It’s bad enough to go on vacation with your family and come home to find your home has been broken in to. Now imagine that the robbers also harm your pets before or after they take all of your worldly possessions.

That’s exactly what happened to a family in the Salt Lake City area earlier this month.

Salt Lake County Sheriff’s deputies say robbers broke into a Riverton home while the family was on vacation.  When they got home, the owners found their 13-pound dog, Ranger, in a pool of blood. Ranger had been severely beaten and had a fractured skull.

The Humane Society of Utah stepped in to offer a $5,000 reward to anyone with information on the crime (anyone with information about the incident is directed to call HSU Chief Investigator John Paul Fox at 261-2919, ext. 210).

In addition, the Animal Advocacy Alliance of Utah is also offering a $2,000 reward, and there’s also a fund to help pay for Ranger’s medical bills.  Those wanting to help with Ranger’s hospital bills can donate to the “Ranger Fund” c/o the Humane Society of Utah, P.O. Box 573659, Salt Lake City, UT 84157, or at the Humane Society offices at 4242 S. 300 West, Murray.

Ranger has since returned home and is expected to make a recovery, but unfortunately the robbers are still at large.

• Family Summer Vacations Needed For the last couple years now the idea of going on a summer "staycation," not a vacation, has been all the rage. Bloggers across the frugal landscape touted the financial benefits of staying put, becoming a tourist in your own town, or spending a week working around the house. I......
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Fast forward three years, and our greyhound, Greta, has, at the age of three and a half, become a welcome, if not comical, addition to our family. So it only seemed fitting that when we considered another venture up to Mendocino, we decided to take her along for the ride.

The original room we stayed in at MacCallum house, the Gazebo Playhouse, was quite charming and perfect for my husband and myself, but I knew that adding a dog crate and 60-pound pooch to the mix would turn the cozy quarters into a cramped jail cell.  

I finally decided that the best option for everyone was the Bug’s Ear, a stand-alone cottage about a mile away from MacCallum that offered a bit more privacy and much-needed space.

We hit the road on an early August weekday, and as Greta is not very fond of car rides, she was up and down and panting for the majority of the four-hour ride.

We arrived in Mendocino too early to check in, and I was dismayed to find that not one merchant in all of the small town had a dish of water out for a thirsty dog. Finally, we had to resort to begging for some tap water at a local cafe. (I did bring Greta’s dishes and water for the ride, but she is very particular about when she will and won’t drink from a dish, and in a car, moving or not, she won’t.)

Once we got some liquid in Greta and were able to check in, we set up her crate and she was finally able to get some rest.

The next morning, we took Greta to the beach, where she splashed and frolicked in the surf.

We had to keep her on leash, not only because she’s a greyhound, but also because the beach didn’t allow off leash dogs. (We heard there is a beach in Fort Bragg that allows dogs off leash, but we didn’t feel the need to make the 10-mile drive to check it out.)

The MacCallum house charges an extra $30 per night for pets, and they did provide us with a dog bed, blanket, and a few waste bags and treats. They also provided food and water dishes, although they would have been better suited for cats or very small dogs, so I’m glad I brought our large dishes from home. We also could have splurged on the Tail Wagger’s Club Basket (see photo below), but at $85, I decided to pass (since we were already paying an extra $60 for the two-night stay).

Other than a small coffee shop that had outdoor seating, there didn’t seem to be too many places in downtown Mendocino to dine with Greta in tow. We opted to pick up food and take it back to the cottage for lunch during the full day we were there. As breakfast was included with our stay, we did crate Greta both mornings while we ate, and we did the same for the two evenings we dined in town.

I’m glad we went, but next time I think we will stay closer to home and choose a place that’s more dog friendly. We did see a few dogs here and there during our stay, some large and some small, but in all, I was surprised that Mendocino didn’t have a more welcoming mat out for canines and their human travel companions.

• Improving Your Swimming Kick for Faster Swimming The most effective stroke for people in a triathlon is the overhand crawl. This is a style which is also known as freestyle. The swimming kick used for this stroke is very important to your performance. It is also the most undertrained part of most people’s stroke. It is taken......
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My husband and I are planning a couple of short vacations in the next few weeks, both of which we’re bringing our greyhound, Greta, on, and one of which we’re also bringing my mother in law on.

For that trip, the four of us will be crammedcarefully placed in our mid-size car, which will also be packed to the gills with vacation paraphernalia.

Among the many accouterments Greta will need: collapsible crate, crate pad, bed, bowls, food (both dry and canned pumpkin, organic yogurt), poop bags, toys, blanket and extra towels for dirty paws.

When I started going through the list of things we had to bring for Greta alone, my husband looked at me and said, “Man, this is like taking a kid on vacation!”

I guess he expected we would be able to deflate Greta, fold her up, pack her in the trunk, then, when we arrived at our destination, blow her back up?

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If you live, work or play anywhere within driving distance of Imperial Beach, Calif., head there this Saturday, June 28, for the Loews Coronado Bay Resort Surf Dog Competition, the nation’s original surfing competition for Fido.

Last year, 47 dogs hit the waves and more than 1,000 spectators watched the events, and more than $10,000 was raised for Loews Coronado Bay Resort’s Good Neighbor Council.

