The Power of Pets

A tale of love and inspiration.
Tessa suddenly went blind and her owners didn’t know what to do so they gave her up to a Shelter.

This is her story . . .

 

After finding out what was wrong with Tessa and receiving the attention and rehab she needed from wonderful, caring people, she is now responding to light and dark, has learned to stand up without falling, and can finally walk.
If we have faith, hope and love, we can achieve the impossible.

Her carers have even seen a mischievous side to her . . . seems she likes to rip up paper!

Now she is just waiting for her forever home.

If you live  in Southern California and are interested in adopting Tessa, please visit the Bill Foundation website.

Thinking of Getting a Pet for Christmas?

Reblogged from Passionate about Pets:

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Are you thinking of getting or giving a pet as a Christmas gift this year?

A sweet little puppy, a cute kitten or a fluffy rabbit can melt our heart in an instant, and it’s hard to resist that little bundle of fun!
But - have you thought it through? Our emotions tend to get the better of us where baby animals are concerned.

Read more… 930 more words

This is another one of my posts from last year which I feel compelled to re-blog as Christmas is almost upon us. Think very carefully about buying a pet at this time of the year.

I hope my newer readers find this post useful; those who have been following me for a while will have seen it before, but it's always good refresh our memory!

Related articles

• Pet Safety at ChristmasTime (passionateaboutpets.wordpress.com)

Well, it Fit Last Year!

This funny cat’s actions will no doubt apply to some of us as the ‘Festive Season’ approaches.

You find something ‘festive’ that you would like to fit into

It seems quite small, but you’re QUITE SURE that in recent years, you’ve worn this size. So you work with it . . .

You try it on different ways . . .

from different ways you examine yourself

Finally, you admit that it does feel “A LITTLE TIGHT”

Someone offers you a larger size, which you find highly insulting

I mean, it might be a tight fit, but you still look GOOD!

Admit it now, haven’t we all been there?

D is for Dingo

About a year ago I posted about the Dingo, the Australian Native Wild Dog, and would like to mention it again, as a lot of my newer readers would have missed it -
but this time with an addition about our own pet dingo.

The dingo is an Australian, free roaming wild dog, also known as “warrigal” in the Aboriginal language. They were valued highy by the Aborigine people, who used them as guard dogs, hunting companions, and also used them to keep warm at night!

Australian Dingo

The dingo can be found in all areas of Australia from the harsh deserts to the lush rain forests, and are found in every state except for Tasmania. Access to drinking water determines where they can live. Pure-bred dingo numbers are declining as man encroaches deeper and deeper into wilderness areas.

They are a medium sized, naturally lean dog with a reddish/cream coat with white points, and a bushy tail with a white tip.  They do not bark in the same way as a domestic dog does – it sounds like more of a yelp, but they do howl! An adult dingo stands about 60cm high and weighs about 15kg. It’s slightly smaller than a German Shepherd.

They are meat-eaters, but if this is in short supply for whatever reason, they have been known to eat reptiles, and in fact, any other kind of food they can find. When food is scarce due to drought, they will group together to feed on larger animals – kangaroos, wallabies and such like. They usually stick together to hunt as a family group, but are also known to hunt on their own for smaller prey. They mainly hunt at night.

Because dingoes commonly attack livestock, sheep farmers consider them a pest and the resultant control methods usually run counter to conservation efforts.

The dingo is no more dangerous to man than any other feral dog; they are wary of humans and will not attack unless provoked. Anyone camping in the bush can expect a visit from a dingo looking for food or some easy pickings from the campsite.

Mother and pups

Dingoes start breeding between the age of one or two, but only the dominant members within an established group breed, and they only breed once a year. Gestation is nine weeks, the same as a domestic dog and both parents raise their pups together. The pups are fully grown at seven months.

The dingo is an intelligent creature but is still quite misunderstood, and is now on the verge of extinction.  Dingo care groups within different states of Australia are setting up captive breeding programs with stock shown to be DNA pure and by lobbying to have the dingo taken off vermin lists and officially recognized as an endangered species.

To lose this unique animal would indeed be a sad loss.

They can be domesticated but nowadays (in some states), a special licence is required by law.

Personal Story of Our Dingo

As a point of interest, we had a Dingo x German Shepherd dog years ago (before that law was in force), and he was an exceptional dog, different from any we have ever had or probably will ever have again.
We got him when he was eight weeks old, and were told that he was a German Shepherd; however, as as he grew, it was obvious he had Dingo in him – he had the white tipped tail and the characteristic four white socks. But we had already grown to love him, so it didn’t matter to us what he was. We called him Toby and he became a member of our “pack”.

