PAWS SELF-HELP GUIDE
Please read through the following information thoroughly before contacting PAWS directly by email or telephone. This guide is for your convenience and is here to answer any questions that you may have.
IF YOU WANT
TO ADOPT
IF YOU WANT TO GIVE UP YOUR OWN PET FOR ADOPTION
DOG OR CAT BEHAVIOR ISSUES
ASPCA PET CARE QUESTION HOTLINE
FINDING
LOST DOGS AND CATS
STRAYS
FERAL STRAYS
PITS, CHOWS and ROTS
DONATIONS
FREQUENTLY REQUESTED
NUMBERS
LOW-COST SHOTS
LOW-COST SPAY/NEUTER
OTHER RESCUE GROUPS
ABUSE/CRUELTY
INJURED/ABANDONED PUPPIES
ORPHANED KITTENS
INJURED PET
EMERGENCIES
NO KILL SHELTERS
PURE BREED
INQUIRIES
WILDLIFE EMERGENCIES
IF YOU WANT TO
ADOPT:
Animals that are up for
adoption are located in our Foster Homes, we are not a freestanding
shelter. At times, we also advertise animals up for adoption from private
homes. Sometimes people think they can no longer keep their pets due to
allergies, moving, etc. You can check our website, www.pawsohio.org, for
animals in our foster system, but keep in mind that it is nearly impossible
to list and have photos of all our animals up for adoption. Especially with
kittens, since they come and go so quickly, we cannot keep up with photos
and postings. At any given time, we probably have 10 to 20 more animals
available above and beyond the website listings. All have been
spayed/neutered and have had their shots.
IF YOU WANT TO
GIVE UP YOUR OWN PET FOR ADOPTION:
WE DO NOT FOSTER
HOME-OWNED ANIMALS. There are
extremely rare exceptions to the rule about
home-owned pets entering our foster system. You may contact us if you feel
you have exceptional circumstances.
Please try to follow the self-help steps listed below:
Check with friends, family, neighbors, or business associates to see if you can adopt your pet. You can also place an ad in the paper. Make sure you always ask for money - at least $25-$50. The reason you should ask for money is that a pet given away for free can be sold to a research lab or to a dog fighting ring (cats can be used as bait and practice to prepare the dog for the real fight) and therefore that person profits from obtaining an animal for free. Also, some despicable people will feed kittens to pet snakes.
You may choose to place a free classified ad on our website, however, the animal must be spayed or neutered, vet checked, and socialized before we can accept it. Click on the “Our Pet List” link, next click on the “Pets Available For Adoption” link on the new screen. When the next page opens you will need to click on the “Our Pet List” link to access our Petfinder page. Then click the "Our Pet List" link to see a table of cats/dogs up for adoption. Check out some of the cat/dog postings in the table to get an idea of the type of text and picture typically used. If you would like PAWS to post, we need the text portion in .doc or .txt format or as inline text in an email you send us. All photos should be in .jpg form. Note there is no limit on the length of your text description, or on the number of photos you submit. One photo will be used as a lead for the posting, and the remainder will be included in an on-line photo album via a link within the text of your posting. Your email address will be included so potential adopters can contact you directly. We need your phone number for our records.
If you do not have a computer, go to your local library. They will help you. If this is not an option, you may choose to do this by mail. Photo and description of animal should be sent to: PAWS, PO Box 24651, Cleveland, Ohio 44124, with a self-addressed, stamped envelope if you want the photo returned. We will scan the photo free of charge and return it. Please put on top of your note "Pet for Website". The description should include breed, age, size, gender and what type of home it needs (without children, big backyard, etc.) Regarding older dogs, the description might read "Quiet, mature, female beagle looking to spend remaining years in loving home."
You must include your name, phone number and address for us. This will NOT be put on the website, as we never include someone's name or number on the website. If someone is interested in your animal, WE will have them call you, unless you'd like your personal e-mail address on the listing and they can contact you directly via e-mail. Be advised that depending on the animal’s breed mix and age, it can take several weeks to several months to find a suitable home.
Try to avoid giving the pet away by following some of these hints:
- If the reason is
because of allergies, try the following:
- Vacuum thoroughly
- Groom dog outside
- Bathe dog with an allergy-free shampoo
- Use Allerpet for dog or cat, applying dry powder once a week -can be found in pet stores.
- For a "No Pets Allowed" situation, offer the landlord a pet deposit and he might make an exception.
- If the reason is poor health and impending medical bills, PAWS can refer you to reasonably priced vets who will work with the pet owners.
- If the reason is “cat not using litter box” go to you vet for a possible bladder infection. This is very common and very treatable with antibiotics. If they have a bladder infection, they will experience pain, pressure and discomfort and will try and squeeze out urine. We have had numerous success stories of cats not urinating completely or at all in the litter box, and when the vet discovers a bladder infection and the cat is treated with medicine, they begin to use the litter box again. If cat is having bowl movements outside litter box, clean more often and purchase a larger litter box. We find many people who adopt kittens buy the small size box and keep it forever. Cats are very clean and picky and they do not want to walk in their waste. As they grow and get bigger, it is too difficult for them to navigate in the small box without stepping on their own feces.
