ANIMAL CONNECTION

Archive for the ‘Ferrets, Rabbits, Guinea Pig, Etc.’ Category

If you have dogs or ferrets, this is your lucky Friday. It has been a challenging week for me.  I have had a number of issues come up regarding dogs and ferrets.  I had to do some research and contact other rescues and shelters for help.  It’s amazing how animal people all stick together and help each other so animals can have a better life.  Thank you!!

One challenge I had were ferrets with fleas. I never had ferrets with fleas so I was not sure what to do about them.  I know they are delicate animals and it can be deadly if they are treated like dogs and cats for a flea problem. Here are some of the things I found out:

1. A flea condition is 100% fixable.  I spoke to rescues who told me that ferrets die from fleas. They are such small animals and it doesn’t take long for them to be sucked dry. The fleas are coming in from a source.  Once you find out what the source is, you can correct it.   Ferrets, being indoor animals, should not have fleas.

2. If you have dogs or cats that come in and out you can give them Capstar. You have to get it from a veterinarian.  This should not be given to ferrets, unless you just adopted them and need to get the fleas off this one time.  (Talk to your vet about dosage).

3. You can also get an 8oz. spray bottle.  Put about 2 tablespoons Skin-so-soft with 1 teaspoon alcohol (to cut the oil) and fill with water. You can spray that on the dogs and cats and rub it in.  This will kill fleas.  Again, be very careful not to use this too much with ferrets since they have very sensitive skin.

The one recommendation I got over and over again, get everyone and everything out of the house.  Fumigate the whole house and have the yard treated.  While you are gone, get all of the fleas off of all the animals.  When you return, you are starting new. Make sure all of the animals stay in the house.  If they must go outside, make sure they stay in your yard, if possible.  Give them Capstar before they go out to be sure they don’t get any fleas.  The ferrets should no longer have a flea problem, ever.

I also had people asking me about the proper food they should be feeding their dogs.  Since I have not had dogs in years, I was not sure what to tell them.  I have a friend, Greg Martinez, DVM who just wrote a book called, “Dr. Greg’s Dog Dish Diet”.  That book has a wealth of information when it comes to feeding your dog. It gives you histories of different breeds, what different breeds eat, how different foods affect different dogs, etc.  Did you know dogs are not suppose to have any corn or beef?

Here are a few tidbits I got from the book that I thought were interesting and I wanted to pass along:

1. A Tablespoon of olive oil or canola oil on the food daily, or an egg yolk in the food three or four times a week, can have a wondrous effect on health.

2. Never give your dog chocolate.  That goes for ferrets too.  Ferrets should not have any sugars or fruit.

3. The closest ancestor to a dog, the wolf.   99.8% of a dog’s DNA matches the wolf. To feed dogs well on a diet that resembles the natural diet of a wolf, make sure the mix of ingredients and nutrients are similar.

4. Wild game provides the wolf with a high-water, low-carbohydrate diet that is also high in protein and fat.   With the exception of a few of the newer diet; canned dog foods most closely match the wolf’s natural diet.

5. Ounce for ounce, canned dog food has about a third the calories of dry food.

6. A healthier diet may actually prevent, decrease and often cure many of the common chronic problems in dogs.

These are the top 10 claims for Veterinary Pet Insurance:

A.Ear Infections

B. Skin Allerfies

C. Pyoderma (hotspots/ bacterial skin infections)

D. Gastritis/Vomiting (stomach upsets)

E.  Enteritis/Diarrhea

F.  Urinary Tract Infections Benign

G.  Skin Tumors

H.  Osteoarthritis

I.  Eye Inflammation

J.  Hypothyroidism

7. Allergies in dogs are caused by three common allergen groups:

A. Fleas

B.  Pollens, grasses and molds

C.  Allergenic food ingredients (most often wheat, beef and corn)

8.  Wolves keep their teeth clean by chewing on the bones of prey animals. In that tradition, you can give your dog raw or frozen chicken theighs, smoked pork bones or beef knucklebones, and they’ll gnaw the tartar away.  PLEASE, be careful what you give your dog. They should be able to chew NOT eat bones.  The book goes into detail about this.

To learn more about dogs and their diets click here for Dr. Greg’s Book.

