I came home to two excited dogs — Kaiah jumping, Grayson waiting his turn — and then, I saw it: an empty bread sack. Now, please know that I just bought this loaf of bread the day before and had not even opened it! It’s my own fault, really. After all, it's happened before. I should have known better. Those of you who've read the stories of Grayson's destruction, are all probably saying to yourselves, “Grayson! How could you?!” Well, don’t jump to conclusions just yet. The first time around, Kaiah was the culprit; I had not even adopted Grayson yet.  I love my babies so much, but they each …

The other day I heard someone explaining why somebody would ask if a dog’s teeth were ground down. A dog whose teeth are ground down would not be able to fight back and defend themselves, making them perfect bait dogs for dogs being trained to fight.  I have seen so many injured dogs on Facebook lately, also dogs up for adoption that were once a “bait dog.” Some people may think that "bait dogs" are far and few between, but that's not the case. There are laws against dog fighting, but just like everything in life, the criminals keep hidden. Rescues do their best to help the dogs in the …

Animal Services in Miami-Dade picked up Nalia, an injured pit bull mix who was struggling to walk and limping around on three legs. Pit bulls are banned in Miami-Dade; regardless, Nalia was initially treated for a fractured and bitten front leg, but was also scheduled to be euthanized, according to Harlan Weikle, executive director at For Paws Hospice, an Ozona-based non-profit. This little girl did not know that she had angels getting ready to save her life and start her on a new journey. For Paws Hospice acted immediately and called the Miami Coalition Against Breed Specific Legislation (…

Many of you have heard about the detriment of puppy mills, but how many of you can say you've seen what it does to a dog? Before I moved to Florida, I knew puppy mills were bad, but really never fully understood the impact until my work with a local rescue put me around puppy mill dogs.  I can explain this best by telling a story of a dog named Pearl. My local rescue group rescued Pearl, a West Highland terrier, from a puppy mill after living seven years in a cage. Pearl never got to see what a real dog life was like. Pearl ate, slept, peed, pooped, was forced to breed, and lived (if that is …

I recently moved from an apartment to a house — a house with a fenced-in back yard.  I went from a large apartment without a yard to a small home with a large yard. The best part of this move is that I was also allowed to put in a doggie door for the kids. (What a landlord, right?!) My friend came over, installed the doggie door, and after I get all moved in and settled, he brings me a newspaper article pointing out the inherent security risk of robbers getting in through people's doggie doors.  I figure I'm OK because, after all, what robber would want to come into my home and come face to …

I was talking to a friend the other day who told me she had been talking to a guy and they were going to go on a date. But then came the deal breaker: he does not like animals! My friend has a dog, and the guy knew that.  This made me wonder, would it be a deal breaker for every one?  I look into the eyes of my two babies, and it would be a definite deal breaker for me. My two dogs are my babies, my children, if you will.  Sadly, during my volunteer work with a local dog rescue group, I have sat and watched people actually give up their dogs because of a new baby, because they can no longer …

Many of us have seen them: the pet murals on walls around the Tampa Bay area. And now, for the first time, the artist is sharing the stories behind the pet portraits. In Gulfport, Anna Hamilton helped with the pet mural at Domain Home Accessories, which raised money for Limbo Chihuahuas-Chihuahua Rescue and Save Our Strays, Inc., a joint effort with artist Mary Megan Barrett. Murals for Mutts also has murals in Dunedin, Largo, St. Pete, and Tampa. The public art project began on walls here-and-there around the Tampa Bay region a few years ago, and eventually turned into Murals for Mutts, a …

A pregnancy in the family can be an exciting time for everyone — even your dogs.  Animals are so sensitive to their owners, that they're likely already aware something is going on with Mom when she's pregnant. However, they may not know exactly how to behave. They are, after all, picking up on all our emotions: happy, sad, excitement, worry, anxiety, etc.  (I know my girl Kaiah, mirrors my emotions all the time.)  I have a friend who is expecting and she has two dogs in the house. I can only imagine what emotions her dogs are picking up on.  So, in honor of her, I thought I'd gather up some …

How many of you have seen the YouTube videos of dogs welcoming their owner’s home from the military? I cry almost every time I see them. As Iwatched one today, I saw another titled "Reunited After 3.5 Years!" Joplin, the dog, seems so excited and happy to see its owner. The video indicated that the owner had been incarcerated, but it is OK, it doesn’t really matter.  After watching, I wondered if they remember everything, or choose to remember only the things they want. Watching the rescue dogs that have come through my house, I have to say that for a while I feel they remember the bad things…

Debbe Decker had no way of knowing what was lurking around her home when she let her dogs out for their nightly potty break on July 3. Then she heard a yelp, followed by a much louder yelp, and saw her 12-year-old Rottweiler, Macks, run toward the house. Debbe’s husband Bill saw an alligator get back into the water nearby, and they immediately called their senior German shepherd mix, Rocky, who is 14, and went to the house. Within five minutes of being outside, Macks, who weighs 104 pounds, had been attacked.  Gator Attack Disfigures Dog Debbe panicked at the sight of Macks. His ear and face …

