PAWPRINTS

Archive for January, 2010

California Search Dogs Giving Hope to Haitians
 Los Angeles, California (Jan 20th, 2010)

The National Disaster Search Dog Foundation (SDF) has been receiving encouraging cell-phone updates from it’s search teams deployed in the earthquake-stricken country of Haiti.

In the aftermath of the powerful 7.0 earthquake, the SDF sent six Canine Search Teams to Haiti to assist with search and rescue efforts. The dogs the foundation employs are sourced from rescue organizations and are tasked with finding people buried alive in the wreckage of disasters. SDF recruits the dogs and partners them with firefighters, providing the canines and the training at no cost to their departments.

On Sunday, the team celebrated saving five people from the ruins of Port au Prince. After one rescue, in which a woman was rescued from the rubble of a hotel, the appreciation shown by locals for the Search Teams and their Task Force was overwhelming, and locals began chanting “USA, USA…”. Later in the day, 3 women were saved from the same collapsed building, with Search Dogs Cadillac, Maverick and Hunter playing instrumental roles in locating them. The two teams – the Blue and Red team – work in alternating shifts, ensuring that there is always a team available.

SDF Executive Director Debra Tosch comments: “The rescues in Haiti underscore the critical importance of Canine Search Teams in finding survivors in the aftermath of major disasters. This is our mission, and we’re honored to be part of the Haiti rescue effort in conjunction with the U.S. Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance and the L.A. Country Task Force.”

SDF receives no government funding and relies solely on support from individuals, private foundations and companies to produce these highly-skilled teams. Since its founding in 1996, SDF has rescued hundreds of dogs, many on the brink of euthanasia. They have trained 105 Search Teams, 72 of which are currently active, and teams have been deployed to 66 disasters, including the World Trade Center attacks and Hurricane Katrina.

Picture Courtesy of National Disaster Search Dog Foundation

Original Source: PetPeoplesPlace.com

Is your pooch mad for people food? Does your kitty like to self-medicate? Sadly, not everything we love is good for us. In fact, many common household goods that we take for granted as harmless can poison our furry friends. In 2009, the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center in Urbana, IL, handled more than 140,000 cases of pets exposed to toxic household substances, including insecticides, cleaning supplies and prescription medications.

To help you keep your pet safe and sound in 2010, ASPCA  experts have created a list of the 10 common poisons that most affected our furry friends last year. Here’s a sneak peek at their advice:

• Top dishonors—once again—go to human medications, which accounted for the most calls to the ASPCA’s 24-hour poison control hotline in 2009. Pets often snatch pill vials from counters and nightstands or gobble up meds accidentally dropped on the floor. Remember to keep all medications, including pain remedies, antidepressants and decongestants, in a cabinet far away from pets’ prying paws.
• Cats and dogs are often the unwitting victims of our efforts to battle flea infestations. The misapplication of spot-on flea and tick products can be especially problematic for our feline friends. Talk to your vet about choosing the right, species-specific flea treatment for your pet and never use products made for dogs on cats, and vice versa.
• Some of the most delicious people food—including citrus, avocado and raisins—can be poisonous to pets. Chocolate ingestion accounted for nearly half of all people food-related cases in 2009, so be sure to keep cocoa hidden from your resourceful cat or dog.
• Pet parents also need to remember to protect their cats and dogs from common household cleaners such as bleaches, detergents and disinfectants. These products, when inhaled by our furry friends, can cause serious gastrointestinal distress and irritation to the respiratory tract.
• Household plants may keep your house green and your air clean, but some can cause serious gastrointestinal problems for companion animals who nibble on them. Check out our toxic plant list before your next visit to the nursery.

As always, if you suspect your pet has ingested something toxic, please call your vet or the ASPCA’s 24-hour hotline at (888) 426-4435. To read our complete list of the 10 most common pet poisons of 2009, visit APCC online.

For more information on Pet Care & Health, please visit All About Dogs and Cats