PAWS NEWSLETTER. Cold Weather Pet Safety Tips

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Kathleen Ellen Lucas
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Shelter Supervisor/ Rescue Coordinator Hugo Espinoza Animal Services Leads Adrian Olivarez Jose Martinez Justin Craft Department Coordinator Gracie Morales Animal Service Officers Arsenio

Randy McNair Cold Weather Pet Safety Tips Never leave your pet in a car! A car can act as a refrigerator in the winter and cause the animal to freeze. Clean antifreeze spills and leaks.

Make sure your pet has a warm place to sleep. A cozy bed with a blanket or pillow is perfect. Keep bed away from all drafts. Take shorter walks with your dog.

1 PAWS NEWSLETTER January 2017 Contact Us: Office: Fax: GarlandAnimalServices.org Our Staff: Animal Services Manager Uriel Villalpando, MBA Veterinarian Dr. Robert E. Osborne D.V.M. Shelter Supervisor/ Rescue Coordinator Hugo Espinoza Animal Services Leads Adrian Olivarez Jose Martinez Justin Craft Department Coordinator Gracie Morales Animal Service Officers Arsenio Araiza Brad Vanover Brandon Williams Chad Miller David Hernandez Emmanuel Vargas Juan Porras Julie Springfield Rey Zavala Rudy Mancilla Stephen Bernal Trent Miller Shelter Technician Randy McNair Cold Weather Pet Safety Tips Never leave your pet in a car! A car can act as a refrigerator in the winter and cause the animal to freeze. Clean antifreeze spills and leaks. Sweet-tasting to your pets, but very lethal chemical. Avoid haircuts in the winter. A fuller coat provides more warmth. A coat or sweater will help retain heat. Make sure your pet has a warm place to sleep. A cozy bed with a blanket or pillow is perfect. Keep bed away from all drafts. Take shorter walks with your dog. Old and young dogs are at a great risk of getting hypothermia. Many cats seek shelter in cars. Don t forget to give a few taps on the hood before starting your car. Animal Shelter & Adoption Center 600 Tower St. Garland, TX Mon. - Fri. 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Sat. 10 a.m. - 2 p.m Pet Adoption Center 813 Main St. Garland, TX Mon.-Wed p.m. Thu. 12-7:30 p.m. Fri p.m. Sat. 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. 1

More Than Just Dog Catchers By Shelter Supervisor Hugo Espinoza Garland Animal Services provides all animal related services for the City of Garland.

2 More Than Just Dog Catchers By Shelter Supervisor Hugo Espinoza Garland Animal Services provides all animal related services for the City of Garland. We have a busy shelter, and we have officers out patrolling and assisting citizens with their animal concerns and needs. Any animal related issue will be handled by one of our dedicated staff members. We help many homeless pets find their way back home or to new homes if they are not picked up by their owners. When we initially pick up stray animals, our officers vaccinate dogs and cats to help prevent them from getting ill while under our care. We make sure the shelter stays clean throughout the day and try to make the lost pets feel as comfortable as possible. We also make sure the pets are fed everyday, even on holidays and bad weather days. Donated items help us accomplish this and are greatly appreciated. Along with helping homeless pets find a home, we also help rescue animals that are in need of urgent medical attention or have behavior issues. We have great communication and an awesome working relationship with many wonderful rescue groups that take care of some of our pets that have special needs. Our staff is always looking for ways to help out all of our animals in need. One of the most important aspects of Garland Animal Services, are our very dedicated and hardworking officers. We all are more than just dog catchers. All of our officers are trained and state certified to be Advanced Animal Control Officers. We handle more than just stray dogs. Along with getting stray animals to safety, we also respond to a wide variety of calls. We respond to animal bites, aggressive animals, snakes, and we also handle wildlife complaints just to name a few. Most wildlife calls we get, involve raccoons, skunks, armadillos, opossums, and squirrels. Rarely, but has happened, we go out to assist with other wild animals like deer. We have had officers respond to cows, horses, goats, pigs, and once a llama. There isn't anything our great officers can t handle! Garland Animal Services is here to help keep our citizens and our four legged friends safe. We assist our city in many different ways. With the help from great citizens and support from the community, we have been able to ensure that every pet that is in our care has the best chance of finding their way back home or to a new home. 2

Garland Pawsibilities News We are always in need of volunteers to help staff the Pet Adoption Center (PAC) at 813 Main Street in downtown Garland.

