It seems more holiday pet tips are coming my way from all differnt directions, so I thought I’d post this one too. This one is about some great holiday pet gift ideas that are nice and easy. It’s from my good friend John at Guideposts.com.

Here are 5 purr-fect budget friendly gift ideas for your pets:
http://www.guideposts.com/story/presents-pets-christmas
1. Buy a great toy: Check out the environmentally-friendly toys at your local pet store, or online. Or go even more simple. A bucket of old tennis balls makes Kelly happy. Try making a toy yourself. If you can sew, create a simple stuffed teddy bear for your pup. Tie a feather or pompon to the end of a string for your kitty. Get creative!
2. Cook  Something Yummy: Find a recipe for healthy dog treats. Try this dog carsomething yummy:rot cake recipe from Sharon Azar’s WOOF! blog or Editor-in-chief Edward Grinnan’s dog food recipe.
3. Frame a picture: For your animal-loving friends and family, frame a special picture of their pet, or create a small scrapbook or brag book. If you’re handy with the computer, print up stationary or note cards, with the pet’s picture in the corner.
4. Make pet books and calendars: Pet lovers will never grow tired of reading about their best friends, and there are so many great options: fiction, memoirs, how-to, and great true animal stories. (Check out Guideposts’ own Their Mysterious Ways) Page-a-day or monthly pet calendars make great gifts, too.

5. Give your time: What’s the best gift to give a pet? Your time! Get down on the floor and play, maybe even invent a new game with your dog or cat. Relish time to just cuddle. Kelly and I like to get wrapped up in a blanket. For your pet-owning friends, offer dog walking or pet-sitting. Or help more pets by donating time or money to a local animal shelter.

(Next one added by me, yours truly….I couldn’t help it)

6. Volunteer. I think that we should all get out and volunteer for an animal charity this holiday season, whether by being at adoption events, writing letters, or answering phones, go into your local pet charity and see how you can help this season!

 
Happy holidays!

Concurrently with the December dog photo contest I was running the PetSmart Holiday Giveaway package. I asked people to let me know how they have helped animals this year and got some pretty amazing entries…it was tough to choose just one winner for the package. It’s so amazing to hear all that people do for animals day in and day out…
I finally decided on the winner being Lauren Egier for all her time and donations. This is what she wrote me:

“Hi, I’ve been busy this year trying to help out as much as possible. When my Bull Terrier passed away last year, we started searching for a rescue Bully to fill the void in our heart and home. We found the perfect Bull Terrier for our family and have been volunteering with Southern Ontario Animal Rescue (S.O.A.R.) ever since.

I baked thousands of homemade dog cookies to raise money at the All About Pets Show. I also baked a bunch for those dogs that haven’t found their forever home and for those that are sharing their homes with fosters.

I’ve volunteered my time at the annual Howl-o-ween Party and at the Christmas Pawty. The rescue group recently got involved with the Ontario Bingo halls and I’ve volunteered for 3-4 sessions.

Today was a very important day as I helped transport a young Lab X with a broken leg to her new foster home. Her new foster mom is a friend of ours that used to take care of our first Bull Terrier when we went away. We had emailed her hoping that she might know someone that could foster and she opened up her home to the dog.

My rescue Bully and I also partook in the Rescue Me Walk-a-thon at Woofstock in Toronto. This walk benefited many rescue groups and also raised awareness as to the types of dogs that can be found through rescue.

I am also a member of the Pig Dogs in the TDot group which gets together to walk our Bull Terriers. Each walk has a different benefactor and we have raised lots of money that goes directly to specific rescues.

Lastly, I’ve attended a couple of protests/rallies at Queens Park in Toronto to get rid of the “Pit Bull ban.”  These have been very powerful events and I have met some great people and their friendly dogs.

For any rescue group looking to make a decent amount of money, try finding a local bingo hall. We run about 3-4 sessions a month for 4-5 hours each and make a significant amount of money.”

