Taking steps in advance to keep pets away from the holiday bling and chocolate bark can keep them out of trouble.
The holidays must be a weird time for our pets. Their familiar homes are suddenly brimming with strange trinkets and lights. New smells are wafting in from the kitchen. And did I mention there’s a tree in the living room? While most pets adapt quickly to our inexplicable traditions, a few will find ways to get into trouble.
Perhaps the first thing that comes to mind is the poisonous potential of the season. From baked goods to little foil-wrapped Santas, there is a whole lot of chocolate around this time of year. While small amounts of chocolate aren’t as toxic as you might fear, no self-respecting dog is going to stop with just one bite. It’s a good idea to keep that box of candy on the countertop instead of the coffee table.
Poinsettia plants are another inescapable Christmas symbol, and are widely known for their toxicity. Thankfully, their reputation is generally unearned. These plants can be minor irritants and can cause some stomach upset, but don’t present a life-threatening danger. It’s still wise to keep them out of reach, but there’s no need to banish them from your home.
Other holiday décor can be irresistible to curious animals. Dogs may try to snack on low-hanging ornaments, and what cat wouldn’t want to climb his own personal tree? Strings of lights and other electrical decorations can pose the risk of burns or electrocution if bitten. Depending on your pets’ personalities, you may need to find creative ways to keep them away from your newly decked halls, or reconsider what decorations you choose.
When it comes time to open gifts, keep your animals in mind. Ribbons and strings look nice on a present, but can quickly obstruct the intestines of pets that consume them. As gifts are unpackaged, twist ties and plastic bags left out can be a choking or asphyxiation hazard. And animals may not be able to tell the difference between a child’s new treasure and a chew toy.
Setting aside these holiday trappings, it’s also a time of year to gather with friends and family. While many pets relish the company, anxious animals may find the chaos stressful. The constant arrivals and departures can trigger dogs’ protective tendencies or allow flighty animals to escape. And the sudden presence of children (who, let’s be honest, can get a little intense under the influence of Christmas) may increase the risk of bites and scratches. If there’s any doubt at all, it’s best to keep animals safely elsewhere until things calm down.
Animals are inherently festive, and they can bring a lot of joy to the season. But there is a lot going on this time of year, and much of it can be confusing for our pets. Most seasonal hazards require a bit of mindfulness to avoid, but with a house full of guests and dinner cooking in the kitchen, it’s easy to get distracted just long enough for trouble to start. Taking a moment in advance to identify potential problems can make it easier to relax once the celebration really begins.
Dr. Mike Fietz is a small animal veterinarian at Georgetown Veterinary Hospital. He received his veterinary degree from Cornell University in 2003 and has lived in Charlottesville since.
It’s tempting to test the dog when a family can’t shake strep throat, but washing your hands proves to be more effective than treating Rover.
It happens at least once a year. Family members taking turns with strep throat, and they bring the dog in to see if he might be the culprit. It’s a completely reasonable concern, although I’m surprised at how often it has been suggested by the family physician or pediatrician. Because the answer is the same every time: No, the dog didn’t give anybody strep throat.
Most of us have probably tangled with strep throat at one point or another, and it’s a notoriously unpleasant experience. Lymph nodes under the jaw become swollen and sore. Horrible pustules line the back of the throat, bringing pain and frustration with them. It quickly responds to a course of antibiotics, but this still requires an inconvenient trip to the doctor and that gag-inducing test where they swab the back of your throat. This test is specifically looking for group A streptococcus—the bacteria that cause all this misery.
The thing about this infection is that it really likes people. We are its victim, but also its source. Many people harboring it have no symptoms at all. There is no vaccine, and the only prevention is good hygiene and a dash of hope. And unlike so many other diseases, recent infection with strep doesn’t prevent you from getting it again, which means that groups of people can continue passing it around indefinitely.
So what about the dog? The simple fact is that there are no clearly documented cases of dogs giving people strep throat. Although the offending bacteria can (rarely) be cultured from dogs, all evidence suggests that they only carry the bacteria temporarily after picking it up from a person. It doesn’t want to live in dogs, and it isn’t there long enough to multiply and become contagious.
You’ve probably noticed that there’s some wiggle room here. If dogs can carry the bacteria even briefly, isn’t it possible—however unlikely—that they might hand it off to a person? Sure. Biology is nothing if not unpredictable. But in these hypothetical cases, the dog would be serving a role no different than a contaminated pillow or a used glass. Testing the dog makes no more sense than testing every other object in the house for the presence of group A strep.
There is a lot of pressure on veterinarians to prescribe antibiotics to dogs when a family is visited by a stubborn round of strep throat. At a glance, what harm can it do? Even if it just makes everybody feel better, isn’t that worth it? Unfortunately, no it isn’t. Among other man-made catastrophes, antibiotic resistance is a threat to every single one of us. Tossing antibiotics at the dog without justification is one more incremental contribution to a global problem.
Strep throat can be frustrating, especially when a family can’t seem to shake it. But there is no need to conjecture about some mysterious culprit when we already know exactly where it’s coming from. It comes from us. Let’s leave the dog out of this.
Dr. Mike Fietz is a small animal veterinarian at Georgetown Veterinary Hospital. He received his veterinary degree from Cornell University in 2003, and has lived in Charlottesville since.
What do new restrictions on controlled substances mean for pet owners?
It’s been hard to escape news of the opioid crisis over the past few years. And it’s just as difficult to ignore the complicity of the nation’s health care system in creating it. Opioid medications—drugs similar to morphine and named for the opium poppy plant that produces them—have an important role to play in patient care. Used correctly, they are vital tools in controlling pain and suffering. But they have not always been used correctly, and the resulting addiction crisis has come at great cost in dollars and, more importantly, lives.
These drugs are also used in veterinary medicine. The past few decades have seen an increased emphasis on pain management in veterinary patients, and I believe that is a good thing. Short-term use of opioids is a safe and effective way to control acute pain associated with things like surgery or trauma. The danger comes with long-term use, as opioid receptors in the brain become accustomed to the drug and demand more of it.
