Donate Food for Folks & Furry Friends
Willow Creek Pet Care Center is collecting donations of food for those in need—both pets and people. Pet food collected between now and May 31 will go to the CAWS animals! Help us reach our goal of 50 or more items of pet food in the month of May.
Drop off your donations at Willow Creek Pet Care Center any time during business hours: M–F 7 am to 8 pm, Sat 8 am–8 pm, and Sun 10 am–6 pm.
2055 E. Creek Road (8150 S.)
Cottonwood Heights, UT 84093
801-942-0777
Heartfelt thanks to Willow Creek for including CAWS in this great public service!
When Your Dog Gives More Than Love Bites
Owning a dog can bring much joy into your life. You’ll have a fast friend who will join you on walks or when snuggling on the sofa. But is your canine companion biting? Playful biting that starts in puppyhood can turn into a big problem if it’s not corrected. Obedience expert and CAWS volunteer Stacie Bailey notes that biting can cost a dog its home. To help avoid such a tragedy, Stacie answers the question, “How can I get my dog to stop biting?”
First we need to determine WHY your dog is biting before we can correct this issue. Many young dogs bite because they are attempting to initiate play, in the same way they would with their dog friends. When dogs play together they often wrestle and bite each other to practice their fighting skills.
The dog first needs to understand that humans do not enjoy that type of play. Move back and make a very loud, high-pitched yelping sound so you basically sound like an injured dog. Dogs understand that sound to mean that they've caused pain to their playmate. A dog that just wants to play will back off right away.
Your dog needs to understand that every time she plays too rough, you don't want to play with her anymore. To clearly get that message to your dog, ending playtime needs to be a direct consequence of her biting. Each time your dog uses teeth on your skin or clothes, immediately let her know it hurts with the loud, high-pitched yelp or "OUCH!" Then end the play session.
To help reinforce good behaviors, CAWS strongly recommends that you make the time and commitment to participate in an obedience course with your canine friend. In fact, CAWS believes so strongly in the importance of professional training that we require any dog adopted through CAWS to complete an obedience course.
One way to describe the importance of attending an obedience class with your dog is to imagine you are in a foreign country. You can't speak or read the language. The people seem nice enough, but you have no idea what "good manners" are in their culture. Sometimes they seem to be just delighted with you. But other times, they become stern and even angry at you, but you have no idea why. Sometimes you may manage to figure out what they like and don't like about your manners, but a lot of the time you are confused.
A stressful way to live, you'd say. That's a lot of what life can be like for an untrained dog.
Just like us, dogs like being praised for doing the right thing. But they need to know what the right thing is. Obedience school is a great way to help you and your dog speak the same language. Benefits include:
-
Your dog will gain confidence both in you and in herself.
-
You and your dog will know each other better and bond more closely.
-
Obedience workouts are fun for your dog.
You can train your dog on your own, but a class helps you to focus on the training regularly, motivates you to practice daily, and can provide helpful tips and guidance from experienced instructors.
Please note: If either you or your dog are uncomfortable with an obedience class, change to another instructor or another organization. The important thing is to find a class that works for you and your dog and stick with it!
Give a Pet a Second Chance for Love
See you at the upcoming PetSmart National Adoption Weekend, April 30–May 2. Adopt a new family member and you can come home to a loving companion, just like CAWS adopter Audrey (see story bottom, left).
Thank You to Businesses that Support CAWS!
CAWS greatly appreciates our partners. Check out the partners page on CAWS.org for a complete list of all them. We encourage you to support these businesses that make it possible for us to keep rescuing animals every day.
Meet two of our valued partners:
Titanic’s Toy Hilton
Travel season is upon us. Board your cat or dog at this small and well-established business. Owners Stormy and Gary will give your pet personal loving attention, including providing skilled special care, such as administering medications. Many thanks to Titanic's for generously fostering CAWS cats, sometimes on very short notice.
3015 South State Street
SLC, UT 84115
(801) 486-4817
Open M, W–F 8 am–6 pm; T 8–10 am, 4–5 pm; Sat 8 am–3 pm
Meowser Pet Salon
Give your fuzzy pal the full-service spa treatment. Keep your puppy looking its best and cut down on kitty fur by giving your cat a lion cut for summer! Owner Angela Murdock and her staff groom each animal with gentle care, and they have a great touch with cats. Many thanks to Meowser for donating grooms for CAWS animals, helping them put their tough lives behind them and look their very best in our adoption program.
3444 South Main Street
SLC, UT 84115
(801) 466-2814
Open M–Sat 8 am–4 pm
Order Today! Animal Rescue: Adopt a Shelter Pet Special Stamps
The Postal Service™ recently issued a set of 10 44-cent Animal Rescue: Adopt a Shelter Pet stamps. Halo: Purely for Pets and Ellen DeGeneres have teamed up with the Postal Service for Stamps to the Rescue, which will donate up to one million meals to animal shelters across the nation based on the number of stamps that are sold.