Category: Health

Volunteering at animal shelters.

Another great post from Penny Martin.

Once again I am delighted to publish another post from Penny. This is a relatively short post but nevertheless of supreme importance.

With no more ado from me, here it is:

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Protecting Our Pets: Resources for Volunteering at Animal Shelters

By Penny Martin

August 10th, 2022

If animal welfare is close to your heart, you might want to consider helping out at a pet shelter for abandoned or unwanted animals. There are always a number of charities in the USA and beyond looking for eager volunteers. 

Before You Apply

Animal welfare work can be challenging for an individual, even if you’re just volunteering. It’s important to take precautions before you commit to your decision.

  • Read about the experience of working at a shelter to better understand the challenges and obstacles you might encounter.
  • Often, volunteers need to undergo training, orientation, and background checks before they’re allowed to contribute.
  • Connect with your local shelters on social media to see the kind of work they do and whether there are opportunities to volunteer.

Organizations

Shelters for abandoned and neglected pets are frequently found throughout the country. If you want to do your part, the logical first step is to locate one close to you.

  • Institutions like Guide Star have been established to hold animal rescue services accountable and ensure they are being maintained properly.
  • Take some time to learn about the listed charities in your area.
  • If you find an abandoned pet and you’re not aware of shelters in your area, try reaching out to American Humane.

Ways to Help

If you’re unable to volunteer in person, there are still plenty of ways to get involved and do your part.

  • There’s good work to be done online via social media and you can help out by engaging in discussion and sharing posts about missing or unwanted pets.
  • If you have any spare supplies that you’re willing to donate, these can make a profound impact on the lives of animals. 
  • If you’re purchasing supplies to donate, read expert reviews to choose the highest-quality products.
  • If the existing organizations don’t meet your concerns, you could try forming your own nonprofit.
  • You can create Facebook ads for free to secure donations and get the word out about your nonprofit. 

Unfortunately, across the USA and beyond, there are a great many pets in need of our help but even small acts of kindness can take us a significant way towards eradicating the problem altogether. Reach out to your local shelter and see how you can help.

Read the Learning from Dogs book for a reminder of the unconditional love dogs give us every day. 

Image by Pexels

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Once again, a big thank you to Penny and also my thanks for the link to Learning from Dogs.

For those of you that are considering helping out then Penny’s post might offer the advice you require.

Musings from a 77 year old!

Where did it all go? That is: Life! Or more accurately my life.

I was born in Acton, London before the end of WWII. I am in my 77th year. Life these days seems to be more or less a paradox.

There are so many challenges at the moment. Not just in the USA nor in the UK but globally. We love where we live here in rural Merlin but we are already in the third year of below normal rainfall.

A view of the sunrise from taken from our property.

The contradictions in terms of our life locally and the global scene are huge. This is all leading to me quoting extracts from a recent George Monbiot article. The article starts by saying: “On both sides of the Atlantic, powerful interests seem determined to trigger the collapse of life on Earth. Why?“

Sexton Mountain last winter. Again photo taken from our property.

A little later on in Geo. Monbiot’s article, he writes: “When I began work as an environmental journalist in 1985, I knew I would struggle against people with a financial interest in destructive practices. But I never imagined that we would one day confront what appears to be an ideological commitment to destroying life on Earth. The UK government and the US supreme court look as if they are willing the destruction of our life support systems.“

Because it does seem as though the political leaders are not taking the future of the planet seriously. As Patrice Ayme concluded recently in a remark to that post: “Biden ought to declare a climate emergency.” But it won’t happen!

(Well I may stand corrected. Yesterday it was widely reported, and I chose Renewable Energy: “The clean energy industry celebrated a moment on August 7 that would have seemed impossible just a few weeks earlier: The Senate passed a budget measure that includes the largest investments in clean energy and climate change in U.S. history.“)

Every morning when I go down to feed our two ex-rescue horses I also feed the wild deer. I have been doing it for many years. Long enough that a young buck has turned into an adult and comes within a few feet of me.

It never ceases to delight.

The contradiction between me going every morning down to the stable area and feeding the horses and the wild deer, and the outcome for the planet is beyond words. In a very real way it is incomprehensible.

