Thank you, Entrecard Advertisers

Thank you to this week's Entrecard advertisers. I appreciate your support. Indirectly (through the use of your EC's) I am able to further spread the word about pet ownership, education and rescue efforts.

Believe it or not, you really do make a difference when you advertise on this blog.

To show my appreciation for your support, here is a little link love for this week's Entrecard Advertisers:



The Chicago History Journal

Drowning In Cats

Stuff and Nonsense

Shalampax Speaks

I am Harriet

Cat Things

Sparkle

Space In Pictures

Featured Rescue - Bandit the Jack Russell Terrier

Today's Featured Rescue is Bandit, the Jack Russell Terrier (JRT). Although it seems that the Grey Bruce Animal Shelter (where he is residing) doesn't have a lot to say about him except that "he is bright and high energy and is not suitable for a family with small children" ... In such a small sentence, they say A LOT. They are looking for a home with previous JRT experience.

I have found that far too many people put little dogs that pull on halters. Call it a pet peeve of mine, but all it does is encourage the dogs to pull more! I don't want to hear that "it's easier on their little necks" because that's just a cop out. If you take some time and train your little dogs not to pull, it's actually better for them to have them on a FLAT collar (if not trained to walk properly off leash)!

News Reel - Delta police first in Canada to hire therapy dog

Further to my previous post about Therapy dogs, I found this great article about a therapy dog who just started working for the police department in Delta, BC.



If you wish to read the entire article, the link is Delta police first in Canada to hire therapy dog



Quite frankly, I'm surprised that this is only the first dog to be employed by the PD in such a fashion and I hope he is not the last. I had actually thought that therapy dogs were already working with the PD in their victims department.



What better way to help the victims? I have heard that children will sometimes tell their teddy bears (or other stuffed fuzzy) things that they won't tell anyone else ... will it work with dogs too?? Would they be more likely to talk to a dog?



And now that we're on this topic ... why wouldn't we use therapy dogs in places where they might be helpful? Hospitals, children's wards, orphanages, child services, halfway houses, rehab facilities ... the list of places where therapy dogs could be useful and help people is endless!



What do you think? Is there a possibility that we could extend this sort of service? Does anyone out there work with therapy dogs? Or anyone who would like to? Opinions? Thoughts?



Below is a book that is on my reading list ... that is to say ... the list of books that I wish to read when I have time (to read it) and money (to buy it) one day. I only ever have time to read one book at a time now-a-days.

DDF ~ Pics of Dogs in Cuba

I promised I'd post some pictures of dogs in Cuba. I found that while every dog I saw was intact, there weren't as many dogs around as I would have expected. Turns out that this is because the population of street dogs is "controlled". From what I was told after asking questions from various locals, when the population of street dogs gets too high the authorities "step in"



There is a picture below that may make you sad. That is your fair warning ...

Pupdates ... New Foster ~ Roxy

I brought a new foster dog home on Friday. Funny how when it rains, it pours ... Shortly after I made arrangements to go pick up this dog, I mentioned it to another volunteer from the Humane Society who told me about a Dalmation that I should foster (I know you're probably reading this) ... then, the next day I receive a call from a veterinarian in the area about a Border Collie mix at Orangeville (which really isn't my area either) who needs to be pulled for behavioural (fear biting) issues; she wanted to know if I would take the dog and that they may euthanize it since they can't adopt it out. Go figure, eh? Like I said ... when it rains, it pours.



Click the link below to read on. The picture below is from the shelter - I will have more pictures from the farm soon.

Low Cost Spay/Neuter Clinics - Illinois

I am posting a list of Low Cost Spay / Neuter Clinics that I have run across in my internet travels. I've never tried these clinics out but if you have, PLEASE post your experience about them!! For a complete list of the states/provinces, see the contents page here.

ILLINOIS

Reminder - 200 Follower Contest still Open for Entries.

This is a reminder post that the 200 Follower Contest is still open for entries.

PLEASE NOTE ** IF YOU DO NOT WANT THE FOLLOWING ADGITIZE or CREDITS, YOU MAY CHOOSE TO HAVE A DOG OR CAT TOY PURCHASED AND SHIPPED TO YOUR MAILING ADDRESS **

First prize will be a 14 day ad on Adgitize
Second prize will be a 7 day ad on Adgitize
Third prize will be 1000 EntreCard Credits

The rules are going to be simple because I have a policy to K.I.S.S.! If you would like to participate, you must follow these steps:



1. Write a post on your blog that describes this contest and links back to my blog
2. In your post, you must include the details (rules and prize list) for the contest
3. Post a comment on THIS POST that you are participating in the contest and supply a link to your blog post regarding your participation.
4. Add yourself as a follower if you are not one already.

