Pet Safety in the Summer!

Summer time equals late nights, barbeques, lemonade, and bonfires – oh, and a walk with your dog! When the weather begins to get warmer, your dog is anxious to be out and play. However, there are situations that arise in the summer months that you may want to stay clear of. Here are ten helpful tips to keep your dog safe this summer.



1. Make sure your pet is wearing an identification collar or tag just in case he wanders off.

2. Make sure your dog is on heartworm prevention medication. Heartworm is carried by mosquitoes, is deadly to pets and is expensive to treat.

3. Do not leave your dog in the car. The heat can be fatal to both dogs and cats.

4. Provide plenty of water and shade for your pets so they can stay cool.

5. Exercise with your dog in the early morning or late at night. Dogs can get sunburned too!

6. Don’t take your pet to events with crowds of people and the summer heat. They may become stressed.

7. Don’t let your dog ride in the pack of a pickup truck. This is extremely dangerous and may be life threatening for your pet.

8. Don’t leave your dog unattained by a pool – not all dogs are good swimmers.

9. For certain breeds, a shorter summer haircut can prevent overheating.

10. Do not offer pets food or drink, especially alcohol. It may cause intoxication, depression, and even a coma.

Remember to follow these and other tips this summer. We all want to keep our furry friends safe!

By Sienna Tomko, ImPRessions

Bark For Life and Puppy Mill Awareness Week

On Sunday, April 18, the Athens County Humane Society participated in Bark for Life, a relay benefiting the American Cancer Society. The Bark for Life committee allowed all adoptable ACHS dogs to walk free of charge. Stuart, Bonnie, Speck and Mister represented ACHS, sporting “Adopt me” bandannas during the walk.


All of the dogs did extremely well and were given the chance to become more socialized with the other dogs involved in the walk. Representatives of ACHS were able to hand out information about puppy mills and the Bark for Life committee collected donations of dog food on behalf of the Humane Society.

The Humane Society also had Puppy Mill Awareness week. Tables were set up at College Gate with information about puppy mills and the adoptable dogs available. Some of the adoptable dogs also made an appearance. We were able to hand out a lot of information and hopefully reached a lot of people about the horrors of puppy mills.


By Brittany Lambert, ImPRessions

Puppy Mill Awareness Week

The Athens County Humane Society is hosting Puppy Mill Awareness at College Gate this Tuesday, April 13 and Wednesday, April 14. Stop by from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. to see the adorable pups up for adoption and learn how to support reputable breeders who raise dogs into healthy, happy and loving pets.

While visiting with the puppies, you can also pick up a free snack, check out the t-shirts for sale, and talk with the ACHS volunteers, who are happy to answer any questions you may have. Along with the information provided by ACHS, we encourage you to further your research on puppy mills and see why the issue is important to animal-lovers and animal-rights activists alike.

According to the United States Humane Society, an estimated 10,000 puppy mills may be operating in the U.S. today. These puppy factories are interested in producing a large quantity of dogs with the least amount of money. The quality and well being of the dogs is not a priority. Puppy mills mass produce dogs with interbreeding and over-breeding, and the dogs often receive inadequate care and little or no socialization.

Puppies from puppy mills are usually sold to pet shops and bought by people who are unaware of their new puppy’s upbringing. Due to the inhumane breeding practices, the puppies are often infected with hereditary diseases that require intense medical care and result in a short lifespan.

The puppies can also be affected with personality disorders from the neglect and abuse they received in the puppy mills. It is difficult for them to socialize and develop loving relationships with their owners. Even if puppies are sometimes healthy, parent dogs are kept in very inhumane conditons.

There are many ways to help stop the expansion and influence of puppy mills in the dog-breeding market. From Puppy Mill Awareness you will learn how to actively oppose puppy mills and support trustworthy breeders who take pride in the quality of their dogs. Help your furry-friends by attending Puppy Mill Awareness and spreading the word about puppy mills to all your family and friends!

By Merete Kenworthy

Check Out Our Puppy Mill Awareness Tables!

THE ATHENS COUNTY HUMANE SOCIETY
HOSTS PUPPY MILL AWARENESS TABLES APRIL 13 & 14

Spring-time means that many people will be flocking to their local pet store to buy a puppy. What most people are unaware of is that 90% of puppies bought at pet stores are from puppy mills. In order to stop students before unknowingly buying puppy mill puppies Athens County Humane Society will be hosting Puppy Mill Awareness tables on campus April 13 & 14.
Informational tables will be located at College Gate April 13 and 14 from 10AM-3PM. Free cookies and adoptable dogs will be there too!
Ohio ranks among the top seven states in the country with the highest number of USDA "Class A" licensed commercial breeders. Puppy mills can be anything from a shack to building where dogs are kept 24 hours a day in confined, unhealthy cages. The dogs are there for one purpose, to breed the cute puppies you see in pet stores across America. The sweet faces you see behind the glass in pet stores have probably never felt grass on their feet and have often received no pet care. Puppy mill owners have even been known to shoot dogs instead of taking them for vet care.
The responsibility of pet ownership begins before you ever adopt or purchase your dog. Information is power and ACHS hopes to reach a new audience this spring and help thousands of dogs live better lives. If the demand for puppy mill puppies alleviates, thousands of parent dogs will be freed from a life of torture.
Educating consumers about the harsh cruelties of puppy mills will bring more power to the fight to stop the cycle of abuse. www.stoppuppymills.org