Hurricane Harvey and the incoming hurricane Irma are teaching us many things as a nation, including putting a spotlight on animal welfare organizations and their disaster plans (or lack there of).  The hours following up to hurricane Harvey had cries of protest happening all over animal welfare social media as word came out that several shelters were euthanizing all their animals ahead of the storm.  Other groups were rushing in to help evacuate or simply just take these group’s animals to avoid them being killed, abandoned, or put through the flooding with no idea if they could survive it.

What this told me (and many others) is that too many animal shelters and wildlife sanctuaries do not have a disaster response plan in place.  And that, in of itself, is absolutely tragic.  Animals brought into the care of a facility are completely dependent upon that facility, and responsible care includes having a plan for when things go wrong.

So, have a plan.  If you are involved with an animal welfare group, ask what the plan is for flooding, fire, earthquake, tornado, etc.  Even if a natural disaster is not common in your area, it’s still smart to have a plan for it.  And there shouldn’t just be a plan written up and sitting in a binder to collect dust.  That plan should be discussed at volunteer and employee trainings, and semi-annual practice runs should occur (keeping the animal’s safety and well-being in mind… maybe use stuffed animals to replicate the animals in your care so they are not being subjected to evacuations on a regular basis).

It should be ingrained in your team’s minds what to do when disaster strikes.  So in the horrible off-chance it does, you know what to do and how to help get yourselves and those in your care to safety.  The answer is NEVER to euthanize them and is NEVER to leave them behind.  A great plan that several shelters acted on in the Houston area was to reach out to partner shelters outside of the storm before it hit hit to have them take all their current animals so that they would be safe and that the shelter could then turn their focus on helping owned pets get to safety and reunite with their owners.

So ask your local shelter or wildlife sanctuary what their disaster plans are.  If they don’t have any, ask if you can help them prepare them.  Get the local first responders involved to include their expert advice.  There is no reason why an animal welfare group should not have a plan for when the worst happens.  These animals are depending on these groups to keep their best interests in mind, and that includes having a plan for all major disasters.

My heart goes out to all humans and animals affected by hurricane Harvey, and hurricane Irma.  Please don’t evacuate without your pets and don’t forget to bring food, water, a leash/crate, and their vet records with you.  If you can, call ahead to the place you are evacuating to to make sure they allow pets.  Most hotels will allow them during these natural disasters, but the Red Cross shelters typically do not (which is a total shame).  Be smart and be safe!

Like you, I have been haunted by the news and images that have been coming out of Texas this past week. I used to live in Austin, TX, and have many friends who are in that area, including Houston. Luckily, all my friends and coworkers are safe although some are still without power, have lost safe running water, and are still stuck while the flooded waters work their way out of the area.

It may seem out of our individual, or even collective, power to do something about this devastation. But we can do something. I ask each of you to join me in supporting a cause or multiple causes that are on the ground, helping those who are facing loss. The aftermath of this destruction will take months, if not years, to recover from. So let’s show Texas our love and support.  We can make a difference, we can help, so let’s do it.

Here are a few charities that I know are on the ground, doing great work right now in Texas. Definitely feel free to research and find your own causes if none of these speak to you. Just make sure they are truly a 501c3 nonprofit organization (you can check if that is true here) and ask them/look into what they are doing with donations/what they are doing to help. Unfortunately there are a few outliers who are horribly taking advantage of this situation, so always do due diligence before making your donation!

Austin Pets Alive
Best Friends Animal Society
Houston Flood Relief Fund (JJ Watt’s Foundation)

Summer is a great time for vacations, adventures, and long walks with your pups.  It’s warmer out, there is more daylight, and it just feels right to be outside.  Having your pup be part of these outdoor adventures is a great idea, but it’s always good to keep in mind some precautions while out and about.

