Pet of The Month

Saturday, July 20, 2019 | Pet of the Month The Brattleboro Reformer | Reformer.com 2

How it works: Take a good look at this year’s contestants, then flip to page 7 to fill out your ballot.

Votes are $0.25 each. You may place as many votes (for as many pets) as you like.

All proceeds from voting will be donated to the Windham County Humane Society.

Don’t forget! You can vote online at reformer.com/petofthemonth

ERDA ESTREMERA/UNSPLASH

1. Algernon

2. Bailey

Leopard Gecko

Bichon Frise

3. Bauer

4. Bella

Boston Terrier

Shipoo

$5 OFF

any Loyall 30-40 lb bag of dog food Expires 8/31/19

Walpole, Keene, Hillsboro, Millford, Peterborough, NH and Brattleboro, VT

15% OFF any pet toy Expires 8/31/19

Pet of the Month | Saturday, July 20, 2019

5. Dixie

6. Duke

7. Gray Kitty

Sheltie/Collie

Gordon Setter

Domestic Shorthair

9. Lemon

10. Lola

Cat

Yorkshire Terrier

Presna Canario

Fashionable & Comfortable Footwear For Men & Women who value their feet

135 Main Street • Brattleboro, Vermont 05301

802-254-8515 www.shoetreevermont.com

The Brattleboro Reformer | Reformer.com

8. Jenny

+ many more 3

Saturday, July 20, 2019 | Pet of the Month The Brattleboro Reformer | Reformer.com 4

11. Memphis

12. Mookie

13. Murphy

Cat

Cat

Maine Coon

14. Murphy

15. Pancho

16. Peanut

Pointer

Black Lab

Bearded Dragon

We are a proud supporter of the Windham County Humane Society.

Pet of the Month | Saturday, July 20, 2019

18. Piper

19. Posie Pea Pod

Cat

German Shorthair Pointer/Australian Shepherd

Hamster

20. Rocky

21. Rose and Weber

22. Sadie

Puggle

Tabby Cats

Black Lab/Mastiff

Farm to Body CBD Solutions for your pet (and you)

Potential benefits include relief from joint pain, anxiety reduction, and skin conditioning. Tinctures, treats, and salves from Vermont Hemp Farmers direct to you.

802J246JHEMP (4367)

8 Flat Street, Brattleboro, VT 05301

OPEN

MON - SAT

DEam to Fpm

(SEASONAL SUNDAY HOURS, 12PM - 4PM)

SHOP ONLINE AT

VTHempicurean.com

The Brattleboro Reformer | Reformer.com

17. Petrina

5

Saturday, July 20, 2019 | Pet of the Month The Brattleboro Reformer | Reformer.com 6

23. Sally Grace

24. Snowball

25. Sophie

Dog

White New Zealand Rabbit

Beagle/Foxhound/Basset Hound

26. Tank

27. Tony

Dog

28. Zadie

Brattleboro Hearing Center Puggle

Bichon Frise

Formerly Austine Eval Center

• Comprehensive hearing evaluation from infants to adults • Recommendation and fitting/verification of hearing aids • Service and repair of hearing aids of most makes/manufacturers 130 Austine Drive, Suite 210 • Brattleboro, VT 05301 • Phone: (802) 254-3922 www.brattleborohearing.com

Instructions: All contestants were featured in this publication and will be available to view online at reformer.com/petofthemonth. Voters are encouraged to vote for multiple pets and/or cast multiple votes for the same pet. Each vote is $0.25.

The top 12 vote-getters will be featured in the Brattleboro Reformer on August 24, and appear as “Pet of the Month” in individual spotlights between September 2019 and August 2020.

5 ways to prevent your pet from getting lost

Pet of the Month | Saturday, July 20, 2019

2019 Brattleboro Reformer Pet of the Month Official Ballot

Mail or bring your ballot and payment to: Pet of the Month, c/o The Brattleboro Reformer, 62 Black Mountain Road, Brattleboro VT 05301 or vote online at reformer.com/petofthemonth ($5.00 minimum).

Ballots are due 5 p.m. Wednesday, August 21.

Your Name: Address: City:

State:

Zip:

Telephone:

Email: Payment Method: ___ Cash ___ Check ___ Money Order

Pet # Pet Name

# of Votes

Loving pets want to be right by their owners’ sides as much as possible. As a result, a boisterous puppy may follow underfoot while a cute kitty will snuggle on the sofa with its owner.

Even though pets prefer to stick close by, there are times when distractions, events or noises can cause a pet to roam.

Animals that do not know how to find their way back home can quickly become disoriented and lost.

The number of pets that go missing can be staggering. The American Humane Association estimates that more than 10 million dogs and cats are lost or stolen in the United States every year. One in three pets will become lost at some point during their lives. The following are five steps pet owners can take to prevent them from getting lost.

1. Get a collar and identification tag.

Collars may seem “old school” in a digital world, but a dog tag is an ideal way to identify a pet and provide contact information should he or she get lost.

2. Invest in microchipping.

x $0.25/vote =Total Enclosed $

across the U.S. and confirmed the high rate of return of microchipped dogs and cats to their families.

3. Ensure your pet is spayed or neutered.

Animals that have not been spayed or neutered have a tendency to roam because they are looking to fulfill the instinct to mate. Neutering removes this desire, and the pets may be more content to remain at home.

4. Leash pets outdoors.

Even the most well-behaved and trained animals may dash off after a squirrel or other distractions from time to time, especially if the animal is scared. These issues can be prevented by using a leash outside at all times.

5. Escape-proof homes and yards.

Check to see if any potential escape routes are around the house and outside in the yard. Dogs that dig can be derailed by burying chicken wire around the edges of the fence. Make sure gates are selflatching as well. Indoors, check that windows are secure. Exercise caution when opening doors and check that pets have not squeezed through, advising visitors to do the same. If you have a Houdini on your hands, supervise outdoor play.

The Brattleboro Reformer | Reformer.com

Total # of Votes

Microchipping is an effective way to ensure current contact information always accompanies the animal, whether he or she is wearing a collar or not. Microchips are small identification devices about the size of a grain of rice that are painlessly inserted just under the skin of a pet. The microchip gives off a signal that can be read with a handheld scanner used by animal shelters and most vets. A study published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, examined information from 53 animal shelters

PIXABAY

7

Saturday, July 20, 2019 | Pet of the Month

Treat them like family

When pets talk, we listen

The Brattleboro Reformer | Reformer.com

w w w. O n e St o p C o u n t r y P e t . c o m

8

648 Putney Rd Brattleboro, VT

26 Ash Brook Rd Keene, NH

802-257-3700

603-352-9200