Without a doubt, winter is the worst time of the year to be homeless. Fortunately I am safe and warm here at the Second Chance shelter as I patiently wait for my first real home ever. While I have been snug in the Shelter it is getting cold outside so I thought I’d take this opportunity to throw down some important factoids about…colds.

Dear person reading this,

Holidays can either be crazed and chaotic or meaningful and magical. It is simply a choice. If you choose the former, well…good luck with that. If you choose the latter I can supply the meaning and magic, otherwise known as love. Love is the purpose and the reason. Love makes every day a holiday. I am love. The cuddly generous kind.

Hi my name is Taylor. I am a puppy mill survivor. The Second Chance Pet Column often promotes the end to this cruel and inhumane treatment of animals and although progress on this front has been slow nationwide things are improving. Additionally activism against puppy mills is also having a positive impact on the treatment other kinds of animals. Did you know that California voters made history a few weeks ago with the passing of Prop 12, the nation’s most progressive legislation for farm animals to date?

My name is Bo and I am a homeless cat here at Second Chance waiting to be adopted. Animal welfare folks like to refer to adoptive homes as forever homes, but I for one know there certainly is no guarantee of that, having come from a home I thought would be forever. So I have a few things to say on all this so listen up.

Thanksgiving is right around the corner, which many may think wouldn’t mean much to a homeless dog like me. But once again I am underestimated. Thanksgiving reminds us to be grateful for our lives and for those who make our lives better each day, so of course my ears are perking. What an ideal time of year to be caught in the act of being grateful for your animal friends. How about taking a short moment right now to remember all that your pets (past and present) give to you and how they transform your view and engagement with the world around you.

My name is Tommy and I have a pet (pun intended) peeve to share. According to the Humane Society of the United States, only 2 to 5 % of the millions of lost cats entering shelters annually nationwide are reunited with their owners. Compare this to dogs, reunited with owners at eight times the rate that cats are. Why? Because only 14% of cats arriving at shelters have identification as compared to 43% of dogs. What the fur ball is up with that?

So our little Second Chance Pet Column caught the attention of an interesting organization called Tuck, based in Seattle and devoted to improving sleep hygiene, health and wellness. They create and disseminate comprehensive, unbiased, free web-based resources (check them out at Tuck.com). The cool thing is they asked us to share information about pets and sleep. So as it such a universal and important topic (who doesn’t need sleep?!) we are going to cover some of their info today.

So what is the deal with Halloween and black cats?  Do you people still think that we are the vessels of evil witchcraft or minions of the devil? Seriously? People, this is the 21st century - can we please get over it already? Yes, black cats have endured a major role for centuries in folklore and mythology but continuing to perpetuate this superstitious mumbo jumbo isn’t helping our cause – to love and be loved.    In the immortal words of Groucho Marx, "A black cat crossing your path signifies that the animal is going somewhere."

Best. Month. Ever. Move over Halloween it is Adopt a Shelter Dog Month! Toss out the candy corn and bat wings and make room for a lovable huggable treat of a lifetime – a new pet! Can’t adopt right now? Keep reading to learn how to help homeless sugar free sweeties like me find loving happy homes as part of this delightful month! 

As I sit and wait for my new family to appear here at the Second Chance shelter I have been considering what might help make the transition into a new home go more smoothly for all cats. I believe that the single most important thing is to properly prepare your home. Below are tips to create a safe, comforting and stimulating setting, without forgetting your own desire to have a well-designed living space.