Congrats – 2009 Heros Among US

Friends of the Shelter, Inc. is honored to be the recipient of the 2009 Animal Category “Heroes Among Us” award from Sartori Health Care Foundation and Covenant Foundation in Waterloo, IA. We accept this award as members of FOTSI and we share it with the Vinton city council and all Benton Co. residents as well as those outside of Benton Co., who, because of their...

Help our shelter win $10,000

Hi! I’m writing to tell you about The Animal Rescue Site $100,000 Shelter+ Challenge – together with Petfinder, starting January 18th. The Animal Rescue Site is awarding $100,000 in grants to eligible Petfinder.com member rescue organizations to help animals. The grand prize is a $10,000 grant, and there are many other prizes! Visit www.theanimalrescuesite.com to vote every day and...

Holiday Thank You

YOUR GENEROSITY WITH DONATIONS, CARDS, AND GOOD WISHES DURING THIS HOLIDAY SEASON HAS BEEN AMAZING AND MUCH APPRECIATED. THANK YOU! We are often asked what you can do to help. Here are some ideas: Collect old newspapers (not the ad inserts) for the shelter. We use them to line the cat’s cages. You can leave them at the front door if no one is around. We can always use towels and wash cloths...

Top 10 Pet Poisons of 2008

With various dangers lurking in corners and cabinets, the home can be a minefield of poisons for our pets. In 2008, the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (APCC) in Urbana, IL, handled more than 140,000 cases of pets exposed to toxic substances, many of which included everyday household products. Don’t leave it up to Fido or Fluffy to keep themselves safe. Below is a list of the top ten pet...

Dog Barking

Barking is one of many forms of vocal communication for dogs. People are often pleased that their dog barks, because it alerts them to the approach of people to their home or it tells them there’s something that the dog wants or needs. However, sometimes a dog’s barking can be excessive. Because barking serves a variety of functions, you must identify its cause and your dog’s motivation for...