<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?><?xml-stylesheet href="http://www.blogger.com/styles/atom.css" type="text/css"?><feed xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom' xmlns:openSearch='http://a9.com/-/spec/opensearchrss/1.0/' xmlns:georss='http://www.georss.org/georss' xmlns:gd='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005' xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4160571659263195987</id><updated>2011-04-22T00:33:52.035-05:00</updated><title type='text'>Goin' to the Dogs...and Cats too!</title><subtitle type='html'></subtitle><link rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#feed' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://hsopensacola.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4160571659263195987/posts/default?max-results=100'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://hsopensacola.blogspot.com/'/><link rel='hub' href='http://pubsubhubbub.appspot.com/'/><author><name>Hsop Director</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06820919087816757583</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='29' src='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_caWr75viwqM/SSgRzVAbCZI/AAAAAAAAAAg/x56FyD9c9VI/S220/logoboarder.gif'/></author><generator version='7.00' uri='http://www.blogger.com'>Blogger</generator><openSearch:totalResults>8</openSearch:totalResults><openSearch:startIndex>1</openSearch:startIndex><openSearch:itemsPerPage>100</openSearch:itemsPerPage><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4160571659263195987.post-1844635231812856510</id><published>2009-05-05T15:58:00.001-05:00</published><updated>2009-05-05T15:58:09.951-05:00</updated><title type='text'>Tuesday May 5th, 2009</title><content type='html'>Yea! We now have kittens ready to go to their forever homes! From this point on we should be having new kittens coming back from their foster homes. Adoption prices are $50.00 which includes spay/neuter, microchipping, and shots as age permits. We have some real cutie-patooties so come on down and visit!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Yes! Another audio post! Have a listen to see what's up down at the shelter!&lt;br/&gt;&lt;iframe scrolling='no' frameborder='0' width='246' height='20' src='http://www.hipcast.com/playweb?audioid=P9e6578750652c52c6acd9887878a78ebYlB5RFREYmN2&amp;amp;buffer=5&amp;amp;shape=3&amp;amp;fc=FFFFFF&amp;amp;pc=3399cc&amp;amp;kc=0000CC&amp;amp;bc=FFFFFF&amp;amp;brand=1&amp;amp;player=ap21'&gt; &lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4160571659263195987-1844635231812856510?l=hsopensacola.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://hsopensacola.blogspot.com/feeds/1844635231812856510/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=4160571659263195987&amp;postID=1844635231812856510&amp;isPopup=true' title='1 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4160571659263195987/posts/default/1844635231812856510'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4160571659263195987/posts/default/1844635231812856510'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://hsopensacola.blogspot.com/2009/05/tuesday-may-5th-2009.html' title='Tuesday May 5th, 2009'/><author><name>Hsop Director</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06820919087816757583</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='29' src='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_caWr75viwqM/SSgRzVAbCZI/AAAAAAAAAAg/x56FyD9c9VI/S220/logoboarder.gif'/></author><thr:total>1</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4160571659263195987.post-4935769471537665888</id><published>2009-04-27T12:29:00.001-05:00</published><updated>2009-04-27T12:29:49.382-05:00</updated><title type='text'>Monday April 27, 2009</title><content type='html'>Welcome to another week! The last week of April! Oh my gosh! Where is this year going? I have done another audioblog that you can find below.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;iframe scrolling='no' frameborder='0' width='246' height='20' src='http://www.hipcast.com/playweb?audioid=P1a863f828cf828683aadc37c5e9c49ebYlB5RFREYmN3&amp;amp;buffer=5&amp;amp;shape=3&amp;amp;fc=FFFFFF&amp;amp;pc=3399cc&amp;amp;kc=0000CC&amp;amp;bc=FFFFFF&amp;amp;brand=1&amp;amp;player=ap21'&gt; &lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4160571659263195987-4935769471537665888?l=hsopensacola.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://hsopensacola.blogspot.com/feeds/4935769471537665888/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=4160571659263195987&amp;postID=4935769471537665888&amp;isPopup=true' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4160571659263195987/posts/default/4935769471537665888'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4160571659263195987/posts/default/4935769471537665888'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://hsopensacola.blogspot.com/2009/04/monday-april-27-2009.html' title='Monday April 27, 2009'/><author><name>Hsop Director</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06820919087816757583</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='29' src='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_caWr75viwqM/SSgRzVAbCZI/AAAAAAAAAAg/x56FyD9c9VI/S220/logoboarder.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4160571659263195987.post-8755125373494375357</id><published>2009-04-23T20:34:00.001-05:00</published><updated>2009-04-23T20:34:45.597-05:00</updated><title type='text'>The First HSOP AudioBlog!</title><content type='html'>The Humane Society goes High-Tech! We hope to refine this and have some fun with it! Tune in for more audioblogging from Liz!&lt;br/&gt;&lt;iframe scrolling='no' frameborder='0' width='246' height='20' src='http://www.hipcast.com/playweb?audioid=Pe550d1834744a25d799231a507114391YlB5RFREYmN0&amp;amp;buffer=5&amp;amp;shape=3&amp;amp;fc=FFFFFF&amp;amp;pc=3399cc&amp;amp;kc=0000CC&amp;amp;bc=FFFFFF&amp;amp;brand=1&amp;amp;player=ap21'&gt; &lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4160571659263195987-8755125373494375357?l=hsopensacola.