National Walk Your Dog Week: October 1 -7
Photo by tohu |
National
Black Dog Day: October 1st educates about Black
Dog Syndrome
The first day of October marks National Black Dog Day. Many shelters and pet adoption organizations credit black dogs with being the least adoptable pets, with their lack of adoptability based only on their colour. Petfinder published an article on this matter stating that “in a survey, Petfinder member shelter and rescue groups reported that most pets are listed for 12.5 weeks on Petfinder, whereas, less-adoptable pets (such as black, senior, and special needs pets) spend almost four times as long on Petfinder.”
So why is there this Black Dog Syndrome (BDS)? According to
Petfinder it could potentially be based on several variables, such as unclear
facial features and dimly lit kennels not providing potential pet owners with a
quality photo of the pet. Petfinder also believes it could be due to the ‘genericness’
of black pets. Their article even states that negative portrayals of black pets
in the media and pop-culture could be impacting the adoptability of black dogs.
Think The Omen, Sherlock Holmes; The
Hound of the Baskervilles and even the Harry
Potter series. Even the ‘Beware of Dog’ sign pictures a threatening, black
dog. With black cats tied to superstitions, witches and bad luck, any black pet
is subject to scrutiny from potential pet owners.
The National Black Dog Day
website, with a headline that reads ‘Black
dogs are filled with light,’ is trying to raise awareness about BDS and
educate pet owners that black dogs are just the same as any other dog. For
National Black Dog Day, I would like to share 3 beautiful adoptable black dogs
that are on Petfinder right now. Please share this story to help them find a
forever home, and to raise awareness about BDS. There is absolutely no reason
why a dog should be less likely to be adopted based only on the colour of its
fur.
Charlie is a male neutered Lab/Hound mix. He is 3 years
old, 60 lbs and is located at Home Again in Bancroft, Ontario. CLICK HERE to learn more
about Charlie.
Cody is a male neutered Lab/Husky mix. He is 3 years old
and is located at the SPCA of Western Quebec. CLICK HERE to
learn more about Cody.
Feather is a female spayed German Shepherd/Boxer mix. She
is 3 years old and is located at New Beginnings in Ottawa, Ontario. CLICK HERE to learn more
about Feather.
September 28 is World Rabies Day and 2016 marks the 10th annual World Rabies Day. According to the Rabies Alliance Organization in 2007, there were over 7,000 cases of animal rabies reported in the U.S. Most of these cases were in wildlife, but these animals can expose pets and humans to rabies. In the U.S., typically 1-3 cases of human rabies are reported per year and CDC confirmed one case in 2007. Even though North America is not an endemic region for rabies, it is still prevalent enough to potentially put my pets- and myself- at risk. Even if you don't encounter a lot of wildlife, mice, rats and bats can still enter the home and come into contact with your dog or cat. Once you or your pet are infected, there is no specific treatment. According to the World Health Organization FAQ's on Rabies "Human rabies caused by the classical rabies virus continues to be almost 100% fatal, with no specific treatment available anywhere in the world."
"There are only seven recorded cases of human rabies survivors in the world, who received intensive nursing care. Almost all of them received preventive/ pre-exposure rabies vaccination that might have modified the course of illness. Only one case of human rabies caused by a bat bite did not receive pre-exposure vaccination but survived. However, this case was not caused by the classical rabies virus."
Celebrate World Rabies Day with Paws For Reaction and vaccinate your pets against rabies! Check out the infographic below about rabies endemic regions and what to do if you or your pet is bitten.
What to do if you are bitten by an animal
-Wash the wound thoroughly with soap and water for at least 5-10 minutes. This is the most effective first-aid treatment against rabies.
-Contact your physician immediately.
-Report the bite to the local health department. If necessary, you will be assessed for rabies post exposure prophylaxis.
-Prompt and appropriate treatment after being bitten and before the disease develops can stop rabies infection and prevent the disease.*Information source from Rabies Alliance Organization
Organic Week Top Product Pick: Bio Organics Honey
When honey is in season I like to pick it up at our local farmers market. There is nothing quite like local, unpasteurized honey- it tastes like pure sunshine. Eating local honey can help build up your immunity against allergies caused by local plant life and pollens. But when I can't find local honey then Bio Organics is a close second place and the only store bought honey I use. Bio Organics can be found in most grocery stores (I find it at my local Metro) and is a dark Amber honey. It has the Canada Organic seal or approval!
