National Pet Safety Month

October was National Pet Safety & Protection Month! HSTC is committed to keeping Martin County pets safe, even after they've found their forever homes. In the spirit of this mission, we celebrated the awareness month all October long, by posting a new pet safety tip every Tuesday. Did you miss the posts? Not to worry - we've included them below for your convenience.

You can also learn more about keeping you, your family, and your pet safe by visiting our online resource library here. This special page on our website includes all sorts of resources to help you better understand, train, communicate with, and care for your pet.

Did you know that nearly 1 in 5 people bitten by a dog require medical attention? In most cases, these bites don't just "come out of nowhere". Dogs and cats alike often give very clear signs of their emotional state before taking action. Let’s do our part to learn the language of our beloved pets. By making sure that everyone in the household knows what your pet is trying to communicate, you can increase your chances of avoiding getting bitten or scratched, or having your pet bite or scratch someone else! 

Learn how to understand your dog’s body language here. 
Learn how to understand your cat’s body language here.

Knowing pet first aid can provide you with peace of mind and give your pets a better chance of recovering from their illness, injury, or other emergency. The American Red Cross provides an online course that will teach you Pet First Aid Basics. This class will teach you how to understand your pet’s vital signs, breathing and cardiac emergencies, wounds and bleeding, seizures, and preventative care for cats and dogs.

Register for a class today, and become prepared to help your animal when they need you the most.

Obedience classes provide so much more than a well-mannered pup. Having an obedient dog can be one of the first steps in keeping them safe from the many dangers in our environment. Teaching them commands like, “Leave it” could protect them from picking up a poisonous bufo toad or swallowing an unknown medication that fell onto the ground. Similarly, developing a reliable recall with your dog can bring them back if they ever get loose from you.

Join HSTC for a variety of obedience classes and learn how to effectively communicate with your dog. You can view our classes at here and register today!

Taking our dogs on road trips can be a great way to vacation with our four-legged friends without the stress of getting a pet-sitter. Remember to make safety a priority on your travels. Pets should be securely fastened when driving in a vehicle. Secure your pet by either purchasing a harness that buckles into a seatbelt, or by crating them.

For more tips on safe travels with your dog, visit here.