Pet talk

Today’s Detroit Free Press had another article about home forclosures.  But it wasn’t the usual bad news about falling home values and saging home sales.

This article was about all the vacant homes with the family pets STILL in them.  Yes it seems when you can’t pay the mortgage and have to move out of your home, you no longer have compassion for the other members of your family.  The people just pack up, lock up and leave the pets behind to die.  One pet was found running down the street chasing after the family that was leaving it behind.

How people can do this is beyond me.  But what we need to do is be aware of what is occuring in your neighborhood.  If the family down the street moves away and they leave a vacant house, and they used to have a pet—be on the lookout for signs the pet is still there.  In fact it really wouldn’t hurt to go over and look in the windows just to make sure.  If anyone asks, you can always say that you are interested in buying the house and wanted to take a look. 

Now more than ever we need to be on the lookout for acts of cruelty.  By being aware of what is going on around us, we can prevent needless suffering of innocent animals.

Easter has come and gone and with it another sad result:  thousands of unwanted rabbits, chickens and ducks.  Sure they are adorable when they are bunnies, chicks and ducklings.  But as we all know, they eventually grow up.  And that is when they are no longer cute and fun.  They are now a HUGE responsibility that most families are not willing to take on for the life time of the pet.

So these animals are dumped on to rescue groups and shelters in droves.  In fact, rabbits are the third most common animal abandoned at shelters here in Michigan after dogs and cats.  About 800 rabbits a year are taken in by the Michigan Humane Society alone.  (This number does not reflect all the independent rescue groups and county shelters throughout Michigan.) 

There are a couple of reasons this happens every year.  The first being tradition.  These animals represent spring and along with an Easter basket, they are a rite of the holiday.  The second reason is that they are simply adorable with their floppy ears, fuzzy feathers and little quacking noises.  But let me warn you right now that a holiday and a cuteness factor are NEVER good reasons for bringing another family member into your home.

A pet is a very big commitment that can last decades in some cases, (70 years for a parrot for example).  Food, exercise, veterinary care, accessories, pet sitting/boarding, cleaning, grooming, training, housing, and time spent interacting with it are costly both in the monetary and time arenas.   Getting one has to be thought out carefully.  Can you afford both the time AND money it takes to care for it?  Will this type of pet fit into your lifestyle even after it grows up?  Getting a pet for a child is a good idea—unless it is only for that child.  Because what happens if the child becomes bored or disinterested with it?  A new pet is a new family member and can not be “gotten rid of” just because you move, have a baby, or get bored. 

Think before you buy.  Yes they are cute now—so go get a poster of one.  Then do some research about the animal.  Talk to people who have them.  Speak to a veterinarian about them.  Talk to other members of your family and yes even your landlord.  Realize that once you have this pet you are morally bound to care for it for the rest of its life no matter what happens.  Then decide what is right for you.        

Its that time again–a little earlier than normal but still:  its Easter!  So stay inside, (away from all that snow!), eat your chocolate and remember to keep your treats away from your pets.  Chocolate is toxic to most pets and just a few pieces could kill a small one. 

Atair Acres is holding a carriage driving clinic for horse lovers of all kinds on April 26-27, 2008.  The instructor is the well known international carriage judge Laura Frizzell, formerly of Michigan.Laura was on the forefront of carriage driving when the sport first came to Michigan.  She became a judge and a very popular instructor in Michigan before moving to PA to start her own horse farm and Bed, Barn and Breakfast.  The clinic will include instruction on how to go about training your horse to drive, hitching him to a vehicle, and how to successfully compete in driving shows.  It is open to all breeds of horses and if you do not have a horse, you can audit the classes and learn along with the horse owners themselves.  There is a fee for attending and lesson spots are still available.  For more information and a registration form please contact Chris Allen at:  chris@atairacres.com or call 734-783-5525

Another household item that comes in handy with pets is the sprayer bottle.  Find a clean one at the dollar store and instead of misting your plants, use it on your misbehaving pets instead.

Most animal training is accomplished with positive reinforcement.  That is to say that if you want your pet to do something, you reward the good behavior and ignore everything else.  But sometimes the owner needs to also react to poor behavior.  Things like jumping up on guests, and excessive barking at the mailman are not easily fixed by just turning away. 

Fill your sprayer bottle with either pure tap water, water and apple cider vinegar, or water and a touch of lemon juice.  The ingredients depend on your pets taste buds.  Some find water disgusting enough, like my Boxers!  But in water loving pets, a bad taste is the active ingredient. 

When your pet (and this works just as well with cats and other pets too), jumps up on you when you get home,  arm yourself with the bottle and spray a stream of water in their face.  A couple of squirts on successive days and the dog will learn quickly that jumping up on people just gets him wet. 

Spray bottles are a great, yet harmless tool to help train your pet to be a pleasant member of your family.

On rainy or snowy days our Monroe Evening News comes in nice long plastic bags.  We save these bags and put them to use any time we need to move doggy doo.

Put your hand in the bag and pick up a small portion of the doo.  As you pull your hand out of the bag, keep grasping the doo and invert the bag so it stays inside, and the outside of the bag is clean.  Tie off the opening and put a label on it so your vet can tell which dog you are having tested for worms.  If you have more than one dog you can take a small sample from each animal or mix them together.  (As a general rule, if one of your dogs has intestinal parasites, they all do.)

If you are cleaning up the yard and find a shovel hard to maneuver, just slip one of these over your hand and start picking up the piles.  It helps if you take along a garbage can with a plastic bag already in it to drop your doo into.  When you are done, slip the bag off and you have stayed clean!

And finally stuff these bags into a pocket or fanny pack anytime you take your dog for a walk.  If an accident happens, you are ready.  They take up little space and are a life saver when you need them.  Good dog owners pick up after their pets and leave no trace of their pets when they walk by.  Isn’t that what you expect your neighbors to do for you?

After my last post, I was asked to tell folks what else is being offered at the Monroe Humane Society’s  annual dinner and auction.  So I got in touch with Director Janet O’Brien, and she sent me a listing of all the neat stuff that has been donated for the event.

I was amazed at some of the things you can bid on.  Vacations, boat slips, food baskets, pet items, Tiger tickets, gym memberships, artwork, and yes, even bagels from Panera Bread for a whole year!  (That one is mine for sure!)

 So mark the date– March 15, 2008 at 6pm.  Tickets are still available and they are only $50 each.  And remember this is a charity and every deduction counts at tax time.

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On March 15, 2008 the Monroe Humane Society is holding its annual dinner and auction.  This event is probably the biggest activity the Humane Society has to fund the care and placement of local animals into loving homes.   After dinner, an auction is held for donated items.  So if you are a Detroit Tigers fan there will be a chance to bid on VERY good seats for a game or two this season.  This may be the only way to score some awesome tickets. The dinner and auction will take place at LaRoy’s Hall, 12375 South Telegraph Road in LaSalle, MI.  The doors open at 6pm and you need to get there early.  Tickets are $50 each.  The Tigers are a hot team this year and their ticket sales are at an all time high.  Don’t miss out on the opportunity to support the Humane Society and see a winning team slug their way to the World Series!