There remain, however, many cases where long-term opioid use is justified. Some animals have concurrent medical conditions that preclude use of non-opioid alternatives. And sometimes, it’s the only thing that works. While animals can become addicted in theory, it is uncommon in practice. They simply have no control over their own dosing, which limits the potential for escalating abuse.
Recent changes in Virginia state law have established a prescription monitoring program that creates a consolidated database intended to track use and misuse of controlled drugs. This includes opioid medications like tramadol, and even some non-opioid medications like gabapentin that have the potential for abuse. These laws extend to veterinarians and have resulted in significant changes in the way we can prescribe these medications. The concern isn’t that animals are becoming addicted, of course. It’s that these drugs might be diverted for human use.
Veterinarians were given two options to comply with this program, and the first—submitting daily reports of all controlled substances prescribed—just isn’t feasible for most practices. Instead, most have elected to accept a waiver that limits them to dispensing one week of medication. If more than that is required, it must be prescribed through an external pharmacy so it can be monitored appropriately. It also requires that these animals be evaluated at least once every six months to keep the prescription active.
What does this all mean for pet owners? Mostly, it means that things are less convenient than they were before. If your pet requires ongoing use of a controlled substance, it is important to make sure that she is seen by her vet every six months. Your vet may be able to help by sending an automated reminder. It is also important to request refills well before your current supply runs out to avoid problems and delays.
I don’t know how much of a role veterinarians really play in the opioid crisis, but we’re wrapped up in it all the same. While these drugs shouldn’t necessarily be feared, they deserve respect and care in their use. Inconvenient as they may be, these new regulations are intended to make sure that care is taken.
Dr. Mike Fietz is a small animal veterinarian at Georgetown Veterinary Hospital. He received his veterinary degree from Cornell University in 2003 and has lived in Charlottesville since.
The idea that pet owners can find a hypoallergenic dog is not backed by science. Image: Getty Images
Finding a new dog isn’t trivial, and I’m often faced with questions about the process. There are so many variables to consider. Should you adopt a puppy or rescue an adult? What size dog best fits your lifestyle? Some questions have easier answers than others, and many require a degree of generalization that makes me uncomfortable. I can never say for sure that a certain breed will be good with children or that your choice will be easier to house train. But there is one thing I do know for sure: You can give up on your search for a hypoallergenic breed.
Allergies to pets are a very real thing. For many, the symptoms are some mild sniffling and sneezing. But more severe reactions are possible, ranging from rashes to asthma attacks. It is understandable that people afflicted with such allergies might want assurance that their new best friend isn’t going to be a medical liability. And that’s why it is vitally important to make this clear: As pervasive as the idea has become, there is absolutely no evidence that some breeds are hypoallergenic.
Don’t put away the tissues just yet.
Research has shown absolutely no difference in the presence of allergens in homes with supposedly hypoallergenic dogs compared to homes with “regular” ones.
Allergies happen when the immune system overreacts to something that wouldn’t otherwise be a threat. In this case, proteins in a dog’s skin or saliva are the trigger. While direct contact withdogs can produce symptoms, it isn’t necessary. Microscopic flakes of skin are constantly being shed from any animal. These particles, collectively called dander, will spread well beyond the dog’s reach. Some will remain suspended in the air, waiting to be inhaled. Others settle on clothing or furniture, ready to trigger skin allergies on contact.
While many breeds of dog are advertised as hypoallergenic, the most common ones seem to be those perceived as shedding less. The idea is that if they aren’t filling your home with fur, then they must not be filling it with dander either. It’s a completely reasonable supposition. Unfortunately, it also turns out to be a false one. Research has shown absolutely no difference in the presence of allergens in homes with supposedly hypoallergenic dogs compared to homes with “regular” ones.
Wittingly or not, breeders have seized on the popularity of hypoallergenic breeds. These dogs are often sold at premium prices to families willing to spend thousands of dollars for a perceived medical necessity. These families deserve to know that they are buying into a fiction.
If someone in your family does suffer from pet allergies, it is important to speak to your physician or allergist before adding a dog or cat to your home. Perhaps the allergy is mild enough to be managed with air filters, designated pet-free rooms, or medication. But the decision and its consequences are too important to revolve around a myth.
Dr. Mike Fietz is a small animal veterinarian at Georgetown Veterinary Hospital. He received his veterinary degree from Cornell University in 2003 and has lived in Charlottesville since.
For many of us, the relationship we have with our pet is the best one we’ve ever had. He never gets moody, he listens when you talk and he’s still interested in cuddles despite having seen you naked so many thousands of times. This issue takes into account the good, bad and furry side of pet ownership, because, while he’s usually down to eat anything (another plus!), sometimes that includes poop from the litter box. (Hey, every relationship has its compromises.)
ByCaite Hamilton, Jonathan Haynes, Tami Keaveny, Jessica Luck, Erin O’Hare, Sam Padgett and Nancy Staab
A purrdy good life
Carr’s Hill kitty is a commewnal pet
Frat Cat, as she’s known on Grounds, can usually be spotted at her favorite haunt, Carr’s Hill. Photo by Stacy Smith.
University of Virginia groundskeeper John Sauer remembers the first time he saw the cat. It was a cold and rainy February morning, and the fluffy-tailed feline sauntered up to Carr’s Hill from the fraternity houses below.
This was back in 2005 or so, and it wasn’t unusual to see an animal roaming around—Carr’s Hill was a veritable menagerie during John T. Casteen III’s nearly 20-year tenure as UVA president.
There were the dogs, Whiskey, Brady and Alice (a storied wanderer); a parakeet; chickens; and Sebastian the cat, who decided to forsake the house for the garage, though he stood near the front door of the house to greet guests (and, at least once, shake a dead squirrel at some pearl-clutchers).
But this new cat, Sauer hadn’t seen before that morning. He and other folks at Carr’s Hill started calling her Frat Cat, assuming she belonged to one of the many frat houses nearby. Frat Cat soon moved into the garage with a reluctant Sebastian who eventually grew to tolerate her presence.
Sauer kept space heaters going for both cats in the winter, and a variety of folks made sure the cats were fed; Frat Cat and Sebastian both earned their keep by helping Sauer deal with a variety of pests in the garden.
