My Friendly Pets

Whatever your political opinions are, one thing that hopefully we all agree on regarding the war in Iraq is supporting the troops. These young brave men and women are risking their lives in a war that, for the most part, is opposed by most in the world. What is even more special about these troops is the way they respect, care and support each other.

There was no stronger evidence of this than with what has come to be know as “Operation Puppy Love”. Alex Varela was a 19 year old from Orangevale, California. He loved dogs and especially puppies. Many of the dogs over in Iraq are trained to be alert dogs, meaning they signal when they hear someone approaching, so the troops can take notice of whatever might happen next. You can read more about military dogs in a previous entry, by clicking here.

Alex and five other members of his platoon were killed in May of 2007 when a roadside bomb exploded next to their vehicle. A fellow platoon member, Matt Alford stayed in touch with Rinda Pope, Alex’s Mom. Matt sent pictures of Alex to Rinda and in one of those pictures was Alex with a dog. Matt explained to Rinda that the dog had been pregnant and only one of the puppies had survived. That puppy was named D.J. It became very important to Rinda to have that puppy, almost as if it were part of Alex. With the help of Matt’s commanding officer and other people who pitched in to bring that puppy where it truly belonged, D.J. was delivered to Rinda Pope last month. This dog was welcomed by all, especially Rinda, who knows she will have many happy years with the dog. Rinda opened her heart and her home to the dog who spent time with her son, who will never come home.

Check out the story in this video.

Recently Progressive Insurance started a new benefit included in with their auto insurance coverage. It is called Pet Injury coverage and it is available to customers who have collision coverage as part of their auto insurance. It is of no cost to the insured and will provide up to $500.00 for vet bills and medication needed as a result of a pet injury from an auto collision.

I have never seen this type of coverage offered, so it was an interesting piece to news to pass on. It is also noteworthy that this coverage is not available in New York, New Hampshire or North Carolina. There is no explanation as to why the coverage isn’t allowed in these states, but as a New Yorker, I can only imagine that in our state, if it is too good to be true, more than likely, they’ll (those in power) find a way to squash it.

Progressive is quick to point out that this is different coverage than pet insurance. Usually pet insurance is through a private company and pet owners pay premiums and deductibles for health coverage of their dogs. If the dog is in need of medical care or even some preventitive measures, pet insurance can help.

An additional benefit from Progressive can help as well. For those with Progressive Auto Insurance, you can receive a 5% discount on the cost of Pet Insurance through Embrace Pet Insurance and Pets Best Insurance. Specifically with Embrace Pet Insurance (click here) you can up to 90% of your vet bills reimbursed in the United States, Canada or Mexico. According to Embrace, they will turn about claims in 10 days or less and have a 9.47 out of 10 satisfaction rating.

I spoke about pet insurance in a previous entry. Check it out here.

It is always hoped that organizations will do more for society than simply make money by selling their goods and services. Such an organization is viewed positively by the public and it demonstrates the organization’s belief in their own social responsibility.

Pedigree dog food is currently involved in a program to help increase the adoption of dogs and they take an active interest and participate in activies that raise money for animal shelters. Currently they are sponsoring a very cool event that is taking place between the dates of February 1st and February 21st of this year! The event which is called the Pedigree DOGSTORE is the two week celebration of the Pedigree Adoption Drive. This effort is to try and find homes of millions of shelter and breed rescue dogs.

At Broadway and 46th Street in New York City, people will be able to go to the DOGSTORE and learn about dog adoption. Many of New York’s dogs ready for adoption will be there playing in a huge indoor dog park. This is a great way to interact with the dogs to see which would be the best pet for you and your family. In addition, there will be DogsRule merchandise that can be purchased. All proceeds will go to help maintain and enhance the lives of shelter dogs. You can learn so much more about Pedigree’s efforts and support of dog adoption, by clicking here.

This Pedigree effort is supported by many. Recently on the 1/10/08 episode of The Celebrity Apprentice, the teams were charged with creating Pedigree Dog Adoption Awareness ads. The winning ad will be shown on the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. Both ads appear on the website above and you can vote on which ad you like the best. Perhaps you think just like Donald Trump and his boardroom buddies. Take a look!!! Its a great site. If you are in the NYC area in the next two weeks stop by even if you’re not ready to adopt. Buy something for a friend who has a dog and remember the proceeds will help those four legged friends who can’t help themselves.

If you are interested in one of the largest no-kill shelters in the world that is close by this event, check out this prior entry about that talks about the North Shore Animal League.

In yesterday’s entry, I introduced tips for looking and knowing a good breeder when in search of a dog. The tips came from a website, highlighted in the last entry as well. Check it out here. The site comes to us from Kate Connick and I truly appreciate the detail and ease of the information provided.

It is important to know if the breeder shows their dogs to demonstrate important characteristics such as obedience and agility. According to Ms. Connick breeders that show and allow their dogs to compete tend to have a higher commitment to breeding. This doesn’t guarantee the quality of the breeder but can be a good indicator.

