Established in 2016, Hogs 4 Paws® produces select officially-sanctioned Rescue Rides, Rescue Runs, Rescue Retreats and other fund-raising events that benefit animal welfare organizations across North America.  Hogs 4 Paws® also offers exclusive FUNd-rai$ing products for shelters and rescues so that organizations can team up with over 700 Harley-Davidson dealers and even more H.O.G. chapters across the country to tap into and capitalize on these fun and easy-to-organize events.

Powered by American Eagle Harley-Davidson, L.A.M.A. of Dallas, Lone Star 92.5 and Redneck Heaven, the 2^nd Annual Hogs 4 Paws® Rescue Ride For Animals is set for Saturday, May 13, 2017, to benefit Denton Animal Support Foundation, Pets Are For Life, Ranch Hands Rescue and Sharkarosa Wildlife Ranch.

Starting at 8 am, Rescue Riders will gather at American Eagle Harley-Davidson in Corinth, TX for a free pancake breakfast and on-site registration. Kick-stands up at 10 am. Riders will cruise to Ranch Hands Rescue in Argyle, followed by the Denton Animal Shelter, and then on to Sharkarosa Wildlife Ranch in Pilot Point.  Riders will tour each organization and pick up Hogs 4 Paws® tokens.  Then Riders will proceed back to American Eagle Harley-Davidson for lunch, raffle prizes, product vendors, live music from Triple Lindy, and dog agility / training demonstrations by Pets Are For Life.

“This Rescue Ride promises to be at least twice as much fun as the first one,” says Chris Ruben, founder of Hogs 4 Paws®.  “The benefiting organizations have wonderful facilities and do tremendous work with animals and humans. The routes between them make for a beautiful ride, and the afternoon is filled with even more animal fun with a live alligator, camel and lemur at the Harley dealership.  What a great way to cap off Be Kind To Animals Week and celebrate National Pet Month.”

Can’t make the ride?  Go to hogs4paws.com and click on the “Virtual Rescue Riders” link.  Then pick one of the four benefiting organizations and donate $25 (or more).  Write “Hogs 4 Paws” in comment section and receive an official Hogs 4 Paws® patch by mail.  “Virtual-Ride” anytime through May 12, 2017.   

There are so many online resources that can help you help your cat if they are having a relationship challenge with their litter box, so do we really need another thing to read?  Cats everywhere agree “YES WE DO!”  This book takes all of the best information available from research, veterinarians, behavior consultants and other cat experts around the world and consolidates it in an easy to access resource.  Oh, and it’s fun to read and has cute cat cartoons too!

Cat Scene Investigator spans all of the common and not-so-common reasons cats might leave their litter boxes behind. Cats can be driven to choose other bathroom locations if they disagree with the location, number or type of boxes you have, the type of litter you use, or the cleanliness of their facilities.  They might start urine marking around the house because a new neighborhood cat is pestering them through the window.  There are MANY reasons a cat might start urinating or defecating out of their box, and this book covers a vast array of possibilities.  Each chapter is easy to read and understand because this book keeps its information organized.  Bullet points keep you on track, text boxes called “Tails from the Trenches” describe real-world examples of each topic, and little paw prints indicate tried and true products to help you and your cat overcome any challenge.  Cute kitty cartoons and photos are entertaining and informative.  Additionally, each chapter indicates when another chapter has information that you should check out too.  This book is definitely going to save lives and relationships!  I received a free copy of this book but I would have gladly paid for this item and I will be recommending it to my clients.

On first glance, right out of the box, I was slightly disappointed in the product because it looked a bit wimpy.  Just some plastic poles, with rubber rings and two large plastic rings.  Assembly took under a minute and was super easy.  Later, I learned that there is also an informative video demo.  Once I assembled the feeder, I was surprised at how sturdy the product actually is.  The legs fit in the base very tightly so there isn’t any wobbling around and the rubber rings are easy to move up and down on the supports.  My dog used the feeder at the lowest height but I experimented with raising the supports and trying to make it fall over or wobble.  The feeder was still very secure, even at its max height.  The included stainless steel bowl is very lightweight and easy to clean.  I hadn’t actually thought of using this outside until I looked at the company website, but I agree that it is perfectly suited to both indoor and outdoor use.  It certainly would be very easy to hose off!

