Over at the Town of Rochester pound is a dear, little dog who needs a new home. The following was written by the Animal Control Officer, Jill.

"Sparkles is a sweetie. She is five years young, spayed, and up to date on vaccinations. She was found as a stray in the bitter cold one night. She is only 25 pounds. She is blind in one eye from an old injury that was never treated. She is in no pain but is blind in the one eye, and it doesn't slow her down one bit. She's a trooper for sure. She so wants to be in someone's life. She hates being alone at the kennel. She absolutely loves car rides and is very well-behaved in the car. She loves to look out the window as you drive along. When she's had enough she curls up and takes a nap. She would love to do some day trips and see the sights, and she needs an owner to snuggle with. She is a bit shy at first, then she is your faithful loving companion."

Call Jill at: 1-845-389-1968. Remember she is the Town of Wawarsing's animal officer, too.

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I was watching Animal Planet and it was about a hoarder woman who could not find her cat in all the stuff. The veterinarian put out a trap, but explained that a cat might be right in front of you and so quiet you don't know it. She also said even though they put food in the humane trap, it did not mean that the cat would go in there immediately. Unlike a dog, who usually responds to a voice and certainly food, a cat is, as we all know, a different animal. They did catch the cat, who was getting blocked by not having enough water and being fed dry food only. The urine gets too thick if a cat does not have enough water. Canned food has a certain amount of water in it. So from that I would recommend that people either be sure there is a full bowl of water at all times or not feed only dry. Of course, a salty, canned food will cause a cat to drink more, and you need water next to the canned food dish too. If you are feeding outside cats, try to put out bowls of unfrozen water as much as you can.

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Check out the Ulster County SPCA Fur Ball, which is this Saturday, March. 6. You can still make a reservation by calling, 331-5377. ext. 211. We went last year and they have an awesome silent auction, great dinner, and film.

Another really neat event, this spring, will be, "Pup Crawl Over the Hudson", on Saturday, April 17, 2010. The times are from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the Walkway Over the Hudson River. It begins on the Poughkeepsie side.

According to Kerri of the Pets Alive Shelter, "Pup Crawl over the Hudson dog walk is a fun, festive, educational, and informational event for the pet-loving community. The Pup Crawl raises funds for Pets Alive Inc. while educating the public about the plight of homeless and abused animals. This event is to be held on the newly built 'Walkway Over The Hudson' with spectacular views of the Hudson Valley.

"Pets Alive is a no-kill animal shelter. Their mission is to rescue, rehabilitate, and place animals that are victims of neglect, abuse, and violence. Many of them have special needs and have been rejected by other organizations. Most of these special-needs animals are older and require special care. With your help, we can bring public awareness to this organization as well as to find forever homes for these needy animals.

"Sponsorship provides much needed funding for the Pets Alive organization, while receiving a venue to reach out to the pet loving population of the Hudson Valley. Even if your product or services are not directly pet related, this is an opportunity to gain exposure among a large and diverse group in the Hudson Valley community."

Kerri also states that there will be a shuttle bus provided from the train station parking to the event all day long. In other words, if you drive and park at the train station in Poughkeepsie, you can get a shuttle to the bridge. There will be pet adoptions, live music and entertainment, an Animal Health Information booth, pet companies displaying and selling goods and services, free stuff and raffles, doggie bags stuffed with samples and offers from vendors and sponsors, face painting and balloon animals, a pet communicator/psychic readings, pet portraits and photos, food and refreshments, as well as celebrities. It sounds like a great time, but only take dogs who are not nervous and everyone has to be on a leash. No cats, of course.