5 Reasons Why Your Dog Makes the Best Valentine
5 Reasons Why Your Dog Makes The Best Valentine!
Whether you are single or not, Valentine’s Day always seems to be a holiday that has a lot of expectations attached.
Finding the right place to go to eat or enjoy a special date is on our mind at some point or another. Along with our date, we tend to get ourselves dressed nicely and head out to maneuver our way around all the others that are doing the exact same thing as we are. It can become a burden rather than an occasion truly focused on what it’s supposed to be about-love.
So, instead of dealing the usual valentine chaos, we’re going to fill you in on why your dog might just be your best option to a memorable evening.
1. No Need to Dress To Impress
Because your pet has probably already seen you in all your morning glory, there really is not a need to try dress up to look your best. They have made it abundantly clear that there is really nothing that can alter the amount of love they have for you. A pretty red dress proves to be just as wonderful as your second day sweatpants and baggy t-shirt. You don’t have to concern yourself with making sure your hair and makeup is perfect, or if your lipstick is going to stay on through dinner AND those chocolate strawberries you’ve been wanting so desperately. The truth is, you’re free to be your most vulnerable self and not only be accepted, but unconditionally adored for just being you.
2. You Don’t Worry About Sharing Treats
Especially considering that chocolate is toxic to dogs, it wouldn’t be selfish to keep all the yummy candies to yourself. This obviously can lead to a GUILT FREE indulgence of sweets and maybe even a nice dinner you prepared for yourself. If you do decide to cook dinner for yourself at home that evening, you can include your pup in on the special occasion and mix up something for them as well: rice and veggies, eggs, cheese, etc. The best part however, is that nobody is going to steal your bread off your plate like my date did one year (yes I’m still bitter). You have the control over what you eat and whom you care to share, or not share it with.
3. They Will Stay By Your Side
I remember my friend calling me in tears a while back telling me her boyfriend had just broken up with her. How convenient it happened to be only two days prior to good ol’ February 14th. Needless to say, she ended up watching netflix on the couch with her dog, and told me it was possibly the best Valentine’s Day she had in years. Moral of the story? If she would have just made plans with her dog in the first place she wouldn’t have had a problem to begin with…. But forreal though, your pup is never going to back out of spending time with you or tell you “It’s over” to ditch out of getting you roses or taking you to fancy dinner. They ALWAYS want to cuddle and give you kisses that Lord knows we don’t always deserve but willingly receive.
4. You Pick The Movie
Time to pull up your netflix account and hop on the pet train. Not only do you (again not selfishly) have to NOT ask what movie they want to watch, but you can actually also pick it and not feel like you’re forcing the other person to watch something they don’t want to. All your pooch really cares about are the occasional random doggo extras and the sirens going off in the background. This bone tastes too good to stay interested in the screen for too long. So bring out the tissue box and sappy dramas, let those tears shed if they need to, and know that not one judgement is being placed on you by your furry friend. Aren’t they just the best?! Oh and did we already mention their cuddles??? Maybe, but they are seriously the greatest.
5. They Are Great Listeners
How wonderful is it when you can just share all the things on your mind and not have to hear anything back? Sometimes the peace and quiet really does well for our soul. Need to vent and spill all your dark secrets? Awesome! You can do that because your dog won’t talk back or blow it for you. Unless you have a husky like I do, who is super sassy and loves to howl when she is talked to. Thankfully, none of our guests really know what she is saying to them because she is supposed to keep mommy’s embarrassing admissions to herself. And although she does talk back, she really can’t argue in a way that can be comprehensive. Therefore we can just assume we automatically win, right?! I think everyone can already appreciate this, especially with how crazy the world can be. It’s true what they say, silence is golden, but so is a husky howl “I Love You.”
So stop by and grab yourself some strawberries to go, so you and the pooch can spend some quality time. Put down the phone, boyfriend, girlfriend, spouse, whatever, and just appreciate all that your pet (aka best friend, aka baby, aka everything) brings into your world. Because, while we only celebrate love for a whole day here once a year, your pup is celebrating YOU every day.
Make the most of this February and all that this year has in store for you!
5 Tips To Help Save The (Animal) World
We want to offer some options to you so that you can get involved in a way that is practical and feasible for your family! So, are a few tips on how you can help save the animal world!
We’ve all seen the commercials with sad songs and sick/lonely animals on our television screen.
If you’re anything like us, your heart breaks into a million pieces and you reach for the remote control to switch out of the brief torment. Although many of us hurt and truly feel for the animals we see, most of us don’t do much about it.
We love our animals to the fullest and give them all their deepest desires, but there are still others out there that could use your heart and help. If you are willing to volunteer and make an effort, we can assure you that you will be impacting yourself as well as many others around you. We want to offer some options to you so that you can get involved in a way that is practical and feasible for your family!
5 Tips
on how YOU can help save the animal world!
1. GET TO KNOW YOUR LOCAL SHELTERS
All animal shelters are different and have different rules and regulations. It is important to familiarize yourself with the ones in your surrounding area so you know what is accessible to you. Some shelters are at high capacity and are kill shelters. Please try to avoid turning in an animal to a shelter like this, as their chances of survival are not very high. If you have found an animal please take them to a facility that can check to see if they have a microchip or not. This could be an easy and quick solution to reuniting a pet with its owner. If the animal does not have a chip, consider what might be the next best option for them so you can do your part in ensuring they have a second chance at life.
**Here is an easy way to search what’s around you**
2. SAVE THE CATS BY TNR
The sad reality that about 70% of shelter cats are euthanized is devastating. We might not be able to stop the overwhelming numbers in shelters currently, but we can try to stop over population from continuing to occur through trap-neuter-return or TNR. This is a process in which feral cats are caught, brought in to be neutered or spayed, and are then released back into the wild. By doing this, you are helping to limit extreme numbers of feral cats.
