Posted under Uncategorized

Last Sunday, Cubbie was outside with me soaking up some sun. I was trying to read, but as you can see, it was a little difficult with a dog on my lap.

It was close to 80 degrees on that day, which I’m loving for the month of March. Cubbie, on the other hand, was already getting too hot.

I found him in the woodchips. Not sure if the woodchips were cooler, OR if he just refused to sit in the tall grass because I haven’t mowed the lawn yet (he is very picky).

Being hot didn’t last for too long. You might remember the temperature dropped on Monday. (Although I still thought it was nice weather).

I did laundry that day, and when I took the sheets out of the dryer, Cubbie literally raced me into the bedroom. As soon as I set the sheets down on the bed, he was burying himself in them. He loves anything fresh out of the dryer, especially when he’s cold.

Posted under Cubbie stories

Waterloo, Iowa–For more than 130 years, the first Saturday in May has been reserved for the Kentucky Derby, the most exciting two minutes in sports. 

On the first Sunday this April, Young Arena will be the site for an even faster four-legged race as the Waterloo Black Hawks present the inaugural Dachshund Derby.

The Black Hawks invite Dachshund lovers from throughout eastern Iowa to participate in the race. Post time will be at the first intermission of Waterloo’s game against the Lincoln Stars.  The opening faceoff is slated for 3:05PM.  A $10 entry fee for each racing dog will be contributed to the Cedar Bend Humane Society to help homeless pets in Black Hawk County.  Discounted game tickets will be available to human race assistants.  As part of the event, each entrant is required to be assisted by two human companions.

Before and after the race, the hounds will be stabled in a designated room at the rink.  Participants are required to bring a kennel if planning to utilize the boarding area. 

Additional details are included on the accompanying race entry forms.  Entries are due by Tuesday, March 27^th.

Watch this You Tube video from a similar event in Sioux Falls.

Posted under Pet Events

(Cedar Rapids, IA)  Iowa Humane Alliance will hold an open house for supporters and members of the general public to view the construction progress to date on their new IHA Regional Spay/Neuter Clinic from 12:00 noon to 4:00 PM on Sunday, March 25th at 6540 6th Street SW, Cedar Rapids, IA, 52404. Refreshments will be served, and tours of the facility will be offered.

When the IHA Regional Spay/Neuter Clinic is fully functioning, it will spay and neuter some 8,000 animals a year, preventing the births of literally tens of thousands of unwanted animals.

Posted under In the News

The Cedar Bend Humane Society will be hosting a Phone-A-Thon on March 26-27, and March 29 to help raise funds for the rescue animals living at our shelter.

 Volunteers will be making a phone call to our local supporters who have shown their love for Black Hawk County’s homeless, unwanted and neglected animals through adoption, by donating to our capital campaign, have honored or memorialized a loved one or been a consistent and valued volunteer.

 We hope that you will take time to receive a call from one of our volunteers on one of the above dates, and consider making a donation to the CBHS. By supporting the CBHS, you will help provide our animals with the care they so desperately need and deserve.

 For more information on how you or your place of employment can sign-up to volunteer at this event, please contact Lindsay at 319.232.6887 or cbhsevents@mchsi.com.

Posted under Pet Events

With the unseasonably warm March weather, Cubbie and I want to spend as much time outside as possible. On my days off last week I took him to our favorite park. It’s a wooded area with a pond and I let him off the leash and he just loves running around.

He spent a lot of time rolling in stinky stuff (mostly raccoon poo). Gross. He was also chasing frogs and tadpoles.

I love to watch him get so excited to the point that he just runs and runs.

While we were making laps around the pond, Cubbie veered off course a little bit. I kept walking because I know when he sees me walking away he usually chases me down. But this time his attention was definitely occuppied. He didn’t even notice I was still walking.

Turns out, Cubbie found some type of dead animal. Skeleton and all. He was pulling the bones apart… yuck… and proceeded to chew on them.

He carried the darn bone around with him the rest of the time we were out there. After about an hour, we headed back to the car. Cubbie still hadn’t let go of the bone. I let him walk with it back to the vehicle, thinking then he’d rid of it.

At the car, the bone was still hanging out of his mouth. He went by the passenger door of the car, and he waited for me to open it. He just looked up at me as if to say, “Like it or not. I’m taking this bone with me.”

You know I rarely say no to Cubster… so of course I let him take the bone in the car. The whole drive home (about 15-20 minutes) he was gnawing on that thing.

