Happy International Dog Day

Hi Everybody! 

Kids are starting to go back to school, meaning Summer is almost over, so Mom said I have to get back to work writing my blog.

Around our house, we believe that there is something to celebrate every day and today we have a really great reason to celebrate.  Today is International Dog Day.  Today we celebrate dogs and their bond with humans.    Good dog parents make sure that their dogs have a happy and safe life and in return dogs do the same.  We make sure our parents have a happy and safe life.

Mom and Dad make sure that DixieLee and I are happy by giving us lots of toys and treats and a big pen to play in.  They also make sure we are happy by playing games with us and taking us for walks.  They make sure we are safe by giving us good food and taking us to the Vet and giving us a home where we are not abused.

We make sure that Mom and Dad are happy by playing games with them and making sure they get plenty of exercise and fresh air.  We keep them safe by guarding the house against attacks by squirrels, mail peoples and big brown trucks.

There are lots of ways to celebrate International Dog Day, like playing more games or giving more treats but one of the bestest ways is to encourage adoption.  Both DixieLee and I are adopted.  Lots of peoples only want “Pure Breeds” so getting a forever home when you are Mixed Breeds like us, makes it harder to find a good home.

It was especially hard for DixieLee because she lived in a house where she was really abused so she had bad behavior when she came to live with us.  Lots of peoples would have dumped her at a shelter.  It was hard for all of us.  It took lots of time but now she is the bestest sister and really lovable.

We plan on having a fun International Dog Day and I think I’ll let Mom know that I have written my blog and now I deserve a treat.

Happy  International Dog Day from me and DixieLee.

Let us know how you are making today special.

Love,

Zeva

P.S. For the bestest pet gift baskets in the universe, go to pawpalsboutique.com

Bad Luck For Black Cats

I love humans but sometimes they are very confusing creatures. Take for example what they think of black cats. Lots of people think that black cats bring bad luck. Witches, the bad kind in spooky stories, always have a black cat as a pet so black cats must be evil too.

Even when people say they don’t really believe that black cats are bad luck, there must be a part of them that does because when they go to find a new pet at an animal shelter, they don’t even look at the black cats.

I read a study that said black cats are two-thirds less likely to get adopted than white cats and half as likely to get adopted as tabbies. It is so unfair that just because they have a black coat, they stay in shelters almost two times longer than other color cats.
Some shelters spend lots of effort to get black cats adopted. They take really pretty pictures of them and put those pictures in newspaper and television ads.

There is one time of year when some shelters don’t want to let black cats be adopted. That time is around Halloween. A black cat, like any animal that gets adopted should be part of the family.  They should be loved and pampered.  A black cat is not an accessory to a Halloween costume.

Worse yet, there are really bad people out there who want to hurt black cats at Halloween time! I think those peoples should be put in a cage and only be let out to pee twice a day.

I know the people who read my blog are super good people so if you are thinking of adopting a cat any time soon, please think about adopting a black cat. They are just as loving as other color cats and they purr just and loud.

Have a happy and safe Halloween,

Zeva

P.S.  Blatant self-promotion.  For the bestest pet gift baskets in the universe, go to pawpalsboutique.com 

I'm Worth It!

One of our Facebook friends was having a bad week.  In addition to all the stuff humans have to worry about all the time, her senior dog wasn’t feeling well so off to the vet’s they went.   Happily there is nothing terribly wrong, she’s just a senior dog and, to quote one of Mom’s favorite humans, “Old age ain’t for sissies”, for dogs either.

Our friend was saying how she had just spent a lot of money buying special things little Ella needed, like special senior food and such.  Everyone agreed that even though we pets cost a lot of money, we are definitely worth it.

Lots of people like the IDEA of having a dog.  They see on television how much fun a dog is but what they don’t see is how much care we need.  Hey, we can’t go out and work to earn money to buy our own food you know.  Anyway, having a dog can be expensive so if you are thinking of bringing one home, there are some things you need to know.

Since I am an advocate of rescue/adoption, I’m not even going to talk about how much it costs to buy a pure bred dog.  So here goes:

First of all, rescued shelter pets are not free.  It costs a whole bunch of money to rescue and take good care a dog until it is adopted so they need to charge a fee. 

At our Humane Society it costs around $200 to adopt a dog.  When I got adopted Mom and Dad gave the people $275 and that was almost 5 years ago.  I was transported from South Carolina (volunteers work for free but someone has to pay for the gas), I was spayed, had a mico chip and had all of my shots.  Then I was housed and fed until Mom and Dad came to get me.

When I got to my furever home I had to get a license and had to go to school to learn manners.  Even though other dogs lived there before me, I got all new stuff, like a water dish and food dish, collar and leash and a new crate to sleep in while I was at work with Mom.  Mom didn’t keep track of the money but according to one site it cost between $500 and $2700 to start.

DixieLee and I get regular vet checkups and Mom makes sure we get regular heartworm and flea and tick medicines.  If we do get sick, there are additional vet visits and medicines.   I remember one night I wasn’t feeling well and Mom rushed me to the emergency vet hospital.  Vets and medicine cost money too.

We just got our new license tags and since Mom is kind of old, we got a discount but she still had to pay some.  We are very particular about our food.  We don’t like food with lots of additives so we get a good brand, made in the USA.  And of course, we get treats!

When we moved to our new house, we had a man come and put up a fence so we could go outside by ourselves.   Sometimes we go to day care so we can socialize with other dogs that cost money too.  DixieLee gets her nails clipped when we are at daycare cuz she won’t let Mom cut them and I understand that some dogs get baths and nails clipped and painted and all sorts of pampering.

From what I read, when you add up all those things, the cost of having a dog can run anywhere from $500 to $2,900 a year.  Even more if they buy you lots of toys and treats.   I’m not sure but I think that might be a lot of money.  I know my Mom and Dad think DixieLee and I are worth every penny and I bet your Moms and Dads think you are too because dogs are really priceless.

Your friend,

Zeva

P.S.  Blatant self-promotion. Our To The Rescue Gift Basket is a great way to say welcome to your forever home.