Purrfect Post Cat of the Month - Lucy

For the month of December we've selected a special little lady to be our

Cat of the Month:  Lucy!!

Lucy is a darling black cat who came to HSEC with her two sisters who have since been adopted.  She loves to play and makes the most adorable chirping noises you've ever heard!  We call her our little Purr Monster because once you start showing Lucy some attention she just can't stop purring up a storm!





Lucy recently returned from a loving foster home which she shared with one dog and several cats.  She did great in a home environment and got along well with her other four-legged housemates.  Her foster Mom had some wonderful stories to share about her experiences with Lucy:

"Lucy is a cautious kitty. Though maybe cautious isn’t the right word for it. It’s more that she doesn’t want to do anything that isn’t her idea.

She has the SOFTEST fur! And she keeps herself immaculately clean. She’s also ladylike about her food and prefers to graze throughout the day rather than eat all at once.

She’s very playful and gets the “night time crazies” (as they’re called at our house), zipping around from room to room with a half-wild look in her eyes. It’s a lot of fun to play with her when she’s all wound up.

She loves to lie in the windowsill and look out; it’s what she did most of the day."

Here is a video of Lucy with her foster Mom!

Lucy's adoption fee is $70, she is spayed and up to date on all vaccines.  All cats with the Humane Society of Eastern Carolina are dewormed, on flea prevention, and tested for FIV/FeLV. Adoptions come with a small bag of Hill's Science Diet food and one month free of pet health insurance.

If you're interested in Lucy please give us a call at (252) 413-7247 or e-mail us at HSECgeneral@gmail.com.

Tips for a Happy Holiday

 


 It’s a busy time of year, but it’s important to make sure that your home is safe and happy for your pets. So visit the HSEC gift wrapping station in front of Belk’s inside the Greenville Mall, and take some time to read these handy holiday tips.

• Hang breakable ornaments high on your Christmas tree where animals can’t reach, and set up the tree so that your animal can’t knock it over. Only water the tree with plain water - no preservatives or chemicals. It’s common for pets to drink out of the watering bowl, so cover it if you can!
• Don’t put wrapped boxes of food under the tree - those noses are very sensitive.
• Avoid tinsel and clean up ribbons after unwrapping gifts. Both can cause serious problems if ingested.
• Keep light cords out of reach so they can’t be chewed on.
• Always supervise animals around lit candles.
• Don’t give out too many treats and make sure your pets won’t get into bones, trimmed fat, skin, discarded giblets, or those tasty little strings you used to tie up the turkey.
• Be careful to keep poisonous plants and decorations out of reach. Mistletoe, lillies, and some ivies are poisonous. Poinsettias, amaryllis, and hibiscus can cause severe digestive problems. Potpourri can cause skin and oral damage and can also be poisonous.
• Take standard party precautions. Cats in particular - even the friendliest - won’t want to be in the middle of all that noise. Keep shy animals isolated in a quiet, calm room with water and some toys to occupy them. If your pet is a true party animal, make sure that partygoers are treating them with kindness and common sense. No handfuls of greasy treats, no chocolate, and especially no drugs or alcohol.

Giving pets as gifts

Dogs and cats are cute - puppies and kittens are even cuter. And they’re pretty much a rainbow explosion of adorability when they’re sitting underneath a Christmas tree wearing a big red bow.

But you know what’s not so cute? The increased numbers of animals that are turned into shelters after the holidays are over. Because a pet is about more than a photo op, it’s a 10-18 year commitment of your time, energy, love, and money.

So what if you still want to get someone a pet for Christmas? Well, it might be the perfect gift - as long as you follow these important guidelines.

Do not surprise someone with a pet - especially an adult!

Even if you are sure that your loved one wants to get a pet, it should be up to the pet owner to decide if they are ready to take on the responsibility. Additionally, the bond between a pet and an owner is a special thing. Choosing a pet is very personal, and it’s important that the prospective adopter actually be present when the animal is chosen.

It’s best to give a pet a few weeks before or at least a week after the holidays.

Holidays are stressful enough for the people and pets already in a home. New decorations, family members hanging around, parties, noise - all of these things can freak out even the most well-adjusted cat or dog. Bringing a new animal into a home is also stressful. Don’t make it hard on yourself or your new furry friend by combining stressors.

Ok, so you’ve thought it through and you’ve decided that it would be appropriate to give someone a pet as a gift. Here’s how to do it.

Give the recipient a large wrapped box full of pet supplies and a coupon for the animal of their choice. It’s ok to offer to go with them to pick out the pet, but don’t push. It might take a couple of visits for the adopter to find their perfect fit.

