Pets cannot fend for themselves, a street-smart feral cat or dog hardened by living in contact with nature may have a better chance of taking care of itself in a situation but pets that are used to having food and shelter at their disposal are totally helpless and just cannot fend for themselves.

It is our duty under every conceivable law of man and God to be there for our pets at all times and more so when a natural calamity strikes. In fact, not just our own pets, as animal lovers we should try and make things easy for all animals that may get affected in case a natural calamity strikes.

Here are certain things to keep in mind so that you are prepared to take care of your pet during the period of a disaster and the days that follow.

First and foremost, always factor in your pets when you are preparing a disaster management plan. If you are forced to evacuate, see than you know about hotels, evacuation shelters, pet shelters that will accept your pet. This is information that has to be available with you beforehand. It is a very good idea to display a prominent notice visible to rescue squads telling them that there are pets in your house. Hygiene and sanitation are issues when floods or fires occur. Keep your pets inoculated and vaccinated against preventable conditions that their breed is susceptible to. Rescue shelters will also ask for proof of vaccination before accepting your pet. Get yourself and your family photographed with your pet, it will help to establish ownership should the need arise or if the animal gets lost.

Stock adequate supplies of pet food and also a proper first aid kit for pets. You should have a couple of strong leashes handy. You will need a pet carrier to transport the animal to a shelter, if required. Keep wire and bolt cutters handy. You should also know how to lift and carry jittery animals. It is a good idea to cover them with a blanket first.

During the disaster you have to be there for your pet. Comfort it. See that the unavoidable commotions that will come with rain or flood do not disorient the animal. Very importantly, don’t let the animal wander out on its own. Keep it at home but not confined and chained. Give it space and make sure that you can reach it quickly should you have to evacuate on short notice. Be gentle and patient with the animal. Dogs and cats can get confused and this may lead to overly defensive or aggressive behavior. They don’t really know how to react. We have to be there for them. Once the event is over, try to get them back to their normal routine in as gentle a manner as possible.

If you stay in a place prone to fires, then keep your residential are clear of dead brush and dried grass. Keep a fire extinguisher at home. You should also know how to perform CPR. If you stay where flood waters can rise fast during a storm surge, do not make the mistake of leaving your pet tied to a post. The safe thing to do is to evacuate at the first alarm. There is absolutely no sense in trying out your luck against nature’s fury. The stakes are simply too high.

A warning for owners of short-snouted dogs: They accounted for about half of the purebred dog deaths on planes in the past five years, according to new government data.

Breeds at risk include bulldogs and pugs. More than 122 dog deaths were reported since May 2005, when US carriers began disclosing the numbers, according to The Associated Press, citing a Transportation Department report.

The dogs that died were shipped as cargo.

English bulldogs accounted for the highest number of deaths (25) followed by pugs (11) and golden retrievers and Labradors (seven deaths each). Also among the reported deaths of pure breads were six French bulldogs and four American Staffordshire terriers, AP reports.

There were two deaths each of boxers, cockapoos, Pekingese and Pomeranians, while mixed breeds accounted for four airline deaths – there were also a dozen dogs that perished whose breeds were not known.

The department is recommending owners consult veterinarians before putting their dogs on flights. AP says the DOT also believes the deaths represent only a tiny percentage of the number of pets shipped on planes. There were also 55 injuries and 33 lost pets.

A short-nosed breed expert, Dan Bandy, chairman of the Bulldog Club of America’s health committee, tells AP an issue for these dogs is they don’t have as efficient an internal cooling system as longer-nosed dogs, and tend to be heat-intolerant.

Sonny Seiler of Savannah, Ga., who owns the University of Georgia’s mascot, Uga the bulldog, tells AP that when he flies with the dog he takes precautions including having Uga undergo a quick procedure at the University of Georgia veterinary school to enlarge the dog’s airways, so it’s easier for her to breathe during the flight.

According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, some carriers including Delta prevent short-nosed breeds from flying in cargo holds in hot months (a rule that also applies to cats).

