Dog (Pet) Day Afternoon
The title of this show should say it all. Marc Boucher is the coordinator of this event in Austin on March 20th. He will provide insight on the various events, the inspiration for this event and tips on how you can bring together dog lovers for a fun filled afternoon.
Emancipe+ (awareness + action)
Asha Thune, Director of Outreach for Emancipet, is my guest for today’s show. Emancipet envisions a world where no cat or dog is ever killed just for being homeless. They work towards realizing that vision every day, by providing services and advocacy that effectively and humanely reduce the homeless pet population in the local communities.
Samantha and her six pets
Samantha Foss, my guest for this show, is the proud parent of a variety of pets. Her family includes three dogs, a cat and two parakeets. Samantha operates a pet sitting and dog training company and is employed by Tomlinson’s. She will share her insights on how to care for all these loving beings.
The Lions Club Leader Dogs Program
My guest for this program is Sandy Griffin a volunteer, puppy raiser and State Leader Dog chairperson for the Leader Dogs for the Blind program. Sandy “socializes” leader dog candidates for a full year before they go to Leader Dog school.
Schip Mom tells all
Sharon, an expert Schip mom, shares information about the Schipperke canine breed. She’ll provide us with tips on how to keep her furkids happy and healthy. We will also discuss what inspired her to become a co-author for the book Stories of Multiple Pets.
Click Schip Mom Tells All to hear this radio show.
FREE Straw for Dogs in Detroit MI
MHS Offering Free Straw
- A Potentially Life Saving Provision -
For Dogs Left Outdoors
Now Available at MHS Detroit Center for Animal Care
It’s a winter scene that is neither beautiful nor rare: a dog chained outside with little or no shelter from the cold. While the Michigan Humane Society (MHS) strongly encourages that pets live indoors year-round, many are still subjected to the harsh extremes of winter weather without the proper provisions. In such conditions, it is basic necessities such as food, water, shelter and straw that can make the difference between life and death. As a supplement to an appropriate dog house, fresh straw for bedding is a critical component to provide warmth and insulation.
The Michigan Humane Society is now distributing free straw at its Detroit Center for Animal Care, located at 7401 Chrysler Drive (313-872-3400). Straw can be picked up any time during adoption center hours from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays, and from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Wednesdays.
Michigan state law requires proper shelter for dogs who must remain outdoors for any length of time. Adequate shelter for dogs, as defined by state law, means a well-built, insulated, slant-roofed dog house. The interior should be just large enough for the dog to stand and to lie down comfortably. It should be slightly elevated from the ground for air circulation. The door should face away from prevailing winds and have a protective flap to eliminate drafts. Clean, dry straw should be provided for bedding rather than towels, rugs or blankets which absorb moisture and freeze.
Lack of proper care or shelter can result in misdemeanor animal cruelty charges, carrying a sentence of up to 93 days in jail, up to a $1,000 fine, community service and loss of pet ownership for a specified amount of time.
To report pets left outside without proper shelter in the MHS service area of Detroit, Hamtramck or Highland Park, call the MHS Cruelty Hotline at 313-872-3401. In other areas, contact the local animal control or police department.
For more information on reporting animal cruelty, click here.
Denver’s Hotel Teatro Offers Chilly Fun, Warm Reception
How unfair would it be to skip town for a snowy vacation and leave Snoopy behind? Denver’s Hotel Teatro has you and your pooch covered.
As the city’s first dog-friendly boutique hotel, they offer total service: The entire staff is on hand to take your doggy out on potty breaks or on a trip to Dog Savvy (a nearby dog boutique and spa, where your pup can even get a relaxing blueberry facial!) Plus, the hotel’s new Pets in the City package keeps four-legged guests comfy, cozy and entertained with food, water, chew toys and treats—there’s even a copy of Colorado Dog Magazine so you can keep up on regional dog happenings. And since the hotel is located in the city’s hip LoDo district, you and yours will have plenty of trendy sidewalks to peruse.
This winter, when Denver calls, you can answer with a ‘woof.’
