South Georgia Pets

Can you believe it? We are already on our second Issue of South Georgia Pets. We bring you this special insert in every issue of Pooler Magazine and Effingham Magazine, sharing useful tips, resources and great pet stories to put a smile on your face.

And let’s face it, we also support pet rescues so maybe you will be inspired to adopt one of the deserving pets in the adoption section! Each week, I have the honor to go to Effingham Animal Shelter and take photos of the animals there so that they can be featured and hopefully find their forever homes.

We had a blast with this edition and took some really fun photos as well. We had the opportunity to photograph some friendly giants, including our favorite service dog from iHeart Dental—Apollo. Apollo is one of five bulldogs owned by Dr. Misty Seale and her husband Erich Perez—Zeus & Athena, the mom and dad to Medusa, Kronos and of course, Apollo. We had an amazing, silly, crazy time trying to photograph all these beauties at once. Check out some of our funny outtakes (below) and the cover.

We hope you continue to enjoy the South Georgia Pets insert as much as we love producing it. If you have suggestions for an upcoming edition, let me know—Tonya@JDelSURMarketing.com

Thank you, Tonya Perry

WHERE WE DONATE:

Coastal Pet Rescue 912.228.3538 One Love Animal Rescue 912.351.6750 Effingham County Animal Shelter 912.754.2109

Dogs in History

A Long Journey Home

by Gregg Sekscienski, (reprinted with permission, BocaDog Magazine 2008)

Nearly a century ago, one animal’s journey captured the country’s hearts and still remains the idealized and oft-cited example of the dogged determination of canines.

Bobbie, a Collie, was a family pet of the Brazier family and lived on their farm in Silverton, Oregon. During a summer vacation, the Brazier’s were in Indiana when the family and the dog became separated—Bobbie was last seen running from a group of dogs in Wolcott, Indiana. The family spent time checking the area, but to no avail and sadly the family left, starting their journey home to Oregon.

According to historical accounts from sources such as the Oregon Historical Society and Ripley’s “Believe It or Not,” Bobbie was also starting a journey back home. The result is one of the longest journeys by a domestic dog. Of course, many wild animals migrate over vast distances every year, covering thousands of miles, but few, it seems, have ever been documented to do this to find a lost family.

The best estimates are that Bobbie traveled more than 2,500 miles, maybe much more. Obviously rivers were crossed and hazards both natural and man-made were encountered and conquered, later reports surfaced that Bobbi, or a dog matching his description, was seen in many of the states between Indiana and Oregon.

Six months to the day, a bedraggled dog matching Bobbie’s description was spotted by Nova Brazier, one of the family’s daughters, walking the streets of Silverton. It was indeed Bobbie, identified by the family through some unique scars on the dog.

Soon the story spread around the country and the world as articles about Bobbie’s journey appeared in newspapers. Bobbie became a celebrity. He was awarded a medal by the Oregon Humane Society and later went on to star in Bobbie the Wonder Dog, a silent movie released in the mid-1920s. When Bobbie died a few years later, hundreds of people attended his funeral including, reportedly, the most famous animal movie star of the time, Rin Tin Tin. Bobbie’s grave is located at the Oregon Humane Society’s Portland, Oregon animal cemetery.

How Bobbie found his way home is a mystery. Research on animal extra-sensory perception or some sort of sixth sense has been explored. Wild animals are thought to use Earth’s magnetic field, phases of the moon and starlight, for example to aid migration and other movement. The heart-warming view that Bobbie just wanted to get home may very well be the best explanation. It’s one we can all understand.

More on Bobbie can be found at The Oregon Humane Society www.Oregonhumane.org. h

Lost Pet Tips & Resources

A lost dog is a dread we hope we never face. The Humane Society of the United States offers a number of suggestions for finding your dog if he or she is lost. • Contact local animal shelters and animal control agencies • Search the neighborhood • Advertise • Be wary of pet-recovery scams • Don’t give up your search All dogs have a better chance of being returned if they always—even indoors—wear a collar and an ID tag with our name, address and telephone number. Ask your veterinarian or local animal shelter about permanent methods of identification such as a microchip.

