Adopters will be available to answer questions about living with retired racers and how to adopt greyhounds as pets. Greyhounds will be on hand for wags and kisses.

For additional information, visit www.pgreys.org, check Facebook (Personalized Greyhounds, Inc.) or call 717-243-5121.

Hannah writes, “She is seriously the most snuggly and docile cat I have come across. I wish I could keep her, but I already have two cats.”

If you’re missing this cat, or if you’d like to adopt her, contact Hannah at hbeard218@gmail.com or 717-968-4307.

The event will include a Mutt Strut in the morning, followed by a day of fun and games, vendors, rescues and demonstrations.

Don’t have a dog? That’s OK, there’s still plenty of activities and vendors for you to check out. Or, you can rent one of Animal Rescue’s dogs for a while. Who knows? You might find your new best friend!

New game booths include Diving for Toys, Lucky Ducky Dog and Puzzle Your Pooch. Does your pooch need a nail trim or a new professional photo? Stop by Bark of the Town and Matt Wing Photography. Try your pups’ paws at Barkby Plungers lure course and check out the Flyball team.

For everyone’s safety and enjoyment, ARI asks that only socially well-behaved dogs that are up-to-date on vaccines and not in heat attend. Please, no flexi-leads.

Schedule includes:

• 9 a.m., Mutt Strutt
• 10:30 a.m., Temptation Tower
• 11:15 a.m., ARI reunion photo
• 11:45 a.m., Clean-Ur-Plate
• 12:30 p.m., Adopt A Pet Parade
• 1:15 p.m., Meet the Rent-A-Dogs
• 2 p.m., Costume Contests
• 2:45 p.m., Peanut Butter Licking Contest
• 3:15 p.m., Best Pup Contests

For more information, visit animalrescueinc.org.

]]> http://www.yorkblog.com/pets/2015/08/26/today-aug-26-is-national-dog-day/ Wed, 26 Aug 2015 04:16:33 +0000 http://www.yorkblog.com/pets/?p=10441 According to the recent “Milo’s Kitchen Dog Happy Survey” — a national survey of 3,000 U.S. dog parents by the Milo’s Kitchen dog treat brand — our four-legged friends enrich our lives in surprising ways that we often don’t fully appreciate:

A BETTER LIFE

• 86 percent of dog parents say their dog “comforts me immeasurably”
• 71 percent say their dog “reminds me to seek out more joy in life”
• 64 percent say their dog “makes me look forward to going home more than anything else”
• 63 percent say their dog “makes me much more patient and responsible”

So, it’s no surprise that 73 percent of dog parents buy their dog a special gift (especially dog treats) at least once per month.

MILO KITCHEN’S “27 WAYS THAT DOGS IMPROVE OUR LIVES”

The study also uncovered 27 ways that dogs make a major positive impact in our everyday lives:

1. Stress relief
2. Staying active and fit
3. Lower blood pressure and cholesterol
4. Comforting us
5. Encouraging social interaction
6. Coping with depression
7. Teaching us about love
8. Health alert detection
9. Companionship
10. Allergy deterrent
11. Mood enhancement
12. Heat therapy
13. Improved dating possibilities
14. Study help
15. Bringing joy and happiness
16. Personal security
17. Family conflict resolution
18. Encouraging responsibility
19. Making us more patient
20. Reinforcing good habits and routines
21. Keeping us on schedule
22. Teaching parenting skills
23. Anti-bullying
24. Improving literacy
25. Self-esteem and pride
26. Immune system support
27. Personal assistance

For more information, visit http://mktreattruck.com/2015/08/24/milos-kitchen-27-ways-dogs-improve-our-lives

To see each of these 27 ways in action, watch the “Thank You, Doggy” video below:

In honor of National Dog Day, Nextdoor, the free and private social network for neighborhoods, has announced the top dog names and breeds in the U.S. — because dogs are neighbors too!

TOP DOG NAMES IN U.S.

