Humane Dog House Considerations

Posted on August 27th, 2014 by Anna Nirva

wwtips_a2If you must keep your dog outdoors, construct an excellent dog house and kennel based on considerations of your dog’s breed, age, health status, your climate and environment, and safety and health features. Schedule daily activities so that your dog doesn’t become depressed or frustrated, leading to difficult behaviors. Never chain your dog.

 

It is now a well-established fact that dogs are social, pack-oriented animals who thrive on human companionship and are happiest while living indoors as part of the family. When you bring a new dog into your family, the dog learns to view your family members and your other pets as his or her pack. Read the rest of this entry »

Volunteers rescue dog from top of Mount Bierstadt – The Denver Post

Posted on August 22nd, 2012 by Trish Roman-Aquilino

This is such a hot-button topic right now, it seemed only appropriate to share this on our blog, and get feedback from our readers.  There are several issues rolled into this event – safety of pets on rigorous mountain hikes/outdoor recreational activities, the need for emergency plans for pets in these types of situations, definitions of abuse and abandonment, and laws governing those acts.

Volunteers rescue dog from top of Mount Bierstadt – The Denver Post.

The owner of Missy abandoned her to save his own life, and that of a younger hiker that was with him.  But instead of going back, he spent eight days trying to discern Missy’s fate (and although he contacted authorities for assistance in retrieving her, he did not attempt to return for her himself).

Missy’s rescuers (the couple that found her, then recruited their hiking group to go back with them and assist in getting her off the mountain) want to adopt Missy, and feel her owner should not have her back.  Her owner claims that he loves Missy, and that she belongs to him, even though he made the mistake of assuming she had died on the mountain.

What do you think?

Watch Tip Classic: Identification is Essential

Posted on January 29th, 2012 by Anna Nirva

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Watch for collars that are too loose or too tight, and that don’t have ID tags. Pets deserve better from their families. A roaming pet without identification is at high risk for being picked up as a stray and might even be euthanized. Roaming pets can travel long distances. Reasonably-priced ID tags are available nearly everywhere. Speak with the owners or just do it anonymously. You may save a life.

Why Not Provide Tags for Adoptions?

Shelters and rescues often provide microchips for adopted pets, but they are not visible to human eyes; scanners are needed. The specific microchip technology used can be a factor in linking pets to owners as well. And even if a microchip is identified, the owner information can be out of date, causing a whole new set of hoops for the current owner. Collar tags have some important advantages: they are immediately visible by neighbors, assuming the pet allows their approach. A roaming pet can be returned home without aid of animal control. Responsible pet owners provide BOTH microchips and tags.

Could the animal welfare community provide tags at the point of adoption? Remember the most likely time for newly adopted pets to escape is right after adoption. A common refrain is “I was going to get my tags on Monday” but the dog or cat escaped on Saturday soon after arriving at the new home. Think about the pets: they don’t know they have been adopted! They believe that they are in the wrong place and must get back to where they were.

War Hero Dog Died for Lack of a Collar and Tags

Target’s family didn’t put a collar and tag on her or get a microchip implanted. They didn’t prevent her from escaping from her yard. And the neighbor who found Target without wearing any identification of course had no idea who she was, so called the pound. She was picked up by animal control and her photo was posted on the internet.

Her family found her photo but did not check the web site to learn the weekend hours that the pound was open. They came on Monday to pick her up. At the pound earlier that morning, a careless employee was performing her routine euthanasia duties and picked Target by mistake, not following the organization’s process. “Oops.”

Who was Target? Ask Oprah Winfrey, whose show Target appeared on. In Afghanistan, three stray dogs prevented a suicide bomber from detonating a bomb in the middle of a military barracks, and the bomb went off harmlessly near the perimeter. One of the dogs died from injuries suffered from the blast. The other two dogs, later named Target and Rufus, were brought to America by a charity to live out their lives in the land of plenty, where they have been widely celebrated for their roles in preventing a tragedy. Read more here.

Do you see one mindless assumption after another here? These are shameful mistakes that manifest a careless, uninformed regard for animal life by Target’s family and the pound. If she had been wearing a collar with a phone number, the neighbor who found her running loose would have had her back home quickly. Target should be alive today—no excuses.

Watch Tip Classic: Cold Snaps Down South

Posted on December 11th, 2011 by Trish Roman-Aquilino

Watch Tip LogoThis Watch tip was originally written and posted by Anna Nirva.

Urgent: Extreme cold kills outside tethered dogs and cats, especially those animals without heavy coats, the malnourished, the very young and the elderly. Tethered animals in southern regions are at higher risk for hypothermia because they have not grown heavier coats over time like they would have in cooler climates. Watch for animals that don’t have adequate shelter; speak with owners or call the authorities immediately.

