Do You Know How To Keep Your Pets Safe This Summer? (Giveaway)

Every summer I think about the safety of our pets. As temperatures rise and we spend more time outdoors pets are at a higher risk of escaping the safety of their home, getting hurt, or worse.

To keep pets safe the ASPCA created July 1st as ID Your Pet Day. ID Your Pet Day is a holiday to raise awareness about the importance of ID tagging your pet. This special holiday is particularly timely because July 4^th is a time when many pets go missing when pet owners are busy with fireworks and outdoor activities.

To spread the word about this important day the ASPCA designed this infographic seen above, along with three tips to keep your pets safe:

· A personalized ID tag is the best way to increase the likelihood your pet returning home. Make sure your pet is fitted with a collar and ID tag that includes your name and phone number.
· Implanted microchips can serve as an important security measure to ensure that a pet is returned home in the case of a lost collar and ID tag.
· Download the ASPCA Pet Safety App to access personalized instructions on how to search for a lost animal in a variety of circumstances: ASPCAapp.org.

Also:

The heat of the summer affects pets. It can be deadly for them if left in a car with no open windows. The best thing to do is leave your pet at home when running errands. Cars heat up fast and can affect your pet quickly.
Also consider the hot temperatures of paved sidewalks and driveways and how they feel on the paws of your pets. OUCH! Please consider alternate paths.
Our pets can't speak for themselves so please treat them with the love, kindness and respect they deserve.

Here are a few important infographics from petfinder.com with helpful tips for pet owners:

If you leave a comment below you'll be entered to win an ASPCA summer gift pack that includes:

· ASPCA Tote

· ASPCA Frisbee

· ASPCA Beach Ball

· ASPCA Towel

· Subaru Yoga Mat

Contest ends at midnight on June 30. The winner will be notified by email.

Happy July 4th to you and your pet(s)! I hope you all enjoy a safe and happy one.

Disclosure: I received no compensation for this post. One lucky winner will receive the summer gift pack donated by the ASPCA. All opinions expressed are, as always, completely my own.

How Can You Help Animals In Need? Listen To These Celebs (Giveaway)

All animals are perfect. All rescuers are heroes. Let's do what we can to make sure all animals receive the love and respect they deserve, particularly those who are abused or neglected. How can you help? I brought along a few friends to help me show you how.

Jason Schwartzman
Photo: ASPCA

On April 10th the ASPCA celebrated its 150th anniversary! This is quite a milestone, and to honor it they launched 150 Days of Rescue, a nationwide action campaign to unite the country in making a difference in the lives of homeless and abused animals.

Nathan Lane
Photo: ASPCA

Animal lovers are encouraged to visit ASPCA.org/150days to pledge their time between April 10 and September 7 to help animals in need. The goal is to reach 150,000 actions for animals in 150 days. You can volunteer at a local shelter, donate, foster, adopt a shelter pet, or take a look at other ways you can help.

Adrienne Moore Miles Brown
Photo: ASPCA

Jason Schwartzman George Lopez
Photo: ASPCA

[Tweet "Volunteer, rescue, adopt or donate to help #animals in need. @ASPCA @CathyChes #150DaysofRescue "]

Animal lovers who log their good deed will also be given the opportunity to nominate their favorite animal shelter to receive a grand prize of $150,000!

Martha Stewart Jennifer Coolidge Photo: ASPCA

Edie Falco 50 Cent
Photo: ASPCA

To encourage you to take action here's a compelling video with a few celebrities who want you to do whatever you can to help vulnerable animals. It's funny and informative. (Includes Martha Stewart, Kesha, 50 Cent, Edie Falco, Nathan Lane, Julie Bowen, Krysten Ritter, Jason Schwartzman, and others.)

For an added incentive, please leave a comment below for a chance to win a commemorative ASPCA 150 gift pack. Contest ends April 18, 2016 and the winner will be notified by email.

Keith Stanfield Kesha Dewey
Photo: ASPCA

Beth Behrs Krysten Ritten
Photo: ASPCA

Let's do what we can to take care of those who can't speak up for themselves. Do something kind and compassionate. Do your part today. Let's all make a difference in the lives of nature's perfect creatures.

Photo: ASPCA

Disclosure: I received no compensation from ASPCA for this post. The 150 gift pack will be donated for one lucky winner. All opinions expressed are, as always, completely my own.

How You Can Help Animals This Holiday Season (Giveaway)

It's that time of year again when we begin preparing for the holidays. The typical craziness of December with shopping, cleaning, cooking, wrapping and decorating keeps us busier than little elves. That's why I'm pleased to be working with the ASPCA again to remind everyone that your to-do list should include ways of helping all animals stay happy and safe this holiday season.

