pet connection

Significant disaster planning prevented the nearly unimaginable June EF-5 tornado that flattened a 6-mile long and half-mile wide swath in Joplin, Mo., from being worse. The Missouri authorities had been fine-tuning their disaster response for years, and it paid off. What we learned about people being unwilling to leave their pets during Hurricane Katrina about pets was applied: Some emergency shelter space accommodated pets.

Although it’s painful to contemplate what could have been worse in what the National Weather Service calls “the deadliest [tornado] since modern recordkeeping began in 1950,” there was one area lacking in which people could have prevented much heartache: microchips.

About 1,300 pets ended up in the Joplin Humane Society. The trick was reuniting them with their owners –  a difficult task given that all but a handful of the pets did not have an ID tag or a microchip. Seen as an unnecessary expense by some people, a tiny microchip and its one-time cost could have saved a lot of worry and grief.

“Microchips are an invaluable resource in a time like this,” said Dr. Ben Leavens of Main Street Pet Care in Joplin, who volunteered a staggering number of hours at the shelter. “When they were present and properly registered, they made a HUGE difference. Tags are OK, but often not on the pet when you need them most.  Microchips are such a small investment to make and do so much good when things go bad. We will no longer have any problems getting people to put them in, I am pretty sure.”

Karen Aquino, executive director of the Joplin Humane Society, saw how difficult it was to reunite pets and owners.

Before the massive adopt-a-thon, more than 500 animals were reunited with their families. … Aquino estimates that 97 percent of the displaced animals were not microchipped and did not have an identification tag.

“About 30 had ID tags but the numbers were disconnected, or old ID tags. You always get ‘I gave that dog away 5 years ago,’ ” Aquino said. “The one thing I say over and over is that an ID tag is your pet’s phone call home. I’m a firm believer in microchips.”

If your pets are not microchipped, make an appointment now: do it before the next tornado, hurricane, earthquake, flood, fire, or blizzard ravages your home town. It’s the cheapest insurance you can buy.

On a personal note: I want to say thanks to ya’ll for the years of fun. When you think of Pet Connection — and you will — I hope you’ll remember such phrases such as “idiopathic WTF” and “cliff diving.” Hard to imagine not coming home from experiences like my locked car rolling through the vet’s parking lot with my dogs in it. I won’t be able to just sit down and share the fun. I think you are all terrific, and I thank you for the fun and learning over the past few years. It’s been more than wonderful getting to know you.

Also, my silly little girl Whinger is doing well. Thanks for your kind wishes for my formerly feisty geriatric.

Share & Enjoy

Facebook	Twitter	Google Buzz	Digg
Technorati	StumbleUpon	Delicious	Email

I guess I wasn’t quite done blogging here yet. My sister just called me with a dog problem, and I thought some of you might have some good advice for her. Susie lives in El Dorado, a rural area just outside of Santa Fe, New Mexico. None of the homes in the area have fenced yards, except maybe for courtyards. Each home is on two or more acres. Susie likes to go for walks and just recently a dog belonging to one of the neighbors has started to menace her. She describes him as big–”more than 50 pounds”–and thinks he is a Chow mix.

So far, she has done all the right things, especially for not really being a dog person. The first time, she stood still, was careful not to stare at the dog and backed away slowly. She yelled for help but no one came out. She ended up just going back the way she had come to get back to her house. The next time, the dog waited until she was on the road in front of his house and ambushed her, running out at her and barking. She had brought bear spray with her this time. The spray seemed to startle him and he backed off to his house but was still barking at her, so she didn’t think it disabled him any. She sprayed it from quite a distance, though (15 feet, maybe), and unfortunately sucked in some of it herself.

Other people, including children, have been threatened by the dog. Animal control has been called but they’re on the other side of Santa Fe County and by the time they get there the dog is inside and the people won’t answer the door. The dog apparently belongs to the homeowner’s live-in boyfriend. The homeowners association has been notified and has gotten a lawyer, but so far the people have ignored demands to confine the dog.

I suggested that she get an air horn to blast at the dog but am otherwise at a loss if animal control and the HOA have already been notified and even a lawyer and the threat of a lawsuit haven’t made the owners budge. I don’t want to get a call that she’s been bitten or worse, and I don’t especially like the idea of her getting a gun and blasting away at the dog (at the neighbors, maybe).  Advice?

Share & Enjoy

Facebook	Twitter	Google Buzz	Digg
Technorati	StumbleUpon	Delicious	Email

Twyla is home. We picked her up at noon today. Her meds have been tweaked–more furosemide, as I expected–and some potassium supplements. She sees the cardiologist on Wednesday, and he may make further adjustments. Thank you all for your support and kind words, not just during this episode but all through Bella’s last years and recent death, and of course the happy times of Harper’s puppyhood and maturation into a smart, sweet young dog.

I have come to know many of you and consider you friends. I’ve learned a lot from and been entertained by the comments to my various posts and hope that you have in turn found them useful, thought-provoking or at least entertaining. I have just finished cutting and pasting all of my PetConnection posts since I began blogging here in 2007–more than 102,000 words–and it has been a fun journey down memory lane. I had forgotten a lot, and now I’m happy to have a record of so many of the things my dogs and I did, the topics that have interested me over the past four years, and even some of the trips I’ve taken.

My colleagues here on PetConnection and on the blogroll, some of whom I’ve known and respected for more than 20 years now, have been the best anyone could hope for. Their intelligence, passion, grace and writing ability have been an inspiration.

