How Many Times Does it Have To Be Said?

Another summer has arrived and along with it, the heat. Here in Calgary we’ve had quite an eventful summer so far when it comes to weather. Massive rainfalls and the melting runoff from the mountains caused some incredible flooding along the Bow River and the Elbow River affecting thousands of residents (and their pets) from Canmore to HighRiver. Calgary was in a state of emergency for nearly two weeks. But that’s another story!

Today I’m here to talk about the spells of hot weather that we've had over the past month or so. And as always with the hot weather I see two things happening when it comes to our pooches.

1. People leaving their dogs in hot cars.
2. People bringing their dogs with them as they go shopping and leave them tied up outside the store all by themselves.

These are probably my two biggest pet peeves when it comes to irresponsible guardianship of our beloved pets. I can put up with people not picking up their dog’s poooh or those dreadful people who leave their dogs in the backs of open trucks while driving around town or even the constant barking of neighbourhood dogs left out in backyards. But I simply will not tolerate items #1 or #2 if they are happening right in front of me. My story today has to do with item #2 on the list.

Dogs and Cats of Jamaica

Mrs. Big Nate and I just recently returned from our vacation in Jamaica. It was our second time there and as before we had a lovely time and enjoyed the people and culture.

We always take excursions off the hotel property in order to experience some the “real world” and get a taste of what life is actually like for Jamaica’s people. Along with that we also get to see what life is like for the country’s dogs and cats.

In addition to Jamaica, our Caribbean travels have taken us to Mexico and the Dominican Republic. In all three countries, with the limited exposure we have had outside the walls of our secure resort, it appeared most dogs and cats are left to their own devices for survival.

The dogs especially always look the same. Dirty, skinny and sad. They’re all about the same medium size, mutt mix. They all seemed to walk around very slowly, their heads hung low with a rather sad look about them.

 In Mexico there were lots of them, we saw the mongrels roaming about pretty much wherever we went. In the Dominican there were not as many and we were glad to see vet clinics here and there in the populated areas. And in Jamaica it appeared as if most of the dogs we saw were owned by someone. They were always in a yard or driveway. But it didn't matter which country we were in, they all looked the same.

We talked to one of our Jamaican guides and asked him about how they felt about dogs in his country. He said most people in the rural areas or smaller towns had a dog as they were considered good for protection of their property but they were rarely allowed indoors and were never thought of as members of the family. He said his dog didn't even really have a name but he made sure he “threw out feed” for the dog when he thought of it. I wanted to ask more questions but refrained as I’m sure I wouldn't have liked the answers. I wanted to ask how he acquired his dog. Did he take him to the vet? Did he get him neutered? But for these folks, I’m sure they have little money to spend on such things.

When we visited Negril, we came across a street mongrel whose back leg was broken and hanging uselessly and he hobbled around on his three remaining good legs. One of his front legs had a large, open sore on it as well adding to his misfortune. A fellow tourist fed him some potato chips which didn't seem to be to his liking so I had to assume that he wasn't starving. Still it was a sad scene and many of the Canadian, American and European tourists felt bad at seeing this dog in such a poor condition.

We came across a few cats too but only on the resort itself. One night we saw a mother cat with her two kittens wandering around the outdoor entertainment area. They were skittish and ran off when anyone tried to approach them. Another night we came across two more cats and they actually allowed us to pet them. One day on the beach Mrs. Nate must have spent 30 minutes straight petting a skinny, black cat that came to sit in the shade with us. We had nothing to offer these cats for food but again they did not seem to be completely starving.

We always feel bad for all these animals living the way they do and wished we had the resources to help out the ones that we cross paths with. I get the feeling that most of these animals aren't abused in any way, they’re just simply left to survive on their own. Right here in Calgary, I’m sure there are many, many dogs that suffer even worse fates being owned by cruel, abhorrent people. Dogs kept outside all day no matter the weather, neglected and separated from their “families”.  At least in Jamaica, the dogs are free to roam about as they please, aren't kept in filthy dog runs and never have to suffer extreme cold temperatures. At least this is what I tell myself while visiting these countries.

