By Jillian Langston-Bennett It’s that time of year when the sun sets earlier than most of us would like and while the temperatures haven’t gotten below freezing too much yet, it is technically winter! If you’ve lived in Raleigh for a while, you know that we typically don’t get too much hazardous weather in the winter, but there’s always still a chance and it’s always better to be prepared. We’ve compiled a list of 7 ways to ensure your pets are safe and happy throughout the cold season. 1) Winter Wellness Check- If you haven’t taken your fur baby to see the vet for a while, winter might be the perfect time for a wellness check. While most animals can handle the cold very well, a wellness check with your vet allows you to ask questions about your pet’s health and can alert you to any warning signs, especially in senior animals. 2) Wipe Their Paws- While it’s not reasonable to give your pets a bath each time they come back inside from a potty break, their paws should still be cleaned off after their walk to remove any antifreeze or ice melt they could have stepped in on the walk. You can buy pet wipes at your local pet store (like these Cucumber Melon scented wipes from Hollywood Feed) that are perfect for this occasion. If your pet has shorter legs– first off, that is adorable and we’d love to meet them if we haven’t already- you should consider wiping down your pet’s belly, in case anything may have splashed on there during your time outside. While you’re wiping their paws, check for any cracking or bleeding due to the cold, dry weather. If your pet does get cracked paws in the winter, apply some petroleum jelly (or healing salve available at Pet Wants) to them for fast healing. 3) Bundle Up!- Pet clothes are still trendy not only because they’re so much fun, but because they can also be practical! Protect your pup from the elements by putting a stylish sweater or a vest on them. In 2021, the pet clothing market was valued at 5.19 billion globally, so you have plenty of options to choose from when it comes to a wardrobe for your darlings. A quick browse on the internet or visiting your favorite local pet shop can yield some good results in helping to keep your pet warm and dry. To protect your pup’s feet, you can buy dog booties based on the size of their feet to help keep their toe beans protected on your walks. Bonus: when you first put them on your dog, they might walk around in the most ridiculous way, leading to lots of laughs. 4) Give Me Some Space (Heater)- Many people work from home, whether it’s every day or when the weather is too bad to travel safely. Bad weather could also indicate cold temperatures, enticing people to pull their space heaters out to heat their offices. Make sure your pets stay away from the space heater to keep them as safe as possible. This reduces the potential of the risk of burning themselves and also ensures they don’t knock the space heater over. Most space heaters have a function where if they are knocked over, they will immediately turn off. But how much of a bummer would it be if your dog knocked over your space heater while you were out of the room and you lost all the warmth you had acquired during your Zoom meeting with your boss? 5) No Ice, Ice, Baby- Keep your eye on weather conditions when walking your dog, and avoid ice at all costs. In North Carolina, we don’t worry about snow as much as ice and the worst of all the different kinds of ice is clear ice, commonly referred to as black ice. Clear ice is the result of a light freezing rain (common in these Southern winters) that has frozen in such a way that it is almost invisible to the eye, like the glaze on a donut. It’s incredibly difficult to see, resulting in you not even knowing what made you slip and fall. Not only is ice a hazard for pets, but it’s also a hazard for you if you slip and hurt yourself because you won’t be able to walk your dog until you heal! Here’s to hoping that doesn’t happen, but if you ever do need someone else to walk your dog- schedule a visit and we can swing by to take care of your pup while you’re nice and warm inside! 6) Who Turned Off The Light?- Whether it’s a snow or ice (or even thunder) storm, severe weather always brings a chance for a power outage. Many people have power outage kits at home, including candles, flashlights and batteries, space blankets, a weather radio, and maybe more. Consider your pet’s needs for a power outage- make sure they have backup food and water, an extra space blanket in case the heat doesn’t come back on, first-aid supplies, plenty of clean-up supplies for any accidents that may happen in the house, and anything that would make your pet’s time in the power outage more bearable. Remember to check your power outage bag frequently to make sure that nothing has expired. Pro tip: canned food has a longer shelf life than dry food. 7) Rodent Poison- With the temperature dropping outside, the pests that don’t go underground or hibernate during the winter need some place to take shelter and find food, too. Unfortunately, they usually find those means in residences that are already heated and stocked with groceries, like your home. Pet-safe traps and deterrents are available at your local hardware store to help get rid of unwanted animals and keep the wanted animals safe. Depending on how you take care of those rodents, make sure that your pet isn’t able to hurt themselves. There are many natural pet deterrents, such as essential oils and fragrances that rodents will avoid, but sometimes you have a bigger problem than peppermint oil can solve. You also need to make sure that your pet does not hunt and potentially eat the rodent after it has eaten poison. For both traps and poisons, make sure your pets aren’t able to get caught in them by also placing them in a place where your pets typically won’t go, such as a crawl space. If you think your fur baby has ingested rodent poison, immediately take them to an emergency vet and bring the poison packaging with you! While we’re all still waiting to hear what the groundhog says in a few weeks, winter has arrived in North Carolina and we hope you and your pets have a safe season!

