How Supporting Self-Rehoming Helps Your Community and Your Shelter
Owner surrendered pets make up the second largest category for shelter intake, contributing over a quarter of intake cases annually in national data, and over 14% in HASS pilot shelters. They are an important population to address if shelters are to alleviate the overcrowding many have seen since the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic began to fade. The data on owner surrenders also shows a pattern that likely contributes to the extra strain on resources and space that shelters typically see in the summer months. Both in Shelter Animals Count...
6 Ways Service Dogs Help People with Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia is a challenging condition that causes pain, fatigue, and other symptoms. There is no cure, but service dogs for fibromyalgia can help make people’s lives easier in these six ways. Service dogs are specially trained to help people with illnesses and disabilities. They can perform tasks, provide physical support, and so much more. Service animals began as dogs who would help blind or visually impaired people navigate the world. Today, they also help people with fibromyalgia, a chronic disease characterized by fatigue, sleep...
5 exceptional animal well-being professionals honored with Holiday Hero Awards, thanks to Maddie
The remarkable efforts of five individuals in the animal well-being (welfare) space were each recognized with a Maddie Holiday Hero Award in December. Five organizations each received a $5,000 grant from Maddie’s Fund in honor of these individuals. Maddie’s Fund®, is a national family foundation established by Dave and Cheryl Duffield to revolutionize the status and well-being of companion animals. “We believe these Maddie Holiday Heroes represent the key essence of community leadership and...
A Day in the Life of “Dr. Harley,” APA!’s Resident Therapy Dog
Jan 24, 2024 Hi, I’m Dr. Harley (aka “Dog-tor” Harley). I’m the resident therapy dog here at Austin Pets Alive!, providing a much-needed listening ear, emotional support and calming presence to the humans working hard to get dogs like me adopted. My days are pretty jam-packed and I never know what they’ll bring. Sometimes my clients present with a classic case of separation anxiety, while other times I’m just a sounding board for their doggy drama. I get asked all the time what it’s like to be a...
7 Tips to Stop Your Cat from Scratching Furniture
Submission Guidelines Thank you for your interest in writing for Animal Wellness. As the #1 natural health magazine for pets in North America, we take pride in providing our readers with the information they need to make wise health care choices for their animal companions. Our publication embraces the entire holistic spectrum, from physical health issues to the emotional and spiritual well being of our animals. We welcome unsolicited articles and story outlines as long as they focus on holistic healing, whether physical, emotional or...
Adaptogens—Solutions for Animal Stress!
The world can be a very stressful place for dogs, cats, and other companion animals. While it may be impossible to eliminate stressors from your fur baby’s life, there are things you can do to help them manage stress, and that includes adding adaptogens to their daily diet. COMMON STRESSORS FOR DOGS AND CATS Dogs and cats experience stress for reasons that can be physical, behavioral, and physiological. Depending on the animal and the situation, possible causes of stress can include: Being alone Loud noises Unfamiliar places Strangers...
Human Animal Support Services (HASS) Announces Highly-Anticipated Launch of the HASS Playbook
(AUSTIN, TX) January 23, 2024–Human Animal Support Services (HASS), an international project revolutionizing the animal welfare industry by uniting the human and animal welfare approach, announced today the launch of the HASS Playbook–a FREE comprehensive portfolio of how-to guides aligned with the HASS pathways. The HASS Playbook aims to provide animal welfare organizations with innovative programming and best practices to rise above existing sheltering system challenges and increase capacity for care within their...
The latest and greatest in Maddie’s Insights
Maddie’s® Insights is a monthly webcast that shares research to help you in your work, with a focus on practical tips and applications of that research. Having begun in September 2022, there is an abundance of previous webcasts for you to peruse and well as well as an exciting future lineup! You can register for Maddie’s® Insights now. These webcasts also offer the opportunity for continuing education credit: Certified Animal Welfare Administrator (CAWA), National Animal Care & Control Association (NACA),...
Using Positive Reinforcement to Help Reactive Dogs
Reactivity in dogs is a common issue pet parents face. These pups are over-stimulated by sights, sounds, smells, people, and other dogs, usually because they’re afraid. They lunge, bark, growl, and become so focused on the stressor that they don’t listen and become difficult to control. What’s more, while reactive dogs aren’t necessarily aggressive, they can become aggressive. Training a reactive dog can be tough, but positive reinforcement is an effective, humane tool you can use to help your dog manage their...
Maddie’s Weekly Roundup: Candid Conversations, Open Arms Challenge preparation, and more!
Happy Monday! Below is a brief roundup of resources added over the past week. The 2024 Open Arms Challenge preparation begins in FebruaryJoin us for the 2024 Open Arms Challenge! This Challenge is all about opening our hearts and minds to more accessible and inclusive practices. Maddie’s Fund® is partnering with 24 national organizations to encourage animal shelters, foster-based organizations and public charities to pilot new approaches that welcome your entire community during the month of April.… Learn More Candid...
