Keep Your Dog Safe This Fourth of July

July 4 is fast approaching, and I would like to remind you how some pets are upset by the sound of fireworks. For at least two weeks prior and two weeks after July 4, you should take extreme caution in securing your pet(s). Although the 4th of July is a time to celebrate independence, enjoy barbeques and watch fireworks light up the sky, it is also the #1 day in which pets get lost and end up in shelters. Chances are, in a high-kill shelter. For your dog, this is typically not a time of year that he/she feels safe. The loud noises of fireworks may spark fear.

Even if you have a fenced-in yard, you should be outside with them during these times. If a dog is scared enough, they can jump over fences. Don't leave a dog tied out alone during these times as they can slip out of their collars if afraid. Also, be careful when entering and leaving your home during fireworks so your dog  doesn’t run out.

When fireworks begin, dogs have been known to jump fences, dig out of their yards, break chains, and even bust through glass windows because of their wild fear. Pets think that by running away, they will escape the sounds that traumatize them and don’t realize that they are getting further away from their homes.

In order to try and avoid terrorizing your dog and possibly even losing him, make sure you leave him inside your air-conditioned home this Fourth, confined to a crate or safe area where he can’t destroy the contents of your home or harm himself.  If your pet’s anxiety is serious, contact your veterinarian in advance to discuss ways to alleviate the fear and anxiety.

If, for some reason, you decide that you want to try and take your pet out this July 4th, remember that pet identification is a necessary factor in ensuring your pet’s safe return, just in case it does go missing. Make sure all tags have a current address, phone number and email. If your pet is micro-chipped, make sure that you have let your pet recovery service know if there have been any changes since the microchip was placed. A proper-fitting collar, ID tags, and microchip will greatly increase your chances of getting your beloved pet back home safely and promptly.  

Keeping Your Dog Cool In Hot Weather

Dog’s do not sweat.

High temperatures in the summer can be very harmful to your dog! You probably already knew that, but just in case you didn’t – now you do. When you see your dog panting, that’s him trying to cool off. This works great for him in normal climates and during weather that isn’t too warm. When the temperature starts rising, it’s time to start taking measures to keep him cool. An inability to sweat is a big part of the reason dogs are so at risk for overheating during the hot summer months. Add in the fact that some dogs just aren’t bred for hot weather – take huskies, which are bred for pulling sleds in the Arctic, but sometimes wind up as pets in warmer climes – and you have a recipe for potential disaster. All the panting in the world isn’t going to make him comfortable in the heat of summer. Some tips on how to help your pooch beat the heat:

Keep your pet cool
Dogs are much less efficient at cooling themselves than people, so they are more susceptible to overheating. A dog’s normal body temperature is 100-102 degrees, and they have sweat glands on their nose and pads of their paws. They pant and drink water to cool down, so always have fresh, cool water available for your dog — whether on a walk, in the car or in a tip-proof bowl in the house or yard. If your dog is an outdoor dog, bring him inside during the hottest hours of the day, and provide a shaded area in the yard, preferably in a well-constructed doghouse, making sure he always has access to cool water, since the hot sun can quickly make water too hot to drink.

Heat exhaustion in dogs is often caused by dehydration and overheating from running or over-exercising during hot weather. Heatstroke can occur when your dog’s body temperature is too high for a prolonged period of time, and both can lead to brain and organ damage, heart failure and even death. Short-nosed, thick-coated breeds and (just as with people) puppies, seniors and dogs with respiratory, cardiovascular and other health problems are especially susceptible.

Some of the signs of heatstroke are panting hard, staggering gait, rapid heartbeat, dazed look, listlessness, restlessness, dark red or purple gums and/or tongue and vomiting. If you suspect a heat-induced illness in your dog, gradually lower his body temperature by moving him to the shade or air conditioning, apply cold packs to his head, neck or belly, or immerse in cool (not cold) water, giving small amounts of cool water or ice cubes to lick — and then take him to the vet immediately.

There are many products on the market that can also help keep your dog cool. Consider a bed that can be filled with cool water and stays dry for your dog to rest on. There are also cooling pads (for laying down), vests (that wrap around your dog’s belly) and cooling bandanas and collars (wrapping around his neck) filled with nontoxic polymer crystals that expand in water and cool your pet for hours as the water evaporates. Simply soak the reusable and hand-washable item in cool water for 15-30 minutes, towel dry and place on your dog.

