So hopefully we've begun to come around to normal, or what will be normal from now on. We hope you have all stayed healthy and sane. I know my 3 canine furkids have helped me with the latter. They  are definitely very happy that I'm now working from home. We've had to come to an agreement on schedules, 3 pm is NOT dinner time guys, lol.

We plan on having our table up at events again and have been tossing around the idea of having a 3k walk/run with your dog. We've also extended our cat spay/neuter half price special until the end of September. Hopefully this will help out in these strange times, no one needs too many mouths to feed right now.

​Let us know if you have any other fundraising ideas, we'd love to hear from you!

So as we're all aware, the world has gone crazy and the zombies are coming. Ok, maybe not but it kinda feels like that sometimes. I just want to set the record straight on some rumors I've heard.

This is straight from the CDC website:
While this virus seems to have emerged from an animal source, it is now spreading from person-to-person. There is no reason to think that any animals including pets in the United States might be a source of infection with this new coronavirus. To date, CDC has not received any reports of pets or other animals becoming sick with COVID-19. At this time, there is no evidence that companion animals including pets can spread COVID-19. However, since animals can spread other diseases to people, it’s always a good idea to wash your hands after being around animals.

Visit their website to get more info on how to be healthy around your pet.   https://www.cdc.gov/healthypets/index.html

Remember, pets give us so much benefit and love, it helps us be healthier too. So please don't think you need to give up your pet in this strange time, they're much needed for love and snuggles.

We have decided to no longer provide vouchers for emergency medical funds. Instead we are partnering with the East Mountain Veterinary Services for use in their Project Pawsitive program.  We have donated all the funds that were in our emergency medical account to them.  We felt they were in a better position to help those in need of funds for emergencies and unexpected expenses related to vet care.

We know they will provide the best service for your animals and we are happy to help.

Go to: https://eastmountainvetservice.com/ to visit their page and get all the information.

The main reason to spay or neuter your pet is to reduce the number of unwanted pets in an already oversaturated population.  According to the ASPCA there are several medical and behavioral benefits as well.  ​https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/general-pet-care/spayneuter-your-pet

Here's the top ten list from the WebMD pets section of why you should spay/neuter your pets:

1. Your female pet will live a longer, healthier life. 
   Spaying helps prevent uterine infections and breast cancer, which is fatal in about 50 percent of dogs and 90 percent of cats. Spaying your pet before her first heat offers the best protection from these diseases.
2. Neutering provides major health benefits for your male. 
   Besides preventing unwanted litters, neutering your male companion prevents testicular cancer.
3. Your spayed female won't go into heat. 
   While cycles can vary, female felines usually go into heat four to five days every three weeks during breeding season. In an effort to advertise for mates, they'll yowl and urinate more frequently-sometimes all over the house!
4. Your male dog won't want to roam away from home. 
   An intact male will do just about anything to find a mate! That includes digging his way under the fence and making like Houdini to escape from the house. And once he's free to roam, he risks injury in traffic and fights with other males.
5. Your neutered male will be much better behaved. 
   Neutered cats and dogs focus their attention on their human families. On the other hand, unneutered dogs and cats may mark their territory by spraying strong-smelling urine all over the house. Many aggression problems can be avoided by early neutering.
6. Spaying or neutering will NOT make your pet fat. 
   Don’t use that old excuse! Lack of exercise and overfeeding will cause your pet to pack on the extra pounds-not neutering. Your pet will remain fit and trim as long as you continue to provide exercise and monitor food intake.
7. It is highly cost-effective. 
   The cost of your pet's spay/neuter surgery is a lot less than the cost of having and caring for a litter. It also beats the cost of treatment when your unneutered tom escapes and gets into fights with the neighborhood stray!
8. Spaying and neutering your pet is good for the community. 
   Stray animals pose a real problem in many parts of the country. They can prey on wildlife, cause car accidents, damage the local fauna and frighten children. Spaying and neutering packs a powerful punch in reducing the number of animals on the streets.
9. Your pet doesn't need to have a litter for your children to learn about the miracle of birth. 
   Letting your pet produce offspring you have no intention of keeping is not a good lesson for your children-especially when so many unwanted animals end up in shelters. There are tons of books and videos available to teach your children about birth in a more responsible way.
10. Spaying and neutering helps fight pet overpopulation. 
    Every year, millions of cats and dogs of all ages and breeds are euthanized or suffer as strays. These high numbers are the result of unplanned litters that could have been prevented by spaying or neutering.
    

