by Nancy E. Hassel, LIPetPlace.com, All Photos in this article were taken by Nancy E. Hassel – Copyright Protected.

Here are 5 simple tips to help keep your pets safe and warm while enjoying the snowy weather.

1.) Protect your dogs paws. There are many pet boots and products on the market that you can put on your pet, have them wear to help them with keeping their paws from getting frost bite, chapped and sore. Also use pet friendly salt when putting salt down on your sidewalks and driveways. When you come inside, wipe your pets paws with a damp, warm clothe and check for any salt, rocks, cuts or scrap on their paws.  Towel them off to ensure their fur is dry before they settle in for a nap!

2.) For cats that are indoor/outdoor cats – during the very cold months keep them inside or at the very least limit their time outside. Cats can be easily injured slipping on an icy fence, accidentally ingesting antifreeze which is toxic to cats and dogs, and they may decide to climb up into a car to keep warm. (Note: Bang on your car hood before starting your car in the winter months in case your cat or a stray cat has climbed into the engine to keep warm.) Keeping them inside is best in the winter. If they seem bored being in, go out and get interactive cat toys and have fun with them inside while the snow comes down outside.

While there is no snow on the ground, it was about 10 degrees this day a neighbor cat left outside to fend for itself.

3.) When out for a long hike with your dog in the snow, be sure they have a properly fitted dog coat on if they don’t have their own natural double coat. Bring a first aid kit for pets with you just in case. Put a coating of Mushers Secret paw wax on their paws if they’re not wearing boots. Have up-to-date ID tags on them and always bring an extra collar or leash with you – you never know when you may need while out in the elements.  Keep your dog leashed and don’t let him venture out onto ANY ice. (Every year someone is on the news because they fell in trying to save or get their dog off the ice. For tips on how to train your dog to stay off the ice, click here).

4.) Check your pet from head to tail for any minor cuts or snow built up in their fur.  Check the tips of their ears, tails and paws to make sure they do not have frost bite. While more pet owners may be better at checking their pets in the summer months for fleas and ticks, make sure you still thoroughly check your pet regularly in the winter. Especially after a long walk or extended time in the cold.

5.) Dogs like humans can experience a bit of cabin fever during the cold, snowed in months. If your dog is bored, check out some fun and helpful ideas here. If you’re not exercising your pets as much in the winter, make sure you are reflecting that in their diets too. Overfeeding your pet during the cold months, while they have less exercise, will easily add lbs, which you don’t want!

Sadly, many dog owners on Long Island think it is ok to leave their pets chained up outside with very little shelter to protect them and keep them warm. (Suffolk County has an anti-tethering law – dogs can’t be tied out longer than 2-hours at a time) If you see a dog left outside chained up all the time, call the police and local animal control within your municipal animal shelter – they will respond.

However, we have many wonderful organizations that work with the owners to educate them, encourage them to bring their dogs inside and also help provide staw, dog coats and blankets and light weight tie outs. You can simply help by making a monetary donation or finding out what supplies they could use. See below for a list of organizations that you can help so they can continue their outreach programs:

Almost Home LI
Break the Chain Program
Guardians of Rescue
Paws Unite People (PUP)
People Advocating for Change (PAC)
RSVP Animal Welfare & Rescue Group
Shelter Link
Unchained New York

by Nancy E. Hassel, LIPetPlace.com

How do you paw it forward?  Personally, I like to bake Christmas cookies during the holidays, but I used to bake healthy dog treats for years for my own dogs.  When I got the adorable Paw it Forward cookie cutters for our American Pet Professionals Holiday Party to put in the goody bags, I was inspired to paw it forward more.  So last night instead of baking another round of cookies for people, you guessed it – lots of dog cookies were rolled out, baked and packaged up.  The number one cookies my dogs loved were, PeaMutt Butter & Honey treats, so that is what you see pictured below.  Today I will be going to a couple of local animal shelters so the dogs there can enjoy a holiday treat.

Let the cookie cutting begin!

The adogable Paw it Forward cookie cutter!

Mix up your shapes for fun – and if you have holiday themed cutters add those too!

For your best baking results, use parchment paper to line the cookie trays.  I also baked these at 325 degrees and a little longer so they would be nice and crunchy for the pups!

