Happy New Year!
I hope that this bright and shiny new year finds you healthy, full of optimism and purpose for the days ahead and that taking better care of your pet companions is on your list of resolutions. Accidents and emergencies can happen to us so being prepared just in case is our first line of defense.
A couple of years ago there was a young golden lab living in my neighborhood. Clifford was pretty rambunctious and one day he got into trouble. Some kids were playing ball in the back court and Clifford chased the balls when they were batted away. All went well for a while and then Clifford went for the bat instead of the ball. The bat hit him in the side of the head so hard that his right eye popped out of its socket. The owner put artificial tears in Cliffords eye to keep it from drying out and rushed him to the emergency room.
Would you have had the foresight to have done that? Have you ever had or seen an emergency with a pet and wished that you were better prepared to deal with the crisis? Do you have a pet first aid kit made up and readily available for an emergency?
If you are interested in learning about pet first aid I would like to invite you to join me and my person at the Alexandria Chapter of the American Red Cross Pet First Aid Class. Together we will learn how to keep dogs and cats healthy, prepare for an emergency and how to recognize and respond to a medical emergency. We will all be given a cat first aid book with a DVD and a dog first aid book with a DVD. Topics covered in the class are; symptoms and care for common ailments and emergencies, instructions for putting together a pet first aid kit, giving medications and how to recognize emergencies, tips on maintaining our health and well-being, and first aid guidance for a number of health conditions.
The class is being offered on Saturday February 14 (a nice Valentines gift) and will be at the Alexandria Chapter of the Red Cross. Please visit their web site at www.alexendriaredcross.org. Click on courses and sign up and take the class with me.
I know that you are aware that Ethel Beun, the owner of King Street Cats, died the first of December. We will really miss her and the work she did. I remember Chester, her first official rescue who greeted visitors at the shop Unique, downstairs from King Street Cats, for many years. I have told you that KSC is going to have to move. They are close to getting permits and should be set soon. This wonderful organization helps between 200-250 cats and kittens every year. One current resident is Lily, who is now close to 4 months of age. She lost an eye due to trauma but not her sense of wonder and lovingness. Consider making a donation to help KSC cats pay the rent at their new shelter or take one of their rescues into your own home. Visit their website at www.kingstreetcats.org.
More news: I have been asked to serve on the new Public Relations committee for the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria, so be forewarned of some shameless promotion of the projects I am involved in. Coming up is the Black Tie and Tails Gala on February 14. Visit www.alexandriaanimals.org for more details.
Thats it for this week. Please continue to send me story ideas and tales of special animals in your life. I just read Dewey the Library Cat and as special as he was, your pet companion is equally as special. Let me tell your story.