Toby as a pup with my son

Playtime

Toby was intelligent, obedient, very protective, and an excellent guard dog. He was a very striking looking dog with his beautiful markings, and people would often stop us in the park to pet him; he was always friendly with people and other dogs.

Can I sleep on your bed?

However, one day when my son was playing on his skateboard in the driveway with his friend, a little boy was walking past with his mother and the child ran up our driveway towards my son. I don’t know if it was because the child was running and Toby felt he was a threat, but sadly,  in his efforts to “protect” my son, Toby got hold of the little boy’s leg and drew blood. He let go as soon as we shouted at him to ‘leave’, but the damage was done.

An ambulance was called, the matter was reported to the Police and Toby was taken away from us until he could be assessed, which tool almost a week. He passed his assessment with flying colours, and they found no aggression in him – except to say that his instincts to protect those he loved could put someone else at risk. The consequences were unbearable to think about.

We were advised to have him put down, because they said he would mostly likely do it again if he felt there was a threat to anyone in his “pack”.

So it was, with very heavy hearts that we had to say goodbye to Toby; we were heartbroken, but felt we couldn’t take the risk of him doing anything like that again.

RIP Toby

Related articles

• Island dingoes in healthy numbers (news.theage.com.au)
• Death by dingo: The 32-year old saga that has to end (thepunch.com.au)

Pet Safety at ChristmasTime

My post yesterday was about not buying a pet as a gift at this particular time of year – and the reasons why.  

However, what about those of us who already have pets in our homes?

There are a few things we need to watch out for at this time of year, to keep our four legged member of the family out of harm’s way.

I know, I know, I can hear you say “Here she goes again” – but I wouldn’t be a caring pet owner if I didn’t take the time to bring these things to your attention, would I?  Besides, we all need reminders from time to time!

Here are some of the dangers to be aware of with an accompanying solution for each one:-

1.       Wrapping Paper, Ribbons, Bows, Empty Boxes

Christmas as a great time for kids; as they unwrap their presents one by one, all the wrapping paper, ribbons and bows, empty boxes, etc., get strewn all over the floor.  Cats and dogs are inquisitive by nature – and there is the danger – because they could start to chew at some of that stuff. Puppies and kittens are particularly are at risk because they are extra curious and inquisitive, especially if this is their first Christmas.  Your pet could very easily choke, and may even require emergency medical attention from a vet, and besides being traumatic for your pet, it could be very costly for you – vets don’t come cheap.

Solution: Take the precaution of keeping your pets out of the way (perhaps in another room whilst all the unwrapping is being done).  He can come out and join in all the family fun once all the paper and bits and pieces have been removed.

2.       Christmas Tree

You may have a large dog or one who is a bit boisterous, so there is the danger of him knocking over the tree in his excitement, and this could have serious consequences, especially if there are electric lights on the tree.  If your cat decided to run up the tree, his weight could pull it down, breaking some of the glass baubles in the process.

Solution:  Placing the tree in the corner of a room and securing it so it cannot be knocked over is a good idea.

3.       Christmas Tree Lights and Baubles

The fairy lights and fancy glass baubles we hang on the tree look very pretty, but if broken, it would be disastrous if your pet started chewing on them.  He could cut his mouth or worse still, if a broken piece was swallowed, it could mean another trip to the vet.

Solution:  Place something in front of the decorated tree so your pet can’t get near it.
4.       Electric Cords

Electric cords pose a particular danger to pets, especially if they are chewed.

Solution: Keep them out of the way or cover them with a rug so no-one trips over them.

5.       Chocolate

Chocolate contains theobromine, which is toxic to animals, even just a small piece. You are not doing your pet any favours by giving them what you consider to be a “treat”.  Dogs love chocolate, but it could make him very sick.  Other sweets may not be toxic, but still shouldn’t be given to him.

Solution: Keep chocolate out of reach of your pets and keep them on their regular diet to avoid any digestive upsets.

If you are aware of these possible dangers facing your pet at Christmastime, and you take the necessary precautions to avoid them by following the solutions given, then everyone in the family (including your pet), will have a safe and happy Christmas!

Related articles

• Holiday Pet Safety (iowadogtrust.wordpress.com)
• Holiday Hazards for Your Pet (benway.net)

Thinking of Getting a Pet for Christmas?

Are you thinking of getting or giving a pet as a Christmas gift this year?

