Dog Park: Nazareth opened an off-leash dog park on Saturday, November 15, 2008.
Details: Nazareth Boro Dog Park on Black Rock Road. Black Rock Road is at the lower (east) end of the Greenwood Cemetary on West High Street. Call the Borough Office at 610-759-0202 with any questions.
How much does it cost to have a pet? ASPCA
breakdown of estimated annual cost by type of pet.
Live in the Lehigh Valley area and looking for a groomer that can come to your home? Try Linda's Dog Grooming ~ 610-967-3160 Please DO NOT call Linda about any of the dogs on our site. She is not part of our rescue and doesn't know anything about our dogs. If you have a question, please email us. We will respond to all email inquiries.
Please join our mailing list to receive announcements about new dogs needing homes or shelters in need of donations and rescue help.
Off topic, but very interesting! Have you heard about cyber schools in PA? They're public schools (no tuition) for students in grades K-12 who live in PA. Students take classes at home via the internet. Come chat with parents of cyber school students by joining this group: PACyberSchooling.
Who We Are
Happy Dog Rescue is a small rescue offering personalized service to our adopters as well as six years experience fostering/adopting dogs. We will do our best to match you with a dog that is compatible with your family's lifestyle. Our goal is to find the best match for both dog and adoptive family. We do not do adoptions on a first come/first served basis, but rather based on the needs and desires of the dog and adoptive family. If you do not share this philosophy, please do not apply to adopt from us.
Volunteers needed:
Volunteers needed for crossposting. If you are online frequently, you can help
save the lives of dogs in kill shelters! Click this link for more info.
Adopting a New Family Member
Our adoption procedure:
1. If you find a dog on our site you're interested in adopting, read the dog's
description for further instructions. Some dogs listed may still be with their
current families. Others may be in foster care with Happy Dog Rescue. The procedure
for adoption will vary based on where the dog is currently residing.
2. If the dog is in foster care with Happy Dog Rescue, please submit our adoption
application. We will be in touch via email within 24 hours of reviewing your form to provide you with further instructions.
3. The rest of the adoption process includes a phone interview, home visit,
vet check, having your family (human/canine/feline) meet the dog to see if everyone
gets along, and may also include personal references.
All dogs adopted through Happy Dog Rescue will be vetted prior to adoption (including
rabies, distember combo, heartworm test if old enough, spay/neuter, deworming
and flea/tick preventative). Vetting records are provided as part of the adoption contract. All dogs adopted through HDR must be seen by your
vet within two weeks from the date of adoption for a wellness check and a fecal
test. We also strongly recommend a Lyme test at your post-adoption vet visit.
What
type of dog is right for your family? Click
here to find out. HDR mostly gets mixed breed dogs, but you can use
this questionnaire to give you some idea of breeds that may be more appropriate
for your family. Then you can look at the dogs on our site to see if they have
traits similar to the breeds recommended for your family.
Come Visit Us!
We are not a shelter. All dogs are fostered in a private home environment and all meetings are by appointment
only. Appointments are only made after adopters have been screened, so the first
step is for you to submit
an application. But before you submit an application, please check to make sure you live within our adoption area.
Having problems with your dog? Unwanted/unacceptable
behaviors and you don't know what to do about it? Here are some of the resources
we use to help our foster dogs.
Recommended Trainer: K-9's In Training located in Phillipsburg NJ. 6/2/07: Two of our own dogs have taken Jill's class and graduated. We are very happy with Jill's training methods (all positive motivation based) and are now comfortable recommending her to our adopters. Her group classes are small and the price is reasonable too! If you sign up for a class, please let her know you saw her on our website. Thanks!
Tracy Vroom of Cranio Connection:
Tracy has helped us rehabilitate shy dogs and dogs with fear issues. She is a
true Dog Whisperer and very soothing for us humans too! (Update fall 2008: We've found out that Tracy has relocated out of state. She's still available for phone/email consultations though.)
