By: Tonya Hillukka

This quote by Edith Wharton says it all: “My little dog – a heartbeat at my feet.”

May is the month to show a little extra appreciation for your pet, whether you have a cuddly kitty, fun-loving puppy, or even a slithering snake. Our pets have an enduring love for their owners, so it only makes sense that we should honor them even moreso than usual for one month out of every year.

Right now, I just have a Siamese kitten, but I will be getting a Morkie puppy in about a week and a half, as well. Pets make wonderful family members and I have been enjoying every minute of my kitty (except when she thinks my hand is a toy and chews it more than her own toys). Just kidding. I love her even then.

What can you do to show appreciation for your pets during National Pet Month this May?

Well, you can take her on a trip to somewhere new or you can buy her a special toy to show her how much you lover her. Of, if money is tight right now, make an effort to spend a little extra time with her each day. Tack on an extra fifteen minutes to her playtime if nothing else.

What if you don’t already own a pet?

You can always give a shelter animal a much-needed home during National Pet Month. Before committing to adopting a pet, however, make sure you have the time and the means to care for a pet. Animals are completely dependent on us to take care of them, and they require a ton of energy, so it’s especially not a good idea for someone who is never home to get a new puppy.

What will you be doing to celebrate your pet this month? Comment below to share!

Original URL: http://voices.yahoo.com/appreciation-pets-may-national-5964914.html?cat=74

The war on fleas just got more personal. New research published by the Bartonella research team at North Carolina State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine now connects the Bartonella infection to rheumatoid illnesses in people.

Bartonella is a bacterium found in fleas, ticks and other biting insects. You may be familiar with Bartonella henselae, which causes cat scratch disease (CSD). Add it all together and fleas may be to blame when it comes to certain human illnesses, such as rheumatoid arthritis.

Eye-Opening Flea and Tick Findings

In a study to be published in the May 2012 edition of Emerging Infectious Diseases, 62 percent of nearly 300 people suffering from a variety of rheumatoid illnesses were found to have antibodies against Bartonella, and 41 percent had DNA evidence of the bacteria in their blood. About 85 percent of the patients reported contact with dogs, and 68 percent had co-mingled with cats. Plus, over 77 percent had been exposed to ticks, and 68 percent stated that they’d been bitten or scratched by an animal.

The patients had been previously seen by a rheumatologist and diagnosed with such illnesses as Lyme disease, chronic fatigue, various arthralgia and arthritis conditions, and fibromyalgia. (Researchers are also concerned that Bartonella may be directly involved in causing illnesses in the cats and dogs that serve as hosts for the bacterium.)

Although the scientists did not evaluate the role Bartonella might play in these diseases, they hope that physicians treating such patients will start to look for Bartonella infections to determine the link between this vector-borne disease and others.

Unfortunately, it isn’t always easy to diagnose bartonellosis. For years, researchers had speculated that it was involved in a wide variety of inflammatory conditions, but they didn’t have tests that were sensitive enough to detect it. But thanks to some advances in technology, we’re beginning to look more closely at Bartonella.

Savvy New Way of Testing

Four years ago, a group led by NC State veterinary researcher Dr. Edward Breitschwerdt, DVM, created a special test that finally allowed extremely sensitive and accurate testing for Bartonella in animals and humans. Curious to hear more about this revolutionary work, I spoke to Dr. Breitschwerdt.

“Until recently, CSD was thought to be a self-limiting infection, and historical blood culture techniques were not sensitive enough to detect bartonellosis in immunocompetent dogs, horses or human patients,” explains Dr. Breitschwerdt.

Based on his new findings, Dr. Breitschwerdt concludes that “bartonellosis is a critically important emerging disease for both human and veterinary medicine. Understanding and addressing the many important questions relative to this genus should be a ‘One Health’ priority.”

Dr. Breitschwerdt calls Bartonella “a game changer in the context of fleas as vectors of these bacteria, which can cause disease in cats, dogs and humans — although much more work needs to be done relative to the transmission dynamics of Bartonella to pets.”

What This Means for Pet Owners

So what does all of this have to do with your cat or dog? If you’re not aggressively treating fleas, it could be vitally important to your own health.

“It is possible that one flea could infect a cat, a dog or a human being,” says Dr. Breitschwerdt, adding that humans can contract Bartonella from cats through “flea bites, scratches and potentially bites.”

Fleas are the primary vector for Bartonella. Without them, your cat or dog can’t get infected, dramatically reducing your risk of contracting Bartonella. Bottom line: If your pet is flea-free, there’s a good chance that it won’t pass the Bartonella infection to you.

