 Many people like to add plants to their homes, but if you have pets, it’s important to know which plants may be dangerous to your furry family member(s). Why It’s Important Plants can give warmth to your space, but not all plants are pet-friendly. Some can be toxic if ingested or cause allergic reactions if a pet has a plant allergy. So, exposure to the wrong plant could put a pet’s health at risk and result in costly vet bills, too. Since pets can get into virtually everything, it’s a good idea to research prior to bringing a plant (flowering or otherwise) into your home to ensure that they are relatively safe for your pet–and you can also go the extra step to cross check any information you find with your vet. Keep in mind, too, that according to the ASCPA, even non-toxic plants could result in vomiting and gastrointestinal upset, so take steps to ensure that your pet cannot eat any plants! Check Out These Resources Visit our Care Corner web page for links to resources that can help identify which plants are toxic and likely non-toxic for pets generally. And, again if you have specific questions about the toxicity of a plant talk to a licensed veterinarian. What You Can Do To Help Phinney’s believes in keeping people and their beloved pets together. We do this by extending a helping hand to pet parents in need when these emergency vet visits become too costly for some to afford. Ways you can help include donating to Phinney’s or volunteering. And, anyone in need of help in caring for their pets can visit our Get Help page for more information.
0 Comments
 With Tats for Cats and Other Furry Friends, coming up Saturday, October 1, Newton's Bird in Hand Tattoo joins a growing list of businesses donating their services to fundraise for Phinney's! Businesses are in a unique position to raise awareness of important missions like ours and to generously give back by donating their time, talents, and in some cases a portion of their profits to support the initiatives of nonprofits.
In 2021 alone, we were so fortunate to have several businesses connect with Phinney's to help our cause, including:
These three fundraisers alone raised more than $4,000 to benefit Phinney’s, and we're thrilled to announce that another business is stepping up to hold a unique fundraiser all its own to help keep people and their beloved pets together! What: Tats for Cats and Other Furry Friends! When: This Saturday, October 1 from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m.(first come, first served) Where: Bird in Hand Tattoo, 425 Lexington Street, Newton (Auburndale), MA Cost: Between $60 and $100 for pet-themed flash tattoos All proceeds from Bird in Hand Tattoo's fundraiser benefit Phinney's! We’re so grateful to Bird in Hand shop owner Chris Debarge and the other tattoo artists who will be donating their time and talents and leaving their indelible mark on Phinney's in this unique way. And we thank Kindness Animal Hospital in Waltham, too, for helping Bird in Hand Tattoo “get the ball rolling,” as Chris says. It means so much to us when businesses come up with creative fundraising ideas that are all their own to give back. So, if you have (or know someone who has) a business and would like to showcase your talents, products, or services in a unique and heartwarming way, we’d love to talk to you! Right now, we also have corporate sponsorship opportunities available for our Holiday Festival on November 6. We can provide more information about this and other corporate sponsorship and fundraising opportunities if you’re interested in learning more. Just send us an email at fundraising@phinneys.org to connect. And thank you again to all the businesses that have supported us over the years. Whether it's a real estate brokerage, a restaurant or cafe, a yoga studio, a pet grooming practice, a tattoo shop or some other business (got any ideas?!), we are furever grateful for the support!  At some point, your pet is likely to need medication for one reason or another. And while prices can be high, there are ways to save so your pet’s medication is more affordable.
Why It’s Important Medication can be a necessity for maintaining a pet’s health and quality of life. But, in some cases, the cost of pet medications may become a financial burden, especially when the cost of virtually everything goes up! Fortunately, with a little research and some helpful resources, you may be able to save on your pet’s medication. First, when your vet writes a prescription for a brand-name medication, ask if there’s a generic version of the medication that may be cheaper to purchase. Also, you can always shop around with the pet’s prescription in hand as cheaper versions of medications given yearly, such as flea and tick as well as heartworm protection, may also be available elsewhere. (As a best practice, if you have concerns about generic vs. brand-name pet medications, consult with your vet.) Next, look for resources that generally may have the pet medication you need at a cheaper price. Here are some ideas to get you started below.
