So I'm taking Rowan to the groomer at Petsmart, and he's prancing down the aisle, tossing head and tail, giving everyone the googly eyes, and they're all throwing themselves at him, as usual ... >sigh< ... he is SUCH a glory hog ...
Anyway, one kid stops us and grabs handfuls of Malafluff (there's a reason we go to the groomer ...) and he yells for his brother and mom to come over. At this point we are blocking the entire center lanes of the store ... the brother tools up in a nifty wheelchair, his eyes light up and he too has to get his Rowan lovin's. Who ruthlessly takes advantage of a captive victim and licks the poor kid up the nose, in the ears and basically all over, to his great delight. Meanwhile, the mother is sighing and rolling her eyes while kid #1 is trying to explain to her that they have to get a Mal to take care of the handicapped kid, pull him around when needed, and basically be their best buddy. I'm trying to explain over the din that a Mal is not a Golden Retriever or a Lab and is a true pain in the a** to train, and is not terribly reliable, when the mom amazes me by saying that she's heard of plenty of Mals being trained as assistance dogs (!!), she just doesn't want the shedding in the house ... a small yappy broke up the traffic jam & I didn't get the name of the org. she was talking about!
Now I've heard of Mallie THERAPY dogs, and have talked to a few wheelchair-bound Mal-people who just happen to be Mal-lovers, but don't count on their Mals for formal assistance. But does anyone know who is training Mallies specifically to assist the disabled?
I've always thought it was a great idea, esp. in a family setting where training could be reinforced & there is backup, etc., but Sherry at Texas Hearing & Service Dogs has always said Mals were too difficult ... What a great thing it would be for Mallie rescue!
Needless to say, Rowan enjoyed his bath & comb-out immensely, as he got loved on by all, and I really appreciate having someone else clip those iron claws ...
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Lucky Hat?
Overheard at the bookstore:
"That hat must be unlucky. We never used to have these kinds of problems before you got that hat."
"That hat must be unlucky. We never used to have these kinds of problems before you got that hat."
NEWS: Souring economy puts the bite on pet owners
NEWS: Souring economy puts the bite on pet owners
Demand spikes at pet food banks, discount vets
Some pantries see 50 percent increase in need for free dog, cat food
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24936402/
Response to newsvine:
This article made me even more frustrated about the shove-'em-out the door tactics of some shelters/rescues, such as "free kitten month," and the adoption craze in the media.
It's great that the media and celebrities are getting behind the pet adoption movement, but since it isn't very homogenous, the terms can get confused, and a puppy miller or thief can easily pass themselves off as a "shelter" or "adoption center" -- there's a pretty fine line with some of the groups that "adopt" at Petsmart, e.g., already, and Petland's puppies and kittens are straight from the horrors of the mills. How is the consumer to know?
TV shows often say, "this cute puppy/kitten is up for adoption, call now," without further info, giving an unfortunate impression. Potential adopters often don't know what to look for, and buzz words like "rehoming" and "adoption" can easily mask unscrupulous behavior. I know Mike and Juliet (mandjshow.com), for example, mean well when touting adorable pets to adopt/give away FOR FREE!! However, these tactics send exactly the wrong message: pets are cheap, throwaway commodities; if you don't like this one, well, you can always pop down to the shelter for a replacement. ... instead of emphasizing that pets are a lifelong commitment, expensive, unpredictable, and requiring patience and work. The media don't educate the public that a reputable rescue or shelter will meet at least these minimum standards:
1) no "impulse" adoptions on-site or before an in-depth application is processed;
2) no adoptions before home check and vet check, and require a landlord letter;
3) mandatory spay/neuter, vaccinations & registration, microchip in rescue/shelter's name;
4) either adoption counseling, an adoption video, training, certificate for training, or some other retention behavior.
The adoption process should be onerous, invasive, difficult, and expensive -- just like when adopting a child. The level of commitment should be the same.
In Big Dog rescue, our foremost problems at this point are returns, dogs just being set loose, the particularly horrible shape dogs are in when they do come into rescue, and counseling folks who are in the situation of the people in this article, servicepeople being deployed, etc.. Vet bills for big dogs can often be monstrous -- flea and heartworm prevention seem anecdotally to be the first things to be dropped, which lead to much greater expenses and pain later. My neighbors find the cost prohibitive. None of their dogs are vaccinated and few are spayed/neutered, either; it's not that easy to get to a low-cost clinic.
