Humane Pennsylvania Blog

Pet Poison Awareness Month

By: Humane Veterinary Hospitals – Reading Staff

Each year, more than 100,000 pets are accidentally exposed to toxins, resulting in emergency trips to the veterinarian or phone calls to Pet Poison Control hotlines.

What are the most common poisons and toxins ingested by pets, and where are they found?

Not surprisingly, the greatest risks to pets are found around the home. Plants, foods, human medications, cleaning supplies, and automotive products are responsible for the vast majority of pet poisoning cases reported to veterinarians and poison control centers.

Here are a few of the most common, as reported by the Pet Poison Helpline and the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center:

More than 1,000 common plants can be toxic to pets. While not all toxic exposures are life-threatening, it is important to take any potentially harmful exposure seriously.

Lilies, azaleas, aloe vera, sago palm, English ivy, philodendron, hydrangea, poinsettia, dieffenbachia, and oleander are among the leading causes of poisoning among pets and should be avoided.

Many foods that we commonly eat can also present a poisoning risk to pets. Highest on the list are products containing alcohol or caffeine. Caffeine-containing products such as coffee, coffee beans, and chocolate can result in life-threatening conditions, including tremors, arrhythmias, seizures, and death.

Other common foods pets should avoid include avocado, citrus fruits, grapes, raisins, coconut, nuts, garlic, onions, yeast dough, and any processed foods containing the sweetener Xylitol.

If you believe your pet has ingested any of these substances, contact your vet or local animal poison control center.

Household & Automotive Products. Many household and automotive products also pose a poisoning risk to pets. Bleach, ammonia, household cleansers, jewelry cleaner, and antifreeze that contains ethylene glycol are highly dangerous to pets and should be stored in sealed containers where pets cannot access them.

Many common cosmetic products — such as soap, mouthwash, deodorant, nail polish, nail polish remover, nail glue, sunscreen, toothpaste, and shampoo — also present a poisoning risk to pets and should be stored away from places your dog or cat (or rabbit, ferret, or other furry friends) can reach.

Human Medications. Many of these drugs are not appropriate for use by animals. Human doses of medications are often too potent to be safely ingested by pets.

In Case of a Pet Poisoning Emergency

If you suspect that your pet has ingested a toxic substance, do not wait for symptoms to appear. Immediately call your veterinarian, the local vet emergency hospital, the Pet Poison Helpline at (855) 764-7661, or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435.

To ensure your pet’s overall health, visit hvhospitals.org and schedule a routine checkup, today!

Feeding Hope: Humane Pennsylvania’s Spike’s Pet Food Pantry Program

March 4th, 2025 | Posted by Maggie McDevitt in Animal Welfare | Healthy Pets | Healthy Pets Initiative | Humane Pennsylvania - (Comments Off)

Spike Pet Food Pantry serves more than just animals in need.

Written by Sarah Matarella, Courtesy of Berks County Living

When families face financial hardship, the ripple effects often touch every member of the household, including their four-legged companions. Recognizing the critical role pets play as cherished family members, Humane Pennsylvania’s Spike’s Pet Food Pantry Program has emerged as a lifeline.

Karel Minor, CEO of Humane Pennsylvania, recalled the program’s early days. “We started doing our pantry work in late 2004 or early 2005. We were seeing animals coming into shelters not because their owners didn’t care but because they couldn’t afford to keep them,” says Minor.

By asking a simple yet transformative question — “What do you need to keep your pet at home?” — the organization, which operates out of the Community Resource Center in Reading, quickly identified the gaps that often led to surrender. In many cases, the solution was as straightforward as providing a bag of dog food. What began as an informal effort grew into a full-fledged program by 2007, a trailblazing model in the industry at the time.

“It was uncommon and even controversial,” says Minor. “We heard criticism like, ‘Why support people who can’t afford pets?’ But we knew the alternative of animals dying in shelters and people losing their pets was unacceptable.”

Today, Spike’s Pet Food Pantry stands as a testament to the power of empathy and innovation. The program has distributed more than 241,979 pounds of food, equating to nearly one million meals for pets in need.

“Pets are part of the family,” Minor emphasizes. “No child or adult should have to lose their pet simply because of temporary financial difficulties. Our mission is to empower people to care for their animals, not take them away.”

The program’s evolution includes thoughtful touches to encourage participation. Clients receive a member card, making the experience feel like shopping at a wholesale club. In addition, there are free and low-cost options so that residents can apply for membership regardless of economic status.

“Many of the previous programs were a little chiding. We’re not engaging in that,” says Minor. “People come before animals in our mission statement now because we recognize that animals can’t feed themselves. We need to make sure that people are capable, and if they don’t know how to be, we teach them. If they know but don’t have access, we give them access. And if they ultimately can’t keep an animal, then we’re here for that animal. But we don’t start the conversation with, ‘When would you like to bring it to our shelter?’ We start conversations with, ‘What do you need to keep it from coming to our shelter?’”

Looking ahead, Minor envisions even greater milestones, including expanding the pantry’s reach and potentially tackling the ambitious goal of distributing over one million pounds of pet food annually. “It sounds daunting, but it’s achievable,” he says. “As more people understand the importance of these services, the support grows.”

While the one-million-pound goal was reached this past year, Humane Pennsylvania is also tackling systemic challenges beyond food with initiatives like low-cost veterinary services and community education.

