Somepawdy To Love

Being able to share my love for animals with you this semester has been the most rewarding experience. However, all good things must come to an end.

These next couple of weeks are going to be crazy. I am going to be finishing up my final projects, taking my last final exams ever, GRADUATING, and then finally moving to Pittsburgh for a job. Time is flying by.

Thank you for taking the journey with me to explore the aspects of animal adoption in the Lafayette/West Lafayette area. I hope some of my posts have given you insight to different parts of the adoption process and what happens at different shelters.

Although I will take my love of animals with me to Pittsburgh and beyond, this is the last time I will be posting to this blog.

Thank you again for following me and helping me further my knowledge about animals. I cannot wait to get to Pittsburgh and adopt a cat of my own. If you have any questions, I can be reached via social media, preferably Facebook.

So long, farewell.

–Savannah Rider

Whenever there is a holiday, people tend to just focus on food, fun and family. But no one really ever thinks about the pets. Who said they don’t want to enjoy the holidays too? Well I have witnessed how much dogs actually do like celebrating the holidays, especially Easter and guess what? The Lafayette community can get involved too with a little help from our favorite pet stores/shelters in the area. Don’t believe me? See for yourself.

Summer is just around the corner. No, literally, it is one week away. For many of you Lafayette residents, summer means VACATION. (Not for me though. I have to move and start a big girl job immediately). If you are going on vacation and have a dog or cat at home that you can’t take with you, I may have come across a couple of solutions.

For you cat lovers, I have mentioned this before. All Cats is a local boarding, grooming, and pet supply center only for cats. Cats relax and enjoy their own luxury cat condo. There is even a cat friendly play center. You don’t even need to bring items from home because All Cats supplies it all to make your cat’s stay purrfect. The cost is only $10 for daycare service and $20 a day for overnight boarding. It doesn’t get much better than that.

Now dog lovers if you are wanting to vacation this summer, you might want to wait until June because that is when Pooch Palace will finally be open. This “resort-style dog retreat” creates a luxurious and peaceful experience for dogs whose owners can’t take care of them while traveling. Each dog gets his/her own bedroom with his/her own TV that is programmed to a special channel that helps dog anxiety. Each room has a web camera so owners can always check up on the pup. There is also grooming and training along with a large area for exercise. An overnight, all-inclusive stay is $45 per night. Sounds like a great deal.

For those of you who are staying in the area for the summer, there are a lot of awesome events going on.

My New Cat Rescue hosts an adoption event at the local PetSmart one Saturday of every month. The exact dates have not been released yet, but you can staying updated by checking out their website or Facebook page.

Loving Heart Animal Shelter is co-hosting the 6th Annual Ladies Night Out with Carnahan Hall on May 13. Doors open at 6 P.M. and the games start at 7. There will be 10 games of Bingo with prizes, a silent auction, vendors, and a full bar. Tickets are $25 per person or $100 for a table of 5. You must pre-register to attend. Call 765-491-8440 to RSVP.

On June 24 LHAS is hosting a Euchre tournament. This will also take place at Carnahan Hall. Doors open at 6:30 P.M. and the games begin at 7:15 and it all ends when the winners and losers are declared. It is $50 per team and that INCLUDES food. There will also be a full bar. To pre-register call 765-491-8440.

*The money raised from these events goes to help make repairs and improvements to the shelter.*

Almost Home Humane Society is having their annual Puppy Ride on Sunday, August 13 from 11 A.M. to 5 P.M. The event takes place at Rookie’s Sports Bar. More information will be announced as the date gets closer. To stay updated check out their Facebook page.

As always, volunteering at the shelters is welcome. Some just require a bit of paperwork first.

Have a great summer everyone and let me know if you attend any of these events.

After taking my boyfriend’s dog to do a doggie Easter egg hunt (which you will see in a post in the near future), we stopped by the local pet food store Buckles to reward him with a nice big bone. As I was looking around the store, I realized how many different types of feed there were. I knew there were a lot of brands of dog, cat, rabbit food, etc. but I never really looked much into it. What is the best type of food to feed your dog? How did we know what we were feeding Rizzo was the best option for his health?

It was time to do a little digging.

I came across this website called Dog Food Guru. You can pick the size of your dog or he exact breed and it will give you the top dog foods, the price, and the nutrition information.