Thank you Lauren for all that you do — and thanks to all who entered for everything that you do for animals. You all deserve to win:)

Jaime

Thanks to American Humane for these wonderful holiday travel with pets tips.

Some pets love traveling — while others find it extremely stressful. However, with increased awareness of the risks inherent in traveling with animals, owners can prepare and minimize undue stress on their pets. These travel tips from the American Humane Association can help ensure that holiday trips, and travels year-round, are safe and enjoyable for people and their pets.

1. Properly identify pets with ID tags and microchips — Make sure your pets have ID and current rabies tags and are microchipped. To be extra cautious, give your pets an additional tag with the address and phone number of where you will be staying for the duration of the trip, in case they get lost after you arrive.

2. Train pets to travel in their crates — Whether you’re heading to your holiday destination by plane, train or automobile, getting your pets used to their crates will make the entire traveling experience less stressful. Even when away from home, pets still view their crates as a safe haven from stressful situations.

3. With a crate, size does matter — Crates should be large enough for pets to stand and turn around in comfortably. Remember to keep water inside the crate or allow for breaks every three hours so that your pets can drink and stretch.

4. Never leave your pets unattended — Just as you would never leave a child unattended, never leave your pets alone in a car.

5. Be prepared — Take your pets’ health records with you, just in case they need to see a veterinarian during your trip. Be sure to ask your veterinarian if she recommends heartworm prevention or treatment for fleas or ticks for the area in which you are traveling. Keep pet dishes in your car, as well as extra water and pet food, in case of car trouble or bad weather.

6. To fly or not to fly — As a rule, puppies and kittens, sick animals, animals in heat, and frail or pregnant animals should not travel by air. If a pet is too large to fly in the cabin with you, perhaps a stay at a boarding kennel would be a safer choice. You should also plan ahead because many airlines have restrictions regarding pets, and your pets may need a health certificate to fly.

7. Visit your veterinarian — Your vet may prescribe a sedative to help reduce your pet’s stress level while traveling. However, sedatives are not always safe for pets so be sure to give your vet the details of how your pet will be traveling and how long the trip will take.
 
8. Boarding is an option — If your pets are too large to fly in the cabin with you, or if a long car ride might be too stressful for them, boarding your pets at a kennel may be a safer choice. Or you could hire a licensed pet sitter to take care of your pets in the comfort of your own home.

9. Try to keep pets on the same “schedule” — Stop when you would normally let your pets out at home and at feeding times.

10. Plan lodging ahead — Research your route, make reservations and carry a list of pet-friendly lodging along the way. Also, ask for a room on the ground floor so it is easier to walk your pets. Don’t let your pets stay in the car.

In today’s economy, many shoppers will be looking for pet lover gifts for the best value for everyone on their wish list, including that furry member of their family.

In fact, according to a national PetSmart survey, 95 percent of pet parents give their pets a gift or special treat during the holiday season. PetSmart expects nearly 155 million pets may receive gifts this year, meaning many of you are searching for the perfect pet gift for under the tree. Well ThoughtsFurPaws to the rescue: I’m teaming up with PetSmart to offer another fantastic ThoughtsFurPaws Contest Giveaway this month. One lucky reader will receive a Good Dog Mailbox Dog Stocking, filled with the following products:

Plush Toy in Prize Package

 
§  Rein-Dog Costume with Lights
§  Plush Snowman with Rope
§  Plush Christmas Squeaker Mat

This exciting prize package is perfect for the holidays, and you can keep all the prizes for yourself or even give some of them away, as they make perfect pet lover gifts! Thanks so much to PetSmart for offering our readers this AWESOME package.

Now for the rules: All you have to do is email me at thoughtsfurpaws@gmail.com and tell me how you have helped the animal welfare cause in 2008. Write a paragraph or write a book – I don’t care. I just want to know what you have done — whether it’s volunteering at a shelter or adoption event, transporting animals, or whatever —  to help our nation’s unfortunate pets this year.