When the Casteens moved out of Carr’s Hill and Teresa Sullivan moved in in 2010, both Sebastian and Frat Cat stayed on, though Sebastian died of old age a few years later.
“Over the years, especially after Sebastian’s death, Frat Cat would let me pat her and [she] would rub against my leg, but she would never sit in my lap like Sebastian,” says Sauer, who is perhaps Frat Cat’s closest friend on the hill, though the cat who tends to play it cool has had plenty of other pals over the years.
Carr’s Hill was recently fenced off for a multi-year renovation project, and the UVA presidential operation—including Sauer’s gardening duties—moved a few blocks away to Sprigg Lane. At the time, Frat Cat was suffering from ear mites, so Sauer took her to the vet. Upon their return to the Carr’s Hill garage, he posted her certificate of vaccination above the old food table in the corner of the garage, where Sauer keeps Frat Cat’s food and water. “The workmen at Carr’s Hill know who she is and have spotted her going in and out of the garage. I go up to Carr’s Hill…regularly to make sure the food and water are okay,” he says.
Frat Cat often ventures to the School of Architecture, and when it snows, she’ll disappear only to come trotting back in good shape. Sauer can’t help but worry about the inadvertent communal pet, but he knows he doesn’t have to, he says: “Her story is one of survival.”—EO
A lush new home for rescued parrots, thanks to Project Perry
Louisa’s parrot paradise provides a safe haven for exotic birds who have been illegally imported into the U.S. Courtesy of Project Perry.
Green-winged macaws, blue crown conures, scarlet macaws…the very names of parrots conjure images of exotic, covetable, brilliantly plumed birds. Combine this with a parrot’s uncanny intelligence, personality and way with language (at least in some cheeky breeds, like the African grey), and you have some of the reasons why the trade in pet parrots has exploded. But keeping parrots as pets is problematic. They can be extremely needy, aggressive, loud and, with an average lifespan of 40 to 80 years, likely to outlive their well-intentioned owners.
This is where Matt Smith, founder and executive director of Project Perry comes in. His lush nonprofit sanctuary in Louisa offers a safe haven for exotic birds that have been captured in the wild and illegally imported to the United States, raised as breeder birds to support the pet trade or simply in need of rescue or rehabilitation. According to Smith, “Most owners are poorly equipped to offer their birds the two things they need most: flight and flock.”
By contrast, Project Perry offers a veritable birds’ paradise—27 acres for spreading their wings (literally), ample opportunities for socializing among the 200-plus parrots, cockatoos and other smaller birds, and six climate-controlled aviaries equipped with closed and open-air atmospheres, playful perches, native vegetation and even spa-like mistings.
Most recently, the vibrantly hued macaws moved into their new home, quickly adapting to the 39,000-square-foot space that allows for impressive flight paths. Their spacious digs were named after and funded with a $200,000 donation from Bob Barker and his animal welfare foundation, DJ&T, in 2015. When Smith received the call informing him of the generous donation, he confesses to being “a little bit starstruck” to be speaking to the TV legend himself, “with that same gameshow voice we watched on ‘The Price is Right.’”
The inspiration for Project Perry (named after Smith’s deceased pet conure) came to Smith while volunteering at a bird sanctuary in New Hampshire. The need for a parrot sanctuary “opened up a whole new world to me,” says Smith. Soon after, he quit his health care job, relocated to his native Virginia and established his own sanctuary in 2006. “It was a completely grassroots movement,” he recalls. He purchased the initial acres of land in rural Louisa “because birds are noisy,” designed and built the aviaries by hand and recruited local volunteers. Twelve years later, the facility boasts four full-time caretakers and an accreditation from the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries.
Though Smith refuses to play favorites among his flock, he admits to a special fondness for Peach, an elderly African grey who was wild-caught in her youth for breeding purposes and is now “retired.” Arthritic, partially blind and deaf, the old bird still displays her “zest for life” via acrobatic displays and a fondness for her playmate Sparky, says Smith.
“They are really like little people,” he says. “They show love and crave attention. There is something very fascinating and exceptional about a bird that you can do that with.”—NS
Doggone it!
Illustration by Mike Gorman
Safe to say Thomas Jefferson wasn’t a huge fan of dogs: “I participate in all your hostility to dogs and would readily join in any plan of exterminating the whole race,” he once wrote in a letter to a friend. “I consider them the most afflicting of all follies for which men tax themselves.”
That is until, during a trip to France, Marquis de Lafayette introduced him to the Briard, a guard dog known to be both excellent at herding and great companions to their owners. Jefferson paid 36 livres (about $6) for a pregnant one before boarding the ship back to America in 1789. She delivered two pups, which watched over his Merino sheep and served as household companions.
They didn’t accompany the third president to the White House, though. That honor went to Dick, one of Jefferson’s prized mockingbirds, whom he let fly around his office.—CH
Chickens, snakes and bees—oh my!
Classroom pets enhance learning
The Covenant School’s pet corn snake, Buttercup, provides a living learning opportunity. Courtesy of The Covenant School.
Pets are an unquestionably important part of our lives. From companionship, to teaching responsibility, there aren’t many lessons that can’t be learned by caring for a feathered, scaly and even chitinous friend. It’s this instructive aspect of pet ownership that has made critters mainstays of classrooms, allowing young students to dip their toes into the seas of responsibility. While the stereotypical idea of a class pet is something like a hamster named Chuckles, or a passively floating beta fish in a small bowl on the teacher’s desk, there are several local class pets that show the variety of ways they can be beneficial to young minds.
First, there is Buttercup, The Covenant School’s resident corn snake. Aside from being a living biblical allegory, Buttercup helps students “shed” their fear of snakes. Buttercup’s current chief caretaker, teacher Corrine Lennard, believes that “our general fear of snakes is a learned behavior.” She notes that Buttercup reminds her of a puppy, evaporating her students’ potential apprehension. “She loves being held and being close,” Lennard says. Most importantly, though, Lennard sees a great educational opportunity in Buttercup.
