Each year, The Pet Connection recognizes individuals, supporters, volunteers, and companies for their work in Animal Rescue in the KC area. Prior to this event, The Pet Connection accepts nominations for The Pet Humanitarian of the Year award as well as for such honors as Volunteer of the Year, Rescue of the Year, Business of the Year, just to name a few. The dinner gives everyone an opportunity to network and socialize with like-minded individuals, have some fun, and enjoy some great food!   In addition, attendees get to show their support for the nominees and actually have a say in who wins by casting their votes for the Pet Humanitarian of the Year Award.

This year, one of Furry Kids' volunteers, Tina Bratcher, was nominated to receive the Pet Humanitarian Award for her work in the Lexington, MO area. Tina takes dogs and cats from low income families, as well as from the feral cat population, all the way to The Pet Connection for low cost spay/neuters and vaccinations.  Tina pays for all of this her self and has been doing this for years.  Needless to say, Tina has helped countless animals in the Lexington area.  

Furry Kids has only had the pleasure of knowing Tina for a short time but we are all honored to know and work with her and are so happy to have her as a member of our group.  She is truly an animal lover and a dedicated rescuer! Tina is currently fostering Reggie, a lab/bull terrier mix, and Lexie, a terrier mix pup along with several homeless cats she has taken in who would not have survived otherwise. In her spare time (:-)), Tina attends adoption events each weekend in hopes of finding loving homes for her fosters.

So, by now you might be thinking that Tina certainly deserved to win The Pet Humanitarian of the Year Award…and you’re right…and she did!!!!!!!!!!!  Along with the award Tina received a $1000 to continue on with the great work she is doing.  And since Tina has spent so much of her own personal funds, this money is especially welcome during these hard economic times.

CONGRATULATIONS, TINA!!!

We are sooooo proud of you!!!

How Cool is Your Dog??

I’m not referring to the tricks that they can do or how good they might look in sunglasses!  Picture yourself sitting in a parked car with the windows slightly cracked.  The temp outside the car is, oh …let’s say 85 F degrees.  Now imagine you’re wearing a fur coat …are we comfy??  The temperature inside a car could reach 102 degrees within ten minutes…now are you comfy??  After 30 minutes, the temperature could reach 120 degrees. How about now??

As someone who has a strong dislike for hot weather, I am particularly sensitive to animals (or kids or the elderly) being left alone in a car. We’ve all opened a car door and been taken aback by the blast of heat that hits us after a car has been sitting closed up on a sunny day.  Maybe people who aren't as bothered by the heat just don't understand the urgency of how quickly a car can heat up on a warm day.  Even on a cool day, you don't feel hot, so you think it will be OK however, even when parked in the shade, animals can succumb to heatstroke or death if left in the car unattended. 

A dog’s normal temperature is around 101 F degrees.   They don't have sweat glands all over their bodies like humans do, so the main way they can cool off is by panting, which isn't very efficient.  And panting won’t do much to cool them if they only have overheated air to breathe!  Once a dog's body temperature gets over about 106, they are in danger of heatstroke.  This can result in brain and organ damage after just 15 minutes. So, what can you do? 

Educate yourself and others!
> Learn what you can do to prevent heatstroke in your pet
> Know the warning signs of heatstroke
> Learn what to do AND not to do if your pet is showing signs of heatstroke

Additional resources:
> Important Information About Summer Heat And How It Effects Your Pet
> MyDogIsCool.com is a free “fun” site that helps spread the word about the dangers of leaving dogs in hot cars. Resources include:
>> "It’s hot!" fliers that you can leave on a car windshield
>> A weather forecasting tool that lets you see if it is too hot to take their dog in the car
>> Free downloadable "hot temperature warning" posters that can be put in store windows
>> Take the "My Dog is Cool" pledge
>> Submit your "cool" dog photo and win a prize 

This is a new section that was introduced last month and is dedicated to our Furry Kids with special needs. This month's "special" pet is Darla, a beautiful, sweet dog whose eyes will melt your heart!!

Darla is a 9 ½ year old English Setter who was just literally skin and bones when Furry Kids took her in last year.  Her previous owner passed away and that person’s parents took her in but then decided they did not want her.  They decided to take Darla to the vet’s office to be euthanized.  Luckily, it was the same vet that Furry Kids uses and the vet’s office called us to see if we could take her in.  Poor Darla had a severe whip worm infestation which required meds, lots of nutrition and TLC.  She overcame that problem and was seemingly healthy.  We later found that Darla has something like inflammatory bowel disease.  She spent quite a bit of time with our veterinarians, went through a lot of different tests and medications and was stabilized.  She can get bouts of diarrhea when she doesn’t eat properly so, Darla can’t have anything crazy like cheeseburgers and French fries! We all love to give our dogs little special treats now and then but Darla’s system can only handle her doggie food and occasional doggie treats.  Darla's condition is totally manageable with the understanding that her system can be sensitive just like a humans! 

Darla also has a mild form of epilepsy for which she takes Phenobarbital two times daily...this is a very inexpensive medication.  Phenobarbital has a side effect similar to being on a steroid which causes the dog to drink a lot so Darla has to be watched to make sure she gets outside to go potty enough.  She has only had a couple of seizures during her time with us so they are few and far between as long as she takes her meds consistently. 

Now, those are Darla’s “issues”.    Let us tell you the good things:  you couldn’t find a sweeter dog!!!  Darla is WONDERFUL, she’s calm, sweet, loving, affectionate, fabulous with children of all ages and loves other dogs.  Don’t let her age deter you, she has many wonderful years left.  If you are looking for a dog with one of the best temperaments we’ve ever seen and can handle a few issues, she’s the one! Please give Darla a chance with you and your family...she deserves a chance to have a forever home!

Read more about Darla on her Petfinder page

Baxter is about 5 years young and has tons of personality! He is a cute little white fur ball that is smart as a whip and loves to entertain (as long as you have treats AND they are a kind he likes...:-)) Baxter knows "sit", "speak", "roll over", "turn around" and "high five." He has become one of the our favorites at our adoption events because he has this cute grumbling thing he does.

His foster Mom says that Baxter prefers a king-size thermapedic bed with two pillows (not just one) :-) He also loves to ride in the car with the window down just enough for his nose to be out the window. Baxter is completely housebroken, gets along with other dogs and doesn't seem to be phased by cats. 

We think Baxter is pretty special and don't understand why he hasn't been adopted yet! This little guy is AWESOME!

Read more about Baxter on his Petfinder page!

Boostie is a wonderfully outgoing cat who loves attention and gets along great with other cats! You can't see it in the picture but she has the cutest white socks (thus the name :) ). Bootsie was rescued when she was left in the country to fend for herself. She is a beautiful cat who would make a wonderful addition to most any family!

Boostie is about 4 years old, spayed, vaccinated, tested, dewormed, microchipped. If you'd like to give Bootsie a great home, please check out her Petfinder page!

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!

Starr (brown & white) & Princess

We are really enjoying seeing these two play, wrestle, and sleep together like Best Buddies. Thank you for allowing us to adopt "Star". ("She now answers to "Lady".)

Kind regards,
Billie & Bern

Please visit our website for more of these heartwarming stories. If you have adopted one of our Furry Kids, please send us your story and pictures. We would love to post them on our Happy Furry Kids Page!

He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog.
You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion.

~Anonymous