I can’t help but think of all the domestic animals around the world that are doing the best they can with the hand they have been dealt in this life. There are so many and it’s an overwhelming thought.

Runaway Dogs

Photo courtesy of erinvey.com

Last weekend, Mrs. Nate and I were cruising through our old neighbourhood of Auburn Bay in SE Calgary. We lived there about three years ago and have since moved to the community next door, in Mahogany. Anyway, we thought we’d drive through to see how much things had changed. Wow! There has been a ton of new construction going on.

We were puttering down Auburn Bay Blvd. and I noticed a little Scottie Terrier running free right on the main boulevard. There was lots of traffic on this busy road, as well lots of people were about. The dog was bounding from one group of people to another and in his haste was almost struck by passing cars twice!

We had stopped our car in order to prevent the traffic on our side of the boulevard to continue moving through in an effort to decrease his chances of getting hit by cars from this side of the road. Eventually he caught up to two kids crossing the street right in front of us. He was jumping up at one of the kids in total excitement and the kid didn't look too thrilled about being accosted by this strange, overly-excited pooch. Eventually the Scottie ran up the side street, I wheeled my car forward to follow him.

He stopped to run up to a porch of a strange house and we ended up passing him. I immediately made a U-turn and saw another car had followed us in the side street and had stopped behind him. Now the little guy was between their car and ours. Mrs. Nate jumped out right away. He was just so excited to be out and meeting new people, he ran right into her arms. She picked him up and immediately started to look at his collar hoping to find some ID tags. There was a City of Calgary dog tag, so he was registered. That was good but if he had a custom tag with his name and a phone number, that would be even better! We would rather call the pet parents directly on our cell phone while we’re standing there holding the dog. They could come get him right away, while we’re in the area. Instead with a City dog tag we’d have to take him home and call the City to pick him up. The dog gets stressed out by the whole ordeal and the guardians get a big, fat fine on top of it.

So I suggest everyone do what we did, go to Tail Blazers and get custom tags made up for all your pets!

After a while of wondering what to do, Mrs. Big Nate saw a rather large and grumpy looking gentleman approaching her and she asked if he knew whose dog this was. He replied that it was his. She was extremely relieved to hear this and eagerly handed the escape artist over to his “Dad”. She told him that his Scottie almost got hit twice out on the boulevard; his most awesome reply to that statement was “I wish he had”.

I wish he had!? Are you kidding me?

I can understand the portly gentleman was probably annoyed that he had to get off the couch to go find his dog and was probably embarrassed by the situation after seeing two cars chasing his dog down, but a “thank you” would have been a little more of an appropriate response! No?

I almost wish my wife had taken him back. We could have provided him with a nice home where the pet parents don’t wish for his ultimate demise.

This is not the first time Mrs. Nate had rescued a runaway dog. We have found and returned three dogs over the past couple of years. Every time we had to hold the dog and call the City. Each dog had city dog tags so thank goodness for that but what a stressful experience for the poor dog.

When we first adopted Oscar from a pet rescue, he was three years old, never neutered and rarely socialized. He had bad manners, pee marked all over our house and we were told historically he was known as a runner. Shortly after adopting him I was mowing the lawn and accidentally left the gate open, forgetting we had a newly acquired runner in the family. Well Oscar saw an opportunity and took it, off he ran! For a chunky, little Japanese Chin he could move, I actually had to grab my bike to catch up to him and bring him home.

Here we are four years later, now Oscar won’t even leave our property without his leash on. He will sit in the garage with the door wide open and will not leave even if coaxed to do so. Why? Well I believe one reason is it that he gets walked twice a day. I tend to think conditioning taught him that the only time he leaves our property is by walking on the leash or by a car ride. Secondly, not only do we walk him and Mojo every day, we spend time playing with them, petting them and talking to them. As for his bad manners and pee-marking, we take him to the dog parks to mingle and make him wear a belly band we purchased from Pawhaus Pet Boutique. We never could break him of the marking behavior.

