To the rescue: cats and dogs

Carol Hawn-Miller and Cindy Liggett are local animal advocates who work to save the lives of homeless cats and dogs. In 2001 they founded Kitty and K-9 Connection, a non-profit rescue/foster/adoption program. In this blog, they will discuss the issues around the numerous homeless cats and dogs in Anchorage, and the process of placement, including animal and human behaviors that lead to success or failure. They are pictured here with Gladys on Carol's knee, Cherri in the middle, and Ambrosia the cat on Cindy's lap.

Cindy Liggett

Because she's a "cat person," Cindy concentrates on cat rescues, fosters and adoptions. She faces daily attitudes towards cats as "throw-away pets" and deals with issues regarding "unwanted" cats due to over-population. She has advocated on their behalf for over 20 years and enjoys sharing her knowledge and insights so cats can enjoy their nine lives in the manner they truly deserveas an important member of the family.

Carol Hawn-Miller

Carol loves being the "dog mom" to all kinds and varieties -- small to large; mutts or purebreds. At home she deals with an ever transitional pack as she rescues, fosters and adopts dogs that would not otherwise have a "new leash on life." She has been doing pet rescue for more than 14 years. While loaded with a lap full of dogs, covered in dog hair or accepting K-9 kisses, Carol advocates for permanent, lifetime homes and responsible ownership so rescue will no longer be a necessity.

Sue Wirth

Sue is the other cat mom who takes in fosters and gets them ready for adoption. She has been doing cat rescue since 1998. To help control reproduction of unwanted pets, Sue advocates with a local veterinarian to spay/neuter cats as young as 8 weeks old before they go to their forever homes. She would like to see an end to full Animal Shelters, euthanasia and a home for every pet.

Emily Brand

Emily joins us as a guest blogger from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) to raise awareness about issues affecting companion animals in Anchorage and the surrounding area. She shares the ASPCA’s mission to prevent animal cruelty and provide positive outcomes for at-risk animals across the country. Emily hopes to encourage people to be a voice for animals by doing something to help people understand the importance of treating animals with the love and respect they deserve.

VIDEO

First Aid for pets

Robin Newby of the American Red Cross of Alaska teaches pet first aid. In this video of a recent class, she describes the focus and some of the techniques. Find schedules of ongoing classes at "The Red Cross"

ALASKA LOCAL

Alaska Dog News

A professional’s guide to solving pet problems on your carpets - 6/10/2010 5:44 pm

Cat Adoption Success! - 5/24/2010 11:47 am

Cat Adoptions this Weekend - 5/19/2010 2:15 pm

Dogs and Stuffed Animals - 5/14/2010 12:06 pm

Secondhand smoke can endanger your pets - 4/30/2010 11:14 am

Supreme Court Overturns Law Against Animal Cruelty Videos - 4/23/2010 12:32 pm

Hoarder/Animal Cruelty - 4/15/2010 5:22 pm

Animal Hoarder - 4/12/2010 5:40 pm

HOW OUR PETS CAN REDUCE OUR STRESSES AND ANXIETIES

By Stanley Popovich

Animals and our pets can be a great way to reduce our every day stresses and anxieties. It is not easy to deal with our fears and anxieties, however, spending time with animals can makes us feel better. Here is a list of ways of how our pets can help us to better cope with our fears, anxieties, and stresses and why its good to own a pet.

Spending time with your pets can be a great source of companionship. Whether you have a pet or go to your local shelter, spending time with an animal or pet can help us to feel better. Also many people talk to their pets and this can help us to get their problems out in the open. Animals can be of good company to all of us and can prevent the fear of being alone during our troubles.

Helping animals and other people through community service can be a great way to overcome our anxieties. There are many animals out there who could benefit from your time and talents. Doing something that will help your pet or other animals can give you a source of pride and accomplishment and also can lead to possible friendships with others.

Sitting around and accomplishing nothing will not make things any better whether its dealing with the fear of being alone or something else. Animals can help us to be active and to focus our energies on working with them instead of worrying about things that may or may not happen. This will prevent us from worrying about our current situation.

One of the ways to manage stress is to challenge your negative thinking with positive thoughts. Animals can help us to relax and help us to focus on the good things in our lives. This will help us to focus positively on any situation. Playing with animals can help reduce our fears and anxieties in any situation.

Animals can get our minds off of our problems. A person could do an activity with their pet or other animals that will give them a fresh perspective on things. Spending time with animals will get your mind off of the problem and give you the energy to do other things. Most importantly, playing with animals will give you the self-confidence that you can cope and that you can get through the day.

Remember that there are many ways that animals can reduce the stresses of our every day life, however, they are not a substitute of getting professional help. If your fears and anxieties become overwhelming, then you will need to talk to a counselor. The next time you feel stressed, spend some time with your pet or other animals and you will be better able to cope with your worries.

Stan Popovich is the author of "A Layman's Guide to Managing Fear Using Psychology, Christianity and Non Resistant Methods" - an easy to read book that presents a general overview of techniques that are effective in managing persistent fears and anxieties. For additional information go to: Managing Fear

show comments

Comments

NEW STORY COMMENTS: Learn about our upgrade | Create an avatar in the new system »

By submitting your comment, you are agreeing to adn.com's user agreement.

hide comments