Heritage Bark Park Henderson

07/03/2024

As a volunteer at the shelter, I get lots of people asking me all sorts of questions about their pets. I work with cats and I foster cats, but I have dogs of my own as well, so I have a bit of knowledge.

People come to me to ask about helping them re-home their pets. More than I would like. But it seems like these people are trying to find a better option than a mere drop off at a shelter, so there is hope.

Here is the reality of re-homing, sending them to a rescue or dropping them at a shelter.

That animal will be scared. That animal will wail for their family. They may become aggressive due to fear. They may stop eating and drinking due to fear. And that is just some of the things that will happen quickly, regardless of the situation.

Re-homing sounds great, but are you inspecting the home? Are you checking this new family out? Vetting them? Are you charging a re-homing fee? Re-homing for free is an invitation to all the sick and twisted people looking for animals to hurt to come by and pick up your pet for their demise. Free is never an option. And unless you are vetting the family, it's a crap shoot. And if your pet does anything the family doesn't like, out of fear, anxiety, loss, the animal will suffer in the end.

Rescues, whether breed specific, or dog or cat specific, usually work with foster families that are trained and loving. The goal of rescues is to find forever homes and usually do a better job of vetting potential adopters. Foster parents usually call the shots on a go/no-go on adopters if they don't feel they are the right fit. But your pet is still going through the loss of its home, family, foundation and life.

Shelters are only an option for animals that are being seized due to abuse, neglect, hoarding situations, or animals found in the streets. A shelter environment is meant to be a safe haven for animals that need immediate attention and care to go toward reconnecting them with their family or finding them a new one. A shelter is not meant, in my opinion, as a place to drop off a member of your family when no longer convenient. I volunteer at a shelter and can tell you that every person that works there and volunteers there love animals and work damn hard to save every single life. But, there are only so many kennels, so many crates, and when more animals are being surrendered then adopted, what happens? Usually, the animal ends up as a long term resident. If a foster parent can be found, that helps the shelter and helps the animal, but finding great volunteers to foster can be hard. And animals that stay too long in the shelter can decline mentally. Animals can suffer from psychosis in varying forms as more and more time lapses in their length of stay.

So what do you do? First I would encourage anyone wanting a pet to first ask yourself the following questions:

1- Am I willing to forgo my own personal wants to keep my pet safe, loved and healthy by my side and in my home?
2- Do I have the finances available to take full care of all health issues/concerns/needs/emergencies that can and will arise?
3- Do I have stability in my life and schedule that allows me the time to play/exercise/love my pet?
4- Am I getting this pet because it's trendy or a new breed or because I'm a single parent that is looking to fulfill my child's wants to make them happy?
5- Have I taken the time to educate myself on this pet so I can be responsible?
6- Am I willing to be a part of the solution of the pet population and have my pet spayed or neutered?

Now, if you have a pet and are in a situation where you find yourself thinking about getting rid of your pet, I would start by reconsidering the issues and challenges you face that make it seem like not having the pet is the only solution.

In my opinion, if the animal is not aggressive or a threat, there is no reason to get rid of your pet. Every situation has a work around and there are lots of ideas for every situation.

You can reach out to anyone that lives to serve animals for ideas, advice and help. I am currently working on creating an action plan for someone in the hope that will help them get past the obstacles and allow them to complete their life mission with their pet.

Remember, animals only know how to love us unconditionally, they deserve to be loved with the same fervor and given the the space in our lives to fulfill their mission in ours.

Adopt responsibly,
Amarilis

06/22/2024

I need all my Facebook Friends help!
I am fostering an incredible cat that needs a home!
Renny is a 1.5 year old neutered male. He is vaccinated and chipped.
He is one of the most affectionate cats I have ever met. He is docile, chill, laid back, relaxed. He plays but basically wants to sit next to you or on you or near you and just have you love on him.
He needs a home with either older kids (teenagers) or adults only. He needs a place to decompress, relax into the environment and enjoy life.
I am hosting meet and greets for interested adopters. Please reach out to me personally.
Please share this post and let's see the good side of social media. Let's find Renny his forever home!

