Dog Survives Inferno by Hiding Under Bed

Here's some good news for a change that I found on Life with Dogs. Please visit the site and leave them a comment. More people need to know about this and see that there can be some good news, sometimes.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here's a link to a video about this dog


A Texas family finds hope amidst tragedy when their dog is recovered alive a day after their house burned down.

Patsy Alexander dug through the rubble of her parents home after it was destroyed by a fire last week. The Tyler, Texas resident was hoping to find a few sentimental items, and was shocked to find the family dog alive and well after spending the night hiding under a bed.

“I was just glad to see at least one come out and made it through this tragedy,” said Alexander.

Alexander spent the afternoon at the aftermath of her uncle’s charred home. Alexander is worried for the homeowner, James Culpepper. He was injured after helping his family to escape the blaze and is hospitalized in serious condition. Daughter Linda Cook is caring for his dog until he is released.

Authorities say the fire was started by a faulty heater that ignited a sofa. Culpepper’s family is thankful his dog somehow survived, and said they are hoping to see the two reunited in the near future.

Friday Videos

These are cute videos of dogs being silly.  I laughed and thought you might get a kick, too.  Enjoy!

Ensure Your Pet Always Has a Way Home.

Homeless and lost pets fill our animal shelters to capacity.  True, some animals are "dumped" there, but the majority of them have been picked up roaming the streets unescorted.

Satchmo, bless his soul, was the epitome of the escape artist.  He could get through spaces much too small for him and be gone in a flash!  Once out and about, he was only caught when he wanted to be caught.  My biggest concern as I chased after him was "when will he finally get tired and want to come home?"  but my next thought was always, "what if he gets hit by a car?" because he knew nothing about traffic and streets.

There are many ways a responsible pet owner can make sure that their pet is returned to them if lost.

First, start out simply click here to get your pet an engraved tag stating the animal's name and having your last name and telephone number on one side.  Make sure to attach this to the animals collar or harness.

Secondly, click here to get your animal microchipped.  However, a caveat.  If you don't keep the information current, this is a worthless piece of junk inside of your pet.  Most microchips can be reconfigured to input new information if you move, but you must notify the company to get the information changed.

Another way to keep your pet safe is to use a GPS collar to track your dog.  These products have become more and more affordable as GPS gains in popularity.  With this system in place, you simply notify the company and they will notify you of your dogs location.

There is also the option of joining an online pet finding company where you can register and pay, then if your pet is lost, the company will call all shelters, put up flyers, send out email alerts to your area, call all of your neighbors to alert them of the lost pet.  This type of service is excellent and has a really good track record of finding lost pets.

With all the options available, there really is not a good excuse for your pet to be one of the lost and scared animals sitting in our over-crowded shelters, is there?

Related articles

• Pet owners encouraged to microchip family pets (money.marksandspencer.com)
• Safeguarding your pet with microchipping technology (savingsroundup.com)
• Dogs and microchips - the best way to keep your pooch safe (thenewssource.co.uk)
• Find your lost pet with GPS-powered Tagg The Pet Tracker (digitaltrends.com)
• Unprecedented Collaboration Helps Lost Pets Reunite with Owners (prweb.com)
• Well Blog: For Lost Pets, Tags Are Critical (well.blogs.nytimes.com)
• Where can you find a dog at (wiki.answers.com)
• Qualcomm Shows Public Face With Pet-tracking Service (pcworld.com)
• Getting Your Dog a Microchip, a Necessity For the Domestic Canine (lifewitharie.wordpress.com)
• Is Your Pet Connected? PetBam Unites Pets and Animals and Those Who Love Them (prweb.com)

Separation Anxiety Can Be A Reality For Your Dog When The Kids Go Back To School

Image via WikipediaWhen summer is over and the kids have to return to school, sometimes our pets have difficulty adjusting to the loss of their playmates of summer.  Some develop anxiety disorders, some develop really bad habits and regress to puppyhood.  Here is an article that addresses this issue.  It is from Banfield.com and has really good information you can use immediately.

Another way to help your pet with anxiety is with the new wrap that snuggles your pet and makes them feel safe and protected.  You can visit this link to find out more about this wonderful product.

