By Patty Montagno

Staff Writer

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The staff at the Sachse Animal Shelter want to thank the community for their recent donations.

At the onset of the record-breaking rains in May, the shelter was home to many displaced animals.

The shelter has reached capacity May 27 and staff reached out to the community for supplies.

“Besides the litters of kittens, we had a lot of displaced wildlife due to the storms,” Animal Control Officer Terri O’Neal said. “We asked for and received kitty litter, KMR kitten formula and Pedigree dry food for dogs.”

O’Neal said the donations came pouring in from the community.

“All donations were greatly appreciated and went directly to take care of the animals at the shelter,” she said. “The community support means the world to us.”

Animal Control Officer Katie Munson said things are happily back to normal at the shelter.

“There is always an uptick or surge of animals in the spring anyway,” she said. “But the rollercoaster ride is over and we’re back to normal.”

Munson said social media groups are doing a great job of getting the word out when an animal is found.

“Our Facebook friends and other groups have solved so many lost and found cases,” she said. “They know that locating a lost animal quickly is key.”

O’Neal stressed the importance of vaccinating animals.

“Microchipping would also aid in the speedy return of a lost pet,” she said. “We also stress proper pet nutrition and facts regarding the potential harm of parasites, fleas, heartworms and how they can be prevented.”

O’Neal said unless properly vaccinated, a dog is at risk of contracting one of several, possibly fatal, infectious diseases.

“Most common infectious diseases can be prevented by routine vaccination,” she said. “Routinely vaccinating your pet is often cheaper than paying for treating your sick pet later and reduces virus transmission in the pet population.”

O’Neal said rabies is a fatal virus that affects the central nervous system of almost all mammals, including humans.

“The virus is most common in dogs, bats, cats and raccoons,” she said. “It is spread by contact with saliva on an open wound of the skin. The virus causes behavior changes, seizures and death. A rabies vaccination is required by law. Rabies vaccinations should be given at 12 or 16 weeks (according to state law), boostered in one year, then boostered every one or three years depending on the vaccine used.

O’Neal said when a rabid animal bites another animal or a human, the virus particles are injected by the teeth through the skin. Once inside, the virus travels toward the brain through the nerves and spinal cord. From the brain, the virus spreads to other parts of the body and gets into the saliva by entering the salivary glands.

Some of the animals found during the storms were identified by their microchip.

“A microchip is about the size of a grain of rice, is inserted under the loose skin on the back of your pet’s neck,” she said. “This coded inserted chip remains a permanent means of identification of your pet. It provides your pet with a secure proof of identity unlike collar tags, which can get lost or be taken off.”

Munson said the shelter is back to normal capacity and ready and open for business. She said most wildlife like raccoons or possums are staying near the full lakes and waterways feeding on the trees and berries.

She advised that anyone who sees a snake in a yard should send Animal Control a photo so they can identify if it is venomous or not.

“We’ve not had any snake sittings, yet,” Munson said. “But the turtles are coming out. Some are quite large. Please be careful if you see them in the roadways.”