Dakin Humane Society: When Dixies become Yankees

There’s nothing quite like the happy welcome that takes place when a transport of Dixie Dogs pulls up at Dakin Humane Society.

There’s nothing quite like the happy welcome that takes place when a transport of Dixie Dogs pulls up at Dakin Humane Society.

  A ramp, built into the side of the large, temperature-controlled truck, is lowered to the ground as Dakin animal handlers stand by, ready to help the new arrivals disembark.  With precision, they walk the dogs down the ramp, one at a time, to a patch of grass so they can relieve themselves before being led into our building and into their designated enclosures. 

 These dogs will spend their first 48 hours quarantined in our Dixie Ward, being walked and cared for by our team of specially-qualified staff and volunteers. On the third day, they are examined by a veterinarian and hopefully cleared for the adoption floor. If a dog shows signs of illness, he remains in our care until medically cleared for adoption.

 It’s exciting to see these adorable faces join our lineup of adoptable animals.  They come to us from places in Texas, Virginia and South Carolina, thanks to our partnerships with shelters and rescue organizations in those states.  Why subject these pets to a long road trip to a new Yankee lifestyle?  Because we want to help them as well as the shelters they’re leaving behind.

 Pet overpopulation in the southern states is a reality. The northeast has curbed overpopulation through spay and neuter practices, but in other parts of the country it remains an issue.  In some cases it may be a financial hardship for pet owners, in other cases the nearest medical facility that could provide the surgery is hours away.  Many litters are unwanted, puppies and kittens become homeless and end up in shelters that are already overcrowded.  The sad truth is that sometimes euthanasia is used in response to this problem.

 The ongoing issue of pet overpopulation outside New England has led us to work with groups like Operation Pets Alive (OPA), one of our primary partners in pet transports.  This Texas-based organization has been the liaison between us and overcrowded shelters in the Lone Star state for several years now.  They seek at-risk dogs in shelters who fit our criteria (healthy and friendly), reach out to us to check if we have the space for them, arrange for the transport, then provide us with an itinerary and updates about the journey north.  Most of the transport arrivals are adult dogs, but puppies occasionally start their adventures with a trip to Dakin. 

 Then there were the pets we brought up from another partner, St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center in New Jersey.  Their transports to us are typically felines (157 cats/kittens in the past two years), but they have also sent more than 100 dogs from southern shelters who are transitioning through St. Hubert’s on their way north.  This partnership works both ways; if we’re inundated with small animals, they’ll take them from us if they have the space.

 Out-of-state animals made up about 10% of the intakes at Dakin last year, and Dixie Dogs are just a fraction of that percentage.  We also accepted shelter animals from hurricane-ravaged areas of Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico last year.  Overall, the number of dogs only slightly exceeded the number of cats we received via transports.

 These partnerships have allowed countless animals to find bright and happy futures.  Your support of Dakin Humane Society allows us to keep building bridges for animals who may need to travel a long distance to find their way home.

Lee Chambers is marketing and communications manager of the Dakin Humane Society. Dakin delivers effective, innovative services to animals in need and the people who care about them.

Dakin Humane Society: Vaccinations critical for pet health

The topic of vaccination can be a hot-button issue in today’s world, especially when outbreaks of measles make headlines.

By LEE CHAMBERS

The topic of vaccination can be a hot-button issue in today’s world, especially when outbreaks of measles make headlines. There are different viewpoints about the importance of vaccinations to protect public health, and these conflicts arise even when the subject is vaccinating our pets.

It’s frustrating and saddening to see dogs, cats and other animals suffer and die from diseases that could have been prevented had the animal received an inexpensive series of vaccinations. Especially brutal diseases like parvovirus, panleukopenia and canine distemper prey on young as well as elderly animals, especially those who are not protected from the disease by vaccines.

The one most people are aware of, of course, is rabies. Probably the most feared of all diseases, rabies is deadline and zoonotic, which means it can be transmitted from animals to humans. Infection nearly always leads to death, and there is no cure. In response to this, Massachusetts law requires rabies vaccinations for our most popular household pets – cats and dogs.

Also dangerous, although non-zoonotic, are diseases like parvovirus and feline distemper, which are deadly and highly contagious. Both can be transmitted by any person, animal or object that comes into contact with the feces of an infected pet, even a microscopic bit. It’s possible for the virus to live in the environment for months, surviving on objects such as a pet’s food bowl, your clothes and shoes, or on carpet or floors. Unvaccinated pets are at considerable risk of contracting these diseases from the streets, especially in urban areas.

All the devastation brought on by these diseases could have been easily prevented with the proper vaccination.

Core vaccines for all infant and adult cats and dogs include protection against a variety of diseases common to a region. For instance, a dog’s “distemper combo” vaccine might include protection against parvovirus in combination with distemper, parainfluenza, and others.

Your puppy or kitten should receive his first vaccine at about 6-8 weeks of age, a booster at 4-week intervals until he is about 16-20 weeks of age, and then again at 1 year of age. A pet’s vaccination program is not complete before he is four months old. Older pets who have not received a full vaccination series may be susceptible to diseases like parvovirus and should also receive at least one immunization. Your veterinarian can talk to you about how often your pet will need to be revaccinated.

Dakin Humane Society offers affordable vaccine clinics every Thursday morning at our Springfield Adoption & Education Center at 171 Union Street beginning at 9am. We treat the first 40 cats and dogs in line, and people frequently line up at least an hour before doors open to secure their spot with dogs on leashes and cats in carriers, and everybody dressed for the weather.

Our clinic provides rabies and distemper vaccinations for both dogs and cats, bordetella vaccinations for dogs as well as feline leukemia vaccinations for cats. We can test your dog for heartworm or your cat for feline leukemia, provide flea treatments, implant a microchip in your pet, and more. As always, we encourage people with pets to seek the services of qualified veterinarians for their pet’s long-term care, including ongoing wellness treatments, but for those who struggle financially to provide these lifesaving. vaccinations, our clinic offers an option.

With all that’s available to prevent diseases, no animal should suffer from them. We stand ready to help you help them. For more information, visit dakinhumane.org

Lee Chambers is marketing and communications manager of Dakin Humane Society. Dakin delivers effective, innovative services to animals in need and the people who care about them.