Having a dog isn't just about feeding them and hiring Poooh Busters to clean up after them. It also means spending time with them and making them a part of your family activities.

Maybe, just maybe they won’t look for any opportunity to escape and run free if they are made to feel like family members rather than prisoners.

Dog Conversations

This last weekend Mrs. Nate and I had the fortunate opportunity to get together with some friends that we haven’t seen in quite some time. It was fantastic going to their place to catch up on all the great things that have gone in our lives since we last saw one another. My friend Sean is a cameraman for a sports network and dabbles in Webmastering like I do. He recently built a website for his wife, Jennifer’s home-based business called Perfect Pinkies. Highly recommended to you ladies out there if you live in SW Calgary!

Sean and Jennifer like Mrs. Big Nate and I have two dogs. Only they have two beautiful and well-behaved Rotties. It was a joy to have them present throughout our evening visit, just gorgeous! Additionally, there was another couple (Nick and Lee) who joined us for dinner as well and though they do not own a dog they often dog sit for their parents and love spending time with their parent’s dog whenever they get the chance.

As we gathered around the kitchen before dinner we chatted about various things and I started to notice that the topic of our conversations would always end up going back to our dogs or past experiences with dogs that were in our lives at one point or another. After we sat down for dinner the conversation continued on about all things dogs. Near the end of our dinner time some else must have noticed that we all seemed to be focused on dogs and actually said, “Don’t we have something else to talk about besides our dogs?” We all laughed after realizing that our beloved pooches had indeed ruled our thoughts.

For me it was no big deal, I think about dogs all the time. They are a huge part of my Facebook time since I am a fan of many dog or pet related pages. I cruise the internet looking for dog stories, blogs or news. I have many friends associated to dogs and pets simply due to the fact that I am active in Calgary’s pet industry. So I sort of expect to be thinking about or talking about dogs during a large portion of my free time. The funny thing is, the two other couples we were visiting with were not associated to anything in the pet industry, so I had no expected to be talking about pet waste removal, dog rescues or any other dog related topics.

But by the simple fact that we all have dogs in our lives, we all had something in common. Dogs give us a safe place to be when it comes to making idle chit chat with complete strangers or when having  in-depth conversations with close friends.

I wonder how many people became friends because their dogs wanted to meet and play together at the dog park or on a daily walk. I know when I’m out with our dogs; I see many of the same people over and over again. Although I have to confess, I know their dog’s name long before I ever think to introduce myself and officially meet them.

How many great people do you know because of your dog? For me I can safely say dozens! Sure I have to thank Poooh Busters for bringing me into the pet industry where I have met so many great, dedicated and talented people but I also have to thank my dogs. If it wasn’t for them, I probably wouldn’t even be writing this blog.

Poooper of the Month is Back!

Some of our long time clients may remember in the early days of Poooh Busters we used to do a fun little thing called “Poooper of the Month” (POM). Back then I asked our current clients to submit a picture and a little bio about their dog or dogs. I would then feature their dog(s) on our website and in our printed, monthly newsletter that we hand delivered to our weekly clients each month. It was a fun way of sharing our love for dogs and for our clients who supported us.

Well we sat down and talked about it as a team and decided we wanted to bring back this tradition, but we're going to change it up just a little. Now that we have a Facebook page we have a much better way of communicating and sharing with not only our clients but everyone who is a member of our page.

We want to once again take the time to acknowledge our awesome fan base and their dogs by highlighting them for all to see! Poooh Busters is proud to bring back an old and long-time tradition of featuring a dog or family of dogs each and every month.