Protect your dog from sunburn
Many people don’t realize that dogs can get sunburn! It’s especially common in pale and short-haired dogs, usually on the bridge of the nose and tips of the ears as well as the belly, groin and insides of the legs (because of the sunlight that reflects up from the sidewalk and hot sand on the beach). Use a sunscreen — labeled specifically for use on animals — on your dog’s nose and his ear tips. You can’t put sunscreen on his underside because he’ll lick it off, so be careful when walking your dog or taking him to the beach in the hot sun. And if you shave your dog’s coat in the summer, be aware that it will make him more prone to sunburn.

Protect your dog’s paws
Dogs’ paws can get burned on sidewalks, asphalt and sand if walked during peak sun and heat. So check the temperature of the surface with your hand before walking your dog — if it’s too hot for your hand, it’s too hot for your dog’s paws. Walk during early morning or evening hours and never just after a meal. If you must walk your dog during the afternoon, make it short and keep him on the grass or at the water’s edge when at the beach to protect his paws.

Don’t leave your dog outside all day in the summer.

I personally do not leave my dogs out for more than 10 minutes at a time. You know how you feel after a few hours in 100 degree heat? Well, multiply that by a thousand and you know how your dog feels. If you need to leave him out for long periods of time, do it in the morning or evening – but not when the temps are at their hottest. After a while your dog will barely be able to move because he’s too hot.

If he’s going to be outside for awhile, make sure there is some kind of shelter from the sun

Trees, a picnic table, a covered patio – something that creates a shadow he can retreat to if he wants to. Dogs know what shade is, and they will find it if it exists. But it needs to exist all day. If you have one big tree that creates shade in the morning, it might not be creating shade a few hours later. Make sure you know there will be shade the entire time your pooch is out there.

Baby Pools are a great way for dogs to cool off

A lot of dogs love these. Fill one up and watch how fast he'll get the idea. If you have a small dog, a basin will do. Just make sure it’s something the dog is big enough to climb out of easily.

Crushed ice is great.

Most dogs love to crunch on this stuff. Toss him a few pieces and see how fast they disappear! As an aside, they also work wonders during the teething stage!

Water. Water. Water

You need to make sure your dog has a cold source of fresh water the entire time he is outside. If you leave him out for a long time, you need to make sure there’s enough water to last. And in the heat, that’s a lot of water you would need. You need a lot more than 1 bowl of water. And it’s worth mentioning a lot of dogs will paw in their bowls and knock them over – what then? You need something large that he can’t knock over – that will be in a cool place the entire day, since water gets warm quickly in the sun.

NEVER leave your dog in a parked car

Just as with children, we must be aware of the danger in leaving our dog inside a parked car in the summer heat. Simply parking in the shade or leaving the windows cracked is not enough. Windows collect light and trap heat inside the car, sending the temperature to dangerous and deadly levels rapidly. In many states, it’s against the law to leave a pet unattended in a parked vehicle in a manner that endangers the health or safety of the animal.

A car’s inside temperature can increase as much as 40 degrees in an hour — with 80 percent of that increase within the first 30 minutes. On an 85-degree day, the temperature inside a car with the windows cracked slightly can reach 102 degrees within 10 minutes!

A parking lot is a hot place – think about all that asphalt drawing the sun down. Try walking on that in very hot weather and see how much your feet appreciate it. Even if you drive your car to the store with the A/C blasting and plan to leave your dog in the car for 5 minutes, you’re faced with at least 3 problems.

First: The A\C’s going to go right out the window – no one with a brain would leave the windows rolled up with a dog in there.

Second: You can’t roll them down enough to get real airflow in there, your dog could escape.

Third: People like me who pass your car and see your dog in there, might just stand there and clock how long you are gone. I give it 15 min, max. If I don’t see you in that timeframe, I call the local police and let them deal with you. And believe me – they will come right out there.

This may sound like common sense, but the fact is, a lot of dog owners don’t consider these things when they put their dog outdoors. They think he’ll be fine out there all day, not realizing he’s susceptible to the elements just like people are. Because your dog doesn't sweat, it’s up to you to provide him with the tools to stay cool – he deserves it!

