Check out some of the cats we currently have ready for adoption!
WELLNESS CLINIC
The Ark is pleased to announce that we are holding a Wellness Clinic with Coastal Animal Care staff, including Dr. Erin Church Libby.
Where: At the Ark 10-1 on 5/20.
First come, first serve.
Owners must wait in their vehicles while staff and techs come out to get your pet and bring them in. Pet owners will not be permitted to come inside. Owners may choose what vaccinations they would like- any or all.
The Ark is graciously accepting donations upon bringing your animals inside for the clinic. Please remember our staff work hard to make this clinic happen, and we will be closing for the day. Please have your donation ready when you arrive so we can continue doing what we do.
Costs:
$18 rabies
$21 distemper
$21 lepto
$43 Lyme
$25 bordetella
Free basic exam.
Payment separate, to the Ark:
$30 microchipping (includes registration)
Please read: You will receive your microchip registrations within TWO WEEKS after the clinic in the mail or in email.
Owners must show proof of previous rabies if pet owner wants the rabies to be good for 3 years.
If owners want to have boosters done for distemper, lepto or Lyme, we can schedule you to come back to the ark in 3-4 weeks
Hello Dear Friends!
We want to keep everyone in the loop and let you know that moving into 2021, the Ark will continue operating on an appointment-only basis. We ask that folks try and keep their appointments to a half hour or less, so we can continue limiting traffic in and out of the shelter. We are also going to require that applications be submitted and approved prior to making appointments to visit our adoptable pets. We apologize about the changes in operation, however we are doing our best to make sure that staff and public are safe, and that COVID guidelines are being followed. Thank you for understanding!
You can fill out our adoption application online, or print it off and mail it in. If you must come to the shelter to physically fill out an application, we will give you a clipboard and ask that applications be filled out in your vehicle to limit public coming into the building.
The Ark staff and Shelter Administrator would like to take a moment in recognizing Michelle M. Wright “Shelly” as the new Shelter Manager at the Ark!
Michelle has been a full-time Animal Care Technician since July 2019, and volunteered with us prior to being hired. She takes charge with confidence, is excellent with the public, committed to Pet Point Date Entry and is taking charge of it. Most importantly, Shelly is dedicated to the shelter and has natural insight to animal care and well-being. Shelly takes every animal that comes into the shelter under her wing. This includes dogs, cats, guinea pigs, rats, rabbits, birds, and any other critter that comes our way. Regardless of their behaviors and challenges, Shelly loves them and respects them.
Shelly was the first employee to be recognized as Employee of the Quarter, always being willing to help and being confident in decisions in regards to animal care. At any given moment, you will come into the shelter and hear Shelly gently cooing to every animal she sees while providing them all with love and respect.
Shelly has a background in animal care, employment in pet stores, and experience with staff management and training. Welcome to the management team at the Ark, Michelle! We are so happy and proud to have you as the Ark’s new Shelter Manager.
Very Sincerely,
Shelter Administrator
Shaina Mugford
Why Having a Dog Sleep in Your Bed Might Not Be a Great Idea
Owning a dog can be great for your health. Their wagging tails and barks every evening, when you get home from work, can make you smile and forget about your stressful day. And the fact that you must take at least two walks every day can help you stay fit. So, after leaving him at home the whole day, you just want to snuggle up with him in the evening and fall asleep.
But do you know that co-sleeping with your dog is not a great idea? As much as you don’t want him to be lonely at night, inviting him to bed can be detrimental to your health. Snuggling up with him in bed can help you fall asleep faster, but it can also destroy your chances of good night sleep. Here are a few more reasons why sleeping with your dog in bed is not a great idea.
Dogs are fidgety, and they have odd sleeping behaviors such as twitching and snoring. Your furry friends can wake up at night to dig into your beddings until they get a cozy spot, stretch, or walk around the room. Even a pooch that is capable of sleeping an entire night can sometimes wake up to drink water or patrol the house. And this will affect your sleeping pattern too. Therefore, you might end up feeling tired the whole day simply because you didn’t sleep well.
A study conducted by Mayo Clinic on whether co-sleeping with your pooch is beneficial confirmed that it’s not a great idea. Even though dogs can sleep peacefully throughout the night, the study confirmed that the sleeping efficiency of their owners was reduced.
Even the toughest and high-quality bed linen is no match for his claws and teeth. Dogs can get snagged in your beddings while looking for a comfortable spot or playing on your bed. And if you sleep with two or three dogs, then your beddings are not safe. Your dog can track some dirty from outside into your bed.
Dogs have a tendency of destroying or chewing their bed and in severe cases, they can even chew your furniture, papers, and shoes. This behavior can be a sign of stress, anxiety, and boredom. And revoking his bed privileges after he has slept for years might trigger this issue. So to avoid this you should get your dog a chew resistant and tough dog bed. These beds are indestructible, and they are the best options for chewers.
Other than hypoallergenic dog owners, pet owners are not usually allergic to their dogs. Your allergies might not be triggered by pet saliva or dander, but sharing a bed with him could still be dangerous. Some common allergens like dust and pollen can stick to his fur when playing outside and then be transferred to your bed.
These allergens can worsen your allergies, which can affect the quality of your sleep. So, instead of sharing your bed with them, why don’t you get him a doggy bed?
Your pooch is a territorial creature that loves protecting his domain. Therefore inviting him into your bed every night can make your bedroom part of his territory. This can become a problem when you try to remove him from your bedroom in the future.
Some dogs tend to become aggressive every time you sleep on a specific part of the bed. If this happens, you should stop sleeping with your dog until he curbs this aggression. Another disadvantage of allowing him to make your bed his territory is their behavior of marking their domains with a little urine.
Some dog breeds tend to drool a lot, especially when asleep so that you can wake up to several wet spots on your bed. If this is the case, you can get him a comfortable bed next to yours. Some dogs love sleeping in your bed even when you are not at home. This might not be an issue, but wait until he comes to bed all muddy and rests on your clean sheets.
Even though cuddling with your newly adopted dog helps with bonding, it is not a good idea, especially if you are still house training him. He can forget and urinate on your bed in the middle of the night. Throwing his beddings in your washing machine is easier than steam washing your mattress.
Allowing your pet to join you in bed can interfere with the kind of intimacy that contributes to a great relationship or marriage. A dog can become jealous and start guarding one of the spouses against the other. If your dog starts exhibiting these behaviors, then it’s time to remove him from your bed.
Snuggling up with your dog can form a habit that can last for his entire life. You might be single right now, and you don’t mind sleeping with your pooch every night. But what will happen when you finally start a family. What will happen when you start sharing your king-sized bed with your child and spouse?
The bed will become overcrowded, and revoking bed privileges at that stage can be challenging. Therefore, you should introduce your pooch to his own bed on the day you adopt him.
One of the best things about being a pet owner is that your pooch can alert you in case of intruders. Dogs have very sharp hearing, and they can hear someone breaking into your home long before your human ears hear anything. However, with him nestled deep in your beddings and the bedroom door closed, he might not hear noise disturbances at night.
Dogs tend to give off some heat every time they sleep, which can increase the temperature in bed. While this factor can be quite beneficial during winter, it can affect people who don’t like sleeping warm. If you sweat a lot when the temperature increases, then snuggling with him is not a great option.