The winner will be announced on December 14th. PetSmart will send the package directly to the winner! Good luck – and don’t forget to send your entries to thoughtsfurpaws@gmail.com.

Imagine 50 Basset Hounds running around a 10-acre park like wild dogs…carousing one another, playing and wrestling, taking unauthorized swims – it’s a sight one will rarely have the chance to see. But that’s exactly what Ohio Basset Rescue’s (OBR) BassetFest 2009 was.

Held in Delaware, Ohio at Columbus Dog Park, OBR’s efforts reach all the way to Cleveland, New York and even further for that matter. Local foster parent and Cleveland pet rescue enthusiast Ashly Smith, who lives in North Olmsted with her two Bassets and two additional foster Bassets, attended the event along with foster parents and potential adopters from all over Cleveland and other parts of Ohio.

BassetFest 2009 was a great success according to organizer and OBR owner Amy Barnes. With raffles, games, prizes, and fun events like a costume contest, and with adoptive families and potential adopters all showing up, it was a chance for OBR to raise funds, screen adopters, and let current foster parents come together to celebrate the short-legged, long-nosed hovering canines that are so beloved by many.

Smith, who ended up bringing one more foster Basset home to Cleveland, said she fosters because of the rewards. “Knowing that I am helping save the life of an animal, and helping them cope with their more often than not violent pasts and learn to trust again is why I do it,” she said. “Seeing that change in them brings out so many others…it’s amazing.”

Smith, who lovingly refers to her Bassets as “howling short-legged wonder dogs,” has been fostering and placing dogs for OBR for about a year now. She personally gathered $150 for the cash prize raffle for the event, of which the winner turned around and gave $100 right back to the organization.

BassetFest 2009 was a howling success, raising about $5,000 for the organization and adopting out four dogs who desperately needed homes. Like so many other rescue organizations across the country, OBR is filled to the brim. Additionally, multiple adoption applications were filled out that will hopefully turn into successful adoptions.

To learn more about OBR, to become a foster parent, or to see the dogs available for adoption, visit www.ohiobasssetrescue.org.

A LONG time ago I wrote a post on the misperception of pit bulls. It seems that I have ruffled some feathers recently. Please take a look at the original post, and then these comments I posted below and tell me what you think.

Original Post: “The Misperception of Pit Bulls.”

Comments:

It appears that you are likening pit bulls to inanimate objects, which they are most certainly not.

As said in other posts, pit bulls are very emotional and loving dogs. But not all emotions are good. If a dog is very emotional, it can be very loving at times, or very angry or scared at others.

Pit bulls can act on their own. You don’t see guns chasing cats or cars. Cars don’t get aggressive and attack you when you walk by someone’s yard.

You also said, “. . . no one should blame a good dog ruined by the hands of ignorant people.” That is true, however, not all dogs are ‘good.’ While guns and cars all act the same way (or rather, not at all), dogs have different personalities and emotions.

You CAN train SOME dogs to not bite or act aggressive if it is frightened or threatened.
You CAN’T train ANY dog to never be frightened or angry.

 ”He will become mean because he’s afraid. It’s amazing what an abusive environment does to a dog-any dog. ”

This is a true statement. Depending on their environment, a dog will react and behave accordingly.

“Ultimately the irresponsible owner is the catalyst for any attack the dog may make. ”

This statement, however, is not true. Any dog, with any owner, responsible or not, can suddenly become aggressive or violence. Especially a mother dog with a litter of puppies.

A dog’s instincts are much more powerful than a humans, and instincts are a VERY deciding factor in how even a well trained dog will act.

———————————————————

It is commonly known and well-researched that dogs become a product of the atmosphere they were raised in. If you raise them to be mean, they’ll be mean. If not, then they should obey.

Tell me what you think about this person’s comments please…I’m curious to know how others feel about my statements, which align with those of animal welfare organizations across the country. Thanks for participating in these discussions.

