Welcome to This Week's AV Paws & Hooves |
November is here, the holidays are on the horizon, and the high desert is cooling off.
This week we're sharing a pet-safe Thanksgiving plan for dogs, cats and horses, a Saturday adoption day in Palmdale, a look at why holiday fostering matters, a bird walk at Prime Desert Woodland Preserve, a Lancaster riding barn for all ages, and a Palmdale animal hospital spotlight. |
Trivia Question❓What desert-adapted reptile, commonly kept as a pet in the Antelope Valley, shares its name with a legendary horned creature and is native to the Mojave region surrounding the AV? Answer at the bottom of the newsletter |
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Meet rescue pets in person this Saturday
Jill's Acres, a Palmdale nonprofit whose mission pairs housing homeless students with rescuing and rehabilitating homeless animals, is back at the West Palmdale PetSmart with adoptable pets.
West Palmdale PetSmart Adoption Day
Volunteers will introduce you to the available pets, help with the application and walk you through the adoption process. Can't make it Saturday? The next adoption day at the same PetSmart is Nov. 21 (11 a.m. to 3 p.m.).
See Jill's Acres' available pets · Adoption event schedule
The holiday gift that goes both ways: foster
Not ready to adopt before the holidays? Fostering gives a shelter animal a quiet place to decompress, frees up a kennel for the next animal that comes in, and lets staff learn how that animal behaves in a real home. LA County Animal Care & Control is currently calling for bottle baby fosters, people who can bottle-feed orphaned newborn kittens and puppies, and it welcomes foster caretakers for other animals too. Learn how to become a foster caretaker.
Visiting the county animal care centers
The county lists public hours of Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., with visits by appointment, so check the county's site before you go. The centers are closed on holidays, so plan around Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 26. Browse adoptable animals at both centers.
Thinking about a dog? Read our guide to what to know when adopting a dog from a rescue shelter. |
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A pet-safe Thanksgiving starts before the turkey comes out
Thanksgiving is Thursday, Nov. 26, and veterinarians say the most common holiday emergencies come straight from the dinner table. A little planning now keeps the day about family instead of an emergency vet bill.
If your pet eats something it shouldn't, call your veterinarian or a poison control line right away: ASPCA Animal Poison Control at (888) 426-4435 or Pet Poison Helpline at (855) 764-7661 (consultation fees may apply). Many clinics keep shortened hours on holidays, so know your after-hours option before the day arrives. Our guide to emergency vet care in the Antelope Valley is a good place to start. |
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Bird Walks at Prime Desert Woodland Preserve |
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Meet the Antelope Valley's wild birds on a guided walk
The Lancaster Museum of Art and History hosts guided bird walks at the Prime Desert Woodland Preserve, led by city staff and members of the Antelope Valley Audubon Society. It's a relaxed, one-hour introduction to the birds native to the high desert, and bird lovers of every age and experience level are welcome.
Pick your date and time on the Eventbrite listing. |
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Also on the calendar
Hosting an animal event in the AV? Horse show, adoption day, clinic or fundraiser, we'd love to share it. Post your event here. |
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Sweetwater Ranch, East Lancaster: a lesson barn for every level
A good lesson barn is the front door to the Antelope Valley's horse community, whether you're a parent booking a child's first ride, a 4-H family, or an adult who always meant to start. Sweetwater Ranch in East Lancaster has been teaching riders for about 25 years, according to its business listing.
Instructor Monica Whitmer offers group and private lessons for all ages and skill levels, with an emphasis on safety and fun. New students learn to halter, lead and groom a horse before they ever think about trotting, and the ranch's lesson horses range from complete-beginner mounts to horses suited to third-level dressage and three-foot jumping courses. Whitmer has attended USDF regional instructor workshops and serves as the horse project leader for the Eastside Antelope 4-H club, so she can teach hunt seat, western pleasure, gymkhana and trail riding.
Shopping for a lesson barn? A few questions to ask
Cooler fall and winter weather makes this a comfortable time to start riding in the high desert.
Run a riding barn, boarding stable or equine center? We'd love to feature it. Add your facility to the directory. |
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Cooler rides and a holiday-week barn checklist
Cooler weather is prime riding season in the high desert. If you're looking for somewhere new to take your horse, our guide to riding trails in the Antelope Valley covers routes and equestrian areas from Acton and Agua Dulce to Palmdale and Littlerock, with reminders about water, hoof protection, trail courtesy and respecting private property.
Before the holiday week gets busy, run through a quick barn checklist:
More on keeping horses drinking when the weather turns in our guide to fall colic prevention. |
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The hospital provides medical, surgical and dental care for dogs, cats, reptiles and birds, and describes its approach as caring people caring for pets. It also says it's committed to responsible pet ownership, preventive health care and educating clients. AAHA accreditation is voluntary, and the American Animal Hospital Association describes it as a mark of high standards across all aspects of veterinary care.
Reviews from local pet owners praise the doctors as gentle, caring and good at explaining what's going on with a pet's health. Two doctors, Dr. Joseph Habeeb and Dr. Wong, are mentioned by name.
The hospital accepts pet insurance and offers financing options through CareCredit and Scratchpay. With the holidays coming, it's a good time to book a pre-holiday checkup or ask about holiday hours and appointment availability. |
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Catch up on AV Paws & Hooves
Vets, clinics and animal businesses: get listed The AV Paws & Hooves business directory helps local pet and horse owners find the vets, animal hospitals, farriers, trainers, groomers and boarding facilities that serve the high desert. If you run an animal business in the Antelope Valley, we'd love to include you. Add your business to the directory.
Know a pet or horse with a story to tell? Hit reply and tell us about them. Reader-nominated animals are featured in our Pet or Horse That Deserves the Spotlight section. |
In a region as spread out as the Antelope Valley, owners should know where to go before a pet emergency hits.
Start with your regular vet, whose after-hours message often points the way.
AV Veterinary Center in Lancaster handles urgent cases for dogs and cats during open hours, including weekend walk-ins, while VEG Santa Clarita in Stevenson Ranch is open 24/7 and treats exotics too.
Horses depend on an equine vet's on-call line, so becoming an established client now and keeping a trailer ready are key.
Poison control lines run around the clock, and calling ahead before you drive is always the smart move. Read More... |
Fall brings big changes for backyard chickens and goats across the Antelope Valley.
Shorter days slow egg laying, and the yearly molt can leave hens looking ragged while they regrow feathers, which is normal and helped by higher-protein feed.
Coops should be dry, draft-free and well ventilated, with roofs secured against high desert wind and waterers kept from freezing.
Predators get bolder as food thins out, so lock birds in at dusk and use hardware cloth.
Goats need a three-sided windbreak shelter, dry bedding, plenty of hay, unfrozen water and regular hands-on body checks. Read More... |
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💡 Answer to Trivia Question: The horned lizard (often called a "horny toad") |