Pets of the Week: Sam and York Need a Home

Looking for companionship? Animals offer us unconditional love, complete loyalty and many hours of entertainment.

They give us a reason for getting up when life has thrown us a curve and offer complete support when we seek out new challenges. It's scientifically proven that the shared bond between us has substantial health benefits for both sides.

There are plenty of animals at the Cobb County Animal Control shelter ready to step up and offer companionship, with at least one for every person interested. The adoption fees are low (ranging from $30 - $40) and you'll receive a certificate for a free health exam and 20 percent discount on spay/neuter surgery with participating local veterinarians.

Why not make the move and begin a new relationship today?  

This week’s pets are strays, have special needs, both male, and neither one’s name is known. I’ll call the cat, Sam, and the dog, York. These two animals need someone willing to take a risk in order to change their lives.     

Sam is a rough and tumble looking cat. If he could talk, oh the tales (or tails) he could tell. Sam appears to be about 7 years old or older and has been neutered. When he came in, he had a broken toe and was found to be missing most of his teeth. Sam has lost all of his back teeth and has only a few front teeth left – one of which is currently dangling and needs to be extracted. Although Sam looks like a ruffian, he is not a big guy and is quite the gentle fellow. Constantly curious about the goings on at the shelter, he sits at the front of his cage watching and making biscuits on his soft pillow bed. He is easily handled and loves to be petted. Once his toe heals and his dental issues are addressed, Sam’s only special needs will be soft food and plenty of loving. ID No. 528700. 

One look at York and you would think, “He’s a lost cause.” But don’t discount this 10-year-old Yorkshire terrier; underneath all that matted fur is a real cutie. When a man walked up to see the dog in the cage above him, York perked up as if he knew him…alas, he realized he didn’t and down his head went again. He has not been neutered, which makes one wonder if he might have been used for breeding. Besides his extremely matted fur, York is having issues with his tongue. It hangs out all the time. There is no telling what has happened to this little fellow, but it is obvious he has been through trauma; just as obvious is his will to pull through. His seven days for reclaim were up last Wednesday. Since no one came to claim him, he is now up for adoption. York needs to see a vet for treatment; but even more so, he needs someone with a kind heart willing to step up and rescue him. ID No. 529302.    

Animals at the shelter have only two ways out – adoption or death. If you are looking for a new furry friend, please check out the animals at the county shelter…save a life and make a life-long friend. 

Check out these two sites for more animals available for adoption at the Cobb County Animal Control shelter:

www.petfinder.com/shelters/GA50.html

www.facebook.com/FOSACobb 

Last weekend for ‘An Indoor Yard Sale to Benefit Animal Rescue’

Great finds, check it out: MostlyMutts.org

Vet Tip of the Week

For pet owners who are unsure about having a microchip implanted in their pet, please consider the following:

• A microchip is a permanent form of identification for your animal. Collars with tags can be removed or simply fall off. A microchip, when registered in your name, is irrefutable proof of ownership.
• If your pet is found and brought to a shelter or veterinarian as a stray, they will be scanned with a microchip scanner. If your pet has a registered microchip, you will be notified and reunited with your lost pet.
• Certain microchip companies will store your pet’s medical history so that if your pet is recovered, proper veterinary care can be provided for your pet for chronic conditions. Without this information, a veterinarian may not know critical information regarding your pet’s health needs.
• Implanting a microchip is a safe procedure for your pet with no proven deleterious effects – no proven correlation between microchips and cancer in dogs and cats: http://pethealthpost.wordpress.com/2007/09/15/do-microchips-cause-cancer/.     

Having said all this, a microchip is useless without your current contact information registered with the manufacturer. If you have adopted a pet from someone who had them microchipped, make sure to have the previous owner contact the company to transfer ownership to you. If you adopted a pet from a shelter or humane society, they probably already have a microchip, and you simply need to register it. 

Dr. Lori Germon is a veterinarian at Chastain Animal Clinic in Smyrna. You can find information on pet introduction and other pet topics at their website. You can also find them on Facebook.