This week’s Sunbear Squad tip is especially important due to the high number of foreclosures and people abandoning their houses, and unfortunately, sometimes their pets.

Watch Tip of the Week Nov. 1:

Listen for pets trapped inside while households travel during the winter. Check garages and sheds. Accidents happen!

Here’s more info on Sunbear from founder of  Sunbear Squad, Anna Nirva. Please exercise more awareness with the traveling months coming. Remember Sunbear’s story. He was accidentally trapped when his owner traveled for work. His owner thought that he had found a new home for Sunbear, but communication broke down. Sunbear waited for 6 weeks in a townhouse laundry room with a bag of food outside the door. His new family never came. His owner never checked to make sure than Sunbear was picked up by his new family as planned.

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I know many people have heard of  WebMD, or even stopped by their site,  it’s a great place to get your health care questions answered.  What you may not know, they now have a section devoted to pets. The WebMD Healthy Pets section covers everything from behavior to preventative care.

They also feature top stories, today’s is about the controversy over pet vaccines.

WebMD Pet Health Feature by Bill Hendrick

Reviewed by Katherine Snyder, DVM, Dip ACVIM

Many pet owners and some animal scientists believe that we are over vaccinating our pets. They also think that some shots may be doing more harm than good. One type of cancer in cats, for example, is known to be caused by injections. In addition, vaccines can cause allergic reactions.

Because reports and rumors of side effects have become so widespread, pet owners increasingly are asking their vets about shots. Andy Smith, DVM, a long-time Atlanta veterinarian, says he has “this conversation with a client twice a week. It’s clear there’s a lot of confusion and concern.” So WebMD went to some top veterinary experts to find answers you can use in sorting out your own concerns.

Go visit WebMD to read the full article and find out why dogs need vaccines, if you should vaccinate, and can they cause cancer.

*Thanks Bella for barking this to me.

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Ponder Cove is a very nice dog friendly B&B located in Asheville, NC.  Martha, the owner, has a few dogs and one of them happens to be a hunting dog that showed up at her door after being abandoned in the woods. This week’s tip is definitely something to keep in mind if you live in a rural area.

Watch Tip Week of Oct. 25:

Watch and listen for stray hunting dogs in rural areas during the hunting season, where some are coldly abandoned for poor performance.

Here’s another story about a few abandoned hunting hounds,  it was submitted  by a reader of  Sunbear Squad.

An ice storm was bearing down in the southern United States and a pack of 3 adult Beagles and 5 puppies were sighted in a rural Arkansas forest. Concerned animal lovers sent numerous emails to locate a rescuer who could take immediate action to save the dogs, and two compassionate women rose to the challenge.

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Halloween can be a lot of fun, but it can also be very scary for dogs. According to Liam Crowe, the CEO and master dog behavioral therapist of Bark Busters USA, Halloween is when they hear about more dogs dying or straying than any other holiday.

I would never have guessed that, but it makes sense when you think about it. There’s usually a lot more accessible chocolate candy in the house for dogs to get into, the result of which can be deadly. Plus, the overabundance of loud noises and door bell ringing can set off a dogs flight instinct.

As pet owners we can keep a few simple things in mind to make Halloween a fun and safe holiday for all our four legged friends.

1. Don’t leave your dog outside. Even if you have a fenced yard, bring your dog inside where it is safe. If your dog is usually kept outside, bring him in a few times before the big night to get him used to being indoors. Your dog may be used to strangers, but so many little ghouls and goblins running about may be too much. Remember also that it is a natural instinct for dogs to protect the family from strangers, and on Halloween there will be no shortage of strangers.

2. Keep your dog restrained. If your dog is timid or scared, or if he tends to love people a little too much, it is best to put him in a separate room away from the front door to limit his excitability, aggression, and chance of running outside and becoming lost.

3. Reassure your dog. The best thing you can do for your dog when he is feeling unsettled by Halloween activities is to act as you normally would. By over-reassuring your dog or giving him an unusual amount of attention, you inadvertently can communicate to him that because you are acting differently, there must be something to worry about. Read the rest of this entry »

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The cold weather is approaching and Sunbear Squad offers up a great tip of the week to keep in mind.

