Category: Business

Divorcing one’s Vet!

A practical and informative guest post.

Back in September, I received an email from a Paige Johnson. He offered to write a guest post for Learning from Dogs. Now I love guest posts simply because I think that different perspectives are always valuable, and let’s face it you get enough of me ‘rabbiting on’ most days.

This is what Paige’s email said:

I reached out to your recently with a guest article offer and just wanted to send a quick note to follow up.

I’ve had my dog, GG, since my early 20s, and though it wasn’t easy — in fact, it was quite the trial and error process for both of us! — I’m happy to report that she has become a well-trained pup, great with kids, adults, and other animals.

That said, GG and I are about to face another challenge together. Moving. I know that uprooting her from the only home she’s ever known won’t be easy for her so I’ve been doing some research on how to make the process go as smoothly as possible for both of us.

I run LearnFit.org with some friends, and collectively, we love helping readers find balance in their life. Adding a dog to the mix definitely brings happiness, but it can be a tough adjustment, especially when you face another big life event, like moving or having a child.

Who wouldn’t warm to that approach!

So here is Paige’s guest post.

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4 Tips for New Dog Owners Who Need to Break Up with Your Vet

When you become a new dog owner, you worry about what to feed him, how often to bathe him, the best type of flea and tick treatment to use to protect him, and a litany of other things involved in caring for him. You also need to make sure that your veterinarian is on the same page with you so that you are comfortable with relying on him to deliver the best quality care for him and advice for you. Sometimes, however, you need to break up with your vet for one reason or another. If you are a new dog owner who needs to break up with your vet, we offer four tips to help you do it as quickly and painlessly as possible.

1. Consider all of the interactions you have had with your veterinarian

If you are having a difficult time deciding whether to leave your veterinarian, think about how you have been treated by the vet and his office staff and how your new dog has been cared for at the office. If your vet has been pushing you to purchase pet food and care products from him, or he has a policy that you must board your dog only at his office when you go out of town, you most likely are justified in thinking that it is time to break up with him. Vets who try to monopolize services unfortunately are in the business more for making money than for providing quality animal care.

As a new dog owner, you need to be aware of your right to feed your dog whatever food you feel is best for his nutrition and health and not just what your vet sells. You also have the right to choose a dog boarding provider who will provide one-to-one care for your dog while you are out of town, rather than put your dog in an impersonal kennel at the vet’s office. When you leave the vet, you should consider all of the interactions you have had with him, and if you feel that you are being pushed into choosing products and services that he offers without having a freedom of choice, you should break up with him.

2. Break up sooner, rather than later

As soon as you feel that you need to break up with your vet, you should take action. Breaking up with your vet sooner rather than later will make the process much easier on you. Prolonging your relationship with your vet when you are considering cutting ties with him will increase your uneasiness and make an awkward situation even more uncomfortable.

You especially need to break up with your vet as soon as your instincts tell you to do so if you are concerned that he is not providing adequate care for your dog. The last thing you want is to put your dog’s health in jeopardy because you are afraid to break up with your vet. As a new dog owner, it is your responsibility to put your dog’s health above everything else when you deal with your veterinarian and make decisions regarding his treatment and care.

3. Ask office personnel to transfer your records to a new veterinarian

You want to be sure you have a new veterinarian on board with your new dog before you leave your old vet’s office, so that your dog’s health is never at risk during the transition. Call your current veterinarian’s office and politely ask office personnel to transfer your records to your new vet. Even if you have had issues with office staff before, it is well within your rights as a pet owner to switch vets and have your records sent to the vet of your choice. The staff should treat you with professional courtesy as long as you are straightforward and polite as well during the interaction.

