Cattle

Archive for August, 2009

Every day thousands of dogs are ‘put to sleep’, which is a kind way to saying that they are euthanized.  Many of these are simply unwanted animals that have been abandoned by their owners.  They are not sick.  They are not unadoptable or aggressive.  They have simply been pushed into the ‘unwanted’ garbage bin.

Here is the story of ‘Red’, a lovely Chow dog that was hanging onto its life by a thread.  Red was an unwanted dog that some careless owner had abandoned.  Red ended up as a stray and was finally picked up by the SPCA in North Carolina.  He was somewhat thin, but really a wonderful dog that would thrive in a loving home.  Since shelters only have so much room and resources, dogs brought to them can only be with them for so long.  After the required time period is up and the dog is not adopted, then the animal is euthanized.  Red was in that situation.  His time was literally ‘up’.  He only had hours to live.

Red was lucky though.  Volunteers and animal lovers came together to try to find Red a second chance for life.  What volunteers did when they found out Red’s situation was to post Red’s picture and information on blogs and websites.  Finally a dog rescue in Texas responded to one of the notices.  Red was dragged from the death table with moments to spare.  He was saved from being gassed (which they do in North Carolina—instead of the more humane needle euthanasia method).

The above is a true story and Red was given his second chance for life. Through the Texas dog rescue and the efforts of many volunteers, Red now has a chance for a great home and a long life with a loving family. 

Here is another story of poor unwanted Chiquita, a little long-haired Chihuahua.  Chiquita was only about a year old when her owners no longer wanted her.  She was also on death-row.  Again, volunteers came to her rescue as they posted her picture (Chiquita completely and lovingly cute in a little pink dress) on the web.  Their efforts saved Chiquita from death as well, and she has now been placed with a family that will appreciate what her little soul is worth.

Red and Chiquita were both lucky, but many other dogs are not.  It takes a lot of effort, time, commitment and caring on the part of many volunteers to save these poor unwanted dogs. 

What can you do to help? 

• Volunteers are needed to accept lists of animals about to be euthanized, and who can then cross-post the details to various dog rescues that may be able to take these animals in. You can contact animalcareservices@greenvillecounty.org (email address) to get up-dated lists.
• You can post the list to blogs or your own websites to gain as much exposure to the animal’s situation as possible.
• Volunteers are also need to help transport the animals from one place to another.  You don’t have to take them through the whole route if the dog is being placed in a faraway location—simply a leg of the route, say from one city to another.
• Of course, money is always helpful. Contact dog rescues in your area to find out what is needed.

If you are a dog lover and can’t sleep nights wondering about what will happen to these poor unwanted dogs, maybe you can help too.  Think of Red and Chiquita and how volunteers willing to put in a little effort to save a dog helped saved their lives.  Maybe that can be you.

If you’re wondering whether you’ll ever find a pet for allergies sufferers, relax, and read on. There are several types of animal, including dogs and cats of specific breeds, which are more allergy friendly than the others. Here are just a few of the pet for allergies sufferers’ suggestions we have for you.

It’s important to remember that it’s not really the hair, but rather the dander that is created when the animal licks itself, leaving saliva on the skin, that really aggravates an allergy. So while hairless pets are a good choice, they might not eliminate the possibility of a reaction. They do, however, make good pet for allergies choices.  

Dogs
Ask any little kid what pet they want, and chances are they’ll say a puppy. But what if you need to find a pet for allergies suffering kids? Well, you’re in luck! There are hairless breeds, like the Mexican Hairless, or the Chinese Crested, that shouldn’t give you or your loved ones any allergy trouble. They may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but they are about the very best pet for allergies, if you have your heart set on a dog.

Cats
Another popular pet, and another pet for allergies, if the correct breed is chosen. Like dogs, there are certain breeds of cat, like the Sphinx, and those with very short or sparse hair, like the Cornish or Devon Rex, that may aggravate allergy sufferers less, and make good pets for allergies.