06/12/2024

PSA: Looking to adopt a furr-ever pet? Please don't do so impulsively, simply because your kids want one, or you just wake up one day and want a cute pet to post pics of. Please consider that adoptable animals have a past. They have trauma...due to humans. Some are terrified of kids, for good reason. Some are afraid of brooms...wonder why?! Trauma is healed with love and patience and that only happens when good people make a life long commitment to that animal. Want to adopt, amazing, but please do it fully understanding and acknowledging the commitment.

02/21/2024

Meet Eli. He is a beautiful neutered male that came to the City of Henderson Animal Care and Control as a stray. He is 2 years old. He is a sweet boy that loves to climb on your lap and snuggle. Super playful too. He loves the ladies and warms to men quickly. He is more dog than cat as he loves to follow you all around and is very protective of his human. He likes to be the only one you love and will thrive in an environment where he is the only one. Want to meet him? He is available for adoption at PetSmart on W. Lake Mead in Henderson.

11/01/2023

Finding out that your pet is missing is traumatic and panic inducing.
The sense of overwhelm can seize you in your tracks and have you doing laps in your neighborhood to no avail.
Here are a few tips to keep your pets from becoming lost and tips on how to engage the community to help you find them.

1. Make sure your yard is secure. Gates are closed and locked so they cannot be opened by a stranger or your dog doesn't force it open.
2. Make sure that the area under your fence is secured with something that prevents digging under the fence and that your fence is high enough to prevent a jump over situation.
3. If you know you are having workers in the yard, please keep pets inside and do not let them back out until you secure the gates properly.
4. Make sure your pet is microchipped. If you know are unsure, your vets office can check with a scanner and they are also able to update the microchip information to have your current data.
5. Make sure your pet is collared and tagged. This shows a rescuer that this is a pet and the name and number can get your pet to you quickly.
6. Have a good current picture and distinguishing marks at the ready for posts you may need to make.
7. Think about the local area, have a list of vets offices and numbers handy so you can contact them regarding your lost pet and email them a picture. It makes them hyper-vigilant when a stray comes in.
8. Post on the NextDoor app, pages for lost pets in the area.
9. Expand your search area and work your way towards your home in a circular pattern.
10. A sure fire way to know where your pet is, is to gps tag them. Apple AirTags work well and there are collars available for dogs and cats that hold the AirTag. There are several other styles or gps tags as well that connect with an app.

11/01/2023

Stop by the PetSmart on Lake Mead Pkwy in Henderson on Saturday, November 11th from 10-2 to drop off your donation for City of Henderson Animal Care and Control

We are also accepting gift cards to local stores for the purchase of green leafy veggies for the turtles, rabbits and guinea pigs.

03/01/2021

Alright Facebook Friends…
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society issued a 50 States Challenge to all Students of the Year team members. My team(Nuke The Leuk 2021) has been challenged to secure a donation from EVERY SINGLE STATE. If we do, we’ll earn $500 bonus towards our campaign!!! Here’s the link to donate: https://events.lls.org/snv/lasvegassoy21/srosario
I NEED YOUR HELP TO REACH ALL 50 STATES.
First and foremost, if you haven’t had a chance to donate yet, I would appreciate your support THIS WEEK, so I can cross your state off my list!
Also, if you live or know people in other states, please encourage them to donate, as well!
The way it works is that the donation must be a minimum of $10, but we are thrilled to get more! The debit/credit card used to donate with MUST have a billing address for the State you are looking to represent...so if you are a college student in Colorado, but your credit card billing address is in Nevada, the State represented will be Nevada.
Please please please tag friends from all of the United States and share!!!
I’ll keep you posted on our progress as we spread awareness and save lives across the US!

Students of the Year Las Vegas Sofia Rosario | Nuke the Leuk! Sofia's Students of the Year Fundraiser Oct 02, 2020 Thank you for visiting my fundraising page, welcome! I encourage you to join me in supporting The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) by making a donation to my fundraising campaign. By d...

