Halloween Party At The Castle!

Has anyone seen my friend Olaf??  Big Halloween party at the castle and he's bringing the FROZEN treats!

I swear that Olaf is always late!  And lazy, did I mention what a lazy loot he is??

He was supposed to be here hours ago!  I'm so ticked off I could spit!  Can dogs spit?  I'm not sure, but I know I'm mad enough to do it!

Aww, keep your collar on Elsa, I'm here!  The mall is packed and parking was a bitch!

Woo Hoo!  Now we are ready to PAWTY at the castle!!  Everybody's gonna LET IT GO tonight, LET IT ALL GO!!

 

 How will you be celebrating Halloween this weekend?  Howl back at us in the comments below!

 

We're jumping in on TWO fantastic blog hops!  The Friday Pet Parade blog hop and the Halloween Spooktacular blog hop, hosted by Barking From the Bayou and Sugar the Golden Retriever.  HAPPY HALLOWEEN everyone, have a scary, fun & safe Halloween!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THIS IS THE PET PARADE BLOG HOP!!

 



An InLinkz Link-up

Wordless Wednesday: The Giant Tree

We saw this giant, fat tree on our walk this morning!

And I never felt so tiny!!

Doggie Mischief

Before Daddy raked up all the pretty leaves I decided to run recklessly through them!

SQUEEE!!!

Whew!  That was fun!!  Now I need a biscuit and a nap.

What kind of mischief are you getting into today?  Leave us a comment & share, we won't tell!

THIS IS THE MISCHIEF MONDAY BLOG HOP!!

Loving the Beauty of Fall

I love the Fall, especially when mom cooks up the pumpkin for us after Halloween is over. 

It's so much fun to run fast through all the leaves!

I love the beauty and colors of the Fall foliage, don't you?

What do you love most about Fall?  Leave a comment and tell us!

Why I Volunteer At A Shelter That Isn't "No-Kill"

"I'll only adopt a pet from a No-Kill shelter!"  If I hear that one more time I think I'll rip my hair out.  When you refuse to consider adopting a pet simply because they landed in a shelter that isn't "No-Kill" the only thing you've accomplished is to take away the prospect of a loving home for an animal that desperately needs it.  Since millions of animals are euthanized in shelters every year, animals in shelters that aren't No-Kill need homes even more desperately than those in No-Kill shelters.



Could you look into Phoebe's eyes and say "Tough Tarts little white dog, I won't give you a loving home because you landed in a shelter that isn't No-Kill and I won't adopt from them!"

When  you refuse to consider adopting from a shelter that isn't No-Kill, when you bash shelters that don't have the option of being No-Kill, when you do everything in your power to ensure that others won't adopt from a shelter that isn't No-Kill, you might as well sign the death warrant for those animals.  Here's why...

Do You Give Your Pet Probiotics?

Last month I wrote about my Husky, Icy, who had gotten ill following a weekend filled with houseguests and food she should not have eaten.  She ended up with a Belly Bomber of a stomach ache.  I switched her to a diet of plain boiled chicken and white rice for a few days.  She seemed to be doing better, but then one morning she suddenly vomited up her chicken and rice breakfast.  Later that day she began to have diarrhea as well.

I got really worried, the chicken and rice diet usually works like a charm when she has stomach upset.  I was so shocked when she threw up that morning!  I decided to get her to the Veterinarian right away.  My own Vet was closed that day but I located a 24/7 animal clinic that was open and could see her. 

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow Lives On

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow lives on with.....

....the Headless Horseman!

Beware! The Headless Horseman rides on Halloween night!!

THIS IS THE FRIDAY PET PARADE BLOG HOP!!

An InLinkz Link-up

My Favorite Summer Read

Summer has faded away, but the memory of my favorite summer read hasn’t.   With my toes in the sand I journeyed with The Returns through their second crime solving adventure in M.K. Clinton’s book The Returns 2; Showstoppers!

Relaxing on the beach this Summer reading The Returns 2; Showstoppers

 One of my favorite lines from Showstoppers is;

“If you can be content with who you are, how you look, and then try every day to make a difference to someone else, then it leads to a wonderful life.  It’s a shame more humans can’t grasp that fact.”  - M.K. Clinton

In Showstoppers, a devious team of individuals are stealing show dogs as part of a very sinister plot!  This book takes you from New Orleans to New York City.  I’ve never been to New Orleans but as a native New Yorker I can say that M.K. captured the vibe of New York City perfectly!

Enjoy a hot cup of tea, beautiful Fall weather, and a great book!

A new Return is introduced in Showstoppers who will steal your heart!  It’s funny, when a new character is introduced to a series, it usually takes a lot to get me to like them.   Not this time, I fell in love instantly!

So M.K, when can we expect a third book?  I’m thirsty for more Returns adventure, especially with the newest addition to The Returns team……

I love to enjoy crisp Fall mornings outside with a hot beverage and a great book!

What will you be reading this season?  Leave us a comment, we always LOVE to hear from you!

THIS IS THE BLOGPAWS WORDLESS WEDNESDAY BLOG HOP!!

Are your pets ready to evacuate in an emergency?

In the US, Hurricane season along the Atlantic seaboard starts on June 1 and lasts all the way through November.  Disaster Emergency Preparedness, and having a family Disaster Plan that includes pets is extremely important.  Disaster can strike at a moment's notice.  Being unprepared for an emergency can be disastrous for a family, especially their pets.