4. Explain the situation to your veterinarian if you are leaving because of extenuating circumstances

Sometimes, even people who love their veterinarians need to break up with them because of extenuating circumstances. For example, you may be moving to a new town and cannot take the time to drive to your current vet’s office from your new home. If you have been happy with the care from your veterinarian and are sad to leave his care, explain the situation to him and ask for some recommendations for your new area. Your vet may be able to refer you to a new office that shares his level of care and commitment to your new dog. Your vet also may be able to refer you to other services for your dog in your new area, such as reputable dog walkers or accommodating dog parks.

Breaking up with your veterinarian is not a fun thing to do for new dog owners, especially if you love your vet and don’t want to leave his care. However, you need to put your dog’s health first, and if your current veterinarian cannot meet your dog’s needs, it is time to break up and go elsewhere. Our four tips will make the process easier for you.

Image via Pixabay by tpsdave

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Yes, we always “need to put your dog’s health first” and Paige offers some valuable advice for ensuring that is always our top priority.

Thank you, Paige!

Five years: Just like that!

How time flies!

I was outside working yesterday afternoon and came back into the house some thirty minutes before Jean and I were due to visit a neighbour. Ergo, I was looking for a shortcut in terms of putting together a post for all you good people.

The notion came to me that I would republish something that was on Learning from Dogs some fives years ago: October 8th, 2011 to be exact.

Here it is!

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Sit back and Smile

With thanks to Ellen M. for passing this across to Learning from Dogs.

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Then to prove how quickly time flies by, guess what! Dear Sue Dreamwalker left a message to that post back in 2011.

What a great story and video… 🙂 .. Love this guys last comment about his Best Friend being less expensive than a girl friend.. lol.. Dogs Rule..

Just as Sue is still doing and, I bet, will be leaving a wonderful response today!

Cesar Dog Food Recall

Please share!

This was issued yesterday.

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Cesar Dog Food Recall of October 2016

October 7, 2016 — Mars Petcare has announced it has initiated a voluntary recall of a limited number of Cesar Filet Mignon Flavor wet dog food due to a potential choking risk from small pieces of plastic which entered the food during the production process.

What’s Recalled?

Cesar Classics Filet Mignon can be purchased individually as well as in flavor variety multipacks.

The affected dog food can be identified by checking the Best Before and Lot Code on the product lid.

Each product will have a lot code printed on the side of the tray that begins with 631FKKC or 631GKKC and best before date that falls between 08/04/18 and 08/05/18.

The Cesar Classics Filet Mignon Flavor can also be found in variety packs with the following lot codes:

632D14JC
633B24JC
634A14JC
634A24JC
634B14JC
634B24JC
634E14JC
635A24JC
635B14JC
636D24JC
636E14JC

Lot Code is indicated by the red box below:

The Lot Codes listed above are the only affected products. All other Cesar products can be safely consumed.

Why the Recall?

Select packages of this product may contain small pieces of plastic, which entered the food during the production process.

What to Do?

Mars Petcare encourages consumers who have purchased affected product to discard the food or return it to the retailer for a full refund or exchange.

While a small number of consumers have reported finding the plastic pieces, we have not received any reports of injury or illness associated with the affected product.

At Mars Petcare, we take our responsibility to pets and their owners seriously and are working with all of our distributors and retail customers to ensure the recalled products are no longer sold and are removed from inventory.

Consumers can reach the company at 800-421-6456.

U.S. citizens can report complaints about FDA-regulated pet food products by calling the consumer complaint coordinator in your area.

Or go to http://www.fda.gov/petfoodcomplaints.

Canadians can report any health or safety incidents related to the use of this product by filling out the Consumer Product Incident Report Form.

Get Dog Food Recall Alerts by Email

Get free dog food recall alerts sent to you by email. Subscribe to The Dog Food Advisor’s recall notification list.

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Hope no dog that you know is affected by this potential problem. Come to that, hope no dog anywhere is affected!

Let’s hear if for these kittens.

What an amazing rescue!

As many of you know, I subscribe to the Mother Nature Network service and frequently share items from MNN here.

Today is no exception:

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Newborn kittens rescued from dry-cleaning machine in London

Animal rescuers dismantled the dryer to find the crying kittens.