“When we started, Berks and Lancaster counties were taking in nearly 30,000 animals a year. Now that number is under 3,000,” says Minor.

This remarkable reduction is attributed to proactive programs that address the root causes of surrender, from spay/neuter services to access to affordable care. The organization also encourages community involvement through volunteering, donations and initiatives like the soon-to-be launched Thrifty Kitty thrift boutique in Lancaster.

Fun Facts

The Impact. Spike’s Food Pantry has approximately 100 pet food clients any given month. Learn more about membership details and see the pantry schedule at humanepa.org.

Help People and Pets Stay Together. Whether it’s time, money or donated items, there are many ways you can show your support for Humane Pennsylvania’s mission.

Celebrating Gloria Hill: 16 Years of Dedication at Humane Pennsylvania

February 28th, 2025 | Posted by Maggie McDevitt in Cat Lovers | Humane Pennsylvania - (1 Comments)

After 16 incredible years with Humane Pennsylvania, we are celebrating the retirement of Gloria Hill, Humane Veterinary Hospitals Receptionist. As she prepares for this next chapter, we sat down to reflect on her time with HPA, her favorite memories, and her plans for the future.

Looking back on your 16 years here, what have you loved most about working for Humane PA?

Looking back on my 16 years with Humane Pennsylvania, what I’ve loved most is working with our clients and their pets—but above all, the opportunity to work with such a talented, caring, and fun team every day.

How has the organization changed/evolved since you started working for HPA?

The organization has grown tremendously over the years, adding various programs at so many levels to better support animals and their caretakers.

What will you miss most about working for the vet hospital?

What I will miss most about working for the vet hospital is my coworkers and our shared commitment to helping animals.

Is there a particular pet or client story that has stuck with you over the years?

There have been so many fun pets and dedicated caretakers that will be hard to forget. I have truly enjoyed getting to know them over the years, sharing both laughs and tears along the way.

What are your plans for retirement? Do you have any fun adventures or hobbies that you are looking forward to?

For retirement, I have to get used to not working and am hoping to get my old hand back into watercolor painting. Of course, I also plan to continue gardening—both of which bring me joy and relaxation.

As we say goodbye, we are so grateful for Gloria’s dedication, kindness, and expertise that have made a lasting impact on our team, clients, and the pets we serve. Thank you, Gloria, for 16 amazing years! Wishing you all the best in retirement!

Humane PA 2024: A Look Back (And Forward!)

January 10th, 2025 | Posted by KMdirector2* in Animal Welfare | Healthy Pets Initiative | Humane Pennsylvania | Humane Veterinary Hospitals - (Comments Off)

Written by Karel Minor, Humane Pennsylvania President & CEO

Wow. 2024 was one of those years when so much good stuff happened that I had to refer back to my calendar to make sure I remembered everything! We had improvements and expansions of programs, services, and facilities at all our locations and beyond, so let’s dive in. There’s a lot to cover – grab a cup of tea and a comfy chair!

We thought it was great when our communities donated 440,000 pet meals to our pet food donation campaign in 2023. That was so great we took the brazen step of raising our sights – a lot. In 2024 we asked you to help us meet a Million Meal Challenge. You came through. As I type, we are up to 1.47 million meals donated, and counting! That’s nearly triple the previous year!

Why is this important? HPA has long known, and more recently proven via surveys providing high-level data, that economic and food uncertainty is one of the greatest drivers of pet relinquishment and family stress. Frequently, short-term problems from job loss or some other crisis lead to the permanent decision to give up a pet. Why should a pet or family face this when temporary food support would prevent it? It’s a no-brainer approach – affordable, community-supported, and a long-term impact for a short-term input of help.

That leads to a couple more exciting upgrades to HPA’s Spike’s Pet Food Pantry (SPP) services. First, the main SPP distribution location at the Giorgi Family Community Resource Center (CRC) received a makeover and expansion. SPP services had been limited due to bottlenecks from limited space and limited supplies. With the help of several dedicated volunteers and staff, we converted about 2,000 square feet of the CRC into a full-on “pet supply store” to serve our SPP clients. With shopping carts, a retail-style checkout counter and register, and extended hours, the new space is allowing us to distribute nearly triple the amount of food, with fewer staff and volunteers needed (saving time and money), and avoiding lines and waiting for our clients.

We also know that time and travel are two major hurdles for those struggling financially. So we have begun installing Spike’s Pet Food Pantry Kiosks in our Adoption Centers. These are SPP “light” with a more limited selection but open seven days a week, making access easier.

We also finalized our test run of using SPP “member” cards to streamline and speed up enrollment, tracking, and distribution. Each client receives a personalized bar-coded member card that can be scanned at checkout for tracking and verification. Watch out Sam’s Club, we’re coming for you! Clients are enrolled for one year based on financial need and have access to pet food and supplies. Most items are provided for 25 cents per pound, making them extremely affordable and ensuring the long-term sustainability of the program. Our clients have made it clear that most do not need or want a hand-out, they need a hand up. For those who are unable to pay even this small amount, food is made available at no charge. The cards also give discounts for low-cost veterinary care at our clinics.

Although programs like this are no longer as controversial as they used to be – 16 years ago we got hate mail for distributing food! – we make sure that donor generosity isn’t being abused. Fortunately, the vast majority of people are good, and our data shows that most people only use this program for a short period. Those who need more help get direct, intensive support. The exceptionally small number who are scammers get booted and banned. I’m glad to know that this program is there for any of us who might need it in a pinch.

