Simon and I probably need an intervention.

Pet care in cold weather is straightforward. Just use common sense.

We call them “tumbleweeds.” Those loosely formed balls of dog and cat fur that roll merrily across the hardwood floors can be found no matter how diligently my husband and I vacuum. But I shudder to think what the house would look like if we did not regularly groom our pets. Tumbleweeds the size of small cars would surely eat us alive.

If you ever dreamed of your mutt taking home the blue ribbon in an American Kennel Club event, you will soon have your chance.

Simon is a drama queen.

Are you thinking it’s time to find a new four-legged friend?

Americans shake their heads when they read about Prozac, daycare and designer duds for our furry friends. But if all of America’s dogs and cats were living the proverbial dog’s life, there wouldn’t be a need for charities like the Petco Foundation.

In addition to sharing his household with me and with our roommate, Simon must also endure the company of two other creatures.

Ann Holland serves on the Lynchburg Humane Society’s Board of Directors and is a volunteer for various animal welfare causes.

Niro Rasanayagam is a volunteer board member of the Lynchburg Humane Society, and is always in training with her dogs Elliott and Sara Lee.

A dog is not meant to spend its life on a chain. Both short- and long-term chaining poses serious dangers to dogs and humans.

There is a lot each of us can do to help homeless animals, as well as the organizations and people that take care of them.

Resentment is obvious in Simon’s tiny brown eyes every morning. The green Quaker Parakeet grasps that the luggage-sized padlocks that keep the doors and hatches closed are designed to keep him in, and he loathes them for it.

JoAnn Beehler is a volunteer for the Lynchburg Humane Society.

Sandy Boydston works with the Lynchburg Humane Society.

For those looking for a more active role in helping with animals, here are some creative ways you can volunteer, which don’t require your physical presence there or a big pocketbook.

Karin Sherbin volunteers with the Bedford Humane Society. Check out adoption, volunteer and fundraising opportunities at http://www.bedfordhumanesociety.petfinder.com.

Ann Holland serves on the Lynchburg Humane Society’s Board of Directors and is a volunteer for various animal welfare causes.

When not obeying Simon, Sidener can be reached at

Brenda Gray is on the board of the Lynchburg Humane Society.

Cats are a very polarizing topic. In ancient history the Egyptians worshipped felines as gods. However, during the Middle Ages, cats were feared and exterminated because they were believed to be witches’ familiars.

Karin Sherbin volunteers with the Bedford Humane Society. Check pet/volunteer/donation possibilities at http://www.bedfordhumanesociety.petfinder.com.

Those spot-on flea and tick preventatives available for a few bucks at the grocery store are not what the doctor ordered, and federal regulators are warning consumers to take care when using them on pets.

Jo Ann Beehler is an active volunteer at the Lynchburg Humane Society.

Did you know that 36 percent of all households in the U.S. have a dog? And in Lynchburg, while the exact percentage is unknown, it is estimated that there are 15,000 dogs within the city limits. In Lynchburg, open space is quite limited, so there are fewer and fewer areas for owners to exercise their dogs freely.

A mother-and-daughter team of entrepreneurs is ready for pets in the Rivermont area to beat a path of paw prints to their door.

BRISTOL, Va. – An animal control officer went to an address on Indiana Street to see about a dog and a goat creating a nuisance. She found a plot straight out of Milo and Otis – a pair of star-crossed four-leggeds on an unknown journey, whose bond transcends biological differences and police protocol.

When it’s time to take a vacation, a challenge arises - finding someone to look after a cantankerous bird.

TAMPA — Even a racetrack rookie appreciates the thunder under the hooves of a field of horses as they kick up clods of dirt on the home stretch, necks glistening, nostrils flaring in an insatiable drive to be the first whisker over the finish line.

Back when I was a “dog person,” I used to think cats were aloof and devoid of any outward signs of emotion. That was before Puppy Cat and Zebo entered my life, and I became an equal opportunity animal lover. Those two little felines are incredibly affectionate and expressive. I simply had to learn their language.