HOW TO FIND A LOST PET

Act Fast! Animal Shelters in Michigan are required to keep lost animals without identification (No Collar) only four days and with identification (Collar with License & Rabies Tag) only seven days before adopting out or euthanizing the animal. Here's what you can do to locate a lost pet. 

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• Come to The Arenac County Animal Shelter to file a lost report. If this is not immediately possible, call 989-846-4421 to file a report over the phone. If you live in Ogemaw County you may also call 989-345-5903. If your lost pet is picked up in Ogemaw County it will be taken to the Arenac County Animal Shelter located at 3750 Foco Rd., Standish.

• Go to the Arenac County Animal Shelter (3750 Foco Rd., Standish). If this is not immediately possible, call 989-846-4421, to file a lost report. 

• Go to the shelter as often as possible to locate your pet, do not rely on others to locate your pet. This is especially important if your pet is a mix-breed and thus difficult to describe. Although the shelter staff tries their best to screen all animals that come to them, the owner is the best identification resource.

• Check neighbor's yards, both front and back . If you've lost a cat, ask neighbors to check their basements, garages, and cars.

• Check with-in a radius of 8-10 miles of where your pet became lost. Animals will typically be found close to where they live.

• Talk to as many people as possible. Ask if they have seen your pet. Let them know that you are concerned.

• Search for your pet especially in the early morning hours (3am - 5am) when it is quiet. Your pet may be able to hear you calling and you may be able to hear their sounds or movement.

• Set up a temporary comfort station (provide a bed, food, and water) near the area your pet was lost, to encourage your pet to stay in the area if he or she returns while you are gone.

• Alert your postal carrier.

• Put a "Lost" ad in area newspapers.

• Distribute posters that include a description of your pet, where he or she was lost, your phone number, a photo of the animal, and a reward.

• If you live near the county line, visit the shelter or the animal control facility in the neighboring county as well. If you live in Arenac or Ogemaw Counties your neighboring counties would be Iosco, Bay, Gladwin, & Roscommon. 

• Check the "Lost and Found" section of area newspapers every day.

• Check your neighborhood veterinary clinics, in the event your injured pet was taken to one of them.

HOT WEATHER CARE FOR PETS

This information can help you care for your companion animal when the mercury rises.

• Overheating (heat prostration) can kill an animal. Never leave an animal alone in a vehicle, since even with the windows open, a parked car, truck or van can quickly become a furnace. Parking in shade offers little protection, as the sun shifts during the day. When traveling, carry a gallon thermos filled with fresh, cold water.

• Don't force your animal to exercise after a meal in hot, humid weather. Always exercise him or her in the cool of the early morning or evening.

• In extremely hot weather, don't leave your dog standing on the street, and keep walks to a minimum. He is much closer to the hot asphalt and his body can heat up quickly. His paws can burn since they are not protected by shoes.

• Never take an animal to the beach unless you can provide a shaded spot and plenty of flesh water for her to drink. Rinse her off after she has been in salt water.

• Always provide plenty of shade for an animal staying outside the house. A properly constructed dog house serves best. Bring your dog or cat inside during the heat of the day and let her rest in a cool part of your house. Always provide plenty of cool, clean water for your animal.

• Please be sensitive to old and overweight animals in hot weather. Brachycephalic (snub-nosed) dogs (especially bulldogs, Pekingese, Boston terriers, Lhasa apsos and shih tzus) and those with heart or lung diseases should be kept indoors in air-conditioning as much as possible.

• Keep a current license and identification tag on your dog or cat and consider tattooing or microchipping as a means of permanent identification.

• Avoid walking your dog in areas that you suspect have been sprayed with insecticides or other chemicals, as poisonings increase during the summer when gardens, lawns and trees are sprayed. These chemicals can sicken or kill an animal. Call your veterinarian or The ASPCA National Animal Poison Control Center (ASPCA/NAPCC) if you suspect your animal has been poisoned.

• Be alert for coolant leaking from your vehicle. Animals are attracted to the sweet taste of coolant and ingesting just a small amount can cause an animal's death. Consider using animal-friendly products that use propylene glycol rather than those containing ethylene glycol.

• A clean coat can help to prevent summer skin problems, so keep your dog or cat well groomed. If he has a heavy coat, shaving your dog's hair to a 1-inch length will help prevent overheating. Don't shave a dog's hair down to the skin; this robs him of protection from the sun. A cat should be brushed frequently to keep his coat tangle-free.