You might be wondering where we got all that sweet shelving and I’m glad you asked! Thanks to some dumb luck and a great deal of sweat, early last year HPA was able to buy about $100,000 worth of retail display and shelving from a Rite Aid closing auction for $4,000! It took staff and volunteers three days to break it down and transport it to our warehouse, but we now have shelving for many more projects inventoried and in storage at our Lititz warehouse.

Not familiar with that location? It’s new, too! In order to add space needed for all our programs and distribution work, we purchased a warehouse in Lancaster County which gives us the extra space we need to receive and sort large donations arriving by tractor-trailer. It’s one of the ways we have been able to expand capacity without having to add staff or overload existing space.

All this extra warehouse and workspace also allowed us to expand our statewide emergency response support. HPA has a support MOU with the Great Pennsylvania Red Cross chapter serving 8.7 million people in 61 counties. HPA’s innovative Pet Emergency Pallets (PEP’s) are now distributed throughout PA for ready and rapid access in the case of emergencies. The pallets have all the care items needed for the emergency sheltering ten cats or ten dogs (or mixed), ensuring there is no delay in waiting for the cavalry to arrive. Why should someone have to give up or hand off their pet to a stranger when they can care for it themselves? The best time to help someone’s pet is now, the best person to care for that pet is the caretaker, and the best solutions are local! Since most emergencies are smaller in scale, these PEP’s are the perfect size to meet the need. If it’s a bigger or longer-term need, they also offer crucial time to allow HPA or other groups to get to the scene to assist further.

These PEP’s have also allowed us to blow past our goal of ensuring the capacity to provide care for 1,000 animals in a large-scale emergency. This goal, which was already reached a few years ago through a combination of HPA’s direct sheltering capacity and partnerships with other organizations, was established as part of the Healthy Pets Initiative grant received from the Giorgi Family Foundation. That grant transformed our work and informed new approaches to animal welfare nationwide. It also continues to inspire HPA to find better – bigger and sometimes smaller – ways to do more, for more people and animals, and more affordably. Thanks again to the Giorgi Family!

I hope that chair is comfy because there’s so much more! In 2024 HPA added a new affordable community service: Spike & Tilly’s Pet Resort, PA’s first affordable, non-profit pet boarding service! We were hearing from our community that they were getting priced out of swanky boarding facilities, often having a boarding bill that was more expensive than their vacation. Why should someone have to choose between traveling with family or having a pet because of the cost of boarding? With Spike & Tilly’s Pet Resort, they don’t need to. Pets of all kinds can stay safely with HPA, affordably and comfortably, with all the bells and whistles of a fancy place if you want them, but without the mandates and restrictions now so common. Not all dogs like playgroups, and some pets need special handling and care. We are literally the experts with over 100 years of experience. With online booking and two locations (Reading and Lancaster), we began booking up and are now expanding to meet the growing need!

Way back in March, we opened the stunning new Adoption Center for Cats & Critters at our Lancaster campus. It’s awesome. With walk-in group cat rooms, dedicated critter space, a big-a** turtle tank, and even a jukebox full of animal-related rock songs – because who doesn’t want to donate a quarter and listen to “Crocodile Rock”? – it’s really cool. Most of the lighting and fixtures are vintage and donated or found at auctions or Facebook Marketplace. This allowed us to save money, make it way more interesting and eclectic, and reinforce the idea that sometimes the best “new” thing is an older thing. Get it? Like a pet? If you haven’t visited, you should.

As soon as it warms up a little, we will be excited to have the public rededication of the center in honor of two of our very best friends and supporters, Betsy & Ted Lewin. Betsy is a legendary – yep, I’m going with legendary – children’s book illustrator and has been one of the longest-donating artists to our Art for Arf’s Sake Auction. You’ve probably seen her art, and if you have kids you probably have her books in your house right now. I am honored that she is allowing us to recognize her and her late husband, Ted, for their generosity, kindness, and the joy they have given to so many for so long. Stay tuned for the invitation to join us this Spring!

But wait, there’s more! It took a few months longer than we planned, but The Thrifty Kitty Thrift Boutique opened its doors at the end of the year at our Lancaster Campus! Technically, it may be a reopening since the Humane League used to have a thrift shop. You probably know thrift shops are all the rage. You may not know that although PA’s thrift shops are dominated by Goodwill, religious, and for-profit thrift shops, many parts of the US are dominated by thrift shops benefitting animal shelters.

We spoke to several organizations with thrift shops that were contributing HUGE amounts of money into their charitable work to discover the secret sauce to achieve success. It may come as no surprise but it boils down three big factors we thought we could cover:

Free or super cheap rent (Check! We had an underutilized building on our campus already).
Sell only donated items (Check! We have so much stuff donated that we could start up fully stocked with great stuff).
As much volunteer staffing as possible (Check! Mostly – we have volunteers beginning to work in the shop and we have staff volunteering time as we fill the schedule – me included!).

The Thrifty Kitty is open Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, and we’ve got everything and are adding more items until it’s packed to the gills. Stop by and consider volunteering. All volunteers get a discount and shop volunteers get to spot the good stuff as it arrives!

