Animals Reign: Pet News You Can Use » Dog and Cat Rescue

Unexpected Ending When Cop Rescues Dog

Vicki — Sat, 29 May 2010 02:35:46 +0000

One of my favorite blogs is Dogster, for the Love of Dog Blog. They carried this photo and video today of a police officer rescuing a dog whose leg was caught in a fence. The ending is very cute and unexpected. Take a look, and don’t miss www.dogblog.dogster.com for other amusing videos and content.

Here’s a link to the video of this rescue:

http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid34830125001?bctid=88147925001

Technorati Tags: dog accidents, dog tricks, dog rescue

Introducing Shakti Paw Love Monkey

Vicki — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 06:07:45 +0000

Shakti as a young man

The house has been quiet for the past month since Scooty left for the Rainbow Bridge. The competitive eating Ernie and Scooty used to enjoy– the Dinner Olympics — came to an abrupt end. In fact, Ernie has outright boycotted the premium kibble he used to race to eat, unless it is laced with a spoonful of cat food. Rico, The Boss Cat, lies around with his chin on his paws sleeping away his sadness. I wasn’t planning to get another dog yet, but fate doesn’t always work on our schedule.

Two weeks ago I learned a woman named Theresa Marie Gandhi, former wife of the great-nephew of Mahatma Gandhi, was near death. The word that she would be leaving behind a 16 year old, slightly pudgy and arthritic, deaf miniature Poodle trickeled down to me through a friend of a friend of a friend of a friend. I have hip replacement surgery coming up in a couple of months, and this is not an ideal time for me to add a new dog who is going through his own grief at losing his life-long companion.

Never one to let reason stand in the way of compassion, I drove to Whidbey Island today and met Shakti Paw. His human had died, and the tear stains around his eyes spoke of his loss. He is a little old man with a shaggy haircut, lumps and bumps, no hearing, bad breath, and as sweet a temperament as Scooty’s. To add to the mystique, his human mom was a woman who would probably have been a good friend if I had known her. She was an activist for environmental responsibility, she was a spiritual leader, and a writer. She rubbed elbows with world leaders, she met with Mother Theresa, she walked across the United States for peace. She was a woman of both global and local presence, and from all I can tell, she left the world a better place than she found it. And she left behind a sweet little zen dog called Shakti Paw Love Monkey who has now joined my family. We are blessed.

Technorati Tags: adopting a senior pet, healing from pet loss, pet grief

Cats or Dogs — Who Wins the Popularity Contest?

Vicki — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 18:53:05 +0000

I sniffed out this amusing article from an OldCatsRule tweet. Who do you think is the winner?

OldCatsRule I demand a recount! http://www.wcbs880.com/Dogs-or-Cats–A-New-Poll-Answers-the-Question-/6060081

Let’s hear your comments…..are the poll results correct?

Technorati Tags: dogs vs. cats, pet popularity poll

Keeping Our Pets Safe from Toxins in the Home

Vicki — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 18:31:40 +0000

One of my favorite cat websites is www.LittleBigCat.com, owned by veterinarian Dr. Jean Hofve. This month’s newsletter has an interesting article on the effect of toxins in our homes on our pets.

The Environmental Working Group (www.EWG.org) has studied chemical exposures in pets and found them even higher than the levels found in humans. They include carcinogens, neurotoxins, and chemicals toxic to the endocrine and reproductive systems. They come from the products and furnishings we use in our homes. You might want to learn more about this to see where you can minimize exposure to you and your pets.

Other studies have confirmed that second hand smoke is also a risk to pets. Having been a smoker at one time in my life, I know how extremely hard it is to quit, so I’m not one to judge people who haven’t beat it. But perhaps knowing just how dangerous it is to our pets might give that extra boost to kick the habit once and for all. Here is an exerpt from the Little Big Cat newsletter:

Recent studies have confirmed that cats who live with a smoker have a much higher risk of oral squamous cell carcinoma, an invasive cancer occurring on the mucous membranes of the mouth. Having more than one smoker in the home, or living with a smoker for more than five years, increased the risk even more, according to a study conducted at Tufts University. Because cats groom themselves so thoroughly, toxins and carcinogens from smoke that settle on their fur are taken into their mouths while grooming. Over time, this can cause cancer to develop.

