Month: January 2024

Can an Apartment Complex Deny an Emotional Support Animal?

An apartment complex cannot deny an emotional support animal (ESA) that provides support directly relating to a mental or emotional disability of the owner. While emotional support animals are not afforded the same widespread protections as service dogs, housing is an area in which there is legal protections in place. Even if a complex has a no-pet policy, a waiver must be granted in most cases once documentation is provided.

Providing Documentation 

Getting the needed document is pretty straightforward. You’ll just need a letter from a licensed therapist or other mental health professional. If the landlord still refuses, you can file a discrimination complaint with HUD or get a lawyer involved.

Some landlords think they are not required to provide accommodations for an ESA in the same way they are for a service dog, so sometimes it only takes educating them on the laws to get them to comply.

Note that while the landlord should not charge you a pet deposit, you will be responsible for any damage caused by the ESA.

Service Animal vs. ESA 

It’s also important for those with an ESA or those planning to get one to understand that protections for an ESA only pertain to housing and air travel. Unlike a service dog, an ESA may not be welcome in restaurants and other rehome_legacy places while a service dog must be allowed anywhere open to the rehome_legacy.

Exceptions to the Rule 

Most rental properties must allow your emotional support animal, but there are some exceptions:

  • Single-family homes rented without the help of a broker
  • Buildings with four or fewer units and in which the landlord occupies one 

The laws change from time to time, so it’s important to know your rights before you begin your search for the perfect rental.  

What is a Reasonable Rehoming Fee for a Catahoula Leopard Dog?

A reasonable rehoming fee for a Catahoula Leopard Dog will vary based on several factors, but the minimum is usually $50. Depending on the location, the rehoming fee could be up to $250 or more. The age of your dog, along with whether it’s a purebred dog can be a factor, too.

If you’re an owner who has to give up their Catahoula Leopard Dog, you’ll want to look at some of the local fees to get a better sense of what you should charge. If you’re someone looking to adopt, you’ll want to do the same, so you know what you should be paying. Keep in mind that if the price gets too high, it’s not really a rehoming fee, it’s more akin to buying the dog.

Why Do People Charge Rehoming Fees? 

You might be wondering why any rehoming fees are charged at all. After all, if someone needs to give up their dog, shouldn’t they be happy that someone else wants him? Shouldn’t they give the dog away? Unfortunately, the world can be a cruel place. The rehoming fees are in place to help provide some protection for your dog.

Unscrupulous people often look for pets online that are being given away or that are cheap. They get these dogs and other pets and then sell them to labs for a profit. Other times, they use dogs for fighting. This could be the fate of a large and powerful dog like your Catahoula Leopard Dog, and that’s the last thing you want.

Therefore, you should always make sure that a rehoming fee is being charged whether you’re rehoming on your own or you’re going through a site.

Do Shelters and Rescues Charge Fees?

When someone adopts a dog through one of these types of facilities, they’ll typically have to pay adoption fees. Although they might not be called rehoming fees, they do the same thing. They make sure that the wrong people aren’t getting their hands on the animals. The money also goes into the facility to ensure that it can continue operating and providing care for the pets.

Use Rehome to Make Rehoming Simple

Trying to find a good new home for your dog is not always easy, especially if you don’t know anyone who might want to adopt him. Going online and using Rehome, which is a platform from Adopt-a-Pet.com could be a great solution. It’s an easy to use site that lets you create a profile for your dog complete with a bio, photos, and videos. The bio allows you to detail everything potential adopters will need to know about your Catahoula Leopard Dog.

The site is free for owners to use, and adopters only pay a small rehoming fee to the site. You won’t have to worry about charging a rehoming fee at all. This money is used to help more animals get adopted. It’s a simple and safe way to find a home for your dog.

Photo credit: Olgierd

How Long Can I Crate My Dog?

Most dogs should not be crated for more than 8 hours at a time, and the length of time is shorter for older dogs and puppies. Also, you shouldn’t have your dog spend most of the time in a crate, even if you give him frequent breaks. Dogs are social and need to be around their people, so it’s not ideal to have them crated all the time.

Proper Crate Training Is A Must 

Crates are a great tool when house-training a dog as it draws on their natural instinct to spend time in a den. When proper crate training is implemented, the dog will view the crate a safe and comfortable space. That’s definitely what you want if you plan to crate your dog while you’re away. 

How Much Time is Too Much Time in a Crate? 

If you’re crating your dog while you’re at work all day and then crating him again all night, it’s too much. If you feel you must crate the dog while you’re at work, allow him out once you get home and overnight. Another solution is to bring your dog to doggy daycare during the day so he is supervised, but not confined to a crate or to hire a dog walker or have a friend or family come over to take your dog out for a mid-day potty break.

