Canine Companions®’s Post

🐕🦺 Partner spotlight: Assistance Dogs New Zealand Trust 🐕🦺 This week we’re getting to know Assistance Dogs New Zealand Trust, a charitable trust that provides purpose-trained assistance dogs to people living with a disability. Founded in 2008, Assistance Dogs was created by veteran service dog trainer Julie Hancox. Julie knew service dogs could help enrich the lives of a wide array of individuals but, sadly, they were only available in a very limited number of circumstances. Since then, Julie and her team have placed over 100 dogs with people who would previously have struggled to access that support - including people with autism, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, and epilepsy. The Assistance Dogs team trains dogs to meet the specific needs of clients on a wait list, carefully matches dogs with their new owners, and provides ongoing training to ensure a long-lasting and successful partnership that continues to enrich the life of the individual. Individuals who have received assistance dogs have described them as life-changing. They have been shown to increase confidence, independence and community connection, while reducing anxiety, loneliness and isolation. If you’d like to support Assistance Dogs New Zealand, pledging a gift in your will is a great place to start. And the best bit? It doesn’t have to cost a cent. 👉https://lnkd.in/g4vNUNe9 Or learn more about Assistance Dogs and some of the amazing success stories 👉https://lnkd.in/gdRbN9w3 #legacygiving #giftsinwills #freeonlinewills

Change A Pet's Life Day Our four-leggèd-y friends change our lives every single moment of every single day. Today is another opportunity for us to change the life of dogs in need. Here are a few suggestions of how we may change the life of a homeless dog. 🌟 Donate: We might like to consider a donation to our favourite Rescue, Rehabilitation and Rehoming Centre - not necessarily financial support - we might also consider toys and blanket donations or a gift of food to our local Pet Food Bank. Many Rehoming Centres have wish lists of what they most need. 🌟 Adopt: When we adopt we are not only changing the life of our four-leggèd-y friends, we are also creating both the opportunity and the space for another homeless dog to find their new family too. 🌟 Volunteer: Not everyone has the space, time or funds to re-home an adoptable dog. However, we may feel that offering to walk dogs at our local Centre may help some dogs get some much needed chill-time and improve their chances of finding their perfect person. Volunteering changes lives. 🌟 Foster: With the current pressure of available places in Shelters stretched to capacity, there may be those of us who feel able to consider bringing an adoptable dog into our homes for a temporary period. Fostering frees up resources and helps dogs adjust to a home environment. Fostering is particularly important for those dogs who find kennel life particularly stressful - improving their chances of finding a new home. 🌟 Share your story: For those of us who have had our lives changed by an adopted four-leggèd-y friend, sharing our story may prove inspirational to others. Do please feel free to share your own stories below - why did you choose to adopt? Enjoy your Wednesday folks. Thank you for coming by #voxdog #dogphotographer #dogphotography #dogs #dog #doglovers #adogaday #dogsarefamily #dogsoflinkedin #adoptdontshop

I have always loved animals and when I moved to Tequisquiapan I sadly found that there are several feral dogs and cats and the practice of fixing pets is not as common as in other countries. However in Tequisquiapan we do have a clinic for pets where the spaying and nurturing is free for the residents of this municipality, but then we have another problem, as low income workers don’t have the means of transportation to take their pets into the clinic. As the problem solver that I am, I created a program where a few of us volunteer as taxi 🚕 and we take the owners with their pets to the vet clinic to get them fix or for the communities that are further out we take the Vets to them and set an event day that we call “Jornada de Esterlizacion”, so then they can attend their beloved pets close to home. I must say it does require quite some time to post, do the ads, answer message and set up the appointments, but I am blessed that I am able to help out those who have no voice. Since my little program started last year on May, we have helped fixed over 400 dogs and cats! It may not seem like a lot, but I know we are saving thousands of lives!!! My program is called “Amor por las Huellitas - Paw Love ❤️” currently I am only on Facebook. If you would check it out and like my page you can help me grow to help more pets. I want to start raising money so we can go even further into the mountains, where people abandon pets and they are living in bad conditions and reproducing left and right to sadly live a painful dead! https://lnkd.in/gDRbx9ek #spayandneuter #volunteering #community #animals #dogs #cats #problemsolving #problemsolvingskills #involvement #empathy #leadership #leadwithlove #esterilizacion #helpingpeople #achievement #success #helpingotherssucceed #problemsolver #empatheticleadership

