Today is World Spay Day!

Today marks the 20th World Spay Day, an annual campaign of The Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society International that shines a spotlight on spay/neuter as a way to save the lives of companion animals, community (feral and stray) cats, and street dogs who might otherwise be put down in a shelter or killed on the street. Getting your pet spayed or neutered can reduce the number of homeless pets killed, improve your pet's health, reduce some undesirable behaviors, and save on the costs of pet care. Maybe you already knew that, but many people don't know about the benefits of spay/neuter. Visit this link for more information on how to celebrate the day, and why it is important.

http://action.humanesociety.org/site/MessageViewer?em_id=82221.0&dlv_id=83501

Why I'm boycotting the Olympics

Let me just rant for a bit here, okay? Anyone who knows me knows I am an animal lover and animal welfare advocate. So my rant shouldn't surprise anyone. Here the government of the city of Sochi, Russia is hiring a company to "exterminate" strays roaming around because they don't want the appearance of strays or the concerns strays might present with the Olympics about to unfold. By the way, there is a petition circulating here http://www.thepetitionsite.com/972/019/713/2000-street-dogs-and-cats-will-be-killed-for-the-olympic-games-in-sochi-in-2014/ for people to sign to try stopping this, and it will be forwarded to president Vladimir Putin. This action is one of the most appalling and abhorrent things I've seen in some time. If the Russian government is so concerned about its image, I would think it would have some of the more important things in order for the games and those there to participate in and cover the event.

I am talking about hotels that aren't finished and rooms that aren't ready to go; brown water that comes out of the faucets; toilets where you're unable to flush toilet paper down and instead have to put the used paper in a stand-alone receptacle; manholes on the sidewalks that don't all have covers on them; and so on. The Russian powers that be have had 5 years and spent between $51 and $53 million dollars on this event and with all this yet to do and the news reports and tweets going out all over the place from people experiencing these conditions, they're instead worried about rounding up and killing stray dogs and cats. RIDICULOUS and HIGHLY SHAMEFUL!!

No disrespect to the athletes who have trained so hard for this moment, but with all this going on, coupled with Russia's well-publicized stance on human rights, gay rights, animal rights, and environmental issues, I will be boycotting the games and encourage others to do the same, especially if you care about these issues.

Keeping pets safe during Halloween

Did you know that besides the 4th of July, Halloween is the time of year that more dogs are lost? Here are some tips we want to share to help keep you and your dog safe.

Chocolate, raisins and artificial sweeteners are toxic to dogs
Make sure your stash of treats is out of reach of your dogs.

...

Secure your dog before opening the door for trick-or-treaters
Just the number of times the doorbell rings can cause emotions from fear, over-protectiveness and aggressiveness

Costumes can scare your dog
Even if your dog knows a person in normal clothing, a costume can be an entirely different story. If you sense any fear or apprehension in your dog do not let the person approach. This is made easier because you have your dog on a leash, right? Now if your dog is wearing a costume and is uncomfortable with it, he may act out with others, so again, keep him under control. If you are going door to door in your neighborhood, be careful of their dogs as well.

Unfortunately, the reality is that there are people (OK, let me say MONSTERS - may they burn in hell!) who kill and abuse dogs out there and on Halloween black dogs and cats are prime targets. I don’t want to be an alarmist but this is the reality.

So remember these tips and use them. With a little bit of preparation, awareness and caution, you can keep your dogs, your family and neighbors safe and enjoy all the fun of Halloween!

 

Here are links to additional tips to keep your dogs (and cats) safe at Halloween time.

 

http://dogs.about.com/od/caringfordogsandpuppies/qt/halloweensafety.htm?nl=1

http://vetmedicine.about.com/library/weekly/aa102303a.htm

http://cats.about.com/od/catsafety/a/SafeHalloween.htm?nl=1

Please help this dog receive life-saving heart surgery

http://www.animalleague.org/support/support-rescue-medical-programs/help-me-heal/animals/cordelia.html

Eight home remedies for pets gone wrong

Sometimes, a pet owner's best intentions, coupled with a disregard for modern veterinary medicine, combine to produce a spectacularly bad medical crisis - like the eight unfortunate scenarios in this article... http://shine.yahoo.com/pets/8-home-remedies-gone-wrong-142000383.html.

Keep your pets safe from natural toxins

An apple a day keeps the doctor away -- unless you're a dog or cat, in which case a crunchy Golden Delicious can prove poisonous! Lots of "people food" and pretty plants can have harmful, even fatal effects on our furry friends. Keep them safe with this checklist of natural toxins; you might be surprised at what you find. Click here to find out more: http://shine.yahoo.com/pets/keep-your-pets-safe-from-harmful-natural-toxins.html. And if your pet does get into something potentially poisonous - natural or otherwise - the ASPCA runs an animal poison control center that can be reached 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. If you think that your pet may have ingested a potentially poisonous substance, call toll-free (888) 426-4435. A $65 consultation fee may be applied to your credit card, but it is well worth it in the event of an emergency. You can also find out loads of good information on how to protect your pets from harmful substances by visiting their web site at http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/poison-control.

Happy holidays

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and Happy Kwanza. May the holiday season and its blessings fill you with love, peace and joy to last into the new year and beyond.