It's that time of year again when we begin preparing for the holidays. The typical craziness of December with shopping, cleaning, cooking, wrapping and decorating keeps us busier than little elves. That's why I'm pleased to be working with the ASPCA again to remind everyone that your to-do list should include ways of helping all animals stay happy and safe this holiday season.
You can make a difference in the lives of animals. Want to know how? Here are a few ways you can help:
- Adopt, Don't Shop
Make adoption your first option this holiday season! Avoid buying anything from pet stores that sell puppies because most of them come from puppy mills. Search for local adoptable animals by visiting www.ASPCA.org/adopt
- Help Local Shelters
Help your local shelter by volunteering your time or finding out what supplies they need. You can also win a grant for your local shelter by entering our "Home for the Holidays" contest with Dogist and Subaru at www.ASPCA.org/holiday
- Have a More Humane Holiday Meal
If you eat meat, eggs, or dairy, look for certifications that require better treatment for animals on farms, specifically Certified Humane, Animal Welfare Approved, and GAP (Levels 2 and above). Visit www.ASPCA.org/labels to view a label guide and get useful tips and info on how to have a more humane holiday
- Host a Holiday Sweet Swap
Consider hosting a holiday bake sale at your office or with friends and family and donate the proceeds to help animals in need. Find out how to start your fundraiser at www.ASPCA.org/SweetSwap
Remember to keep a sharp eye on your pets because their curiosity and playfulness could lead to trouble. Here are a few safety tips from the ASPCA:
- Wrapped Presents
Gifts are a surprising source of toxicities during the holidays. If you are going to wrap any food (especially chocolate), dog treats, or dog toys, keep the items in a safe place and well out of your pet’s reach until they are ready to be opened. Pets have a keen sense of smell and will often unwrap presents early and eat all of the contents.
- Snow Globes
Some snow globes contain ethylene glycol, a highly toxic substance to all pets. If a snow globe is broken, either by a person or a pet, the sweet smell can attract a pet to lick it up, leading to a potentially fatal intoxication. Snow globes should be kept out of reach of pets.
- Holiday Food
Pets are often not shy about taking food that is left sitting out on counters or tables. Pets should be kept away from food preparation areas or places where food will be left out. A few of the more concerning common food exposures during the holidays are chocolate, bread dough, fruitcake and alcohol.
- Medication
There are often a large number of visitors during the holiday season, and pets often get into medications that friends or family have brought with them. These exposures can be prevented with a little advance planning. People who are not used to having pets in the house can often be unaware of how curious they can be. Pets will often investigate suitcases and can get into pill vials or weekly pill minders. It is safer to have the visitors put their medication in a closed cabinet that is not accessible to pets. Be sure that when they take their medications that they do so behind a closed door, such as the bathroom, so that a dropped pill can be found before the pet has a chance to eat it. A prewritten list of the names, milligram strength, and number of pills that visitors have brought is very useful in an emergency situation as well.
- Salt
Ice melt, homemade play dough, and salt-dough ornaments (even when dry) can all be a tempting salty treat for pets, but can cause life-threatening imbalances in the electrolytes.
- Pet owners should, of course, contact their local veterinary professional or the Animal Poison Control Center if their pets get into any of these substances.
I am pleased to offer one lucky reader an incredible ASPCA holiday gift pack. Leave a comment below by December 14 to be entered to win. The winner will be notified by email.
The gift pack includes:
- West Elm Animal Tea Towels: Inspired by some of Instagram’s most famous pets, West Elm will donate $1 for every towel purchased to the ASPCA.
- Subaru Collapsible Water Bowl & Puppy Dog Cinch Bag: Since 2008, Subaru has supported nearly 1,000 pet adoption events, resulting in more than 11,500 adoptions to date.
- Walkers Shortbread Cookie Tin
- ASPCA Pet Throw: Machine washable microsherpa pet blanket with two different comfy textures by European Home Designs.
- ASPCA Canvas Tote Bag
Have a wonderful holiday season!
Photo: ASPCA
This is a good reminder to make sure our pets are safe. I think if I won this kit my puppy and I would be vying for the use of that snuggly throw! 🙂 Of course, he always snuggles up with me when I'm using a throw... 😉
Great article with lots of useful information. As always! Will share on Facebook. Thank you for all you do for animal welfare awareness!!
I love this post Cathy!
I am so thrilled to see so many posts about animal kindness this season and yours warmed my heart this winter morning. Thank you!