It’s not often that you hear about a car dealership having an event that benefits animals, or a car dealership whose employees are dedicated to the animal welfare cause. But that’s exactly what Ganley Volkswagen/Subaru of Bedford is, and will be doing this Saturday. They are hosting the second annual “Feed the VW Bug, Adopt a Kitten or Dog” event on Saturday November 14. Hoping to fill a VW Bug with donations of treats, blankets, toys, and other supplies that shelters need, the profits from the Cleveland pet rescue event will benefit the Cleveland Animal Protective League.

It’s sure to be a day filled with fun and games, as there is a raffle for prizes, and guests are invited to test drive the new 2010 VW and Subaru lineups. For every car sold, $50 will be donated to the APL! How cool is that?

Also, expect to see special appearances by the Browns mascot Brownie, and many former Browns players, including Mike Pagel and Herman Arvie, who will be signing autographs. Red Bull will be there as well as Sirius Radio. It’s definitely a one-of-a-kind event! PETCO is donating treats and coupons for the “Doggie Bags” that will be handed out,too.

Last year’s profits from the event went to the ASPCA, and it was a shining success. Ganley, and its General Manager, Michael Friedman, a huge pet lover, hope to make this year’s event even bigger and better for the Cleveland APL. Faye Birns, another Ganley employee and animal welfare advocate, said the dealership plans to continue to support animal welfare causes throughout the year with different events.

“A lot of our employees adopted pets during the ASPCA event,” she said, “and we will continue to support the shelters throughout the year with other charity events.”

Join the fun and support the Cleveland pet rescue cause from 1 – 4 p.m. at the dealership located at 250 Broadway in Bedford, Ohio.

** Where ever you live, I hope you will help me spread the word about this wonderful event by either Tweeting this post or re-posting it on your site. I think this is a GREAT step forward by a car dealership! Go Ganley:)

For more info and the GM’s take on the event, check out this video:

http://ganleyman.com/Pages/Page.cfm?pageid=147579&pagetype=26&featureid=-1

Dear Companion Pet Lovers ~ 

As many of you may recall from the good news shared last week, Ohio officials have cleared the way for supporters to gather signatures for a proposed Ohio ban on auctions of dogs (officially called the Ohio Dog Auctions Act)!  We are incredibly grateful to the over 4,000 supporters (includes many hobby/show breeders) across 27 Ohio counties (and beyond) who assisted us in meeting this very critical milestone in our campaign!   

WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW… 

A unanimous 4-0 vote last Tuesday from the state Ballot Board means we may now proceed to ‘Phase 2′ of our signature drive; collecting a minimum of 120,700 valid signatures from registered Ohio voters by December 14, 2009. The signatures are necessary to put the proposed law before the Legislature in January 2010.  If our lawmakers don’t act within 90 days, our team will move to ‘Phase 3′; gathering another 120,700 valid signatures to put the Ohio Dog Auction Act on the 2010 ballot. 

WHAT IS REQUIRED FOR ‘PART 2′… 

Phase 2 of our signature drive will require us to move fast and smart in collecting 120,700 signatures!  To ensure this signature drive is successful and meets the requirements mandated by the Secretary of State, three important steps must take place:

> The total number of signatures collected for our Petition must equal at least three percent (3%) of the total vote cast for the office of governor during the 2006 gubernatorial election,

> Signatures must be collected from at least 44 of the 88 counties in Ohio, and 

> From each of these 44 counties, the number of signatures must be equal to at least one and five tenths percent (1.5%) of the total vote cast for the office of governor in that county during the 2006 gubernatorial election.

Because so many people across Ohio and beyond feel passionately in supporting an ban on dog auctions, we are confident we can meet this goal!  All we need is dedicated folks to collect signatures from each of the 88 counties and our Committee will handle the rest!

WHERE WE NEED YOUR HELP!   

We are reaching out to groups and individuals from across Ohio (and beyond) asking for their assistance to help us gather signatures by December 14, 2009!  THIS INCLUDES YOU! 

