When Annie Hart received a call that a homeless poodle was hit by a car and needed her help, she didn’t think twice and raced to the scene. Having rescued numerous animals from the throes of despair, she had seen it all. But she wasn’t prepared for the sweet and gentle way sweet Layla would thank her. See for yourself…
What are you and your pets thankful for this Thanksgiving?
Love
Kindness
Generosity
Charity
Tell us and share a photo of your pet on our Adopt-a-Pet.com Facebook page!
Check out our previous Thanksgiving and Black Friday articles too:
If you adopt a new pet, is your home ready to welcome the new addition to the family? While you want your furry new friend to roam, you also want your home in one piece. So take these quick and simple pet proofing steps so everyone is happy and safe.
Closed Doors & Gates
You should always close the doors to the closet, bathroom, pantry and other areas that might have important or off-limit items. You can teach your pet boundaries by setting out toys or resting spaces in the living room, bedroom and other safe spaces. That way they will learn to go to those places by default and avoid off-limit areas.
You can also find a local handyman to install safety or childproof gates to keep them out of rooms you want to preserve, or where you need to get in and out often and might forget to close the door. Installing safety gates at the top or bottom of stairs is a good idea if you want to keep a pet from getting to the second story.
Cabinet Locking & Storing Items
You should take your toiletries, medications and other bathroom items off of your countertops and lock them in your cabinet, or your pets could swallow them. Use locking devices on your cabinet doors as cats often have the ability to open doors with their bodies or paws. You should also practice this with spices and other ingredients in your kitchen.
For your living room, keep your curtain ropes and cords high up and out of reach from your pets. In terms of electrical wires, tuck them far away behind your entertainment system or underneath your furniture. You don’t want your pets chewing them and possibly shocking themselves. You could also install safety locks if you need an extra amount of protection.
Toxic Foods to Store Away
While there are various foods we may love to eat and drink, some of them are dangerous for pets. It’s important to store them far away, or they can cause gastric distress, seizures or, in the worst case, death. Some of the food and drink to keep stored include:
For further protection, you should also hide your trash cans. This prevents pets from spreading garbage all over the kitchen. Consider storing your trash underneath the sink or installing a container with a sturdy lid.
Gardening Tips for Your Pet
Fencing in your backyard is important, but consider fencing or fence windows that will let them see out while still keeping them safely contained, so they will be less likely to feel trapped and bored. Take your pet on walks, play often and leave toys in the yard. To protect your garden, put a chicken-wire fence around the beds to show it’s off-limits and plant some stakes to keep the wire propped up.
You also want to reassess some of the plants in your garden. Some breeds cause diarrhea, tremors, vomiting and other deadly symptoms to pets. The effect will vary by your pet’s breed, age, health, and size, but you might consider uprooting these plants from your garden:
No matter what you do, the crucial prep step to owning a new pet is vigilance. Installing safety gates and closing doors is helpful, but these aren’t guarantees. Besides, you want to give your new pet attention, which means having your eye on them. So play, cuddle and stay safe together so everyone’s happy.
Contribution by Andrea Davis, Home Advisor
Missouri Puppies for Parole shared this story with us in honor of Veteran’s Day last week. Such a story is heart-warming to share on any day! They said, “Here is a veteran from the Greatest Generation who along with the many thousands of Veterans of so many of our wars we celebrate this week and remember their contribution to freedom and liberty for all of us.
Soldier the dog was trained by our offenders at Algoa Correctional Center and adopted by the Veterans Home in Mexico Missouri where he will live out his life serving the Veterans and making their days just a bit brighter.
In this instance, Soldier went up to the third floor to this dying Veterans bed and sat by the side of the bed until a staff member gave him permission to get on the bed – where he stayed for 45 minutes. The gentleman smiled – perhaps his last smile.
A dog thrown away and of no use to anyone – now making honorable contributions to many.
Bless all our Veterans.”
Thank you for sharing that amazing story with us here at Adopt-a-Pet.com!
Since the inception of the program on Feb. 1st, 2010, Missouri Puppies for Parole offenders have trained over 2800 dogs that have been adopted out having passed the AKC Good Citizenship test. These are dogs who most likely would have been euthanized at local shelters. Puppies on Parole is moving into taking certain dogs to a higher level of training under the auspices of COMTREA community health and Bridle Ridge Acres Equine and Canine Center for people in need.
You can see more stories like Soldier’s on Missouri Puppies for Parole Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/MissouriPuppiesforParole and also on their website: www.doc.mo.gov if you click on Puppies for Parole on the right you will see stories, videos, milestone flyers etc. including listings and pics of their current dogs being trained in-house at 19 of their 20 prisons. Don’t miss the incredibly touching video of Liam and Sierra!
Vacationing or traveling with pets can be fun, but sometimes you need to find a good pet sitter for your pet. Work trips, out-of-country travel, or even an extra-long work day can mean your normal pet care routine can’t happen on schedule. You might be lucky enough to have a reliable friend or neighbor who can care for your pets, but what if you don’t? Boarding kennels are an option, but many pet owners fear their pets will not be happy in a kennel setting. Not to worry, in almost every city and town there are plenty of pet sitters that can take good care of your pets until you return.
There are primarily two types of pet sitting services you can use. One, the pet sitter comes to your home, and cares for your pets who stay at your home. The other, newly popular kind of pet sitter for dogs is one that hosts your pooch in their home, often through an online booking service.
Here are our tips for vetting both types of pet sitters to find the best pet sitter for you and your pet.
1. Get a referral. Ask your friends and family if they have a reliable pet sitter they use and trust.
2. Ask and check references. Ask for references that have a similar type of pet to yours — your pet sitter may be wonderful with big dogs, but does she know how to tell if a cat is acting sick?
3. Look for online reviews. If the pet sitter is operating as a business, you can often find reviews of their services on review sites like Yelp and also on their page if they have one on Facebook.
4. Have your pet interview the pet sitter. Pets can be particular! Even if she is the best pet sitter in the world, if she and your pet don’t get along well, it might not be a good fit.
5. Accredited, bonded, insured? Organizations like Pet Sitters International, NAPPS, and DogVacay.com offer a range of services to their members, from insurance, bonding, to background checks. Ask your pet sitter to provide a copy of their documentation and check online to make sure it is current.
6. Do a short trial visit. If you are going away for a long time, try a one-time visit while you’re away, even if it’s just for the day at work. That way if any questions or problems arise, you’ll be locally available.
7. Spot check. If you’re going away for more than two days, see if a neighbor, friend, or family member can do occasional spot-check visits, to make sure your pets are being cared for in your absence.
8. Ask for daily updates. Your pet sitter should update you daily to let you know how your pet is doing. Some pet sitters can send photos too, don’t hesitate to ask them to do this for you!
9. Have a backup plan. If something happens to your pet sitter, you need an emergency backup plan for someone to care for your pets. Bring those telephone numbers with you! For example, your vet might do emergency boarding if needed, but check before you leave. Leave a key so someone else can access your home if needed.
10. Have a great trip!