When you're at the helm of a dog daycare or kennel, your business becomes more than just a place to care for dogs. It becomes a part of the community—a gathering spot for pet lovers and their furry companions. One of the most impactful ways to strengthen your community bond and promote goodwill is by hosting charity events. Here's how to make a difference while also bringing people together ⬇️ 🐶 https://bit.ly/3E1cQaE

What’s the difference between feral, street and inbetweener cats? 🤔 The Cat Lifestyle Spectrum identifies a broad range of cats with very different needs and desires to live closely with people.     🐈 Feral, street and inbetweener cats are not suitable to enter homing centres because they find close proximity to people stressful and wouldn’t be happy living in homes as pet cats. These cats are best supported in their environment through #TNR (trap-neuter-return) programmes to manage their populations, providing resources if needed and having their health and movements monitored.    🏠 Cats that are suitable to live as pets enter homing centres or foster homes whilst they wait for adoption. Their physical health and mental wellbeing are supported, and they are neutered.    ❤️ You can volunteer, make donations of food, resources, or funds, and ensure pet cats are neutered at four months old (before being allowed outside) to help support people working with unowned cats. Share what you do in the comments. 💬    ⏯️ Watch our full animation to find out more about managing cat populations 👉 https://lnkd.in/eciVAdcY    #UnownedCats 

There's a heartbreaking crisis in our community: countless homeless cats are struggling to survive. These vulnerable animals face hunger, illness, and danger on the streets. The good news? We can make a difference together. We're excited to be ramping up our Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) efforts with East End Kitties. Last week's TNR Field Day was a huge success, and we're committed to helping even more cats. But we can't do it alone. Your support is critical in providing these cats with a lifeline. With your help, we can humanely manage the cat population, improve their health, and ultimately create a better life for our feline friends. Here's how you can make a difference: 🐾Donate to support our TNR initiatives. 🐾Volunteer your time to help with trapping or caring for cats. 🐾Spread the word about TNR and the importance of spaying and neutering pets. 🐾Together, we can create a more compassionate community for all cats. #DonateForTNR #VolunteerForCats #bethechangeforcats

Anything you can donate is so greatly appreciated. Paul Hudson & I are doing something we never thought we would do and we’re asking for help. We’ve had so many suggestions around getting Lucy a support / therapy dog. If you don’t know Lucy’s Autistic (ASD2/ADHD/SPD/PDA. She was diagnosed just before 4. Paul and I do everything for and with Lucy (Bathing, dressing, feeding, co regulating.) Lucy sees a speech pathologist, OT and Psychologist. She has extensive needs at school and has just entered the classroom and participating in class. She can’t do the louder activities and every day life for her is a challenge. In the last 6mths we have seen the biggest change in Lucy. She’s overwhelmed with anxiety that has meant we stay at home most of the time unless it’s an activity she deems “safe” and generally when Paul and I can be together to do the activity. Lucy can’t go outside, or areas of the house without us, she won’t get into the car. She’s terrified. Everyday is different. I’m sharing because I want you to know how seriously we considered asking for help. We want to get Lucy a support /therapy pup. Lucy can’t have siblings (she wouldn’t cope with another child in our lives) but a fur brother or sister would be so beneficial for her. The amount of research into the benefits in having a support animal is overwhelming. Building confidence and co regulation, having connection and for Lucy to have a dog that would be her bestie would be huge. To get a therapy support animal it costs a lot. We looked into Smart Pups and the fundraising amount is $20k but their books are closed as they’re overwhelmed with demand. I have been speaking to Nikki at Therapy Support Animals and they have a 28 day stay and train program for dogs. Which is what we’d have to do to bring a fur baby into our home. So, here I am.. asking for as much as you can donate to help us get a little of the way to getting Lucy a support animal. It’s also OK if you can’t donate. I know how hard it is atm. It’s hard for me to write this post, share so much and ask for help. But, here we are 🩷 https://gofund.me/ee563281