Low-cost vax, flea/heartworm & microchip clinics brought right into the poorer neighborhoods, along with education, would be a fantastic use of Pedigree's and the ASPCA's Project Orange money, methinks ... and contribute greatly to retention. Large-scale availability of good pet food at the food banks would be great, too, and nice corporate write-offs... Low-cost training meet-ups in the neighborhoods would also be wonderful. That kind of follow-up and long-term back-up would do so much more to create a truly pet-friendly environment than the current fire-sale attitude, iffy screening procedures and basic lack of commitment that just lead to pets bouncing back into rescue or onto the street, older and less adoptable.
IMHO, of course ...
Demand spikes at pet food banks, discount vets
Some pantries see 50 percent increase in need for free dog, cat food
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24936402/
Response to newsvine:
This article made me even more frustrated about the shove-'em-out the door tactics of some shelters/rescues, such as "free kitten month," and the adoption craze in the media.
It's great that the media and celebrities are getting behind the pet adoption movement, but since it isn't very homogenous, the terms can get confused, and a puppy miller or thief can easily pass themselves off as a "shelter" or "adoption center" -- there's a pretty fine line with some of the groups that "adopt" at Petsmart, e.g., already, and Petland's puppies and kittens are straight from the horrors of the mills. How is the consumer to know?
TV shows often say, "this cute puppy/kitten is up for adoption, call now," without further info, giving an unfortunate impression. Potential adopters often don't know what to look for, and buzz words like "rehoming" and "adoption" can easily mask unscrupulous behavior. I know Mike and Juliet (mandjshow.com), for example, mean well when touting adorable pets to adopt/give away FOR FREE!! However, these tactics send exactly the wrong message: pets are cheap, throwaway commodities; if you don't like this one, well, you can always pop down to the shelter for a replacement. ... instead of emphasizing that pets are a lifelong commitment, expensive, unpredictable, and requiring patience and work. The media don't educate the public that a reputable rescue or shelter will meet at least these minimum standards:
1) no "impulse" adoptions on-site or before an in-depth application is processed;
2) no adoptions before home check and vet check, and require a landlord letter;
3) mandatory spay/neuter, vaccinations & registration, microchip in rescue/shelter's name;
4) either adoption counseling, an adoption video, training, certificate for training, or some other retention behavior.
The adoption process should be onerous, invasive, difficult, and expensive -- just like when adopting a child. The level of commitment should be the same.
In Big Dog rescue, our foremost problems at this point are returns, dogs just being set loose, the particularly horrible shape dogs are in when they do come into rescue, and counseling folks who are in the situation of the people in this article, servicepeople being deployed, etc.. Vet bills for big dogs can often be monstrous -- flea and heartworm prevention seem anecdotally to be the first things to be dropped, which lead to much greater expenses and pain later. My neighbors find the cost prohibitive. None of their dogs are vaccinated and few are spayed/neutered, either; it's not that easy to get to a low-cost clinic.
Low-cost vax, flea/heartworm & microchip clinics brought right into the poorer neighborhoods, along with education, would be a fantastic use of Pedigree's and the ASPCA's Project Orange money, methinks ... and contribute greatly to retention. Large-scale availability of good pet food at the food banks would be great, too, and nice corporate write-offs... Low-cost training meet-ups in the neighborhoods would also be wonderful. That kind of follow-up and long-term back-up would do so much more to create a truly pet-friendly environment than the current fire-sale attitude, iffy screening procedures and basic lack of commitment that just lead to pets bouncing back into rescue or onto the street, older and less adoptable.
IMHO, of course ...
