Memorize this book cover. I want every dog-lover in America to read this book and pass it along to a friend. I want every dog-lover living in a county served by a taxpayer-funded animal shelter to call their local health department and ask for live-outcome statistics; if refused, I want that dog-lover to file “Freedom of Information” forms to get access. I want every dog-lover that discovers their local “shelter” is actually killing the majority of dogs to join with others and raise their voices high, hard, and long to demand change in leadership. If those dog-lovers knew what horrors their tax dollars funded in those animal control facilities (don’t call them shelters), things would change.
Now maybe they will. Author Kim Kavin’s book “Little Boy Blue” exposes the hideous truth about dog-killing facilities operating in many municipalities of our dog-loving nation: killing owner-surrendered dogs within hours, killing dogs with minor treatable ailments such as ringworm, killing dogs slowly in gas boxes while they scream and claw at the hatch to escape, tossing their bagged bodies in the dump, all the while lulling the public with happy stories of adoption in the local paper. Read the rest of this entry »
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Be better prepared for emergencies involving your pets by learning how to take their normal (healthy) vital signs: pulse rate, respiratory rate, and temperature. You’ll want to know both the resting and active rates. Keep that information in your pet first aid kit, so you will recognize a problem earlier. Optionally, ask your vet to provide that information at your pet’s next exam.
Review: “Pet First Aid & Disaster Response Guide” by PetsAmerica.org founder Elaine Acker
This week’s tip was inspired by Acker’s book (cover pictured at right). You already know that Sunbear Squad encourages animal lovers to be good Samaritans for companion animals, especially neighbors’ pets and lost or abandoned animals in your area. We want every animal lover to be prepared, equipped, and knowledgeable, so we like to recommend helpful resources like this book ($18.95). This is one you want in your first aid kit. But please read it first; you’ll be glad you did.
Click on the book cover to purchase the book. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Book Reviews, Safety & Health Tips, Watch Tips | 1 Comment »
Are you looking for a great present for a new pet parent? Pick up a copy of Perfect Puppy in 7 Days: How to Start Your Puppy Off Right. Dr. Sophia Yin has written a book with lots of excellent advice for first time pet parents as well as those of us who have spent more time with puppies than we can remember.
Yin has done a top notch job of taking us through the pups’ developmental stages and showing the best way to move them through their socialization to become the best possible companions. The directions are very thorough with many helpful pictures.
What I really appreciate about Perfect Puppy in 7 Days is Yin’s attitude towards puppies as individuals. These are not “one-size-fits-all” directions. Instead, Yin explains how dogs develop and learn. This info helps us to tailor the training for the behavior, not the age,
There is something for everyone to learn from Yin’s book. Even the most experienced dog lover can pick up tips but Perfect Puppy in 7 Days should be in every puppy starter kit.
Tags: book reviews, dog behavior, dog books, dog training, dogs, puppies
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Andy Nibley is the Director of the new documentary, Madonna of the Mills, running August 24th on HBO. Author, Sunbear Squad Board Member and Editor Emeritus of Dogster’s own For Love of Dog Blog caught up with Andy for this interview.
Andy: The idea behind the film was really to show a couple of things. One, that ordinary people can do extraordinary things. Laura is an office manager for a dentist on Staten Island and yet she, on weekends on her own nickel, rents vans and drives down to Amish country and picks up somewhere between 35 and 50 of these puppy mill dogs who have spent their entire lives in cages the size of dishwashers. They’ve never been petted. They’ve never been walked. They’ve never been bathed and she’s saved over 2000 dogs and she’s done that all on her own. So that was one thing.
The other was what happens when you spare a life? So I follow four of the dogs that get saved and you see them rehabilitated from the point where they couldn’t walk because they’ve spent their lives in cages. There’s a nice story about an autistic boy and a golden retriever and one about a childless couple who end up with a cocker spaniel. It really shows these dogs can make wonderful pets if they’re adopted.
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Posted in Dogs & Cats, Interviews, Puppy Mills, Rescue Groups and Information, Rescues of Dogs & Cats, Reviews, Uncategorized | Comments Off on Interview with Andy Nibley, Director of Madonna of the Mills
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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Posted in Abuse & Neglect, Dogs & Cats, Friends of Dogs and Cats, Movie reviews, Photography and Video, Puppy Mills, Rescue Groups and Information, Rescues of Dogs & Cats, Reviews, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Saving Gracie is more than a well-written, compelling book that should be in every animal lover’s collection. This is the book that makes the case against puppy mills and their supporters in a clear voice. Moreover, if I had the money I would make sure to give a copy of Saving Gracie to every legislator in the US.
Author Carol Bradley has written a rare book. It is an important book that is also a good read. The history and information in Saving Gracie makes the case against puppy mills while the writing carries you along like a good crime novel.
This book is a slap in the face to those who deny the absolute evil of puppy mills. I defy someone to read even the first few chapters of Saving Gracie and walk away with any ability to defend puppy mills for any reason. Bradley has woven a strong story line around some very painful facts and the figures to support them.
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Tags: dog abuse, dogs, puppy mills, Reviews
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“Mine” is a movie that should be on the “to watch” list of anyone concerned about animal welfare, rescue or animal law. Be prepared for a movie that will make you cringe, cry, cheer and think. If there is any justice in the documentary world, “Mine” should be on the fast track for numerous awards.
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Posted in Dogs & Cats, Dogs and Cats in Art, Lost Dogs and Cats, Movie reviews, Rescues of Dogs & Cats, Reviews | No Comments »
Ghost Dogs of the South is something to bark about!
We’ve all heard the stories about ghost dogs, haven’t we? Some of us have even seen a ghost dog or two. Randy Russell and Janet Barnett turn some classic stories into an entertaining book with their Ghost Dogs of the South.
No need to pull the covers over your head with this fun read. The stories are more irony than terror as Russell and Barnett take us on a tour of haunting canines in the American South. These stories are not just good dog stories, they are well-told tales that will keep you turning pages long after you should be in dream land.
Catch these wonderful photos, too! Ghost Dogs of the South has some marvelous vintage pictures that speak volumes about the place of dogs in past centuries.
Ghost Dogs of the South is a perfect gift for any dog lover. And cat lovers don’t worry! There’s a Ghost Cats of the South just for you!
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