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How to keep your animals safe and secure this Fourth of July
Fireworks can be awesome but not every member of the family is in on the fun. Adrienne Carson, vice president of Training and Behavior at St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center offers the following suggestions for pet owners and guardians to help keep animals safe and secure this summer.
How to keep your pet safe this Fourth of July?
On the Fourth of July many pets become frightened and overwhelmed by the loud noise and flashes of fireworks. Fireworks can be terrifying for cats and dogs and cause them to flee or try to escape and become lost.
Keep pets indoors.
The safest place for your pet is at home, not in a crowded, unfamiliar, and noisy place. The combination of too many people and loud fireworks could make your pet panic and desperately seek shelter. Another reason to keep your pets at home is hot summer temperatures. Leaving your pet in the car is never an option and can become deadly quickly. Act immediately if you notice signs of heatstroke and follow our tips for keeping your dog safe in extreme heat.
Create a safe place in your home.
Keep pets indoors with window shades and curtains closed. Turn on a television, radio, white noise machine, or play calming music for your pets and create a safe place in your home for your cat or dog to hide. For example, open a closet door and put in a pet bed, creating an enclosed space with no windows. Giving your pet a safe haven like a covered crate with the door open in the innermost part of your house can help them get away from external noises and commotion.
Ensure ID tags are up-to-date.
Make sure your animals are wearing ID tags on their collars with up-to-date contact information. If your pet is micro chipped, double check that your information is current. If your animal does escape, file a lost report with your local animal care and control.
Shut all doors and windows.
Panicked animals can easily break through screens. Dogs can often open doors by jumping when scared, especially doors with lever-type handles. Secure doors with a bolt lock or chain latch.
Consult your veterinarian.
If your animal is fearful of thunderstorms it is likely they will be fearful of fireworks. Consult your veterinarian in advance for medication that may help ease your pet's anxiety.
Keeping Your Dog Safe in Extreme Heat
10 Important Tips in Dealing with Extreme Heat
ST. HUBERT’S ADVISES PET OWNERS TO BE AWARE OF THE FOLLOWING:
Keep your pets indoors when temperatures are extreme and in the shade when they are outdoors.
Walk your pets early in the morning or later in the evening to avoid the hottest part of the day.
Give pets plenty of water to avoid dehydration. When you walk your pet or take your pet outside, carry water with you.
Never leave your animals alone in a parked vehicle. Temperatures in cars can increase rapidly and become lethal.
Animals with short noses such as Bulldogs, Pugs, Boston Terriers and Persian cats, are especially vulnerable in the heat. Dogs and cats cool themselves by breathing through their mouths, but those with flat faces cannot cool as quickly and need extra attention.
If your pet is panting excessively, drooling, struggling to walk, is lethargic, or has bloody diarrhea or vomiting, know that that these are potentially signs of overheating.Windows in the home that are open should have screens. Pets can fall out of open, unsecured windows.
Be careful with dogs on asphalt in the heat. Not only are their paws sensitive but because their bodies are closer to the asphalt, they can overheat more easily.
As always, if you think your pet is in distress due to the heat, call your veterinarian as soon as possible.
If you are hot, your pet is too!
St. Hubert's deploys team to assist in Hurricane Ida relief efforts
Read our most recent rescue updates below and if you can, please help and donate today. Donors like you make our lifesaving work possible.
St. Hubert's Receives Emergency Flight of Animals from Louisiana
St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center has received an emergency transport of adoptable animals evacuated from Louisiana shelters following Hurricane Ida. The rescue mission arrived at Morristown Airport today (9/1), as the remnants of Ida swept through New Jersey.
Over 70 animals were on the Greater Good Charities flight from Lafayette, LA to Morristown, New Jersey. The transport will help free up space in Louisiana shelters for animals who were injured or displaced after Sunday’s storm.
Soon the dogs and cats will be available for adoption and find new loving homes on the east coast. Organizations taking on the evacuated animals include St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center, Humane PA, Pennsylvania SPCA, Liberty Humane Society, Monmouth County SPCA and Delaware Humane Association.
The animals came from Acadiana Animal Aid, St. Charles Parish, St. Martin Parish Animal Services, Lafayette Animal Shelter and Care Center, Terrebonne Parish Animal Shelter, St. John Parish Animal Shelter and Iberville Parish Animal Shelter and Control in Louisiana.
As families lost their homes or were evacuated, Louisiana shelter partners have reported an influx of pets entering their doors. Not only does transporting out animals who were in shelters prior to the storm give those animals new adoption opportunities in the Northeast, but it also helps ensure operating shelters have the capacity to care for animals who were displaced by the storm until they can be reunited with their families.