Our website makes it easy for anyone with an internet connection to find descriptions and pictures of adoptable animals by location, breed, gender, age, size, and color. Over 9,000 shelters posts pets on our website displaying over 130,000 pets available for adoption at any given time. We also help volunteers connect with shelters, and currently host over 14,000 people listed in our volunteer database for shelters.
What Makes Adopt-a-Pet.com Unique:
- On our website, people can use something we call “Search Saver.” This feature will notify users by e-mail when a particular pet of their specifications in available for adoption. For example, I can tell “Search Saver” where I live, and what type of breed I am looking for. When that animal is available, I am notified the next time a pet matching my search is added on Adopt-a-Pet.com.

- As of this summer we have now made it easy for our visitors to find pets and then recommend them to friends and family via Facebook, Twitter and other social applications. We are calling the idea “Social Petworking.” Here is how it works; once you have searched and found a pet in need, on the pet details page simply hover over the button labeled “SHARE,” there you can send the pet details page to any of your friends. For more information visit this page http://www.adoptapet.com/socialpetworking/signup.
- In addition to dogs and cats, we now feature all kinds of pets for adoption, including rabbits, farm animals, ferrets, hamsters and other small animals, horses, reptiles, amphibians, birds, and even fish. This was a major initiative that took many months to research and program into the site, and it is being well-received within the shelter community.

- By teaming up with the renowned street-artist Shepard Fairey, who designed the iconic Obama “Hope” image, we have available a number of stylish ways to promote pet adoption. Shepard was able to translate his work with Obama to an image that can be used to represent pet adoption support. Merchandise can be found at HYPERLINK “http://www.muttslikeme.com”www.muttslikeme.com

- We have begun blogging and created a Twitter Page along with a Facebook Page. Our blog is located at HYPERLINK “http://blog.adoptapet.com/”http://blog.adoptapet.com/, there you can join our Facebook Group, or follow us on Twitter. Blog Highlights:
Adopt-a-Pet.com has recently begun blogging, and every week we publish posts from two separate columns. On Tuesday we blog about pet care tips, and on Fridays we do our best to find heartwarming stories about adopted pets all over the country. Here are a few highlights from our blog:

10 Ways To Help Homeless Pet, Even If You Can’t Adopt
What To Ask Your Veterinarian
Good News In Pet Adoption – A Weekly Post
10 Things To Consider Before Adopting

Often we need information on the go; when we are on the move. iPhone owners can avail a number of very helpful applications that can make life easier for them and their beloved pets.

1) Off Leash – A wonderful application that lets you find the location of up to 5 parks in your vicinity where your pet dog does not have to be on leash. The application throws up the information once you have entered your area zip code. What’s more, it will even map out the route to a park you select. A useful application for dog owners that travel and need to give their pet some good hard exercise periodically.

2) Pet Notebook – The pet notebook is a handy organizer that can carry useful information on your pet or pets. It also features a cool image gallery that stores all those sweet photos of your pets that can always get a conversation started. The data that you feed is easy to edit and arrange. You can fill in pet details, memorable landmark events, appointments with vets, registration information, and importantly any medications that the pet needs to take. The app can store the vet’s address and guide you to the location by connecting to Google maps.

3) All Pets Radio – This application connects you to the popular All Pets Radio station via your iPhone. Learn about pet care and listen to interesting news that is pet- and animal-related.

4) Diagnostic Imaging Atlas – A comprehensive atlas that contains information on normal physiology of animals and various pathologies. A great tool for both veterinary practitioners and lay pet owners. Use this tool to brush up your knowledge on what is possibly ailing your pet before you take it to the vet.

5) PawTrotter – PawTrotter is like an exhaustive Yellow Pages for pets. It is a very useful application that pet owners who also happen to be iPhone owners would do well to have on their phones. Look up pet-friendly hotels, the most reliable vets in an area, pet sitters with good ratings, and a lot more.

6) Petfinder – There’s a very strong element of altruism about this app. With this app you can search and review more than 290,000 pets from over 13,000 shelters and rescue groups. That is a big database. It is a novel idea that works for both pet owners and potential pet owners. You can get directions to the pet shelter as well as their telephone numbers and email ids via this app.

7) Pet Acoustics – This app is fun and perhaps a little decadent. Animals are sensitive to sounds that are beyond human listening capabilities. With this app, you can play music that has been particularly designed to smooth the frazzled nerves of your pet dog, cat, horse after a hard day at the vet’s place or if the animal is feeling low because of a stomach bug.