____________________________________________________________________________________

In September, as the kids head back to school, did you consider that your dog may have to adjust to the changes in the family routine just like everyone else? During the summer, your children and the family dog can develop a strong bond. Now there’s suddenly an empty and quiet house. This change in routine can cause your dog to suffer from separation anxiety or depression—to actually miss your kids—and even follow them to school. Your dog may experience the effects of the loss of extra playtime and the friendship developed with your children by exhibiting signs of separation through destructive behaviors such as:

• Chewing furniture
• Ripping the stuffing out of pillows
• Shredding paper
• Obsessive barking/whining for extended periods of time
• House soiling

Separation anxiety is a serious condition that can be managed with structure and patience. NEVER punish your dog for exhibiting this behavior, as it will make him more fearful and potentially aggressive.
Tips to manage anxiety:

• Start with leaving your dog at home for very short periods of time to get him used to being alone
• Avoid emotional departures and greetings
• Have your belongings prepared so that your departure from home is calm
• Consider doggie daycare for prolonged absences
• Teach the kids to avoid over stimulating the dog with departures and arrivals
• Exercising your dog before leaving the house in the morning is a good idea so he’ll be relaxed when you return and be set for when you’re away.
• Leave some sturdy, interactive toys for your dog to help keep him from being bored.
Be sure to check with your veterinarian to have your dog fully evaluated and correctly diagnosed before trying to manage the symptoms. There may be an underlying medical condition that may be misconstrued as separation anxiety.

Related articles

• My dog has separation anxiety (tithebarn.wordpress.com)
• Separation Anxiety in Dogs (everydayhealth.com)
• Does Anti Anxiety Dog Coats Help Dog Behavior Problems?. (animaltopics.com)
• Discover if your canine friend has dog separation anxiety. (animaltopics.com)
• Dog Behavior Problems (mademan.com)
• 6 Tips for Conquering Separation Anxiety as Kids Head Back to School (tricitypsychology.com)

We have a new dog--rescued from the dog shelter in Austin

We have a new little dog, her name is Leela and she weighs in at a whooping 7 pounds.  She is a cross between a rat terrier and a chihuahua.  She is really a chihuahua in a rattie coat!   She is very sweet and loving and she almost never makes a sound.  She is interested in our feral cats but they are afraid of her and run off.  She loves Austen and they play for hours together. 

She is not my Satchmo, and never will be.  But I am glad that I was able to save a little soul.  So here are pictures!

Missing California Dog Found in Florida

Here's a wonderful story from Life with Dogs that I thought I would share here. It makes sense to do something that assures you of finding your pet, but very few people actually take any action in this matter. The choices are easy and relatively inexpensive. You can microchip, get a GPS collar, you can list your pet at online pet finding sites, or put a tag with your name and number on the pet.

This story has a happy ending, but many of these stories do not. Be a responsible pet owner, please.

October 1, 2011Posted by ADMIN

A Sacramento teenager is celebrating what he calls the miraculous return of his beloved lost dog.




16-year-old Cody Baetge received Chihuahua-whippet mix Cooper as a gift from his grandfather shortly before he passed away, and was understandably distraught when a gardener accidentally left a fence gate open in 2009. Cooper bolted, and was never seen again.

Until just last week. Inexplicably, Cooper turned up in Brandon, Florida, some 2,800 miles from home. Two young girls found the lost dog and dropped him off at a local vet clinic, where a microchip scan revealed his original owner.

Baetge said he was was incredulous when he received a call telling him that Cooper would be coming home. “I don’t know how to explain it, but I’m glad everything happened the way it did, even though he’s all the way out there. But I think that’s the only way we would’ve found him,” said Baetge.

Plans are currently being made to fly Cooper home on Monday, when after more than two long years apart, a boy and his dog will be reunited and embrace the second chance that each has been given – thanks to a $20 microchip.

My final entry about Satchmo

You may or may not have noticed that I changed the title to this blog a while back.  I have not been able to talk about this or even think about this until now.

In July, my companion and my friend, Satchmo started seizing and the vet could not get the seizures to stop.  He stayed overnight at the vet but they were unsuccessful in stopping the seizures.  The next morning, I went to the vets and held my little boy.  It was difficult because of the spasms, but I spoke to him and petted him and told him how much I loved him.  I told him he would soon feel better and I would stay with him. 

I held him while life left him. 

I cried and cried and thought I would die, too.  Even as I write this I am crying.  But that is not the reason for the post. 

I opted to have Satchmo cremated and my vet was able to facilitate it for me.  Two days later, I was called to pick up his ashes.   I cried when I picked up that little sack with my boy's remains in it.  I brought it in the house and set it on the floor in my room.  I have not been able to touch it since.  He is still where I placed him.

