Heaven Pet Urns

Getting a new pet before you have had time to work through your grief can cause problems for both you and the pet.  It’s probably not best to get a new cat or dog as soon as you wiped the first bit of dust off of those pet urns.

So when is the right time? There’s no easy answer.  Only you know when too soon is actually too soon.  It may help to talk to your friends and family and maybe you can get a sense of when you’re ready to start anew.

There are several memorial pet urns to choose from; the one I find to be one of the most comforting is the garden marker.  This paw print serves as a reminder for our cute little puppy when he was around.  This marker also comes with a plate so you can engrave your pet’s name on it; an urn capsule is included with this marker. While they’re surely different from traditional urns, the gesture remains the same and – in some cases – a bit more heartwarming.

We have been discussing charities over the past month. The first one we have discussed is LAWS-Lanark Animal Welfare Society a non-government funded charity. It is based on donations and fund raising events.

This week we will continue the discussion of LAWS with thier program of SNAP- Spay Neuter Assistance Program.  One of the main concerns as discussed last week for LAWS and all other animal welfare organizations is the huge cat and kitten population. Every year thousands of cats and kittens die or are euthanized. The number could be drastically reduced if cats were spayed and neutered. There are a number of reasons that people have indicated why they did not spay or neuter their pet which mainly was the cost. Therefore LAWS is introducing SNAP a Spay Neuter Assistance Programme.

There are many people who live on or below the poverty line that can offer a home to a cat, with the regular cost of food and litter but the cost of spaying or neutering is beyond what thier day to day budget can afford. Therefore the kittens become female cats that go into heat or become pregnant with the unwanted kittens and the males start producing strong urine or spraying. Some people cannot deal with this type of situation and therefore reluctantly the cats are taken to the shelter by the owners.

Therefore the program SNAP came into effect where initially only 10 vouchers per month are issued. Anyone can apply to the programme but the conditions must be met in order to qualify for a voucher. This way not only is  LAWS able to help the animals  but help the owner deal with the spaying and neutering. Dogs are included in the programme. All applications are reviewed initially but focusing is mainily on spaying and neutering cats due to the high number of cats and kittens entering LAWS. Also the number of cats and dogs that can be helped will be increased and will based as finances permit. This will hopefully reduce the number of homeless animals.

As stated before LAWS is based entirely on donations and fund raising events. LAWS welcomes donations specifically for SNAP.

This is one of LAWS goals is reducing the number of  cats and dogs that end up at the shelter by promoting SNAP and educating the general public on spaying and neutering thier pet. 

Help this little guy -spay and neuter your pet so he does not end up at a shelter or homeless.

I just wanted you to know how much my grandchildren like the pet keepsake urns I got for them to keep their pet birds in. The birds were ones that would sit on thier shoulder and take small pieces of fruit and seeds from my grandchildren.  It was unfortunate that they both got sick with some infection at the same time.  The children felt so bad and so did I. We shopped through your site looking for different pet keepsake urns they would be happy with. This made them feel better knowing they were picking out a special place for their small birds. Your site had so many pet urns that would be good for any family pet, the pictures were great and your advice on the pet urn size was right. You talked with my grandchildren adding what advice you could to help them feel important with the decision of what family pet urn they picked out. Many thanks from me and my grandchildren. The small keepsake pet urns were beautifully done in pewter, marble and brass just so many choices which was great. The pewter was the one we thought was best with the price of only $42.00 in the size we wanted. Once again thanks for giving us choices.

 LAWS has taken the step of spaying/neutering every cat  before they are adopted if they are old enough. It is their part of their commitment to control the cat population.  Any animal adopted from LAWS if it is not already spayed/neutered receives a free certificate to have that done. LAWS has one of the lowest  adoption fees of any shelter in North America. On an average cat or dog that comes through the shelter costs LAWS  twice the cost of the adoption fee.  One priority is to find homes and ensure spaying/neuters are another priority.

This will give you an idea of why LAWS is so concerned about spaying and neutering your pet. If 10 cats went into heat this week and became pregnant . The average gestation period is 63 days for a cat and the average cat has a litter of four kittens. These kittens will nurse from their mother for a minumum of 6 weeks. If all 10 cats and thier kittens were brought to the shelter when weaned, LAWS would have  and intake of 50 cats in early May. The shelter only comfortably houses approximately 60 cats. These cats and thier kittens would take up 85% of the shelter’s capacity. That starts with only 10 cats.