So, when it comes to finding affordable pet medications, a little research just might help you save some money! Check Out These Resources Visit Phinney’s Care Corner for additional resources on ways to save on pet medications. Our Get Help page also provides a list of resources if you’re looking for affordable vet care services and more. What You Can Do To Help Phinney’s believes in keeping people and their beloved pets together. We do this by extending a helping hand to pet parents in need when these emergency vet visits become too costly for some to afford. Ways you can help include donating to Phinney’s or volunteering. And, anyone in need of help in caring for their pets can visit Get Help for more information.  When it comes to ensuring the well-being of people and their pets, Phinney's believes that knowledge is power! We are committed to sharing information we think can help people be the best parents they can be!
Check out our tip sheets and infographics below, and for even more resources on how help take better care of your beloved pets, visit our Care Corner resource page. Diabetes in Pets Diabetic Dog Care Costs Pet Behavior Tips on How to Blissfully Co-exist with Your Cat Pet Preparedness Preparing Pets for an Emergency Weight Management Healthy Food Guidelines for Your Pet  Phinney's has been recognized with GuideStar's Gold Transparency seal. Phinney's prides itself on transparency, and we're honored to announce that GuideStar (by Candid) has awarded us its Gold Transparency seal for 2022.
You may recall that earlier this year GreatNonprofits also recognized Phinney's with its Top-Rated Nonprofit Award based on a rating and number of reviews received from volunteers, donors, and aid recipients! Through Candid's GuideStar, you can search for data about nonprofits you care about to learn more about the mission, business operations, and more. As an all-volunteer nonprofit, we take our policies of transparency and stewardship very seriously, and love hearing from people who want to learn more about our mission, ask questions, and offer suggestions on what we can do to help further our mission. So, please consider this a standing invitation to attend our board meetings if you would like. You can view when our board meetings take place on our website's newly launched Calendar. This new feature also lets you add events straight to your personal calendar so you can hold dates for special events like our upcoming Holiday Festival. Thanks for reading!  “I saw Phinney’s was an all-volunteer organization that helps to keep people and their pets together and felt like it would be a great opportunity to do some good,” says Alison. “With everything that was going on with the pandemic, I knew I wanted to help by volunteering for a cause that could make a positive impact,” she adds, noting that being able to support low-income people in keeping their pets is what she finds most meaningful about her volunteer experience. “I love my pets and I know first-hand how expensive they can be! My cat had to have emergency surgery and I feel thankful we could afford it, but it was stressful so to be able to support an organization that helps people who may not be able to afford these costs seemed like a great opportunity,” Alison notes. A devoted website editor and content development guru for Phinney’s Care Corner who also assists with fundraising events, Alison adds that serving an all-volunteer nonprofit is a particularly unique experience because the organization and its mission are directly tied to the work of each and every person who gives their time. And “playing a role big or small in helping to keep pets with the people that love them the most is so rewarding,” she says. Join the Fabric of Phinney’s!
Together, Phinney’s volunteers weave a fabric that blankets people and pets with love. Visit phinneys.org/volunteer if you would like to help us grow our special “quilt” by volunteering your own time and talents. 
 What would you do if you couldn’t afford your pet’s vet visit, medications, or life-saving surgery, or you came down with an illness and couldn’t care for them? “It's such a nice thing to have an organization willing to help,” says Judy, who has three sweet birds of her own—Peanut, a Conure, and Whitey and Blue, her parakeets. Judy learned about Phinney’s through an article in The Boston Globe back in 2014 and we’re so glad she did. Intrigued by Phinney’s mission statement, Judy thankfully reached out to us and has been paying it forward as a dedicated volunteer ever since. “Saving pets and people from falling into discouragement and despair makes the time spent volunteering worthwhile,” Judy, who currently serves as Phinney’s president, says. In the end, she adds, “It all comes down to the people.” For anyone who’s inspired to volunteer, the reality is that there are many people in Massachusetts facing upsetting situations and could use more help, she notes. “I feel very gratified when I’m able to help them keep their pets and to hear how appreciative they are,” Judy says. Join the Fabric of Phinney’s!
