Halloween Safety Tips for Pets

Halloween can be fun and festive for people, but for pets it can also be dangerous. Here are some tips from the AVMA to help you ensure that your pet has a happy and safe Halloween...

• Don't leave your pet outside unattended on Halloween (or on the days preceding or following this holiday). Halloween pranks committed against pets can be vicious, and black cats are particularly at risk.
• Halloween treats are for people, not pets. Candy wrappers and lollipop sticks can be hazardous if swallowed and chocolate can be poisonous for some types of pets.
• Keep pumpkins out of reach of curious noses and paws. Pets may knock over a lit pumpkin and cause a fire.
• Despite how much fun it is for people, many pets don't enjoy getting dressed up for Halloween. If you do dress your pet, be sure that its costume doesn't interfere with the pet's ability to breathe, see, hear, move, or bark.
• Consider keeping your pet in a separate room, away from the door, when trick-or-treaters arrive. Strange people in even stranger clothes can frighten some pets.
• When you do answer the door for visitors, make sure that your pet doesn't suddenly head for the great outdoors. In case your pet does escape, make sure that it is wearing proper identification. Pets with identification are much more likely to be returned to their owners.

http://www.avma.org/animal_health/pawsforpets/halloween.asp

FREE Pit bull spay or neuter!

** Scentsy fundraiser going on NOW! **

Never heard of Scentsy? Please visit my table at National Pit Bull Awareness Day!

As a participant in a Scentsy Fundraising program for RING DOG RESCUE you will have the opportunity to buy exceptional fragrant warmers and help Ring Dog Rescue achieve its fundraising goals. Scentsy products are simple, beautiful and a SAFE alternative to candles. Scentsy is an authentic wickless candle that is soot free, smokeless, flameless and most importantly SAFE!

I will be giving back to the Ring Dog Rescue 100% of my commission earned, that can be anywhere from 25% to 30% of the total party sales. In addition anyone spending $75.00 or more will be entered into a drawing to win a Patch the Dog Scentsy Buddy. (2 will be given away).

ALL orders will be shipped directly to the customer, please allow 2 to 3 weeks for delivery. The fundraising event will end on Sunday, October 30th at 9pm.

https://annalisaprevite.scentsy.us/Buy?partyId=54977414

Canine Good Citizen & Natl Pit Bull Awareness Day

Started in 1989, the Canine Good Citizen Program is designed to reward dogs who have good manners at home and in the community. The Canine Good Citizen Program is a two-part program that stresses responsible pet ownership for owners and basic good manners for dogs. All dogs who pass the 10-step CGC test may receive a certificate from the American Kennel Club. http://www.akc.org/events/cgc/program.cfm

Ring Dog Rescue is working to promote responsible pet ownersip and basic good manners for dogs in Richmond and the surrounding communities by offering Canine Good Citizen Testing on Sat. Oct. 22, 2011 at the Chesterfield County Fairgrounds for $25 ($10 for approved "foster" dogs). Ring Dog Rescue is doing this in celebration of National Pit bull Awareness Day which was established as a day to educate and foster positive communications and experiences in the communities in which we and our dogs live. It is a day to focus on these incredible dogs and their devoted, responsible owners. A day to change perceptions and stereotypes as well as challenge all dogs owners to be responsible owners! http://www.blessthebullys.com/national_pit_bull_awareness_day.html

Heartworm Treatment Drug Shortage

A shortage of Immiticide will cause the heartworm drug to be unavailable for several weeks to several months, according to Merial, the company that sells Immiticide.

Merial said in a statement that the company that manufactures Immiticide (melarsomine dihydrochloride) is "experiencing technical issues in their plant that will temporarily affect their ability to provide finished product to us." The company said its inventory of Immiticide is depleted, but that it is working to identify a possible alternate source of supply.

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No leash, no responsibility?