Monday, June 09, 2008
Heartworm infestations
N. writes: >My only concern is that ... heartworm
infestation of a dog sounds like an almost impossibly unlikely event
even during periods of sustained warm temps.<
Reply:
Well, down here in Texas, whenever a dog comes into rescue, the first thing we test for is heartworms -- you can just about assume that a dog that's been out and about, no matter the weather, is going to be infested, some of them just horribly. Way too few people know or care about protecting their dogs (and outdoor cats). Even when we get a good freeze, you can bet that, when the next warm day comes around, we'll be plagued by skeeters again. There are just too many hidey-holes for them to be killed off. The times I've spent in upstate NY, I didn't notice any marked lack of skeeters either, despite the harsh winters ... Heartworm treatment often just has to be part of the foster/rescue process, and one of the reasons we work so hard to raise money ... believe me, prevention is a lot cheaper, and a LOT less hard on the dog!
My depreciated $.02 ...
infestation of a dog sounds like an almost impossibly unlikely event
even during periods of sustained warm temps.<
Reply:
Well, down here in Texas, whenever a dog comes into rescue, the first thing we test for is heartworms -- you can just about assume that a dog that's been out and about, no matter the weather, is going to be infested, some of them just horribly. Way too few people know or care about protecting their dogs (and outdoor cats). Even when we get a good freeze, you can bet that, when the next warm day comes around, we'll be plagued by skeeters again. There are just too many hidey-holes for them to be killed off. The times I've spent in upstate NY, I didn't notice any marked lack of skeeters either, despite the harsh winters ... Heartworm treatment often just has to be part of the foster/rescue process, and one of the reasons we work so hard to raise money ... believe me, prevention is a lot cheaper, and a LOT less hard on the dog!
My depreciated $.02 ...
This Economy & Pets: Demand spikes at pet food banks, discount vets
http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifFrom http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24936402/
Demand spikes at pet food banks, discount vets
Some pantries see 50 percent increase in need for free dog, cat food
The Associated Press updated 3:18 p.m. CT, Mon., June. 2, 2008
FRANKLIN, Mass. - Diana Bardsley wiped tears from her eyes as she recalled taking food off her plate to feed her beloved spaniel Hunter and two Siamese cats.
Her greatest fear: that she could be forced to surrender the animals as she struggled to stretch her food stamps and Social Security income to meet the escalating cost of living.
Some hope was restored after she visited a local food pantry, which has started offering free pet food to help owners keep their animals out of shelters.
"I know a lot of people will probably say, 'Well, if you don't have enough money to be able to feed your animals, that you shouldn't have pets,''' said Bardsley, 53, of Franklin, as Hunter played in the living room with three of her grandchildren.
But, "Just because financially you may go downhill a little or a lot, doesn't necessarily mean you have to give up the part of your family that you love,'' she said.
For some pet owners, though, there is little choice.
The rising costs of fuel, food and housing — and the rising tide of foreclosures — have generated a surge in requests for pet food from traditional food pantries and prompted some pet owners to give up their animals. Others are trying to save money by forgoing veterinary care.
>snip< -- read complete article at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24936402/
© 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24936402/
MSN Privacy . Legal
© 2008 MSNBC.com
Demand spikes at pet food banks, discount vets
Some pantries see 50 percent increase in need for free dog, cat food
The Associated Press updated 3:18 p.m. CT, Mon., June. 2, 2008
FRANKLIN, Mass. - Diana Bardsley wiped tears from her eyes as she recalled taking food off her plate to feed her beloved spaniel Hunter and two Siamese cats.
Her greatest fear: that she could be forced to surrender the animals as she struggled to stretch her food stamps and Social Security income to meet the escalating cost of living.
Some hope was restored after she visited a local food pantry, which has started offering free pet food to help owners keep their animals out of shelters.
"I know a lot of people will probably say, 'Well, if you don't have enough money to be able to feed your animals, that you shouldn't have pets,''' said Bardsley, 53, of Franklin, as Hunter played in the living room with three of her grandchildren.
But, "Just because financially you may go downhill a little or a lot, doesn't necessarily mean you have to give up the part of your family that you love,'' she said.
For some pet owners, though, there is little choice.
The rising costs of fuel, food and housing — and the rising tide of foreclosures — have generated a surge in requests for pet food from traditional food pantries and prompted some pet owners to give up their animals. Others are trying to save money by forgoing veterinary care.
