#adoptapup

We love it. We need it. We crave it. Chocolate! We also refuse to give it to our dogs, because we’ve all heard that it’s bad for them. But most of us aren’t sure what exactly makes it so harmful to our furry friends. 

The answer lies in a form of caffeine, which dogs cannot metabolize as quickly as humans can. In mild cases, dogs can suffer from hyperactivity and panting (just like us with too much caffeine!) but in more severe cases and large overdoses, it can cause the heart to speed up to a fatal level. 

This link is a great resource that lists what to do if your dog steals your Milky Way, and how much chocolate your dog can handle before it is an emergency: http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2011/02/why-chocolate-is-bad-for-dogs/ As always, size does matter. The larger your dog, the more chocolate they can ingest without severe medical issues. However, it’s best to stay safe and just not allow any chocolate around your dogs (or cats, as this has a similar effect for felines)!

Fostering is definitely rewarding work, but is also a large responsibility. If you are unable to help animals this way, there are many other ways you can get involved! 

1. Call your U.S. Senators and Representatives at (202) 224-3121 and ask them to support animal legislations that are currently pending. You can find pending legislations here: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/pending-legislation

2. Encourage your friends and family to foster and/or adopt. You never know who might be available!

3. Buy only cruelty-free products! Visit http://leapingbunny.org/ for a complete list.

4. Donate towels, blankets and stuffed animals to your local animal shelter. Dogs love snuggling, and shelters go through these products fast!

5. Spay and neuter your pets!!! Don’t have a pet, or have a pet who is already neutered? Pay it forward! Offer to pay for a friend’s pet neuter or donate the cost to an animal clinic for the next neuter they see. You could start a chain of paying it forward! 

6. Do not buy pet supplies from pet stores that sell puppies. This supports their bottom line, which keeps puppy mills in business. (Pssst....buying online is often cheaper, too!)