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Summer camps run only five more weeks

 

Happy summertime Sonoma! I hope this finds everyone enjoying the slow sumptuous days of summer. The shelter has been filled with gaggles of literal "happy campers" since we began Summer Camp on June 13. We have only five more weeks of camp to go, so if you haven't signed your child up yet, please do so ASAP at our website: www.petslifeline.org.

We would hate to have to turn anyone away at the gate, but the camps have been filling up fast, it's best to register now.

Pets Lifeline just held its monthly low-cost feline spay/neuter event on July 7 and it was a great success. We brought the MAC Van (Mobile Animal Center) down from Sonoma County Animal Care for the event. We did 22 spay/neuters which is a good day for the MAC. Our next event is Thursday, Aug. 11. Please call the shelter at 996-4577, ext. 100 to register your cat for this clinic and get rate information.

As you probably know, the City of Sonoma and Sonoma County in general are challenged with a serious cat overpopulation problem. We are one of the few animal shelters that has a successful feral cat program that is a trap/neuter/release process. Please do give us a call to ask about this and we can work with you on how to humanely spay/neuter the feral and community cats in your neighborhood and return them to their natural habitat.

Don't miss the Larson Family Winery's "The Best Dog-gone Days of Summer" on Sunday, July 24. Larson Family Winery is teaming up with Brenda Hawkes-Ficco of Hawkes Photography, a specialist in animal portraits, for a celebration of our four-legged friends in support of Pets Lifeline. Get a beautiful portrait of your dog and a healthy treat for your pooch for a donation of at least $25. Come, taste, and buy Larson's Three Lab Cab (20 percent of the sales for the day will also be donated). All donations and 20 percent of the wine sales for the day will go to Pets Lifeline and the Sonoma Valley Youth Soccer Association. Reservations are required. Please call 714-264-7071 or email, jennifer@larsonfamilywinery.com.

And remember, in the heat of the summer to be very careful about the health of your cats and dogs. Best to leave your dog at home in the heat, because cars simply get too hot for dogs too quickly - even with the windows open. If you have cats, when temperatures exceed 90 outside, if possible, leave the air conditioning on at a minimum of 82 or leave windows open for cross ventilation. Not one to encourage excessive use of energy, here are a few suggestions to keep pets cool at home without wasting precious energy.

Get large potted plants for shade (please check with poison control on safe house plants). Also you can look into getting some tiles (20 should be sufficient for a cat and dogs depending on size) which you can get at any of the DIY stores or a specialized tile store. Just ask for samples as they do not need to match. Tiles stay much cooler and your kitty or doggie will appreciate laying on them instead of the carpet on those hot Sonoma days. And, always remember to keep their bowls filled with clean cool water at all times.

With a woof and a wag ... ciao bellas!