Again, Geo. Monbiot writes: “All this might seem incomprehensible. Why would anyone want to trash the living world? Surely even billionaires want a habitable and beautiful planet? Don’t they like snorkelling on coral reefs, salmon fishing in pristine rivers, skiing on snowy mountains? We suffer from a deep incomprehension of why such people act as they do. We fail to distinguish preferences from interests, and interests from power. It is hard for those of us who have no desire for power over others to understand people who do. So we are baffled by the decisions they make, and attribute them to other, improbable causes. Because we do not understand them, we are the more easily manipulated.”

Under our apple tree!

It really is a paradox! And who knows the outcome. All I can say is that, despite me being the age I am, I would not want to be any younger and aware that soon one would be facing the global changes full on.

Stacked cumulus clouds to the North-East.

More words from Geo. Monbiot: “Since 1985, I’ve been told we don’t have time to change the system: we should concentrate only on single issues. But we’ve never had time not to change the system. In fact, because of the way in which social attitudes can suddenly tip, system change can happen much faster than incrementalism. Until we change our political systems, making it impossible for the rich to buy the decisions they want, we will lose not only individual cases. We will lose everything.”

I have no idea of the global changes that are afoot and how they will affect us in Merlin. Indeed, I have no idea how long I have to live.

Jean and I met in December, 2007. We met in Mexico but Jean was also born in London, just a few years after me. How’s that for chance!

Jean’s American husband had died in 2005. She was rescuing dogs off the streets, sorting them out, and finding homes for them, mainly in Arizona.

Jean and me in San Carlos, Mexico.

I went out to Mexico with Pharaoh in 2008. With a one-way ticket!

Pharaoh digging in the sand in Mexico.

However of one thing I am sure. Since that meeting in December, 2007 life has been as good as it comes. I have never been happier.

What a contradiction!

Picture Parade Four Hundred and Forty-Six

More dog photos from Unsplash!

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I sincerely hope I am not duplicating any of these fabulous photographs. Apologies if you notice one!

Another happy dog!

Dogs are so perfect in their expressions!

Dogs are not always happy as we know with the loss of our Sheena. Because the other dogs felt the loss inexplicably. But in the main they are happy, happy animals. Unlike us humans who have lots of things to contend with. I say this because in the last twenty-four hours we have had the sudden explosion of fire down in Northern California, the McKinney blaze, which has grown very rapidly.

California’s Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency over the fire, which began on Friday afternoon before rapidly exploding in size due to a combination of dry fuel after a drought, strong winds and lightning strikes.

Around 650 firefighters are battling to contain the fire, officials say, but with little success. Sheriffs said on Sunday evening that it was “0% contained”.

As a result, more than 2,000 inhabitants of the area around the Klamath National Forest are being forced to evacuate their homes. Rescue teams have been aiding hikers who had been on the national park’s trails.

The China 2 fire, that is part of the group of California fires, is about 55 miles due south of home. Far enough not to panic but not far enough not to get us to check our evacuation preparations.

We hope that we are not evacuated in the next few weeks because of fire!

Here is a delightful dog article courtesy of The Dodo.

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Dog Dances In The Rain After 175 Days Stuck In Shelter 

“The absolute joy in his eyes and the feeling of freedom was wonderful to watch.”

By Maeve Dunigan

Published on the 1st July, 2022

When staff members from Forgotten Dogs Rescue pulled Rambo from a shelter and placed him with a foster family, they had no idea how much the pittie mix would love the feeling of freedom.

It was raining outside, but that wasn’t going to stop him. After 175 days, Rambo was finally out of the shelter, and he was so happy that he started running and dancing in the rain.

“I cried happy tears when his foster mom sent me the video,” Julie Saraceno, a shelter volunteer, told The Dodo. “That was his second day in his foster home, and the absolute joy in his eyes and the feeling of freedom was wonderful to watch.”

When Rambo went from a small concrete kennel to a large grass-covered yard, he couldn’t believe his eyes.

The young dog with beautiful, big eyes has an exuberance that shows. He loves other dogs and cats, and while he’s certainly high energy, he’s also always willing to snuggle on the couch.

“He is the sweetest guy to the people he considers his crew,” Saraceno said.

Rambo, who was originally found roaming the streets of Kennewick, Washington, as a stray, is working every day to become more confident and less fearful. Through his work with a trainer, he has learned obedience, how to meet strangers and lots of other skills that have made him a good boy.

