There’s nothing quite like spending your weekend at the Emergency Vet. Yep… a big fat U G H… It’s a combo of:
Boring: you end up having to sit in uncomfortable chairs for what seems like an eternity
Expensive: Emergency vets are like Emergency Hospitals. Thing just cost more when there is a rush.
Anxiety: Inducing: you’re scared about your dog’s health and about how much it’s going to cost.
It’s indeed all these things and more wrapped into one package.
Gratefully I think Ranger is now okay, I’m still not sure what was/is wrong with him, but he’s stable. However it wasn’t always so clear, in fact I was pretty freaked out…here’s the break down of the weekend…
Ranger threw up or really spit up on Thursday, but seemed totally fine except for a bit of cough on Friday. Then at about 2am on Saturday morning, and again at 6am he awoke with more explosive hacks and some spit-ups. While he wasn’t lethargic- a telltale sign that your dog is not doing well and you have to go to the vet immediately- I decided Ranger really needed to go to the vet and he needed to go at that moment, i.e. he couldn’t wait until regular vets opened at 9am.
Ranger
I would have preferred to wait-emergency vet hospital visits are (as seen above) boring, expensive and anxiety producing-but Ranger’s regular vet wasn’t even open on weekends so basically I weighed the options, i.e. knowing I was going to get him seen right away but would be paying for that privilege, vs. getting him seen by a vet I knew but that still wasn’t his own a few hours later for about 40% less up-front.
Ugh again, I obviously chose the former and headed west down Santa Monica boulevard towards Sepulveda-the Veterinary Hospital Homeland-hoping for the best and still unsure if I made the right decision. See, I’m a bit of a Jewish mom when it comes to my dogs’ healthcare. This can be beneficial, as I know that I had my girl Bella as long and comfortable of a life as possible because I was hawkish about her health, but the flip side is that it can get insanely expensive.
Was I being overly cautious and neurotic, or was I being careful? I debated even as I was filling out the intake form at the Emergency vet. Thankfully I have insurance, which made me feel much better about going for the more expensive option.
Everyone at the emergency hospital (I went to ASEC) was very nice, and the vet I got assigned was so sweet and smart-she went to PENN after all (I happen to grab my PENN sweatshirt as I was getting dressed so we bonded immediately.)
University of Pennsylvania
But even as nice as everyone was, it’s just an overwhelming experience: between the estimates they give you and the options for treatment… do you keep them in the hospital or take them home for observation… do I go with the expensive blood panel or do a more limited one and then see…all that while you’re worrying about your dog’s health as you watch a stream of other dogs and cats facing some scary illnesses come through the door. With my rescue work and Bella, I’ve gone through the vet hospital experience more times than I care to think about, but you really never get used to it. It’s really enough to make your lose your mind.
At about 6:30am on Saturday they took Ranger back to get x-rays and do some other diagnostic tests. When they came back the very nice vet showed me what appeared to be “a fabric-patterned object” in his GI track. But it was unclear if this was what was causing him to hack and wheeze. His tummy was also full of poop so they needed to get that to pass so they could get a better view. So they asked me to come back at noon.
I went and took a Pilates class that I had scheduled at 10:30, returning at noon upon which time they asked me to come back again because they had a dire emergency to deal with. While some people might have gotten upset at this delay, I knew that this meant that Ranger was stable enough to be back-burnered for a bit, so I went home, watched super disturbing episode of Toddlers & Tiaras (in case you don’t know about this show, it’s a disturbing look at the world of Pageants. It’s on TLC and I’m obsessed) and then came back at 2pm.
Toddlers & Tiaras
In that time the doctors witnessed one of his wheeze-fits and while they were still concerned about the GI issue, it was clear that whatever was going on with him was directly affecting his respiratory system and that is what needed to be dealt with. Gratefully Ranger still wanted to play and eat and eat some more so while they were worried that they didn’t know what was wrong, his clinical signs were pretty good.
