New Pet Airline to Open

Traveling with pets is a subject that concerns many pet owners. Whether you’re traveling by car or plane, bringing your pet along on your trip can cause some worrying about the pet’s health and safety during your trip. If your pet needs to fly and you live near several large cities, a new service will allow your pet to fly in the climate controlled cabin of an airplane, rather than the cargo hold.

 

 Pet Airways is scheduled to start flying on July 14^th in New York, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. According to Dan Wiesel, President/CEO of Pet Airways, “Currently, most pets traveling by air are transported in the cargo hold and are handled as baggage. The experience is frightening to the pets, and can cause severe emotional and physical harm, even death. This is not what most pet owners want to subject their pets to, but they have had no other choice until now.”

 

 According to the Pet Airways website, a pet attendant will monitor and check the comfort of all “pawsengers” every 15 minutes during the flight. After landing, pet wills be given a potty break and taken to the Pet Lounge for pick up.

 

 

photo courtesy of kaigo - http://www.sxc.hu/profile/kaigo

 

 

Animals riding in the cargo section are not protected from extremes in cold and hot weather, which can result in illness or death. The interior of a cargo hold isn’t that much different than the interior of a car when it comes to extreme temperatures. Just as a car interior can quickly reach unsafe temperatures on a summer day, so can a cargo hold. Temperatures can reach as high as 120 degree Fahrenheit in a cargo hold.

 

If your pet must fly in a cargo hold, the Women’s Humane Society recommends that you avoid the summer and winter seasons. In fact, some airlines will not allow pets in the cargo holds in the summer or winter. If you wish to book your pet on a commercial airline, make sure you call the airline first to ask about special arrangements and fees. It’s not a good idea just to show up for the flight with your pet. Not all airlines accept pets, and as mentioned before, even airlines that do accept pets won’t allow them to fly in extreme temperatures.

 

If you don’t have a service like Pet Airways available to you, you’ll need to book a ticket for your pet on a commercial flight. Pets flying on commercial airlines are  placed in the unheated, unairconditioned cargo hold areas of planes, unless the pet is small enough that it can be placed in a carrier under a seat.

Meet a Friendly Rabbit!

 

This adult rabbit is very friendly, but other than the fact that he is male, we don’t know a lot about him. You could give him a history and a home. If you would like to visit this rabbit, stop by the Society on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. or on Wednesday from 1 p.m. – 7 p.m. Visit our website for more details on adoptions.

 

Pet Food Drive Ends Sunday

This Sunday, April 26, is the last day to contribute to the Women’s Humane Society’s pet food drive. We are accepting unopened bagged and canned dog and cat food. All food collected will be given to local food banks, enabling people to pick up pet food when they pick up their own food.

Meet Fat Cat

 

One-year-old Fat Cat is a friendly cat given up because someone in her family was allergic to her. Her previous family tells us that she likes other animals and children. If you would like to visit Fat Cat (tag number 996), stop by the Society on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. or on Wednesday from 1 p.m. – 7 p.m. Visit our website for more details on adoptions.

 

Pet Food Drive Starts Tomorrow!

photo courtesy of Helene gp

Tomorrow marks the start of the Women’s Humane Society’s pet food drive. Food collected will be distributed to food banks in Lower Bucks County, allowing people to pick up food for their pets when they pick up their own food. You can drop off unopened bags and cans of dog and cat food at the Society, located at 3839 Richlieu Road in Bensalem. The pet food drive ends on Sunday, April 26.

Behind the Scenes: Development Department

Shirley, Development Department Associate (left), and Shawn, Assistant Director of Development (right), keep our Development Department running smoothly. If you’ve ever made a donation, Shawn and Shirley are the ones who’ve processed your contribution and sent you a thank you letter. They are also involved in direct mail campaigns, the Tribute Fund, maintaining our mailing list and running our kennel sponsorship program. (Shawn takes many of the photographs you receive if you are a kennel sponsor.) Shirley and Shawn work under the direction of Development Director Jerry Morey. You may have spoken to Shirley if you’ve ever called the Women’s Humane Society. She spends part of her day answering your questions about Society services and procedures and handling payments and donations.

It’s Official!

We received a very nice proclamation from Bensalem Township designating 2009 the 140^th anniversary of the Women’s Humane Society. Thanks to Mayor Joseph DiGirolamo and members of the Bensalem Township Council for the proclamation. Only 140 years ago, our founder, Caroline Earle White, was busily preparing for the April 14^th opening of Philadelphia’s newest SPCA, the Women’s Branch of the Pennsylvania SPCA. Though the most immediate goal of the Women’s Branch was to improve the conditions of horses in the city, they soon appointed agents to investigate complaints of cruelty to dogs and other animals and opened an animal shelter only one year later. One-hundred and forty-years later, here we are, still upholding the mission set by Mrs. White and looking forward to a bright future for all animals.

Onyx, our Education Department rabbit, found the proclamation very interesting.

Meet Cleopatra

How can you resist Cleopatra’s big eyes begging you to take her home with you? Cleopatra is 4-years-old and her previous family tells us that she likes other animals and children. If you would like to visit Cleopatra (tag number 815), stop by the Society on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. or on Wednesday from 1 p.m. – 7 p.m. Visit our website for more details on adoptions.

 

In Celebration of Pooper Scoopers!

Bet you didn’t know that it’s International Pooper Scooper Week! We didn’t either. The Association of Professional Animal Waste Specialists has established the week in an effort to alert pet owners to the importance of cleaning up after their dogs.

 

According to American Pet Association estimates, the nation’s dogs produce enough feces to cover 900 football fields with 12 inches of waste. Unscooped poop is not just a matter of appearance; feces left on the ground can transmit roundworm and other parasites to your children and young animals. Even when the poop eventually disintegrates, the soil can remain infected for some time.

 

Remember your dog can’t clean up after itself. (Wouldn’t that be nice?!) It’s up to you to get out there and scoop that poop! Not only will your neighbors thank you, you might just prevent another dog or a child from getting sick. You can find out more about International Pooper Scooper Week here.