The TRUTH About The Amish And Puppy Mills

The Amish (and Mennonite) community are known as "The Gentle People". Amish Country is known for its wonderful restaurants, craft shops and well-kept Amish farms. Beautiful fields where bearded men in wide-brimmed hats lead teams of shaggy plow horses tilling the soil. Hay fields run along rolling hills of Amish country, and the fields that sustain the simple lifestyle are mostly bare. But one crop the most important crop to some remains: PUPPIES.

When people think of the Amish, they tend to think of a people who live according to God's word and religion. The Amish life that is depicted for tourist is NOT reality. There is animal abuse among Amish in the form of puppy mills. As a matter of fact Lancaster County, PA is the Puppy Mill Capitol of the East Coast! For farmers, a big crop of dogs can gross up to $500,000 annually. The “Gentle Men” in the suspenders and bushy beards are masking a cruel form of factory farming behind the quaint and pure image of the Amish culture.

In areas of the U.S. where Amish dwell, there is a high number of puppy mills. The Pennsylvania Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement lists 243 kennels in Lancaster County Pennsylvania, 98% of them owned by the Amish. Holmes County, Ohio, has 470 kennels -- more than any other county in the nation with a large percentage owned by the Amish.

If you happen to not know what Puppy Mills are, they are mass dog-breeding operations. They have been around for decades, but they continue to be a problem because unsuspecting consumers keep buying those adorable puppies in the pet store window or recently on some Internet sites and ads in local newspapers. But many times, these masquerade the truth ... they are dogs purchased from puppy mills.

These breeding facilities frequently house dogs in shockingly poor conditions, particularly for breeding stock animals who are caged and continually bred for years, without human companionship and with little hope of ever becoming part of a family. After their fertility days are over, breeding animals are commonly killed, abandoned or sold to another mill. The annual result of all this breeding is hundreds of thousands of puppies, many with behavior and/or health problems.

Daily existence for these dogs is a life of neglect, abuse, torture and suffering, and when they have outlived their usefulness, an often brutal ending! Disease, malnutrition, dehydration, sickness and death flourish in cramped filthy cages, freezing in the winter, scorching in the summer. Females bred and over-bred from their first heat cycle through every subsequent one until their bodies are so used up and broken down that death is a welcome release for them. They never know a kind word or a gentle touch. And this description barely scratches the surface of the cruelty.

While the Amish landscape has been described as among the most beautiful in the world, the puppies bred at the mills NEVER see the outside of wire cages that are usually stacked on top of each other in dark barns. 

 

To be fair, not ALL Amish are puppy mill owners but the population have chosen to ignore what is going on in their own backyards. NOTHING IS BEING DONE TO THEM! And we must remember the words of writer, political activist and Holocaust survivor, Elie Wiesel... "to remain silent and indifferent is the greatest sin of all."

What if the Bishops of the Amish faith opposed this mass production and torture of dogs? They should make it known to all who are of the Amish community that anyone who contributes to this horror will be SHUNNED! Shunning is the calling of members who break church rules to confess before the congregation. Those who will not correct their behavior are excommunicated. Excommunicated members are shunned in order to shame the individual into returning to the church. Members may not accept anything from the shunned person like a handshake, payment or even a ride. This form of discipline is recommended by the bishop after a long process of working with the individual. Excommunicated members will be accepted back into the church if they return and confess their wrongdoing. Those in the Amish community can be shunned for something as simple as painting their barn in an unapproved color ... SURELY the act of animal cruelty deserves nothing less from their own peers.

Unfortunately, as they say, MONEY TALKS. The Amish have been allowed to continue their inhumane treatment of animals without pressure from the rest of the population because of the money that tourism brings to Amish businesses.

Most people who visit Lancaster County, Pennsylvania and Holmes County, Ohio go there to experience the Amish Culture. Yes, the Amish in general are a hard working, modest people. But ethical? NO! Hypocritical? ABSOLUTELY. Selling your religion for money and international trade is not ethical. On top of that, they have others ("the English" as they call outsiders) post on the internet for them. Isn't it amazing how these Godly people who shun the outside world have no qualms about using a third party to do what God has forbidden them from doing? It appears that the majority of the Amish people are living double lives or have double standards.

The Amish continually breed poor quality pups and keep their breeding animals in a state that defies decency. They all should be barred from dog breeding as all they breed is poor quality dogs. They get away with it because people think that religious people would never do anything bad. Their religion should not exempt them from humane treatment of animals! This MUST Be Stopped!