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://hsopensacola.blogspot.com/feeds/8755125373494375357/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=4160571659263195987&amp;postID=8755125373494375357&amp;isPopup=true' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4160571659263195987/posts/default/8755125373494375357'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4160571659263195987/posts/default/8755125373494375357'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://hsopensacola.blogspot.com/2009/04/first-hsop-audioblog.html' title='The First HSOP AudioBlog!'/><author><name>Hsop Director</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06820919087816757583</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='29' src='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_caWr75viwqM/SSgRzVAbCZI/AAAAAAAAAAg/x56FyD9c9VI/S220/logoboarder.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4160571659263195987.post-6834507363901127466</id><published>2009-04-23T18:44:00.000-05:00</published><updated>2009-04-23T18:45:34.581-05:00</updated><title type='text'>Vick-Tims</title><content type='html'>This is chilling and beautiful all in nine minutes.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Warning: There is graphic video of dogfighting.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href="http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=4089941&amp;amp;categoryid=3060647"&gt;http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=4089941&amp;amp;categoryid=3060647&lt;/a&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4160571659263195987-6834507363901127466?l=hsopensacola.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://hsopensacola.blogspot.com/feeds/6834507363901127466/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=4160571659263195987&amp;postID=6834507363901127466&amp;isPopup=true' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4160571659263195987/posts/default/6834507363901127466'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4160571659263195987/posts/default/6834507363901127466'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://hsopensacola.blogspot.com/2009/04/vick-tims.html' title='Vick-Tims'/><author><name>Hsop Director</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06820919087816757583</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='29' src='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_caWr75viwqM/SSgRzVAbCZI/AAAAAAAAAAg/x56FyD9c9VI/S220/logoboarder.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4160571659263195987.post-223001141233596505</id><published>2009-04-23T09:29:00.000-05:00</published><updated>2009-04-23T18:46:46.669-05:00</updated><title type='text'>Red Alert! Red Alert!</title><content type='html'>&lt;span style="color:#cc0000;"&gt;Happy Ending Alert!!  I chauffered this cat to his new home this afternoon! Thank you so much to his new angel mom!!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;We had a 14 year old cat returned to the shelter today. That's right...14! The family is military being shipped off to Hawaii and their Vet told them he wouldn't make it through the six months of quarantine. I'm not sure why as he has a clean bill of health and looks much younger. He is VERY affectionate and handsome.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I DO NOT want him spending any sort of time at the shelter. He needs a new home ASAP!!! He has lived with other cats with no problems. He has been an inside cat his whole life. He is a total lover lap cat. He is grey and white in color.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;PLEASE! If you know someone who is interested in giving him a home for the rest of his life (which could be another 4 or 5 years) PLEASE have them contact me at the shelter at 850-432-4250.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I would love him to go to a quiet home, with other cats would be fine.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;PLEASE put out the word and call me for more info!!THANKS!!!&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4160571659263195987-223001141233596505?l=hsopensacola.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://hsopensacola.blogspot.com/feeds/223001141233596505/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=4160571659263195987&amp;postID=223001141233596505&amp;isPopup=true' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4160571659263195987/posts/default/223001141233596505'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4160571659263195987/posts/default/223001141233596505'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://hsopensacola.blogspot.com/2009/04/red-alert-red-alert.html' title='Red Alert! Red Alert!'/><author><name>Hsop Director</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06820919087816757583</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='29' src='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_caWr75viwqM/SSgRzVAbCZI/AAAAAAAAAAg/x56FyD9c9VI/S220/logoboarder.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4160571659263195987.post-6439104274795906714</id><published>2009-03-25T07:28:00.000-05:00</published><updated>2009-03-25T07:42:50.010-05:00</updated><title type='text'>Goings on down at the shelter</title><content type='html'>Spring is here!! And with it the flowering trees, the greening grass and THE RAIN! But that's ok! While the rain makes things a bit hectic here at the shelter, it is bringing with it warm breezes and long sunny days!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Mark your calendar as this Saturday we will be at PetSmart on N. Davis Hwy! We will be there from 10am until 2pm! Going to PetSmart gives us a great opportunity to "go north!" and see people that might not make it all the way down town. You can meet some of our great dogs, get to see how they do with your family and also meet some of our fantastic volunteers who make it possible for us to make it to PetSmart every month! We hope to see you there on Saturday March 28th!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Our latest newsletter is out and if you havent seen it yet, here is the link! Enjoy!