I want to thank our friends at Sunbear Squad for a great story to go along with this week’s tip.

Watch Tip Week of AUGUST 16:

Watch for dogs and cats that are near or on railroad tracks, which like roads are very dangerous to animals. They might not pay attention to oncoming trains and may be killed. Chase them or lure them away.

Passerby Saves Dog Frozen to Train Tracks

A construction worker driving to a Wisconsin restaurant on a sub-zero day noticed a dog sitting on train tracks, and noticed the dog hadn’t moved when he passed again an hour and a half later, so he pulled over.

Jeremy Majorowicz figured something was wrong. And he was right. As he approached, he noticed that the dog was shivering hard. He approached and offered a bite of muffin to the dog, which was refused. He tried to call the dog to him, but the dog didn’t attempt to move. So Majorowicz phoned law enforcement, and animal control was summoned as well. In the frigid afternoon air, a team of men puzzled over the dog.

Police officer Tim Strand guessed that the dog may be frozen to the train tracks, and he lifted up the tail. The dog was frozen fast. Read the rest of this entry »

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It’s summer and thunderstorms are a common occurrence, some dogs aren’t bothered and yet others are terrified. So, when I came across an article with some tips to help ease a dog’s anxiety I thought it would make a great post.

Here’s the scoop from Today at msnbc.com.

Dog owners who spend many a stormy night struggling to get some sleep while a panting, drooling, trembling pet climbs around on top of them know that the fear of thunder can be a tricky problem to solve.

Dogs with the condition often look to their owners for comfort, yet are in such a state of panic, they are inconsolable. And it can be hard to know how to soothe an upset dog without unwittingly reinforcing its anxiety.

Potential remedies include medication, desensitizing the dog to thunder and training it to retreat to a safe place when a storm hits.

But there seems to be no single cause for the fear of thunder, and there also isn’t any one guaranteed treatment, veterinarians who specialize in canine behavior say. Something that helps one dog might not help another; a method that works during one storm may not in another.

Read the rest of this entry »

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This week’s tip from Sunbear Squad goes not only for student housing but also foreclosed homes.

WATCH TIP for week of May 31:
Watch out for pets accidentally trapped in student housing without food or water or intentionally abandoned by students moving out for the summer. Call the authorities.

It is unconscionable to me that someone would move out of their residence and leave behind a pet, but it’s happening all the time. Keep a listen for sounds coming from abandoned properties, if you hear barking or meowing call the proper authorities.

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I want to wish everyone a safe and happy Memorial Day. While you’re out enjoying the day keep in mind Sunbear Squad’s tip to be on the lookout for pets in need.

WATCH TIP for Week of May 24:
Listen and watch for pets who scratch or lick themselves persistently; they might be suffering severely from mange, fleas or other threats to health. Look at the fur. Talk to the owner or call the authorities.

BE A GOOD SAMARITAN FOR ANIMALS

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I want to thank all the Dogster’s who ordered a Sunbear Squad Neighborhood Watch Kit, most of you have received them by now. It would be great to be able to write a follow-up story, see how the kits have helped you to become a good Samaritan to animals. Or how you have helped others learn to become good Samaritans for animals.

Over the next month, if you would like to share your experiences send me a message using the ‘Bark Back to the Dogster Blog’ form, found on the upper right hand side.

Week of Mar. 15:
Watch for flooded back yards and cold, wet dogs and cats living in the muck. They may be at risk for skin diseases and sickness caused by drinking bad water.

BE A GOOD SAMARITAN FOR ANIMALS

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I just want to take a moment to address one of the comments left concerning the tip of the week.  One of our readers had a concern that Sunbear Squad advocates calling 911 without any forethought, that is simply not true.

On their website they have a 10 minute tutorial to help guide you through the signs of animal abuse and what to look for. One of the items is about observing pets. It states, “Always be alert when you see a pet. Observe the pet’s condition, environment, and apparent situation, like a humane professional would. Use your critical thinking skills. Make this a mental habit.” It talks about checking back several days in a row, not just making a rash decision and calling 911.

Sunbear Squad’s philosophy is about watching, listening, and then taking the appropriate action if deemed necessary.

WATCH TIP for Week of Mar. 8

Watch for protruding spines, hips, and ribs as winter coats begin to shed out. Remember, you may be the only one who notices. Call the authorities!

Being a good Samaritan for animals means evaluating the situation in its entirety, using commonsense, and if necessary stepping in and being the voice for those who would otherwise have none.

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I want to thank all the wonderful Dogsters who have ordered a Neighborhood Watch Kit from Sunbear Squad. Because of you we’re that much closer to having a world of good Samaritans for animals.

Week of Mar. 1:

Watch for dogs eating rocks, bark, moss, sticks, or dirt; these are signs that they may be very hungry. Call the authorities!

Be A Good Samaritan For Animals

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On Monday I posted an article about how to start a Neighborhood Watch program. It’s a terrific idea that was shared with us by Anna Nirva, founder of Sunbear Squad, also the person who gives us the tip of the week we post on Mondays.

Anna was offering FREE kits to those that signed up by February 15th, can’t beat free. There was just one little glitch, when people signed up on the site the messages accidentally got deleted. Computers, we’ve all had our share of mishaps. Anyway, for those that did sign up please resubmit your information so that you will get your kit.

A Neighborhood Watch program is just a monthly look (and listen) at all the neighborhood dogs and cats. You get to know them and their families. When you see a problem or potential problem, you take appropriate action to protect animals from harm or even save lives. Eventually, your neighbors learn to regard you as the “go-to person” for animal questions, which can result in some new and wonderful friendships.

