Minggu, 29 Juli 2012

Dancing Dog Goes Viral!

Here's a very funny video that I thought I would pass on! –Kim

Wiggle it, Nathan!

This adorable hairless pooch (Chinese crested) is from Bald is Beautiful...

Also, see:

Clicker-training: The Highly Effective Method Used by Many Professional Dog Trainers

Valuable Resource...

The 4 Secrets of Becoming a Supertrainer...

The following information may change the way you look at dog training forever.

From Morten Egtvedt & Cecilie Koeste

Dear Fellow Dog Trainer,
Did you know that there are FOUR important secrets about training dogs (or any other animals), that can make YOU capable of solving every behavior problem you will ever meet – and teach any new behavior or trick you can imagine?

Did you know that regardless of whether you have just gotten your first puppy or whether you are already an experienced dog owner or trainer – learning these secrets could change your life?

Did you know that everything you have heard about clicker training until now may be just the tip of the iceberg?

Did you know that most people using clicker training today never really unleash the full potential of this powerful technology?

Well, that is going to change for you, my friend...

...as soon as you learn the 4 Secrets of Becoming a Supertrainer.

Meet Emma. She is the kind of dog trainer who is able to solve ANY kind of dog problem. No matter what kind of dog, no matter what kind of behavior problem. Emma knows exactly how to analyze the problem, design a training plan and fix it. And dogs just love her!

Emma used to be just like most other dog owners. She believed that advanced dog training was only for experts with special talents (you know, like the "dog whisperers" on TV).

But then Emma learned about Clicker Training and the 4 Secrets of Becoming a Supertrainer. And when you know these secrets your life changes. Because now you always know where to look for solutions when you want to fix a problem, teach a new behavior or improve your training.

When YOU learn these 4 secrets you too will be ready to face ANY training challenge. And just like Emma you will be laughing at "dog whisperers" with all their superstitious explanations.

Because you will know that dog training is not magic – it's SCIENCE. And everyone can learn these scientific principles and use them effectively in their training.

So, where do I learn more about these secrets?

Click here for more information!

Selasa, 24 Juli 2012

The No Kill Equation

Here's some great information that I thought I would pass on...it just makes sense! –Kim

The No Kill Equation

The No Kill Equation is:

A Trap, Neuter, Release Program for Free-Living Cats
High-Volume, Low-Cost Spay/Neuter
Working with Rescue Groups
A Foster Care Program
Comprehensive Adoption Programs
Pet Retention Efforts
Medical and Behavioral Rehabilitation
Public Relations / Community Involvement
Working with Volunteers
Progressive Field Services & Proactive Redemptions
A Compassionate Director

Source: http://goodfordogs.org/blog/blog/

Free download:No Kill 101 – A Primer on No Kill Animal Control Sheltering for Public Officials (PDF)

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhkZOvL2KW4

Also, see:

Rabu, 18 Juli 2012

Denver Pit Bull Ban: Disturbing Photos of Executed Dogs

Here's a disturbing exposé that I thought I would pass on...this is just sickening! –Kim

Leaked: Photos of Pit Bulls Killed Due to Denver Ban

By Jared Jacang Maher
Oct. 7, 2009

As part of the feature story on the effectiveness of the Denver's twenty-year-old law outlawing pit bull breeds, Westword posted a photo blog of dogs impounded in a section of the municipal animal shelter known as Pit Bull Row. Now, photographs have surfaced apparently showing some of the estimated 3,487 pit bull carcasses that have been carted away from from the shelter since the ban was enacted.

Click the picture below to see more disturbing photo evidence.

The photo-taker, who asked to remain anonymous, tells Westword the pictures were taken in 2006 on the grounds of the city animal shelter. According to officials, animals euthanized by the shelter are removed by a contractor for disposal.

After a one-year moratorium, Denver began to again enforce the pit bull ban in 2005, causing a 77% increase in the number of dogs impounded in Pit Bull Row. City records show that between 2005 and 2006, 1,454 pit bulls were put down, leading to the large pile-ups of dead dogs depicted here.

Three more photos of the same scene scanned from the original copies at Westword offices.

Source: http://blogs.westword.com/latestword/2009/10/leaked_photos_of_dead_pit_bull.php
© 2012 Denver Westword, LLC

Also, see:

Jumat, 13 Juli 2012

Top 10 Plants Poisonous to Pets

Here's a great article that I thought I would pass on...hope you find it helpful! –Kim

The 10 Most Poisonous Plants to Your Pet

Dr. Justine Lee, Associate Director of Veterinary Services, explains what plants could be a potential danger to your dog or cat.