Then I had questions about adopting dogs.  The best timing in the world because I had information sent to me from “The Camping Dog”.

It specifically talked about adopting a shelter dog. They say one of the best gifts you can give yourself is adopting a shelter dog.  Are shelter dogs right for everyone?  Absolutely not.  You never really know what you’ve got until you get your new friend home.  And odds are even that your dog will need specialized attention and care for health or behavior issues for some period of time.  Unless you’re willing to be patient and work with your pup, you have no business having a dog at all – and especially not a shelter dog who may well have had traumatic experiences.

There is nothing more rewarding than watching a dog blossom into their true personalities. Seeing a dog learn how to play for the first time is a delight.  And watching them grow as they learn new behaviors and have new experiences is so much fun!  And they do thank you for it in so many ways!

If you would like to know the questions to ask yourself if you are thinking about adopting a dog click here.

Bessie Paige

Whether it’s a family member, friend or a pet, we all deal with the loss of someone close to us at some point in time.

A week ago today (5/17/2010) I lost my little girl Bessie. She was my daughter with 4 legs and a tail.  I knew the time was near since she had cancer and had been fighting it for a long time.  Even though I tried to prepare myself, when the time came, I felt like I was completely unprepared.   I have to confess, I have had ferrets for over 20 years.  They are prone to certain cancers and illnesses, so I am always aware that they will not live very long when I get one.  I can’t help it, they are like potato chips, you can’t love just one.

I spent the last night tossing and turning, knowing it was my last night with her. I kept hugging her as much as I could until she gave me a look that said, “Leave me alone, I’m trying to sleep!”

The next morning I took her to the veterinarian for her final visit. When we came home I was consumed with making sure her resting spot, next to her soul mate Herb, was just perfect.   For that period of time, my life seemed normal.  As soon as I came in the house my world fell apart.

Herb & Bessie

I realized that I had lost two of the closest loves of my life over the past 18 months.  For two days after the burial I don’t remember any of the phone conversations I had.  I also didn’t realize all of the emails and posts I had responded to.  It was like someone invaded my body and took over for 48 hours.

With the help of friends I got out of the house and kept busy this weekend.  I even helped the local Greyhound rescue.  It helped, until I come home and went into my bedroom.  That’s where my kids lived with me.  I have not been able to clean, or move, any of the things Bessie used.  I am not sure how long that process takes. When Herb died, Bessie was here to console me and I did the same for her.  We made a great team.  Now I don’t have a team.

I will be ferret sitting for 2 ferrets later this week while their owners are on vacation.  I have also decided to do more sitting for other ferret owners and dog owners. Right now I’d feel guilty if I were to get another animal.  My heart is raw.

One friend sent this question to me, and it helped put things in perspective:  “Honey, if you had the choice of giving up the short time you had with this precious one for the way you feel right now, would you?” Of course my answer was NO, but I miss my kids!!!

I would like to know how other people deal with the loss of their pet?  I am sure everyone deals with the loss in many different ways.

Bessie loved to drag slippers all over the house, especially ones twice her size.

Bessie was also a big Cheerleader.  She could never decide between LSU Tigers and Florida Gators.

If you,or someone you know, needs a ferret sitter in the Sarasota area, please let me know.  I’ve had some people contact me about ferret sitting for them this summer.  I will be happy to do it.  The ferrets will be in a safe, free roaming environment.  The ferrets will also get a complimentary “spa treatment”  before they are picked up to go home (bath, clip their nails, clean their ears, massage, etc).  You can contact me for more information.

I recently had a veterinarian in India contact me.  He brought up the subject of using animals for the benefit of science.  He wanted to get feedback from people around the world. This is a very controversial topic.  On one side people are all for it.  They have a family member that is very sick, or they are sick themselves.  They would like to find a cure before they die.  On the other hand there are people who say, why should lots of animals die trying to find a cure for humans?  Aren’t animals living, caring, feeling creatures too?  There is still another side, why not do the trials on humans?  There are people who would not have a problem doing this as long as they were financially cared for and all related expenses were taken care of for them.  The challenge, it’s illegal in the US.  I’m not sure about other parts of the world.

