  This nice weather puts me in mind of sunshine, summer, and vacation. As we make our getaway plans, we can’t forget our furry family members. If you’re heading out of town, you may choose to have a pet sitter care for your animals. Whether they stay at your house, or your animals go to their house, pet sitters provide care in a comfortable setting, reducing pet stress while you’re away. This National Pet Sitter’s week, we want to highlight a special certification available for pet professionals focused on the mental health of pets everywhere: Fear Free.
Fear Free’s mission is to prevent and alleviate fear, anxiety, and stress in pets by inspiring and educating the people who care for them. Veterinarians, groomers, boarders, pet sitters, and other professionals can take classes geared to understanding pet body language, humane handling techniques, and ways to reduce stress in their patients and clients. Just like us, animals show their best selves when they feel comfortable. Stressed out pets are harder to diagnose, treat, and handle. Fear Free’s emphasis on mental and emotional well-being leads to a happier, healthier pet overall.
Fear Free also offers opportunities for pet owners at all levels! If you’ve just welcomed a pet into your home, your pet is dealing with a specific issue like separation anxiety, or you just want to learn how to reduce pet stress, Fear Free has a wide array of videos, podcasts, and articles for you to explore. Check out their Happy Homes website today! |
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 Dr. Barbara Hanek,
Veterinarian Administrator
At DCAS, all staff are required to complete Fear Free certification. This is just one way we work towards keeping shelter pets as comfortable as possible while they are in our care. Learn more about the Five Freedoms of Animal Care by watching our Two Minute Tuesday short video!
 Join DuPage Animal Friends for a night of fun & fundraising for the Capital Campaign to build a new home for the animals at DuPage County Animal Services.
Friday, April 12, 2024
6:00pm - 11:00pm
Abbington Distinctive Banquets
3S002 Route 53, Glen Ellyn, IL 60137
Enjoy appetizers, open bar, four-course dinner, dueling pianos, auctions, paddle raise & more!
Meghan R rejoins the DCAS team as an Administrative Specialist, primarily processing rabies certificates. Meghan started her DCAS journey as an intern in animal care before working part time in the front office processing adoptions, answering the phones, and generally seeing to the needs of our residents – both furry and human!
Meghan’s career has taken her to several facilities, all to help animals and people live safely together, whether with local pet rescues or with the forest preserve. Even after Meghan left to explore other options, Meghan continued to foster cats for DCAS, specializing in under socialized kittens aka “Spicy Babies.” By managing the rabies certificates, Meghan is excited to play an active role in keeping our county safe because healthy pets help keep their humans healthy too!
Part of Meghan’s early training at the shelter included Fear Free certification, a requirement for all shelter employees. This training prepares DCAS staff for helping animals through an inherently stressful time in their lives as they wait for their forever homes. Meghan uses this training every day, with the animals at the shelter, the cats she brings home to foster, and her family cats: Tauriel, Garbanzo Bean, and Mulchy (a DCAS foster fail from 2020!). In addition to Fear Free, Meghan recommends every cat owner learn more about feline nutrition as research continues to expand. Since cats are obligate carnivores (they need to eat meat), and amazing hunters as well, Meghan provides her feline friends with interactive food puzzles and snuffle mats to encourage those natural instincts.
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As a Fear Free shelter, DCAS is always looking for ways to lower stress levels for the shelter pets. This can be especially challenging for pets like Brigitta, a Bashful Buddy. These cats are naturally more timid of strange people and surroundings. We understand these pets will need longer to adjust to a new home. Every transition is stressful, and we want loving families to be ready for the next steps after adoption. Our Bashful Buddies program prepares adoptive families with what to expect, how to ease the transition, and supplies to turn these shy felines into new best friends.
Brigitta came from a hoarding situation. Surrounded by other cats, it wasn’t a surprise when this little baby showed up with her own babies in tow! With those kittens adopted to new families, Brigitta is free to be a kitten herself again. She has blossomed in her foster home, getting along well with the resident cats and would likely do fine with a cat-savvy dog. She’s not much of a lap cat right now – she’s got too much to do! There are wand toys to hunt, new foods to explore, and fun tricks to learn. Click her picture to see a video of Brigitta’s training! She's still getting used to the whole petting thing, but with the right family who will respect her boundaries and stay tuned in to her body language, she'll fall in love!
Are you the understanding family who will let Brigitta be herself? Fill out an application today to meet this special girl!
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 $100 per participant, 16 years old and up.
Follow the link below to register. Slots are available first come, first served.
This course teaches first aid techniques to address the most common emergencies pet owners may experience with dogs and cats in the household. This course will train you to notice abnormalities and detect early warning signs in pets. You will also learn essential pre-vet care and life-saving techniques for those times when immediate action can make all the difference.
Please remember, your slot is not secured until payment is received.
May 4, 2024 9am-3pm
https://bit.ly/DCASFirstAid
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