Every day, Pet Poison Helpline receives dozens of phone calls from dog owners and cat owners saying "My cat ate a lily!" or "My dog ate a plant. Is it poisonous?" Some of the most poisonous plants for dogs and cats are reviewed below.

While there are thousands of species of plants and flowers, only a small percentage of plants are truly dangerous and poisonous to your pet. Make sure you know which plants are most deadly to avoid your dog or cat from getting into these poisonous flowers and poisonous plants!

Autumn Crocus

There are two Crocus plants: one that blooms in the spring (Crocus species) and the other in the autumn (Colchicum autumnale). The spring plants are more common and are part of the Iridaceae family. These ingestions can cause general gastrointestinal upset including vomiting and diarrhea. These should not be mistaken for Autumn Crocus, part of the Liliaceae family, which contain colchicine. The Autumn Crocus is highly toxic and can cause severe vomiting, gastrointestinal bleeding, liver and kidney damage, and respiratory failure. If you're not sure what plant it is, bring your pet to your veterinarian immediately for care. Signs may be seen immediately, but can be delayed for days.

Azalea

In the same family as rhododendrons, azaleas can have serious effects on pets. Eating even a few leaves can result in vomiting, diarrhea and excessive drooling; without immediate veterinary attention, the pet could fall into a coma and possibly die.

Cyclamen

The roots of this seasonal flowering plant are especially dangerous to pets. If ingested, cyclamen can cause severe vomiting and even death.

Kalanchoe

This popular flowering succulent plant can cause vomiting, diarrhea and heart arrhythmias if ingested by pets.

Lilies

There are dangerous and benign lilies out there, and it's important to know the difference. Peace, Peruvian, and Calla lilies contain oxalate crystals that cause minor signs, such as tissue irritation to the mouth, tongue, pharynx and esophagus – this results in minor drooling. The more dangerous, potentially fatal lilies are true lilies, and these include Tiger, Day, Asiatic, Easter and Japanese Show lilies – all of which are highly toxic to cats! Even small ingestions (such as 2-3 petals or leaves) can result in severe kidney failure. If your cat is seen consuming any part of a lily, bring your cat (and the plant) immediately to a veterinarian for medical care. The sooner you bring in your cat, the better and more efficiently we can treat the poisoning. Decontamination (like inducing vomiting and giving binders like activated charcoal) are imperative in the early toxic stage, while aggressive intravenous fluid therapy, kidney function monitoring tests, and supportive care can greatly improve the prognosis.

Oleander

Oleander is an outdoor shrub, popular for its evergreen qualities and delicate flowers. However, the leaves and flowers are extremely toxic if ingested and can cause severe vomiting, slow the heart rate and possibly even cause death.

Dieffenbachia

Popular in many homes and offices, dieffenbachia can cause intense oral irritation, drooling, nausea, vomiting and difficulty swallowing if ingested.

Daffodils

These flowers contain lycorine, an alkaloid with strong emetic properties (something that triggers vomiting). Ingestion of the bulb, plant or flower can cause severe vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and even possible cardiac arrhythmias or respiratory depression. Crystals are found in the outer layer of the bulbs, similar to hyacinths, which cause severe tissue irritation and secondary drooling. Daffodil ingestions can result in more severe symptoms so if an exposure is witnessed or symptoms are seen, we recommend seeking veterinary care for further supportive care.

Lily of the Valley

The Convallaria majalis plant contains cardiac glycosides which will cause symptoms similar to digitalis (foxglove) ingestion. These symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, a drop in heart rate, severe cardiac arrhythmias and possibly seizures. Pets with any known exposure to this plant should be examined and evaluated by a veterinarian and treated symptomatically.

Sago Palm

Very popular in warmer climates, this household and outdoor plant can be very harmful to pets. If ingested, the leaves and seeds can cause vomiting, bloody stools, damage to the stomach lining, severe liver failure and, in some cases, death.

Tulips and Hyacinths

Tulips contain allergenic lactones while hyacinths contain similar alkaloids. The toxic principle of these plants is very concentrated in the bulbs (versus the leaf or flower), so make sure your dog isn't digging up the bulbs in the garden. When the plant parts or bulbs are chewed or ingested, it can result in tissue irritation to the mouth and esophagus. Typical signs include profuse drooling, vomiting or even diarrhea, depending on the amount consumed. There's no specific antidote, but with supportive care from the veterinarian (including rinsing the mouth, anti-vomiting medication, and possibly subcutaneous fluids), animals do quite well. With large ingestions of the bulb, more severe symptoms such as an increase in heart rate and changes in respiration can be seen, and should be treated by a veterinarian. These more severe signs are seen in cattle or our overzealous, chowhound Labradors.

