No Kill Revolution

I'm a huge animal lover. I have a small menagerie of rescues I take care of on my own. I help do transports for local rescues, I try to donate time, money whatever I can to help critters whenever I can. The BEST thing that I and YOU can do to help in this though, is EDUCATE people. I worked for a time in a pet store. Yes, a lot that goes along with a pet store goes against the very grain of what and how I feel about pets in general. We were responsible in that we didn't support puppy or kitten mills. We only offered puppies and kittens from the local shelter for adoption. I can't say that I feel much better about the companies we DID support by purchasing rodents, birds, exotics, etc from. But I tried to view it as a way to work on the problem from the inside out.

I took EVERY opportunity to educate customers on the plight of animals they might be unwittingly supporting. Some people were surprised and took the info to heart, others were kindred spirits who joined in the conversation whole-heartedly already having educated themselves, to my dismay many just did NOT care. They wanted a puppy for $300 to their specifications and within weeks they'd have a poster up wanting to sell it. People who wanted to buy a pet for their kid because he was screaming he wanted something and they didn't know how to say "NO" to the child but somehow wanted me to magically come up with a pet that required very lil care or cleaning and a small , cheap habitat. I pointed them to the aisle with plastic plants used for decor. :)

I digress. Some people don't want to care or know but MOST people DO! It may not be something they are readily made aware of but that's where people like me ( and some of you) come in. We have to share our knowledge. We have to actively make a difference where the animals can't and other people won't. If its nothing more than posting info on your blog, your fb page, your instagram, your twitter, on your bumper sticker, wear a t-shrt, just get people talking. Explain the large quantities of pets dying each year in shelters can be stopped. Spay and neuter your pets. Don't support breeders. Don't support pet stores that sell puppies/dogs and cats/kittens.

Theres so much anyone can do even if only occasionally it makes a difference. Make an effort to help local shelters by either volunteering to clean, or help the animals socialize so they are more likely to get adopted. Help transport rescue animals that are shipping out of state. Some of the transports I have done were just one leg of a long trip and I only drove them 1 hour to another pickup. It doesn't take much. Foster pets in your own home til they can be moved to a rescue or transported.

Clip out coupons for pet supplies and drop those off at the local shelter THEY USE THEM TRUST ME. Some items you dont realize they might need as well:

•  bleach
•  towels ( paper or bath towels) 
• garbage bags 
• mops 
• giftcards
• pet toys 
• fresh veggies 
• tongue depressors
• distilled water
• newspapers
• Any kind of cleaning solutions or disinfectant
• Ziplock bags (all sizes, especially gallon) 
• Spray bottles with triggers 
• Sponges and scrub pads
• Batteries 
• Large wall fans 

 Links that may help

•  http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/spayneuter 
• http://www.animalhumanesociety.org/volunteer 
• http://www.nokilladvocacycenter.org/ 
• http://www.nathanwinograd.com/?tag=no-kill-advocacy-center 

 ( note PETA is not in my list, they kill as many adoptable animals each year as do shelters. I hold no support for PETA. NO KILL is the answer and it is possible)

Pets don't have to die in shelters or on roadsides on in alley ways. Its up to us. Join the No Kill Revolution. Make a difference.

Pet Stores

I have a new job!

I work in a pet store!!!

Really I couldn't think of a better job for me.

First : I love pets.

All kinds of animals:snakes, birds, fish, mice, hamsters etc.

All of them.

Second : I HAVE a lot of pets so I can really use the discount on supplies :)

So today I thought I would touch on the things you should do before purchasing a pet.

First off pet stores are not petting zoos. Pet store clerks have to discourage people from handling the pets unless they intend to buy them. This is NOT out of meanness or laziness. Its just plain better for the animals. If we let everyone who came in hold and play with any pet they wanted even though the had no intention of actually buying it the poor critters would be stressed out and sick from never getting any rest and we wouldn't have time to tend to them like they need.

OK now we have all been there... you go in and this cute little animal looks at you with big eyes and you just HAVE to buy it.

BAD IDEA !!

You should NEVER buy a living creature as an impulse buy.

Too often pets are looked at as disposable. If you think you can get it and then if you get tired just give it away or toss it out or whatever, you don't need a pet. Get a virtual pet on your computer or get a plant. One should consider the commitment required to keep a pet before purchasing it.

How is this pet going to fit into your family structure? With kids or other pets?

