A Stray Dog’s Prayer

~ From Sissi Neace, former Rutherford County Humane Society President & Animal Behaviorist “My dog likes to ride in the back of my pick up truck. Is that safe?” Absolutely not. The back of a truck is one of the most dangerous places for your dog!I have personally seen a dog fly out of a truck bed after the truck hit a bump. The driver kept going and the poor dog landed in the road. The dog was lucky that there were no cars behind the truck. So, he limped away with a broken leg and jaw instead of being run over. On the same note, dogs like to put their heads out the car window. I do not recommend this, either, unless your dog…

If you have lost or found a pet in Rutherford County, the best thing you can do is to get the word out in a hurry. If you have a picture of your pet, make flyers with large print of pet’s name, identifying marks or characteristics. Include the date and place your pet was last seen. Put them in places like the stores and Post Office near you. Post them at street corners. Call the local vets and describe your pet to them and then take posters for the veterinary offices. Check your flyers regularly to be sure they are still where you placed them and that they remain in good condition. Borrow a humane trap if your pet has been sited in a certain area. Check the…

Jackson is a male Doberman, approximately 7 years old. He was rescued this past December, 2015. He came to us due to medical neglect. Jackson had a large tumor on one hind leg. His owners were going to just let him die from the tumor. THANKFULLY, they agreed to surrender him to the Rutherford County Humane Society. The estimated cost of the surgery was $600. Donations had been requested and received. The problem was that he might have lost the entire leg, not to mention, his life. And the tumor might have been cancerous. He went into surgery to remove the tumor. The surgery was a success and the biopsy was negative. Jackson had physical therapy and time to recover. He was neutered and brought…

~ by Rachel Seagrave First, look to see if the mom is nearby.  If you find a kitten out in the open—such as a flower bed, or lying on the pavement or grass, it usually means the mom has dropped it. If there is any chance of getting the kitten back to its mom, TRY. Next and most importantly, when you find an orphaned kitten DO NOT ATTEMPT TO FEED IT! Kittens cannot generate heat and so can become chilled quickly. Feeding a kitten in a chilled state will almost always end in disaster.  You first need to make sure the kitten is warm before you do anything else. You can do this by simply putting the kitten under your shirt and against your chest…

~ By Rachel Seagrave To me, adoptable is almost indefinable. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, they say, and so it goes with the animals we love. And not just in terms of their outer beauty. There is no denying that a kitten or a puppy will get you every time with the cuteness factor. But what really drops me to my knees is the love of an old pet.  My ancient poodle would easily have been euthanized by most. Her hair wasn’t curly like it should be and she only had a couple teeth left. Her eyes unseeing, her head was almost always turned in anticipation of hearing my voice – which she would answer with her shrill little bark. All of…

~ By Jo Anne Benware Fostering dogs has been a joy for my husband and me – and for our dog Kirby! We have three cats who refuse to play with Kirby, although they’re gracious enough to tolerate him. So Kirby gets his fun and socializing from the parade of dogs and puppies that come in and out of our lives. Many of these dogs are strays who were starving – let go by their families to fend for themselves. With no real reason to hope that humans would be kind to them again, but still forever hopeful that someone…perhaps a boy or girl who needs a best friend…will give them their forever home. As much as I would love to adopt each and every…