I think holiday decorations can also be dangerous to pets. Keep the ornaments and tree trimmings away from them.
What a great giveaway package. My dog would love the throw.
The photos are too cute! I did not know about snow globes. Great reminder about guests and medications and pets! Thanks Cathy
oh yes.
It is all all all about the goldendoodle around here for sure
<3 <3
I am dying to adopt a puppy for my husband for Christmas, but I just haven't found any time away from him yet! Fingers crossed I make it before the big day! Sharing everywhere my dear!
Excellent post! We always make sure that pets are included in the list of charities. That pic of the pug melted my heart. We lost our loving pet Neo who was a pug over a year ago now. Still breaks my heart 🙁 Love this post and sharing!
I just met a doggy (named Stella) who was adopted by friends from a shelter as a Christmas present. Woo hoo! Thanks for the tips and reminders. The dangers of salt weren't apparent to me prior. I'm glad to be more aware about that.
Great post, Cathy! Animals are some of our most precious gifts and they deserve everything we can do to keep them healthy, safe and loved up.
Wonderful post! Great tips on our to keep our pets safe for the holidays. I am going to tweet this one, so no one misses it! Happy Holidays!
I love this post, Cathy. My dog means the world to me. I purchased her from a would-be breeder. They bought her to breed, they realized she was not the perfect specimen they were expecting even though she comes from a long line of champion dogs. Had I not bought her who knows what they would have done to her. They told me they were just going to get rid of her. It's sad the way people treat animals.
Oh this is right up my alley as I have a rescue pup and two cats, one of whom came from the shelter, the other from a friend. Another FREE and easy way to help the ASPCA is to use the downloadable app, Charity Miles. Charity Miles pairs with charities, including the ASPCA and sponsors, such as Johnson & Johnson. When I take my dog on a walk, I log in on my smart phone. Then every mile I walk, the charity I choose (ASPCA in this case) gets money from the sponsor. I hope everyone installs Charity Miles and uses it when walking, running, strolling, biking, shopping. Every step and pedal counts and helps animals (and others, depending on the chosen charity). Now to enter your giveaway.....!!!
What a lovely post. I especially like: Adopt don't shop. There are a lot of good ideas there.
Our local shelters ask that everyone take animals home for the holidays at least. The shelters are empty and get a break, and the animals are happy!
Great tips! I was especially struck by the salty ice and play dough reference -- I wouldn't have thought of that! Thank you for sharing such good information Cathy!
Kimberly XO
What a fantastic initiative, Cathy. I've shared this on FB and will include it in my weekly newsletter too.
Presently we're fostering a little Indian breed female pup and it looks like she's not going anywhere despite me spreading the word.
Fabulous post! I'm so happy when I see people blogging about animal safety. So many people don't think about the harms of holiday decorations and table foods. I have two pit mixes at home and trust me when I say, my home is pit proof! In past years, my hubs and I would send moving blankets and kibble to Villalobos Rescue. But since I volunteered at a local rescue, we decided to turn that around and give locally. This year, I'd like to give to the local shelter where we just rescued our 2nd pit from a few months ago. We generally give to the animals instead of humans during the holidays. Some may not like it but people can help themselves, animals cannot.
Thanks for sharing this. I'll be passing it along AND keeping my fingers crossed I win the goodies! Woohoo!!
Brenda
This is a wonderful reminder of how precious our four-legged friends are and how important it is for them to get the TLC they deserve. Thanks, Cathy, for this loving post.
Great tips, Cathy! The pictures were cute too 🙂 Let's love our animals during the holidays AND All year round. Thanks for sharing!
Great tips! My daughter loves animals and has a dog and a puppy and would LOVE this!
Great post, Cathy, there are so many things we can do to help animals as well as our own pets. We got our Oreo (RIP) almost 20 years ago, and lived a long happy life. Our dog Aero was part of a puppy mill, so I feel like he was rescued. Timely post for the season!
We have always adopted pets. Its a great way to know that at least one animal at a time is taken good care of to the best of our ability. We now have Sammy, a great pyrenese (Akbash) who weighs 137 lbs and was found by our local rescue roaming in the mountains after he lost his herd. He is about 9 yrs old but a puppy at heart. We were able to give him shelter, nourishment, medical care, and most of all Love that he desperately needed to thrive and live out his retirement years comfortably. He is very happy!! If you get a chance and have the means to do so, please think of adopting a shelter pet. They are pure unconditional love!