Short-hair pets in the south need hay or straw bedding during cold snaps. Fur is not enough! While all dogs and cats have outer fur and inner fur, the quantity of outer hairs of the fur compared to the inner hairs of the fur (ratio) varies by breed and individual. The texture varies as well. Age matters: it takes six months on average for puppies to grow a complete fur covering of inner and outer fur, if they are healthy. Some breeds can tolerate extreme cold if individuals are healthy and shelter from freezing winds is available.

In addition to breed and health, environment matters too. Individual dogs and cats living outdoors in cooler northern climates will grow longer, fluffier inner fur as daylight shortens that will help hold body heat. But pets in the mid- and far south have not experienced wide swings of seasonal cooling. Their sparse, short inner fur is completely inadequate for sudden winter cold snaps, freezing winds, and snow storms. Short-hair dogs are very vulnerable to hypothermia.

In other words, during a cold snap in Mississippi, that bouncy little Boxer puppy down the street that is tied to a tree 24/7 could be found dead in the morning. Those skinny hunting hounds kept in tiny outdoor pens could suffer from hypothermia and frostbite and the old ones might die. And those skeletal, near-feral pit bulls tied to stakes that sleep in hard hollows dug in the earth? They have never known a kindness. They may be released from their long suffering.

Do you have access to bales of hay or straw? Can you give hay beds to short-hair outside dogs in your neighborhood when a cold snap is on the way? A simple bale of hay can mean the difference between life and death to a dog or cat down south when the cold winds blow. Owners probably will not object. Please help those outside animals.

Watch Tip: Physical Punishment

Posted on October 9th, 2011 by Anna Nirva

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Watch for physical punishment of cats, dogs and other helpless companion animals, such as swatting, whipping, kicking, beating, and throwing. Frustrated owners who don’t know how to train their animals lose their tempers and become violent. Some frightened animals will defend themselves with teeth and claws, some will escalate their unwanted behavior, some will panic and defecate, and others will utterly collapse in terror. They may be traumatized for life. Please intervene to calm the situation or call law enforcement immediately.

Excessive physical punishment teaches the pet that his owner is dangerous

The pet likely has no idea why his beloved owner turned on him. His protector is suddenly crazed, dangerous, and hurtful—the very opposite of a protector. His owner is unpredictable and can’t be trusted. The pet might extend that distrust to all people, or all men, or all children. The pet might begin to see the world as a dangerous place because he doesn’t have a protector anymore. He must fend for himself.

A puppy waited in the back seat of a sedan in a Colorado Walmart parking lot for his family to return, worried. Finally he saw them. He watched them approach and grew more fearful by the moment. He trembled and circled uneasily on the seat. He started to whine. Finally he defecated in panic. He tried to crawl under the seat. The door opened and his owner picked him up by the scruff of the neck and threw him to the ground while still gripping his neck, shouting obscenities. Again the puppy was picked up and thrown to the ground, and again and again. The puppy flung his head from side to side, trying to bite the big hand that held him by the neck. The family watched unhappily.

Two woman ran up, screaming at the abuser to stop. He stopped and held his dirty trembling puppy, breathing hard, red-faced. He shouted in frustration that he beat his puppy because “he always shits in my car!” (Very understandable!) He told his family to get in the car with the puppy and they drove away fast. But the women got the license plate number and reported the incident to police, who promised to follow up.

I worry about the fate of this dog today and about the fate of many thousands of dogs and cats treated similarly. If they end up in municipal pounds, their lives of terror and neglect will finally end in the “euthanasia hold,” a method of restraining a struggling animal that shelter workers use to reduce the likelihood of being bitten.

Keep in mind that frustrated pet owners beating their animals are likely not criminal-minded individuals but they are out of control and could be dangerous to you as well as the pet. Use all care when approaching them or call 9-1-1. Animal abuse is a felony or misdemeanor in all 50 states.

Watch Tip: Fraudulent Animal Rescues

Posted on September 5th, 2011 by Anna Nirva

Watch Tip LogoWatch out for fraudulent animal rescues. While the majority of rescues are trustworthy and perform near-miracles every day, saving neglected, abused, and homeless pets and domestic animals, some are not. Some are “fronts” for puppy and kitten mills. Others are resellers who believe they get higher prices posing as rescues. Some are failed rescues that hoard animals in neglectful conditions.

