At the shelter

Friends, among the precious pets we are featuring this week are two, tiny four-week-old black and tan hound puppies who were stuffed under the shelter fence last week. In a short time, they would have dehydrated and died, had it not been for an alert staff member who found them and quickly brought them inside. They were revived and are now happy, sweet, roly-poly babies who only want to be cuddled. In another week or two, they should be ready for adoption by families who will love and care for them properly. We named the miracle puppies 'Bonnie' and 'Clyde'. While we appreciate the former owners not abandoning the puppies on a road or worse, there is a proper way to surrender animals at the shelter. Please bring them inside. We will care for them and do our very best to find them good homes. Although the shelter takes in a large volume of abandoned and unwanted animals on a daily basis, we exhaust every effort to find a loving home for each pet. Sadly, until people become responsible pet owners and spay or neuter the pets they now own, this cycle will continue.

'Dawg' is a beautifully marked beagle/spaniel mix. She is already spayed, is heartworm negative and would make an excellent family pet. 'Sam' is a brindle colored pug/Boston terrier mix and is heartworm negative, also. Pugs originated in China in ancient times. It was a favorite pet of Buddist monasteries in Tibet. Pugs probably came to Holland by way of the Dutch East India Trading company. They were recognized as the official dog of the House of Orange after one saved the life of Prince William by sounding an alarm at the approach of Spanish soldiers in 1572. By 1790, the Pug could be found in France; Napoleon's wife, Josephine, used her Pug to carry messages to Napoleon when she was imprisoned. Pugs were brought to England during Victorian times and became so popular with the wealthy, they displaced the King Charles Spaniel as the favored royal breed. Pugs were recognized by the AKC in 1885. These dogs are a delightful blend of dignity and comedy. The pug is an amiable, playful, and confident companion.

Every cat cage is overflowing with special cats and adorable kittens, guaranteed to keep you entertained with kitty antics. These deserving pets are longing for a forever home. Please give them a second chance at life. Spay or neuter is included in the modest adoption fee. Stop by The Pet Stop and see a selection of shelter cats and kittens. Please go to Dyerhumane.org or click on petfinder.com and type 38024 zip code to see many of our shelter pets.

We need volunteers to walk shelter dogs and/or interact with all the pets. They get so bored in their runs and cages, waiting for a special family to adopt them. We need you and the pets need you. To help us make their lives even better, please consider making a monetary donation, and/or adopting the shelter as a community service project. General donations, The Beagley Fund (heartworm treatment) donations, Save a Life Makeover, and memorials may be mailed to the Dyersburg-Dyer County Humane Society, P.O. Box 223, Dyersburg, TN 38025-0223. On your check, please specify which fund your tax-deductible gift should be directed. The Dyersburg-Dyer County Humane Society hours are 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m.-2 p.m. on Saturday. The shelter is located at 1120 E. Court St. and phone number is 285-4889.