• Take your companion animal to the veterinarian for a spring or early summer checkup, including a test for heartworm if your dog isn't on year-round preventative medication. Have the doctor recommend a safe, effective flea and tick control program.

• Never tie an animal outside on a correction collar. He can choke to death. If you must tether him, use a buckle collar with identification tags instead. (This applies in any season.)

• Never let your animal run loose. This is how an animal can contract a fatal disease, including rabies, or be injured, killed or stolen. Be sure there are no open, unscreened windows or doors through which your animal can fall or jump.

Use common sense this summer, to help keep your pet safe. 

COLD WEATHER TIPS

Brrrr…it’s cold outside!  The following guidelines will help you protect your companion animals when the mercury dips.

1. Keep your cat inside. Outdoors, felines can freeze, become lost or be stolen, injured or killed. Cats who are allowed to stray are exposed to infectious diseases, including rabies, from other cats, dogs and wildlife.

2.  During the winter, outdoor cats sometimes sleep under the hoods of cars. When the motor is started, the cat can be injured or killed by the fan belt. If there are outdoor cats in your area, bang loudly on the car hood before starting the engine to give the cat a chance to escape.

3. Never let your dog off the leash on snow or ice, especially during a snowstorm—dogs can lose their scent and easily become lost. More dogs are lost during the winter than during any other season, so make sure yours always wears ID tags.

4. Thoroughly wipe off your dog's legs and stomach when he comes in out of the sleet, snow or ice. He can ingest salt, antifreeze or other potentially dangerous chemicals while licking his paws, and his paw pads may also bleed from snow or encrusted ice.

5. Never shave your dog down to the skin in winter, as a longer coat will provide more warmth. When you bathe your dog in the colder months, be sure to completely dry him before taking him out for a walk. Own a short-haired breed? Consider getting him a coat or sweater with a high collar or turtleneck with coverage from the base of the tail to the belly. For many dogs, this is regulation winter wear.

6. Never leave your dog or cat alone in a car during cold weather. A car can act as a refrigerator in the winter, holding in the cold and causing the animal to freeze to death.

7. Puppies do not tolerate the cold as well as adult dogs, and may be difficult to housebreak during the winter. If your puppy appears to be sensitive to the weather, you may opt to paper-train him inside. If your dog is sensitive to the cold due to age, illness or breed type, take him outdoors only to relieve himself.

8.  Does your dog spend a lot of time engaged in outdoor activities? Increase his supply of food, particularly protein, to keep him—and his fur—in tip-top shape.

9. Like coolant, antifreeze is a lethal poison for dogs and cats. Be sure to thoroughly clean up any spills from your vehicle, and consider using products that contain propylene glycol rather than ethylene glycol. Visit the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center more information.

10. Make sure your companion animal has a warm place to sleep, off the floor and away from all drafts. A cozy dog or cat bed with a warm blanket or pillow is perfect.

HOW TO HELP YOUR SHELTER

Help your animal shelter make your community a better place for animals and people, volunteer opportunities include:

• Walking Shelter Dogs 

• Socializing Shelter Puppies/Kittens

• Grooming - Giving Simple Flea Baths, Combing/Brushing Cats/Dogs

• Donate Food, Old Blankets and Towels, or Other Needed Supplies

• Contribute To the Shelter's Animal Welfare Fund

• Laundry Services for Dog & Cat Blankets

• Help Transport Cats & Dogs To Rescues 

• Provide temporary foster home to care for elderly, sick or injured animals

• Find and adopt that next pet from your local shelter, which has many wonderful dogs, cats and other species of different shapes and sizes just waiting for a permanent, loving home.

• Help spread the word. Tell your friends about your local shelter's services

• Promote animal safety and responsible pet ownership

• Be a responsible pet owner. Keep current identification on your dog or cat at all times. Spay or neuter your pet. Always keep your dog or cat properly confined or supervised. In addition to the basics—food, water, shelter, and veterinary care—give your pet lots of love and attention.

• Vote for the animals. Support legislation to protect animals. Contact government officials about animal issues and urge them to support pro-animal legislation.

• Be a hero. Report animal cruelty and neglect as well as injured or stray animals. You may prevent suffering and even save a life.

• Teach your children well. Instruct children in how to care for animals properly and how to treat them with kindness. Set an example by doing the same.

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