The following vet and cat behaviorists can help:
- Rescue Village behavior hotline (Geauga Humane) 440-338-4819
- John Reveley, DVM, PhD in Rocky River 440-331-6511 (cats and dogs)
- Good
Kitty Behavioral Practice: fee based consultations for behavioral
problems
216-323-4882 Feline (cat) Behaviorist
ASPCA PET CARE QUESTION HOTLINE:
610-254-7900
FINDING
LOST DOGS AND CATS:
You should check with local
police, animal wardens, shelters, vet offices and animal hospitals. Be sure
to include neighboring municipalities, in case the dog or cat wandered from
their city. Check newspaper ads. If the dog or cat is not found within 24
hours, place your own ad. You can distribute flyers (with photo if
possible) offering a reward. Leave food outside in case the pet comes
home. In some instances, certain communities do not have their own animal
warden and subcontract to an animal warden service. Be sure to ask the
local police department if their community subcontracts, and to whom, so
that the subcontracting facility can be contacted.
STRAYS:
The same rules apply as in
the lost animal guideline above. You should check with local police
departments, animal wardens, shelters, vet offices, animal hospitals and
neighboring municipalities to see if someone is looking for a stray. Also
check newspaper ads to determine if anyone is looking for a dog/cat that
matches the description of the stray. Pay attention to any tags, collars or
unusual markings that might help identify the specific animal. If the dog
or cat looks like a pure breed, PAWS can refer you to a rescue group for
that particular breed.
Determine if you are able to foster the stray yourself, or if you have a relative who can do so. If you can only do the fostering with financial assistance from PAWS (for veterinary care or supplies, i.e. food, condo, etc.), PAWS will have to be contacted for approval. Some help we may provide includes assistance with veterinary care, leads, help with the actual adoption process and posting of a picture of the stray on our website once veterinary care (shots, testing, spay/neuter) has been completed.
At this time PAWS does not
have a Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) program. This is an area that the Board of
Trustees of PAWS will decide in the near future. Please refer the caller to
Alley Cat Allies,
www.alleycatallies.org, for hints on what to do for feral cats, i.e. how
to provide shelter, how to trap, etc.
If someone has been feeding the cats, make them aware that “to feed is to
breed”. Ideally, they should be trapped, spayed/neutered, given rabies shots
and then released. The caller can get in touch with their local Humane
Society or APL to sign out for Have-a-Heart traps. They should instruct how
to use. Withhold food for 2 days; trap on 3rd.
After altering, the caller must be prepared to find a temporary shelter for
them as the females need 3 days to recover, males 1 day. They should remain
in their traps. The traps should be placed on cinder blocks, with plastic or
newspaper underneath to catch the elimination. We can refer them to a
low-cost animal clinic. When the trap door is opened, they will scamper to
the back, allowing you to leave food and water. When you release, provide
some shelter, i.e. large covered Rubbermaid type box, hole cut in corner for
cats to get in and out, line the box with styrofoam (all four sides and
bottom and top) for insulation, place straw or shredded newspaper in the box
that they can lay on and also this can be replaced. Other ideas in Alley Cat
Allies site.
Unless the ferals are kittens, the chances of socializing them are poor. At
best, it would be on a one-on-one basis and you would probably be the only
one they would respond to, so you would have to be prepared to adopt, not
foster.
We deal with these breeds of dogs on a case by case basis.
If you wish to make a donation to PAWS, the donation can be made as a general one to the PAWS organization, or it can be made specifically “in honor of” or “in memory of” an animal of your choice. The donation should then be sent to PAWS, P.O. Box 24651, Cleveland, Ohio 44124. An appropriate acknowledgement will be sent.
FREQUENTLY
REQUESTED NUMBERS:
LOW-COST SHOTS:
·
PETsMART gives shots every
other Sunday, at rotating stores.
$12 - $18 (basically eliminating the cost
of the vet office visit).