Here’s all you need to do to enter your dog(s):

1. You do not need to be an existing client of Poooh Busters, only a fan of our page. Go here, “Like” our page and you’re eligible.
2. Pick your dog! One you would like featured. It can be your current dog, a beloved dog from your past, a dog you know that is special to you and you'd like them to be acknowledged.
3. Send a picture and a bio to POM@pooohbusters.com . Tell us why they are so special, why you love them, what crazy habits or quirks they have and how they came to be in your family. It doesn't have to include all this info, just something fun and whatever you’d like everyone to know about this special dog in your life.

Once we have gone over all the entries for the current month we’ll feature the winner on our Facebook page and I will post a new story on the Poooh Busters Blog highlighting the winner. In addition to featuring the winning dog, Poooh Busters will give a $25 cash donation to the pet charity of the winner's choice. Just our own way of giving back.

At the end of 2013, we will have a year-end contest where all our fans, their families and friends will vote for their most favourite POM for 2013. The one with the highest votes will get a really great grand prize! We're still deciding what this will be but we'll keep you posted.

We are extremely excited to begin again this old tradition we started some six years ago. Join in the fun help us to feature some really great dogs for everyone to see!

One Christmas Wish For Your Pet.

As the administrator for the Poooh Busters Facebook page and general online presence for PooohBusters I get to interact with so many different people from many different backgrounds. The one thing we all have in common is our love for animals.

On December 10^th, I posted a question to our Facebook fans asking, “If you could give your pet anything in the world for Christmas, what would you give them?”

The responses received were overwhelming and touching to say the very least. It really put some perspective on how much we take for granted when it comes to the health and well being of our beloved pets.

I've captured a screen shot of the conversation so you can see exactly what I mean.

Generally I post a question or a topic for conversation, I then comment on my own post in order to get the replies started. I always do this immediately upon creating the post. In this case you can see two of our fans posted a response even before I had a chance to submit my own. The first response almost brought tears to my eyes. Especially after my own superficial response about giving my pets a nice home in the Caribbean; a tongue-in-cheek wish that was really for my own benefit and not for the benefit of my pets.

After reading all the responses, I truly felt fortunate that I currently have happy, healthy, well adjusted pets with no pending critical illness or extreme behaviour issues.

We always know in the back of our minds that there are so many people in the world who are less fortunate than we are. People with no families, no food, shelter or even any hope for their future.

Now I know that I am also very fortunate to have the lovely pets that I do. But most of all in a world full of animal cruelty, neglect and abuse, I’m thankful and so very lucky to have such great people following the Poooh Busters page.

Knowing that there are so many folks out there who truly love and care for their pets. People whose only wish is to have their pets by there side for much longer than the short time we are given.

ARF's 2012 Walk n' Wag

Several times each year Poooh Busters participates or donates to a few of the many worthwhile causes in Calgary. Next Sunday, September 23rd we'll be doing it again and this one is one of my favourites.

The Animal Rescue Foundation (ARF) will be holding its Third Annual Walk n' Wag. We are proud to say that we have been there each and every year helping out at this fun event. This is one of the few fund raisers where we have been there from the start and thoroughly enjoy every second of it.

ARF started the Annual Walk n' Wag to help them reach there goal of raising $1,000,000 by 2014, enough money to open there own facility. It's their Pad for Paws campaign. To date they have raised an incredible $400,000!

We hope this year's Walk n Wag gets them even closer. You can help too! Just go to there Walk n' Wag website and register to become a participant. Not only will you be helping ARF reach their goal, you'll have a ton of fun doing it. Everyone brings their dogs and walks the short route. Every year it just get better and more fun!

Poooh Busters will be there handing out poooh bags at the beginning and we'll be there at the end of the walk to pick up the used ones.

So come on out, have fun and enjoy spending time with your dog and some cool friends. What a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon!

ARF's 2012 Walk n' Wag

Sunday, September 23, 2012

River Park, Calgary - 14 A Street and 50 Avenue SW

Registration opens at 10:30 am and the walk will be followed by an awesome BBQFor further info and or to answer any questions you may have contact ARF directly at:(403)-243-1910 or padforpaws@arf.ab.ca