“Having a classroom pet is experiential learning at its finest,” she says. “Watching Buttercup shed her skin in front of the students was more valuable than any YouTube video.”
Also at Covenant, teacher Betsy Carter has been raising live chickens. Since the chicks are raised in an incubator in the classroom, the students are accordingly interested. Carter describes their hatching as a “zany” experience, but ultimately one that is fulfilling to her class. “For the most part, they all take pride in their roles as parents” she says.
One of the more unexpected local class pets—bees—is at the Waldorf School, which has recently built an apiary on its campus. According to the Waldorf’s gardening teacher, Dana Pauly, the bees are an indispensable teaching tool. While only certain students will directly handle the bees (barring any allergies), the insects’ presence alone on campus helps facilitate learning. “One of the things that a Waldorf education seeks to engender is a sense of wonder,” says Pauly. “For them to understand where their food is coming from and what’s involved in it is essential.”—SP
Recount your chickens
Rugby Hills were cock-a-doodle-bamboozled when a neighboring hen, Darlene, turned out to be a rooster.
The world can easily be divided into those who are morning people and those who are not—and you know who you are. For her part, Mother Nature has endowed us with morning animals. Enter the rooster, whose full-throttle, break-of-day crowing can needle even the cheeriest of early risers.
In April, when Rugby Hills resident Zak Billmeier was awakened by a bird “making a racket early in the morning,” he posted on NextDoor to ask if anyone else heard a rooster in the area, wondering if there was an ordinance: “I know female chickens are allowed in the city for making eggs, but does anyone know if a rooster is allowed?”
C’ville residents on the neighborhood social network dug in on both sides of the debate with tales of pastoral joy (“How lovely to hear farm sounds in town!”) and woe, with some citing the ordinance Sec. 4-8-Fowl at-large, which states it’s “unlawful for any person to permit any chickens, ducks, geese, pigeons or other fowl belonging to him to go at-large in the city,” and most conceding that the feathered noisemakers are a legal part of the local lifestyle.
A few months earlier, another Rugby Hills dweller, Jenn Silber, had purchased two young hens for the production of fresh eggs and named them Darlene and Ethel. Darlene developed beautiful tail feathers and grew larger than Ethel, then sometime around the six-month mark, Darlene let loose at sunrise and the Silber household realized it had a rooster on its hands.
“The first morning that Darlene started crowing, I immediately posted to NextDoor and our neighborhood Facebook group to apologize for the noise and let everyone know we were working on getting him back to the farm,” says Silber. “I had seen Zak’s post on NextDoor regarding a loud rooster in the Westwood/Rose Hill area a month prior.It seemed like people were very divided about that rooster—some enjoyed the farm sounds and others were extremely bothered by the noise.”
Being that Silber wanted the hens for eggs, and roosters were creating an online dust-up, Darlene was exchanged for a hen about a week after his circadian rhythms had activated.
“I’m not a chicken-hater,” says Billmeier who wants to be sure neighbors know he’s supportive. “I was curious to know if they [roosters] were allowed in the city. I think it’s great that people can have chickens and get eggs.” The moral of this story? Keep counting your chickens after they hatch.—TK
Louie the tabby keeps his owners on their toes
That darn cat! Louie, who also appears on the cover of this issue, loves to join his owners on hikes along Rivanna Trail.
Stopping by the DJ booth at Wild Wing Café, chasing teenagers around the Downtown Mall, exploring the Charlottesville Fire Department—Jenn Spofford says it’s hard to know exactly how many people have crossed paths with her cat, Louie, on his travels. But it’s a lot.
“I think the funniest, strangest thing about Louie is his tendency to follow people,” Spofford says. “Even after three years, we get about a call a week from someone who has walked home and found him on their heels and eventually in their apartment.”
She and her partner, James Rutter, adopted Louie and his sister, Nico, from the SPCA in Lovingston at 8 weeks old, and found out pretty quickly after bringing them home that the kittens had an adventurous streak. But whereas Nico would prowl around and mainly keep to herself, Louie was much more friendly.
“He would explore the neighborhood, but if he saw someone walking by, he would start to follow them,” Spofford says.
Then, while housesitting for her family in the country, the couple went for a walk and noticed Louie trailing behind them.
“He would tag along for long hikes, and so in the last couple years we’ve decided to lean in,” Spofford says. “Our favorite place in town to go is Darden Towe Park, where we’ve hiked some portions of the Rivanna Trail and taken breaks by the river.”
And don’t even get her started on how Louie taught himself to use the restroom.
“One morning I walked in the bathroom and found him peeing in the toilet, with absolutely no training,” she says.—CH
Walking the walk
Give yourself—and your dog—a break
Cynthia Elkey started her first pet-sitting and dog-walking business three decades ago. Rover’s Recess has been offering pooches-and their owners-a break as a midday walking service since 1999. Photo by Tristan Williams.
Cynthia Elkey is so dedicated to her work, she’ll wriggle through a dog door to get to her clients. Elkey, owner of dog-walking business Rover’s Recess, had misplaced the key to the house of one of her clients (who were out of town for the week). Elkey didn’t have the housesitter’s number, so she scaled the backyard privacy fence and stuck her head through the door to gauge how big it was. Immediately, a barking Shar Pei came charging toward her—and began licking all over her face. Elkey was laughing as she tried to catch her breath between licks while squeezing through the dog door.
Elkey had wanted to be a veterinarian as a child, and when she was living in Alexandria, a friend mentioned she was doing some part-time pet sitting. In 1985, primo pet care was not the topic du jour—you either knew some neighborhood kids who helped take care of your pet or Fido went to the kennel. Elkey filled a niche and launched a petting-sitting and dog-walking business for the Northern Virginia area; when she sold it in 1998 she had 40 employees.
A year later, Elkey launched Rover’s Recess, a weekday dog-walking business that serves about 70 clients each month in Charlottesvilkle. New customers meet with Elkey in their home, along with the dog walker who is matched with their pooch. The goal is to make sure each canine feels comfortable with its walker—there’s only been one instance where a dog was too afraid to come out from under the bed, Elkey says.
