Stroudsburg, PA – The Animal Welfare Society of Monroe (AWSOM) has an
urgent weather-related Action Alert for pet owners throughout Monroe County.
The approaching severe weather presents a multitude of dangers for
companion animals and their families.

As the storm sets in pets will be increasingly nervous and acting out in unusual
ways. The potential for a pet to run away is extremely high through the duration
of the storm.

AWSOM reminds pet owners to be mindful of this threat and keep pets inside
with doors and windows secure. When outside, keep pets on a leash and under
supervision at all times. Bring outdoor pets inside. Make sure your dog has
current tags and a microchip for quick ID and a safe return.

If evacuation is required, bring your pets with you if at all possible. Be sure to
include tags, vaccination certificates, medications, crate, leash, food and water.
If you locate a lost pet please secure it in your garage or home. Contact the
AWSOM animal shelter for food and supplies, including a crate, if needed.

The AWSOM animal shelter on Godfrey Ridge Drive in Stroudsburg will remain
open to assist the community during the severe weather, 11AM-5PM daily.

Stop in or call 570-421-3647 for more information.
www.AwsomAnimals.org Facebook: A.W.S.O.M.
For more information on this press release, contact Jeannie Lee at 570-730-3255
or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Animal Welfare Society of Monroe held its second annual champagne brunch and jewelry sale at the Big A Italian and American Grillehouse and Tavern on Route 209 in Marshalls Creek on Feb. 5. The fundraiser featured donated and gently used high-end handbags, jewelry and other fashion accessories. All proceeds went to Monroe County's only animal shelter.

Pat Hammond, AWSOM supporter, event organizer and cat lover said this year's donations surpassed expectations. Donations of designer handbags included Coach, Louis Vuitton, Bottega, as well as diamonds and 14-carat jewelry. Hammond added, "Last year we raised over three thousand dollars and I believed that number will be exceed and may have doubled this year."

Carol McFerren, shopping with friends at the brunch for the second year, said, "We just love animals and support A.W.S.O.M. which makes the purchases easier, since it's for such a great cause." All customers visiting the restaurant were encouraged to take part in the jewelry sale, even if they didn't attend the fundraising brunch.

Big A General Manager Tabitha Romanowski said, "It was easily over 150 people in attendance. It was definitely a bigger turnout than last year."

Romanowski explained that the fundraising champagne brunch feature was just an extension of their regular Sunday spread that has all you can eat from five breakfast items, five lunch items, made-to-order omelets, beverage and bottomless champagne. She said, "We do this every Sunday, the only difference is today we are donating 50 percent of the proceeds to A.W.S.O.M."

Big A owner Bruce Brandli was cooking at the omelet station and said, "My wife, Marianne, is an animal lover and wanted to support the shelter. She first approached them last year and it seems it's turned into a yearly event." Brandli continued his support by donating some of his wildlife nature photography to the sale and said, "I think I will keep some of my photos on display year round and have them for sale to bring awareness to A.W.S.O.M. and raise more funds."

Monroe County Commissioner Suzanne F. McCool, who numbered among the supporters in attendance, shared her happiness for the success of the nonprofit. "A.W.S.O.M. is just a testament of how people can come and work together," McCool said. She said she endorsed the idea for opening a no-kill shelter to open after the local SPCA chapter closed its facility and was joined by state representatives Mario Scavello and Mike Carroll as well as many other local officials. "They (A.W.S.O.M.) are now a respected animal rescue and it's due to the community's support and volunteers' hard work."

A.W.S.O.M.'s handout states "Seven days a week the shelter's staff and volunteers work their tails off to make the shelter a paw-sitive for every animal that passes through the door, but we need your help. Donations of dog and cat foods, kitty litter and cleaning supplies are always needed."

Several more benefits are planned for the upcoming months, the next one an All-You-Can-Eat Italian Buffet at Alaska Pete's on March 11.

There is a Pawsitive People Awards Dinner at Stroudsmoor Inn in Stroudsburg on April 12, followed by a Wag and Walk Fun Raising Trek on May 6 and an Animal Vendor Fest and Frolic on June 24.

Visit awsomanimals.org to learn more about A.W.S.O.M, volunteering, donating, or supporting one of their events or call the shelter at 570-421-DOGS.

Owners unwilling or unable to get their pets spayed or neutered cause unwanted dogs and cats to overpopulate shelters, say those who work with animals.

And in kill shelters, those animals deemed too ill or dangerous to adopt are euthanized to make room for others.

Pit bulls, in particular, make up a large percentage of dogs in many shelters.

"We have about 130 dogs, and about half of them are pit bulls," said Erica Budzinski at the Griffin Pond Animal Shelter in South Abington Township.

No-kill shelters, like the Animal Welfare Society of Monroe shelter in Stroud Township, try to regulate the breeds and sizes of animals to ensure diversity.

The AWSOM shelter has 18 dog cages and tries to maintain certain numbers of large, medium and small dogs of various breeds so that not all 18 cages are filled with just one breed or size, AWSOM Vice President Marie Grimm said.