Together, Phinney’s volunteers weave a fabric that blankets people and pets with love. Visit phinneys.org/volunteer if you would like to help us grow our special “quilt” by volunteering your own time and talents.
 Cats love looking out windows. But hearing one loud noise or seeing an enticing bird could cause your cat to push against the screen with their paws. They could fall out, leading to serious harm or even death. And you might be surprised how easily some screens pop out. Even if there’s just some slight give, the screen probably isn’t secure enough to prevent a spooked or playful cat from pushing through it. Since it doesn’t take much to startle or excite some cats, take steps to prevent a window-related safety hazard for your cat(s). Why It’s Important Cats aren’t generally afraid of heights, and if a cat falls out a window, their claws can’t grab onto concrete or brick like they could with a tree. And when the weather is nice out (think spring and summertime in New England!) and people open their windows, more cats are at risk to fall out of windows. The good news is that this can be an avoidable situation with some minor precautions. Here are 3 tips to help ensure window safety for cats:
You want to keep your cat safe, so make sure to cat-proof your windows. Enjoying fresh air in your home and having cats can be mutually compatible when you plan ahead and put your cat’s safety first! Check Out These Resources You can visit our Care Corner web page for resources that can help you research and secure the window safety apparatus that’s right for you and your cat. What You Can Do To Help Phinney’s believes in keeping people and their beloved pets together. We do this by extending a helping hand to pet parents in need when these emergency vet visits become too costly for some to afford. Ways you can help include donating to Phinney’s or volunteering. And, anyone in need of help in caring for their pets can visit our Get Help page for more information. Our thanks to Rachel Geller, Ed.D. Certified Cat Behaviorist, who contributed to this Care Corner post. For more tips on Living in Cat Harmony, check out our tip sheet How to Blissfully Co-Exist with Your Cat.  An article in the now defunct magazine Lola, which highlighted Boston area volunteer opportunities, brought Lisa to Phinney’s, and we’re so glad it did! Through her tenure with Phinney’s Lisa has developed a lot of dog-gone amazing relationships with the people and pets she’s helped—and she fondly recalls being greeted by many happy dogs and their wiggle butts over the years! Lisa, a talented artist, says there are so many ways to volunteer at Phinney’s, no matter your time or your talents, and she describes helping a person stay with their beloved pet as “an extremely rewarding endeavor.” And if someone can’t be a pet parent themselves for whatever reason, Phinney’s can be a way to help others stay with their pets, which is a heartwarming reward in and of itself, she adds. Join the Fabric of Phinney’s!
Together, Phinney’s volunteers weave a fabric that blankets people and pets with love. Visit phinneys.org/volunteer if you would like to help us grow our special “quilt” by volunteering your own time and talents.
 Plain and simple, what’s most meaningful to Morgan, who leads our fundraising team, is being able to help people keep their pets. Morgan, who is an amazing cat mom to 6 foster fails, Isaac, Inca, Indio, Sassy, Chester, and Freddy, hopes that anyone who’s thinking about volunteering with Phinney’s reaches out. “We receive many, many desperate pleas for our services, but we can’t help anyone without caring volunteers like you!” Join the Fabric of Phinney’s!
Together, Phinney’s volunteers weave a fabric that blankets people and pets with love. Visit phinneys.org/volunteer if you would like to help us grow our special “quilt” by volunteering your own time and talents.
|
RSS Feed
|
Phinney's is an all-volunteer registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit that helps low-income people keep their pets. U.S. federal tax ID 94-3475924. All content on this website is the property of Phinney's Friends, Inc. unless otherwise noted. Donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.
PO Box 425, Lincoln, MA 01773
Phone: 617-203-2053 Fax: 617-979-8705 |
|
