If He Was my Own

If He Was my Own… I don’t think I could love him anymore than I do already.

This is the amazing Sheriff and he belongs to my friend Sandy.

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The Baby

This is Alex and he is my baby, he is the youngest of my kitty crew.

My Alex is always trying to work his way to the top of the hierarchy around here but always seems to fall a bit short. LOL

If any of you have multiple cats then you may know how it goes with the pecking order when it comes to cats. Since Roo passed on it has been an all out fight for his position of number two under Mikey. I think Alex figured since he is a male that he would automatically claim that spot but my female Belle (his aunt) set him straight with a quickness. LOL

I would like to say he is at number three but to be there he would have to get passed Daisy and well…that won’t happen anytime soon either, she can still take him.

So Alex tries to focus his power over the only one he can and that would be Sissy but then I step in because Sissy is at the bottom of this whole Hierarchy thing and well…I’m her mom and I just protect her. :)

So I think Alex is a bit frustrated with his position and all but he is still sweet as sugar, I just adore him.

For those who do not know, I rescued Alex at 3 weeks of age…his mom was a Feral cat that I trapped to be spayed and released. She ended up being a sweet baby as well and so instead of being released back into her environment, she found herself a home with my friend Julie and she goes by the name of Bella now. She is also the sister of my cat Belle.

Confused yet? LOL

All of the kittens from the litter Alex was in were placed in loving homes.

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Mikey Needs to Share

Ok, so last night I am upstairs on the computer and I hear my 6 year old Haley downstairs and she sounds mad, she was not yelling but she had that tone. I listened for a moment and did a mental inventory and came to the realization that there could not be anyone down there for her to be getting mad at.
So I walk down there and there the she is, one hand on the hip and the other one is pointing….and there he is, Mikey and he is sitting in a box. The box is what Roo’s grave marker came in. (I will upload a pic of it later, so beautiful, an angel cat with wings and Roo’s name inscribed on it, makes me happy)
So anyway, the box is way bigger than it needed to be for this marker but Mikey was all good with that.
Apparently, Mikey is not the only one in the house with a box fetish.
As soon as Haley turned and saw me downstairs she said “Mom, Mikey needs to share” I started to laugh which turned out to be the response she was not looking for. By this time she is full on pissed off, she said “everytime I try to get near the box he tries to get me, he’s not being nice and he is not sharing Mom, I want to play with the box too.”
Mikey is sitting in the box just looking all smug.
He is totally deaf so he cannot hear a word of what she is rambling but he knows she wants the box and he’s got it and I swear I could see a smirk on his face.
So then I really start laughing and Haley was not amused, “she said this is not fair, you need to teach him how to share.” Then she looked at Mikey and said forget it, I don’t want the box anymore and she stuck her tongue out at him and he just got more comfortable in his new box. LOL She told him “you wait until tonight when it’s bed time and you want to cuddle in my bed, nope, I’m not doing it.”
I am still laughing. It was too funny .
About an hour or so later I was doing laundry and I was out there a while, when I came back into the house it was quiet so I went in Haley’s room to check on her and she was fast asleep…and Mikey was right there next to her, head on her pillow, she had her arm around him.
Model is Mikey

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Wise Woman

This is Mama Kitty, she belongs to Rick and Raeanne, my neighbors/friends.
I posted a photograph of Mama Kitty a few years ago and at that time she was about 11 years old so now she is pushing 14. As you can see here, she looks amazing, beautiful girl and as sweet as she can be.
The only thing that seems at all different about her than the younger cats is that she seems so much wiser. Mama kitty is an indoor/outdoor cat up here in these mountains, she has had her freedom always and maybe this is why she seems so wise to me because she has really beat the odds. Within just a few moments of watching her around here, it is clear though that her beating the odds has nothing to do with luck.
She is a very cool kitty, a very wise kitty.

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Happy 9th Birthday Mikey

  And This is What I Get

“I give my Mom the best nine years of her life and all I get is a stupid ball with a feather on a stick”

LOL

But it’s a cool ball that you wind up and the stick and feather spin around for a long time…all the cats love it…except for Mikey. This right here is the look I get when I place it near him….
I even added one of his favorite toys to it, The blue squirmy wormy, still, it’s a no go. LOL I still get the look as if he thinking …..Really?

He really is a brat cat, always has been, I’m sure he is playing with it when I am not looking.