1. Bella
2. Lucy
3. Max
4. Daisy
5. Bailey
6. Buddy
7. Molly
8. Charlie
9. Maggie
10. Sadie

TOP DOG BREEDS IN U.S., AND MOST POPULAR NAMES FOR EACH BREED

1. Mixed breed – Lucy
2. Lab – Bailey
3. Chihuahua – Coco
4. Golden retriever- Bailey
5. Dachshund – Lucy
6. Boxer – Rocky
7. Shih tzu – Gizmo
8. German shepherd – Max
9. Yorkshire terrier – Sophie
10. Beagle – Daisy

To pay tribute to its office pooches for National Dog Day, Unique Vintage took a look at a day at the office from the eyes of its four-legged best friends. They say in a good workplace your coworkers become your second family and since every day is “Bring Your Dog to Work Day” at the Unique Vintage corporate headquarters and storefront, the company prides itself on having a pretty diverse and fun second family to pass the workdays alongside.

Unique Vintage is all about furry family and friends, but for National Dog Day the company took that appreciation up a notch by strapping a GoPro on one of the online retailer’s longest-tenured office pups, Alexander. Take a look at Alexander greeting his office family, hitting the gym, visiting with his favorite bulldog in the sauna, and helping a boxer choose fabric swatches. You’ll also get a peek at the other office dogs and how they help their owners get their day-to-day jobs done.

Check out the video below:

Does your dog get excited at mealtime? Check out the video below from HooplaHa.com to see playful pets jump, squeal and beg for some mealtime grub:

Lynette Bortner Deamer’s cat, Peachie, and her five kittens have been moved into foster care and are safe. And someone has offered to adopt Ginger, the orange cat. But there are still at least 14 cats left at the house that need to be out of there ASAP.

Can anyone help these sweet kitties? Although they’re living outside now, they are familiar with living indoors and can use a litter box. Some might be a bit shy at first, but are friendly.

If anyone can help, contact Lynette at 717-315-8105 or dulcimergirl1012@gmail.com ASAP — they don’t have much time left.

Here are a few of the remaining cats that still need someone to help them:

Peachie and her five kittens must be out of the building they’re living in by Aug. 21. Peachie is about a year and a half old and not yet spayed.

Because Lynette and her almost-8-year-old daughter are moving in with a friend in a place that requires a lengthy quarantine period for cats, they cannot even take their favorite cats along. The expense would be too great, and she fears the travel and quarantine period would be too hard on the cats.

Lynette said her daughter named this kitten Haukea, which means Snow White in Hawaiian.

“I love these cats of all ages, and do not want to have to surrender them to a kill shelter. It will break my heart.” Lynette writes. “I never expected to be leaving here. … There will be no one to care for them at all. I have tried 11 agencies and you are my last hope.”

So, what do you say, dear readers? Can anyone help Lynette’s cats, even temporarily? We pulled together as a community before, and I’m hoping we can do it again. I’m sharing photos of a few of the cats and the five kittens here, but there are others that need a place to go also.

If anyone can help, contact Lynette at 717-315-8105 or dulcimergirl1012@gmail.com ASAP — they don’t have much time left.

More of Peachie’s kittens:

A few of the other kitties needing a place to go:

ROSE HAYES — YORK DAILY RECORD/SUNDAY NEWS
Kimbrel, a fawn-colored greyhound, was one of six greyhounds flown from Florida to the Lancaster, PA, area in 2013. He was being fostered by Personalized Greyhounds Inc. until ready for adoption.

Adopters will be available to answer questions about living with retired racers and how to adopt greyhounds as pets. Greyhounds, including several that are available for adoption, will be on hand for wags and kisses.

For additional information, visit www.pgreys.org, check out Personalized Greyhounds In. on Facebook or call 717-243-5121.

Susie Q was the only one of her cats that Laurie was able to rescue after Martin tossed them outside. She had been living at Laurie’s apartment.

My faith in human decency, which is often shaky, took a major hit May 29 when Laurie was murdered by her estranged husband, Martin, after many years of abuse. Laurie was a sweet soul who loved animals and just wanted to be happy and enjoy life. She especially loved her cats, and when she had to leave without them to save her own life, it really hurt her. She was still hoping to get the cats out of there to a safe place, which was made more difficult when Martin put them all outside. She was only able to rescue one of the cats, Susie Q, before her death. The rest were still outside, living in the woods.

