The sound of barking dogs echoes through the hallways of Valley Humane Society’s brand new animal adoption and education center. Although the Pleasanton animal welfare organization is still a few weeks away from moving into their new facility, they have taken on the task of assisting with a dog rescue, in cooperation with the Animal Planet TV show Confessions: Animal Hoarding. Ten mixed-breed dogs ranging in age from three months to four years were removed from a home in the Sacramento area on Monday by a team from Valley Humane, with the cooperation of the dogs’ owner. “The owner voluntarily…

When cats are born, their mom teaches them how to use their litter box as their bathroom. Litterbox behavior is a simple thing for a cat to learn after mom has introduced them to it. But, you will want to follow some guidelines to make sure that everything goes well in the introduction to your new home. After kittens are weaned from mom and go into their forever homes, the family who adopted the cat should pretend that they are its mother. When the family introduces the cat into their new home, place him or her into the litterbox so they know where it is. If one ever notices that the cat is …

Surely you have seen cats roaming your neighborhood at night, searching and scrounging for food. When you try to approach them, they dart away. Chances are that if they do run away, they are feral. Feral cats are wild animals. They have no desire to be a pet. Never try to house these animals or pick them up with your bare hands. But there is a way you can lower the feral cat population: Trap, neuter, release. Valley Humane Society strongly believes in what we call TNR. Our Tri-Valley headquarters is near a feral cat colony, so we keep an eye on who is out there and when we see a new face, we …

Taking good care of a cat means proving it with a good diet, veterinary care, a warm home and a kind family. It also means giving it consistent nail trims. Cat nails can grow really long and can even cause your cat pain. Your cat’s nails need trimming about once a month – but every two weeks is ideal. The only supplies you need are nail trimmers and cat treats. Most retail stores sell nail trimmers for pets. And you can talk to your vet for suggestions about which ones to buy. I recommend the scissor-type trimmers that are made to fit around the cat’s nail and take the tip off. Once you have …

Interested in adopting a puppy? That is great news! Keep in mind that there are many things you will need to prepare for before you bring your new canine companion home. These include purchasing necessary tools to train and play with your puppy, finding a good obedience school, and preparing your family and home. Being prepared for everything will help your puppy adjust properly and rapidly.  When you head to the pet store, it may be overwhelming, especially if this will be your first puppy. I recommend going to Pet Food Express, all staff members are extremely knowledgeable and will help …

Losing a pet can be one of the scariest things that can happen to a family. If it does happen, make sure not to panic and follow a few key steps to help find your furry family member. Remember this acronym SPIINN, to locate your missing pet. S stands for Search. Search for your cat everywhere you can think of, from inside your house, to around your neighborhood. Pets can sometimes get scared and fall asleep in tight, dark spaces. Try leaving some treats on the ground, or opening a fresh can of wet food to attract their attention. P stands for Phone Calls. Make phone calls to your local animal…

Did you know that every year between six and eight million animals are placed into animal shelters and deemed “homeless?" And, out of those millions, only about half are adopted, while the other half are euthanized. The Humane Society of the United States makes this data public to raise awareness on spaying and neutering. At this time of year, when the weather gets nicer, animals look to mate and raise their young in a warm climate. Now more than ever, every pet in the country needs to be spayed or neutered. There are endless positive results that come from spaying and neutering. First, your …

She was the best dog. Ever. Even at the very end of congestive heart failure, her belly filling up with fluid, her muscles shrunken around her bones, Hanna walked with us. She walked with pride, with joy, with determination. She labored to breathe in the last days, but that didn’t stop her from taking that one last long walk with us today. And she set the pace, walking alongside her brother like so many other times, so happy to be experiencing what we referred to as “out world” – which was so much more exotic and exciting than “in world” or even “back world,” for that matter. We scheduled the…

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals posted a great article the other day on how to care for senior cats and how to assure they remain healthy. Here, I will address and summarize its tips and provide some insight. First, cats typically become “senior citizens” at 7 to 12 years old, depending on their past health issues and whether they are indoor or outdoor animals. Their bodies change—from their metabolism to the immune system and body composition. Managing these changes with diet and regular veterinary checks is vital.  When your cat turns 7, graduate him to a …