Mikey loves his toys but not your usual toys, Mikey’s absolute favorite toys is his stick, yep, a stick. He has had the same stick since he was a baby and he will bring it to me to play. He likes it when I put the stick under the blanket and make it poke out from underneath and then make it disappear again. He goes crazy for this and he hunts down that stick and kills it. LOL He also has another squirmy wormy tied to another stick that he really enjoys playing that same game with.

But he is not having anything to do with this stick on a ball thing, at least not when I am looking.

Oh, well, he got other things for his Birthday that he seemed to enjoy, all the food stuff. LOL.

We had a great day but then again, with Mikey , all the days are great.

Model is Mikey…unimpressed.

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Funding Available for Free-Roaming Cat Spay/Neuter - Apply Now!

Just a Quick Reminder
PetSmart Charities is now accepting Free-Roaming Cat Spay/Neuter grant applications for its winter-spring 2012 grant cycle. These grants are intended to provide funding and mentoring for high-impact Trap-Neuter-Return projects. The goal is to stabilize and ultimately reduce the free-roaming cat population within a specific geographic area.


Applications may be submitted through March 31, 2012, no later than midnight within your time zone. For more information and to access the online application please click here.

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Pet Poison Control Hotline Will Cost you $35-$65 for the Call

I am not kidding you. Animal Poison Control Hotlines charge money just for information, a lot of money and it’s sad. Ok, now I understand it cost money to run these things but we are talking about information that people need within a short time frame that doesn’t allow for credit card transactions. I mean give me a break, this is beyond stupid, I really thought we had come further than this.
Today I had set out to do an animal post and remind you all of Poison Prevention Week March 14-24.  I wanted to raise awareness on Household Dangers to pets/animals. I found some really great information out there but then at the bottom of all the info I read about these charges we need to know about, on that particular site it was $35 for the call. So I thought heck with these guys I am going to head over to the SPCA where they actually care about the animals….well…disappointed cannot even describe how I felt when I found out that they charge $65 a call on their hotline. WOW!

Pissed off is a better description.

Maybe they have always charged for this service, you know, I am not even sure because I just assumed that calling a hotline for help when your animal could be poisoned, would be a free call. Silly me.

I have to say here that I am in no way a political kind of girl, maybe I was years ago but not these days. Don’t get me wrong, I love my country, I am an American girl and proud to be her BUT when I see tax payer dollars being spent by politicians riding around in private jets with personal staff members by the dozens yet something as important, TO US  as our animals safety is being over looked it pisses me off. Sorry for the language but it does. I think these politicians should put on their walking shoes or buy a bus pass because honestly I don’t care how they get to where they are going….what I do care about is picking up the phone in my animals hour of need and knowing I will get help.  Don’t ask me for money, tell me what to do to save my friend, that is the right thing to do and when it is a person we do just that.

How many of you out there consider your animal’s lives a priority? How many of you would give just about anything to keep your animal from suffering?  How about love, let’s go there, how many of you can say that you have loved or still do love your animal friend the same as you would a human friend?

If these animals are this important to us and we are the people, why are they always being shafted? Many animals are the children of many human beings across this world, there are a great number of us that treat the little furry buggers like they are people and to us they are. Putting a price tag on their lives is insulting.
Now I don’t think we should get it all for free, we don’t get things for us for free. Just make it comparable because right now it is not at all.
The Pet Care Industry has been taking us for a ride for too long now, what is wrong with society? Don’t answer that. LOL
Veterinary Care Costs are just crazy and I spend more at the store now a days on animal needs than I do people needs. People are getting rich because our babies have fur. It’s not fair. We can’t even have a free hotline from an animal organization that is suppose to be saving animals.

It’s about time to change the way things are done and only we can change it but that is another post entirely. (but trust me it will be posted) :o)

So tonight, with all of this frustration, I set out on a mission to see if I could find real people that realize that our animals health is at the top of our priority list and just because they don’t look like real little kids doesn’t mean they are not our kids. Someone who in that moment of shear panic when you discover your animal has ingested something poisonous won’t ask you for your credit card number before giving you the info that can save your furbaby.

All I wanted to do was a post on poison prevention, you know with links that go back to a site that I could feel good about linking you to…that’s all

Well, I found them and some of my faith in this world has returned but not all of it by a long shot.

