Members of the Maysville E.H. Club met at the Community Building for the July meeting, with BJ Ray serving as hostess for the noon meal.
Vice president Nikki Crawley called the meeting to order and welcomed everyone. We sang "How Much is that Doggie in the Window?" followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. Gwen Singleton gave an inspirational reading entitled "Taps" (the story behind the song).
Nikki gave a very informative lesson on "Cool-Pets in the Summer."
Summer is the perfect time to enjoy your pets, but it is important to keep them cool and protected. Leaving your pet in a hot car is just as dangerous to them as it is to a child and should never done. On an 85 degree day, for example, the temperature inside a car, even with the windows cracked open, can reach 102 degrees within just 10 minutes. After 30 minutes, the temperature will reach 120 degrees. Its important to remember that it's not just the ambient temperature but also the humidity that can affect your pet.
Animals pant to evaporate moisture from their lungs, which takes heat away from their body. If the humidity is too high, they are unable to cool themselves and their temperature will skyrocket to dangerous levels very quickly.
Any time your pet is outside, make sure it has protection from heat and sun and plenty of fresh, cold water. In heat waves, add ice to water when possible. Tree shade and tarps are ideal because they don't obstruct air flow. A doghouse does not provide relief from heat but can make it worse.
More information about caring for your pet can be obtained from the Benton County Extension Office.
Some helpful hints given were: To remove a tick easily, put soap on a cotton ball and cover the tick a few minutes and the tick will slide right off. Another tip on keeping pets cool was to fill and freeze water bottles for them to lick.
Bert Ballman's cultural art demonstration was to use fishing tackle boxes for storing jewelry.
Roll call was answered by telling about our favorite pet. Minutes and treasurer's report were given.
We discussed our annual outing which will be August 28 and decided to go to Grove, Okla., for lunch.
Reminders about county events were: Show and Tell, Sept. 18, at 9:30 a.m., at the extension office, and people are invited to bring items to share.
Benton County Fair dates are Aug. 12-16. Items are needed for the country store.
The meeting was closed with the benediction.
Community on 08/06/2014