Rate My Puppy – An application that lets you show off your pet’s cutest poses to others using this app. You can rate their pets, make friends with other pet-owners, participate in contests and do much more. A nice interactive application that can help you create and preserve memories.

9) Cat Symptoms – A must-have for cat owners. You just don’t know when you may have to refer this one. There are hundred of cat health articles that are neatly categorized. You can also search by keyword. With these articles serving as a guideline, you are well-prepared to take care of your pet and if necessary ask the vet relevant questions.

A California company is recalling one of its varieties of dry dog food sold in Oregon that tested positive for salmonella.

Natural Balance Pet Foods, Inc., of Pacoima, Calif., said it is pulling its 5-pound and 28-pound bags of Sweet Potato & Chicken dry dog food after a random test by the Food and Drug Administration turned up the bacteria, which can make both people and pets sick. Only bags with a best-by date of June 17 are affected.

Besides Oregon, the recalled product was sold in Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

The company said no illnesses have been reported in connection with the product. Dogs sickened by salmonella can become lethargic, have decreased appetites, fever and abdominal pain. They can also develop gastrointestinal symptoms, such as diarrhea and vomiting.

The company can be reached at 800-829-4493.

– Lynne Terry

It has long been known that probiotics are beneficial to humans. The live bacteria work to cure some illnesses and even prevent others within the digestive and immune systems of people. A new idea out in the medical community, however, is that these same concepts can be applied to dogs. More and more devoted pet owners are giving their canine friends probiotic supplements to help treat many different hassles and hazards.

Intestinal Disorders

Probiotics can alleviate a variety of disorders that occur in the intestinal tracts of dogs, such as:

- Vomiting
- Diarrhea and constipation
- Bloating
- Bad smelling or exorbitant amounts of gas and stool
- Indigestion

If your dog is struggling with any of these issues, probiotics should be considered. The use of probiotics in these cases can help to ease or even relieve the pressures and pains of the aforementioned problems.

Health Problems

Many other health problems are related to the intestinal issues listed above. These issues have been scientifically proven to have correlation to intestinal problems in dogs, and therefore could also be cured or at least bettered through the use of probiotics.

- Yeast infections
- Improper bowl function
- Food intolerance and allergies
- Rashes and other skin irritations
- Asthma
- Arthritis

Because probiotics are used to give balance to levels of different bacterias in the intestines, and because the above health problems have been connected to intestinal issues, the use of probiotics has been proven to aid in the relief of those problems in the health of dogs.

Please note that some dogs will experience some side effects from the probiotics. However, these side effects are generally mild and are part of the re-balancing process.

Environmental and Circumstantial Problems

Some of the problems your dog may suffer from may not be from natural causes. When this happens, probiotics can still be used to restore your dog’s health. Some of the outside and uncontrollable conditions that can be helped by this include:

- Being exposed to pesticides, chemical fertilizers or other pollutants
- An inflamed gastrointestinal tract
- A change in their diet
- An imbalance in bacteria caused by the use of antibiotics that can be restored though the use of probiotics

Although there is not much you can do to prevent these problems from happening in the first place, you can help your dog recover from them through the use of probiotics.

When to Give Your Dog Probiotics

Probiotics should, of course, be used if your dog is experiencing any of the problems previously mentioned in this article. They can also be tried if your dog suffers from any other health problems, as they may be tied to the digestive system and therefore be helped by balancing the bacteria in that area.

Puppies can also profit from the use of probiotics. Even though it would not seem that they would need them, as they are young and have not developed many of the common digestive issues yet, they can be of use as a prevention measure. If probiotics are given to puppies before they have lived long enough to develop these issues, their digestive tracts can be bolstered and fortified to resist developing them later in life, therefore avoiding the problem altogether.

Although not as essential as problems where the dog is suffering, there are other advantages to giving your dog probiotics.

- Decreased shedding, especially if the shedding is excessive
- Adding to the shine of their coat
- Increased immune defenses
- Reducing stress during situations such as vacations, vet visits, moving, or surgery
- Reducing bad breath

Even though these problems are not crucial to your dog’s basic comfort and survival, they are useful and helpful to bettering your dog’s everyday life, and they only add to the long list of benefits of probiotics towards the health of dogs.

