 Welcome back to our January series on keeping your pet safe on cold weather walks! In this post, we will be looking at warmth! While your dog does come with a built in coat, of varying warmth levels depending on the breed, you can’t assume this is enough in our cold climates!
Listen to your dog. When walking your dog this winter, don’t forget to watch for signs that your dog may be too cold such as whining, shivering, and lifting its paws or holding one up as they walk. If you notice these signs, get them somewhere to warm up as quickly as possible. Cut back on walks on very cold days. On colder days limit the duration and the number of walks to protect your dog from frostbite and hypothermia. If you must go out for longer times, consider getting or making them a jacket or sweater for extra warmth. Protect their paws. Make sure your dog’s toe hair is trimmed so that ice and salt don’t get caught in it. An alternative to doing this (is you pup a drama queen/king about you touching their paws?) is to buy your dog winter water-resistant boots. Don’t allow your dog to eat snow. Eating snow dangerously lowers your dog’s body temperature which makes them more susceptible to cold related injury. Additionally, there could be chemicals or hidden objects buried in the snow that could be very harmful to them. With these simple shifts, you and your dog can continue to enjoy the benefits of your daily walks even in cold months! Happy walking!
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 It is so important to ensure that your dog continues to get exercise, even in the winter months. But with the colder temps, there are new safety concerns that need to be taken into account. Over the rest of the month, we will be sharing tips and tricks to keep your doggo safe from cold weather hazards as you both get outside for a bit of exercise!
First up, how to keep them safe from all the salt that is put down on sidewalks and roads to act as a deicer! These chemicals can cause irritation in their paws after walking on walkways and internal medical issues if ingested. To keep your canine friend safe, take the following precautions when you go out for a walk:
Check out our post on January 19th for more tips on keeping your dog warm on your winter excursions!
Got a super cute fur friend? Start snapping some photos now and get ready to enter them in the Animal Care Foundation’s First Annual March Madness Cutest Pet Match-up!
Starting March 1st, photos will be matched up against another entry and the winner will go on to the next bracket until we have the 2022 Cutest Pet winner! Voting will be done on Facebook, but you don’t need a Facebook account to enter. The winning pet will be featured in a blog post and their human will earn a $10 Caribou Coffee gift card along with bragging rights! To enter: 1. Send your photo to us by February 20th, 2022 via: a. Facebook messenger @AnimalCareFoundationMN b. Email info@animalcarefoundation.org 2. Be sure to include your pet’s name and your name. You may share the event and ask your friends to vote on Facebook. You’ll get an email or Facebook messenger with the schedule of the matchups for each round so you’ll know when voting for your pet will occur. We can’t wait to see all the adorableness! Good Luck!  Have you ever wondered exactly how the Animal Care Foundation works? Here is your chance! The logistics, qualifications, and support we offer are described below!
The Animal Care Foundation is a 501.c.3 nonprofit that works to ensure that our Minnesotan neighbors who are disabled or elderly can access necessary veterinary care for their family pet even if they cannot afford it. Our clients must be:
If an applicant qualifies, they are then matched to one of our generous member clinics and can access financial support for any necessary veterinary care their pet needs. The support offered is:
It is that time of year when many of us are getting loved ones gifts. We at ACF hope that you don’t forget your furry (or scaly) loved ones and want to share some easy homemade gifts you can share with your (or someone else's) pet!
Rodent, Bird, and Reptile Toys:
Many of the above cat and dog toys can also serve as reptile, rodent and bird toys. You can find some specific Reptile toy recommendations on the Reptiles Direct page here. Check out The Spruce Pets article by Lianne McLeod, DVM for some great rodent toys. (Though this is targeted to rats, many would be great for rabbits, mice, hamsters, gerbils, and more!) Bird toy ideas can be found at Exotic Direct here. These are targeted to parrots, so size down if you have smaller birds!