Since the chances that most people adopting a dog are adopting a puppy, it’s best to note that there is special dog food made for puppies. When you look up the best food, make sure to indicate that it is for a puppy.

Rizzo is a German Shepherd so I looked for “best large puppy food.” Best Large Breed Puppy Food Guide gives the top 4 puppy food options for large dogs.

1. Purina Pro Plan Focus Dry Dog Food: it contains protein as its #1 ingredient, has EPA to support joint health and mobility, and has natural prebiotic fiber to help with digestive health.  Only $41.98 per bag on Amazon.com.
2. Wellness Complete Health Natural Dry Dog Food: chicken is the #1 ingredient, contains Vitamin A and calcium for healthy eyes and teeth, and DHA to support brain development. Only $56.98 on Amazon.com.
3. Hill’s Science Diet Puppy Dry Dog Food: No artificial flavors or preservatives and supports controlled bone and joint growth. Only $41.81 on Amazon.com.
4. Blue Buffalo Puppy Dry Dog Food: Contains wholesome whole grains, garden veggies and fruit, special bits filled with super 7 antioxidants, and the balance of Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids give a shiny and healthy coat. Only $45.99 on Amazon.com.

If you have a large dog who is in his/her puppy stage, don’t be afraid to try some of these foods. Although most are not sold in grocery stores, many feed stores such as Buckles will sell them. Be sure to check out your local feed stores for better options on food for your pet.

Easter is coming up, so I wondered if the sales of rabbits would go up because who doesn’t want a cute little bunny on Easter? I got on Craigslist and sure enough there are a ton of bunnies for sale and many people asking for some.

Naturally I assumed that Easter is the best time to adopt a bunny and that people that adopt them will love and keep them forever, but after doing some reading…yikes, I was mistaken.

An article in the New York Daily News said that 80% of bunnies bought as pets for Easter have one of two fates within a year: dead or discarded. That’s horrible. Some pet stores even ban the sales of rabbits around this time of year because they know that most people just want them for the holiday and not the long run.

Although I am pretty sure there are none around here, bunny mills breed mass amounts of rabbits in time for Easter. A lot of the time when these bunnies are sold too young from their mom and they don’t survive.

Don’t consider buying a rabbit unless you’re in it for the long run. Rabbits typically live 8-12 years.

According to The Humane Society of the United States rabbits are the third most popular pet in the U.S…and the third most abandoned. In a National Geographic article, a manager of a Georgia rabbit society says that around six weeks after Easter, the society gets 3-4 calls a day about abandoned rabbits in public.

It is just so sad. I hope this helps you realize the importance of why you shouldn’t adopt a pet on impulse. In most rabbits’ cases, it ends badly. If you are still determined to adopt a fluffy friend for Easter, PETA  gives some tips on how to care for rabbits, but they still encourage you to stay away from bunny fever.

Bunnies are cute and great for pictures around the holiday, but think of their future. If you think you can give a bunny a great home for the rest of their life, here are some bunnies for sale in the area.

Have a great Easter.

My boyfriend got a dog a couple weeks ago (a German Shepherd named Rizzo). He lives with a couple other roommates and having a dog around has been fun for all of them. In fact, one of the roommates, Hunter, liked having Rizzo around so much that he thought it was time for him to get a dog. It didn’t take him too long to decide this because last Friday, he called up my boyfriend and me and asked if we would come with him to help pick one out.

Of course I was ecstatic because I love dogs and because this would be the perfect chance to get some live action of someone choosing a companion for life. Needless to say we were on board.

On Saturday we hoped in the car and drove 45 minutes to Markland Mall in Kokomo. Once a month the mall teams up with the Kokomo Humane Society to hold an adoption event outside the mall. This gives a chance for shoppers to stop by and check out the dogs, and it also gives the dogs a chance for some fresh air during the day.

Whenever I go to events like this, the adoption places usually don’t bring more than 15 pets, but the Kokomo Humane Society brought tons. It was almost like they brought the whole shelter.

A lot of the dogs were Pitbull mixes, which is understandable because that is the most popular breed at shelters. Good thing for Hunter though because he has always wanted one. After searching and debating between 3 different Pitbull mixes, he made a snap decision on a 9 month old Pitbull/boxer mix named Milo. He is absolutely adorable.