The finished product, ready to go the animal shelter!  6 bags in total of yummy dog treats made with human grade and organic ingredients – like all dogs should be getting!

Hope to have pictures of some of the shelter dogs crunching on the treats later.

In the meantime, please share with us, how do you Paw it Forward? (Comment below!)

by Nancy E. Hassel, LIPetPlace.com

In honor of National Ugly Christmas Sweater Day, Harbor Pet is hosting Long Island’s very first Ugly Christmas Sweater party for dogs (and their owners)!

This funny and festive event encourages pet owners to bring their dogs in their own ugly Christmas sweaters.  Prizes will be awarded for the ugliest sweater, most creative, best owner and dog ugly sweater combo and more!

In addition to the ugly sweaters prancing around, there is a pet food collection for North Fork Animal Welfare league.  Participants can purchase a pet food donation at Harbor Pet and a 10% discount will be given for pet food purchases made for the food drive.  Each pup wearing an ugly holiday sweater will receive a special treat from Life if Grruff and refreshments for humans and dogs alike for added holiday cheer!

A photographer will be on hand to capture pet parents and their pups in all their ugly Christmas sweater glory.  For more information on how you can participate contact Harbor Pets at (631) 477-1518.

Think your dog has the ugliest sweater?

By Nancy E. Hassel, LIPetPlace.com

Over the past couple of weeks LIPetPlace.com has visited, (or re-visited in some cases), some of our municipal animal shelters, private animal rescues and attended an adoptathon this past weekend.  While I am not in the trenches of rescue like so many wonderful people here are – I do what I can.  I donate what I can.  Whether that donation is time, promotion of animals in need of homes via the Pet Events Newsletter or on social media, or by connecting people who I think would be a great match, through product donations and monetary donations.  If you are able to do one thing a day, a week, or one thing a month – it will help.  The needs of the animals in rescue is a daily commitment – and our rescues could use your help.   Many adoptable dogs, cats, horses and other pets who sit waiting for a home in our LI shelters.  Some have been in our shelters for 2, 3, 4 and even met at dog that has been in a shelter 6 years.  6 years.

While visiting the Town of North Hempstead Animal Shelter recently, and getting the full tour from Dr. Bob Slifkin of The Shelter Connection, (the non-profit volunteer group that works with the shelter), – it is a great animal shelter.  It is very clean, they have fantastic programs training dogs getting them ready for their forever homes, their have a good adoption rate, nature trails that the dogs get to go on walks or play groups in, a room that is like a room you would find in a home for dogs to get adjusted to and more.  But it is still a shelter – and there are a lot of great dogs waiting there.   The day I visited there were 2 German Shepards, a Beagle (there is always a Beagle at every shelter!), a little white poodle (who was scared out of it’s mind, poor thing), a Yorkie, a Bulldog (was just adopted), a Husky, 2 Cane Corsos (goregous and friendly), a Pointer mix (who was so sweet), and beautiful Pit Bulls and pit mixes – who the majority were wiggle butts, calm, sat when asked.  Bob told me a lot of the dogs personalities and, “while that dog may be barking, once out of the kennel – the best dog.”  About another pit bull Prince – there 2 years, Bob said, “That is the best trained dog in the kennel, and incredibly smart,” – and guess what, Prince is a Pit Bull.

This scruffy little guy was at the Town of North Hempstead Animal Shelter – go there to see if he is still waiting for a home!

Prince – so sweet, calm and at the shelter for 2 years.

So how can you help?

What can you do if you can’t adopt or foster?

• Maybe you can volunteer at a local shelter to help walk a dog, or put your skills to use.  Often times animal rescue groups need people to volunteer their professional skills – and not be another dog walker.
• My suggestion, is contact a local rescue – how can you help?  What skills are they looking for?  Go to a volunteer orientation.  I have a friend who is a mom of 6-year old triplets and makes the time to go 2-days a week to volunteer at the shelter and attends events when she can!  Maybe the rescue needs help with their social media pages, website, grant writing, public relations, or needs product donations – perhaps you could be the facilitator to help them get more of their needs met.
• Are you a teacher?  Maybe one of your school projects could be collecting donations that your local animal shelter or rescue group needs.  Contact the shelter near you and find out what they need help with.
• Are you a carpenter?  Maybe the local animal shelter needs houses for the feral cats they take care of, or the horse rescue needs repairs at their barn.
• Love taking photo’s?  Animal rescues are always happy to work with a great photographer to capture the essence of the pets for adoption.