“In the animal welfare community, when disaster strikes, we’re all in it together,” said Colleen Harrington, Director of St. Hubert’s WayStation Program. “Today’s transport of animals who were already in shelters prior to the storm will allow our Louisiana partners to free up resources and space so they can help displaced pets in their communities.”
In addition, St. Hubert’s and its parent organization, the Humane Rescue Alliance, sent a disaster response team to New Orleans, after receiving a call for help from the Louisiana SPCA.
The emergency response in Louisiana comes shortly after a flash flood took the lives of at least 20 people and destroyed over 270 homes in Waverly, Tennessee. The shelter in Waverly, Humphreys County Humane Society, was overwhelmed with pets in need of emergency sheltering. St. Hubert’s stepped up to assist its partner in Waverly, arranging the transport of 37 already adoptable dogs to New Jersey on Monday (8/30).
We are so grateful to be able to help, but responding to multiple disasters in one month puts a serious drain on our resources and we need your support. You make our lifesaving work possible, and give hope to families faced with disaster. If you can, please donate today.
UPDATE: September 2, 2021
On Wednesday, our Disaster Response Team was responding to animal control calls in Orleans Parish when a concerned resident flagged them down, alerting them to a dog who was trapped underneath a collapsed shed. Our team and officers with the Louisiana SPCA rushed to the scene, where they found a scared dog chained inside of the shed and tangled under the debris. We suspect the dog had been stuck there – terrified in the sweltering heat with no food or water -- since the storm hit on Sunday. Our team carefully lifted the shed enough so we could guide the dog out from underneath and free him from the chain. Thankfully, and perhaps miraculously, the dog – who a young neighbor watching the rescue named Bubbles – was not injured. Once freed from the shed, Bubbles was super friendly and sweet and became almost immediately affectionate toward his rescuers. We transported him to safety at the Louisiana SPCA.
UPDATE: September 3, 2021
Today our Disaster Response Team is shifting focus to help our communities right here in New Jersey, after remnants of the hurricane caused tornadoes, record rain and flooding. Our Disaster Response Team is deploying to communities throughout Northern New Jersey this morning to help animals in distress and distribute resources such as food, litter, and other pet supplies to residents in need. We have also received calls from animal shelters throughout the region who have experienced flooding and power outages. We have team members in route to those shelter to evaluate their needs and provide support.
Emergency Cat Rescue
St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center rescued over 100 cats in an alleged neglect situation at a home in South Bound Brook, New Jersey. Animal control officers from St. Hubert’s were called to assist the South Bound Brook Police Department after a neighbor complained about a foul odor coming from the home.
When our officers arrived at the home they discovered an extraordinary number of neglected cats and kittens living in poor conditions. The odor was ammonia from an extreme buildup of feline urine, which is hazardous to animals and humans.
Our team immediately got to work – despite the waste and clutter, they rescued 113 cats, including 46 neonatal kittens, as quickly and as gently as possible. Most of the cats have upper respiratory issues and some have severe eye infections. All of them need to be spayed or neutered. And many are scared, sickly, and underweight.
“It is gut-wrenching to see so many cats and kittens living in filthy, poor conditions,” said Chris Schindler, Vice President of Field Services for St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center. “We are grateful to the South Bound Brook Police Department for answering the call to help these animals.”
Our teams in Madison and at the Kitten NICU are working around the clock to care for these cats. But we still need your help. Please consider making a donation today to help us continue to provide the best possible care to every cat and kitten.
Related Media Coverage
NY Daily News, nj.com, News 12 NJ, WCBS-TV, NJ 101.5,WCBS-AM, WPIX-TV
Here's why pandemic pets are not being returned
In March 2020, when the world shut down, our community members opened their hearts and homes to homeless animals. This included a surge both in foster and adoptive homes. During the pandemic, as people struggled with social isolation and being separated from friends and family, we saw so many people find joy, companionship, and even entertainment from sharing their homes with animals.
Despite false news headlines suggesting pets adopted during the pandemic are being returned to shelters across the country in droves now that schools and offices are opening back up, we haven’t experienced an increase in returns, and data from shelters around the country indicate they haven’t either.
Keeping pets and people together begins the moment someone comes to us looking to expand their family through adoption. We start the process by having an open conversation with potential adopters that allows us to pair them with an animal who fits with their lifestyle and situation. This also helps us understand if there are additional resources or support needed for the match to be successful.
This dialogue doesn’t end when the animal goes to his or her new home. At St. Hubert’s we provide individualized services for both people and their pets with the understanding that life is unpredictable and can include changes in finances and housing or behavioral or medical needs for the pet. Through direct follow up conversations, we support families in addressing their unique post-adoption needs.