So they sent me home with a cough suppressant and antibiotics. I could have left him at the vet for observation but who wants to leave their babies if they don’t have to-particularly for hundreds of dollars a day. This goes back to that expensive part that makes Emergency vets so challenging. They literally take a credit card deposit from every client in the amount that the vet anticipates your animal’s treatment is going to cost in advance of the treatment really even getting started. They do this because-and I know that this happens all the time because in rescue we get dogs that have been dumped at Emergency vets quite a lot, so they’re not making it up-people will simply leave a dog if the cost is too high. People literally take off and leave the vet to eat the cost, and care for the pet.
So back to the rundown… after we went home around 4ish, we ended up back at about 7:30pm-ish because Ranger’s hacking cough was just downright scary.
I was there with him until about 11pm when were discharged with new meds that would hopefully soothe him. Unfortunately they didn’t and we ended up back at 2:30ish.
Ranger stayed from 2:30am until about 5:30pm Sunday when I picked him up with different meds but still no new diagnosis. Thankfully though there was a decrease in the intensity of his coughing fits and some pending tests that might tell us if he has some sort of cooties.
The vets gave me instructions to keep him quiet and give him a combo of meds that should ease him, and the suggestion to bring him to his regular vet for follow-up. So we headed home and straight to bed to watch the Emmy’s together under the covers.
Ranger only woke up about every two hours or so with some coughs and the meds they gave me to give him, did seem to help soothe him. Too bad they didn’t give me any meds to help me through not having slept much over the weekend… but I guess that would have been somewhat illegal, appreciated but illegal.
Ranger is currently spending the day at his regular vet where I will be picking him up after work. Who knows, maybe we’ll have a new diagnosis… I’ll keep you posted…
I have been a dog person since I can remember. My parents had a rescued Sheltie Shepherd mix named Foxy when I was born- one of father’s fraternity brothers from PENN (who he incidentally had dinner with this week) had found the dog after the 1971 earthquake and somehow convinced my parents, neither of whom had ever had a dog, to adopt him.
Foxy was awesome- smart, playful and ever-patient as I am sure I was not exactly a gentle or delicate kid. He along with the Woody–the puppy we got when I was 3– were my constant companion as a child. From that point on I was just drawn to all things dog…particularly dog rescue.
Kids & Dogs
But for normal kids how do they find out about rescue… what happens at a shelter… how to treat and properly care for dogs?
Today the answer is most likely an amazing show on PBS called Martha Speaks. The series and the books follow a family dog who eats alphabet soup and gains the ability of human speech. In addition to its mission of vocabulary development–always a good thing– the series aims to educate children 4-to-7 about shelter animals, and inform families on pet ownership and responsibility.
I love this show, and I’m particularly excited about its new season premieres on September 14th. Over the course of the new episodes, viewers will see a two-part episode that further explores Martha, the title character’s days as a shelter dog and other new episodes that present strong anti-littering/pet safety messages in a way that is accessible to kids. Here is a preview of the episode airing today
A woman named Susan Medaugh created Martha Speaks. The idea behind came one day over lunch with her then-seven-year-old son when he asked what would happen if he fed their family dog his alphabet soup. From there Meddaugh has educated and inspired so many kids and families about dogs. She is truly a role model for me. I hope the work I do with my book (The Complete Single’s Guide To Being A Dog Owner, Adams Media 2009) and this blog might make even a fraction if the impact she has had on helping to protect and cherish the dogs of this world!
Be sure to tune to your local PBS affiliate (even if you don’t have kids) today, September 14th!
It’s been way too long, I know, since I’ve last blogged, but wow it’s been a busy month here in NYC working on the upcoming New York Video Voter Guide. I have been a little better about keeping up with my Facebook status and posting dogs in need. And I thank all of you who have helped with my latest posted pooches.
In doing some poking around online today, I found a very cool project that I think deserves some support, it’s called Animal Care for Artists and its mission is to assist low income individuals, employed in the arts, in covering the cost of medical care for their animal companions.
