Season of fireworks, thunderstorms may spark fear in pets

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department’s Animal Care & Control Division is reminding pet owners that it’s once again the time of year we hear fireworks, firecrackers and thunder from summer storms.

Please be mindful of how this affects your pets as the Fourth of July holiday approaches and summer thunderstorms and heat waves roll through our region. Last year approximately 17 dogs were brought in as strays (running loose) in the two days following the Fourth of July holiday. Out of the dogs that were reclaimed by their owners, nearly half the owners stated that their dog was frightened by fireworks.

The American Humane Society states that July 5th is the busiest day of the year at animal shelters. Dogs are found miles from their homes, confused, disoriented, and exhausted. According to the organization, people call hoping to locate a missing dog that, terrified, crashed through a window, jumped a high fence, or broke its leash or chain.

Animal Care & Control advises that you secure your pet in an area of your home where it feels safe and secure. This will help avoid unnecessary stress on your pet or possible injury and accidental escape.

If your pet is easily upset by common sounds such as a door slamming or other loud noises, consider consulting with your vet for a sedative* prior to the Fourth of July.

Some animals become destructive when frightened, so be sure that you’ve removed any items that your pet could destroy or that would be harmful to your pet if it were chewed or consumed. Leaving a radio or television on at normal volume may help to provide your pet companionship.

In any case, make sure your pets are wearing identification or microchipped so they can be returned if they do get lost. Animals found running at-large should be taken to the Animal Care & Control at 8315 Byrum Drive in Charlotte, where they will have the best chance of being reunited with their owners.

Animal Care & Control recommends microchipping your pet. It’s permanent identification for your pet. All of our Animal Care & Control Trucks are equipped with microchip scanners and every animal we pick up is immediately scanned for a microchip. If a chip is located the animal can be returned home immediately, without having to come to the shelter. Animal Care & Control also encourages everyone who has a pet that’s microchipped to register your pet in our local database for FREE.

To register online go to http://www.cmpd.org/ and click Animal Care & Control, then click the programs and services tab. Lastly, to look for a lost pet, first check the lost pets section on our website. We also suggest coming to the shelter to walk through our stray kennels.

This article was contributed by Melissa Knicely of CMPD Animal Care & Control.

*Dog Reporter adds: Rescue Remedy is an over the counter calming agent made from natural herbs. It is a safe alternative to giving your pet a stronger sedative prescribed by a veterinarian. I have used it for my Akita/Border Collie mix as she is anxious about riding in cars. (She prefers to be the one doing the herding and enjoys safely escorting all the cars that pass by our corner lot from inside our fenced in yard ) Anyway, I plan to give her a dose late in the afternoon of the "Big Boom" day as she is already hiding in the laundry room at the sound of the few scattered fireworks our neighbors have been setting off early. Rescue Remedy is available at area pet stores such Pawtique in Charlotte's Ballantyne area and The Natural Market Place in the Arboretum Shopping Center.

Have a Happy Fourth of July!

Coyotes in Metrolina Area - protect your pets, protect yourself

February 16, 2012 update: click here: report a coyote sighting to make an official report with the Natural Resources division of Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation - Dog Reporter Debbie

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The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department’s Animal Care & Control would like to address recent concerns regarding coyote sightings in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg area. While we are not the responding agency in the management of wildlife; we do understand the concern and wish to offer safety tips, educational information and guidance to direct the citizens of Mecklenburg County to the correct resources that handle wildlife management.

Coyotes fall under the jurisdiction of North Carolina Wildlife Commission. If you have questions concerning coyotes please contact North Carolina Wildlife Commission at 919-707-0030 or 919-707-0050. North Carolina Wildlife Commission has a biologist assigned to Mecklenburg County. North Carolina Wildlife will contact the biologist if there is a reason for concern. They will not respond to a coyote sighting, as they are indigenous to this area and it is not uncommon to see them.

Animal Care and Control will respond if your domestic animal attacks, fights with, or is wounded by a wild animal. A report will be filed but that does not mean that the animal will be trapped. If your animals are being attacked, killed, or injured by a coyote you will need to contact both Animal Care and Control and North Carolina Wildlife Commission.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg and surrounding towns are continuing to grow at a rapid pace. Due to this growth and development we are continuously encroaching on wild animal habitats. With the increase in population and new developments being erected, it is not uncommon for people to see coyotes in an urban area. The coyote has been in Mecklenburg County for the last 20 years. North Carolina is actually one of the last states in the southeast to be populated by them.

Coyotes in urban areas normally run in a family unit consisting of a female, a male, and their pups. A female may have between 4 to 7 pups in each litter and can reproduce 2 times a year. However, most coyotes will die with in the first three years of life in urban areas. The recent increase in coyote sightings is mostly likely because they are in mating season and having pups. Coyote sightings usually spike during the Fall because the pups have matured and they are moving out to form their own pack.

