16 Jul
NBC reports on Canine Partners, a great program helping Britian’s servicepeople who sustained injuries in combat. The Red Dog Inn applauds Prince Harry for getting involved with such a worthy cause.
4 Jun
Click here to getImages &
Orcas Pictures
It’s been a couple exciting days for Southern California boaters, and whale watching tour operators are rejoicing! The wild orcas are putting on a show!
A few days ago off the Ventura coast, fishermen encountered a playful female orca who really was ready for her close up!! On June 1, Captain Dave from Dolphin Safari in Dana Point video taped an 8-orca pod feeding. (Thanks, Captain Dave and Fishermen Greg and Richard for shooting the video so those of us who are desk-bound could revel with you!) I’ve included links to the stories below!
It begs the question: Who’s watching whom?
REMEMBER: Keep our oceans clean! Make sure your trash gets into the appropriate cans and keep your cigarette butts off the street!
http://www.whalewatchingtv.com/Orca-LIVE.html
http://www.ktla.com/news/landing/ktla-orcas-dana-point,0,4262348.story
3 Jun
Imagine if you walked into your office one morning to find that someone had trashed it overnight. Would you be upset? Angry? These are some of the feelings my friend, TH, a surfer, experienced over Memorial Day weekend. TH makes his living riding waves. When he showed up at his office he took a few photos of what he saw.
People who’d overnighted at the beach dumped their trash outside their RV. A trashcan was a mere 10 feet away! The beach was littered with trash.
After watching whale rescue teams cut a giant ball of garbage off a 26 foot baby gray whale, named Lilly, the question I have is this: How can you NOT police your trash?
Lilly died, but her passing won’t be in vain. A local OC woman is planning a memorial of sorts and encouraging folks to be mindful of the oceans. READ MORE HERE: http://bit.ly/c44NHe
Remember: Your efforts are important because all paths lead to the ocean. Putting your trash in the appropriate bins is important wherever you may be — on the beach, in the parks, on a hike. Clean up after your dog. Keeping your cigarette butts off the streets will prevent them from getting to the beach!
Regardless of who you are or how important you think you are, make a promise to leave places you visit a little better than you find them.
Keep our beaches clean; they're counting on us!
1 Jun
Today, I took the dogs with me to the barn. I have a rule: If I can’t take them with me, I leave them at home with plenty of water and access to shade. My great neighbors look out after them, too! Today, I could take them.
Nonetheless, it amazes me that people still take their dogs with them on warm days, park under a tree, roll down windows and think that their dogs are safe! Shockingly, even people who claim to be “animal lovers” are loving their animals to death by continuing this practice.
Trees don’t help much and cracked windows don’t either. Here’s a study that illustrates the point: http://www.mydogiscool.com/x_car_study.php
While we never expect to be detained in a store or a restaurant, you never know. I never expected to pass out at the grocery store and be taken to the ER! Thankfully, my dogs were at home for that incident.
Can we please agree to leave our pets at home? Work through separation anxiety — your pet’s or yours! But, if you are going to stop for lunch, stop at a pet friendly place or leave Fido at home! If you love your pet, don’t put them in the oven — er, your car.
BTW… before summer heats up and power outages start, you may want to invest in a battery-powered fan or two — one for humans, another for dogs. Check these out: http://www.aftproducts.com/Energy_Efficient_Fans_ff474071d2.dept
24 May
Summer vacation is right around the corner, and I’ll bet some of you will be taking some riding lessons. As with anything there are good and bad instructors out there, so how do you find a good one, worthy of earning your hard earned money?
Here’s my advice: Start your search with one of the accreditation groups! That way you can be assured that the person you’re paying to learn from has met some sort of standardized criteria to teach and knows the precautions that need to be taken to be safe around a horse. Unfortunately, too many riders declare themselves qualified to teach riding and train horses when they really shouldn’t be allowed anywhere near a teaching or training situation. Protect yourself with information!
There are a number of groups that certify riding instructors, but the one I’m most familiar with is Certified Horsemanship Association (CHA). There are no free passes in CHA. All the folks who are listed as certified trainers have taken the classes and are ranked according to their skill set. ALL OF THEM!
I wish I would have known about this long ago. I could have saved thousands of dollars wasted with unqualified charlatans and folks who rest on their achievements from 20 years ago.
Repeat after me:
Here’s a dirty little secret. ANYONE can call themselves a trainer in the United States. (Please don’t run out and declare yourself a trainer.) Not all trainers, even the big celebrity trainers, are certified. Why? I don’t know. Pride? Concern they won’t be ranked as a “MASTER” trainer? Concern that they may learn something new? Frankly, I wish more trainers would step up and get certified, if not to improve their skills then to weed out the trainers who shouldn’t be doing this in the first place.
PLACES TO START YOUR SEARCH FOR A CERTIFIED, QUALIFIED INSTRUCTOR:
NOTE: I’m not a horse trainer. I’m not certified by either of these associations. I do know people who are accredited by these organizations and would gladly put my horse or myself in training with them.