It’s important to point out that Dr. Breitschwerdt’s findings haven’t established Bartonella as a cause of these diseases — just that it seems to be present in a suspiciously high number of cases. He hopes that ongoing research will pinpoint if and how bartonellosis is involved in systemic inflammatory conditions.

How to Keep Your Pet Flea-Free

When I asked Dr. Breitschwerdt what the single most important thing owners could do to lessen their chances of contracting Bartonella, he didn’t hesitate: “Prevent flea infestations to avoid the cat becoming infected with these bacteria.” Here’s how:

Use a monthly flea preventive year-round. To make protection more convenient — and potentially save you money — talk to your veterinarian about a product that prevents both fleas and heartworm disease. And apply year-round flea preventive on your cat — regardless of whether or not your feline is solely an indoor cat.

Track your pet’s travels. Pets who are allowed to roam freely may encounter other animals who carry fleas. Whenever possible, keep unsupervised pets indoors or supervise outside access as much as possible.

Bathe your pet. In addition to checking for parasites, regular bathing allows you to scan for skin lesions. Consistent bathing every week or two is especially important during the warmer months, when biting insects are more prevalent.

Editor’s Note: Exposure to warm-weather dangers can suppress your pet’s immune system and may lead to several types of degenerative disease.  Provide nutritional support to a compromised immune system by incorporating Poly-MVA for Pets into your pet’s overall health regiment.

Original URL: http://www.vetstreet.com/our-pet-experts/scientists-find-that-flea-prevention-may-help-protect-you-from-some-serious-illnesses?Wt.mc_id=jctwitter

Step 1   Get a Rescue Alert Sticker
The ASPCA’s easy-to-use sticker will let people know that pets are inside your home. Make sure it is visible to rescue workers, and that it includes 1) the types and number of pets in your household; 2) the name of your veterinarian; and 3) your veterinarian’s phone number. If you must evacuate with your pets, and if time allows, write “EVACUATED” across the stickers.

To get a free emergency pet alert sticker for your home, please fill out the online order form; allow 6-8 weeks for delivery. Your local pet supply store may also sell similar stickers.

Step 2   Arrange a Safe Haven
Arrange a safe haven for your pets in the event of evacuation. DO NOT LEAVE YOUR PETS BEHIND. Remember, if it isn’t safe for you, it isn’t safe for your pets. They may become trapped or escape and be exposed to numerous life-threatening hazards. Note that not all Red Cross disaster shelters accept pets, so it is imperative that you have determined where you will bring your pets ahead of time:

- Contact your veterinarian for a list of preferred boarding kennels and facilities.
- Ask your local animal shelter if they provide emergency shelter or foster care for pets.
- Identify hotels or motels outside of your immediate area that accept pets.
- Ask friends and relatives outside your immediate area if they would be willing to take in your pet.

Step 3   Emergency Supplies and Traveling Kits
Keep necessity supplies handy for your pets. Make sure that everyone in the family knows where these are. They should be assembled in a kit, clearly labeled and easy to carry. Items to consider keeping in or near your kit include:

- Pet first-aid kit and guide book (ask your vet what to include, or visit the ASPCA Store to buy one online)
- 3-7 days’ worth of canned (pop-top) or dry food (be sure to rotate every two months)
- Disposable litter trays (aluminum roasting pans are perfect)
- Litter or paper toweling
- Liquid dish soap and disinfectant
- Disposable garbage bags for clean-up
- Pet feeding dishes
- Extra collar or harness as well as an extra leash
- Photocopies of medical records and a waterproof container with a two-week supply of any medicine your pet requires (Remember, food and medications need to be   rotated out of your emergency kit—otherwise they may go bad or become useless.)
- Bottled water, at least 7 days’ worth for each person and pet (store in a cool, dry place and replace every two months)
- A traveling bag, crate or sturdy carrier, ideally one for each pet
- Flashlight
- Blanket (for scooping up a fearful pet)
- Recent photos of your pets (in case you are separated and need to make “Lost” posters)
- Especially for cats: Pillowcase or EvackSack, toys, scoopable litter
- Especially for dogs: Extra leash, toys and chew toys, a week’s worth of cage liner.

You should also have an emergency kit for the human members of the family. Items to include: batteries, duct tape, flashlight, radio, multi-tool, tarp, rope, permanent marker, spray paint, baby wipes, protective clothing and footwear, extra cash, rescue whistle, important phone numbers, extra medication and copies of medical and insurance information.