There are so many ways to help, and the help needed is endless.

This handsome fella is available for adoption at ARF (Animal Rescue Fund of the Hamptons).

Brooklyn who is available at the Town of North Hempstead Animal Shetler.  Brooklyn, what can I say, what a sweet, calm, smart and beautiful dog.  He sat for this photo before I even had the chance to ask him to sit.    He has been at the shelter for about 2 years.

Squeaky a sweet cuddle bug who is available for adoption at the Animal Rescue Fund of the Hamptons.  He has been there about a year.

Emmy – OMD (That’s Oh My Dog!) What a sweetheart!! She is at the Town of Hempstead Animal Shelter. She likes people and dogs, and while she may have barked while in her crate at the adoption, once out – super calm and oh so sweet.  She just met me and let me put this coat on her! (Who knew it was going to fit her perfectly and I think Purple is her color don’t you!)  She also is small – so if you looking for pint sized wiggle butt – here ya go! (Black dogs get over looked the most at shelters.)

This little peanut mixed breed is at the Town of North Hempstead Animal Shelter – again another sweet dog!

This adorable fella is up for adoption at the Town of Brookhaven Animal Shelter – a shelter that is bursting at the seems with dogs.

BRUCE!!! Love, love, love this goofball of a dog!  The only reason Bruce barked at all in his cage, is because he wanted attention.  When I sat next to him while he was barking, I said, “You’re a big phony baloney aren’t you? You silly phony baloney!” And with that he flopped on his side, and was non-stop waggin his tail.  See another picture of him below.  He is not big, not sure what he is mix with – we were guessing Bull Mastiff and Beagle! He is available at the Town of Hempsead Animal Shelter.  Likes dogs and people.

To see many more pictures, please Click here!

And let us know how you help by posting a comment!  Or if you are rescue what your needs are.
A big thanks to ARF for putting on the adoption event over the weekend – to their staff and volunteers and a big thanks to all the volunteers who are out there day after day helping!

Squeakys paw by the way – he was a love bug!

By Nancy E. Hassel, LIPetPlace.com

Today I had the pleasure of meeting a very sweet Cane Corso, Italian Mastiff, named Bella Mia.

Neglected, overbred practically to death, starved, dumped and left for dead in Brooklyn.

Sweet, curious, gentle and active despite being emaciated and full of scars.

I will never understand how inhumane and horrible the human race can be to our beloved animals.

This is Bella Mia after two weeks at Save-a-Pet in Pt. Jefferson, and she has gained weight.  Think about that she has gained weight.

While taking photos, Bella was a bit all over the place and didn’t care about the toy I had with a squeaker in it, chances are she never had a toy before and didn’t know what to think.  But being this sweet, and curious girl she was sniffing the bag I was holding that had treats in it! (Smart girl).  I took out one of the Uncle Ulrick’s Made in the USA treats I had and that was it.  Her tail was wagging in a blur, she was very excited over this treat (as you can imagine from being starved).  She sat immediately, without being asked.  I gave her part of the treat and she was very soft mouthed and gentle.  Here is a dog who was obviously owned, who knew how to sit on command, took treats very, very nicely and yet this is what her humans did to her.

Bella Mia staring at the treat I had in my hand, which of course I gave to her right after this picture.

A couple of weeks ago if it wasn’t for someone tagging Dori Scofield of Save-A-Pet on a Facebook post for an urgent Cane Corso at the Brooklyn AC&C – Bella Mia’s fate would more than likely have been sealed.  Bella Mia is about 5 – 6 years old – maybe a little older – but she didn’t seem more than 6 to me.  Yes, she has some scars, she was overbred by some POS of a human – but she is super sweet.  She is actually not huge for a Cane Corso, in my opinion,  but she is not a small dog! 🙂  If you think you are interested in adopting her, contact Save-A-Pet, and please give this sweet dog the 2nd chance at life and spoil her, let her sleep on the couch and live a pampered life that she deserves.

Thank you to whoever tagged Dori in that Facebook post, and of course a big thank you to Dori to stepping up to take Bella Mia, saving her life, and giving her a new one.