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Get spotted at Brookhaven's
newest event, the Brookhaven Animal Rescue League's “Celebrity” Dinner.
This fundraising event is set for Tuesday, November 9 starting at 6:30
p.m. at the Country Fisherman in Brookhaven.
Purchase your $25 ticket
at the Country Fisherman or call 757-4367 for details. All proceeds
generated benefit BARL's building fund. This fund is designed to finance
an indoor shelter for BARL's dogs and cats.
Area “Celebrities” will serve
as waiters and waitresses for this “doggone” fun event. Celebrities
are still being recruited, but three that have already signed up to
be a part of the fun include Brookhaven's mayor, the Honorable Bob Massengill;
Nena Smith, owner and principal teacher of Nena Smith's School of Dance;
and Lea Barrett, superintendant of Brookhaven public schools.
Guests at the Celebrity Dinner
will be treated to a Southern style buffet, entertainment and door prizes.
A silent auction will also be part of the festivities.
“This area desperately needs
an indoor shelter for homeless dogs and cats. We have a lot of money
that needs to be raised to make this happen and we hope Brookhaven and
the surrounding area will support this event,” said Beth Adcock, BARL
volunteer.
Silent auction items are
being accepted and sponsors are being signed up for this event. Three
of the area businesses sponsoring this event are Stan King Chevrolet,
Sullivan Ford Lincoln-Mercury and Country Fisherman.
Beth Adcock, Executive
Committee
A
Step Forward
 Look
at what is to come. Ain’t it GRAND. Well…it will be once we get all
the funds gathered up. Keep buying those bricks and keep the 9th of
November open for the BARL Celebrity Waiter Dinner. Currently these
are our primary source of funds for this new facility. We’re going to
make it…and a whole lot quicker if you keep helping out. Thanks for
all you do.
Rusty Adcock, Building
Committee
“I
Care for the Animals” Care Tag Grant Awarded to BARL
The Brookhaven Animal Rescue
League has been awarded a generous grant from the “I Care for Animals”
Car Tag Program to be used to expand the spay/neuter program there.
The “I Care For Animals”
Car Tag program allows Mississippians to purchase a special license
plate for an additional $35, the proceeds from which help homeless,
injured, and abused animals in humane shelters and rescue programs across
the state. The money goes into a state animal care fund which is distributed
to cities, counties, and rescue organizations which apply and meet the
criteria for award. To date the program has helped several communities
with spay/neuter and other animal-welfare-related programs.
This program was created
by Jackson Friends of the City Animal Shelter to assist animal shelters
primarily with spay/neuter programs but also with general projects which
benefit homeless animals. It is being administered by the MS Board of
Animal Health with guidance and help from volunteers with Jackson Friends.
An advisory panel comprised of volunteers from various animal shelters
located throughout the State reviews the applications, with the final
decision made by the Board of Animal Health upon recommendations from
Dr. Jim Watson, State Veterinarian.
Mary Jo Brooks
Preventing
Common Feline Diseases
Many diseases common to cats
can be prevented in two ways: by keeping your cat indoors, and by having
your cat vaccinated according to your veterinarian's advice.
Common feline illnesses include the following:
Upper respiratory infections
(URIs). URIs are similar in many ways to the common cold in humans
and produce many of the same symptoms: sneezing, runny nose and eyes,
reddened eyes, fever, and decreased appetite. However, URIs can be much
more serious than common colds—they can be fatal if left untreated.
These airborne viruses are highly contagious; they can be transmitted
to cats through human handling and through contact with other cats and
with inanimate objects such as litter boxes, food bowls, and grooming
tools. Separate any new cat from your other cats for at least three
weeks until you are sure your newcomer doesn't have any symptoms of
a URI.
Prevention is the best approach to URIs—have your cat vaccinated. But
if your cat does come down with cold-like symptoms, contact your veterinarian
right away. The veterinarian will probably prescribe antibiotics to
prevent secondary infections and give you precise care instructions.
Follow them carefully and make sure your cat eats and drinks sufficiently.
Rabies. All cats,
even indoor cats, should be vaccinated against rabies, which is now
seen more commonly in cats than in any other domestic animal. Rabies
is a viral illness that is transmitted through bite wounds from infected
animals and attacks the nervous system. If your cat bites anyone, you
may need to show proof of rabies vaccination.
Rabies is a fatal illness. Prevent rabies through vaccination and by
keeping your cat inside.
Feline panleukopenia.
Commonly known as feline distemper, this is a highly contagious viral
disease that can be transmitted through contact with humans, infected
cats, clothing, hair, paws, food bowls, and even cat carriers. The disease
comes on suddenly with vomiting, loss of appetite, and diarrhea. Vaccinate
against this virus.
Feline leukemia virus
(FeLV). FeLV is a fatal infectious virus that affects the immune
system and can cause several forms of cancer and other associated diseases.
It is transmitted through the saliva, urine, and feces of infected cats.
There is no link between feline leukemia and human forms of leukemia.
There are blood tests to
determine if your cat may be carrying the virus. Your cat should be
tested before being vaccinated. Since there is no cure, it is best to
keep your cat indoors (and away from contact with other cats). Discuss
vaccination schedules with you veterinarian.
