ACOC ON PARADE
ACOC will be marching in this year's Maple Festival Grand Parade on Sunday, April 25th @ 3PM.  Come cheer us on! Visit the Geauga County Maple Festival website for more information.


GO ORANGE FOR ANIMALS!
April is Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month and ACOC will be participating with a variety of fund raising activities.
 
All funds raised will go to two local organizations, The County Geauga Dog Warden and Caroline's Kids Pet Rescue.
 
Please stop by ACOC on Monday, April 19th for a discounted nail trim for your pet. Nail trims will be $5 on that day, and proceeds will go to the above organizations.
 
Throughout the month we will also be holding a raffle and selling cat and dog toys for the cause. Tickets for the raffle will cost $1 per ticket or $5 for 6 tickets. The grand prize is $100 toward any ACOC services!  Drawing will take place on Monday, May 3rd. 
 
Attention Kids! Enter our "Go Orange" coloring contest!
Get your creative energy going and draw a picture to the theme "Be Kind to Animals." Stop and think about what kindness to animals mean to you, and then turn it into art! Please use a standard 8.5"x11" piece of paper, and you may use crayon, marker or colored pencil. Have fun!

Parents, have your child put his or her first name and age on the front, and then please put your first and last name and phone number on the back. All pictures will be displayed for the month of April and the winner will be notified via phone on April 30th. A winner will be selected in each of three age categories: ages 3 and under, ages 4 to 7, and ages 8 to 12.

THE GO ORANGE CAMPAIGN WAS INITIATED BY THE ASPCA
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals was the first humane society to be established in North America and is one of the largest in the world today. With its 'Go Orange' campaign, the ASPCA hopes to continue to elevate the animal welfare cause by drawing attention to the aggregate goals of every person and group dedicated to improving the plight of animals in this country. By encouraging its supporters to think globally by acting locally - supporting their community shelters, rescue groups and classrooms - the ASPCA is hopeful that the message of helping animals will spread across the nation, helping us to realize our goal of the day in which no animal will live in pain or fear. For more stories and photos of the past three years please log onto the ASPCA to learn more.

How can people stay alert to signs of cruelty to animals?

Be aware of the animals and people in your neighborhood. Keep your eyes and ears open-get to know, and look out for, the animals in your neighborhood. By being aware, you're more likely to notice, for example, that the dog next door that was once hefty has lost weight rapidly-a possible indicator of abuse.

Learn to recognize animal cruelty. Here are some signs and symptoms that we see in many cases of animal cruelty:

• Patches of missing hair, or extremely thin, starving animals
• Animals who are limping or appear to have untreated wounds
• Dogs repeatedly left alone without food and water, or chained up in a yard
• Dogs kept outside without shelter in extreme weather conditions
• Animals that cower in fear or act aggressively when approached by their owners

Where can people report animal cruelty?

Every state and town has different agencies that monitor animal cruelty. In some areas, you may have to rely on the police department or local law enforcement officials to investigate animal cruelty; in others, you may have to contact the local animal control or another municipal agency. To find out how you can report animal cruelty in your area, visit http://www.ASPCA.org/ReportCruelty.

How can people join the fight against animal cruelty?

BE INFORMED!
Know your state's animal cruelty laws. These vary from state to state, and even from city to city. The ASPCA has an online database of more than 580 animal cruelty laws-and their penalties-in all 50 states, at http://www.ASPCA.org/CrueltyLaws.

Provide as much information as possible when reporting animal cruelty. The details that you provide can go a long way toward assisting the investigating officer. It helps to write down the type of cruelty that you witnessed, who was involved, the date of the incident and where it took place.

ACT!
Call or write your local law enforcement department and let them know that investigating animal cruelty should be a priority. Animal cruelty is a crime-and the police must investigate these crimes.

Fight for the passage of strong anti-cruelty laws on federal, state and local levels by joining the ASPCA Advocacy Brigade. As an ASPCA Advocacy Brigade member, you'll receive e-mails asking you to write letters encouraging your legislators to pass these laws-and you can send them directly from our Web site. Please visit http://www.ASPCA.org/Lobby to register.

What are some additional statistics on animal welfare?

• Approximately 5 to 7 million companion animals enter animal shelters nationwide every year and approximately 3 to 4 million are euthanized (60 percent of dogs and 70 percent of cats).
• 25 percent of dogs that enter local shelters are purebred.
• Only 10 percent of the animals received by shelters have been spayed or neutered.
• It is impossible to determine how many stray dogs and cats live in the US; estimates for cats alone range up to 70 million.
• Owned cats and dogs generally live longer, healthier lives than strays.
• Many strays are lost pets that were not kept properly indoors or provided with identification.
• About 63 percent of all households in the United States have a pet.
• About 60 million dogs and about 75 million cats are owned in the United States.
• More than 20 percent of people who leave dogs in shelters adopted them from a shelter.
• The cost of spaying or neutering a pet is less than the cost of raising puppies or kittens for one year.
• The average cost of basic food, supplies, and medical care and training for a dog or cat is $400 to $700 annually.

We hope you will join us in our efforts to support the Go Orange campaign by carrying out one or more of the fund raising activities or by becoming active in the animal welfare cause. You can also help by forwarding this e-newsletter to friends and family that you think would like to become involved as well by clicking the link below.

Thanks for reading this edition of ACOC News!



Animal Clinic of Chardon
656 Water Street Chardon, OH 44024
440-285-9191

Dr. Tom Frankmann | Dr. Wendy Frankmann | Dr. Jessica DeMarco