One of the last accomplishments of the past year is also a bit of a heartbreak at the moment. HPA has been quietly providing a unique approach to sterilizing free-roaming cats. Based on our data-driven models and intense intervention approaches of our Healthy Pets Initiative, we broke from the standard model of providing sterilization access. The standard model is to spread the available surgery spots as widely as possible. In the name of being “fair”, everyone was given one or two of the available spots. However, if you have twenty cats in a colony and can only sterilize two per month, all the remaining cats keep breeding and you never get 100% sterilization.

Instead, we offered all available surgical slots to a single colony manager, along with assistance and training for mass trapping, to allow us to get as many in at one time as possible. We also went the extra step of ensuring that any that were missed could be funneled into our regular surgery schedule to get any stragglers. We’d also push in any new cats that wandered in the colony in the future. Once we got them all, we’d move on to the next. Did it work? Boy, did it ever. Between March 2023 and November 2024, about 75 colonies ranging in size from just a couple to dozens of cats were fully sterilized. That’s an accomplishment that has never been achieved in our region before and we subsequently found out that this approach is now being taught in advanced trainings as the way to actually overcome the breeding cycles of free-roaming cats. It turns out we figured it out on our own while others were!

Sadly, this program was paused at the end of the year because the grant that had been funding it was unexpectedly cut. While we are keeping our commitments to ongoing support for sterilized colonies, until we replace the funding this wildly successful program will be shut down. Maybe The Thrifty Kitty can help out with that?

OK, no chair is that comfortable. I’m not even done and this is almost 2,200 words long. That’s the big stuff and we did even so much more than that. Thank you to all the volunteers who helped with any of these accomplishments, as well as to the donors who made it possible and our dedicated staff. We’ve got a lot on the horizon for 2025 and I hope you’ll be a part of it. Please consider volunteering for any of our events or programs. If you can’t volunteer, please consider making a donation in support of the amazing work we are doing for animals and people in Pennsylvania. I didn’t add links in the blog so I could keep you hostage but links to all the mentions are below. Please take a minute to check them out!

Your proud partner in building the best communities anywhere to be an animal of animal caretaker,

Karel Minor, CEO
Humane Pennsylvania

No Pet Hungry: Million Meal Challenge

Spike’s Pet Food Pantry

Emergency Response & Disaster Relief

Spike & Tilly’s Pet Resort

Betsy & Ted Lewin Adoption Center for Cats & Critters

The Thrifty Kitty Thrift Boutique

Free Roaming & Community Cat Solutions

Did America Become a “No Kill” Nation and No One Noticed? Or Did No One Care?

September 12th, 2024 | Posted by KMdirector2* in Animal Rescue | Uncategorized - (Comments Off)

Written by Karel Minor, Humane Pennsylvania President & CEO

A drowning man may be forgiven for not reflecting on the size of the body of water in which he’s drowning. After all, drowning in the ocean, a lake, or a bathtub is still drowning. The volume of the body of water is irrelevant when you’re inhaling it and trying your best to survive.

But let’s say this proverbial man is in a bathtub and that bathtub has been draining steadily, yet he’s still crying out that he’s drowning. Suppose we say to him, “Hey, buddy, there’s only four inches of water in that tub. Try lifting your head up,” and he responds, “Last year there was two inches, so there’s twice as much water now, and it only takes an inch of water to drown!” Would we be wrong to wonder why he insists on drowning, splits statistical hairs, and engages in pedantry over methods and means of drowning, rather than acknowledging that he’s very definitely flailing in a puddle, not in an ocean?

I think this is an apt metaphor for what has happened this year in animal sheltering. You’ve probably seen the headlines screaming that shelters are overrun and facing massive percentage increases in intake. Many of these headlines resulted from press releases of shelter data that showed double-digit percentage increases in shelter intake and euthanasia (note that “percentage” was twice emphasized). According to the news, and many, many voices in animal welfare, shelters are drowning in an ocean of animals and that ocean has become profoundly deeper- just look at that double-digit statistical increase over three years ago!

I’m here to tell you that those statistics are true. But the narrative they imply is a lie.

Someone clever once said there are three kinds of lies: Lies, damned lies, and statistics. And the heavy use of statistics over numbers, and in a vacuum of context, is often a good indicator of which kind of lie it is. In May 2007, I posted a blog under that title announcing that HPA (then Berks Humane) would be the first sheltering organization in Pennsylvania to post its raw shelter intake and outcome data. I made the case that animal shelters were then using statistics to make their circumstances and outcomes seem better than they were.

Today the opposite appears to be the case. The broader sheltering community is using carefully selected statistics with carefully chosen time spans to make things appear worse for shelters than they are. These statistics are often taken from the Shelter Animals Count reporting, the largest publicly available aggregation of intake and outcome data. They reported that in the first half of 2024, “live outcomes” outcomes for approximately 3.8 million cats and dogs entering shelters was 91% for cats and 90% for dogs.

Sorry, did I bury the lede? Allow me to scream that like it should be screamed, “Fewer than 10% of shelter cats and dogs died in shelters making America a No-Kill nation!” Why isn’t that the headline? If this had happened ten years ago, or in 2007 when I warned of squishy statistics hiding bad news, I feel like we’d have had an explosion of positive press. Instead, we get told of all the ways animals are worse off.

Here’s the deal: All of these statistics are compared against the aberrant intake numbers that occurred during COVID when shelters essentially closed their doors to the public (and, no, it was NOT a huge number of adoptions that led to empty kennels covered by the press, it was caused by locked doors). That precipitous 2020 decline took a couple of years to rebound back up by 2023. But 2023 was lower than the numbers pre-COVID. In fact, the number of animals entering shelters and dying in shelters has been on the decline for the past 50 years, from shelter deaths of 15 million or higher to only 850,000 in 2023. If that’s the case, why can anyone be claiming double-digit increases, and what do I mean by “only” 850,000? That seems like a lot of dead animals.

