Keep your pets safe and healthy this winter season ~

Dogs and cats need special care when the mecury drops during the winter months. Even with thick undercoats, animals don't fair well in the cold so here are some tips to keep your loved ones safe this winter:

• When bathing your pets, make sure their coats are dry before they go outdoors. Ice can form quickly on a wet coat. Don't shave down your dog during the winter as the longer coat and the undercoat provide warmth. If your dog has a short coat, consider putting a sweater on him or her when they go outside.
• Puppies do not tolerate the cold as well as adult dogs and may be hard to housetrain during the winter. Consider paper training or using "potty pads" to help housetrain while it's cold outside.
• Antifreeze is a lethal poison to animals. Make sure to keep your pets away from any possibility of coming in to contact with antifreeze - they will lick it because it is sweet tasting. Wipe down paws after walking where they might have come into contact because even licking paws after exposure can cause death. For more information, visit the ASPCA Poison Control Center.
• Just like during the hot summer months, do not leave a pet unattended in a car. They can quickly freeze to death in cold temperatures!
• Make sure your pet has a warm place to sleep. A warm doggie bed or kitty bed is ideal, up off the floor and away from chilly drafts.
• If there are outdoor cats in your area, beware of them hiding under the hood of your car. They will seek out the warmth of the engine and when you start your car, they can be killed by the fan belt. Knock on the hood of your car before starting it to make sure there are no critters hiding out there.
• All pets should be kept indoors at all times during the year but they are especially suseptible to the cold because when it snows or if there is ice, they can easily suffer from encrusted paws and coats. Beware of salts that can damage paws, when it's time to melt the driveway and sidewalks, choose an environmentally and pet safe ice melt product!

Bernie is about 1 1/2 years young and full grown at 50 pounds. He likes other dogs and absolutely loves people. Bernie will stay obediently by your side while you walk, jog, work or just hang out. He just wants to be with people and please anyone who gives him a loving touch. Bernie was rescued from a kill shelter when his time ran out. This sweet fella has such a happy personality that he will win anyone and everyone over that meets him. Adoption fee of $125 includes his neuter, vaccinations, heartworm test (negative) and a 2 week trial adoption to help ensure everyone's happiness. Apply online at www.furrykidsrefuge.org and then give our wonderful volunteers 48 hours to respond---all work fulltime but appreciate & know how important your interest in one of our furry kids is. Thank you for your patience. Give Bernie a chance---foster him if you can't adopt him!! How about sponsoring Bernie with a monetary donation in his name? All donations are tax deductible and will give you a great feeling knowing that you helped a furry kid!!

Scamp is a beautiful little girl who would love to have a new human for Christmas! She is sweet and cuddly and loves people and affection. She also likes other cats and even those pesky dogs!

To learn more about Scamp, you can visit her Petfinder page or fill out an application online to meet Scamp in person! Her pictures don't do her justice so contact us today to meet her!

Call us or come by an adoption event and we would be happy to microchip your pet with a 24PetWatch™ microchip for just $20. 

Registration is free and easy and easy to update from the internet!

A HUGE Thank you is in order for the KaCSFFS for choosing Furry Kids as their adopted Charity for the 2nd year in a row! Lily, a Border Collie pup, got to come in to the hotel to visit all the group members during the charity auction, and as we walked into the ballroom, it was an "aahhhhh" all in unison!

This year's conference beat last year's by about $400! Thanks to the generous members of the KaCSFF, you've given a second chance to 4 heartworm positive Beagles and 1 Great Dane by raising enough for us to get their heartworm treatments completed!

Saturdays from noon - 5pm at the Petco in Lee's Summit. Visit our website for up to date information!

Please visit our website and send us your story and pictures if you can and we’ll post them on our Happy Furry Kids Page!

Thank you to all who have sent their stories – it is so heartwarming to see our Furry Kids in their forever homes!

INTERESTED IN ADDING A FURRY KID TO YOUR FAMILY?

What if Furry Kids earned a penny every time you searched the Internet? Well, now we can! GoodSearch.com is a new search engine that donates half its revenue, about a penny per search, to the charities its users designate. You use it just as you would any search engine, and it's powered by Yahoo!, so you get great results.Just go to goodsearch.com and be sure to enter Furry Kids Refuge as the charity you want to support.