A sweet little puppy, a cute kitten or a fluffy rabbit can melt our heart in an instant, and it’s hard to resist that little bundle of fun!
But – have you thought it through? Our emotions tend to get the better of us where baby animals are concerned.
Put your emotions to one side and think logically, because in some cases, this may not be the best time to bring a new pet into your home.

So keeping in mind that the welfare of the animal is the most important thing,  here are five reasons NOT to buy a pet at this time of the year. 

1.       A New Pet Will Feel Insecure in a Noisy/Busy Environment

Christmas is a very busy time for most families whether they have children or not.  Everyone is busy and the house is noisy with all the excitement.  You know what kids are like – their ear-piercing squeals of delight as they unwrap presents, running around with new toys, (and accidentally running into the new pet with a new bike because it got in the way), well-wishers ringing the door bell, visitors coming and going – well – you get the picture!   A new pet needs to be in a calm environment until he gets used to his new home and his new family, otherwise he is going to feel very insecure, confused and even frightened.  A puppy or kitten will be terrified by the excessive noise of the household.

2.       Constant Visitors Confuse Your New Pet
Your new pet will be confused when visitors come and go, as he will be unsure about who lives in the house and just who his “pack” is, who he belongs to.  A puppy or kitten needs to be secure in his environment before introducing him to guests.  Because of his insecurity, this could lead to him urinating in the house – then we are not happy.  More mess to clean up – as if there isn’t enough already!

3.       What Do You Do With Your New Pet If You Go Away?

Christmas is a time for visiting family and friends, and this poses a problem about what to do with your new pet.  Leaving him in an unfamiliar house on his own (even just for a few hours), seems unkind, and possibly dangerous for the pet, as he hasn’t had time to get to know his surroundings yet.
If you are going away for a few days you could put him in a boarding kennel – but that doesn’t make any sense, because you just got him . . . can you imagine how confused and sad he would be?

4.       Training your New Pet Delayed Because You Are Too Busy

Training a new puppy or kitten needs to begin from the first day he goes home with you. However, because you are so busy at this time of the year, the training is going to have to take a back seat.  Leaving his training till things are calmer in the household is not good for him – he needs guidelines right from the start, and the longer you leave it, the harder it will be for both you and your pet.

5.       Am I Prepared to Care For My Pet Long Term?

Puppies and kittens are cute and cuddly – but they grow up. Will he still be loved and given the proper care then? The last thing anyone wants is for a pet to be sent to an animal shelter – all because we haven’t thought it through.  Having a pet can bring us great joy, but it is a 10-15 year commitment for the life of the pet, and we need to go into it with our eyes open.  Sadly, there are too many unwanted pets surrendered to animal shelters after Christmas; please don’t be a statistic.

So, there is a lot to consider about giving a pet as a Christmas gift.

We need to think about the animal’s welfare and what is best for him – not about our own emotional needs. 

 SUGGESTION
A better time to think about getting a new pet would be after all the excitement of Christmas has died down, and family life is back to normal.  You will have more time to spend with your pet and concentrate on training him; this in turn, will enable your pet to start bonding with you, which is crucial, and you will have a happy and obedient pet!

Animals are living creatures with feelings just like you and me.

Buying one at Christmas time needs to be thought through with great care, so please think before your make your final decision.

It is a serious and long term commitment for which you and your whole family need to be ready and prepared for.

P.S.

One of my blogging buddies, Sandra, over at Fantasyfic has come up with a brilliant suggestion, and she has given me permission to share it here with you.

This is what Sandra suggested . . .

“Here is another suggestion for those parents who really want to brighten their child’s life with a pet on Christmas.

Depending on the child’s age, they could get them a book on how to be a responsible pet parent, along with a card offering a pet of the child’s choice (i.e. picking the pet out) two weeks after Christmas (or whenever it is good for the parents).
That’ll kill two birds with one stone…teach the child about good pet parenting and avoid the dangers that you mention in your post.
It might also recommend an animal shelter rescue pet, so that the family gets to be good Samaritans to boot”.

 

I wish I’d thought of that!
However, it just goes to show the value of having such great blogging buddies who help each other out. 

Thank you so much Sandra for that excellent suggestion!

Pet Safety Tips for Halloween

Keep Your Pet Safe this 

Have you thought about how it will affect your Pet?

Halloween is a crazy and fun time for humans, but for our pets it’s a completely different story – they can become confused and scared by all the different goings-on in their house.  Parents are busier than usual making outfits for their kids, preparing food etc., and the kids are hyped up by all this activity.  Their anticipation and excitement heightens as Halloween night approaches.  Of course, everyone is so busy and pre-occupied with the preparations that our pet is often neglected at this time; they cannot understand what’s going on, why everyone is so excited, and they feel very confused.