Our programs and services are anchored in the belief that everyone deserves the love and companionship of sharing their life with a pet. So, we are here for our community to help with all their pet-related needs, whether it is low cost-veterinary care, free pet food, emergency boarding, resources on accessing pet friendly housing, behavior support, or end of life care.
As we begin to prepare to return to work and school, St. Hubert’s can provide support in preparing pets for that transition as well. We prepared a webinar with guidance on how to prevent and treat separation distress. We also offer a host of behavior and training class options to fit your needs, whether it is a private session, group class, or virtual.
In the beginning of the pandemic, our first belief was that dozens of animals would be surrendered to shelters because families couldn’t care for them. But those animals never came. COVID reinforced our belief that animals are family, and our community members did everything they could to keep their family members with them, even in the face of illness and economic uncertainty.
Likewise, as offices reopen and social life begins to return to normal, it’s not surprising that the vast majority of animals who were adopted during the pandemic remain in their homes. It speaks to the shifting role of pets in our society as beloved family members. COVID has been an inflection emphasizing that evolution.
$5,000 reward for info in animal cruelty case
St. Hubert's Animal Welfare Center is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the identification, arrest and conviction of the person or persons involved in a case of alleged animal cruelty.
On the evening of Jan. 23, a St. Hubert's Animal Control Officer responded to a call about a small dog who was abandoned in the freezing cold outside an apartment complex in Irvington, New Jersey. The dog, who rescuers named Lux, had been tied with a rope to a pole on the corner of North Maple Avenue and Eastern Parkway. Lux was extremely matted and in intense pain. The matting not only blocked circulation to one of his paws, it pinched and pulled at his skin with every little movement.
Our officer rushed Lux to an emergency veterinary hospital, where the medical team gently cut away the mats and treated him for his wounds. Unfortunately, Lux's paw was so severely damaged, his entire leg had to be amputated.
St. Hubert's is looking for anyone who may have noticed anything unusual near the area of North Maple Avenue and Eastern Parkway in Irvington on Jan. 23, as well as anyone who recognizes the dog or has information about those responsible for his condition. If you have information, please call 973-377-2295.
"We need help from our community to help find those responsible for this act of animal cruelty," said Chris Schindler, Vice President of Field Services. "We're hopeful this reward will encourage anyone with information to come forward as soon as possible."
St. Hubert's is using its emergency fund designated to cover the expense of medical care and rehabilitation of animals like Lux. We are asking for donations (www.sthuberts.org/lux-dog-5) to pay for Lux's medical care and to help other animals with critical medical needs.
St. Hubert’s Welcomes 15,000th WayStation Dog
St. Hubert’s welcomed our 15,000th transport animal this week. We’re proud to have relocated 15,000 dogs for adoption since the WayStation program launched in 2016. We cheered the arrival of Andrea, our VIP (very important pup), at Morristown Airport and then had a celebration back at the adoption center. Andrea loved her cake made of cheese, peanut butter, and dog biscuits.
Andrea came to us from Remo's Rescue in Mississippi via a Wings of Rescue transport in partnership with the ASPCA. We are so grateful to over 80 partners including Remo’s Rescue and Wings of Rescue for their amazing partnership over the last four years. Special thanks to PetSmart Charities and Freshpet for their incredible support of our WayStation program. We couldn’t do this critical work without your support.
Learn more about St. Hubert’s WayStation program which has emerged as the best in-class transport program in the nation. With our movement of animals throughout the country, the WayStation has created unprecedented collaboration among sheltering organizations to address population disparity and root challenges in communities.
Share Your Adoption Story and Help St. Hubert's Earn $100K
Has your adopted pet changed your life? Share your story and help St. Hubert’s earn $100,000 this holiday season. The Petco Foundation, together with BOBS from Skechers, want to know all the ways, big and small, that your adopted pet has changed your life for the better. Winning stories will receive up to a $100,000 Holiday Wishes grant award for their adoption organization and winning adopters will receive a Petco shopping spree and BOBS from Skechers shoes.
Submit your Holiday Wishes story by September 23
If you’ve adopted a pet from St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center, and they are still living, share how your pet impacts your life for the better, every day.
Visit petcofoundation.org/holidaywishes to register and submit your story and photos.
When prompted to enter the organization where you adopted your pet, search for and select “St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center” in the search box.
Please enter the following information so St. Hubert’s can be eligible for a grant award:
Email contact for the organization: development@sthuberts.org
Organization phone number: 973-377-7094
Month and year your pet was adopted. If you aren’t sure, please enter your best guest.
