Cars and dogs

Well tis the season for hot cars and I don’t mean expensive sports cars! We had some neighbors who had friends over. They went out to lunch and left their 2 little dogs in their car. They thought they were fine since it was foggy out…….well the fog went away and the car started to heat up. Thankfully my neighbor Edna saw the pups in the car. They had the window cracked but that does not mean a thing! Did you know that it’s illegal to leave your pet in your car in California? Actually, in 14 states (AZ, CA, IL, ME, MD, MN, NV, NH, NJ, NY, ND, SD, VT, and WV) have statutes that specifically prohibit leaving an animal in confined vehicle.

Well thankfully we found the people who owned the car and basically shamed them for leaving their pets. We were just within minutes of breaking the window on the car.

Another sad thing is dogs getting hit by cars. Dogs that are not on leashes. People need to not just assume that their pet won’t run across the street. Any dog that sees a squirrel will make chase. I don’t care how well trained a pet is. When nature calls to do what is natural, they will bolt.
Our neighbor just informed me that they lost their little buddy from this exactly. Super sad. I have not seen their little dog in about a month and just found out that he ran out and got hit. Could all have been prevented if he was on a leash…………………..

So please always leash your pet and to rescue any pet that is confined to a hot car.

When to say goodbye…….

When to say goodbye to your beloved pet is never an easy thing.

I have done this too many times in my life and have become more accustomed to the timeliness of when to do it.

When a friend or stranger asks me how do you know when it’s time? My response is always “you will just know when it’s time”. Kind of a lame answer but it’s true. Pet owners know their pets best and know how they feel and when they are happy and sad or in pain, etc…
They figure it out to do what is best for their beloved furry friend in the end. Of course you always second guess your decision but you just have to remember your ending their pain and discomfort.

I came across this article that is a must read. Great info on this very difficult subject.

http://shine.yahoo.com/pets/know-time-euthanize-pet-162100593.html

Fostering

I know I have written up about fostering before. But felt like it was time to do it again.

On Facebook, their are many posts of animals in shelters that need help to get them out. Some are totally healthy but very afraid and some are complete trainwrecks from horrible abuse and neglect.
It always breaks my heart when I see these photos and read their stories. Even though it is hard to see, I am so glad we have Facebook to help promote these animals in need. Facebook is fantastic for so many things!

I have fostered a few dogs but I am a foster flunky!!! Hence why we have 4 dogs (Yes little Eagan is stayin!!!) !!!   But I always do my part in volunteering  and promoting dogs to be adopted. Some people can get a wee bit over the top with promoting on Facebook and end up getting their page taken down by the Facebook Police!

If you can foster a dog, cat, rabbit, guinea pig, or what ever. Please do so! Their are soooooo many animals out there that need help! Even just sharing an animal on Facebook or doing an email blast to family and friends can help. So many more animals are getting seen and adopted due to the modern age of computers and social media!!

I volunteer for Paphaven.org. They are always looking for more fosters if you have the time and to spread some more love!   If you just google about fostering in your area, I am sure you will find many links to websites of great rescues.

Here are a few other of my Facebook animal rescue friends that need fosters :

Muttville.org in San Francisco

http://gonetothedogsrescue.org/Home.php

http://www.pomtotherescue.com/index.htm

http://www.southerncaliforniapomeranianrescue.org/Foster__a__Pomeranian_.html

http://www.themiafoundation.com/

http://www.rocketdogrescue.org/dogs-for-adoption-in-san-francisco-bay-area-rocket-dog-rescue-san-francisco/

http://www.scanimalshelter.org/foster

Dogs and Bees go buzzzzzzz

Eagan decided to tangle with a bee this morning. He thankfully did not get stung. The bee was clinging to his fur on his chest and I was able to shoo it away.

Bee stings are bad for doggies especially if they are allergic to the sting.  You should always keep Benadryl on hand.

If your pet gets stung, here is what to do on a few different sites I researched:

http://www.dog-health-today.com/bee-stings-in-dogs.html

 

http://www.dailypuppy.com/articles/how-to-treat-a-dog-for-bee-stings_1528.html

 

http://pets.webmd.com/dogs/insect-stings-snake-bites-dogs

 

 

My Neighbor Edna

So I have a neighbor that has become our friend over the last 8+ years. Edna is an elderly woman and is super spunky and always on the move! She walks her dog everywhere and dog sits for other neighbors including a few of my crew on occasion! She also manages a local restaurant just for the fun of it. She likes to be kept busy.

Edna comes by every day with her Yellow Lab named Bella for some conversation and dog social hour. Our little foster, Eagan who is all of 6 lbs is a little stinker and goes right up to 80 lb Bella and gets all up in her business. He is letting her know that he does not approve of her being in “HIS” backyard! Bella just turns her head away from Eagan and ignores him as much as she can. Eagan eventually gives up and settles down. He is starting to figure it out that Bella is a comrade and not the enemy!

On these daily visits, Edna brings a little chicken for my crew and her Bella. The dogs have learned to wait (somewhat) patiently for their turn of getting a piece of the tasty snack. Candy and Finn always bark letting Edna know that they are there and to not pass them up on the next round. Oonagh sits quietly and buries here head onto Edna’s lap to make sure if anything is dropped that she will be the first to nab it. Eagan, with his front paws on Edna’s leg just stares and does the poor little me fake shake for sympathy. While all this is going on,  Bella just sits patiently off to the side because she knows that her mom won’t forget to give her a tasty morsel.