Now for the most important thing ... How To WIN!

We're doing this old school. I will be writing all entries down on individual pieces of paper (pictures will be taken of this entire process so you can see what's going on!). On AUGUST 15, 2010 I will ask my nephew to pull names out of a bin/container. Winners will be published/contacted on AUGUST 16, 2010.

To summarize:

We're having a Contest. Win great prizes. To Participate, post a blog entry with a link-back to this blog and a comment on this blog post. Become a follower. Contest ends AUGUST 14, 2010. Winners will be chosen by an un-biased individual at random.

Featured Rescue - 15 Newmarket OSPCA Animals Available

As you may or may not recall, a few months ago the Newmarket/North York OSPCA had an outbreak of Ringworm and rather than treating it, decided to euthanize all the animals (infected or not) in the shelter. The OSPCA Branch closed its doors to adoptions and volunteers. Officials would not release any of the animals regardless of where the offers were coming from.

Today I received this email and thought I would pass it along ...



I was just advised of the information below. If you recall, some of the vets in Newmarket Aurora stepped up to help some of the OSPCA cats and dogs which were scheduled for euthanasia due to ring worm. There are 15 animals now avaiable at one of the vets for adoption (no charge, as I understand), 12 are cats. Can you please forward onto any cat rescue groups for their consideration. This vet stepped up and it would be nice to see the community come together to get these animals adopted out without the vet having to hold on to them for a very long time. The cats and dogs can be viewed at:


http://www.abbotsfordanimalhospital.com/OSPCAAnimalsforAdoption/tabid/174/Default.aspx \

This is Marley. He is one of the 15 animals rescued from the OSPCA by the Abbotsford Animal Hospital (how often do we get to say THAT!?). If you are interested in helping any of these animals, please navigate to the web page link above and contact the clinic.

DDF PSA - Camping with your Pets

Hey, I could have PSA's on my blog too, no? I got this in my email with permission to crosspost and thought I should share. Part of the reason for this blog is to educate owners. Ultimately this is meant to allow them to train their pets to a degree where they can afford them freedom. In the case of today's PSA, that 'freedom' is the ability to take your dog camping with you and to have no worries about doing so; ensuring the safety of both the dog and you. There are some things you must remember to do when you decide to take your pets camping with you.

9 Tips for Camping with your Pets



(I will add one ... Make sure they have a Microchip. Collars can slip off taking ID tags along for the ride. Take a few minutes and read through ... did they forget any others?)

News Reel - Pet Food Recall

Sorry to be a bit late posting this. I had meant to publish it last week and it slipped my mind ... so many things lately slip out of there ... maybe there's a hole somewhere?



The following was emailed to me from Abby and Nancy (yes, I received it twice) at Fucini Productions, Inc.

"IMPORTANT Pet Product Recall News"

News Reel/Asshat Award - 44 Dogs Seized

I have said it before and will say it again ... if you aren't taking care of the animals in your home then you ARE NOT SAVING THEM! You are prolonging their suffering!! Here's today's headline for discussion: Manitoba seizes 44 dogs from `Good Samaritans'.



I've asked this before but there are so many new readers that I'm going to pose the question again ... how many dogs is too many for one home?



This couple had 44 dogs that they 'saved'.

15 Amazing Facts About Therapy Dogs

Thought I'd share this with everyone. I have always been fascinated with Therapy Dogs and one day I would really like to set my Flat-Coated Retriever to do some Therapy Dog work. Most Therapy Dog programs require only a few hours of your time every month (for St. John's Ambulance, the requirement is 2 hours of community service time and one meeting per month of 2 hours = 4 hours per month ... not including training).

15 Amazing Facts About Therapy Dogs

Therapy dogs perform the exact same function as their name implies. These gentle, altruistic animals interact with humans suffering from chronic mental or physical conditions - usually at hospitals, elder care centers, and rehabilitation clinics - and provide the patients with a conduit for lowering blood pressure and quelling anxieties. Both these canine friends and their owners deserve as many accolades as they can get for the wonderful services they perform for the suffering masses.

New Barn Cat and Imminent Foster

Today's post is a crosspost from my other blog, Drowning In Cats. After over a month of emails and failed appointments, I brought home a new barn cat yesterday evening. She was supposed to be a semi-feral Maine Coon ... after bringing her home, I feel it is safe to say that there is not an ounce of Maine Coon in her! Check out my post here on Drowning In Cats to read more and see a picture!



Also in news is the imminent foster dog I have been arranging. Looks like I will be bringing her home in the next week or so, so stay tuned!!

If you haven't done so already, join my contest here!

