Pets Of The Week

Last week was a real bear with our unprecedented winter weather. Like the majority of people in our area, I remained hunkered down in the house for a full week. Not our Have a Heart volunteers.  Despite the snow and frigid temperatures our volunteers showed up to make sure the pets in our Shelter got the love and care they needed. On Sunday, before the bad weather started, a group of volunteers filled all available containers with water, so if the power went out the Shelter could still be able to have fresh water for the critters and to mop the kennels. One of our volunteers camped out at the Shelter from Sunday until Tuesday afternoon, just in case no one else could get there. How’s that for dedication? Our dogs got walked, the litter boxes were cleaned and all the animals were fed and comfortable. The electricity was out a couple times, but not for an extended period. Some of the volunteers lost power at home, but still came to care for our pets. Dog walking was a challenge, to say the least. There were deep patches of snow and ice to navigate. If a volunteer happened to slip and fall, that would mean an escaped dog to have to catch. (Of course, if that dog had any sense he wouldn’t go far. Our Shelter dogs have it better than many others.)  We are happy to report that all dogs and volunteers made it through unscathed. Have a Heart has an outstanding group of volunteers who pulled together to get through the difficult conditions. If you would like to step up and become part of this great little organization, fill out a volunteer application and come find your niche with HAH to help improve the lives of the less fortunate critters in our area.

            We do not have a featured dog for the week. In addition to the challenges of providing basic care, our volunteers spent time this past week getting dogs and puppies ready to go on transport to out of state rescues. Why is it we have so many unwanted dogs and puppies around here that we have to send them out of state to find homes?  Spaying or neutering your pets would surely help that situation immensely.

We do not have a featured cat for the week. Instead of a featured cat, our Kitty Committee wanted to put out a little information regarding the practice of declawing a cat. The volunteers who work in the cattery at HAH are all opposed to the procedure of declawing cats. It is viewed as cruel and unnecessary. Some states have outlawed the procedure. If performed on a human being, declawing would be like cutting off each finger at the last knuckle.  A variety of alternatives exist to manage natural scratching behavior and to prevent injury from cat scratches. There is a lot of information available online regarding this subject. Make sure you are well informed about the declawing procedure before you subject your feline friend to this cruel procedure. You can also speak to one of the volunteers at HAH (especially those who care for the kitties) to receive more information about why you should not declaw your cat. Have a Heart is located at 657 Highway 202 in Yellville. Adoptions are by appointment only. Our pets can be viewed on our website, www.haveaheartpetshelter.org, on Petfinder, Adopt a Pet, Petango, and Pet Harbor. Phone 870-449-7387.