Conclusion

The benefits to giving your dog probiotic supplements are nearly endless. From helping to relieve serious ailments to preventing future ones, this type of treatment can improve the quality of life for your dog exponentially. Whether your dog is healthy or sick, probiotics can help them in some way.

Be sure to always check with your dogs vet before use to make sure you are giving your dog the best possible types of probiotics so that you do not harm your dog.

A: Many people who want to get a pet just are not aware of how many great pets are available at shelters. They might also have the misconception that pets in shelters might be there because there was a problem with the animal. In fact, most pets end up in shelters not because of any problem with pet behavior, but because an owner died, moved, or simply didn’t have the time or money to care for the animal. In some cases animals are lost and never found by their owners.
These animals are healthy and very eager to please.
Rescued pets are wonderful- just ask anyone who has one.
Some people are seeking purebred animals or puppies and think these animals are not available in shelters. In fact, nearly a quarter of all animals in shelters are purebred. Often someone buys an expensive purebred animal and then attempts to breed that animal to recoup their money. Often these animals are not placed in homes, and end up in the shelter. Puppies and kittens often up in shelters as well, but it is important to note that puppies require a lot of work and training and can be quite destructive (peeing on the carpet or chewing shoes). Puppies are great, but often people are much happier getting a dog who is older, and whose size and temperament is a known quantity.

Through Adopt-a-Pet.com and without even leaving their home, people can search all their local shelters and see pictures and descriptions of the pets available for adoption. This way, they can find the exact pet they want, call the animal shelter or rescue group, and get information on how to adopt that specific animal.

Q: What are the 5 most important things a potential adopter should consider when choosing their new pet?

A: We actually have a blog post on this highlighting the top 10 things we believe are important when adopting. Here are five, the rest can be located by visiting this page http://www.adoptapet.com/public/guides/permanentpets.html.

1. You need to make a real commitment to care for your pet for its entire life.
2. Verify in advance that you’re allowed to keep a pet where you live.
3. Never adopt a pet on a whim or because you feel it’s love-at-first-sight
4. Provide sufficient exercise and stimulation during the first few weeks, this will help the pet adjust.
5. Make any necessary modifications to your yard and fence to provide for your pet’s safety.

While the aforementioned statistic is hard to imagine, it is nonetheless true. This is why animal advocates constantly remind the general population to have their dogs spayed or neutered. There are other reasons why this method is recommended.

Dogs have an innate desire to breed. It’s just a fact. More importantly, however, spaying and neutering can prevent cancer. In addition, neutered male dogs will less likely want to run away or engage in rough-housing with other male dogs. Male dogs are inherently territorial. If he isn’t neutered, then he will use his dominance over other dogs particularly when a female is involved.

Spaying and neutering your dog does not mean they will become lazy, gain weight, or have a personality change. All the procedure does is to prevent your dog from seeking out other dogs to mate with. According to the Humane Society, “…. in six short years, one female dog and her offspring can give birth to hundreds of puppies.”

Imagine if you will that there are millions of pet owners. Now imagine if each pet were not spayed or neutered and the offspring were thrown in garbage bags, left by unscrupulous owners to fend for themselves, or bred in puppy mills to make a quick buck. There have been countless incidents which bear out these facts.

Unless you are a breeder, there is no reason not to have your dog spayed or neutered. The result would reduce the number of homeless dogs lying in wait for someone to adopt them, reduce the number of dogs roaming the streets for scraps, and reduce the likelihood that dogs will attack pets.

Owning a dog comes with a responsibility to ensure the pet is happy, safe, and lives in a welcoming and caring environment. Conversely, a dog that is put to sleep due to over-population could have been someone’s life-long companion. This is why adoption is preferred.

Although puppies are the first to be adopted in shelters, it is often the case that adult dogs can only be kept for a certain amount of time due to the over-population of dogs in this country. Thus, they face a grim future.

In an effort to reduce the number of dogs, a spaying and neutering program has begun in some cities and has resulted in a 30%-60% decline in euthanasia.

While this is good news, it is up to all individuals across the nation to not only spay and neuter their pets, but adopt them as well. What other choice do we have?

Choosing a breed that compliments you and your personality is one factor. If you are choosing a dog as a family pet, ensuring the dog gets along with children is another. Selecting a breed based on the type of group it falls into is another consideration.

