Upcoming Events

Our Bake Sale event for Shoprite in East Stroudsburg has been canceled due to the expected cold weather. Thank you for understanding.

We have no offsite funraisers scheduled at this time. Please check back for the latest events and updates.

Found Dog

A dog was found on Clove Rd in Montaque/Wantage NJ area, wearing a pink coat. CAll 570-296-7654 if you know this dog.

12/09 Plea for Help for the PCHS Small Dog HOLIDAY RESCUE

Look at these little cuties! The Pike County Humane Society has rescued this group of little dogs from a breeder surrender. Poodles, Shitzu's, Bichon, Maltese, cockapoo (chocolate) and Lhasa Apso mixed are here, and they need help.


You should have see these little guys when they arrived - they were filthy, uncared for, sick, neglected and so very sad.

Now, they are all freshly groomed. and being socialized, cared for, played with and loved. They're on the road to recovery here! They are being testing for worms and we're taken care of the fleas, rabies vaccinating and more.





But there is still much to do. They still need our help. They need YOUR help so they can spend the rest of their lives in forever homes. They need more veterinary care. Some have eye infections, all of them need dentals as they all have rotted and broken teeth. Some can hardly eat at all. They need to be heartworm tested, they need their vaccines, they need to be vetted, they need continued care, not to mention food, heat, and the shelter we provide.





Any donation you can provide will help get these little cuties on their way to good health and a good home.


Your donation will be spent on food, heat, grooming tools but primarily on VETERINARY CARE. These babies deserve to be healthy, don't you think so?





Interested in adopting?

These little guys need to be neutered, and need to be vetted before they can safely be adopted, and we're desperately trying to raise the funds to do that. You can help!






Please consider making a Paypal donation today to help us help these dogs.
It's fast and easy.
Every dollar helps.

$10 can help feed one of these dogs for a week.

$500 - $800 could get one of them the dental and neutering surgeries they need.






Please help this holiday be the magical day one of these precious dogs gets to go home to a new family, healthy & safe, forever.

Please call the shelter to make a pre-adoption appointment and come in to meet your new best friend. Call during shelter hours 570-296-7654








Please do not email for adoption information, latest information on adoptees or to make shelter appointments. We do not have high speed internet at the shelter. Thanks!

Bake Sale Weekend!

The 2010 Pike County Humane Society Pet Photo Calendars are in, and they are great!







We stood outside in the cold and snow at Walmart Milford Saturday, and so did you!
Thank you to everyone who came over and said hi, participated in our bake sale and donated to the animals at our shelter.

Cathy came by to donate some canned cat food to the shelter. Doreen and Carol-Ann both told us on Facebook that they picked up some tasty treats. Gail is following us on Twitter, and joined us today selling Christmas decor and trying to raise some funds infront of Walmart. We talked with some great people interested and concerned for the Small Dog Rescue we've participated in, and we even met some possible foster parents for some of the little cuties.

We also had Pet Photos with Santa and Hanukkah Harry at Bark Avenue Groomers in Shohola PA today!

Our apologies again for having to cancel the Walmart events for Sunday due to cold.

Sunday 12/6/09

Due to the icey conditions this morning, and the cold, we had to cancel our Walmart event today.
We apologize to everyone.

TGIF!

While we were carrying the laundry between our buildings, the little dogs saw an opportunity to play!






These are such great little playful cuties. Please consider sending a few bucks in this week to help us get them the veterinary care they need.






We'll be all around town this weekend! We'll have a booth at the Craft Fair at The Dingman's school, we have a bake sale going on Saturday and Sunday at Walmart Milford, we have Pet Photo Calendars for sale, and we have Pet Photos with Santa and Hanukkah Harry at Bark Aveue Saturday, and Walmart Sunday.




We have a full house of dogs and cats just waiting to be adopted.
Check out the links,
email if you have event questions,
call the shelter at 570-296-7654 for info and appointments for any adoptions or concerning any specific pet.

