Hard Working Dogs That Should Be Praised More Often

  

  

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World's Hardest Working Dogs

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Make A New Year's Resolution To Help Homeless Pets

Here is a list of resolutions for helping homeless pets for the New Year and onward:

Adopt a shelter pet or two this year. Don't shop, Adopt.

Foster a shelter pet.

Volunteer more or start volunteering as your local animal shelter/rescue.

Make a monthly donation to your local animal shelter rescue. Donate pet food, pet crates, blankets, pet toys and even money. Anything to make a shelter pet's life better and supporting a animal shelter that cares =)

Take your pet to obedience classes if they have behavior problems or just teach your pup some doggy etiquette. Less likely your dog will end up in the shelter for improper training.

Have a monthly fundraiser for your local animal shelter/rescue.

Start shopping at companies that donate part of their proceeds to animal shelters/rescues/charities.

Be prepared for emergencies such as natural disasters and the such, that includes the safety and well-being of your pet.

Spay and neuter your pets.

Stop animal abuse. If you see, it report it. Animals can't speak up for themselves so please be their voice.

Purchase only products not tested on animals or labeled cruelty-free.

Train your pet to be a therapy animal.

Join an activist group and be a advocate for animals.

Learn something new. Take a course in pet behavior, obedience classes, first aid etc.

Be a better pet owner overall =)

Top Ten 2014 Resolutions For Dog Owners
http://www.lifewithdogs.tv/2013/12/2014-resolutions-for-dog-owners/

30 Simple Ways You Can Help At-Risk  Animals In You Community
http://bestfriends.org/News-And-Features/News/Saving-Them-All-is-as-easy-as-1,-2,-30/?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=news

Wishing Everyone a Happy New Year! Keep on Truckin'!

Help Stop Pet Overpopulation.

Help Stop Pet Overpopulation.

To Many Animals And Not Nearly Enough Homes =(

What is causing pet overpopulation?

Irresponsible, in-decrepit breeding. (Greedy backyard breeders who see profit and not a life.)

"Accidental" breeding/litters. (No such thing! People are responsible for their pets and are able to make a conscious decision on spaying or neutering their pet as early as 8 weeks of age. )

Choosing not to adopt. (Buying puppy-mill dogs from pet shops or "designer" craigslist dogs instead of adopting one of the many countless homeless animals in shelters is not right.)

Disposable pets. (Moving, can't afford to take care of any more, new baby, not enough time, allergies, behavior problems etc. All things people should of thought about before getting a pet.)


What can you do to stop pet over-population?

Always spay and neuter your pets. (Which can be done as early as 8 weeks and no you do not have to wait till a female dog's first heat cycle that is a myth and a irresponsible lie!)

Always consider adopting first from a registered, legitimate shelter or rescue. Yes there is such a thing as "purebred" dog rescues. (Do not support puppy mills, backyard breeders and puppy flippers!)

Consider all the responsibilities and consequences of pet ownership before deciding to even get a pet and always make that pet a lifetime commitment not something you can throw away or re-home over and over again. ( A pet is a living thing that you decided to be part of your life. A pet is not just a piece of property!)

Educate others about pet overpopulation, adoption and the importance of spaying and neutering. (Spread the word, do your research and get the facts straight so people do not misinterpret.)

Homeless Dog Transformation

http://www.realfarmacy.com/homeless-dog-is-rescued-then-does-something-amazing/?fb_ref=recommendations-box-widget

A Rescue Dog's Christmas Poem

‘Tis the night before Christmas and all through the town,
Every shelter is full – we are lost but not found.

Our numbers are hung on our kennels so bare,
We hope every minute that someone will care.

They’ll come to adopt us and give us the call,
“Come here, Max and Sparkie – come fetch your new ball!”

But now we sit here and think of the days…
We were treated so fondly – we had cute, baby ways.

Once we were little, then we grew and we grew
Now we’re no longer young and we’re no longer new.

So out the back door we were thrown like the trash,
They reacted so quickly – why were they so rash?

We “jump on the children,” “don’t come when they call,”
We “bark when they leave us,” “climb over the wall.”