Each Rover’s Recess walker sees four to eight clients a day, and walks them for between 15 and 45 minutes each (on hot or rainy days, walks are kept short or playtime is spent indoors). Elkey requires any new hires to commit to at least a year with the business (most employees are semi-retired and looking for part-time work) because she wants to make sure her clients feel comfortable and build a trusting relationship with their caretaker.
“You’re the highlight of their day,” Elkey. “Dogs wear their heart on their sleeve—they’re just great.”—JL
Walk this way
Cynthia Elkey gives a few tips for dog walking:
• Using a harness like Easy Walk that attaches on a dog’s chest and makes the walking experience easier.
• Walk against traffic, so you can see what’s coming.
• When the dog is outside, know you’re thelast thing on its mind: “All they want to do is sniff the doggy newspaper, see who’s been walking around here,” Elkey says.
The Wildlife Center’s animal rehab
The Wildlife Center of Virginia urges people to not take care of wild animals on their own, instead recommending they contact the center. Courtesy of The Wildlife Center of Virginia
Oftentimes, when people encounter a wounded animal, they take it home and care for it themselves. The Wildlife Center of Virginia says don’t. It’s illegal and it has unintended consequences on the patient.
In some cases, this well-meaning nursing causes a bird to imprint on humans instead of other birds.
Gus, one of the center’s barred owls, imprinted on a human family that raised her during her early phases of development. She came to perceive her human caregivers as her own kind, which triggered behavioral issues, such as repeated attempts to mate with humans and an inability to mate with other owls.
Gus is housed outdoors in a five-acre tract of land that extends into the George Washington and Jefferson national forests, where the center shelters each animal in a custom-built, wooden enclosure screened with wired mesh. Most animals are treated or rehabilitated so they can be released back into the wild.
But some that cannot be released because of medical or behavioral issues—mostly snakes, raptors or opossums—are retained as “educational ambassadors” who assist the staff in teaching visitors about wildlife.
Gus is a popular ambassador.
Alex Wehrung, an outreach coordinator at the Wildlife Center, recommends that when people come across a sick or wounded animal, they contact his staff or the 200 other rehabilitators permitted by the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries to handle wild animals.
Tucked in a niche off the side of the road, the center operates in a lodge-like facility that provides office space for employees in one wing and a laboratory for animal care in the other.
It was founded in 1982 by Ed Clark in Weyers Cave, where it serviced wildlife until it relocated to its current location in Waynesboro in 1995. Relying entirely on donations, the nonprofit employs 20 full-time staff members and admits between 2,000 and 3,000 animals each year.
On its website, the center streams live feeds of some of its bear yards and flight tents, and it posts updates on most of the animals’ health—no matter the outcome. “We let people know that not all of our stories have a happy ending,” Wehrung says. “Sometimes we have to euthanize animals.”
Unlike a nature center, the Wildlife Center is not open to the public because of its obligations as a veterinary hospital. But individuals, businesses and schools can schedule a tour through the website.—JH
Top dog
Get to know the Downtown Mall’s gentle giant
Mozart the mastiff, says his owner, is as sweet as he is big. Photo by Eze Amos.
If Mozart likes you, he leans on you. He’ll take a seat at your feet and lean all 198 pounds of his apricot brindle body into you, a gentle invitation for a scritch on the head.
Not that there’s much Mozart doesn’t like, says his human, Susan Krischel, co-owner of the IX property downtown. The nearly 4-year-old English mastiff loves eating ice cream, sucking on stuffed animals, walking through puddles and playing with his best dog friend (who happens to be an 8-pound Pomeranian). Mozart is as sweet as he is big.
He’s lazy, too, requiring a nap after just a single tennis ball chase, or after four rambunctious laps around the coffee table in Krischel’s Downtown Mall apartment.
On their morning walks, Mozart—“Mozey” for short—stops when he’s tired and lies down spread-eagle, drooling and snoozing until he’s ready to proceed. Because of these rests and greetings from Mozart’s adoring fans, Krischel plans extra time into all of their walks. “He’s the ambassador of the mall,” she says of her pet. “A celebrity.”
At a recent party at IX Art Park, Mozart somehow made it into the MoxBox photo booth and sat there for two hours, getting his photo taken (sometimes wearing big plastic sunglasses) with more than 250 different people. He’s very agreeable, unless you’re a skateboarder—then he’ll bark at you.
Krischel especially loves when tiny kids run full-speed up to Mozart and fling their arms around his neck for a hug while the kids’ parents look on, wide-eyed—and possibly terrified—at what might happen. Mozart always just nuzzles them, she says. “He’s a big love muffin.”—EO
Therapy dogs provide helping paws to those in need
Kristen Bowsher and Kuiper, a Leonberger, make regular visits to UVA Hospital as part of a team with Therapy Dogs International. Courtesy of UVA Health System.
When Kiwi’s owner, Julie Walters, puts on her gentle leader and fluorescent green vest, the Labradoodle knows she’s going to work. Specifically, she’s volunteering as a therapy dog through Green Dogs Unleashed, which is a rescue/rehabilitation/therapy training nonprofit based in Troy. Green Dogs mainly rescues special needs dogs that are deaf, blind or amputees, and its therapy dogs run the gamut: Mr. Magoo is blind, and all ages and breeds have come through the program. Currently the organization has 26 teams of dog/human volunteers who visit schools, nursing homes and hospitals to help spread joy.
Walters started fostering dogs four years ago, first through the Fluvanna SPCA after seeing a photo of a dog-in-need on Facebook, then through Green Dogs (she’s fostered more than 65 dogs). After her children aged out of 4-H, she was looking for another way to volunteer and immediately thought of training a dog to help others. She went through the several-weeks-long training process (each segment takes six weeks) with two of her fosters, but both weren’t suited for the work. Then she got Kiwi when she was surrendered to Green Dogs at 4 months old. The puppy had been given up for “bad behavior,” but Walters says it was more likely a case of the original owners not understanding the breed they had gotten.
“They didn’t give her much of a chance,” she says.
Walters had a hunch Kiwi would make a great therapy dog, and says it was clear during training how much the year-old dog loved it: She was calm, paid attention to commands and—perhaps most important—loved the attention. “You can’t pet this dog enough,” Walters says.
