Pets Best Newsroom

Blog posts Categorized under ‘Pet News (General)’

Homeless pet health: A volunteer crusade

Posted on: September 15th, 2010 by

A puppy in dire pet health waits for a meal.
As many as 25% of homeless people in the U.S. own pets—and local activists want to lend a helping hand.

According to the Telegram.com news site, it’s often difficult for homeless people with pets to find shelter—simply because many shelters don’t allow animals inside. Not only does this deter the homeless from getting food, but it may impact pet health.

“Often the homeless choose to stay on the streets or live in cars to avoid having to give up a beloved dog or cat. It is difficult to find food for themselves, and feeding their pets adds to the challenge,” the news provider reports.

Local activist Dorothea Cassady contacted Ginny White of Ginny’s Helping Hands to help collect and distribute supplies to the pet-owning homeless.

“These people have been sleeping in their car since the beginning of March with their two dogs,” White told the Telegram.com of a homeless family. “They have a shepherd and a Chihuahua. That’s their kids. They will not give up their kids.”

White told the news provider she joined forces with Cassady because she also saw a need for this volunteer service and was worried about homeless pet health.

Genevieve Frederick, director of Feeding Pets of the Homeless, told the news provider that they’ve increased the number of distribution sites where the homeless can get food for their pets.

“We have distribution sites at food banks and places where homeless congregate,” Frederick told the news source.

Aside from getting help from Ginny’s Helping Hands, Cassady plans to reach out to veterinarians and other food drive services to join Feeding Pets of the Homeless.

The activists told the news provider that they will continue to do what they can to ensure good pet health, even for those without roofs over their heads.

No doggie bag necessary— more restaurants welcoming furry patrons

Posted on: July 27th, 2010 by

A dog sits at a table, waiting to enjoy a meal.
Pet owners and animal adorers alike are chowing down at restaurants with their Chow Chows.

According to USA Today, the number of restaurants where dogs are permitted to join their owners while they dine is rapidly growing.

“To appreciate food and life is to appreciate animals, too,” owner/chef of Art and Soul restaurant Art Smith told the news provider.

Smith’s restaurant, located on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., offers the “puppy patio menu” which includes a 3-ounce steak and homemade doggie granola to its four-legged patrons.

Karen Berndt, owner of the Harbor Fish Market & Grille in Baileys Harbor, Wis., told the news source that it’s the presence of the dogs that keeps people coming back to her restaurant, and keeps her staff morale up.

“Several times in a day an employee will rush in and say, ‘You’ve just got to come check out this sweet chow… and I go out and we all smooch up the dog and chat with the people.”

Sundays at the Colorado Springs restaurant Nosh, are extra special for pet enthusiasts and animal lovers.

“Plastic kiddie pools are filled with water, tables are arranged to maximize romp-around room, and off-leash dogs frolic dog-park style, sniffing… sampling treats from the bags of doggie goodies presented free to each diner accompanied by a dog,” USA Today reports.

According to the source, members of the staff watch over the playful pooches to make sure it doesn’t get too out of hand and that patron and pet health aren’t compromised, but Nosh’s manager Tyler Schiedel said there haven’t been any issues and the dogs are just happy to be there.

“A dog has to be pack friendly,” he told USA Today.

Chris Lynch of Sonoma County’s Mutt Lynch Winery in California said they also rarely get any misbehaving dogs.

“Even people who don’t bring their dogs to the winery appreciate animals and enjoy having them around,” Lynch told the news provider, adding that if they don’t, “We tell them there are a lot of other very nice wineries around.”

Dog owners urged to raise awareness by taking Fido to the office

Posted on: June 23rd, 2010 by

A business woman sits in her office with a white dog.A pet education organization is doing everything it can this week to raise awareness of the benefits and the need for dog rescue.

According to Tonic.com’s webpage, June 25 is the 12th national “Take Your Dog to Work Day,” initially launched by Pet Sitters International to celebrate owners and their dogs.

Pet Sitters International President Patti Moran told the source that Take Your Dog to Work Day is meant to be a reminder of all the things pets give back to their owners, and to promote dog rescue.

“People love their dogs and pets enrich our lives in so many ways,” Moran told the news provider, adding that taking your dog to work just might inspire co-workers to rescue a dog of their own.

According to the source, people’s health, and pet health both benefit from interacting with one another.