In the last couple of years we've been impacted by so many storms and hurricanes I can hardly remember all their names and in which months they slammed in!  

Phoebe hates being out in bad weather.  I should have put a jacket or sweater on her!

There's one storm I will never forget, and that's Super Storm Sandy which hit Long Island on October 29th, 2012.  The storm killed 106 people in the Eastern US.  Sandy really kicked butt here in the New York/New Jersey area.  New Jersey and several neighboring states had to declare a State of Emergency following Hurricane Sandy.  The damage caused by that storm was enormous. Since then, people in the area are more aware of storms and pay a lot more attention to the warnings.

A storm left lots of debris on our driveway and damaged a neighboring car

Disaster can strike with very little notice and it can create panic.  I live just 5 minutes from the water so I'm acutely aware of storms and potential flooding situations in my neighborhood.   I keep plenty of bottled water, canned food, flashlights, a transistor radio, and candles in case of a power outage.  I've gathered supplies together to ensure I have emergency supplies for both us and the dogs in the event we need to evacuate.  We've never had to before, but you just never know. It's smart to be prepared for anything, storms can be so unpredictable.  

Here's my plan in the event of an emergency or disaster in the area:

If we need to evacuate the immediate area for any reason, we'll head North and West.  Previously, my plan was to head West to my mom's house 30 miles away in Western Long Island. However, she passed away in 2016 and I've had to change the plan.  If her town were to be evacuated as well, my plan had been to head North and West to Pennsylvania. However, Pennsylvania has had some horrific weather in the last year or two so we've changed that plan as well.  It's so important to review and update your plan and be flexible in making changes.  Track the path of the storm to find your best escape route.

I know my town's evacuation route and the safest emergency routes.  My town has a web site with emergency preparedness and evacuation tips, yours probably does as well - are you familiar with it?  If not take a few moments to search online for it and become familiar.

Don't leave your pets behind if you need to evacuate unless it's absolutely necessary.  They may not be safe there, and you don't know when you'll be able to return.

I'll have my dogs with me of course, I will NEVER leave them behind no matter what.  In the event I have to stop for the night somewhere with them I have located several dog friendly hotels within a 50+ mile radius.  I have a few sites I can use as a resource to locate pet friendly lodgings such as Bring Fido and Go Pet Friendly.  I'll keep the AAA Pet Book handy with me as well, in case cell phone service goes out and I need to find accommodations. 

Many people have stickers on their windows telling rescue workers that there are pets inside so they can look for them.  However, whenever possible you should take your pets with you if you evacuate.  If you've taken pets with you and you have one of these stickers, use a black magic marker to write "Evacuated" over the pet's information on the sticker.  That way rescuers won't waste valuable time searching for pets that are no longer in the home.

These are the supplies I have ready for my two dogs if we ever need to evacuate:

In my dogs evacuation bag:Tap & bottled water, dry food and food rolls, bowls,first aid kit, towels & wipes, medical records, collars/harnesses, toys & chews

In a canvas shoulder bag I pack:

** Large jug of tap water plus several days worth of bottled water.  Portable dog water bowl.

** Dry dog food for 2 days and 2 food bowls.

**Canned food for 3 days plus food rolls, which are lightweight and easy to travel with. I like Natural Balance food rolls best and so do my dogs.  They're sealed in water tight plastic which is so helpful especially if there's flooding.

**I normally leave copies of my dogs' rabies vaccination certificate and other vaccination documentation from my Veterinarian in the car.  I'll pack the envelope in a plastic bag to stay dry and place it in the emergency bag.

** First Aid kit with hydrogen peroxide, antibiotic ointment, bandages & bandage wrap, gauze pads, scissors, nail clippers, cotton balls & Q- tips.

** Pet wipes, a tall kitchen trash bag and zip lock bags.  I love zip lock bags, I use them for everything!  Doggie waste bags and a towel.  We also keep a towel and blanket in the car.

** 1 or 2 toys and chew sticks to help keep the dogs calm and occupied.  An evacuation can be very scary for them!

**Leashes, harnesses, and collars.  I'll use a harness for both of them, a frightened pet will often try to wriggle out of a collar and run from whatever is scaring them.

As time goes on if you don't use the emergency bag supplies, you can switch out food and medical supplies that have passed the expiration dates. It's never a waste to have a bag ready! You can always swap items in and out.


Icy and Phoebe are Ready to go at a moment's notice!

For more about why it's so important to include pets in emergency and disaster preparedness planning, see my earlier post on How Will Your Pet React In An Emergency?

On the West coast, people routinely have to deal with deadly wildfires in California and Washington.  These tragic and widespread fires impact many pets.  So many pets have been lost, injured, or killed during the chaos of wildfires.  If you live in an area that has wildfires, be sure to have an emergency go bag for your family, including your pets.

PLEASE, if your dog or cat isn't microchipped, get them chipped as soon as you are able.  As an animal shelter volunteer, I'm begging you to do that for your pets.  Being chipped is probably the one thing that can reunite you with your pet above all else.  It's quick and easy, just like getting a vaccination.  Many shelters offer discounts throughout the year for as little as $10!  Do you love your pet 10 bucks worth?


Have you ever had to evacuate your home due to an emergency?  What did you do to prepare?  Please share in the comments!