Source: pets.webmd.com/reasons-spay-neuter-pet

​So please help us help them, we'd like to see a lot less unwanted, unloved pets in the world.

Just wanted to say that whatever holiday you celebrate this time of year, we hope it's a happy and memorable one.  Don't forget those extra treats for your furkids!  Just not the table scraps :-)

And we hope that the new year brings all that you wish for, in our case lots of pets being spayed and neutered and staying healthy and happy.

A while ago I wrote a blog about our activities and why we are anxious to encourage new volunteers to join with us. Now I need to be a little more specific about what we have done to date. This year we have sterilized 120 dogs locally and thru the mobile van that came to Edgewood from Santa Fe for a day. We have financially assisted in helping at least 85 sick and injured animals to the tune of $2000. Hundreds of pounds of dog and cat food has been distributed thru our partner Valley View Christian Church’s food pantry. This has been accomplished by sponsoring fund raisers, soliciting donations from individuals, churches businesses and selling raffle tickets. We are frequently appearing at local events and activities. We are proud of the help we have been able to offer to the pets of Estancia Valley and hope to be able to continue doing this for years to come. Again we extend a sincere invitation for you to learn more about how we operate by attending a meeting, usually on a Tuesday evening at one of the local restaurants.
Please call me, Marion Ammerman 933-4901.

When I moved to Edgewood a year ago I knew I wanted to do a lot with animal rescue and assisting animals in need. I was already spending time at Walkin' in Circles Ranch, a horse rescue located about 10 miles north of Edgewood.  Shortly after settling in I started volunteering at Animal Control in town cleaning cat cages one morning a week. Then coincidentally I met a woman at the laundromat in Moriarty who told me about FEVA. I was intrigued with the concept of a small group dedicated people working together to improve the lives of Estancia Valley animals in several different areas. I was even more impressed after I attended a FEVA meeting. These people were committed providing pet food thru the food bank, promoting spaying and neutering with financial assistance and also aiding owners of sick and injured pets who needed some financial help treating the animals they loved. Suddenly I was selling raffle tickets, attending fund raising events and generally involving myself in the activities of the FEVA group.  It's an understatement to say that it is very rewarding and personally satisfying to know you have done something positive to assist a suffering animal and their owners.  Please think about attending a meeting to see if this might be a worthwhile way to spend some of your time. You are welcome to involve yourself in as many of our activities as you wish. We would love to greet you and include you in our meeting with no obligation to join if you decide this is not for you. Please call me for more information.
​Marion Ammerman 933-4901

PS: We also have fun and a few laughs and giggles at our meetings and events.

Welcome to the new Friends of Estancia Valley Animals website and blog!
We will be periodically  posting educational and/or entertaining information of interest to animal owners and advocates.

This is an appropriate time to review the basics of animal safety during summer weather. For many years I lived in a small community in the Mohave Desert in Arizona where the temperature routinely rose to 110+ in the summer. It was imperative to spend time keeping our animals safe and comfortable. Needless to say I am enjoying the more moderate climate of Edgewood but I'm aware that it is still necessary to make summer adjustments. There are 3 primary areas of concern for summer safety.
​
#1 Water - dogs need 1 ounce of fresh water to 1 pound of body weight daily. Puppies may need more and dogs on dry food need more than dogs on canned or wet food. Cats up to 10 pounds need 1/2 to 1 cup of water daily.
#2 Shade - Dogs can tolerate up to 90 degrees when provided with  shade as the sun moves across the daytime sky. Up until now 90 is about maximum temp for the Edgewood area. Dogs sweat primarily by panting and cats sweat primarily through the pads in their feet. Both can get sunburned. Dogs with little pigment in their noses can develop a condition called collie nose (nasal solar dermatitis). Collies and sheepdogs are apparently most susceptible.
#3 Ventilation (moving air) - This is critical enough to receive a lot of publicity regarding leaving dogs in parked cars. Even  moderate heat and leaving the windows cracked can lead to dangerously high temperatures in a matter of minutes. I also know of an instance where a lovely lab was inadvertently enclosed in a tin storage shed for several hours. He did not survive.
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As pet owners we want our animals to enjoy and thrive in the summer months. Pets may enjoy a wading pool, popsicles (water with beef bouillon a suggested favorite)or even a rubdown with a cool,wet towel. If you are too hot your pet probably is too.  Happy summer!