We should have been neutered, we should have been spayed,
Now we suffer the consequence of the errors THEY made.

If only they’d trained us, if only we knew…
We’d have done what they asked us and worshiped them, too.

We were left in the backyard, or worse – let to roam -
Now we’re tired and lonely and out of a home.

They dropped us off here and they kissed us good-bye…
“Maybe someone else will give you a try.”

So now here we are, all confused and alone…
In a shelter with others who long for a home.

The kind workers come through with a meal and a pat,
With so many to care for, they can’t stay to chat.

They move to the next kennel, giving each of us cheer…
We know that they wonder how long we’ll be here.

We lay down to sleep and sweet dreams fill our heads…
Of a home filled with love and our own cozy beds.

Then we wake to see sad eyes, brimming with tears-
Our friends filled with emptiness, worry and fear.

If you can’t adopt us and there’s no room at the Inn-
Could you help with the bills and fill our food bin?

We count on your kindness each day of the year-
Can you give more than hope to everyone here?

Please make a donation to pay for the heat…
And help get us something special to eat.

The shelter that cares for us wants us to live,
And more of us will, if more people will give.

Author – Anonymous

This Christmas, donate to your local shelter and make a shelter dog’s dreams come true.

Rescue A Shelter Dog

 Always Consider First Adopting A Shelter Dog

There may not be enough homes for all the homeless dogs in the world but even saving one makes a world of difference especially to that one dog's life. 

Always consider adopting first when and if you can.

What to do to Help Shelter Pets During the Holiday Season?

-Adopt a pet from a shelter/rescue.

-Donate pet food and pet items to a shelter/rescue.

-Donate pet food and pet items to a pet food bank.

-Have a fund raiser for a local shelter/rescue...Christmas party anyone?

-Start a secret santa and donate a pet toy to a needy pet.

-Volunteer at a shelter/rescue. Walk or play with a lonely, under-exercised pet.

-Foster a shelter/rescue pet. Maybe even more then one if you got the room and finances.

-Buy items/gifts from companies that donate a percentage of their profits to animal shelters/rescues.

-Donate money to your local animal shelters/rescue.

-Share ideas with your local animal shelter/rescue to make them better and run more effectively.

-Support any sort of charity that donates proceeds to local pet shelters/rescues.

-Take in stray/lost pets to your local shelters. It is better then leaving them on the streets.

-Start a community outreach program to help low-income families that need help with their pets.

-Spread the word and teach people about helping animal shelters/rescues, proper care for their pets and stopping animal abuse.

Do something. Anything is better then nothing.

<3 <3 Thank You. Happy Holidays. <3 <3

What Does it Mean When Your Dog is AKC Registered?

So I happened upon a couple interesting articles.....

http://www.yourpurebredpuppy.com/buying/articles/AKC-registered-puppies.html

http://www.humanesociety.org/news/press_releases/2013/01/akc-national-championship-puppy-mills-013013.html#.UrEShtJDuSo

Please read before ever even considering buying a AKC registered dog.
Frankly it seems like the AKC only cares about the profits it makes from it's members and could care less how breeders care for their dogs.
All you are going to get from a AKC registered dog is a piece of paper with a number saying the animal  is registered with the AKC. 
Nothing more and nothing less.
Shame on you AKC!
Enough is enough stop covering for these puppy mills!

Please consider adopting a purebred dog or mixed breed dog from a shelter or rescue first!

DON'T SHOP! ADOPT.

Starting and Maintaining A Animal Rescue

So lately I've been reading about the horrible news updates and accusations surrounding Olympic Animal Sanctuary, a animal rescue based in Forks, WA  supposedly helping dogs with severe behavior problems. However from all the updates I have seen so far this place is sadly failing as a rescue and its reputation tainted by improper care of and basically "hoarding" of their dogs. Here are some links if you would like to read more and get updates on the subject of Olympic Animal Sanctuary or help the protest efforts:

https://www.facebook.com/dogsdeservebetter

http://www.dogsdeservebetter.org/sonny.html

https://www.facebook.com/pages/OAS-life-inside-the-sanctuary/396180077155674

http://freesonny.wordpress.com/2013/12/11/the-ploy-to-silence-protestors-has-backfired/

http://www.seattledogspot.com/blog/dog-blog/post/olympic-animal-sanctuary-just-a-jail-for-dogs

http://www.examiner.com/article/arrest-made-at-olympic-animal-sanctuary

http://www.seattledogspot.com/blog/dog-blog/post/former-donor-who-gave-50000-to-olympic-animal-sanctuary-says-money-wasnt-used-as-intended

http://www.examiner.com/article/owner-of-olympic-animal-sanctuary-agrees-to-release-dogs?CID=examiner_alerts_article