>snip< -- read complete article at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24936402/
© 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24936402/
MSN Privacy . Legal
© 2008 MSNBC.com
Saturday, June 07, 2008
ALERT: New scam 'adopters'
Post to austinrescue:
Just received this info from an affiliated rescue in San Antonio --
very disturbing that this is going on under our noses! We try so hard
to screen, but sometimes the baddies do slip through the cracks.
Importance of microchipping!!
"These people adopted a dog from us and turned around and "rehomed"
it for more money...they seem very great, nice house/ family but as
always looks can be decieving... how did we find out? the new adopter
found our name in the microchip and called us... I called to confront
the adopter and she claimed that the dog was too hyper for their
family. They had only had the dog for three days!"
Permission to pass on to other rescue groups in Texas area. We don't
know if these people target only Northern breeds, or much else about
them.
Editorial comment: it's great that the media and celebrities are
getting behind the pet adoption movement, but since it isn't very
homogeneous, people easily get confused, and a puppy miller or thief
can easily pass themselves off as a shelter or adoption center --
there's a pretty fine line with some of the groups that "adopt" at
Petsmart, for example, already. TV shows often say, "this cute
puppy/kitten is up for adoption, call now," without further info,
giving an unfortunate impression. Potential adopters often don't know
what to look for, and buzz words like "rehoming" and "adoption" can
easily mask unscrupulous behavior.
Perhaps recourse to the media might help clarify? If rescues &
shelters were to agree on a certain minimum level of standards such
as:
- no "impulse" adoptions on-site or before an application is processed
- no adoptions before home check and vet check, landlord letter
- mandatory s/n, vax & registration, chip in rescue's/shelter's name
- either adoption counseling, watch adoption video, training,
certificate for training, or some other retention behavior
- ??
Maybe couched as a cute acronym or something? Then potential adopters
would be able to identify a non-legitimate "rescue" more easily.
Just my $.02 ...
Cheers
Connie
Just received this info from an affiliated rescue in San Antonio --
very disturbing that this is going on under our noses! We try so hard
to screen, but sometimes the baddies do slip through the cracks.
Importance of microchipping!!
"These people adopted a dog from us and turned around and "rehomed"
it for more money...they seem very great, nice house/ family but as
always looks can be decieving... how did we find out? the new adopter
found our name in the microchip and called us... I called to confront
the adopter and she claimed that the dog was too hyper for their
family. They had only had the dog for three days!"
Permission to pass on to other rescue groups in Texas area. We don't
know if these people target only Northern breeds, or much else about
them.
Editorial comment: it's great that the media and celebrities are
getting behind the pet adoption movement, but since it isn't very
homogeneous, people easily get confused, and a puppy miller or thief
can easily pass themselves off as a shelter or adoption center --
there's a pretty fine line with some of the groups that "adopt" at
Petsmart, for example, already. TV shows often say, "this cute
puppy/kitten is up for adoption, call now," without further info,
giving an unfortunate impression. Potential adopters often don't know
what to look for, and buzz words like "rehoming" and "adoption" can
easily mask unscrupulous behavior.
Perhaps recourse to the media might help clarify? If rescues &
shelters were to agree on a certain minimum level of standards such
as:
- no "impulse" adoptions on-site or before an application is processed
- no adoptions before home check and vet check, landlord letter
- mandatory s/n, vax & registration, chip in rescue's/shelter's name
- either adoption counseling, watch adoption video, training,
certificate for training, or some other retention behavior
- ??
Maybe couched as a cute acronym or something? Then potential adopters
would be able to identify a non-legitimate "rescue" more easily.
Just my $.02 ...
Cheers
Connie
Thursday, June 05, 2008
How to photograph a Malamute
TxMals:
We all know that our dogs are the most beautiful in the world. Then why is it so hard to get a good picture?? I have more shots of Mallie rear ends or of a Mallie tongue licking the lens than I know what to do with ...
Here is a variation on the professional photographer's advice on how to photograph a puppy -- adjusted for Mallies!
cheers
connie
*Have Mallie professionally groomed.
*Take out second mortgage on home.
*Remove memory chip from plastic and insert in camera.
*Stanch blood flow from plastic packaging and call carpet cleaning service.
*Remove packaging material from Mallie's mouth and throw in trash.
*Remove Mallie from trash and brush coffee grounds from front end.