So what is the answer? Here are a number of responses I have received from around the world.  You can read more of these comments, and join a group that I started by clicking here. The group is for people who want to share their thoughts, ideas and stories about animal organizations, charities or issues. We also want to get ideas and feedback on things people can do to help.  We are already inundated with the negative things going on in the world.  Let’s come up with some solutions that people can implement in their own lives.

This new group is also for people in the film, TV, media industry.  I want to find ways to spread the word on some of the wonderful solutions people come up with.  The show, Animal Connection, will be a series bringing a lot of these things to the forefront to be shared around the world.

Here are some recent comments:

1. Kim: I am not a Dr. therefore my viewpoint is tilted and objectivity is lost. More and more research is showing us that animals are sentient beings and do feel pain and suffering.

That being said, if one of my children were suffering and there was a cure that required animal testing to determine it’s effect, then obviously my point of view would be altered…therein lies the dilemma.

2.  Dr. Mishar: Definitely there are developments on certain area where animal models can be replaced by tissue culture. I think, it’s used wherever it can be. However, we are far from developing a model to replicate human biosystem which is a human being only.

Now the issue is with Animal drug development. We did a historical analysis to get a result that nearly 60% of animal drugs are translated from human pharmaceuticals. Faster the human drug development, faster the translation into veterinary products for animal’s ailments. Drugs like Vancomycin are also available for animals after successful launch for human beings. Animal pharma market is not as attractive as human pharma to invite heavy investment for new drug development. Mostly animal pharma gets benefited from human focused pharma innovations. Recently one drug named Carprofen with minimum side effect in human beings got translated for animal’s use also. This drug can actually reduce the side effect of earlier drugs and can reduce animal pain with minimal side effect.I being a vet and running a clinical research organization for animal’s well being, vouch for faster human drug development which can in turn help animal world.

Now the debate remains and I agree with you Kim and Vanessa, wherever substitute available, it has to be explored first before even thinking about animal trial. Just in case of unavailability of alternatives, don’t we think that a faster development of human drugs actually helps animals also?   Please feel free to give your views and all type of perspectives.

3.  Vanessa: You give a very interesting perspective on the matter. I don’t think that the fact that medication for animals can be developed sooner by animal testing should be a justifiable reason to do so.

I will admit that I do not know a lot about this and there are probably a lot of facts unknown to me however here are my thoughts. I am a mother of 7 children and blessed that all are in perfect health. However, if one of my children had a life threatening illness, I would want anything that could be done to save them to be looked at.

Please don’t get me wrong, I am very careful over the name brands I purchase –I make sure they are environmentally friendly and non-animal tested. I have also been a vegetarian for the past 13 years because I would never want another animal to die for me when I can easily substitute the meat. I also have 10 animals at home that I completely love and cherish.

So hypothetically speaking, if there was a lift threatening illness where the only way scientist knew how to create a cure is through animal testing, I can understand the reasoning. However, if you are talking about creating a medication for something more superficial such as medicine to make you look younger or to help someone’s seasonal allergies, then I can not see that as reason enough for it.

4. Rose: I also do not have a medical background, but my line of work does put me in touch with animals in the environment of energy healing and animal communication.

I respect the perspectives of everyone here, but have a slightly different one. Animals are sentient beings who feel many of the same emotions we do and feel physical pain. They understand and accept being part of the food chain as natural, however experimentation on animals is not natural, it is something that mankind has developed for personal benefit. I feel that animals have the right to decide if they wish to volunteer for experimentation just as humans do. This is a question of ethics, science has determined that animals think and feel, why should we subject them to terrible quality of life for our benefit? It my belief that we should put more money into finding ways to prevent many of the illnesses that are caused by how we treat our bodies, the earth, and our food sources rather than into drug research.

I do not have children, but I do have sisters, and a father who died of cancer. I still feel that experimentation on animals is wrong for any reason. Just because you can do something does not mean you should.

5.  Carolyn: I understand and respect everyone’s reasoning, this is probably going to be a really interesting conversation!

Personally on both an intellectual and an emotional level I am strongly against the use of animals for testing, especially in the development of cosmetics. This is not only from an animal welfare point of view. I started in on this when I was very, very young. I was pretty rabidly anti-vivisection and testing purely for welfare reasons, and then went on to research more about the viability and “sense” of animal testing.

