Contrary to popular belief, cats and dogs can become best friends with the proper introduction. Patience is key to ensuring your cat is comfortable with the new addition.
Before bringing a new puppy home, assess if your cat can handle the change, especially if it is older or has health issues. Stress can worsen these conditions in cats.
If you decide to move forward, you should be prepared. Establish separate zones for each pet with essentials like food, water, toys, and resting areas. Initially, barriers like playpens and baby gates should be used to keep them safely apart.
Meet Azur…
Give a warm welcome to Azur, a 10 week old, 10-pound (as of 5/4) Labrador Retriever mix who has all the makings of a phenomenal family pet. This pretty ‘lil peanut loves adults, kids, and other dogs, and is very playful, yet also quite chill for such a youngin'. What a winning combo!
Azur is pad trained, crate trained, and starting to understand that the outside is for potty breaks. Still too young to be leash walked, Azur enjoys spending time outdoors in an enclosed yard, running freely, sniffing everything, sunning herself, and romping around with her pooch pals. She never met a toy she didn't like, and she has the ability to amuse herself, which comes in very handy when you're either too busy or too tired to entertain a puppy.
Affectionate to the max, Azur will curl up in your lap if you let her, and she loves being held. A cuddle bug, physical contact is important to Azur, whether that be in the form of head pets, gentle massages, or belly rubs. She's a great sharer, a terrific eater, an infrequent barker, and calm when traveling. You can clean her ears, wipe down her paws, take her food away, or remove a toy from her mouth, without any reaction or drama.
A quick study, Azur has already learned the command sit, and she comes when you call her name. Given her appetite for food/rewards, combined with her eagerness to please, Azur's potential is limitless! This puppy is truly special and whoever adopts her is in for a treat!
If you would like to adopt this wonderful dog, please email rescue@pupstarzrescue.org or visit www.pupstarzrescue.org for an application!
www.pupstarzrescue.org
Please Follow us on Instagram: @pupstarzrescue
Like us on Facebook! www.facebook.com/PupStarzRescue
**Puppies are hard work. If you are not ready for a ‘new baby' please adopt an adult or senior who needs you! In addition, we cannot guarantee the breed, size, temperament or age of a puppy.** (Courtesy/PupStarz)Pupstarz
Start by letting the animals get used to each other’s scent. Rub a blanket on one and let the other smell it. Then, allow them to see each other through a barrier like a gate. Keep the puppy on a leash for the first face-to-face meeting in a neutral room, with a helper handling each pet. Reward calm behavior with treats and end on a positive note.
Go at the pace of the least comfortable pet and initially keep sessions short. Neutral behavior is the initial goal – it may take weeks or months before they are entirely at ease. Signs they are ready to be alone unsupervised include friendly interactions, taking turns at play, mutual grooming, and resting calmly near each other.
The same gradual, structured introduction process applies when bringing an adult dog into a cat’s home—just go even slower and use extra caution. With patience, most cats and dogs can coexist peacefully, and hopefully, they can become best friends.
This is Nisha…
Meet Nisha!
This beautiful 3.5-year-old grey tabby is as smart as she is sweet. Nisha is an observant, gentle cat who enjoys lounging near her people—especially curled up at the foot of the bed or beside you on the couch. While she may be a little shy at first, she warms up with patience and on her own terms. Once she does, you’ll be rewarded with quiet companionship, kneading sessions, and the occasional adorable meow-conversation.
Nisha loves string toys, chasing anything novel, and can’t resist a churro treat or some Greenies. She’s also a fan of fresh water (bonus points if it’s from the faucet!) and watching the world go by from a window perch. Though she prefers to initiate affection, she enjoys chin and head scratches once she’s comfortable.
Nisha is fully litter box trained and has done well living with another cat. She'd do best in a home that gives her time to adjust, keeps her mentally stimulated, and offers her love on her own timeline. She’s a special girl who thrives with gentle humans who understand that the best connections are the ones built slowly.
If you would like to give this wonderful cat a home, please email rescue@pupstarzrescue.org or visit www.pupstarzrescue.org for an application!
www.pupstarzrescue.org
Please Follow us on Instagram: @pupstarzrescue
Like us on Facebook! www.facebook.com/PupStarzRescue
PupStarz Rescue cannot guarantee the breed, size, temperament, or age of any dog or cat. (Courtesy/Pupstarz)PupStarz
Adoption Events
May 17
- Louie’s Legacy will be at PetSmart, 1525 Forest Ave., from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m
- Louie’s Legacy will be at PetSmart, (Woodbridge) – 863 St. Georges Avenue, Woodbridge, NJ 07095, from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m
Special Event: Dogs Walk on Boardwalk
Broad Street – Red Bank, New Jersey, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Join us and the Red Bank Animal Welfare Committee at Red Bank’s Dog Walk on BroadWalk event with some of our incredible adoptables! Come say hello to our volunteers, learn about fostering and adopting and meet a few of our own adorable adoptable animals looking for a forever home.
