The Starke County Humane Society has a new director.
Shanna Lloyd took over that role on May 6 after longtime director Suzanne Crider resigned the previous day. Lloyd has been an employee of the shelter since 2009 and a volunteer since 1998. The board also reorganized last week and elected new officers. R.J. Howard is now the president. Tom O’Day is the vice-president, and Amanda Pollard is the secretary.
It is not recommended to give live animals as gifts, according to Suzanne Crider from the Starke County Humane Society.
The Easter holiday is this weekend and some people may think that giving a live chick or bunny as a gift for Easter is a great idea, but Crider has another suggestion.
“We run into this at Christmas time,” noted Crider. “People want to give a Christmas gift so they’re going to get Dad a puppy. What we suggest is if that’s truly what Dad wants, start buying him the supplies. Contact your shelter and see if they give gift certificates. If you know somebody that already has animals, give a gift certificate from their vet or pay something on the vet bill to help with the cost of that. There’s a lot of things that you can do beforehand to help get a person ready to have a new pet in the family. By all means, let them be the one that picks out their companion for the coming years.”
If you’d like to see what animals are available for adoption at the Starke County Humane Society, click here.
During cold weather, you should stay indoors as much as possible and limit your exposure to the cold;
dress in layers and keep dry; check on family, friends, and neighbors who are at risk and may need additional assistance; and know the symptoms of cold-related health issues such as frostbite and hypothermia and seek medical attention if health conditions are severe.
Starke County Humane Society Director Suzanne Crider says the best thing is to keep decorations away from your pets.
The temperature is dropping, prompting residents to stay indoors and crank up the heat to stay warm, but what can outdoor pets do to stay warm? Suzanne Crider with the Starke County Humane Society has a few tips to keep your roaming pets safe and warm this winter.
For those who have a doghouse or other structure for their animals, Crider said it’s important not to make it too big. She said it’s best to have it big enough that the animal can get in and comfortably lay down and stretch out, but any bigger and it becomes harder for the animal’s body heat to keep it warm.
Suzanne Crider from the Starke County Humane Society says the first order of safety is to keep pets out of candy.
“We have that issue right now with our office cat, Niko,” said Crider. “If we leave the candy out on the front desk, he’s in it right away! Candy is not good for your pets.”
You may think that it’s a great idea to give the gift of a chick, duckling or bunny to someone for Easter, but Suzanne Crider from the Starke County Humane Society suggests a different approach.
“We always encourage people, even at Christmas, if you’re talking about giving the gift of a pet, to talk to the people. Maybe give them the money, a gift certificate or a gift certificate to their vet to help pay for some of their vet bills. You’re better off to do that type of thing than you are to give live pets,” stated Crider.
Crider always cautions giving pets as presents as the owners may not be ready for a pet. Talk with the family and possibly take them to the Humane Society to choose their own family pet.
Considering a pet for Christmas? Suzanne Crider from the Starke County Humane Society says it may be a good idea in some instances.
“It depends on what the family is prepared for,” said Crider. “We are always looking for homes for pets, but we do encourage you not to surprise someone in your family with one that they’re not expecting. It’s often a better idea to take them pet shopping and let them pick out the pet that they’re hopefully going to spend the next 10 or 12 years with.”
Crider has another suggestion for parents.
“We encourage parents to not wait until Christmas morning if you are getting a new family pet. Get them in the home before Christmas. It makes life much easier for Mom and much less hectic for everybody and it gives the animal time to settle in.”
Here’s a gift idea from Suzanne for that pet lover on your list.
“A great gift for animal lovers is always money put down at their vet. If you know of somebody who may be having a hard time and keeping up with vet care that their animal needs, ask what vet they go to and the vets will let you put money on their account. When that animal needs something, the owner can take them in and use that credit and that is a wonderful, wonderful gift to do for people.”
If you think you’re hot in this heat, consider how your pets are feeling. Suzanne Crider, from the Starke County Humane Society, reminds us about pet care during extremely hot weather.
“They dehydrate just like we do,” she said. “They need an adequate supply of water, shade if at all possible, but water is the very most important thing. If you have livestock, you need to have some kind of salt block because when they get dehydrated, they need salt the same way people do. If you use some common sense, and if you think about what would make you comfortable, that will usually translate right to your animal.”
