Archive for the ‘The Pet Savers’ Category
Paws for Japan
Thursday, March 17th, 2011Dr. V has a Brody Signal - it is a picture of her super cute pup that she puts over a flashlight and shines into the night. Other pet lovers the world over see the signal, get the message and join her in her mission to make the world a better place.*
Today’s Mission:
“A Virtual Fundraiser to Aid Animal Relief Efforts via World Vets”
I do not think we even know how bad this tsunami and earthquake disaster in Japan is yet. Not everyone is found. The nuclear scare is not over. I cling to stories of individuals because the big picture is just too much. Everyone seems to be two degrees from loved ones in Japan. Or one. Or zero. World Vets is in Japan, helping with relief efforts.
Sometimes people rescuers need to focus on finding and rescuing people and need pet rescuers to come along side of them to rescue the pets.
Sometimes pet owners need to know they are loved, and we understand how awful it is to be be seperated from and even lose loved ones.
Sometimes communities need to know that we care and that we long for a concrete way to show that and that we would do anything to make the situation better, even though we cannot fix it.
Sometimes people cannot take in the horror of an entire country in pain and need to hear one encouraging account of a rescue…a reuniting…a hopeless situation that ended happily.
Pray for Japan
Reach out
“Rejoice with those who rejoice.
Mourn with those who mourn.”**
*Dr. V does not have a Brody Signal. *sigh* I wish she did. But her super awesome blog Pawcurious works just fine when pet lovers need to be gathered for a common goal. I think she should do both.
**Romans 12:15 (New International Version of the Bible)
March 18, 2011 Veterinary Practice News Article: Vets, Animal Groups Rally to Help in Japan Relief Efforts
Happy Birthday Petfinder!
Monday, March 14th, 2011March 15, 2011 is…
Adopt the Internet Day.
In honor of Petfinder’s fifteenth birthday, pet lovers/bloggers everywhere are spreading the word about adoptable pets. Here are some fun ways you can help…
Dedicate today’s Facebook status and picture to an adoptable pet from Petfinder.
For more great ideas right from Petfinder, click the super-cute badge. (Also, you can cut and paste the badge into your own blog post if you would like.)
Happy Birthday Petfinder!
May the next fifteen years bring you even closer to obsolete.
(I mean that in the nicest every-pet-has-a-forever-home sort of way!)
Thank you for being a Pet Saver on the grandest level.
Also, just as important, today is my Mom-in-Law Karen’s birthday.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY KAREN!! I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!
More Great Veterinary Blogs
Saturday, March 12th, 2011
While I wait for life to get less sad, I have been writing considerably less than usual. After Fuzzy and Wuzzy Rats and Piggy the guinea pig passed away, I could see where this season was heading, and put a few Very Favorite Writing Projects on hold (The Wagging Tail Blog and Omaha.net) and cut down my writing here to a much slower pace. My Carefresh Ask-a-Vet project is still full speed, but that one is Q&A - much easier, and a good respite from the sadness. Good call on the slowing down thing, though. Ebony Dog and Princess Gerbil passed away soon after. Russ has gotten me “I’m a winner” stickers that I wear every day I get out of bed since Ebony died.
100% success so far. I am a winner. 75% success staying out of bed. I am STILL a winner. I still get a freaking sticker. (Yes I really wear them. Unless we just met, and even then, really, it should be obvious what a dork I am. I LOVE the stickers.)
Anyway, that is all my prelude to my Super Awesome List I have for you. Until I can get back to writing more regularly (and even then), here are some MORE great veterinary blogs I found thanks to veterinarians on my first list of great veterinary blogs. If there are more veterinary blogs you love, let me know! Yes, this is getting out of hand - I love it! And yes, we should be out saving and preserving lives. We take turns. You know, as a worldwide veterinary community. Save-write-sleep-repeat.
More Great Veterinary Blogs
Also, I included a few blogs from human medicine, because they are just awesome.
CantSpell, DVM
Dr. Scott
The Real Housecats of Orange County
Dr. Kelly Wright
Dr. Leslie Brown Sheridan
Toronto Vet
Dr. Chris Bern
Vogue Vet
C. Todd Dolen, DVM
and 2 people blogs…
Dr. Grumpy, MD, Neurologist
Bryan Vartabedian, MD, Pediatric Gastroenterologist
And, of course, remember to visit the wonderful pet bloggers in the Saturday Pet Blogger Hop…
Coming Soon on Riley and James (and quite a few other blogs, I have a feeling…)
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Adopt the Internet!
Happy 15th Birthday Petfinder!
Thank you Pet Savers everywhere for all you do to help pets!!
