Pet Goddess

Here is a special message from the ASPCA about the rate at which pets are being abandoned due to tough economic times, and now as we near the holidays, and the bitter winter weather:

 Homeless for the Holidays?

Support bill to make pet-care costs tax deductible

We all know how expensive it has become to keep a pet. Yet it costs a great deal of money to give humane injections to [ut them to sleep!
Many people would love to have a pet, but feel they can’t afford it.

In particular, older people and those on fixed incomes would love to have a companion animal, but alas, the costs can be too high. One trip to the vet could end up being a financial disaster, and even pet insurance might be beyond their reach financially.

We have written often about the many health benefits of pet ownership. Now we have a chance to extend this opportunity in some way, and stop the overcrowding in shelters too: Pass a bill in congress that will make pet expenses tax-deductible.

To take action on this issue, click on the link below:
https://secure2.convio.net/aspca/site/Advocacy?s_oo=d_hlyC82Du9pTXH0L1X1uw..&id=2605
If the text above does not appear as a link or it wraps across multiple lines, then copy and paste it into the address area of your browser.

Rescuing a pet from a shelter

A Pet is for life, not just for Christmas

If you do go for a puppy or kitten, go into it with the mentality of keeping it for the remainder of the pet’s life. If you rescue a dog from a shelter, just think of the trauma it has already been through, and don’t add to it, especially if it is an elderly animal.

You don’t want to be dumped in a home or neglected when you are elderly, so certainly don’t treat an innocent living creature like that.

If you do not know if you can commit to a pet for its entire life, to death do you part, do not get a pet. Yes, there is expense, and the unexpected, but I would rather not eat myself than see my animals go hungry.

Many shelters even offer pet insurance policies to help cover the costs, and it is a good idea to take it out just for peace of mind, and due to the climbing price of pet care and medicines.

So please, do your homework. Before you adopt a cute little puppy or kitten, think long and hard… Are you ready for the responsibility?

Further Pet Information you might be interested in:

DOGS:
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SitStayFetch Is The No. 1 Dog Training And Behavior Product On The Net. See What it Can do for you and your pet now: Sit Stay Fetch Training Program

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Kingdom Of Pets: Dog Health Guide.
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CATS:
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How To Get Rid Of Cat Urine & Odor From Your Home.
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So who is to blame? Breeders or owners?

Owners who adopt a cute little puppy or kitten without researching how a dog thinks, the type of pet they are getting, the care, time and responsibility it will need, are to blame.

When they “Get Rid” of the pet after it has outgrown that cute puppy or kitten stage, using one of the many common excuses for not keeping a pet, or don’t spay or neuter their pet, it is they who are causing the world’s pet overpopulation and leaving their mess for everyone else to clean up.

There are millions of excellent dogs and cats in pounds and rescues. These animals are not “reject” animals, but animals who were unfortunate enough to fall into the hands of people who decided they didn’t want the responsibility, those who did not research the type of pet they were getting and those who didn’t treat the dog like a dog, but rather a human, which always causes behavior problems, sometimes major ones.

Each and every day these animals are killed, simply because there are not enough homes, not enough rescues, not enough man power, to keep them all alive, because each day more pets are brought in.

Each and every one of us who want to adopt a pet should look into rescue first, not buying from a breeder. Don’t necessarily choose a puppy, but an older dog whose habits are known.

If you really must get a puppy, research it thoroughly, and if you really must get a puppy from a breeder and pay money for it, always use a reputable breeder and make sure you meet BOTH puppy parents. Otherwise it is probably a puppy mill puppy.

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SitStayFetch Is The No. 1 Dog Training And Behavior Product On The Net. See What it Can do for you and your pet now: Sit Stay Fetch Training Program

Dog Food Secrets.
What you need to know NOW about the food your dog eats

Complete Cat Training.
Home Study course, deals with cat aggression, destructive behavior, and more!

If you would like to try owning a dog or cat, but are not sure if you are a dog/cat person, why not start with a full grown homeless dog or cat rather than adopting a puppy or kitten.

Grown cats and dogs are easier to care for than kittens and puppies and you will not be contributing to the overpopulation problem should you decide it was not something you should have taken on. There are millions of wonderful dogs and cats that need homes right now.

Even better, often the rescue groups or shelters will have evaluated the animal in different situations, such as with cats, children, strangers, and whether or not they have any special health needs. You will be able to get valuable information right on line as to whether or not they would be the kind of pet that would fit into your own family situation and circumstances.

Do not get a terrier if you have young children. Do not get any dog if you are single and work ten hours a day, unless you are going to pad train your pet, get one small enough to take everywhere with you, or are prepared to have a dog walker come in to your house to get it a couple of times a day. You can’t hold your pee for 10 hours, so why would anyone think a dog could? Or even expect them to? And be angry if they didn’t?

Again, there needs to be a realistic expectation about pet ownership, and your own personality and abilities in the process.

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SitStayFetch Is The No. 1 Dog Training And Behavior Product On The Net. See What it Can do for you and your pet now: Sit Stay Fetch Training Program

Dog Food Secrets.
What you need to know NOW about the food your dog eats

Complete Cat Training.
Home Study course, deals with cat aggression, destructive behavior, and more!

So no matter how tempted you are by a puppy, sometimes you need to be honest: there IS NO type of dog that will fit into your lifestyle..

So if you want a pet, its time to consider something else, something less demanding. This research should be done before you adopt a pet. It should not be a trial and error experience.

There are cases of women handing back children after they adopted because the could not cope with the reality of what they ended up with, but it is rare.

