Wordless Wednesday /National Puppy Day!

It's National Puppy Day! Show us your puppies!

 

Presenting puppy Darby!

The Doodle and the mystery bones

I’ve never thought much the pool guy bringing Darby a treat every week when he arrives to perform the weekly maintenance on our cement pond. I’m guessing there are several houses on his route where he encounters dogs, so keeping treats in his pocket just makes sense. Darby adores Mr. Cantu with an unreserved abandon, going into complete “OMG OMG OMG!!!!! He’s Baaaacccccckkkkkk!! Hurry so we don’t miss him!!” meltdown when the truck pulls up on Fridays, flipping donuts on the carpet until his dad lets him out into the backyard to fawn all over his friend (and collect his weekly treat allowance). If there was ever a non-family member whom I’d consider to look after the Doodle, it would be Mr. Cantu. The two of them are quite besotted with each other, which is a pretty big deal for a dog who is easily stressed by strangers.

Lately, though, it appears that Mr. Cantu may have a rival for Darby’s affections. A couple of weeks ago I noticed the occasional Milk-Bone in the house. Knowing this is something we never purchase, I thought perhaps the neighbors (whom Darby has yet to love the way he loves Mr. Cantu) were trying to feed their way into his heart. I typically only notice the treats as I walk in the door at night and they tend to leave my train of thought as quickly as they leave my sight-line.

Eventually I got around to asking my husband about the mysterious Milk-Bones and their sudden, random appearance in our home.

“Where are these Milk-Bones coming from?”

“The mail carrier. She leaves them in the mailbox with our mail a couple of times a week.”  

“The mail carrier? Why is the mail-lady leaving dog treats in our mailbox?”

“I have no idea,” he replied. “Maybe she likes seeing Darby at the window. She can definitely hear him.”

See, I’d get it if we had one of the mailboxes that’s hanging right outside the door, where the mail carrier would come up close and personal-like to Darby every day, what with him stationing himself at the window every afternoon, just waiting for her truck to roll by so he can flip out (as is his wont to do). But you can literally park three cars end-to-end in our driveway before you get to where the mailbox is located. There’s no tactical advantage to leaving love treats for a pup who will never know you brought them.

Which leaves only one explanation: She likes him. Somehow the combination of floppiness, bark-howl and dedication to mail patrol makes Darby someone who appeals to her sensibilities, and in turn she’s appealed to the one thing that truly matters in his world: his stomach.

Newly aware that the Doodle has a new fan, we did the only thing that seemed right. We made some brownies and left a couple for her. In the mailbox, of course.

Paws for Japan

Bloggers throughout the Internet are asking people to help support animal rescue efforts in Japan in the wake of the devastation from the earthquake and tsunami.

Please take a moment to check out some of the terrific blogs associated with this cause and consider a donation to  World Vets, who have people on the ground in Japan to help provide relief.

Disaster preparedness and your pets

The recent disaster in Japan has just about everyone thinking about disaster preparedness, particularly when you live in a state with a history of earthquakes, a bunch of coastline and a couple of nuclear power plants. As a pet owner, I’m certain you will want to include your pets in any and all preparations you make, so here’s a quick list of items you should have on hand in case of a disaster where you have to evacuate quickly.

You should have one carrier per pet. I know us cat owners can get a little slack about this, keeping one carrier around and trading off which cat goes to the vet on what day, but if there’s an emergency at your house you’ll need a separate one for each cat, so why not go ahead and get them now? I also highly recommend getting one for the dog, even if your dog has never needed to know the inside of a crate during their training years. Should the disaster be one where you are out of your home for a bit; a fire, flood or earthquake, you and your dog will both appreciate having a place where they can go and rest, secure from everything else going on around them. There are many excellent crates that fold up and down like card tables, so grab yourself one per dog and have them on hand.

Get a duffle bag and put in the essentials you will need for a week or so for your pets. You should include food, food dishes, an extra leash and collar, a few days worth of medication, a plastic cat litter tray and cat litter. It sounds like a lot, but remember that in the event of a true emergency there’s a good chance the corner store won’t be open to help you out, should you forget something. Freeze-dried food is very light and has a great shelf life, followed by canned food. If you add canned food to your kit, remember to include a can opener. Lightweight plastic dishes can be temporary food and water dishes, and there are plenty of lighter alternatives to clay or “scoopable” litter that are great cat box options. If there’s room, add in a few toys or treats. Include a paper with your veterinarian’s name, address and phone number. Finally, include a few photos of each of your pets, should they become separated from you.

Once you’ve got the duffle packed, make sure you place a stash of drinkable water in plastic containers next to the bag, ready to grab and go. Add a few blankets or towels on top of the duffle bag to use in the carriers, or to replace any towels that might get soiled.

Check your pet’s ID tags and make sure they include a cell phone number. Having your home phone number isn’t going to help if you’ve been evacuated and someone is trying to get your lost pet back to you. If you have your pets microchipped, make sure your contact information is updated with the microchip company, including a cell phone number.

Finally, make sure these items are stored some place where they can be quickly and easily accessed. Having carriers stashed out in the back shed or in the rafters of the garage won’t help if you’ve got to move quickly.

Check the contents of your disaster kit a couple of times a year so you can rotate out old items and replace them with fresh ones. A great time to do this is when you change the time on your clocks, much like you check your batteries in your smoke detectors.

Remember, in the event of an emergency, a little preparation can go a long way to keeping your four-footed family members safe.

P.S. The Search Dog Foundation has deployed teams from California to help victims of the Japan Earthquake/Tsunami. For the price of a cup of coffee, you can help support their efforts. Head to www.searchdogfoundation.org for details.

*Written for the Bakersfield Voice.

Happy Anniversary, Petfinder!

Today marks the fifteenth anniversary of Petfinder, one of the greatest resources for adoptable pets ever created. 

At any given moment, hundreds of thousands of adoptable pets are waiting on the pages of Petfinder for their forever homes. Potential adopters can search the site by breed, age or location and can search the Petfinder database for rescue groups in their area.

Since this fabulous site came along, people looking for adoptable pets have a one-stop option for taking a peek at all of the available animals in their area, many offered by small rescue groups who might otherwise exist all but unnoticed by the public at large. Now, just a few clicks of a mouse and anyone can see an adorable guy like Raj!

On behalf of all of the folks who work so tirelessly to get adoptable pets into loving homes, thank you Petfinder, for everything you do to help us make love connections with caring owners, creating new families four paws at a time.