Once Rambo finishes his training, he’ll be ready to meet potential fits for his forever home, ideally one where there’s space for him to exercise all his energy.

Pretty soon, Rambo won’t have to jump at every opportunity to get outside. He’ll have a yard — and a family — all his own.

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(The first photograph was taken by Julie Saraceno and the last two were taken by Billie Wensveen.)

Six months in a shelter! That must have been a real joy for Rambo when he was let out. Correction: It was a real joy because that was how Rambo expressed himself.

As I called this post: Another Happy Dog.

Keeping your dog safe and happy.

Without breaking the bank!

Another very useful guest post from Penny Martin who is becoming a very regular contributor to this place. This time Penny writes about being on a budget, aren’t we all, but still keeping your dog safe and happy.

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Image: Pexels

Six Ways to Make Your Home and Yard Dog-Friendly on a Budget

By Penny Martin.

Dogs add many wonderful things to their owners’ lives; however, owning a dog can be a drain on your bank account. According to statistics, the average American dog owner spends $1,480 per year on dog expenses. These tips can help you make your home and yard more dog-friendly without breaking the bank.

1. Add a Fence

Dogs need exercise, a place to go to the bathroom and a chance to sniff around and be a dog. However, if you don’t have a yard with a secure fence, it isn’t safe to allow your dog outside without a leash. Even a well-trained dog may run off to chase a squirrel, greet a strange dog or go exploring. This puts your dog at risk of being hit by a car, getting in a fight with another dog or animal or becoming lost. Adding a fence to your yard allows you to enjoy time with your pet off leash without risking your pet’s safety.

2. Add a Backyard Pool

Not every dog loves to swim, but many do. You can give your dog a place to cool off and have some fun without spending a lot of money by purchasing a wading pool or a small stock tank. If you think your dog would enjoy more than splashing around, search for a dog-friendly place in your area where you can inexpensively take your dog to swim. However, don’t just toss your pup into the deep end. Not all dogs are natural swimmers. Many facilities that have pools for dogs offer swimming lessons.

3. Create Shady Spots

Dogs love to run and play and on hot days they can easily overheat. Help your dogs stay cool by making sure they have plenty of shady spots to hang out. One inexpensive way to do this is to purchase a portable awning. You can set the awning up anywhere in your yard and put it away when you no longer need it. Trees are also a good source of shade, but it is important to keep your trees maintained.

4. Remove Dead Trees and Branches

Dead trees create a safety hazard and provide a home for pests. Have a professional local tree service remove any dead trees and branches in your yard before they cause an injury or accident. Do not try to remove the tree yourself. Professionals have the right gear, tools and safety training to remove the tree safely and without damaging your property. Read online reviews before you reach out to contractors. Get at least three estimates and make sure to ask whether stump grinding and disposal are included in the price.

5. Buy Trash Cans With Lids

Trash cans are smelly, full of tasty food and plenty of stuff to shred. It is no wonder that most dogs love to root through them. However, spoiled food, sharp objects or toxic materials can injure or sicken your dog. Avoid this problem by purchasing trash cans with lids that lock. 

6. Remove Dangerous Plants

Many plants can be harmful to dogs who ingest them. Research the plants in your yard and remove any that could cause a problem.

Owning dogs is not a cheap endeavor. However, you can make your home safe and comfortable for them without spending all your savings by adding a fence and pool, creating shady spots, removing dead trees, purchasing garbage cans with lockable lids, and getting rid of poisonous plants.

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Here at home, because we live in a rural location, dead trees and branches are an ever-present problem. Luckily our dogs don’t seem to be drawn to them but the issue of pests is a different matter. We have thirteen acres of which half is forest and it is all too much for a contractor. Correction: It is all too expensive for us!

For the wider audience of readers this, I am sure, offers very good advice and is another great post from Penny.

Doggy comes back from the dead!

A beautiful, fabulous story!

There is no end to the amazing stories that one comes across about people and their dogs. Take this recent story from The Dodo.

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Dog Who ‘Died’ Runs Into Mom’s Arms When She Sees Her At Shelter

Such a beautiful reunion ❤️

By Lily Feinn

Published on the 10th June, 2022

When Maile Trist checked her email last week, she opened up a message she assumed was a prank. Her beloved dog, a senior Chihuahua named Jazzy, was at the Cowley County Humane Society after being found wandering around a nearby rock quarry.