Thanks for your support. Without us, where would they go?

Pick up your PCHS 2010 Pet Photo Calendars

If you didn't pre-order, that's ok! We have more!

Pet Food Donations for the Shelter! Thanks, Bushkill Community Church

Your Dog's First Aid Kit

Be prepared. Keep a first aid box in your home for your dog the way you do for the rest of your family. If your dog has special needs discuss with your veterinarian any special items you should keep handy. General items you should have for any dog cover a variety of possible problems, from bee stings to wounds.

A styptic pencil or powder in case your dog catches a toenail that bleeds is necessary. You should have Benadryl for allergic reactions. You should also have Betadine or a good povodine iodine solution to clean bites or wounds in case your dog is ever entangled with another animal. Good gauze and water proof tape are also musts. Pepto Bismol or Pepcid AC, and a can of pumpkin like you'd use to make pumpkin pie should be kept in your house to address diarrhea and constipation respectively. A bottle of eye wash or saline solution is smart to have.

Having a first aid kit is not a replacement for veterinary care. If your dog is bleeding, or in anaphylactic shock, you need to seek the help of a veterinary medical professional. However, there is no excuse for not being prepared.

When you call your veterinarian or your animal emergency hospital, let them know what products you have that might help. There's a big difference between having to call your vet to say, "My dog has been stung by a bee can can't breath!" and in saying, "My dog has been stung by a bee and can't breath! I have Benadryl in my hands. What should I do?"

Often even if your vet wants you to bring your dog immediately for medical attention, your ability to administer on-the-spot help can be life saving.

If your bring your dog on vacation with you, bring the first aid kit. Even if you bring the dog on a long hike or drive, put the kit in the car with you. It's better to be safe than sorry.

Here's an important tip: have a copy of your dog's most recent vaccination record, signed rabies certificate and license copied and ready right there inside of your first aid kit. How many times do you have an emergency close to home, and during regular business office hours? Exactly. On the chance that you have an emergency while away from home, or during hours when your veterinarian is not reachable, you will have your dog's records handy to present to the on-call or emergency vet. Be sure to tell the emergency vet about any medical conditions like thyroid condition or lyme disease.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Please remember to keep your pets safe through the holiday season. Guests may not realize to be careful not to let the cat out, or not to give the dog table scraps. Make sure you let your company know the house rules so there's no accidents. Take extra special care not to let pets get into the garbage or into the left overs, especially turkey bones which are not safe for dogs.

With guests coming and going things can get pretty busy and distracting. Take an extra moment to make sure your pets are safe and sound, and not too stressed with all the festivity.

In some areas it's hunting season. Make sure to use orange vests and bandanas on pets when they're outside so they can be easily seen. Do not let your dogs run off - it's against the law and it's unsafe.

A safe, happy, wonderful Thanksgiving to all of you, from all of us at the Pike County Humane Society

Spaghetti Dinner 11/21/09

Thanks to everyone who came to our Spaghetti Dinner at St Patrick's church in Milford. River Rock, Prime Time Meats, Apple Valley, and the Milford Diner all donated toward the meal and boy did it turn out fabulous! Lots of great compliments on the fare, and lots of kudos on the fabulous Tricky Tray prizes. We also sold some t-shirts and sweatshirts which is always good ;)

We got a chance to visit with some very cool Pike County Humane Society members like Don and Kay pictured above with Ally. We also got to meet some potential new volunteers and enjoy a truly terrific meal. Thanks again to all who donated, and all who came out and showed their support. You guys are the best!

Volunteer of the Year - Pike County Chamber of Commerce

Every year the Pike County Chamber of Commerce celebrates volunteerism with a dinner and an evening of recognition and thanks. Area charities are invited to participate, each naming their own Volunteer of the Year.

This year the Pike County Humane Society celebrates the dedication of Kathy Varkados, long time supporter and friend to the PCHS. Kathy not only volunteers with us and shares her home with many wonderful rescued pets, she also became a board member this year. We'd like to take this opportunity to let everyone know that we couldn't be doing all the important work we do without the dedication and constant support from our core group of hard-working volunteers. Thanks Kathy for being an exemplary part of this team!