Feline immunodeficiency
virus (FIV). FIV is similar to human acquired immune deficiency
syndrome (AIDS), but it is not the same virus and cannot be passed to
humans.
This fatal virus attacks
the immune system, causing a variety of symptoms. General signs can
include chronic, nonresponding infections; respiratory problems; appetite
loss; persistent diarrhea; and severe oral infections. FIV is passed
from cat to cat primarily through bites.
A vaccine is available to
help protect cats from contracting FIV, but an FIV blood test should
always be performed before vaccination. The best protection against
FIV is keeping your cat happy indoors.
Feline infectious peritonitis
(FIP). FIP is another virus that is almost always fatal to cats.
This virus can take two forms, commonly referred to as wet (which involves
fluid in the abdomen) and dry (which does not). Both forms of FIP may
cause fever, lethargy, vomiting, diarrhea, and loss of appetite.
A blood test is available
to determine if your cat has been exposed to this family of viruses.
You can learn more about this test by talking to your regular veterinarian.
There is no effective treatment for FIP, but there is hope for prevention
in the form of recently developed vaccines. The best prevention is to
keep your cat indoors, up-to-date on vaccines, and away from strange
animals.
Dr. Dianne S. Watson,
DVM
Adopting
Danielle
 In
March 2003 when Daniel Legg, a Positive Pest employee, arrived to spray
a vacant house, he found a dog and her puppies abandoned in the house.
They had been trapped there for at least a week without food or water.
Mr. Legg contacted the Brookhaven Animal Rescue League and waited until
Stacy Walker with the League arrived to remove the animals. When the
mother dog was examined it was discovered that a flea collar had been
put on as a puppy and had become deeply embedded in her neck. With a
lot of treatment she recovered and is healthy. The League named the
dog, “Danielle” in honor of Daniel Legg’s good deed.
I had wanted a dog for several
months, but since we have four inside cats I was concerned about how
a dog would fit in. I seemed drawn to a picture of a black and brown
dog that looked to be smiling on the Brookhaven Animal Rescue League
web page. Under the picture was a caption that said, “Ask about her
story of survival.” When I heard about the flea collar that had been
left around her neck and saw the “collar scar” that remains, I knew
I wanted her.
My husband went to “meet”
her and was immediately won over by her humble and affectionate nature.
He adopted her as my Valentine’s present this year. I was recovering
from pneumonia on Valentine’s Day, and Danielle was the best medicine
I could have received. I did not know Jimmy had gone to get her, until
I felt a wet nose on my leg. She jumped up on the couch with me and
made herself right at home. The second day she was there, she and the
four cats all took a nap with me on our bed. I never dreamed we would
have such an easy transition with her and the cats. I knew she had a
hard life, and now I wanted her to be loved and have an easy happy life.
She got a new fence so she could safely play outside, but she has become
very spoiled and now wants to stay inside in the air conditioning as
much as possible.
 As
I write this article, Danielle is sitting by my desk chair wagging her
little nub tail. Not long ago someone commented how lucky Danielle was
that we found her, I told them I thought we were lucky she found us.
She has brought a lot of joy to our family.
Tammy Torrey
Forbidden
Fruit: Grapes and Raisins Can Be Toxic to Dogs
Based on recent data, the
ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (APCC) continues to caution canine
caretakers that raisins and grapes may be toxic to some dogs. From April
2003 to April 2004, the Center managed 140 related cases, each involving
one or more dogs who ingested varying amounts of raisins or grapes.
Take the case of two-year-old
Penny, Sarah Wright’s Australian shepherd/Saint Bernard mix. Earlier
this year, Penny ate approximately a cup of raisins. “She vomited later
that same day,” recalls Sarah. “I took her in to be evaluated by our
local veterinarian, who felt that she was simply experiencing stomach
upset, as the clinic was not aware of the potential for toxicity with
raisin ingestion.” But a few days later, when Penny didn’t improve,
the veterinarian ran blood tests and found that she had developed acute
renal failure. Despite efforts to save Penny, she passed away. “I want
to share this unfortunate loss, so that other dog owners can be educated
and avoid having their dogs go through what Penny did,” Sarah says.
Much is yet to be discovered
about the toxic principle in grapes and raisins. It is also not clear
if only some canines are susceptible, or if chronic, long-term ingestion
can lead to the same effects. “As there are still many unknowns,” says
the APCC’s Dana Farbman, CVT, “we advise not giving grapes or raisins
to pets in any amount.” The center will continue to monitor this situation,
and will post any updates in ASPCA News Alert as necessary. For more
information on how to protect your pet from potentially dangerous substances,
please visit APCC online: www.aspca.org.
(Reprinted from
ASPCA News Alert, July 15, 2004)
Who
Eases Your Stress?
Faced with a stressful situation,
who are you most likely to find the greatest solace: your spouse, a
friend, or your pet?
Your pet, reports Karen Allen,
PhD, a professor at University of New York State at Buffalo, who tested
240 couples in 2002. Remarkably, Dr. Allen found that people’s blood
pressure and heart rate raised significantly less with a cat or dog
being present, than with either their spouse or a good friend there.
(Catnip magazine, Tufts
University School of Veterinary Medicine, April 2004)
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