Helping to collect signatures is very quick and easy – you only need to be a resident of Ohio.  To assist you in this effort, we have created a Circulator Packet which contains the following:

1. Informational Flyer.  This document can be given to interested parties wishing to learn more about the Ohio Dog Auction Act and our campaign.

2. Circulator Instructions.  This document contains easy-to-follow instructions for collecting signatures. 

3. Petition (Ohio Dog Auction Act).

It is important to note that supporters who signed our Petition during ‘Phase 1′ of our signature drive may also sign as ‘Part 2′! 

****If you or someone you know is ready and able to gather signatures, please contact Mary O’Connor-Shaver at info@banohiodogauctions.com to have a Circulator Packet mailed to you. ****  

NOW IS THE TIME TO SERVE AS A STRONG VOICE FOR THE DOGS! 

The next Ohio Dog Auction is scheduled to take place on Saturday, October 31.  Over 300 dogs are expected to be placed on the block, including many from the state of Pennsylvania where public dog auctions are illegal.  Now is the time to send a strong message to our state legislators that dog auctions are an embarrassment to Ohio and its humane minded citizens, and voters and taxpayers are committed to supporting a 2010 ballot initiative to ban these events from our community!

Again, we greatly appreciate all your dedication and support for the dogs!

P.S.    If you are interested in purchasing any of our low cost ‘Coalition to Ban Ohio Dog Auctions’ gear (t-shirts, car magnets, lawn signs, banners, etc.), please let us know in your message to Mary.
——————–

To reply to this message, follow the link below:
http://www.facebook.com/n/?inbox/readmessage.php&t=1067245140995&mid=14bc6b4Gbde602G7abfebeG0
This message was intended for amy2002buckeye@yahoo.com. Want to control which emails you receive from Facebook or have these delivered to your phone via SMS? Go to:
http://www.facebook.com/editaccount.php?notifications=1&mid=14bc6b4Gbde602G7abfebeG0&e=1
Facebook’s offices are located at 1601 S. California Ave., Palo Alto, CA 94304.

The pet blogosphere is abuzz with chatter about this, so I thought I’d jump on the bandwagon with my two cents (which aren’t really mine).

According to renowned vet Dr. Donna Spector, DVM, DACVIM from VCA Animal Hospitals, here are some sample tips for keeping pets safe and stress-free on Halloween this year.

- Make sure your dog’s costume is comfortable and doesn’t obstruct vision, hearing, or restrict movement. Avoid tying anything around your pet’s neck to prevent choking or strangling. Remove small parts or pieces that may be easily chewed off and swallowed.
- Although tempting, do not bring your dog along for trick-or-treating. Even the best-trained dogs can become spooked or aggressive in the noise and confusion of Halloween. Children you encounter may also be fearful of dogs. 

- Keep your dog in a room separate from the trick-or-treaters. This will prevent them from becoming frightened and threatened by noisy children in costumes. Too many strangers can overwhelm a pet and cause them to be unusually protective or aggressive.
- If you haven’t done so already, visit your veterinarian for a microchip prior to the festivities of Halloween. If your dog does escape from the house or becomes lost, a microchip will increase the chances that they will be returned home again. Also make sure your pet is wearing a collar with proper ID tags.
- Avoid hazardous decorations such as flaming jack-o-lanterns and candles which can burn your pet. Don’t use streamers or ribbons around your pet’s neck, on their collars or costumes or in your home. These items are frequently ingested and may cause intestinal obstruction which requires surgery to remove.   

 
- Keep Halloween candy out of pet’s reach! Chocolate is toxic to pets and many candies can be harmful and make pet’s sick. Also avoid giving your dog alcohol or any rich fatty foods. Keep all countertops clean and a lid firmly locked onto the garbage can to prevent them from eating wrappers and food packages.

Today’s post is part of the Annual Pet ‘Net Event, sponsored by NBC Universal’s wonderful pet website, Petside.com. Today, in collaboration with pet bloggers across the country, we are drawing attention to safety issues regarding pets, from food and nutrition, to holiday, first-aid and travel safety. As ThoughtsFurPaws is very rescue-focused, I chose to specifically post about safety in bringing home a rescue pet or a formerly abused animal.