As the newest addition to affordable pet care in the area, we believe wholeheartedly in the saying “spay one, save a ton.” We are grateful to be part of a community that works together to participate in keeping pets healthy, making a dent in pet overpopulation and, hopefully, reducing euthanasia in area shelters as a result of targeted spay and neuter.

What began as a mobile outreach spay & neuter program for rural areas from Colorado to New York and a few states in between has found its home for the last six years in Georgia.

Our newest location, at 11 Gateway Blvd, South, opened in Savannah in March 2020. Our history is long and winding but our final stop here in Savannah seems like a perfect fit.

Our timing was a little off as we opened just as the pandemic hit, but we managed to stay open and keep both staff and clients safe while working to build a reputation of a strong work ethic, compassion for our patients and an understanding of the financial limitations sometimes affecting access to care for pet owners.

We recently completed a 4,300 square foot build out in what used to be the old Carter’s store at the Shoppes of Savannah Retail Center. Having the clinic built by local contractors was a must for us. Embracing and becoming part of the community is our goal both in spirit and grassroots engagement.

We are thankful for all those that helped us bring low cost pet care to the area. We originally visited the area thanks to a request from One Love Animal Rescue for our mobile services.

The History of National Spay Alliance Savannah

We started in May 2013, and to date we have accomplished more than 33,000 surgeries in 5 different states. Over that time we have been able—through our non-profit Foundation arm—to bring subsidized services in the form of grants to our clients. This has enabled many owners to seek an end to the cycle of unwanted litters due to finances. This year alone we have been able to offer assistance through several different grants ranging from PetSmart Charities to smaller personal donors.

In December of 2020 we were able to financially provide over $10,000 in pet care for veterans & first responders. We have also worked in conjunction with the homeless population with the assistance of Renegade Paws Rescue to provide free care for their pets. We’ve offered multiple grants for Chatham, Liberty, Bryan and Effingham residents that reduced their co-pay for spay/neuter services to as little as $30. We are proud to be a service provider for Islands Feral Cat Program as well as several other area rescues.

About the Clinic

The Savannah clinic is open to anyone and has no restrictions on geographical location, income or other criteria. However, we do not offer any emergency care or hospitalization overnight.

Our clinic is open four days each week on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. We offer walk-in vaccine hours from 9:00am - 12:00pm and again from 2:30 - 5:30pm.

We do ask that full exams by Doctor be scheduled in advance by emailing us at info.nsasavannah@gmail.com. We invite you to join us in our endeavor to reduce euthanasia and create a pet friendly community we can all be proud of.

Kim Ott, vice president and director of finance for the organization believes that spaying and neutering is a vital step in reducing the number of unplanned or unwanted animals that are being born every year. Ott shares the passion for animals that led founder and president Pam Pierce into the industry decades ago.

Pierce began working in animal welfare and facilities management in the 1980s, first at a 600-horse boarding operation, later as a receptionist in California, in practice management in New York, and eventually in Longmont, Colorado, where she and Ott crossed paths.

Ott began working as a veterinary technician 30 years ago before rising to management positions in both for-profit and nonprofit organizations. After spending 13 years in the animal sheltering industry and watching thousands of situations in which pets were euthanized due to lack of homes, she decided to work toward providing alternative solutions.

In 2014, Ott joined Pierce in her dream of growing a low cost, high quality spay/ neuter mobile practice in the southeast. That dream has since evolved into a more focused commitment to areas of Northwest Georgia and the Savannah communities.