So far our conversation has focused on drug development/testing. It is my understanding that using animal tests to model drug effects can give dangerously misleading results. i.e. thalidomide.

There are many other ways in which animals are being used for medical research and development.

As far as I remember, nobody has yet talked about other uses of animals in medical/scientific research. As an example- the mouse who had an ear grown on his back.

Where are the boundaries for everyone else here?

If we remove the outright tortures of draize testing, toxicity testing, deliberately poisoning animals or creating tumours etc in animals, what views do all of you have on this issue?

Will an appropriately human based medium for testing and research etc ever be developed when world leaders are religiously and and/ or anthrocentrically obsessed to the point of banning stem cell research etc?

P.S  Dr Mishrah I somehow had the idea that university students in the UK do sometimes “volunteer” (and sometimes get paid) to participate in drug/chemical trials. Is this correct?

Have you ever thought about going on vacation but you’re concerned about what to do with your pet?  How about taking your pet with you?

It is estimated around 85% of pet owners travel with their pets by car. If you’re planning to take your pet with you on trips in the car, start early when the pet is young so they get used to the routine.   Short jaunts across town and back, or easy day trips, will get your pet used to the ride.  A carsick pet can make the trip miserable for everyone.

A seat upholstery protector, such as a pet hammock or waterproof seat cover will make clean-ups easier in case your pet does get sick or has an accident.

Be sure to bring along cleaning supplies to avoid having to search out a place to purchase them at the last minute.

If you are going to be riding on buses or trains you need to check the state and local restrictions. Some prohibit pets from riding on buses or trains unless they are assisting visually impaired or physically challenged persons. Always check in advance with these transportation providers to find out what regulations they may impose.

Before you travel with your pet, check with your veterinarian to make sure your pet is physically able to make the trip. Some senior or physically impaired dogs and cats do not travel well. You may want to consider a local, reputable kennel for your pet, or if your pet is would be more comfortable at home, you may want to contact a pet sitting organization to locate a pet sitter in your area who can take care of your pet in its own, familiar surroundings.

If you decide that your pet is able to take the trip there are still a number of things to consider.

Traveling with pets internationally can be much more challenging than domestic travel with pets because of long waiting periods, quarantine requirements and other importation regulations. If you are considering traveling internationally with your pet, it’s important to begin planning way ahead of your intended time of travel. Proper planning will help better prepare you and your pet for the trip, lessen the stress on both of you and provide realistic expectations of international pet travel.

Here are a few things you should think about:

1. What types of airline restrictions do you have for international pet travel?
2. Do you limit the number of pets allowed in cargo and in the cabin?
3. Are certain breeds of pets not permitted or not advised to travel internationally?
4. What are the container requirements?
5. Will my pet have to change planes?
6. Will my pet be able to relieve himself somewhere if it is a long flight?
7. When and where should I drop off my pet?
8. What documents will I need to transport my pet?
9. Where will my pet clear customs?

What do you do if your pet needs emergency care, at home or while you are away? What if your pet gets lost or even worst, what if there is a disaster in your area?  You will need to find resources for all of these issues.

We can help you find answers to these and other issues.  If you have suggestions you have used for your animals, please post them so that other pet owners can learn from your experience.

Our world is ever changing. Remember when there were only three networks on TV?   Now there are so many choices that people are overwhelmed.   You add reality TV networks to the mix and it’s impossible to keep up.  A lot of people record, or “Tivo” shows so they can see them “when they have time”.  When does that happen?  We have become so overwhelmed with keeping up with work and family life that most people don’t have time for TV.  When they do watch it I wonder, how many people really take in what they are watching?  Are their minds still on something else?

Now, add the internet to the mix. Most people are on their computers for work and play.  It’s no wonder TV shows try to direct you to their website.  That’s where most people spend their time.  It is the place to find love, food, cars, investments, TV shows you missed, coupons and specials, old friends, as well as anything you need regarding animals.  That is why I am placing my show on the internet, so I know you will see it!

I wanted to share with you some sites I think you might want to put into your database.  You never know when you might need them.  You’re already on the computer reading this    I have posted them below.