By Jillian Langston-Bennett Today is National Celebrate Shelter Pets Day and while we care for all types of dogs, we are here to celebrate those who got a second chance at a happy home! Did you know that approximately 6.3 million pets enter into shelters each year and only 4.1 million are adopted? That’s roughly over 17,000 animals brought to the shelter but almost 12,000 adopted each day. Unfortunately, that means that 35% of pets that enter shelters don’t ever find their homes. However, around 810,000 of the 6.3 million pets that come into shelters are reunited with their owners! We couldn’t end the intro on a sad fact. Here are some ways you can support your local shelters on this day and every day: Volunteer- Anyone and everyone has the ability to volunteer at a shelter. You might associate volunteering at a shelter with cleaning out the dogs’ enclosures, but there are many other ways to volunteer such as taking professional photos of the animals, helping to update the website and social media platforms, and volunteering at adoption events. Shelters might have a requirement of minimum hours a week or month, so check with your preferred shelter before applying to become a volunteer. Adopt- Of course the best thing you can do for the shelter is to adopt a pet, creating a space for another pet that is in need, but this is the biggest commitment of all. Most people associate shelters with dogs and cats, but some shelters in the Raleigh area also have small animals up for adoption, such as rabbits, guinea pigs, or even chickens. The Raleigh-Durham area has many shelters in the area, so a quick google search should help you find what kind of pet you are looking for. Adopting a pet can be a rewarding experience but it is important to be sure you’re capable of taking care of the animal before you commit. Unfortunately, between 7-20% of dogs and cats adopted from shelters are returned within six months, so it is a good idea to ensure that you are ready for this responsibility. Foster- Fostering animals until they find their fur-ever homes is an excellent way to support your local shelter. Not only does this take the animal out of the shelter, creating a space for another animal in need, but it allows the pet to socialize and prepare for what life will be like in their fur-ever home. Fostering is a big responsibility with many requirements that foster paw-rents must meet, but it is a rewarding process. Shelters can usually help provide food and materials, such as crates/carriers, litter boxes, toys, and bedding. While fostering isn’t as permanent as adopting, it is still a grand commitment, so you’ll want to make sure everyone in your household (including hoomans and pets) are on board with the idea before you commit to housing a new furry friend, even if just for a little while. Donate- Shelters are almost always in need of supplies, such as cleaning supplies, food and treats, and blankets for the animals. Many shelters have a list of items they are currently in need of and often have Amazon wish lists, so you can order the items and have them delivered without having to leave your home. Shelters are unable to take some items, such as heavily used blankets, expired food, etc. so make sure to check with the shelter before donating any used items. However, if you buy something for your pet and they don’t use it, you could potentially donate it to the shelter for an animal that will appreciate it! You can also make a monetary donation, which can help cover the cost of veterinary care or spaying/neutering animals. Word of Mouth- Sharing posts on social media goes a long way in helping pets find homes. You never know which one of your friends or followers might fall in love with the sweet face you are reposting, so spreading the word of animals that need homes is an effective and free way to support your local shelters. You can also tell your friends and family about shelter events and encourage others to adopt pets from shelters, rather than buying from breeders or pet stores. Create a fundraiser or drive- Want to get involved but don’t have any items that you can donate to a shelter? Tap into your friends and families to see what they can donate! You can set up a fundraiser to collect money to donate to the shelter or a food/toy drive to collect items that the shelter needs and then deliver them to the shelter when the drive is finished. Spay or neuter your pet: We know you may be partial to your pet and can imagine how cute their offspring would be, but did you know that a female dog can give birth to two litters in one year? According to the Spay and Neuter Assistance Program, with each canine litter containing on average 6-10 puppies, that’s approximately 20 puppies that can be brought into this world by one unspayed dog in one year. (For all you cat lovers, the statistics are similar with female cats having the ability to produce three litters in one year, with each litter containing on average 4-6 kittens for a whopping possibility of 18 kittens in one year). If you don’t think you could take care of 20 dogs or kittens, spaying or neutering your pet is the easiest solution to that problem. Microchip your pet: Microchips are tiny, electronic chips that are inserted under the skin and contain identification numbers specific to your pet. Unfortunately, they cannot be used to GPS track your pet if it gets lost, but when found pets are brought to the shelter or the veterinarian, they are first checked for microchips and can contact you (as long as your information is up to date) to reunite you with your furry friend. No matter how much time or money you have to give, anyone can support their local shelters. Remember, every little bit helps when it comes to supporting your local shelters. By giving what you can, you can make a difference in the lives of animals who need it most.