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.humanesocietyofpensacola.org/HeartlineMarch09.pdf"&gt;March 2009 HSOP Newsletter&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Ok...Ok...I know it's raining but that doesnt mean you can't still come down and visit. Our cat room is open and we have many cats that would love to have a visit with you! And you can still meet a potential new family member out front on our covered patio! Come on....you know you want to!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Here's a picture to make you smile...just as &lt;a href="http://www.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=13246077"&gt;HANK&lt;/a&gt; is doing!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_caWr75viwqM/ScomEDWToPI/AAAAAAAAACA/1orEaa7b-TM/s1600-h/Hank2.jpg"&gt;&lt;img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5317104161124491506" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 281px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_caWr75viwqM/ScomEDWToPI/AAAAAAAAACA/1orEaa7b-TM/s320/Hank2.jpg" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4160571659263195987-6439104274795906714?l=hsopensacola.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://hsopensacola.blogspot.com/feeds/6439104274795906714/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=4160571659263195987&amp;postID=6439104274795906714&amp;isPopup=true' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4160571659263195987/posts/default/6439104274795906714'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4160571659263195987/posts/default/6439104274795906714'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://hsopensacola.blogspot.com/2009/03/goings-on-down-at-shelter.html' title='Goings on down at the shelter'/><author><name>Hsop Director</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06820919087816757583</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='29' src='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_caWr75viwqM/SSgRzVAbCZI/AAAAAAAAAAg/x56FyD9c9VI/S220/logoboarder.gif'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_caWr75viwqM/ScomEDWToPI/AAAAAAAAACA/1orEaa7b-TM/s72-c/Hank2.jpg' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4160571659263195987.post-345561945355785573</id><published>2009-03-24T15:30:00.000-05:00</published><updated>2009-03-24T15:47:48.966-05:00</updated><title type='text'>It's gettin' mighty catty around here!</title><content type='html'>My Goodness! We havent even hit kitten season yet and we are already full! We have many, many fantastic teen to adult cats who are waiting to be taken to their new homes!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I know...I know...adult cats don't have that "kitten appeal" right? But kittens don't stay kittens forever and you will spend far more time with an adult cat than a kitten. And don't believe that old myth about only being able to bond with young kittens! When you rescue a cat from a shelter-THEY KNOW! They know that you picked them and brought them into your house and gave them their own bed. They know that that you will take care of them and love them. They trust you and want only to show you how grateful they are by a constant shower of purrs, head-butts and little mews.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Take a look at some of these beautiful cats that we have at the shelter now!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_caWr75viwqM/SclEwwujdOI/AAAAAAAAABY/gojK4b0FVO4/s1600-h/Lucy.jpg"&gt;&lt;img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316856439592154338" style="WIDTH: 243px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_caWr75viwqM/SclEwwujdOI/AAAAAAAAABY/gojK4b0FVO4/s320/Lucy.jpg" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; Lucy!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_caWr75viwqM/SclFHjH52tI/AAAAAAAAABg/p61EAqSP_T4/s1600-h/Cotton.jpg"&gt;&lt;img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316856831077374674" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 234px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_caWr75viwqM/SclFHjH52tI/AAAAAAAAABg/p61EAqSP_T4/s320/Cotton.jpg" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; Cotton!&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_caWr75viwqM/SclFuCiNAAI/AAAAAAAAABo/4cl59qxnuTs/s1600-h/fondue.jpg"&gt;&lt;img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316857492344209410" style="WIDTH: 260px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_caWr75viwqM/SclFuCiNAAI/AAAAAAAAABo/4cl59qxnuTs/s320/fondue.jpg" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; Fondue!&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_caWr75viwqM/SclGaP5WgyI/AAAAAAAAAB4/q9PbGwYcSzg/s1600-h/Jen2.jpg"&gt;&lt;img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316858251845206818" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 303px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_caWr75viwqM/SclGaP5WgyI/AAAAAAAAAB4/q9PbGwYcSzg/s320/Jen2.jpg" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; Jen!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4160571659263195987-345561945355785573?l=hsopensacola.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://hsopensacola.blogspot.com/feeds/345561945355785573/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=4160571659263195987&amp;postID=345561945355785573&amp;isPopup=true' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4160571659263195987/posts/default/345561945355785573'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4160571659263195987/posts/default/345561945355785573'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://hsopensacola.blogspot.com/2009/03/its-gettin-mighty-catty-around-here.html' title='It&apos;s gettin&apos; mighty catty around here!'/><author><name>Hsop Director</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06820919087816757583</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='29' src='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_caWr75viwqM/SSgRzVAbCZI/AAAAAAAAAAg/x56FyD9c9VI/S220/logoboarder.gif'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_caWr75viwqM/SclEwwujdOI/AAAAAAAAABY/gojK4b0FVO4/s72-c/Lucy.jpg' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4160571659263195987.post-5789547453937142827</id><published>2008-11-20T16:53:00.000-06:00</published><updated>2008-11-21T08:08:16.266-06:00</updated><title type='text'>Saving money on Vet Care!