Exposure to smoke also increases a cat’s risk of malignant lymphoma. Since the lymph nodes filter the blood, inhaled or ingested toxins can build up and cause cancer. Cats living with secondhand smoke are three times more likely to develop lymphoma than other cats. In addition to cancer, cats exposed to smoke can also develop other respiratory problems such as asthma and bronchitis.

To read the full newsletter, go to http://www.littlebigcat.com/index.php?action=nlarchive&show=volume7no10

Technorati Tags: chemical risks to pets, dogs and cats are exposed to toxins in the home, effect of second hand smoke on pets

Dog Talk Project

Vicki — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 22:07:54 +0000

: Want to know what I think about it?

A fun new project is underway for dog owners. When I saw the announcement, my reaction was, “I wish I’d thought of that!” With the originator’s permission, I’m posting her notice in full below. The more dog owners and pet care professionals who join in the project, the more useful the information will be, so feel free to spread the word.

Introducing The Dog Talk Project

AutumnGold Consulting and Dog Training Center announces the public launch of a new dog-related website called The Dog Talk Project ( http://www.dogtalkproject.com). The Dog Talk Project, developed and owned by AutumnGold Consulting, is a web-based system of pet owner surveys designed to study the relationships between people and their dogs. The site was launched for public access on January 1st, 2010. We are starting with a set of beta-tester data that we expect will rapidly expand as new users provide us with information about their dogs and their dog-related activities, practices, and beliefs. Data will be regularly collected and analyzed to provide answers to general and specific research questions regarding owner-dog relationships, pet-owner attitudes, and owners’ understanding of dog health, behavior, nutrition, and care.

If the Dog Talk Project sounds like an activity that you might enjoy and if you are interested in telling us more about you and your dog(s), just visit the Dog Talk Project website, register (its free!) and begin taking surveys! We have plenty of fun and interesting results posted from our beta-tester group, and will add to these pages rapidly over the next several weeks and months.

Please feel welcome to send this information to other lists and to forward to friend and clients who may enjoy participating. The more data we collect, the more we can learn and understand about our unique relationships with our canine best friends!

Questions? Feel welcome to contact me at admin@dogtalkproject.com or lcase@autumngoldconsulting.com .

Linda Case
The Dog Talk Project – A Program of AutumnGold Consulting
www.dogtalkproject.com
www.autumngoldconsulting.com

Technorati Tags: dog data, relationship between people and their dogs

Top 10 dog and cat names for 2009

Vicki — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 01:57:20 +0000

Pre-holiday tension getting to you? How about something to lighten the mood, like the list of most popular and quirkiest pet names for 2009? Www.Petfinder.com, the rescue website that boasts more than 13 million adoptions since 1995, has released it’s annual lists. See if your dog’s or cat’s name is on one of them.

Hi, our names are Lucy and Buddy

Favorite Pet Charities

Vicki — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 23:36:04 +0000

It’s that giving time of year when we focus on gifts for not only family and friends, but also the homeless animals who so desperately need our help. I’m hesitant to name just a handful of deserving pet charities because so many are equally in need of support, but let’s face it, we all have our favorites. Here’s my list, mostly smaller, less known organizations that are doing wonderful things for animals.

Grey Muzzle Organization It’s no secret that I’m a fan of older pets, so when I saw that Grey Muzzle needed an editor, I threw my hat in the ring. I’ve greatly enjoyed working with this group. Their mission is to fund other agencies all over the country who support senior adoptions. Read more about them at http://greymuzzle.org/

Old Dog Haven Another nonprofit working for old dogs needing new homes, this is a network of people providing foster and hospice care until dogs can be placed. The feature that really touches my heart is their Final Refuge program, where dogs too fragile or sick to be rehomed are placed with a loving foster family to spend their last years or months happy and safe, where they can die at peace knowing they are loved. See more about them at http://olddoghaven.org.