The only improvement I would recommend is that the company add a layer of some non-slip material under the feeder’s base.  When I tested the feeder on tile and linoleum, it slipped around the floor very easily.  I didn’t deduct a paw rating for this because a lot of feeding bowls suffer from this same issue and pet parents simply compensate by using a non-slip mat underneath.

Overall, I was surprisingly pleased with the Perfect Fit Feeder and will continue to use it for my senior dog’s wet food while using puzzle toys for his dry food.  I give this product a Five Paw rating!  Hmmmm, maybe a Perfect Fit Feeder puzzle toy should be next on the company’s to-do list?  

I had the pleasure of reading an advance copy of this exciting book sent to me by one of the authors.  I have been teaching people about training cats for a number of years but have struggled to find good resources that my clients could use for more information.  This book completely fills that gap!  It is detailed enough that behavior professionals can learn more while being easy to read so that the general cat-owning public won’t be overwhelmed.

Sarah and John include important information on the domestication and ethology of our companion cats, what those cats need and why it is important for us to provide for those needs if we want to have a harmonious relationship with our cats.  The book has photos and text boxes that reinforce important information and provide visual references for the training exercises.  There are detailed guides for carrier training, cat-cat introductions, harness training, and environmental enrichment. This is an excellent resource for all cat owners, whether or not they think they are interested in the training component of the book.  

This year, our 5^th Anniversary, we wanted to celebrate by spreading the word about the FREE Power & Potential of AdoptAShelter.com to more and more animal lovers. So we enlisted the help of our dear friends Kathy Ireland, Lisa Vanderpump and Pinups For Pitbulls.  We are humbled and thrilled to have these wonderful and successful women headlining our 2016 Shop For A Pawsitive Cause campaign and helping the 8+ million animals in U.S. shelters.

In addition to the cash-donations, here are the Top-5 reasons to shop online:

1. Shop in your pajamas from the comfort and safety of your home.
2. Reduce your Carbon Pawprint and stress by avoiding crowds and traffic.
3. Spend more time enjoying and less time preparing for the holidays.
4. Better prices, a greater variety and easier comparison shopping.
5. Shop around the world because the Internet never closes and you can ship items directly to recipients.

Be sure and sign up for our monthly eNewsletter.  It’s the only way you will be entered to win one of three fabulous gift packages valued at $150+ from Vanderpump Pets®, Kathy Ireland® and Pinups For Pitbulls®.  The winners will be announced on December 22, 2016.

“This Christmas, please open your hearts to the wonderful shelter organizations, which care for animals in need.  Those of us who know the joy of having a family member pet and a loved one can never comprehend abandonment, abuse, neglect and even, tragically, the torture that shelter animals endure.  Somehow, these amazing souls never lose their ability to love.  Please choose an organization today that will benefit from your gracious heart.  Best of all, prepare your home and family for the addition of a new loved one from an animal shelter.  The love, licks, kisses and purrs you’ll receive will be priceless.  Merry Christmas to everyone on two legs and four paws!  Love, Kathy.”

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays From Your Adopt-A-Shelter® Team.

America’s Veterinarian Dr. Marty Becker says: “Cat Scene Investigator is a must-read for every cat owner.  Dusty Rainbolt helps you view things through a detective’s eye to determine and correct the cause of house-soiling, or better still, to prevent the problem entirely. It’s a happy ending for everyone, including your carpet.”

Louise Holton, founder of Alley Cat Rescue and pioneer of community cat rescue agrees loves the book and states: “This is a must-read for all those who share their homes with cats.  ’Inappropriate Elimination’ is a term most cat lovers are familiar with.  We have brought the wild, however domesticated the cat has become, into our lives and into our homes.  There are times when our feline friend may get a urinary tract infection, which may cause him not to want to use the litter box, or a change in the household, which can bring out behaviors that are often difficult for us humans to live with.