</title><content type='html'>These days, anywhere that we can save a few dollars is a good thing! Not only do the tips in the article below save you money, but they also save your pets health! And spaying and neutering is ALWAYS the BEST plan!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;From the ASPCA - Link to article &lt;a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=pets_savemoney_vetcare"&gt;HERE&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Top 10 Ways to Save Money on Vet Care&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt; As responsible pet owners, we agree to care for our furry friends in sickness and in health. But as the economy softens and veterinary costs rise, how do we do what’s best for our pet?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt; To help you navigate these troubled economic waters, Dr. Louise Murray, Director of Medicine at the ASPCA’s Bergh Memorial Animal Hospital, and Dr. Stephen Zawistowski, ASPCA Executive Vice President and Science Advisor, offer the following tips to help you save money on your pet’s health care.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Schedule Regular Check-Ups&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt; Remember the saying, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure?” Well, it applies to pets, too. Don’t skip your pet’s yearly exam. It’s much more expensive—and risky—to treat illnesses than to protect against them.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Personalize Your Pet’s Vaccines&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt; Hard times are not an excuse to skip your pet’s annual shots, but it does make sense to talk to your vet about personalizing your pet’s vaccine protocol. Some vaccines are optional, while others are essential in preventing serious diseases.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Spay or Neuter Your Pet&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt; Spaying or neutering your pet can save a lot of money by preventing serious health problems including uterine, ovarian and testicular cancer. Many local shelters provide resources for low-cost or no-cost spay/neuter surgeries. &lt;a title="online database" href="http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=sndatabase"&gt;Visit our online database&lt;/a&gt; to find a low-cost program in your area. If you live in New York City, &lt;a title="mobile clinic" href="http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=pro_nyc_calendarspay"&gt;check out our mobile clinic&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Brush Your Pet’s Teeth&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt; Dental disease—such as tartar, gingivitis, loose or infected teeth—can lead to heart and kidney problems and expensive procedures. Start a daily dental routine to keep your pet’s teeth and gums healthy.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Protect Your Pet from Parasites&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt; Flea and tick infestations can cause a host of costly medical problems from minor skin irritations to life-threatening anemia. Stick with a topical flea and tick solution to keep the critters at bay.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Toss the Cigarettes&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt; Secondhand smoke is no joke for pets—it can cause asthma, bronchitis, lymphoma and oral, nasal and lung cancers. Quit now and you’ll save money on vet bills. At the very least, avoid smoking around your pet.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;See a Specialist&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt; Pet parents can reduce costs by getting a pet’s condition diagnosed and treated by an expert as quickly as possible. Veterinary specialists are available for everything from skin disease to cancer, and will often work within your budget.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Consider Pet Health Insurance&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt; If the cost of an emergency vet visit or serious illness would be a financial strain, consider investing in pet health insurance, while your pet is healthy. Be sure to read the fine print, though—not all plans are created equal.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Buy High-Quality Pet Food&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt; A good quality pet food—formulated under the guidelines of the American Association of Feed Control Officials—is often more cost effective than a homemade diet. Avoid overfeeding your pet, which can lead to obesity and other health problems.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Shop Smart&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt; Whether he’s looking for pet food, medicine or grooming supplies, the smart shopper clips coupons and buys in bulk. It’s also a good idea to shop veterinary practices by comparing fees for preventative care.&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4160571659263195987-5789547453937142827?l=hsopensacola.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://hsopensacola.blogspot.com/feeds/5789547453937142827/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=4160571659263195987&amp;postID=5789547453937142827&amp;isPopup=true' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4160571659263195987/posts/default/5789547453937142827'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4160571659263195987/posts/default/5789547453937142827'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://hsopensacola.blogspot.com/2008/11/testing.html' title='Saving money on Vet Care!'/><author><name>Hsop Director</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06820919087816757583</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='29' src='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_caWr75viwqM/SSgRzVAbCZI/AAAAAAAAAAg/x56FyD9c9VI/S220/logoboarder.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry></feed>