You can make a difference in the lives of animals. Want to know how? Here are a few ways you can help:

Adopt, Don't Shop
Make adoption your first option this holiday season! Avoid buying anything from pet stores that sell puppies because most of them come from puppy mills. Search for local adoptable animals by visiting www.ASPCA.org/adopt
Help Local Shelters Help your local shelter by volunteering your time or finding out what supplies they need. You can also win a grant for your local shelter by entering our "Home for the Holidays" contest with Dogist and Subaru at www.ASPCA.org/holiday
Have a More Humane Holiday Meal
If you eat meat, eggs, or dairy, look for certifications that require better treatment for animals on farms, specifically Certified Humane, Animal Welfare Approved, and GAP (Levels 2 and above). Visit www.ASPCA.org/labels to view a label guide and get useful tips and info on how to have a more humane holiday
Host a Holiday Sweet SwapConsider hosting a holiday bake sale at your office or with friends and family and donate the proceeds to help animals in need. Find out how to start your fundraiser at www.ASPCA.org/SweetSwap

Remember to keep a sharp eye on your pets because their curiosity and playfulness could lead to trouble. Here are a few safety tips from the ASPCA:

Wrapped Presents
Gifts are a surprising source of toxicities during the holidays. If you are going to wrap any food (especially chocolate), dog treats, or dog toys, keep the items in a safe place and well out of your pet’s reach until they are ready to be opened. Pets have a keen sense of smell and will often unwrap presents early and eat all of the contents.
Snow Globes
Some snow globes contain ethylene glycol, a highly toxic substance to all pets. If a snow globe is broken, either by a person or a pet, the sweet smell can attract a pet to lick it up, leading to a potentially fatal intoxication. Snow globes should be kept out of reach of pets.
Holiday Food
Pets are often not shy about taking food that is left sitting out on counters or tables. Pets should be kept away from food preparation areas or places where food will be left out. A few of the more concerning common food exposures during the holidays are chocolate, bread dough, fruitcake and alcohol.
Medication
There are often a large number of visitors during the holiday season, and pets often get into medications that friends or family have brought with them. These exposures can be prevented with a little advance planning. People who are not used to having pets in the house can often be unaware of how curious they can be. Pets will often investigate suitcases and can get into pill vials or weekly pill minders. It is safer to have the visitors put their medication in a closed cabinet that is not accessible to pets. Be sure that when they take their medications that they do so behind a closed door, such as the bathroom, so that a dropped pill can be found before the pet has a chance to eat it. A prewritten list of the names, milligram strength, and number of pills that visitors have brought is very useful in an emergency situation as well.
Salt
Ice melt, homemade play dough, and salt-dough ornaments (even when dry) can all be a tempting salty treat for pets, but can cause life-threatening imbalances in the electrolytes.
Pet owners should, of course, contact their local veterinary professional or the Animal Poison Control Center if their pets get into any of these substances.

I am pleased to offer one lucky reader an incredible ASPCA holiday gift pack. Leave a comment below by December 14 to be entered to win. The winner will be notified by email.

The gift pack includes:

West Elm Animal Tea Towels: Inspired by some of Instagram’s most famous pets, West Elm will donate $1 for every towel purchased to the ASPCA.
Subaru Collapsible Water Bowl & Puppy Dog Cinch Bag: Since 2008, Subaru has supported nearly 1,000 pet adoption events, resulting in more than 11,500 adoptions to date.
Walkers Shortbread Cookie Tin
ASPCA Pet Throw: Machine washable microsherpa pet blanket with two different comfy textures by European Home Designs.
ASPCA Canvas Tote Bag

Have a wonderful holiday season!

Photo: ASPCA

A Holiday Gift Guide For Pets PLUS A Way To Make A Difference In The Lives Of Animals In Need (Giveaway)

If you're an animal lover like I am then you've already added a gift for your pet to your holiday gift list. That's why I'm thrilled to announce that The ASPCA has put together a gift guide for pets and pet lovers, including several fun do-it-yourself gifts for cats and dogs.

They've also compiled a list of gift ideas that give back to animal welfare through their ASPCA store. Giving back is what the holidays are all about.

There are plenty of gift options that will also make a difference in the lives of animals, such as:

Walkers Shortbread Cookies will donate 10¢ to the ASPCA for every 3.9 oz. package of its Scottie Dog cookies sold in the U.S. through December 31.