Write your story in 500 words or less.
Upload at least four photos to support your story: one photo of just your pet, one photo of you or your family with your pet, and two additional photos of your choice. You can also include video clips to help illustrate the bond between you and your pet. Visit petcofoundation.org/holidaywishes to read prior year’s winning entries and get some inspiration. Remember, good stories will show how your pet changed your life.
Submit your story and photos to petcofoundation.org/holidaywishes by September 23, noon CST. But hurry because only the first 10,000 stories are guaranteed to be reviewed.
Winners will be announced during the holiday season. Finalists will receive a Petco shopping spree up to $1,000 and BOBS from Skechers shoes, and the organization they adopted from will receive a grant award ranging from $5,000 up to $100,000. For more information, visit petcofoundation.org/holidaywishes and join the conversation on social media using #HolidayWishes.
View answers to frequently asked questions.
Additional Questions? Email development@sthuberts.org
Help us celebrate Clear The Shelters all month long!
St. Hubert’s is excited to once again join NBC New York to host Clear the Shelters. This year has been unique, which is why we’re doing things a little differently for Clear the Shelters 2020. Instead of dedicating just one day to the event, we’ll be virtually celebrating all month long with several ways you can participate. Here’s how you can help.
Adopt a new best friend
We have wonderful animals who still need homes and it’s imperative we continue to find adoptive families for the animals in our care. Learn more about our adoption process here.
Q: Will you be doing an in-person pet adoption drive on August 29?
A: No, but we are thrilled to be able to offer virtual adoption services in addition to offering adoptions by appointment every day at our Madison shelter. We have many wonderful animals waiting to meet you.
Q: Will you be waiving adoption fees for Clear the Shelters?
A: Standard adoption fees will apply for all animals. Like many animal welfare organizations across the country, the COVID-19 crisis continues to stretch us beyond our limits financially. Thank you to our community for your ongoing support which has allowed us to keep our doors open and to ramp up our efforts to meet the needs of the New Jersey region and beyond.
Q: What if I’m interested in adopting a specific breed or age animal?
A: All available animals are updated in real time at www.sthuberts.org/animals-available-for-adoption. We encourage you to continue to check our website and learn more about our adoption process at www.sthuberts.org/adoption-process. Additionally, our adoption counselors are happy to help ensure you’re making the best match for your family based on the animal's individual personality and your lifestyle.
Foster an animal in need
Not ready to adopt? Fostering an animal in need helps us create a virtual shelter in the community for our most vulnerable animals. On any given day our fosters double the number of animals we can rescue, and they give an animal the best possible place to wait to find a loving home. We are particularly in need of fosters for medium to large size dogs.
Donate money or supplies
Clear the Shelters has partnered with GreaterGood.org to help support St. Hubert’s essential work year-round. Your donation will help support the animals in our care, from medical treatments to daily enrichment and beyond. Donate here: sthuberts.org/supportcts
Please visit cleartheshelters.com to access more information about Clear the Shelters, including the full list of local participating animal shelters.
A Continued Commitment to the St. Hubert's Community
A message from Michelle Thevenin, St. Hubert’s Chief Operating Officer:
We know many of our communities – adopters, volunteers and supporters – are anxious to return to our campuses at Madison, North Branch and Noah’s. We are nearly six months into our pandemic response here at St. Hubert’s and we’re trying out new ways of doing our work, while still under fairly tight disease control protocols.
We will continue to do adoptions by appointment at our Madison facility and virtually through our foster network. We have nearly 300 animals (mostly cats!) in foster homes waiting for their forever homes. For more information, visit www.sthuberts.org/adoption-process.
Our Animal Control Officers continue to work from our Madison and North Branch locations.
We have limited volunteer opportunities at all three locations, which are being carefully scheduled to ensure appropriate physical distancing. This is especially true in our smaller locations (Noah’s and North Branch).
While we will not be housing adoptable animals at our North Branch and Noah’s locations, we will be hosting adoption events at these sites.
Doggie Day Camp has opened!
Critter Camp has gone virtual!
New training classes will start on Saturday, August 8 with strict physical distancing protocols to maintain everyone’s safety. We will offer in-person group classes and private lessons, drop-off training classes, and virtual classes, workshops and private lessons. More details and schedules are coming soon.
We can accept limited donations at all three of our sites. Pet food and cat litter are the most urgent needs. These donations help supply our pet food bank and help keep pets with the families that care for them.
We will continue to keep our staff and volunteers safe, while providing the best care for the animals in our communities. Thank you for your support and care!
