Why You Should Bring Your Pets Inside When It Is Cold Outside

*Sorry for the sad  and graphic photo but people seriously need to get this through their heads!

Just because a animal has fur does not mean they will stay warm. Once a pet's fur is wet and cannot dry it will freeze and eventually your pet will succumb to the elements. Does not matter if it is short fur or long fur the outcome is the same.....

If you must keep you pet outside for whatever reason here are some tips:

Provide shelter. 

A store-bought dog house or homemade one will due but make sure it has the following:

-Make sure the opening/doorway of your dog house is facing south due to the fact that the coldest air and wind usually come from the north and northeast during winter.

-Have some sort of flap for the dog to go in and out of to help block cold drafts and snow or sleet.  

-Check every few days to make sure bedding is clean and dry be it wood shavings, straw, hay or any material that can't be packed down easily. Avoid blankets, rugs or newspaper.

-Consider letting your dog have access to a garage or outdoor shed to keep warm and sleep is the weather gets to nasty.

-Make sure your dog house is well insulated, airtight and free of drafts. Use sealants if necessary to close up all cracks and holes.

-Make sure dog house is correct size for the size of your dog. Th size of your dog house should allow your dog to sit up completely up and stretch out when lying down.

-Make sure the dog house is elevated and not sitting directly on the cold ground .i.e have the dog house sitting on top of a pallet or thick rubber mat.

-Do not chain your dog outside period! Your dog could get tangled up and not have access to the dog house.

Provide fresh, clean, unfrozen water daily.

If it is cold enough outside for water to freeze consider having a heated dog bowl to keep the water ice free. None the less however physically go outside and check to make sure your pet has fresh, clean unfrozen water 2-3 times a day.

Provide extra food and calories.

Feed your outside pet more food or food with high protein and fat content. Feed twice daily at least.

Bring your pet inside.

If it is below 32 degrees or to cold for even your standards just do the humane thing and please bring your pet inside or at least let them have access to a heated garage or outdoor shed/barn. 

Please share and spread the word! To anyone and everyone! 

Pet's Bill of Rights

If only more people could respect and be educated  about a pet's bill of rights.

Share.

Help Feral Cats

Spay and neuter your cat.

Find a organization/agency that helps feral cats.

Be a feral cat care taker for a organization/agency.
Socialize feral kittens.

Volunteer at a spay/neuter event for feral cats.

Build shelters for feral cats

Fundraising or write grants for feral cat organizations/agencies.

Educate others.

Donate to feral cat program funds.

Start a trap and release program.

 Trap feral cats in humane traps, have them spayed or neutered and release.

If you can catch a feral cat or kittens take them to a shelter/rescue.






Inexpensive Tips For Helping A Feral Cat Survive The Winter Months
http://pages-by-patty.hubpages.com/hub/Inexpensive-Tips-for-Helping-a-Feral-Cat-Survive-the-Winter-Months

How to Help Feral Cats: Step-by-Step Guide to Trap-Neuter/Spay-Return
http://www.alleycat.org/document.doc?id=461

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.)

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 =) 

How to Help Homeless Animals During the Holidays

Tis the Season To Be Giving ^_^

Things to do help homeless animals in need during the holidays.

1. Donate to your local shelter. Be it food, pet items, blankets or money. Most shelters have a wish list so look that up and see what the shelter needs the most.

2. Adopt a pet! Instead of buying a expensive puppy from a breeder check out the shelter first.

3. Have a pet food drive or start a pet food bank so there are no hungry pets this season.

4. Help a neighbor in need. Know someone on a fixed low-income that needs help caring for their pet? Give them a helping hand if you can.

5. Volunteer at a shelter and play with the dogs and cats. They sure would appreciate it.

6. Give a gift to a needy pet.

7. Donate online to larger, more extensive pet charities.

8. Buy items where part of the proceeds are donated to pet charities, shelters and rescues.

9. See a stray animal? Pick them up and take them to a no-kill shelter. It's better then leaving them out in the cold and in the streets.

10. Foster a pet. Shelters run out of room and often need foster homes for remaining pets. Also it's good for shelter pets to be in a home atmosphere.

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!

Pets and Cold Weather

It's that time of year where it's getting a bit to chilly for you and your pets  to venture outside for too long of a period of time. Here are some tips:

1. Just stay inside! If it's 32 degrees or lower your best bet for you and your pets is to stay indoors as much as possible. Stay warm and comfty. Your pets will love you for it!

2. Never let your dog venture outside without a leash! They could slip on ice, get lost in the snow or worst yet fall into a icy body of water =(  As for kitties  keep a watchful eye on them and don't let them wander to far or teach them to walk on a leash.

3. If you have a short hair dog or a small toy breed of dog consider a doggy coat or sweater and maybe booties although most dogs detest those things. I usually don't condone dressing your pup up but if it's cold outside go ahead and bundle up. Better safe then sorry.