Our volunteer activities are scheduled on the website Meet Up. Right now we are actively recruiting volunteers to help us out at our Saturday adoption events.

If you'd like to attend one of our monthly meetings to learn more about us and other ways you can help, check out our monthly meeting schedule on Meet Up.

could help us out. Paws up to you and we hope to see you soon!

3 Garland Pawsibilities News We are always in need of volunteers to help staff the Pet Adoption Center (PAC) at 813 Main Street in downtown Garland. The PAC is staffed entirely by volunteers - so if you can spare some time to help us out - we'd greatly appreciate it. Our volunteer activities are scheduled on the website Meet Up. Right now we are actively recruiting volunteers to help us out at our Saturday adoption events. Click here for more information and to sign up. If you'd like to attend one of our monthly meetings to learn more about us and other ways you can help, check out our monthly meeting schedule on Meet Up. In addition to help with staffing the Pet Adoption Center we could use your help with fundraising, handyman duties and any special skills or interests you'd like to share that could help us out. Paws up to you and we hope to see you soon! Sincerely, Your four legged and two legged friends at Garland Pawsibilities Noise Control Lead Animal Services Officer Justin Craft Well it s that time of year again when the weather is getting warmer and pets are outdoors. It is understandable that dogs bark, however the City of Garland does have an Animal Noise Nuisance Ordnance. (For an owner to keep an animal which, by habitual noisemaking, violates any provision of Chapter 22, article v, noise control. If an animal can be heard from more than 150 feet away it is consider a noise violation. 3

Pet Emergencies By Robert E. Osborne, DVM December Statistics Do you know what to do and who to call if your pet is injured or suddenly becomes sick?

There are such kits for sale. 2. Have a plan for how you will cover emergency pet care expenses. Depending on the injury or illness, care costs can run into hundreds of dollars or more.

Some of their plans allow you to pay them back over a certain number of months with no interest. Many veterinarians participate in this program. 3.

Have the phone number and location of the closest pet emergency clinic. They are usually open nights, weekends and holidays. 4. Know the phone number of a pet poison hotline.

4 Pet Emergencies By Robert E. Osborne, DVM December Statistics Do you know what to do and who to call if your pet is injured or suddenly becomes sick? A little preparedness in advance will make such incidents easier to deal with. 1. Have a pet emergency kit on hand. Ask your veterinarian what to include in this kit and where to get it. There are such kits for sale. 2. Have a plan for how you will cover emergency pet care expenses. Depending on the injury or illness, care costs can run into hundreds of dollars or more. Consider having this as part of your budget. Or look into Care Credit. This is a credit company which you can use to cover all or some of your veterinary expenses. Some of their plans allow you to pay them back over a certain number of months with no interest. Many veterinarians participate in this program. 3. Have a game plan in place regarding who to call regarding pet emergencies. What are your vet s office hours? Does your vet take after-hours calls? Have the phone number and location of the closest pet emergency clinic. They are usually open nights, weekends and holidays. 4. Know the phone number of a pet poison hotline. One example is the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) This and most pet poison hotlines are fee-based. 5. If your pet is on medications keep a list handy and bring the medications with you if you take your pet to an emergency clinic. Being prepared for pet emergencies will help you to act fast should your pet injure itself or suddenly become ill. 108 ANIMALS WERE ADOPTED BY RESCUE GROUPS 34 PETS WERE ADOPTED BY GARLAND PAWSIBILITIES & PET ADOPTION CENTER 115 ANIMALS WERE ADOPTED BY GARLAND ANIMAL SERVICES SHELTER 78 PETS WERE RECLAIMED BY THEIR OWNERS 3 PETS WERE SPONSORED 605 PETS WERE REGISTERED 557 STRAY ANIMAL CALLS RECEIVED 129 PETS WERE STERILIZED BY CITY VETERINARIAN 1886 VISITORS 4

Running at Large By Lead Animal Services Officer Jose Martinez It is often misunderstood that because one s dog is on the front yard without a leash and or tethered in a fenced-in enclosure that the

People are often confused by exactly what that means. According to Article I Sec. 22.

