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Posted by David on May 29th, 2009
Posted by David on May 25th, 2009
 Having trouble deciding whether to purchase pet insurance? Not sure which plan or provider is best for you? Choosing pet insurance should be evaluated much like choosing insurance for yourself, here are a few questions to consider…
- How does each policy handle preexisting conditions?
- How many repeat vet visits for similar treatments are covered?
- What about inherent diseases and anticipated conditions?
- What are the policy coverage options and claim processing turn around times?
For a complete guide to selecting pet insurance go to woofreport.com
Pet Health and Safety | No Comments »
Posted by David on May 22nd, 2009
Posted by David on May 12th, 2009
 Fighting like Cats and Dogs? Actually, dogs and cats can really get along! Science has even proven it. Researchers who studied the relationships of cats and dogs living with humans, published their findings in Applied Animal Behaviour Science. According to the study, cats and dogs are more than adept at reading each other signals and dogs will even adapt their own greeting behavior to accommodate the cats in the house. When encountering each other, cats tend to sniff nose to nose while dogs prefer a nose to tail sniff. When cats and dogs live together the nose sniff becomes the universal greeting. Read more about this interesting study at examiner.com
Raising Your Pet | No Comments »
Posted by David on May 12th, 2009
 Moving can be an incredibly stressful event for you and your family. Often, we’re so wrapped up in the stress we’re feeling that we forget that this is a difficult time for our pets, too!
Pets are truly creatures of habit, and change can be very scary and unsettling for them. In addition, pets are extremely sensitive to our moods and emotions, and they are affected by all the upheaval going on inside us before a move worry about getting everything done in time, concerns about finances, fears about adjusting to a new job or a new city, sadness at saying goodbye to your old home or your friends and family…all of these things we feel are picked up by our pets, too. Then, when we pack, all they know is that not only are we upset or excited, but everything familiar to them is disappearing, too.
There are ways to ease the transition, though. First, try to maintain your pets’ normal routine as much as possible. Make sure your pets are getting enough exercise during this period remember, a tired pet is a well-adjusted, happy pet. A good, long walk or hike can do wonders for your pets’ stress levels (and yours, too!). Here are some other tips for a safe and = successful move with your pets:
Before you move:
- Find out your new city or county’s pet licensing requirements and apply for a license
- Before you pack, make a set of photocopies of your pets’ license, microchip documentation, and proof of spay/neuter and vaccines. Keep them in an envelope in your glove compartment, or in your carry-on luggage, if you’re traveling by airplane. Also keep a recent photo of your pets, in case they get lost.
- Have a new tag made for each of your pets, and attach them to their collars. Even if you don’t have a new home phone number yet, put your cell phone number or the number of a close family member on the tag. If your pet should get lost during the move, it is crucial that whoever finds him can reach somebody right away.
- Take a few minutes to locate the closest 24-hour emergency vet clinic to your new home. Any veterinary office in your new town should be able to give you this information. Print out a map and directions from your new home to the emergency vet and keep a copy in the glove compartment of all family cars. Tuck a copy into your wallet, too. Make sure you do this before you move, since you may not have phone or internet access when you first arrive—trust us, emergencies can and do occur any time. The last thing you want to do if your pet needs help is to scramble to figure out where to take him or her!
- If your pet has a microchip, call the microchip company and update your contact information.
- Pack pets’ food, dishes, and other important belongings in boxes that will be easily accessible right away, and label them clearly!
Getting Along with Your Pet, Household Tips, Traveling With Pets | 1 Comment »
Posted by Abbie on May 6th, 2009
Today, the world’s oldest dog turns 21. Chanel, a dachshund who lives with her owner on Long Island, NY, wears goggles to protect her cataracts and long ago faded from red to grey. She still is a much-beloved family member, though, treasured every bit as much today as she was when she was adopted from a shelter in Virginia as a puppy.
Every dog should be as lucky as Chanel. In an idea world, all dogs would have a warm, safe home in which to grow old. All dogs would have a loving family to take care of them in their later years. Unfortunately, through a variety of circumstances, many senior dogs end up in the animal shelter. Sometimes their owners, also elderly, must move to a care facility that doesn’t accept pets. Sometimes, owners can no longer afford to care for a dog that needs age-related medical procedures or medication. Sadly, in some cases the owners simply want a newer, younger dog. It’s tragic, but true.
In honor of Chanel, let’s make today Adopt a Senior Dog Day! Seniors make wonderful companions and they have so much love to give. Please go to the “Search Dog” page, enter in your zip code, and select “senior” from the age menu. Find a wonderful senior dog in your area. If you can’t adopt that sweetheart yourself, post a link to the dog’s information page on Facebook, Twitter him/her out to your followers, or simply email a link to all your friends. Let’s get those beautiful seniors out of the shelter and into the loving homes they so richly deserve!
Adopting A New Pet, Pet Heroes | No Comments »
Posted by David on May 5th, 2009
 Almost every single rescue group and every shelter charges an adoption fee, and each group sets their own fee. Rescuing pets is expensive work! The rescuer often pays to have the pets spayed or neutered if they aren’t already, provides vaccines, and pays for all medical care needed while the pets are in their rescue. Some rescuers don’t have a facility and run out of foster homes, so they must pay to have the pets boarded while they try to find them homes. Food, beds, leashes, collars, tags, grooming…it all adds up.
If the rescuer took a pet out of the animal shelter, they have paid the shelter’s adoption fees. Even with adoption fees, rescuers are often thousands of dollars in debt to veterinarians. So, PLEASE don’t feel like you’re being taken advantage of if you’re asked for an adoption fee. Nobody (at least nobody reputable) is making money off these pets!
Most rescue groups’ fees tend to be higher than the fees public shelters charge, due to the vast amount of money these groups spend on caring for the orphaned animals. So, if you’d like to spend as little as possible, consider visiting your local public animal shelter!
Adopting A New Pet | No Comments »
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Welcome back for another week’s addition of Good News In Pet Adoption. This week lots of positive stories have emerged. Highlights included, two college students raising money with twitter to save a Dog’s life, Vets teaming up with shelters to offer pets care, and how an adopted pet named Boo helped his owner get help after a icy fall.
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Promote Pet Adoption & Save Lives.