How many to be exact? Well, according to Fayette humane society, an average cat has about 1-8 kittens per litter, with 2-3 litters per year. With the possibility of a 100 kittens during a female’s productive life, a single pair of cats and their kittens could produce as many as 420,000 kittens in just 7 years. That’s right, 420,000 kittens. I’ll give you a moment to digest that and see how big of an impact you can make through the TNR process.
3. FUND LOCAL RESCUE GROUPS
In addition to the shelters surrounding you, there are plenty of rescue groups that help homeless animals in need. By helping them with funds, donations, and time, you can help provide care for these animals while searching for their forever home. You can also become a foster parent for many of the rescue groups, which is a tremendous help! Being a foster parent is so special. While you provide a home temporarily for an animal, you can search for a family that would be the perfect long term fit for them and you are making more space available for more animals in the shelter or rescue group’s facility.
4. SPREAD THE WORD
Social media has become an outlet accessible to most people. Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are just a few sites we use on a daily basis. The rate that a post can reach others all around the world is astonishing, so why not use that to our advantage?
Share adoptable pets on Facebook and Twitter through a tab on the Adopt-a-Pet.com pet search and share any posts you might come across through your local shelter/rescue. By getting the word out and sharing a bio and picture of the animal needing a home, we have been able to find many furever homes for these sweet babies. Don’t underestimate what could come from a simple post being shared with your “friends”, you never know who they might share it with!
5. SET AN EXAMPLE
One of the best ways to show others how to treat animals and give them a loving home is by doing it yourself! Whether you go to the shelter or rescue group near you and adopt an animal there, or you show responsibility through the ownership of an animal you already have, you are making a difference. Show others and educate them on why you have a pet ID tag, microchip, and keep your pets current on vaccines. Make sure to spay and neuter your pet to avoid any unnecessary breeding that could lead to complications and illness due to lack of knowledge and/or experience.
Love your pet and treat them with care and compassion for all of their days. Don’t give up on them because you are moving and don’t have the time, or because they are getting old. Take responsibility as a pet owner to provide a home for that animal for life and to do what is best for them always. Hopefully we can touch others through showing them what it is like to have a true furry family member furever.
Now when you see those sad commercials and advertisements you will know you are doing your part to help the animals that need you.
Our pets are a blessing to us and bring so much love and joy into our lives. Let us bring joy to their little hearts by being the ones that they can depend on. Unfortunately, they are unable to do this for themselves.
Find a way to be a part of your pet community and help any way that you can. There are endless items to donate, ways to spend time volunteering, and plenty of pups and kitties longing for their furever home!
5 Tips to Prevent Your Pet From Getting Lost
5 Tips to Prevent Your Pet From Getting Lost
The thought of losing your animal can be really unnerving. Don’t panic and remember the encouraging fact that 93% of pups and 75% of cats are reunited with their owner! Those findings were in the first national lost pet survey in 2012, which was conducted by the ASPCA over a five-year span. I can imagine those numbers may be even higher due to social media becoming so much more prevalent! Thankfully there are some things you can do to both prevent and prepare in case this unfortunate event does occur:
1. Use a Collar With Dog Tags
Yes, I know, you’re probably reading this like…well duh? A collar is a no brainer right? Well, you would be surprised how many dog and cat owners feel as though at times a collar is just not necessary. Whether it be because they have their pup inside and don’t think they need one, or they just feel comfortable enough letting them out in the yard for a few minutes and have confidence they will come right back inside. It is important to know your dog and their characteristics. However, having a collar that is secure and has proper identification and contact information can help bring your fur baby back to you immediately.
2. Teach Basic & Important Commands
Along with a dog comes the responsibility to properly train your animal. It is crucial for their safety, your safety, and the safety of others. Teaching your pup commands and working on self-control with them could really be useful in unpredictable situations. There may be distractions that take place surrounding you both that will be out of your power, but with a simple and solid ‘Come’ and ‘Stay,’ you could prevent your pup from leaving your side and getting lost. It is also beneficial in providing a level of respect within the relationship you and your pet share.
3. Microchip Your Pet
The microchip has become popular among the animal lover world. Thankfully with new advances in technology, your vet can inject a microchip that can be scanned. Once scanned, this chip will provide information such as contact/owner name, number, and address. This has actually helped about 15% of owners find their dog or cat. Another wonderful thing is that it is so small it is basically painless!
4. Secure Your Home And Yard
Before even taking in your animal, you should consider any and all ways they could either escape, or get into something that they shouldn’t. Remember they see your home and yard much differently than you do, so it might be useful to try and view things from their perspective. Do whatever you need to in order to make your home/yard puppy and kitty proof. There are many perks to having a good fenced in yard as well. If you plan on having any leash free playtime outside, make sure there are no holes or breaks in your fence that your dog can get through. You may also want to consider the height of your fence, how big is your dog compared to it? How high can your pup jump?
5. Use Social Media & Spread The Word
Now that social media is accessed by millions of people on a daily basis, there are plenty of groups that are specifically for lost pets. These groups are typically extremely helpful and they can likely share your pet post with friends that are in the surrounding area. Be sure to share with all of your personal friends and neighbors and even on your community pages as well. I myself have witnessed many lost pets being found and returned to their owner due to these posts! Any time you see someone else in a similar situation be sure to help out and share the animal they are searching for as well. We can all help one another!
If you apply these useful tips and are aware and active in supervising your pet, you have an extremely high chance of having a happy outcome!
Another fun fact, spay/neutering your pet may also actually have a part in your pet staying or running. According to the ASPCA, 75% of dogs and cats owned are fixed, but only 10% of the animals in the shelters have been spayed/neutered.