Mini is a great little dog who needs a good home. We call her Mini because she looks like a miniature German Shepherd. She is about 8 months old and only weighs 40 pounds, and that is what she will weigh. She was found wandering loose in great condition and it was assumed that the owners would be easily found, but signs posted in the area where she was found brought no response, and local vets had never seen her. Now she needs a home. She is friendly and playful and gets along well with other dogs. She gets along fine with cats, but enjoys chasing them. If they are willing to run, she is happy to chase them; if they don't want to run, she licks their heads. She just wants to play. She would do well with another young dog that liked to play, or kids who could play with her and help her burn off energy. Or adults who could do the same thing. Mini has been spayed, is current on all her vaccinations, and is on flea and heartworm preventative. An adoption fee to a local rescue group is required. For more information about Mini, please call 404-250-4328 or e-mail at critterchatter@mindspring.com.

Summer’s almost here, along with vacation time! Taking your dog on family trips is a great idea. Genetically hardwired to be pack animals, dogs thrive best when they are an integral part of your family’s activities. Keep these safety tips in mind when traveling with your furry friend.

Southern Hope Humane Society, manager of the Fulton County Animal Services facility, recently opened the first county no-kill pet adoption shelter in the southeast. It is hoped that this Roswell adoption center will increase the number dogs and cats that are adopted from the Fulton County shelter. All of the animals at the Roswell adoption facility will be transferred from the Fulton County Shelter and will be spay/neutered and vaccinated before entering the facility.

The upscale adoption center, designed by Vern Yip of TLC’s “Trading Spaces,” will include dog suites, a free roaming cat room, separate areas for puppies and kittens, and a “get acquainted room” where people can get to know dogs or cats in a home-like atmosphere.

A new talk radio program focusing on animal rights and promising to be hard-hitting and controversial hit the airwaves on April 5 on Atlanta’s 100,000 watt community radio station WRFG 89.3 FM, or Radio Free Georgia as it is sometimes known. Hosted by Jean Barnes and Melody Paris, both Atlanta residents and long-time animal rights activists, the show will air on Wednesdays from 6:00 to 6:30 during prime drive time.

The co-hosts promised that the show would be controversial and that no topic would be off-limits when it comes to animal rights issues.

This great spring weather almost begs you to get outside and enjoy it, and most of us are taking advantage of it and doing just that. One way to enjoy the outdoors is to get away from the sights and sounds of everyday life and disappear into the deep woods, where the only sounds you hear are those of the forest. If one of those sounds is that of running water, it makes for an even better experience. Here are two of the best places to find that kind of tranquility.

Furkids, Inc. announced the opening of the largest cage-free, no-kill animal shelter in Georgia. The shelter, which is more like a day care center than a typical shelter, is made up of separate rooms, furnished the way cats prefer, where cats can relax and enjoy life in cat-like comfort while waiting for a permanent home. It can house 200 cats in a bright, cheerful and safe environment where they are fed and cared for by the staff and volunteers.

The facility was designed with the cats in mind, and even includes a room for FIV positive cats. The isolation and quarantine rooms have a separate HVAC system that vents directly to the outside to protect the healthy cats. Each room is built to provide a safe but interesting environment for cats, with cat furniture and special shelving on the walls that allows them to jump, climb, play, perch up high and view the world from above, and plenty of places to do what cats do best—sleep.

Clap your hands twice and then say “sit.” Give Rover a treat if he sits. Repeat 10 times. Now clap your hands twice and see what happens. If Rover picks up the idea that clapping twice is the same as the word “sit,” in only 10 repetitions, he is very bright indeed.

In each issue we have photos of people and their dogs.
Can you tell who belongs with whom?