4. Dry your pets off and wash their feet off after a day of outside of play. That way they won't chill and you get all that outside gunk like road salt, deicer or antifreeze off their delicate paws.

5. Don't leave your pets out in the cold for long periods of time unless you have proper, adequate shelter. A well-insulated barn or enclosed shed with some hay/blankets and little to no draft should be fine for your outdoor kitties. Some sort of well-insulated dog house elevated off the cold ground but closed off will work. Just make sure there is a blanket or some hay to help keep your pet warm. Basically keep your pet dry and out of any cold drafts.

6. Keep your pets healthy and well-fed. If necessary feed your outdoor pets extra high-protein food. If you see that your pet is not doing so well outdoors please bring them indoors and warm them up or keep them inside on very cold nights and days.

7. Check under the hood of your car for stray cats. Sometimes they will crawl up into your engine for warmth. So bang on your hood before starting your car just to make sure.

8. Don't use electric blankets with your pets unattended! They could get burnt or chew through the electrical cords.

Are No-Kill Shelters a Good Thing?

List of no-kill shelters. http://www.nokillnetwork.org/

Now I for one believe no pet should be euthanized unless they are sick and dying or have severe behavioral problems i.e aggression toward humans (especially children) and animals that can not be controlled no matter how much professional training and socializing you put that animal through.

However unfortunately the overpopulation of shelter animals far outnumbers people actually willing to give them homes. Not to mention what seems to be high instances of former shelter animals being returned to shelter environments do to unforeseen behavioral issues or people having problems in their life and are unable to commit to there pets.

I wish every single good-hearted responsible pet owner could give all these homeless pets homes but it's not happening now and I'm sorry but it never will.

People will continue to breed animals purebred and mutts alike for profit. People will continue to not spay and neuter their pets. People will continue to abandon their pets. People will continue to re-home their pets again and again. People will continue to abuse and leave animals for dead. When it comes to pets there are always going to be irresponsible, uneducated, money grubbing or just don't give a damn about a animal's life kind of people.

No amount of no-kill shelters will be able to save every single suffering animal in the world let alone the United States as a whole. Unfortunately thousands upon thousands of healthy, well behave pets will be put to sleep because a home could not be found due to shelters just being so overcrowded and not enough people.

Please. If you decide to get a pet it is a commitment for life. No matter what problems you have in your life you will always be responsible for the well being of that animal.

*Just because it's a no kill shelter does not mean a animal will necessarily remain at that specific shelter! Animals can be and are moved from shelter to shelter based on shelter capacities or just not enough donations to care for that specific animal. So if your thinking about dropping your pet off at a no-kill shelter there is no guarantee your pet will be safe from euthanasia. Sorry that is the reality.

Craigslist Pets: Get Lucky on Craigslist

I have a love, hate relationship with the craigslist pet section. I love it because this is how I found my little Milo =) I met the military wife/mother in a public park. She was very nice and told us why she couldn't keep him due to a move overseas. I kept her number to give her updates and she was sweet enough to mail me Milo's (Rex at that point and time) veterinary paperwork with proof of shots, microchip and neuter plus all the tags that came with it. This woman genuinely care about this puppy and I thank her for letting me give Milo a home. I did pay a fee nothing outrageous....$100...which frankly all his health paper work included I'm not complaining I'm lucky to have little Milo.

However unfortunately not all people on craigslist are has sweet and honest has this nice lady. A lot of people on craigslist simply want to make a profit by selling mutt dogs with no shots, under 8 weeks of age, not fixed, no veterinary care whatsoever other then maybe some dewormer for $300 or more. This is nuts!

I have heard horror stories of people buying puppies and then dying days later due to parvo or some other untreated illness. This is not right. These sort of people selling sick puppies do it to make money and could care less about the well-being of the dog or feelings of the person who has to go through the heart ache of seeing a dying puppy.
Then there is the dreaded "puppy flipper". These inconsiderate, low-lifes pick up puppies for cheap and then try to flip them for a profit. It's all about money and once again these people don't care about the well-being of the dog.

If your going to re-home your pet make sure they are up-to-date on shots and are fixed. Ask for a small re-homing fee of $150 or less. Never give your pet away for free!  There are some sick people out there who pick up free animals and just abuse them or use them as bait for dog fighting. Abide by craigslist rules about re-homing your pet otherwise you will get flagged continuously and relentlessly.

All in all craigslist is a iffy place to re-home your pet. Your better off going through a no-kill shelter or even a Facebook group made specifically for re-homing pets. If your going to buy a pet off craigslist do your research. If the person cannot provide veterinary paperwork then you are better off not buying from that person. Don't support these backyard breeders and puppy flippers! Please be careful and good luck  on your pet search.

If you can always try a registered non-profit animal shelter/rescue first. There are so many great shelter animals desperately in need of homes!