Another important criteria is whether the breeder actively screens the dogs for genetic health defects. Some dogs are genetically predisposed to certain illnesses and ailments such as hip displaysia, eye disorders, hypothyroidism, etc. If you have a breeder that is reluctant to discuss the health issues of a particular breed or is defensive when you ask about such things, then beware. People who claim that their breed is magnificently healthy without any breed specific weaknesses needs to be avoided as well. Everyone knows that nothing is perfect and that includes dog breeds as well. The breeder should be familiar with the history of the breed, its strengths and weaknesses and should welcome your questions regarding such issues.

Observation is a key thing when looking for a breeder. Check out what type of dogs are on the premises. Are all of the dogs young? Does the breeder have dogs of that breed as pets? How old are the dogs that the breeders have and if they have died what was the cause? These are some specific questions that can be asked in order to guage additional info about the breeder.

As with anything, you want the breeder to be able to give you references. This is a tricky area, as most people are not going to refer you to someone who will say anything bad. But in addition to the references, will the breeder give you the name of the vet that they have used consistently to care for the breeder’s own dogs as well as those he/she breeds?

Anything that is worth doing is worth doing right, and that includes obtaining a dog from a breeder. Take the time, do the research and don’t be afraid to say “no” if it just doesn’t sound right. As with most things, “go with your gut” as it will be the best indicator, in addition to all the information you gather, that will provide you with the best breeder and then the best dog for you and your family.

As I come across good sites about dogs with information that I feel would be valuable to readers, I like to pass that on. Hey, we are all in need of good information. I did find such a site and it is called Courteous Canines and it is written and hosted by Kate Connick. Many sites have information about dog health and obedience and this one does also, but it is written in a format that is easy to understand and useful at the same time.

One of the best areas that I have found on this website is the information on picking a good breeder. As was mentioned in a previous entry, (click here), “backyard breeding” could be dangerous and unhealthy for dogs and the puppies that are a result of that breeding. Ms. Connick gives tips that you can follow as well as questions that you can ask to insure that you are working with a top quality breeder.

First of all, the question should be asked about how long the breeder has been breeding a particular type of breed. If there is a surge in popularity of a particular breed of dog and a breeder comes out of no where saying he is a breeder of this specific dog and has been for a relatively short period of time…red flags should go up.

Ms. Connick also advises potential buyers to beware of breeders who try and push “non-standard deviations” of a breed as “rare”. According to Ms. Connick, most legitimate dog breeders see these non standard deviations as less than desireable. Her advice is to make sure that the dog that you purchase has the same desireable health and temperament that is characteristic of that breed of dog. It is also important to make sure that the dog breeder is actually breeding purebred dogs. If not, according to Ms. Connick, you could be getting a dog you believe is a purebred, but is actually a “glorified mutt.”

There are additional tips Ms. Connick that I will follow up with this week. However, to get her complete guide, check out her website that is identified in the first paragraph of this entry.

I apologize to my readers whom haven’t seen an entry in a couple of days. I rarely miss a day, but I was away on business and had little to no access to a computer. This is good sometimes, but not when I get the urge to write. I will try to remain consistent to provide you with relevant info on a regular basis with few entries missing as I shouldn’t be going away again for a while!!!

Imagine the feeling April Oliviere had the first time she heard her son, Marc utter his first words at age six!!! It seemed like a miracle to this mother of Marc Oliviere, who is identified as a selective mute. This is an individual who is capable of speaking, but had never spoken a word; until Boo came into his life.

Marc attends the Stepping Stones program of Austin Road Elementary School. The program is designed for students with special learning needs. Boo, is a 48 pound Labrador mix brought to the school by professional dog trainer and behavioral consultant Lisa Edwards. Boo helps these children gain valuable learning and social skills. Dogs are non judgemental and give unconditional love. The children, who sometimes feel different from other children love Boo Boo (as they call him), unconditionally as well.

When Marc Oliviere got off the bus on that special day, his mother was waiting for him as usual. She couldn’t believe that Marc started speaking and hasn’t stopped since. He first spoke about Boo as he clutched a picture of the dog in his hands. According to Marc’s teacher, Penny Weiser, Marc has showed tremendous growth and “blossomed into a happy boy with a lot to say”.

A classmate of Marc’s, Victor Cascaval had a severe fear of any type of animal. He would ask his mother if there were going to be animals at any place that the family went. Thinking that there might be an animal at their destination would make the child very anxious and afraid. But now, Victor is petting Boo and gaining a love for the animals that he onced feared.

According to Boo’s trainer, people who have empathy for dogs have empathy for other people. These children show through their interest in Boo, their abilities to care about other things. Even the childrens’ reading and writing skills have improved. Boo has worked with children with special needs such as Marc and Victor, but also goes to childrens’ hospitals around Westchester County in New York to help as many kids as he can….we should all know a dog like Boo!!

If you are starving for some great pop info from across the pond, check out the blog by fellow blogger, Dave Parrack!