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Posts Tagged ‘dogs’


October is Adopt a Shelter Dog Month

Friday, October 2nd, 2009

In my world, every month already is “Adopt a Shelter Dog (or cat, ferret, horse, bird, rabbit, etc) Month”.  But October is the official month when the national spotlight shines brightly on adoptable dogs in shelters and rescues.

I can think of over 43,066  great reasons to adopt a dog from a shelter or rescue:

1)  There is a wide variety of dogs to choose from.  They come in every shape, size, age, mixture, and purebreds.

2)  You will not only save the dog that you adopt but you will open up a space in the shelter for another dog.

3)  Shelter dogs are usually already neutered or spayed as well as vaccinated thus sparing you that expense.

4)  The shelter is experienced in matching pets with people and they can help you to select the right dog to fit your lifestyle and personality.

5)  By adopting a shelter dog, you will be part of the solution to the current epidemic problem of homeless dogs.

6) There are 43,066 dogs looking for homes  posted on PETS 911 right now.

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The frayed thread of the homeless and pets

Thursday, October 1st, 2009

Over at Petlvr.com there is an article about the homeless and pets. They include some links and resources for everyday people and business owners such as Pets of the Homeless.

Many homeless individuals, whether temporarily or chronically homeless, own dogs, cats or both. In some areas of the United States, nearly one in four homeless persons owns a pet. The unconditional love of a pet can sustain a person through difficult life circumstances. For many people without a stable home, a pet is a best friend, constant companion, confidante and the only source of consistency in the pet parent’s life. But much as pets can benefit people who are homeless, they may also be a factor preventing their owners from obtaining housing. People unwilling to give up their pets often find that most homeless shelters and subsidized housing projects are not open to them.

I have been studying the itinerant culture of Mill Avenue in Tempe, Arizona for several years now and one common thread amongst many of the homeless is the companionship of pets. An equal number of cats and dogs, commonly on leashes, and sometimes snakes, turtles—and yes, once a fish, although that didn’t last long on the street. Many of them have pets for the companionship, some because it deliberately restricts them from being taken to homeless shelters, others remain homeless for just this reason: refusing to give up their loved animal.

Usually, the pets with the homeless population are well cared for, but the lack of resources of their companions does translate into a certain amount of danger for the pets themselves. An itinerant person may easily get enough money to buy food for their pet, but veterinarian bills are generally entirely out of their reach—and then there’s the general dangers present to most animals who don’t have a stable domestic environment.

Link, va Petlvr.com

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Tripwires on paws?

Wednesday, September 30th, 2009

In my household when someone is playing on the PS/2 there’s the ubiquitous warning voiced to passersby: “Tripwire!” The television and the couch are placed directly across a thoroughfare in the house—the danger is actually more to the video game console than it is to the passing humans (and sometimes cat) but the idea remains the same. A recent New York Times article published, though, suggests that our very own pets might need to come with their very own tripping warning.

Dogs and cats cause more than 86,000 falls requiring emergency room care each year, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that may be among the first of its kind. That translates into about 240 people who are treated for injuries caused by pets every single day in the United States, the study found.

Cats are involved in some of the falls, but dogs — man’s best friend — are the real culprits, responsible for seven times as many injuries as cats, often while they’re being walked, the report found.

The article does warn that this research is primarily anecdotal, however, the suggestions sound solid enough. Like all family members, overly rambunctious pets add an element of risk to the home when not treated with the respect and communication they need. When working in the kitchen I always have to wave my friends out of my way and keep them clear from my space, the same would be true of dogs and cats.

Obedience training, keeping the family pets in sight, and otherwise integrating them into the rhythms and needs of the family could probably go a long way to reducing the chances that they end up underfoot.

Link, via New York Times.

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Beautiful Time.com article on canine cognition

Thursday, September 24th, 2009

With shorter words, that means it’s a story about how our dogs think.

Those of us who live with dogs discover in them an empathy, loyalty, and intellect reflected in their time with us. Carl Zimmer over at TIME has written a wonderful article about discoveries in canine behavior. Out of all different animal species, dogs have had an extremely close social relationship with humankind as part of their domestication. This has bred into them a number of thinking tools that aren’t as available to other animals.

Henry the schnoodle just did a remarkable thing. Understanding a pointed finger may seem easy, but consider this: while humans and canines can do it naturally, no other known species in the animal kingdom can. Consider too all the mental work that goes into figuring out what a pointed finger means: paying close attention to a person, recognizing that a gesture reflects a thought, that another animal can even have a thought. Henry, as Kivell affectionately admits, may not be "the sharpest knife in the drawer," but compared to other animals, he’s a true scholar.

It’s no coincidence that the two species that pass Hare’s pointing test also share a profound cross-species bond. Many animals have some level of social intelligence, allowing them to coexist and cooperate with other members of their species. Wolves, for example–the probable ancestors of dogs–live in packs that hunt together and have a complex hierarchy. But dogs have evolved an extraordinarily rich social intelligence as they’ve adapted to life with us. All the things we love about our dogs–the joy they seem to take in our presence, the many ways they integrate themselves into our lives–spring from those social skills. Hare and others are trying to figure out how the intimate coexistence of humans and dogs has shaped the animal’s remarkable abilities.

Link, via TIME.com

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The story of Jake, dog vs. cougar

Wednesday, September 23rd, 2009

A story has surfaced out of northwest Washington State about an 89-year-old man who survived two days alone after crashing his ATV in a rural area. The fellow broke some bones, and was unable to crawl very far from the crash site. But, in more dramatic fashion, his dog, Jake, kept at least one, probably two cougars at bay while the elderly man languished.

Video link if you’d like to watch this, CNN video clip via YouTUBE.

Link, via TRUE/SLANT.

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Are You a Dog or Cat Person?

Wednesday, August 26th, 2009

Meet the BreedsWhich is better – Dogs or Cats?  Inspired by the upcoming Meet the Breeds™ event, the world’s largest showcase of cats and dogs, the American Kennel Club™ (AKC) and the Cat Fanciers’ Association™ (CFA) have joined forces to put an end to this long-running dispute once and for all with a definitive one-question survey:  “Are you a dog or a cat person? “

So dog lovers and cat lovers out there, before October 6, 2009, visit www.meetthebreeds.com to weigh in on this long standing debate and cast your vote. After you place your vote you can tell them why you voted the way you did.  Final results will be available the week of October 13.

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