When we pulled into the garage, he FINALLY stopped chewing on the bone! I opened the car door, and Cubbie jumped out. Leaving the bone behind. I didn’t want to touch it, so I just left it there. And since I kept forgetting to take it out, the bone sat in my car for about two days!

I can tell you it is now in the trash can. I didn’t want Cubbie to get ahold of that thing again.

Posted under Cubbie stories

Per the Cedar Bend Humane Society in Waterloo:

We still need a few chatty people to help with our Phoe-A-thon this year. Volunteers will be making phone calls to past shelter supporters. Scripts are provided with a simple pitch for answered calls.

Volunteers will not be asked to take money over the phone, just to confirm mailing addresses and ask if a donation envelope can be mailed this year.

Dinner, drinks, snacks will be provided. Call center location is at Warren Transport 210 Beck Ave. in Waterloo.

If you have a group looking to help, this would be a great activity to support the shelter, for only 2 hours!! Come have a raucously good talking on the phone about something we all care about – animals!!

Looking for 7-8 volunteers for each of these evenings:
Monday, March 26th from 6 to 8 p.m.
Tuesday, March 27th from 6 to 8 p.m.
Thursday, March 29th from 6 to 8 p.m.

cbhsvolunteers@mchsi.com

Posted under Pet Events

Both known and unknown toxins can be found hiding in our houses and yards. In 2011, the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (APCC) in Urbana, IL, fielded more than 165,900 phone calls about pets exposed to poisonous substances.

1. Prescription Human Medications

Almost 25,000 calls last year were about human prescription medications. Pets, especially dogs, are notorious for ingesting any dropped pill. Cardiac and ADHD medications make up a large percentage of these calls. Always make sure to take these medications in a safe place away from your pets.

2. Insecticides

Insecticides were the subject of 11% of calls to the ASPCA in 2011. These include products used on the lawn, in the house and on the pet. The most important thing to do is read the label before you use any insecticide, and never use a product labeled for dogs on cats.

3. Over-the-Counter Human Medications

Over-the-counter medications such as ibuprofen and acetaminophen can kill your pet. Never give any medication to your pet without consulting with your veterinarian first.

4. People Food

Chocolate is still the number one people food that pets ingest (we received over 7,600 calls last year). Too much chocolate can cause vomiting, diarrhea, high heart rate and seizures. The second most common food is xylitol (the sugar substitute). Xylitol can cause seizures and liver failure in dogs. 

5. Household Products

It is amazing what animals can find to chew up around the house from fire logs to paint. Some household items may just cause stomach upset, while others can be deadly.

6. Veterinary Medications

Chewable medications make it easy to give your dog or cat a pill. However, this tasty pill can also mean that the pet, if given access, will ingest all the pills in the bottle. Always make sure to keep pet medications out of reach. Contact your veterinarian if your pet ingests more than its proper dose of medication or ingests another pet’s medication.

7. Rodenticides

When putting out baits to kill mice and rats, never underestimate the resourcefulness of your pet. Most bait is grain based and is attractive to dogs. Depending on the type of rodenticide, ingestion can cause internal bleeding, kidney failure or seizures.

8. Plants

About 4% of our phone calls are pet parents calling about their animals eating plants. This is one category that cats lead dogs in the number of exposures. Lilies can cause kidney failure and death in cats. Please see our list of toxic/non-toxic plants for more information. 

9. Lawn and Garden Products

Fertilizers, which can be made of dried blood, poultry manure and bone meal, are very attractive to pets, so it is not surprising that we get many calls (almost 3,900 in 2011) on lawn and garden items.

10. Automotive Products

With more people keeping their animals inside (especially cats), the number of animals exposed to automotive products (antifreeze, brake fluid, etc.) has dropped. This is great news since many of these products, if ingested, can be life-threatening to pets.

If you have any reason to suspect your pet has ingested something toxic, please contact your veterinarian or the Animal Poison Control Center’s 24-hour hotline at (888) 426-4435.

Posted under In the News

Just thought I would share this picture I took of Cubbie the other day.

If there was ever any doubt I have one spoiled pooch, here is concrete proof.

He is using all three blankets I have on the couch.

Posted under Cubbie stories

The Cedar Bend Humane Society in Waterloo is trying to get 700 “likes” on its facebook page.

So, if you do like the Cedar Bend Humane Society, “like” the page on facebook by clicking here.

You can get updates on which animals are available and information on upcoming events.

Posted under Uncategorized