HSCO In The News

HSCO In The News

New Year’s Resolutions for You and Your Pet

Now is the time to make positive changes for the coming year. The Humane Society of Central Oregon would like to suggest resolutions that are easy to accomplish and improve the quality of life of your four-legged friend and our community.

Want to give back to the community? Volunteer your time or talents to the Humane Society of Central Oregon Animal Shelter or Thrift Store. Walk dogs, play with the cats or help with adoptions at the shelter. Thrift Store volunteers help sort and display donated items.

Getting rid of the old and replacing with new items? Donate gently used items to the Humane Society Thrift Store at 5th and Greenwood. All proceeds from donations and sales help the animal.

Following are some New Year’s resolutions to consider for your four-legged friends:

Update vaccinations to prevent diseases.
Spay or Neuter your pet now to prevent pet over-population and certain diseases.
Encourage friends, neighbors and acquaintances to have their pet spayed or neutered
Make sure your pet is wearing an identification tag that is easy to read and has current information.
Make a lifetime investment in a microchip identification for your dog and cat.
Schedule a health exam for your companion animal(s).
Take a dog training class to develop the desired behavior and make them good citizens.
Follow County laws and get your dog licensed or the license renewed.
Take your dog for a walk or play with them every day.
Play with your cat every day to provide mental and physical stimulation.
Review the canine and feline diet to make sure it is meeting your pet’s needs.
Do the rib test (when running fingers over your pets ribs with light pressure, can you feel the ribs?) and see if a few pounds need to be taken-off to provide good health.
Clean the cat litter box every day to make the kitty happy and prevent litter box problems.
Buy new toys for the dog.
Teach an old dog a new trick.
Check-out the dog park and make new friends.
Take a current photograph that shows identifying marks well, just in case the pet gets lost.
Adopt a new friend from the Humane Society of Central Oregon or encourage others to open their heart and home to a very deserving homeless animal.
Make a donation to the Humane Society of Central Oregon in honor of or in remembrance of a special pet or person. Donations can be made online at Link to Donation Page/shop cart.

To meet our adoptable animals visit our shelter just south of Reed Market Road on 27th Street in Bend. For more information call the Humane Society of Central Oregon at 541.382.3537.

Keep Pets Safe During Stormy and Cold Weather

The Humane Society of Central Oregon would like to offer some pet safety tips for the “wind advisory” in effect for Central Oregon through 10:00 pm Friday. Wind gusts up to 55 mph are expected in some areas with most areas receiving gusts between 18 – 35 mph. Take precautions to keep your companion animals safe and secure. Dogs and cats may run away or get disoriented when fences blow down as posts loosen in the moist soil, objects fall or fly in the wind or the noise of a big gust frightens them.

On top of the wind gusts, it is expected to rain or snow for the next six days with overnight temperatures beginning Saturday around 20 degrees Fahrenheit. The Humane Society of Central Oregon is reminding people that Oregon law (ORS 167.310) requires that a domestic animal has “access to a barn, dog house or other enclosed structure sufficient to protect the animal from wind, rain, snow or sun and that has adequate bedding to protect against cold and dampness.”

The Humane Society of Central Oregon offers these preventative tips during stormy, cold weather:

Bring your pet inside during the storm and watch them when let outside.
Check all fencing and lock all gates
Bring your pet inside when the temperature drops to 32 degrees with the wind-chill factor.
Dogs and cats can get frost bitten ears, nose, and feet if left outside.
Chemicals used to melt snow and ice can irritate paws. Buy “pet safe” ice melters.
If your pet must be kept outside:

-Provide a dry, elevated dog house with clean dry bedding and a flap over the opening to keep drafts out. A doghouse should allow your dog to comfortably sit and lay down but small enough to hold in its body heat.

-Make sure the water bowl does not freeze. Heated water bowls are available.

-Outdoor pets need more calories to produce body heat.
Keep antifreeze, salt and other household and garage poisons away from pets.
Make sure a cat has not crawled under your car seeking shelter and warmth near the engine. Tap on hood before starting the engine.
Large Animals need winter care too:

-Provide a wind break and/or shelter for horses and livestock to block wind and rain

-Make sure horses and other livestock have clean, dry bedding.

-Make sure water in trough does not freeze.

-Have hooves checked and prepared for winter.

If your pet becomes lost or you have found a pet, call the Humane Society of Central Oregon at 382-3537 or your local animal shelter to report it. The Humane Society wants to safely and quickly return a lost animal to its caretaker. For more information call 382-3537