*Please take a look around at all the other wonderful blogs participating today; there is some fantastic information being presented to readers everywhere about pet safety. For a complete list of bloggers and topics, click here or see the press release here.*

————————————————————————————————-

Rescuing a pet calls for certain safety measures, especially if that pet has been abused. Whether it’s a dog or cat, your new rescue pet may not acclimate as quickly as possible unless you provide the right type of environment and give him enough support and time.

According to Lissa Nicholson of the blog Forever Foster, who is a well-known and respected cat rescuer, taking in a pet that has been abused will take some work. “It is very important to make sure the person truly understands what they are getting into, are prepared for problems that may come up, and to make sure they know they can ask for help or advice if they need it,” she said.

People should have a plan in place before picking up their rescue pet, whether it’s a cat or a dog (or even a bird), and know that there is no “typical” behavior for an abused pet, although you may notice that they want to be alone, that they cower when you approach, or have other symptoms.

Nicholson's Rescue Kittens

Nicholson, who fosters rescue cats, says that those she’s fostered have all reacted quite differently.

“I’ve had three who were badly abused and two of them were the most easy-going of all my fosters,” she said. This is also my experience. When we rescued Gibson, our white Golden Retriever from the breeder who had severely neglected him, he was just happy to be in a safe place and was so relaxed, yet still withdrawn.

“To me, it underscores the importance for a potential adopter to really spend time with the individual kitty, and have proper discussions with foster parents about what they can reasonably expect from an individual animal,” she said.

A woman who I will refer to as Marie (she has requested anonymity because her rescue efforts are so far-reaching and potential issues could be caused if her name is drawn up anywhere) and her husband, who lost their dog to cancer last year and are known for fostering Golden Retrievers in the southern California area, said something similar about dogs. Marie is considered an expert in the field of rescuing and rehabilitating dogs, and is considered a veteran expert.

A Second Chance Rescue Dog

“The first few nights they will be restless. Stress panting (in dogs) is common the first few days. The first time in a house they will generally check out every nook and cranny,” Marie said. “They may not sleep through the night but move around a lot. Some will cry or bark. They may not eat, or eat very little. Some may have an accident in the house or not go for a very long time. In extreme cases of abuse and/or fear they will freeze and drool if approached or belly crawl and stay in small places like under a bed.”

So what can you do as far as safety measures when you are taking in a rescue pet or an abused animal?

1. Do your own research and reading before you bring any pet home so you have a plan before you pick up your pet.

2. If you already have a pet at home, test the new pet with others before taking him home. You need to know if the rescue will get along with other animals. Some see animals already in the home as guides, some see them as a threat or get jealous. Make sure you know this before bringing the pet home.

3. Give the pet time to adjust to you. As Marie said, don’t expect the pet to be “huggy” and playing with you the first day home.

4. Make sure your tetanus vaccinations are up-to-date, and know that a bite wound will probably require a visit to the Dr.’s office and it may become infected, Nicholson recommends.

5. Take the time to learn the pet’s behavior. Marie said that many abused pets or even regular rescues, if not fostered, have never been in a home before or had positive human contact. They need time to learn that it’s a good thing.

6. Provide a “safe place” for the pet to go to alone, and leave him be when he’s there.

7. Don’t force yourself on the pet. Give them the space and peace and quiet that they need to adjust on their own time.

8. Let the pet approach you on his own terms: don’t force attention and affection.

9. Don’t rush the pet into new situations. Let them get used to their new home and then slowly introduce them to new surroundings.

10. Marie said that once trust is established, if you have a dog, try to take a positive reinforcement training class to further bond with him.

11. If you have a rescue cat, Nicholson recommends setting up a safe room with their food, some good hiding spots and litter box, then slowly let the cat out to roam around more of the house to get used to new sights and smells.