Dogs

On Sunday, after an hour of taking in the sights, sounds, and scents of a local farmers market, I felt the unmistakable pang of hunger in my belly. I decided to grab a late lunch at a nearby patio eating spot. Eyes hidden behind a pair of dark sunglasses, I was casually strolling the half mile to my intended destination while studying the young professionals, hipsters, families, and (confession) the attractive women that peppered downtown on this beautiful spring day. Smiles were abundant and everyone seemed in high spirits. “Hi!” I hear someone say to my right. I turn and see an... Tags: puppy training socialization

Skeezix was an old buddy, one of those who helped establish the CB (Cat Blogosphere) back in the days when there were few cat bloggers..  We didn't meet him till a couple of years after we started blogging and we were hooked on his perfect spelling / English (smile), his escapades, his love of pink, his crazy fashion sense, his big muscles ... We just loved him.  We never dreamed that one

People can be wonderful. When Bobo the Poodle was dropped off at the Vancouver, British Columbia SPCA, he needed expensive surgery or his leg would have to be amputated. The surgery would cost $2000. An appeal to the public to help Bobo brought in an overwhelming $16,730. Not only was it enough to save Bobo’s leg, but it was also enough to pay for other animal surgeries, such as Ludell, a cat who had two broken legs after falling off a third story balcony. Bobo has recovered and has been adopted into a new home. Luddell is recovering from a second surgery and will then be available. Many of the 30,000 animals they took in last year were surrendered by owners who couldn't afford urgent and expensive medical care. Local SPCA’s rely almost entirely on community donations to fund services, programs and medical needs. Probably a lot of people who donate to national appeals, such as those expensive mailers from the HSUS and the heart tugging TV ads by the ASPCA think they are directly helping animals instead of contributing to fundraising multi-million dollar bureaucracies.  The story

Pets are a great way to teach kids the importance of caring for another living thing, and give them a sense of responsibility. They’re also a lot of work, and their addition to the family is not a decision to be taken lightly. Before you bring your newest family member home, these are ten of the things that you should consider. http://www.liveinnanny.org/blog/10-things-to-think-about-before-getting-a-family-pet/ According to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), every year more than 4.5 million people in the United States are victims of dog bites Kids are the No. 1 victims of dog bites. Surprisingly, the AVMA says most dog bites happen in the course of everyday activities with familiar dogs. Seniors are the second most common dog bite victims. There are a variety of reasons dogs bite, and sometimes they are not the most obvious reasons. Dogs bite when they are afraid, feel threatened, get excited, are at play, have been trained to be aggressive, are being protective with food or treats, or are in pain or annoyed. Tips to prevent dog bites: Know the basics of a dog’s body language. A wagging tail does not always mean a dog is friendly. Depending on the carriage of the tail, it could mean the dog is nervous, stressed, and uneasy. Teach children to never approach a stray dog under any circumstances. And if they are approached by a stray, they should “be a tree,” and not move until the dog moves away. Never taunt a dog. If you dare a dog to bite you, he just might give you exactly what you’re asking for. Don’t put your face in a dog’s face you don’t know. Children should be taught to never get up in a dog’s face, even the family pet. Many dogs read that as a challenge and react out of impulse to protect themselves. Respect the growl. A growl is a warning from a dog that he may bite, and you should always believe him! Never sneak up on a sleeping dog. Never approach a dog who is eating. Never back a dog into a corner where he feels he can’t escape. Supervise all interactions between young children (under 10) and dogs at all times. Children forget to tie their shoes and make their beds, so naturally they could forget the correct way to play with and handle the family dog. An adult should always be present to make sure the rules are followed. Only YOU can prevent dog bites! http://ww.dogster.com/13V6X5q

This looks more spacious than most puppy mills, but 150 is just too many dogs in one place! Until next time, Good day, and good dog!

