Fred is a super smart guy who really needs a new home! For his full bio please visit the link here.
If you are interested in adopting a dog, I encourage you to come down and visit Fred. He is a sweet handsome boy who is looking for a forever home where he will be the only animal. He loves to explore and had the biggest heart.
He knows commands. Fred hasn’t had much luck finding the right people and he is eager to find a permanent place, if you think he would be a good fit come and spend some time with him and fall in love! A special $150 adoption rate applies!
With hundreds of dogs coming through our shelter on an annual basis you learn a lot of techniques, training skills and what can be the safest methods for both you and the animal. I am far from an expert but I wanted to share a sensitive topic that has been on my mind due to recent events and I felt needed to be shared so maybe more people can make the change to a safer alternative.
Last week I had an instance where we had a dog going to a lovely home and when he was getting leashed up, I noticed it was a retractable leash. It is always best to educate and I see firsthand the dangers of this leash all the time, and have had personal experiences as well with a case of severe rope burn in my attempt to stop a dog from getting hit by a truck. The couple well-meaning politely argued that he wouldn’t pull much and it was okay. Solid leashes leave no room for them to pull excessively and dogs typically should be walking beside you not in front as they could run out after another animal/car/etc. and pulling/daily use will actually break and weaken the system inside the leash and you will not know until it is too late.
Just a few weeks ago I was out walking my own dog and a little dog on a retractable leash was walking along the other side and it was a good 7 to 8 feet in front of its owner, the dog seen a cat and bolted getting hit by a car and the leash could not be pulled in fast enough and he suffered from a broken leg. He got very lucky to have one injury when he could have not been able to go back home , and this is just one of many stories and reasons to use a solid safer alternative when walking out in public near busy roads or in residential areas where there is a lot more traffic. I know this is a sensitive topic as everyone has preferred tools but I would like to extend a personal plea to not use these to walk your dogs as one day it might not work. I hear all the time “it’s never happened before” please don’t let it happen to learn I encourage you to make the change to avoid a possible traumatic event. Your pooch depends on you for safety, they still get to walk and explore but more control is always best when making sure everyone makes it home safe.
Please visit this link for more information, as it contains several important points on why this leash is a potential danger to you and your dog. https://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2014/06/11/retractable-dog-leash.aspx
The shelter is also currently in need of a few items if you can help in any way it is always greatly appreciated.
–Bleach/Dish Soap
-Floor Cleaner
-Weed Wacker
-Gardening Supplies
-Cat Scratching posts (new or gently used)
– Guinea Pig Pellets/Rat Pellets
– Small animal toys (wood chews /tunnels etc.)
This week’s column was written by Alexis Bennett
www.nfhs.ca 6025 Chippawa Parkway. Monday to Saturday 10 am to 4:30 pm
To receive similar content, “Like” us on Facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/niagarabuzz.ca