Therefore, you should view yourself as the pet’s parent, and best friend who will have to make the best possible decisions for it throughout its life. You need to put its welfare even ahead of your own, because it has NO choice compared with you.

With the internet so readily available, there is no excuse for not researching BEFORE adopting a pet.

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SitStayFetch Is The No. 1 Dog Training And Behavior Product On The Net. See What it Can do for you and your pet now: Sit Stay Fetch Training Program

Dog Food Secrets.
What you need to know NOW about the food your dog eats

Complete Cat Training.
Home Study course, deals with cat aggression, destructive behavior, and more!

Buying from breeders versus Rescuing A Pet Part 11

In the same way, you should deal with your dog in the same way, training it to be a well socialized and adjusting living being which needs to go out into the world and meet all sorts of people and situations.

Dogs and cats are not disposable and they are not all the same. We all have our own personal preferences and lifestyles, and that is fine, but again, don’t have a child if you are not prepared for the responsibility and consequences.

Choose the right kind of pet for you. If you live in a place with harsh winters, for example, or scorching temperatures, it would be understandable that you might not be able to walk a dog, in which case, a cat is fine.

The type of dog that will fit into your lifestyle will not be the type of dog that will fit into your neighbor’s lifestyle. It is all a question of personality.

Also think about what you would do if your pet got sick. Labradors are great dogs, but how would you lift it, or go up and down the stairs with it if it got sick?

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SitStayFetch Is The No. 1 Dog Training And Behavior Product On The Net. See What it Can do for you and your pet now: Sit Stay Fetch Training Program

Dog Food Secrets.
What you need to know NOW about the food your dog eats

Complete Cat Training.
Home Study course, deals with cat aggression, destructive behavior, and more!

The only thing that is going to change the pet population explosion and profusion of unwanted pets is the attitude of the general public. When one decides to buy a cute little puppy or kitten, the decision should be looked at as a minimum 15 year commitment.

If one cannot, or does not, wish to commit this amount of time to a dog or cat, do NOT buy a puppy or kitten, and than pass your problem off to someone else when it grows up, and the situation does not work out as you thought it would.

In the same way that a person decides to have a human baby, things will not be perfect. You need to expect the unexpected, and will also have to put in the time and commitment to train and give attention to the pet.

The child will not be perfect. They will be expensive and give us all sorts of issues to deal with. Most prospective parents read at least one how to book, consult websites, do their research.

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SitStayFetch Is The No. 1 Dog Training And Behavior Product On The Net. See What it Can do for you and your pet now: Sit Stay Fetch Training Program

Dog Food Secrets.
What you need to know NOW about the food your dog eats

Complete Cat Training.
Home Study course, deals with cat aggression, destructive behavior, and more!

And often what seems a big problem is not insurmountable with a bit of time, patience, and common sense. For example, the new wife who was allergic to the dog—she can take allergy tablets. No one should ever expect a dog to give up its home.

Moving to a new place, and the landlord doesn’t allow pets. Well, if the landlord said he didn’t allow children, would you give away your kids? NO. So then DON’T do it to your pet. They should be taken into consideration in any move. Moving out of state, ditto. A move is a move, and animals can be very adaptable. There is no reason to dump them in a shelter.

Often observing the trouble and discussing it with your vet or looking up more information on line can help get you back on track if your pet develops some sort of annoying habit you feel you can’t cope with.

For example, one family was having a bad week with their dog. The dog was getting into the trash and chewing things up inside the house, which is clearly a sign of boredom, and a sign of not enough exercise.

The wife decided on a whim to take the dog to the pound while her husband was at work and the kids at school. Later that same night when her family returned home, they were devastated. She thought better of her impetuous decision, and was sorry she had taken such drastic measures.

When husband went to the pound to get their dog back, the pound would not return the dog. They had surrendered it, and so no longer owned it. They were probably doing the best for the animal in their minds, but it would also have been traumatic for the pet to have had to give up the only home it ever knew.

And all of this could have been avoided if everyone had thought their actions through as to what was best for the dog.

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SitStayFetch Is The No. 1 Dog Training And Behavior Product On The Net. See What it Can do for you and your pet now: Sit Stay Fetch Training Program

Dog Food Secrets.
What you need to know NOW about the food your dog eats

Perhaps people are naïve and really don’t realize their pet is going to be put down? From my own point of view, I would never be able to stop wondering and worrying if it was being treated kindly, what would happen to it once it got older, and so on.

Due to the extremely dire state of the economy at present, if you take your dog or cat to one of these pounds chances are extremely high it will be dead in a week. The majority of cats and dogs who are taken to these state run kill shelters are not adopted out, but are killed. One might as well save the tax payers some money and kill the animals themselves.

If that sounds harsh, it is just being realistic. And yes, my vet has had cases of people bringing in perfectly healthy pets to be put down. He takes the fee, then finds a home for them. They certainly don’t stay to the end to watch the dog or cat rest in peace, they hand over the money and run.

Perhaps that would be kinder than taking your pets to the pound.
But it is also a case of mental attitude. You took on this responsibility. Now you must deal with it without dumping your problems onto someone else. It is all a question of mind-set, and a mind of compassion who has no choice.

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SitStayFetch Is The No. 1 Dog Training And Behavior Product On The Net. See What it Can do for you and your pet now: Sit Stay Fetch Training Program

Dog Food Secrets.
What you need to know NOW about the food your dog eats

Complete Cat Training.
Home Study course, deals with cat aggression, destructive behavior, and more!