That’s one of the problems with success and one of the problems with the arbitrary 90% save rate defining no-kill status promoted so heavily by some national groups. First, if we want to know if 90% is no-kill, don’t ask the 9 out of 10 animals that lived, ask the one that died in a shelter. I bet that one feels like it wasn’t a no-kill shelter. The definition of “No-Kill” has always come with troublesome baggage. How do we define killing and what’s real euthanasia? When we were drowning in an ocean of dead shelter animals, we could be forgiven if we didn’t quibble over percentages while we tried to tread water. But now we are in a bathtub arguing over what counts as drowning and still clinging to the old press terror tactics our industry has relied on for decades.

Second, numeric success can fuel statistical failure. Saving 90% of a million animals might be considered no-kill, despite 100,000 dead animals. But what happens when the number drops really low? What if only two animals enter a shelter and one is euthanized? That’s a 50% euthanasia rate. It’s also 99,999 fewer than the one that achieved 90%. I know what community I’d rather live in.

We see these games played with crime statistics on the news. We have historically low crime so any blip of a low number yields large percentage increases or decreases. But numerically it’s not relevant. The whole, good, picture is lost in the statistical trickery. Is that a lie? It might depend on intent, it might be due to ignorance, or it might be lazy journalism. You decide.

To be clear, some parts of the country are much worse off than others. And if you are a euthanized animal or the victim of a crime, your rate of death and crime are 100%, and big pictures or long-term trends are cold comfort.

No-kill advocates used to berate “open-admission” shelters for their high intake and euthanasia rates and compare them against their artificially low managed intake numbers and low euthanasia rates that came courtesy of screening out problematic animals. Now “open-admission” shelters are using statistical variation to berate no-kill shelters for not doing enough to help them handle their tsunami of incoming animals. Both play games with semantics, definitions, and statistics and neither narrative has ever been truly and fundamentally honest. No-Kill shelters have always employed some measure of intake management. And open-admission shelters have never taken in every single animal presented to them. Do “Sorry, no ID, not our municipality, it bit within the last ten days, we can’t reach the owner, etc.” ring a bell?

I believe both sides of this argument suffer from the same problem of lack of imagination and inability to see the forest for the trees. An arbitrary 10% death rate is assuredly not no-kill. But a few percent up and down variation off a historically low number is not drowning in animals and certainly not a return to 1970/80/90/2000 numbers. Instead of agreeing that we have made amazing progress as an industry and a nation, but we still have work to do, we keep fighting the same battles, using the same tired and outdated arguments. Only now it is “open-door” shelters using statistics to make things look worse than they are and no-kill shelters under fire for Pollyanna claims of success while standing on a pile of dead animals.

We should not accept that any level of death in shelters is OK, even if most people can agree that some may be unavoidable or even appropriate. Sometimes euthanasia is the right choice to prevent suffering but it’s certainly not successful. We also shouldn’t pretend that every shelter death is unavoidable or appropriate. Some shelters are just bad at their jobs. Now no-kill shelters are trapped by a definition of success that doesn’t ring true to the real world. Open-door shelters are trapped in an existential crisis. What do all these shelters do when there are 90% fewer animals entering shelters than 50 years ago?

Humane PA saw this March of Dimes moment- when the problem you combat is solved- coming nearly two decades ago and we started to expand what we did to include a myriad of ways to help animals and people other than just being the dump for community animals. We have a small fraction of the intake and shelter death we did twenty years ago, but it’s still not zero. Others can and have found new directions and approaches of their own. Many still cling desperately to rigid, old models, and will survive for a while. Some organizations may, and probably should, dissolve.

Metaphors are useful because they allow a person to “get” your point via a example that is more universally understood or experienced without having to engage in extensive exposition and explanation. If I may be forgiven beating this drowning metaphor to death, if shelters were people and they were drowning, what might they do? If someone was swimming with other people they might call for- and accept- help. If someone found herself in a rip current, she might change her approach, stop trying to swim back to shore, and instead swim across the current until the rip current subsided and her old swim strokes were once again effective. Sometimes one might find himself not swimming, but being carried away in deadly floodwaters. But floods are rare and they are transient. We should never claim every swim is in a flood, any more than we should mistake a bathtub for an ocean. And finally in this tortured metaphor, if people can’t swim, maybe they should stay out of the water.

Unlike English poet Stevie Smith’s “larking chap”, most shelters aren’t drowning, they’re waving.

Dr. Alicia Simoneau’s 15 Year Work Anniversary!

Dr. Alicia Simoneau’s 15-year journey with Humane Pennsylvania has been marked by a deep commitment to animal welfare and an unwavering passion for her work. As she celebrates this milestone, it’s clear that Dr. Simoneau’s contributions have been pivotal in shaping the compassionate and dynamic environment that defines Humane Pennsylvania today.

What do you love most about working for Humane Pennsylvania?

One of the things I really enjoy about my work is the variety it offers. Each day brings something new, which keeps things interesting and engaging. I also take great satisfaction in the fact that I get to assist animals in many different ways. Additionally, it’s incredibly rewarding to see the diverse ways we support both people and their pets.

