Veterans Day is a time for us to pay our respects and say “Thank You” to those who have served. For one glorious day, veterans are joined by everyone else around the nation who doesn’t spend every waking moment breathing military stuff like veterans do. For one day, we stand united in respect for our veterans.

According to Military.com this holiday started as a day to reflect upon the heroism of those who died in our country’s service, and was originally called Armistice Day. It fell on Nov. 11 because that is the anniversary of the signing of the Armistice that ended World War I. However, in 1954, the holiday was changed to “Veterans Day” in order to account for all veterans in all wars.

There are several ways to show your support of veterans locally:

1. Participate in Events – on Saturday, November 12th, the City of Pearland is teaming up with HIKE for Mental Health to host a 4K and 1 mile run/walk with a BBQ lunch after. Proceeds will benefit the William Beaumont Army Medical Center, Pearland VFW Post 7109, Counseling Connections for Change and HIKE for mental Health. It starts at the Pearland Recreation Center and Natatorium on Bailey Road at 9:30am. Lunch is from 11am – 3pm. Cost is $15 for individual registration and $20 for individual registration plus BBQ lunch.
2. Consider Donating to a Veteran Organization – there are a number of national and local organizations where you can contribute, for both human and animal veteran organizations. A local, Pearland organziation is OATH (Outdoor Association for Texas Heros, Inc). There is a DAV (Disable American Veterans) thrift store in Alvin at 2625 Texas-35 Loop #140. You can donate usable clothing and household items that they can sell use the money to support the activities of the DAV in the Houston metropolitan area.
3. Help Canine Veterans – U.S. War Dogs K9 Care is an organization that provides items to K9 veterans. You can read more about this organization and how you can help here as we are a drop-off location for this organization.
4. Sport Some Military Apparel –  You can even purchase veteran items that you can wear to show your support of veterans. One such location is the VFW Store at www.VFWStore.org.
5. Bring Awareness – help bring awareness to the fact that on average 22 veterans commit suicide each day in the U.S. You’ve probably seen a video or two of one of your veteran friends completing 22 push-ups for 22 days in an attempt to bring awareness to this fact. Consider doing this yourself and share these on your own Social Media pages.
6. Ask Someone About Their Service – just about all of us know at least one person who has served and Veterans Day is a great time to ask them about their service. Sometimes the best thing to do is just listen. Some questions to help you get started are: What branch of the service did you serve in? When did you serve? What was your favorite moment in all the time you served? Do not ask if they have ever shot or killed anyone.
7.  Visit a VA Hospital – many VA Hospitals have events on Veterans Day or you can prepare a special lunch and take it to the VA Hospital and share with a veteran. The Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center has a Volunteer program.

We currently have two veterans of the Armed Forces on staff here at Claws & Paws. Our Hospital Administrator, Dorian Strickland is a veteran of the Air Force and one of our Veterinary Technicians, Jennifer Larsen is a veteran of the Coast Guard. Both are very proud and honored to have served their country.

This week, National Animal Shelter & Rescue Appreciation Week is November 6-13 and we would like to recognize what a fantastic group of people the City of Pearland has in our local Animal Services Organization. We would like to encourage each of those reading this to do a couple of things to show appreciation to the wonderful people over at 2002 Old Alvin Road, Pearland, Texas 77581.

1. Stop by the hospital here and sign a giant card we have that we will deliver to Pearland Animal Services on Thursday or Friday (10^th or 11^th) to show them we support and appreciate all the work they do. They often receive criticism for the job they do and rarely receive thanks. We think this card will go a long way to show them the people in the community appreciate them.
2. Consider taking something on your own to show them your appreciation. We would suggest cookies, treats or something special to eat for those that work so tirelessly at the Animal Services.
3. Consider donating items for animals in their care. With winter just around the corner (ha ha), there is always a need for towels, blankets and bedding to help keep pets in the facility comfortable and warm. There is always a need for pet food, dry and wet, for dogs and cats. You might also consider chew toys or rawhides and other supplies; things that dogs and cats just love to play with.
4. Consider donating monetarily. You can donate directly to the City of Pearland’s Animal Services through their website at http://pearlandtx.gov/departments/animal-services.
   1. There is also a local organization that is working to raise money specifically to purchase an adoption vehicle for Pearland Animal Services. You can donate to Pearland Pets, a 501c3 non-profit organization, using the link below.

1. The Pearland Adoption Center can always use more volunteers. Registration is easy and you can do so right here. Enter your information and let them know when you’re available. You’ll be contacted and scheduled for volunteer training and then you’ll be ready to help in no time. Studies have shown that people and pets both benefit greatly simply through continued interaction with each other.
2. You can even volunteer to foster pets in your own home. This allows for more space in the facility and helps decrease the euthanasia rate so more pets can be adopted.
3. Become a Fan. Like their Facebook Page so you can follow them and see when pets are available or if there is a special need. You can share their posts on your own page to ensure these are seen by many people, even if you’re not currently able to help. They often post photos of lost pets so more people can be looking and hopefully get pets reunited with their families.
4. Lastly, adopt from your local animal shelter instead of purchasing your next pet. There are millions of animals in animal shelters across the nation in need of a loving home. There may even be one waiting for you.

The group of individuals at Pearland Animal Services does a fantastic job of working to reunite lost animals with their families as well as continuing to work non-stop at adoption events around town to try and get as many pets out of Animal Services and into their new forever homes.

If you end up adopting a pet from Pearland Animal Services, you qualify for a reduced price spay or neuter right here at Claws & Paws Veterinary Hospital®. You should only adopt if you are financially able and committed to the long term investment in owning a pet.