This is only a partial list of poisonous plants. For a more complete list of plants poisonous to dogs and cats, visit our Poison List.

If you suspect your pet has ingested any of these items or any other questionable substance, call Pet Poison Helpline (800-213-6680) or your veterinarian for assistance. Accurate and timely identification of the suspected substance is very important. Having the container, package or label in hand will save valuable time and may save the life of your pet.

NOTE: In order to provide this critical service, please be advised that there is a $39 per incident fee, payable by credit card to Pet Poison Helpline. This fee covers the initial consultation as well as all follow-up calls associated with the management of the case.

Source: http://www.petpoisonhelpline.com/pet-owners/basics/top-10-plants-poisonous-to-pets/
©2012 Pet Poison Helpline

Also, see:

Kamis, 12 Juli 2012

Veterinary Secrets Revealed

Valuable Resource...

You CAN Heal Your Sick Pet at Home,
Without Going to the Vet...

In Less than 24 Hours, I Can Show You How to Examine, Diagnose and Treat Your Pet at Home.
Dr. Andrew Jones, DVM

Dear fellow pet lover,
If you're not ready to make some simple changes to the way you provide veterinary care to your pet, beginning today....
...your dog or cat could be seriously ill and live a "shortened" life!

Here is How I know:

My dog died young, only 8 years old. He was a mixed breed dog, a specimen of health. He was given a ton of attention, exercised three times a day, fed only Veterinary Approved food, and given all his vaccines. He had the "ideal" life. Hoochie passed away in my arms from a massive tumor bleed at 12:02pm on April 12, 2003 – the saddest day of my life.

I asked myself... why?

I thought that he was incredibly healthy. I was sure I was doing all of the right things for him.

But I later discovered I may have contributed to his death, because I believed ONLY in conventional veterinary medicine. You see, I am a Veterinarian.

I'm Dr. Andrew Jones, and I have practiced Veterinary Medicine for over a decade. Over the past 17 years I have treated literally thousands of pets for a whole variety of problems, and I currently own the Nelson Animal Hospital in Nelson BC, Canada (http://www.nelsonvet.com). But, my beloved dog Hoochie is gone.

You are fortunate... it's not too late for you and your pet. Just read on and find out exactly what you must do now.

Pay Close Attention

Conventional veterinary medicine may be harming your pet – and I can show you step-by-step what you must do to prevent it. "Regular" veterinary care has lost its effectiveness over the years, and in some cases is actually causing illness in our pets.

Alternative pet health care has grown over the past few years, but the truth is that Veterinarians have STRONGLY discouraged pet owners from treating their pets outside of the Vet Clinic.

The entire Pet Health Industry has a vested interest in discrediting alternative medicines which can safely, naturally and effectively allow pet owners to care for their pets at home.

STOP AND READ THIS

Lock the door, Unplug the phone, and do whatever you can to have 10 undivided minutes... Get ready to read about how you could be saving the life of your pet starting now!

"I began to notice something unusual..."

Slowly, I began to notice something unusual about Hoochie. He really just wasn't the same. He was reluctant to go for his morning dog walk, which was always the highlight of his day.

I dismissed it as him feeling a bit off, some mild stomach issue or maybe a touch of arthritis... but it didn't pass. In fact, it got worse.

I eventually did a blood test on Hoochie, thinking at that point that he had a tooth infection. However, much to my horror, I quickly found out that he had a spleen tumor.

Immediately, I performed surgery on Hoochie and removed the spleen tumor. But I was too late - the cancer had already spread to his liver, and I knew that very soon, he would die.

How did an apparently healthy mixed breed dog die so young?

I did all the "right" things – or so I thought. After grieving, I came to realize that I had played a role in his dying at too young of an age.

I came to question exactly what I did to my own pet – and what was I doing to other people's pets.

Through my questioning, I came to realize that most Veterinarians (including me as well, at the time) are not "getting it" – that in the process of trying to heal pets through technological advances, we are actually making them sicker!

There are 3 mistakes that I made that contributed to Hoochie's early death...

...are you making these same mistakes with your own dog?

Click here to continue for more information!

