If you’re a horse lover in the Victoria, BC area, be sure to attend the Healthy Horse Expo at the Saanich Fairgrounds on Saturday, April 5.
Organizers have a full slate of informative workshops and demonstrations including:
Natural horsemanship
Lameness
Equine-facilitated mental health
Equine homeopathy
Equine personalities
Animal communication
First aid and safety on the trail
Bodytalk healing system
This event was held two years ago at the same location and proved to be popular with exhibitors and customers alike. The emphasis on holistic health provides a great venue to see new products, meet equine practitioners, and generally network with other horse people.
I’ll be there with my book, “The Dog Who Looked At Heaven”, so stop by my table with your rescue stories!
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Healthy Horse Expo
Saturday, December 1, 2007
Who Knew?
Here’s a shocker: scientists are beginning to believe that animals have personalities.
According to a recent story in our local daily newspaper, scientists at the University of Guelph who were conducting a study were sitting by the Credit River west of Toronto. They apparently noticed that brook trout exhibited different personalities.
Let’s just forget for a moment that highly paid scientists are sitting on the riverbank and calling it work. Let’s instead focus on the obvious: animals might have personalities – who knew?
Here’s a study I’d like to see: let’s capture a group of scientists and take them away from their natural environment on the riverbanks of Ontario and run them through some tests. First of all, let’s determine whether any of these people have pets and, if so, how many of them are pet owners.
Then we’ll isolate the group of scientists who do indeed have pets and observe them in the natural environment of their own homes.
We need to determine why these people have not yet clued into the fact that their family dog or cat behaves differently than, say, an end table or the dishwasher.
According to a recent story in our local daily newspaper, scientists at the University of Guelph who were conducting a study were sitting by the Credit River west of Toronto. They apparently noticed that brook trout exhibited different personalities.
Let’s just forget for a moment that highly paid scientists are sitting on the riverbank and calling it work. Let’s instead focus on the obvious: animals might have personalities – who knew?
Here’s a study I’d like to see: let’s capture a group of scientists and take them away from their natural environment on the riverbanks of Ontario and run them through some tests. First of all, let’s determine whether any of these people have pets and, if so, how many of them are pet owners.
Then we’ll isolate the group of scientists who do indeed have pets and observe them in the natural environment of their own homes.
We need to determine why these people have not yet clued into the fact that their family dog or cat behaves differently than, say, an end table or the dishwasher.
Monday, November 5, 2007
Weird Stuff Dogs Eat
According to a recent newspaper article, an American pet insurer has released a list of the top ten things most commonly removed surgically from the stomachs of our beloved pets. (Your Grade Five book report was not on the list – so much for that old excuse.) Ingested items include batteries, underwear, socks, drywall, rubber bands, rocks, sticks, balls, and pagers.
When my Basset Hound, Annie, was young, she ate a goodly portion of a medical encyclopedia. I had thought, at the time, that it would have been ironic and fitting if that little snack made her sick.
It didn’t.
Once I was certain that Annie hadn’t been affected in the slightest by her latest gastronomic experiment, I could hardly wait to get to the dog park so I could one-up my fellow puppy owners. I thought that my story had finally topped everyone else’s stories about their dogs’ odd eating habits.
It didn’t.
I was shocked and properly impressed with the story told by the owners of a young Golden Retriever. Apparently their young dog had chewed up and swallowed a brand new, very expensive 35 mm camera.
Your vet may tell you that since most foreign objects are ingested by young dogs under two years of age, it’s important to “puppy-proof” your home by keeping an eye out for potential hazards.
Unfortunately, we have no way of anticipating every type of foreign object that may tantalize the taste buds of the family’s canine gourmand. If you suspect Sparky has munched on your DVD player, get him/her to the vet right away. Dogs who have ingested a foreign body will often lose their appetites and may vomit. The sooner you can get your dog to the vet for assessment, the faster you can prevent serious consequences.
Many times, we might not even realize that our dogs have eaten something they shouldn’t have. If your dog begins vomiting, drooling, refusing food, and having abnormal bowel movements, get to a vet.
And if your cell phone is missing, have someone phone your number or call it yourself from another phone. If your dog rings, you can only hope that she didn’t eat your car keys, too.
When my Basset Hound, Annie, was young, she ate a goodly portion of a medical encyclopedia. I had thought, at the time, that it would have been ironic and fitting if that little snack made her sick.
It didn’t.
Once I was certain that Annie hadn’t been affected in the slightest by her latest gastronomic experiment, I could hardly wait to get to the dog park so I could one-up my fellow puppy owners. I thought that my story had finally topped everyone else’s stories about their dogs’ odd eating habits.
It didn’t.
I was shocked and properly impressed with the story told by the owners of a young Golden Retriever. Apparently their young dog had chewed up and swallowed a brand new, very expensive 35 mm camera.
Your vet may tell you that since most foreign objects are ingested by young dogs under two years of age, it’s important to “puppy-proof” your home by keeping an eye out for potential hazards.
Unfortunately, we have no way of anticipating every type of foreign object that may tantalize the taste buds of the family’s canine gourmand. If you suspect Sparky has munched on your DVD player, get him/her to the vet right away. Dogs who have ingested a foreign body will often lose their appetites and may vomit. The sooner you can get your dog to the vet for assessment, the faster you can prevent serious consequences.
