Search Results for: blog where to go for spayingneutering your pets

Unusual Pet Products

On a recent MSN list of “unusual ways to make a buck,” 5 of the 21 items on the list were about pets.  That doesn’t seem like that many, but it’s the largest single category on the list.  The pet inventions are Pet Rocks, Doggles, Petite Amande, Pet Butler, and Neuticles.  Given the age of that first item, it doesn’t require much explanation; we all know what it is. Let’s look at the other pet products on the list in increasing order of ridiculousness.  That means Pet Butler is up next.  It might seem crazy – a butler for your … Continue reading →

Other Man vs. Animal Double Standards

I covered the double standard of euthanasia as it applies to man vs. animal, but there are other double standards, too. Spaying and Neutering I believe “castration” is the term used for humans. The practice has been used for centuries for everything from medical purposes to warfare strategies against opposing armies. And, yes, even on occasion for population control. But the later especially drew criticism and cries of “Foul!” when discovered. With animals though? Heck, even Aimee and I advocate the owner responsibility of spaying and neutering your pet. There are all sorts of reasons why it’s so important, but … Continue reading →

National Pet Cancer Awareness Month: What You Should Know

November is National Pet Cancer Awareness Month, which is a subject near and dear to my heart because Budly had cancer. In his case, we detected it far too late to even attempt treatments. (By the time we did find it he was suffering pretty badly and the most humane thing to do was immediately put him to sleep.) But if I could prevent Murphy, Kitty, or Tabby –or any of your pets– from experiencing the abrupt and heart wrenching goodbye we were forced to endure with Budly, I’m all for it. So I did a little research to find … Continue reading →

Being a Responsible Dog Owner

Today is Responsible Dog Ownership Day, which I believe was started by the American Kennel Club. If you live in or near New York City or Raleigh, North Carolina you might already be aware of the AKC events schedule there today. But those won’t be the only ones. According to the AKC website, last year over 350 clubs and organizations held Responsible Dog Ownership Day events. The AKC has a link on their website where you can select your state to find events near you. The purpose is to educate pet parents on all manner of thing with events like: … Continue reading →

Mackie’s Tale

Today is National Homeless Animals Day, which was instituted by the International Society for Animal Rights. The ISAR will celebrate today with many organized candle vigils, but I’m going to do something a little different. For your enjoyment, here’s a short story I wrote based on a true story –that of my real life dog Mackie. Buster Beginnings I started life as Buster. The early weeks are fuzzy, but I’ve heard tell I came from a litter of five pups. When we turned two months old, we were sold to different homes. My First Home: The Millers My first family … Continue reading →

Adopt-a-Shelter Cat Month Starts Today: How to Participate

June is known in some circles as Adopt-a-Shelter Cat Month, which was started by American Humane. I suspected June was probably selected because right about now shelters are overflowing with kittens. (I based this assumption on my personal experiences with Tabby –first finding her and then finding out she was pregnant.) I was right. Out of the millions of cats who enter shelters each year, only about one in four are adopted into loving homes. In fact, most of them –more than 70 percent of them– must be euthanized. ~Statement from American Humane Yikes! That statistic breaks my heart. (I … Continue reading →

Just in Time for National Dog Bite Prevention Week 2007

Just a little while ago I read Aimee’s harrowing tale of her recent dog park outing with Moose and Lally. (See: You Should Have Seen the Other Guy?) What an appropriate (yet unfortunate) tale that emphasizes this week’s theme: National Dog Bite Prevention Week. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “Each year, 800,000 Americans seek medical attention for dog bites; half of these are children.” Yikes. Even worse, about 386,000 who suffered injuries needed to go to the emergency room; about a dozen people died. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. It … Continue reading →

National Pet Week

Not only is this week (May 6-12) designated Be Kind to Animals Week, it’s also National Pet Week. The American Veterinary Medical Association and the Auxiliary to the American Veterinary Medical Association started it 26 years ago, in 1981. Together, their goal is to “promote responsible pet ownership, celebrate the human-animal bond, and promote public awareness of veterinary medicine.” They even have a website dedicated to the week. It’s chock full of both useful and fun information. Under the Pet Health Care, tab they provide a plethora of complimentary downloadable brochures. (In both English and Spanish.) They have 20 pamphlets … Continue reading →

There Was No Joy In Kittentown…

Confession time: I am guilty of the crime of creative cat diapering. My friend Jenny recently got a lovely black kitten named Zoe. After a few months, it came time for Zoe to get spayed — among other things, spaying fights overpopulation, helps reduce the risk of running away and some diseases of the reproductive organs. Zoe came through her surgery with flying colors, and was soon feeling well enough to start messing with her cone. Also known as an Elizabethan collar, the plastic cone helps prevent a pet from accessing the surgical site and stitches. Instinct tells your pet … Continue reading →

The Sam Simon Foundation and the “Dog Nut”

More and more as I get older I find myself getting a little bit jaded about the world we live in. Too much of a gap between the haves and the have nots, too many who are in positions to do good with their fame and/or wealth but don’t, too much emphasis on the negative, etc. But every once in a while I stumble across a story of good that renews my faith in people. On Sunday night I ran across such a story while watching 60 Minutes. Morley Safer did a piece called “Meet Sam Simon, The Dog Nut.” … Continue reading →