Keep your furry friends safe
this holiday season
By Denise Hamel
Board Member
Holidays can be a stressful time for pets, especially with a house full of new people, sounds and smells. Here are some tips for making the holidays more peaceful and safe for your pup:
• Set your pup up in a separate area of the house that will be quiet, comfortable and free from chaos;
• Exercise your pup before guests arrive;
• Keep garbage covered and out of reach;
• Cover and keep foods away from the edges of counter tops and tables;
• Tell your guests up front the house rules for feeding your pup table scraps or people foods; and
• Remember to never give your pup cooked meat bones — they can become soft or brittle and lead to choking, or worse, an intestinal blockage.
If your pup does get to eat people food, keep in mind that the following common foods can be dangerous or possibly even deadly to your furry friend: alcoholic beverages, artificial sweeteners, avocados, chocolate, coffee, corn on the cob, garlic, grapes and raisins, onions and chives, macadamia nuts, persimmons, peaches or plums, yeast or raw bread dough that contains yeast.
Opt to play it healthy and safe and bake up a batch of these quick-n-easy dog treats that are sure to get your pups’ tail wagging:
Pup-a-licious Peanut Butter Treats
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup smooth natural peanut butter
1 cup hot water
or 1 cup skim milk
1 egg
Directions: Preheat the oven to 375°F. Mix flour and baking powder in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, mix peanut butter, egg and hot water or skim milk until smooth. Slowly add the dry ingredients and mix well. (Add a bit more water or milk if the dough is too dry; flour if it’s too wet).
Roll out dough to one quarter-inch thickness and cut with bone-shaped (or any other shaped) cookie cutters. Bake for 20 minutes or until lightly brown. Allow treats to cool before serving and/or storing in an air-tight container. Let the tail wagging begin!
We would like to thank all those who came by the Central Aroostook Humane Society for our Annual Photos with Santa Paws. We enjoyed seeing some old friends and some new families this year. Our board room, once again, was turned into a beautiful winter holiday theme, thanks to Sharon Brown.
If you are looking for a new addition to your family, then stop by the Central Aroostook Humane Society, Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., closing for lunch noon to 12:30 p.m. You can also check us out on Petfinders.com and Facebook! Please be responsible, spay and neuter your pets!
