• Finding the best veterinarian for your dog;
• The dangers of electric shock; and
• This heartwarming story about a girl who saved a dog.

Woof!

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Here’s an uplifting story about my greyhound hero, and here’s a somber story about more greyhounds in desperate need of help.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

It took about two hours for Greta to worm her way into my heart after I adopted her. And although there have been challenges along the way, I could not imagine my life without her.

As more and more greyhound racetracks are closing (hallelujah!), that means there are that many more greys that need forever homes.

Here’s a great article on getting a greyhound in the white house.

Or your house.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

The American Mutt-i-grees Club, founded by Pet Savers Foundation, wants to spread the word that mutts are people  dogs too!

The American Mutt-i-grees Club is all about change and choice:

Changing how mixed-breed dogs are regarded, by celebrating the unique
characteristics of each one of them, and helping people make the right
choice – the choice to adopt mixed-breed puppies and adult dogs at shelters across America.

No To Puppy Mills
When you adopt a Mutt-i-gree from a shelter, your choice also says “No” – no to buying a puppy in a pet store that’s supplied by the unbelievably cruel
trade of the purebred puppy mills and irresponsible backyard breeders. If
these puppy mills are stopped from bringing millions of puppies into the
world, millions of puppies and adult dogs being euthanized each year might
be saved.

Three out of every four shelter dogs are mixed-breed, and for many
Mutt-i-grees, their lives end before they begin. Make a difference and save a mutt!

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Two years ago today, my husband and I rescued Greta, and our lives have never been the same since. Sure, it was hard in the beginning–after all, she was a puppy with no experiences outside of living in a wire crate 23 hours a day.

Slowly, she learned how to relax and live in a home. Although she readily accepted me as her Alpha, it took her a bit longer to understand the hierarchy of the home (me, husband, cats, her).

Now, she fits right in and not a day goes by that she doesn’t make me laugh due to her silly antics.

This year, I decided to commemorate our anniversary with a cute photo frame I found online at Pearhead.com.

The frame is called Pawprints, and it allows pet owners to create an impression of their pet’s paw, which is displayed on one side of the frame, with a photo on the other.

Pawprints includes everything necessary for assembly, including an elegant pine shadow-box frame, acid-free picture mats, acid-free background boards, non-toxic/air-drying impression material, a wooden rolling pin, shaping ruler and double-sided tape.

Mine should be here any day. Get yours here.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

This Thursday marks seven years since 9/11.

By now, the dust has long settled, the area that once housed the Twin Towers has been transformed, and those who sifted through the rubble have moved on.

While there’s no doubt that the emotional effects of the rescue work still linger, for some of the rescuers, physical issues are also present.

But not so for the four-footed search dogs, who possess no long term side effects from their dangerous, heroic work.

The New York City Police Department dogs who were deployed to the site after the attack were studied for five years and currently show no long term health effects, this according to the July issue of the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association.

Although many human rescuers continue to suffer from increased rates of illness and severity of symptoms related to respiratory tract disease, the 27 dogs observed in the study do not have the same issues.

The dogs were exposed to the same smoke, dust and toxins as their human counterparts, but researchers think the difference lies in the lung defense mechanisms in the dogs.

I guess that’s the silver lining.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Back when I was looking into rescuing a dog, I stumbled across a local organization that helps place Golden Retrievers in homes. That group, Homeward Bound Golden Retriever Rescue and Sanctuary, Inc., is an all-volunteer, 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with the mission of securing safe, loving homes for displaced or homeless Golden Retrievers. They receive Golden Retrievers from owners who can no longer care for them because of changing circumstances in their lives, and they also maintain close working relationships with animal shelters in Sacramento, Sutter, Placer, El Dorado and surrounding counties to ensure that Goldens are relinquished to them prior to being euthanized. They even rescue Golden Retrievers found wandering the streets or reported to them by concerned neighbors. They rescue Goldens of all ages, and even mixed Goldens on occasion.

A secondary mission of Homeward Bound Golden Retriever Rescue and Sanctuary, Inc. is the procurement of suitable land, either donated or otherwise, for the purpose of constructing a facility to house as many as 25 golden retrievers at any one time, with a permanent caregiver in residence. We need the capability to provide housing for the overflow of Goldens that have been rescued but not yet adopted, and to provide long-term care for those Goldens with special needs (i.e. blind; amputee; etc.).

