Give thanks for healthy pets

As people prepare to give thanks, Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Los Angeles (spcaLA) offers the following reminders to ensure that everyone, including pets, has a happy and safe Thanksgiving.

Please help shelter pets this holiday season. While out shopping, spcaLA asks that people pick up an extra bag or can of dog, cat, kitten or puppy food for a shelter pet in need. Donations of unopened pet food are accepted at all spcaLA locations, during business hours.

The following are tips to ensuring healthy pets: never give pets leftover bones since cooked bones splinter can be fatal; turkey skin and gravy are too fatty and long term ingestion could cause pancreatitis; rather than serve pets harmful leftovers, purchase a Thanksgiving dinner especially for dogs or cats, like Merrick’s Thanksgiving Day Dinner (available at the spcaLA Marketplace in Long Beach); chocolate is a great treat, but not for pets; if are serving a turkey, discard leftover bones and bits in a plastic bag, tie securely, and dispose in an outside dumpster with a secure lid to avoid stray animals from accessing it and becoming ill; dogs and cats should wear ID tags with current address and/or phone number at all times, in addition to being micro-chipped (this is important throughout the entire year, but especially during the holidays as there may be a greater risk of your pet escaping due to increased visitors); teach pets to “come when called” as such a command is a fail-safe, should a dog get loose (spcaLA Animal Behavior & Training Department offers a Come When Called class); and lastly, if expecting a full house, secure pets in a separate room with favorite toys and a cozy pet bed. Soft music, like classical, helps them relax. Pets that have their own room will feel safer; less stressed and won’t be able to accidentally escape out the front door.

spcaLA’s pet adoption centers in Hawthorne and Long Beach will be closed Thursday and Friday for the Thanksgiving holiday, reopening Saturday Nov. 29 at 10 a.m. PetSmart Charities® Everyday Adoption Center by spcaLA will be closed Thanksgiving day, reopening Friday at 11a.m. Meet your Friend for Life!

For more information or to schedule an interview, persons interested can contact Ana Bustilloz at (323) 730-5300 x252 or by email at: abustilloz@spcaLA.com.

spcaLA is an independent, nonprofit animal welfare organization serving Southern California since 1877. There is no national SPCA, parent organization, or umbrella group that provides financial support to spcaLA. Donations run programs and services including Cruelty Investigation, Disaster Animal Response Team, Humane Education, and a variety of shelter services.