Animal Care for Artists
In our “new” economy (read crappy economy) anything we can do to stop more sick animals ending up in shelters the better. Helping people who otherwise might not be able to afford proper care for their animals ultimately helps alleviate pressure on the already-overburdened shelter system. Click here to read more about how Animal Care for Artists operates.
What’s also interesting is how this group is going about fund-raising. I found them on a site called Kickstarter which is a supercool portal built for funding creative projects of all sorts. According to the Kickstarter site:”We love artists, writers, designers (of all kinds!), filmmakers, musicians, journalists, athletes, adventurers, inventors, bloggers, illustrators, explorers, curators, promoters, performers, and others.”
So check out Animal Care for Artist and Kickstarter.com and consider making a donation to this group get up and running!
What’s the best dog for a single pet owner? This book gives some good advice.
Remember the ’60s hit, “One is the loneliest number”?
Take heart. Being single doesn’t have to be a lonely existence if you have a pet.
Other than finding the perfect human mate, what could be better than sharing life with a lovable dog or cat? I’m stumped for an answer. But like any serious romance, if it’s going to succeed, think first of the big “C”: Commitment.
Whether you’ve always been single or if you’re divorced or widowed, before taking on a pet Betsy Rosenfeld, author of “The Complete Single’s Guide to Being a Dog Owner” (Adams Media, $12.95) suggests first asking yourself why you want a dog.
Compare your answer to the following:
A. Dogs are so cute, I’ve always wanted a (insert breed)
B. All my friends have dogs and I can’t wait to take mine everywhere.
C. I’ve been really stressed and I’m told a dog would be good for me.
D. I’m looking forward to caring for a dog and making it a part of my life.
Obviously, D is the “right” answer, but if your reply most resembles A or B, then the author states: “We may have a problem.”
This is the best book I’ve read to help singles deal with having a dog, although she surprised me a bit when she advised that working people “commit at least an hour a day to your four-footed friend.”
An hour? That sure doesn’t sound like much. But when she spreads it out with 15- to 30-minute intervals of quality pet time, my guess is that most pet owners don’t have much more time on work days. Still, anything less is asking for trouble since a neglected pet can become destructive out of boredom.
But how can you leave a dog alone for at least 8 hours while you work? It’s not fair. Sure, Felix the cat can survive hours alone, thanks to litter boxes, but that doesn’t mean he likes it.
Nancy Scharfenaker of Denver, formerly of Millington, is newly divorced with a teenage daughter and a pair of cockapoos. “Right now it’s no problem,” said Scharfenaker, a grammar school teacher. She found a small house to rent with a fenced yard for the pooches. “Fortunately, my ex doesn’t care about them,” she volunteered. But what happens when she and Ana return to school in September? No problem.
She’s already found a neighbor who volunteers to let the dogs out in the middle of the day. “And we’re both home by 3:30 most days,” she adds. Theirs is a workable situation giving Buster and April much more than an hour of quality time.
If you don’t have that ideal neighbor, dog walkers seldom charge more than $15 per visit, usually lasting at least half an hour.
If you can afford it, a possible solution to keeping your dog happy while you’re nine-to-fiving is to opt for a second dog. They will still need to get out of the house, however. Most dog walkers give a break for multiple dogs.
PLEASE, NO PUPS
Please don’t get a puppy whether you’re single or not if you’re gone all day. The normal high-charged energy of a puppy requires more attention than a nine-to-fiver can give. Instead, adopt an adult dog or cat.
“An older dog is a mellow dog, especially for a first-time owner,” says Rosenfeld, who always recommends considering older dogs.
Speaking of age, elderly singles make perfect pet owners because they have more time to spend with pets.
As long as another home is lined up should they outlive their pets, what could be better?
PERFECT MATCH
Millions of dogs have found homes through Petfinder.com, the national site established by Betsy Saul in New Jersey 13 years ago. The website lists 250,000 dogs by breed, and by the zip code of the nearest shelter or rescue group. For mixed breeds, choose the most prevalent breed.
