#9 Christmas for Shelter Pets

Celebrate Christmas with homeless animals this year!  Join us for two wonderful events on December 14th and 15th at the Helping Hands Humane Society's Animal Resource Center of northeast Kansas.

The first is Christmas for the Animals, our holiday tradition of feeding all of the animals in our care, a very special Christmas dinner.  The fine owners of Carmona Comfort Air pay for and cook hamburgers for the dogs and supply tuna for the cats.  Every animal, no matter what species, receives something special to eat.  Staff and volunteers love getting to feed each pet the special meal while giving them extra love and attention.  You're encouraged to bring something from our HHHS "Wish List", found at www.hhhstopeka.org, to donate and be sure to shop our Retail Store for your own pet or that of someone on your gift list.  Perhaps a new collar, leash or fun new toy is in order.  We also carry Hill's Pet Nutrition products, including treats!
    
               

Christmas for the Animals & Holiday Sale kicks off our annual Howliday Adopt-A-Thon, also scheduled for December 14th and carrying over into the 15th.  This two day adoption extravaganza offers adopters the convenience of later hours to come take a look at the many pets who would like to be part of a family for Christmas and years to come.  This is always an exciting event as tails are wagging everywhere as dogs and cats are chosen and adopted.  What could be a better gift to the pet and to the people?!
   
                 
      
If you haven't had time to check out our new building at 21st and Belle, these two events are perfect reasons for you to come take a look. Here is a map to help guide you.  You'll love who you see at the shelter - hopefully enough to take one or more not only home for the holidays but forever!
                                       

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# 8 Santa Paws Is Coming To Town

Santa Paws is coming to town! This annual event kicks off the Christmas season at Helping Hands Humane Society and our Animal Resource Center of northeast Kansas.

As you see here, the annual fund raiser is Saturday, November 16th from noon to 3:00pm. The festivities are sponsored by Hill's Pet Nutrition.

Until last year, the event was held at the Stonehouse Animal Clinic. We thank them for their hospitality hosting us for several years.

Last year, we held Santa Paws in the training room of the soon-to-be-completed Animal Resource Center of northeast Kansas. As always, we were thrilled to see so many pets and their people posing with Santa. These memories will last a lifetime.

We will be in the same location this year. As usual, we will have many costume options for your pet to choose from. There are Santa hats, reindeer antlers, elf hats and many more super cute add-ons to your already adorable dog or cat - or whatever! Santa Paws has posed with reptiles, bunnies, birds, you name it!

A basic package of one 5x7 photograph and 4 wallet size photos is only $15.00. A Deluxe Package includes the aforementioned, plus a digital copy emailed to you for inclusion in your holiday letters and so forth. A 2013 HHHS Christmas ornament is also included in the Deluxe Package.

To help you anticipate the season, you might take a look at this YouTube video. This cute dog is like many of us waiting for Santa.

#7 Do I Have To Dress Up?

That may be the question your dog or cat asks you every holiday but particularly on Halloween. Some of us just can't help dressing our pets in fun or funny outfits and showing them off in the neighborhood or just delighting in looking at them ourselves. Let's face it, costumes have come a long way and go a long way in adding to our enjoyment of Halloween...BUT...does your pet really like it? You can usually tell and oftentimes, the answer is NO!

A few tips on costumes for pets are similar to those for kids: absolutely don't use any fabric that is flammable. Also, make sure the costume is not so long that your pet trips over it.  Don't block their vision and take it off immediately if it seems it's the least bit uncomfortable for your pet.

Pets want to please us. To that end, they may stand still and let us doll them up. I encourage you to use common sense and make the experience fun for both of you.

You might want to look at my slide show for a few ideas. I'd love to see what you come up with! Happy Howl - a - ween!

#6 Black Cats Continued

We've all heard "don't let a black cat cross in front of you. It's bad luck because you have been noticed by the devil himself"! You may have heard that taken even further; if a black cat crosses your path at midnight, the cat IS the devil himself!

Another black cat superstition says that if you turn your back on a black cat, you will be cursed.