"As a result, we don't always have mostly pit bulls like some other shelters do, but there have been times when at least half were pit bulls," Grimm said.

Many pit bulls being bred for fighting and aggression, plus the resulting negative publicity, have stigmatized the breed to the point where most people unfairly characterize them as vicious when they're really rarely aggressive by nature, said Molly Rouse, director of Dog Training Unlimited in Lehighton.

That's why people tend to avoid adopting pit bulls from shelters.

"They don't see pit bulls as family pets," Budzinski said. "We have one who's great with other dogs as well as cats and children, but no one wants to adopt him because he's a pit bull."

Rouse said pit bulls by nature are very agreeable but "extremely puppylike and excitable," which some people might mistake for aggression.

"The prejudice against them is largely unfounded," she said. "The problem is how some people breed and train these dogs."

"Most people don't realize how many unwanted animals are put to sleep, especially pit bulls since they're so stigmatized," clinic veterinarian Dr. Kim Mah said.

But clinic Director Barbara Loch is concerned the importance of spaying/neutering is a message lost on those who breed animals, especially pit bulls, for profit.

"I saw how pervasive underground dog fighting is in the Easton, Allentown and Bethlehem areas when I was with the Center for Animal Health and Welfare in Easton before coming here to the clinic," she said. "I doubt people who breed and own animals for fighting are going to get them spayed and neutered. These animals are then abandoned or they're found running loose and they get dumped at shelters, but by then they're too wild and unmanageable."

Dog Training Unlimited offers tips for those considering getting pets.

"It's important for people to realize, though, that there are different types of training," Rouse said. "There's training to socialize dogs to be around people and other animals, and there's training to get them to listen and obey commands. It's not all the same."

Christmas is supposed to be a time of human warmth and kindness.

And what gift better embodies that spirit than a cute, cuddly puppy?

Pet stores report selling more puppies during the holiday season than at any other time of the year.

"People want to get puppies as gifts to surprise their families or friends," said Brittany Malinoski at Yuppy Puppy in Bartonsville. "That's why business here is usually pretty good around this time of year."

But animal rights activists, dog clubs and others are urging shoppers to resist the urge and to wait until after the holidays.

"Children will be excited about the holidays and especially about receiving a puppy. They will play with, and make a big fuss over, the bewildered and scared dog," Pocono Mt. Kennel Club said in an ad. "After a while they will turn to other presents or guests, leaving the tired puppy unsupervised."

The club urges shoppers to get a puppy voucher as a gift and to bring home a puppy when the holidays are over.

It will provide a quieter time for the puppy to get settled, and "a well-adjusted puppy will be your reward," the club said.

Fighting puppy mills

The New York City-based American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and other animal rights groups are asking the public to help fight puppy mills by boycotting pet stores selling puppies, said Cori Menkin, senior director of the ASPCA's anti-puppy mills campaign.

"We are not just saying, 'Don't buy a puppy,' but, 'Don't buy anything in a pet store that sells puppies,'" Menkin said. "We're asking people to adopt from shelters or buy or adopt from reputable dog breeders rather than buy from pet stores."

A truly reputable breeder would want to deal with people directly, face to face, not sell to pet stores that then sell to people, ASPCA spokeswoman Rebecca Goldrick said.

Malinoski said Yuppy Puppy gets its puppies from reputable breeders advertising online.

"Our puppies don't come from mills," she said.

But, how are customers supposed to know? Malinoski said the Monroe County dog warden periodically inspects the store's puppies to ensure there are none of the common signs of abuse associated with mills.

Promoting adoption

The nonprofit Animal Welfare Society of Monroe's Stroud Township shelter takes in abandoned dogs and cats and tries to adopt those animals to people and families looking for pets.

"About 50 percent of the people who come to the shelter specifically ask for puppies," AWSOM Vice President Marie Grimm said.

"We also sometimes take our animals to area pet supply stores we partner with, like PetSmart and Pets Plus, to have people adopt the animals there. We hope a good portion of the public will visit the shelter to 'adopt instead of shop,' as there are so many pets worthy of the companionship that people want."

The AWSOM shelter has its animals spayed, neutered, microchipped, de-flead and vaccinated prior to making the animals available for adoption.

"AWSOM is also doing a Home for the Holidays program where people can take a shelter animal home for Christmas," she said. "This provides the animals an opportunity to get out of the shelter and into a home for a few days."

For information on this program, go to www.awsomanimals.org.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Shelter fire leaves animals without heat

Penny Elms, Dog News Examiner (www.examiner.com) - December 3, 2011

Stroudsburg, PA - The AWSOM animal shelter operates out of a 43 year old building. Time has taken its toll on the structure and the systems which make operations possible.

This morning, one crucial component failed - the heat system went up in flames.

Thankfully, staff and volunteers were on hand to put the fire out and salvage the building - most importantly, no lives were lost.