LAWS does their best on what donations, fundraisers and volunteer help but they can only do so much. This is why they stress spaying and neutering your pets so they will not end up at the shelter or on the street with no home or attention every animal deserves. 

I bought one of your new line of Garden Grave Memorial Marker for my dog. I wanted something to mark the spot so it would never be lost to  me or the kids. Everyone has commented on how original that memorial marker was. The paw prints really made it a decorative pet urn for my yard and added to the attractiveness of the yard. Your pet grave marker helped to ease the pet loss I have for him. I know I am showing tribute to him for all he gave me by putting this marker that I love there. That in itself makes me feel better about the situation. Thanks for all the kind sentiments and encouragment you gave me at the time. It is not very often you find someone with so much feeling.

The discussion of Charities will continue. The current  one under discussion is LAWS. 

 There are very few people who have not heard of spaying and neutering your pet either from literature or from different stories being documented on the news, talk shows etc.  The reality is that there are thousands of unwanted animals finding their way to the shelters each year. This is the result of puppies and kittens created by unneutered and spayed animals and their subsequent effect on the overpopulation of companion pets. The whole truth is that there are far more animals seeking adoption than homes that are available.

During the period of June 1st 2002 to May 31st 2005 , LAWS spent $132, 820.70 on spay/neuter and those numbers are of 3 years ago so with the rising population that number in the last 3 has probably increased. Remember this is a non government funded society. LAWS tries to look after these animals as best as possible.LAWS relies  on supporters who make regular donations to shelter and thier adoption/shelter fees along with generous donations of their supporters.

This amount in dollars is shocking enough but think about it one female dog and her offspring can create 67,000 dogs in six years. One female cat and her offspring can produce 420,000 cats in seven years. Each year many animals are abandoned and hurt because of overpopulation.

 LAWS can only do their part to help as many of these animals that end on thier doorstep but what about the others that don’t. How do they make thier way in the world with no home, food, or attention needed to make their quality of life better?

More on LAWS next week.

I love  the Victorian Heart Sliver Locket cremation jewelry that  I purchased for my daughter. Her rabbit Ruggsie died this spring and she was devistated. Ruggsie was her best friend and in the teenage years that meant alot. I wasn’t sure how to help her with the pet loss of her life long friend then I saw this locket on your site. That locket was the most precious  gift I could have bought  her. It helped her  by being able to put some of  Ruggsie’s pet ashes and a photographic in the cremation jewelry.  This way she will always  feel she is close to him in her heart. It is really a personalized pet urn to her because it  means so much. Sometimes a gift to the heart can go the furthest. She just loved the style that was so fashionable and she wears it all the time. Thanks again for helping me and my daughter. Your customer service was great.  

PET LOVER’S EXPO

Merrickville, Ontario

 May 31, 2008

Join us Saturday, May 31 for the Second Annual

 PET LOVER’S EXPO

at the Merrickville Community Centre.

A day devoted to your pet and to you, bringing you the latest trends in food, leisure, fashion…for you and your pets.

Audtions for Pet Models: April 19th, 2008 - 2 PM to 5 PM

Charities- LAWS - the dicussion will continue:

LAWS is an independent organization that is dedicated to  aiding all animals and promoting their well being. It is a registered charity that survives solely on private donations because they receive no funding from the government.  

 Last week we discussed  how the animal arrives at the shelter, admittance procedures and logging in of the animal into the system. The animal at this point is ready for adoption.

This week we discuss the daily activities of  the staff at the shelter.  The staff arrives at the shelter at 8 A.M. to begin the task of caring for the animals, over 100 cats and between 10-20 dogs, an estimated amount which varies as animals are adopted and as others join the shelter,  Pens and cages are cleaned, all bedding washed which is then hung on the line. This aids on the usage of the dryer which reflects on the Hydro bill. The food bowls are filled, precribed medications where applicable are administered, food and litter are restocked. These are only some of the necessary chores there are more. A good day has volunteers arriving to help out therefore completing the task by 11 AM-roughly 3 hours. It is then the staff can turn their attention to the public which means many phone calls to answer, paperwork completion, cleaning, scheduling spays/neuters as well as other duties and more. 

Cat/Dog food is often donated at times thanks to readers of the LAWS columns and the general public. These donations help on the purchase of food. Non-clumping cat litter is an other expense purchased each week because it is rarely donated. Some animals find the shelter very stressful and most of the pets that arrive already have a weakend immune system from poor nutrition and not receiving proper vacinations.

Next week we will carry on with the discussion of  LAWS.