A Shocking Goodbye: Animal Friends Remembers Sasha

July 18, 2012

Guest Blogger: Becky DiLucia Sasha was one of the bravest dogs I’ve ever known.  She had absolutely no reason to trust people.  She was unwanted and surrendered to a local shelter at 8 years of age.  As a final parting …

Posted in By Becky DiLucia, dog, in loving memory, sasha

A Perfect Match: Adoption Counselors Help Families Find Their Perfect Companion

July 9, 2012

By: Jill Harlan, Adoption Counselor One of our tasks here at Animal Friends is to ensure a clean living area for our dogs, cats and bunnies.  While assisting someone who was cleaning the rabbit habitats one day, I simply picked …

Posted in by jill harlan, staff, working at animal friends

Pet Food Ingredients 101

July 6, 2012

By the staff at PetagogyWhen choosing a pet food, the most important thing to do is to read the ingredients list. Quality and nutritious foods for both dogs and cats should have a named animal protein (like chicken, salmon, or …

Posted in pet food, petagogy

Black Cats Can Be Good Luck Too!

July 2, 2012

Guest Blogger: Terry Kuehner To close out a great month of kitten and kitten adoptions, volunteer Terry Kuehner writes about a few of our feline residents that often get overlooked in shelter situations.  Happy Smitten Season everyone!  In Great Britain …

Posted in adopt, black cats, By Terry Kuehner, cat, kitten season

Adopt One, Save Two!

June 29, 2012

Animal Friends is seeking pet adopters in advance of their July 9 Liberation Day Rescue. Every year, Animal Friends visits local animal control facilities to rescue pets that have been lost over the 4th of July. Because of loud noises …

Posted in adopt, Liberation Day Rescue

Volunteer Nancy Barylak: A Friend to Feral Cats

June 29, 2012

By Siri Espy  Many busy people manage to squeeze in some time to volunteer. But talking to Nancy Barylak, it’s hard to imagine how she fits the rest of her life around her volunteering.   Nancy has an unparalleled passion for …

Posted in By Siri Espy, cats, feral cats, nancy barylak, TNR, volunteer

From Shelter Dog to Theater Star

June 28, 2012

Guest Blogger: Kathy Morrow, Animal Friends Volunteer Benji isn’t the only former shelter dog to become an adored actor.  Topper, a dashing black and white Chihuahua adopted from Animal Friends a little over a year ago, landed a role in …

Posted in By Kathy Morrow, chihuahua, dogs, Happy Tails, pet-assisted therapy, volunteer

Life as an Animal Friends Humane Investigations Officer: Abandoned Pets

June 25, 2012

Photo by: Harry Giglio It is a sad situation when owners move away and cannot take their pets with them.  Most responsible pet owners will leave their pets with a family member or friend or even take them to a …

Posted in by Valerie Polka, humane investigations, humane officer, staff

Trap, Neuter and Release: Swissvale Update

June 22, 2012

Animal Friends’ Low-Cost Spay and Neuter staff and volunteer trappers met in Swissvale to begin the first night of TNR trapping. Volunteer trappers met to pick up supplies for our mass trapping in Swissvale.   The project, which continues throughout …

Posted in cat, neuter, rabies, spay, stray, swissvale, TNR

Animal Friends Investigating Possible Dog Poisonings in McKeesport Area

June 20, 2012

Animal Friends’ Humane Officers are investigating the possible poisonings of dogs in the McKeesport area. As of June 20, 2012, five dogs are showing signs of potential poisoning and are in critical condition. One dog has passed away. Officers are …

Posted in animal welfare, dog, humane investigations, humane officer

Heart Songs: A Snapshot In Time

June 20, 2012

By Beth Mauder, Adoption Counselor There was a rainbow over Pittsburgh yesterday. I saw it on the news.  I wish I had been able to see it in person.  There are some things that cause us to stop and smile …

Posted in adopt, blog, by beth mauder, cats, staff

Animal Friends to hold annual Liberation Day Rescue on July 9th

June 15, 2012

The Fourth of July is coming soon and for many that means picnics, outdoor barbeques and family get-togethers.  Another big part of the Fourth celebrations are fireworks.  For many dogs, the Fourth of July is a frightening day.  Because of …

Posted in adopt, dog, event, fourth of july, Liberation Day Rescue, rescue, tips

Smitten Season: Retail Specials

June 15, 2012

Smitten Season is well underway here at Animal Friends. There are priceless adoptions, $10 neuter surgeries, a kitten baby shower, and of course, steals and deals in our retail shop. To help us celebrate Smitten Season, our retail store has …

Posted in adopt, cat, june, raffle, retail, sale, smitten season

A Journey Through the Animal Friends’ Animal Wellness Department

June 13, 2012

Part 1: AdmissionsBy: Rudy with help from Suzanne Denk, Behavior Wellness Liaison  Stray dog is what they called me. Stray? I had excellent manners, was affectionate, handsome, and had been neutered. Someone had loved me.  I was wearing a brightly …

Posted in adoption, blog, dog, guest bloggers, part 1, rudy, staff, suzanne denk, through the animal wellness department, wellness

The Eyes Have It: Special Needs Animals are Special Indeed

June 11, 2012

By Jill Harlan, Adoption Counselor When I started working at Animal Friends, I confess that I didn’t immediately seek out the animals that are harder to adopt because of their age, or physical or medical challenges. I enjoyed spending time …

Posted in adopt, bumblebee, by jill harlan, cat, staff

A Celebration of Noses!

June 11, 2012

Photos and blog by Jeff Geissler, Communications Assistant Black or brown, up or down.  Pink and freckled, gray and speckled. A cat’s nose knows no normality. Bank Chikorita Lexi Tinkerbell Tamber Mahjong

Posted in By Jeff Geissler, cat, cute, funny, kitten, kitten season, noses, photography, staff

Cat or Kitten? Things to consider before adopting this “Smitten Season”.

June 11, 2012

By Terry Kuehner So you’re thinking about adopting a cat?  Wonderful! Now it’s time to ask yourself what type of cat would fit your lifestyle.  Do you want a kitten or an adult?  Do you prefer long-hair or short-hair?   Are …

Posted in adopt, adoption, By Terry Kuehner, cat, smitten season

School’s Out for Summer. Adopt from Animal Friends!

June 8, 2012

Calling all teachers, students and school faculty! Animal Friends presents: School’s out for Summer! from Sunday-Saturday, June 10-16. Our shelter animals have enjoyed their training at Animal Friends, but summer’s here and they want to go home! From June 10-16, …

Posted in adoption, promotion, summer

Always Carry a Spare Cat and Other Important Lessons in Public Relations

June 8, 2012

By Jolene Miklas, Director of Communications I have one of the best jobs in town. As the Communications Director for Animal Friends, I have the fun –and sometimes hilarious– task of taking shelter animals on radio and TV appearances. As …

Posted in by jolene miklas, cats, dogs, KDKA, radio, staff, TV

Summer is Heating Up…Keep Your Pets Cool and Safe!

June 7, 2012

Guest Bloggers: The staff at Petagogy Summer is here, which means tons of summer fun for humans and pets alike. But with the hot weather comes several safety issues that we want you to keep in mind. Noise anxiety Thunderstorms …

Posted in summer safety petagogy walks paws fireworks