Success Story: Kittens!
Spring means warmer weather, longer days, and kittens! While cats and kittens come into the shelter all year round, numbers increase dramatically during “kitten season.” Compare the 375 kittens that came into the Prince George’s municipal shelter last May with the 96 strays picked up in January!
Kittens that come into the shelter without a momma cat need immediate and experienced care, from someone like PGSPCA volunteer Cathy Stasny, who is fostering a litter of six foster kittens, two girls and four boys. (The original litter had only five kittens; the sixth was a lone kitten who needed a family, so he was added on.)
When Cathy got the kittens in April, they were less than a week old and needed to be fed as often as every two hours! Nursing these babies is not easy, quick, or inexpensive since special kitten formula is required. The whole process takes about 45 minutes, she says, between feeding each kitten, “burping” them, and sometimes going for a second round of feeding for those who didn't get enough the first time!
Another challenge when they are tiny is stimulating the kittens' anal regions to initiate defecation. Although certainly not a glamorous part of the foster’s job, Cathy explains that it is an essential one. Any kind of “back-up” could have serious consequences for their health.
As they got older, the kittens were fed through a bottle and then transitioned to a saucer so they could learn how to hold their heads up and feed themselves. At around five weeks, they gave up bottle feeding altogether. Next Cathy introduced bits of solid food in the saucer with the milk. Their teeth had started to come in by then and soon they were eating solid foods with no problem at all.
When they reached eight weeks old, Cathy took these sweeties in for their first vaccinations and deworming. They are doing well and will need more vaccinations, spay/neuter, and microchipping. Before we know it, they’ll be ready for their new homes! Kittens do best when they can be raised by their mom, but an experienced kitten raiser like Cathy is the next best thing!
|
|
January–May 2019
Making a Difference
1,337
Low-cost vaccinations & microchips administered
237
Animals altered at our spay/neuter clinic (most for free)
672
Assistance and abuse calls handled on our 24-hour hotline
|
|
|
Kitten Fostering Volunteer: Cathy Stasny
Volunteer Cathy Stasny fosters orphaned kittens for the PGSPCA. As a self-proclaimed cat lover, it was only natural that her big heart led her to fostering. Her first time fostering was with a litter that had been found by a coworker in a rain gutter near their office. The three kittens needed a gentle bath and a lot of love. Although the process of fostering can be time consuming, she cannot help adoring her fosters. Cathy keeps in touch with the adoptive families of the cats she has fostered and gets updates on how they are doing.
Cathy got involved with the PGSPCA because of the legacy of a beloved volunteer, Betty Krusberg. Cathy went to Betty's funeral to support a family member and was touched by people who recognized Betty as an avid volunteer, with multiple groups standing up to sing her praise. Among these groups was the PGSPCA. During a chat with PGSPCA volunteers after the service, they discussed fostering kittens and the rest is history. By volunteering with the PGSPCA, Cathy feels she is carrying on Betty's legacy and helping her be remembered, even by those of us who never met her.
|
|
|
PGSPCA Working to Improve Prince George's County's Dangerous Dog Laws
The PGSPCA has partnered with Best Friends, Humane Rescue Alliance, and HSUS to modernize and improve the county’s dangerous dogs laws. We’ve asked our members and volunteers who live in Prince George's County to contact their Councilmember and the At-Large Councilmembers and urge them to support those efforts.
The county's current law focuses on breed, but breed-specific legislation (BSL) doesn't improve public safety and is fundamentally flawed for a number of reasons:
- BSL has no basis in science. Experts like the American Veterinary Medical Association, the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the National Animal Control Association agree that breed is not an indicator of how dangerous a dog is. Rather, the human factor is much more critical: how an animal is socialized, trained, and cared for (including veterinary care) is much more predictive of whether the animal is dangerous to humans.
- The laws are ineffective. After 20 years with this breed ban, Prince George's County still has too many dangerous dogs (of many breeds) and too many dog attacks. We don't believe the public is any safer.
- Enforcement is expensive. The county's animal control agency is already underfunded and understaffed. The county currently spends way too much money impounding dogs, then caring for those dogs for months on end while cases are pending appeal. The resources dedicated to enforcing the breed ban could be so much better utilized if the laws and system were modernized and improved.
We believe dogs should be deemed dangerous or potentially dangerous based on concrete behavior and criteria, not on how they look. We also believe irresponsible dog owners should face harsh and consistent consequences, instead of simply being able to get another dangerous dog after an animal is impounded.
Prince George’s County can (and should!) join the thousands of other safe humane communities in the U.S. that have enacted laws based on science, not fear.
|
|
|
A Generous Bequest for Our HEAL Medical Fund
Helen and Alton Forehand were long-time animal lovers and shared their home in Prince George’s County with multiple pets, both dogs and cats. They were also supporters of the PGSPCA, asking for donations in lieu of flowers when Alton passed away in 2009. Helen recently passed away and left us the generous amount of $10,000 to benefit the animals of Prince George’s County. This contribution to our HEAL Medical Fund will cover the often expensive treatment of shelter pets who are at greatest risk for euthanasia due to age, illness, or injury. Thanks to the Forehand family and donors like them, we can rescue, treat, and rehome these very deserving animals.
Thank you!
|
|
|
IMPORTANT: Visit www.pgspca.org to confirm times and locations for all events.
|
|
Volunteer Orientations
If you are interested in volunteering with the PGSPCA, then these events are for you!
Saturday, Jun 22 | 12:30pm–1pm
Saturday, Jun 27 | 12:30pm–1pm
Saturday, Aug 24 | 12:30pm–1pm
PetSmart in Bowie |
|
Clinics
Spay/Neuter Clinics (by appointment only)
Jun 29 & 30
Jul 13 & 14
Use our online form to request
an appointment:
http://www.pgspca.org/appointment/
Low-Cost Vaccination Clinics
Sunday, Jul 7 | 11am–1pm
Sunday, Aug 4 | 11am–1pm
Sunday, Sep 1 | 11am–1pm
PGSPCA Clinic - Forestville
|
|
|
|
|