Is it suitable for your living environment? ( apartment, house, city,country..)

Can you afford to house this animal properly? Don't take an animal home that you don't already have housing for.

Can you afford to feed it properly? Do you know how difficult his diet may be?

Do you have time to clean its habitat on a regular basis? Weekly? Daily?

Are you going to have time to socialize the animal? (play with it, give it exercise and be sure its people and pet friendly)

Do you know what diseases or ailments frequently occur in these animals?

Will this animal need shots or surgery ?

( example: musk gland removal in ferrets; spay or neuter; etc..)

Can you afford the vet bills to come?

Do you know how LONG this animal will live and are you ready to commit to keeping this creature for his lifetime?( some fish can live 20 years, some birds can live past 90 years!)

None of these things are going through your mind when those adorable eyes are peering through the glass at you, but that's when you need to stop! Look around in the store at the things available for the pet that you may not realize you will need to care for this pet. It will begin to sink in. Ask the pet store personnel , but don't just take their word for it. Look the animal up online, get a book on it, ask if the store has care sheets for this pet.

Here's another thing to pay attention to: The store itself.

DO the people working there seem knowledgeable of their pets? Do they offer care sheets?

Are the pets housed well?

Plenty of food and water available? Clean cages?

Do the animals look healthy? You want an animal with bright eyes, attentive to its surroundings, a healthy weight and a good skin or coat.

See if the pets are captive bred or wild caught. Sometimes wild caught animals have more parasites and health issues.

Never ever buy a cat or dog from a pet store. Even if they have papers saying they are pure breed you can be 95% certain they are products of a puppy or kitten mill. Please don't support the mills by purchasing cats or dogs in a pet store.

If the pet store is selling cats or dogs its not a good sign. Reputable breeders will NOT sell their cats or dogs through a pet store. You only want to buy from a breeder who will allow you to visit the home the puppies or kittens are raised and housed in. This means they are breeding the animals in an environment to give them the best temperament to be placed in a new home. Always check that the breeders test their dogs or cats for any diseases or ailments that tend to occur in that specific breed. All reputable breeders do this and have the documentation to prove it.

A good pet store will have a list of reputable breeders as well as a list of rescues by breed. The store I work in has these available at our register, and does NOT sell puppies or kittens. We do however have a wall of pictures of the adoptions available through our local shelter and we support the local shelter through donation boxes at each register :D

I know of some pet store that take in litters to find homes for them. They never pay for the litters this discourage disreputable breeders from trying to use them. They simply take in unwanted litters from people who didn't spay or neuter their animals. They do charge people who want these kittens or puppies from the store but not for the profit of it so much as to assure the customer is truly interested in a pet and doesn't have other motives. Similarly I have seen vets offices that do the same. In these cases you can see buying kittens or puppies from a store being a good thing. Just keep in mind these animals should not be high

priced it they are its a mill situation and not strays that the clinic or store are attempting to home.

Consider going to your local shelter if you really want a dog or a cat. Far too many go unwanted there and need a good loving home.They make just as good a companion as full breeds and you will save an animal from being euthanized. Consider an older pet as well. Kittens and puppies in shelters find homes the quickest and a loving wonderful older cat or dog may be sitting there just waiting for a good owner. Older pets can be great additions to a home so don't overlook them!

SPAY OR NEUTER!!

People need to get their pets spayed or neutered. Its kitten/puppy season. There is an explosion in unwanted kittens and puppies this time of year every year. I found 2 kittens nearly dead in front of a Big Lots 2 years ago. Best cats I've ever owned. Found a stray dog in my yard, fed him. He's been the best dog anyone could ever want. Perfectly good living creatures thrown away like trash. Because an irresponsible owner of a pet couldn't be bothered to get their animal spayed or neutered. I hate to think of what eventually happened to the mama cat or dog. It became more trouble than the owner wanted to deal with and they tossed it too? It cost too much to take care of? There are no excuses. There are so many programs available for people to get help with getting pets altered. So many adoption agencies, shelters,online advertising spaces, paper ads.




There is a kitten outside our local Wal-green, I have been trying to catch. He's pitiful. If I can catch him/her I will get it tested for fel-luc/fel-hiv, get its shots and find it a home under the restriction that the kitten must be fixed when old enough. My best friend has 3 cats. He found them all as strays. now he has found 3 litters outside his home. 7 living kittens and 1 dead. This is in an affluent neighborhood. These people CAN AFFORD to get their pets altered! They don't do it for what reason? I DON'T understand! There isn't any legitimate reason for more and more unwanted animals to be born when we have the ability to stop the suffering, stop the litters being born. Pets that are spayed/neutered, live longer have fewer health problems.