Purrfect Pals Cat Sanctuary Their mission statement says it all: Founded on the belief that every cat matters, Purrfect Pals provides a no-kill sanctuary, foster and hospice care for homeless cats. They are active in humane education, spay neuter programs, and placing adoptable cats in new homes. Learn more about this many-faceted organization at http://purrfectpals.org.

Rebecca’s Rainbow Here’s a new charity that fills a much-needed niche. They help owners who are critically or terminally ill keep their pets with them as long as possible, and find homes for the pets when they are left behind. This is a wonderful service. Learn more about it at http://rebeccasrainbow.org.

Rolling Dog Ranch Sanctuary And one more organization I love, this one takes in special needs animals that would otherwise be euthanized. I donate every year and look forward to receiving their heartwarming quarterly newsletter and their blog showing the joyful lives of the blind, deaf, limping, wobbling creatures who have no idea they are “disabled.” The Ranch also adopts out some of the animals to good-hearted human angels who are willing to take in a handicapped pet. Read all about this wonderful place at http://rollingdogranch.org.

So that’s my short-list. If this is a lean year for you as it is for many of us, know that it’s probably also lean for the animals who need us. If a financial contribution isn’t possible, consider volunteering your time or giving supplies you already have on hand.

Please post a comment with your own favorite pet charities.

Technorati Tags: pet charities, donating to animal sanctuaries, funding pet adoptions and education

Great Holiday Gift for Dachshund fans

Vicki — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 17:30:24 +0000

I’ve been active in dog rescue for the past 18 years, mainly through Seattle Purebred Dog Rescue (SPDR) as a breed rep for the livestock guarding dogs (LGDs). Maybe you’re wondering what the heck those are. Of the five breeds I handle, the Great Pyrenees is the best known. Right now I’m working on finding homes for a Kuvasz and a Maremma, the Hungarian and Italian versions of LGDs. But this post isn’t about LGDs. It is about a wonderful gift to the Dachshund fund by SPDR volunteer Amy Arsenault and her mother.

Amy’s mother has made an adorable Dachshund quilt that is being auctioned on eBay. They are giving the proceeds to SPDR’s Dachshund fund. Sounds like a happy holiday for both the recipient of the quilt and Dachshund rescue!

Here is a picture of the quilt:

And now for the link to go bid on this fun item: http://tinyurl.com/yjr69ge . The quilt has a $300 value and bidding today is only at $61, so don’t miss out on this fabulous deal.

Technorati Tags: Dachshund rescue, Dachshund gift items, Dachshund quilt for dog rescue

Adopt-a-Senior-Pet Month

Vicki — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:49:30 +0000

November is my favorite month. Many of my friends join me in celebrating birthdays this month (ever think about what holiday is 9 months before November? Think cupid). It’s the month when we get to celebrate our right to vote and commemorate our veterans. Then there’s Thanksgiving, that wonderful holiday when we give thanks for all our friends and blessings. But you might not know that November is also Adopt-a-Senior-Pet month as well as Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness month.

Perry

I’m going to focus on the last two causes in this blog because I have a furry friend who crosses into both territories. His name is Perry. He is a healthy, frisky senior boy whose looks and behavior bely his 9 years. He lives at an Alzheimer’s facility.

Perry, the welcoming party

Perry is the house pet for an Aegis memory care center in my neighborhood. I met him when I began taking my dogs over to entertain the residents once a month. He is a big, lovable lug who welcomes our company and wanders easily amongst the residents, bringing a little light to their lives.

Recently Perry got nervous when a toddler came to visit with his mother, and he nipped at the toddler. After four years as the facility’s mascot, Perry is now looking for a new home where he won’t be faced with those scary little two-legged creatures. Other than that issue, Perry is a lovely dog with a lush, thick short coat and brown eyes that would melt an iceberg.

The Joys of Adopting Senior Pets

I’m a big advocate of adopting senior pets, having three of my own. I took Scooty and Ernie in at 11 years old and they’re now almost 14 and 15. They have been such a pleasure. They folded into the pack as easily as if they had been together all their lives. They have been much easier to integrate than younger dogs I’ve adopted in the past. They came with good manners, potty training and basic obedience. They already had walking on a leash down pat.