I had promised Laurie the last time I saw her that I would try to help get her cats to safety. Because Martin had repeatedly threatened to kill her if she left him, she asked if I would take care of the cats if anything happened to her. I would not have been able to fulfill that promise without the help of friends, family and total strangers. What can I say, except thank you from the bottom of my heart. I’m sure somewhere, Laurie is smiling that big smile of hers that lit up her whole face. I am in awe of the outpouring of support from the community in response to my plea for help for Laurie’s cats. People donated money, cat food and supplies, and offered loving homes to Laurie’s cats.

We didn’t need to trap Bella — she jumped right into Karen’s lap! I think she was saying “Get me out of here!”

It was definitely a community effort from the beginning. I borrowed two humane traps from Linda Mummaw of Lower Windsor Township and two from my sister, Lori Hainey of Dover Township. Laurie’s sister, Karen Nordsick, joined Lori and I to set the traps, pointing out the spots most frequented by the cats since they were outside. We took turns checking and resetting the traps at least twice a day, sometimes more often, until we had caught all five of Laurie’s cats that were still outside. Susie Q had been living at Laurie’s apartment, and was already adopted by Janet Sanderson of Dover Township, one of Laurie’s best friends.

Stanley was a mess when he was caught, but has cleaned up nicely. This is his “before” photo.

We also caught a sixth cat: a stray, unneutered male who Laurie had been feeding outside and had named “Old Man Grey.” He and Ellie were the first two cats caught in the traps. Ellie was caught first, and Karen kept her at her house overnight until I could pick her up in the morning. By morning, “Old Man Grey” was in another trap. When Karen called to let me know we had another cat, she said “He’s pretty big and, man, does he smell bad!” “Old Man Grey” was not neutered and he was very upset about being in the trap. He seemed vicious — growling, hissing and bashing himself against the wire of the trap. I hesitated, not sure I should take him to my house, but decided I didn’t have the heart to dump him back out there in the woods. So he and Ellie came home with me, and I renamed him Stanley, aka “Stinky Stanley.”

Ellie was the first of Laurie’s cats to be caught in a humane trap. She was adopted by Janet Sanderson of Dover Township, who also adopted Ellie’s best bud, Susie Q.

Ellie, a beautiful dilute tortoiseshell kitty, was a bit nervous at first, but quickly settled in and became very affectionate. She stayed with me briefly, then was adopted by Janet Sanderson, who had already adopted Susie Q. Susie and Ellie had been best buddies when they lived indoors with Laurie, and had grown up together. So the best friends are now reunited. Susie is a big girl, white with tabby patches, with a very expressive face. She was quite shy at first, but has since blossomed into a very loving kitty, now that she has Janet to care for her, and her best bud Ellie to hang out with.

Bella was the third cat to be caught, but not in a trap. When Karen crouched down to talk to Bella, she hopped right into Karen’s lap! She was a lovebug from the start — always following me around, looking up at me as if to say “Please sit down so I can get in your lap!” Poor Bella must have been so lonely out in the woods.

Gray can be timid at first, but very affectionate once he gets to know you.

Next we caught Grey, a solid gray cat with beautiful green eyes. He was timid at first but turned out to be very affectionate once he realized nobody was going to hurt him at my house. He takes a while to warm up to new people. Bella and Grey have both been adopted by Beth Jones of Yorkana and her 8-year-old daughter, Salome. I’m glad they went together, because Gray is a bit timid and Bella is outgoing, so she’ll help him adjust to their new home. Plus, Gray likes to groom Bella. They’re brother and sister.

Bella adapted rather quickly, seeking out space on their laps. Grey is always a bit more cautious about warming up to people, but the last update said he’s no longer hiding all day and allows them to pet him now. At first, he would only come out of hiding at night in his new home. And Bella has claimed a chair as her own.

Sasha loves this toy, which has a ball to bat around the track and come cardboard in the center for scratching. She plays with it, sits on it and even sleeps on it at times.

The last two kitties to be caught were Momma and Sasha, mother and daughter. (Grey and Bella are Sasha’s brother and sister.) Sasha was caught first, similar to how Bella was caught. We spotted her under an old truck parked in the yard, and Karen crouched down and called her. Eventually Sasha ran to Karen and Karen picked her up, but once she started carrying her toward the carrier, Sasha freaked out and started trying to get away. Lori grabbed her just as she was about to slip out of Karen’s hands, and I opened the top of the carrier and pushed Sasha in. We each got scratched in that maneuver, because by then Sasha was terrified.

