Saturday, November 15, 2008

Waggin Tailgate Party is Today

Friends of Pooh Foundation 
Outer Barks located in Duck, NC is sponsoring the Waggin Tailgate Party

Today from10am to 12noon.

This Outer Banks Fun Pet Event is scheduled to benefit the Friends of Pooh Canine & Feline Cancer Fund. 

Friday, November 14, 2008

Area Animal Shelters Reach Out with a Helping Hand during National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week November 2nd -8th

November 2nd - 8th was National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week.

 As the Animal Shelters in the area celebrated special thought was given to the Newest Animal Shelter in the Area, Hyde County Animal Shelter. 

The Hyde County Animal Shelter is run by a one man operation, J.M. Eakes and was established August 1st 2007.Donations were abundant this week & so greatly appreciated.

 The Animal Lovers Assistance League, Inc. operators of the Currituck County Animal Shelter remember what it was like when they took control of the Currituck County Animal Shelter on July 1st, 2005. 

The Animal Lovers Assistance League, Inc. received help from the Elizabeth City Animal Shelter at that time and now thought it was appropriate to give back as they had been given too. The Animal Lovers Assistance League was a large donator to the Hyde County Animal Shelter.

 Their donations included a large bag of towels, a large bag of blankets, 5 bags of dry dog food, 4 cases of Pedigree Can dog food, 4 cases of Little Caesar’s dog food & 3 cases of Whole Meals. Ginger Sikes, Director of the Animal Lovers Assistance League thought it appropriate to include the Hyde County Animal Control with donations as she planned the Currituck County Animal Shelters Appreciation Luncheon that took place on Thursday November 6th for the dedicated workers at the Currituck Animal Shelter. 

The Outer Banks SPCA operators of the Dare County Animal Shelter also made donations to the Hyde County Animal Shelter on November 6th.Donations from the Outer Banks SPCA included a large bag of towels, a large bag of blankets and 100 lbs. of kitty litter. 


Thursday, November 13, 2008

Meet L. Reber Senior Animal control Officer for the Town Of Kill Devil Hills NC

Officer Reber has been an Animal Control Officer for the Town of Kill Devil Hills N.C. since December of 1989.

Officer Reber feels that being a responsible pet owner is very important for both pet owners and non pet owners. A responsible pet owner should provide proper care for their pet by providing food, water, and proper shelter for the time of year, veterinary care, love and affection. Responsible pet owners make good neighbors and so do their pets. Animal problems affect everyone.

The animals of irresponsible pet owners cost taxpayer’s xxxx amount dollars for Animal Control services each year. Exercise your pet daily it will keep him or her happy, healthy and trim.

Please don't let your pet run free that's being irresponsible. Pets thrive on attention from their owners and you will enjoy their companionship too. Keep pets restrain. Free roaming pets face many dangers (cars, other animals, disease, etc). Provide your animal with a good collar and proper tags.Check with your county /town shelters for information about registering your pet (county/city dog license).

Spaying (female) or Neutering (male) your pet is good. With millions of unwanted animals born each year spaying or neutering is a effective birth control for your pet and there are other benefits too. Spaying and neutering helps protect animals from many common health problems. Both male and female pets face a less risk of developing certain cancers. A spayed or neutered animal feels less of an urge to roam and are less likely to be in an accident or get into a fight and so on. You do not have to let your pet breed before spaying or neutering for your to have a good disposition .If your pet gains weight after being spaying or neutering it’s because of lack of exercise and an improper diet.

If you ever have to find a home for your pet because you are no longer able to keep same try your best to find a good, loving home and if all else fails call your local shelter. Never wait until the last minute and never abandon the animal.

If your eyes could only see what my eyes see, PLEASE SPAY OR NEUTER YOUR PET, THINK AHEAD BEFORE ADOPTING OR BUYING A PET, and SEEK ADVICE FROM PET EXPERTS WHENEVER YOU HAVE QUESTION. AND THEN YOU WILL DISCOVER THE REWARDS OF BEING A RESPONSIBLE PET OWNER.

