Education

Dealing with Food Aggression in Your Dog By Cassondra Fama Food aggression results from lack of a trust because your dog thinks you will take his food away. It can be a pretty scary situation to deal with especially if…

Spring Has Sprung Michele H. Martell With the onset of warmer weather, we have even more opportunities to take our furry friends for walks outside. Walks are a wonderful and essential activity for our fur babies – the exercise, bonding…

How many of us after having met a new friend, we were so happy to connect, thrilled even! Well it is the same way with an animal friend. We are so happy to meet them and introduce them into our…

A Labor of Love By Shireen Haynes Cary LaForce moved to the City of Rochester about three years ago. Everywhere she went, they heard nothing but great things about Rochester Animal Services (RAS) and Verona Street Animal Society (VSAS). At…

As spring and summer arrive, you will want to make sure that your pets are well-hydrated. Just like people, pets can become dehydrated quickly in hot weather. Without the ability to sweat, they are at greater risk than humans for…

Written by Shireen Abbasey Haynes. Many people assume declawing a cat is the same as trimming their nails, or for people, like getting a manicure. In fact, declawing is a cruel and inhumane practice. Declawing a cat is akin to cutting a…

Written by Shireen Abbasey Haynes. Rochester Animal Services takes in approximately 2,000 dogs and 1,600 cats per year. Most are strays, some are surrenders and a few are brought in by the Rochester Police Department (RPD) because of warrants or arrests. No…

Written by Shireen Abbasey Haynes. For the past 5,000 – 10,000 years, humans and felines have shared a wonderful co-existence together. Many ancient civilizations like the Egyptians revered cats and as the old joke goes, cats have never forgotten that. It is…

Written by Shireen Abbasey Haynes. As we move into the fall months, you may notice a skunk’s distinctive odor in the air more often. Skunks are more active at night now as they search for burrow holes to camp out in for…

Written by Shireen Abbasey Haynes. Animals, like humans, are social creatures.   They often seek out and enjoy the company of other animals.  Bonded animals can be siblings, parent-child or they can be animals who have lived together in one home.  While it…

See how a "free" kitten adds up compared to adopting a shelter kitten or cat.

Written by Shireen Abbasey Haynes. Many dogs enjoy cooling off from the hot summer weather in the backyard pool.  It can be fun to watch Man’s Best Friend jumping in and paddling around.  But, just like with humans, swimming safety is essential…

Rochester Animal Services sometimes has cats that may not be suitable for adoption as house pets. Cats in the barn and working cat program came in as strays and fall into three categories: Cats with litter box habits that make…

Cars heat up quickly so never leave your pet in the car - even for a quick errand.

Written by Shireen Abbasey Haynes. As temperatures rise in the summer months, cats and dogs become more susceptible to heat exhaustion or hyperthermia.  Hyperthermia, just like its polar opposite, hypothermia (low body temperature) can be fatal to our furry friends. Humans have…

Written by Shireen Abbasey Haynes. As summer approaches, many people are inclined to introduce a new pet to their home.  The increased daylight hours and warm sunshine put everyone in a nice frame of mind.  The beautiful weather allows people to be…

Written by Shireen Abbasey Haynes. Adopting an animal from a shelter can be one of the best decisions you ever make in your lifetime.  Pets provide unconditional love, are non-judgmental and can provide you with health benefits such as lower blood pressure…

Written by Shireen Abbasey Haynes Everybody loves a happy ending.  And that’s exactly what Shannon Chatterton and her family were hoping for when their dog, Gore, disappeared. On July 15, 2015, Shannon and her husband, Justin, were at the hospital delivering their…

From Planet Paws Pet Essentials

Written by Shireen Abbasey Haynes During the cold winter months, cats often look for shelter from the elements.   One of the warmest spots can be found right in your car’s engine.  Unsuspecting people may start their cars not knowing that there is…

From the website catsherdyou.com

Written by Shireen Abbasey Haynes During the winter months, chronic health conditions like asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) may flare up in the cold weather.  A common treatment that many people may have in their homes is an inhaler.  An…

This week is National Animal Shelter and Rescue Appreciation Week and the Humane Society of the United States encourages pet lovers to reach out and support their local shelters and rescue groups. Approximately 3,500 animal shelters across the United States…

November is Adopt a Senior Pet Month and we’d love for you to consider giving a home to our older cat or dog in need. Animal shelters across the country are full of animals of all shapes, sizes, breeds and…

Written by: Shireen Haynes All animals have a need to learn. Some behaviors are innate and do not have to be taught. For example,  dogs will scent mark to let other dogs know that this is their territory.  Cats have…

Written by: Shireen Haynes The benefits of pet ownership are endless.  Pets can comfort us when we are sad.  They make us laugh with their funny antics or weird quirks.  We spend hours with them just doing nothing.  They weave…

As winter bears down on our area, it is important to remember that our pets need extra protection from the cold temperatures, snow and wind. Most dogs - especially short hair breeds, small dogs, puppies and senior dogs - are…