The email didn’t make sense to Trist because Jazzy had passed away two years ago.

When Trist first met Jazzy at San Diego Humane Society four years ago, she ignored the “Do not pet” sign on her cage. Somehow she knew they’d have a connection.

“I came across my gorgeous girl, I stuck my hand in the cage, and she automatically walked right up to me, tail wagging, and put her head in my hand,” Trist told The Dodo. “I started crying because I had found my dog!”

Two years passed, and Trist moved from California to Kansas. Overwhelmed with the move and a new full-time job, she felt she didn’t have enough time to give to Jazzy. So she asked a dog-loving couple she was friendly with to watch her pup until she got settled.

However, when Trist tried to get back in touch with the couple, they ignored her calls and deleted their social media accounts. She couldn’t find them anywhere. Then, six months later, Trist’s fiancé managed to track them down and asked for Jazzy back.

“The lady told him she had died three months prior,” Trist said. “About a year and half went by, and lots and lots of grieving. I felt horrible for ever giving her to them because I thought I wasn’t there for her last moments.”

Trist thought she’d never see her beloved dog again, but luckily, Jazzy had a microchip. And when she got the news that Jazzy had been located, she dropped everything to be with her dog again.

“I automatically headed home from my job and got in the car and headed to her,” Trist said. “I was crying on and off the whole way there, which was almost a three-hour drive. I couldn’t believe she was still alive and I had no idea how she ended up that far away, but in those moments, I did not care.”

When Trist arrived at the shelter, and watched Jazzy walk towards her again, she couldn’t hold back her tears.

Jazzy recognized her mom immediately, and her little tail started wagging uncontrollably.

“She kind of went to sniff around, but came right back to me and gave me even more kisses,” Trist said. “She would not leave my lap or my arms the whole car ride home, either.”

Now, Jazzy is home and the little dog is not letting her mom out of her sight ever again.

“She’s been so, so happy ever since and she will not leave my side or let me go anywhere without her,” Trist said. “And I feel the same way!”

What exactly happened to the senior dog remains a mystery, but what’s important is that she’s safe and ready to spend her golden years in comfort, surrounded by her loving family.

“She’s a little more white than she was from the last time I saw her, and her hips are a little more sore,” Trist said, “but she’s still the same old lady she was before, and I’m so glad she stayed loving through these last two years.”

(All photographs by Maile Trist.)

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Yet another example of the love between people and their dogs. I would like to say that it doesn’t get any better than that but I would be wrong. It is a perfect case of unconditional love and there are hundreds and hundreds of other stories out there.

Hopefully a few of them will be featured on Learning from Dogs!

Picture Parade Four Hundred and Forty-Three

A surprise!

I subscribe to the photographic forum Ugly Hedgehog. Recently there was an item from ‘SWFeral’ entitled Portraits from a dog class. In it he said:

I am still dogless after more than two years (some of you remember Ted) but I have started attending a dog training class with a friend to fill the gap. Of course I can’t just sit there, so I asked permission to bring my camera and zoom lens. I’m no pro at dog portrait photography, but I had fun getting these shots of some good-looking subjects. You can see they are all concentrating very hard.

I asked for permission to share the photographs with you and it was promptly given.

Here they are.

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They are lovely photographs and they are a tribute to the dogs and the photographer alike.

Thank you, ‘SW Feral’, for granting me permission to publish them.

A pool party with a difference

Dogs are such fun!

Over at The Dodo is an item that I want to share with you. And my apologies for keeping my own comments really short; it is a hectic couple of hours here.

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Random Dog Crashes Pool Party And Everyone Is Overjoyed 

“He floated around the pool, got pets and kisses, went swimming and had a great time!”

By Caitlin Jill Anders

Published on the 24th June, 2022

A bunch of friends were having a pool party when they noticed two dogs hanging around outside the fence on the edge of the yard. The dogs seemed like they wanted to come in, so a bunch of partygoers went over to investigate. One of the dogs had a tag, so they decided to let the dogs into the yard to hang out until they could track down their owners.

The dogs ran into the yard, and while one of them was a little shy, the other immediately decided he was joining the party.