Dusty, in her inimitable style of writing, gives you lots of information which covers every situation that can affect cats.  And, what is even more important, she gives you abundant ideas on how to resolve the issues.  The book is written in true CSI-style.  If you truly wish to get to the solutions, you have to be a sleuth!  You will learn how to become one in this book.  Dusty, a cat expert herself, also brings in other cat experts who have lots of tips to help you.  She discusses health issues, food issues, and even gives advice on how to enrich your housebound kitty’s life.

I will be recommending this book to anyone who calls the Alley Cat Rescue office with complaints about their cat not using the litter box.  And many do call.  We give them some quick tips, number one being: get your cat to the vet for a checkup.  But now I will have a more comprehensive tool in my kit to help save cats lives: this superb and long-overdue book!”

Dusty Rainbolt is a three-time winner of the Friskies® Writer of the Year Award, author of Cat Wrangling Made Easy, Kittens for Dummies® and hundreds of articles and columns.  She is also editor-in-chief of AdoptAShelter.com.  “When she’s not editing, writing or rescuing cats, she is volunteering her time to help more shelters and rescues benefit from AdoptAShelter.com,” says founder Chris Ruben.  “Since the beginning, Dusty has been an integral part of our team.  Over the decades, her commitment to cats and keeping them out of shelters, and helping shelters raise money has been unrelenting.  We can’t think of a better way to put the finishing touches on our 5^th Anniversary than with the release of Cat Scene Investigator.  Everyone in the rescue community should get a Kindle or hard-copy version via AdoptAShelter.com and help cats twice!”

Then there is Back-to-School.  According to the National Retail Federation, Back-to-School is the second-largest shopping occasion behind the holiday season generating about $25 billion in sales.  Once again, our mall features some of the best Back-to-School merchants like Amazon, Best Buy, BookByte.com, Discount School Supply, eCampus.com, Fujitsu, GreekGear.com, Hooked On Phonics, Kids Foot Locker, Kohl’s, Mac Mall, Macy’s, Microsoft, Office Depot, Old Navy, Our Campus Market, Scholastic and Tiger Direct.  And again, all you have to do is click through AdoptAShelter.com to help feed animals in need… AT NO COST TO YOU!

From the beginning, AdoptAShelter.com has been a total VOLUNTEER team effort.  We built this website for the singular purpose of generating much-needed cash donations from the online shopping of animal lovers.  Thank goodness we have full-time jobs, allowing us to DONATE our experience, knowledge, skills and time to this endeavor.  Our five-year vital statistics include:

750+ online stores in our FREE cash-rewards-mall  (everything from Amazon to Zazzle)

2,000+ registered animal welfare organizations from all 50 states  (Can’t find yours?  Register it FREE!)

40,000+ combined volunteer hours of AdoptAShelter.com Team Members  (no payroll)

$80,000+ donations paid out to animal welfare organizations… AT NO COST TO YOU!

$100,000+ invested in marketing, sponsorship, travel and website development!

We’d like to take this opportunity to thank our cooperative marketing partners who have helped us spread our message:

All Paws Pet Talk Radio

In late 2015, AdoptAShelter.com launched the  ‘Adopt-A-Senior & Special-Needs-Animal’ segment on Smart Animal Talk with Dog Writers Association Award winner Deborah Wolfe. We give voice to those animals most likely to be forgotten and shunned by the public.  Go to http://adoptashelter.com/smart-animal-talk/ to listen to the show including recent guests Sandy Robins as well as Shaun Sears and Tom Otto from Canopy Cat Rescue & Animal Planet’s hit show “Canopy Cat Rescue”.

Amazing Pet Expos

By the end of 2016, AdoptAShelter.com will have donated 42 prime Expo booth spaces to animal welfare organizations across the country… saving them the cost-equivalent of 70,000 cups of food!

