Keep pets safe this Halloween
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Pet of the Week: Neptune
Halloween is here this week, and the most important thing for your animals is to be sure they are safe.
Most dogs are very afraid of bright whooshing lights, loud cracks and bangs from firework displays and the lights that spread. If you know your dog is afraid, keep him or her in the house during the firework time, which would be the best bet anyway as sometimes those things fire off and go in the wrong direction.
At these times I have to think of our burned dog, Phoenix, that we adopted from the long-term kind care of our vet at the time, Dr. Martin. Lovely Phoenix had been abandoned at just under 9 months old when a family moved away from Newsite.
This puppy was a fluffy hairy one that would melt a dog lover’s heart, and she was having to dive into piles of trash to eat. One day she got into a pile of construction waste that included all kinds of items, including plastic 2-liter cola bottles. The workers didn’t know she was inside the large pile and set it alight; it burned fiercely, and then they heard dog screams.
The workers were kind enough to dig to get the pup out, wrap her in a jacket and transport her to Dr. Martin. The vet was shocked. The pup was crying from pain, emaciated with lack of food and had trash stuck on 75% of her body. After some medication, the assistants all worked to peel off the plastic stuck to her skin.
Phoenix was almost her full grown size but weighed only 17 pounds. The dog stayed for care at the vet’s office for almost two years; it was more than six months before she could stand alone. We were so proud to get Phoenix as our own. She was a loving super dog that literally came back from the ashes. The HUMANE shelters do a great job, but cannot if the heartless evil owners will not make sure they get to the right place.
The featured Pet of the Week at The Elmore County Humane Shelter is Neptune, a lab/pit looking mix, about 45 pounds. Another animal that was thrown away, Neptune came to the shelter as a stray and is a bit shy in nature, but not timid. He is playful, but not to the extent of being hyper, loves attention and treats – but who doesn’t? Just a wonderful young dog seeking his own family and forever home to share the love.
Fees are still $100 and include mandatory spay/neuter, microchip and lots more. To get an application or learn more about Neptune, call the shelter at 334-567-3377.
By the end of the year we should also have animals for adoption at the Coosa County Animal Shelter and also a place for those deemed unwanted.
Until next time, keep those animals safe from the Halloween ghouls, goblins and firework noise.