The place to call if you suspect poisoning in your child OR pet (I love that) is the    
Children’s Hospital Regional Poison Control Center at (800) 222-1222.
There are more I am sure…maybe. If you know of any please leave the information in the comment section so others can see it too.

And now my little Rant is over…LOL



I will now get back to what I set out to do tonight in the first place and that is offer you some info that could help you prevent the poisoning of your animals.

So if you are still with me here we go….


Know the Signs of Poisoning in Dogs and Cats

If you think your dog or cat has been poisoned, call your veterinarian or call the Poison Control Center at (800) 222-1222.


When it comes to poisoning, the sooner you treat your dog or cat, the better the outcome.
While this list is not exhaustive or complete, some common signs of poisoning generally include:

Gastrointestinal signs

·         Vomiting

·         Diarrhea

·         Drooling/hypersalivating

·         Inappetance

·         Nausea

Internal bleeding

·         Coughing of blood

·         Vomiting blood

·         Pale gums

·         A racing heart rate

·         Weakness or lethargy

·         Collapse

Kidney failure

·         Halitosis (“uremic” breath)

·         Inappetance

·         Vomiting

·         Diarrhea

·         Excessive thirst or urination

·         Absence or decreased urination

Liver failure

·         Jaundice/icterus/yellow discoloration to the gums

·         Weakness or collapse secondary to a low blood sugar

·         Dull mentation, acting abnormally

·         Vomiting

·         Diarrhea

·         Black-tarry stool (melena)

What to do if your dog or cat is poisoned:

·         Remove your pet from the area.

·         Check to make sure your pet is safe: breathing and acting normally.

·         Do NOT give any home antidotes.

·         Do NOT induce vomiting without consulting a vet or Poison Control Center Helpline.

·          Call the Poison Control Center 1-800-222-1222

·         If veterinary attention is necessary, contact your veterinarian or emergency veterinary clinic immediately.

When you call the Center, be ready to provide:

·         Your name, address and telephone number

·         Information concerning the exposure (the amount of agent, the time since exposure, etc.). For various reasons, it is important to know exactly what poison the animal was exposed to.

·         The species, breed, age, sex, weight and number of animals involved

·         The agent your animal(s) has been exposed to, if known

·         The problems your animal(s) is experiencing.

Be Prepared: 

Your animal may become poisoned in spite of your best efforts to prevent it. Because of this, you should be prepared. Your animal companions regularly should be seen by a local veterinarian to maintain overall health. You should know the veterinarian's procedures for emergency situations, especially ones that occur after usual business hours. You should keep the telephone numbers for the veterinarian, and a local emergency veterinary service in a convenient location.
You may benefit by keeping a pet safety kit on hand for emergencies. Such a kit should contain:

·         A fresh bottle of hydrogen peroxide 3% (USP)

·         Can of soft dog or cat food, as appropriate

·         Turkey baster, bulb syringe or large medicine syringe

·         Saline eye solution to flush out eye contaminants

·         Artificial tear gel to lubricate eyes after flushing

·         Mild grease-cutting dishwashing liquid in order to bathe an animal after skin contamination

·         Rubber gloves to prevent you from being exposed while you bathe the animal

·         Forceps to remove stingers

·         Muzzle to keep the animal from hurting you while it is excited or in pain

·         Pet carrier to help carry the animal to your local veterinarian

Top 10 Pet Poisons

 Dog Poisons:

1.      Chocolate

2.      Insect bait stations

3.      Rodenticides (i.e., mouse and rat poison)

4.      Fertilizers

5.      Xylitol-containing products (i.e., sugar-free gums and candies)

6.      Ibuprofen (Advil® or Motrin® in brand name or generic form)

7.      Acetaminophen (Tylenol® in brand name or generic form)

8.      Silica gel packs

9.      Amphetamines, such as ADD/ADHD drugs

10.  Household cleaners

Cat Poisons:

1.      Lilies

2.      Canine pyrethroid insecticides (topical flea and tick medicine designed for dogs but erroneously placed on cats)

3.      Household cleaners

4.      Rodenticides

5.      Paints and varnishes

6.      Veterinary non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications (Rimadyl®, Deramaxx®)

7.      Glow sticks/glow jewelry

8.      Amphetamines (such as ADD/ADHD drugs)

9.      Acetaminophen (Tylenol® in brand name or generic form)

10.  Ibuprofen (Advil or Motrin® in brand name or generic form)

Things in your yard that are poisonous to dogs & cats!

