Fiona Apple Cancels Tour To Be With Her Dying Dog

Fiona Apple announced in a very touching letter to her fans that she won’t be going on the South American leg of her current tour because her 14 year old pitbull, Janet, is dying and she can’t leave her.  (Janet has Addison’s Disease and a tumor.) What a remarkable statement about Apple’s relationship with and commitment to her dog.  It’s definitely worth the read.

I marvel at our urge or need to share our lives with animals of another species.  I really think it’s part of what makes us human or what makes us good human beings.  I also think the death of a pet brings a unique and particularly painful form of grief.  For me, the “language barrier” between me and my pets, meant I couldn’t know with certainty that they knew they were loved and that they were spared fear or pain at the end.  That uncertainty is brutal.

Are You Prepared For An Emergency?

  

Life has been a bit hectic here lately—car problems, washing machine in pieces, replacing a porch, & food poisoning.  Despite the craziness, our thoughts are with everyone affected by Hurricane Sandy—the East Coast and the Caribbean, in particular.  Every disaster reminds me of how important it is to be prepared.  We live in an earthquake-prone area and we don’t have the advantage of getting any warning before something happens, but I would want to be prepared no matter where we lived.

Here are a number of posts on how you can prepare to take care of your pets in the event of an emergency.  It doesn’t have to be done all at once and it doesn’t have to be expensive, so don’t feel overwhelmed.  There is a wealth of information here and it’s the result of many hours of research consulting AVMA, FEMA, ASPCA, HSUS, CDC, Petfinder, & more.  Please share these posts with anyone who has pets, but please also give credit to Pet Project and link to my blog.

  1. What you need for a comprehensive Animal First Aid Kit, including a printable list.
  2. Guide for Emergency Preparedness for Cats & Dogs, with information on everything from documents you should have to dealing with evacuation gridlock to what should be included in your kit.
  3. Guide to Emergency Preparedness for Birds, includes a prioritized list of tasks , what you need in an Avian First Aid Kit, & much more.
  4. Guide for Emergency Preparedness for Reptiles & Amphibians, includes how to make a Herp First Aid Kit, how to keep your herps the proper temperature, plus a lot more.
  5. 10 Emergency Preparedness Tips you may not have considered.
  6. Animals In Emergencies, a video produced by the U.S. Army & the U.S. Department of Homeland Security

DIY: Jack-O-Lantern Designs—Cats, Rabbits, Dogs, Ferrets, Rats, Mice, Fish & Reptiles

I’m a big dork about Halloween.  I really love it!  Here’s a repost of a big collections of patterns you can use to make a jack-o-lantern for almost any pet.

I love carving something different each year on our pumpkins and, though I’m very fond of cats, I thought other pets should be represented too.  Here are a variety of patterns for a bunch of different animals that should make some pretty nifty jack-o-lanterns.  And, yes there are more cats.  Just click on an image for a larger version to print or download.

And don’t miss these cat stencils and these dog breed stencils. Or you can make a stencil from your own photos of your pets.

Have a fun Halloween and keep your furred & feathered friends safe!

Cats

 

Rabbit

 

Dogs

Ferret

 

Rats

Mice

 

Birds

 

Fish

 

Reptile

Friday Fun: Shih Tzu Rescued From Rocks

Not exactly fun, but a very happy ending.  Long distance paddle boarder, Charlie Head, spotted the little Shih Tzu stranded on rocks by the incoming tide.  Charlie interrupted his attempt at a 600 mile row from Cornwall to London to rescue the very lucky pup.  No one on shore was aware the dog was out there.

Many dog owners seem to think their dogs don’t need to be kept safe around water.  However, even the strongest swimmer is no match for rip tides and any dog will eventually tire & drown in just calm water.

Hypothermia is probably the biggest threat to a dog’s safety in water.  A dog’s coat loses its ability to insulate well when wet.  The water doesn’t need to be extremely cold for hypothermia to set in.  Temperatures that would be fine on land can be deadly in water.

A water temperature of 10 °C (50 °F) often leads to death in one hour, and water temperatures hovering at freezing can lead to death in as little as 15 minutes…Water at a temperature of 26 °C (79 °F) will, after prolonged exposure, lead to hypothermia.

Get your dog a good life jacket!  One that is secure and keeps their head above water—not all of them are good.  I’ve posted previously about our favorite life jacket.

http://youtu.be/0vDjItZhUw4