Jenn Savedge
October 4, 2016

ginger-kittens-jpg-653x0_q80_crop-smart — These four kittens were rescued and reunited with their mother. (Photo: Celia Hammond/Facebook)

The owner of a dry-cleaning shop got a surprise recently when he heard crying and mewing from the back of one of his machines. Fortunately, this on-the-ball dry-cleaner called an animal rescue squad who rescued the four small kittens and reunited them with their mother.

According to the BBC , the dry cleaning shop where the kittens were found is located in Forest Gate, a residential suburb of London. The shop owner called animal rescuers from the Celia Hammond Animal Trust, a local animal rescue center, to help identify the source of the sounds.

Rescuers dismantled the tumble dryer where the noises were coming from and found four small ginger kittens inside. They also located the kittens’ mother when they noticed a distressed cat pacing outside the shop.

The shop owner told rescuers that a nearby resident had moved and left the pregnant cat behind. That poor distressed mama clearly needed a warm, dry place to give birth and she found it inside the dry-cleaning tumble machine.

One of the animal rescuers noted on their Facebook page that the kittens were in bad shape when they were found, “[w]hen we picked them up they were filthy, covered in grease and dirt and had been breathing carbon tetrachloride fumes since they were born in the back of the machine.”

Thankfully, the kittens and their mother are now being well cared for in a foster home.

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One might ponder about the kittens having a clean start to their young lives! (Sorry!)

And Another Saturday Smile

Enjoy your weekend, and don’t miss the Harvest Moon!

Another fabulous reposting of an article that first was seen on the Care2 site.

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This Man May Wear a Hard Hat, But He Sure Has a Soft Spot for Dogs

By: Laura S. September 11, 2016

About Laura

Max Kahrimanovic lives in his hard hat. It’s covered in the dust of three continents where he programs wind turbines, often at a dangerous height. But some may say Max’s greatest accomplishments unfold in the far less intricate scenarios down on the ground where he feeds hungry, and often very thirsty, stray dogs. This is the story of how Max won the trust of one of those dogs and the remarkable new life she is now beginning.

my-work1 — So close he could kiss the clouds, Max programs wind turbines internationally.

“I saw her the very first day I came to the construction site,” Max said of the shy sweetheart he encountered during his latest assignment in Turkey. “She was scared and wouldn’t approach no matter what. I would leave food and would have to walk away. Then, from the far, I would see her eating and drinking what I left for her. Slowly she started to trust me and one day she finally let me pet her on the head.”

From that day forward Karis (as Max named her) decided that she had adopted Max. She would keep watch outside his office door and she would be waiting for him when he arrived at work each morning.

Although she was once so afraid of human touch, Karis soon learned that Max was different than the others she’d encountered.

“She can be naughty at times,” Max laughs, thinking of the occasions Karis dumped over the trash cans. “She wasn’t hungry, I know that much. I was feeding her three times a day. But I guess the leftovers smelled delicious to her and she had to check it out.”

And one day, when Max arrived, Karis had a surprise for him. Overnight, she had delivered seven puppies.

“My first thought was devastation,” Max said candidly. “I know, you’ll think how can I be devastated seeing so much cuteness. But in all these years of traveling through Europe, Morocco, New Zealand, etc. I’ve seen so much misery involving these animals, that I couldn’t feel anything else at that moment.”

At this point, Max had already found a home for Karis in the U.S. and was making arrangements to transport her there. But with seven more lives to worry about, now what?

“How are we gonna manage 7 pups too?” Max wondered. “Knowing what will happen to them after I leave was devastating. I knew they will either die under car wheels, die of starvation, diseases or they will get killed by other bigger dogs that wander around there.”

So, despite the enormity of the costs and challenging logistics, Max and his wife Neli – back in Sweden – began making arrangements to transport the entire family of dogs to the U.S. for adoption. They turned to the Harmony Fund international animal rescue charity for help with the costs of the rescue.