18 (I) Tying animals state It shall be unlawful for an owner to tie an animal to a stationary object for a period of time in a manner or in a location so as to create a danger to the health or safety

5 Running at Large By Lead Animal Services Officer Jose Martinez It is often misunderstood that because one s dog is on the front yard without a leash and or tethered in a fenced-in enclosure that the dog is automatically okay to be loose since it is on one s property. That is incorrect. Some citizens may not understand is that it is against the law to allow their pet to run at large. People are often confused by exactly what that means. According to Article I Sec (A) Running at large prohibited states that It shall be unlawful for any owner of an animal, other than a cat, to cause, permit, suffer or allow the animal to run at large. Article I Sec (I) Tying animals state It shall be unlawful for an owner to tie an animal to a stationary object for a period of time in a manner or in a location so as to create a danger to the health or safety of the animal or to any person. A tied animal must be in an enclosure. Running at large means an animal that is not completely confined by an enclosure of sufficient strength or construction to restrain the animal. In other words if, Sparky a pet dog is not restrained by a rope, leash, chain, or not under the immediate control, restrain of its owner or keeper and or is outside of an unsecured fence enclosure then yes, Sparky the pet is considered to be at large. If Sparky is going to be in the front yard unattended without being on a leash and or if Sparky is being properly tethered in the front yard, Sparky may remain in the front yard as long as the front yard has a complete secured fenced enclosure. If you have any questions, feel free to come visit us at the animal shelter or call us and we ll be happy to answer any questions. Items Needed Any and all donations, including monetary, are appreciated. As always, we thank you for your donations and continued support. Please call Gracie Morales at for credit card donations or you may drop off donations at Animal Services 600 Tower St, Garland, TX Blankets Bleach Dry Dog Food Puppy and Kitten Food Cat Litter Dog Crates Fabric Sheets Hand Sanitizer/Soap HE Liquid Laundry Soap Newspaper Paper Towels Pine-sol SOS Pads Stainless Steel Food and Water Bowls Towels 5

Rabies Control What do baby raccoons, skunks, kittens and puppies have in common? Yes, they are all cute but they are also potential carriers of rabies.

If your pet bites someone or if you are bitten your first response might be shock or panic. It is important to take quick action when an incident like this occurs.

6 Rabies Control What do baby raccoons, skunks, kittens and puppies have in common? Yes, they are all cute but they are also potential carriers of rabies. These mammals can scratch or bite at any time, especially if they are injured or scared. Our number one priority is rabies control. If your pet bites someone or if you are bitten your first response might be shock or panic. It is important to take quick action when an incident like this occurs. As it is stated in Article I section (A2) of the Garland City Ordinance, any warm blooded animal, cat and or dog, that bites or scratches a person, that causes a breakage in the skin where blood is drawn will be required by Texas State Law to be immediately confined for rabies observation. Please think twice before approaching an animal no matter how heart wrenching it is. The most effective way to protect yourself against rabies exposure is to leave the animal alone and call us at , option 1. Trying to save a cute animal can cost about $2500 for the postexposure prophylaxis. Remember to keep your pets currently vaccinated. The rabies vaccination is a state law and we recommend the distemper vaccination. RABIES FACTS AND PREVENTION Rabies is a disease that affects the brain in mammals. It s usually passed from animal to animal but it can be passed between animals and humans. Rabies is caused by a virus that is transmitted through saliva. Rabies is fatal if not treated before onset. Vaccinate your pets Do not touch sick or injured animals. Avoid contact with wild animals. Restrain your pets, do not allow them to roam freely. If you are bitten, scratched by any animal call Garland Animal Services at , option 1. 6

Low-Cost Vaccinations (Walk In) Garland Pet Adoption Center 813 Main Street, Garland, TX 75040 For Additional Information and Sterilization Scheduling

Donations We would like to thank the public for donating food, pet supplies and monetary donations.

7 Events January 5, 12, 18, a.m p.m. Low-Cost Vaccinations (Walk In) Garland Pet Adoption Center 813 Main Street, Garland, TX For Additional Information and Sterilization Scheduling call or TCAP. We will be closed Monday, January 16 in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr Holiday. Donations We would like to thank the public for donating food, pet supplies and monetary donations. Your generous donations mean the world to our animals and to all of us. Bill & Lan Thelen Blue River Pet Care Carrie & Eric Duggan Cynthia Chambers Domenico Piscioneri Ellenore Grover Erika Hasler Gail Sweat Janeet Smith Jason Mckernan Jennifer Giorgi Jerry Cox Judith Martin Kim Wells Lance Carlson Leonor Norris Linda Weir Lorenzo Balderas Mark Stahl Molly Sims Paul Lamb Petwell Veterinary Texas, LLC Sandra Seaman Shirley Booth Stephanie Smith Victoria Tabbert William & Anmarie Rich 7

Did You Know? By Animal Services Officer Chad Miller Cats are free to roam here in the City of Garland, but there are laws preventing them from causing nuisance.