Blood meal:

This is dried, ground, and flash-frozen blood and contains 12% nitrogen. While it’s a great organic fertilizer, if ingested, it can cause vomiting (of some other poor animal’s blood) and diarrhea. More importantly, it can result in severe pancreatitis, which is inflammation of the pancreas. Some types of blood meal are also fortified with iron, resulting in iron toxicity, so make sure to know what’s in your bag of blood!

Blue–green algae or Cyanobacteria:

Growth of toxic algae can be found in both fresh and salt water throughout the warm regions of the world. Blue-green algae becomes concerning when algae accumulates on the surface of the water during hot, dry weather with wind that can shift concentrated algae mats along the shorelines. Affected water may have the appearance of pea soup with thick layers of algae on the surface. Blooms of blue-green algae can contain hepatoxins and/or neurotoxins, depending on the species. Exposures occur when dogs ingest or swim in water that contains the cyanobateria. Clinical signs with the hepatoxin variety are vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, weakness, shock, icterus (yellow gums), and potentially death within 24 hours to several days. Clinical signs seen with ingestion of the neurotoxin species occur acutely with onset of tremors, lethargy, seizures, difficult breathing, and death within a hour.

Bone Meal:

This is made up of defatted, dried, and flash-frozen animal bones that are ground to a powder. This “bone” is also what makes it so palatable to your dog, so make sure to keep your pet from digging in it and ingesting the soil. While this also makes a great organic fertilizer, it can become a problem when consumed as the bone meal forms a large cement-like bone ball in the stomach – which can cause an obstruction in the gastrointestinal tract – resulting in possible surgery to remove it!

Compost bins or piles:

While we applaud you for composting, make sure to do so appropriately – your compost shouldn’t contain any dairy or meat products, and should always be fenced off for the sake of your pets and wildlife. These piles of decomposing and decaying organic matter and molding food products have the potential to contain tremorgenic mycotoxins, which are toxic to both pets and wildlife. Even small amounts ingested can result in clinical signs within 30 minutes to several hours. Clinical signs include agitation, hyperthermia, hyper-responsiveness, panting, drooling, and vomiting, and can progress to serious CNS signs (including incoordination, tremors, and seizures!). Ruleouts for this include toxins that cause “shake and bake,” such as metaldehydes (snail bait), strychnine, organophosphates, and methylxanthines. Prompt decontamination is the key if the patient isn’t demonstrating clinical signs yet – this includes inducing vomiting and giving activated charcoal. Once the patient is symptomatic, aggressive supportive care includes the use of IV fluids, temperature regulation, cooling methods (cooling down to a temperature of 103.5⁰ F/39.7⁰ C), IV muscle relaxants (methocarbamol), and anticonvulsants (i.e., diazepam, phenobarbital).

Iron:

This is commonly added to fertilizers, and can result in iron toxicity (from ingestion of elemental iron). This is different from “total” iron ingestion, and can be confusing to differentiate. When in doubt, have a medical professional at Pet Poison Helpline assist you with finding out if the amount ingested was toxic or not. Large ingestions can result in vomiting, bloody diarrhea, and potential cardiac and liver effects.

Mulch Products:

Cocoa bean mulch, a byproduct of chocolate production, is the discarded hulls or shells of the cocoa bean. This mulch is frequently used for home landscaping and is often very fragrant, especially when first placed in the yard and warmed by the sun. This tempting smell of warm chocolate often attracts and encourages dogs (Labradors!) to ingest the mulch. Through the processing procedure of creating cocoa bean mulch, much of the methylxanthine poison is removed, but still potentially contains 0.19% to 2.98% theobromine and 0.5% to 0.85% caffeine. All animals can be affected by methyxanthylates, but dogs tend to have more frequent exposure opportunities to the chocolates, coffee beans and cocoa mulch that contain them. Clinical signs include vomiting, diarrhea, hyperactivity, tremors, tachycardia, tachypnea, and potential seizures. Symptoms are dose-dependent and an accurate dose is very difficult to determine because of the variation of the concentration of methyxanthylates from one mulch product to next.
There have been anecdotal reports of a dog dying after ingesting cocoa bean shell mulch, and this has been rapidly circulating on the Internet. That said, how toxic is this stuff, really? The first report of this poisoning was actually reported by Pet Poison Helpline’s Drs. Lynn Hovda and R. Kingston at the 1993 International Congress of Clinical Toxicology. Dr. Steve Hansen published this again 10 years later (Clin Tox 2003;41:5). Recently, Dr. Hansen stated that the cause of the one fatality ( a young Labrador) was “highly suspect.” While theobromine and caffeine (methylxanthines) can be toxic, clinical signs are usually more PROGRESSIVE – such as vomiting, diarrhea, more vomiting, trembling, a racing heart rate, and then seizures in very high doses. Cocoa bean mulch is very unlikely to result in sudden death without showing other signs. Nevertheless, play it safe and don’t allow pets to ingest this product! Typically, after a first rain, the smell dissipates, making the mulch less attractive to pets.