Diamond Paw Pendants from Zale's Tender Voices® collection supports the ASPCA and its mission to save lives.

Plush Pet Toys from Commonwealth

Twitter Party Alert! The ASPCA is having a #SantaPaws Holiday Twitter party and giveaway extravaganza on Thursday, December 18th from 7-8pm EST. Please join in the Santa Paws fun!

I'm happy to offer a giveaway of one of the holiday gift packs featured above. To enter please leave a comment below by Thursday, December 11. The winner will be announced by email on Friday, December 12.

Our furry loves ones deserve our love all year round, and the holidays are the perfect time to thank them for their unconditional love.

NOTE: At this time of year please remember to send a donation to your local animal shelter. Animals not yet adopted deserve our love and care. Click here to find your local animal shelter from Petfinder.com. Help keep them safe and warm as they anxiously await adoption. Thank you.

A Chance To Adopt: Biggest Cat Expo Comes to New Jersey This Weekend

Anyone who knows me knows how much I love animals. I’m dedicated to using my voice to stop animal abuse, putting a stop to kill shelters, and using social media to help shelter animals find loving homes.

So when my brother forwarded me an article from Patch.com about “America's Biggest Cat Expo Comes To Somerset County”I knew I had to spread the word. Quickly.

On Saturday and Sunday, July 19 – 20 from 10am – 4pm, The Garden State Cat Club of New Jersey, Inc. will be holding their 78^th Annual Cat Expo-Show at The Garden State Exhibit Center in Somerset, N.J. This event is a major fundraiser for the non-profit club, with proceeds from the show going to New Jersey animal shelters, disaster relief efforts and feline health studies. To date, the club has donated over $64,000 to relief and shelters, and cats have benefitted from hundreds of thousands of dollars of donations to various health organizations such as Feline Health Studies and Winn Feline Foundation.

What matters most to me about this expo is there will be over 100 cats from local shelters and rescue groups on-site from 5 counties, with organizations such as Second Chance for Animals (Somerset), Hope for Animals (Metuchen), Lost Paws (Annandale), Angel Paws (Colonia), among others.

Applications for adoption will be made available at the event, and once families are approved the cat will be delivered to their home.

Here are a few other events taking place at the expo:

A highlight of the shelter adoptions will be a “Shelter Stars” competition where shelter cats compete for rosettes that are awarded in categories such as “Longest Tail” and “Biggest Couch Potato.” At the awards presentation, the public will hear the rescue story of each winner, and learn about the activities of the rescue group caring for the cat. A People’s Choice Award is presented to the kitty receiving the most ballots from the visitors to the show.
There will be a variety of seminars and special presentations including, “How to Select a Pet Sitter,” “Feline Grooming,” “Traveling with your Cat.”
There will be a chance to “Ask the Vet” questions.
The Meow Mall will showcase unusual cat products as well as offer a large selection of cat trees, toys, grooming supplies, litter, food, and cat-themed gifts.

If you live in the area I hope you can stop by to support this wonderful cause. If not, perhaps you can share this post with others to help spread the word. The kitties all thank you!

Tickets are $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and $5 for children under 12. Children in strollers are admitted free of charge. There is a family rate of $25, with a coupon from www.gardenstatecatclub.com, which includes up to four people and a maximum of two adults. Donations are tax deductible.

The Garden State Exhibit Center is located in Somerset, N.J., at exit 10 off of I-287. For more information, call (908) 276-9423 or check the club’s website www.gardenstatecatclub.com for the latest information and discount coupons.

About Garden State Cat Club

Organized in 1936, Garden State Cat Club (GSCC) is the third oldest cat club affiliated with Cat Fancier's Association (CFA). The objectives are: to promote the welfare of all cats; to create interest in, and knowledge of cats by the staging of shows, seminars, educational presentations and interaction with the public and other organizations having similar objectives; to cooperate with and provide financial support to feline research and welfare facilities; to encourage proper care and responsible ownership of all cats; and to encourage and cultivate friendships through social and cat show-related activities.

GSCC contributes to animal welfare and feline health organizations as funds permit. The club also monitors legislative issues that may impact pet ownership and the breeding of pedigreed cats. To learn more about GSCC membership, visit the membership page.

The Garden State Cat Club of New Jersey is a registered 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization dedicated to the welfare of all cats. Your donation is tax-deductible as defined by IRS.

If you live in the area I hope you can stop by to support this wonderful cause. If not, perhaps you can share this post with others to help spread the word. The kitties all thank you!

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