So what can we do to keep our pets safe and secure?

 1.  Keep your pet in a safe place to avoid him getting stressed – as far away from the front door as possible; a back bedroom would be ideal, or an upstairs  bedroom would be even better.  Close the curtains to keep out the noises of the front doorbell ringing constantly and strange voices – people’s voices get  louder when they are in party mode!

 

 

 

2.  Pets can knock over lighted pumpkins, so they should be kept out of your pet’s reach.  As we all know, cats are very curious and may want to  investigate a lighted pumpkin and run the risk of getting burnt, so instead of using a candle, use one of those luminous sticks that glow in the dark – a  great idea – and a lot safer, both for our kids and our pets!

 

 

   3.  Chocolate can be harmful to animals, so don’t be tempted to give your pet a “treat” just because it’s Halloween!  Be careful where you put any    plastic candy wrappers or cellophane, as your pet could be in danger if he swallows them.  Remember – if you drop anything on the floor, it’s like a  magnet for your pet.  He will lick it up or try to chew it – and worse, even swallow it – so teach the kids that anything to be thrown away goes straight  into the rubbish bin – out of harms way!

 

 

4.  Party lights are very common on Halloween night so make sure all electrical cords and wires are well out of reach for the sake of both your pets and your kids.  If your pet chews on an electrical cord, the result could prove deadly.

 

 

5.  Some people act quite strangely on Halloween night and do things they wouldn’t normally do – it’s been known for people to steal animals on this night, and sadly, black cats are a prime target because of the superstition that goes with black cats.  Some people will tease or even injure your pet, so keep your pets inside where they are safe and therefore cannot be the target of pranksters.  Sadly, many pets are injured on this holiday in thoughtless and harmful pranks.

 

 

6.  Kids want to take your dog trick-or-treating?  Definitely not!  The flashing lights and sounds of fireworks are very frightening to animals, and often cause them to run away to find a place to hide where they feel safe.  Dogs may become uncontrollable, and may bite because of their fear.  Cats should also be kept indoors at all times for their own safety.

 

 

7.  If you have a pet bird, throw a cover over the cage to keep out the noise of the fireworks and the bright lights; they too can become easily stressed by it all.

It’s not only dogs, cats and birds that are afraid of the noise and flashing lights from fireworks on this night – or any night for that matter – the same applies to horses, chickens goats, etc.

The overall rule is basically to keep all animals contained in a safe place on Halloween night – for their own protection.

They look to us to protect them, so let’s not let them down.

Then you can enjoy Halloween night knowing that your pets are safe and sound!

Black Beauty – The Book

We have been prompted by WordPress to write about a book that changed our life.
Change is a strong word, but a book that affected my life is without a doubt,

Black Beauty by Anna Sewell
(it was the only book she ever wrote).
A story as told by a horse, in his own words.

 

Black Beauty by Anna Sewell

Black Beauty is a handsome, coal-black colt with a strong spirit.
He knew only affection and respect by his owners – until the day he had to be sold.
He then suffers terrible cruelty at the hands of some of his new owners when he is sold and re-sold.
But he has an unbreakable spirit and is determined to survive.
The book resulted in legislation protecting horses, and changed public attitude about animal pain and the fashionable practices that caused suffering for horses.

My grandfather had horses which he would harness up to a cart and trot around town selling and delivering firewood. My brothers always went with him, and sometimes he would let me go too, but not as much as I would have liked  I always got a thrill out of sitting up in the front of the cart with him! I loved animals even way back then!

Horse & Cart

However, it always used to bother me the way he treated them; he never said a kind word or praised them; he always sounded so harsh with his commands. Sure, they were only work horses for us, but all animals have feelings and need to be treated with respect; in my eyes my grandfather didn’t treat them with respect. I thought they deserved better.
I don’t think he ever injured any of them, but in my eyes he didn’t treat them right, and woe-betide if I tried to show any of them affection; he would pull me away, telling me to leave them alone as I would make them soft.
I would cringe, frightened to stand up to him and say what I thought for fear of recriminations. My grandfather was a big fellow – a very strict, very austere man, and my brothers and I were all frightened of him. In fact, his size and his gruff ways frightened everyone in our family!

When I was given the book Black Beauty, (I would have been about 8), I couldn’t put it down. I felt like I was right there, in the story with the horse, feeling his pain and frustration, my blood boiling at every injustice done to him, and it affected me greatly. It touched a nerve that gave me the courage to stand up to my grandfather.