The whole family will be coming to the U.S. soon, and Karis already has a permanent home with one of Max’s friends who has adopted internationally before. Max has no doubt that Karis will be very good to her pups during the transition as she has always been such an excellent mother.

Karis and her pups were moved to a safe location where they await travel to the U.S.

“When she had the puppies, I admired how she never went to eat their food that I gave them,” Max said. “She waited for me to get hers ready. One time I left 6 hard boiled eggs on the table for her lunch. I just stepped out to wash my hands and when I got back eggs were gone. She ate them like that, not peeled or anything.”

Max isn’t always admired for his devotion however. He said he’s known by management as “the guy who feeds strays” and that he has received warnings not to do so. But he simply can’t go against his own moral compass.

Max always makes time to offer food and water to strays like this one in Turkey.

“This is much stronger than me,” Max explains. “I can’t eat my lunch knowing there is a being, not far from me, starving and hasn’t had a piece of bread for days…. We usually work in small villages far from civilization or any bigger cities. If it is possible to buy it, then I always have one or two huge bags of dry food and some cans in the trunk of my car. And on my way from the site to my hotel, I stop and feed strays that I see. If it isn’t possible to buy dog food, then I improvise with our food by either taking extra breakfast from the hotel or just by buying extra food when I go shopping for myself. I know I can’t save them all. But for that day or that time when I meet that dog I can feed him at least and give him some water.”

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I am so pleased to promote what Max Kahrimanovic is doing and to thank Laura for writing this up in the first place.

Max’s admission in that last paragraph uses words that I have heard Jean using when I first met her back in December, 2006 when she was living in Mexico and rescuing so many street dogs and finding loving homes for them in the USA.

Addiction Dog Food Recall

Haven’t had one of these since the start of June.

Do please note and share.

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Addiction Dog Food Recall of September 2016

August 31, 2016 — Addiction Foods of Seattle, WA, has announced it is voluntarily recalling limited quantities of its New Zealand Brushtail and Vegetable and New Zealand Venison and Apple canned dog foods.¹

What’s Being Recalled?

The affected product was shipped to select distributors and online retailers between February 11, 2016 and March 19, 2016 and include the following:

Addiction New Zealand Brushtail and Vegetables Canned Dog Food Entrée
Size: 13.8oz/390g
UPC Code: 8 885004 070028
Lot Number: 8940:02Dec2018
Expiration Date: December 2018
Addiction New Zealand Venison and Apples Canned Dog Food Entrée
Size: 13.8oz/390g
UPC Code: 8 885004 070462
Lot Number: 8936:01Dec2018
Expiration Date: December 2018

No other Addiction Pet Food products are affected by this recall.

What Caused the Recall

Addiction’s testing has identified elevated levels of Vitamin A and a slight variance in calcium / phosphorous ratios.

There have been no reports of animal health concerns. However, the company claims the affected lots do not meet its quality standards.

According to the company, Addiction Food’s top priority is the safety and quality of its products. For this reason, they are taking immediate action and implementing additional operating procedures to prevent a similar issue from occurring in the future.

What It Means to You

If dogs were fed exclusively these products for 60 days, the expected effect would be a reduction in appetite.

Exposure to excessive Vitamin A levels for an extended period of time may cause adverse health consequences in young, growing animals.

Therefore, out of an abundance of caution, the company is voluntarily recalling these products.

What to Do?

Consumers who purchased the affected items are asked to discontinue use of the product.

Unused cans may be returned to the place of purchase for a full refund.

Consumers may contact the company at 425-251-0330, Monday thru Friday 9am to 5pm PST.

Or via email at info@addictionfoods.com

U.S. citizens can report complaints about FDA-regulated pet food products by calling the consumer complaint coordinator in your area.

Or go to http://www.fda.gov/petfoodcomplaints.

Canadians can report any health or safety incidents related to the use of this product by filling out the Consumer Product Incident Report Form.

