4473 Barton Orleans Road Orleans, VT 05860 802-754-2228

April showers bring May flowers and April also brings awareness to a number of pet health issues. The following article discusses some important information and describes resources to help prevent or treat these health problems in your four-legged family members. 

There are a number of animal appreciation days and weeks throughout the month of March. The American Veterinary Medical Association (www.avma.org) reminds us of the following dates of which to be aware and to recognize: 

The week of March 13 to 17 is National Wildlife Week – a good time to remember that here in Vermont we can be grateful that wildlife abounds! March 23 is National Puppy Day. If you’re planning on adding a puppy to your family, remember to adopt; don’t shop! March 29 is Manatee Appreciation Day – certainly a day for Floridians to celebrate!

February is Be a Responsible Pet Owner Month! There are a number of ways by which we can be “pawesome,” responsible pet parents. It takes lots of love and commitment. Bringing a pet into your home is a lifelong relationship and there are a few basic steps to showing how much you care.

• Spay or neuter your dog, cat, rabbit or ferret. It’s important not to contribute to pet overpopulation. Hundreds of thousands of animals enter shelters nationwide each year. Many, if not most, face euthanasia. Spaying or neutering not only limits the pet population, it helps to keep your furry friend healthy for a longer period of time.
• Keep regular veterinary checkups. It’s important that our pets receive their vaccinations on a regular basis, not only to keep them healthy, but also to prevent the spread of any animal diseases. In addition, many animals can easily conceal their pain and illness. Regular, at least annual, visits to the vet will help detect any signs or symptoms before they become serious diseases that require expensive treatment.
• Identify and microchip your pet. Keeping up-to-date ID tags on your dog or cat helps to get them home safe and sound if they should wander away for a while. Keeping your dog registered with your town is also a good practice.

From all the creatures at PMFAS

-- two-legged and four-legged (and even some that might be three-legged!) –

 We wish you a Happy, Healthy and Safe Christmas Season and New Year! 

We thank all those who supported us in so many different ways throughout 2016.
It is only through your generosity, kindness and loyalty
that we are able to find homes for over 300 animals every year.
We look forward to the challenges and celebrations that the New Year will bring.
Moreover, we look forward to continuing to find forever homes
for those furry friends that find their way to our shelter throughout 2017.
Our best wishes and heartfelt gratitude to you All!

Another year is coming to a close soon, and while we at PMFAS are busy with the ongoing tasks of feeding, cleaning and caring for some fifty or sixty furry friends who at any given time reside at the shelter, we also recognize that once again we have much for which to be thankful.
We acknowledge all our friends and supporters, from our Keepers of the Kennels and Kitties, individual volunteers and families to local businesses and the towns we serve. Whether your support comes in the form of time, work, kind words or donations of many kinds, we definitely appreciate it all!

A big Thank You to the talented and generous folks at Northeast Kingdom Online (www.northeastkingdomonline.com) for their timely and detailed attention to our website. They work quietly and graciously behind the scenes making prompt and creative changes to the site, all of which help to promote our animals and enhance their adoptability.

We don’t want to overlook our adopters! We are especially grateful to this year’s adopters from near and far who made new forever homes for some 300 homeless dogs and cats from communities scattered throughout Orleans and Essex Counties.

Hearty and sincere thanks to all from Board, Staff, and all our furry friends at PMFAS!