 About me: I am a native from Wanchese N.C., I love to go boating, fishing, hunting (deer,dove,duck). I also love to spend time with my family. I am married to a beautiful woman with four beautiful children who all love the OUTER BANKS and what it has to offer. I hope to retire one day and just fish and hunt. By the way I have a dog. She is a black lab 8 years old, spayed female, collard and tagged. She also loves to fish and hunt.

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Lita Katulski, Shelter Director Feline Hope Animal Shelter, Inc.

Lita Katulski, Shelter Director Feline Hope Animal Shelter, Inc. moved to the Outer Banks in August 1998 with hurricane Bonnie.

She moved here from Silver Spring, Maryland after retiring from Bell Atlantic, now Verizon. She graduated from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland with a Bachelor of Science degree in foreign languages.

Before moving here Lita had one Siamese cat from six weeks to 21 years of age. A flyer to volunteer for Feline Hope, showed up at Lita’s house, so she called to volunteer, for once a week clean up.

The current Director Ken Joseph was looking to move to Chapel Hill so he had other thoughts. He was looking for someone to take his place.

Lita started meeting the kitties (13) and helping to build the new Herbert Perry Lane shelter. It opened in December, 1998.

Since then Feline Hope Animal Shelter, Inc. has taken in 2, 903 cats/kittens. It has adopted out 2,743 - 832 cats and 1,911 kittens. It has spayed/neutered 2,050. These are awesome numbers for a very small group and shelter.

We receive many emails and cards with pictures and stories about the kitties in their new homes. Feline Hope Animal Shelter, Inc. currently has 74 kitties looking for homes. Some at the shelter and some in foster care. Feline Hope has clean up folks for the A. M. and P.M. daily. 

Feline Hope Animal Shelter, Inc, has foster parents, maintenance volunteers, adoption activities at local shops like Mustang Sally's, The Holistic Pet Shop and Outer Barks. We also participate at Heritage Day and the Kitty Hawk elementary School Fall Carnival to try and educate the public about the number of homeless animals and the importance of spay/neuter.

Feline Hope Animal Shelter, Inc. has a wonderful group of dedicated volunteers. It is also very blessed to have the number of people that send donations since we live by donations only. The Outer Banks community Foundation has recognized our work and granted Feline Hope a $5,000.00 award for the past two years. Many local businesses help with donation cans in their shops.

 Lita has two dogs as well as her kitties. Gretta, a 10 year old Shepherd mix, came from the SPCA and the Dare County Animal Shelter and Bella, a hound, lab mix came From the Animal Lovers Assistance League and the Currituck County Animal Shelter. Both dogs walk every year in Kelly's St. Patrick's Day Parade for the Coastal Humane Society. 

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Ginger Sikes, President of the Animal Lovers Assistance League, Inc.

Ginger Sikes, who is the founder and president of the non-profit Animal Lovers Assistance League, Inc., which operates the Currituck Animal Shelter, also helped found the Currituck Humane Society 18 years ago.

She has always been a passionate animal lover. A college scholarship in music at the University of NC at Greensboro, followed by graduate studies and degrees in Music Education at Florida State University, and later at the University of Michigan, helped lead the way to a career as a high school band, orchestra, and choir director as well as a church choir director and an FM radio broadcaster.

Summer trips to Europe as a member of the staff and Assistant Conductor of the United States Collegiate Wind Band were not only fun but enlightening on the values of other cultures. Her high school band was the first high school band ever invited to perform at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC.

 Although Ginger loved teaching, she took early retirement 12 years ago to pursue her passion of making the world a better place for animals.

In 2005 it became apparent that there needed to be a change of direction in animal welfare in Currituck County. The Animal Lovers Assistance League was formed to pursue a more multifaceted approach to animal welfare in Currituck.