But now there is nothing left to heat half of the building - nothing to keep the animals inside warm.

Unfortunately, temperatures are expected to plummet into the 20's during the night hours next week...without a source of heat, the animals will be left in misery.

The price tag for a new heat pump is formidable - estimates put the cost at a staggering $15,000.

The shelter does not have the funds to purchase what they so desperately need to keep the animals in their care warm - they are reaching out for donations.

Alternately, the donation of a heat pump would be a priceless gift.

You can help ease the burden that this facility is facing. Donations towards a new source of heat can be made directly to AWSOM, a non-profit 501(c)3 organization.

If you are unable to donate, please help by sharing this story with others who may be able to. Thank you.

Thanksgiving is a time for family to get together, give thanks, eat wonderful food and then pass out in front of the TV watching football. It's also a great time for clever dogs to sneak off with the trimmings.

While tossing your dog a carrot or two, or even a piece of cooked turkey here and there, won't be too harmful, some other Thanksgiving goodies are bad for him.

Here are 10 foods you should not give your dog on Thanksgiving, or any other day for that matter.

1. Bones: It seems counter-intuitive, we know, but bones are bad for dogs. Carmela Stamper, D.V.M., a veterinarian in the Center for Veterinary Medicine at the FDA, said, "Bones are unsafe, no matter what their size. Giving your dog a bone may make your pet a candidate for a trip to your veterinarian's office later, possible emergency surgery or even death. Make sure you throw out bones from your own meals in a way that your dog can't get to them."

2. Raw or undercooked turkey: One reason: salmonella bacteria. You can get sick from handling raw food, and even though you may believe your
dog's stomach is iron-clad - it's not.

3. Turkey skin: Seems harmless enough, right? It's just the skin. But, as blogs.dogtime.com puts it, "High-fat foods, such as turkey skin and gravy, can be hazardous to your dog. Since the skin is hard to digest, it can lead to pancreatitis (symptoms are vomiting, extreme depression, reluctance to move and abdominal pain)."

The skin isn't good for you either, so it's best to throw it away and make more room for the mashed potatoes and gravy.

4. Dough and cake batter: It may sound like an urban legend, but the combination of raw dough and your dog's body heat can actually cause the dough to rise inside his stomach. Bestbullysticks.com says this can result in vomiting, severe abdominal pain and bloating. Not to mention that the batter used in cakes and pies has raw eggs, which could contain salmonella bacteria. If you're making a cake or pie, make sure your dog is not in the kitchen and, clean up any scraps or droppings that hit the floor right away.

5. Beer: Dogs love beer - well, mine do - but this doesn't mean you should share a cold one with your dog. Beer can really do a number on
your dog's stomach.

"Alcohol, especially the hops in beer, can be particularly harmful to dogs, causing intoxication, panting, fever, racing heart, liver damage, even coma, seizures and death," according to bestbullysticks.com.

6. Walnuts and macadamia nuts: These two nuts in particular are very bad for your dog. In fact, they could cause a toxic reaction called macadamia nut toxicosis. Dogblogtimes.com says, "Within twelve hours of eating the nuts, dogs can start to develop symptoms such as an inability to stand, ataxia (walking wobbly), depression, vomiting, muscle tremors, hyperthermia (elevated body temperature), weakness and an elevated heart rate. Usually the symptoms go away within 48 hours but the weakness, vomiting and fear can lead to dangerous, and sometimes deadly, shock."

7. Mushrooms: Fungi are good for you, but bad for your dog. Should your dog ingest mushrooms, you can expect a slew of unwelcome symptoms that could become quite severe. Bestbullysticks.com says mushrooms can damage a number of internal organs, including kidneys, liver and the central nervous system. If your dog eats mushrooms, you can expect seizures, coma, vomiting and possibly death.

8. Onions and garlic: These two culprits are always on the list of foods your dog should not eat and for very good reason. They make your dog sick, period. Here's why: These ingredients contain sulfides, which are toxic to dogs and can cause the destruction of red blood cells leading to Heinz body anemia.

9. Sage: This multi-purpose herb is used in countless recipes and for cleansing a new home, but to a dog, sage is bad. It contains essential oils and resins that can upset a dog's stomach and do a number on his central nervous system.

10. Nutmeg: Nutmeg is a sneaky spice. Found in sweet potatoes, yams, pumpkin pie and most desserts, nutmeg has mild hallucinogenic properties that when ingested by your dog can cause, "seizures, tremors and central nervous system problems. In severe cases, shock and death have been reported," according to blogs.dogtime.com. Note that both pumpkin and sweet potatoes are good for your dog; just make sure no nutmeg is on them before you share them with your dog.

It didn't make our list, but chocolate is very, very bad for dogs. It's not on the list because it should be a given for every pet parent - don't feed your dog chocolate.

The best way to keep your dog safe is to have plenty of his food on hand as well as treats. Also, ask your guests not to feed your dog human food. And give your dog plenty of exercise. A tired dog is a good dog.