Sabtu, 07 Juli 2012

Adopting a Pet May Extend Your Life

Here's a great article that I thought I would pass on...hope you find it interesting! –Kim

Saving a Pet Might Just Save Your Life

Having a pet not only fills your heart with unconditional love, but there are other mental and physical benefits to being a pet owner. A longer life, less anxiety and stress are just a few of the benefits of saving a pet. Even therapists have prescribed a pet as a way of dealing with depression.

More than 4.3 million animals enter into shelters each year. Check out the infographic below to learn more about how saving a pet might just save YOUR life.

Click Picture to Enlarge

Also, see:

Kamis, 05 Juli 2012

Pit Bull Facts

Here's a great article that I thought I would pass on... It's time to set the record straight! –Kim

Some Facts about Pit Bulls

January 16, 2011

FACT: The term "pit bull" does not refer to a specific breed of dog. It's a generic term applied to American pit bull terriers, American Staffordshire terriers, and hundreds of mixes containing elements of these breeds. DNA analysis shows that most "pit bulls" are predominantly made up of other breeds – from Lab to poodle. The term "pit bull" designates an appearance, not a breed.

FACT: Pit bulls are family-oriented dogs, blessed with a tremendous sense of loyalty.

FACT: No single neutered household pet pit bull has ever killed anyone.

FACT: Pit bulls score at or below average for aggression when compared to other dogs. Temperament evaluations by the American Temperament Test Society give American pit bull terriers a very high passing rate of 82.6%. The average passing rate for the other 121 breeds of dogs in the tests was 77%.

FACT: And no, a pit bull's jaw does not lock.

FACT: Dogs are not naturally aggressive. Almost any dog can be taught to be aggressive, and, like many other breeds, pit bulls are strong dogs who can inflict real injuries. However, the evidence shows clearly that this is not a dog problem, but a people problem.

FACT: The needless, senseless, killing of homeless pets at animal shelters comes at an enormous economic and moral cost. Public and private agencies spend $2.5 billion each year caring for and/or killing homeless dogs and cats. Pit bulls represent one in four of all animals taken into shelters. More than 80% of pit bulls in shelters will die before their second birthday.

StubbyDog is a non-profit, 501(c)(3), focused on changing public perceptions of pit bulls.

Source: http://stubbydog.org/2011/01/pit-bull-facts/ All photos by Bethany Obrecht.
Copyright © 2012 StubbyDog

Also, see:

Minggu, 01 Juli 2012

Fight for a No Kill Nation

Here's a great article that I thought I would pass on...hope you find it inspiring! –Kim

Just Another Day? Hardly.

Nathan J. Winograd
June 11, 2011

I woke up this morning to a typical Saturday, and went through my normal routine. I went outside so the dog can do his business and to grab the newspaper. I greeted all the cats with an Andy Griffith-like "Howdy Do" and gave each one a pat on the head. I gave everyone their breakfast. And made mine: a tall soy latte. I did the dishes from the night before. I cleaned the litterboxes. And then, while my wife and kids slept, I sat down to my computer. That's when I got online and found this little ditty on the "No Kill Revolution" Facebook page:

NKR Pop Quiz: Ten years ago today, a very important event in No Kill history occurred. What was it?

I looked down at the little corner of my computer screen and saw the date: June 11, 2011. What happened ten years ago on June 11, 2001? That "11th" didn't happen for another three months. June, June, where was I, June 11, 2001? And sure enough, though slow as molasses as the coffee had not kicked in yet, it occurred to me.

Ten years ago today, at about the exact time I was reading the question, I started my job as the Executive Director of the Tompkins County SPCA. Here's how I told it in Redemption:

As I drove into the parking lot for the first time as the agency's new chief, I was met at the front door by a truck driver with five kittens he didn't want. Spaying his cat was not a priority. To him, the kittens were no longer "his problem." Whether they lived, died, or anything in between was not his business. By handing them over to us, in his estimation he had done his duty. He had brought them to the Tompkins County SPCA, the animal control authority for the entire county, and they were now our responsibility.

For most shelters, this is the point at which the breakdown that leads to killing occurs. The current view is that killing the kittens is, in large part, a fait accompli, and that the fault for the killing belonged to the truck driver at the front door. It was his failure to spay his cat, his failure to make a lifetime commitment to the kittens. But this view, while endemic to the culture of animal control, is not accurate.

