First Friday drop-off team
SaddleBrooke Pet Rescue Network: Monthly Pet Donation Drop-Off Program
Karyle Steele
Our various pet charities are always in need and are always thankful for your donations. Please consider dropping off any of the items listed below. Cash donations are also accepted and appreciated. The drop-off location is at the SaddleBrooke One bocce ball courts. It is the first Friday of every month. Please do not leave items unattended.
May through August drop-off hours are 7:30 to 8:30 a.m.
Items we can take:
Crates (no greater than 30 inches and broken down)
Pet beds/crate pads
Pet food/water bowls
Pet toys
Pet treats
Pet food
Pet gates
Pet medication (must not be beyond expiration date)
Pet sweaters/coats
Leashes/collars/harnesses
Grooming tools
Cat litter boxes
Cat litter
Cat scratching posts or pads
X-pens
Puppy pads/doggie diapers
E-collars
Training tools
Bath towels (no hand towels, washcloths)
Blankets
All items should be gently used and washed prior to donation. Items should be in working order.
Please, no washcloths, hand towels, or sheets.
Save the Dates!
This year, SaddleBrooke Pet Rescue Network’s annual Fashion Show and Luncheon will be held at the SaddleBrooke One Clubhouse on Wednesday, Nov. 30, and Thursday, Dec. 1. Watch for notice of ticket sales as well as other information later this summer.
Trainer’s Tidbits
Jeremy Brown
Monsoons and Fireworks: How to Prepare Your Furry Family for a Stressful Season
Summertime in the desert can be a difficult time for our furry family members for many reasons: high temperatures, monsoons, and holiday fireworks. From training techniques to desensitizing, we can help alleviate some of the stress for our canine friends.
Desensitization: Noises can generally cause stress and varying reactions in our canines. Desensitizing our friends can help them deal with this and can help build self-confidence. One suggestion I often give is to find a reward that your dog would take under any circumstance, such as: cheese, hot dog, or freeze-dried beef liver (in moderation and only when training). These high-value rewards can help to redirect and teach them that when these noises happen, they are safe. Making the noise or playing a noise on YouTube and then rewarding your pup can help prepare them for those situations that we cannot control. Some dogs may need us to start the noise at a low volume and raise it slowly, but regardless of the volume level, be sure to treat your pup with the high-value reward as the noise is playing. Consistent repetition, like what we do when we train a command like “sit,” is key and what makes this an effective technique.
Touching to Calm: Just like in humans, the power of touch can help immensely with stress. Three touching exercises that help limit stress include pressure on the chest plate in circular motions, lightly pulling the ears, and lightly pulling and bringing up the tail. Not only do these motions help alleviate stress in both the human and the canine, but the connection between the handler and canine improves as well! Doing this before and during storms and fireworks can limit stress and help our furry friends feel safe.
Calming Aids: Many of these items work wonders in stressful situations, but finding the correct one for you and your pup can be the tough part. Here are some things to consider:
* Calming treats and CBD oil, if used consistently, work well for many; however, it can be difficult for some to find the correct dosage. Do your research and ask your trainer or veterinarian what they’ve seen the best results with to help narrow down the search.
* The Thunder Shirt is a way of swaddling your pup like a baby, and it uses pressure to comfort. You can also achieve this effect by holding your dog with a bit of pressure. YouTube, again, has some videos on how to do this on your own without buying the shirt.
* For the dogs that don’t like wearing something, weighted blankets can give that little bit of pressure to calm.
* Liki Mats are a relatively new product in the pet world but can help relieve stress. The act of licking can help reduce stress, and I like to use cream cheese or peanut butter on the silicone mat and then freeze it prior to giving it before or during stressful situations.
* Calming collars can also be a great way to relieve everyday stress and are a great place to start for regular use. The idea of these collars is that they give off a pheromone like the mother dog, and this can have a calming effect.
When it comes to any calming aid, it is imperative to train and expose dogs to the things that cause stress.
Pet Rescue Network Partners with Cherished Tails
Karyle Steele and Pauline Hass Vaughn
Pauline with Cherished Tails Senior Sanctuary (CTSS) and Cherished Tomorrows has been with SaddleBrooke Pet Rescue Network (SBPRN) since we came to be in 2011. She and her team need little introduction to the residents of SaddleBrooke. Here is her story:
Cherished Tails focuses mainly on seniors who are at risk in local shelters due to age, or medical or behavior issues. Since our inception in summer 2017, we have rescued almost 1,100 animals and have adopted out over 950. In addition to adoptions, we also provide “fospice” care for those that are too advanced in age or have medical or behavioral conditions preventing them from being adoptable. We have over 40 foster homes who care for dogs short-term or long-term, depending on their specific needs.
The support of SBPRN has been instrumental to our operation as a rescue. SBPRN has provided tremendous support to CTSS since the rescue began by providing concrete assistance with food, supplies, and financial donations. They also provide many opportunities for us to network our animals to highly qualified families in the SaddleBrooke community through their newsletter, social media, and events. Lastly, they have been a key in joining rescues together to work toward the “greater good” for animals in the community.
In summer 2021, we started a new program called Cherished Tomorrows to serve younger dogs who are at risk due to space in one of our rural local “boarder” shelters. We were able to recruit some fosters and transporters, specifically to help these pups, and since, have been able to save more than 60 dogs younger than 5 who would have been euthanized at this very overwhelmed small shelter. We have also partnered with a couple of other local rescues to ensure that the dogs are safe.
COVID has been a tough time for rescues in that the demand has increased, mostly due to the financial strain it placed on many pet owners and the resulting housing issues many are experiencing. At the same time, adoptions are down, donations are down, and traditional fundraisers often had to be canceled or experienced decreased attendance. Grants have become more competitive and harder to secure. It is sadly the perfect storm, creating worse conditions for animals, but CTSS continues to do our best to provide quality care and safe placement for the animals we commit to and bring into rescue. We truly appreciate the generosity of the SaddleBrooke community during these hard times!