Last month I did an informal survey where I asked for your ideas on how to get pitbulls adopted. Thank you so much for everyone who participated. Feel free to add additional ideas in the comments. 10 ways to get pitbulls adopted 1. Encourage people to watch the documentary “Beyond the Myth,” suggested Dana. I also found this documentary very informative, and I recommend it to all dog lovers. Those of us in the animal sheltering world already know pitbulls are just regular dogs, but community members as a whole may not know this. Perhaps shelters and rescue groups around the world could encourage people to watch “Beyond the Myth” by mentioning it through fliers or on their Facebook pages. Arranging an event to invite community members to watch the film at the shelter or elsewhere would also be a great idea. It’s available on Netflix. Another documentary is coming out called “Guilty ’til Proven Innocent.” It appears to be about breed discrimination, but I don’t have much info about it. You can watch the trailer here. Thanks, Brent, for the link. 2. Great pictures are worth their weight in gold, said Rachel. “I think good descriptions of personality, needs and energy levels are a good idea too,” she said. “People can really picture a dog fitting into their lifestyle that way.” Some of the tough-looking dogs might appear intimidating to adopters, but you can soften them up in pictures by dressing them in bow ties or pink bandannas. Also, take pictures of the dogs playing with other dogs and interacting with people of all ages or even cats. Including a toy in the pictures is great too, even if the dog isn’t actually playing with the toy. Need an easy way to help shelter dogs? Donate some colorful bandannas, bow ties or ribbons. 3. Show landlords that pitbulls are good dogs. “My apartment complex doesn’t allow ‘aggressive’ dog breeds, including pitbulls, Rottweilers, and Dobermans,” said Michelle. “Since this lowers the potential adoption pool for these dogs, they’re more likely to remain in shelters for longer.” Michelle makes a good point. Many of us want to adopt pitbulls, but we can’t because of breed restrictions. Does anyone have any good suggestions for politely working with landlords to change these restrictions? I’d like to start a campaign on this issue, and I know insurance companies are an even larger obstacle. I think those of us who love pitbulls but don’t actually own one can be a strong voice here as well. 4. More public events with the dogs!  To get pitbulls adopted, rescues should hold more fundraising days that involve getting the dogs out in public, suggested Eleanor. The pitbulls should attend these events and not be tucked away in the back kennels. These types of events out in public are so important, because some people would never visit the shelter. They might find shelters too depressing or they might be unaware the shelter exists. So bring the dogs to them! “When there is a adoption at a store, festival, etc., shelters need to make sure that pits are there and that people are interacting with them and learning what wonderful friends they can be,” said Kelleigh. 5. Adopt-Me vets on walks, said Melissa. This is such a simple way to get pitbulls adopted. Every time you have a shelter dog or a foster dog out in public, he should be wearing a vest, a collar or a bandanna that says “Adopt Me!” This encourages people to approach and meet the dog. Make sure to have the shelter’s contact information printed out on business cards or fliers. Want to help get pitbulls adopted? Order an Adopt-Me shirt or vest for a shelter in your area. 6. Good leash manners, Melissa also suggested. Very true. People want to adopt dogs with good leash manners, not maniacs! Even if the dog you’re handling doesn’t have perfect leash manners, it’s your j

Citywide pit bull bans are often knee jerk reactions — maybe even more so when a county sheriff”s knees are involved. One week after Jefferson County Sheriff Mike Hale was approached in his yard by four dogs “acting aggressive and looking like pit bull breeds” — and fired a shotgun at them, grazing one — the Alabama [...]

This is crazy. Natura Pet Products has just announced its fourth product recall in as many months. The recall has moved fully into the treat segment of the company's offerings, which somehow escaped the giant recall of dry dog food last time. This recall involves ALL lot codes and ALL package sizes of the following products, affecting ALL expiration dates prior to June 10, 2014: Innova Dry dog and cat food and biscuits/bars/treats EVO dry dog, cat and ferret food and biscuits/bars/treats California Natural dry dog and cat foods and biscuits/bars/treats Healthwise dry dog and cat foods Karma dry dog foods Mother Nature biscuits/bars/treats Share this image function changeWidth(obj) { if(parseInt($(obj).parent().width()) > parseInt($(obj).width())) { $(obj).parent().css({'width':$(obj).width()}); } if(parseInt($(obj).width()) If you have any of these products, get rid of them (then get a product replacement or refund by calling Natura toll-free at 800-224-6123). If you have something that's not on this list, just wait an hour -- sorry, bad joke. We should not be joking when the company who makes Innova, EVO, California Natural, Healthwaise, Karma, and Mother Nature has had four recalls in four months. Share this image function changeWidth(obj) { if(parseInt($(obj).parent().width()) > parseInt($(obj).width())) { $(obj).parent().css({'width':$(obj).width()}); } if(parseInt($(obj).width()) How did this happen? The company blames "a single positive Salmonella test by the FDA on product manufactured April 3," and it says it is acting out of an abundance of caution: "Normally, this would have resulted in retrieval of product manufactured over just a few days. However, we are taking the additional precautionary measure to recall all products in the marketplace. Our first priority is the well-being of the pets we serve." According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, "pets with salmonella infections may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever, and vomiting. Some pets will have only decreased appetite, fever, and abdominal pain. Infected but otherwise healthy pets can be carriers and infect other animals or humans. If your pet has consumed the recalled product and has these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian."

Not that there are any acceptable ones, but we’ve been hearing some pretty flimsy excuses for abusing dogs in recent weeks. First there was the Chicago man who allegedly stabbed a neighbor’s dog to death because it tore his $3.78 shirt. Then came the Salt Lake City woman who’s accused of spraying Raid down her dog’s throat, [...]

Hi, I'm Ranger. My favorite chew toy is my mom. My sister, Halle, is a black Lab and my best friend. I love being mischievous and escaping from the fence. My favorite time of day is meal time. I can't wait to hunt pheasants and ducks with my dad this fall!Click for more pictures and comments...