Event Schedule

• 9:30 - 10:30 a.m. Optional surfing lessons by the Coronado Surfing Academy for less experienced canines
• 11 - 11:45 a.m. Heat One: Small Dogs (40 pounds and under)
• 11:45 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Heat Two: Large Dogs (41 pounds and over
• 12:30 - 1:30 p.m. Heat Three: Tandem Surfing for Dogs & Owners
• 1:30 - 1:45 p.m. Furry fashion show
• 1:45 - 2 p.m. Award ceremony

Each dog and team will have three waves (or chances) to impress the judges and will be scored on confidence level, length of ride and overall ability.

Prizes:
The first place winner of each heat will score a ton of great prizes, including a getaway at Loews Coronado Bay Resort and a feature in Modern Dog magazine.

At this San Diego dog surfing event, canines, owners and spectators can enjoy puppy portraits, mutt massages, goody bags and a variety of burgers, dogs and snacks prepared by the chefs of Loews.

All proceeds benefit Loews Coronado Bay Resort’s Good Neighbor Council.

Competition Fees:
$45 for Heats One or Two, $50 for Heat Three (if registered by June 27).

Attendance is free.

Each registered dog will receive a goody bag filled with tons of great prizes, including a competition medal. Goody bags are limited and only guaranteed for dogs registered by June 27.

Click here to register.

For more information, click here.

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When you hit the road with your furry friend, it’s important to have a first aid kit handy for minor emergencies.

Gather the following items together and store them in a lunch box or any other durable container you’d like. Toss it in your car, and whola!

You’ll need:

A muzzle (or a 2-foot-long strip of cloth)
Latex gloves
Tweezers
Tick removal tweezers
Cotton balls
Gauze pads, squares and rolls
Disinfectant (Hibitane works, but might be hard to find, so ask your vet for a product recommendation)
Wound cream (try CanineAid)
Saline solution
Bulb syringe or small turkey baster
Antibacterial wipes
Paw cream (Bag Balm is wonderful)

Also keep your vet’s phone number handy, as well as the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Hotline at (888) 426-4435.

Other items that might come in handy include an old blanket or a few old towels, an extra leash, a rectal thermometer and petroleum jelly, hydrogen peroxide and antihistamine.

(Be sure to consult a veterinarian before giving your dog any medications such as antihistamines or using hydrogen peroxide to induce vomiting–and don’t use hydrogen peroxide to clean Fido’s wounds).

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If you’re like me, the idea of vacation is exciting, but the thought of leaving my dog behind makes me sad. Thanks to the Internet, I may not have to anymore, and I can still stay somewhere that’s like home away from home.

I have a friend who has successfully gone on numerous house-swapping vacations to Europe while her swapees stay at her home in San Diego.

Given the right circumstanced, I could see this working for us as well. Not to Europe, mind you, but maybe to the coast.

I plan to investigate this site, mainly because I’ve found Greyhound to be a bit different than the average dog (mine is afraid of hardwood floors, for example), but there are also sites like this one that I find intriguing. And if you want to stay in hotels, check out Fido Friendly magazine.

After watching the film The Holiday, I am also more open to the concept, especially if I can get a home like one of the two in the film.

City or country, near of far, when it comes to vacations with your pooch, it’s nice to know you don’t have to choose one or the other.

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Summer’s almost here and there’s no better time to take a vacation with your pooch. Traveling with your dog can be a great way to relax and enjoy your vacation, so long as you’re prepared for the expected as well as the unexpected.

First, be sure the place you’re staying allows pets, and adhere to their rules.

Be sure your heater (in winter) and air conditioner (in summer) are functioning properly in your vehicle. Bring water for your dog, have your dog safely contained in your car, and never leave your dog in your car alone.

If you know your dog will jump on the furniture and bed, bring a couple of sheets to use as ‘cover-slips’ during your stay.
 
Check ahead for daycare and pet sitters, as well as vets in the area you’ll be staying. Many pet-friendly hotels do not allow you to leave your pet unattended for any reason, whether or not it’s in a crate.

Bring your dog’s health record with you on the road. Remember the first aid kit.

And remember to bring the comforts of home–lots of toys, treats, water, food, a dog bed and blanket, dishes, etc. to make the stay a happy one.

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You know what I’m talking about…the collar that’s more of a cone, and makes your dog look like a crazy drunk party-goer who took a lampshade and decided it would make a nice upside down hat.

Fortunately, Greta has only had to wear her “Elizabethan collar”, as the vets so kindly describe it, once. Oh, it’s not a pretty story, and I will share it in a day or two, but the gist is she was bit by another dog at the dog park, and she wound up with a drain and several stitches, and the lovely collar.

And, of course, it happened the day before we were heading to Lake Tahoe for vacation, so here is a pic of Greta’s first experience with Lake Tahoe.

(That’s Greta on the left, fyi.)

All in all, she was a good sport about the whole thing, up until the day before she was supposed to get her sticthes out, when she got all excited and decided to do it herself. That got her a few more days with the E-collar.

Since then, I’ve done some research, and think I may get one of these or these to have on hand just in case.

Hopefully I’ll never need it!

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