By Jillian Langston-Bennett The holidays are just around the corner and the invitations for gatherings and parties are in the mail! You’re so excited to go to your best friend’s party on Friday evening, but who will feed your pet their dinner? And how will you ever manage to take them on a walk between work and getting ready for the party? Have no fear, our wonderful pet sitters are here! We all know that the younger generations are choosing having pets over having children- in fact, 58% of millennials prefer fur babies over human babies and on average budget over $200 for pet care per month . With all that money going towards something, it must be important, so of course you want to know your pet is in great hands while you’re away. It’ll make the party that much better to not worry about your pet being unhappy. While Hooman on Demand does not offer overnight sitting, we can still take care of your critters while you’re away! Our pet sitting services can begin as early as 7:00 AM and go until 9:00 PM to make sure your fur babies get all the care that they need. Our pet sitting services include three 30-minute visits that can be scheduled around the same times you usually take care of your pets, to help them stay in their routine. To make this an easy process for you, we’ve compiled a list of qualities to look for in a pet sitter: Responsible- Merriam Webster defines responsible as “able to answer for one’s conduct and obligations”, but a quick Google search reveals that so much more goes into what it means to be considered responsible. You want to know that your sitter is not only going to do their job, but that they will take feedback accordingly, own up to any mistakes made (IF there are mistakes, we are Hoomans after all), and correct themselves to ensure your pet gets the best care possible. At Hooman On Demand, we send a report with each visit, detailing what happened and are receptive to feedback, if needed. Trustworthy- this is one of the most important qualities in a pet sitter. How are you going to enjoy your vacation knowing a stranger is in your home with your fur (or scale or feather) babies? Our instincts can go a long way in deciding if someone is trustworthy or not, but Hooman on Demand also requires intensive background checks for all of our walkers. At Hooman On Demand, safety of both the walkers and the animals are our main concern, so we make sure that the sitters are comfortable and confident before sending them out on their own. Problem-solving- As we all know, things happen and if you believe in Murphy’s Law, something is going to go wrong at some point. A good pet-sitter will be able to solve problems on the fly, whether it’s a dog who has an upset stomach or a bird who won’t go back to his enclosure at the end of the visit. Will your pet-sitter be quick on their feet to assess the situation? At Hooman On Demand, we always have a manager on duty who knows each pet we watch (and has spent enough time with them to know the pet very well). Good communication- At Hooman On Demand, we provide photos and a report card at the end of every visit. This allows you to know what happened during the visit (“Roscoe pooped and peed on his walk!”) and see some photos of your pet while you’re away. Our sitters have your phone number and can contact you in case of an emergency, should one arise. Respectful- Is the pet-sitter going to leave a mess when they leave your house? Are they going to consider the words you use to correct or reward your dog? Will they set the alarm when they finish their visit? These are all worries that have been expressed when looking for a good pet-sitter and things that we look out for when onboarding our sitters and walkers! Along with hiring quality people, we ensure that our sitters will respect your wishes of what needs to be done while you are gone so you can return to your home in peace. Curious- some of the best pet-sitters want to know more about animals and truly enjoy caring for them. Good pet-sitters are not afraid to ask questions to help them do their jobs and take care of the animals in the best way possible. Ready for your pet to meet their new best friend while you’re out of town? Sign up today and schedule a meet and greet! We can’t wait to meet your four-legged (or three, or two, or one… or even none) friend!

