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8A Daily News – Saturday, October 13, 2012 healthPetsactivities & October goes to the dogs ber, we often think of the falling leaves of autumn and the witches and ghosts of Halloween. However, Octo- ber also happens to be Adopt-A-Shelter-Dog month. The ASPCA began this campaign to raise awareness about the mil- lions of dogs in shelters throughout the United States. When we think of Octo- According to the Humane Society of the United States, anywhere between six and eight mil- lion animals enter shelters each year. Sadly, an estimat- ed three to four million are euthanized yearly. There- fore, pet adoption and owner education is exceed- ingly important in order to provide as many animals with loving responsible homes as is possible. Bearing all the above in mind, consider finding your next pet at your local animal care center or rescue organi- zation. Even if you prefer a purebred dog, check your shelter. In shelters through- out the country, an estimat- ed 25 to 30 percent of the shelter population is pure- bred. In addition, do not for- get to check breed specific rescues. If you are looking for a dog to adopt, Petfind- er.com and Adopt a Pet.com are also great places to check. These websites list dogs available for adoption from about 5,000 communi- ty animal shelters nation- wide and various rescue organizations throughout North America. You can search by zip code, breed, age, size, and gender. In always use help with pub- licity. Offer to make and dis- tribute fliers around town. Talk to friends, family, busi- ness associates, maybe they can help too. Creating expo- sure for the shelter helps facilitate adoptions. Do you have addition, each pet profile includes a small biography and has a picture of the ani- mal. believe that shelter animals are not decent pets. The idea is if they were good, their previous owners would not give them up. However the main reasons pets are given up include: the owners are moving to housing that does not allow pets; allergies; the owners are having personal emotional and/or financial problems; there are too many animals; there is no more room for unwanted lit- ters; and the owner no longer has time for the pet. Behavior trouble is another reason people turn his or her dogs in. Often the behavior problems could have been easily solved with proper obedience training. If you are planning to adopt, you must be willing to make a serious commitment to the animal for the rest of its life. Maybe you want to help the local shelter or one of the many rescue organiza- tions in the area by adopt- There are those that ing, but you already have enough animals. Maybe you do not have any pets because you live some- where that does not allow them. Whatever your situa- tion is, there are many ways you can still get involved and any assistance increases the chances of adoption of these wonderful compan- ions. blankets or towels lying in the back of your closet? Donate them to the shel- ter. They make wonderful bedding for dogs and cats. Shelters often have wish lists of items they need. Call and talk to the staff, or go there, you may find that their needs match up with some of your extra items. If you wish to work with animals, stop by a shelter and offer to take a dog for a walk. A more socialized dog is much more likely to find a home. Help groom the animal; this also enhances its chance for adoption. Many shelters and rescues have limited space to take in pets. Because of this, fostering helps provide space for others in need. Fosters provide basic care on a temporary basis for such reasons as the animal might be recovering from illness or is too young to be adopted. No matter what you do, volunteers are defi- nitely needed and always appreciated. Shelters and rescues can There are many ways to help that need only a few minutes or a few dollars at a time, but each little bit con- tributes to making a huge difference in the animal's lives. Today would be a very good time to start to do whatever you can to help shelter dogs for Adopt-a- Shelter-Dog Month and the rest of the year. money but feel your bank account cannot handle it, label a tin can and put your spare change in it. You can put one at work and get your co-workers to donate as well. Donations help fund medical care, transporta- tion, adoption events, and education. If you want to donate Courtesy photo Daily News publisher Greg Stevens presents officers of Providing Essentials for Tehama Shelter, PETS, with a check for $500. The newspaper pledged to make the donation if it could increase its number of Facebook "likers" to 1,500 by mid- volunteer with Providing Essentials for Ronnie Casey is a Tehama Shelter. You can read her blog, Mutts & Moggies, at redbluffdailynews.com. September. Supporters of PETS and animal lovers from far and wide responded by spreading the word on Facebook, and soon the 1,500 mark was achieved. The Daily News' Facebook "liker" count has continued to increase and is now nearing 1,600. Pictured, with three adopted shelter pups, from left, are Mark Storrey, shelter manager with Nikita; Sharon Russell, president of PETS with Pip, board members Ronnie Casey and Kerry Lovvorn with Cassie and Nellie Barber, secretary of PETS. The organizational mission of PETS is to provide financial support to the Tehama County Animal Care Center, including funding for transportation, medical care, periodic spay and neuter fees and assistance with adoptions. Senior Special $ 900 Street Barber Shop Oak 527-8111 • 335 Oak St. Next door to the State Theatre Sierra Sound Car Audio 35th $ 226 So. Main St., Red Bluff 527-3735 All CD's 13.99 Tehama District Fairgrounds Join us for Pet & Greet 9am Competition October 27th FREE ADMISSION Ten Handlers - Ten Dogs. One amazing event! Dynamic performances & high level competition Welcoming Event Sponsors call 530-529-4074 Presented by Crystal Rose Cowdog College along with Back to School Project BOOSTER FALL BONANZA ANNUAL SPARTAN HALL OF FAME Saturday, October 20, 2012 Social Hour: 5:30pm Tri-Tip Dinner: 6:30pm Red Bluff Community Center Tickets: $20 (available from a Red Bluff Spartan Athlete or at Re/Max Top Properties or by emailing us at spartanboosters@sbcglabal.net) Mort Kaer - Male Athlete Tami Brown - Female Athlete Doug Sale - Coach Red Bluff Spartan's Hall of Fame Honoree's for 2012 NEW THIS YEAR Ed Stroman - Community Support to RB Athletics Silent Auction and Raffle Prizes! Sponsored By Published through a co-sponsorship agreement with the DAILYNEWS RED BLUFF TEHAMACOUNTY Top Cowdog • 10AM Anniversary Sale or less some $500 Daily News donation to PETS