Austen went to the vet yesterday for shots.  While I was there, the vet tech said, "I have something I think you might like to have."  She went into the back and came back out with a baggie that had a disc in it.  She said she had come across this when she was organizing shelves in the back.  When I looked at the disc, it was a paw-print of my boy.  I cried.

But I think receiving that paw-print was good for me.  Since I brought that home, I have begun a search for a vessel to keep my boy in, so I can keep him with me always.  I'm still very sad and I miss him terribly.

Remeber the dog heroes of 9/11!

May God bless and keep all these wonderful dogs in his heart and in his care.

Here's an interesting article that talks about protecting innocent pets from domestic abuse by law.  I'm all for that.  Domestic abuse is about abuse of power and we all know that in a family the one without power is the target for this type of behavior--wives, children, pets.

I found this article in the Killeen Daily Herald although it appears to have originated in the Dallas Morning News.  This is a very interesting development in the animal welfare arena, especially in Texas.  Texas is not known for its protective policies of women and children, let alone pets.  Hmmmm.

                   New law to help pets caught in domestic abuse   Posted On: Tuesday, Jul. 5 2011 10:21 AM DALLAS (AP) — Protective orders that prevent an abuser from hurting, threatening or harassing a person will soon be extended to pets thanks to a Texas law taking effect this summer.

The law was designed to help when someone abuses or threatens to abuse an animal to intimidate or coerce a victim. While a first offense would be a misdemeanor, two or more offenses would bump the crime up to a third-degree felony, The Dallas Morning News reported Saturday.

"It's really not about overzealously being protective of pets in Texas," said Sen. Wendy Davis, a Fort Worth Democrat who wrote the legislation that Gov. Rick Perry recently signed into law. "It's about protecting women who are battered."

When the law takes effect Sept. 1, Texas will join about a dozen other states that have extended protective orders to pets.

"Everybody that has pets is very passionate and loves their pets," so an abuser will use that passion against the victim as a show of power and control, said Dallas police Lt. Scott Walton, interim division manager of Dallas Animal Services.

According to the American Humane Association, 71 percent of pet-owning women entering shelters reported that their abuser had injured, killed or threatened family pets for revenge or to psychologically control them.

Mary Silman of Arlington, who endured prolonged physical and psychological abuse, recalled the traumatic beating of a pet dog she loved.

"My husband just started beating up the dog with his fists ... trying to crack its ribs," the 56-year-old woman said. "It was yelping. I couldn't do anything or say anything because I was too scared ... that he was going to do that to me."

Silman said an abuser will keep a victim's pet or kill it out of spite, and "no innocent animal needs to be caught up in that."

Advocates say victims may be more inclined to seek help if they don't have to worry about their pet's safety.

But some people who run shelters say the new law might pose new challenges for animal and domestic abuse shelters. For instance, some people staying at shelters are allergic to animals, and several shelters lack the space needed to even house pets.

The Family Place in Dallas encourages victims to contact a friend to house the pet or to call animal and domestic abuse shelters to discuss possible solutions.

People increasingly are also using social networks such as Facebook and Craigslist to find foster homes for pets.

___

Information from: The Dallas Morning News, http://www.dallasnews.com

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press.

Related articles

• Protecting Pets Against Domestic Violence: Looks Good For Lawmakers, But It's A Drop In The Bucket (hayladies.wordpress.com)

ASPCA Provides Critical Water Rescue for Pets Stranded by Irene

Image via Wikipedia Let's all remember the animals that are affected by hurricanes.  Remember the dogs from Katrina?  Now we have the dogs from Irene.  Please help your local ASPCA, or donate to rescue organizations that are trying to help these animals. 

This article is from the ASPCA Blog and you need to see that there is a need here.

__________________________________________________________________________________

September 1, 2011





After a state of emergency was declared in the area, the ASPCA deployed to Schoharie County, New York, to assist with the emergency rescue and sheltering of animals stranded by severe flooding. Small towns are engulfed by water, and roads and bridges have been closed across the county.
“We’re providing emergency water rescues for pets trapped inside flooded homes,” says Tim Rickey, ASPCA Senior Director of Field Investigations and Response. “People can’t get home; the damage caused by Tropical Storm Irene is just devastating.”
Rescued animals will be taken to the Animal Shelter of Schoharie Valley where they will be triaged and housed until they can be reunited with their families. PetSmart Charities has supplied much-needed provisions such as crates, blankets and bowls.
“We’re committed to helping families and pets impacted by Tropical Storm Irene,” says Rickey. “We’ll be here for as long as they need us.”
Schoharie County residents looking to rescue or shelter their pets or wishing to report lost pets should contact Animal Services at the Schoharie County Emergency Operations Center at (518) 231-2718.
Stay tuned to ASPCA.org for more on this breaking story.