Want to know more about spaying and neutering your pets?
go here HSUS


Want to know where you can get a good price on getting a pet spayed or neutered?
Go here:
ASPCA
SPAY USA
NEUTER/SPAY ORG

PLEASE please don't sit by and be a part of the problem by not taking action!

These are my strays I saved.


There are far too many more out there.

Spay or neuter your pet.

Doggy Dangers

Last week I wrote about taking care to keep kitty from getting poisoned.
This week its alllll about the pooch!

PLANTS
Now my dog seems more interested in digging up the plants in the yard than eating them, but you can never really tell whats going through that head of his. Some dogs who stay indoors all the time may take an interest in the houseplants. The interest they take is rarely
one that we, the pet/plant owner, appreciate.
Lets just make sure that they aren't going to make each other sick.

A great place to start is at the ASPCA website. They have a great listing of plants that are poisonous to your pets HERE, and a 24 hour emergency poison hot line to call is listed on that same page. This is a great source to be sure that your plants, both indoors and outdoors, aren't going to cause Fido any problems.




FOODS
Oh boy, my hound is a WORLD CLASS beggar.
I think its a born talent. Really, he's had no formal training, but I'm sure he could win a trophy for it, if there were such a thing. He can stare quietly at your food going from plate to mouth and give you the most pitiful "you ARE gonna save me a bite right? " look.
But we all know that human food isn't good for the pooch. Most of the time the stuff we eat isn't good for us either but that's a whoooole other topic.

Some foods are VERY dangerous for you dog. Lets look at those.

ALCOHOL
well duh! really this is mostly for you fellas out there. MEN it is not funny for your dog to get drunk. They can fall into a coma and die. Grow up, don't give your dog booze, its stupid. Same goes for marijuana. Dangerous for your dog any way you look at it, if inhaled or ingested. Seriously. Your dog is not your frat brother.

CHOCOLATE/COFFEE/TEA
anything else with caffeine in it is a BIG NONO. chocolate/caffeine toxicity

Onions, garlic (raw, cooked, or powder): causes anemia

Fish or poultry bones: Can splinter causing tears or obstructions internally.

Cat food: too high in protein and fats.

Grapes and raisins:damages the kidneys

Citrus/citrus oils: can cause vomiting

Yeast dough:expand and produce gas , causes pain and could cause internal injuries by rupturing the intestines or stomach.

Also:
Avocados, mushrooms, macadamia nuts, spoiled foods ( EWW, WHY?)

MEDICATIONS/CLEANSERS
Keep any home cleansers and personal medications out of your pets reach the same way you would for your kids.


NEVER give your pet human medications without consulting your vet FIRST!
THIS is a list of the top ten meds that can cause pets problems.

Cleansers, antifreeze and any other household chemical needs should be kept in a locked cabinet, preferably one high from the ground that is less likely for a pet or child to get into.





EVERYTHING ELSE
Dogs can find the strangest things to eat and they will. Not only do you have to be concerned with them eating something poisonous, but because of their predisposition to chew on things they may ingest things that will harm them in other ways. Dogs can and will eat things you would never imagine and this could cause a blockage that could potentially be fatal.
Keep in mind anything left within reach of the dog , especially if the dog is a puppy that is teething, they consider theirs' to munch on. Its like having a two year old, if they can get to it, then its going in the mouth.

Signs to look for if your dog may have an obstruction from eating something like the kids homework or worse..

partial blockage:
intermittent vomiting
diarrhea
cramping

complete blockage:
severe and sudden abdominal pain
projectile vomiting/violent vomiting
distention of the abdomen

If your dog shows any of these signs get them to the vet! If the blockage interferes with the flow of blood to the bowel, the bowel itself can start to rot within a few hours. X-rays are needed to properly diagnose the cause and location.




Hope these tips help you keep your dog happy and healthy. Sometimes the smallest things make a world of difference. I hope my lil blog does just that, in making pets safer in even the slightest way :D




I leave you with a picture of my dog after he happily dug a nice mud hole in my backyard. He hates a bath,but loves a mud hole. Go figure :D





For the record, his head is solid black.
He sure looks happy though, huh?