Tellington Touch: This is something
that Tracy introduced us to several years ago. It was easy to learn and we are
amazed at the results. At the very least, we recommend you get the book and video.
Even better...attend a formal training session. The TTouch website has a practitioner directory so you can search for a trained practitioner in your area if you decide you need professional help for your dog.
On
Talking Terms With Dogs: Calming Signals: A short book but a real eye
opener. Helps the novice to better understand their dog's body language. We highly
recommend this book. Also, visit the author's website.
E-book: A Guide To Living & Working With A Fearful Dog
Talk to the pros at Best Friends. Contact their Animal Help Department via email or phone (435-644-3965 ext 4000) with your questions.
Please DO NOT ever consider taking your dog or cat to a shelter. Work with a professional to correct unwanted behaviors, reach out to a rescue for assistance with rehoming, see if your vet will help you rehome your pet if for some reason you cannot keep it, but NEVER take your dog or cat to a shelter. If you do, they will be sad, scared, probably get sick and very likely be killed if not adopted quickly. Best Friends estimates that each year in shelters in this country, approximately 5 million dogs are killed. We don't know the stats on cats, but we do know that there are far more dog rescues than cat rescues assisting shelters. We also know that cats breed far more often than dogs, so their population is likely much larger. Given these statistics, what do you think the odds are your dog or cat will make it out of a shelter alive?
Resources for Lost/Found Pets
There are pre-emptive things you can do that will greatly increase the chance of your pet being returned to you...but you must do this BEFORE they get lost. Go to Wal-Mart, Petco, or Petsmart and look for the ID Tag engraving machines. For around $4-8 you can immediately purchase an engraved tag. Put your home and cell phone numbers on it and put it on your pet's collar. NEVER let your pet out of the house without this tag attached. Also, take your pet to the vet and get it microchipped, then send in the registration paperwork so your chip will be added to their online database. Once it's registered, you can go to their website and add photos of your pet. Store the microchip info and a photograph in a safe place in case you ever need to use it. IF YOU MOVE, remember to update the contact info in their website and also get a new engraved ID tag with your new phone number(s).
A newer product line is coming out which can give you the ability to track your pet with GPS collars. We've never used any of these products, so please do your own research. If they work well, this may be the best/easiest way to find your missing pet if their collar is still attached.
Help, my pet is missing!
Things to do right away:
Call the local shelters in your county and surrounding counties and give them your contact info and a description of your pet. Get their email address and email them a photo.
Call the local radio/TV stations and do the same thing. Ask them to put out a plea to the community.
Make flyers and bring them to your local postmaster. Ask them to hand them out to the mail carriers to take with them on their route. Include your phone number so carriers can call you if they spot your pet.
Call all local veterinary offices and drop off flyers to each of them.
Post flyers in the vicinity of where your pet was last seen.
Post an alert/photo of your pet on your local Craigslist and Freecycle groups. Be very careful with CraigsList...lots of scammers on there. When posting to CraigsList or Freecycle, don't post your address, but do include the intersection closest to where the pet was last seen.
FindToto.com, a lost/found/stolen pet alert phone calling system/website. You place a listing for a fee and they will call hundreds to thousands of your neighbors (depending on what package you choose), plus place an ad with photo of your pet on their site.
Go to Petfinder and search for rescues/shelters in/near your zip code. Contact ALL of them and ask them to put up a courtesy/lost pet listing with photograph on their website. Ask them to contact other rescues/shelters they work with and pass the message on.
Check out the info on
the Best
Friends website. Right now this link is being used for Katrina disaster
victims.
Also, visit the Petfinder
Classifieds page.
Make a flyer of your missing pet for free at the Best
Friends website.
Animal Emergency Response Network: Disaster victims, please check out this site
for help with finding your pets: disaster
information.
Please get your dog licensed. PA residents, did you know that if your dog is microchipped, you can get a lifetime license that (in the long run) will be cheaper than paying for a license each year? And it's even cheaper if your dog is spayed or neutered! Further discounted for senior citizens and disabled citizens.
