While volunteering in an all window cattery a few years back, I was able to see who was entering the facility with their surrendered pets. It was a sad sight to see. One family caught my eye. As a volunteer, I was the extension of the facility. Meaning, I couldn't say anything to anyone. It was difficult, however, I learned to observe and learn. The family brought in a curly furred terrier. The dogs fur was a knotted mess and you couldn't see his eyes. The dog wasn't well cared for. I left my post for a few minutes and stood around the corner listening in to the conversation. They didn't want the senior dog anymore and was looking for a younger model. I could feel my face getting red and all I wanted to do was to grab the leash from them and take the dog home. I went home and told my husband what I witnessed. His suggestion was to write blogs and offer suggestions on how to help these animals. This is what launched my pet advocacy mission. Being an advocate isn't for the faint of heart. One needs to believe in the mission and finds ways to make it better. It pays zero and is a thankless role. My focus is helping these shelter pets. 

I was on a social media group a few months back and the question came up regarding feeding dogs chicken bones. The group was formed in a different country and almost everyone fed their dogs chicken bones. When I expressed concern about this, I was banned from the group. I felt sorry about the dogs that were given chicken bones. So, I did my research and attached is a link showing that I was actually correct.

This time of year has challenges with the decorations and special meals. This article is very helpful in keeping your pets safe. Please baby proof your home and be mindful of hidden dangers around your home. It takes a second for pets to get into trouble. 

There are three main components that shape a dog's personality. They are genetics, puppy socialization and experience. Puppies that are born to parents that are fearful themselves may have a genetic disposition to fear. Also, puppies that are not adequately socialized, especially in the first four months of life, to lots of new experiences and environments can suffer from a lack of experience just as much as a puppy who has had a bad experience.

When we adopted Brutus back in July of this year, everything appeared ok. As he was decompressing, we noticed different behaviors were surfacing every week. First is was behavioral issues. Whenever, we approached him with the leash, he would urinate. Sometimes, he would roll on his back and urinate. It was becoming a serious issue. We were told to train him to build his confidence. It was much more complicated than that. Brutus needed behavior modification training and not basic obedience class. This was out of our area of expertise. Brutus tried a half a dozen of medicines for his anxiety. Some made his condition worse. Trazodone and Reconcile seemed to work the best. We still needed professional help with the training. I sent an SOS to the vets office and the vet behaviorists referred us to someone. By the time she came for her first house visit, the urination problem was starting to subside. My husband and I spent hours everyday doing relaxation training that I found in a social media group. When the trainer arrived, Brutus wasn't sure what to make of it. The visit lasted three hours and we gained knowledge on how to train Brutus the correct way for anxiety and stress. The trainer is a dog whisperer and just wonderful. There was a second visit with the trainer that lasted two hours. Again, we were giving homework for Brutus.