How has the organization changed/evolved since you started working for HPA? And what keeps you motivated to do the great work you’ve been doing for the past 15 years?

Over the years, we’ve refined our mission to provide increasingly comprehensive levels of care. For instance, our Spay/Neuter Clinic (SNC) began in a small trailer with just a few animals, and now we’ve grown significantly from those early days. Additionally, I find the evolution of veterinary medicine to be incredibly exciting. The continuous development of new techniques and treatments offers constant opportunities for learning and growth in our field.

Are you a dog, cat, or critter person?

I’d say I’m primarily a cat person, but I also have a strong affinity for horses.

Who has influenced you most when it comes to how you approach your work?

Humane Pennsylvania’s Veterinary Team Director, Jennifer Henne, has had the most significant influence on me, particularly through her expertise in behavior. I’ve learned a great deal from her and apply those skills to better handle and care for my patients.

What’s one thing you’re learning now, and why is it important?

Currently, I’m focused on learning about new pain management techniques. This is important because it will enhance my ability to provide better care and improve the quality of life for my patients.

What do you see as your biggest accomplishment since your start with Humane Pennsylvania?

My biggest accomplishment since joining Humane Pennsylvania has been taking our CEO’s vision for the Healthy Pets Walk-In Clinic and turning it into the successful, impactful program that it is today.

What’s one of your favorite Humane Pennsylvania memories from the past year?

One of my favorite memories from the past year was having my daughters come to work with me. It’s been a joy to see their excitement and enthusiasm as they watch what I do.

What three words would your coworkers use to describe you?

I think my coworkers would describe me as fun, uplifting, and helpful.

What’s one fun fact about you that we might not already know?

One thing you might not know about me is that I’m a bit of a Chihuahua whisperer. I have this knack for making friends with almost any Chihuahua I meet – they seem to take an instant liking to me!

Thank you, Dr. Simoneau, for all you have done and continue to do for Humane Pennsylvania and the animals in our care!

National Make-A-Will Month: Secure Your Legacy

August 8th, 2024 | Posted by Maggie McDevitt in Humane Pennsylvania - (Comments Off)

One meaningful way to show up for the people and animals you love is to make a plan for them in your will. August is National Make-A-Will Month, and you can start the month off on the right paw by creating a plan for the future.

Humane Pennsylvania is proud to help make this important task more accessible to our caring community and all those who need to write a plan. Make-A-Will Month offers a moment to take stock of the people and causes we love and make sure their futures are provided for when we are no longer able to care for them.

Write my will today

Creating a legal will is an opportunity to craft intentional plans that protect your loved ones and eternalize the values that have guided your life, like compassion and caring for animals in need. Legacy support is an easy way to be a part of the solution for years to come.

And, contrary to popular belief, writing your will doesn’t have to be expensive, time-consuming, or scary. This free online tool from our friends at FreeWill makes the process quick and easy, allowing you to complete your will in just 20 minutes from the comfort of your home.

If you don’t have an up-to-date will, we invite you to use FreeWill to create your plan this month, and to consider including a legacy gift for Humane Pennsylvania. It’s an easy way to make your mark — in a good way!

If you have already created a lasting legacy with Humane Pennsylvania, please fill out our online form to let us know about your gift! We would love to thank you for supporting area animals in such a powerful way.

Take Control of Your Legacy

Why should you make a will?

No matter your circumstances, every person who is 18 or older needs a legal will in place to plan for the future and make a lasting commitment to the people and causes that matter most to them. Writing a will is a vital part of protecting your loved ones — including your animal companions — and making a plan for how your assets are to be distributed.

Why use this free estate planning tool?

Making a will doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive, but many people avoid the task because they assume it will be. Our friends at FreeWill make the process easy, intuitive, and free. In less than 20 minutes your will can be completed and ready for your signature. You don’t have to submit any sensitive personal information, and you’ll finish with a PDF of your will that is valid in all 50 states.

Why should you begin your legacy with Humane Pennsylvania?

Creating a legacy with Humane Pennsylvania is a powerful way to transform the lives of animals and their caretakers, for generations to come. It represents your lasting commitment to saving animal lives and being part of the solution — today, tomorrow, and forever.

If an immediate cash gift isn’t right for you, or if you want to make a profound long-term investment in the welfare of area animals, we encourage you to consider including a gift to Humane Pennsylvania in your will. Your support would mean so much!

Get started creating your free will today.

If you have questions about FreeWill or planned giving at Humane Pennsylvania, please contact our Director of Development, Lauren Henderson Pignetti at 610-750-6100 ext. 211 or [email protected].

Karel Minor’s 20 Year Work Anniversary!

July 15th, 2024 | Posted by Maggie McDevitt in Animal Welfare | Feel Good Story | Healthy Pets | Humane Pennsylvania - (Comments Off)

After spending over 30 years in the animal welfare world, Humane Pennsylvania (HPA) President & CEO Karel Minor knows a thing or two about helping animals and their caretakers who love them. As the second longest-tenured leader in animal sheltering in Pennsylvania, he is looking back at the progress made and strides taken over his 20 years as CEO of Humane PA.

What do you love most about working for Humane Pennsylvania?

What I love most about working at Humane PA is our culture of asking, “What needs to be done and how can we do it?” HPA isn’t bogged down in dogma (no pun intended!) about how we’ve done things or how things “must” be done. If it works, we continue doing it and try to improve. If it doesn’t work, we try new things until it does. That may seem like an obvious approach but it’s still all too rare in animal welfare.

