Beth’s Blog

The Beth Stern Socialization School for Feral Nuggets was briefly in session again this month, and this year’s freshman class was well…fresh! Still, it seemed to take no time at all for my four pupils to go from naughty to nice. I expected to collect many wounds like the one on my left index finger, but there was just the one and it healed quickly. It will take longer for these babies to heal my broken heart.

This year, the “dog days of summer” fall between July 3 and August 10. But for me, these special days began in late June when I fell madly in love with Drake, a spectacular senior who found himself in the care of North Shore Animal League America when his human went into a nursing home. He’s a big, handsome mush, and like so many others, all he needs is a second chance.

June is a busy month for us animal people. Besides being National Pet Preparedness Month, which coincides with first month of hurricane season, it’s also Pet Microchip Month and, closest to my heart, Adopt a Shelter Cat Month.

“Too much responsibility.” These words are simply infuriating, especially right now with May being Responsible Animal Guardian Month. I believe that having a pet is a privilege that we earn by being responsible. So, what does it take to be a responsible animal guardian? I’ve thought a lot about this, and I’ve come up with five characteristics that define responsible pet guardianship.

It occurs every year on the last Sunday in April, and even though it involves millions of people, it doesn’t get nearly the attention it deserves. It’s National Pet Parents Day, which honors the unbreakable bond between pets and their human parents. So, consider this my greeting card to you: Happy Pet Parents Day!

The world is full of things that divide us: borders, politics, religion, race, traditions, and most brutally of all, war. But there are also many things that connect us to one another and to our planet. One of those things is our compassion for animals and our commitment to help the helpless even at great cost.

Do I have your attention? Good, because the tragedy of feline overpopulation needs everyone’s attention all the time. FYI, kitten season is usually defined as the months between April and October, when feline reproduction goes into overdrive. But the fact is, kitten season never really stops, which means that you and I can never stop doing everything we can to educate people about the absolute necessity of spay/neuter.

Experts speculate that we’re hesitant to plan too far ahead because of all the disruptions we’ve experienced with Covid. Still, despite the pandemic’s ongoing challenges, we have the power to make the world better for animals in ways both large and small. January 24 is national Change a Pet’s Life Day. So, let’s get started!

As the last month of the year, December is a very evocative period, calling up memories at the same time it asks us to think about the future. So here are some of 2021’s most memorable rescue stories as well as reasons to hope that the future will be better for animals. And with Covid marring yet another holiday season, our memories and hopes are more important than ever.

It’s November. The weather here on the East Coast has shifted toward the autumnal, the days have shortened, dusk arrives a bit earlier every day, and the instinct to pull in, settle down, and take a bit of personal inventory is strong. Fall is definitely the season for introspection, and introspection often leads to giving thanks, especially in times like these.