02/19/2021

Blood Cancers are so easy to pass off as "just not feeling good". Right now, we live in the COVID era. Every little something makes us freak out thinking we got COVID! But pre-pandemic, things seemed to be not to big of a deal.
That is what blood cancer counts on. For you not to notice. For you to just blow it off.
Here are some symptoms that may help save you or someone you love.
Want to help us in our fight to end blood cancer? Donate at this link:https://events.lls.org/snv/lasvegassoy21/srosario

10/23/2020

One of the most difficult decisions to make as a pet owner (or as I like to believe, a pet parent), is knowing if and when our fur babies need the sweet release of pain. Euthanasia is a very controversial subject and is a very personal choice. But whether to be a part of your pets transition or not shouldn't take more then a moment to know that the answer is a resounding yes. Being there with them at their final moment is the least you can do for the years of them being there for you. This article really brings home just how important this is.

And this is a conversation to have. The "How will we know it's time?", the "Will we go to the vet's office or have the vet come to us?", the "How will we handle the funeral? Cremation? Burial?"

These are not easy conversations, but these moments are never easy. So having a plan, and being ready to be there for them is essential.

While people may feel unconditional love for their beloved companions, it seems that many find it too difficult to say goodbye at the very end. However, that can be a very unfortunate decision, according to vets on social media.

09/03/2019

Should I take my senior dog to the dog park?

Honestly that’s up to you. But be aware of your dogs changing needs. As dogs age, they can and often do suffer from the same issues we do.

The idea of a dog park is great. Lots of buddies to play with, exercise and camaraderie. But is it safe for your senior dog?

The short answer is probably not. The reasons have nothing to do with dog park safety, it has to do with finding alternatives that keep your dog happy and healthy. Here are some reasons you should consider.

Senior dogs often times begin to suffer from basic degenerative diseases such as arthritis. Flare ups can be painful. The exertion of running (or at least trying to keep up) can cause inflammation and pain. Overheating or cold weather can cause more pain.

Senior dogs are often times on meds. For all sorts of things. Some for pain, chemo, allergies, the list goes on. Overexertion can cause vomiting and meds can easily end up from stomach to the grass to becoming another dogs snack. I know, that’s gross!

Senior dogs are slowing down. Just like all of us. I can’t keep up with a 20 something on a hike...I’m in the back with 40 somethings. And that’s ok. It’s natural. But to be surrounded and pestered by young and bouncy pups emptying those never ending tanks of energy? I’m exhausted thinking about it!

Senior dogs get brittle bones. Yup. That’s a real thing. With age bone density weakens. That means that rough play with the youngsters can lead to fractures and breaks more easily.

Senior dogs can become dehydrated by just being outside. The pups run and run and run then drink and drink and drink...this is the cycle for them. But senior dogs dehydrate from simply being still. Their organs and cells do everything slower and water stores on a cellular level just don’t hold as efficiently.

So what are some alternatives? Continue with walks. Moderate the time of day, keep to cooler times with shade. Walk slower and shorter distances. Change the walks to keep them interested. Bring water on your walk and let them sip here and there. Keep them active with changing out toys at home. Invite other senior dogs over for sniff dates. Let’s face it, senior dogs don’t play, they sniff and sit, but hey it’s good company.

Keep on wagging!

07/15/2019

This is a good read about vaccinations and etiquette at the dog park. Remember to make sure your dogs vaccines are up to date and that puppies are totally vaccinated before going to the dog park.

➡️ And here is the tip of the day: pick up an old small cooler (the lunch caddy kind)and fill it with ice and bring it to the park. It makes for a great cold treat for your dog, melts slowly into cold water and keeps your dog drinking out of it own clean vessel.🐶🌳🌞💧

In this article, you’ll find answers to some of the most common questions about dog parks and learn how to safely take your puppy or adult dog to the dog park.