By Melanie Rushforth, SPCA Serving Erie County Vice President, Veterinary Services
Today is World Zoonoses Day! So, what the heck does that even mean?
World Zoonoses Day has been observed on July 6th since 1885 to honor the success of French biologist Louis Pasteur, who administered the first vaccination against zoonotic disease on this day. A zoonosis, or zoonotic disease, is an infectious disease that has jumped from a non-human animal to humans. Zoonotic pathogens may be bacterial, viral or parasitic, or may involve unconventional agents and can spread to humans through direct contact or through food, water or the environment. They represent a major public health problem around the world due to our close relationship with animals in agriculture, as companions and in the natural environment. Zoonoses can also cause disruptions in the production and trade of animal products for food and other uses.
Zoonotic diseases range from minor short-term illness to a major life-changing illness. Certain ones can even cause death.
Zoonotic pathogens can spread to humans through any contact point with domestic, agricultural, or wild animals. People living adjacent to wilderness areas or in semi-urban areas with higher numbers of wild animals are at risk of disease from animals such as rats, foxes or raccoons. Urbanization and the destruction of natural habitats increase the risk of zoonotic diseases by increasing contact between humans and wild animals.
Simple hygiene practices will drastically reduce, if not eliminate, the risk of zoonotic spread of disease from pets to people. Some of the things you can do include:
– Make sure that any sign of illness or disease in your pet is diagnosed and treated promptly by your veterinarian.
– Bathe and groom your pet. This will increase the chance of early detection of any skin lesions.
– Give your pet a broad-spectrum deworming product on a regular basis. The simplest way to do this is to use a monthly heartworm product that includes a dewormer. Prevention is key!
– Wear gloves when gardening or working in areas where dogs, cats, or other animals may have urinated or defecated.
– Pick up any feces on your property and stoop and scoop when you take your dog for a walk. Dispose of all waste materials promptly and safely.
– Always ensure you wash your hands after handling any animal.
– Provide separate food and water dishes for your pet, and wash and store them separately from your family’s dishes.
– Wash pet bedding frequently.
– Use flea and tick control products on a routine basis.
People can come in contact with animals in many places. This includes at home and away from home, in places like fairs, schools, stores, and parks. Insects, like mosquitoes and fleas, and ticks bite people and animals day and night. Thankfully, there are things you can do to protect yourself and your family from zoonotic diseases. A regular vaccination schedule and good hygiene practices will set you and your pets up for good health and a long life. If you are in search of a veterinary home, consider the Lipsey Clinic at the SPCA Serving Erie County. With monthly wellness plans including a preventative package, you will be in good hands for the long-term care of your four-legged friends. More information can be found on lipseyclinic.com.
John Lattimer’s Fortieth Employment Anniversary with the SPCA
The SPCA Serving Erie County has announced its 2021 Tale for Two Summer Reading Challenge this year, with prizes for children who read multiple books!
challenge sessions include both in-person and virtual options to be scheduled June 28 – September 1, 2021.
The cost of a Tale for Two Summer Reading Challenge pass is $50.00, which allows children to read once per week to an SPCA animal in person at the
books for their reading libraries, and memberships to the SPCA’s Kind Kids Club.
service initiative, the ability to serve people with the same respect as animals in need is a skill that Marisa demonstrates without even trying. She sees the big picture, and works to undo much of the oppression and discrimination that many clients seeking services have experienced at some point in their lives. Marisa sees only solutions, not barriers. 
Rescue a Furry Friend!
Arts and Nature
With the help of New York State Senator Michael Gianaris and New York State Assemblymember Linda Rosenthal, veterinarians in the state will soon be mandated to report suspected animal abuse and cruelty to the appropriate incorporated SPCA (such as the SPCA Serving Erie County for cases in Erie County), district attorney’s office, police force, animal control officer, NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets, or other law enforcement agency. Necessary records must be turned over to the agency. Veterinarians’ identities will be protected.
say that, soon, insurance companies will no longer be allowed to discriminate against homeowners based on the breed of their dog(s). 
A pair of Canada geese take up residence at the courtyard at the University at Buffalo’s School of Law just about every spring. It’s clean, it’s bright…the perfect site to lay eggs. After all, it’s totally protected from predators. There’s just one catch. When the goslings hatch and it’s time to move them along, there’s no way out. That’s when SPCA officers and rescue team members receive the annual call.
This year’s rescue proved to be a little frenzied, to say the least. The way SPCA Officer Lindsey Wood described it, she, Officers William Heine and Jasil Ivory, and visiting Lincoln Memorial University veterinary student Brittany arrived at the courtyard to begin rounding up the babies with the goal of capturing mom, too, to release the family together. This year, however, dad and mom wanted nothing to do with corralling the kids, and left the courtyard on their own. As they’ve had to do in the past, the team from the SPCA wrangled the goslings and hoped to meet the parents just outside the courtyard, where the babies could be 
released; that’s when dad and mom usually take over.
Finally, Officer Wood and the rest of the team thought dad and mom may not be coming back this time. They sadly loaded the babies in the SPCA’s truck and started to drive away…just as two grown geese flew overhead and landed in a lower courtyard nearby….and watched…and waited.
then swiftly ran back to the truck before dad could reach them to give them a piece of his mind.
their new lives on the other side of the wall. Mission accomplished. The mother (and father) and child reunion was successful for yet another year, despite the rescue’s ups and downs. Well, several downs. But to paraphrase Lloyd Dobler, if you start out depressed, then everything’s kind of a pleasant surprise. 