 

More than 400 kennel licenses are issued in Holmes County alone. Puppy sales have turned into big business! Very few are legitimate, well-kept kennels where the breeders limit the number of dogs they have, maintain their physical and mental health and, best yet, care for them like the loving pets they are. The rest are puppy mills which unbelievably have no limitations on how many dogs they can have. In Holmes County, there are puppy mills with from 75 to more than 100 dogs. How can anyone possibly give this many dogs all the care they need both physically and emotionally?

Even if these puppy mills were to give adequate physical care to their animals, what kind of quality of life do these poor dogs have? These animals are certainly lacking in love, nurturing and companionship. Isn't that the reason we have pets?

When their usefulness is gone, the dogs are dumped like garbage into the dog pound where they try to undo all the damage that has been done. Or worse, they are taken behind the barn and shot, or drowned in the family pond. Their puppies are sold as pets, but the parents of these puppies are not treated as pets. They are nothing more than livestock to the perpetrators of this disgraceful act.

This inhumane process must be stopped. The best way to stop puppy mills from continuing their abuse is for consumers to stop buying the puppies they breed. Many people think they are rescuing a puppy by buying one. Don't be fooled. You're just creating space for another puppy to be sold.

I strongly advocate adopting a dog from a local shelter or rescue. However, if you have a need to buy a dog from a breeder and you’re mind can’t be changed, NEVER buy a dog unless you can see for yourself where it was born, how the parents are kept and what condition all the dogs are in. A reputable kennel owner and breeder will never sell to a pet store, and they will willingly give you the name of their veterinarian as a reference.

Please watch the below video, but BE WARNED, there are some graphic images on the video. However, if you care anything about the problem of puppy mills, you will force yourself to watch it. This is the Amish people who own puppy mills and where that puppy you purchase from a pet store comes from.

Many Shelters and Rescues NEED Fosters

While it can be very challenging, knowing that you saved an animal from euthanasia and helped it find its forever home will give you endless joy. Fostering animals has numerous benefits for everyone involved:

1. It saves adoptable animals from probable death at an overcrowded shelter.

2. It removes animals from a traumatic shelter environment and gives them a happy home to live in (and be trained) while they await their forever home.

3. It gives the foster parent the benefits of having a pet without the long-term commitment (or gives their pet a playmate).

4. It allows the foster family to learn the animal’s personality so they can help the forever family determine whether it’s a good fit for them (animals don’t behave like themselves in shelters—how would you act in jail?).

5. It allows the foster family to screen applicants and ensure that the pet is going to a good home.

6. If you plan to adopt a dog in the future, it gives the foster parent incredible insight into what they do or don’t want in their own pet.

Like any foster parent, you have a special task ahead of you. You have to guide, teach, help, and love this dog, without becoming its special one-and-only person. You have to be ready to spend time and energy and love on this dog, and yet be able to give it up when the right family comes along.

If everything works out right, someday not too far in the future, there'll be a lump in your throat and maybe even tears in your eyes as you watch your foster dog eagerly leave your home and loving care for a new life with a new family. It’s so easy to get attached, even after just a few days or weeks. Be aware that it is going to be hard letting them go, even though you know they are going to a good place. Prepare to feel very sad every time you ‘lose’ a foster baby. But also remember that you have made a difference in this dog’s life.

But before that day comes, you've got work to do! Very few dogs land in rescue without a few minor quirks or problems-hey, if they were perfect, they probably wouldn't have landed in rescue! The less you know about the dog, the more you'll need to do to increase the chances of a happy placement.

The first thing you need to do is to make sure the foster dog is housetrained. Even if you were told by a previous owner that the dog never makes a mistake and is perfectly housetrained, be a skeptic! Dogs that didn't get much socialization often learn not to soil the house they live in, but they never had a chance to generalize to other houses or buildings. The first week or s0 that you have a foster dog treat it as if it were an eight week old puppy. Constant supervision when the dog is loose in the house and crated or otherwise confined to their bed when it isn't possible to supervise.

During this first week or so, don't push any other training issues, if possible. Let the foster dog settle in and get oriented. Carefully referee interaction between the foster dog and your own dogs. If the foster dog is not in good health, postpone serious training and testing until the dog is well on the road to recovery - consult with a vet. 

