WCFA’S featured pet is Hanna: Hanna is a 7 year old terrier mix. She is a sweet girl, house trained, good with kids and other dogs. She is excellent on leash and loves her walks. Hanna does well in the car. Hanna is current on all vaccines and will receive a dental this week. She weighs about 9 lbs.
If you are interested in any of our pets, please go to www.wecareforanimals.org where you can see all of our adoptable pets and you can complete an adoption application. For more information call us at 702-346-3326 (voicemail), call Karen at 435-862-9574 or Linda at 702-376-1642. Next pet adoption is December 1, 2018, 9:00 am – 12:00 pm. WE WILL BE AT 150 N. YUCCA, SUITE 1. Questions? Email us at wcfanv@gmail.com. Follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/wecareforanimalsmesquitenv. Please call us to schedule a visit with our pets at a mutually convenient time.
Other Available Pets:
CATS:
Cats do not enjoy being confined in a cage. The cats we have for adoption show best in a home environment. If you see a cat you like, to truly see his or her personality, you should ask us to arrange a time, at your convenience, to meet the cat in his/her foster home. Some of our sweetest cats can come across as cranky or withdrawn when they are placed in the crate for viewing. Please give these felines a chance by meeting them “outside the cage”. Taking one of these felines for a sleep over is another way to get to know them better before adopting. Ask us about our sleep over policy.
Whitey and Mocha are two very sweet orange and white kittens. They are social and very active. Whitey and Mocha are about 18 weeks old, altered, and have received their vaccines. Let’s give them a happy holiday season by finding them wonderful new families. If you are interested in either one of these handsome young felines, please complete our pre-adoption application at www.wecareforanimals.org. If you have questions, please call Karen at 435-862-9574.
DOGS:
Bello is a Lhasa Apso with perhaps some Maltese, about 20 months of age and weighs 15 lbs. Bello is an active little guy, very smart and benefits from daily walks. He does well on leash and he also rides well in a car. Bello is house trained. Please note that Bello will do best in a home where his person is home most of the time. He likes to attach himself to one person so we feel an adult home with one person works best. Bello can be “mouthy” and his fosters are working on that issue. He should do well with another small dog but he prefers his person. He currently is in a foster home with a dog that is smaller than he and both do well together. Bello is neutered, up to date on vaccines and micro-chipped.
Bella is a pug/beagle mix. She is eight years young, spayed and current on vaccines. Bella is house trained and does well with everyone. She is a friendly, loving lady. Bella enjoys going for walks and just hanging out with her human. She interacts well with other dogs and with children. Bella has an injury to her leg and will be examined by our veterinarian this week.
BIRD:
Blue and yellow parakeet available for adoption. Must show you have a proper bird cage and necessary items to adopt.
SPAY/NEUTER
WCFA offers a wonderful low-cost/free opportunity to spay/neuter your pets to prevent accidental litters and keep your pet happy and healthy. We will always alter feral cats to be released back in their environment. Our target areas are Mesquite, Bunkerville and the Arizona Strip. Spay/Neuter Assistance Applications are available at Mesquite Veterinary Clinic located at 371 Riverside Road and Virgin Valley Veterinary Hospital at 660 Hardy Way. You may also call WCFA at 702-346-3326 to leave a message or visit wecareforanimals.org to contact us by email. Half of all litters born in the U.S. are accidents that overburden shelters and rescues.
Article by Valerie Masi
I get a lot of questions regarding appropriate play with a dog. Animals learn a lot of skills through play, so we don’t want to discourage play behaviors—we want to use the game to create appropriate behavior.
MOUTHING is a behavior I allow a puppy to do while playing, because this way the puppy learns appropriate bite pressure. This is something animals learn through play. If your pup bites too hard, say “Ouch!” loudly and stop moving your hand. Don’t pull it away—that causes the dog to inadvertently bite you a second time. Staying still stops the biting.
HIDE AND GO SEEK will help teach your dog to come and can be played inside or outside. First hide, then call your dog until it finds you. Then, with great excitement, reward your dog with lots of hugs and pats or a favorite toy.
TUG OF WAR is another good game to play with your pup. This game will help teach him about the appropriate excitement level during play. Most pups that play tug of war will escalate in excitement during the game. When your dog reaches an excitement level that you find uncomfortable, you stop tugging, keep your hand very still, and say, “Enough.” This stops the game. When your dog follows your lead and stops, then you can start the game again, stopping at the same point. Through this exercise, your dog learns what excitement level is okay for them to reach and where they need to stop.
FETCH is a good way to practice the “Come” command, and it helps teach focus, balance and coordination.
GO FIND is a game that will challenge your pup, requiring him to use his senses to find a treat and, later, a toy. Start with a treat; teach the dog to track the fairly strong scent of the treat; then later, you can introduce toys for your dog to find.
PET TRICKS are a great way to teach your pup to focus.
SHAKE: Hold a treat cupped in your hand in front of the pup while tapping behind your dog’s front leg near the carpus (wrist). When the pup lifts its paw, release the treat.
CIRCLE: Hold a treat by your pup’s tail, encouraging him to turn and come toward the treat. When he does a complete circle, give him the treat. Some dogs will only spin left or right.
ROLL OVER: When your dog is down, put a treat against the dog’s shoulder and move it back toward its spine, until the dog lies flat and eventually rolls all the way over. (Sometimes we need to help them at first.)
Bored pups are destructive and display bad behaviors. Playing with your pup in a productive way will keep him busy and happy!
