Warm Weather Car Safety

Now that the temperatures outside are finally starting to warm up, here is something very important you need to remember…especially if you like to take your pet with you everywhere.

 

 

 

Even when it is 70º outside, which is a nice cool temperature for us, it is too hot to leave your pet in the car, even with the windows cracked.  I can’t tell you the horror stories I have heard about pets and children being left in the car.  Last summer a K-9 police officer here in Iowa left his K-9 partner in the car while he went into the court house to make a call.  He got side tracked by other business and was gone an hour.  When he got back to his car, his K-9 partner was dead.

 

If you must take your pet with you, take another person with you who can watch your pets and help keep them cool. Do Not leave your pet unattended in a vehicle, even with the windows cracked, if the temperature is going to be above 65º.

 

Nuff Said.

 

Be Well & Be Happy

Pet~Pourri

Senior Pets Rock!

If you are thinking of adding a pet to your family, I would like to advise you to consider a senior animal.  They make wonderful pets for various reasons.

 

Photo from ossvh.com

 

Pets are usually considered seniors if they are over 7 years old.  One thing to take into consideration is that smaller dogs have longer life spans.  And cats can live to a ripe old age as well, if well taken care of.  The oldest rescue we had was The Duke and he lived to be almost 26 years old.  We got him from California when his family turned him into a shelter when they were building a new house.  They thought the move would be too much for him and wanted to know when he got adopted.  The Duke was 18 years old at that time. 

 

The Duke

Now be honest…how many of you would walk into an animal shelter right now and adopt an 18 year old dog?  They were worried that the move to a new home, with his family would be too much for him, but weren’t worried about putting him in a shelter where a new family might adopt him?  Honestly, the chances of The Duke being adopted were next to nil.  They basically signed his death warrant. 

 

The Duke after a bath

Enter a fellow rescuer in California who heard about The Duke.  She contacted us and we immediately set up transport.  The Duke made the trip out to us like a champ, even though there were some major issues with his flight and he was on the plane a lot longer than we thought he would be.  That’s a story for another blog.  J 

 

Senior pets in shelters need homes just as badly if not more so than younger dogs or cats. Plus, you might just be saving their life.  Shelters are overcrowded…there are no two ways about it.  So who will be the first to go to make room?  Senior and special needs pets.  Seniors usually have done nothing wrong, accept grow old.  Often reasons mentioned for surrendering a pet are allergies, death of a guardian, a new baby, loss of a job, a move, change in work schedule, and various other lifestyle changes. 

 

Photo from probioticsmart.com

Senior pets are already trained, so no worries about the puppy or kitten stage.  I can’t tell you how many rescues we take in because they didn’t realize how much work a puppy would be.  If you want a pet, but don’t want the work of training a baby, then seniors are the way to go.  Animals are smart.  These seniors know when they go to a shelter this is most likely their last stop.  If you adopt them, they are going to know you saved their lives and be grateful to you.  Just because an animal is labeled as senior does not mean they are going to pass away the next day, or week, or even year.  With the proper care, they can live to a ripe old age and know they are loved and are special.  So if you are looking for your next pet, open your heart and home to a senior pet.

 

Be Well & Be Happy,

Pet~Pourri

 

 

 

Therapy or Companion Pets

I’ve been following the story of this abused and neglected dog on Facebook.  Her name is Xena the Warrior Puppy.  When she was found in September 2012, she looked like this:

And now she looks like this (she is the one in the middle. Also pictured is her big sister Sally and her little sister Petunia):

She is the companion of an autistic little boy named Jonny.  Their bonding was love at first sight.  Jonny and his family went to an adoption event to meet dogs and Xena ran to Jonny the minute he entered the event.  They just officially adopted Xena a few weeks ago.

The reason I am telling you about Xena and her boy Jonny is because of what Xena has done to help Jonny.  He was pretty much non-verbal before Xena came into his life. He could talk, he just didn’t.  Since Xena arrived he pretty much chatters non-stop.  She has really helped him come out of his shell.  Xena is not a licensed companion dog…yet.  Not sure if the family plans on getting her licensed or not.  But this story is a wonderful example of how pets can help people in many different situations.

Xena and her boy Jonny

 

I was reading an article on Petfinder.com about Healing Partnerships and thought of Xena and some experiences we have had with some of our rescue dogs and wanted to share this with my readers.  You see companion animals are not just Seeing Eye dogs.  Companion animals help people who need a little extra help in coping with certain situations.  An example is a rescue dog we had named Oliver.  He was quite the handful when he first arrived and we had to use some pretty extensive training techniques to get him to behave as he should. 

As we worked with him, he really became a very well behaved dog.  A young lady, who was deaf, came to meet him.  He reacted well to her.  She decided to take him on a trial basis to see how he would work out.  She trained him to be her hearing dog.  He would alert her when someone was at the door, when the phone rang, or when any other alert went off.  They are still together today.

We all know of therapy dogs that visit nursing homes and hospitals.  They really bring people out of their shells and bring comfort to those who are ill.  I read this story about Ally Gillen and how therapy dogs helped her through some very painful therapy. 

Many companion animals are even helping military veterans as they return to civilian life.  There is a group called Canine Companions for Independence that is doing some amazing work with veterans.

And of course, close to home there is a group called Paws & Effect that trains service dogs for children with autism, combat veterans and others who need a little extra help.  They just received a litter of lab puppies that are being trained to assist people in need.  They really do some amazing work.

 

Therapy pets have also been a huge benefit to those affected by the bombs at the Boston Marathon. This quote from the article just about sums it up.  “Immediately after the bombings dogs were there to provide comfort. According to a poster on Reddit as runners came to the bag pickup area on Tuesday a Golden retriever was there waiting. The therapy dog was happy to be petted. “I petted him and almost started to cry all of a sudden,” said Reddit poster 99trumpets. “Glad the fluffy dog is here; every little bit of comfort helps.””