Finn was never tolerant with dogs in his own yard before the rest of the crew joined us. He has changed so much for the better. Dogs are pack animals and thrive better when they part of the family unit. So having these social moments each and every day on our turf has done wonders for the positive!

My dogs sure love Edna or as she calls herself  their Grandma!!!

Dirty, dirty…..

Oonagh modeling a Gimpy Pet leash!

Ewwwww! My Finn just peed on his leash! I can’t imagine how many other yucky things have attached themselves to my pets leashes during our walkies!

I go everywhere with my crew or take one on a ‘Mommy one on one trip for the day”.  Been in bathrooms at the pet store with leash dragging on the ground. Been at parks, beaches, and all over the hood.

So I think it’s time to give my dogs leashes a good washing. Especially since their is no need to toss them out and get new ones. They are still in great shape and why spend the money and also why add one more thing to the landfill?

I put all my leashes in the sink in hot water and dish soap (or you could use laundry soap too). Dropped a wee bit of bleach in and let them sit for awhile. Now I have clean leashes!

Cool Pet Products

Have you heard of PetFlys.com? Well they are based in Burbank California and have very fun designs of pet carriers, pet clothing, pet beds, toys and more!
We bought one of their carriers when our Finnie was a wee little lad. And just yesterday we ordered a set of pet stairs so our little fur balls can get up onto our bed with ease. Their steps are the perfect height for taller beds. And are covered in fun fabrics! We ordered the tan pony fabric!!!

Check them out! And tell them Gimpy Pets sent you!!!

Pet sitting and hospice care

The new trend is not taking your beloved pet to a kennel when you travel.  Now people are opening up their homes to your pets while you go on vacation! I prefer this than a kennel any day!

I usually have a friend stay at our house when we go away. There are so many pet services now that you have loads of options! Pet sitters that stay at your house or take your pet at theirs while on vacation. Pet sitters that train and walk your pet while your at work, daycare for your pet, endless options!

I have pets that have been abused and have a hard time trusting new people. So I prefer if someone stayed at our house with our crew. Of course a “getting to know you” time is needed with my pets and their potential sitter.

DogVacay is one that you can check out all the local people who are sitting and walking pets. It’s an online service that you sign up with to be a sitter or if you’re looking for a sitter. It’s pretty cool! They have thousands of vetted and insured dog lovers across the country ready to watch your dog like a member of their family.

Also locally here in Santa Cruz, CA,  there is Spoil’em Rotten Santa Cruz Dog walking & Pet Sitting by Whitney Wilde. She is Red Cross certified in Pet CPR & First Aid, trained in T-Touch (an energy massage technique that calms any animal), plus she has had animal hospice training at UC Davis. Whitney is very active in our community in helping with getting more dog friendly places in our downtown and around Santa Cruz too. Yay for Whitney!!! She also heads up Woofers and Walkers! She organizes group pet walks weekly!

OK so now onto hospice stuff! Whitney has started a non-profit called Simpawtico.org.  She offers services for hospice care for ill pets and their support for their family. Also she can provide help with finding a home for a pet whose owner has a terminal disease or elderly and at the end of life. She will help them find a home for their pet so the owner won’t have to worry about what happens to their beloved animal when they pass. This helps alleviate anymore stress on the owner who is already dealing with so much.

Thank you Whitney! Gimpy Pets loves you and what you do!!!

My fostering experiences….

So I have been a foster mom for Paphaven.org for a little over a year now. It’s been quite the rewarding experience! Amazing to see how a frightened little dog blossoms to a confident happy pet! Our last foster Max who is now known as Pax is doing great in his new home. He is loved and adored by his new family. His new family think he is the cutest thing on the planet! With that being said, when a foster dog leaves our home they can revert back to some bad old habits. They don’t understand that they are being adopted and think the whole process of when they were found and put in a shelter is going to start over again. So sometimes they have to start over with trusting thing. Pax is going through this now. He was with us for about 8 months and it took almost that whole time for him to figure it out that we were there to love and care for him wholeheartedly. The hard part when you foster and don’t have any history on the dog. You can’t predict personalities, fears, and what the animal likes and dislikes. So it’s all trial and error at first. I have learned so much on how to approach a new rescue and how to slowly acclimate them into the home. And understand the ups and downs they go through. Pax will figure it out with his patient loving family guiding him through it each day.

Our newest foster Eagan is a whole different story. This dog was loved and I fear just got lost. The sad part is that he could have gone back to his owner if they only had microchipped him. I checked every local online lost pet website and no luck. Even posted him on a found dog local site too. Craigslist…..no way! This can lead to the dog getting picked up by someone with ill intentions unfortunatly. I don’t recommend posting a pet for sale or found on there. There are many legit pet lost and found sites to use.

Eagan is thriving very well now after a rough start of him being very ill. He was super frail when we got him and now is happy playful little old man! I love waking up to his sweet face each morning staring at me to get up and get the day started!!!

 

Veterinary Visits

So my little foster dog is very ill. I have already seen my Vet. Today again he will be seeing her.

I came across this site with an article in Pets Matter on how to maximize on your visit to your Vet!

Cross your fingers for my little guy Eagan. I hope this is just a bug and not something very serious. Poor little thing has been through enough already.