Meet Lucky - Seniors for Seniors

Lucky is a 10 year old neutered male Golden Retriever. His owner gave him up after 10 years stating he no longer had time for him. He is very obedient, housebroken and loves to play with his toys. He is good with adults, children and other dogs. Lucky needs some TLC and needs to put on some weight. He needs and deserves to have someone love him in his senior years.

Please note: Lucky is in a foster home right now and not at the shelter. Please do not visit the shelter for Lucky, but you can call the shelter directly at 570-296-7654 if you are interested to set up an appointment.

Don't forget November 2009 is our Seniors for Seniors month. People over 60 can adopt senior dogs over 8 years old for FREE! Please check out the link for details.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

What can you do to help?

Many things! Lots of things! You do not have to have a ton of time or a ton of money to make a difference.


Here's 7 things you can do right now:

1. – SPREAD THE WORD
Go onto our site and check out the Upcoming Events link.
Email that info and link to your friends and coworkers as often as you can.
Print it out and hang up the info at your office or community bulletin board.


Link the shelter website onto your website. Most likely, you have a website. Do you have a blog? Got a facebook page? Myspace? Ebay listings? Business website? Yahoo profile? MSN Live profile? Are you on classmates or reunion or linked or anything? Well... Link us!

Do you have an area business?
You could hang flyers to our events in your front window. (We often include them with our twice-a-month emailer. Or you can make your own!)

You could put a donation can or even a food donation bin in your storefront.

2 - ORGANIZE YOUR OWN FUNDRAISER!

It doesn’t have to be a big thing.
Are you having everyone over for a Birthday Party, Holiday Get Together or a little barbecue?
Put right in your email invites –
“Please bring one can of dog or cat food for the Pike County Humane Society!”
or “We’re asking our guests to donate $2 each to the PCHS in lieu of gifts.”

You’d be surprised. Those 12 cans of food you gather, or that $20 you collect could help save an unwanted animal’s life.

Think you want to take on something a little bigger? Wonderful! Have a little bake sale, or a tag sale. Invite your neighbors to join you in a yard sale where the proceeds or a percentage of the profits go to the shelter. Sponsor a photography contest, or a poetry contest. Have a hot cider or lemonade stand. You probably have an idea already!


Maybe you have your own small business. Could you pick a product from which you could donate a dollar of each sale?

One of our favorite members does a candle sale for us every year! She raises money by selling candles to people and sending us the proceeds. A wonderful group of local realtors organized Realtors to the Rescue, and had a cocktail party in our honor. They charged admission, raffled off some prizes, and raised a couple thousand dollars! Local students have held successful educational events such as Pennies for Puppies. The YMCA after school group had a lemonade stand and donated $45! Area bands have had concerts, and motorcycle clubs have had their own runs where proceeds were given to us. The Cinder Inn has an annual Memorial Day Concert for us! Most recently Altec Lansing raffled off some products to their employees, sending the money raised to Safe Haven, and The Pike County Humane Society.
And speaking of Safe Haven, every year they have a costume parade and costume contest "Mutts & Meows" with us to help benefit both worthy causes, which often working closely together.
Every dollar helps.

3 – VOLUNTEER

We need volunteers of all kinds. We need people to come up to the physical shelter and help us clean. Help us take care of the buildings and grounds, help us create and maintain a safe and wonderful haven for the animals.
We also need volunteers at our fund raisers. Could you help hand out information, sell hotdogs, and walk pets at adoption events? Could you bake us some brownies for our next bake sale?
Email our new Volunteer Coordinator Phyllis at psimpson@ptd.net

4 – DONATE

It’s convenient with the PAYPAL link. Or you can drop a couple dollars in our area donation cans. You can pick up a case of canned cat food or dog food and bring it up to the shelter, or drop it off at an area food deposit like the Grand Union in Milford PA. Think about it: if just everyone that reads this could donate $5 imagine how many animals we could feed!!

