“Well it’s 0500 and it’s been coming down pretty hard since about 0330. Had a few tornadoes touch down and the flooding is getting bad. We are all hunkered down in our shelters and I roll over on my make shift cot to see my K9 buddy “hand in paw” with his partner. And Irma rages on.”
From the Facebook page of #LoveWhatMatters
Until next time,
Good day, and good dog!
Those of you who’ve been following this blog for awhile will remember Jethro, a Canton police department K-9 officer who was killed in the line of duty. His memorial stone has now been placed at the cemetery where all local K-9 officers are laid to rest. Very handsome sculpture of a very handsome dog. (The PK9A logo is for Police K-9 Association, which is instrumental in training and supporting K-9 Officers and their handlers in Ohio.)
Incidentally, I ran into Officer Ryan Davis the other day with his new K-9 partner, Tuko. Unfortunately, Tuko isn’t nearly as social as Jethro was, so I was unable to play with him, but he’s doing a great job learning his new duties.
And, every dog on the force is now outfitted in a bullet-proof, stab-resistant vest, courtesy of the funds raised after Jethro’s death.
Until next time,
Good day, and good dog!
Sometimes I have a hard time believing people are able to tie their shoes in the morning without help when they do something as boneheaded as this. Continue reading Puppies Left in Hot Van
After the horrible news published earlier, I had to post this feel-good story from the Twitter feed of Southwest:
Thanks to @HWAC for helping these animals!⚡️ “Southwest Flies Shelter Pets Affected By Harvey to New Home”https://t.co/UVr6cJRsXN
— Southwest Airlines (@SouthwestAir) September 6, 2017
If you click on the photo, you’ll get to see all the great pictures they took, even if you don’t have a Twitter account.
Kudos to a fantastic humanitarian (animalitarian?) effort!
Until next time,
Good day, and good dog!
These are the lucky animals who were eventually rescued. Not all animals were so lucky, and in some cases, it was due to malicious, or at least uninformed, actions by their families.
From Blue Lives Matter: As authorities search for survivors who may have stayed behind to weather the storm, they are also finding dogs chained up outside or locked in pens with no means of escaping Hurricane Irma.
Think how your dog acts during a conventional thunderstorm. Can you even imagine how scary a hurricane would be for a dog? As if the property destruction and human toll of the hurricane weren’t enough, this literally turns my stomach.
Although about 60 people voluntarily surrendered their pets to Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control, the agency also found at least 40 animals who had been left behind as people evacuated. The agency will pursue felony animal cruelty charges against those owners who chose to abandon their animals, assuming they can be identified.
Tips from Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control for dog families facing a natural disaster:
– Don’t let your dog out right after the storm passes, it’s going to be confused by the damage and debris. Animal caretakers see an a spike in animal injuries after storms because animals get cut and caught on debris.
– If you come upon an abandoned pet, use caution. The combination of confused dogs and stressed people result in an uptick of dog bites after storms.
Our appreciation goes out to all those who are working to take care of the animal victims of Hurricanes Irma and Harvey.
Until next time,
Good day, and good dog!
I have been reading some misinformation on Facebook lately regarding the PETS Act. The posts are stating that hotels are not allowed to turn your pets away during an evacuation due to a natural disaster. If only that were true! Continue reading Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act
If you’re in Florida and wondering what to do about your animals if you have to evacuate to escape Irma’s wrath, your Division of Emergency Preparedness has some ideas. Start here, then click on your county. Each county’s site is organized a little differently, so you will need to poke around until you find what you need. For example, in Broward County, you click on the A-Z Planner, then on Pets, to find pet-friendly hotels. Continue reading Irma Pet-Friendly Evacuation Plans
Man, you know times are tough when you have to send your dog out to pick up his own dog food. No word on whether this was looting, or if the dog has his own account at the store.
Until next time,
Good day, and good dog!
If you haven’t yet found a place to ride out Hurricane Harvey, please be advised the Red Cross is opening a shelter that will accommodate your pets. The Weather Channel isn’t offering the shelter location, but I can give you this contact information for the Coastal Bend chapter: Continue reading Red Cross Adds Pet-Friendly Corpus Christi Shelter
If you are using the city of Corpus Christi’s evacuation services, you will be bused to San Antonio. The good news is, you can bring your pets with you.
It’s no longer necessary for your to risk your life riding out the storm simply because you don’t want to leave your pets behind.
Watch the video for an overview of the process.
If you’re not inside the city of Corpus Christi, check out this list from Pet Friendly Travel to see what your options are for sheltering your pets.
Stay safe!
Until next time,
Good day, and good dog!