Step 4   Choose “Designated Caregivers”
This step will take considerable time and thought. When choosing a temporary caregiver, consider someone who lives close to your residence. He or she should be someone who is generally home during the day while you are at work or has easy access to your home. A set of keys should be given to this trusted individual. This may work well with neighbors who have pets of their own—you may even swap responsibilities, depending upon who has accessibility.

When selecting a permanent caregiver, you’ll need to consider other criteria. This is a person to whom you are entrusting the care of your pet in the event that something should happen to you. When selecting this “foster parent,” consider people who have met your pet and have successfully cared for animals in the past. Be sure to discuss your expectations at length with a permanent caregiver, so he or she understands the responsibility of caring for your pet.

Step 5  Evacuation Preparation
If you must evacuate your home in a crisis, plan for the worst-case scenario. If you think you may be gone for only a day, assume that you may not be allowed to return for several weeks. When recommendations for evacuation have been announced, follow the instructions of local and state officials. To minimize evacuation time, take these simple steps:

- Store an emergency kit and leashes as close to an exit as possible.
- Make sure all pets wear collars and tags with up-to-date identification. Your pet’s ID tag should contain his name, telephone number, and any urgent medical needs. Be sure to write your pet’s name, your name and contact information on your pet’s carrier.
- The ASPCA recommends microchipping your pet as a more permanent form of identification. A microchip is implanted in the animal’s shoulder area, and can be read by scanner at most animal shelters.
- Always bring pets indoors at the first sign or warning of a storm or disaster. Pets can become disoriented and wander away from home during a crisis.
- Consider your evacuation route and call ahead to make arrangements for boarding your pet outside of the danger zone at the first sign of disaster.

Step 6  Geographic and Climatic Considerations
Do you live in an area that is prone to certain natural catastrophes, such as tornadoes, earthquakes or floods? If so, you should plan accordingly.

- Determine well in advance which rooms offer safe havens. These rooms should be clear of hazards such as windows, flying debris, etc.
- Choose easy-to-clean areas such as utility rooms, bathrooms, and basements as safe zones.
- Access to a supply of fresh water is particularly important. In areas that may lose electricity, fill up bathtubs and sinks ahead of time to ensure that you have access to water during a power outage or other crises.
- In the event of flooding, go to the highest location in your home, or a room that has access to counters or high shelves where your animals can take shelter.

If emergency officials recommend that you stay in your home, it’s crucial that you keep your pets with you. Keep your emergency supplies close at hand. Your pets may become stressed during the in-house confinement, so you may consider crating them for safety and comfort.

Special Considerations for Birds

- Birds should be transported in a secure travel cage or carrier.
- In cold weather, make certain you have a blanket over your pet’s cage. This may also help reduce the stress of traveling.
- In warm weather, carry a spray bottle to periodically moisten your bird’s feathers.
- Have recent photos available, and keep your bird’s leg bands on for identification.
- If the carrier does not have a perch, line it with paper towels that you can change frequently.
- Keep the carrier in as quiet an area as possible.
- It is particularly imperative that birds eat on a daily basis, so purchase a timed feeder. If you need to leave your bird unexpectedly, the feeder will ensure his daily feeding schedule.
- Items to keep on hand: Catch net, heavy towel, blanket or sheet to cover cage, cage liner.

Special Considerations for Reptiles

- A snake may be transported in a pillowcase, but you should have permanent and secure housing for him when you reach a safe place.
- Take a sturdy bowl that is large for your pet to soak in. It’s also a good idea to bring along a heating pad or other warming device, such as a hot water bottle.
- Lizards can be transported like birds (see above).

Special Considerations for Small Animals

- Small animals, such as hamsters, gerbils, mice and guinea pigs, should be transported in secure carriers with bedding materials, food and food bowls.
- Items to keep on hand: Salt lick, extra water bottle, small hidebox or tube, a week’s worth of bedding.

Original URL: http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/disaster-preparedness/

Read more about the app and how to purchase it…

Exposure to situational and environmental toxicities can suppress your pet’s immune system and may lead to liver, kidney, heart and other degenerative diseases.  Provide nutritional support to a compromised immune system by incorporating Poly-MVA for Pets into your pet’s overall health regiment.

Anyone who comes to the AMARC table during the event will receive a Poly-MVA for Pets coupon good for either $35 off a 4 oz bottle or $65 off an 8 oz bottle. Call 866-POLY-MVA for more information.

We hope to see you there!

