Date: March 8, 2018 by: BigRentz
Tips for Pet Safety Near Construction Sites
If you see the telltale signs of a construction site going up near you, it’s time to get proactive. Here are some safety tips you can use to make sure your pets stay safe.

• Inspect the fencing around the site. Most construction sites will have fences to keep animals and children out, but they may not be maintained as well as you would like. Feel free to take a walk around the perimeter of the construction site and inspect for any dog or cat-sized holes that could pose a risk for your pet. If you identify any risks, reach out to the construction company or property owner; at the very least, they will be interested in minimizing the risk of a lawsuit down the road.
• Recognize the physical risks of construction sites. Construction sites have many serious risks. One dog owner reportedly had to put his pet down after the dog fell into a poorly marked hole on a construction site. Holes are just one of the types of risks you will find. Large equipment, toxic chemicals, falling objects and even heavy materials can all be potentially fatal to your pet, but they also might vary according to the specific construction site, location, and what’s being built. Know what the risks are so you can tailor fit your precautions.
• Be aware that the construction site may cause stress. Your pet is more sensitive to sounds and smells than you are, and the construction site may be a stressful place for your pet to be. Watch for signs of stress.
  • For dogs, this may include pacing, trembling, excessive panting, licking paws or nose, pinning back the ears, hiding and refusing treats.
  • For cats, watch for crouching, shaking, rapid breathing, bent legs, tail held close to the body, flattened ears and whiskers that are held back. Both animals may have changes in their diet or defecation when stressed, and too much stress may create aggressive behavior.

If you are noticing these signs, talk to your vet about what you can do to minimize your pet’s stress.

• Consider crating your pet when you are gone. If you normally leave your pet outdoors or with access to the outdoors when you leave home, consider making a change during the construction time. Using a crate for your pet or barricading your pet indoors in a safe room can lessen the risk while also reducing their stress levels. Save the outdoor time for times when you are home and can monitor the pet’s stress levels, needs, and safety.
• Keep pet doors inaccessible. If you have a “doggy door” that allows your pet outdoors without your supervision, consider blocking it until the construction project is over. This will limit the risk of an escape.
• Know how to call a pet when it’s loose. If your pet escapes your home or yard during a period of construction, getting them back is critical to their safety.
  • For dogs, the best way to get a dog to return is not to chase them. Instead, get down on the ground in a playful stance and call the dog’s name. This is unexpected and will cause the dog to investigate, allowing you to grab them.
  • Cats can be a bit easier to catch because they often don’t wander far from home. To get your cat to return, put out a litter box and some food and wait. Chances are your cat will come to investigate, and you can get him back inside safely.
• If your pet gets out and can’t be found, and you suspect they got into the construction site, go to the construction crew chief. This is the first place to go for permission to search the construction site. You don’t want to be climbing among excavators and wheel loaders without permission, as you could be injured or fined. Chances are if your pet has gotten into the construction site, the crew will have an idea of where to look.
• Call the construction company for help if needed. If you’re having trouble getting help searching the site, consider calling the construction company. Remember, the construction team has to keep the job and you safe, and this may mean they won’t let you search the site. Calling the construction parent company may help you get assistance more quickly.
• Consider changing your walk route. If your walk route takes you by the construction site, and you have some freedom to change it up, consider doing so. Even walking on a leash near a construction site can be dangerous, as it’s always possible for your pet to wriggle free of a constraint and into the construction site. You will also be able to avoid risks, like the risk of falling materials, which are a risk even for a leashed pet.
• Make sure your pet is microchipped. In a study of 7,704 stray animals, 74% of dogs and 63% of cats who had microchips were able to be returned to their pet owners. If your dog or cat does get away from you when construction stress is present, a microchip increases the chances of being reunited significantly.

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By Nicole Darrah | Fox News

An unnamed dog has reportedly been waiting more than four months outside a Brazilian hospital for his deceased owner to return.  (Cristine Sardella via Storyful)

It’s long been said that dogs are a man’s best friend due to their unwavering loyalty — and one dog in Brazil is proving that his friendship is forever.

More than four months after his owner was rushed to a hospital in Sao Paul, an unnamed dog continues to wait outside the Santa Casa de Novo Horizonte hospital — the last place he saw his best friend.

The dog’s owner, a 59-year-old homeless man, was fatally stabbed in a local park, Brazilian newspaper O Globo reported. The pooch reportedly rushed to the hospital and has been waiting outside the entrance for his owner to return.

Nearby resident Cristine Sardella, who was at the hospital last month, took pictures of the dog and posted them to Facebook, writing that humans have a lot to learn from animals.

The dog, Sardella told The Dodo, seemed set on staying where he was, awaiting the return of his owner.
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Received from a PPLLC friend. Source unknown.

By Cailey Rizzo | Travel + Leisure

If you’re missing your furry friend on your next trip, just call for an on-demand puppy cuddle from Hotel Nikko’s Canine Operating Officer.  (iStock)

Travelers who miss their furry companions while on the road can now book a puppy cuddle on demand.

The Hotel Nikko San Francisco has appointed a “Canine Operating Officer” in charge of visiting guests and dispensing dog kisses.

