Want a $5 GC from Lofty Dog?

Austin Lofty Dog will give you more than a penny for your thoughts!  Take the Lofty Dog client survey and they'll send you a $5 off coupon for your next visit to the store.

Go to the survey.

The survey should take you less than five minutes. Also take some time to look at some adorable animals that are adoptable now by visiting our Adoptions page.

Can a therapy animal help an autistic child?

Help Us Help Kids With Autism! American Humane desperately needs your help building our Animal-Assisted Therapy Program to address a serious challenge affecting innocent children across the country: autism. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,1 in every 110 kids born in the United States struggles with autism, a developmental disability that often makes communication and interaction with others difficult. These children also face tremendous stress in their daily lives, as they valiantly work to keep up with their peers in the same classrooms. The good news is therapy animals can help kids with autism cope and connect with others! Our Animal-Assisted Therapy Program brings specially trained teams of animals and human volunteers to a variety of settings, including classrooms that serve kids with disabilities. There’s just one problem: The need to serve children with autism is bigger than our program. That’s why your donation to help our Animal-Assisted Therapy Program grow is so critical! Interacting with a friendly, patient therapy animal from time to time is a great way to encourage the development of children with autism -- and relieve stress. Here are just a few examples of how it works: Children with autism struggle to make eye contact. Practicing this with an animal is less threatening. Children with autism have trouble forming relationships. Brushing, talking to, praising and playing with a pet can increase empathy. Children with autism often feel overwhelmed. A pet’s unconditional love and calming presence can provide a welcome relief, allowing the child to focus better afterward. A Belgian Malinois Inspires a Child With Autism If you have any doubts about helping more kids with autism through animal-assisted therapy, consider the story of Michael* and Jaxon. Michael is a second grader with autism. Jaxon is a big-hearted Belgian Malinois who was adopted by Barbara Weiss, an American Humane volunteer and a school system assistant in special education. Every other week, Barbara brings Jaxon to school to provide animal-assisted therapy to Michael and other children. Communicating is tough for Michael, but he recently surprised everyone by exclaiming, “Jaxon lives with Michael!” He went on to describe how Jaxon was going to sleep on his sofa, and even be carried in Michael’s backpack despite the lovable dog’s huge size! This display of affection and humor may seem like a small thing. But for Michael, it was a tremendous breakthrough. Please donate today so American Humane can bring more kids like Michael and therapy dogs like Jaxon together! *Michael’s story is real, but his name has been changed to protect his privacy.

New, Improved Crush Act Introduced--Let's Get It Passed!

Earlier this week, the U.S. Supreme Court declared an important federal anti-cruelty law known as the “Crush Act” (18 U.S. Code Section 48) unconstitutional and therefore unenforceable. The Crush Act banned the creation, sale and possession of materials depicting genuine acts of animal cruelty where such acts are illegal. The Court made it clear that its major concern was the broadness of the law’s language, which could make the law applicable in many circumstances not intended by its authors.

While the ASPCA is disappointed with the Court’s decision, we are moving forward! Representative Elton Gallegly of California has acted quickly and introduced a bill to amend the law. H.R. 5092 will make the Crush Act’s language more specific and resolve the over-breadth concerns raised by the Supreme Court.

Passage of H.R. 5092 will help prevent a revitalization of the crush video industry. The original Crush Act was passed with little opposition—help us ensure that this revision passes, too.

What You Can Do
Please tell your U.S. representative that you support H.R. 5092, and that he or she should co-sponsor the bill and help move it quickly through the legislative process. Visit the ASPCA Advocacy Center online to email your representative now.

Thank you for helping us fight animal suffering and exploitation.

Reports of Kennel Cough in the Portland Area on the Rise

From Green Dog Pet Supply:
I thought I'd give you all a quick heads up - it seems there is a bit of an outbreak of kennel cough here in the Portland area. I got a call last night from the good folks at Doggy Business, letting us know that though they have only received about 4 reports of kennel cough in the last few days from customers, there are a few daycares here in town that have actually closed temporarily to help to slow the spread of the disease. Doggy Business is being vigilant and notifying their customers to ensure that people are watching for signs. Kennel cough, or Bordatella, is a generally mild, though very contageous respiratory illness that can be caused by bacteria, flu-like viruses, or a combination of both. Immunization cannot prevent all occurrences of kennel cough, so even if they've had the immunization, they still could fall ill if interacting with another dog that is shedding the virus. The most obvious symptom is a dry hacking cough, and sometimes some lethargy. In rarer cases it can evolve into pneumonia, so if your dog seems to be getting sicker (poor appetite, listlessnes, or fever), do see a vet.

