Kildare Animal Foundation

So you did you homework and decided that the time was right
to get a dog. So now you have him home what are you going to do next ?
Dogs crave food, love, attention and enjoy daily exercise so
start as you mean to go on and get into a routine that your dog will love you
for.

Our top seven tips for helping your new arrival settle in.

1. Prepare in advance and make sure you have all
the essentials that you will need for you new arrival such as collar and lead,
bed, water and food bowls and of course a few toys and treats to welcome your
new dog home .
2. Keep your dogs arrival home as low key as
possible. Remember your home is a totally new environment for your dog and
whether you have decided on an adult dog or a puppy they could feel over
whelmed and a little scared by too many new faces and loud noises.

3. Find out in advance from the rescue centre/breeder what brand of dog/puppy food that they have been feeding your
dog. As a general rule of thumb we would advise that you steer clear of canned
/wet dog foods, dry food is much better quality . Also steer clear of generic
or supermarket branded dry foods and look for a good quality dog food to use
from the beginning. A good quality dry dog food has the highest quality and
most digestible ingredients, it help keep your dog in good health and
behaviour.

4. Start as you mean to go on, decide how you would
like you dog to behave and what you find acceptable in advance. For example, if
you don’t wish you dogs to sit on your sofa in the future don’t let them up on
it in the first few days after they arrive. Once habits are formed they can be
very hard to break !

5.Toilet training should begin straight away. Show
your dog where you would like them to eliminate and praise them and reward them
when they do. Set regular feeding times and take your dog straight outside
after a meal and first thing in the morning when they wake up.

6. Make an appointment with your vet to meet your
dog within a week of bringing your pet home. There your dog will have a health
check and receive any further vaccinations that may be needed and its always
good to be registered with a vet in case emergency treatment is needed.
7. Walks and exercise. Dogs love an active life
which means you should plan lots of exercise and games for you new pet. If you
have just adopted a puppy remember that ten minute walk per month of age is
plenty, they only have little legs. Most importantly, keep your new dog on lead
when you first start walking them, recall training can come later.

Remember you have just brought home a friend for life. Be
reasonable with your expectations and give your new dog time to adjust to life
in your home and with you. Exercising and training your dog can be such a
wonderful bonding experience for you and your dog so think about maybe taking
part in some training classes or join in a socialisation class to help them get
along with other dogs. Most of all remember that no other friend will ever
greet you as warmly when you come home or be as content to be in your company
as a dog will. Be patient and you will be rewarded with unconditional love.

www.positivedogtrainingdublin.com

phone: 01 9013018

We received some sad news on Wednesday that Cody the blind collie that we rehomed last year, had passed away. Cody was blind and also slightly brain damaged but he was a happy and loving dog. We knew he would have a short life span but didn’t expect him to pass away so sudden. Audrey his devoted owner came home after being out at the shops for a couple of hours and had found he had passed away asleep in his bed on her return. He had a great few months living with Audrey & John and we can’t thank them enough for the love and care that gave him. Like ourselves they are heartbroken and still in shock

Cody touched the lives of many of us at the foundation and he is a dog we will never forget.

 R.I.P Cody, we will never forget you.

Meet little Freddy a shy puppy who has suffered so much in his short little life. He was handed into the shelter yesterday morning after been dumped. He is under a year old and in awful condition. He was covered in mats and smelled to high heavens. It is unlikely he was ever washed or groomed in his life. He has mange, badly infected ears and his eye is so sore and infected that he could lose his right eye. He also has a huge hernia that will be operated on when he is well. How someone could let this happen is shameful.

Freddy is now groomed and on treatment for his aliments and feeling a little better. It will take time for him to recover and learn that not all humans are so bad. We will keep you updated on his progress.

If you would like to make a donation towards Freddy’s vet bills and care you can contact Hawkfield Vet Clinic on 045 436643 or you can donate directly by PayPal www.animalfoundation.ie

This tiny tot only 3 weeks old came into the shelter today ( Tuesday 17th January 2012) after been escorted by Garda patrol. She was handed into Newbridge Garda Station late last night and the lovely Garda looked after her overnight and brought her over to us today. The poor girl is dehydrated and suffering from Rickets due to poor diet. After a trip to the vets she is now on a special diet to help correct the rickets and hopefully in a few weeks she will start to walk properly.

Thank you to New Garda Station and Maeve & Julie for pointing them in the right direction.

Follow this little ones story on our Facebook Page…

Deciding to bring home a dog.