Crating too much is a quality of life issue for your dog, and his physical well-being and emotional well-being must be considered when deciding how often to crate.

How Long Can Dogs Hold It? 

If you’re wondering how long dogs can go between potty breaks, the average is 4 to 6 hours, but older dogs and puppies may need more frequent breaks. If you’re gone longer than that during the day, consider installing a doggy door and not crating while you’re away, hiring a dog walker, or signing up for doggy daycare.

While there is no hard and fast rule about how long you can crate your dog, one answer is: no more than is necessary. Let your dog be part of the family as much as possible.  

Do I Need a Tetanus Shot After a Dog Bite?

In most cases, your doctor will recommend a tetanus shot after a dog bite if you haven’t had a tetanus shot within the past five years. While there are no statistics on how many cases of tetanus have passed from dogs to humans, and tetanus is rare in dogs, there is still a chance that a dog bite can transmit tetanus to humans. A dirty wound presents a higher risk, but your doctor is likely to order a tetanus shot for any bite that has broken the skin.

When To Get A Tetanus Shot 

Even if you’re able to clean up the wound yourself, you should still visit a doctor immediately after being bitten. Tetanus shots may need to be administered within 48 hours to be most effective. The doctor may discuss whether you need other treatment which may include antibiotics and, in some cases, rabies shots.

Why Do I Need A Tetanus Shot If The Disease Is Rare In Dogs? 

It’s rare—not unheard of. The mortality rate for tetanus is 30% and it’s more than 50% in patients over 60. That’s why administering the shot following a dog bite is standard procedure.

Symptoms of Tetanus 

If you did not get the shot and are worried you may have contracted tetanus from a dog bite, here are some symptoms to look out for:

  • Jaw Cramping
  • Involuntary Muscle Spasms
  • Painful Stiffness
  • Headache
  • Seizures
  • Fever
  • Elevated Heart Rate 

The chances of contracting tetanus from a dog bite are slim, but out of an abundance of caution it is best to follow the advice of your doctor if he/she recommends getting a tetanus shot following a bite. 

How Do I Find a Good Home for My Beagle?

You want to find a good home for your beagle. You love your dog, and it breaks your heart that you have to give him up. It’s even more difficult because you may not have any idea of where your dog should go or how to find a great home for him. We can make things easier for you. Let’s look at some of the things you can do to ensure that you find a great home for your dog.

Shelters and Rescues

They might be the first places you think of, but they might not be the best choice for your beagle.

Shelters work hard to provide a safe place for the dogs to stay while they wait to be adopted, but this doesn’t mean that they are the right solution. Many dogs have a difficult time adjusting to life at a shelter, which can make it hard for them to find a new home. In some situations, shelters still have to euthanize pets that aren’t adopted. Rescues are less likely to have this issue, but they are often full, and they may not be able to take your beagle.

Fortunately, you have other methods are your disposal. You should look to rehome the dog on your own. You can do this by asking family and friends whether they might be interested in adopting, or by using Rehome by Adopt-a-Pet.com. Rehome is a peer-to-peer adoption service that lets you put up a profile for your beagle so potential adopters can see his info and fill out an adoption application if they’re interested.

Consider Your Beagle’s Needs and Personality

When you’re choosing someone to adopt your beagle, you always need to think about your dog’s needs and personality. Make sure that the person who will be adopting her will be able to give her plenty of exercise and will be able to buy her the treats she loves. Make sure that your dog’s personality is suitable for the adopter’s home, as well.

Be Sure to Charge a Rehoming Fee

When you are looking for a new home for your beagle, don’t just give the dog to someone. While this might seem the easiest way to give up your dog, they may not go to a good home. Some people look for free pets online for nefarious purposes. Charging a rehoming fee ensures that they have a financial stake in your dog. They will likely treat her well.

When you use Rehome, as mentioned above, you will find that it won’t cost you anything to list information about your beagle. However, when someone adopts through the platform, they will pay a small fee. This money goes right back into helping to get more animals adopted.

Be Selective and Find the Ideal New Home for Your Beagle

When you are looking at the potential adopters, don’t just choose the first person who responds or provides an adoption application. You need to be sure that they’re the right home. Learn more about their household, their pets, whether they have kids, and so forth. This will help to ensure that you are choosing the perfect home for your beagle.

How Do I Give Up My Mastiff?

You can give up your Mastiff to someone that you know, someone you find online, or to a shelter or a rescue. It’s important to know the options that are available, how they work, and what you need to consider when giving up your dog. 

Do You Need to Give Up Your Mastiff?