Hunter brought Milo home to their house that day. All of us were a little eager/nervous to see how a Pitbull would get along with a German Shepherd, but we had nothing to worry about. At first the two wrestled a little, but after a couple hours, they were the best of friends.

It’s safe to say that Hunter is definitely happy with Milo, but let’s just hope Milo is potty-trained and doesn’t poop in the house.

There are two types of people in the world: those who love dressing their dogs up in cute outfits and those who stare profusely at any dog wearing a coat. Well I’m not a huge fan of dressing up your dogs but I thought it would be fun to see what some popular outfits are.

According to Amazon.com here are some of the most popular dog outfits people buy for their furry friends and about how much they cost.

1. Dog Anxiety Jacket  $40
2. Raincoat $11
3. Adidas Sweater $8
4. Variety of Shirts $5
5. Necklaces   $10
6. Bunny ears  $10
7. Bandanas  $12

While all of these pet clothing items may be popular around campus or in Indiana, I was curious about what one particular celebrity likes to dress her precious pups in and how much $$$ it costs.

Paris Hilton was known for carrying around her cute Chihuahua, Tinkerbell. Even though she spent thousands of dollars on the her, it doesn’t mean she won’t dress her to a T. A couple months ago, Hilton released her new clothing line for dogs, Paris Hilton Pet. The website is based in South Korea, so it’s kind of hard to understand how the pricing matches up, but I figured it out. This black and silver stripped T-shirt costs $55. 

This cute dress is $99.

That’s crazy. I don’t know anyone who would spend one hundred dollars on a dress for their dog.

But did you know her clothing line isn’t the only expensive thing out there for dogs?

The Posh Puppy Boutique is also known to have some pretty pricy items.

Ralph Lauren has a “For the Pet” section on the website and almost everything is over $100. Jeez.

Poochie Heaven has everything you need on a dog website from hats to chew toys. But I’m not sure I want to pay over $20 just for a dog toy.

I hope you enjoyed some of these fun facts when it comes to buying your new pup some clothes…if you decide to. If you have expensive taste, check out these three sites. But if you’re anything like me, stick to Amazon.

Originally my intention for this post was to talk about the day in the life of a volunteer at an animal shelter, but when I went to visit the shelter near my house, my inspiration changed after talking to a young volunteer named Francesca. She told me when she volunteers, she likes to spend most of her time with the cats, so that’s where I spent my time as well.

As she was talking to me, one detail she said caught my attention. She told me the biggest mistake people make is taking home a cat without playing with it. I was so confused because I thought it was natural for people to want to see the cat’s personality before taking him/her home. Francesca told me that’s not the case at all. A lot of people judge the cat by looks or what it’s doing in the case and that’s it.

I felt it was necessary to prove that cats’ attitudes change drastically once they are taken out of their cage.

A lot of you may have seen the Coldwell Banker ad about pet adoption and helping a stray find a new home. If you haven’t I attached the video below, so you should check it out before reading the rest of the post.

Did you watch it? Doesn’t that just touch your heart? It’s cool because Coldwell Banker has no connection with animal adoption, but they were able to use a scenario of a stray dog finding a new home to help sell their business.

Personally I don’t care about the real estate company, but this video really touched my heart. I don’t know if it was the colors or the music, but it made me want to adopt the little guy. Both the man and the dog were lonely, but once they found each other, it’s the perfect ending. I just love it.

Little did I know, but Coldwell Banker has actually been partnering with Adopt-A-Pet.com for the past three years. The pup in the video, Scout, used to be a shelter dog. The partnership says that since 2015, 20,000 pets have been adopted because of this collaboration.

The point of this “Somebody To Love” commercial isn’t to show the friendship after a person rescues a dog; it’s the other way around. The companies want to show that animals can rescue people too.

Coldwell Banker and Adopt-A-Pet are planning a national pet adoption day (Home for Dogs Project) in September and teaming up with Givewith, a charitable platform that brands use to underwrite consumer donations, to direct more funds to Adopt-A-Pet.

I thought this was awesome, and it makes me eager to see the next commercials that the collaboration will release.

A real estate company and an online adoption company teaming up…who would’ve thought…