BarkWorld® Expo

A multi-year media partner, AdoptAShelter.com and BarkWorld® Pet Social Media Expo teamed up to provide FREE full 2015 conference passes to shelters and rescues.  Stay tuned for information on the 2016 BarkWorld® Pet Social Media Expo… Coming Soon!

Best Friends®

Two-time sponsor of the Best Friends Annual Conference and featured in their namesake magazine.  Our own Jacqueline Munera, Blogger and Product Reviewer, has been a featured speaker.

Cat Writers Association & Dog Writers Association of America

We sponsor the “Adopt-A-Homeless-Dog” & Adopt-A-Homeless-Cat” Awards.

RPAL Pet Food Bank & Distribution Center

We have leveraged our deep pet industry relationships to help RPAL secure and distribute 50+ truckloads of FREE canned & dry cat and dog food from generous pet food manufacturers and retailers.

WE PUT OUR MONEY WHERE THEIR MOUTHS ARE… NOW IT’S YOUR TURN!

We can’t make you use AdoptAShelter.com, but hope you will because you love animals and the math is simple:

• 2% is the average donation shopping via AdoptAShelter.com
• we donate at least 0.75% on Amazon purchases
• 1% of $25 billion is $250,000,000

Think about it!  AdoptAShelter.com could generate at least $250 million for U.S. animal welfare organizations if everyone took one simple FREE step when shopping for Back-to-School stuff.  The funding solution is just one click away… and it’s FREE!  So please do your part and Click-Shop-Donate every time you shop online!  And have a great Summer!

Many of the adult cats end up in shelters because of family issues rather than something they’ve done.  Owners can no longer care for them because of:

• Unemployment (can’t afford to care for him any longer)

• Moving and can’t (or don’t want to) take the cat with them
• Health problems (owner died, went into nursing care or  became incapacitated)
• Lifestyle change (divorce, death, new baby, new boy/girlfriend doesn’t like cats, owner went to college
• Allergies
• Other pets don’t get along with the cat
• Doesn’t have time for a pet
• Abusive person in home

Since many shelter cats were once family members, they’re generally friendly and in good condition.

So this Adopt-A-Shelter-Cat Month, if you’re thinking about adding a pet to your home, consider these eight reasons to adopt a shelter cat.

1. You become a full-fledged life-saving hero

According to the ASCPA, 3.4 million kitties enter shelters every year and 1.4 of them are euthanized.  Adopting a kitty from a shelter definitely saves a life.

2. Actually, you’re saving two lives

With so many people surrendering their cats, shelters are often forced to euthanize animals in order to make space for incoming pets.  So when you adopt a shelter cat, not only are you saving your new pet, you’re making space for another homeless cat.

Even if you adopt from a no-kill rescue, you’re still helping two cats.  No-kill organizations have limited space, but they often pull adoptable kitties from facilities that must euthanize.  So, when you take a kitty home, you make cage space available for another cat on death row.

3. It’s the ultimate in recycling

We all want to be environmentally responsible.  You carefully sort your newspapers, plastic bottles and aluminum cans so they don’t take up space in the city landfill.  By adopting a shelter cat, rather than allowing a life to be simply thrown away, you’re recycling that unwanted life into a happy member of your family.

4. One-stop shopping

Every family has different needs and preferences when it comes to pets.  And, as you know, cats come in an endless combination of breeds, shapes and sizes.  You could run all over the state trying to meet Mr. Right.  Fortunately, animal shelters offer a broad assortment of adoptable kitties with a wide range of personalities, colors and ages, and all under one roof.  Instead of wasting gas and energy looking for a pet, go to a shelter to interview a roomful of potential feline family members at once.

5. Shelter staff can help you pick the best cat for your lifestyle

Staff or volunteers  know the temperaments and personalities of the cats in their care. Regardless of qualities you want in your new kitty, the people who work at the animal shelter can help you pick the perfect kitty for your family.