I prefer to think of all the GOOD superstitions about black cats:
*If you pet a black cat it will cure the sty in your eye.
*Own 3 black cats and have good luck.
*If a black cat sneezes on your wedding day, you'll have a happy marriage.
*In Scotland the arrival of a black cat is a sign of coming prosperity.
*Having a black cat aboard a ship brings good fortune.
*Wives of sailors kept black cats to ensure the safe return of their husband.

Reading all of these wonderful GOOD things about black cats is making you want to add one to your family, correct? You are in luck! The Helping Hands Humane Society is having an adoption special for black and autumn colored cats. That's the pretty gold, orange, even calico cats. The program is called Festive Fall Felines. You can take $10 off all adoptions of these fabulous felines. Here are a few of many now available at the shelter at 21st and Belle. Come select the puuuurfect one!

#5 Watch Out for Black Cats

 

 

  Halloween is just three weeks away! Time for ghosts, goblins, skeletons and witches flying through the air with black cats on their brooms. These are among the many sights we associate with the day, and especially the night of All Hallows Eve.


Sadly, for black cats, Halloween is not necessarily a day to celebrate. In fact, at this time of year, black cats are often targeted for abuse. That's why I titled this post "Watch Out for Black Cats". Instead of watching out so one doesn't cross your path, I'm hoping you'll keep a watchful eye and call authorities if you witness or hear of anyone harming a black cat - any animal for that matter.

According to an article in the St. Petersburg Times titled "Halloween: From God to Goblin," black cats and Halloween-esque rituals go back about 2,000 years to Ireland, Britain, Scotland and Wales. Evil spirits, the ancient Druids believed, were responsible for the cold weather and less daylight. A huge festival honoring Samhain, the lord of the dead, was held around October 31, the day before the Celtic New Year.

Huge bonfires, built to frighten away evil spirits and honor the souls of the dead, gave way to sacrifices of domesticated animals. Black cats were thought to be evil spirits transformed into animals. Throw the cat into the fire and dispel one more evil dead soul from the town. This brought in the Celtic New Year in purity.

Back to the aforementioned black cats riding on witches brooms. In the Middle Ages, it was a common belief that witches could divine themselves into black cats. Believing that black cats were witches in disguise, they were thrown into fires. This became a folk custom in France, Switzerland and Belgium, sanctioned by the Church. The Church in the Middle Ages decreed that cats were friends of the devil. The witch craze got so out of hand in Europe in those years that many women believed to be witches were sent to the gallows or the stake with their "familiar", their cat. (From: Why This Veterinarian Hates Halloween (But Loves Black Cats), 10/9/13 by Dr. Debora Lichtenberg, VMD)

Look around this Halloween and notice how many decorations feature a witch and her black cat. Too bad we can't just have fun with the day instead of making it about cruelty to animals as many sick (I have other terms that fit them better) people do.

More on black cats to come! Watch for my next Dog Blog - dedicated to black cats!

Blog #4 October is "Adopt-A-Shelter-Dog" Month!

Just look at these adorable faces!!! These are examples of hundreds of dogs waiting for a new home at the Helping Hands Humane Society, 21st and Belle in Topeka. Although it's "Adopt-A-Shelter-Dog Month" and we want to call attention to every dog of any age, I'd like to suggest you take a look at our older dogs at the shelter. They still have a lot of love to give and several years left to give it in.

Oftentimes older dogs are brought into the shelter because their owners no longer want them. Notice I didn't say "families" because I don't believe a family member would give another family member away, simply because they have grown older.

As you can imagine, the older dog (or any dog given up by its owner) doesn't understand what he did wrong - why he is no longer wanted. You can see it in their eyes, the sadness, the loneliness.

Sometimes owners give up an older dog because, with age, perhaps the dog is in need of medical attention and the owner can't or won't be able to spend the money to care for the dog.

Whatever the reason, hundreds of older pets are delivered monthly to the Helping Hands Humane Society at 21st and Belle in Topeka. If you're looking for an older friend who will share these upcoming fall and winter days and nights with you, come on in and adopt a SENIOR Shelter Dog. Really, please adopt any dog or cat you see there but, if you have a place for an older dog, they need to fill that place in your heart and in your home.