*Discover that Vetrap works well on wrist sprained removing bone from Mallie's mouth.
*Discover that your battery is low and postpone shoot.
>recharge battery and self-confidence<
*Successfully pull battery charger back out of Mallie's esophagus.
*Choose a suitable background for photo.
*Discard suitable background after Mallie lifts leg on it. Call carpet cleaning service again.
*Mount camera on tripod and focus.
*Find Mallie and take dirty sock from mouth.
*Re-groom Mallie to remove random tufts of undercoat suddenly sprouting everywhere.
*Place Mallie in pre-focused spot, say "Mallie, STAY" in a commanding voice and return to camera.
*Attempt to persuade Mallie to display other than rear end to camera.
*Sprint after escaping Mallie and beg to return.
*Place Mallie using barbecue chicken, the neighborhood kids, and industrial-strength tie-downs.
*Call kids' parents to apologize, offer to pay hospital bills.
*Set focus while fending off Mallie's friendly advances.
*Remove tripod from between Mallie's teeth.
*Get tissue and clean nose prints from lens.
*Get towel and remove Mallie tongue slime.
*Threaten spouse with violence for laughing.
*Put cat outside and put peroxide on the scratches on Mallie's nose.
*Put magazines back on coffee table. Discard shattered antiques.
*Promise to buy spouse a new TV.
*Try to get Mallie's attention by squeaking toy over your head.
*Duct-tape your glasses and check camera for damage.
*Jump up in time to grab Mallie and say, "No, outside! No, outside!"
*Call carpet cleaning service again.
*Fix a drink.
*Sit back in Lazy Boy with drink, pop in a DVD of "White Fang" (the TV show) and resolve to teach Mallie "sit" and "stay."
*DECIDE TO CALL PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHERS FIRST THING IN THE MORNING.
We all know that our dogs are the most beautiful in the world. Then why is it so hard to get a good picture?? I have more shots of Mallie rear ends or of a Mallie tongue licking the lens than I know what to do with ...
Here is a variation on the professional photographer's advice on how to photograph a puppy -- adjusted for Mallies!
cheers
connie
*Have Mallie professionally groomed.
*Take out second mortgage on home.
*Remove memory chip from plastic and insert in camera.
*Stanch blood flow from plastic packaging and call carpet cleaning service.
*Remove packaging material from Mallie's mouth and throw in trash.
*Remove Mallie from trash and brush coffee grounds from front end.
*Discover that Vetrap works well on wrist sprained removing bone from Mallie's mouth.
*Discover that your battery is low and postpone shoot.
>recharge battery and self-confidence<
*Successfully pull battery charger back out of Mallie's esophagus.
*Choose a suitable background for photo.
*Discard suitable background after Mallie lifts leg on it. Call carpet cleaning service again.
*Mount camera on tripod and focus.
*Find Mallie and take dirty sock from mouth.
*Re-groom Mallie to remove random tufts of undercoat suddenly sprouting everywhere.
*Place Mallie in pre-focused spot, say "Mallie, STAY" in a commanding voice and return to camera.
*Attempt to persuade Mallie to display other than rear end to camera.
*Sprint after escaping Mallie and beg to return.
*Place Mallie using barbecue chicken, the neighborhood kids, and industrial-strength tie-downs.
*Call kids' parents to apologize, offer to pay hospital bills.
*Set focus while fending off Mallie's friendly advances.
*Remove tripod from between Mallie's teeth.
*Get tissue and clean nose prints from lens.
*Get towel and remove Mallie tongue slime.
*Threaten spouse with violence for laughing.
*Put cat outside and put peroxide on the scratches on Mallie's nose.
*Put magazines back on coffee table. Discard shattered antiques.
*Promise to buy spouse a new TV.
*Try to get Mallie's attention by squeaking toy over your head.
*Duct-tape your glasses and check camera for damage.
*Jump up in time to grab Mallie and say, "No, outside! No, outside!"
*Call carpet cleaning service again.
*Fix a drink.
*Sit back in Lazy Boy with drink, pop in a DVD of "White Fang" (the TV show) and resolve to teach Mallie "sit" and "stay."
*DECIDE TO CALL PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHERS FIRST THING IN THE MORNING.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)