Kiwi, 3, is a “foster fail”—as soon as she graduated from therapy training Walters knew she had to keep her; she had fallen in love with her. And Walters isn’t the only one.
The pair visits Central Elementary every Tuesday during the school year to interact with children who have attention deficit disorder. Starting their day petting or reading to Kiwi calms the students down. And Kiwi has become somewhat of a celebrity: During one of their twice-monthly visits to Mountainside Senior Living in Crozet, Walters said a child shouted across the parking lot, “Is that Kiwi?!”
Anne Gardner and her 18-month-old mixed breed, Chewy, just completed the Green Dogs therapy training program (including basic commands, therapy scenarios such as riding an elevator and walking near wheelchairs and learning nonverbal cues), where they met Walters and Kiwi. Although Chewy is still a puppy, Gardner says she’s eager to continue honing his skills so he can pass his test, and start working in schools and the hospital system. And he’s picking things up on his own. The Gardners have new neighbors with young children, and without being told, Chewy sits and waits for the kids to run up to greet him.
“I’m fortunate I have a home that can accommodate an animal; it’s something I know I get my own sense of joy and relaxation and purpose out of,” Gardner says. “There’s more than enough love to go around with these animals.”—JL
Get involved
For more information on fostering or getting your dog certified to be a therapy animal, go to greendogsunleashed.org.
Pam Rivera photographed the pig July 3 when it was found wandering around her neighborhood near Proffit Road.
Courtesy Pam Rivera
The couple who took a wandering pig that police delivered to the Charlottesville Albemarle SPCA and who had plans to turn it into a Fourth of July barbecue, according to a Newsplex interview, had their charges certified to the grand jury in an August 25 preliminary hearing in Albemarle General District Court.
More than a dozen supporters of a pig they’ve dubbed Profit (because it was found on Proffit Road) showed up in court. Petition organizer Debbi Torres made an audible gasp when a veterinarian pathologist testified the pig had 31 stab wounds, and others, wearing T-shirts that said “#justiceforprofit” on the front and “Who will help the next pig?” on the back, dabbed tears from their eyes.
Jerelyn Aymarie Sutter, 27, and Lee Edward Oakes Jr., 33, were charged with maiming or killing of livestock, a felony, and misdemeanor cruelty to animals. Both had been charged with petit larceny, Oakes for the third time, and Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Matt Quatara amended those charges to felony theft of livestock, “to wit, a pig.”
Two Albemarle County Police officers had taken Profit into custody July 3 after he had been found wandering in the Proffit Road area. Animal control Officer Larry Crickenberger testified that when he came in to work July 4 and had a report of the “livestock animal,” he went to the SPCA to find a place to relocate it, because the shelter does not take livestock. That’s when he learned that Sutter, an SPCA employee, and Oakes had taken the animal.
“Mr. Oakes stated he had given the pig to a friend who had taken him to a butcher,” said Crickenberger. “I said for him to stop immediately.”
Oakes contended it was a feral pig that had tusks and charged him, according to Crickenberger. Oakes, who has a long, auburn beard, and Sutter, wearing a purple T-shirt, did not testify.
Crickenberger said he and SPCA operations manager Jennifer Kilby drove to Verona to the meat processor, a very large, “state-of-the-art, very clean” facility, to retrieve the remains.
Dr. Jaime Weisman, a veterinary diagnostician at the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services in Warrenton, conducted the necropsy—an autopsy for animals. She testified to the 31 stab wounds, and under cross examination, said most were in the neck.
She also said it was difficult to tell whether a pig is domesticated or feral, especially after a domestic one spends a few months out in the wild.
Weisman estimated Profit was around 6 months old and weighed between 50 and 60 pounds.
Video footage from the SPCA was shown in court, and Detective Michael Wells narrated what was occurring. The pig was removed from a crate and an unnamed SPCA staff member helped put a harness and leash on. Oakes walks and pets the pig, said the detective.
“There starts to be an altercation with the pig,” said Wells. “The pig is laying there. He has to be subdued.” Later, a white sheet is put over the pig, which is still moving, he said.
“It appears the pig has been stabbed out of the frame,” said the detective. Sutter backs the car up and the pig is put in the trunk. On video from inside the shelter, the two appear to be cleaning up. “Mr. Oakes carries a trashcan full of something outside,” said Wells.
At that point, the commonwealth rested, with three of eight witnesses not testifying, among them, Jose Zamora, owner of Profit. According to Crickenberger, he’d been canvassing the neighborhood where the pig was found looking for its owner when he noticed Zamora’s residence, which had other livestock, including goats.
Outside the courtroom, Zamora said he’d bought a pig in the spring at Tractor Supply, and the person selling it gave him a second pig, even though Zamora said he didn’t have room. “He said, ‘Don’t put it in the corral,’” said Zamora. “We’d leave food for it and find it in the woods. Then we don’t find it. A couple days later an investigator came, saying the pig was killed.”
Oakes’ attorney, Bonnie Lepold, argued that the commonwealth did not prove that the pig was livestock, nor that it was owned. “No one comes forward,” she said, and no one said, “That’s my pig.”
Judge Steve Helvin said the pig was clearly in the possession of the SPCA. “I have no problem certifying the larceny cases,” he said.
He also wasn’t convinced Profit was a feral pig because it was put on a leash. “I’m not buying it,” said the judge. “You might have the right to kill an animal, but not maliciously with 31 stab wounds.” He certified the livestock-maiming charges to the grand jury as well.
After the hearing, #justiceforprofit supporters were pleased.
Debbi Torres, who runs a pig sanctuary in North Carolina, gasped in court when she heard the animal had been stabbed 31 times. Staff photo
Torres, who had collected 1,060 signatures on a petition she turned over to the prosecution demanding the maximum sentences—16 years—for Sutter and Oakes, said, “We want to tell people there are a lot of pet pigs. Not all are feral. Hundreds of people care about these animals. They’re not just food.”
Said Torres, “There’s a network of people who have sanctuaries. When there’s a lost pig, we’re on it.”