There is also a term a lot of people have heard but really don’t understand.  It is called “Fostering”.  I recently did a report on Greyhounds.  The dogs are rescued, sent to prison and trained by the prisoners.  After they are trained they are sent to foster homes, or rescues, until they are adopted.

I always thought that fostering meant you HAD to keep the animal until a new home was found.  That is not the case. Most of the time animals are only with you for a short time, maybe a week or two.  If you have to leave for a trip, the organization will take the animal.  If you only want a “friend” for a few weeks or a month, that is fine.  There is a HUGE NEED for foster homes everywhere.  There are all kinds of animals that need a foster home.  It can be fun to learn about a new animal without the long term commitment.  The animals come with food.  Any medical care is also taken care of for you.  All the animal needs is a safe and loving place to stay, temporarily.  In addition, think of the love you will get in return.

The other nice thing about fostering is that you just opened up a spot for another animal.  If it had not been for you, that animal might have been put down because there was no place for it to go.

If you would like to find out more regarding fostering, I suggest you contact your local shelter, rescue or other animal organization.  Ask, “what does takes to be a foster parent”?

If you are looking for animals to adopt:

1.www.petango.com – These are all PetPoint Shelters.  They also have a web based store and will make a donation to a selected shelter as a result of the person’s purchase.

2. www.adoptapet.com – People can do a “search saver” which will send them an email when a specific breed they are looking for becomes available.

3. www.pets911.com

4. www.petfinder.com

5. www.akc.org – breed specific rescue groups

If you lost an animal:

1. http://petharbor.com

2. http://helpmefindmypet.com

3. http://dogdetective.com

4. http://haveyouseenthispet.com

5. http://www.pets911.com

6. http://petfinder.com

7. http://www.missingpet.net

Organizations that will help owners that cannot afford vet care.

Most of them handle serious medical conditions and injury.  Some focus on low income, elderly and handicapped owners.  A couple of them are for rescue organizations and homeless pets.

1. www.angels4animals.org

2. www.carecredit.com

3.www.fveap.org/sys-tmple/door

4.www.imom.org

5.http://thepetfund.com

6.www.uan.org/lifeline

7.www.corgiaid.org

8.www.handicappedpets.com

9.www.labradorlifeline.org

I am sure there are many more organizations that can be added to this list.  If you would like to post about one you know of, please submit it under our “Resources/ Organizations” page.  Thanks for all you do for animals around the world!

I want Friday’s to bring awareness to other organizations that are doing wonderful things for animals. If you have information you want to share, send me a paragraph on the topic with a link to the website, by 11am on Thursday.  I will do this each Friday.  Please pass this link on to bring awareness to these wonderful organizations, thanks!

Enjoy the 6 posts below:

1.  A Love Story: A) Here, his wife is injured and the condition is fatal.  She was hit by a car as she swooped low across the road.

B) Here he brought her food and attended to her with love and compassion.

C) He brought her food again but was shocked to find her dead. He tried to move her….a rarely-seen effort for swallows!

D) Aware that his sweetheart is dead and will never come back to him again,he cries with adoring love.

E) He stands beside her, saddened by her death.

F) Finally aware that she would never return to him, he stays beside her body with sadness and sorrow.

Millions of people cried after seeing this picture story in America and Europe and even in India .  It is said that the photographer sold these pictures for a nominal fee to the most famous newspaper in France .  All copies of that newspaper were sold out on the day these pictures were published. And many people think birds and animals don’t have a brain or feelings!!

1. 2.  On December 15th, 2009 the SPCA of Texas took custody of 26,000 exotic animals from US Global Exotics in the largest animal seizure in US history. USGE was a major distributor of exotic animals from wallabies to hamsters; warehousing them in horrific conditions until they could be brokered to stores, breeders and retailers. Thousands of reptiles, amphibians, small mammals, arachnids, and many other animals were cruelly confined in filthy conditions, literally crammed into cattle-feeding troughs, boxes, bags, and even pop bottles. They did not have food, water, or veterinary care. According to reports 500 animals a day were dying at USGE, ending up tossed in their dumpster.