Earlier this year, Petfinder devised a segment that capitalizes on the craze for online mate-finding. The site lists compatible traits for human matches as well as pet matches (you’ll have to go to Match.com or similar sites for specific singles matching their descriptions).
Here’s a sample:
Human: Rock climber, runner, exercise enthusiast, road tripper, hardly ever home
Best mate: Someone adventurous and spontaneous who joins with you or understands when you’re off on your own adventure.
Best dog: Border collie, terrier, Labrador and German shepherd
Human: Happy-go-lucky, not overly concerned with appearances, doesn’t like rules and restrictions, chooses the road less traveled
Best mate: The unconventional person who’ll go with the flow
Best dog: Tough, low maintenance, resilient loyal dogs — airedale, fox terrier, Australian cattle dog, boxer, pug, beagle or mix thereof
And what happens if you make a match and your date doesn’t like your dog or cat?
“Dump ‘em,” Rosenfeld urges, referring to the date, most definitely NOT the pet.
Instead, strive for a relationship like that of Marcie Hall in Basking Ridge.
Hall estimates that her 10-year-old adopted Maltese named Happy is only alone about eight hours a week.
“Between my boyfriend and me, Happy gets tons of attention,” says Hall, who is on disability with multiple sclerosis. When she goes out, she plops Happy in a tote bag specially designed for little doggies. “I take him everywhere.”
Contact Joan Lowell Smith at P.O. Box 302, Garwood, N.J 07027 or e-mail her at jsmith@starledger.com.
The internet is an amazing tool for so many things, not least among them is saving dogs!
Recently my friend Amy found a dog at noon on Friday in Griffith Park in LA, and by 5pm after posting him on Facebook we had a home for him in Sacramento. By 7 a ride had been arranged for him through Twitter. It’s a pretty amazing story as told in this article by Jennifer Fearing on the fabulous dog blog/ pet site PetConnection.com (click here for the article.)
That all happened on Friday and I was feeling pretty good and energized about my rescue/dog networking. Unfortunately those feelings were pretty much dashed by Saturday morning upon receipt of a nasty, borderline threatening email. It was from a woman who I had talked about on a blog post about my disdain for the current trend of designer dogs.
I didn’t mention her name, nor did I know it until I received her email. And while my post wasn’t personal, she chose to make it so. Truth be told it freaked me out. I could pretend it didn’t but it did. I basically haven’t been much inclined to blog since then.
I just really prefer to avoid conflict and I was so taken aback when my blog, which I write as a way to give a voice to the plight of rescued dogs, turned so confrontational. It was a quite an eye opening experience. I mean not only was I upset about the interaction, but I had a new sense of the vulnerability of making my opinions and my experiences available for public consumption. It bothered me that this woman, who now hates me, and anyone else for that matter, could read extremely personal stories that I had written my blog.
This internal struggle, and the fact that I’ve been slammed with work, has made me shy away from the blog for the past couple of weeks.
But enough of that. Aside from starting this post a few times, I ended up getting the motivation I needed to blog when I received this thoughtful email:
I’m recently enrolled in a college speech class, I am currently doing a persuasive speech. I want to thank you for your site and your passion to stop puppy mills. I am doing my speech on stopping puppy mills to encourage people not to buy from private breeders, but rather adopt a doggy from a shelter. Thank you again for your website and your information. It was really helpful.
So if I have to make a choice to listen to one of these voices, it’s going to be the latter. Sorry for the lack of blog update! Hope you understand!
It’s been about 4 months since Bella died, and I miss her terribly. But she is everywhere in my life, particularly with the book, and for that I am so grateful.