DDF Contest to Celebrate 200 Followers

Well, I'm back from my trip. What an interesting place Cuba is. A little too hot in July for my liking, but we were there to participate in a destination wedding so what can you do, eh? I have a few pictures of some dogs I saw in my travels that I am going to share with you as soon as I have converted them from RAW to JPEG format. It will take me a few days to get back into the swing of things so bear with me. In the meantime, I have some good blog-news to share with you ...



As of July 2, 2010, there are now over 200 followers for this blog! I can hardly believe this. Thank you everyone who has helped make that happen. It's so AMAZING! I would like to celebrate this event with something special to thank everyone so, we are going to have a contest!

PLEASE NOTE ** IF YOU DO NOT WANT THE FOLLOWING ADGITIZE or CREDITS, YOU MAY CHOOSE TO HAVE A DOG OR CAT TOY PURCHASED AND SHIPPED TO YOUR MAILING ADDRESS **

First prize will be a 14 day ad on Adgitize
Second prize will be a 7 day ad on Adgitize
Third prize will be 1000 EntreCard Credits

The rules are going to be simple because I have a policy to K.I.S.S.! If you would like to participate, you must follow these steps:



1. Write a post on your blog that describes this contest and links back to my blog
2. In your post, you must include the details (rules and prize list) for the contest
3. Post a comment on THIS POST that you are participating in the contest and supply a link to your blog post regarding your participation.
4. Add yourself as a follower if you are not one already.

Now for the most important thing ... How To WIN!

We're doing this old school. I will be writing all entries down on individual pieces of paper (pictures will be taken of this entire process so you can see what's going on!). On AUGUST 15, 2010 I will ask my nephew to pull names out of a bin/container. Winners will be published/contacted on AUGUST 16, 2010.

To summarize:

We're having a Contest. Win great prizes. To Participate, post a blog entry with a link-back to this blog and a comment on this blog post. Become a follower. Contest ends AUGUST 14, 2010. Winners will be chosen by an un-biased individual at random.

Low Cost Spay/Neuter Clinics - Idaho

I am posting a list of Low Cost Spay / Neuter Clinics that I have run across in my internet travels. I've never tried these clinics out but if you have, PLEASE post your experience about them!! For a complete list of the states/provinces, see the contents page here.

IDAHO

Low Cost Spay/Neuter Clinics - Hawaii

I am posting a list of Low Cost Spay / Neuter Clinics that I have run across in my internet travels. I've never tried these clinics out but if you have, PLEASE post your experience about them!! For a complete list of the states/provinces, see the contents page here.

HAWAII

Low Cost Spay/Neuter Clinics - Georgia

I am posting a list of Low Cost Spay / Neuter Clinics that I have run across in my internet travels. I've never tried these clinics out but if you have, PLEASE post your experience about them!! For a complete list of the states/provinces, see the contents page here.

GEORGIA

Low Cost Spay/Neuter Clinics - Florida

I am posting a list of Low Cost Spay / Neuter Clinics that I have run across in my internet travels. I've never tried these clinics out but if you have, PLEASE post your experience about them!! For a complete list of the states/provinces, see the contents page here.

FLORIDA

Low Cost Spay/Neuter Clinics - Delaware

I am posting a list of Low Cost Spay / Neuter Clinics that I have run across in my internet travels. I've never tried these clinics out but if you have, PLEASE post your experience about them!! For a complete list of the states/provinces, see the contents page here.

DELAWARE

Low Cost Spay/Neuter Clinics - Connecticut

I am posting a list of Low Cost Spay / Neuter Clinics that I have run across in my internet travels. I've never tried these clinics out but if you have, PLEASE post your experience about them!! For a complete list of the states/provinces, see the contents page here.

CONNECTICUT

Low Cost Spay/Neuter Clinics - Colorado

I am posting a list of Low Cost Spay / Neuter Clinics that I have run across in my internet travels. I've never tried these clinics out but if you have, PLEASE post your experience about them!! For a complete list of the states/provinces, see the contents page here.

COLORADO

Low Cost Spay/Neuter Clinics - California

I am posting a list of Low Cost Spay / Neuter Clinics that I have run across in my internet travels. I've never tried these clinics out but if you have, PLEASE post your experience about them!! For a complete list of the states/provinces, see the contents page here.

CALIFORNIA

Low Cost Spay/Neuter Clinics - Arkansas

I am posting a list of Low Cost Spay / Neuter Clinics that I have run across in my internet travels. I've never tried these clinics out but if you have, PLEASE post your experience about them!! For a complete list of the states/provinces, see the contents page here.

ARKANSAS

DDF Update ... Donation, Droppers, Publishing Posts, etc

Happy Friday everyone!

Just wanted to update you on a few things ...