One of the first things you’ll want to consider is whether you need to give up your dog at all. Think about why you need to give him up and whether there might be a way to ease whatever problem you might be having. If he has some behavioral issues, for example, working with a trainer could help. If you don’t have time to walk him each day, you could hire a dog walker to help. Try to exhaust all of your possibilities before giving him up. Of course, we know that sometimes you may not have any other choice.

Shelters and Rescues

These organizations are available for those who need to give up their dog. The shelters and rescues will require that you first contact them to set up an appointment. They’ll want to know the temperament of your dog, any medical needs that he might have, etc. Additionally, they may want to know why you have to give up your dog. They want what’s best for him and may have resources that could help you, such as information about low-cost vets, trainers, and more.

If you give up your Mastiff to a shelter or rescue, keep in mind that you’ll have to pay a surrender fee, as well. The price will vary, but it typically starts at around $50 and goes up from there depending on where you’re located.

People You Know

A great option for giving up your dog would be to talk with the people you know, such as your friends, family, and coworkers. Let them know your situation and that you need to give him up. You might find that one of them might be looking for a dog and would love to give him a home. Of course, you need to be sure that whoever you give your dog to can care for all of his needs, whatever they might be. When you give your dog to someone you know, it also gives you more peace of mind.

Online Options for Giving Up Your Mastiff

Another option would be to use an online service like Rehome to find a new owner for your dog. This is a platform from Adopt-a-Pet.com that makes it easy to find potential adopters. You’ll create a profile for your dog, which the adopters can see and review. Those interested in adopting will send applications to you for review. You can then sort through the applications and choose the best new owner for your Mastiff.

It’s an easy to use platform and it’s free for owners to use. The adopters will only pay a small rehoming fee to the site, and the money goes back into helping more animals find a new home.

Photo Credit: Eran Finkle

Are Bark Collars Cruel?

Bark collars are cruel in that they inflict discomfort and/or pain as a method of stopping barking. There are better and more humane ways to deal with barking that don’t hurt your dog and also will address the root of the problem. Bark collars do not address the reason for the barking. Barking is a normal behavior, so punishing your pet for just being a dog is a cruel choice.

How Bark Collars Work 

Bark collars react to the sound of barking or the vibration of your dog’s vocal chords by spraying the dog with citronella, emitting a high pitched sound, or shocking the dog. All of these punishments fail to address the reason for the barking. In the best cases, they make the dog fearful and uncomfortable. In the worst cases, they cause pain.

Alternatives to Bark Collars 

Inflicting pain and discomfort shouldn’t be a method any pet owner is willing to try. Fortunately, there are plenty of humane ways to stop excessive barking such as: 

  • Ignore It: If your dog is looking for attention by barking, ignore him completely. Don’t say “no.” Don’t act annoyed. Just walk away. When the barking stops, give your dog the attention he craves. He’ll learn to associate barking with being ignored and being quiet with getting attention.
  • Find the Cause: If you can figure out what is triggering the barking, you can deal with that directly. For example, if he barks at people walking by, consider keeping him in a back room or blocking the windows during high traffic times of day.
  • Professional Training: If the methods you try at home don’t do the trick, invest in professional training. You’ll learn how to use positive reinforcement to stop unwanted behavior.
    If you suspect the barking is due to separation anxiety, seek the help of a vet or animal behaviorist at once. The problem will only get worse if left untreated. 

Whatever is causing excessive barking, punishing your dog isn’t the way to go. Rather than inflicting pain with a bark collar, find a training method that is positive and healthy and that will bring out the best in your pet. 

Where Can I Put a Boxer Up for Adoption?

You can put a boxer up for adoption both online and locally. If you have a boxer that you can no longer take care of, you might find that putting them up for adoption is the best course of action.

Maybe you will be moving soon, and the new location will not allow pets or larger dogs. You may find that you can’t provide for the dog’s needs any longer. For example, boxers are a fun-loving and active breed, and you may not be able to give them enough exercise. Regardless of why you need to relinquish your pet, it is important that you find the best home for them. Fortunately, there are several that you can consider.

Shelters and Rescues

One of the first places that people consider when they are looking to give up their boxer for adoption is a shelter. Many people choose to visit rescues and shelters when looking for a new pet. Some rescues specialize in boxers, which could be a good fit. While shelters try to provide care for dogs, they are not always capable of ensuring adoption.

Do You Have Friends or Family that Could Adopt?

You might be fortunate enough to have someone that you know in your life already that might be willing to adopt your boxer. If you have a friend or a family member who has room for your dog, and that can properly care for your pet, then you might want to allow them to adopt. If they already know your dog, it can help to make the adoption easier for the pet, and you.

Of course, not everyone will have enough room for a boxer or the ability to provide them with the exercise that they need. You want the best for your dog, and sometimes that means considering other options for adoption, such as Rehome by Adopt-a-Pet.com.