Doesn’t Momma have beautiful eyes?

Momma was the last to be caught, and we had pretty much given up on her. None of us had seen her so far, and it had been about four days since we had caught Sasha. The only thing we had caught since then was an opossum, which I set free. I had decided when I checked the traps before work that I would take the traps out of there, because we thought Momma had either been taken in by someone or had died out in the woods. When I got there, I picked up one of the traps and put it in the car, then went back for the other trap (by that time we only had two traps out there, since we were only trying to catch one more cat). But at the last minute, I decided to let the traps sit overnight and check them after work, at about 4 a.m. So I replaced the trap I had taken to the car, and set both traps one last time. If Momma wasn’t in there in the morning, I would give up and take the traps home.

After work, when I checked the first trap, there was a big brown tabby cat that looked healthy and well cared for, so I set him free. He was terrified, and took off as fast as he could go. I found out later that his name is Peanut Butter and he belongs to someone in the neighborhood. Then I walked to the back of the house to check the other trap, without much hope. But when I shone the flashlight into the trap, cat eyes relfected back at me! As I got closer, I saw it was Momma!

Whew, so close — I had almost given up on her too soon, and she would have been stuck out in the woods by herself.

Momma grooms Sasha in their new home with Randy and Debbie Krysher.

Both Sasha ad Momma were scared at first, but quickly became friendly. Momma took a bit longer to trust me than Sasha did. They like to groom each other, and hung out with each other more than with the other cats. Randy and Debbie Krysher of the York Haven area adopted Momma and Sasha together. The two were kept in the bedroom at first, to give them time to get used to Randy and Debbie.

Sasha grooms Momma in their new home with Randy and Debbie Krysher.

Then the door was opened so they could explore the rest of the home, and meet the two German shepherds. The dogs have been around cats before and are cat-friendly. But Sasha wasn’t taking any chances the first time she met them. She did her screeching mountain lion imitation to scare them off! The cats would sit on the dresser by the door and “talk or grumble” to the dogs out in the hallway. Last update from Randy and Debbie said the dogs and cats are doing OK.

Luckily, all of the cats were mostly healthy and still friendly, after a brief settling-in phase. I was expecting an uphill battle to retame the kitties, but they were still willing to give humans a chance, even after all they had been through.

Ellie and Susie Q, best friends reunited after being adopted by Janet Sanderson of Dover Township.

I’m so grateful to the adopters for their patience and understanding, giving the kitties time to adapt to new
surroundings and giving them a second chance to enjoy their lives. It’s extra-special that they were all adopted in pairs, so they have each other to cuddle with.

There were a few days where I wasn’t sure who was who, since Momma, Sasha, Bella and Grey are all gray cats — Grey is solid gray the others are gray tabbies, but their vet records only list “gray” as the color. Karen searched through Laurie’s paperwork to get the vet records, lists of the cats’ names, and even found a note describing each cat, which helped us figure out who was who. For a day or so before she found that note, I was calling Grey “Sasha.” (Give me a break, he is a neutered male, and I didn’t want to stress him out even more by trying to check out his privates.) Once all the cats were at my house and we had that note, it was much easier to sort them out.

Grey plays hard to get with 8-year-old Salome in his new home with Beth Jones of Yorkana.

All of Laurie’s cats got good reports on their vet visits, except that Susie was put on a diet because she’s overweight. No fleas, ticks or ear mites, and all tested negative for FIV and FeLV. They had all been spayed or neutered already, and are now up-to-date on vaccines.

Because Susie and Ellie were adopted before I got the kitties to the vet for checkups, they weren’t included in the crazy five-cat visit to Cape Horn Vet. They went separately to Dr. Anne Parker in East Berlin, where Susie was put on a diet because she’s a bit “fluffy.” and both are now up-to-date on vaccines.

“But no one can resist an 8 year old cat lover!” writes Beth Jones of Yorkana, who adopted Grey.