Related articles

• ASPCA Urges Pet Owners to Plan Ahead for Disasters (prweb.com)
• Pets Welcome At City Shelters During Hurricane Irene (newyork.cbslocal.com)
• Hurricane Irene Pet Emergency Plan (huffingtonpost.com)
• A Message For Pet Owners In The Path Of Hurricane Irene (lukewilliamss.wordpress.com)
• ASPCA, Best Friends Animal Society Rescue More Than 120 Dogs from Overwhelmed Animal Facility in Arkansas (prweb.com)
• Hundreds of Cats at Pennsylvania Animal Sanctuary Rescued by ASPCA With Assistance from American Humane Association & PetSmart Charities (prweb.com)

Dog Bites -- Why your dog may bite even you

Six Tips for Dog Owners to Prevent Biting

1. Socialize and train. Your dog should be comfortable interacting not only with family members, but with visitors and other animals as well. Socialization before your puppy reaches 14-16 weeks of age is a crucial step in raising a balanced, well-adjusted dog.
   Basic obedience training is also essential for both you and your pet. Owners need to learn to work with rather than against their dog’s instincts and this isn’t a skill most of us are born with.
   As your dog grows and develops, it’s important to continue socialization and training. It will increase the bond you and your pet share, and it will keep your dog’s mind stimulated for a lifetime. At my hospital, I encourage owners to keep puppies in class through their first year of life, similar to encouraging your children to graduate from college versus stopping their education after elementary school.
2. Spay or neuter. When your dog becomes balanced both physically and mentally, it’s the right time to spay or neuter. Intact male dogs are more likely to bite than neutered dogs. Female dogs, both those in heat and those nursing a litter, can exhibit unpredictable behavior. Ask your vet to help you decide when it’s the right time for your pet. If your vet suggests your dog is brewing a temperament problem, taking the sex hormones out of the equation sooner rather than later will be the recommendation.  
3. Supervise. Your dog is a pack animal, and you’re the pack leader. Dogs weren’t designed by nature to hang out alone in most situations. Your pet needs your presence and guidance, especially when other people and animals are around.
   Leaving your dog on his own to decide how to behave can make him feel insecure and anxious, or alternatively, overly confident. This lack of emotional balance can spell danger to those who cross your dog’s path when he’s unsupervised.
4. Remove the shackles. Dogs that are chained, tethered or otherwise tied up become stressed. Their feelings of vulnerability and protectiveness increase, which ramps up their potential to be aggressive. If you need to confine your dog occasionally outside the house, fencing the entire yard or a section of yard is the way to go. A fence keeps your dog safe inside your yard, and prevents kids and other animals from interacting with your pet unsupervised.
5. Exercise control. Nearly a quarter of fatal bites are delivered by dogs that are running loose and off their owner’s property. Dogs are territorial, and if your dog is allowed to run loose around the neighborhood, her perceived territory is greatly expanded from your address. She could decide to defend her ‘turf’ in a neighbor’s yard or the playground down the street.
   That’s why you must control your dog at all times when she is away from home. Keep your pet secure on a leash, and if you can’t control her even when she’s leashed, allow another family member to step in until your dog is trained to behave on lead and consistently obeys your verbal commands.
6. Nurture good health. A dog that doesn’t feel well -- is aching or in pain -- is more apt to snap at an unsuspecting person or animal. Keep your dog healthy throughout his life with a species-appropriate diet, plenty of heart-thumping exercise, regular at-home exams and wellness checkups with your veterinarian.

Related articles

• Vets warn against banning dangerous dogs (news.theage.com.au)
• Reasons to Spay or Neuter (therealowner.com)
• Show your Dog Proper Behaviour with the Help of Dog Containment Tools (mypetkingdom.info)
• Research finds children can't recognise dangerous dogs (money.marksandspencer.com)
• Hospitals treating more dog bites (independent.co.uk)
• Tips for Approaching Strange Dogs (dogsden.wordpress.com)
• Friday Funny: Please Don't Tease the Dog (doggies.com)