Lately, I have seen more and more dogs at the dog park that are not neutered, and I found out some of the females are also not spayed. Almost every dog park has a sign saying that dogs should be neutered before coming into the park. One dog owner's reply recently: “My dog is balanced.” Allow me to explain. Just because your dog is “balanced,” it does not mean that other dogs will like him. Other dogs tend to go into frenzy when a male dog that is still intact enters the dog park. They smell the excessive testosterone, and that causes a problem.   One dog owner at the park recently said …

In the last month and a half, many dogs in this area have contracted kennel cough. I know of seven dogs from the local dog park that have gotten it, and who knows how many others that I don’t know about. I've been one of the lucky ones (knock on wood), and Kaiah and Grayson have escaped this round.  A friend told me that someone told her that he would not be coming back to the park because other people don’t vaccinate their dogs. She asked him if he had vaccinated his dog, and he said, “Well, yes, from rabies, but that is it.” This made me think that maybe I need to talk a little about kennel…

It is the wet season here in Florida, and one common creature lurking in your yard can be fatal to your pet. It has many names — the Bufo Toad, Cane Toad, Giant Toad, Marine Toad — but no matter what you call it, it can be deadly. According to the Florida Wildlife Extension, the Marine Toad is not native to the United States. It can grow to 4-6 inches long and can be as large as a human fist.  Toad Secretes Toxin Through its Skin The Marine Toad releases a toxic substance from its parotid glands. In humans, the toxin can burn the eyes and irritate the skin. In cats and dogs, it can be deadly …

It’s getting hot outside, and it's time to take off a few layers. But what about your dog? I live in Dunedin, where people take their dogs with them everywhere, all the time. This time of year, people need to think about the heat before taking their dogs along.  Here are three tips for keeping your dogs comfortable during the summer. 1. Walk when it's cooler outside. I have been watching people walk their dogs in the hottest part of the day on blacktop. For people, walking in the afternoon isn't a big deal — but they wear shoes! I love taking my two babies out with me, but I also love them …

One would think that bringing a toy to the dog park is a good thing. I agree, as long as you're willing to share. The majority of my friends and I do not bring toys. However, there are a lot of tennis balls and an occasional Frisbee for the dogs to play with at any time. One friend told me that a lady recently came to the park with a Frisbee for her dog to play with. As her dog went after it, my friend's dog, Murphy, picked up the Frisbee. The Frisbee's owner started yelling at Murphy to “Drop it!”  First off, not all dogs know the same command, so Murphy might not have known what "Drop it!" …

Rosie, a Bearcoat Shar Pei believed to be 5 years old, was in dire shape when she was dropped off at Animal Control. Her owners decided they no longer wanted her. A woman named Judy Labadie circulated Rosie's picture, and got the attention of Mary Schacherbaur of New York and Betsy Meek.  Judy immediately took her to a vet in Altamonte Springs, where she was told that Rosie was heartworm positive, had a respiratory infection, had a a skin condition caused by a flea allergy, was in renal failure and was blind and deaf. Her condition was more like that of a 10-year-old dog, the vet said. The …

I am so excited! My friends told me about the Belleair Causeway, where the dogs get to run on the beach without being on a leash. So I loaded up Kaiah, Grayson, towels, fresh water and a bowl, and we headed out. When we got there, Kaiah was excited because she saw the water. She loves to swim! Grayson has only been to the beach a couple times, and he had to stay on a leash. He had not actually gone swimming yet, so I was hoping.  When we got there, it was great! The dogs got to run and play with each other and other dogs in the water, and a little on the beach area. Kaiah ran and waited for …

Hillsborough County took a huge step forward in the animal community a couple of weeks ago by moving toward making its animal shelter a no-kill zone. Hillsborough County Animal Services has been trying to get its euthanasia number down. It has gone down from 30,000 in 2005 to 14,000 last year. What a great feat! Now, the county is trying for even fewer. Now, there are always going to be some exceptions to the rule, such as very sick dogs that cannot be saved, but those things cannot be helped.  Animal Services employees are being redirected in how to maintain operations while saving most …

Some say it is easier to adopt a child than it is to adopt a dog from a rescue. Now whether you believe this or not, I have to say, there is a good reason for it. The rescue I volunteer with checks references, does a house check, and does home trials before anyone is allowed to officially adopt a dog. You may be asking why a rescue would go through all of that. Isn’t the point to get the dogs adopted into a home? Well, that is partially true. Yes, the rescues want to get the dogs adopted, but they want the dogs adopted into a good home. After reading an article a couple days ago, I became …

A little dog was surrendered to Pinellas County Animal Services by his owner around the first week of March. His legs were deformed, but his spirit was not. Luckily, the workers and volunteers saw this.  Animal Services contacted Dr. Caroline Thomas, who specializes in orthopedics. After evaluating the dog, Dr. Thomas decided to put his legs in splints/casts for a week to try to straighten them. After a week, she would remove the casts/splints and re-evaluate him. She believed that no surgery would be required, and he was such a love that Dr. Thomas and the veterinary technicians did anything…