Non-Profit News

Dear Porky & Buddy: I was in a grocery store the other day and a man came in with his dog on a leash. I love dogs, but I thought that was a little unusual, so I watched them. The dog was wearing a vest that said “Therapy animal—Please don’t pet me.” I know not to interfere with service dogs so I just observed from a distance. To be honest, it was horrifying to watch. Unlike most service dogs, this dog appeared to know nothing about basic manners. He was sniffing at food displays, jumping up on people and he even stopped to pee in the middle of any aisle. Nobody in the store did anything. What’s up with that? Signed, Eric

Dear Readers: It’s that time of year again when people start thinking, however reluctantly, about the new year and whether they should be making New Year’s Resolutions.

Dear Readers: You may have read last week's Pet of the Week column about Jack in the Box, or maybe you saw it on Facebook or received an email from the Oswego County Humane Society. They told you about Jack, the cat taped up in a box and left by the side of the road on a frigid December day.

Dear Readers: Continuing on from last week's column about the story of Jack in the Box and making 2018 the Year of Kindness, we had planned to tell you today about how the Oswego County Humane Society can help when you have a pet that needs a home and you think you may have run out of options.

Students in the Credit Accrual & Recovery for Everyone (CARE) program found the secret to a stress-free, worry-free studying environment – puppies!

Dear Readers: Continuing on about making 2018 the Year of Kindness, part of the point of this column is to provide guidance and advice to pet owners about their own pets and their responsibilities toward them. We know, because we see it every day, that sometimes, no matter how much you love your pets, you may have to make the hard choice to give them up.

Dear Readers: Continuing on about making 2018 the Year of Kindness, another purpose of this column is to provide animal lovers with information about upcoming legislation, good or bad, that affects animals.

Dear Porky and Buddy: I am so annoyed. I took my new cat to a veterinarian for the first time and she told me that I have to have her vaccinated against rabies. Doesn’t she know that rabies vaccinations cause cancer? Esmerelda never goes outside so why would I expose her to a known cancer risk to avoid a non-existent rabies risk? This is just more government interference in our personal lives and it has to STOP. What do you think? Are you as outraged as I am? Signed, Joan

Dear Readers: This is a hard column to write. Like everyone else we know, we have been following the #MeToo movement, as long time leaders in every segment of society have come crashing down in the wake of horrific allegations about their behavior toward women and girls. And as important as this movement has become, we never imagined it had anything to do with our little column on animal welfare and care for pets.