May 18
- Louie’s Legacy will be at PetSmart, (East Brunswick) – 300 State Route 18, East Brunswick, NJ 08816, from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m
- Staten Island Animal Hope Rescue will be at Petco, 165 Bricktown Way, from 3 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Animal Care Centers of New York City is open for adoptions of dogs, cats, guinea pigs, and rabbits at 3139 Veterans Road West on Monday and Tuesday from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. and Wednesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
For general information on adopting from ACC and other community-based programs through ACC, go to www.nycacc.org
You can also come into ACC to register and purchase a NYC license for your dog from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.
Gifts for animal lovers
Julie Forlenza, a former teacher at I.S. 7 and PS 62, and manager at Woof and Tails Lodge , took action after Hurricane Ian to help animals in shelters. She is the owner of Black Dog Portrait. Her passion for helping animals is exceptional. Check her out on Facebook or Instagram.
Stellar Villa is a New York City-based artist who recently raised over $11,500 for pet shelters after she single-handedly created 1,252 custom pieces of art of people’s pets over 21 days. Now, she is working to create ongoing partnerships with local animal shelters to continue raising money. If you’re looking for a gift for a dog lover, check out Stellar’s work.
Sophia Di Meglio wrote and illustrated A Big Life for Buddy, a children’s book that offers a lighthearted look at an exceptional dog and teaches children about growing older, belonging, and the fact that loss is a natural part of life.
Meet Eden! Eden is a 6 year old, 25 pound sweetheart who greets the world with a wagging tail.
Her superpowers include being completely housebroken, burning up energy on good walks outside, and snuggling down and relaxing inside. She is still a bit unsure about being left by herself, but she doesn't bark or cry when alone.
Some of her favorite things are being wrapped up in a blanket, wagging her tail at new friends, and greeting you with squeaks of happiness when you return home.
If you're looking for an easy, loving family dog who just wants to be your best friend, Eden might be your perfect match!
Eden is currently being fostered in Queens, NY. Her adoption fee is $550.
To adopt this animal, please visit https://www.louieslegacy.org/adopt (Courtesy/Louie’s Legacy)xxx
Hiking trails
Dog Friendly Parks
· Allison Park, off-leash area, the field at the end of the trail bordered by Prospect Avenue, Sailors Snug Harbor Cemetery, and the pond
· Amundsen Trail, off-leash area, between Amboy Road and Hylan Boulevard
· Arthur Von Briesen Park, off-leash area, lawn area, mid-park on the right side
· Bloomingdale Park, dog run, Maguire Avenue behind athletic fields closer to Ramona Avenue
· Clove Lakes Park, off-leash area, the open field above picnic area near Royal Oak Road and Rice Avenue
· Clove Lakes Park, off-leash area, Brookside Avenue between Alpine Court and Kingsley Avenue (lawn area)
· Clove’s Tail Park, off-leash area, lawn area, corner of Victory Boulevard and Little Clove Road
· Conference House Park, dog run, Clermont Avenue and Massachusetts Street
· Cozzens Woods Park, off-leash area, Page Avenue between Hylan Boulevard and Amboy Road
· Crescent Beach Park, off-leash area, Tennyson Drive, and Glover Avenue. Located in the meadow area leading to the beach
· Evergreen Park, off-leash area, Greaves Avenue and Evergreen Street
· Father Macris Park, off-leash area, lawn beyond ball field
· Ida Court Playground, dog run, Ida Court between N. Railroad Street and Drumgoole Road East
· Lemon Creek Park, off-leash area, the bottom of Seguine Avenue at Johnston Terrace; just below playground
· Siedenburg Park, off-leash area, Greaves Avenue, and Evergreen Street
· Silver Lake Park, dog run, Victory Boulevard below the pavilion, across from the Parkview Apartments
· South Beach Park, off-leash area. Note: On sand only after Labor Day and before Memorial Day
· Willowbrook Park, off-leash area, Archery Range Field
· Wolfe’s Pond Park, dog run, to the left of Cornelia Avenue
For more information with rules and regulations, visit nycgovparks.org/facilities/dogareas.
Dogs cannot enter any bathing facilities, including those at New York City beaches. However, from Oct. 1 through May 1, leashed dogs are allowed on the sand and boardwalk at Midland Beach and South Beach.
Leashed dogs are allowed on the boardwalk/promenade at Midland Beach and South Beach.
For more information on rules and regulations, visit nycgovparks.org/facilities/dogareas.
PET POISON HELPLINES
If you think your pet may have ingested a potentially poisonous substance, contact the Pet Poison hotline at 855-764-7661 or petpoisonhelpline.com, or contact the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at 888-426-4435 or aspca.org.
As the seasons change, keep in mind the plants that are poisonous to animals: https://www.rover.com/blog/poisonous-plants/
TO REPORT ANIMAL CRUELTY
To report an incident of animal abuse, call Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS or visit www.nypdcrimestoppers.com.
ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION
To contact an environmental conservation police officer or report suspected violations, contact the DEC Law Enforcement Dispatch Center at 844-DEC-ECOS (844-332-3267) or dec.ny.gov/.
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