Mushrooms:

There are various types of mushrooms located throughout the United States that may be non-toxic; however, other types of mushrooms may be very dangerous and include general groups that are gastric irritants, hallucinogenic, or hepatotoxic (from cyclopeptides, hydrazine toxins, isoxazoles, or psilocybin compounds). The latter group includes Amanita mushrooms, which can result in acute hepatic necrosis (i.e., liver failure).
While the frequency of dangerous mushroom toxicity is likely very low, the lack of readily available identification of mushrooms lands all ingestions in the category of toxic until proven otherwise. With ingestion of any mushroom, immediate emesis is recommended, provided the animal is alert, asymptomatic, and able to adequately protect his or her upper airway. Gastric lavage may be necessary for animals already exhibiting clinical signs. Clinical symptoms are dependent on the species of mushroom ingested, the specific toxin within that mushroom, and the individual’s own susceptibility. Early clinical signs include vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, ataxia, depression, tremors, and seizures, with liver and renal damage occurring later. One can collect all the pieces of the mushroom in a paper towel, place them in a labeled (DO NOT EAT! POISONOUS) paper bag, and refrigerate the sample for future possible identification. If you see your dog eat a mushroom, contact your veterinarian or Pet Poison Helpline immediately! Better yet, make sure to scour your yard frequently and get rid of any mushrooms growing out there!

Mouse and rat poisons (rodenticides):

As we prepare to winterize our garage, cabin, or house, keep in mind that there are some more dangerous rat poisons to pick from than others. Always make sure to place these poisonous baits in areas where your pet can’t reach them (i.e., high up on shelves, hidden behind work spaces, etc.). Currently there are four separate categories of rodenticides available for general use. Each has a different and unique mechanism of action. This results in four different sets of clinical signs in both the target rodent population and our curious pets who might consume them. All of these rodenticides also pose the potential for “relay toxicity”– in other words, if your dog eats a whole bunch of dead mice poisoned by rodenticides, they can get the secondary effects from this. This is most commonly seen in birds of prey (i.e., raptors), so we generally recommend avoiding them in the first place!

·         Long-acting anticoagulants (LAACs): By far the most well-known and perhaps most widely used rodenticides are the LAACS. This family of rodenticides works by causing internal bleeding and preventing the body from clotting normally. Common signs include coughing (blood in the lungs), large and soft lumps under the skin, vomiting, nose bleeds, bruised skin, exercise intolerance, weakness, bloody urine, bleeding from the gums, and inappetance. With LAACS, it takes 2-5 days before the poison actually takes effect and before clinical signs of bleeding, but chronic ingestion shortens the time period. If there is any suspicion of ingestion, a prothrombin test, usually referred to as a PT test, supports the diagnosis (it takes 48 hours after ingestion before this PT test will be abnormal). Fortunately, prescription-strength Vitamin K1, the antidote, is routinely found in most veterinary offices.

·         Cholecalciferol (Vitamin D3): One of the most dangerous rat poisons out there is a Vitamin D3-based rodenticide. This type basically increases calcium blood levels so high that it causes a secondary kidney failure. With this type of rat poison, only a tiny amount needs to be ingested before it causes a problem, and long-term, expensive treatment is usually necessary. This is the type to avoid in your garage, as it has no antidote!

·         Bromethalin: This rarer type of rat poison doesn’t have an antidote and results in brain swelling. If toxic amounts are ingested, we see clinical signs of walking drunk, tremoring, and seizuring. Treatment is symptomatic and may require an extended amount of time in the veterinary hospital due to long-lasting effects (days up to a week).