New items and gift certificates are always needed for our fundraisers! We have basket bingos, tricky trays, raffles, silent auctions and door prizes at different events. Did you get two crock pots at your wedding shower? Did your mother in law get your taste all wrong with her holiday gifts to you? Did you see a nice deal on a new Dirt Devil at Kmart? Do you have some new items your shop is discontinuing? Donate these items to help us have successful fundraisers.

Here's an easy one! Can you donate some home made cookies or muffins to a bake sale? We have bake sales all the time, most often in conjunction with another fundraiser like a tricky tray, spaghetti dinner, or off site pet adoption day. This is a great way for us to raise a few dollars for the animals and make the event all the sweeter ;)

Obviously, monetary donations are always a tremendous help. We need to pay very large veterinary bills every month. We spay and neuter the animals in our care. We make sure none of our pets have worms, fleas or ticks. We rabies vaccinate and do other testings and vaccinations as well. We have medical evaluations performed and we have to make sure we provide medical treatment for the animals that need it.
Additionally, we have to pay for electric and gas, garbage pick up, snow removal, and other operating costs. We have to pay for food and grooming. We need cleaning supplies, and office supplies. We need to maintain our vans and put gas in their tanks so we can bring pets to the vet and back. We have to make sure the shelter is warm in the winter and cool in the summer. We have to maintain the buildings and the grounds so that the animals in our care are always safe.

It costs about $6,000 a week to keep this shelter running. Several area municipalities contribute a few hundred dollars every year which helps. Some contribute nothing. What does your community contribute? The Pike County Commissioners in the past have contributed $4,000 a year. We are grateful for these contributions. But please realize - they do not even cover one week’s worth of expenses....

5 – MAKE YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS LISTEN

Write to your senators, your congressman, your govenor, and your most importantly your county commissioners. Demand that they support this shelter. TELL THEM all the things this shelter does for the county - things that would NOT be done at all without us.

Your vote is your voice. You have the power to make them listen. Attend your municipality or township meetings, and ask what your elected officials are doing to support the only animal shelter and animal response assistance in the county. Make sure they know you aren’t going to support them in their elections if they don’t support us.

6 – COME TO THE EVENTS

We try to have different kinds of fund raisers for you to enjoy. From the tricky trays to the spaghetti dinners, your whole family can usually come out for a few hours of fun for a minimal donation to a very worthy cause. Come to the events. Spread the word. Show your support.


7 – BE A RESPONSIBLE PET OWNER

Don’t forget, one of the best things you can do for us is to open your home to a shelter pet.
And, to insure that your pets, no matter where they came from, do not become shelter pets.
Your pets are your commitment and responsibility.
Take that responsibility with the utmost seriousness.

Make sure your pets are happy and healthy and safe. Obey licensing and leash laws. Make sure your pets have the rabies and other vaccinations and annual tests they require to live a happy healthy life. Always neuter or spay your pets, like we do. Do not support puppy mills. Make sure your pets are on a healthy vet-approved diet. Dogs need to be heartworm tested, and they need flea & tick, and heartworm prevention. Do not contribute to the disease and parasite problems in our area. Do not let your pets run loose.

Do not turn your back on your pet. Pets get sick, get old, need training, need help... it is part of your promise to them to care for them through those times. Set a worthy example for your children by showing them the meaning of responsibility and commitment. Do not throw your pet away if it becomes "inconvenient." What are you teaching your children?

And if you aren't in a place where you can make a full and serious commitment to a pet, then don't have any. Your treatment of your pet is important to shaping how your children view living creatures, old age, illness, commitment and responsibility, as well as contributing to the health and well being of the entire community.

The Rainbow Bridge

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.
When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor. Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.
They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent. His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.


Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....

Author unknown...
http://www.rainbowbridge.com/Poem.htm