Consider Choosing Rehome When Putting Your Boxer Up for Adoption

Rehome is a platform from Adopt-a-Pet, which can provide you with a safe, effective, and simple way to put your boxer up for adoption. The platform allows you to create a bio for your pet, and to upload photos and videos. You can provide potential adopters with all of the information they need regarding your dog to help ensure a good fit for a new home. If your boxer doesn’t get along with cats, for example, you will want to let people know in case they already have cats in the home.

The system works easily for the owner, as well as the adopter. Additionally, when you are putting your pet up for adoption on Rehome, it is entirely free. The adopter will pay a small fee that is in line with what they would pay at city or municipality shelters.

If you have a boxer that needs to be adopted, take the time to check out Rehome and see just how easy it is. You can find the perfect new home for your boxer.

How Do I Find a Good Home for My Australian Shepherd?

When pet owners decide they can no longer keep their dog, questions like, “how do I find a good home for my Australian Shepherd,” are usually top of mind. While surrendering to a shelter is an option, the best way to find the right home for your dog is to rehome him yourself. It takes a bit of time and effort, but if finding the right home is important to you, this is the easiest way to see exactly where he ends up.

Where Do I Start?

If you’ve never rehomed a dog before, the idea can seem overwhelming and stressful. The good news is an Australian Shepherd will be easier to rehome than some other breeds. Once you get your dog in front of the right people, it probably won’t take long to find him a loving new home.
The more potential adopters who see him, the better the chances of finding a good fit. Here are two things you’ll want to do:

  • Contact breed-specific rescues and ask if they will list your dog as a courtesy listing. These groups may even know people who are actively looking for an Australian Shepherd.
  • List your pet on the Rehome website. You’ll be able to create a pet profile, communicate with potential adopters, upload medical records, and more. This site is a valuable resource for anyone trying to rehome a pet. Your pet will also get more rehome_legacyity than you would with other sites because his profile will be published directly on Adopt-a-Pet.com. Once the bio is live, your dog could be viewed by the millions of people that visit Adopt-a-Pet.com every month.

    Vet References and Rehoming Fees

    Remember that the goal isn’t just to find a home; it’s to find a great home. That means you won’t want to just hand over your dog without learning a bit about the potential adopters. Make sure you:

    • Ask for Vet References: If the adopter has had pets before, ask for vet references. You’ll want the vet to verify that proper medical care was provided.
    • Charge a Rehoming Fee: Giving your dog away as free to a good home is never a good idea. Charging a rehoming fee weeds out people who look for free dogs to resell or use in nefarious ways. It also lets you know they are willing to invest in your dog. If they balk at a rehoming fee, what will they do when a sick dog needs to go to the vet?

      It’s always a sad thing to give up a pet, but taking the time to find him a perfect home at least gives your Australian Shepherd the best chance at a happy future.

      How Do I Make My Dog Stop Licking Everything?

      To stop your dog from licking everything requires identifying the reason for the behavior, which can be either medical or behavioral. From there you’ll be able to either treat the medical condition or work on behavior modification. It’s important not to rule out a visit to the vet—especially if the behavior started suddenly.

      Tips for Stopping Excessive Behavioral Licking 

      Unlike cats who gracefully sit in the sun and silently groom themselves, the sound of a dog’s sloppy licking is enough to drive even the most patient pet owners a little crazy.

      If your dog is licking everything and your vet has ruled out fleas, allergies, or another medical cause, the reason could be as simple as boredom or because the act calms him. Other dogs lick out of habit, when they are anxious, or, in the case of licking their owners, out of affection. If you’d like to curb this behavior, try:

      • Training: So many pet behavior problems can be solved by training your dog to obey the “leave it!” command. Work on this so when you see your dog start to lick, one simple command will put a stop to it.
      • Ignoring: Your dog could be licking just for attention. Try ignoring the behavior completely.
      • Playtime: If boredom is the cause, extra playtime and daily long walks could be the cure.
      • Bitter Spray: If the rest fails, you can try spraying the areas he licks with an unpleasant tasting spray that is designed to stop dogs from chewing and licking. Note that some dogs find some of these sprays to be pleasant, so you might have to try more than one. 

      Obviously, the above won’t work if the reason is medical. Dogs who lick themselves excessively may be dealing with fleas, allergies, parasites, GI issues, or infections. Some dogs lick so much that they lose hair and create hotspots.

      If your dog is licking floors, furniture and other objects, another possible medical cause is nausea as the licking can help to soothe that feeling. Once the underlying cause is treated, the behavior will stop pretty quickly.

      Whether the cause is medical or behavioral, if your dog is licking to the point that he is damaging his skin, you’ll want to see your vet right away. Fortunately, licking isn’t usually harmful and it’s fairly easy to stop through some trial and error.