Thanks to an undercover PETA investigation the animals were permanently awarded to the SPCA of Texas on Feb 1, 2010. Love or hate PETA you have to give them credit for this one.  Critter Camp Exotic Pet Sanctuary was proud and honored to be selected as one of 30 rescues in the nation to receive some of the rescued animals from the US Global Exotics animal cruelty and neglect
case. Located in Northern Illinois Critter Camp board member Shary Stelter made the trip to Nashville, TN to meet up with the SPCA of TX transport on Superbowl Sunday where she was interviewed by Nashville Television station WSMV.  See the 75 critters from USGE now calling Critter Camp Exotic Pet Sanctuary their home, including adorable Texas Spotted Ground Squirrels, short-tailed opossum , Roborovski hamsters and little white mice; and find links to more information on our Global Exotics Rescue Page:
Click Here For More Information.

Critter Camp is the only exotic pet sanctuary of its kind in the U.S. giving a safe, healthy happy home to the elderly, sick, disabled and aggressive un-adoptable exotic pets that have nowhere else to go, currently caring for over 300 animals of 36 different species!  Click Here to go to Their Website

3. Pepsi is funding grants in various categories until 2/28. Many Houston dogs are euthanized due to heartworms in a good economy, it is at a horrendous pace currently.

The drug to treat this is very expensive and each bottle only treats 22 lbs. This group is desperate to move up into the funded top ten. More information and pictures of saved dogs are on the site.  This could help dogs at many rescue groups and shelter.  People can vote every day, until the 28th. PLEASE, CLICK HERE to go to this site to vote today, and everyday until the 28th.

4. TAKE ACTION TODAY!!! 36,000 elephants were killed last year for their ivory. In 16 DAYS 111 tonnes of ivory will be traded at the CITIES* conference if certain countries have their way.

This will pretty much kick-start the ivory trade in a massive way meaning the end for tens or even hundreds of thousands of elephants.

If this bothers you too, please try and stop this happening by signing this petition, CLICK HERE (you’ll need to confirm your signature).

5.   A documentary was just completed.  It’s about No Kill Pet Rescues and Shelters as well as the challenges they face. In November of 2008 a family adopted a new family member from the Animal Welfare Society and learned about the lack of awareness of the No Kill shelters.  They took it upon themselves to finance and create a program about these shelters.   They have pledged 60% of all profits to go to the AWS and if they can get great distribution, will split some for other local shelters in the Detroit area.

6.   Dachshund Rescue of Bucks County & NJ  have on-line workshops. They are hosted by dachshund experts and are designed to help you have a long and happy relationship with your doxie of any size.  There is a small donation fee charged for attendance with all proceeds donated to DRBC for the high medical fees incurred in the rescue and rehabilitation of our beloved breed.

This Month’s First Topic: Dental Disease and Your Dog
Those amazing toofers. How to keep them clean, bright and where they belong.  Are doxies more prone to dental disease?   How often should I clean my dogs teeth. How often should my vet clean my dogs teeth?   Dental and cardiac disease,yes, they are related.  Did you know there is anew vaccine to eliminate 4 out of 5 of the causes of tartar?   You can find out all about it at this session.

Click Here To Register

I want Friday’s to bring awareness to other organizations that are doing wonderful things for animals. If you have information you want to share, send me a paragraph on the topic with a link to the website, by 11am on Thursday.  I will do this each Friday.  Please pass this link on to bring awareness to these wonderful organizations, thanks!

Jake

Urgent: Jake needs a new home today, Friday! This dog is at Suncoast Humane Society in Englewood Florida. Jake is cage stressed and is going to be euthanized on Friday. He is a great dog and loves people and toys. He just doesn’t like being confined in a run and has damaged his tail. A great dog. We can help with transport from englewood to anyone that will take him. He is fully vetted.
If you can help email Michele at doggieresqr@yahoo.com

1.  A documentary on the pairing of seniors with seniors was recently completed.  The purpose is to raise awareness, and secure more homes, for older shelter pets as well as bring companionship to the elderly.  It’s called:  Old Friends… Timeless Love.  Perfect Pairings.

“Old Friends…Timeless Love” came about when Maureen Kelly realized the beautiful energy of pairing seniors with seniors: bringing companionship to the elderly, saving older pets from shelters, and honoring the magic that animals bring into our lives.