National Spay Alliance Savannah is a specialty practice in high volume spay/ neuter surgery, at times performing 2025 surgeries daily, following a model developed by the ASPCA & Humane Alliance programs. h

info.nsasavannah@gmail.com www.nationalspayalliancesavannah.com

CARTER’S CORNER

QUESTIONABLE TAILS

Dear Carter,

I’m a Great Dane. I’ve heard my humans say that having me is like having a child in the house. They’ve had to move everything out of the reach of my tail. Now, I haven’t noticed any little humans with tails. But I have noticed two of my friends at the dog park don’t have tails. They just have little stubs that wiggle, like mine wags. I’ve asked them why they don’t have tails but they don’t know. Do you?

– Merlin, Decatur, GA

Dear Merlin,

For some dog breeds, humans often “clip” or “dock” the tails. While there is some debate about the severity of pain this may cause us—most tails are docked when pups are just a few days old—the procedure is best left under a veterinarian’s supervision. Traditionally there are a number of breeds—Terriers, Spaniels, Boxers, Schnauzers, Poodles, Rottweilers, Pinschers and others—whose tails are docked. Many humans also feel that a docked dog tail helps keep the dog from repeatedly injuring the tail later in their lives,especially in working dogs.

Meanwhile, a tail is one of our most unique features. Since humans don’t have one, most of them have little understanding of what the tail really does and means. Tails can offer a strong indication of our confidence and moods. It also signals whether we are feeling dominant or submissive. Generally the higher a tail is held the more confident we are feeling, while a tail held low or between our legs means we’re feeling a bit less secure at the moment. We all know that when we are truly happy (getting a good chest scratch or expecting a treat) our tails seem to take on a life of their own, wagging quickly. A slower, careful wag usually means we are trying to figure our situation out.

Dogs with docked tails may have more difficulty in communicating their feelings to other dogs (and people). Some studies have shown that some of these breeds actually compensate by wagging their entire behind. Just remember to celebrate tail diversity. Be proud of whatever tail you have. Many doggie park get-togethers and pooch parties offer prizes for longest tails, curliest tail and hairiest tail.

ALPHA CHALLENGES

Dear Carter,

I recently visited my cousins in Oklahoma—a Yorkie named Peepers and a larger (everything is larger than Yorkie, it seems) mixed breed named Bella. But Peepers was always bossing Bella around. He bit at her every time they started playing. He ate before anyone else. He tried to grab any toy Bella was playing with. I stayed in my crate or next door a lot of the time but when I did go over to play, Peepers was all over me, biting and yapping and chasing. I mean he was really kind of a pest. I’m a pretty dominant girl, if I do say so myself, but he really challenged me on everything. What’s up with that? Doesn’t my being bigger and older count for anything? I was looking for some respect and never got it. What gives?

– Kiva, Boca Raton, FL

Dear Kiva,

If you are an “alpha” yourself, you know the rules. In any group of dogs, we all try to find our place—figure out the hierarchy. It sounds like you walked into a situation in which the hierarchy is still being figured out. Since most of us, as with most people, like to be social and interact with other dogs (and people—that’s what makes our bonds with humans so special!), we figure out ways to be around other dogs. We enjoy playing and roughhousing whenever we are around each other. The traditional thinking about us—dogs—says we are figuring and refiguring dominance and submission in our social groups. There is often an ongoing “battle” to be the alpha or top dog in a group of dogs and even between two dogs. Smaller dogs often exhibit aggression and signs of dominance over larger dogs. The alpha position is one that must be earned, so the behavior to establish it will most likely continue between Bella and Peepers. While humans often get a chuckle out of a little dog hanging onto the cheek of a larger dog (I’ve had a few do that to me), there is a message in that use of teeth. But even I’m not completely sure of what it means. So you just “hang” in there.

SD Gunner Fund & Jessie the Service Dog

Story by Cindy Reid

Eleven-month-old rescue dog Jessie is in training for her new life as a service dog. Once considered a “throwaway,” she was found on the roadside by Scott Freeman, a good Samaritan & military veteran. Now the SD Gunner Fund is actively seeking to pair Jessie with a new owner, one who needs a service dog.