Yard chemicals are unfortunately a real thing many of your neighbors probably use.  You have most likely noticed the little warning flags sticking out of the corners of their yards, and those flags are warning you to keep your children off the lawn.  That also applies for your dogs!  Their feet will pick up those chemicals, and that not only gets into their systems which can cause some major health issues, but they will also track those chemicals back into your home.  I try my best to avoid letting my pup walk on anyone’s yard since not everyone even displays those little warning flags and I would invite you to do the same to help keep them safe!

The hot sun means the pavement on roads and sidewalks are hot, too.  Place your hand on the ground you plan to walk on – if it’s too hot for your hand, it’s too hot for your pup’s paws.  Consider booties for their feet or try to find grass to walk on instead!

Wildlife is out and about too, so make sure to keep your dogs on leash unless in a designated off-leash area to keep them under control and away from getting into a scuffle or a bite.

Keeping cool is also important.  Don’t forget that your pup cannot sweat, so they can overheat easily.  Have lots of water handy, and try to take advantage of shade when you can.  Always be aware of your pet’s well-being during your adventures, and don’t push them too much in this summer heat!

Have fun on your summer adventures!  As for us, Montague and I plan to attempt a 14er here in Colorado next week in celebration of his 11th birthday.  We’ll pack tons of water, take our time, and also have some snacks along the way to keep ourselves safe.  Wish us luck!

Happy summer and enjoy the adventures!

I have always been a huge fan of Renaissance Faires.  They have great energy, fun entertainment with comedy shows, music, jousting, etc, and beautiful crafts to look at and buy.  It’s been a tradition to attend Ren Faire every summer since I was a kid when my family would take us down to the WI/IL border for the Bristol Renaissance Faire.  It was always a highlight of the summer!  So here in Colorado, I naturally looked up if and where they have a Ren Faire here.  Luckily, there is one that happens in beginning of summer in Larkspur, a small town between Denver and Colorado Springs called the Colorado Renaissance Festival.

Unfortunately, this Festival uses animals for children’s rides and petting area, including having elephants and large cats.  I am beyond disappointed they feel the need to have these animals at this event.  The presence of hooks by the handlers and the elephant’s general appearance both speak to their neglect.  And all for what?  So a child can say they rode one?   There are so many other, humane (non-animal) rides a Ren Faire can provide that would have the same lasting impression on a child. Seeing the elephants, camels, and llamas being ridden by children, seeing the “exotic cats show”, and seeing the random assortment of animals in the “petting zoo” ruined the day for me.  There is nothing fun, entertaining, or positive about seeing animals forced to be ridden all day long in the heat nor the animals forced to stay in small pens all day in the heat with children “petting” them, nor the exotic cats being forced to perform.

It disgusts me that the organizers of this otherwise wonderful event approve and support this type of animal use and abuse.  In an age where even the circus has phased out using animals, one would think a progressive organization would want to also phase out animal abuse and instead focus on humane entertainment.

I plan to write to the organizers of the Colorado Renaissance Festival, and I encourage you to see if your local Faire/Festival uses animals and, if they do, join me in writing to them to encourage them to stop this abuse.

July is typically considered the craziest, busiest month for animal shelters and rescues.  Summer in general sees a lot of animals coming in (and hopefully, also going out the front door in large numbers, too!).  Why?  There are actually several factors at play for this “perfect storm”:

Trap/Neuter/Release Programs – if the shelter has a TNR program, they are BUSY right now.  Summer is the “busy” season for animals who are feral (or possibly stray).  Their food sources are active, it’s the time to mate, and the weather makes it easier for them to be out and about.  Traps are filling up quick this time of year, and surgical rooms are packed with animals getting fixed.

Fireworks/summer thunderstorms – summer brings about a lot of activity, including the mid-summer fireworks and lots of summer storms.  Both can be upsetting for pets, who may spook enough to run away from home.  The day after the Fourth of July is actually notorious for being the biggest day of stray intake for shelters.  Make sure to check local shelters regularly if you loose a pet, and check the entire area, not just your one town.  Spooked animals can go pretty far when they get lost.