Happy and Jarvis–life in the wobbly lane One hot summer day, a plea for help was being shared all over Facebook for two kittens who were born to a community cat. The kittens, however, were not your “typical” kittens. They had a hard time walking straight and were flopping around. While sweet as pie, their caretaker knew she needed someone more experienced to provide for them. Our board member, Cassie, saw this plea and reached out, knowing these kittens would need specialized care for their condition. Cerebellar Hypoplasia (CH) is caused when the pregnant cat is infected with a disease, and it causes the cerebellum of the kittens to not form properly, leading to varying degrees of wobble. The thing is, cats who are affected have no idea they’re different! Happy and Jarvis have been love bugs from the start, with Happy eventually was able to walk (albeit unsteadily), and Jarvis is a “side dweller” who crawls around, but can get anywhere he desires. Both have overcome many obstacles, and are not only able to use the litterbox without issue, but also can climb furniture and small cat trees! They may do things a little differently, and object to the limitations their foster mom sets (clearly they don’t need them), but they aren’t too different from most cats. Your generosity enables us to take on the special cases like these boys, who need a slightly different setup from a typical cat, but still think they are unstoppable while being super lovable. Every single penny from your generosity goes towards supporting our special needs foster and cafe cats. #RaisetheRegion2024 Our link to donate is here: https://lnkd.in/eQ_djKZj Tonight from 8 p.m. to midnight, nonprofits that receive $100 or more per each gift will be eligible for an additional $1,000 from UPMC during Raise the Region.

JANUARY 22 is NATIONAL ANSWER YOUR CAT'S QUESTIONS DAY We may never know what our cats are thinking. But learning to read our cats' behaviors-their method of communication-will strengthen our relationships with our cats and lead to happier lives together. Your cat may ask: Why do you get upset about my hair on your couch? It's called “fur-niture” for a reason! Your cat may ask: Why do you take so many pictures of me? Take a photo today and share the fun & interesting questions your cat would ask if they could...along with your answers! One question cats would ask if they could: What are we going to do with all of these kittens? Responsible cat guardianship includes spay/neuter of your cats and kittens. Failure to Spay/Neuter is the reason so many cats end up in shelters in the first place, In addition, Spay/Neuter provides benefits for not only your cats but also other cats and your community. Learn more by downloading a free PDF, "Reasons to Spay/Neuter Your Pet" under Forms/Flyers on our website: tailsofhopewpa.org. Another question many cats ask is: When will I get my “fur-ever” home? There are so many wonderful cats waiting for a home, and many wonderful organizations in our area with kittens and cats ready for their fur-ever home. You can answer that question today and start the adoption process from a reputable shelter or rescue organization who follows an application process and adopts out cats that are already spayed/neutered. Help Tails of Hope provide spay/neuter services for homeless cats and cats in need by making a donation at: tailsofhopewpa.org @tailsofhopewpa #answeryourcatsquestionsday #spayneuter #rootcause #adopt #cat #communitycat #stray #feral #furkid #furbaby #family #petsarefamily #love #community #give #giveback #nonprofit #donate #inhonor #inmemory

Our little superstars in training need your help! Dogs for Better Lives has joined forces with ADI - Assistance Dogs International programs worldwide as part of #InternationalAssistanceDogWeek to raise awareness about the global shortage for volunteers in our programs. This global shortage is not just about puppies without families to raise them; it means our ever-growing wait list will continue to get longer instead of shorter – and we need YOUR help to keep changing lives. Our Puppy Raiser, Amber, shared this about what being a volunteer with DBL means to them: "I volunteered for dogs for better lives so I could help other people and also be able to love on a puppy for a short amount of time." Will you consider being a #LifeChanger? Visit https://lnkd.in/gWKa-BMF to learn more about volunteering with us (or to find a link to ADI’s website so you can find a program in your area). #dbl #dogsforbetterlives #assistancedogs #assistancedogsintraining #servicedogs #servicedogsintraining #LifeChangers #IADW2023 #FutureSuperstars #VolunteersNeeded #PuppyRaiser