Northampton County residents: For more information, stop by the county courthouse or call (610) 559-3102. Lifetime, transfer, duplicate and free licenses available ONLY at the County Treasurers Office:
Northampton County Courthouse - Revenue Office - 2nd Floor - 669 Washington Street, Easton
You need to fill out two forms to get a lifetime license:
1. Lifetime Dog License Application
2. Permanent Identification Verification Form (must be signed by a vet).
Residents of other counties: Please contact your local county treasurer for more information.
Have a dog with liver problems? Here's a chat group where you can talk to people who have dogs with these problems. Here's their website with some success stories from the members.
Over the years, we've done some research on the dog food industry, especially since the massive recalls in 2008 followed by a class action lawsuit. Below are a series of links we found useful. Please educate yourself about exactly what's going into the food you feed your dog.
Subscribe to email alerts on pet food recalls from the National Pet Foundation.
Canine Care - TONS of info on this site.
Right side of page: recall info, sign up for alerts
Lil Yella Dog Local Lehigh Valley distributor for The Honest Kitchen and other brands, home delivery. She's knowledgeable about feeding a raw diet as well. I've bought The Honest Kitchen and also raw foods from her. Disclaimer: I get nothing for listing her on my site. I'm not affiliated with her business and get no discounts for referrals.
Action Alert: Help Stop Use of Pets for Research
Background info from Animal Law Coalition: Class B dealers are basically those who buy, sell and transport animals. Some have been accused of taking pets which are stolen or obtained from "random sources", keeping them in horrific conditions and then selling them for medical research. For example, unscrupulous Class B dealers often answer ads in the newspaper that offer animals "free to a good home". They will steal pets off the streets. Laboratories will pay $250-$350 per animal.
Afraid of bully-breed dogs? Read about Stubby, the military dog and war hero.
Perils of Pesticides on your pets. Are flea and tick treatments really safe for dogs and cats?
HSUS testifies in court to KILL 150 dogs and PUPPIES! Including puppies raised in foster care, puppies deemed dangerous simply because of their breed! Are you supporting this organization financially? Then you need to know that those dogs are now dead. Please tell HSUS to change this 20 year old policy. Best Friends article on this case. Animal Law Coalition article on this situation. A blogger's feelings about HSUS. And another blogger's comments. Are you looking for a TRULY humane non-profit animal welfare organization to support? We wholeheartedly recommend Best Friends Animal Society. They were there for hurricane Katrina, and for Michael Vick's dogs, and they DO RIGHT by animals.
Most aggressive dog breeds? Click here...you may be quite surprised!
Book:Then Along Came Barney: The Story of a Dog Who Changed My Mind About Pitbulls. Synopsis: Imagine what it's like when the pet you know as sweet is reviled and greatly feared by some. Picture taking your dog for a walk and people practically running in the other direction. Imagine finding out that because this dog is a member of your household you aren't welcome in a number of communities across the country. All this and more become the experiences of the author after she adopts a very ill, pit bull. A 30-something college instructor and freelance journalist with a penchant for rescuing animals, the author initially fears the pit bull might be dangerous. But this dogs turns out to be a funny, smart and, yes, sweet animal, leading the author to question the validity of the negative pit bull stereotypes. An eye-opening journey follows. Using humor along with investigative research-including interviews with experts and pit bull lovers-the author discusses pit bulls in general, her experiences with Barney the pit bull mix, and life with multiple dogs.
Who's the boss? Some saw him as a terror. But Best Friends’ trainer, Sherry Woodard only saw the good boy Boss was on the inside. And that may have saved his life!
Action Alert: Tell Petland to stop selling puppies. America's largest chain of puppy-selling pet stores, Petland Inc., is also the nation's largest retail supporter of puppy mills. An eight-month investigation by The HSUS reveals that many Petland stores across the country are marketing puppy mill puppies to unsuspecting consumers.