After the first week or so, start working on basic commands. Make sure the foster dog knows how to walk nicely on a leash, sit and down on command, and come when called. If you add in stays, most pet owners would consider this a well trained dog! Also work on the problems that are least acceptable to most pet homes: destructive chewing and jumping up on people.

As you work with this foster dog, be alert to things that may be TRIGGERS for fear or aggression. Common triggers are holding a rolled up newspaper or magazine and tapping it on one hand); calling the dog in a loud (angry sounding) voice; shuffling feet toward the dog (dogs interpret it as an attempt to kick); holding any long object, such as a yardstick or leash; bending over the dog, especially if the dog is lying down; suddenly raising a hand (for instance, as if you were waving to a friend across the street); suddenly reaching out, especially towards the dog's head; being near or picking up the dogs food dish; taking away a toy that the dog is chewing on; taking away an object that the dog has stolen (like a sock or a piece of garbage); leaning over the dog as you put it in a down.

Don't avoid triggers; in fact, you should test for them. If the dog reacts to something, this shows you an area that you need to defuse, for the dog's peace of mind and the safety of the adoptive family. If you discover a trigger, you need to assess how strong the dog's reaction is and whether you feel capable of de-fusing it. Unless you are an experienced dog handler or trainer, don't try defusing your foster dog's reactions by yourself, You should always have an experienced dog trainer, dog handler or person experienced with the particular breed of your foster dog to assist you. Attempting to defuse certain dog reactions on your own may result in harm to you or your foster dog. This may also affect your selection of an adoptive family.

There are some other things that you should learn about vour foster dog:

• how this dog reacts to children of different ages (from babe in arms to teenagers)
• how this dog reacts to cats
• how this dog reacts to birds (ducks or pigeons) outside
• is there any difference in how this dog reacts to men or women?
• is this dog more likely to be irritable or cranky after more exercise than usual?
• how does this dog react to having it's usual activity level curtailed for a day or two?
• how does this dog react to being given a pill? (you can test by using a pill sized bit of hot dog or cheese; open the dog's mouth and push it down as if it were a pill; repeat the test later)

 

If you already have your own pet(s), it is highly recommended to take time off between foster pets in order to give your animal(s) a little one-on-one love. 

 

Roxy and Duncan don't give up a spot on their bed easily, but they did for Jazz.

 

Tanner, nice and relaxed on the doggie sofa with Roxy.

 

Roxy and Duncan loved to play with Sadie and 
did everything with her, while she was here.

 

 

The Reality of Dumping Your Dog at a Shelter

This post was NOT written by me. It originated by  The Patrick Movement of Florida, in hope of raising awareness. I feel its well worth re-posting and getting the word out to as many people as possible.

Shelters and humane societies were created to care for stray and abused animals. They weren't meant to be a drop-off for people who don't want to be bothered with their pets anymore. Shelters, on average, take in 100 new animals or more each day. Let's face it -- there won't be enough good homes for all of them. Even the best shelters can't boast much more than a 50% adoption rate. Only the youngest, friendliest, cutest and best-behaved dogs are going to be adopted. By law, stray pets must be kept several days for their owners to reclaim them. They may not be destroyed until that period is up. These laws don't protect dogs given up by their owners. They may be destroyed at any time. There just isn't enough room for all of them. Shelters today are so overcrowded that a dog could be killed the same day it arrives. Being a purebred won't help a dog's chances of adoption either -- almost half of the dogs in most shelters are purebreds. A dog may be as good as dead when it walks in the door. If your dog is old, has health problems or poor attitudes towards strangers, its chances of adoption are slim to none. Sending a dog to a shelter in hopes that she/he will find a good home is wishful thinking. It's more likely that you'll be signing the dog's death warrant. A shelter is a last resort only after all best effort has failed, not a take the responsibility off my hands dumping ground. True "no-kill" shelters are few and far between. Obviously, no one wants to see their pet killed so the demand for no-kill shelter services is high. So high that they're forced to turn away many pets because they don't have room for them all. Sometimes they have to choose only the most adoptable dogs to work with. Be realistic: your dog will be euthanized. Has she/he done something that terrible to deserve this?

 

By: The Patrick Movement of Florida

https://www.facebook.com/ThePatrickMovementFL