If it's just a cough, keep them out of the daycares, classes, and parks for a while
here are a few useful links to learn more:
http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=2+2102&aid=452
http://www.marvistavet.com/html/kennel_cough.html
To soothe the coughing, we have a tincture called phytomucil that is useful for soothing coughs. Or, you can go to the Whole Foods bulk spice/herb section and pick up either marshmallow root or slippery elm. Bring it home and make a tea from it (a spoonful of root to a big mug of water), let it cool and offer it to your pet. These herbs are both useful for soothing the throat, are very safe and are both kind of sweet, so usually liked by dogs - you could also put in some chicken broth if they won't drink it straight.

I read an interesting thing online that I haven't tried - making a concoction of 8 oz water, 3 drops of hydrogen peroxide, and one teaspoon of honey in warm water. I have no experience with this, but I see lots of testimonials here. The part of it that I like best is the honey, which is both soothing and has antibacterial properties.

Beware the Easter Lily! Download our Pet Safe App

Whether you’re celebrating Easter, Passover or the arrival of daffodils, it’s time to show our pets some love by keeping them safe from one of the season’s most popular—and poisonous—plants, the Easter lily. Our feline friends are particularly vulnerable to this arresting flower, which can cause kidney failure within 36 to 72 hours of ingestion.

“All lilies belonging to the plant genus Lilium are highly toxic to cats,” explains Dr. Steven Hansen, Senior Vice President, ASPCA Animal Health Services. “Consuming even small amounts can cause a life-threatening situation.” Common lily varieties that are dangerous for cats include the Easter lily, tiger lily, rubrum lily, Japanese show lily and certain species of daylily.

Don’t know your lily from your laurel? Check out our new Pet Safe app for all of your flower power know-how! Compatible with the iPhone and iPod touch, the app includes a searchable database of plants that are toxic to cats, dogs and horses. It’s now available in the iTunes Store—download it today, and you’ll always have the life-saving information you need right at your fingertips!

For more information about harmful household flowers, check out our online guide to toxic plants. As always, if you suspect your pet has ingested something poisonous, please call your veterinarian or the ASPCA’s 24-hour hotline at (888) 426-4435.

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Go Orange for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month!

This April, the ASPCA invites you to join millions of animal lovers across the country as we celebrate Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month. Starting four years ago as a small adoption event in New York City, the ASPCA’s April celebrations have mushroomed into a nationwide observance of the human-animal bond and our victories on behalf of animals. We encourage you to organize a pet parade in your neighborhood, get your town hall to light up in orange, or enter our Go Orange Photo Contestto show your love and support of the furry kind.

Last April was great—let’s make this one even better! Join us for April’s “Go Orange for Animals” campaign, and together we can improve the lives of animals in every corner of the country. Here are some ways you can participate:

• Snap a Photo—and Win a Prize!
  Send us photos of unique ways that you, family, friends and pets have gone orange for animals! Our top 10 favorites will receive a very special ASPCA Prize Pack and be featured on our website.
  
  
• Throw a Party!
  Become an ASPCA Ambassador and create your own grassroots event, inviting friends and family to sponsor your efforts on behalf of the ASPCA.
  
  
• Show Your Virtual Support
  Dedicate your MySpace page, Facebook status or blog to the ASPCA during the month of April and encourage your friends to spread the word about our Go Orange campaign!
  
  
• Support Your Local Animal Shelter
  Coordinate a Go Orange for Animals event with your local animal welfare group or shelter and donate the proceeds. Remember to alert local media about your event!

Visit ASPCAApril.org for more ways to celebrate Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month, and have a happy April!

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Austin Lofty Dog April Events

Here's the Lofty Dog April newsletter with news of exciting upcoming events (and special savings!) for you and your pet. Don't forget about Woof Wednesdays and be sure to check the website for monthly coupons.

You can keep even more up to date by following them on Twitter.

Every Day Is Tag Day™ Kicks Off This Saturday!

It’s a big, scary world out there for cats and dogs who are lost and alone, far from home. Even if you think your pet would never run away, the sad fact is that it can happen to anyone. Millions of dogs and cats are taken to animal shelters as strays each year -- but only about 15 percent of dogs and 2 percent of cats without an ID tag or microchip are reunited with their owners. American Humane is celebrating Every Day Is Tag Day this Saturday, April 3, to encourage all pet owners to tag and microchip their companion animals. All cats and dogs need to wear a collar with an ID tagthat includes your name, address, phone numbers and the pet’s name (plus microchip registration number if your pet has been microchipped). Microchipping provides permanent identification for your pet. Nearly all animal shelters and veterinary clinics routinely scan every animal for the presence of a microchip, which can be matched with owner information in a national database. With both identification methods, remember to keep your contact information up to date if you move or change your phone number.