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All of you stay safe out there!

Life’s Lottery!

A traumatic accident to Casey is very professionally dealt with.

Our nine dogs are divided into two groups. One group lives in the kitchen/dining-room area (Casey, Paloma and Ruby) and the other dogs in the living-room/bedroom area (Pharaoh, Sweeny, Pedy, Oliver, Cleo and Brandy).

These two groups are separated by a gate, as seen here with Pharaoh resting on his bed and Casey at ease just on the other ‘kitchen’ side.

Both Jean and I go between the two areas via the gate many times daily.

Last Sunday evening, as Jean was going to the kitchen, Casey stuck his head through one of the vertical spaces in the gate and must have become stuck albeit what then happened was upon us in a flash. For Brandy grabbed the left-hand side of Casey’s face with his own jaw and the two dogs were locked together. It was a bit of a struggle to separate Brandy from Casey and when we took a look at Casey’s face it was clear that there was a laceration along his lower, left-hand lip. However, he did not appear to be in pain and we all proceeded to bed.

On the Monday morning after I had returned from my bike ride with a local group of neighbours I queried with Jean whether or not we should just check that Casey wasn’t too badly injured despite the fact that Casey was showing no signs of discomfort. Nevertheless, his wound was not a pretty sight and a quick call to our neighbour Jim Goodbrod, who is also a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM), resulted in Jim saying to bring Casey round to his place then and there.

We are glad that we did for Jim quickly discovered that the laceration was not only to Casey’s lower lip but that much of his gum below the gum line along Casey’s teeth had been torn away exposing the jaw bone. Jim said that this required specialist attention and had no hesitation in recommending Southern Oregon Veterinary Speciality Center (SOVSC) in Medford, about 40 miles to the South. Jim went inside his house and made an appointment for us to take Casey to SOVSC for 2pm that afternoon.

We had previously been to SOVSC with Hazel and were impressed with their level of expertise and experience and the fact that they were open twenty-four hours every day of the week!

By the time we arrived Casey had been allocated to be seen by Dr. Adam Reiss, DVM, and very soon after arrival we were shown into a side room awaiting Dr. Reiss’s medical assistant.

Dr. Reiss then arrived and explained that Casey’s lip and gum would require suturing under a general anesthetic but that they could fit it in that afternoon albeit Casey would not be ‘back on his feet’ until 6pm at the earliest. Of course, we agreed and shortly thereafter Casey quietly and calmly was led away by Dr. Reiss’s assistant.

Jean and I then went the short distance to the centre of Medford, did a bit of shopping, had an early dinner and returned to SOVSC shortly before 6pm.

While we were waiting for news I was interested to read a prominently displayed sign setting out what constituted a veterinary specialist. (I’ve included the image at a larger size to make it easier for you to read it.)

Clearly there is more to caring for one’s pet than meets the eye.

Indeed, SOVSC’s web site introduces readers in this fashion:

At Southern Oregon Veterinary Specialty Center, we understand the special bond between a pet and their human family. Our team of highly trained doctors, certified technicians and support staff partner with your family veterinarian to provide specialized diagnostics, surgery and emergency care for your pet upon a referral or emergency basis. Our clinic is staffed 24 hours-a-day, 7 days a week, to receive emergency cases and to monitor our critical care patients. The clinic’s board-certified veterinary specialists and staff are committed to providing exceptional compassionate care utilizing state-of-the-art technology and treatments.

The relationships we have with partner veterinarians are vital to the success of treating your pet. We will keep them apprised of the patient’s status to provide a smooth and cohesive experience.

Jim Goodbrod speaks highly of the Center.

Dr. Reiss duly came out to speak with us and explained that all had gone well although Casey was still groggy but back on his feet. Despite the smiling face Dr. Reiss looked pretty tired. Not surprising when one reflects that the time was well past 6pm.

In an earlier conversation with some of the staff it was reported that, on average, some thirty animals were seen every day!