For example, are you looking for a small dog, such as a Pekingese, Poodle, or Terrier? Or perhaps you’re looking for a Bulldog, Chow Chow,Bichon Friz or Shiba Inu? No? Maybe a Beagle or Basset Hound is more to your liking.

The point is that a dog’s temperament does play a role in deciding what type of dog you choose. In addition, you may wish to ask yourself these questions before deciding.

* Do you want a dog that is large in size?
* Will the dog fit in with my lifestyle?
* Would you prefer a short haired or long-haired canine?
* What type of facial features are you looking for?
* Do you want a dog that is feisty, dependent, or one with a playful personality?
* Would you prefer a show dog?
* Will your dog remain indoors or would you prefer a dog that resides outside?
* Do you wish to have a guard dog?
* How much time and attention can you devote to the dog?
* Do you like a dog that listens and follows your commands?
* Would you prefer a dog that is independent and can be left alone?
* Is a mixed breed more to your liking?

Once you have answered these questions, another decision has to be made. Do you wish to adopt a dog from a shelter, or acquire a specific type of dog from a breeder?
If you choose the latter, there are certain steps you can take.

For example, let’s assume you choose a Bichon Friz. They are great with children, have a playful personality, are very loving, and can readily be found through a breeder online. The first step is to contact the person and determine if the dog is available. Some Bichon Friz are highly prized as show dogs. You can easily check online to trace their pedigree. This will give you a clear indication that there has been no cross-breeding and their lineage is intact.

Another way to acquire a dog is from a pet store. Be careful here, however, because most pet stores carry dogs that come from puppy mills and may not be purebreds. Some of these pet store owners are an unscrupulous lot who may not give you details as to the health of the dog either. Do not buy a dog from a pet store unless they can offer you proof of where it was bred.

Before choosing a specific breed, locate the type of dog you would like and then spend some time with the dog. Bring the children along so that you can watch the interaction between the children and the dog. Find out as much information about the breed as you can. In this way, you can make an informed decision.

If you find a dog that totally fits your lifestyle either in a single household or family unit, then you will feel comfortable to either adopt or purchase the dog without having any future concerns.

Adding a dog to your home, will be one of life’s greatest pleasures with a little planning beforehand.

Various Functions Of Assistance and Service Dogs
Because different dog breeds have very different skills, there are a number of different roles that service and assistance dogs can play that help their owners. Here are some of the most common:
• Guide dogs (sometimes called “seeing eye dogs”) assist those who are blind or have visual impairments in get around by literally guiding them about and keeping them on safe paths and out of harm’s way.
• Hearing dogs (also called signal dogs) help those who are hard of hearing by providing feedback on the aural information going on around them, such as the sound of oncoming traffic or a call of alert from someone nearby.
• Allergy dogs can help owners with severe, life-threatening food allergies by alerting them to traces of that food (especially nuts) that humans cannot detect.
• Seizure response dogs are trained to help people with seizure disorders (such as epilepsy) by getting help, keeping the person out of harm’s way, and removing dangerous objects while the owner is having a seizure episode.
• Mobility assistance dogs help people with physical disabilities by providing help moving (via support or pulling) and daily tasks (such as opening doors, picking up objects, and flipping light switches).
• Psychiatric service dogs (which are different from the therapy dogs described below) are specifically trained to assist handlers who are at risk because of psychiatric conditions such as schizophrenia and post-traumatic stress disorder. They help by reminding the handler to take medication, interrupting harmful behavior, leading the handler away from stressful situations, and getting help when necessary.

Functions Of Therapy Dogs
A therapy dog is quite different from an assistance dog or service dog in the specifics of the help it provides, and also in the qualities necessary to make a particular dog successful in its role. The dogs discussed above need to be intelligent, obedient, reliable, and able to respond calmly to stressful situations.
Therapy dogs needn’t be intelligent; they must be calm, affectionate, gentle, and friendly. Their role is to provide comfort and companionship, as well as affection, to people who are staying in hospitals, nursing homes, and retirement communities. Therapy dogs visit and provide affection and stimulation to residents, which provides emotional support and can make a big difference in the life of the people there.
While each dog is different, all three types (therapy dogs, service dogs, assistance dogs) play essential roles in the lives of the handlers they help.