Fish
Fish are a great pet for allergies sufferers’ choice, however, you won’t be able to hug, or walk your pets! There are some fish however, like Koi, for instance, which live outside or in large ponds at least, and which do tend to interact more with their owners and others.
If interaction is not that important to you, then perhaps even a tropical fish tank could be a good pet for allergies sufferers choice, however, take care to remember that water could cause mold growth, which may aggravate allergies.

Other Animals
There may be other pets for allergies that you could consider – depending on the particular allergies you have. For instance, some people aren’t allergic to fur or dander, but rather to allergens in pet urine or other secretions. If that is the case, one could conceivably own any pet, as long as you avoided contact with the allergen in question.

The truth is, it depends mainly on the allergies you have, which animals you could keep. Also, it would depend on your dedication to treatment, medication or lifestyle changes. If a pet lived outside, and was regularly bathed, and a person with allergies lived in the house, but had minimal contact, that might be ok. If the pet for allergies options listed here are not the solution to the problem, the other option is to undergo immunotherapy, which would, over time, diminish the sensitivity of the person to the allergen in question. What pet for allergies choices really boil down to is personal choice, and what you are prepared to do to own a furry (or not so furry) friend?

With the increasing number of serious incidents reported at public and community dog parks, private dog parks such as Royal Paws Dog Park & Dog Day Care are quickly gaining popularity as the only safe and enjoyable choice for dogs and their owners.

The current trend is city and home communities responding to area dog owner demand by setting aside a small plot of their least desirable piece of land and designating it as the area dog park. Unfortunately these unmanaged and unregulated dog parks often turn to that of neighbor confrontation, injury and horror, even with the best of intending groups and dog owners. Let’s face it, without any oversight or enforcement, incidents are going to occur. So with this increasing number of these dog parks follow the increasing number of serious incidents being reported. The well intending community becomes the venue for headlines such as “Dog Killed” or “Child Mauled by Aggressive Dogs”. The only safe alternative is that of a well run, private dog park where it is run as a viable business. A properly designed and managed private dog park is an entirely different experience than public parks because it will include dog screening, grounds maintenance, park rules enforcement and more suitable land parcels.

The benefits to a dog at an off-leash dog park or any open area of land are immense. Unleashed running elevates heart rate, increases metabolism, improves gastrointestinal efficiency, and extends muscles and joints, all of which contributes to general overall fitness. It is known that maintaining such a healthy lifestyle for your loved dog will increase longevity and reduce risk of all associated conditions and diseases that obesity can cause. The experience for a dog in open field run is like no leashed exercise. Benefits of off-leash play beyond fitness include socialization, that is, if experienced without incident. Well exercised and well socialized dogs make better community members as they are much less likely to contribute to neighborhood nuisances like chronic barking or aggression to other dogs.

If public parks could operate as the run private dog parks do, these benefits would be available to all community dogs near any type of dog park. Unfortunately, these community or city dog parks cannot staff, screen or have the resources to manage park operations. Thus, incidents will occur, often causing loss of dog’s developed social skills and development of behavioral issues. Incidents like a dog being intimidated, bullied or even attacked by another dog will occur in parks not privately run. Such negative experiences can cause dog aggression, fear aggression or cause physical injury or death. Physical or emotional recovery of a dog from a traumatic incident requires a positive and secure environment that only a well managed private dog park can provide. The good experiences enjoyed in a well-managed private dog park is the primary reason that many loved dog owners everywhere chose private over potential chaos at a public dog park.

Even with the best of run private dog parks, the dog owners retain a high level of responsibility upon park entrance and must be willing to withstand the occasional park staff directive. They must carefully watch their dog, abide by all park rules, maintain the obedience skills of the dog and know their dog well enough to predict their dog’s behavior. Each dog owner should understand their dog’s postures, expressions and movement to be able to differentiate in off-leash situations when they are comfortable and when they are not and to identify or correct any potential troublesome behaviors. This too is critical to the enjoyment of the park by all.

