November 4, 2024
Happy Animal Shelter Appreciation Week!
Each year during the first full week of November, National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week is celebrated to honor animal shelters and the dedicated and compassionate people who work at them.
Our friends over at the Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region (HSPPR) make up the largest animal welfare group for homeless and abused animals in Southern Colorado.
As an open admission shelter, no animal is ever turned away. The passionate and dedicated staff at HSPPR care for animals in distress, provide medical care for abused and injured animals, reunite lost pets with their owners, find loving homes for homeless animals, and investigate animal cruelty and enforce animal ordinances.
How to support animal shelters:
- Learn about and consider adopting your next pet from the Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region!
- Support your local shelter by liking their page on Facebook.
- Volunteer! Helping animals can be a rewarding experience.
- Learn about how you can protect your pet(s) from rabies.
- Donate supplies. Shelters are often in need of towels, toys, and other items. Always check with your local shelter first to find out what they need. Request donations of from family, friends, and colleagues.
Our health and our pets’ health
HSPPR is dedicated to giving every animal the care and respect they deserve and encourages each of us to understand our role in creating the best outcomes for pets. Pets matter deeply to us, and protecting pets is vital to a healthy community.
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention there are many health benefits we can experience as pet owners. Pets can increase opportunities to exercise and socialize, walking or playing with pets can decrease blood pressure, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels, and the companionship of pets can help manage loneliness and depression.
While our furry/feathery/scaly friends have a positive impact on our lives, they can also make us sick and can get sick themselves if we don’t practice healthy habits.
Pets can sometimes carry harmful germs that can make us sick (these diseases are called zoonotic diseases), even if our pets appear healthy. Keeping your pet healthy can also keep yourself and your family healthy as well.
Tips to keep you and your pet health
- Wash your hands after playing with/touching your pets, handling pet food, handling pet habitats, cleaning up after pets, and leaving areas where animals live.
- Schedule regular vet visits to keep up with your pets’ vaccines, deworming and flea and tick control.
- Keep pets and pet supplies out of the kitchen. Avoid cleaning and disinfecting pet habitats and supplies in the kitchen sink, food prep areas or the bathroom sink and aim for doing so outside if possible.
- Clean up after your pet. Always remove dog poop for your yard and public areas, use and bag and dispose of it in proper areas. Clean litter boxes daily to lower the chances of exposure to harmful parasites.
- Supervise young children while interacting with animals.