I actually wrote so much about her, that some material didn’t ultimately make it in the final manuscript. In cleaning up my computer today, I found a few pages about Me & Bella–The Beginning…
Bella & Me
Finding Bella was absolutely, hands and paws down, the best thing that ever happened to me. But I almost gave her up, a thought which makes me ill to even think about. But six weeks after I found her I was moving to Seattle to be with a boyfriend and into apartment that didn’t take dogs. Moving cities seemed like enough of a challenge and I knew how much it took to care for a dog. I had been a failure of a dog mom to my college dog Tucker, and I didn’t know if I could handle the responsibility of bringing Bella with me to a new city and a new life.
muchlove.org
Ambivalent but looking out for her best interest, I decided I would try to find a great home for Bella through a rescue group I worked with in Los Angeles called Much Love. As I handed her off to a volunteer and walked towards my car (they felt my bond with Bella was already too strong and she would show better at the adoption event if I wasn’t there), Bella got away from the volunteer, ran after me and tightly wrapped her two front paws around my waist in a hug. She clung to me like a child clings to her mom on her first day of school. Something inside me clicked. It felt like she was asking me not to let go, and to this day I never have.
I like to say the stars aligned when I found Bella. Although I had been hesitant to bring a dog with me to Seattle, the timing was actually perfect. I had a built-in best friend and more importantly, with no job, and no friends, I had a ton of time to devote to her and to being a stand-up dog mommy. Good thing too; I needed every I had to take care of Bella.
Seattle Public Market
When getting a dog, people often idealize what life with that dog will be like. And for everyone those dreams are different. For some it could be dressing their Chihuahua in cashmere sweaters and rhinestone tiaras as they tote their baby around the world in a Louis Vuitton caring case? For others it could be images of snuggling with a big mutt beside a cozy fire while sipping tea.
Before I left LA for the northwest, I dreamed of taking leisurely walks with Bella on the gorgeous walking trails around Seattle. I would be holding hands with hot my boyfriend who would then of course become my husband, who would also give me a big diamond ring, not too ostentatious of course, and that I would make lots of new friends in Seattle and it would all be awesome!
For better and for worse, things didn’t exactly turn out as I envisioned. Bella immediately put me through my paces as a mom. Within the first three months in Seattle she got thrown out of a daycare after 45 minutes (supposedly she jumped over a wrought iron gate then broke down a metal fence in an attempt to find me after I dropped her off).
daycare that Bella got thrown out of
Bella then attended a training camp for three weeks in which she learned exactly one thing-being at home with mommy was much better being at camp. Bella then had an adverse reaction to calming herbs given to her by the training camp herbalist, and her peristalsis shut down. Food was no longer moving through her digestive track and they performed emergency surgery.
I spent thousands of dollars and weeks in and out of emergency rooms. Dog mommy-hood, like Seattle (my own personal Seattle McDreamy and I broke up) didn’t quite turn out to be the rah-rah good time I was expecting. But even with all of this, I feel blessed. Bella turned out to be the best dog one could ask for.
Me & B
There are many wonderful dogs out there waiting to love you like Bella loved me. If you need help finding the right one for you, email me at betsy@lovethydog.com!
Hi! My name is Amy. I spent 8 years as a veterinary technician, and now I work as the Happiness Manager of the world’s largest pet insurance company, Pet Plan.
For over a decade I’ve seen your pets both in a medical capacity and now in the insurance claims that follow. Betsy has asked me to say a little about pets and car safety. I’m sure that the parents in the reading audience make sure that your children are safely seat belted and/or appropriately secured in your car. Sadly we often fail to protect our pets in the same way. Does Fido bounce around the back seat or sit in your lap while you drive? Let’s talk about dog seat belts.
A few months ago, a claim came to my attention from a family whose dog hopped out of a car window while the car was in motion! Luckily, Niko survived thanks to the quick thinking of his mom and the emergency hospital, but in the process, he lost his fluffy white tail.
I had a few conversations with his mom and instructed her on car safety (she’d never even heard of seat belts for pets). In researching ways to support Niko and his family I discovered that most of my co-workers let their dogs hang out unsecured in the car. This prompted me to become the seat belt “advocate”.
Some dog seat belts are actually padded vests with straps for the lap belt to thread through, but others are more in the line of a “harness” with extra loops on the back that your lap belt will pass through.
You can even buy a special dog “booster seat” that comes with it’s own straps, kind of like a toddler safety seat. Any of these can give your dog the freedom to move around a bit, and look out the window. You’ll know that the dog will be safe in the case of an accident, and you won’t have a dog in your lap, obstructing your ability to drive!