This sort of news really made me think. Do people really know how much work, resources and money it takes to run a animal rescue? It's not as simple as being a avid animal lover and starting a animal rescue and expecting people to support your efforts with private donations. Each individual animal needs individual care for its basic needs. Every animal is different but every animal needs proper shelter/containment, proper nutrition/nourishment, appropriate amount of exercise/training daily and enough daily attentiveness to be happy and healthy.

It dumbfounds me when people think they can just keep animals in crates, throw them some food and water down, clean their living quarters every so often and maybe let them out for a romp around the yard and that is what operating a animal rescue consists of. Wrong!

And what about those special needs pets like those with medical conditions, special diets or behavioral problems? Expenses from veterinarian visits or certified dog trainers can make those numbers add up even more by the thousands. You can't expect to run a animal rescue and not incur these expenses. Not every person can be their own veterinarian or their own dog trainer. It is not possible and highly NOT recommended. Animals need PROPER care and training!

If you want to start a animal rescue please do your research and please have a support network. You cannot run a animal rescue by yourself. You need a very supportive family, group of friends or even a group of reliable volunteers to help you be it a small-scale or large-scale animal rescue . You need to network with fellow animal rescues so you never get overwhelmed and possibly have a place to transfer a animal your rescue maybe not be able to support for whatever reason. 

Think before taking action. No matter how much you love animals, you cannot keep or save every animal that comes through your rescue. You need to find homes for the animals or unfortunately euthanize animals whom are in severe, constant pain with no relief in site, have extreme aggression issues that cannot be resolved with proper training (attacking humans on more then one occasion or killing animals ruthlessly) or dying. 

If you want to start a rescue be my guest but please know what your getting yourself into. You cannot be a one man/woman army taking on the world to save animals. If starting a animal rescue sounds to much to handle there are plenty of others out there that would be more then happy to take you in as a volunteer =) 

Veterinarian Care For Less

So you want to cut down on your pet's medical costs without going for broke? Here are some tips:

1. Prevention is key. Keep your pet well-fed, up-to-date on shots, spayed/neutered, flea/tick free, well exercised and out of dangerous situations will help reduce literally a lifetime of expensive medical bills 

2. Develop a relationship with your veterinarian. Go in for routine care and your veterinarian will have a overall health picture of your pet hence diagnosing and treating illnesses will make it easier for your veterinarian which in turn means big savings for you with a quicker diagnosis. If you have a good relationship with your veterinarian and their staff, the financial people will more likely help you with making pay arrangements or refer you to someone who may help you with financial burdens from expensive surgeries or other major treatments.

3. If you live near a veterinary school you could possibly get free or low-cost care for your pet there especially if your pet has a serious health problem.

4. Keep your pet away from poisonous things!

5.  Pet insurance. Yes it's out there but please do your research and always read the fine print. Pet insurance can cover things such as x-rays, surgery, hospital stays and lab fees. For additional premiums and the such routine car such as annual physical checkups, vaccinations, heartworm and flea/tick control medications, spay or neuter surgery and teeth cleaning can even get coverage.

http://www.petinsurance.com/

6. Your local pet shelter/rescue may offer low-cost or even free spay/neuter clinics and routine vaccinations and even micro-chipping. So definitely check them out!

7.  Check out Complementary and Alternative Veterinary Medicine Websites if interested in low-cost, homeopathic and herbal remedies pet healthcare:

http://www.altvetmed.org/

https://www.avma.org/Pages/home.aspx

Always check with your veterinarian or a registered/licensed holistic veterinarian before trying any sort of home remedy or alternative treatment!