It includes a focus on humane education, which includes providing the US Humane Society's "KIND News" every month of the school year to more than 50 elementary school classrooms in Currituck as well as actively incorporating a large number of animal lovers (more than 150 members) with diverse interests and talents into the multitude of activities of the Animal Lovers Assistance League.

Although being chartered in 2005, in 2006 they were the recipient of the Governor's Award for Outstanding Volunteer Service in North Carolina. In 2007 they were the recipient of the Award for Non-Profit Organization of the Year in Currituck County.

The Animal Lovers Assistance League organized the second annual Bark in Maple Park in October. It had approximately 350 people in attendance. Many entered their dogs in the various Fun Dog Show categories, such as Most Regal, Most Spots, Best Costume, etc., while some just brought their dogs to come and watch the festivities. Every dog in the Fun Dog Show is a winner! All went home with dog treats provided by DogNutz, ribbons, certificates. first place medals. Pet Portraits by pet photographers Laurie Stuart and John It was a fun day for all! 

The motivation behind the event is to promote the concept that dogs are a part of one's family, that they can not only be a lot of fun, but deserve respect as well. Next year it is expected that even more dogs will bring their families!

Operation of the Currituck Animal Shelter includes providing a comfortable quality of life for animals at the shelter as well as intense efforts to bring the animals to the attention of the public through the use of frequent adopt-a-thons including at the PetsMart in Chesapeake; work with animal rescues; a donors' sponsored weekly newspaper ad of our animals who are "Ready to be Homeward Bound"; our web site that is linked to Petfinder.org for national and regional exposure of our shelter animals; and a volunteer pet trainer who teaches free classes in pet good manners in order to make our animals more readily adoptable.

Veterinary care is provided by local veterinarians as needed. Thanks to the efforts of many people, an 88% adoption rate for adoptable animals is maintained.

Rapidly growing Currituck County has outgrown their small shelter, which will be bulldozed when the neighboring airport expands, and efforts are underway to enlist the assistance of the county in building a new, larger progressive 21st century shelter near the new NC Extension Center and future Community/Senior Center on Hwy. 158 to Elizabeth City.

It would include flex cages for use by animals displaced due to their owners being battered and having to leave home, or losing their home in a fire; or to help in a disaster. Modern animal display techniques will help provide better public exposure for our animals as well as better techniques for controlling the transmission of disease.

Part of Ginger's vision is the development in conjunction with College of the Albemarle a curriculum of Animal Services that would lead to local employment of people in the various areas of animal services. This would not only provide jobs for those who have training in the various animal welfare services, it would provide improved animal care in the region for many decades to come. Ginger remarked that there is a deep satisfaction when you know that you helped save a helpless animal's life.

Hopefully, with the coming of a new, much larger Animal Adoption Center, which aptly describes the concept that the Animal Lovers have of it, over the years many thousands of animals will be saved and go to loving homes.

This is her vision. Her passion is to make these things become a reality -- and with the help of a great many other dedicated animal lovers, they will! Ginger's children who have paws are named: Ressie Piecey, Barkley, Beethoven, Wee Bonnie Lass, and Nestle (who is the son of now deceased Hershey). "They bring me so much joy-- they make me laugh every day.

 People who do not have pets just don't realize that they are missing some of the great joys in life!"  

Monday, November 10, 2008

Denise Lambiotte, Director of the Dare County Animal Shelter

Denise Lambiotte, Director of the Dare County Animal Shelter and employed by the Outer Banks SPCA has been in the Outer Banks for 2 years as of this November. 

Denise Moved from Charlotte, NC to take the job of Director of Dare County Animal Care & Control. I have 25 years of service in the animal care & welfare field that started when I graduated from Fairmont State College with an Associates Applied Science Degree in Veterinary Technology.

I feel that that the majority of animal owner’s in Dare County are very responsible but would like to see more animals spayed or neutered. The amount of puppies and kittens that are turned over to the Dare County Animal Shelter is staggering. Seeing the same people bring in litters every year is very disheartening.