Shelter staff can also offer suggestions that will make your cat’s transition into his new home easier for everyone.  If there’s an adjustment problem, they will give you advice or take the pet back.

6. You’re getting a bargain

You’ve heard the saying, “There ain’t no free lunch”?  I promise you, “There ain’t no free cat” either.  You may wonder why you should pay $50 to $150 to get a cat from a shelter when you can get a free kitty from someone in the Walmart parking lot?  That “free” cat will need a feline leukemia test, microchip, vaccinations, de-worming and you’ll need to him or her fixed.  The same is true for animals purchased from a pet shop or a breeder. (I’m not talking about adoption events held inside Petco, PetSmart and other pet supply stores.  I’m talking about pet shops that sell animals for profit.)  The spay/neuter surgery alone can easily exceed $150.

Shelters usually alter their pets before they go to their new homes or give you a certificate for low-cost surgery.  Shelters get veterinary services at a greatly reduced rate, so most of the animals have been fully vetted, including vaccinations, worming and maybe a microchip.  The organizations frequently spend more resolving health issues than they receive from the adoption fee.  (Rescue is NOT a money-making endeavor.)

7. You’re not contribution to the endless stream of unwanted animals

Because you’re adopting a fixed cat from a shelter rather than a breeder, you’re reducing, rather than contributing to pet overpopulation.

8. Shelter animals are grateful

Stray cats live a hard life.  They’re hungry and fearful that everything is out to eat them. When you take in an adult stray they seem to know that you have helped them, and they appreciate your affection and a full food bowl.

So next time you want to add a new fur child to the family, think “shelter cat.”  It’s the heroic, responsible thing to do.

Bullwrinkles sources raw ingredients from the U.S.A. and Canada, and the products are processed in a food-grade plant in Ontario, Canada.  The company uses minimal processing techniques that kill bacteria while preserving the meaty goodness.  They also avoid added chemicals that may be dangerous to your dog’s health.  A Bullwrinkles spokesperson explained that they, unlike many companies, smoke the bones with maple shavings rather than simply add a smoke flavor.  Serendipitously, I have an acquaintance that has actually been to tour the production process so I reached out for details about her experience. Renowned author and columnist Su Ewing shares my dedication to finding great products for pet people so I knew I could trust her perspective.   She supported the information I received from the company, confirmed that her dogs loved the products too, and wrote: “After touring the factory, and watching all the precautions taken during the making of the treats, I feel even better. “

Bullwrinkles makes a HUGE variety of treats and snacks for pups, including dehydrated meats, jerky styles, bones, and bully sticks.  They also produce some private label products for stores but the easiest way to get the yummies for your dog is to go through www.AdoptAShelter.com, pick your shelter and search Bullwrinkles.  That way your dog is happy and you raise funds for your favorite animal shelter!

Before the Move

Research is an important part of the moving process.  You would want to make sure that any homes that are added to your shortlist are pet-friendly.  Keep in mind that some places may be listed as pet-friendly but may also enforce restrictions on dog sizes and breeds.  It may sound like common sense but a lot of dog owners forget to check on these very important details so don’t make the same mistake.

Another important tip before the move is to get your dog adjusted to a sturdy travel crate.  A few weeks before the move, start to travel around a little with your dog in the crate so he or she can get more comfortable with being in one.  It is important to invest in a spacious travel crate, especially if you plan on moving long distance.

During the Move

Keep your dog well away from the moving mayhem.  The ideal situation would be to reach out to a friend or family member and ask them to take care of your dog while boxes are being moved out. Otherwise, keep your dog in a safe and secure location where he or she won’t be disrupted by all the moving activity that is taking place.

After the Move

When you have reached your new destination, it is important to check for any potential dog hazards before you introduce your dog to the new home.  For example, household chemicals like detergent should be kept well away from your dog’s reach.

You should also check-in with the new vet and make sure your dog is in a healthy condition.  Moving can take its toll so make it a priority to visit a vet a few days within moving to the new home.