The most common issues involve stray animals and wandering animals owned by neighbors. Because you know all of the neighborhood animals, you know if they are strays or just wanderers, and you can take appropriate action for your neighborhood and municipality. I believe many of our readers are doing this already, informally. Strengthen these efforts by starting a true Neighborhood Watch.

Read about setting up a route, telling your neighbors, telling your shelter leadership, and learning about the signs of abuse and neglect. Then, download Neighborhood Watch tools, print, and post, or you can request a Neighborhood Watch starter kit from Sunbear Squad. These kits are FREE to all Dogster Blog readers who order them through Feb. 15th, unless materials run out sooner. Please allow 4 weeks for delivery.

I didn’t mention this in the previous article, but the Neighborhood Watch would be a great thing to share with children.  It’s a wonderful way to get them to learn about how animals should be treated and how to interact with them. Order a kit to give to their teacher, what a great way to teach about compassion and responsibility.

Here’s what to do if you want a kit…

I’m so sorry to say that I had a problem receiving the emails. I do hope you won’t mind resubmitting your information. Thank you so much for your understanding and patience!

Here is the link:

www.sunbearsquad.org/join.shtml

For anyone who has a blog it would be greatly appreciated if you share this information. Pass the info on to all the dog lovers in your life,  let’s help make animal cruelty a thing of the past.

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In April of ‘08 Joy posted a message on the danger of Sergeants Gold Flea Medication, and the story of what happened to Dogster members Lucky and Nala.  There have been 150 comments on that post, many sharing horror stories of what happened to their dogs when this, or a similar, product was used.

I came across a very interesting article today, Pesticides In Pet Products, and the debate about the safety of the pyrethroid family of chemicals. These over the counter products are readily available at grocery stores, pet stores, and even hardware stores. The manufacturers and distributors claim their products are safe, as long as used properly and the pet has no acute sensitivity or pre-existing condition. That warning is a bit of a double entendre.

These products are approved for sale by the EPA, yet they have been linked to over 1,500 pet deaths. Those are only the ones that have been reported, I suspect it’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Pyrethroid spot ons also account for more than half of “major” pesticide pet reactions reported to EPA over the last five years — that is, those incidents involving serious medical reactions such as brain damage, heart attacks, and violent seizures. In contrast, non-pyrethroid spot on treatments accounted for only about 6 percent of all major incidents.

In the last five years, the EPA received a total of more than 25,000 reports of pet pesticide reactions of every sort — fatal, major, moderate, and minor — to over-the-counter pyrethroid spot on products. This compares to 10,500 reports of all pet incidents related to shampoos, powders, sprays, collars, dips, mousses, lotions, and towels. This analysis does not take into account how much of each product was used over the last five years as the EPA does not have that information.

Since there are other treatments available you have to wonder why the EPA doesn’t pull these products. I think it can be summed up in one word, money. If this was something that was used on children I have a feeling the outcome would be much different. Read the rest of this entry »

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All of us on Dogster love dogs, we care about their health and safety. Now, with a little help from  Sunbear Squad founder Anna Nirva, we can learn how to step up to the plate and go that extra step.

Find out what it takes to ‘Be A Good Samaritan For Animals‘, how to take action that could make the difference in saving a dog’s life.

Dogster members really care about the well-being of dogs. We’ve seen you take action over and over again to help a needy dog from a distance. Dogster folks are amazing!!! I’m talking about you!!!

Would you like to help animals in your own neighborhood or on your road? Start your own Neighborhood Watch for pets with a bit of support from Sunbear Squad, the online resource that Animal Good Samaritans turn to for knowledge, tools, and inspiration.

A Neighborhood Watch program is just a monthly look (and listen) at all the neighborhood dogs and cats. You get to know them and their families. When you see a problem or potential problem, you take appropriate action to protect animals from harm or even save lives. Eventually, your neighbors learn to regard you as the “go-to person” for animal questions, which can result in some new and wonderful friendships.

The most common issues involve stray animals and wandering animals owned by neighbors. Because you know all of the neighborhood animals, you know if they are strays or just wanderers, and you can take appropriate action for your neighborhood and municipality. I believe many of our readers are doing this already, informally. Strengthen these efforts by starting a true Neighborhood Watch.

Read about setting up a route, telling your neighbors, telling your shelter leadership, and learning about the signs of abuse and neglect. Then, download Neighborhood Watch tools, print, and post, or you can request a Neighborhood Watch starter kit from Sunbear Squad. These kits are FREE to all Dogster Blog readers who order them through Feb. 15th, unless materials run out sooner. Please allow 4 weeks for delivery.

Then write to Dogster Blog about your true-life experiences, Write to Sunbear Squad too, so your stories can be posted on their Rescue Stories page.

Readers, make a difference in your own neighborhood. You have the power to save lives. Resolve to make 2009 the most rewarding year yet!

Dealing with animal abuse and cruelty is never an easy subject, it’s much easier to look the other way in hopes someone else will deal with it.  The problem is that change doesn’t start with someone else, it starts with you.  Each of us must take responsibility, no matter how small the action, and become the voice of those who have none.

One small action, like a phone call to the proper authorities, can make all the difference.

“We must become the change we want to see.”

Mahatma Gandhi quotes

Thank you to Anna for being such a wonderful and compassionate animal lover.  For giving freely of her time to animals in need, and for teaching others how to make a difference.

Don’t miss out on the chance to get your FREE Neighborhood Watch Kit,  get those paws typing. Please pass this post on to all your friends and animal lovers, help get the word out.

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