That’s commitment to the cause in any language!

Then it wasn’t long before our dear Casey was being led back into the front waiting area.

To be followed moments later by the assistant (apologies for not making a note of her name) setting out the details of how Casey had to be cared for over the coming hours and days.

The verbal guidance was supported by extensive notes.

Then it was a case of yours truly paying for all the services that had been provided for Casey and time to go home.

The car was rearranged to give room for Casey to sit on the rear seats with Jean next to him. I took the opportunity to take a photograph of the two of them that showed clearly the extent of the suture and the drain that had been inserted into Casey’s mouth.

It was beyond me to comprehend how Casey was so nonchalent to what in any human’s experience would have been hurting big time.

An hour later we were all home and getting dogs, cats and horses fed a lot later than normal.

Miracle of miracles Casey made it comfortably through the night and the following photograph was taken a little after 9:30 am yesterday morning.Well done all involved!

Thank you to Jim and all the doctors and staff at SOVSC but the biggest thank you of them all must go to Casey!!

Life’s Lottery: For humans and animals alike!

Damn it! We’re British you know!

Only the Brits could do this!

(Another gem sent on by Dordie to brighten up the coming week!)

Can’t let things go to the dogs can we!

That’s better!

Brexit – now what happens?

Here’s what is going to happen.

In the run-up to the EU referendum by the UK this Brit was tempted several times to offer an opinion on what I thought was the best decision. But I resisted. (I was qualified to vote as an overseas voter and had voted for Remain.)

My resistance was because it seemed inappropriate to pass any form of opinion before the die had been cast, so to speak. I hadn’t been living in the country for over eight years and, inevitably, was out of touch with feelings.

The Conversation blogsite yesterday had a series of articles on the aftermath of the Brexit decision but the one that seemed most useful to share with you all was an article by Gavin Barrett, a Professor of European Constitutional and Economic Law at University College in Dublin. For many readers, including me, both within and without the UK this seemed a valuable primer.

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Britain votes to leave the EU, Cameron quits – here’s what happens next

June 23, 2016 11.41pm EDT

image-20160624-30267-wvhvty — Leave ahead. Anthony Devlin / PA Wire

Author

Gavin Barrett
Associate Professor, Jean Monnet Professor of European Constitutional and Economic Law, University College Dublin

Britain has voted to leave the European Union. This is having an immediate effect on markets. It is also having immediate political ramifications. David Cameron has announced he will not continue in his role as British prime minister.

Legally speaking, though, the process of actually leaving will take some time. Britain will now enter a kind of phoney Brexit period. It is still a member of the EU. The referendum vote is not as such legally binding. It is advisory only – but if it is out it creates a political imperative for the UK government to arrange its exit of the EU.

The law governing Brexit is found in Article 50 of the EU Treaty. This is a provision adopted by EU member states in 2009 to govern Brexit-like scenarios. It puts a two-year time limit on withdrawal negotiations. When the two years is up (or on the date any agreement reached before this enters into force) the UK is officially out of the EU.

Article 50 requires the UK to trigger the exit process by notifying its intention to withdraw. Not one, but rather a cascade of agreements, will follow this Brexit notification:

The Article 50 exit agreement
A separate treaty governing the UK’s future relationship with the EU – which could take many years to negotiate (and which, if it goes beyond trade, will require ratification by every single EU member state)
Trade agreements between the UK and up to 134 other WTO members
A tidying-up treaty between all the remaining EU states that removes all references to the UK from the EU treaties.

The initial main focus, however, will clearly be the Article 50 Brexit agreement.

How will it work?

The UK would be the first state to leave the EU but it is most likely that the European Commission, the executive arm of the EU, will do the negotiating on behalf of the remaining 27 member states. They will no doubt cast a watchful eye on proceedings, before voting on the deal.

