Tag: Dogs

Posted on

Oh, Please!: SNIF Tag

I’m starting a new category called Oh, Please! for what, I think, are ridiculous pet things.  The SNIF Tag has the honor of being the first ill-conceived product to be discussed.

This tag costs $299, plus $10 per month.  You put it on your dog’s collar and it will sense when other dogs also have the SNIF tag, then you can go home, look for the owner’s profile, and, I suppose, send them an email.  It’s being marketed as a social networking aid to help you get to know other dogs’ owners.  But, I’ve heard of another great way to meet the owners of dogs you and your dog encounter that is pretty much free.  It’s called, saying Hello.  Un-hunh.

The SNIF tag also says it will let you know your dog’s “activity level” when you’re gone during the day.  It does this using an accelerometer, which is kind of a step up from a pedometer.  I suggest setting up a webcam to see what your pup is up to.  That way, you can actually see how your dog is accelerating through your house.

There is no GPS with this tag, which seems like an obvious thing to have, especially if they’re charging that much and expect you to keep paying a monthly fee.

So, $299 plus $10/month for the SNIF Tag?  Oh, please!

Posted on

First Soup Kitchen Opens For Dogs

The German animal welfare organization, Tiertafel Deutschland, has opened the world’s first soup kitchen for dogs in Berlin. The soup kitchen called Animal Board provides one free meal a day to the dogs of the homeless and unemployed.

Tiertafel Deutschland also has a number of pet food banks established around Germany to provide food, treats, and toys.  I know some people might argue that if you can’t afford pets, you shouldn’t have them.  However, pets are just as much a part of the family for people struggling financially.  They provide companionship, someone to care for, security, and as the woman in the video below says, the joy pets bring is “therapy” for many.

Posted on

DIY: Make A Cat Bed From An Old Sweater

Here’s a great little tutorial on how to make a nifty cat bed (or small dog bed) out of an old sweater. Clever and thrifty!  (Note: the tutorial uses contrasting yarn so you can see the work–you should use matching yarn and the seams won’t show.)

You don’t even need a sewing machine for this though you could use one.  You will need:

When you’re finished, the arms of the sweater will be bolsters encircling the bed.  This is a pretty easy project and the author said it took her longer to write the tutorial than to make the bed.  She also has a great suggestion of making one to donate to your local shelter.  Nice!

The author of the tutorial has a fun blog on knitting and other crafty things.

Don’t miss this other DIY pet bed.

Posted on

Reasons To Adopt A Black Cat Or Dog


Raven making faces

There are lots of humorous reasons to adopt a black cat or dog—

  • a black cat doesn’t need a costume for Halloween
  • a black dog goes with any decor
  • their fur doesn’t show on dark clothes
  • black dogs don’t show dirt

The best reason is more serious.  Black cats & dogs are much less likely to be adopted because—

  • they don’t photograph well
  • they aren’t distinctive like a calico cat or a dog with spots
  • they don’t stand out in a sea of black cats or dogs
  • some people are still superstitious

If they aren’t euthanized, black kittens & puppies tend to stay longer in shelters.  Then they are no longer cute kittens or puppies, making it even tougher to get them adopted.  It’s such a pervasive problem that shelters organize special adoption events just for black cats and there’s a whole organization dedicated to promoting the adoption of black dogs called BlackPearlDogs.com.

In my experience, black cats are like any other cat.  The can be sweet, silly, clever, feisty, loungers, or whirlwinds.  They are as beautiful as any other cat if not more so.  They aren’t identical.  And those of us who share our lives with them are very fond of them.

Black dogs are just as wonderful as any other dog.  And they are in such great need of adoption.  Bark has an article on the plight of black dogs in animals shelters and what’s being done to help them.  Black dogs aren’t identical either—they have a huge range of body types and characteristics.  The can be herders, retrievers, pointers, or sleepers.

Every pet adoption is a life saved, but in the case of black cats & dogs, you’re saving a life that’s at an even higher risk of being cut short.

Proudly powered by WordPress