House for rent (they will allow pets): The house is a huge 3 bdr, 1 1/2 bath single in Freemansburg. nice yard, but not fenced. appliances that will stay are fridge, microwave, washer & dryer. huge living room with gas fireplace. new carpet in living room, & hardwood throughout the rest of the house. If anyone is interested they can call and I will fill in the rest. Thanks so much. Call Sharon at 610-443-0812 days or 610-865-3993. (Disclaimer: Sharon is not with our rescue, we don't know her and we haven't seen this house. She just contacted us to ask if we knew of any animal lovers who were looking to rent in the area.)
The fight is on in Pennsylvania to end puppy mills. These are the squalid commercial dog breeding operations exposed by Oprah on her show this past spring with the help of Main Line Animal Rescue. Two bills that would help improve the lives of dogs trapped in these miserable puppy mills have passed legislative committees and now face votes by the full Pennsylvania House of Representatives. The vote could come at any time. There are lobbyists at the state capitol working on behalf of millers to defeat these bills. The dogs have only you. Please help. Click on the link below to find names and contact information for Pennsylvania House members including your own if you live in Pennsylvania. Write or call now and urge them to vote yes on H.B. 2525 and H.B. 2532. http://www.animallawcoalition.com/companion-animal-breeding/article/511
THANK YOU to anyone who is involved in rescue in any way! To anyone who has never been involved in rescue, this may give you some insight as to why we all do what we do. We didn't create this slide show, but it certainly resonates with our feelings!
8/11/08 Article: Salmonella Now in Pet Food, Recall Issued
Article: Berks kennel owners shoot their 80 dogs! It's a stretch to call them kennel owners. They're puppy millers who didn't give a damn about their dogs! Please contact your representatives in support of House Bill 2525. (For more information on House Bill 2525, visit DogLawAction.com.) SECRETARY WOLFF: PENDING LEGISLATION WOULD HAVE SAVED DOGS KILLED BY BERKS KENNEL OWNERS. Read press release here. More info and video on WFMZ.com.
PLEASE READ THIS BOOK! Redemption is the story of animal sheltering in the United States, a movement that was born of compassion and then lost its way. It is the story of the “No Kill” movement, which says we can and must stop the killing. It is about heroes and villains, betrayal and redemption. And it is about a social movement as noble and just as those that have come before. But most of all, it is a story about believing in the community and trusting in the power of compassion.
DO NOT buy puppies from "breeders" over the internet! Here's why.
Dog Fighting PSA by the Animal Rescue Association of America
IMPORTANT!!! Oprah devotes show to inhumane treatment of dogs in commercial breeding kennels (aka "puppy mills"):Tourism industry supports efforts to halt abuses. Please read the entire article and VOICE YOUR OPINION by contacting the state of PA at the email address at the end of the article. Let's shut the millers down! NEVER, NEVER, NEVER buy a puppy from a pet store or over the internet! If you can't see where the puppy was born and is being cared for, DO NOT buy from that person. ASK to see ALL of their breeding dogs. If they won't show them to you, it's probably a puppy mill.
Austin to Boston: A man and his 2 dogs, 2,000 miles, a walk for all those touched by cancer. The funds raised from the walk will finance the first ever nationwide epidemiological canine cancer study which will be managed by their partner, the Animal Cancer Foundation.
Article: Dog Dies in Iditarod. Sadly this is all too common! Please DO NOT support this race. Check with your child's school to see if they are promoting this cruel event! Google search for Iditarod Cruelty
Best Friends article: The Truth About the Pet Trade. What it's like for a breeder dog that produces puppies for pet stores. Do you unknowningly contribute to the horrors these dogs endure? Please DO NOT buy a puppy from a pet store or over the internet! Red flags: If the breeder won't let you see the parents or if the pups are housed in a barn/kennel. There are TONS of puppies in shelters and rescues. Check Petfinder to find a rescue or shelter that has puppies available. Adopting from a rescuer or shelter rather than buying from a pet store or breeder is the best way to send a message that you want to see puppy mills SHUT DOWN FOREVER.
