by Nancy E. Hassel, LIPetPlace.com

It’s begging to look a lot like…bored dogs, scratchy cats and wheel spinning hampsters! Oops I meant Christmas…or the Holidays if you will.  Here at LIPetPlace we are always looking for ways to keep our pets safe, happy and well cared for during the holidays, but know with the overwhelmingly busy time of year many pet owners tend to let things slide.  I get it, but for safety sake for your pet, (and your wallet),  there are few simple things you can do to ensure you dog, cat, ferret, hampster, parrot or bunny stay happy, healthy and out of the Vets office!

This is after all the busiest time of year that veterinarians see pet emergencies, Sparky could have ingested a holiday decoration, or Buster isn’t feeling well because too many family members gave him things he should not be eating.

Here are some tips to keep your pet out of the vet’s office and have a safe and happy holiday too!

• Pet Proof your house, Dr. Michel A. Selmer of Advanced Animal Care Center said this, “Puppies, in particular, may behave like young children, acting excited and inquisitive around lights, ornaments, candles, trees, unfamiliar foods, an influx of new people, and even a visiting pet. Especially during the holidays you must ‘pet proof’ various areas of your house. Pets must be taught off-limits, such as nibbling of ornaments on the lower branches of trees, or sampling the foods on the coffee table.”

• Instruct your guests and family members not to feed your pet as he could get really sick.  This usually does the trick with people falling for puppy dog eye expressions, but really emphasize this with your guests. “Rich food and too much of it can spell gastrointestinal distress for your pet,” said Dr. Selmer, and then you end up at your vet’s office with an unexpected expense and stress worrying about your pet!



• Be mindful when you are opening presents and if your pet is getting into any of the wrapping.  “When presents are opened, be aware of what you do with the ribbon, which presents a chocking danger. Mistletoe (Phoradendron species) is extremely toxic if eaten, while Poinsettia is mildly toxic. Tinsel can get caught up in the intestine and cause obstructions,” stated Dr. Selmer.

• Have a safe haven for your pet to retreat to.  Whether it is their crate or their bed in a quiet room away from guests and crowds.  A Kong stuffed with peanut butter (then frozen) also will help keep him busy while away from the crowd, but check on them often to make sure they are ok.

• Watch your pets behavior, if they seem different or stressed out around the holiday crowds, bring them to their safe haven – never ever as a punishment, but as a place to retreat.

• Christmas Tree as play toys! This picture says it all if you have a cat (I have was always fortunate, our cat just liked to go under the tree and hang out), but if you have a mischievous kitty who likes to climb in the tree, think about this before hanging family heirlooms, glass ornaments or sharp objects the cat could hurt himself on while scaling your Christmas tree.

• A tired dog is a good dog, exercise your dog on a long walk before the crowd comes over!  I have said this before and I will say it again!  This is one of the best things you can do, if you have to get up earlier or walk longer to have a happy, tired dog the day your guests are there, everyone including your pup will thank you!

Most of all enjoy your holidays, don’t forget about your pets needs too and maybe make a donation of a pet toy to your local animal shelter!

Happy Howlidays from Max!!

By Nancy E. Hassel, LIPetPlace.com

UPDATE: 10/31/2012

Many places are still offering help if you have been displaced and have no where to bring your pet.  See below for an updated list of pet organizations and businesses offering assistance.   They are doing a tremendous job helping families and their pets get through this storm-a big thank you to everyone lending a hand in whatever way you can!

As Hurricane Sandy is bearing down on the East Coast, many people have been evacuated and many of those people own pets.  We are lucky that now, there are more and more pet friendly emergency shelters offering assistance to pet owners so they don’t ride out the storm with their pets when they should already be evacuated.

However, we know some people wait until the last minute or don’t know where they can go with their pets, so here is a comprehensive list of available places.  I will be updating this as more information comes in to me.  Please be safe, make sure you pet has proper ID on at all times, proper collars (so he or she can’t slip out of them), extra water, their food, extra leash, any medication they might be on, etc.  Pets can get very scared during a storm like this, so please be careful!

For emergency shelters and privately owned pet businesses that are able to help, please see below:

Suffolk County:

• For Suffolk County residents go to this link to find out more information click here to find out what county government offers: Pet Friendly Shelters in Suffolk County.

• In Westhampton Beach,  East End Boarding Kennel is open, fully supplied, staffed and sits almost 20 ft above sea level. There phone number is: (631) 288-7292.

• Pet Sitter Jen Devine of Devine Solutions can also help if you need it in the Huntington area.  Contact her at (631) 697-5995.

• Lisa Mongiell of Innovative Pet Care Services in Stony Brook can board small animals, birds, and reptiles.  Owners will need to bring enclosure, and food. Call (631) 433-6679.

• K9 Clubhouse in West Babylon can help between Sunday and Tuesday if you need to suddenly get your dog to a safe place after our business hours, don’t panic, they can assist you. Call 631-609-7518 and they will help you.