The urban coyote’s diet mainly consists of small rodents, deer, and fruits. Coyotes are not predators that will attack humans, in most cases they are easily frightened, afraid of humans and will run away if they see a human. Coyotes have been known to attack small dogs or cats, so if you have seen a coyote in your area, protect your pets by keeping them indoors and monitoring them when they are outside.

Tips to keep you and your pets safe!

Keep your pet restrained while outside.

A fenced yard is the best safeguard against wild animals coming into your yard.

Monitor your pet while it’s outside.

Keep cats inside if possible.

Do not feed your pet outside.

If you must feed your animal outside, remove any food that is left after your animal is finished eating.

Bird feeders often attract small animals such as squirrels and small rodents. Larger animals will then prey on the squirrels and rodents, thus attracting them to a bird feeder.

At night, bright white floodlights will deter coyotes from your property.

Make sure that your trash is secure. If possible keep trash in a can with a very secure lid.

If your pet comes in contact with a wild animal or is injured by a wild animal, protect yourself first!

Wear rubber gloves when handling your pet.

Wear long sleeves.

Protect your eyes.

If the injuries to the pet are not life threatening, wash off the animal with a garden hose. This will remove salvia from the animal.

Wrap your pet in a blanket.

Most importantly make sure your pet is current on its rabies vaccination! If your pet comes into contact with a wild animal, a current rabies vaccination will save your pet’s life!

Animal Care & Control offers a FREE Rabies Clinic on the second Saturday of each month. The clinic takes place at 8315 Byrum Drive Charlotte, NC 28217. The hours are from 8am to 11am.

A coyote is about the size of a medium sized dog. They average in size from 20 to 40 pounds.They may resemble a German Shepherd or Collie. A coyote will have pointed ears, slender muzzle, and a dropping bushy tail that is black tipped. Their colors are usually a gray brown with red behind the ears and on the face. Their color may vary from a gray to black. The coyote’s eyes will be a vivid yellow with large pupils unlike dog eyes which are mainly brown.

Call a Wildlife Damage Control Agent if a wild animal is damaging your property. A list of resources is provided on http://www.ncwildlife.org/ under “coexisting with wildlife”. -

This article was contributed by Melissa Knicely of CMPD Animal Care & Control Department May of 2008. Do you have an article you would like to contribute to Metrolina Dog Reporter? Contact dogreporter@hotmail.com

SouthPark Mall Animal Adoption Fair

Rob Anderson handles Cole, a one-year-old Labrador/hound mix, that he and his wife are fostering. The couple has been volunteering with CMPD Animal Control Bureau for three years and foster dogs with issues such as spinning in their cages because they have been behind bars for too long.

Classy Mall goes to Cats and Dogs

by Deborah Parkhill Mullis

Shoppers could not resist the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department Animal Control Bureau adoption fair on Saturday, March 3 at South Park Mall. The fair featured animals from the agency’s foster program and animal shelter.

Sponsored by South Park, the event is one of the most successful for CMPD Animal Control Bureau, said Linda Hagemann, the volunteer Coordinator for the department.

Hagemann couldn't convince area malls to allow animals inside until she asked upscale SouthPark. The mall's general manager, Randall Thomas, generously agreed to turn over the center court to the shelter's cats and dogs the first Saturday of every month. People have been drawn to the mall in support of the cause.

Eighteen dogs, four cats and thirty-eight volunteers were on hand for the March adoption fair. Only a few cats were there because cats don’t do as well as dogs with all the commotion. Cats have to be handpicked for this kind of event, explained Sylvia Becker, who became involved with the animal shelter as soon as she moved here from Los Angeles one year ago.

Linda Middleton was watching over the cats and introduced Pappy, a stray kitten that was adopted right away. Pappy was named after the popular dog breed because of her large Papillion looking ears, she said. Middleton, a volunteer for two years, loves working adoption fairs and enjoys educating people about responsible pet ownership. "I like going into distressed neighborhoods and doing pet education. I love meeting people - either I find out something or they find out something we didn’t know before."

Becker started a fund drive in conjunction with the SouthPark adoption fairs. She put donation boxes on all sides of the venue for The Second Chance Medical Fund. The fund pays for the treatment of sick and injured animals that otherwise would not be candidates for adoption. As much as $500 in public donations has been collected at each event in addition to the sizable amount she donates from her Allen Tate real estate business each month.

Seventeen animals were adopted during the March event. "We don’t always adopt 100 percent of the animals we bring but we come close," said Becker.

Rescue a shelter pet by visiting CMPD Animal Control at SouthPark Mall the first Saturday of every month. For more information on CMPD Animal Control Bureau, see Local Animal Shelter Links in the left hand margin of this blog. (An edited of this story ran in Charlotte Weekly, Volume 6, Number 14 * April 6 -12, 2007)