by Joyce Brandon
We receive e-mails from time to time from adopters who like to give helpful advice to our foster families. Just recently we received an e-mail advising one of our foster moms not to allow puppies to kiss her face, according to our adoptive mom; it is a terribly disturbing behavior when it is carried forward into their permanent home. A while back, a foster mom was chastised for not teaching her foster kitty to forego the very problematic habit of counter surfing. Obviously, the foster mom lacked discipline as this very curious kitty was jumping on the kitchen counters in her new home.
by Sandra Murphy
Sandra shares about some fun mystery short stories & a fun dog related mystery book series, while offering some great coffee suggestions to go with them from Classical Coffee Company. At the end of this article is a chance to win some of that coffee to warm you up on these cold winter nights!
by Lee Juslin
While most senior facilities have always welcomed well-behaved dogs for family visits, over the last few decades pet visits have come to encompass a more structured program of pet assisted therapy involving strict standards for training and behavior.Therapy pets are now certified through a number of national and regional therapy pet organizations. Even the American Kennel Club, which had already established dog behavioral standards through its Canine Good Citizen certification, has recently established a program to recognize registered therapy dogs.
by Sandra Murphy
Living with cats and dogs means you’ll have to deal with illness and injury from time to time. The most serious incidents, like the cut that won’t stop bleeding or an out-of-the-blue seizure, always seem to happen after the veterinarian’s office is closed for the day. Knowing how to assess an injury and apply treatment can be a lifesaver—literally.
by Rebecca McLeod
As the clock strikes seven, the crowd quiets and takes to their seats. It is a busy night, with only a couple chairs empty and the coffee pot is already half-drained. A portly male in a white and black polka dot outfit waddles up to the podium, clears his throat and begins.
by Carol M. Upton
Proud Spirit sanctuary began with one horse in need on five acres in rural Florida and evolved into a 320-acre facility in Arkansas, where nearly 200 horses have come to live out their lives in peace. Melanie and Jim Bowles are the founders of Proud Spirit and this book offers incredible stories about the dogs that have also found their forever home at the sanctuary.
by Sheryl Wall
I used to be an owner who didn’t brush my pet’s teeth, but my first cat had to have all his teeth removed to save his life. His teeth were causing him health concerns where there was no other option. I never want to experience that again and I now realize the importance of teeth and our pet’s health.
by Joyce Brandon
The Grinch is a fictional character created by author Dr. Seuss in 1957. This funny looking green goblin was featured in the children’s book How the Grinch Stole Christmas and has become a symbol for anti-holiday sentiments and also is used to describe someone with an unforgiving and greedy attitude. Oddly enough, even the Grinch had a dog. His only companion is Max, a Coonhound who stands faithfully by his master.
by Kelly Preston
Betty Boop is my ten-year-old designer breed/mutt, who came to me with severe neurological disorders. When I drove to Anaheim to pick up Betty Boop, I knew she was a special-needs dog. I also knew that I could help. I was determined to improve the quality of her health and her life with good nutrition and positive thinking. But I was unaware of her blindness, unaware of the seizures to come, unaware of the water on her brain, the necessary medicines, and ultimately the amount of care this tiny puppy would require. I was also unaware of the qualities I would soon discover in myself, qualities that Betty Boop would help reveal.
by Diana Hockley
I rarely sulk, but when given to do so, it is necessary to make sure that it is done everywhere.
The lounge room is a good place if there is anyone else at home, as those in the house can’t miss what is going on. The loo is an excellent place to sulk, but only if my husband Andrew, the two cats and our four pet rats all know that I am in there expressly for the purpose of sulking.
by Diana Hockley
My position by the window in the family room was a splendid vantage point from which to observe next door’s cat when he came under the fence to dig holes in Fiona’s herb garden. I always tried to tell her, waving my arms in the air and bobbing up and down, but Billy usually disappeared before Fiona finally got to the window.
by Terrance V. Mc Arthur
Book covers are interesting things. They have to entice you into wanting to buy that book with promises of what lies within, yet they shouldn’t give away the plot. Satisfying both requirements is a delicate task, like giving a massage to a porcupine.
by Linda O. Johnston
Are you thinking about adopting a new pet from a rescue organization or shelter? That’s wonderful! The process of finding the right pet can be a lot of fun—and you can soon have a new family member. But you’re not the only one involved in that decision. How do rescue organizations try to make sure that a pet adoption will work out for both the new pet and the family?
by Sandra Murphy
As every dog lover learns early on, you can’t grab a camera and focus faster than your pup can put a nose print on the lens or become a retreating backside. Cat people fare no better—a cute pose turns into a blur or a hunched-up blob of fur blending in with the rug. How can we get a good picture? Sometimes it’s best to turn to the professionals.
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