Many times, we might not even realize that our dogs have eaten something they shouldn’t have. If your dog begins vomiting, drooling, refusing food, and having abnormal bowel movements, get to a vet.
And if your cell phone is missing, have someone phone your number or call it yourself from another phone. If your dog rings, you can only hope that she didn’t eat your car keys, too.
Monday, October 22, 2007
Update On Molly
On Saturday, October 13, Molly had surgery on both of her eyes. Dr. Kam Brar of the Lifeline Animal Clinic performed the three-hour operation and the prognosis is good. Molly is seeing the world in a new light!
On October 20 and 21, we had a "twoonie collection" jar for Molly at the Pointer Craft Fair and Sale at the Willis Point Community Hall near Victoria, BC. Thanks to the caring generosity of the customers and vendors at the sale, we raised just over $100 to help with Molly's vet bill.
Stay tuned for more updates on Molly!
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Help A Special Dog!
Molly is a friendly and forgiving two-year-old Golden Retriever cross. She was taken into the Greater Victoria Animals’ Crusaders’ care after suffering severe neglect and abuse in her short life.
But while beautiful Molly is now living in a caring and loving environment, her problems are not over. She suffers from “entropian”, a painful condition of the eyes. Both her upper and lower eyelids roll inward. The resulting abrasion from her eyelashes on her eyeballs has caused infections in both eyes.
Due to the continual irritation of Molly’s eyeballs, she is also at great risk for corneal ulcers, which may result in total blindness.
This condition can be corrected surgically, allowing Molly to live a quality, pain-free life, but requires a lengthy and costly procedure.
Can you help Molly? If so, please send your donation to the Greater Victoria Animals’ Crusaders at the address below:
“The Molly Fund”
c/o Greater Victoria Animals’ Crusaders
P. O. Box 5541, Station B
Victoria, BC
V8R 6S4
Tax receipts will be issued.
Monday, October 1, 2007
"Beautiful Joe", A Good Book
When I was young, I read a life-changing book titled Beautiful Joe. It’s the story of a dog rescued from a life with an unimaginably cruel owner who cut off his ears and tail with an axe. Adopted by a kind family, Beautiful Joe goes on to heal, then blossom into a wonderful dog who, in turn, performs his own rescues. It was written by Nova Scotia author Margaret Marshall Saunders and is set in Canada.
What makes Beautiful Joe a great story is that it explores the way animals are commonly treated from the dog’s point of view. As with the great classic, Black Beauty, we see ourselves through the eyes of harmless beings who just want to live in peace.
This is one of the books that prompted me to embark on a life-long mission to bring home every sad, sick, or broken animal I found and to try to fix it up. It’s also a very old book, first published in 1894, and it’s sad to think that the same book could have been written, with little change, today. The message is as valid today as it was back at the turn of the century. It’s a good read for anyone who loves animals.
A number of readers who loved the story of Beautiful Joe have banded together in the form of a society to honour both the book and its author. They created a park in Ontario at the grave site of Beautiful Joe. The park is graced with a statue of the book’s hero and the theme of the park, awareness of animal welfare, is carried throughout. Activities such as performances by the SuperDogs and Blessing of the Animals services are held within its green spaces.
You can find more information about the book, the Society, and the park at www.beautifuljoe.org.
What makes Beautiful Joe a great story is that it explores the way animals are commonly treated from the dog’s point of view. As with the great classic, Black Beauty, we see ourselves through the eyes of harmless beings who just want to live in peace.
This is one of the books that prompted me to embark on a life-long mission to bring home every sad, sick, or broken animal I found and to try to fix it up. It’s also a very old book, first published in 1894, and it’s sad to think that the same book could have been written, with little change, today. The message is as valid today as it was back at the turn of the century. It’s a good read for anyone who loves animals.
A number of readers who loved the story of Beautiful Joe have banded together in the form of a society to honour both the book and its author. They created a park in Ontario at the grave site of Beautiful Joe. The park is graced with a statue of the book’s hero and the theme of the park, awareness of animal welfare, is carried throughout. Activities such as performances by the SuperDogs and Blessing of the Animals services are held within its green spaces.
You can find more information about the book, the Society, and the park at www.beautifuljoe.org.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Snickle...What?
Do you have room in your heart and home for two affectionate cats?Bandit (black) and Snicklefritz (tabby) are siblings and have been together since they were kittens. They are seven years old, have both been neutered, and have both recently had dental cleanings. They are fairly shy, quiet boys, but they are both absolute lap cats and will make the perfect addition to any family. They are very laid back and get along with pretty much everyone: cats, dogs, and kids. They would love to find a home where they can relax together.
Health: Good (but beginning to get a little overweight from all of their time in a kennel)
Nicknames: B&S
Favourite treats: Love
Favourite activity: Tunneling under the blankets
Major dislikes: Not many, they’re pretty laid back
Endearing qualities: They both appear to be shy at first, but once you offer pats and love, they cannot get enough of you. They are both total lap cats and will fit into any home very well. For some reason they love to tunnel under their blankets, but this is not their way of hiding; it is just their way of playing.
If you live in the Greater Victoria area and you’d like to adopt these two lovebugs, please contact Catherine Clayton at the Victoria Pet Adoption Society by calling 652-4312 or e-mailing vpas@wormers.com.
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