Dear Santa,

We’ve been very good girls and boys here at Coastal Pet Rescue this year. To date, we’ve rescued 139 dogs/puppies and 41 cats/kittens with more to come. As the holidays have come upon us, we thought we’d take the opportunity to ask you to grant us a few big wishes this year so we can be better equipped for more pets in 2008.

• Repair work for our rescue vehicle
• Payoff for our rescue vehicle
• Tomahawk Cat Transfer Traps
• Enmark Gift Certificates
• 4 Kennel Decks
• Master Equipment Professional Tub
• White EZ Up 10′x10′ Tent
• Deluxe Roller Bags for EZ Up Tents
• PetSafe Ez Roof (3 - Petco.com)
• 2 Gamma Vittles Vault Pet Food Containers
• 3 Large Petmate Le Bistro Waterers
• 2 Petmate Doghouse Pads for Large Dogloo
• 2 Petmate Doghouse Pads for X-Large Dogloo
• 2 Petmate Doghouse Doors for X-Large Dogloo
• 2 AVID 125MHz Microchip Scanners
• Capstar pills
• Comfortis flea chewables
• Heartgard

Santa, we know this is a tall order, but as our volunteers give thousands of hours each year to help our community’s abandoned pets, we hope you’ll find a way to grant some of our wishes.

But enough wishes for now. Like you, this is our busiest time of year. Lots of puppies and kitties looking for new homes, and we want to grant their wishes. Thank you for listening, Santa, and we hope you have a great holiday, too.

Sincerely,

Coastal Pet Rescue

How do Coastal Pet Rescuers stay in shape? For the last few years, our president has spent her “exercise time” chasing dogs around, running after puppies, and trying to keep escape artists off of neighbors’ roofs. But with all her media appearances lately, seeing herself on TV made Lisa want to get in better shape. So, she connected with Derek Frazier of You Need Fitness in Richmond Hill. Three nights a week Lisa will attend Frazier’s Boot Camp at J.F. Gregory Park in Richmond Hill. She’ll be tracking her progress with each visit on her blog. But you don’t have to wait and read about how great working out can be for you. Give Derek a call today and see how he can help you come back to life! 888.277.1362

Thanks to our friends at WJCL and WTGS for the wonderful ad campaign they launched for our annual Home 4 the Holidays. It’s wonderful to be working with our good friend Casey Jones again as well. We’ve uploaded the video so you can see our cute babies and hopefully feel propelled to get involved this holiday season.

 

 WJCL/WTGS Home 4 the Holidays 2007: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

It’s a season of giving, but giving too much can be hazardous for your pets.

While you sit with your family at the dinner table, it’s not uncommon to want to give in to those sad puppy eyes staring at you from their bland food bowl.

But sharing food from the dinner table is not the proper treat. Many holiday foods can actually be toxic to pets or cause great illness. Some foods to avoid include turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, yams, stuffing, tomatoes, bread dough, mushrooms, grapes, raisins, raw eggs, anything with onions or garlic, milk, chocolate, caffeine, and alcoholic beverages. Avoid the temptation to give pets bones as cooked bones splinter easily and can cause choking.

If you want your pet to feel included, purchase food items specifically for them from local pet specialty stores. And remember to wrap and store leftovers immediately after dinner. There is very little to stop a determined pet who has been eying your turkey for most of the day.

In addition to food, families should be cautious of hazardous items around their home, including lit candles, potpourri, wrapping paper and ornaments. It is especially critical to keep poinsettias out of reach as they are very toxic to pets.

If you have a concern about something your pet may have ingested, you can call the Pet Poison Helpline at 800.213.6680. If your pet is showing signs of distress, call your veterinarian or the Veterinary Emergency and Specialty Referral Center at 912.356.6113.

If your pets suddenly became unconscious, would you know how to save them? Coastal Pet Rescue partnered with the Savannah Chapter of the American Red Cross three years ago to start offering Pet First Aid and CPR classes in Savannah. The four-hour class will teach you how to recognize signs of distress and provide temporary aid until you reach your veterinarian. The next class will be Saturday, November 17 from 9 am to 1 pm. Cost is $35 per person and registration must be made in advance.

Get a sneak peak today on WJCL’s Good Morning from 5 to 7 am and WTGS’s AM Alive from 8 to 9 am.