Following the August 25 hearing, the CASPCA provided a statement dated July 23 that noted two employees involved had been terminated. Chair Glenn Rust said, “Since the incident is currently under a criminal investigation, we are not able to make further comments at this time.”
Can’t anything be easy? There are a million toys on the shelf at the pet store, and you feel like you’ve been warned about every single one of them. This one has a squeaker, which you heard is a choking hazard. Your cousin’s dog got an intestinal blockage from rawhide, so that’s out. Pretty much everything on that next shelf was made in China and can’t be trusted. If the Internet is to be believed, this is basically a store full of death traps.
But toys are an important part of caring for pets. They help alleviate boredom, provide an appropriate outlet for destructive behavior and often serve as a focal point for interactions with us. They aren’t optional.
The problem is that nearly any toy can be dangerous under the right circumstances. Let’s face it, dogs aren’t dainty creatures. They often interact with things by utterly destroying them, which means nearly anything can be reduced to a choking hazard in time. You need to account for your dog’s individual habits when trying to select the right toys. Does he ruthlessly eviscerate stuffed animals within moments of purchase, or is he more likely to tote one proudly around the house for the next six months?
The warnings you’ve heard aren’t incorrect, but they should be taken in context. So long as play is supervised, you can intervene if a squeaker gets dislodged or rawhide gets chewed down to inappropriate size. Sure, you could just place these toys on a strict no-fly list, but that may be unnecessarily limiting. Some dogs are really excited by toys with squeakers, and rawhides (and other similar alternatives) can help keep teeth clean. These kinds of toys have their place if you keep an eye on how they’re being used.
If you’re looking for toys to keep your dog busy when supervision isn’t possible (which is important to prevent boredom in your absence), it’s better to stick to simpler, sturdier options. Hefty rope toys and solid rubber balls can withstand a good beating, and are safer choices in those circumstances. Even then, check for wear and tear on a regular basis. It’s wise to replace them when they grow battle-worn.
Cats are a bit less likely to swallow every single thing they can cram past their teeth, but they aren’t immune to the concern. Because their toys tend to be delicate contraptions with feathers, ribbons and tiny bells, they can be trouble once dismantled. String is particularly vicious when swallowed by cats, capable of slicing right through the intestine. So while that fishing pole toy is a great way of playing with your cat, it’s best to tuck it safely away before you leave the house. And if you live in a mixed-species household, keep in mind that cat toys are often small enough to be choking hazards to dogs.
As for worries about dangerous toys from foreign markets, I’m afraid you can only follow your own judgment. The pet toy industry is woefully unregulated, and there is no agency monitoring safety or durability, so we are left to trust manufacturers and retailers to set their own standards. If a toy looks suspiciously cheap, flimsy or otherwise questionable, it’s probably best to leave it on the rack and go with something familiar.
All that said, toys are supposed to be about fun, not stress. Keep your eyes peeled for unique new ways to interact with your pets. Just like us, animals get bored of the same thing all the time and like to be surprised. Instead of leaving every toy lying around every day, a rotating selection of different shapes, sounds, sizes and textures can keep things feeling fresh and interesting. Puzzle toys that hide secrets (usually of the edible variety) can be more mentally engaging than simple chew toys.
It’s good to think about safety when you go toy shopping for pets, but there’s no need to be paralyzed by those concerns. Take a moment to consider how your pet will interact with whatever you’re holding, and then get back to imagining how much fun you’ll both have once you get home.
Dr. Mike Fietz is a small-animal veterinarian at Georgetown Veterinary Hospital. He received his veterinary degree from Cornell University in 2003 and has lived in Charlottesville since.
There is no right time to say goodbye to your pet.
You’ll know when it’s time. She’ll tell you. It will be sad, but you’ll know it’s the right thing to do.
Except it’s not happening that way at all. None of this makes any sense, and every decision seems wrong. She walks so slowly and can hardly be bothered to eat. It must be time, right? Today is the day. But then she seemed so content to lie in the grass and wagged her tail a bit when you said her name. It’s too soon. It has to be too soon. She’s saying she isn’t ready. Let’s see how tonight goes.
People with aging and ailing pets are all too familiar with this agony. In the abstract, it is easy to understand how and when euthanasia is the compassionate choice. Nobody, after all, wants to see animals suffer without recourse, and we’re lucky to have the option available when necessary.
But up close and personal, choosing to euthanize a beloved friend is an act of staggering responsibility. The common assurance that you’ll “just know” is well-intentioned, but a terrible disservice when you find that you don’t. You are ensnared by a confusing and shifting tangle of emotions, complicating an already sorrowful dilemma with guilt and self-doubt. You’re on the verge of deciding one moment, and hating yourself for it the next. How is anyone supposed to make such a painful and irrevocable choice under these circumstances?
Although I’m asked on a regular basis, I don’t know that I have a very good answer. There just isn’t a preordained set of symptoms that make it the “right time.” Even as a veterinarian, I’ve come to see this matter as more personal than medical. That’s not to say that science and medicine don’t inform the discussion, but once that part is dealt with, we are left with a fuzzy question. Does this animal still have an acceptable quality of life? I find that this is where people struggle the most. They so desperately want this question to have an unequivocal answer. They want to know, with precise certainty, that today is the right day.
It’s one thing when an animal becomes acutely ill with a grave condition. The decision is beyond our control, and there’s an awful clarity to be found in that kind of tragedy. But so many animals spiral slowly into decline. From day to day, there is hardly any change at all. It makes the decision seem so arbitrary. Why should we do this today when things will be essentially the same tomorrow?
Only when we close our eyes and think back—three, six, 12 months—can we see how the decay has spread. I remember my own dog’s final days. He was tired and distant. I couldn’t even tell you how or when he got that way, it was so incremental. I’d wake up in the morning and immediately check to see if he was breathing. He was. And I’d have trouble sorting out if that was a good thing. If only he’d pass away in his sleep. If only the universe would just make this decision so I don’t have to.