6 May
On the way to work this week, I saw something that made me sick — a dog that had been thrown from the bed of pick up. I dutifully called Animal Control and was informed by two people that I’d have to talk with someone else. By the time I talked to the someone else, I was feeling pretty darn miffed! THERE SHOULD BE A LAW ABOUT THIS!
Well, where I live, there is: CALIFORNIA VEHICLE CODE 23117. (a) No person driving a motor vehicle shall transport any animal in the back of the vehicle in a space intended for any load on the vehicle on a highway unless the space is enclosed or has side and tail racks to a height of at least 46 inches extending vertically from the floor, the vehicle has installed means of preventing the animal from being discharged, or the animal is cross tethered to the vehicle, or is protected by a secured container or cage, in a manner which will prevent the animal from being thrown, falling, or jumping from the vehicle. http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/d11/vc23117.htm
I’ve called the paper and asked them to publicize this code — as well as encouraging people to not take their dogs if they have to be left in the car. As of January 1, 2007, it’s illegal to leave your pet in a car unattended on a hot day in the Golden State.
When I think about where I got this role of protector, I think of my mom. When did she start instilling in me how the initiative system works? When I was 5-years-old. When I was 5, the board of education wanted to bus kids away from their home districts. Mom had lived in Chicago and worked in a hospital. One day, my older brother came by to visit, which was odd because it was a school day. His school was taking part in an assimilation experiment and one of the kids pulled a knife on the bus. Well, that was it. Not only did the Chicago program come to a grinding halt, but that’s when my mom decided none of her kids would be subjected to this again.
So there I sat, at the kitchen table as a 5-year-old stuffing and sealing envelopes to convince other California voters to not allow this intiative to pass.
Thanks to those days around the kitchen table, I’ve developed a healthy appreciation for the political process. I was able to meet a President of the United States, a few representatives, two governors of California, work for a County Supervisor and meet more than my fair share of movers and shakers –each who was a force in her own right.
I think it’s ironic that virtually everyone of the people I mentioned above was an animal person.
So Mom, thanks for being a Protector and for all the opportunities.
5 Apr
All the people and critters at the RED DOG INN are a-okay after the quake. Sending prayers to the folks who were affected by the quake.
It’s also a good reminder to prepare for your pets, too. Add a 5 lb. bag of your critters’ favorite dry food and treats to your emergency kit as well as bowls and water! Make sure you have extra leashes and tags and collars. The canines of the RED DOG INN have been microchipped, too.
There’s a misconception about microchipping. You can have your pets microchipped and then CHOOSE to subscribe to the additional service. The Red Dog Inn dogs were microchipped for about $50 each, which included one year of service. The chip can always be read! Ask your vet about this method to get your pets home safely and quickly!
Here are some good resources: bit.ly/9RCqeP and bit.ly/b7Z23
9 Mar
As many equestrians now know, 2008 Olympic dressage rider Courtney King-Dye fell from a horse when it slipped. King-Dye sustained head trauma and has been in a coma since last week’s fall. Sadly, like many dressage riders, King-Dye was not wearing a helmet. According to a report on TheHorse.com, her prognosis is promising. If you know how, please say a prayer for Courtney’s recovery.
Dressage pro Heather Blitz has launched a campaign among dressage riders to don a helmet when they ride.
My friend, Julie Goodnight, let me know today about a special offer by her sponsor, Troxel, making it a little easier to buy a helmet to ride in. Troxel is offering FREE Shipping on helmets through March 31, 2010 at http://tinyurl.com/yh8nzxx or 800-225-8827.
Troxel offers riding helmets in Western and English styles in pricepoints for virtually every budget. If you need a helmet, click the link and place your order. It’s important, folks. If you’re riding wear a helmet: every ride, every time. Child or adult!
Sources:
http://tinyurl.com/yh8nzxx (Troxel offer)
22 Feb
When I started this blog, I made the Proverbs 12:10 my mission statement of sorts. Proverbs 12:10 reads: The righteous man cares for the needs of his animal, but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel. So when I saw this message from teh Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF), I signed the petition. Give it a read. Visit the site. If you are compelled, take action!
“The Animal Legal Defense Fund is working to ensure that convicted animal abusers are exposed and prevented from harming new victims by promoting model legislation to establish an animal abuser registry in every community across America.”
FOLLOW THE LINK TO ADD YOUR VOICE AND LEARN MORE! http://www.exposeanimalabusers.org/
28 Dec
I have to tell you about a very special place called DAPHNEYLAND, a non-profit basset hound rescue in Acton, CA. They have a reputation for taking in even those beautiful bassets deemed “unadoptable” by other rescues.
Daphneyland made the news during the Station fire and now the faithful crew casts a concerned eye to the hillsides when it rains fearing mudslides.
Over 100 bassets have found sanctuary at Daphneyland. They have been rescued from puppy mills or surrendered by owners. Some require special medical care. Others require wheelchairs.
If you are looking for a worth cause to make a charitable donation to may we suggest DAPHNEYLAND? They need financial support to continue their good work. For the necessary tax information and to learn more about the facility and the Basset Rescue Network, Inc. (BaRNI), check them out: http://www.daphneyland.com/
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