So what part of this sign is it that people don't seem to understand? Well, I guess it's not actually a lack of  understanding, but more of a "you can't or won't make me" attitude. I just had this very conversation, with an older gentleman, outside my office building yesterday. He said both dogs were under vocal control and therefore, didn't need to be leashed. Really??? So when you're on the phone, and your dogs are nowhere in sight, is that still okay for using vocal recall? I think not! And of course, the guy wasn't picking up after them, which is even more frustrating for those of us unfortunate enough to be the poop finders! Can anything be done about this? How about rewarding people for their good behavior? Seems kind of silly, but we do the same thing with our dogs, so why not? If anyone has some thoughts on this, I'd love to hear them!

One reason we do what we do!

I would just like to take a moment to update you about Boz' new life!  He has had a very hectic and exciting couple of months! 

         We brought him to our home in early May and it was immediately evident that he was going to settle into his new life in no time.  He sniffed around the house for a couple hours, explored, napped, explored some more, snuggled on the couch, napped again, etc.  He was a little bit wary of using the bathroom at our house, but after one small accident IN the house, he caught on to using the bathroom outside and hasn't had another mess-up since!!  It probably took him less than a week to amass a very large collection of toys and he goes through his "toy box" daily to make sure they're all still there and give them a good shake and squeak.  He LOVES his new fenced in yard!  He loves to roll around in the grass, chase tennis balls for hours and run run run.  He thinks it is hilarious to play "chicken" with us - he runs at us a very high rates of speed and at the last second, darts around our legs to avoid a collision.  He has discovered a love for ice cubes.  Any time the freezer door is opened he sticks his head right in and hopes that a couple cubes will be accidentally knocked out - almost every time he walks away with an icy cool treat!

        We entertain friends at our house usually about once a week or so and he has been great with meeting new people. He is usually very friendly and sociable with females immediately.  He is a little more wary of new men, until they start playing with him, then he is their new best friend!  He is beginning to remember the friends who come over more frequently and he gets so excited to see them!  Two friends of ours have a 9 month old baby and he LOVED her!  He would lick her little toes and she would shriek with laughter and you could just see the happiness on his sweet face.  He was so gentle around her and so sweet!  He took his first weekend trip with us last weekend when we spent some time at my boyfriend's family's lake house on South Holston Lake in Abingdon, VA.  He spent about an hour exploring the house and the yard, decided it was suitable, then decided it was time for a nap.  (He naps all the time!  We are nap-friendly people, so he fits in great with us!)  The attached photo is of me and Boz on the lake's shore, and there is one of him hanging out on the dock.  It was actually kind of difficult to get the pictures of him - he was astounded by the world's largest water bowl!  He didn't take the plunge into the lake, but I have a suspicion that if a tennis ball was tossed in, he would jump in in a heartbeat. 

        Boz has settled in perfectly and we really couldn't ask for a better dog.  He knows his basic commands and we are working on some fancier ones, and he will also start his intermediate training soon.  It took him no time to adapt to our lifestyle and our schedules and he seems to love being in our family.  As I mentioned before, he only had one accident in the house!! ONLY ONE! I could hardly believe it.  I have had dogs all my life and it has never been so easy training one to do their business outside!  He is very quiet (even with our new neighbors and their very, very vocal Irish Setters, he just stands in the yard and looks at them, never answers back to them!) and calm (except during playtime) and he sleeps ALL night long.  In fact, when I wake up in the morning to take him outside I have to coax him to get out of my bed - I think he would probably sleep until noon everyday if I would let him.  Speaking of sleeping, I do have one minor complaint - Boz is a terrible bed hog!  How he pushes me to the edge of the bed throughout the night without waking me, I'll never know, but I wouldn't have it any other way!  He's a great little snuggler and we love him very much! 

       Thank you for helping Boz prior to my adopting him (I'm secretly glad his home in Maryland didn't work out!) and thank you for helping all the other bullies (and others) that Ring Dog helps everyday!  My hope for Bozzy, as I call him, is that with his good nature and precious personality, he can help bully breeds everywhere by changing opinions held by people who have believed the media and haven't given some of the best dogs out there a chance. 

Thank you again!

Stephany Campbell