First, it is because of this irresponsibility that shelters exist in the first place. Second, it is often the practices of the shelter itself that lead to killing. If a shelter does not maintain adequate adoption hours or has poor customer service, refuses to work with volunteers, foster parents, or rescue groups, fails to treat and rehabilitate sick, injured, or traumatized animals, or does not offer TNR as an option, the shelter is not doing much to prevent killing.... These problems plague shelters nationwide, and the Tompkins County SPCA was no exception.

Thankfully, on June 11, 2001, the truck driver did not live in a community whose shelter still subscribed to those views. On that day, the Tompkins County SPCA explicitly rejected the policies legitimized and championed by most shelters nationwide. Having been director of operations for the most successful SPCA in the country, I knew what worked and what didn't work. Clearly, killing those kittens was not going to be an option. Not surprisingly, we found all of them homes…

Like so many shelters with animal control contracts, the Tompkins County SPCA had relied on the fiction that the only solution to the influx of homeless animals was killing. Staff would shake their heads and continue to blame "irresponsible owners" for the fact that so many animals would go out the door in body bags rather than in the loving arms of families. Like so many other shelters, the team that made up the Tompkins County SPCA upon my arrival never once saw the killing as its own failure to find solutions, meet its real mandate to be an animal welfare organization, or live up to the very real but often ignored shelter credo that "every life is precious."

On the wall, above my desk, is a single clock, set to the time in Ithaca, New York. Ground zero in the fight for a No Kill nation. On June 10, 2001, there was not a single No Kill community in the U.S. On June 11, Tompkins County became the first. And it started with a truck driver and a box of kittens in a pot hole-filled parking lot in Ithaca, New York. Today, there are No Kill communities in California, as well as New York, in Nevada and Kentucky, in Michigan and Virginia, and elsewhere.

There have been other notable changes. Again from Redemption:

The Humane Society of the United States' (HSUS) favorite misnomer "euthanasia" has lost its cache. Rescue groups and animal advocates have stopped using it and other HSUS euphemisms such as "putting them to sleep" to describe the abhorrent practice of systematic shelter killing. People are more aware of widespread mistreatment of animals in shelters. And they are less tolerant of the poor care and the killing, the excuses built up over the decades to justify it, and the legitimacy that groups like HSUS give to it. This has put the large national humane groups on the defensive, trying to take credit for the decline in killing nationally even as they opposed and in some cases continue to oppose the programs responsible for it, and by softening their anti-No Kill positions.

[The No Kill movement] debunks the myth of pet overpopulation and puts the blame for the killing where it belongs: on the shoulders of the very shelter directors who find killing easier than doing what is necessary to stop it, on the local governments who continue to underfund their shelters or place them under the regressive oversight of health and police departments (and even under sanitation!), and on shelter managers who protect uncaring and even cruel staff members at the expense of the animals.

More than all of that, average people are now aware that shelters kill. And they are aware that there are some shelters and communities that do not kill. [...As] one animal lover in Los Angeles, California, told me: "At least now we know what – or more accurately, who – the problem is." We also know how to make them stop. And in more communities nationwide, we have.

The No Kill movement is not only here to stay, it has become the only legitimate standard for sheltering and it is quickly becoming the new paradigm. We've come a long way baby!

Today is our 10th year anniversary. Tonight, we are meeting friends for dinner and drinks. And I will raise a glass to all the animals alive today because of this movement. I will toast to what we've done in communities as diverse as Reno, Nevada and Shelbyville, Kentucky. Because of what all of you do every day in word and deed. But mostly, because of what transpired ten years ago. Because of Ellie, Allison, Sandy, Joan, Cathy, Valerie, Brian, Bob, Serena, and each and every person within and outside the organization who made No Kill happen. Once again, I turn to Redemption:

All I did was to create the framework in which they could do so – and ensured that staff supported, rather than impeded, those efforts. Volunteers not only helped us care for, adopt out, and place the legions of kittens and puppies who made their way to the shelter every spring and summer, they helped us save blind pets, pets missing limbs, animals hit by cars, and those with behavior problems.

The animals who came to us also found homes because we were supported just as passionately by the public: adopters who took home older pets with special impediments because they believed in our lifesaving mission, donors who helped us double the average gift, and the media who told our story 406 times in one year alone.

A No Kill nation is within our reach.

——

Thank you No Kill Revolution for remembering. Click here to read the events of what happened from a volunteer's perspective. No Kill Revolution's own Valerie Hayes was a volunteer in Tompkins County before and after I got there and her account, "I Was There" is one of the single, best essays ever written about No Kill to date.

Also, see: