FREE PET BLOOD-PRESSURE SCREENING
To celebrate their 145th anniversary, the ASPCA is offering free blood-pressure screenings to cats over 7 years old and dogs over 5 years. Abnormally high or low blood pressure in animals can be a condition of heart disease, kidney disease and other severe illnesses. Saturday, April 9, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Bergh Memorial Animal Hospital, 424 E. 92nd St. By appointment only, email BMAH@aspca.org or call 212-876-7700, ext. 4200.
Animal Shelter Misconceptions
New York City’s Animal Care & Control is one of the most misunderstood shelter systems in the city. While animal lovers open their wallets to rescue groups like the ASPCA, Bide-A-Wee and the Humane Society, they are more reluctant to do so for AC&C. Last year, 34,768 cats and dogs came through the shelter.
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ASPCA Wants Shamrock Horses
The ASPCA reaffirmed its offer to find homes for 22 carriage horses after the city closed Shamrock Stables, on West 45th Street. The property will be used to build a new residential development and expand a nearby school. The stable owners, however, declined the offer. Read more
Talk to Me about My Pet
“How are the kids?” I always make a point of asking my friends.
They appreciate it and talk about day camp, allergies, Saturday’s visit to the Bronx Zoo, who’s good at math and who was so funny at the pediatrician yesterday.
My experience as an uncle seven times over has taught me how to talk to parents about their kids, yet I am surprised how poorly people engage my partner Bryan and me about our 6-year-old dog, Ezra Pound. Read more
HELP WITH THAT VET BILL
Besides insuring your apartment, your car, your jewelry and yourself, you can insure your pets. There are a lot of companies that offer pet insurance; even the ASPCA has a plan. But while many people would never willingly forego their own health insurance, is it a good idea for a pet? Not everyone agrees.
“I think you’re better off putting $50 in a bank account with your pet’s name on it,” said Natasha Cotter, office manger for East Side Veterinarian Dr. Patrick Cotter.
Based on her experience, she has found that insurers typically pay about 50 percent, “and you have to really work for it to get that reimbursement.”
ConsumersReports.org also says that putting the equivalent of the insurance premiums in a savings account is a better idea over your pet’s lifetime. And the odds that your pet is going to need some incredibly expensive treatment are small. Read more
ANIMAL WELFARE STARTS HERE
Henry Bergh wasn’t particularly interested in animals. But Bergh, who later went on to found the ASPCA, became involved with their protection because it was “simply the right thing to do.”
Heritage of Care, by Dr. Stephen L. Zawistowski and Marion S. Lane (Praeger Publishers, $39.95) is more than a history of the ASPCA. The book covers the beginning of any organized concern for animal welfare in this country. Read more