It's not just dogs that provide companionship.  Many animals have been used from horses to rabbits.  Cats also make amazing companion animals and there are many stories out there, but I only have so much room.  Might have to do another blog on Therapy Cats.  :) 

The best part is, if you have a dog or cat or other pet in your home, you already have a built in therapy pet.  Isn’t it nice to come home from a hard day at work and sit in your recliner just to be pounced by your pets so they can show you how much they loved you and missed you??  This is what I come home to every night:
 

 

Be Well & Be Happy,

Pet~Pourri

National Pet Day

Today is National Pet Day!!!  What are you doing to celebrate with your pet?

National Pet Day was founded by Colleen Paige, celebrity pet lifestyle expert, to celebrate our pets and create public awareness about shelter animals waiting for their forever homes.

An estimated 667 pets die every hour in shelters in the US…and this is just dogs and cats.  So instead of going out and buying that fabulous pair of shoes, or getting your nails filled, or buying that CD you’ve been waiting to come out…why not wait and extra week and donate that money to your local animal shelter? 

Believe me…I know…every little bit helps.  Even if you can only afford to donate $5.00…that $5.00 will buy a bottle of shampoo to bathe a dog like this:

Photo from http://tinyurl.com/2cz82md

If 5 people donate $5.00, we can buy a 40lb bag of dog food that will feed our shelter dogs for 3 weeks.  If 10 people donate $5.00, we could feed our shelter dogs for 6 weeks.  This is just at our shelter.  Imagine larger shelters like ARL if everyone on their mailing list donated $5.00 how many animals they could help.

So take a moment to celebrate the pets in your life, and instead of buying that next cup of Starbucks, send the money as a donation to your local shelter.  Do it for yourself, and do it for them.

 

Photo from www.sodahead.com

 

 

Be Well & Be Happy,

Pet~Pourri

Unusual Pet Products

I was watching The Tonight Show last night when Jay had a special feature on Pet Products.  The one that cracked me up was the highchair so that you dog can eat at the table with you.  Got me to thinking about unusual pet products.

 

 

What is the most unusual thing you have purchased for your pet?? 

 

I did a search online for unusual pet products.  Nip and Bones has a cabin and bearskin rug for your cat.  Women’s Day has a list of unbelievable pet products ranging from a dog translator, to puppy beer, to a purr detector. 

 

I found one site that offered things like eye implants for pets that have lost an eye and implants for neutered pets to improve their self-confidence.  And no…I’m not kidding.  J   A website called Reef One gives you unusual options for aquariums.  Some of them are really quite nice.

 

Photo from www.families.com

By now I’m sure many of you have heard of Doggles, goggles for dogs.  Great protection for your pets eyes in many circumstances.  If you go to Petrock.com you can get your very own, certified, pet rock.  Or how about a portal to put in your privacy fence so your dog can see what is on the other side??

 

Photo from www.dumpaday.com

Back to my question on what is the most unusual thing you’ve purchased for your pet.  Mine would have to be a stroller.  When first Jahmbi, then Mirage, and then Jack became ill and could not walk around very easily, I bought them a stroller.  I have to say, it is one of the best purchases I have ever made.  I was able to bring my babies with me to all our usual events and they became the center of attention. 

This is one of my favorite photos of Mirage in her stroller during the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in 2010.  I can’t wait to hear about yours.

 

Be Well & Be Happy,

Pet~Pourri

Pet Trusts

Photo from www.companionpettrust.com

 

Did you ever wonder what would happen to your pets if you die?  That sounds harsh, I know, but many people just do not think of it.  My husband and I have both talked about it, but haven’t done anything about it yet.  What would happen to our pets if, god forbid, something happen to the both of us?  It’s something you should really take a long hard look at.  You would be surprised to learn how many people do not have a will or any other arrangements made for their families, let alone their pets, in the event of their death.

 

Photo from www.createapettrust.com

This article gives you some great information on how to set up a Trust for your pets.  There are two types of trusts you can set up.  One is a ‘traditional pet trust’ and the other is a ‘statutory pet trust’.  Another option is a ‘pet protection agreement’ which is less complex and allows you to name a guardian and the ability to leave funds for their care.

Statutory trusts are the easiest, but only admissible in 40 states and the District of Columbia.  With this one all you have to do is add a line in your will stating you are setting aside a certain amount of money for the care of your pets.  The traditional pet trust is accepted in all states and similar to a trust you would set up for your child.  The traditional pet trust can cost anywhere from $500 to $1,500.

Photo from tvtropes.org

The ASPCA gives some great information on setting up a pet trust. My favorite article and the one I found the most informative is from Professor Gerry Beyer.  He is a professor of law at Texas Tech University School of Law and has some great information on his website.  Another site to check out is Pet Trust Lawyer.com. 

Most of these sites suggest you visit with an attorney who specializes in estate planning and has experience with pet trusts.  If you don’t want to hire a lawyer to set up your trust for you, could can do it yourself on Legal Zoom.  However they only offer a pet protection agreement. 

 

Photo from www.createapettrust.com

It really is worth the time and effort it takes to plan ahead for the care of your family and your pets.  Imagine if you don’t have anything set up and you drop dead 10 seconds after reading this article.  What would happen to your pets?  You want to take care of them in the future as well as you take care of them now, so take some time and set something up…sooner rather than later.

Be Well & Be Happy,

Pet~Pourri

P.S. I tend to write my blogs based on my most recent reading. If you have a topic or a specific pet you would like some information on, please let us know.