Dogs or cats may on occasion appear to be choking—their eyes will bulge, they will extend their necks, their chests will expand and they will make a forceful snorting sound. At this point, some pet parents will grab their pet and head to the nearest animal hospital, fearing their pet is choking and will soon die without medical help. What may really be happening is your pet may be experiencing a case of reverse sneezing. The pet appears completely normal one moment, then seems in dire distress the next.

Causes of Reverse Sneezing

Reverse sneezing (also known as pharyngeal gag reflex spasm) can be caused by all types of nasal or throat irritants or by pet allergies. Anything that irritates the throat can cause this spasm or reverse sneezing. This includes eating and drinking quickly, exercise intolerance, leash pulling, dust, mites, perfumes, and household cleaning chemicals or allergens. These irritants reach the soft palate and throat resulting in a spasm. When this spasm occurs, you will see the animal extend their neck, their eyes bulge and the chest attempt to expand. At this stage, you may also see the animals’ elbows turn outwards.

Dogs are much more prone to reverse sneezing than cats. If a cat experiences episodes of what appears to be reverse sneezing, the cat should be checked by the vet to assure that they are truly experiencing episodes of reverse sneezing instead of feline asthma. If the cat does have feline asthma, they will require ongoing medical treatment, whereas reverse sneezing does not require this kind of action.

Although any breed of dog may experience episodes of reverse sneezing, it is much more common to see in small, short faced breeds of dogs. Some breeds to be on guard against reverse sneezing are Bulldogs, Boxers, Boston Terriers, Shih Tzus and Pugs. These dogs are likely more prone to reverse sneezing than longer faced breed due to the elongated short palate these short faced breeds have. On occasion, these breeds will suck the elongated soft palate into their throat while inhaling causing the pharyngeal spasm or reverse sneezing event. Small dogs are prone to episodes of reverse sneezing more than larger dogs. While some dogs may experience this condition all their lives, some dogs will develop episodes of reverse sneezing only as they age.

Treatment of Reverse Sneezing

While it is frightening for the pet parent to have their pet appear fine one minute and in danger of choking the next minute, reverse sneezing appears to be harmless to the pet in the long term. Most episodes of reverse sneezing will clear by themselves within a few minutes and rarely require any medical intervention. Once the sneezing stops, the spasm and episode is over and the dog appears perfectly normal again. If the spasm does not resolve itself quickly, you can try to help your pet by massaging the dog’s throat to ease the muscle spasm or by covering the dog’s nostrils, which makes the dog swallow which can help eliminate the irritants in the throat or sinuses. If the dog is still experiencing difficulty, you may try depressing the dog’s tongue, which will help open the mouth and move air through the nasal passages into the lungs. If the irritant is inside (such as household cleaning chemicals), take the dog outside to get away from irritants. By the same token, if the dog has problems outside the home, bringing them inside may help alleviate their discomfort and stop the sneezing.

While medical intervention is not normally necessary for reverse sneezing, if your dog is experiencing more frequent episodes of reverse sneezing, your vet should be notified. The best treatment for reverse sneezing is to treat any underlying causes. If your pet has allergies and is experiencing episodes of reverse sneezing as a result, treating the pet’s allergies may end or greatly reduce the frequency of incidents.

Here’s a rather scary set of data to ponder. Heartworm infection has been diagnosed in all 50 states and is considered at least regionally endemic in every U.S. state and protectorate except Alaska. Yet only about half of U.S. dogs are regularly on heartworm prevention and this number has been declining over the last several years. We don’t have good information on the number of cats on prevention, but it’s certainly much lower. These numbers must change!

Why do we veterinarians talk so much about this? And why does it worry us to see so few pets on prevention? It’s because of how extremely serious heartworm disease can be and how incredibly preventable it is.

Heartworms are nasty little creatures. These parasites are carried by mosquitos, meaning that your pet doesn’t have to have any contact at all with other dogs and cats in order to become infected. Think your indoor cat or small dog isn’t at risk? Think again. Most dogs go outside at least a little bit and this puts them at risk. Even if a pet is 100% indoors and never goes outside (well, they go to the vet, don’t they? and isn’t that outside?), we have all seen mosquitos in our homes. In a study several years ago, 60% of cats who were diagnosed with heartworm disease were considered “indoor only” by their owners. All it takes is one mosquito with heartworm larva to bite your pet, and you suddenly have a serious situation on your hands.