My own dog, Baku (see below), has a harness seat belt. It was inexpensive ($19.99 for the “small”), and he can use it out of the car as a harness. It’s adjustable and he can look out of the window while we’re driving. He absolutely loves it, and whenever I take it out of the closet, he knows he’s going somewhere fun (even if it’s to the vet’s office…weird dog!)
Baku!
Do your homework before buying one, to get an idea of what you are really looking for in safety and comfort. Check the reviews, if any, of the brand you’re buying, to get the consumers’ opinions. Buy the appropriate size for your dog, and always put your dog in the back seat, especially if you have passenger side air bags, which have been known to cause injury in pets while they sit in the front seat.
NEW YORK (AP) — Susan Jacobs and her companion Kingston both like chicken and collards, chilling on the couch and riding in her convertible with the breeze tussling his curly black hair.
Kingston, it should be said, is a black poodle. But for Jacobs, 45, of Long Beach, Calif., he is like a child.
“The next time I travel, I’ll probably take him with me,” said Jacobs, a Mary Kay consultant and freelance writer. “I’m just used to him being around.”
An Associated Press-Petside.com poll released Tuesday found that half of all American pet owners consider their pets as much a part of the family as any other person in the household; another 36 percent said their pet is part of the family but not a full member.
And that means pets often get the human touch: Most pet owners cop to feeding animals human food, nearly half give the animals human names and nearly a third let them sleep in a human bed. While just 19 percent had bought an outfit for a pet, 43 percent felt their pet had its own “sense of style.”
Ranger and his girlfriend Idaho
Nathan Nommensen, 19, a college student who lives with his parents in Winthrop Harbor, Ill., said their golden retriever Molly sleeps in his parents’ room, goes with them on camping trips and appears in their annual family Christmas photo.
He doesn’t consider her a full member of the family, though. “She’s part of the family but not a human part of the family,” he said.
Singles were more likely to say a pet was a full member of the family than married people — 66 percent of single women versus 46 percent of married women, for example. And men were less likely to call their pet a full member of the household.
For some single women, pets become surrogate children, said Kristen Nelson, a veterinarian in Scottsdale, Ariz. She said men are also attached to pets — but are less likely to admit it because it’s not seen as masculine.
Debbie Jablonski, 50, of Wilmington, N.C., talks about her cats like a mom talks about her children.
My Son Ranger
Milkshake, who sleeps at the foot of her bed, sticks his cold nose on her eyelid and touches his paw to her face at 4:30 a.m. to wake her up and feed him. The other cat, Licorice, sleeps on the couch and has a habit of sitting on her newspaper when she is trying to read it.
“If you try to budge her, she will not move,” said Jablonski, laughing. “You will have to practically pick her up and move her.”
Jablonski, who works for a laboratory equipment manufacturer, celebrates the cats’ birthdays, includes photos of the cats in holiday cards and watches home movies of them playing.
Most pet owners don’t go that far, according to the survey. Only a little over a quarter celebrate their pet’s birthday or the day it came to live with them and just a third have included a pet’s photo or name in a holiday card.
Still, 42 percent of pet owners have taken a pet on vacation, with dogs more likely to accompany the family than cats. Dog owners were also more likely to take their pets to work (21 percent) or somewhere the animal wasn’t allowed (18 percent).
When it comes to feedings, nearly half of all dog owners and 40 percent of cat owners admit giving their pets human food at least sometimes.
Jimmy Ruth Martin, 73, who sells real estate in Louisville, Texas, said she gives her border collie Samantha table food: chicken, steak, potatoes, salad, ice cream. “She’ll eat anything I’m eating,” she said.
She said her dog has gotten so fat, she can’t climb up on the bed. “The table scraps have done that.”
Helen Reed, 60, of Clearfield, Pa., said her cat Sadie has personality — she is not a lap cat, sleeps at the foot of the bed and likes to be in the same room as her. But she doesn’t dress her up.
