Layla
MAYSVILLE — If you’re looking for the perfect pet, look no further, Layla is the dog for you.
This pretty, black and white girl is around 1 year old and weighs 38 pounds. She has striking ice-blue eyes and gets along great with dogs, cats, and horses. Layla is spayed, vaccinated, and ready for adoption, rescue, or foster at the Mason County Animal Shelter.
Diamonds are a girl’s best friend, right? In this case, Bracken County’s Diamond is everyone’s best friend. Diamond was abandoned at the shelter with her brother and although he was adopted fairly quickly, she is still waiting for her forever home. Diamond is a sweetheart who’s available for adoption, rescue, or foster.
Also, at the BCAS, you’ll find several gorgeous pups who arrived at the shelter as tiny pups, and now they’re 8 months old. Shelters are no place for youngsters, and these lovelies are excited to meet their forever families. They’re available for adoption, rescue, or foster.
Summer is the time of year when we spend a lot of time outside having fun with our pets. But high temperatures can cause risks for our furry friends. Here are a few suggestions to keep your pet healthy and safe while you’re enjoying the sunshine and longer days together.
Like us, dogs and cats can become dehydrated. A sign they may need water includes excessive drooling and panting. Always make sure your pet has lots of fresh, clean water inside and outside your home. Plan ahead for those trips to the park by keeping a bowl in the car and bringing an extra water bottle or two along. Some people will add wet food to their pet’s diet during the warmer months to increase their fluid intake.
It’s important to keep pets in the shade as much as possible when they’re outside. Cats and dogs enjoy sunbathing but too much sun can cause them to overheat, leading to heat stroke. A dog’s normal temperature is between 100 degrees and 103 degrees and a cat ranges from 100.4 degrees to 102.5 degrees. And remember, your pet doesn’t sweat the way we do.
If your dog or cat has been outside on a hot day and they’re panting heavily, vomiting, has diarrhea or is having difficulties walking, they might be overheated, and you should seek veterinarian assistance quickly. In the meantime, move your pet to a cool, shady spot, pour cool (not cold to avoid shock) water over the dog and offer small amounts of cool water to drink.
You might be surprised, but your pet can get sunburned too, especially those with light-colored, thin coats. To avoid burns that could lead to cancer, apply sunscreen to your pet every few hours where their skin is exposed, especially around their ears and nose. Be sure to use sunscreens suitable for pets. Ask your veterinarian for recommendations.
It’s best to exercise your pup in the early morning or late evening on hot days. And try to keep their activity limited. When your dog is romping around the yard, they might not know when to
quit. You must pay attention and look for signs that they’re overheating and give them lots of breaks.
Watch out for hot pavement. It can burn paws and contribute to your pet becoming too hot. A good way to test the temperature of the road or sidewalk is to place your palm down directly on the pavement or asphalt and hold it there for a minute. If it’s too hot for your hand, it’s too hot for your pup’s paws. There are booties available for dogs who do a lot of road walking.
In the summertime, fleas, ticks, and mosquitoes are everywhere and infestations can lead to skin infections, tapeworms, and heartworms. For your pet to be healthy and comfortable, it’s important to treat them regularly with medications to keep them bug-free.
It might be hard to believe but dogs do drown in pools, lakes, or the ocean. While your pet might be a great swimmer and really enjoy water time, be extra cautious. Consider a life vest and always keep an eye on your furry companion around water. If your dog is dodging waves in the ocean, stay vigilant that they don’t drink the water. Consuming larger amounts of salt water can be fatal for your dog.
Dogs love to go places and riding in the car is a real treat for them but you must never leave them in a car unattended, even for a few minutes. Rolling the windows partially down won’t keep them safe if outside temperatures are high. Leaving your pets in cars is not only extremely dangerous for them, but it’s illegal in 16 states which have specific “hot car” laws. Get into the habit of always taking your pet with you when you exit the vehicle. A quick errand could result in serious injury or death to your beloved pet if you aren’t diligent. If you see a pet locked inside a hot car, take immediate action by calling the police. Worst comes to worst, you may have to resort to breaking a window to save the animal’s life.
Along with picnics and barbeques, you’re likely to encounter fireworks in July. While we might enjoy the lights and explosions, our pets do not. To prepare for the onslaught of bright lights and blasting noises, make sure you keep your dog inside as much as possible and check that your contact information is up to date on their collar. Fireworks can poison your pet if ingested, so be sure to throw away any remnants that might be laying around in the yard.
If you’re careful and alert, you and your pet will have a fantastic summer. And don’t forget the vanilla ice cream as an extra special treat for your pet on hot days.