While private dog parks are gaining popularity because they may be the only choice for safe and enjoyable off-leash fun, still do homework because none of the dog parks are regulated by any government agency. A good rule of thumb for any place intended to visit with a dog, learn your dog’s body language and level of social skills, have good control and be comfortable with the facility layout and staff to lessen the chances of any possible incident with your dog.

There are a number of factors involved when considering your chickens’ health and your chicken coop plans are an integral part of keeping them healthy.  For the most part, chickens will take care of themselves, but they do need to be checked on regularly the make sure the basic necessities and temperature are taken care of.<p>

Chickens produce the best when they are clean, safe and happy. Having automatic water, that is well placed, would be ideal, although not necessary and placing the food at the right height for feeding will help with the mess (chickens will put their feet up on, or in, the food if not set up high enough and create a large mess on the floor with the droppings).  <p>
 

By supplying electricity you create not only warmth but adequate light in the winter months so that your hens continue to produce the eggs that you want more consistently.  Lighting is also key if you are considering raising chicks.  They will need extra attention and lots of additional warmth in the winter.

Adequate ventilation, without being drafty, is a must for the health of the chickens as well.  You need to keep it ventilated to remove the methane from the droppings while keeping it from being drafty and getting your chickens sick.  Insulation is also very important in certain climates.  Chickens are very similar to humans in these respects. 

Also include a chicken door and ramp to enter, enough perches for your chickens as well as nesting boxes and easy cleaning, when you are choosing from the chicken coop plans. This will help you keep the smell to a minimum, save yourself time and keep your chickens healthy.

Dog breeding is not as simple as you think. Countless sensible pet owners favor to get purebred dogs nowadays. Even on a similar multiplies, breeding lines are inclined to create numerous traits and types of dogs. As you can watch, dog breeding is a complex undertaking and without enough knowledge, you can’t be an impressive dog breeder.

Dog breeding is continuously grueling for beginners, particularly when you consider the amount of time, money, and effort you need to invest. Don’t make the mistake of rushing in before you know your subject. The major to achievement is research followed by even more research. Once you’re equipped with all the theoretical knowledge you should consult an expert breeder. Visit his premises and take note of the manner he does things. You will gain helpful insight into the specific dog breeding experience.

Some dogs may be bred for performance, and will regularly take part in events such as flyball. Dogs some for breeding frequently display fine athletic abilities. Structure and physical appearance are not so important in dogs bred for best performance. Dogs from many breeds are allowed to mate if they are agile and athletic. In that situation the breeders can only hope the pups will display the same qualities as their parents. One exceedingly suitable example is the breeding of a Jack Russell with a Border Collie. This produces a pup which in the sports community is known as a BorderJack.

Once you have your perfect female you will call for to look for a good stud. Certain studs are offered for sale while others are accessed via payment of a fee. The most popular and reputable breeds are expensive, but if you decide attractive puppies you require to look for an experienced stud. Don’t be persuaded to use a friend’s stud; you call for to look for the best. Visit the kennel club in your local area. Ask to see the dog’s certification; and following clear arrangements you can arrange to bring your female to meet the stud. This arrangement means the stud owner can help with the mating process. First time females can be hard so you need all the expert help you can get.

Be sure that you don’t underestimate these items when you calculate the cost being a professional dog breeder. Also, project to work with a veterinarian in caring for them, and see if a monthly payment policy can be implemented when that becomes necessary. Keep in mind to include advertising, the cost of building, outfitting, and electrifying a kennel, liability and property insurance premiums, zoning approval, property taxes, and maintenance.

You know your dog better than anyone else; and you should know if it’s an great example of its breed. If you are aware of any disqualifying faults in your dog you should not be allowing it to breed. If on the other hand your dog has a few minor faults these can be counteracted by finding a suitable partner. However, the situation is a variety of if you have a dog that is simply mediocre. Constantly check the standards required in each breed. If in doubt ask an expert to evaluate your dog properly.

Just remember, you need to become skilled at as much as you can about dog breeding. With the knowledge and advice you gain from speaking to expert breeders you will be well on your manner to success.

dog breeding info