Working with a variety of organizations across the United States, she has had the great joy of meeting not only hard-working, loving people, but remarkable dogs, cats and horses.

This is a film in their honor.  Hopefully, it will ignite a spark that will inspire many more such pairings.

View the heartwarming video here.

2. Pattie Roberts has a ranch called Dudette Ranch. Pattie spent years promoting good causes with local radio station KFROG and then with her own agency, MarketingWithACause.com. Through the years she has served on various Board of Directors. She has worked tirelessly to promote organizations such as Exceed, work programs for Adults with Disabilities, Animal Friends of the Valley, the Memory Walk for Alzheimer’s awareness, she supports four school districts Student of the Month programs and many others good causes.

Last year she relocated her horse ranch to Murrieta and retired from advertising to pursue her lifelong passion of horses. She started the Dudette Ranch.  The concept is a local take off of the vacation destination Dude Ranch. “Although we aren’t wrangling cattle or sleeping under the stars, this is a working horse ranch and the monthly membership allows members daily access to hang out at the barn and work with the horses as we care for, train and ride.

Here is one great story: Dakota is a tall rangy bay Quarter horse gelding, he was a competitive working cow horse in his younger day.  A knee injury took him out of the show ring years ago. Dakota has been totally healed from his injury for years, but he still favored it not out of pain but out of fear.  This beautiful horse, with plenty of life left in him, was just standing in a stall.  This summer he became the best friend of a troubled teen.  She worked with him daily, riding him slow and easy until he got stronger and realized his knee didn’t hurt any more.  He thrived on the attention and got strong and muscled up again.  Unfortunately, the teenager went back to her old ways and left Dakota alone.  Lucky gelding though because he now has a brand new best friend!  A really nice lady named Micheal.  She has fallen in love with him and signed up to sponsor him.  She already takes lessons here and after riding him last Saturday well….no other horse would do she just had to have him!

Individual Sponsorship programs are one way you can have a horse without really owning one, there are horses available for Adoption and Lease and a Sponsorship Program Geared to the whole family!  To learn more click here.

3. Small Angels Rescue, a non-profit based in Frederick, MD, finds homes for rescued chinchillas, degus, gerbils, guinea pigs, hamsters, mice and rats.

They do not have a shelter and use a network of foster homes for these rescued animals until they are permanently adopted.  They have very dedicated foster parents involved with this organization.  One guinea pig foster mother-in-charge has a wonderful web page (click here) where you can scroll through, looking at pictures and reading very engagingly written bios of rescued guinea pigs awaiting adoption.

Enzo and Eva, a bonded pair of guinea pigs, were adopted. I’ve been told the Small Angels vetting process is very meticulous.  The owners of Enzo and Eva had a process to go through before adopting.  They were invited to the foster mother-in-charge’s home to meet her and the guinea pigs. This kept Enzo and Eva from being subjected to undue stress by taking them from place to place to show to prospective adopters. Then they had to fill out a detailed, five-page questionnaire containing questions that would really screen the potential owners to be sure they’re responsible. It takes about a week for the application to be approved.  The new owners said, “Adopting from Small Angels Rescue has been one of the most satisfying things we’ve have ever done”.

To learn more about Small Angels Rescue, click here.

4.  Nature’s Variety Issues Nationwide Voluntary Recall

Nature’s Variety has initiated a voluntary recall of their Chicken Formula Raw Frozen Diet for dogs and cats with a “Best If Used By” date of 11/10/10 because these products may be contaminated with Salmonella.

Click here to learn more.

I want Friday’s to bring awareness to other organizations that are doing wonderful things for animals. If you have information you want to share, send me a paragraph on the topic with a link to the website, by 11am on Thursday.  I will do this each Friday.

1. I did not realize that fox hunting was still alive and well in other parts of the world. I was sent some information about a campaign going on in the UK to repeal the hunting act.  Hunting of foxes, deer, hare and mink by using hounds, has been illegal over there sine 2004.  Now, a guy by the name of David Cameron, who is running in an election, wants to repeal the act.