Adopting a pet from a shelter or rescue group is an extremely rewarding and feel-good experience. Considering the wide variety of breeds, sizes, ages, and personalities of dogs available at shelters for a low cost, why buy from a breeder, pet shop, or puppy mill? Area shelters are currently overwhelmed and by adopting, you open space for another dog who might desperately need it.
When you’re ready to welcome a new fur baby into your life, you’re invited to stop by one of the local shelter facilities—or all of them—to meet your next furry family member.
Take a trip over to 301 River Drive in Maysville to visit the fabulous residents of the Mason County Animal Shelter. The shelter is open to the public Monday through Friday from noon until 4:30 p.m. and from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Saturdays. Adoptions are completed on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The MCAS’s phone number is 606-564-6067 or you can email staff at animalshelter@masoncountykentucky.us. Please check out their Facebook page for more information about available dogs.
The Facebook page, Friends of Mason County and Surrounding Counties’ Animals, provides
information and pictures of area shelter animals and their own local fosters available for
adoption. This is also a good place to see found and missing dogs and cats. Follow their page for updates and to show your support for the movement. The Friends
have set up an Amazon gift registry on their page for the community to donate
much-needed items to foster families.
Volunteers of the Friends of Mason County and Surrounding Counties’ Animals are currently
fostering a wide assortment of kittens and cats of all ages, colors, and personalities that are in
desperate need of good homes. Please contact volunteers on the Friends’ Facebook page to
inquire about adoptable felines.
If you can’t adopt, consider donating to spay/neuter Mason County dogs or cats through your local Humane Society of Buffalo Trace at www.tinyurl.com/hsbt-give. You can also donate to the Friends of Mason County and Surrounding Counties’ Animals through the HSBT to help with their rescue efforts. Just make a notation for your donation to go to Friends’ Rescue.
The HSBT offers vouchers to assist with the cost of spaying/neutering Mason County pets. You can access their online application at www.bit.ly/hsbt-snap. If you have any questions, please visit HSBT’s Facebook page.
The HSBT is offering a brand new spay/neuter assistance program called the Transport Assistance Program (TAP). Volunteers will take Mason County cats to Noble View Veterinary Clinic in Georgetown, Kentucky early in the morning and return them to their owners that same evening. Each cat will be spayed or neutered and will also receive its rabies vaccine and pain medication if needed.
The cost for TAP is $20 and is non-refundable. This charge is to secure appointments, which are scarce. If you don’t show up at the designated meeting place on time, you forfeit the $20 fee. All the money raised goes to the HSBT. Participants are required to have their cat secured in a cat carrier.
TAP started in January and has already spayed/neutered dozens of cats through the program. These cats will no longer contribute to the cat overpopulation in Mason County. The program is only for felines currently.
If you’d like to get your cat on the list, reach out to the HSBT’s Facebook page.
There’s a bunch of super sweet dogs to pick from at the Bracken County Animal Shelter. Please call the shelter at 606-735-3475 for inquiries or you can reach Robbin Snapp by emailing brackencountyanimalshelter@yahoo.com. The shelter is located at 188 Hamilton Road in Brooksville. You can follow shelter news and check out adoptable dogs on the Bracken
County Animal Shelter Facebook page.
The BCAS has an Amazon Wishlist posted on their Facebook page. They also take monetary donations through the shelter’s PayPal account at brackencountyanimalshelter@yahoo.com.
You’ll find the perfect pet at the Lewis County Animal Shelter. Hours are 8 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.,
Monday through Friday and closed on the weekends. The shelter is located at 149 County Drive in Vanceburg. You can email the facility atlewiscountykyanimal@yahoo.com or call 606-796-3917. Follow the Friends of Lewis County, Ky Animal Shelter for updates, information, and instructions to donate to Lewis County animals in need.
In Robertson County, contact Aletha Thomas, the animal control officer at the
Robertson County Animal Shelter on Facebook for details about dogs available for adoption.
You can also visit the Robertson County KY Animal Shelter Facebook page for
shelter information. You can donate to the Robertson County shelter animals through Purple Paws Rescue, a non-profit organization, at https://msha.ke/rcaspurplepaws. There are always friendly and adorable dogs waiting to meet you at the RCAS.
The best way to stop the deluge of unwanted animals in your local shelters is to spay or neuter
your pets. https://fixfinder.org is a good place to find low-cost spay/neuter options around the area.
The time and expense spent now to spay and neuter your pet will save you a lot of money and aggravation later. Plus, it’s the right thing to do when so many dogs and cats are flooding animal shelters and rescue organizations.
And remember, adopt don’t shop!