Given the fact that they are rescuing an average of 350-400 dogs each year, the need for a sanctuary is quite evident. However, it cannot come at the expense of our basic rescue activities, as their financial resources are first and foremost allocated to the healing of the physical and psychological wounds of the rescued Goldens. Any surplus, or excess funds, will be reserved for sanctuary operations.

That’s where the Kibble & Bids annual fundraiser comes in. With the support of sponsors, attendees, participating wineries, breweries, restaurants, and auction donors, the groups has netted $110,000 for the organization last year. All proceeds were devoted to veterinary services for the dogs, continued maintenance and improvements to the adoption center and sanctuary, including the extensive kennel remodel and equipment/storage garage.

Last year Homeward Bound rescued a record 561 dogs, almost double the number in 2006 (288), and incurred a whopping $305,263 in veterinary expenses. You name it, they do it: heartworm therapy, chemotherapy, hip replacements, knee surgery, spaying, neutering, hospitalization, dental work, shots, eye surgery, dermatology, and the list goes on. From intake to evaluation to placement, every aspect of rescue and adoption is done solely by volunteers and donations.

Kibble & Bids 2008 is Saturday, September 6th at The Riverwood Estate in Sacramento. Tickets are $55 per person in advance and $65 at the door. For more information, or to purchase tickets, click here.

Please also note that for the month of September, I will be blogging here only once per week, every Tuesday. If you miss me, be sure to stop by DailyEatsOnline, PetSavvy, SavvyCooking, and SavvyHalloween, where I will also be blogging once per week this month. See you there!

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

It’s not often that something free has the potential to save a loved one’s life. But leave it to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals to come up with something!

Click here to sign up for a sticker that lets people who need to know (firefighters, police, rescue workers, etc.) know pets are in your home. Place the sticker in a visible place and be sure to include the types and number of pets in your household, the name of your veterinarian and your veterinarian’s phone number.

For more disaster preparedness tips, click here.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

The recently released Dog Heroes of September 11th is the first major publication to salute the canines that served the nation in the recovery missions following the terrorists’ attacks on America. The book provides an excellent overview of the mission and requirements of these search and rescue dogs and serves as a lasting tribute to these noble American heroes.

In addition to purchasing the book, there’s another way to recognize four-legged heroes. Nutro Natural Choice dog food is sponsoring a contest to elect a canine search team to represent the face of the Natural Choice Brand.

The candidates are:

Annie, a Yellow Lab who came to Search Dog Foundation and was eventually paired with firefighter Shani Richeson with the Sacramento Metro Fire Department in November 2007.

Mace, s Yellow Lab from Fremont, California, who was found tied him to a railroad track, sprayed with mace and left to die. He was found and taken to an animal shelter, where he was scheduled to be euthanized. Mace was rescued by one of SDF’s firefighters and renamed Ace. By the end of six months of training, he was partnered with Teresa Ortenberger with California Task Force 7. Teresa and Ace eventually achieved FEMA Certification together. In September of 2005 they were deployed to Hurricane Katrina.

Rob Cima, a fellow SDF handler and Assistant Fire Chief with El Dorado County Fire near Sacramento, lost his Search Dog Harley to cancer in November of 2006. Teresa had two certified dogs (Ace and Remi), and out of respect and admiration for Rob, decided to give Ace to him. They were an excellent match, and in March of 2007, Rob and Ace achieved FEMA Advanced Certification.

Jester, an Aussie-border collie mix, is now paired with Davis Doty of Yorba Linda, CA, working with California Task Force 5 in Orange County. They are currently training for FEMA Certification.

Cast your vote here.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

While doing research for a story I’m working on, I discovered that people who love dogs have a lot of career options that can include day to day interaction with four-legged friends.

Beyond the obvious career choices, such as veterinarian, vet technician, alternative medicine vet, research vet, animal behaviorist, pet therapist, trainer, pet sitter, groomer, day care provider, kennel operator and dog walker/runner, there are many other options.

You can put your creative talents to good use as a pet product maker/seller, or to open up a doggie boutique in your town.

Among the more spotlight-driven doggie careers are dog handler, show judge and breeder, while behind the camera’s lens there are also dog photographers.

Public service canine-related jobs include rescue organization worker/non-profit worker, City/Country Animal Control work, animal cop, and search and rescue team.

So if you want your career to go to the dogs, it looks like you’ll be in good company!

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.