More safe places for off-leash freedom is a good thing! (Photo by Liza31337/Flickr)
Our friends across Lake Washington in Kirkland have an opportunity to get a brand new off-leash dog park. The city’s one of 15 finalists vying for a $100,000 grant in a national contest.
Just so you know, we’re not impartial on this. We support our “home team,” of course!
I know readers of this blog are worldwide . That means a few are probably located in other finalist cities. If you’re in one of those places, please move on to the next thing you’re doing today and pretend you never saw this information.
(You know I’m joking, right?)
So, Kirkland, Washington needs your votes! That’s KIRKLAND. And here’s how you vote. It’s on the web, of course. You can vote once a day at each of these two sites:
Sadly, posters like this are everywhere (Photo by Jeramey Jannene/Flickr)
It breaks my heart. As someone who’s walking around the city all day, I can definitely say that it’s a sad fact. Every year after the Fourth of July, I see a dramatic increase in lost dog posters. On telephone poles, inside shop windows and on community bulletin boards.
Where ever there’s a spot for a poster to hang, there’s often news of a dog that went running during the fireworks on the Fourth.
Here are some tips about pets and fireworks we shared a couple weeks ago. Even if the next fireworks display might be a months away, it’s never too early to stay plugged in about the best ways to look after our furry family members.
If you spend part of your day on foot like I do, I hope you keep an eye open for these loving companions who’ve gone missing.
Make sure he's chipped in case he's lost or runs away (Photo by Dawn Huczek/Flickr)
Fourth of July can be a time of chaos for our pets. Most dog owners know that fireworks can send their little buddy into a full sprint — ending who knows where.
To help pets at this frantic time, Homeward Pet Adoption Center in Woodinville is doing something really great. They’re offering free microchips for dogs and cats this week through Friday (7/1) from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Bradshaw has spent his career debunking some of the common bad dog advice we’ve all heard, while researching the understanding of dog behavior.
“Most dogs probably have stronger attachments to people than they do to other dogs,,” he says. “Which is pretty unusual for any species, apart from our own.”
One of Bradshaw’s main findings? “Most dogs do not like being left alone.”
The book sounds great! I’ve just read the excepts. But I’ll definitely be picking it up soon.
Lost tornado dog (Photo from Tuscaloosa Metro Animal Shelter/Facebook)
This is the sweet boy that I found walking alongside I-20 on Saturday. He is a very loving well-trained great Pyrenees. He has a wonderful disposition (despite looking so sad in this photo). Thank you to the Tuscaloosa Metro Animal Shelter for taking care of him (ID #13050707). I hope he is reunited with his family soon.
As I mentioned in a post earlier this week, whenever one of these natural disasters strikes, there are always animal victims, too. Fortunately, in the Facebook Age, the same social media tools that help you find your old high school friends are being used to reunite lost dogs and their owners.
The Tuscaloosa Metro Animal Shelter is posting pics of lost dogs on their Facebook page, in hopes of finding their owners quickly. And they’re encouraging people to post photos of a dog they’re looking for — maybe one that got separated or ran off during the storm.
Check out the photos HERE. Great use of Facebook! And much appreciation to folks at TMAS for working hard on behalf of all these pets and their owners.
Yes, Seattle, we made the list (Photo by Dagny Scott)
Cities in warmer climates tend to rule this list. But, it looks like Seattle and Portland can take credit for our share of dog attacks on mail carriers.
Not to nit-pick. But there are 15 cities in the “Top 10,” due to several cities tying. The sports statistics guy in me says that actually puts Seattle in 15th place! (Okay, that was a little “nit-picky.”)
Portland? Seventh place on the list. Or eleventh by my “correct” accounting method.
Take a look at the numbers (dog attacks, cities, rankings) provided by the U.S. Postal Service — if you’re the kinda person who likes to sink your teeth into things like this!
I’d caution dog owners to be responsible with their pups and not let them hassle the men and women bringing the mail. But odds are, the people who’s dogs are causing problems aren’t reading this.
Make sure his tag has the right info on it (Photo by Dandelion_Glitter/Flickr)
I was looking at Stewie‘s I.D. tag today when I said to myself, “That doesn’t look right.” Well, my eyes were right. The tag was wrong. Partially.
I recently changed phone numbers. The old number was on Stewie’s identification. The tag did have Greg‘s correct number. So it had a working number. But, I made a quick trip to the pet store for an updated tag.
It’s a pretty good idea to check your pets’ tags on a regular basis. Many times our information changes. Also, wear on a tag can sometimes make them unreadable.
And of course, you should always update your microchip information. If your dog has the chip and loses his or her collar, make sure your address and phone number are correct.
Updating a pet tag or microchip is an easy thing to put off. But the worst possible time is when stuff tends to happen. So do your furry friends and yourself a favor, and make sure their info is current.
Here are some basic tips in dog park etiquette (Photo by Emery_Way/Flickr)
I told you yesterday about our brief visit to the Off-Leash Area at Woodland Park on Sunday. It got me thinking about etiquette — and the occasional lack of it — at dog parks.
The best advice boils down to people making sure they know their dog and that they pay attention during their visits so that the experience is a great one for their dog and the other pooches at the dog park.
The group, sister Kimberly and two brothers Neil and Reid Perry, were hands-on at yesterday’s fundraiser — or more accurately “hands-wet” — washing dogs all morning at the event.
The group’s members are passionate pet lovers, and made a donation of $10,000 to the Humane Society of Tampa Bay, according to a report from The Boot. The Band Perry was in Tampa opening for singer Tim McGraw on his Emotional Traffic tour.
Sniff Seattle 