How has the organization changed/evolved since you started working for HPA? And what keeps you motivated to do the great work you’ve been doing for the past 20 years?

Over twenty years ago, I left animal welfare because the industry as a whole seemed like it was fixated on explaining why things couldn’t be done, usually with no real data to back it up, just opinion and gut feeling. Animal welfare felt hopeless and fatalistic and if you suggested we could save animals’ lives and help people try new things, our peers looked at us like we were stupid. If you suggested adopting cats at Halloween, waiving adoption fees, or adopting at Christmas, people thought you were insane. Twenty years ago, when I started at HPA, which was known as Berks Humane Society at that time, I met a core of staff, board, volunteers, and donors who were willing to be open-minded. They saw that what we had been doing wasn’t working- at least not for the 4,000 animals being euthanized each year- and they took the risk with me to try new and even taboo approaches. It worked, we kept it up, and we helped spread that attitude around the country.

Are you a dog, cat, or critter person?

I don’t have to choose so I don’t! My family is currently supervised by four cats (Susu, Monkey, Thud, and Winnie), a baby turtle rescued from death in a parking lot (Ulysses S. Grant Wood Turtle), and three Costa Rican dart frogs. We are dogless after losing Treetop, the world’s best Labrador, to old age a few years ago.

Who has influenced you most when it comes to how you approach your work?

My greatest influence in animal welfare is Dr. Michael Moyer, who hired me at my first shelter 32 years ago. Back then, he was the extremely rare executive director who happened to be a veterinarian. He approached animal welfare like a scientist, used data, and encouraged me to do the same. However, my biggest professional influence is my wife, Dr. Kim Minor, who was one of the extremely rare educators who is a genuine genius, uses data and genuinely cares about doing what’s best for kids, even when it’s hard or personally risky. There is a bizarre similarity to how the education system writes off a lot of kids just like many animal shelters do with animals. Her example of doing what is right for each individual child and how that improves the well-being of children as a population has always motivated me to do the same for animals and the families they are attached to.

What’s one thing you’re learning now, and why is it important?

The thing I think I’ve had to grapple with in the last few years is that no amount of planning, willpower, or even unlimited resources can make some things work. When there are numerically too few vets for the number of open positions, a pandemic shuts down construction projects, or bad laws get passed all you can do is make the best of things. HPA has accomplished so many things exactly the way we planned that it can be a rude awakening when sometimes all you can do is make things better, but better is still better.

What do you see as your biggest accomplishment since your start with Humane Pennsylvania?

I think “my” biggest accomplishment is creating a team responsible for “our” accomplishments. We have talented, dedicated staff who have been with HPA ranging from just one year to nearly twenty years. One person can’t succeed alone and we have built a group who take their work seriously and know they can make a concrete positive difference for the animals and people in our community.

What’s one of your favorite Humane Pennsylvania memories from the past year?

We recently dismantled a closed Rite Aid store to get $100,000 worth of gondola shelving for our new warehouse store-style pet food pantry and upcoming thrift shop. It was a stupid amount of work for three days but we saved $96,000 and it was a reminder that when we need to we can buckle down and get the work done ourselves!

What three words would your coworkers use to describe you?

I shudder to think! It probably depends on who you ask, but I think one word few would argue with is, “intense.”

What’s one fun fact about you that we might not already know?

I love art. I love making it, seeing it, and learning about it. I agree with Nietzsche: “We have art so that we shall not die of reality.” That doesn’t sound fun, does it? Like I said, intense describes me, I guess.

Thank you, Karel, for all you have done and continue to do for Humane Pennsylvania and the animals in our care!

Keep You And Your Pet Safe With These July 4th Safety Tips

June 25th, 2024 | Posted by Maggie McDevitt in Animal Health | Healthy Pets Initiative | Humane Pennsylvania | Microchipping - (Comments Off)

Each year many of us celebrate Independence Day with friends and family; enjoying barbeques and lively firework shows. However, these traditions can frighten and at times be dangerous to your pets. Follow these useful tips to keep your pets safe during the festive summer holiday.

NEVER Use Fireworks Around Pets

Lit fireworks can be extremely dangerous to pets. Sparks from the fireworks can cause severe burns and/or trauma to the face, paws, and skin.
Never use fireworks around your pets as many types contain potentially toxic substances, including potassium nitrate, arsenic, and other heavy metals.

Leave Pets at Home

While most humans enjoy summer parties, most pets do not. Loud noises, crowded areas, and unfamiliar settings, can frighten pets and cause them to become stressed and disoriented.
For your pet’s safety, refrain from taking them to Fourth of July festivities, instead leave them at home, away from direct noises, in their own environment in which they feel safe.

Keep ID Current

Loud noises from fireworks and other festivities may scare your pet and cause them to escape from your yard or home, if they are not safely enclosed. Be sure your pet is always wearing a collar with an ID tag that includes; your name, current phone number and any other relevant contact information.
July 1 is National ID Your Pet Day, which serves as an annual check-in to make sure your pets’ identification tags and microchip information is up to date. Have your pet microchipped to increase the likelihood that they will be returned to you safely if a separation were to occur.
Visit HumanePA.org to learn more about our Healthy Pets Initiative, which provides microchip services to keep pets safe and happy in their homes.

