Reunited after the fires
Northern California veterinary clinics and shelters are working overtime to help reunite people and pets separated by last month's wildfires. The North Valley Animal Disaster Group has created a website (campfirerescuedanimals.com) to help Camp Fire evacuees track down pets that may have survived. The resources page lists additional shelters and veterinary clinics where missing pets and large animals may be housed. Photos are updated daily. Owners who wish to reclaim an animal can do so by providing photo ID of the pet, describing unique markings or otherwise showing proof of ownership. Identified animals will be cared for until owners can take them again.
The other rescue dogs
If you're planning to visit Switzerland, consider a stop at Hospice du Grand-Saint-Bernard in Bourg-Saint-Pierre, where Saint Bernard dogs originated. Located high on a mountain pass near the Swiss-Italian border, the hospice still provides a welcome to travelers, who can stay at the inn, dine at the restaurant or, in the nearby town of Martigny, tour the Barryland museum dedicated to the dogs. Activities include a 45-minute hike with two of the famed mountain rescue dogs. The walk schedule varies, so check ahead of time.
Like cats and dogs
A higher percentage of U.S. households own dogs than cats, according to the 2017-18 Pet Ownership and Demographics Sourcebook produced by the American Veterinary Medical Association. About 38 percent of households owned one or more dogs, followed by 25 percent of U.S. households with cats. The sourcebook also showed that the population of exotic pets is growing, with more than 13 percent of households claiming fish, ferrets, rabbits, hamsters, guinea pigs, gerbils, turtles, snakes, lizards, poultry or amphibians. The 10 states with the highest percentage of pet-owning households in 2016 were Wyoming, West Virginia, Nebraska, Vermont, Idaho, Indiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, Oklahoma and Colorado.
Pet Connection