These worms are almost a foot long and about the size of a piece of spaghetti. They live in the right ventricle of the heart and the vessels leading to the lungs. In the early stages of infection you won’t see any symptoms at all! Signs of more advanced heartworm disease normally start with coughing and exercise intolerance (getting tired after activity more quickly than previous times) and if untreated will progress to fluid accumulation in the lungs and abdomen. Infected dogs will die slowly of congestive heart failure and treatment is very risky in the later stages of disease. In early stages treatment is possible in dogs, but still carries some significant risks and can be extremely expensive.

Heartworm infection in cats is possible though less likely than in dogs. Unfortunately, the disease is harder to detect in cats, so routine blood testing may not always catch the disease early enough. One of the more common signs of heartworms in cats is sudden death – obviously something we want to avoid. There is no approved treatment in cats, so if a cat does develop infection it is much harder to deal with. Basically, cats are more resistant to heartworms than dogs, but if they do get it the situation is normally far worse.

Thankfully, prevention is readily available, easy to administer and inexpensive. Options for prevention include oral and topical medications, and in dogs an injection called ProHeart 6, which lasts for six months. The American Heartworm Society and most veterinarians recommend year-round prevention because of often unpredictable weather patterns and the serious nature of the disease, regardless of where you live. Most pets can be fully protected for around $100 or less per year. This works out to less than $10 per month! The majority of people I know spend more than this on lattes and fast food. Still think that’s too expensive? For the cost of treating heartworm disease one time you could have purchased enough prevention for around 10 years of your pet’s life.

Another current recommendation of the American Heartworm Society is annual testing for heartworm disease. There are two main reasons for this line of thinking. First, as I mentioned earlier, there are no symptoms in the early stages of disease. Most of the pets I have personally diagnosed have been in this category and we detected the infection on a routine test. The earlier we can detect disease, the better chance we have of treating it. The second reason is that heartworm positive dogs can have a reaction to certain preventives. If we don’t know their infection status, we may recommend a preventive that can actually be harmful.

“But my pet is always on heartworm prevention! Why do I still need to have her tested every year?” Several studies have shown that no matter how good someone thinks they are at giving prevention, around 80% of owners accidentally miss at least one dose throughout the year. There have also been some recent concerns about regional resistance of heartworms to common preventives, though one in-depth study showed that even in these cases there was considerable inconsistency in giving prevention, and the majority of positive dogs were off prevention during a higher risk period.

In today’s world there is no reason why pets should not be consistently on year-round heartworm prevention. This is one of the most important preventive measures you as a pet owner can take.

With minerals, vitamins and amino acids to keep your pet’s nutrition at its optimum, Poly-MVA for Pets provides a healthy boost of energy as well as immune system protection. Learn more.

Original post http://sitandstay.banfield.net/2012/04/02/the-life-or-death-importance-of-heartworm-prevention/

Stress is a major contributor to employee absenteeism, morale, and burnout and results in significant loss of productivity and resources. But a preliminary study, published in the March issue of the International Journal of Workplace Health Management, found that dogs in the workplace may buffer the impact of stress during the workday for their owners and make the job more satisfying for those with whom they come into contact.

The VCU researchers compared employees who bring their dogs to work, employees who do not bring their dogs to work, and employees without pets in the areas of stress, job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and support.

“Although preliminary, this study provides the first quantitative study of the effects of employees’ pet dogs in the workplace setting on employee stress, job satisfaction, support, and commitment,” said principal investigator Randolph T. Barker, PhD, professor of management in the VCU School of Business.

“Dogs in the workplace can make a positive difference,” he said. “The differences in perceived stress between days the dog was present and absent were significant. The employees as a whole had higher job satisfaction than industry norms.”

The study took place at Replacements, Ltd., a retail business located in Greensboro, North Carolina, which employs approximately 450 people. Approximately 20 to 30 dogs are on the company premises each day. The study took place over a period of one work week in the company setting, during which time participants completed surveys and collected saliva samples. Pagers were assigned to prompt employees to complete surveys during the day.

The researchers did not observe a difference between the three employee groups on stress hormone levels, which was measured via a saliva sample, in the morning, but during the course of the work day, self-reported stress declined for employees with their dogs present and increased for non-pet owners and dog owners who did not bring their dogs to work. The team noted that stress significantly rose during the day when owners left their dogs at home compared with days they brought them to work.

According to Barker, the team observed unique dog-related communication in the workplace that may contribute to employee performance and satisfaction. For example, he said, although not part of the study, that employees without a dog were observed requesting to take a coworker’s dog out on a break. These were brief, positive exchanges as the dogs were taken and returned and also resulted in an employee break involving exercise.