Today is Respect Your Cat Day, a day to celebrate and recognize the wonderful creatures that cats are. Cats are often misunderstood and overlooked, but they are incredibly intelligent and loyal creatures. On this day, we should take time to appreciate our cats and show them the respect they deserve. Cats have been part of human life for thousands of years and have been domesticated for centuries. They are incredibly smart and loyal animals, and they can form strong bonds with their owners. Cats can be trained to do tricks and they can even be taught to use the litter box. They are also very independent, so they don’t need as much attention as some other pets. On Respect Your Cat Day, it is important to show your cat how much you care. Spend some extra time playing with them, petting them, and giving them treats. Show them that you appreciate them and that you respect them as a part of your family. It is also important to make sure that your cat is healthy and happy. Make sure that they have a clean litter box and that they have plenty of fresh water and food. Make sure that they have a safe place to play and explore. Take them to the vet for regular check-ups and make sure that they are up to date on their vaccinations. Finally, it is important to show respect to cats in your community. Don’t let your cat roam around outside and make sure that it is spayed or neutered. Cats can be a nuisance if they are not properly taken care of, so make sure that you are a responsible pet owner. Respect Your Cat Day is a great opportunity to show your cat how much you care. Take some extra time to appreciate your cat and show them the respect they deserve.

1. Toxic Plants: Many common spring plants, such as daffodils and lily of the valley, are toxic to dogs if ingested. 2. Allergens: Pollen, dust, and other allergens are more prevalent in the spring, which can trigger allergic reactions in dogs. 3. Insects: Fleas, ticks, and other insects are more active in the spring, and can spread diseases and parasites to dogs. 4. Pools and Lakes: Chlorinated pools and stagnant lakes can contain bacteria and parasites that can make dogs sick. 5. Lawn Chemicals: Fertilizers, herbicides, and other lawn chemicals can be toxic if ingested by dogs. 6. Mud: Spring rains can cause mud and standing water, which can contain harmful bacteria and parasites. 7. Heatstroke: Warmer temperatures can put dogs at risk of heatstroke, which can be fatal.

Some Dog Friendly Fall Festives!

Tens of thousands of years ago before the creation of the internet, before electricity, before iron and bronze and before organized agriculture, humans formed an inseverable relationship with another species- The Grey Wolf. Fast foraward to now. The Grey wolf (Canis Lupus) is a direct acendant to The Dog (Canis Familiaris).

In celebration of pet sitter education month we have compiled a list of dog mannerisms that you, your family and your pet sitter should look out for in your pets! These stressful signs could mean nothing but it never hurts to be extra safe!

National Dog Week was created in 1928 when veteran and canine advocate, Captain William Judy started the week long celebration to recognize the service and the undeniable loyalty of man's best friend.