Upon check-in, guests will find a stuffed animal dog and a notecard on their beds. The notecard informs guests that it will be $29 to take the stuffed animal home (purchases benefit a local animal shelter) — or they can dial the operator and book a “meet and greet” with the real thing.
Buster will also play with any traveling dogs who need extra canine company.

He may even make special appearances at the front desk and welcome guests at check-in.
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AKC: American Kennel Club     Randa Kriss     December 23, 2016

Snow, sleet, ice, wind… there’s a lot to prepare for when it comes to winter weather. Just like we’re affected by the cold, our dogs are, too. Here are a few simple measures you can take to make sure your dog stays happy and healthy throughout the winter.

Avoid Thin Ice

Too often we hear stories of dogs that had to be rescued from icy waters (and those are the lucky ones). It might look like fun to slide across that frozen pond, but ice can easily crack, and your dog, and you, could fall in. Slipping on ice can also lead to muscle strains and other injuries.

Protect Your Dog’s Paws

Look at the Iditarod sled-dog teams, and you’ll notice that their paws are covered by booties. Mushers know that the race may be lost because of injuries and abrasions from running on ice. Even if your dog isn’t dashing through 1,000 miles of frozen Alaskan wilderness, winter conditions can still do damage. Different retailers offer dog boots or paw protectors that work well to keep your pup’s feet safe. Check out Pura paw balm on the AKC Shop website.

Trim Foot Fuzz

Hair on the feet of long-haired dogs can form ice balls between pads and toes. Keep them well trimmed, cutting the hair so that it is even with the surface of the foot.
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THE KANSAS CITY STAR:  BY JOE ROBERTSON

Finally, after a shelter record of 445 days, Polina, the lumbering 7-year-old Mastiff mix, has a home to go to — just in time for Christmas.

The KC Pet Project shelter, in the end, had several suitors calling on the dog that had been featured in The Star a few days ago.

Polina was that dear-but-hard-to-appreciate kind of dog that gets left behind when prospective pet owners look to adopt a rescued animal. The biggest obstacle: She is scared of other dogs and children.

“She has gone through so much,” Tori Fugate, spokeswoman for the KC Pet Project, said Sunday.

Polina will be spending Christmas in a Kansas City home, able to roam across three acres, with a large, warm bed to lie in. KC Pet Project staff chose Polina’s new family after talking with them and visiting the home to see that the fit was right and that Polina would settle in.
(CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING) 

Image credits: Photographs by Luiz Higa Junior and used with permission to PetaPixel (Link Provided Below)
An unusual family of animals is winning hearts on Instagram. The account @bob_goldenretriever has attracted over 77,000 followers so far by regularly sharing snapshots from the life of one man’s pets: a eccentric but tight-knit group that consists of one golden retriever, one hamster, and eight birds.

31-year-old Luiz Higa Junior of São Paulo, Brazil, tells PetaPixel that his golden retriever, Bob, is a little less than two years old. In the beginning, he just had Bob, a cockatiel and a parakeet.

“Since the beginning I put them together to see their behavior,” he tells us. “It was nice, so I decided to have them play together sometimes during my free time.”

He then added more birds and a hamster to the group, and his Instagram account has been steadily growing in popularity since. Higa’s photos show the group posing, playing, exploring, and resting together.
(CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING AND VIEW MORE PHOTOS) 

Thanksgiving is a time for friends, family and holiday feasts—but also a time for possible distress for our animal companions.

Pets won’t be so thankful if they munch on undercooked turkey or a pet-unfriendly floral arrangement, or if they stumble upon an unattended alcoholic drink.

Check out the following tips for a fulfilling Thanksgiving that your pets can enjoy, too:

• Talkin’ Turkey: If you decide to feed your pet a small bite of turkey, make sure it’s boneless and well-cooked. Don’t offer her raw or undercooked turkey, which may contain salmonella bacteria. Do not give your pet the left over carcass–the bones can be problematic for the digestive tract.
• No Bread Dough: Don’t spoil your pet’s holiday by giving him access to raw yeast bread dough. When a dog or cat ingests raw bread dough, the yeast continues to convert the sugars in the dough to carbon dioxide gas and alcohol. This can result in bloated drunken pets, which could become a life-threatening emergency, requiring hospitalization.
• Don’t Let Them Eat Cake: If you plan to bake Thanksgiving desserts, be sure your pets keep their noses out of the batter, especially if it includes raw eggs—they could contain salmonella bacteria that may lead to food poisoning.
• A Feast Fit for a King: While your family enjoys a special meal, give your cat and dog a small feast of their own. Offer them made-for-pets chew bones. Or stuff their usual dinner—perhaps with a few added tidbits of turkey, vegetables (try sweet potato or green beans) and dribbles of gravy—inside a food puzzle toy. They’ll be happily occupied for awhile, working hard to extract their dinner from the toy.

A few small boneless pieces of cooked turkey, a taste of mashed potato or even a lick of pumpkin pie shouldn’t pose a problem. However, don’t allow your pets to overindulge, as they could wind up with a case of stomach upset, diarrhea or even worse—an inflammatory condition of the pancreas known as pancreatitis. In fact, it’s best keep pets on their regular diets during the holidays. Please visit our People Foods to Avoid Feeding Your Pets page for more information.
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