So . . .  I let him have it. I told him he was unkind and cruel to the horses, making them work too hard and too long. Once I started, I couldn’t stop – he got my full wroth. He must have thought I was crazy, out of my mind! I got it all off my chest with hardly a breath in case he tried to stop me.
Can you imagine – here is this shy and very timid little 8 year old girl looking up at this big man - straight in the eye - and giving him a piece of her mind! Things like that just didn’t happen to my grandfather!

I guess I really shocked him, because he just stood there and looked at me. I was shaking in my shoes by this time, but he never said a word and we never ever spoke of it again.

Anyway, over the next few weeks I started to see a difference in the way he treated our horses; he didn’t work them as hard or as long, and I even saw him now and again talking to them and touching them – heck, he even let me play with them and ride them bareback!  But we never ever spoke of that day when I stood up to him.
I guess I must have earned his respect, because from that day we became very close, and he allowed me to ride on the cart with him every time he went out – in spite of my brothers’ objections!

I would say that was the start my strong feelings of standing up for animal rights and being Passionate About Pets. It also taught me to speak out against wrong-doing of any kind, and to stand up to bullies!

I would also say that Black Beauty changed my grandfather’s life too – for the better!

It’s a great children’s book and well worth the read – an oldie but a goodie!

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New Blogs I have visited this week:

Tinkerbelle86
Writing Canvas
Knotrune
The Daily Dabbler

 

 

 

Weekly Photo Challenge-Boundaries

Are you going to take part in the new WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge?

Every week, WordPress will provide a theme for us to get our creative juices flowing. All you have to do it take a photograph relative to the “theme”, and post it to your blog before the next Friday when a new theme will be announced. Simple!

There are boundaries everywhere we look – fences, rivers, gates, even the ocean is a boundary, as PiP mentions in her latest post. She was brilliant – she thought outside the square!

I guess my photo of a boundary is one of the more obvious ones, but a very necessary boundary in the case of the bird.

Haha! Can't get me!

Having said that, they do look like they are pretty good pals! But don’t get lulled into a false sense of security with these two guys – they both know that they are safe from each other and therefore,the bird is taking liberties with the cat’s nose – and the cat is letting him; he knows the bird can’t get his beak any further out of the cage!
However, it might be a different story if there was no boundary there . . . . .

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©passionateaboutpets.wordpress.com

The Dingo (Austalian Native Wild Dog)

The dingo is an Australian, free roaming wild dog, also known as “warrigal” in the Aboriginal language. They were valued highy by the Aborigine people, who used them as guard dogs, hunting companions, and also used them to keep warm at night!

Dingo

The dingo can be found in all areas of Australia from the harsh deserts to the lush rainforests, and are found in every state except for Tasmania. Access to drinking water determines where they can live. Pure-bred dingo numbers are declining as man encroaches deeper and deeper into wilderness areas.

They are a medium sized, naturally lean dog with a reddish/cream coat with white points, and a bushy tail with a white tip.  They do not bark in the same way as a domestic dog does – it sounds like more of a yelp, but they do howl! An adult dingo stands about 60cm high and weighs about 15kg. It’s slightly smaller than a German Shepherd.

They are meat-eaters, but if this is in short supply for whatever reason, they have been known to eat reptiles, and in fact, any other kind of food they can find. When food is scarce due to drought, they will group together to feed on larger animals – kangaroos, wallabies and such like. They usually stick together to hunt as a family group, but are also known to hunt on their own for smaller prey. They mainly hunt at night.

Because dingoes commonly attack livestock, sheep farmers consider them a pest and the resultant control methods usually run counter to conservation efforts.

The dingo is no more dangerous to man than any other feral dog; they are wary of humans and will not attack unless provoked. Anyone camping in the bush can expect a visit from a dingo looking for food or some easy pickings from the campsite.

Dingos start breeding between the age of one or two, but only the dominant members within an established group breed, and they only breed once a year. Gestation is nine weeks, the same as a domestic dog and both parents raise their pups together. The pups are fully grown at seven months.

The dingo is an intelligent creature but is still quite misunderstood, and is now on the verge of extinction.  Dingo care groups within different states of Australia are setting up captive breeding programs with stock shown to be DNA pure and by lobbying to have the dingo taken off vermin lists and officially recognized as an endangered species.

To lose this unique animal would indeed be a sad loss to the world.

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©passionateaboutpets.wordpress.com