Visit the Best Friends Network: Pennsylvania website.
HSUS lanches hotline for reporting dog fighting in Georgia. Read article here.
Tammy Grimes Found Guilty: Call on Governor Rendell to Pardon Her and Help Pass PA H.B. 1065. Read more here.
2008: "Finally" Says Fido, "A Car Insurance Company that Gets It". Dogs and cats everywhere jump for joy as Progressive introduces Pet Injury Coverage, included at no extra charge for customers with Collision coverage.
Click here to read their press release.
Book: How to Afford Veterinary Care Without Mortgaging the Kids. We haven't read it yet. If anyone out there has, we'd like your opinion!
The FDA website has information about the massive dog food recalls.
Article: Tainted pet food may have hurt 39,000 pets nationwide.
We've been looking for better food products for our dogs and will be trying out The Honest Kitchen dog food. They have some very interesting info on their website. Their products are processed in a human grade food processing plant and they have 600 distributors nationwide, so you don't need to order online. UPDATE 4/11: Our dogs have been on this food for about a week and they all LOVE it, including our two picky eaters! We did not experience any problems with upset stomachs/diarrhea with the switch over. It smells very good when rehydrated and reminds us of the consistency of a vegetable dip. We're not kidding...we have two dogs of our own who usually sniffed at "kibble" type dog food and didn't eat it too willingly (sometimes skipped meals). Now these two are eating the whole bowl when we feed them in the morning and evening and are also begging for a third meal at lunch! Since the food is dehydrated it doesn't weigh very much when you purchase it. But a 10 lb bag rehydrates to 43 lbs of dog food. When rehydrated, it's comparable in price to the higher quality "kibble" type foods on the market. PLEASE NOTE: We do not sell this product and do not make any money off of your purchases. We are not on commission and do not have a professional relationship with the distributor. No one has asked us to advertise this product. We are just writing about our own personal experiences with it. Everyone is advised to do their own research when choosing a safer alternative for your pets.
Article: Food Even a Dog Shouldn't Eat - Killing Our Pets with Every Meal
Please send letters in support of this legislation! The millers are voicing their opinions very loudly. The government needs to hear from the animal loving public just as loudly! We've seen two different dates for expiration of the public comment period. The first was February 14. The second was March 16. The sooner you mail out or fax a letter, the better! Comments should be sent IN WRITING TODAY (VIA US MAIL OR FAX, NOT VIA EMAIL) to:
Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement
Attn: Ms. Mary Bender
Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture
2301 North Cameron Street
Harrisburg, PA 17110-9408
(717) 787-3062
Fax: 717-772-4352
Also, please support Prisoners of Greed and North Penn Puppy Mill Watch in their efforts to put a stop to this animal abuse in our state! NO DOG SHOULD EVER BE MISTREATED LIKE THIS, ALL IN THE NAME OF PROFIT! Fall 2008 update: We've since found out that this dog did survive and was featured on Oprah's puppy mill show. To see before/after pictures, visit the MLAR website.
Cracking Down on Pet Owners
Albuquerque and a growing number of cities are passing tough new measures aimed at ending euthanasia in animal shelters. Owners are even being forced to clean up after their dog in their own backyard. Read the full story here.
President Bush signs Pets Evacuation and Transport Standards (PETS) Act: UAN Press Release, October 6, 2006: UAN Praises President Bush for Signing Animal Disaster Bill
If my dog has black on his tongue, is he a chow mix? The truth about those those black tongues.
The Shelter Manager's Lament ~ A posting
written by a shelter manager from their perspective. A MUST read!
PLEASE LOOK! This is undercover
video taken at an Amish puppy mill. Here's a link to the news
article that goes along with the video. CAN'T STRESS THIS ENOUGH...DO
NOT BUY PET STORE PUPPIES! This is where they come from...filthy and disease
ridden puppy mills. After you have viewed the video, please SIGN
THIS PETITON!