· Pets Guard in Cuyahoga Falls 330-849-0635
- Valley Save a Pet 440-232-9124 (offer certificate)
- Friends of Animals
216-587-0476 or 800-321-7387,
www.friendsofanimals.org
(offer certificate), $40-$75 (depending on type of animal, etc.) - Dr. Susan Metz
216-398-1081 Memphis and Fulton Spay Neuter Clinic –
near west side – will do ferals - Cleve Kennel Spay and Neuter Clinic 216-664-2759
- Citizens for Low Cost Spay and Neuter 216-781-0080
- Western Reserve Low-Cost Spay and Neuter 216-289-5274
If we cannot take in an animal due to our foster homes being at full capacity, here are some other organizations that may be able to help (this list goes in order from Geauga, Lake, Cuyahoga, Medina, Portage and Summit Counties):
- Rescue Village (Geauga Humane Society) 440-338-4819
- Sanctuary for Senior Dogs, Chardon 216-485-9233, email: seniordogs@aol.com
- Lake County Humane Society 440-951-6122
- Animal Rescue Center 216-476-0433
- Love-A-Stray 216-556-4993
- Parma Animal Shelter 440-885-8014
- Hug-A-Pup, Cleveland 216-973-8938 – dogs; email: elaine@hugapup.com
- Cleveland Animal Lifeline (C.A.L.L.) 216-382-7387 (PETS) – South Euclid
- Erie Shores 216-933-8569/216-934-4254
- Love a Stray 216-556-4993
- Caroline’s Kidz (SENIOR CATS) 440-449-3496, email: carolineskidz@aol.com
- Adopt-a-Pup 330-274-2790, email: webmaster@adoptapup.com
- North Coast Humane Society 216-661-2292
- Medina County Shelter 330-752-9121
- Portage County Humane Society (may euthanize) 330-296-4022
- Tri-County-Vet Humane Society 330-654-1397
- Summit County Humane Society 330-794-9449
- Homeward Bound 330-920-1522
- Just Strays 330-927-2331
- Precious Lives Sanctuary, Akron, 1-800-238-4423 – May be closed permanently
- Paws and Prayers, Akron 330-724-0561, email: erinskie@aol.com
- Hearts and Paws, Akron 330-665-9941
- Humane Society of Greater Akron 330-657-2010
- Rainbow Connection email: rainbowconnection@eriecoast.com
Names of other Humane groups, but we do not have their numbers:
- South Euclid Humane Society
- Also, look on the Internet for possible rescue groups. Look on www.Petfinder.com, they should list rescue groups, including Pure Breed rescue groups
- More Suggestions: Call local PETsMART’s and ask if they have any phone numbers for Animal Rescue Groups
ABUSE/CRUELTY:
Call City of Cleveland APL,
Cruelty Inspector 216-771-4616.
If not available and the case involves a dog, call Cleveland City Kennels 216-664-3069 or Cuyahoga County Kennels (Valley View Shelter) 216-525-PUPS.
Always leave your name
and phone number. If at all possible, try to record the abuse with a photo
or videotape (i.e. too small a cage, frozen water bowl, etc.).
Note: It is not considered abuse if
a caged animal can turn around and stand up, has a covering overhead from
the elements and can reach that area, and is provided food and water. If
an animal is in a life-threatening situation, PAWS can approve treatment at
a participating PAWS veterinarian clinic or at an after-hours emergency
clinic, so please call our hotline or email us.
INJURED/ABANDONED PUPPIES:
Call Cleveland City Kennels
at 216-664-3069.
Please do not give regular milk or baby formula to nursing kittens; it can be very dangerous. We strongly suggest KMR or Mother's Helper, in that order. If you can temporarily foster until we can put the kittens on our web site, PAWS can help you with the kitten formula and vet expenses
Cleveland City Kennels answers calls primarily about stray dogs from 7:30 AM to 3 PM at 216-664-3069. After 3 PM, an answering machine takes calls which wardens check when they return to the kennels. This could be anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours.
From 9 AM to 5 PM, Cuyahoga County Kennels will answer calls primarily about injured dogs at 216-525-4810.
After 5 PM, call the non-emergency number for a police department, preferably for the city in which the accident happened.
The Cleveland dead-animal collection number is 216-664-3276. This number is not always answered, even in the daytime, and has no answering machine.
NO-KILL
SHELTERS:
Note: To our knowledge, the
following facilities are no-kill, but policies change, and it is always
advisable to call the individual shelter to ask basic questions, such as "do
you euthanize when overcrowded? Etc."
- Rescue Village (Geauga County Humane Society) 440-338-4819
- Parma Animal Shelter (no longer no kill) 440-885-8014
- Sanctuary for Senior Dogs, Chardon, 216-485-9233; email: seniordogs@aol.com
- Berea Rescue 440-234-9119, www.bereaanimalrescue.com
- Stay-a-While Cat Shelter 440-582-4990
PURE BREED
INQUIRIES:
Look on the Internet at
www.Petfinder.com, or do a search
for Pure Breed Animal Rescue.
As a second resort, a directory of rescue organizations is available via PAWS, so please call or email us for specific numbers.
If you have a wildlife emergency and have found a wild animal (e.g. birds, rabbits, squirrels, raccoons, skunks, etc.) please call Penitentiary Glen Wildlife Rehab Center at 440-256-2131, or the general number at Penitentiary Glen, 440-256-1404. They will offer assistance as to how to care for the stray or injured animal. Their website is www.lakemetroparks.com.
Birds
- Pam Frederick 216-524-7561 (Valley View)
- National Rescue Group (Medina) 330-722-1627 (Dottie)
- NorthCoast Bird Adoption and Rehab (Aurora) 330-562-6999
- Bird Placement Program 216-749-3643 (may be area code 440)
- Birds of Prey (Medina) 330-667-2386
Rabbits
- 440-543-4959
- 614-797-3085
Skunks
- 440-327-4349