I hope we’ll all keep in touch via Facebook or Twitter, or maybe I’ll see you over on VetStreet. Happy trails!

Share & Enjoy

Facebook	Twitter	Google Buzz	Digg
Technorati	StumbleUpon	Delicious	Email

Housebreaking tips, anyone? Or do ya’ll have completely housebroken puppies already?

No matter how many dogs you’ve owned and no matter how good you are with dogs, there’s no replacement for socialization and going out to partake of the big world. That’s why puppy kindergarten is so important for puppy development, not to mention great photo opportunities.

After lengthy waits for puppies from responsible breeders, two of my friends each ended up with puppies who were born one week apart: Olivia, a lovely and earlicious German Shepherd dog with a wise face, and Niles, an adorable, fluffy miniature schnauzer with natural ears. Their owners decided they should go to puppy kindergarden together. The puppies met before the first class when they got into the same car (different crates).

For these two puppies, there were no less than five women with them at their first day of school. I wanted to stand at the bus stop and wave at them as they left home to go to school. I don’t think anyone cried. Oh wait, I did. It was the perfect antidote to living with a beloved geriatric.

I have never been to puppy class before because I generally adopt adult rescues, and I have to say it was just about the cutest thing I have ever seen. Seriously. Dogs of every size, color and activity level seemed to be there, all in darling, sweet, miniature baby form with puppy breath, puppy faces, and sharp little puppy teeth.

The best part of class was play time. The instructor, a lovely woman from Patricia McConnell’s Dogs’ Best Friend, said that they would break the puppies into three play groups based on their personality and activity level.

“Some dogs like to play football, and some prefer to have tea,” she said.

She also said that over the course of the class some puppies would switch back and forth between those three levels and people shouldn’t worry about it. Don’t worry, be happy…it’s puppy school!

The football players, including Olivia, went outside where there was a wading pool with water. The average-activity puppies, which constituted the largest group and included Niles, goofed around in the large sectioned-off area of the main room. The two or three puppies who preferred to have tea went to the small sectioned-off area. It took a while for the tea puppies and the average puppies to get going.

Outside, the football players were rocking. There was a Labrador, and there was a wading pool with water – need we say more? Olivia didn’t go in the pool, at least not when I was looking, but she chased the lab around and was clearly having a great time.

Niles took a moment to get into the spirit of playtime. “Really, I’m supposed to go out there without you? And do what, exactly?” He eventually did get himself into the crowd, although it also may have come to him. One of the puppies skittered across the linoleum like a wind-up toy.

The tea party had a hard time getting started, as you can imagine. It’s hard to party hearty from between mom’s legs, but the people stood close together.

The first change was a puppy who came in from the footballers to the average group, but ended up playing too hard for the average guys and thus had to play on a leash. One of the average guys went for a cuppa tea. Eventually another dog was removed from the footballers, but so late in the game that she just stayed outside standing behind her people.

Next week everyone will know what to expect, but none of the dogs will be any less enthusiastic. After all, they’re puppies!

Share & Enjoy

Facebook	Twitter	Google Buzz	Digg
Technorati	StumbleUpon	Delicious	Email

The incidence of dogs being stolen has gone up 49% in the past year. The American Kennel Club’s data leads to the obvious question: why? NPR‘s story suggests it has something to do with a continuing rocky economy.

“We believe the increase is due to economic times,” Lisa Peterson, a spokesperson for the nonprofit group, which has been tracking pet theft for several years, tells Weekend Edition Saturday guest host Jacki Lyden.

“You have people who want pets … but can’t afford to purchase them or pay the adoption fees, so we find that they’re just taking them for themselves or to give them as gifts,” she says. “But then on the other hand, you have the criminal element that steals dogs and tries to sell them to unsuspecting buyers.”

Peterson says the top two ways dogs are being stolen are during home invasions and out of parked cars. She cites a case in Florida where criminals took a 55-inch television set and also Boo-Boo, the Yorkshire terrier, with all of his belongings.

Large-screen televisions can be replaced. Best friends can’t. The article discusses steps pet owners can take the safeguard their pets, including microchipping.

Cats behind bars: Inmates at a jail in Nebraska have new friends: cats. Excellent stress reducer. HuffPo‘s got the story, with an accompanying video report.

Thoughts on Pacifica: Outstanding post by BadRap, one of the most consistently thoughtful pet blogs out there.

New therapy reaps benefits: A pit bull in Reading, Penn. had his paws burned by spending hours on a black roof top on a roasting hot day, but thanks to a first-of-its-kind treatment, his ruined paw pads can be repaired. The groundbreaking therapy is based on stem cell research. Details at the Reading Eagle.

Veterinary client ethics: Your veterinarian explains that an upcoming procedure entails risks of complications. All you hear is blah blah blah procedure blah blah blah surgical blah chance of improvement.  When complications arise, do you have a right to yell at your veterinarian that the treatment wasn’t perfect? Pet Connection’s BFF Dr. Patty Khuly weighs in.

Picture of the week comes from our favorite photographer of all things horse: Sarah Andrew, the wonderful presence behind Rock and Racehorses.

I always like to hear from readers, especially if you have tips, and links for interesting stories.  Give me a shout in the comments, or better yet, send me an e-mail.

Photo credit: microchip, latimes.

Share & Enjoy

Facebook	Twitter	Google Buzz	Digg
Technorati	StumbleUpon	Delicious	Email