I have the best staff in the entire world. People who work in our field have a very special heart and commitment to the care and welfare of all animals. My favorite quote is “Blessed are the Merciful” On the other hand I am in awe with the amount of people that donate time/money/in kind donations such as food, litter and toys. We never had anything like that ever happen in Charlotte.

People come to our little animal shelter to just play with our dogs and cats along with bringing their adopted pets back to just say “hello” and let my staff know how well they are doing. There is nothing better than seeing a previous homeless pet come back to visit with a sparkle in their eyes and a wagging tail. That is what makes the job all worth while. 

I have 2 rescued dogs. Ranger is an 11 year old German Shepherd mix that was picked up off of the streets of Charlotte when he was 12 weeks old, someone had left him for dead. And then there is Floyd, a 7 year old Bassett Hound that came from the Dare County Animal shelter 1 year ago. I am Floyd’s 3rd and final home. Both dogs live the life at my home in Manteo. Ranger has a bed in every room of the house because he doesn’t get on the furniture but Floyd spends very little time on the floor since his favorite spot in on the couch or on my bed. 

Sunday, November 9, 2008

Common Thanksgiving Food Pitfalls and Hazards

Coastal Animal Hospital-Kitty Hawk
Thanksgiving is a wonderful time where family and friends join together in a festive spirit. It is also a time to eat some great food and often lots of it! It is also a time for many food-induced pet emergencies. It is critical to realize that your beloved pet can have some serious side effects from eating human food.

Gastritis/Enteritis- this is inflammation of the stomach and intestines. This can be caused by a variety of foods and not all pets will react to the same ones. The prominent signs of this condition are usually vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy and a painful abdomen. Treatment of these can be done by your veterinarian usually on an outpatient basis and resolves fairly quickly.

Pancreatitis- this is when the pancreas becomes inflamed and can become a potentially life-threatening condition. Greasy or fatty foods, such as steak, ham or chicken skin are common culprits. Clinical signs of this condition are usually similar to gastritis with pronounced vomiting, diarrhea and extreme abdominal discomfort and lethargy. Bloodwork to check the pancreatic enzymes confirms this diagnosis and since the clinical signs are so similar to gastritis/enteritis it is imperative that you seek medical attention when these signs first occur so appropriate treatment can occur promptly. Treatment usually consists of intravenous fluids and a stay at the veterinarian’s office until these enzymes return to normal which can take up to several days and in some severe cases can be fatal.

Foreign Body Ingestion- This is when your pet ingests something, which can become entrapped in the stomach or intestines. This can include meat bones, plastic wrappers or toys. It is important to not let your pet chew on bones that can splinter or be readily broken, which include most bones except some large cow bones. Even these bones must be cooked properly so as to not allow fatty residues, which can lead to either gastritis or pancreatitis. As a rule we usually recommend only feeding bones, which are commercially sold for chewing purposes and even those, carry some risk and are not for all pets and temperaments. The prominent clinical signs are again severe vomiting and diarrhea, straining to defecate and severe abdominal discomfort. Treatment for foreign body ingestion involves identification of and removal of the foreign body. This is a major surgical procedure in many instances and left untreated can be fatal.

These are the most common holiday food hazards and while many of these conditions are serious they can usually be avoided by simply not feeding your pets from the table. It is acceptable to feed them most raw fruits and vegetables as long as they are not prepared in butter or sauces. Also, boiled, skinless, boneless chicken breast is suitable for most dogs in small portions. Some additional foods, which should never be fed, are raisins and grapes, onions, chocolate and Macadamia nuts.

Now with that being said enjoy this wonderful time of year and be thankful for all of the blessings the Lord has bestowed upon you including your wonderful four legged friends! And the next time your pet looks up at you with those irresistible large, round eyes as you dig in, simply say to them, "Sorry, but I love you too much." You will be happy you did!

Stephen M. Samson DVM 
Coastal Animal Hospital
Kitty Hawk, NC

please see Veterinarian Advise Page