by: Judy Hamontre, AVHS Volunteer  My first miniature schnauzer, Riley, was unusual in that she seldom barked. My next mini-schnauzer, Destiny, barked but she also purred like a cat.  She had a different way of communicating than Riley, although they were the same breed. I eventually learned their “talk,” just as all loving dog owners learn the communication of their furry friends. Dogs have quite a “vocabulary.”  They bark, growl, snarl, whine, whimper, yelp, howl, sing and purr. Your dog may not make all these sounds, but he definitely has his vocalizations......

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by: Nikki Ritter, AVHS Transfer Coordinator  Across the country, summer is the peak season for animal shelters as the number of animals coming in grows. For dogs, one of the main reasons for the increase is simply because they are outside more. This leads to more dogs getting loose or wiggling away from their owners while on outings. Additionally, we see an increase in dogs escaping from pet sitters who are unfamiliar with them. For the rescue group, Friends of Roswell Animals (FORA) in Roswell, NM, this is no different. FORA is......

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By: Judy Lore, AVHS Volunteer Perhaps you’re taking a walk through your neighborhood or you are cleaning out under your porch and find a litter of newborn or very young kittens. What should you do now? Following are some suggestions from Alley Cat Allies, a nonprofit that deals with this on a daily basis and particularly in the summer months when so many kittens arrive. First, your local shelter Ark-Valley Humane Society has a link on their website that gives you advice about how to handle this situation. Go to www.ark-valley.org and......

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By: Judy Hamontre, AVHS Volunteer While having a leisurely glass of wine with my friends, Ming, one of their two Siamese cats, jumped up on the coffee table, sat down and began to stare at me.  He stared and stared and stared.  I looked back, hypnotized by the deep intensity of his gaze. Then Ming began to slowly blink.  I blinked back, thinking he was playing a game.  Little did I know that Ming was saying, “I trust you, friend.” Ming was communicating with me via body language. Cats can be quite......

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By: Judy Hamontre, AVHS Volunteer While visiting my friend in her beautiful garden, one of her 3 cats, Paint, jumped onto her lap and nuzzled his head under her elbow.  This was his signal for her to rock and comfort him. My friend is very good with cats because she watches and listens to them and learns the nuances of their communications. Cats truly have unique ways of “talking” to their people. Most fascinating is that adult cats only meow to humans. With the exception of young kittens, who meow when they......

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By: Judy Lore, AVHS Volunteer As I type this the temperature has reached 91 so far and is predicted to go a couple degrees higher. That’s HOT for this valley. The dogs are too warm, and we’re all hanging out near the fans and in front of the air-conditioner. What summer foods and goodies can we share and which should we not share with our furry buddies is the question. Beer. We had a dog who loved to lick the empty beer cans and that was all he was allowed: the empty......

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By: Judy Hamontre, AVHS Volunteer Temperatures have skyrocketed several days in a row, and we all are looking for ways to cool down.  Remember our dogs are less tolerant of heat than we humans. Unlike people, dogs do not sweat out excess body heat.  They pant which sometimes is not enough to keep them from overheating. Heat exhaustion in dogs can cause potentially fatal conditions such as heat stroke and cardiac arrest. Signs of heat stroke are:  excessive heavy panting, glazed eyes, rapid heartbeat, difficulty breathing, excessive thirst, lethargy, fever, dizziness, lack of......

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By: Judy Hamontre, AVHS Volunteer Summer in the mountains is a time for adventure, and it is even more exciting when shared with our furry friends.  They love to share outdoor fun with us and so want to please us, they may not tell us when they are overdoing it. It is healthy to be active with our loyal companions, but we need to remember it is summer in the mountains.  At altitude, the atmosphere is thinner, the sun more intense, the air dryer and hot is hotter. Dogs have physiological reactions......

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By: Judy Hamontre, AVHS Volunteer I just returned from a long morning walk.  The air was fresh, the temperature cool, the winds calm, the skies Colorado blue and the open field full of wildflowers in bloom.  I passed other walkers, several with their dogs.  The pets were on leash, and their owners were using bags to “pick up after” them. Unfortunately, also on my path was poop that had not been picked up, and walkers and bikers whose dogs were not leashed, one of whom bounded toward me ignoring his owner’s calls.......

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By: Judy Hamontre, AVHS Volunteer As summer emerges and temperatures rise, the number of dogs and cats arriving at animal shelters increases which is exactly what our Ark-Valley Humane Society is experiencing.  They are seeing more animals every week and could use your help. They ask you to open your heart and home and become part of their foster program. It will make your summer more fun and make you feel good by enriching the life of a deserving animal. Fostering is vital temporary home care for animals in need.  It helps......

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