If you absolutely must give a pet during the holidays, remember:

• Plan on spending quiet time at home so bonding with the new owner can occur and the pet will learn that home is a safe environment.
• Clean up all the present wrappings before introducing the new pet.  The new pet should be the last present received.
• No parties at your home and limit the time you are away from home.
• Make your house pet safe.

Wishing you a safe and happy holiday season,

 

Your friends at the HSEC blog

Changes at HSEC - and how you can help.

If you come to the HSEC facility, you will see cats and dogs who are healthy, alert, and energetic - ready to become pets. The HSEC is the region’s largest no-kill facility and we’re proud of the work that we do. But the economic downturn has also hurt animals, and we need help to maintain a high quality of life for those in our care and to increase their chances for adoption.

The good news is that you can help! Your support is essential to the Humane Society’s continued success in providing exceptional care for the animals we serve.

The HSEC is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization which has been in operation since 1978.  rescuing animals from Pitt County and the surrounding areas. Thanks to you, we see an average of 400 adoptions per year! Through adoptions and transfers from local county shelters, HSEC helps decrease local euthanasia rates and assists in reducing the pet overpopulation problem.

Our facility can take care of up to 100 animals at a time but can’t operate without community support - financial gifts, donations, and volunteers. We receive no funds from city, state, or national government, nor do we receive financial assistance from the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) or the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA).

Due to financial restraints, HSEC has had to decrease animal intake by 25 percent and eliminate supplemental programs. We’ve come up with temporary ways to reduce our expenses: decreasing the facility’s hours of operation and reducing animal capacity by 40 percent.

But here’s where you come in. Community support is vital to the facility’s status and the animals’ futures. You can help the Humane Society return to full operating capacity. It costs the Humane Society $5 per day per animal to provide shelter, a clean environment, food, and basic medical care. If you can help care for an animal for a year, month, or even just a day, your support is needed.

In Pitt County alone 2500 animals are euthanized yearly. With your assistance more animals will have a second chance at life.

All of your donation will benefit the homeless animals in eastern North Carolina. To make a tax deductible donation or to learn more about the Humane Society of Eastern Carolina please call (252) 413-7247 or visit http://www.hsecarolina.org/.

Blog Dog of the Month - Wiggles

Happy December Everyone!

Meet Wiggles! 

This month we've selected Wiggles to be our blog dog of the month!  She is a sweet pit bull terrier mix who is on the small side and full of energy!  She was rescued from a hoarding case in Pitt County this past summer and has been with us ever since.  Wiggles is mostly white with brindle spots and a brindle face, she is just too cute!

Wiggles is a special gal who needs someone with a little extra time on their hands to give her the attention she needs.  You see, Wiggles suffers from separation anxiety and when the staff and volunteers go home in the evening Wiggles' little heart breaks in two.  When her human friends come back in the morning she is SO excited to see them she just can't stop jumping and wiggling around in circles! 

Aside from wiggling, one of Wiggles other favorite things is treats!  After just two milkbones Wiggles was sitting on comand and after long walks her favorite thing to do is relax on her doggie bed with a snack between her paws.  (Wiggles thought you should know how much she loves treats just in case you would like to buy her a Christmas present...)

Please consider meeting Wiggles today!  She is spayed, up to date on all vaccines and the only thing on her Christmas list this year is for Santa to bring her a family of her very own!  (And maybe a few treats!)  Her adoption fee is $100 which is quite a bargain according to Wiggles because she says she has at least 101 kisses to give everyone she meets!  Please stop by our facility, visit our website, e-mail us, or give us a call at (252) 413-7247 for more information on Wiggles!

XOXO Wiggles



Gift Wrapping!!

The holidays are finally here and WE are here to help you wrap all those gifts you bought!!  Volunteers for the Humane Society of Eastern Carolina will be at the Greenville mall every day from now until Christmas Eve wrapping gifts and spreading holiday cheer!

Now through December 24th we will be ready to assist you with all of your gift wrapping needs from 11am until 8pm each day!  The cost is based on gift size ranging from $3 to $10 and the proceeds go to help the animals at HSEC!  Our table is located outside of the women's Belk right near the North Pole.

This is one of our biggest fundraisers of the year and we hope you'll come out and support us! 

Not buying any gifts this month?  Please consider helping the Humane Society in another way!  It costs us $5 per day per animal to provide the necessary care to our canine and feline residents so we could really use your help!  Below are some ideas on how you can support our organization and all we do for the animals:

Interested in volunteering at our gift wrap station?  Great!  We always need more elves!  Please contact our Director of Outreach at hsecvolunteer@gmail.com , or sign up here!

Hope to see each and every one of you at the Greenville mall this month, remember, only 18 days until Christmas!