Blog  >  PATRIOT PUPS RECEIVE RENEWED CHANCE AT LIFE, LIBERTY AND HAPPINESS!

PATRIOT PUPS RECEIVE RENEWED CHANCE AT LIFE, LIBERTY AND HAPPINESS!

July 05, 2013 • Rescue

Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.  (Jul. 3, 2013) – Last month was a record-breaking one at Helen Woodward Animal Center.  Center staff and volunteers saw more pets adopted in June 2013 than any other June in its forty-year history.  And while this summertime has brought the Center a reason to celebrate, the recent heat wave has also brought a reminder of the extraordinary dangers orphan pets can face in the dog days of summer.  Six shepherd/terrier blend puppies are lucky survivors of the recent hot spell.  The 4 week old “Patriot Puppies,” named Glory, Justice, Freedom, Stars, Stripes and Valor arrived at Helen Woodward Animal Center just in time to ring in Independence Day and celebrate a renewed chance at life, liberty and happiness.

Friday, June 28th, the west coast experienced a heat wave that tied records for the hottest temperatures ever recorded in the United States in June.   On that very day in California City, six puppies, born less than 4 weeks earlier, were abandoned in a shopping cart outside a mall.  The temperature had reached 107 degrees.  Unable to climb out, and with no food or water, the puppies were left, quite literally, to cook to death.  By the time they were found by a concerned passerby, the puppies were listless and unmoving.

“People seem to forget that the inside of a car is not the only dangerous place to leave a defenseless animal,” stated Labeth Thompson, Inventory Manager at Helen Woodward Animal Center.  “Any pet left outdoors with no shade or water is also at risk.  Puppies, along with adult dogs that are older, large, overweight or on medication are at the highest risk of all.”

Fortunately, the puppies were rescued in the nick of time and provided the proper medical attention.  They were brought to Helen Woodward Animal Center by a rescue partner on Tuesday, July 2ndand are now in the home of a loving Center Foster Family.  Adoption staff reports that the puppies will be ready to find their own forever homes by the end of July.    On this eve of the 4th of July festivities, our Patriot Puppies and the staff at Helen Woodward Animal Center, have a lot to celebrate!



Helen Woodward Animal Center would like to remind you of the following information:

HOTSPELLS:
The normal body temperature for a dog is 101 to 102 degrees.
A 3-degree rise can put a dog into a dangerous situation and increase its need for oxygen. 
At 108 degrees the heart, brain, liver, kidneys, and intestinal tracts begin to break down.
Don’t leave your dog or cat in a car.
Make sure that your pets have plenty of water and shade.
If you believe that your pet is overheating bring it into air conditioning. You can immerse it in cool (not cold) water and give it “sips” of water. If necessary, apply ice packs and immediately take your dog to your veterinarian.
If the pavement or sidewalk is too hot for your feet, it’s too hot for your dog’s paws. The pads can easily be burned on hot days.

4TH OF JULY SAFETY:
More family pets will run away from home this weekend than during any other time of the year because of fireworks.
Do not bring your pets along to the fireworks displays.
Bring your pets indoors before fireworks displays begin.
Make sure that your pets have access to their favorite “safe place” or find a quiet, comfortable, enclosed room where your pets can “hide” if they need to.
If you are going to a fireworks display and leaving your pets at home alone, leave the radio or television set on so there is some “normal” background noise.
Make sure your pets are micro-chipped.  Many of the pets that run away during the fireworks will escape by slipping out of their collars. A micro-chip identification will assure that your pet is returned if it ends up at a shelter.
The adoptions department at Helen Woodward Animal Center will be open from 11 am to 6 pm on the 4th of July!

GENERAL SUMMERTIME SAFETY:
Keep pets away from hot barbeque grills or coals.
Store pesticides and fertilizers out of reach of pets.
Make sure that pets are not sniffing grass seed into their noses.
Dogs that watch you plant bulbs may dig them up. The bulbs can be poisonous.
Dogs or cats with white noses or ear tips can sun burn.  If your pet will wear sunscreen, that’s great.  (Most of them will lick it off.)  It’s best to just keep them in the shade when the sun is bright.

For more information on adopting the Patriot Puppies or for summertime safety questions, call Helen Woodward Animal Center at 858-756-4117, visit the Center at 6461 El Apajo Road in Rancho Santa Fe or visit www.animalcenter.org.    For information on the Helen Woodward Animal Center Companion Animal Hospital, dial 858-756-4469.

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