“At that point, some of us were on the deck, some in the pool, and some out in the yard,” Jennifer Motes, one of the partygoers, told The Dodo. “The golden was down to party right away and immediately started running around, wagging its tail, going up to everyone and getting pets. The shepherd was much more timid, kinda stayed in the yard for a bit, but then when she saw her friend up on the deck with us, she eventually came up there too.”

The golden retriever, who they later found out is named Stoker, clearly knew how to have a good time. He didn’t hesitate to join the fun and ran around playing fetch, begging for food, stealing shoes and eventually even hopping into the pool with everyone.

“Some of the people in the pool had slid the innertube raft over to the edge and Stoker climbed right on,” Motes said. “He floated around the pool, got pets and kisses, went swimming and had a great time! The shepherd never was brave enough to go in the pool, she just walked around and watched us, let some of us pet her and she chased after Stoker.”

As the dogs partied, someone was able to get in touch with Stoker’s dad, who said the other dog belonged to his neighbor and that she and Stoker were best friends who played together all the time. Apparently, the pair had run off together in search of a party, and they’d certainly succeeded in that endeavor.

The dogs were there for a few hours before they got picked up — and the party hosts made sure to emphasize that they’re absolutely welcome to come back anytime they want.

The only thing that can make a pool party even better is dogs, and Stoker and his best friend were more than happy to make that dream come true.

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(All pictures are by Jennifer Motes.)

Time waits for no man!

Tik: Tok – The Endless Clock.

Here we are on the last day of June and I am going to share a post with you in a few minutes. But I just wanted ahead of that to muse about the passing of time. I’m 77 and who knows how long I have to go before I die. Luckily Oregon is one of the States that has a right do die statute on the books. It is a strange phenomena this business of time. It is a constant but from a personal point of view it seems to be anything but that. Twenty or thirty years ago one thought that time was almost limitless. Now it seems very fragile and restless.

This thought comes to me because of Pebbles. Apparently he is the oldest living dog. Here is the story courtesy of The Dodo.

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A New ‘Oldest Living Dog’ Has Just Claimed The Title

The toy fox terrier is living the good life in South Carolina.

By Ellen Schmidt

Published on the 7th June, 2022

Turns out there’s competition when it comes to who’s truly the oldest living dog. A toy fox terrier named Pebbles just unseated TobyKeith, a 21-year-old Chihuahua, who held the title for only a month.

When news broke in April of TobyKeith’s appointment, Pebbles’ pet parents, Bobby and Julie Gregory of Taylors, South Carolina, realized their dog was even older than TobyKeith. So, the couple decided to apply for the title, and at 22 years, 50 days old, Pebbles was officially crowned “Oldest Dog Living” by Guinness World Records.

In response to Pebbles’ new status, Julie Gregory told Guinness World Records, “We are truly honored. Pebbles has been with us through everything; ups and downs, good times and bad, and she has always been the beacon of our lives.”

Weighing in at 4 pounds, the brand-new oldest living dog winner was adopted over 20 years ago, and according to the Gregorys, it was love at first sight. Originally looking for a larger dog, the couple came across Pebbles in their search for a new pet.

“She was jumping and barking so much at Bobby that he had no choice but to pick her up and check her out,” Julie Gregory said.

Flash forward over two decades later, Pebbles was already wearing an unofficial crown before Guinness World Records made it official. The much-loved terrier enjoys sleeping in (and staying up late!), snuggling underneath blankets, listening to country music and taking warm baths — a bubble bath was even part of her 22nd birthday celebration!

Pebbles has enjoyed a wonderful life thanks to good health and lots of love and attention from her pet parents. While she did enjoy snacking on some ribs and dog-friendly cake for her birthday, in general, Pebbles sticks to a healthy diet and is in good health for her advanced age.

Pebbles’ mom said that her secret to supporting pet longevity is to treat each animal, “like family, because they are. Give them a happy, positive environment as much as possible, good clean food, and proper healthcare.”

That pretty much sums it up, right? We like Gregory’s thinking. And by the way, no matter your pup’s age, we think it’s safe to say that all dogs should get to wear a crown, just for being awesome (we’re looking at you, TobyKeith).

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(All photographs Instagram/Pebbles_Since_2000)

Twenty-two! Huge congratulations to Pebbles and her Mom and Dad.