Happy National Puppy Day!
With #Easter just around the corner, many pet owners are wondering: Are #eggs good for #pets?
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Photo by Frank Roche Foter.com CC BY-NC |
Seedy Sunday: Local event promotes seed saving and local products
March 6, 2016- There is always something seedy to do in
the Ottawa Valley! I had a wonderfully educational day at the Rankin Culture
and Recreation Centre for the 9th Annual Seedy Sunday, a seed swap
and heirloom seed sale that promotes local and organic agriculture. The event,
sponsored by Ottawa River Institute, invites the public to come out to “share
and prepare for the gardening season” but also sends a deeper message of environmental
health and a sustainable future. My fiancé and I prepared by planning our 8ft
vegetable garden while Hazel fell asleep on the Canadian Gardener’s Guide, dreaming of when she could once again
sneak into the garden and eat all of the green beans right off the plant.
Happy International Polar Bear Day!
Take the #ThermostatChallenge
It is
perfect polar bear weather here in snowy Ontario! February 27 is International Polar Bear Day
and this is such an important day because it’s about so much more than these
beautiful bears. Climate Change is destroying these animals’ habitats and
glaciers are melting at a faster pace than ever recorded in history. These polar bears need our help.
Polar Bears International is asking everyone to take a
stand for International Polar Bear Day by taking the Thermostat Challenge to save energy
for polar bears. How do you take the Thermostat Challenge? I’ll let Polar Bears
International tell you how below:
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“Turn
down the heat a degree or two and enjoy hygge, or winter
coziness, for polar bears- put on your fuzzy slippers and a comfy sweater,
light candles, sip a hot drink, or bundle up for a walk in the snow.
- In summer, set your air-conditioning thermostat higher.
- Install a programmable thermostat for year-round savings- and take additional energy-saving steps like insulating your home and weather-stripping windows and doors.
- Show how you're taking part by posting photos on social media with #PolarBearDay, #ThermostatChallenge, and #Hygge. You can also share our special pre-made images!
- Make it a community-wide challenge! See our Thermostat Challenge Toolkit for tips and ideas.
- Also check out our Heating and Cooling Infographic, which shows how individual actions scale up to make a BIG difference."
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Photo by tableatny via Foter.com CC |
Polar
Bears International also urges people to sign a petition for “A Fair Price for Carbon” explaining
that “we need to greatly reduce greenhouse gas emissions to solve the problem
of climate change- a problem that extends beyond polar bears and the Arctic to
affect all wildlife and people, too.” According to their experts, the surest way
to achieve this is to set a fair price for carbon pollution.
The petition states that “by including the
true cost of carbon in the price we pay for fossil fuels, we can speed up the
transition to a renewable energy future. Not only will this reduce the
greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming, it will improve human
health, reduce pollution, and strengthen the economy at the same time.”
Fossil
fuels appear to be cheaper than they actually are and if the cost of fossil
fuels was truthfully reflected we would have no choice but to make a global
change to renewable energy. The renewable technology already exists but our
ability to use it on a global scale won’t happen if fossil fuels are so easily
attainable. I am signing the petition- will you? This International
Polar Bear Day reminds us how much we all rely on each other to survive on this
planet- and that we need to make a change for the future.
Pet Dental Health Month: Tips and tricks to combat doggy breath
The war on pet dental disease is waging! Oral care is so
important for pets and brushing their teeth is the best way to prevent future
dental disease. I brush my dogs Hazel and Keira’s teeth but let me tell you-
it’s tricky. Not just for me, but for many pet owners. Over the years I have
been able to get some tricks from savvy pet owners and veterinary professionals
and I feel it is only fitting to share them. According to the American Animal
Hospital Association (AAHA), approximately 85 per cent of cats and dogs over the age of three have some form
of periodontal or dental disease. I hope that by sharing these tips, teeth brushing
can become a happy, fight-free experience!
Hurricane Hazel blew into town: This puppy yells her own story with sass-mouth
Hurricane Hazel blew into our lives one year ago and
things have never been the same. I remember reading books and articles to
prepare. How to Raise the Perfect Dog:
Through Puppyhood and Beyond by Cesar Millan was a good one. Some things
you just can’t plan for. Regardless Hazel has been such a vibrant and curious
puppy. She is so different if you compare her to Keira. From day one Hazel has had
a real sassy attitude- Little Miss Sass-Mouth. She is big. She is bold. She isn’t
afraid of anything! She is pure comedy.
Photos: My mountain dogs enjoying first snow
It
finally snowed in Ontario!
It is very
exciting. Climate change couldn’t have been more obvious this Christmas here in
Ontario, Canada- a province that is usually draped in a thick blanket of cold, sparkling
snow by now. Instead we had a grassy-green holiday season- until today.
Hopefully this will be a big enough sign for everyone to change and make more
eco-friendly lifestyle and diet choices.
Both of the
girls were really excited for snow but Hazel was he most excited. She hasn’t
seen snow since she was a little, tiny puppy. Now she is a 97 lb almost one
year old. Saint Bernese dogs are in their element in the winter time and I was disappointed
that they weren’t getting to experience it. Finally today it snowed and we took
the girls on a hike through a winter wonderland. Check out our photo story in the
snowy forest.
Snowdogs: 10 best cold-weather dog breeds for a family
Active families in cold-weather regions who are
interested in adopting a dog will be looking for a breed that can tolerate the
frigid climate and play in the snow with the children. The list of Nordic dogs
is a long one but not all of those dog breeds will fit into a family with
children. Small children and even older kids need a pet that can tolerate
playing and activity just as much as it can tolerate four seasons. Kids need a
dog breed that is patient and loving to ensure that all play is safe play.