FREE Book Helps Families Introduce Pets/Babies

Introducing a new baby to a pet can cause a lot of stress, but a new FREE download of a book called Pet Meets Baby from the American Humane Association (www.americanhumane.org/petmeetsbaby).  The book is designed to help families safely introduce a new baby or new child to a beloved pet, or introduce a new pet to their children.

The AHA says that too often, young families relinquish a pet when the first baby comes, fearing harm to an infant. But there are ways to prepare the pet for a safe introduction to children, and a gentle transition in a family's attention when a new child takes center stage. Pet Meets Baby can help keep families and pets together with practical tips for how to prepare the pet's possible re-location to another room; how to encourage careful first introductions; how to  understand when a pet becomes stressed; and what to do so that children and pets can grow up together and form strong bonds.

AHA encourages all pet owners to download as many free copies as they like at www.americanhumane.org/petmeetsbaby, or to order copies in packs of ten from Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/gp/browse.html?ie=UTF8&marketplaceID=ATVPDKIKX0DER&me=A3IGPBH789LMTX to distribute to PTA groups, friends, or veterinary clients. It's a great way to help American Humane Association strengthen the relationship between people and animals. Distribution of Pet Meets Baby is made possible through a grant to American Humane Association from The P&G Fund of The Greater Cincinnati Foundation.

In addition, the AHA  invites readers to fill out a simple online survey to share how they integrated pets and children into their homes. People who fill out the short survey will automatically be entered into a sweepstakes to win one of several prize packages from Victoria Stilwell, the star of Animal Planet's "It's Me or The Dog," and a national ambassador for American Humane Association. The grand prize winner will receive a 30-minute private phone consultation with Stilwell to discuss her advice for particular pet challenges. Drawings for all prizes begin in August and continue through November. Entrants must be at least 18 and comply with rules posted on the website to be eligible for numerous prizes.