Category Archives: Pets Speak Up

Don’t Push Your Dog in the Heat

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Lately we have been getting out early in the morning to go for a walk with our dog, Maggie. It is cooler and the path we take is mostly in the shade during that time of the day.

This news item warns pet owners not to push their animals in the heat of the summer, or they will be at risk for heat stroke. “We need to think about them. Give them water and shade, remove muzzles. NEVER keep a dog locked up in a hot car!”

While all animals are susceptible to the heat, puppies, older dogs, dogs with compressed faces, and dark colored dogs are most vulnerable to heat stroke.

The Healing Power of a Dog and the Ocean

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Surf Dog Ricochet, the SURFice dog surfs with Ian McFarland, a 6 year old boy who suffered a brain injury in a horrific car accident that claimed the lives of his parents. Ian used to surf with his dad, but became somewhat fearful of surfing after the accident. This video shows the healing power of the ocean, and the healing power of a dog. Ian’s fears were replaced with excitement when he learned he’d be surfing with Ricochet. http://www.surfdogricochet.com

Related Post: SURFice Dog Amazing Video

Adopt a Pet Stamps to the Rescue

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Adopt a Shelter Pet Commemorative Stamps

Joining The Humane Society of the United States’ Wayne Pacelle and representatives from the United States Postal Service, American Humane Association, and Petfinder.com on stage at Hollywood’s Academy of Television Arts & Sciences for a press conference, Ellen DeGeneres unveiled the new 44 cent stamps featuring the adorable faces of five dogs and five cats, all of whom had been adopted from animal shelters and rescue groups.

Mr. Pacelle made the following observation: About 8 million dogs and cats are funneled through shelters every year. They come to shelters for a variety of purposes, they have been found on the streets, or people relinquish them to shelters. There is this stigma that is attached to animals at shelters – that there is something wrong with them, that they are defective, or have some behavioral problem, or some physical problem. Those of us who have adopted animals from shelters know that is false. Contrasting with dogs who are sold from puppy mills, shelter dogs are properly socialized with tremendous attention from shelter workers. The animals at shelters are actually the best socialized animals. They get excellent veterinary care.

The dogs and cats know what is going on. They know that someone has come to rescue them. They are enormously grateful to their new owners for the rest of their lives. What he sees as one of the most tragic things is that only 20% of dogs in people’s homes come from shelters. Four out of five dogs are coming from other sources. If just a small percentage of people who are getting dogs, this year or next year, got them from shelters rather than from a puppy mill or pet store, then we would solve this problem.

Maggie (the rescue shelter dog), Julie and Murry of the DogBlog: A Dog’s Eye View and the BestDogBlog.com agree whole heartedly. We encourage you to buy some Adopt a Shelter Pet Commemorative Stamps and remember there is a dog or cat waiting for your love at a rescue shelter. Please remember them when you need a friend.

Get your stamps here.

SURFice Dog – Amazing Video

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Get your tissue ready. This video will make grown men cry and dogs will howl with pride. The video includes a song by Taylor Hicks (Do I Make You Proud), which goes perfect with the story about one dog’s journey to becoming a surf dog for charitable causes.

docchat — November 17, 2009 — This video is copyrighted by: http://www.surfdogricochet.com. Kleenex alert! Each person who watches finds an individual message that touches them on many levels, & brings them to tears. It’s about acceptance, adjusting expectations, & focusing on the "can do’s" in life which allows for a celebration of amazing outcomes. This is Surf dog Ricochet’s journey from birth, to service dog training, to dog surfing, to surfing tandem with quadriplegic surfer, Patrick Ivison, to fundraising for charitable causes. She has raised over $20,000 in the last six months. She is currently leading a fundraiser for a six year old boy named Ian who suffered a traumatic brain injury in a horrific car accident that claimed the lives of his parents. For more info on Ricochet, dog surfing, and her charitable causes, please go to http://www.SurfDogRicochet.com. To follow her on Facebook & Twitter: "Surf Dog Ricochet"

A Dog’s View of Sports on TV

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Dogs in Boise watch BSU Football

Dogs in Boise watch BSU Football

Boise State Football fans realize that of course man’s best friend would watch the blue field, with the Boise State Broncos, and they will never forget the fantastic win at the 2007 Fiesta Bowl,  but what do other dogs around the country watch on TV?  Do dogs even watch TV?   The debate will go on.  Our guest writer shares a viewpoint from Patches, a cocker spaniel dog from Arizona.

A Dog’s View of Sports on TV
by Guest Writer: Brian Hill

(As told to Brian Hill by a cocker spaniel from Phoenix named Patches.) At our house, we watch a lot of sports on TV. When I was a puppy, I thought this was a big waste of a nice sunny day. After all, it meant less time available for playing outside in the yard or going to the dog park. But as I’ve matured (the other day I saw my reflection in the window and was shocked to see I have gray in my muzzle), I’ve begun to see the wisdom of spending the afternoon on the comfy sofa watching a game. Some people think dogs can’t see TV or understand what’s going on. That’s nonsense. The only thing we can’t do is call and purchase the products we see on infomercials, but a lot of that stuff seems like junk anyway. Myself, I even figured out how to order pay-per-view using the remote.

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