One of the best decisions you could ever make is to adopt a dog. But before you even consider taking a dog into your family, you need to think about the home that you can provide for a dog. Taking care of a dog takes time and commitment. You need to have realistic expectations of any canine companion and know that you can offer a home for life. If you have an doubts at all then a dog is not for your home right now, but that doesn’t mean that you won’t ever be able to share your home with a four legged friend. The best way to find out if you can promise a suitable home is to look after a dog for two or three weeks, this could mean fostering a dog or taking care of a friends dog. Having a little trial is the best way to experience life with a dog. Now you need to take a look at your options, it is no good adopting a high energy dog if all you can manage is thirty minutes walk a day, its no good opting for a high maintenance breed if you have no intention of daily coat care and grooming visits. The reason there are so many dogs in rescues looking for homes is not because they have something wrong with them, its because their original family chose the wrong dog for their home. To make sure you don’t make the same mistake as many other people ask yourself some questions:

1) Can your lifestyle afford a dog?

Unless you have the finances to provide a good quality of life for a dog you won’t be able to make a long term care commitment. There a vets bills, insurances costs, dog licence fees and good quality dog feed. To put this in perspective a neutered dog who lives an accident free life for 14 years will cost your family approximately €2,000 per year.

2) Can you exercise a dog?

No matter what size dog you take into your life they all need exercise and mental stimulation, hail, rain or shine. A good way to see can you make this commitment is to exercise yourself for at least 2 weeks for 40 minutes twice daily this will give you a good idea what it will be like to walk your dog.

3) Where do you plan to house your dog?

If you are taking a dog on as pet, then your dog should live in your home as part of your family. Dogs that live indoors tend to be better behaved and a better canine companion. The more time you spend with your dog the easier it will be to create a bond and the easier training will be. Saying that it is a good idea to have boundaries and rules in your home. Decide in advance what your dog is and isn’t allowed to do and stick to the plan.

4) How much alone time will your dog spend?

This is a tough one and one of the main reasons why families are turned down to rescue a dog but also one of the main reasons that dogs and pups end up in rescue. It maybe that you can financially provide for a dog, that you would love a furry family member, that you are prepared to put in the training and exercise time but unfortunately your dog won’t know that. Dogs are social animals and should not spend any longer than 5 hours a day alone. Your dog cannot read the paper or watch TV so the more time alone your dogs spends the more boredom will set in. A bored dog will be destructive, noisy and lonely. If you still insist you can provide a good home then consider doggy daycare or a dog walker to occupy your dog during the day when you are not at home.

Finally when you do decide to get the right dog for your family seek advise from a qualified and experienced professional. They will be able to deal with your concerns and talk through the right choices for your family and a dog will be the best decision you have ever made.

Suzi Walsh

www.positivedogtraining.ie

The year 2011 will be a year I will never forget. It’s a year where we as a rescue have grown in strength and have achieved so much in just 12 months. With the huge down turn in the economy more animals than ever have needed our help. People who know us will know we are only a small group of dedicated people who work hard. We have laughed, cried; shock our heads in despair when words failed us, all in the love of each and every animal that we have met. No animal was ever judged on how it looked, what breed it was, its species, its injury or its illness if it needed us we were there. We were there in the sunshine, in the wind & rain, in the snow; Day or night it didn’t matter we were there.

2011 has been a year where people have come together to help animals of all kinds. For all of you who have volunteered, Fostered, brought food, blankets, paper, Donated money, paid towards vet bills, transported animals, helped on rescues, called when an animal needed help , gave an animal a forever home , supported us, shared posts & pictures on Facebook or simply just believed in us. We would like to thank you all from the bottom of our hearts for that support and you are the reason we are still here to help the animals. Without you we couldn’t do what we love doing. You have helped save many animals lives.

We must also thank Geraldine, Michael, Lisa, John and Becky, without them the day to day running of the shelter and the excellent care of the animals would not happen. They do work to be proud of.

We hope you will continue to support the shelter in 2012 and make it an even better year for animal welfare. Early 2012 will see a new project launched that will benefit the county and beyond and save even more animals life’s.

May each and everyone of you have a very Merry Christmas and a Wonderful New Year.

Dan

MOLLY

Gender: Female

Age: Approx 2 years

Profile: Molly is very friendly but would like a home where she is the only cat.  She found her present owner in time to have her kittens who have now been re-homed.  She has been spayed and vaccinated and would make a lovely companion.

If interested please contact Eileen on 086 8369763.