Watch Tip Week of Oct. 18:

Watch for protruding backbones, ribs, and hips before winter coats hide these signs of neglect. Look at every pet you pass.

If you’re not sure what a starving dog looks like or what you need to look out for, read this story sent over from Anna Nirva, the founder of  Sunbear Squad.

What does a starving dog look like?

THIS DOG WAS SAVED; HE RECOVERED AND WAS ADOPTED. Read the rest of this entry »

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Thanks to our friends at Sunbear Squad for another great tip this week.

Watch Tip Week of Oct. 11:

Watch and listen for signs of torture of cats or dogs by misguided teenage boys (or girls) with nothing to do after school, or gang initiations that require animal abuse.

Every week you receive a Watch Tip to help you be more aware of risks to companion animals in your own neighborhood or region. Take some time today to review the overview of risk factors on Sunbear Squad, so you can be more confident and ready to act to help an animal in distress.

They have no voice. Be that voice. You may save a life.

Become a Facebook fan today!

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In Riverside, CA 14 Lhasa Apsos died of smoke inhalation when a fire broke out in the house of a hoarder. The firefighters couldn’t get to the fire in the kitchen and porch because clutter blocked their way. The house was filled from floor to ceiling with junk making it hard to get to the dogs who were all caged in a room.

This is such a sad story because it was so unnecessary, those dogs should not have died.  Obviously this person was a hoarder so there were other issues going on, but it’s so important to know about fire safety.

A few days ago I  posted about the dogs that set fire to their mobile home, in the article I included a link to some fire safety tips. After reading this story I’ve decided to repost them for everyone to see.  Here are some great tips from VPI Insurance.

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Thanks to our friends at Sunbear Squad for this week’s great tip.

Watch Tip Week of Oct. 4:

As you drive your regular routes, watch for signs of dogs tied out in fields and forests, without human habitation nearby, often without shelter. They are neglected and need help.

For those that ordered a Neighborhood Watch Kit a ‘Wallet Card’ was included. Take a few minutes to make sure that it is up to date and complete.  You can also make them for your friends and family, it’s easy, just download a wallet card form.

If you have any questions about which authority can accept animal calls, make inquiries now of the authorities so you can act in confidence.

Become a fan of Sunbear Squad on Facebook, spread the word.

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Take one gas stove, three dogs, and food left on the stove top and what do you get?  If you guessed a house fire, you are correct.

According to the Mercury News, the owner was out of the home when his dogs  inadvertently turned on the gas stove’s burners as they tried to get at the items left on top.

The three dogs inside all escaped unharmed. However, one cat was killed and eight others are still missing.

It is not clear which of the dogs started the fire, none are talking. It also seems odd to me that eight cats are still missing, I’m starting to suspect these dogs were in some kind of conspiracy to get their house back.  I do hope all the cats are found safe and sound.

This incident should remind folks how important fire safety is, having smoke detectors and putting stickers on the window to let fire fighters know you have pets inside. Here’s an article I posted lasted year, Pet Fire Safety Tips, that every pet owner should read.  You’ll also want to make sure you have a fire evacuation plan.

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Taking your dog for a daily walk is a great way for both you and your best friend to keep fit.

I’m sure those of you who do get to the park regularly have seen dog owners riding a bike with their dogs, on leash, running besides them. No doubt some think it’s cute, while others an accident waiting to happen.

If San Jose this exact scenario played out at the Los Alamitos Creek Trail, but this time ended in tragedy. A man on a bike with his two Siberian Huskies in tow were out riding when they passed Beverly Head on the trail, their leash  got tangled around her. The 62-year-old woman fell and died the next day.

Head, who walked in the park daily, had always been uncomfortable about bicyclists riding with their dogs running leashed besides them.  However, there is no law against it, no crime being committed.

Here are the details from the Mercury News.

Now, two weeks later, Bob Head is mourning his wife’s death and wondering why there wasn’t a way to prevent it. He is desperate to find the cyclist, who stayed to help the mother of three known for her deviled eggs and Halloween decorations, but left once paramedics came. Propelled by Head’s frustration. Read the rest of this entry »

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