That vote will be by a weighted majority, with bigger states like Germany, France and Italy having a more powerful voice than smaller members (although in practice, strong efforts are made to ensure every member state can live with a deal before a matter is approved). Above and beyond this, should the Article 50 Brexit agreement venture beyond trade matters, it will then need to be ratified by every EU member state.

The European Parliament has a veto option, making it an important player too. Article 50 negotiations will thus have a lot of players with powerful voices – and many not necessarily be inclined to give the UK a very favourable deal lest “exiters” in their own countries get any ideas.

Powerful voices at play. EPA/Patrick Seeger

Could the UK delay giving Article 50 notification?

Legally, yes, the UK could delay giving Article 50 notification or avoid it altogether. But other EU states will probably refuse to negotiate until they get the notification.

Brexit campaigners have suggested adopting a swath of domestic laws so that the UK can short-circuit Article 50. But such measures would violate EU law and probably won’t see the light of day. Enacting them would pointlessly violate EU and international law, alienate the UK’s future negotiating partners and jeopardise the UK’s future relationship with the EU.

Can the UK withdraw notification?

This might be attempted if, for instance, the UK doesn’t like the way negotiations are going. It is unclear if it is legally permissible. The EU Treaty certainly doesn’t prohibit it in so many words. Political misgivings would abound – but might possibly be met by having a second referendum to reject any Article 50 deal ultimately reached.

Ireland, after all, had referendum second thoughts on the Lisbon and Nice Treaties, Denmark had them on the Maastricht Treaty and France and Holland agreed to a Lisbon Treaty deal very similar to the 1994 Constitutional Treaty earlier rejected by both states in referendum.

What will the UK get from negotiations?

That depends on how (and who) conducts the negotiations for the UK, and what the other states are prepared to offer it. Even assuming they prove pleasantly amenable, the UK will be left with awkward choices.

Does it want continued access to the single market with its 500m consumers? If so, it is may have

to make Norway-like concessions – including continued EU migration and cash payments for the privilege. Does it want to block out EU migrants? Then it may well have to say goodbye to single European market access.

No matter what the UK chooses, it will unavoidably find itself outside the corridors of power in the EU for the first time in over forty years.

Is there any way back in?

Article 50 does envisage the possibility of UK re-entry to the EU one day – but subject to a unanimous vote of member states. This pretty much guarantees it will only ever happen by the UK accepting the euro currency, participation in the Schengen area of free movement and no rebate.

Welcome to the brave new world of Brexitland.

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All I can say is that when I wrote up my post on comfort dogs I had no idea that matters Europe would be creating an enormous need for them. Better put in the words of Per and Val:

One dissatisfied member has soundly rejected club Europe’s management. It needs to radically improve before other leave. The managers must sure be in need of comfort dogs today.

Per Kuroski of the Tea With FT blog.

I hope David Cameron has a dog!

Val Boyko of the Find Your Middle Ground blog.

Interesting times!

Picture parade one hundred and fifty-one.

The final pictures from the PetSmart Pet Adoption Event.

Back on the 29th May when I published the first set of pictures from this event I wrote in that post:

I wrote about this last Tuesday under the heading of Helping Hands and warned you that today and next Sunday would be picture parades of that event.

At that time I had not cottoned on to the fact that the next Sunday, i.e. a week ago, the picture parade would be devoted to Pharaoh’s birthday.

So here we are with that next set of pictures from the PetSmart Adoption Event. Again, I wrote first about this under the heading of Helping Hands. For those that didn’t read that post here is how it opened:

The PetSmart Pet Adoption Event.

Over the days of the 13th to 15th May, in other words roughly a week-and-a-half ago, a number of pet adoption charities in Northern California and Southern Oregon came together courtesy of PetSmart in Medford, Oregon to find new homes for unadopted dogs and cats.

I came to hear about this from an email sent to me by Tammy Moore of the organisation Shelter Friends. Tammy also c.c.’d her email to Tana Mason who is Fundraising Coordinator for the charity. Tammy’s email was an invite for me, and Jean, to attend the event on the Saturday as the author of my book.