Thank You Banfield Charitable Trust!
Saturday, February 5th, 2011In January 2011, Banfield Charitable Trust approved a grant request from Nebraska Humane Society to support their Guardian Angel Foster Care Program, which allows pets who need extra care (very young kittens and pups, pets who need extra socialization and the like) to be fostered until they are adopted.
Yay!
In the past, Banfield Charitable Trust has supported Nebraska Poodle Rescue, Nebraska Humane Society’s Camp Kindness and Nebraska Humane Society’s Guardian Angel Foster Care Program (Remember Zoo Kitten?) as well as SO MANY other great pet causes across the country. Thank you Banfield Charitable Trust! You could not have chosen a more wonderful organization to support than Nebraska Humane Society.
On behalf of all of the pets and families you are helping, this kitten who has graduated from the Nebraska Humane Society Guardian Angel Foster Program and is now in her forever home would like to say a word to the wonderful people of Banfield Charitable Trust as well…
“meow”
♥
Super Cool Pet Adoption Video
Thursday, January 27th, 2011Thank you to Edie Jarolim at Will My Dog Hate Me for the heads up on this super cool video. It is now my favorite pet adoption video ever. And (as always) Edie’s series title “Pet Adoption Videos that Don’t Make Me Want to Kill Myself” is my favorite series title ever.
Marvin the Golf Caddy Dog
Tuesday, January 11th, 2011Please welcome the newest Riley and James guest blogger, Abby Finch!
Abby’s wonderful teacher gave her the book Marvin the Golf Caddy Dog for Christmas. When we were reading it together, we noticed the shelter in the book looked very similar to the Nebraska Humane Society and had its logo.
We confirmed our suspicions with Abby’s teacher and friends from the Nebraska Humane Society that the author is indeed from Omaha. In fact, he had given the books to the school to give to the kids. Our friends at the Nebraska Humane Society suggested Abby review the book, and here is what she has to say…
What was the book’s title?
Marvin The Golf Caddy Dog.
Who is the author?
Harold R. Mann.
Who are the main characters?
Marvin and his best friend, Ted.
What is the book about?
Marvin’s owner didn’t like him so he left him on the street, which made me mad and sad, and then Marvin found a golf yard, and then he made a new friend named Ted. Marvin helps his friend Ted play golf, but one day Marvin gets caught and ends up at the Humane Society, then Ted rescues Marvin.
Did you like the book?
Yes.
Why? What did you like about it?
I liked it because I like dogs.
If a friend or sister or cousin asked you about the book, would you recommend they read it? Why?
Yes, because it is a good book and I want other people to know about it.
How many stars would you give this book? 5
Epic “No” - Don’t Shoot the Cat
Friday, December 10th, 2010Friends have been asking me pet welfare questions online. They ask darkly hilarious questions knowing the answer is “no.” They know me well enough to make me laugh and stop way before they make me cry.
Example:
Q: Can I dip my dog in bleach to treat his fleas?
A: No.
In July of 2010, the University of Nebraska at Lincoln Extension Office released a seven page paper, in print and online:
Feral Cats and Their Management
by
Aaron M. Hildreth, Stephen M. Vantassel and Scott E. Hygnstrom
I wish the authors had thought to play the very fun Ask the Vet a Welfare Question Game with me, or any veterinarian for that matter. I also wish they were trying to be darkly hilarious. Sadly, they were not.
I have e-mails sent to the three authors of the publication.
Subject: WITW (That’s how I say THAT) were you thinking?!?
I am hoping they would still like to play “Ask the Vet a Welfare Question” with me. After they play, research more recent literature, consult the AVMA (American Veterinary Medical Association), the AAHA (American Animal Hospital Association), the AAFP (American Association of Feline Practitioners), perhaps even their “neighbors” the Nebraska Humane Society, which is doing a stellar job carrying out a successful Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) program in Omaha and surrounding areas, they could write a new Opposite Report. I would even be willing to help them write it.
Here are some “Ask The Vet a Welfare Question” questions that I think would be fun. I also included my answers, because they are not always as obvious to everyone as I had thought!
Q: As members of a respected university, one that invests heavily in training the veterinarians of the future, should we suggest shooting cats in the head as a potential tool in an integrated pest management program?
A: No.
Q: Shooting cats in the heart?
A: No.
Q: The lungs?
A: No.
Q: Padded jaw foothold traps? Snares? Body-gripping traps?
A. No. No. No.
Q: Should we have consulted the 2007 AVMA Guidelines on Euthanasia before publishing this paper?
A: Yes.
Q: Should we have glanced at Nebraska euthanasia laws?
A: Yes.