Martin doesn’t squeeze Samantha into cute outfits, either, though she said the dog does have her own sense of style. “She’s still a dog and I know it,” she said.
Bernice Miller, 71, of Springfield, Mo., said she likes to dress her Maltese up as a pumpkin on Thanksgiving and Santa on Christmas. She has a photo of she and the dog on her wall, signs his name “Tully” to cards and gives him treats on his birthday.
“He’s the best little thing,” said Miller, who is retired. “He just begs to go with me, so I don’t leave him too much. He’s just like a little kid.”
The AP-Petside.com poll was conducted by GfK Roper Public Affairs & Media from May 28-June 1, 2009. It is based on landline and cellular telephone interviews with a random sample of 1,110 pet owners. The margin of error is plus or minus 2.9 percentage points.
Associated Press polling director Trevor Tompson contributed to this report.
Yesterday I was out walking Ranger and we ran into a family who was “walking” a white floppy ball of puppy fur (when puppies are that little, it’s more like dragging than walking). It was very cute and Ranger was soo interested in saying hello and being a kindly neighbor sort, I said hello asked what kind of dog it was.
The mom piped up (as though I’d think it was cute or impressive) that it was a Peki-Chi- a Pekingese Chihuahua mix. Forgive me, but I kind of wanted to shake her silly. Really? A Peki-Chi? Dont you watch Oprah? Don’t you know where that dog came from?
Puppy Mill Photo
Without question, that dog came from a puppy mill or backyard breeder because no self-respecting breeder who breeds for the love of a breed would be cross breeding to create such a “designer dog.” The only people breeding these dogs are out for the money.
As all of this was running through my head I smiled, suggested getting a harness and wished them good luck, and walked away, blood boiling. I thought it might not be such good PR for the book if I smacked her, although you never know.
In writing the book I have come to understand why certain people are scared of rescue, and or just feel more comfortable finding a dog through a breeder. I don’t like it, but I get it. I don’t however tolerate people who either buy dogs at pet stores (humane ones like Orange Bone and WoofWorx not included) and or buy them online from breeders, site unseen.
With pet stores, I often hear… well I felt like I was rescuing it. Again, on a gut level I get that their life wasn’t ideal- since I was a little girl I would only enter the Beverly Center from one side in order to avoid the pet store — but really go to the pound where dogs are jammed in one with another, all facing an uncertain fate and you’ll understand what rescue actually is.
Similary, I’d like to throttle those people who buy dogs online and believe that the pups come from happy places? Hello they come from puppy mills and shady breeders who don’t give a crap about their dog, except in a bottom line sense. Sure you may want to tell yourself “it’s a really nice place, i saw pictures” but guess what chances are, it’s not. The internet is a haven for dishonest business and in this case, dog are simply the commodity.
Online shopping for dogs is a no no
So next time you ask how much is that doggie in the window, whether it be on your computer screen window or the shop window? The answer is that it costs another dog’s life; the one that you didn’t adopt at the shelter.
To see a gallery of adorable dogs I’ve either helped or rescued myself that have come from the streets, the pound or a neglectful situation see below!
Last night I went to dinner with my friend Lewis at Nate n’ Als in Beverly Hills. As we drove by Cristoni, a nearby Pizza place, I caught a glimpse of what I thought was Mickey Rourke.
Mickey from TMZ
Once we parked, and walked by on foot, I saw that indeed I was correct! Mickey Rourke was having a slice with some buddies. Even TMZ snapped a pic of Mickey at the same time.
While I’m not a celebrity stalker, I had to compliment him on his amazing work on behalf of dogs and get a picture.
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Guest Blog from my friend Amy!
Some dog seat belts are actually padded vests with straps for the lap belt to thread through, but others are more in the line of a “harness” with extra loops on the back that your lap belt will pass through.
Any of these can give your dog the freedom to move around a bit, and look out the window. You’ll know that the dog will be safe in the case of an accident, and you won’t have a dog in your lap, obstructing your ability to drive!
Go Mickey!