Cats will use flower beds like they would a litter box. They will also mark their areas which will cause foul odors. Another issue that comes along with the marking is unwanted cat pregnancies.

What the program does is that the animal is humanely trapped and brought into the shelter. At that point TNR will come in, pick up the animal and then Spay or Neuter the animal.

8 Did You Know? By Animal Services Officer Chad Miller Cats are free to roam here in the City of Garland, but there are laws preventing them from causing nuisance. Feeding feral or community cats is illegal, unless you are participating in our Trap, Neuter, Return (TNR) program. Another issue with cats creating a nuisance would be feces and cat urine. Cats will use flower beds like they would a litter box. They will also mark their areas which will cause foul odors. Another issue that comes along with the marking is unwanted cat pregnancies. That will lead to cat over population. TNR Trap Neuter Release We have a fairly new program to help with the unwanted cat population that has been on the rise. The program is called TNR. What the program does is that the animal is humanely trapped and brought into the shelter. At that point TNR will come in, pick up the animal and then Spay or Neuter the animal. After the animal has been sterilized the animal is released back in the same area that the animal was picked up in. What is a Feral Cat? Feral cats, also called community cats, are members of the domestic cat species just like pet cats, but are not socialized to people and are therefore not adoptable. Cats have been living outdoors near us for more than 10,000 years. They typically live in groups called colonies and have strong social bonds with their colony members. Remember if you want to help in the program TNR you will need to let the officer, picking up the cat, know that you are wanting to do the program so that he or she is able to put a hold for TNR on the cat. Contact our dispatch line at Option 1 for Water Department Dispatch. Let them know that you want a trapped cat picked up and you want to do the TNR program. 8

Trap, Neuter, Return (TNR) Donation I wish to support the Trap, Neuter, Return program by making a contribution to the animal shelter to help spay and neuter TNR cats.

Box 469002 Garland, TX 75046 payable to the Garland Animal Services - TNR **Please call Gracie Morales at 972-205-3548 if you would like to make your donation by credit card.

9 Trap, Neuter, Return (TNR) Donation I wish to support the Trap, Neuter, Return program by making a contribution to the animal shelter to help spay and neuter TNR cats. Enclosed is my check for $ Please mail this form and check to: Garland Animal Services TNR Program P.O. Box Garland, TX payable to the Garland Animal Services - TNR **Please call Gracie Morales at if you would like to make your donation by credit card. *** Name: Street: City: State Zip Garland Animal Shelter Adoption Sponsorship Program I wish to support adoption of hard to place: (check one of the following) ( ) dogs ( ) cats ( ) dogs and cats by making a contribution to the animal shelter to help prepay the $80 or $35 adoption fee. Enclosed is my check for $ payable to the City of Garland Animal Adoption Sponsorship. Please mail this form and check to: Garland Animal Services P.O. Box Garland, TX **Please call Gracie Morales at if you would like to make your donation by credit card. ** Name: Street: City: State Zip address: NOTE: Your contribution toward Garland s Adoption Sponsorship program will be used to prepay the adoption fee of an animal that would otherwise likely not be adopted. We put a prepaid sign on the animal s cage at the shelter, and those looking for a pet will be much more likely to adopt a prepaid animal. Your contribution is tax deductible, and we will mail you a receipt. For contributions of at least $80, we will you the photo of the dog(s) and/or cat(s) you sponsored when they are adopted if you would like to receive the photo. We will also include your name as a sponsor on the prepaid sign on the cage if you would so desire. I would like to get an photo: ( ) Yes ( ) No I would like to include my name on the prepaid sign: ( ) Yes ( ) No If you have any questions about this program, please contact Hugo Espinoza at (972)

January 2018 Paws Newsletter

January 2018 Paws Newsletter Contact Us: Office: 972-205-3570 Fax: 972-205-3433 GarlandAnimalServices.org Our Staff: Animal Services Manager Uriel Villalpando, MBA Veterinarian Autumn Paul D.V.M. Shelter