That leaves only Stanley. Although the rest of the cats were pretty clean and healthy, with no signs of fleas or ticks, Stanley had it all — fleas, ticks, ear mites, goopy eyes, you name it. He was filthy. His white paws and belly were yellowish tan, and even his gray fur had a yellowish tint to it. He was not neutered, very dirty, had scars and smelled really bad when we first caught him in the humane trap. He also acted ferocious, so much so that we briefly worried he might be rabid.

Bella has claimed this chair in her new home with Beth Jones.

But it turns out Stanley is a big lovebug now that he feels safe and secure. He has now been neutered and vaccinated, got a bath and lots of brushing. He looks like a new cat, and is no longer “Stinky Stanley.” He’s just plain Stanley now. His sniffles are mostly gone, and his weepy eye is much better. Unfortunately, Stanley tested positive for FIV, which means his immune system is not so good. Some say he shouldn’t be kept with other cats that don’t have FIV, because it can be contagious to other cats, although it’s mostly passed through bite wounds and Stanley isn’t the violent type. Others believe there is a slight possibiity of passing FIV through sharing food or water bowls, or maybe through sneezing, which Stanley still does sometimes.

Stanley, all cleaned up and no longer stinky, is a sweetheart.

So at least for now, Stanley is living with me, in a room by himself. It’s on the third floor, which is very hot and stuffy in summer, so I had to put in a window air-conditioner. Stanley now has the only air-conditioned room in my house. (Don’t tell the other cats!) If there’s anyone out there who doesn’t have any cats and would like to adopt a sweet, loving handsome kitty who just happens to have FIV and occasionally a weepy eye or slight sniffles, check out Stanley. He’s worth it. Or, if anyone has a cat who is FIV-positive that would like a roommate, Stanley would most likely be a good roommate. He doesn’t seem interested in challenging any other cats he has seen. Since he’s cleaned up and feeling better, he likes to play, especially with fishing-rod type toys or ribbons, and he can’t get enough petting and brushing. But Stanley is more than welcome to stay with me if nothing better comes along.

Thank you to everyone who helped to save Laurie’s cats. I couldn’t have done it without you. If I missed your name, please let me know. Although I tried to keep track of everything, it’s always possible something might have slipped through the cracks — it’s been a crazy couple of months.

Donated funds:

• Kay Deffinbaugh, who wrote “Everyone should have an angel like you in their life.”
• Jamie Mitchell, who wrote: “I’m so sorry for your loss. Thank you for helping Laurie’s cats!”
• Beth Ravegum, who wrote: “Rose, thank you for all that you are doing for these cats. Laurie would be very happy knowing that her babies are being well cared for.”
• Jacqui LeBeau, who wrote: “You’re a blessing Rose! Sending love and good energy to Laurie’s kitty family.”
• Anonymous, who wrote: “I knew Laurie briefly, she was driving my daughter’s car at the time. So very sad!
• Kathryn Rigsby, who wrote: “Thank you for taking these babies, my first husband was abusive and I had a support system for me and my 5 kitties. I wish it were more.”
• Neal Krout, who wrote: “God bless Laurie and her cats.”
• Deborah Stoppard, who wrote: “I love kitties. Have 4 of my own plus I feed all the strays that visit my back porch.”
• Kathy Riley-King, who wrote: “Momma cat is gorgeous! Thanks for caring for the kitties.”
• Karla Spangler
• Janet Simons, who wrote: “Thank you for caring for these kitties. Wish I could do more. R.I.P., Laurie.”
• Stacy Freels, who wrote: “Thank you so much for being so supportive. Aunt Laurie is smiling knowing her fur babies are being taken care of.”
• Anonymous
• Margaret Reis
• Lisa Thornton
• Teresa Wickenheiser, who wrote: “Blessing to you for saving these poor furkids. Bad enough they lost their momma, even worse they were put out to fend for themselves. My heart breaks for the loss of Laurie’s life in such a tragic way. Prayers all around.”
• Anita Frullani, who wrote: “Thank you so much for helping these kitties of this poor woman.”
• Mark Hughes, who wrote: I hope you can find good homes for these wonderful cats. She must have been quite the cat lover.”
• Lorey Ridinger, who wrote: “Blessings to you Rose. Praying we can find loving homes for these kitties.”
• Debra Jones, who wrote: “I know this isn’t much but I hope it helps. Thank you so much Rose.”
• Sharon Saylor of Springettsbury Township, who wrote: “For everything you do for animals, especially your love and concern for Laurie Kuykendall’s kitties. You are a good soul. God bless you, and good luck.”
• Steve Jones and family of Wellsville, who wrote: “Thank you for the kind gesture in taking in Laurie’s cats in an attempt to find them a home. She would’ve been so very grateful. Hope this helps you out a little.”
• Judith Selenger of New Freedom
• Don Dobbs of West York
• Laurie’s family, who donated food, funds, cat toys and other supplies
• JoAnn Hyson
• Goldie Snyder
• Marci Geise, who offered to donate profits from some of her book sales

