I just read something interesting online.
After buying a German Shepherd puppy from a breeder recently, Joe Biden has stated that he wants a second dog and will be adopting from a shelter this time.
Although this is certainly good news, it seems as though he wants to keep everyone happy. Too bad, he didn’t make a more powerful statement by adopting both of his dogs.
It will be interesting to see what happens next.
The weather is getting pretty cold here in IA already, but we received two more really nice testimonials regarding ThePetCheckup. That always warms our hearts!
From a repeat customer in TN:
ThePetCheckup has helped with early detection of infection on 2 separate occasions with my little Gracey. It is easy to use and the results log is a great additional tool for her vet.
And from a dog trainer and rescuer in CA:
This is such a great product. Being a trainer / behaviorist and rescue person I am always thrilled when a product is available that can mean a world of good for the pets and the people they love. ThePetCheckup gives me the info to make decisions on what to talk to my vet about and where my dog’s health is. Its so easy to use. I will be recommending this product to everyone I know.
There was some really wonderful news today cited on the Best Friends Animal Society homepage.
In a huge endorsement by the public, an upscale mall in Beverly Hills, CA announced that it will not be renewing the lease of Pet Love,a pet store that buys their dogs from puppy mills.
” Pet Love is to pet stores what FAO Schwarz is to toy stores, says Julie Castle, director of Best Friends Community Programs and Services.
Interesting to note that Best Friends was not trying to shut the store down, but to educate the owners that there was a more humane and responsible model to use. Apparently, the owners refused to listen, but the public did and expressed their indignation.
This is a great Christmas present for the animals.
I just watched a really funny, but extremely well done song about rescuing a feral cat.
Really well done. Check it out!!
Over the holiday weekend, I started hearing about a new program based in Jacksonville, FL to help out the feral cat population there. From just the preliminary info I have read so far, it looks like they are giving vaccinations and microchipping in addition to spay/neuter which is great.
The ferals in our program are not microchipped, but do get an FCRVP shot in addition to the spay/neuter surgery.
It is great to hear that communities are starting to address this problem. My experience in this area in southeast Iowa is that volunteers can only do so much. I think our town feels like they don’t have to address the situation since the volunteers are doing such a good job. But after several years, people are burned out and discouraged.
One thing I wonder about the program in Florida is if it encourages people to abandon their unfixed cats, since they know the city will pick them up and fix them.
We are hearing from more and more of our customers who are caregivers to a dog or cat with diabetes.
Animals that have a chronic health condition often have more compromised immune systems, so caregivers have to be even more alert for symtoms of secondary conditions developing.
With diabetes, infections are a common conditions that can develop: urinary tract infections, skin infections, and respiratory infections. If caught early, these conditions are very treatable.
Diabetic dogs and cats require close monitoring, and I look forward to the day when we can eliminate this disease, but it is heartwarming to hear how well many of these animals are doing.
With a cousin who passed away last year from complications of diabetes, I am very aware of how serious this disease can be.
My sister and Lily stayed with me last week on their cross country trek to San Diego. They will be staying there for the winter.
It was so much fun to have them here. Lily was originally adopted from Noah’s Ark Animal Shelter here in Fairfield in 1999. Her best friend at the shelter was another sweet, little dog named Shanti. Shanti lives with her people here in town. We brought the 2 dogs together for a reunion one morning. It was hard to tell if they remembered each other or not. They are both pretty shy and Lily especially bonds more with people than with dogs.
But the local paper came and took some pictures and an article appeared on the front page of the paper the following day highlighting the reunion between the 2 old friends.
Today Lily is taking in the Grand Canyon and will be arriving in San Diego on Saturday for her warm winter retreat. I am looking forward to hearing about the dynamic duo’s continuing adventures!!
The news about dog and cats and other pets being surrendered in these tough economic times keeps getting worse.
Many dogs and cats are being surrendered to shelters that are already full and crowded. I can’t imagine what it would take to have to give up an animal. And I can’t imagine what it would be like for an animal to suddenly find itself abandoned in a shelter.
I have been at my shelter when an owner has brought in an animal and I will never forget how frightened and confused they are.
That is one reason why I work so hard on spay/neuter programs as I know it is the best solution that we have to help animals find forever homes. Big fix campaigns are going to be in need of donations more than ever in the coming months and, hopefully, people will respond to the need.
Another very cool benefit I receive from being involved with ThePetCheckup is talking with some pretty amazing people who are doing great things for the animals.
One person I have met through our respective websites is Laurie Kaplan who wrote a book called Help your dog fight cancer: What every caregiver should know about canine cancer.
Laurie also started The Magic Bullet Fund to provide financial assistance to people who are caring for dogs who have been diagnosed with cancer.
Check out the website at http://www.themagicbulletfund.org/ and maybe you will be inspired to help in some way.
I know veterinary care is getting costly, but the cost of Lily’s recent trip to the vet ER was still pretty shocking.
Like me, I know there are many people out there who will do whatever it takes to keep our animal companions healthy, but I wonder how others can manage when their animals become sick. Even basic routine care is getting so expensive.
Actually, it makes me feel even more proud of ThePetCheckup, our preventative health care product for dogs and cats. It is used in addition to routine veterinary care and is not a diagnostic product, but more and more people are now understanding how important it is to catch problems before they have a chance to develop into something more serious.
Being a loving animal caregiver is, unfortunately, not a reprieve from dealing with dog and cat illnesses…so many of our customers tell me of difficult situations they have been through with their animals. Sometimes it seems that animals must pick their people knowing they will hang in with them through the difficult times as well as the good times. Our customers are really fantastic and I am really happy that I can support them in caring for their furry loved ones.