Posted on December 16, 2008 at Sidewalk Dog
Charity Served with Sake at “Sushi with Your Poochie”
Most dogs love fish. But who knew they loved sushi restaurants so much?
Recently at Sidewalk Dog’s “Sushi with Your Poochie,” more than 200 local dog lovers and their dog lovees hung out on Tiger Sushi 2’s lovely Minneapolis patio, tried their hands at Stunt Puppy’s hands-free leashes, got training tips from Bark Busters, noshed on Tiger Sushi 2’s happy hour menu and got a break from plastic-bag duty courtesy of ScoopyPoo.
And that was just the human-oriented fun! Dogs were treated to Tiger Sushi 2’s homemade biscuits and massages and pawdicures from Pampered Pooch Playground, and took home doggie bags loaded with goodies from UrbAnimal.
The always-lovely Sarah of Sarah Beth Photography was there to capture the rampant adorableness: Click here, then select “Access Gallery” and enter code “sidewalk” to see if she snapped your dog’s mug (and chances are, she did!)
The best part? As those of you who were buying charitable sake bombs know, the event raised money for MnPAW, a coalition of Minnesota animal welfare organizations. The ticket sales alone raised almost $1,000 for the organization, so instead of “Sushi with Your Poochie,” perhaps we should have called it “Sushi for Poochie … in Need.” We’ll work on the name. In the mean time, thanks to all who came and made the event such a hit!
Posted on July 27, 2009 at Sidewalk Dog
Unconditional Love: A Lesson Taught by our Pets
(In Photo: Tucker Justus age 4, adopted from Town Lake Animal Center in Austin Texas in 2004)
By Mariah Justus, 10th Grade
How can one family live with two dogs, six cats, and a fish? It’s not easy and it can be a lot of work, but apparently it’s possible. Ever since I can remember, we’ve had more than one animal in our household because my family (which consists of my mom and dad, my little brother and myself) believes animals help us be better people.
Before I was born in 1993 in Austin Texas, my parents had three cats, Taz, Romeo and Bookie. When I was a baby, my mother reports “cat” was one of my first words and I was able to imitate cat behavior sometimes by purring or hissing at various people to communicate my feelings. Not something every three-year-old would do. I was also highly influenced by a cat’s independence, how they take charge, and how they are all very self-aware. My personality, even today, is much like that of a cat’s because I’m tidy, careful about choosing my friends, but once I know who one really is, I am very loyal.
Even though I didn’t have dogs at a young age, my mother always told me to never be afraid of them. I liked some dogs, but not nearly as much as cats. This really changed when I started volunteering at our local animal shelter when I was 9 years-old. I began bonding with various dogs of all personalities and realized not all dogs were sloppy, unclean, and well, dumb as I had once thought. Like cats, I learned that dogs just need your patience. This is a good lesson to learn when making friends or dealing with family. Patience is needed in all relationships.
When we had been going to the animal shelter for a while and this led me to think long and hard about how maybe, just maybe, our at-the-time four-cat household (which also included my then 3 year-old little brother Marshall) could welcome in a dog. My parents disliked the idea at first, but my persuasive skills soon won them over and my brother and I both fell in love with an Australian Shepherd and Border Collie mix. We adopted him from the shelter and we named him Tucker. It was an adjustment for our whole family (cats included), but once we moved to Houston that summer, I managed to persuade both my parents into getting another dog amidst all the post-move chaos, this time, a Golden Retriever puppy from Oklahoma City.
Having pets has taught our family so much about life. For one, cats and dogs never judge and will always give humans a chance. Second, they learn (eventually) how to get along in a human living environment. And three, no matter what you do, pets forgive their humans and will always give them unconditional love. Our family tries to emulate how our animals coexist. Even in the hardest times, our pet inspired patience pays off.
Original story posted on Nov 26, 2008 at Houston Pet Talk.
Glo’s four boys
We love life. Some of our antics are in our mom’s next self published book titled “Stories of Multiple Pets – 2 or more”.