Helped in other ways:

• Linda Mummaw of Lower Windsor Township, who let me borrow two humane traps
• Lori Hainey of Dover Township, who let me borrow two humane traps and helped to check and reset traps.
• Karen Nordsick of Wellsville, who helped to check and reset traps, searched for vet paperwork and other records
• Flo Rhoads, who donated 3 bags of Wellness grain-free cat food.
• An animal rescue organization that wishes to remain anonymous, which donated funds toward vet care.
• Dr. Melissa McFarland of Cape Horn Vet, who checked out five kitties in one visit, including vaccines and blood tests.
• Dr. Ann Parker in East Berlin, who checked out Ellie and Susie Q
• York County SPCA, which offered to help if needed
• Animal Rescue Inc. of New Freedom, which offered to help if needed
• Janet Sanderson of Dover Township, who adopted Susie Q and Ellie
• Randy and Debbie Krysher of the York Haven area, who adopted Sasha and Momma
• Beth Jones of Yorkana and her daughter, Salome, who adopted Bella and Grey
• Laurie’s kitties, who reminded me that you don’t have to let evil win; even after all they’ve been through, they were willing to love and trust again.

BACKGROUND:

On May 29, Laurie Kuykendall and her friend Barb Schrum were shot and killed by Laurie’s estranged husband, Martin Kepner, who then killed himself.

Laurie was a good friend of mine, we grew up together. I had just reconnected with Laurie in February, after she had left Martin. We had kept in touch occasionally by phone through the 33 years she was with Martin, and occasionally I would see her at the grocery store or elsewhere and we would catch up a bit. But Martin was very controlling and abusive, and Laurie wasn’t allowed to see her friends or do anything without him. When people would visit Laurie at home, Martin would hover nearby throughout their conversation, never giving them any privacy. If she was even 10 minutes late getting home from work she would be in trouble. He always accused her of cheating on him, and if a man even said hello to her, Martin would be furious.

Martin’s favorite form of punishment was to grab Laurie by the throat and slam her into the wall, choking her, or pick her up and slam her onto the floor.

bella5 Laurie and I talked and laughed the last time I saw her, and although she was fearful of what might happen, she was enjoying her life and happier than I had seen her in many years. She talked about how good it felt to finally be free, about adventures she had since leaving Martin and the many adventures she had planned for the future.
She was still living in fear, though, because Martin had always threatened to kill her if she ever left him. And the final divorce papers had yet to be served. She was afraid of how he would react when that happened, and was carrying a handgun in her purse when we went to lunch about two weeks before her death.

When we parted that day, we hugged and made plans to go see live music the following Saturday, and to attend the Be-In in York the week after that. She was excited for me to meet her new friend Barb, who was going to join us for both events.

The last thing I said to her that day was “I’m so glad you’re finally free.”
Her reply: “Yeah, he took three decades of my life; he’s not getting any more of it.”

How I wish that were true.

I was sick the following Saturday and wasn’t able to go out with Laurie and Barb. So, although we spoke on the phone and exchanged texts afterward, that lunch was the last time I got to see Laurie. The following Friday night, her older sister, Deb, contacted me to let me know Martin had followed through with his threats to kill Laurie.

For more background, see also:

Murder victim’s cats need help, homes

Update: We caught Momma today!

Two more of Laurie’s cats might get a home together

Visiting the vet, five cats at a time

Sasha and Momma went to their new home

Photo gallery: