You’d think that many pets would find their forever homes as puppies or kittens and live a nice, long life with their owner. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case.

Older family pets are sometimes surrendered when there’s a major life change in the family, such as a new baby being born, a divorce, the loss of a job or income, or a big move
across the country. They also are taken to shelters if their pet parents have passed away, or if they develop a costly medical condition. Once these older pets find themselves at a
shelter, they are often overlooked as adopters fall in love with the younger animals.

“Senior dogs, especially those with medical problems or disabilities, face a much greater
chance of euthanasia at shelters than younger dogs because it is difficult to find adopters
for them due to their shorter additional life expectancy and unknown veterinary costs,”
states the Old Friends Senior Dog Sanctuary website.

The Frosted Face Facts
If you’re on the fence about adopting a senior pet, perhaps these factors could sway you:

• Though older, many senior pets still have lots of loving years left. Large dogs that are age six and above are considered senior, while cats and smaller dog breeds are considered senior at age seven. Unfortunately, the older the pet is, the more difficult time he or she will have getting adopted. So if you’re not sure about adopting an “elderly” pet in the late years, then maybe one of these “slightly senior” pets could be a wonderful choice for your family.
• Senior pets aren’t as rambunctious, destructive, or disruptive as puppies or kittens. You can rest more easily knowing your furniture and belongings are less likely to get destroyed!
• They are also often fully trained, adequately socialized, calm, and eager to give you all their love.

• Even though they’re past puppyhood, you can still continue to train dogs with new tricks and behaviors if you desire. In fact, many will be eager to mentally and physically engage with their new owners.
• No surprises with their personalities: mature dogs and cats have already fully developed their dispositions, so you can feel confident knowing that what you observe at the shelter will be the same as what you see when they arrive at your home.
• Anyone who adopts from a shelter is a hero in our eyes, but adopting a pet that would otherwise be overlooked takes things to whole new level. And here’s the thing: you’ll probably feel just as amazing as the pet you take home.

If you’re considering adopting a senior pet, check out our #WhyNotMePets campaign, or peek AdoptAPet.com and your local shelter, asking about rescuing an older pet. And if you’re not in the position to adopt but still want to help, consider donating funds, goods, or your very valuable time to a senior rescue facility or sanctuary near you.

Have a sweet gray muzzle you want to show off? Share a picture of your senior pet with us on Instagram by tagging #pawsitivealliance and #gohealthypaws. And if you aren’t already a pet parent with Healthy Paws, look into getting a free quote to help safeguard not just your special fur friend, but your wallet too.

Content provided by Healthy Paws Pet Insurance. Policies are underwritten and issued by ACE American Insurance Company, Indemnity Insurance Company of North America, ACE Property & Casualty Insurance Company, Atlantic Employers Insurance Company, Westchester Fire Insurance Company, and members of the Chubb Group.

Are you a pet parent who’s looking for a new home? You may already know you’ll have to take a few things into consideration when you’re out searching for spots, but you may be wondering how you can make sure you find a place that will make you and your dog happy. Before you start looking at listings, commit these helpful hints to memory and begin your search well-prepared.

Find a Dog-Friendly Neighborhood

If you plan on spending time exploring with your pup, it’s a good idea to look for an area with plenty of dog-friendly spots. Look around for dog parks so you can socialize your dog with other pets. Think about being able to bring your furkid along for weekend beers and brunches, and check for dog-friendly restaurants close by. You can check for Fido-friendly activities in each neighborhood here. Being able to walk to fun activities will make it so much easier to get out and enjoy some bonding time with your pup, while you both get used to a new neighborhood.

Consider Your Daily Commute

When you work full-time, you know you still need to take care of your canine kid. If you can snag a new home near your work, making time for midday walks will be a lot easier. You also won’t be worried about making it home on time for dinner and evening potty breaks. Found you perfect place but it’s not close to your work? Factor in daily petcare into your new home budget. Hiring a dog walker is a great way to take pressure off you on busy days and a wonderful option for getting your dog out for exercise while you’re away.

Look for a Home That Fits Your Dog and Your Budget

When you’re out looking for that perfect new home, think about your daily life with your dog. If you have a large, active dog, you’ll want to have a little more space. Smaller dogs may not need all that room to run around. If your dog is crate-trained, you’ll want to make sure there’s room to set that up. Be sure to pull together your budget as well, before you start looking. The median sales price for a home in Seattle is $660,000. Include any necessary utilities, such as electric, gas, and sanitation, as well as repairs, into your final financial plan and stick to that budget.

Be Aware of Pet Fees and Restrictions

Depending on the type of dog you have, you may need to be careful about any neighborhood or building-specific pet policies. Some areas may attempt to restrict so-called “dangerous” breeds or even animals that are above a certain size, even when you plan on buying. Breed-specific rules have recently been repealed by the state, but it’s still helpful to be aware in case you come across any outdated covenants or have issues with your new neighbors. Additionally, there may be fees or licensing costs for owning a pet, so factor that into your overall house-hunting efforts.

Think About Outdoor Space

Walks are a good option for getting pups out in the city, but some dedicated outdoor space will make late-night potty breaks a little easier. If you can find a place with a yard or shared, secured outdoor spot, it could be better for you and your pet. To really keep your dog secure, look for a yard with a fence or think about installing one before you move in for good. Thanks to the internet, it’s simple to find fencing professionals and prices for your specific area. In Seattle, you can expect to pay between $1,739 and $4,189 to have a wood fence installed. Wanting to stick to an apartment? Not to worry! There are plenty of ways to create puppy balcony spaces.

Looking for a new home can be exciting, for you and your dog! Keep this article handy as you search for your perfect home and you can be sure you’ll find a spot that will keep you, and your furkid, happy. Good luck to you and your pup!

Author: Cindy Aldridge, guest contributor with OurDogsFriend.org
Photo Credit: Dirtie Dog Photography (Baby, available for adoption at Pasado’s Safe Haven)

The Healthy Paws Foundation is proud to announce their support of Pawsitive Alliance for the third consecutive year! By giving a $28,000 grant to our #WhyNotMePets campaign, we can work harder to end pet homelessness in Washington state.
 
What We Do
Pawsitive Alliance works across Washington to help cats and dogs in need – helping to end euthanasia of special pets by increasing adoptions, supporting spay and neuter programs and improving “pet retention” (homes keeping their pets). “Our vision is a healthy and happy home for every cat and dog in Washington,” says Executive Director Amy Ferguson.
Started in 2005, Pawsitive Alliance has been working hard on this mission, and since the start of the #Whynotmepets campaign in April of 2015, we have featured over 200 pets from Washington state shelters and rescues. The #WhyNotMePets program focuses on senior, long-term shelter residents, or one of the harder-to-home “restricted” breeds that need extra help in finding their forever home. Healthy Paws first recognized us in 2017, contributing to adoption efforts with weekly articles on the blog and targeted social media posts.
 
Spay & Neuter Programs
While we work hard to find forever homes, Pawsitive Alliance also initiates and supports spay and neuter programs across Washington State. We do this by targeting geographic regions with high euthanasia rates and communities with limited or no low cost spay/neuter options. “When I started volunteering nearly 10 years ago at my local shelter, the only thing I knew was that I loved animals and wanted to have as many as I could,” laughs Amy. “I quickly learned that shelters can be wonderful places for needy pets but in order for that to happen, the community has to be involved, which is how I became in involved in fundraising, community outreach, and being an overall advocate for shelter and rescue animals.”

Success in 2018
“The Healthy Paws grant for our #Whynotmepets program ensures that we can help pets find their forever home through Washington state rescues and shelters that request our help,” Ms. Ferguson continues. “In 2017, we helped over 78 pets through the program while in 2018 we had helped over 200 pets though the program! #Whynotmepets is made possible thanks to the grant from Healthy Paws.”
​
We’re very excited to see where 2019 will take us. For more good works from Healthy Paws, visit their Rescue Race page to learn more about animal welfare organizations that qualified for grants in the past year.
Content provided by Healthy Paws Pet Insurance. Policies are underwritten and issued by ACE American Insurance Company, Indemnity Insurance Company of North America, ACE Property & Casualty Insurance Company, Atlantic Employers Insurance Company, Westchester Fire Insurance Company, and members of the Chubb Group.

​

A message from our Co-Founder, Yolanda Morris! 

We are planning to have another exciting year of helping animals through our life-saving programs of increasing adoptions of shelter animals, access to affordable spay and neuter services, and pet retention to help pets in need.

This new year brings a new Board President to Pawsitive Alliance, I would like to introduce our longtime and stellar volunteer and board member Mary Schumacher as our new Board President for 2019! With my board term ending, I am not going far; I will now be serving on Pawsitive Alliance’s Advisory Council, a group of dedicated professionals who bring unique skills to work on our mission. Also, I will continue participating on the Fundraising Committee and Board Recruitment Committee as well as growing our Project: Mission Pawsible program.

Since I helped start Pawsitive Alliance in 2005 part of my goal has always been to grow it to a point where it is bigger than us founders and we have accomplished that in spades. We have a great team in place: a solid board, strong Advisory Council, a fantastic Executive Director, and, last but not least, dedicated supporters like you who donate and volunteer. With this strong base, our programs have served thousands of pets in need through our innovative services which we have brought to all corners of our state. Since we formed, our focus has been to help the already homeless by increasing adoptions AND to prevent more pets from becoming homeless through spay and neuter as well as pet retention. With these programs, we have helped adopt over 7,500 homeless cats and dogs and we have formed and grown numerous spay and neuter programs which have provided thousands of spay and neuter surgeries in areas of Washington with high rates of homelessness and euthanasia.  