We don’t often get that luxury. If you share your life with animals, there will almost certainly come a day when you are forced down this emotionally treacherous path. You will need to think hard and seek help. Talk with your friends and family. Talk to your veterinarian, and know your options. But acknowledge that things may never be as clear as you want them to be. Guilt and regret will trick you into beating yourself up no matter what you decide, and that’s only human. But those feelings are poisonous. You don’t need them right now.
Focus your emotions where they belong—on how much you love your friend, and how that love is guiding every decision you make right now. So long as that remains front and center, you don’t have to worry about choosing the right time. The right time will be whichever one you choose.
Training cats is easy when you speak their language and appeal to their motivations. Photo: File photo
I suppose there’s no good time for a cat to pee in your bed, but two in the morning is particularly objectionable. Wrested from sleep by the noxious mess saturating my sock, I resigned myself to a bleary-eyed bout of laundry and mattress cleaning. This wasn’t the first time, and I needed a better solution than closing the door to leave her wailing in the hallway all night. I had no choice but to teach her to stay off the bed.
Cats have a reputation for being untrainable. We bring them into our homes and kind of hope they’ll just fall in line, or at the very least install themselves as benevolent dictators. But this isn’t giving them enough credit. Sure, they may be more willful than the obsequious family dog, but cats do have their motivations. And appealing to those motivations gives us the ability to steer their behavior in the right direction.
My challenge was to make the bed less attractive to a creature whose entire existence is predicated on finding the most comfortable place to nap. Shooing her away wouldn’t work—she’d just slink up once I fell asleep. I needed to rig the bed so I could sleep in it, but she wouldn’t want anything to do with it. So I bought several rolls of masking tape and set to work weaving them into a queen-sized spiderweb, laying it sticky-side up over my sheets.
For two weeks I slept under this ridiculous thing (it wasn’t so bad except for the gluey smell). And for two weeks my cat continued jumping on the bed, only to leap off in disgust when the threads of my trap stuck to her paws. Then, one night, she just stopped trying. Six years later, she still sleeps happily in her own bed, and I no longer wake up in a vile puddle.
This trick worked because it tied consequences directly to her action. For many people, training a cat begins and ends with a spray bottle. The problem is that cats are clever enough to learn you’re policing them. The best-case scenario is that they just get back into trouble when you’re gone. The worst-case scenario is that they start to fear you. They need to be shown why doing something isn’t worth their time, regardless of when they choose to do it.
Apart from sticky tape, simple aluminum foil does a surprisingly good job of warding cats away from surfaces, and it’s easy to quickly remove if you have company coming and you don’t want to look like a crazy person. Or if you need a more potent deterrent, you can even buy little motion-activated air horns that can be stationed near no-cat zones. And these things don’t need to be there forever in most cases. If you really want your cat to stay off the new couch or away from the dinner table, you may only need to set your trap for a few weeks until the lesson sinks in and becomes permanent.
And never forget the value of positive reinforcement. Cats do like to be buttered up a bit, whether with treats or a good long scratch behind the ears. Providing attractive alternatives to bad behavior gives your cat the opportunity to choose something better and be rewarded for it. Your favorite armchair is in tatters? Perhaps it’s time for a scratching post. Finding your houseplants torn from their pots? Maybe an indoor box of grass and catnip would make a more appropriate target.
You’re probably not going to teach your cat to abandon all forms of mischief—that’s just part of their infuriating charm. But when it really counts, they can be reasoned with. You just have to make your case in their language.
Dr. Mike Fietz is a small-animal veterinarian at Georgetown Veterinary Hospital. He received his veterinary degree from Cornell University in 2003 and has lived in Charlottesville since.
Every Sunday from May through October, Keswick Vineyards hosts a yappy hour, during which $1 from each bottle purchased goes to a local animal shelter. Photo: Courtesy Keswick Vineyards
This town loves food and dogs, so it’s only natural that so many places in the area allow us to enjoy both at the same time. We haven’t compiled an exhaustive list by any means, but we’ve rounded up several of the restaurants, wineries and coffee shops that not only share your affection for your pooch, but encourage you to bring your best friend with you.
Yappy hours
Is there anything better than sipping on a glass of wine while either playing with your own dog or visiting with other animals, all for a good cause? Every Sunday from May through October, Keswick Vineyards hosts a yappy hour, during which $1 from each bottle purchased goes to a local animal shelter. They partner with a different shelter each week, and sometimes volunteers from those shelters bring cats and dogs to the winery for guests to meet and adopt, according to Wine Club Marketing Manager Jacqueline Rullman, who’s adopted one of those pups herself. Four-legged guests are welcome at Keswick any time, even inside the tasting room, and human guests can let their dogs run around off-leash in the fenced-in dog park on-site.
“We wanted to give back, and we found that once we became dog-friendly, everyone started bringing their dogs,” says Rullman. “It’s kind of like bringing kids to the park, with the parents all hanging out and talking to each other.”
Clifton Inn also hosts yappy hour every Thursday on its dog-friendly terrace, and Threepenny Cafe occasionally does the same on its patio. Threepenny’s events are more sporadic, but dogs are welcome outside all the time, and owner Merope Pavlides says they always keep all-natural dog treats on hand for their furry guests.
Dog days of summer
Now that it’s warm (and sunny, thank all that is holy), outdoor patios are beckoning to human and canine guests. Nearly all of the restaurants with patio space on the Downtown Mall are dog-friendly, such as Mudhouse, Zocalo and Miller’s, just to name a few, and Chaps leaves a giant bowl of water outside to ensure your pup stays hydrated on long downtown walks in the heat.
Coffee certainly isn’t recommended for pets, but if you ask for a “puppuccino” at Starbucks you’ll get a little cup of whipped cream just for your pooch (or you, who’s watching?!). Dairy Queen also offers a small cup of vanilla ice cream for dogs called the “pup cup,” and the folks behind the counter at Atlas Coffee keep a jar of dog treats on hand for your pup.
And let’s not forget the local companies dedicated entirely to dog treats. Surprise your pooch on his birthday with a healthy pupcake from Charlottesville Dog Barkery, or pick up some dog (or cat!) treats, such as crumbly peanut butter snackers or sweet, chocolate-esque carob chip snackers from Ancestry Pet Food (formerly known as Sammy Snacks).