Are you interested in helping Valley Humane Society achieve its goal of moving into its new building? Over the next few months we are holding three fund raisers  to raise money and awareness for our building and programs.  First, a huge thank you to Pet Food Express in Pleasanton for hosting two of the fund raisers at the store. There are two events in January that benefit Valley Humane Society. Do you have a dirty dog? If so, Pet Food Express is the place to go. From now until Jan. 31, all of the money from dog wash tokens at the Pleasanton store goes to Valley Humane Society. You may use …

A barking dog can be tedious and overwhelming for any owner, especially one that barks only when owners are away. Even worse is when neighbors begin to complain. Working with your dog may take patience and strength. Make sure to alert your neighbors that you are working with your canine companion to fix the problem. This will assure them that you are trying and hopefully they can drone out the bark for a little while. Then you may want to attempt to identify in your dog fits into one of three typical barking categories. Jacque Schultz from the ASPCA Companion Animal Programs says that these …

Preparing well in advance for an emergency is vital to both your pets and your family. There are many things that can be done to prepare for an emergency, including having plans in place, rescue alert stickers and alert cards filled out, emergency kits packed, and designated caregivers picked out. Each of these takes some time and patience to get ready, but you will not regret it. Here are some questions that may help you start your planning:   What will I do to protect my pets and family in case of emergency? Will I have advance warning before the disaster strikes? What type of disasters …

Did you know that cats can get colds, too? It is true. Cats are susceptible to feline upper respiratory infections just like humans. These "colds" are typically harmless, just as they are for us. There are times, though, when they can become serious. According to the Marvista Vet website, coughing, sneezing, nasal discharge, runny eyes, red or swollen conjunctiva, fever and oral or nasal ulcers can be signs of feline upper respiratory infection. You may see all of these, just one symptom or a combination of any.  Upper respiratory infection, also known as URI, is spread through wet sneezes. …

Tis' the season to be jolly! Are you expecting a baby sometime in the near future? If so, read the following to learn a bit more on how to adjust your pet to these big changes. The most important thing about these adjustments is to make sure that they are gradual and positive.  Looking at and preparing your dog for changes with your environment, the smells and sounds, routine, and rules will aid the process. For sounds and smells, pay attention to what your pet is familiar too. Is it a quiet home? Or, a noisy home? Try to keep things similar. If you cannot, make the transition smooth and …

"November is Adopt-A-Senior-Pet Month. Do you have a place in your home and heart for one of our homeless, senior pets? Nobody wants to spend the holidays alone, especially the senior citizens of Kitty City. Pictured, Tootsie was surrendered to us in January and is still searching for her forever home. Tootsie is around 10 years old and is lonely here in her kennel. We also have Catalina, a 7-year-old Siamese. To learn more about how heart-warming it is to adopt an older animal, call 925-426-8656 or visit the website www.valleyhumane.org for more information on our adoptable pets. Valley …

With the weather cooling down and winter fast approaching, we must take certain precautions to keep our pets warm, healthy and happy. Of course, keeping your pet inside is the safest option, but aside from this, there are other steps we can take to help our furry friends. Always make sure your pets have warm bedding that is away from any drafts and off  the floor. Cozy bedding with blankets works perfectly. If you need to run an errand, leave your pet at home. In the cold, cars trap air, making your pet susceptible to freezing. Lastly, if you do need anti-freeze, buy pet-friendly antifreeze …

Do you have a kitty that loves to scratch everything in your house? Are you worried that he will soon destroy your furniture? Or, are you wondering why kitty has the urge to scratch anything? I have answers that may help you. Learning why a cat scratches and how to train your cat into scratching acceptable objects is key to being a responsible owner. Declawing is not an option. According to the S.T.A.R.T. II Pets website, which has information on adopting cats, declawing is a horrible painful surgery. This is how they describe it, "Contrary to most people's understanding, declawing consists …