·         Phosphides: This type of poison is more commonly seen in mole and gopher poison, and typically doesn’t come in the classic blue-green or yellow blocks or pellets. Phosphide rodenticides typically come in a poisoned “gummy worm” form that you put in the dirt. These types of phosphide poisons result in phosphine gas in the stomach, resulting in severe bloat, profuse vomiting, abdominal pain, and potential lung and heart complications. Like cholecalciferol poisons, it only takes a small amount of poison to cause a big problem! Make sure to keep these toxins away from your pets, as this type can be poisonous to you too (if you inhale the phosphine gas if your dog vomits!).

Rose and plant fertilizers:

Some of these fertilizers contain disulfoton or other types of organophosphates (OP). As little as 1 teaspoon of 1% disulfoton can kill a 55 lb dog, so be careful! Organophosphates, while less commonly used, can result in severe symptoms [including SLUD signs (which abbreviate for salivation, lacrimation, urination, and defecation), seizures, difficulty breathing, hyperthermia, etc. In some cases, it can be fatal!

Pesticides/Insecticides:

Most pesticides or insecticides (typically those that come in a spray can) are basic irritants to the pet and are usually not a huge concern unless a pet’s symptoms become persistent. Some may contain an organophosphate which can be life threatening when consumed in large quantities. It is always best to speak to a trained medical professional if there are any questions.

Slug and Snail Baits:

Slug and snail baits are commonly used on the West coast and in warm-weather conditions, and are available in a variety of forms (pellets, granular, powder, and liquid). The active ingredient is typically metaldehyde, which is toxic to all species (particularly dogs).
When ingested, metaldehyde results in clinical signs that resulted in the nickname “shake and bake.” Within 1 to 2 hours of ingestion, clinical signs of salivation, restlessness, vomiting, and incoordination are seen, which then progress to tremors, seizures, and secondary severe hyperthermia. Treatment consists of early decontamination, supportive care, temperature regulation (cooling down to a temperature of 103.5⁰ F/39.7⁰ C), anticonvulsants, and muscle relaxants. Generally, the prognosis is favorable if treatment is quickly and aggressively implemented.

Click here for Poisonous Plants List

If you suspect your pet has ingested any of these items or any other questionable substance, call the Poison Control Center 1-800-222-1222 or your veterinarian for assistance. Accurate and timely identification of the suspected substance is very important. Having the container, package, or label in hand will save valuable time and may save the life of your pet.

And I would like to give a big huge Thank you to the Children’s Hospital of Michigan. 

You people are real human beings. 

Thank you

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Saying Goodbye to Petey

I remember that night almost as if it were yesterday...my friend Susan called me up and said there was a dog that she knew that was getting ready to be taken to the pound. She said he was a good dog and wondered if maybe we had some room up here on this mountain to take him in. So I got in the car at like 9pm and headed 30 miles out of town to pick up a dog I didn't know and bring him home.
When I arrived, Susan said, "This is Petey, he is a one and a half year old Australian Shepard/Border Collie mix and he loves kids and other animals." He had his own kid but the Dad found out he was terminally ill so the whole family was moving back east for his last days and there was no room for Pete.

