It’s National Dog Training month. Skagway residents can enter to win a dog training platform or cat condo from Paws and Claws Animal Shelter.
This year, Paws and Claws Animal Shelter celebrates its 21st anniversary. A resource to Skagway’s isolated pet owners, the organization offers nail trim clinics, facilitates a yearly veterinarian visit and can help with financial support for anyone facing a pet emergency.
President and founder Katherine Moseley said the organization started with a stray dog named Skinny. After multiple attempts to catch the dog, who chased cars and wreaked havoc, Moseley was finally able to corral the underfed canine. Skinny became a family pet and inspired Moseley to spearhead Paws and Claws to care for animals in need.
According to Moseley, Skinny was Skagway’s last stray dog while a spay and neuter program eliminated Skagway’s feral cat population. The absence of homeless animals means the town can help rehome cats and dogs from other areas.
Moseley: “We’re a community where so many people are very responsible with their pets here. So, that often enables us to actually help out other communities, like Angoon. We’ve helped Hoonah, we’ve helped Kake. We’ve helped, you know, a lot of places in southeast Alaska.”
In a town with no veterinarian, Moseley and her husband, Eric, provide basic medical care and end of life services in extreme circumstances.
Moseley: “We provide first aid for pets, kind of like, almost like an EMT, until an animal can get to a veterinarian or veterinary clinic. My husband does the in-home euthanasia, which is only for elderly or sick animals.”
While Paws and Claws’ main focus is rescuing pets in need, they also promote owner education. In honor of National Dog Training Month, Paws and Claws is hosting a contest for both cats and dogs on their Facebook page. Winners receive a training platform or cat condo.
To learn more about caring for a pet, visit the Skagway Library’s curated display.