Avoid These Poison Hazards

Create Barbeque Boundaries

Barbeques are a lot of fun, full of delicious foods and drinks…for humans. However, some of these items can be deadly to your pets. Be sure your pets can not get in to any alcoholic beverages. Also keep in mind that many human foods are not meant for pets, pet treats are always better to give your pets than human food, as human foods can cause severe digestive issues for pets.
Be sure to avoid avocado, raisins, grapes, onions, chocolate and products with the sweetener xylitol.

No Glow Jewelry for Pets

While it might look cute to put glow jewelry or glow sticks on your pets, the plastic and chemicals inside the tube are hazardous to pets if ingested.
If your pet chews and/or swallows the plastic attachments or chemicals, they can be at risk for excessive drooling and gastrointestinal irritation, as well as intestinal blockage from swallowing large pieces of the plastic.

Safely Store Matches and Lighter Fluid

Certain types of matches contain chlorates, which, if ingested, can be hazardous to pets. Lighter fluid, meanwhile, can be irritating to your pet’s skin, and, if swallowed, can cause gastrointestinal irritation, and other issues.
Be sure to store all matches and lighter fluid in a safe place where pets cannot access the items by jumping or climbing.

If your pet ingest a poisonous substance, like the ones listed above, contact your veterinarian or the Pet Poison Helpline (800-213-6680) immediately. Do not induce vomiting or give anything orally to your pet unless specifically directed to do so by your veterinarian.

Preventing Heartworm Disease in Dogs

By Dr. Alicia Simoneau, Humane Pennsylvania Chief Veterinary Officer

April is National Heartworm Awareness Month! To make sure all dogs are protected from this serious disease, Dr. Simoneau has provided some valuable information for you and your pets.

A pervasive, serious medical condition, heartworm disease affects more than 1 million dogs in the U.S. every year. The disease can cause irreparable organ damage, but it can be both treated and prevented. Cats and ferrets may also be affected by heartworms, but usually not to the same extent as dogs.

What Causes Heartworms?

Heartworm disease is caused by an internal blood parasite, Dirofilaria immitis. Adult heartworms produce a pre-larval stage of the parasite, called microfilaria, which is passed from one dog to another by mosquitos.

How Does Heartworm Disease Spread and Develop?

In geographic areas where mosquitos thrive year-round, heartworm disease remains endemic. Heartworms are diagnosed nationwide, but the Southeastern states harbor mosquitos that carry heartworm. Dogs are frequently taken from the south to the northeast, and people take their pets on vacation.

When a mosquito has a blood meal from a dog that has adult heartworms, the microfilaria is taken in by the mosquito and undergoes transformation to a larval stage, which can now be a source of infection for another dog. This larval stage parasite is injected from the mosquito to another dog with the next blood meal the mosquito takes.

Inside the canine host, the larval stage parasite matures into the adult stage. If not prevented by medication, the worms continue developing. As the parasite molts in the dog, it migrates through its tissue and travels into the bloodstream. The parasite finds the heart and blood vessels to the lungs, where it stays permanently lodged and is now a mature adult. The process from the larval stage to the adult stage takes about 7 months, and adult heartworms can live for 5 to 7 years.

Untreated heartworm disease results in congestive heart failure in the dog. However, the heartworm infection causes scar tissue and severe inflammation to develop even before the end-stage disease. These effects can occur as early as 7 to 12 months after a dog is bitten by an infective mosquito.

How Can Heartworms Be Prevented?

The larval stages are susceptible to medication known as heartworm preventative, which kills them and prevents them from developing into adult worms. Heartworm preventatives work to kill the heartworm larva in the dog’s tissues the day they are given. The aim is to prevent the current infection from advancing, i.e., prevent the parasite larva from developing into adults.

Heartworm preventatives do not have lasting effects, however. They clear larval heartworm infections once every 30 days. As such, they must be administered to the dog every 30 days.

It is recommended to work with a vet to get a dog on a testing schedule and give medication that kills the larval stage of the heartworm before it has the chance to mature into an adult worm and cause excessive damage.

Screening tests look for antigens that are produced by adult female heartworms. The heartworm doesn’t make the antigen the test is looking for until the heartworm is mature, and maturity occurs 7 months after an infective mosquito transmits the larval stage of heartworm via a blood meal. This is why puppies don’t need a heartworm test to start the medication that kills the larval stage.

There is no way of knowing if immature worms exist, so testing is recommended 4 to 7 months after exposure. In young dogs at higher risk, testing twice in the first year is recommended. For adult dogs that are given year-round heartworm preventative monthly, or for other lower-risk patients that are given the preventative yearly, testing is often the recommendation.

How Is Heartworm Disease in Dogs Treated?

Once a dog is diagnosed with adult heartworms, the treatment is a year-long process. A series of oral and injectable medications are administered under the observation and guidance of a veterinarian, and stringent exercise restriction is necessary for many months.

Once the active infection is cleared, the dead adult heartworms continue to break down and be removed by the dog’s body. Scar tissue will always remain in the dog’s lung vessels and heart.

The Bottom Line

This internal blood parasite has life-threatening consequences for dogs — and those who consider them to be a family member — and it is prevalent in the United States. Heartworm disease in dogs is much easier to prevent than treat, so it is imperative to work with a veterinarian to develop a heartworm prevention plan specific to your dog to keep them healthy and happy.

Schedule an appointment and develop a heartworm prevention plan by visiting https://hvhospitals.org/contact-us/!