Q: Would the American Animal Hospital Association or American Association of Feline Practitioners or Nebraska Humane Society have been good resources?
A: Yes. Yes. Yes.
Q: Should we have consulted one of the many, many veterinarians, veterinary team members and others with an interest in animal welfare, whose hackles are now up (figuratively speaking) before we made them angry?
A: Yes.
Q: Should one of us have walked down the hallway and consulted one of the many fine veterinary professors on East Campus before publishing our report?
A: Yes.
Q: Should we have listened to the leadership of Husker Cats, the feline welfare group that cares for feral cats on the UNL campus when they explained their TNR/feline health program directly to us?
A: Yes.
Q: What if I was too busy to do all that research, would it have been ok to just ask my veterinarian while I was in with my huntin’ dog what he thought about feral cat control?
A: Yes.
Q: Can we have a do-over?
A: I don’t know. Maybe.
*****
I hesitated to publish this in the hopes that the UNL extension publication would just pass quietly into the abyss. It seems as though it will not though, and even if it were about to, I really could not let it just pass without saying something.
To the authors’ credit, they have brought up and given us another opportunity to discuss a very important topic: feral cat control. Let me know what you think. If you promise to be nicer to them than they suggest we be to the cats, I will also help you contact the authors.
The Gift of Joy
Monday, December 6th, 2010To the Original Owner of Joy the Puppy,
Thank you so much for the gift of Joy. She has been a wonderful addition to our family, so gentle and playful with our kids, and fitting right in with our other two dogs. She is loved and warm and fed. I pray that you are as well. I will keep an eye out for you in and try to make sure that you are.
If you had been in a different season of life, with a home and resources to take care of the both of you, would you still have her with you? I bet you miss her. I can not tell you how much I appreciate you giving her up so that she could have a healthy life. If things have turned around for you, and there is room in your life for a puppy again, I will do everything I can to help make that happen.
Forgive me for being so angry initially that she was such a skinny thing. I know that when you ran out of puppy food, you shared your own food with her, and probably gave up a meal or two at least, so the little bottomless pit would not have to. She had the cutest little bug eyes-I would have held on to her until the last possible moment too, if I had been in your place. I will remember that the next time I am getting worked up to judge someone who is probably doing the best that they can.
Be proud of your dog. She turned out great. She started off so cute and grew up to be gorgeous. If you hadn’t protected her from the streets of Omaha in her first few bitter cold weeks, she may not have survived. If you hadn’t taught her a person’s love right from the start, it would have taken us years. Thank you so much. If this does not reach you directly, I will try to thank you indirectly every way that I am able.
Sincerely,
Shawn Finch, DVM
The Season of Joy
Monday, December 6th, 2010Two winters ago, clients of mine found a man dressed in several layers of badly worn clothing wandering up and down the dog food aisles of Petsmart with a tiny, emaciated black puppy in his arms. He was saying to himself that he could not afford dog food.
The young couple asked the man about his puppy. He said he needed someone to take her because he did not have any money to care for her. They asked if he would take twenty dollars for her (which they had brought with them to spend at Petsmart, but probably not quite like that), and he did. They brought her to my hospital to be examined. Other than her very thin body condition, I found no other physical problems. They did not know if they were adopting or rescuing…they just saw a puppy in need and a man in distress and sort of swooped.
Two days later, Layla came home to live with us, and after much name-trying, we renamed her Joy Layla Finch. The name Joy was suggested by the daughter of Joy King, who had been our very dear friend and had recently passed away. We also named her in honor of our other dear friends’ newborn daughter whose twin sister had just passed away.
The conversation with Joy King’s daughter went something like this:
“Are you sure your Mom would not mind having a dog named after her?”
“This puppy is so happy, like Mom was, and has such gorgeous black hair, like Mom did…Not only would she not mind, she would be honored!”
Joy…what an odd thing to name our new puppy during what was such a sad season for so many friends we loved. She has more than lived up to her name.
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
When I first met Joy, I was so angry at the man who had almost let her starve to death that I could not see straight. My friend Janelle said, “He did take her to where he knew she would get help.” That statement stopped me in my tracks.
Having probably very little even for himself, the man who first owned Joy did everything he could for her, and maybe the reason he held on to her as long as he did was because he did not want to give up his puppy.
I feel as though I owe him an apology and a thank you, though I have never met him. So I will write one here, and though he will almost certainly never see it, I hope it serves as a reminder to myself to let my first reaction be one of compassion, not one of judgment.
I also hope God blesses Joy’s original owner beyond what I can even imagine. In what must have been such a difficult season in his own life, he looked past himself and reached out with love and compassion to care for a tiny, helpless, goofy puppy who needed him.