By: Judy Hamontre, AVHS Vice Chair Daytime temperatures have crept back up to the high 40’s, but forecasts show they will soon drop again. Winter has not yet ended. The strong winds continue to blow, chilling any animal caught in their path. A few weeks ago I wrote about how to protect our dogs from these harsh conditions. Cats get cold, too, and I am certain they would gladly meow their thanks for human help from winter’s brutal elements. According to the Humane Society of the United States, all felines are susceptible......

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By: Judy Lore, AVHS Volunteer columnist Cruising the web one windy, cold day I happened upon an article posted from a cat litter company. I do not have cats, but it was a really informative list of 70 Creative Ideas on How to Help Animal Shelters. I can’t list them all but have selected a few ideas that would work wonderfully in each of our towns. Ark-Valley Humane Society would I am sure welcome some of us doing one of these. The web site is worldsbestcatlitter.com/blog. 1. Host a fundraiser on social......

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By: Judy Hamontre, AVHS Vice Chair We all know our mountain valley gets cold in the winter, but it seems like it is even colder this year with temperatures dipping down into the single digits and lately, even below zero. That is without the wind chill factored in. We humans take precautions when we venture outdoors, adding more layers of clothing, limiting our time outside, and only going out if necessary. Hopefully we are being just as careful with our furry friends, protecting them from winter’s bitter elements. The American Veterinary Association......

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By: Judy Hamontre, AVHS Vice Chair The joy of pet ownership is boundless. Our furry friends are family. They fill our lives with laughter, meaning and unconditional love. Having to say goodbye to our beloved dogs, cats, and other companion animals is heartbreaking, leaving an emptiness in our homes and our lives. We grieve. We cry. We do not think clearly. We miss their warm greetings, playful antics and comforting snuggles. We ache. In the midst of this emotion, we also have to plan their aftercare. We want to say goodbye in......

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By: Judy Lore, AVHS Volunteer columnist I have noticed many lost dogs – and some cats – and some not reunited with their people. Why? The answer is often simple. No collar. Collar, but no ID tag with name and phone number. Not microchipped with a rice sized microchip containing up to date owner’s information on it to be easily scanned at a shelter or vet’s office. It is immensely beneficial to, at the very least, have a collar with an ID tag attached. A collar by itself might help when leash......

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By: Judy Hamontre, AVHS Vice Chair To sleep with your pet or not? That is the question! According to a psychologist who wished to remain anonymous, “Sharing a bed with your furry friend may not be a good idea, except when it is, or worded another way, it is a good idea until it is not.” Research results provide answers and points of view that are no more definitive than the advice of this psychologist. Most recent surveys show that about half of our country’s cats and dogs sleep in bed with......

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By: Judy Hamontre, AVHS Vice Chair Today, after feeding my 8 year-old, sweet Gracie and going for a short walk, I reminded her that 2024 has nearly come to an end. She looked up at me, tilted her head to the right, perked up her Boxador ears, and I know she was thinking, “You are not about to begin making resolutions for 2025 are you?” “I told you last year that I am quite happy to: play more and stress less, take naps each afternoon, go for walks to enjoy nature, smile......

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By: Judy Lore, AVHS Volunteer columnist The topic of what and why we name our dogs the way we do started as I was reading Alexandra Horowitz’s 2019 book Our Dogs, Ourselves in which she devotes an entire early chapter to this little examined process of naming our dogs. In the interest of full disclosure, I’m sure the same process plays out when naming your newly adopted kitty. Horowitz is the Senior Research Fellow at Barnard College, Columbia University, and head of the Dog Cognition Lab there. (FYI: she studies the intelligence......

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By: Judy Hamontre, AVHS Vice Chair A moment I will never forget is a woman, a complete stranger, who upon seeing me outside the post office in my AVHS volunteer shirt, stopped me to share her story. She began with, “The Ark-Valley Humane Society helped me keep my cat, Annie, when times became tough for me. They gave me cat food and supplies. They were so kind and understanding.” Then the woman began to cry as she added, “Annie was my only family. I could not imagine life without her. Thanks to......

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By: Judy Lore, Volunteer columnist Need some good ideas for special things to do with your pet during the Holidays?  Here are some ideas: shower them with some gifts, enjoy extra time outdoors with them – my dogs love rolling in snow – an extra long walk is fun for them, take your pet with you to view holiday lights (they just love car rides and being with you), let your cat enjoy all the empty boxes after gifts are opened, cuddle on the couch and watch holiday movies together, make a......

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