“Kitten Season” – summer also brings about kittens.  Lots of them.  Cats breed around the same time, bringing about ALL the kittens starting in May each year.  That number just keeps rising until the weather cools off, so shelters are getting packed with cats and kittens this time of year.  Guaranteed your local shelter is doing some kind of adoption special on cats right now, because they have so many that need homes and they need to make room for more.

Loose Pets – when the weather gets better, people tend to not contain their pets as much.  Less leashes, more running down trails, and more letting them outside without keeping an eye on them.  Unfortunately, this leads to more strays as pets can spook, chase something, or just get lost and don’t know how to get home.  And with cats, people tend to not look for them when they don’t come home (which is super tragic… many lost cats DO end up at a shelter, but rarely do they get reclaimed).  This leads to more animals in their stray hold, and more animals up for adoptions when they don’t get reclaimed.

So, the lesson to be learned here is:  if you were thinking of adopting a pet, volunteering at your local shelter, maybe supporting them with a donation… now is the time to do it!  Shelters and rescues across the country need YOU to support them while these crazy summer months are happening.  Get out there and help!

Testing cosmetics on animals is outdated, unreliable, and completely unnecessary thanks to newer technologies that allow proper testing of products without harming any living beings.  Over 30 countries have phased out animal testing, including the entire EU.  Unfortunately, animal testing, and buying products that have been testing on animals, is still a very legal and widely used practice in the United States.

Luckily, legislation has been introduced to phase out cosmetics animal testing in the US.  The Humane Cosmetics Act legislation, introduced with bipartisan support by Reps. Martha McSally, R-Ariz.; Don Beyer, D-Va.; Ed Royce, R-Calif.; Tony Cárdenas, D-Calif.; Frank LoBiondo, R-N.J.; and Paul Tonko, D-N.Y., would prohibit the use of animals to test cosmetic products and ingredients. It also phases out the sale of cosmetics that have been tested on animals in other countries.

Please join me in urging support for the Humane Cosmetics Act by contacting your US Representative (phone numbers here) and signing this petition.  Thank you!

I’ll admit, I have broken many a leash law in my day with my dog, Montague.  He’s very well behaved and listens to me despite distractions, so in certain situations I trust he will be safe off leash.  But, really, we should never do that.  And here’s why:

1. Other dogs.  Your dog may be great off leash, and may be awesome with other dogs.  But other dogs may not be so great with your dog.  Having your pup off leash creates a tension automatically with any dog he walks up to, because that dog knows they are restricted (on a leash) while your dog is not and that can cause aggression.  Also, other dogs may just not be fans of dogs so your dog being off leash and out of your control could cause some serious issues if/when he runs up to a non-dog friendly dog.

2. Wildlife.  I think we can all agree that if our dog sees a bunny, squirrel, or other chase-able animal, all bets are off and they are not listening to you.  Running off after wildlife can cause safety issues for both your dog and the wildlife.  Also, snakes.  I can’t tell you how many times Monty and I come across a snake on the trails.  Most of the time, they are bull snakes and therefore pretty much harmless, but poisonous snakes are out there and will bite if provoked.  Dogs usually don’t know to be wary of snakes and normally are curious.  This is very dangerous for your pup and could lead to serious injury or even death.

3. Safety.  Overall, it can just be unsafe to have your dog off leash.  Monty and I regularly go hiking in the mountains where some trails have steep drop offs and loose rocks.  Having him on a harness and leash allows me to catch him if were to slip (which has happened).  It also can be unsafe for the environment.  Many trails border or go through protected land, which can be disturbed or destroyed when dogs romp through them (example:  endangered animal nest your dog runs over).

I agree it can be annoying to follow leash laws, but overall, it’s for the greater good to follow them.  Please think twice before taking the leash off and have fun out there walking and hiking with your pups this summer!

My wonder cat, who was born with FeLV (Feline leukemia virus, click here to learn more about this incurable disease), celebrated her third birthday this past Monday, May 8.   This little kitty is the ever playful, super cuddly, defier of all odds who will not, and cannot, be stopped.   Happy Birthday, Calliope.  You are a true little wonder bunny-cat!!