Barker said that other findings revealed mostly positive comments from employees such as “pets in the workplace can be a great bonus for employee morale …,” “having dogs here is great stress relief” and “dogs are positive; dogs increase coworker cooperation.”

“The effect of pets in reducing the impact of stress and enhancing communication found in other settings may extend to the workplace,” said Barker.

“Pet presence may serve as a low-cost, wellness intervention readily available to many organizations and may enhance organizational satisfaction and perceptions of support. Of course, it is important to have policies in place to ensure only friendly, clean, and well-behaved pets are present in the workplace,” he said.

According to Barker, further research with larger sample sizes within the organizational setting is needed to replicate the findings of this initial study.

Randolph Barker collaborated with Janet S. Knisely, Ph.D., associate professor of psychiatry in the VCU School of Medicine; Sandra B. Barker, Ph.D., professor of psychiatry in the VCU School of Medicine; Rachel K. Cobb, Ph.D., research faculty in the VCU School of Nursing; and Christine M. Schubert, Ph.D., assistant professor of biostatistics at the Air Force Institute of Technology.

The study was supported in part by the VCU Center on Human-Animal Interaction.

Source: Virginia Commonwealth University

But when you really begin weighing out the arithmetic, this method doesn’t add up. Say a 1-year-old dog is the equivalent of a 7-year-old human – get out of here! How many 7-year-old humans are sexually active and capable of reproducing? Dogs and cats are much more likely to have babies at 1 year old or even at 10 years old, than any person who is 7 or 70.

Dogs

Aging is much faster during a dog’s first two years but varies among breeds. Large breeds, while they mature quicker, tend to live shorter lives. By the time they reach 5 they are considered “senior” dogs. Medium-sized breeds take around seven years to reach the senior stage, while small and toy breeds do not become seniors until around 10.

Many veterinarians agree that a pretty good guess on the age of pets can be made using the following formula. Although still simple, it is much more accurate than the seven-year method.

Assume that a 1-year-old dog is equal to a 12-year-old human and a 2-year-old dog is equal to a 24-year old human. Then add four years for every year after that. (Example: A 4-year-old dog would be 32 in human years.)

Since this method takes into consideration the maturity rate at the beginning of a dog’s life and also the slowing of the aging process in his later years, Martha Smith, Director of Veterinary Services at Boston’s Animal Rescue League, feels that this is the more accurate calculation formula. Here is a chart, for easy reference:

A dog’s average lifespan is around 12 or 13 years, but again, this varies widely by breed. The larger your dog is, the less time it will live. Female dogs tend to live a little longer.

Cats

Now let’s take a glimpse at a simple formula for calculating feline age in human years.

Assume that a 1-year-old cat is equal to a 15-year-old human and a 2-year-old cat is equal to a 24-year-old human. Then add four years for every year after that. (Example: A 4-year-old cat would be 32 in human years.)

The following chart shows this formula of calculation:

Cats generally live 12 to 15 years, although outdoor cats live an average of only 10 years or so.

For information on how Poly-MVA for Pets can support your aging pet and help him live a more active, healthy life, click here.

Original post http://www.webvet.com/main/2012/02/28/how-old-my-pet-correctly-calculate-your-dog-or-cats-age

Pets, their families and friends, and other supportive individuals will walk to celebrate a love for animals while raising the vital funds needed to ensure that every companion animal can find a loving home and enjoy a good quality of life. Festivities include a delicious pancake breakfast, a scenic ¾ mile walk, fun-filled doggie activities and contests, and an array of vendors. For more information on event activities, location, or registration, please visit http://www.sdhumane.org/site/PageNavigator/Events/2012_Walk/home.html.

Additionally, Vivien Ariola, Customer Service & Conference Coordinator for AMARC, has put together a team with her friends and co-workers to raise funds as a walking team. The team is called Dhaygo’s Friends and was formed in honor of Vivien’s dog, Dhaygo, who uses Poly-MVA for Pets for nutritional immunity support. To donate to this team, please visit http://www.sdhumane.org/site/TR?team_id=9570&fr_id=1090&pg=team. Your contribution will dramatically impact the lives of thousands of animals in the San Diego community, helping to feed and care for animals in need of loving homes, rescue animals in emergency situations, and provide humane education to enrich the lives of individuals and animals alike.

Mahatma Ghandi once said, “The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.” Please consider participating in this event in any way you can; let’s be the change we wish to see in the lives of pets in our community. On behalf of all animals, AMARC thanks you for your support!

Vivien Ariola and her pup, Dhaygo,
at a previous walk event