Tails in the News

By Rebekah Wolf

Rehabilitated cats ready for loving homes

The Humane Society/SPCA of Bexar County is looking for adopters for more than 30 of the 90 Persian and Himalayan cats rescued from a San Antonio-area home in January. The cats, primarily used for breeding, were found malnourished and living in small cages.
For the past two months, Humane Society workers have been focused on treatment and care of the cats through grooming, spaying and neutering, and medical attention. Despite the cruel treatment they endured, many still have potential as lovable pets.

Those interested in adopting any of the cats should contact the Humane Society at (210) 226-7461 or visit HumaneSocietySPCA.org.

Doctors fit sea turtle with prosthetic fin

Three years ago, Allison the sea turtle had a brush with death that left her swimming in circles with only one functioning fin. Luckily, some tourists found the turtle and brought her to a local South Padre Island hospital for endangered animals.

While her chances of survival looked grim to the hospital staff, they eventually nursed Allison back to health with antibiotic injections and a diet of squid. Seizing the opportunity to help Allison live a somewhat normal life while possibly helping many more injured sea turtles in the future, a team of doctors is working on developing a prosthetic fin for her.

“A mold of her stump where the prosthetic will be attached has been made, and a mold of a flipper from a turtle her size was made,” explains Jeff George, curator at Sea Turtle, Inc. The 31-year-old nonprofit turtle conservation facility treats and returns the animals to the sea.

 The University of Texas Dental Branch and a local South Padre dentist are working on creating the perfect replacement flipper, a process that will take about four to six months.

“It will be strapped on, because there is some uncertainty as to whether or not the bone is strong enough to support an implant,” says George.
Three-finned turtles can return to life in the ocean, but turtles with one fin stand little chance against predators. Turtles with two fins are able to survive in captivity.
“Allison is near and dear to everyone’s heart here at Sea Turtle, Inc.,” says George. “She would make a great ambassador here since she is an endangered animal.” 

May marks Pet Cancer Awareness Month

Cancer is now the leading cause of death among cats and dogs, and many experts are urging pet guardians to educate themselves on this disease. In order to raise awareness of cancer in pets, Connecticut-based pet-food company Blue Buffalo has sponsored Pet Cancer Awareness Month in May since 2003.

In addition to creating awareness, the company has a mission to provide information to pet guardians and to raise money for the Blue Buffalo Foundation for Cancer Research, which was established in 2003 and provides funding to universities and clinics for cancer research in pets. So far, the company has raised more than $100,000 to support research efforts at Ohio State University, the University of Tennessee, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cornell University, Colorado State University, and North Carolina State University.

Many veterinarians believe that the recent increase in cancer among pets is due to the increase in environmental toxins. Other potential causes of cancer include chemicalized foods (foods that contain additives and preservatives), over-vaccination (which can weaken pets’ immune systems), and genetics (certain breeds are more prone to cancer due to improper breeding practices).

The Veterinary Cancer Society (VCS) recommends that guardians routinely look for the following early warning signs of cancer in their pets:

• abnormal, persistent swelling
• sores that do not heal
• loss of weight
• loss of appetite
• bleeding or discharge from any body opening
• offensive odor
• difficulty eating or swallowing
• hesitation to exercise or loss of stamina
• persistent lameness or stiffness
• difficulty breathing, urinating, or defecating.

The VCS urges guardians who detect any of these symptoms in their pets to visit a veterinarian for further evaluation. For more information on Pet Cancer Awareness Month, visit PetCancerAwareness.org, where you can make a donation or purchase a “Protect Our Pets” wristband. In-store specialists from Blue Buffalo will be in pet stores nationwide all month distributing flyers and selling wristbands. Additionally, one dollar from every bag of Blue Buffalo pet food sold in May will support the Blue Buffalo Foundation for Cancer Research.  —Jaime A. Hubbell

New local library offers activities for dogs and their people

The John Igo Library [13330 Kyle Seale Parkway] is hosting pet-centric activities to commemorate National Pet Week throughout the first week of May.

The National Pet Week Celebration will kick off with basic dog care and training on Sunday, May 4 and round out the week with pet adoptions, microchipping, and vaccinations on Saturday, May 10. Kids can join in the fun with pet-themed story time and a pet movie.

National Pet Week is recognized across the country as a way to promote responsible pet guardianship and awareness of veterinary medicine. The library, which celebrated its grand opening in December, is expecting around 50 to 100 attendees. All events sponsored by the library are free to the public.

For more information, call (210) 561-6113.

City no longer taking in cats in traps

Animal Care Services (ACS) is no longer accepting cats in traps at its facility or in the field. ACS Director Jef Hale made the announcement at a press conference in March, and the practice went into effect April 1. The policy change was made as a way to embrace the city’s Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) program and its efforts to attain no-kill status by 2012. ACS will partner with the San Antonio Feral Cat Coalition (SAFCC) to provide different ways to address nuisance behaviors of stray and feral cats, such as encouraging people to attend TNR workshops, dedicating an ACS point person for the initiative, and increasing the capacity of spaying and neutering cats in the community.

For more information, visit SanAntonio.gov/animalcare.

Pet prison program gives dogs and inmates a second chance

Going from one prison to another isn’t always the best way to turn your life around. But for a select group of dogs, this is exactly how they’ve changed their lives for the better.

Through a program called Paws in Prison, dogs taken from shelters, where they were either next in line for euthanasia or had been passed over too many times by prospective adopters, are placed in Texas-area prisons for training. They are matched with prisoners, who teach them basic commands as well as socialization skills during a six- to eight-week course. The dogs are shown on AustinDog.org and are available for adoption throughout the course.

The program started four years ago after Machelle Gaconnet saw an episode of Cell Dogs on the Animal Planet network. Gaconnet, who works for the Geo Group, Inc., a company that provides correctional and detention management services, launched the program in Littlefield, Venus, and Lockhart prisons.

“Everyone benefits from it,” says Gaconnet, canine program coordinator for the Geo Group. “It has really helped the inmates care again. They become more loving people. It’s the same with the dogs. It helps them cope.”
In order to participate in the program, each inmate must complete a lengthy application process. They are chosen based on their behavior, desire to participate in the program, and the presentation of their application. During the first two weeks of the course, inmates work closely with professional dog trainers, and then two inmates are teamed with each dog.

At the end of the program, a graduation ceremony is held. Adopters are encouraged to attend, because it gives the handlers a chance to meet with them and make sure the dogs are going to loving homes.
According to Gaconnet, the program brings out a softer side in the inmates, because they see the dogs go from scared and withdrawn to happy and playful.

“We’ve had many letters from inmates that said they didn’t realize how much they’d love this dog.”

For more information about Paws in Prison, visit AustinDog.org.

A Robotic Companion?

A recent study found that a living dog and a robotic dog are equally effective at relieving loneliness in and providing companionship for nursing home residents. Dr. William Banks, a professor of geriatric medicine at St. Louis University, performed the study using his own trained therapy dog, Sparky, as the control. The robotic dog, Aibo, was manufactured by Sony and discontinued in 2006.

Thirty-eight residents from three nursing homes participated in the study. They were asked a series of questions to determine their level of loneliness and then separated into three groups. The first group was a control group that did not interact with either dog. The second group spent 30 minutes a week with Aibo, the robotic dog, and the third group spent the same amount of time each week with Sparky, the real dog. After seven weeks, no statistical difference was found in levels of loneliness between those seniors who spent time with the robot and with the real dog.

Banks says he was very surprised by the outcome of his research. After evaluating the results, the professor predicts a future in which the elderly could remain independent longer. —Jaime A. Hubbell