Here’s a round-up of last week’s hottest summertime sheltering news, including information about how animal shelters can protect their dogs from the current canine influenza outbreak while surviving kitten season. Happy #MaddieMonday!
Why antibiotics shouldn’t be your first response to upper respiratory infections in shelter cats
They say an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and that’s never more true than when it comes to the infectious diseases associated with stress in sheltered animals, like feline upper respiratory infections. But what happens if a cat does come down with URI? How can you can treat the individual cat and prevent an outbreak in your shelter or rescue organization? That’s the topic tackled by Dr. Mary Marcotte of Cherished Life Animal Rescue in Westfield, Indiana, in our latest Maddie Talk… Learn more.
From anxious to adoptable with a Maddie’s® Idea Lab Grant
Do you have shy or anxious dogs in your shelter who you just know would benefit from being in a foster home and out of the shelter environment? That’s exactly how the Anxious Dog Program (ADP) started at Longmont Humane Society in Longmont, Colo. The Anxious Dog Program expands the shelter’s foster program to include specially trained foster families who work with dogs who are shy, anxious or otherwise stressed in the kennel environment. The program started in December 2016, and is made possible with a Maddie’s ® Idea Lab Grant… Learn more.
Kitten season and canine flu: How to keep the summertime blues away from your animal shelter
Right now, there’s a confirmed outbreak of the highly contagious H3N2 strain of canine influenza virus (CIV) in Florida, Georgia and six other states, which is combining with kitten season to increase population size and disease risk in many shelters. The most important step shelters can take is to partner with their communities, foster families, rescue groups, and other shelters to ease crowding in the facility… Learn more.
Saving lives in Virginia, #ThanksToMaddie
A Virginia newspaper gave a big shout out to a little dog (our Maddie!) and Shenandoah Valley Animal Services Center director Lindsey Huffman’s Maddie’s Apprenticeship in Austin, Tex., in February. We particularly love her shelter’s enrichment program and “Give ‘Em a Break” day-outing foster program!
Best of all, despite a severe lack of resources and a super-rural location, she led the shelter to an incredible 95 percent save rate for 2016!
Way to go, Lindsey! Read it here.