Say hello to Latte' and Opal, a couple of
pretty aussiegals having a blast
at Cedar Key with their human, Mary Zoller
of St. Cloud.
We need submissions for our 1st
annual
Funny-Not-An-Easter Bunny
Photo Spread.
Send me your
name, where you live, an Easter-related
photo of
your pet & info about
him or her.
One of our long-time readers, Dr.
Dana Thomas, Dean of Liberal Arts and
Sciences at Florida Community College in
Jacksonville, has
a book out called, "Paws & Smell the
World: Unforgettable Moments with Our
Best Friend." It's filled with dog stories and
poems and can be purchased here.
Fun to know: About 45 percent of pet
guardians have more than one pet,
according
to American Society for the Prevention of
Cruelty to Animals. And about 40 percent
of people who keep pictures of their
spouse and children in their wallet also
keep photos of their pets, "because
they're a member of the family." So...who
is in your wallet?
Broward No Kill is a group of
residents and voters who would like to see
Broward County "go no kill" within
5-7 years. Contact them if you would like to
be part of this worthy endeavor.
I've found a great data base of veterinary
specialists that might come in handy when
a pet gets sick. You can search for board
certified specialists at American College of Veterinary
Internal Medicine.
My soul sister, Ginny, wanted me to remind
everyone to not let our dogs and cats play
with plastic bags and wrappers. Animals
can easily get caught in them and
suffocate.
An interesting Web site:
Baby Sounds for Pets offers a CD
that's
supposed to help prepare a pet for the
arrival of a baby. A good idea
since humane societies report "a new
baby" as one of the most
common excuses for animal
relinquishments.
The horse lovers among us may be
interested in helping out
F.R.I.E.N.D.S. Inc. This Ft. Lauderdale-
based non-profit organization is a safe,
lifetime haven
for horses with E.I.A. (Equine Infectious
Anemia.) They also care for pygmy
goats, miniature donkeys and peacocks.
Melbourne Beach won't be getting a
dog-friendly beach anytime soon.
Amazingly, the town
commissioner who made the proposal
to allow dogs on a leash, or under voice
control, certain hours of the day, simply
didn't get enough support from the
community. The matter has been tabled for
now, but until residents get involved and
start
advocating for the idea, dogs will continue
to be
prohibited on Brevard County beaches,
including those of Cocoa Beach, Merritt
Island, Palm Bay, Port St. John, Satellite
Beach, Titusville, and Viera. (A first
offense
will cost $55 and a second offense $115.)
The final vote on doggie dining in Panama
City Beach will take place January 22.
Keep checking FloridaPets.net for a
list of cities that have approved the idea,
those who are still considering it, and a
starter list of restaurants happily offering it.
January is National Glaucoma Month, but
did you know pets (mostly dogs) can
develop it as well? It can be inherited or
developed as a result of another eye
disease and can result in loss of sight.
Treatment is similar to what's
used for humans: medication, surgery, or
both. Ask your vet for more information.
I've heard from more than one reader
about unleashed, aggressive dogs
attacking other dogs at the Al Lopez Dog
Park in Tampa, as well as a general lack
of poop patrol efforts. If anyone else in that
area has been having problems, feel free
to post on our Message Board. Perhaps
you can join together and approach
the city about the problems.
Happy 49th Birthday Leon County
Humane Society, a
member-supported, NO KILL shelter,
famous for
their dog-washing fundraisers.
And last, but not least, I've put together a
page for people having
problems keeping their pets during today's
rough economy. I'm filling it
with resources for low cost or free vet care,
shots, food, and more. I call it Pet Aid and while it's mostly
Florida-specific now, I plan to nationalize it
as I go
along. My main hope is that it will help
keep a few good people and their pets
together.
That's it for now. Don't forget to treat all
your
sweethearts next month!