I am so proud of what we have accomplished over the past 13 years and I’m excited about the future of the organization. We will continue to apply, and with your support to grow, our unique and targeted programs using our strengths in innovation and collaboration to help pets in need.

Thank you for participating in the success of our mission and I look forward to working with you to keep Pawsitive Alliance strong so we can continue to serve cats and dogs in need across Washington.
​
If one of your New Year’s resolutions is to get more involved in your community and to help animals please give us a shout! We are always looking for compassionate and passionate individuals to work with us as an event volunteer, committee member, and to serve on the board!

And now, a few words from Mary Schumacher, our incoming Board President! 
​
I want to let you all know how excited and honored I am about stepping in to the Board President position for 2019.  Pawsitive Alliance has been a long time passion of mine and I was excited to join the Board of Directors in 2018 after a number of years volunteering and supporting Pawsitive Alliance.  Yolanda leaves big shoes to fill and we are lucky that she will continue to be a part of Pawsitive Alliance on our Advisory Council and continuing to work on the Project Mission Pawsible program in Yakima.  


2019 is going to be a year of change as we continue to strategize on ways to grow our programs to help homeless cats and dogs throughout our State.  We are planning  fundraising events at Lagunitas Brewing in Seattle and Northwest Cellars in Kirkland and hope you will be able to join us.  Stay tuned for further details which will be shared in upcoming newsletters and on social media.  Thank you all for your continuing support of Pawsitive Alliance!  Let's make 2019 the best year ever!

I am a young 10 month old pup.
 am eager to  find a home with lots of activity and time to play. I am learning new commands and can't wait for all the tricks you'll teach me, ​

I am a friendly fellow who enjoys playing with toys. I am ready to find my forever home. I would make a great addition to a home with other respectful pets. 
​

​I am a silly fun loving guy.
I love cozying up with my human and dog friends. I love having a dog pal that I can look to for reassurance. I also have awesome manners!

​I am an older gentleman looking to be  pampered. I will repay you with loving companionship. I am featured in Seattle Area Feline Rescue's  "Adopt less Adoptable Cats" program

Seattle Area Feline Rescue’s Behavior Team began in when SAFe was selected by The Jackson Galaxy Foundation to participate in Cat Pawsitive, an initiative that introduces positive training to shelter cats. Even after completing the Cat Pawsitive program, dedicated rescue volunteers kept the Behavior Program going. Now Behavior volunteers sign up for morning and evening shifts to use clicker training and positive reinforcement to help shy rescue residents shine! ​

In Washington State the answer is No. 
​
A new Washington law went into effect July 24, 2015 that allows animal control and law enforcement officers to break into vehicles to rescue pets – but it does not cover good Samaritans. 
The law limits or eliminates liability for vehicle damage that animal control or law enforcement cause when rescuing a pet from a car due to extreme heat, extreme cold, lack of ventilation or lack of water. In addition, the pet owner can face a $125 fine. The person who confined the animal in the vehicle or enclose space may also be charged with animal cruelty under RCW 16.52.205 or 16.52.207.

Now we know many of you are saying to yourself, “I don’t care what the law states, I would just break the window and save the pet.”  If you make that decision and you break into a car to save a pet, you could face legal or financial penalties for the damage to the vehicle. If you take the animal without the owner’s permission, you could be charged with theft.  And keep in mind that you don’t know the animal, which may not react well to you breaking the window, and you could be injured.

What Should You Do? 

Call 911!  If you see a pet shut up in a car on a hot day in distress, call 911 and explain the urgency.  While you are waiting for the animal control or law enforcement officer to arrive, take pictures of the car, the license plate and the pet in distress in the car to provide to the officer. If you don’t have a camera phone, take down the vehicle’s model, make, color, and license plate number. These can be used to report the owner for neglect or irresponsible behavior, and also to identify who the owner is.
​
Have the Owner Paged.  Go into the local businesses or buildings nearby and notify a manager or security guard. Ask that they make an announcement over the intercom with the license plate number.
If the pet owner returns to the vehicle while you are waiting, avoid an altercation. We all want to reprimand the pet owner, but its not worth an injury or even worse, just to feel good about telling someone what a horrible pet owner they are.  If the owner leaves before animal control or law enforcement arrive, you have the pictures and you should make a statement.
 
Monitor the Animal.   According to PetMD, signs of heatstroke include restlessness, excessive thirst, heavy panting, dark tongue, rapid heartbeat, fever, vomiting, and lack of coordination. Keep a close eye on the dog for these symptoms, as it could mean that the situation needs to be acted upon very quickly.
 
What Else Can I Do?
We think this is a good idea.  Life-Meter for Pets launched a campaign in Arizona featuring their product – a thermometer that attaches inside a car window. Their goal was to illustrate how fast a car heats up even on a mild day.

​“When you display the thermometer, you are sending a message to anyone who may walk by your vehicle in a parking lot that it is never ok to leave pets alone in hot cars,” says Adam Schultz, lead designer of the product. “You are also showing your concern and spreading awareness of these dangers every day.”