Black
Dogs: Did you know that black dogs are the least likely to get adopted from
a shelter? Especially if they are large black dogs? In our experience, black
dogs are the ones that shelters are most often begging rescues to take before
they have to be put down for overcrowding. It seems that blondes have more fun
even in a dog's world. Please consider adopting a black dog from a rescue or
shelter near you. You will TRULY be saving a life! We did! We adopted our black
& white dog, Ratchet, in the fall of 2005. Interestingly enough, we noticed
people behaving differently toward Ratchet than they did to our 2 prior dogs
(since passed away due to old age). Our other dogs were a Yellow Labrador and
a Dalmatian. When we walked these two in the neighborhood, people used to stop
and comment on their good looks and ask to pet them. When we walk Ratchet, most
people don't even take a second look. Yet Ratchet is very sweet and submissive.
This guy wouldn't hurt a fly, yet his color seems to scare people away. Such
a shame. They don't know what they're missing! UPDATE: Check out this article
published in the March/April 2006 issue of The
Bark magazine. We recently discovered this magazine and it has some
interesting articles. Visit their home
page for more info. Or pick up the March/April 2006 issue today. Check
out this article too: [People Who Matter] Changing from Within: Jill Robinson
is working hard to change the way companion animals are regarded in Asia. It's
not on their website, so you'll have to pick up the magazine to read it.
What is animal hoarding or "collecting"?People
who hoard animals. An article from PsychiatricTimes.com
Petfinder launches PetVideo.com!
Here's the intro message about the site from Petfinder: It is our dream that
through the creation of PetVideo.com we’ll help owners and their pets strengthen
their unique bond. Our first order of business is to launch over 200 training
videos that are easy, quick to watch, and fun to do with your pet. New and seasoned
pet-owners can work on one behavior, skill, or fun trick at a time and enjoy
watching their relationship with their pet blossom. PetVideo is also the engine
that drives the new Petfinder.com adoptable pet videos – a lifesaving medium
to help adoptable pets put their best paw forward.
How did Petfinder get started? Check out this article.
News Video
of a pit bull caring for orphaned kittens. Since this breed always gets such a
bad rap, we thought you'd like to see what a pit can be like when raised properly,
as every dog should be!
Off topic ... but of interest to us and possibly of interest to you! Concerned
about the quality of the food you eat? Concerned about pesticides, chemicals,
and sick animals being butchered and sold to you at the local supermarket? We
are too and we've been researching other options. Here are two farms we've come
across that are organic and have free range animals. We have contacted these farmers
and asked if we could tour to see this in person. If we're happy with what we
see, we plan to purchase our meat, poultry, eggs, and produce from these farms
because we believe that the only way we can contribute to putting an end to factory
farming is to support our local farmers who are acting as true stewards of the
land and animals in their care. Nope, we're not vegetarians. Did try it, but couldn't
stick to it. But felt a need to seek out better alternatives than what's coming
through the big factory-farming slaughterhouses. We hope you'll visit these farms
too and support their efforts: Upper
Meadows Farm and Flatbrook
Farm. We would list farms that are closer to us if we could find any that
are organic and free-range. If you know of one, please let us know!
Please join FOHO and help
them improve animal legislation in WV.
Greenies can be dangerous for your pet! CNN
Article
HBO America Undercover Documentary: Dealing
Dogs, the Betrayal of Man's Best Friend. The Bark magazine had
an article on this in their March/April 2006 issue. Check it out at your news
stand or Barnes & Noble.
Happy Dog Rescue
Nazareth, PA 18064 Email us. Please note: If you have emailed us and haven't received a response in 24 hours, try checking your spam filter. In most cases, you will hear from us in less than a day. As of 6/12 & 6/13, we've been finding that adopters with Yahoo email accounts are not getting our replies...we seem to be getting caught in their spam filter. So please check your Yahoo "trash" and "spam" filters. Click here for a list of pets
at this shelter
Join our mailing list.
Adoption Area 