Before You Adopt, Do Your Homework

Your money is a tool that helps bad rescues continue or great rescues thrive, so think strategically in addition to following your heart. There are many bad rescues in operation today; the pet industry is growing and many seek ways to make what appears to be “easy money” by preying on the soft-hearted. Adopter beware! When you decide to bring a rescue pet into your family, do some research first to ensure that the adoption fee will support those groups that reflect your values–and that you can trust to provide you a healthy adoptable pet with a good temperament.  Read the rest of this entry »

Watch Tip: Animal Sexual Abuse

Posted on August 21st, 2011 by Anna Nirva

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Learn to identify the signs of sexual assault or abuse toward animals. Yes, the topic is highly repugnant but it is necessary that animal lovers be aware of bestiality (sex crimes) against animals. Watch for signs and smells of infection, abrasions, fur loss, fur matting, blood, and/or semen around the animal’s rear end. Abusers will attack either or both male and female dogs and cats, even very young animals, sometimes using objects in addition to a penis.

This important topic is considered taboo, so stop reading here if you are squeamish.

Read the rest of this entry »

Madonna of the Mills — Catch this documentary on HBO!!!

Posted on August 19th, 2011 by admin

Set aside the evening of August 24th for the HBO unveiling of the insightful documentary “Madonna of the Mills.” This is a film that will stay with you long after the credits roll. The filmmakers have done an excellent job of revealing both aspects — the rescuers and those who run the mills. Director Andy Nibley and his team have crafted a film that needs to be seen by every American.

You’ll remember the enchanting determination of Laura, the woman who, with her family and friends, has rescued over 2000 dogs from the living hell of puppy mills. You won’t be able to look at the misleading pictures of seemingly gentle Amish country folk without remembering the ugly truth of the torture of puppy mills behind the barn doors. Of course, you’ll remember the dogs who Laura and her friends help escape. But what I hope stays with you and I know will stay with me is the casual craven disregard for the animals that is so ubiquitous among the puppy millers and their defenders.

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Watch Tip: Padlock those Fence Gates

Posted on May 8th, 2011 by Anna Nirva

Watch Tip LogoWatch Tip for week of May 8:

Watch for kids (your kids and others) who might play in your yard and unthinkingly leave open your fence gates or your entry doors. Your pets might escape and run loose or the kids might get into other trouble with your pets. Tragedies could result. Padlock your fence gates to keep your pets and kids safer. Remember bad things can happen in the best of neighborhoods.

Roaming Pets = Danger

Just about everyone can tell a story about a cat or dog that accidentally escaped from a fenced yard and was injured or killed. Your daily life may feel safe, but this world is definitely not safe for companion animals. You must be very protective of your pets. Review this comprehensive list of dangers:

  • Danger of being hit by a moving vehicle and killed or critically injured
  • Danger of being harmed or killed by neighbors or mentally-ill individuals they come into contact with—burned by fire or acid, beaten, hung by ropes, thrown against walls, drowned, shot
  • Danger of being stolen for use by dog-fighters, sold to labs for experiments, or for sexual abuse
  • Danger of consuming something poisonous or inedible
  • Danger of suffering an attack by wildlife, especially small breeds (coyote, snakebite, javelina, owls, etc.)
  • Danger of being picked up by animal control—could incur fines and fees to retrieve, possibly euthanized if not retrieved in time
  • Danger of picking up parasites, fleas, ticks and other vermin from adjacent properties or open fields
  • Danger of being attacked by other dogs or cats
  • Danger of your dog biting someone out of fear—quarantined, lawsuits
  • Danger of losing their way home after chasing animals or wandering away from home/familiar scents

Resolve to install padlocks to your gates and spring hinges or other self-closing parts to your entry doors. Consider installing stout fences if you haven’t already.

If you know of a household that is not protecting their pets from roaming, mail them a copy of this list today.

 

Watch Tip: Neighbors Who Would Do Harm

Posted on April 16th, 2011 by Anna Nirva

Watch Tip LogoWatch Tip for week of April 17:

Watch for people in your neighborhood who would do harm to pets. They might hate free-roaming cats and dogs in their yard or pets making noise at night when they are trying to sleep. In more rural areas, if they keep chickens or farm animals, they might shoot to kill because it is legal when livestock is threatened. Be protective—not everyone loves animals like we do!

Family dogs shot and their bodies dumped in a ditch

In a small midwestern town recently, two beloved family dogs were inadvertently let loose from their fenced yard by one of the children; the friendly, chubby, collared dogs wandered off and turned up at a rural homestead not far away. It appears they may have worried a flock of chickens but no chickens were actually harmed. Still, both dogs were shot to death and their bodies dumped near a river; the family and many in the town are grieving for them. The shooter has not been identified.

No animal lover would dream of killing pets without severe provocation. But this true story is important because it reminds us that there are people out there who will kill pets without good cause … lots of them.

In just one Wisconsin town, three stories:

A wandering dog was shot to death just one block away from his home as he was crossing an empty lot, I was told by his tearful owner, a woman who owns a pet store and has done much to help shelter dogs and cats in the region. The shooter was never identified.

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