SD Gunner Fund

The SD Gunner Fund (a 5013c non- profit organization) has a mission to assist veterans, children living with disabilities, and first responders while inspiring disability awareness through public education and advocacy.

The SD Gunner Fund was founded in 2014 by Britnee Kinard. Britnee graduated from Middle Tennessee State University in 2005 with a degree in recording industry business and entertainment law. She left her high profile career in business to become a fulltime caregiver to her husband, Hamilton Kinard, after he suffered life-altering injuries while serving our country in Operation Iraqi Freedom. The SD Gunner Fund gets its name from Hamilton’s first service dog, a Great Pyrenees named Gunner.

After seeing firsthand how extraordinarily difficult it is to get a service dog through the VA system, Britnee founded SD Gunner Fund to help others obtain a service dog more easily.

Elena Kelly-Nock, President of the Board of Directors and Training Director says, “The SD Gunner Fund is a strong organization that has chosen to grow in the right way. We have a Board of Directors and being all female and all volunteer, we are very proud of the work we’ve accomplished together.”

Ready for Applications

The SD Gunner Fund is now taking applications and filtering the applications so Jessie can go to her new owner in September. If you’re a veteran in need of a service dog, please reach out! There is absolutely no cost to the new owner because SD Gunner Fund is absorbing the cost through donations and fundraising. The average cost of a fully-trained service dog runs from $8,000 to $25,000.

Applicants have to meet the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements. Disability is defined by the ADA as a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, including people with history of such an impairment, and people perceived by others as having such an impairment.

Service Dog

The role of service dogs has greatly expanded over the years. They were traditionally seeing eye dogs, and strictly German Shepherds, for many generations. Now there are so many different tasks they can be trained for, and breeds that can be trained, that the very definition of service dog has changed. What’s important is that they continue to assist disabled individuals.

A service dog is trained to take a specific action whenever required to assist a

person with their disability. The task the dog performs is directly related to their person’s disability, either emotional and/ or physical reasons.

The SD Gunner service dogs are not trained for people who need service dogs for seizures, diabetes, or for people who are fully blind or deaf. They are trained for assistance with mobility, stability, PTSD, depression, and anxiety, just to name a few tasks. They often perform retrieval functions—retrieving things their owner may need or has dropped on the floor, such as keys, glasses, medication bottles etc.

The dogs the SD Gunner Fund places are certified Urban through the AKC, American Kennel Club. That means they show they can function with their owner in all kinds of situations, such as using an elevator, ignoring loud noises, and being on a ferry. As part of their training, service dogs are taught public access skills, such as ignoring dropped food, settling quietly at the handler’s side in public, and remaining under control in a variety of settings.

Jessie has already started her service dog training and it is very important that the new owner trains with Jessie as soon as possible. Typically training starts anytime from eight weeks old up until 18 months old. After that, the ‘work life’ expectancy diminishes because the dog essentially gets an approximately 1-2 years of training and then has an average working life of 8-10 years until they are retired from active duty and transition to beloved pet.

Elena Kelly-Nock says, “When the owner bonds with their dog in training mode, they make a better team, and the owner becomes a better handler. The dog will be trained to look to their owner. We can’t fine tune Jessie’s training until she is matched with her new person.” And once Jessie is out of training, her new owner will be encouraged to continue her training and take part in group sessions with other service dogs and their owners to keep their skills sharp.

Cause for Paws A Savannah news station has been featuring Jessie on the “Paws for a Cause” segment hosted by reporter Ashley Garrett. Recently she highlighted a video of Jessie and her trainer working on “holding with distractions” was featured.

The SD Gunner Fund is very grateful for the publicity as it helps get the word out and reaches a wide audience of potential owner applicants. Jessie will go to her new owner completely free of charge, but any donations received from WJCL viewers are gratefully accepted and will be used to help cover Jessie’s board and training fees.