I wanted to learn more about this type of hunting, since I don’t know much about it.  What I read disturbed me.  A fox will be trapped.  Then, rather than kill it right away, it is let lose so that it can be caught by the hounds and killed later.  This is a sport for the people involved.  The hounds, horses, men and children will chase the fox through the countryside with blasting horns.  The fox is gripped with fear and stressed beyond capacity until finally, with the internal organs failing and exhausted, the fox will be unable to continue.  To read more about this please click here to visit the site where you can learn more, and help.

Fox That Was Caught

There is a man by the name of Clifford Pellow.  For more than 2 decades he was a professional Huntsman with several packs of Fox hounds in England and Whales.  Because he is a stickler for rules, he became more and more outraged at the abuse the foxes were enduring because the Hunt Master continued to break the hunting code of ethics.    Eventually he could no longer stomach it, he protested and lost his job as a Huntsman.  To read more about Clifford, the cruelty in fox hunting and what Clifford is doing, check out his story here.

Lucy

2. Did you know there is an organization that helps rescued Labradors in need of medical attention? I had no idea until they contacted me.  The organization, Labmed, was founded in 1996 and has funded a total of 1,132 dogs.  These dogs would most likely not be alive if it had not been for this organization.

Here is a photo of one of their newest applicants, Lucy, who needs emergency surgery for internal bleeding in order to save her life.  If you would like to help other dogs and learn more about this organization, click here.

Dr. Greg Martinez

3. After almost 30 years as a veterinarian Dr. Greg Martinez has spent 10 of those years treating his patients, and his own pets, with a combination of medical and nutritional science. He believes that pet owners have it within their power to cure many of their animals’ most common ailments.  He says that healthful eating is critical to human’s well-being and that pet junk food, empty calories and food allergies are making our dogs and cats similarly sick.  He has published a book called, Dr. Greg’s Dog Dish Diet.

He has lots of positive feedback from clients and readers.  He says it amazing that there could be any doubt that food allergies have such a great role in skin, ear, stomach, bowel, anal gland, obesity, and seizure problems. Veterinarians are still taught that the incidence of food allergies are low, even though thirty percent of his patients respond to elimination of allergens and addition of healthy food ingredients.

If people start to pay attention to what they are feeding their animals, maybe they will do the same for their families. He wants to spread the word that successful nutritional management of the above chronic diseases will get educators and researchers to take another look at canine nutrition, and help avoid needless misery, medications, and money for millions of dogs. When you buy the book, Dr. Greg’s Dog Dish Diet, you are helping spread the message.

Judy Landers, who is on my board of advisers, her two daughters (Lindsey and Kristy), as well as Judy’s husband, Tom Niedenfuer (retired, American Major League Baseball Pitcher) are all animal lovers.  Judy’s sister, Audrey Landers, and her mom, Ruth Landers, also love animals.  All of them have saved many animals over the years.  This is what they had to say when I asked them about their animals…..

They have one dog named Champ.  He is an 8 year old Collie who has been a loving Landers-Niederfuer family member for 71/2 years.  The most amazing thing about Champ is his sweet, gentle personality and sense of humor (along with his amazing looks).

Teddy is a 3 year old mixed breed who was adopted from the Sarasota Humane Society.  When they first saw him, he was so shy and stressed, he wouldn’t even come out to socialize.  If you raised your hand to pet him lovingly, he would cower to the ground in tear.  It was very clear that he had been as abused dog, but they knew that with all the love they could give him, they would turn his life around.  Now, Teddy has become the most loving, loyal dog they could ever imagine, and lives to snuggle and get hugs.

Sage is a baby Cockatoo (one of five birds that they have) who travels with them wherever they go.  At only 6 months, Sage is a seasoned traveler, having been to Hollywood over 10 times and New York City as well.

All the animals in the Lander-Niederfuer family are fed holistic pet food along with an organic, healthful, vegetarian concoction (that Judy prepares herself) of brown rice, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, peas, garlic, olive oil and parmesan cheese.

Incidentally, other pets they have are: Princess Iggy, a 16 year old, 5 foot long Iguana.  Birds: Zorro, Mary-Kate and Ashley and Baby Spice.

They like the message of this show, helping animals all over the world, and are very supportive, in many ways.