The provider reports, “scientists have found… that dogs lower blood pressure [and] decrease cholesterol” in their human companions, as well as increase the likelihood of survival, and expedite healing in their owners following a serious illness.

The provider also explained that the number of dog owners has increased and continues to climb.

“If you have a dog, then you’re in good company… because more than 62 percent of US households now own one or more pets,” the source reported.

According to the TakeYourDog homepage, June 25 is the day “businesses, animal shelters and pet-care professionals from around the world will work together to better the lives of shelter dogs everywhere.”

The organization’s website states that businesses that open their doors to pets on this day, will help promote pet adoption and ultimately help support homeless animals in the community by raising awareness.

Moran thinks the simple act of bringing your pet to work on June 25, can be life-changing for homeless animals.

“Taking your dog to work for one day can change the lives of shelter dogs forever,” Moran said in a promotional video for the organization.

Pet health dangers lurk in spring cleaning

Posted on: June 1st, 2010 by

A long haired Chihuahua sits in a bucket of cleaning supplies.
Although tidying-up during springtime can be good for human health and psyche, it has the potential to be detrimental to pet health.

Compareandsave.com reports the arrival of warm weather rouses the urge to spruce-up homes and yards—but many pet owners don’t realize how hazardous some household cleaners and chemicals can be to dog and cat health.

The website reports that certain cleansers are likely to cause skin irritation and even burns in both animals and humans alike.

According to the source, rust removers, toilet bowl cleaners and calcium removers all have the potential to cause corrosive injury and can result in both dog and cat health care problems.

“Strong acidic and alkaline cleaners in particular should be well-guarded,” the site reports.

Pet Poison Helpline told the source that even milder cleaners can cause problems like diarrhea and vomiting in pets.

Dr. Pete Wedderburn, columnist for the Daily Telegraph, suggests pet insurance as a helpful way to budget for springtime accidents that could occur.

“It does allow you to make the best decisions about your pet’s care without worrying about the financial implications if serious accidents or illnesses do happen to come your way,” he wrote on his blog about health insurance for pets.

Wedderburn added that it’s important to do lots of research when opting for a pet insurance policy.

“It’s worth taking time to go over your selected policy in detail before handing over your credit card details,” he wrote, adding that pet insurance policies that look cheap will likely provide less coverage and benefits.

Though some springtime cleaners only cause slight irritation in pets, according the examiner.com, others can be lethal to pet health.

According to the source, Linseed oil, turpentine and paint thinner can all be dangerous if pets are exposed to them.

Writer for examiner.com, Roberta Baxter, urges pet owners to remember not to leave rags, paint brushes, or sponges lying around after using them combined with chemicals.

“In the evening, when you are finished with your spring preparations, secure all your tools and cleaning products,” Baxter wrote.

Pet industry professionals debate if dogs or cats are smarter

Posted on: May 24th, 2010 by

A dog and cat sit side-by-side.Steve Dale doesn’t know if dogs are smarter than cats—or vice versa.

“There is no answer to that question,” the pet columnist told SouthCoastToday.com.

Dale told the news provider that a public poll conducted a few years ago revealed that 40 percent of people believe cats and dogs possess equal intelligence… although there’s still no sure-fire way to measure it.

“How do you measure intelligence,” Dale asked the news source, adding that it’s difficult to weigh the intelligence of dogs and cats, mostly because it’s almost impossible to find a test that can be given to both species since their brains work differently.

Pet Owner Colleen Brown believes that while dogs may be easier to train, cats are likely the smarter of the two.

“Dogs are easier to train because they have been bred and developed to respond to humans,” Brown told the news source.

“Generally, I think cats are better problem solvers because they have had to work to get their food and continue to exist,” she told the news provider. “They were not fed readily by their humans, as dogs are, so they have to think about where their next meal will come from…”

Christopher Dion, a sergeant who trains military dogs for the Air Force said he believes dogs have more brain power than a typical housecat.

“As long as dogs have been domesticated, they have served man in every possible way,” Dion told the news provider. “Their intelligence is often their best asset, but it often takes the most patient and consistent handler to bring out the best in them.”

Dion told the news source that a dog’s ability is often in the hands of its trainer.

“In the end, the capability of the dog is only limited by the skill and patience of the trainer and the personality and hidden talents of the dog,” he told the news provider.

“Just as not every thoroughbred horse is a Secretariat, not every dog is a Lassie or a Rin Tin Tin.”

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