Pet Health

My dog, Rusty, is my best pal, but he has a terrible habit of stealing things – socks, remotes, towels, magazines, whatever. When I tell him to stop, it turns into a huge chase scene with me yelling at him to put whatever it is down, which he never does. Unless I can corner him and force him to give it back to me I have to wait until he gets distracted by something else before I can (maybe) retrieve it.

Rex is a curious and fun-loving youngster, about 18 months old. As you can see, he is always on the lookout for new places to play and hide. He gets along great with the other cats in his foster home.

Daisy has a sad story and we are counting on you to add a happy ending. She was a much loved cat and lived well until her owner fell ill and was hospitalized. A neighbor took care of Daisy when she could. But, due to a so so diet and sedentary life waiting for her owner to come back, she got a little chunky. Even worse, her owner recently died, so now she is homeless

Just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse, they’re at it again. The United States House Agriculture Committee has approved the addition of language to the Farm Bill that, if passed, could destroy hundreds, if not thousands, of important animal-protection laws.

If you missed having a Porky and Buddy column last week, we are sorry. But, we have a good excuse. Guess where we are? Australia! Yup. It’s a field trip for us to learn all about Australia’s many unique animals. So far, we’ve seen kookaburra birds, fed kangaroos, held koalas (which are plump and sleepy, not much like a stuffed animal at all, but very cute), ducked to avoid a barn owl flying over our heads, heard tree frogs (which sound just like our peepers in Oswego), heard Sulphur Crested Cockatoos screeching in huge flocks, and saw Dingos in a sanctuary.

Arlo is quite the family man! He loves dogs, cats and children of all ages. Not much can bother this social gentleman. He understands the important role of furniture in a cat’s life and he hopes that you do, too.

Baxter is a grown-up cat and full of love. He is a sweet boy and would make a great addition to a family that can take care of and love him right back. He loves to lay around in the evening, and will come and sit on your lap and fall asleep there. No stupid kitten antics-just a lot of purring.

Did you know that some pet stores in New York sell pets using a financing/leasing scheme that is essentially rent-to-own? Legislation has been introduced in New York State that would ban this predatory lending practice and it needs your support.

This soulful wild-child is looking for someone who is willing to love her on her terms. Like many cats, Cher does not like to be picked up, because she’s, you know, “catty.” She does like you to pet her and sweet-talk her about how beautiful she is. (And don’t we all?)