How to Apply

To apply to be matched with Jessie, visit the SD Gunner Fund Facebook page, and send a private message indicating you are interested in applying for Jessie. You will be contacted and given an application to fill out and return. If you know a veteran who might benefit from a service dog, reach out and let’s find Jessie her new home! h

Service dogs are more than pets, “ and more than companions. The important work they do improves the everyday lives of thousands of people across the country. “

ADOPTABLE PETS

Please consider adopting! 912.754.2109 | www.ecas.petfinder.com

Apple Blue Cara Galileo

Lark Glee

Panther Iris

Pepper

Hermy

Paxtin Elf

Leda

Pepsi

Basil Guy

Mia

Tito

Butterbean Pipper Poppy

Where Pets are Family

Dee Cupcake & Twinkie

We accept donation items (pet food, blankets, towels, etc.) for Coastal Pet Rescue in our hospital lobby.

www.animalhospitalatricehope.com

EXPERT TIPS FOR WELCOMING A KITTEN

Whether you’re fostering or adopting a kitten, learn how to give your kitten proper care during her first weeks and months with you.

Fostering kittens and cats has risen in popularity during these unprecedented times, and many pet lovers are becoming fosters to help overcrowded animal shelters. Fostering a kitten can be a fun and exciting time, but it may also come with a learning curve.

Among the 43% of respondents to a

Royal Canin survey, who have fostered a pet, 6 in 10 have “foster failed” and permanently adopted the pet they were fostering. Most pet owners who responded also agree the first year of pet ownership is the most important, but 64% believe it is the most difficult, as well.

Whether you’re fostering or adopting a kitten, learn how to give your kitten proper care during her first weeks and months with you with this advice from the experts at Royal Canin.

Arriving Home

The new sights, sounds and smells in your home, and the separation from her mother, may make your kitten feel stressed. Keeping the environment calm and quiet can ease the transition.

When you arrive home, put the cat carrier in the room you’ve prepared for the kitten with the kitten still inside, allowing her to get acclimated before opening the door. Then allow the kitten to explore a closed-off area. Resist the urge to cuddle your kitten right away.

As your kitten gains confidence in its new surroundings, she will want to explore more. Make sure the environment is prepared with electrical wires and outlets covered; windows, balconies and stairs secured; and small or sharp objects put away so she can safely explore with your supervision. If there are possible hazards, a designated room with windows and plenty of social contact for the first few weeks may be better.

Creating a Safe Place

Kittens can tire easily. After a little exploration time, give your kitten access to a bed in a cozy, quiet place with access to water, food and a litter box. Turning out the light helps establish sleep patterns, but on the first night you might want to leave a night light on to help with the adjustment.

Provide somewhere quiet to eat. This should be somewhere your kitten feels secure, away from where you and any other pets eat. Cats don’t like to eat too near their litter boxes and should always have fresh water available.

As kittens grow rapidly, their digestive and immune systems develop slowly and they have specific nutritional needs that are different from adult cats. Any sudden changes in your kitten’s diet can cause digestive trouble, so for the first few days, keep the same feeding routine as the previous caretaker. You can slowly switch to a different routine, if you choose, and transition to kitten food suitable for the appropriate growth stage. For example, Royal Canin Kitten formulas are tailormade with optimal vitamins and minerals to support healthy development.

Ongoing Care

Your kitten should see a veterinarian as soon as possible. In addition to a general health check, your vet can help you create a vaccination schedule and give advice on deworming, nutrition and more. Always use a carrier to transport your kitten safely while in the car and into the vet’s office.

Gradually introducing your kitten to new experiences can help with socialization. New sounds can startle a kitten, so be ready to offer plenty of reassurance. You may also need to introduce new terrain like stairs or unfamiliar surfaces. Gentle play and careful handling can help your kitten become more comfortable with being touched.

Learn more about proper cat nutrition and how to create a welcoming home at royalcanin.com. h