• Pamper ur Poochie Parlor in Selden is offering assistance to families that need to board their dogs. (631) 860 3093.
• Animal Rescue Fund of the Hamptons (ARF) is the official evacuation center for pets for the Town of East Hampton. Call (631) 537-0400 for more info.
• Hounds Town in Port Jefferson is open if anyone needs help there.  Call  Marianne Carrano Deszcz at (631) 404-5605.
• The Groomery in Stony Brook is offering assistance housing cats dogs and any birds and reptiles that people cannot bring with them. If you need help contact Melissa at (631) 751-7815.
• Jungle Bob’s Reptile World in Centereach is helping if you have reptiles or turtles, etc.  They are housing pets for a $5 fee per night.  Please call (631) 737-6474

Nassau County:

by Nancy E. Hassel, LIPetPlace.com

Don’t you love the cooler, crisp weather that is happening after a brutally hot summer? I know I do, and my dog Max has some serious hyper fall fever for a 11 year old pupper! One of the things that we think changes with the cooler weather is less fleas and ticks around, however that is not always the case. Many people resort to topical treatments to keep fleas and ticks away from their pets, in which I do not use any of those products on my dog, never have, never plan on it. I am however, proactive in always checking my dog for ticks, especially here on LI – they never really go away unless the temperature goes below freezing or their is snow on the ground. So my dog knows the routine after a nice long walk in the woods or even just down the street – he gets checked for ticks afterwards. To be fair, he has short hair and he his coat is mostly white – so it is a bit easier to look for ticks on him vs. say a long haired or double coated dog. It’s a choice I make to not use topical treatments and use holistic sprays to keep pests away, but dog owners have to decide what is best for them and their dog on an individual basis.

My dog has had ticks on him from walks or romping in a field which I remove with a ticked off spoon or device like that, but he has never a problem with fleas. But in order to know where fleas and ticks may be a problem in your neighborhood, PetCareRX.com came up with this ingenious local flea and tick tracker which is designed to help customers track the flea and tick threat level depending on location. The tracker is simple to use and extremely beneficial for pet owners and their animal friends. To try it, just click on the button on the top left hand side of the site ‘Find your local Flea & Tick Threat Level’ on PetCareRX.com.

Pet owners can explore the different charts and maps that are generated based on the zip code. The various charts help break down flea and tick patterns depending on the temperature, time of year and location. For instance, the 3-day flea forecast chart uses the average temperature and humidity forecast for the next three days to compute a flea threat level of low, medium, or high. There is also a chart based on 2012 parasite prevalence maps which show the risk of tick borne diseases in the requested area as well.

The Flea Activity chart is based on historical weather patterns by state which can help viewers see when the low, moderate and high flea threat levels might occur. This chart is great because it can help pet owners choose a flea and tick prevention course of action based on their region’s flea activity. For example, this year has been warmer than usual in many parts of the country. It is important to pay attention to our pet’s habits (indoor or outdoor, country or city, etc) in order to decide what the best course of action to protect our furry friends.

So whether you are using a topical treatment or a holistic approach – it is a great tool to find about the flea and tick patterns in your neighborhood so you can best prevent your pet from getting these pests.

by Nancy E. Hassel, LIPetPlace.com

It was a beautiful evening for the 3rd Annual ‘Unconditional Love’ event benefiting the Southampton Animal Shelter Foundation (SASF) on Saturday, July 21, 2012 in Southampton, NY.  Held at the beautiful waterfront private residence of Sandra McConnell the evening’s event included honoring event Chairwoman Jean Shafiroff and Southampton Animal Shelter Foundation’s President Jonathan McCann honored Chuck and Ellen Scarborough at Southampton Animal Shelter.  Strolling the grounds there were also adoptable pets available for adoption at the shelter.  Summer and Smokey stood out in the crowd as well as the cutie pie, Captain Jack who came to the shelter scared and nervous – but thanks to the amazing trainers and staff, he was nothing but sweet, happy and said hello politely to anyone who came to him.

Captain Jack!

Over 300 people attended the elegant affair complete with a silent auction, cocktails and dinner and dancing to this year’s fete and live entertainment was provided by the Alex Donner Orchestra. The event was emceed by NBC’s Jane Hansen and some of the guests included Martin Shafiroff, Elizabeth Shafiroff, CeCe and Lee Black, Somers and Jonathan Farkas, Lydia and Rudy Touzet, Jean Little and Howard Marton, SASF Founder Susan Allen, Board Exec. V.P. Sony Schotland, Treasurer Steve Greenfield, Board members Joel Cooper and Jay Durante, and Darlene Rodriguez, David Ushery and Lynda Baquero from NBC, Southampton Village Mayor Mark Epley and his wife Marianne among many other guests.

The event helped raise over $375,000 for SASF which was founded in 2010  as a call to action when the town decided it could no longer care for the animals at the town shelter premises. Not only were the 225 animals currently housed there in jeopardy, so were all others that would be found.  The Southampton Animal Shelter Foundation offers a low-cost spay/neuter clinic to help combat pet overpopulation. All privately owned pit bull type dogs are spayed or neutered free of charge.  Dog obedience classes are also offered to the public. The Shelter is a non-profit organization relying on the generosity of individuals and businesses to help save lives at the adoption center and provide much-needed programs that benefit homeless pet.

The Southampton Animal Shelter Foundation was founded in 2010For more information please visit www.southamptonanimalshelter.com

See more pictures below!

by Nancy E. Hassel, LIPetPlace.com

Port Jeff for Pets adopt-a-thon and Art Walk weekend was this past Saturday & Sunday, May 19 & 20th and it drew a lot of rescue organizations from Long Island and the North East.  Hosted by Guardians of Rescue and in the parking lot of Chase Bank in Port Jefferson, NY.  It was a beautiful May weekend and a lot of wonderful cats, dogs, kittens and puppies were on hand looking for potential new homes – and the Long Island Parrot Society was there with beautiful birds.  See below for the many pictures taken throughout the weekend…and if you couldn’t make it there are many dogs and cats that were there that may not have found a home.  Contact information is below their picture.

"Please adopt me!" Vivian the Boston Terrier, 3yrs, www.nebostonrescue.com

Long Island Parrot Society

Princess - For adoption at the Town of Brookhaven Animal Shelter - call 631-286-4940

Boston cupcakes!

Romeo! This picture doesn't do this COMPLETE sweetheart justice! What a love bug! Town of Babylon Animal Shelter 631-643-9270

Aww 2 week old rescued kitten!

Long Island Bulldog Rescue Group 'Kiss a Bull' booth - too funny!