spay/neuter) feral cats.
# 6 Transporting pets from kill shelters to foster care is a rewarding experience. Pawsitive Karma Rescue is one of many rescue organizations seeking individuals to participate in relocating furry family members to a save environment. Beware, this adventure has become addicting to some pet lovers!
# 5 Volunteers who walk dogs or cuddle cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, ferrets, birds, hamsters, and gerbils housed at rescue organizations are heroes. It is a fact when individuals pet dogs or cats their stress level or blood pressue is lowered. All of these pets have personalities. Watch this video of the birds housed at Austin Avian Rescue and Rehabilitation. Great joy is encountered by these magnificent individuals while comforting pets.
# 4 Volunteer office assistances send e-mails, answer inquiries, and complete data entry duties along with other vital tasks. Non-profit rescue organizations can only survive when individuals offer their skills and expertise to ensure furry and feather family members are adopted to caring responsible individuals and families.
# 3 Trained volunteers were deployed to disaster areas such the Bastrop wildfires this year. Do you have an emergency plan in place to save you and your furry or feather family members? You should! PAWS of Austin is one non-profit organization ready for action.
#2 Foster Pet Parents save lives. These individuals and families open their hearts and homes to care for health or ill loving creatures. The members of Austin Animals Center’s Project Starfish posted stories of their adventures at this website. Several non-profit organizations such as Shiba Inu Rescue of Texas, Wee Rescue, From The Heart Rescue, and others rely totally on foster pet parents because they do not have an actual facility.
# 1 Responsible Pet Parents have there furry family members spay or neuter. In Austin, Animal Trustees of Austin offers low cost spay/neuter surgeries while Emancipet offers both low cost and free surgeries. Watch this short video of Emancipet’s new mobile clinic and the clients they serve.
There are over a hundred non-profit pet rescue organizations within the Austin, Texas area. Click here to review the list of partners currently associated with Austin Animal Center. The rewards of being a hero are limitless. By volunteering you share your expertise, gain new skills, meet new friends, and help furry or feather family members.
Come join the fun in 2012.
Is a Ferret Right for You?
published by The Humane Society of the United States
Domestic ferrets have become more popular as pets in recent years and can be kept legally as pets in most states, but check state and local laws for possible restrictions. As with any companion animal, these furry creatures deserve lifelong, responsible homes and caretakers.
If you’re thinking of getting a ferret, here are some things to keep in mind before taking steps to add a ferret to your family.
Don’t shop: Adopt
The HSUS believes that ferrets, like other companion animals, should not be bred for commercial purposes or sold in retail pet stores. If you are thinking of adding a ferret to your family, see if an animal shelter or rescue group near you has any ferrets for adoption.
Special considerations
Ferrets are very different from more traditional companion animals such as dogs and cats. They are marketed by the pet industry as “unusual,” but individuals considering adopting a ferret should be wary of the industry’s claims that unusual pets are easy to care for. Ferrets require a high level of commitment to be cared for responsibly and humanely; individuals not prepared or able to make such a commitment should not keep ferrets as pets.
Responsible care
Ferrets have sharp teeth and occasionally bite when startled, excited, or handled improperly. There have even been incidents when small children have been seriously injured by ferret bites. Children, particularly infants, should never be left unsupervised with ferrets (or with any other companion animal).
Like all mammals, ferrets can carry and transmit rabies. Therefore, all ferrets should be vaccinated against this fatal viral disease
Needs and habits
Keeping ferrets humanely may be a challenge for individuals who are unfamiliar with their needs and habits. Ferrets sleep much of the time, but when awake are both curious and highly active.
They should not be confined to a cage at all times, yet need close supervision when allowed out of their enclosures. It is usually necessary to take special measures to “ferret-proof” homes where ferrets are kept to ensure their safety.
Like other companion animals, ferrets require periodic veterinary check-ups and veterinary care when needed. Be sure to find a veterinarian in your community who is experienced with ferret care.
Sterilization
Pet ferrets must be spayed or neutered to prevent them from adding to the numbers of unwanted and homeless ferrets in need of shelter and rescue. Sterilization is particularly important for female ferrets, who can contract a disease called fatal aplastic anemia.
Stinky?
To put it kindly, ferrets don’t always come up smelling like roses. A ferret’s sebaceous glands, which are used to mark territory, secrete oil with a natural musky odor, and the animal’s anal scent glands can spray just like a skunk’s.
Katie’s Critters Small Animal Rescue
Wendy, the president will share about her small animal and bird rescue. There mission is to help educate the public and raise awareness of the prevention of cruelty to small animals and Birds, (Guinea Pigs, Hamsters, Ferrets, Cockatoos, Conures, Parakeets etc.)
SC Ferret Club and The Ferret Mailing List
Holly Gorrell has a Ferret meetup group along with a Ferret mailing list where she gains and shares her knowledge regarding these furry creatures. She and her husband have had Ferrets since 1997. This show will provide us with insight on caring for Ferrets.