As seniors, their exercise needs nicely match those of their new, mature human “Mom.” I’m grateful to their previous owners for preparing them so well for their new home. After bringing such well-adjusted seniors into my life, there is nothing in me that would want to take on the work and time-consuming responsibilities of training, socializing, and raising a puppy.

Pros and Cons

Yes, my time with them may be shorter than if I’d found them at a younger age. Yes, there are occasional medical expenses, but all pets have illness and accidents to manage. Yes, they might be a little grey around the muzzle and have a few granny bumps, but that doesn’t detract from the inner beauty shining from these oldsters.

Help for Perry

If you know of anyone who might be willing to give Perry a loving home for his final few years, please pass along a link to this blog, www.AnimalsReign.com/blog. If he ends up in a shelter, his chances of survival would be slim. Here is a link to his full story on Petfinder.com.

http://www.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=14994863

Technorati Tags: Adopt-a-senior-pet month, Alzheimer’s Awareness month, dog rescue, living with a senior dog or cat, a home for Perry, Aegis Memory Care Center

Grey Muzzle – Helping Senior Pets August 27, 2009

Does My Dog Qualify as a Service Dog? September 8, 2009

Help, my pet is missing!

Vicki — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 18:53:07 +0000

Back in August — oh, so long ago, already — I wrote a post about what to do if you find a pet running loose. Today I’m going to focus on the other end of the problem, what to do if your cat or dog escapes.

Losing a pet is one of the worst experiences a pet parent can have. Grief mixes with fear and frustration in an agonizing stew of uncertainty. I know, because it happened to me one Christmas day when my dog got bored and climbed a tree to scale the fence. He found a sympathetic homeless man and took up residence for the next six months. I got lucky when eventually the man tired of the responsibility and called to return Copper.

Most people aren’t so lucky. I get frequent calls as an animal communicator to help find lost animals. It is hard not to take on the owners’ angst and the animal’s confusion, and is often emotionally draining work. That is one avenue to find your lost pet, but I want to suggest several other strategies.

The first step is preventive. Be sure your pet is microchipped. Then even if Fluffy escapes just after a bath, before the collar and tags go back on, she can be identified.

Once your pet is lost, scout your area in a few-mile radius for signs. Most pets don’t wander far from home even over several days, although some do and others are picked up by well-meaning passers-by and taken home to an entirely different community.

Post your own LOST (CAT) (DOG) signs with a photo if you have one, your phone number, and the date of posting.

At the same time, call all the shelters within a 50 mile radius. Do it daily. Some have a hotline for lost pets, others will require you go in person to look through the kennels. Do this at least every three days, because that is often the stray hold period, after which the animal can be adopted out or euthanized. Usually the latter doesn’t happen that quickly unless the shelter is overly full.

Call local vets to find out if your pet has been brought in injured.

Go online if you can and post your pet with organizations that broadcast lost and found pets. Here are a few free ones to start. I am not endorsing any of these, but list them as possibilities:

www.Petfinder.com
MissingPet.net
Pets911.com
LostPetsos.org
CraigsList.com

Searching on foot can feel like looking for the proverbial needle in a haystack for the average pet owner. However, skilled trackers are available in most parts of the country. I worked with Debbie Hall in Mansefield, MA on several lost animals. She did the ground tracking in collaboration with my animal communication.

In the Seattle area we have pet detective Kat Albrecht, founder of Missing Pet Partnership. Her website, www.MissingPetPartnership.orgoffers a national directory of pet detectives who use scent tracking dogs that can follow a scent for up to three or four weeks in optimal conditions. If you’re interested in training your own dog to become a pet detective, you might pick up Ms. Albrecth’s training manual, Dog Detectives: Train Your Dog to Find Lost Pets.

And be sure to ask neighbors and friends to keep an eye out for your pet and report any sitings.

Technorati Tags: lost pets, dog or cat escaped home, pet detectives, missing pets, animal communication, stray dogs and cats, scent tracking lost animals