For Laurel, having Prince in her life has helped her feel less lonely. Prince depends on her, which provides Laurel with a reason to push through those hard times. Caring for him has given her life more meaning. When Prince was adopted he was dangerously underweight due to an undiagnosed, chronic gastrointestinal condition. After spending her stimulus check on getting him care, his mom was out of funds and needed help accessing the continued care he needed to remain healthy. Because of donors like you, ACF was able to step in and help provide this continued care! Prince is now at a healthy weight and a very happy kitty!
 Did you know that you can support ACF, at no cost to you, by purchasing gift cards through SCRIP?
Shop gift cards from 750+ top brands to earn on gifts and everyday purchases. No extra money comes out of your pocket and for each purchase you make, the brand gives a percentage back to the Animal Care Foundation! Everyone loves getting gift cards over the holiday season! Purchase these cards through SCRIP and make a big impact on the pets of disabled and elderly Minnesotans! It is super simple to start, there are just 3 simple steps:
If you would rather use your computer, get started on the website by clicking here. And just like that, you're earning funds for ACF at no cost to you! If you already have an Amazon account, in just a few minutes you can be donating to a charity of your choice at no cost to you! Simply shop at https://smile.amazon.com/ and Amazon will donate 0.5% of each purchase you make to the charity of your choice. The inventory is the same, the pricing is the same and the service is the same. Detailed instructions for how to set us as your charity of choice are below. By setting the Animal Care Foundation as your charity of choice, you are ensuring that the pets of Minnesotans who are disabled or elderly are able to access necessary veterinary care for the pet that they would not otherwise be able to afford. Without our help, our clients would be forced to choose between providing for their own needs or the needs of their pets. We have seen clients who have gone hungry or without their medication in order to get their pet medical care. We want to ensure this is not a choice they are forced to make. 1. Visit https://smile.amazon.com/ and log in to your Amazon account like normal.  2. A list of charities will appear. Under “Find a different charitable organization” is a search bar, type in “Animal Care Foundation Inc”. Be careful, there are other Animal Care Foundations. Make sure you include “inc” in the name.  3. Select “Animal Care Foundation Inc” in Minneapolis Minnesota.  4. In order to support us through AmazonSmile, you must start by visiting https://smile.amazon.com/ to begin your shopping. Check the box at the top of the page confirming that you understand. Now you are ready to start shopping!  5. You can check that you are supporting the Animal Care Foundation by looking at the white bar just below the search box. Now, every time you shop on AmazonSmile a portion of your purchase will be donated to us at NO ADDITIONAL COST to you. Thank you for your support!   One of the greatest treats during the holiday season is the chance to see and catch up with visiting friends and family! However, as we welcome friends and family into our homes, we sometimes forget that they may be bringing things that are dangerous to our furry family members with them.
As pet owners, we know to keep our medications, vitamins, and treats like chocolate out of reach of our furry family. But friends and family may not be aware of the dangers that these items pose to the pets in our homes. Many of our favorite food treats are poisonous to our pets, and medications (including supplements) can cause extreme harm to our pets if ingested. And with the increase in the number of supplements available in delicious gummy flavors, there are even more tempting treats for Fluffy and Fido to get into! Guests may unwittingly leave medications or treats where our furry loved ones can access them, like in their purse or thrown in the box of presents they set on the floor. To protect your furry loved ones and avoid a potentially heart breaking (not to mention expensive) trip to the local pet ER, make sure you:
For more information, check out the most recent Toxin Tails from the Pet Poison Helpline here.  Molly has been an ACF client for a few years and is grateful for the help that she receives that makes sure that Taco gets the veterinary care he needs. Taco had a swollen foot after a ruff and tumble playdate with a dog buddy. He needed and x-ray and, once a diagnosis was made, a split to keep the bones in place while the dislocation healed. Without the financial help from ACF and our member clinic, Lyndale Animal Hospital, Taco would not have gotten this care. He would have remained in pain and the injury would not have healed properly. Instead, he is all healed and back to his playful self!
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