So, Pete and I said our hello's and I loaded him up for the drive home.
Next came the lecture, yes, I was lecturing this dog on the way home because you see...I am a cat person.
So I proceeded to tell Petey that after his bath he could sleep on the bed but he would have to sleep on the right side because my cat Mikey sleeps on the left. I ran down all the rules of the household and told him I really didn't want to get a dog. I had a full house already with a  2 year old, 6 cats and a standard poodle, I was already spreading myself thin but....I couldn't let him go to the pound. Petey seemed to take it all in and looked excited about this new adventure he was now on, not nervous at all.
When we arrived at our property, we both got out of the truck and headed towards the house. Petey looked like he had just hit the jackpot as he looked around and sniffed everything. It was dark though so the full appreciation of where he had just made his new home would not come until morning. We have 22 acres here, a dogs delight and it would all soon belong to Petey.
When we went into the house, my friend Marven who also lives here told me that our neighbors Rick and Raeanne wanted to see our new dog. Our neighbors live on the 22 acres also and their house is right next to ours. So I said "Come on Pete" and he followed me to the neighbor’s house.
What happened next is something that I know will stay with me forever. The neighbor’s door was open and when we approached heir house, Petey broke and ran straight into their house like he knew the place and ran right over to where Rick was sitting in his chair and sat down in front of him and in that moment I watched as a friendship was born.
Rick and Raeanne were both very taken by Pete and told me what a cool dog he was…so I jokingly asked “Do you want him?” I figured they would give the reply most people give when you ask them if they want a dog, you know the list of excuses as to why they can’t have one right now. Instead to my surprise, they said ”Really?” I asked “You really want him?” and Rick blurted out “Hell yes I want him”.
And so Pete had a home with two of my most favorite people on the planet. I was so happy that night, never in my entire life as an animal rescuer, have I ever rehomed an animal so easily nor had I ever felt so good about the home that an animal was going to. Funny thing was, Petey rehomed himself that night because he was going to live with me but he picked them and I was perfectly ok with that because as I said…I am a cat person.
So that was back in 2008, it’s been almost four years ago, how time does fly. Along the way Petey has managed to be “our” dog here on the property.  He and my daughter Haley bonded right off the get, I suppose because he missed his little kid he had prior to coming here. Haley and Pete played together anytime she was outside, Petey loved Haley because she couldn’t tell him no. Petey was a ball dog, he loved that ball and would chase it down and bring it back and throw it at you, yes, throw it at you. Haley would always throw it again, not all of us were always up to this game so Pete appreciated Haley a great deal.
I’m sure you notice me speaking of Pete in past tense here…that’s because on Friday night Pete was killed. He somehow managed his way on to the freeway that is nearby and was hit by traffic. We believe he was probably chasing a deer.
When I told my daughter Haley the news, I saw her literally slouch, the tears fell immediately.  I don’t think I have ever seen her cry this way, she cried for two hours straight, she kept saying “But Mom, Petey is my friend”, she finally cried herself to sleep.
Rick and Raeanne were obviously devastated, Pete was their dog for four years, their family member and he was a pretty spoiled dog along with his dog sister Lily who is also pretty sad right now.
On the night Petey was killed Rick had went out looking for Petey and Lily because they weren’t here as they always are. Living near a freeway, Rick decided to look there even though Petey never went near there before. What Rick discovered Friday night was any animal Parents nightmare. There was his beloved Pete, hit by traffic and no longer in one piece. I cannot imagine seeing what he saw the other night and it breaks my heart. What Rick did next makes me proud to just know him. It was way after dark and there Rick was on that busy I-80 freeway recovering what he could of his friend so he could bring him home to bury him. Wow.

Needless to say it was a tough weekend for us all. Living so close together we are very much a part of each other’s lives and this loss is felt by us all.

So, for Rick and Raeanne, I want you to know that I love and adore you both so much.

Thank you for giving Petey such a loving home these past four years. Petey loved you both so much and he loved his home, he was a happy dog and it showed.

Rick, what you did the other night goes above and beyond what most would do in the same situation. I am sorry you had to see your friend this way; I know how much that had to hurt you. The fact that you pushed aside your own pain to bring Pete home shows me your heart and I admire you more today than I already did before. 

 And Petey, you were a great dog. I am so glad I drove down to get you that night. And though I may be a cat person, you made dogs look pretty good.  It was an honor to know you my friend, you will be missed every single day.

Thank you for loving my Haley girl and please keep an eye on Roo for me. 

Here are some photographs I have taken over the years of Petey....

Goodbye Pete....

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Pet Friendly Rental Search

I just happened to find this nifty website while searching the web for something else tonight and I had to share it with you. I personally know what it feels like trying to find a place that allows animals, I have been up against that brick wall every time I have ever moved and it really bites. Seeing "no pets allowed" after you have just read the description of a place that sounds perfect for you is very frustrating.

MyApartmentMap could take the frustration right out of it. I have not used this service personally but it sounds great. I plan to look into it more after this post and I will let you know what I think.

 MyApartmentMap has the largest list of currently available pet friendly housing. The inability to find pet friendly housing is one of the leading causes of cat & dog abandonment.

If you are moving...check it out and if you are not moving, bookmark it in case you do move in the future and pass it along to someone you know for sure.

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Funding Available for Free-Roaming Cat Spay/Neuter - Apply Now!

PetSmart Charities is now accepting Free-Roaming Cat Spay/Neuter grant applications for its winter-spring 2012 grant cycle. These grants are intended to provide funding and mentoring for high-impact Trap-Neuter-Return projects. The goal is to stabilize and ultimately reduce the free-roaming cat population within a specific geographic area.


Applications may be submitted through March 31, 2012, no later than midnight within your time zone. For more information and to access the online application please click here.

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