Greta's Organic Gardens seeds |
Hey Paws peeps, since it is Organic Week I want to give a shout out to Greta's Organic Gardens. I purchased my seed exclusively from Greta this year at the Ottawa Valley Seedy Sunday event. Greta's seeds are organic and non-GMO.
Every year we plant an eight foot vegetable garden and it grows very well here in Ontario, Canada. A lot of Greta's seed is heirloom seed, harvested locally by organic farmers and passed down from generation to generation. Our garden now belongs to that historical network of farmers who are trying to preserve our organic agriculture.
For me, planting a garden is not just a way to save money at harvest time, it is also great for the environment and fights against large agribusiness farms and their unethical practices. Even a small garden in your backyard can make a positive impact the environment. Over the next few months as my garden sprouts and grows, I will be sharing with my readers some of the organic and non-GMO products I love, as well as some local food from farmers in our area. How does this relate to pets? Bettering our environment positively affects every aspect of our lives- including our pets!
Hazel helps out in the garden |
Photo provided by Organic Week |
I'm continuing my Organic Week celebration with more tips on shopping Organic. The Organic Week website features a map of retailers who sell organic products! Wondering where to purchase organic food? Are you wanting to buy some organic beauty or cleaning products? Use this map as a reference! CLICK HERE!
This Organic Week I am asking retailers to commit to adding their stores to the map. Put yourself on the map! People who live an organic lifestyle can find out where to buy from you!
This post contains affiliate links to all of these spooky books! |
Summer nostalgia reads: 5 best Fear Street books to read on a hot summer day
I grew up in the 90s’ during a time when crimped hair was cool, bracelets slapped on and RL Stine was the king of teen horror. While I have read many books by many different authors, RL Stine will always remain my favorite author of all time. His books sent shivers down my spine and kept me turning page after page until I got to the bitter and bone-chilling end.
As a child I loved the plot-twisting, comical Goosebumpsseries, but as I got older I graduated to the scarier, sexier Fear Street novels. Every summer I crack open a dusty Fear Street book and consume the yellowed pages while lying in the sunshine. It reminds me of a simpler time when I would get lost in a book instead of one of my many devices, and murder was more often on the page than in the news. To this day I still collect and read RL Stine’s books.
Organic Week Top Product Pick: Happy Planet Lemonade
Happy Planet is Canada’s leading all natural food and juice company and contains the Canada Organic seal. Happy Planet tried their hardest to source their ingredients from Canadian farmers. I absolutely love Stop correcting "their" organic lemonade and raspberry iced-tea. CLICK HERE to find out more about Happy Planet organic products!
Happy Planet is Canada’s leading all natural food and juice company and contains the Canada Organic seal. Happy Planet tried their hardest to source their ingredients from Canadian farmers. I absolutely love Stop correcting "their" organic lemonade and raspberry iced-tea. CLICK HERE to find out more about Happy Planet organic products!
This post contains affiliate links |
Summer Reading List: Tales of the Peculiar by Ransom Riggs
Miss Peregrine’sHome for Peculiar Children has been one of my favorite new series. Ransom Riggs blended his magical story with real-life old peculiar photos to make a trilogy unlike any other. The peculiar children each have their own unique abilities, and when their home is threatened they take off on an action-packed adventure filled with magic, time travel, and horrific monsters. While on their adventure they have one treasure that they hold dear, and source for clues to unanswered questions: an old and faded copy of Tales of the Peculiar. This book is like a peculiar history textbook, and it helps them along the way as they fight to find their beloved Miss Peregrine and save their loop.
Tales of the Peculiar is now available to all of us; it is the very same one with the history of peculiars that Miss Peregrine's kids used on their adventure. The strange stories and beautiful illustrations are a great read for those who love the original series. If you haven’t read the Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children series yet it is a fantastic read! Stay tuned for the major motion picture Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, directed by Tim Burton and set to open September 30.
Organic Week Top Product Pick: Crofters Fruit Spreads
Crofters is a Canadian company, located in Parry Sound, Ontario. They have been in business since 1989, and they are deeply passionate about the environment, and about the public knowing what is in their food. That is why being verified by the Non-GMO Project is so important to them.
Organic Week, Non-GMO, Non-GMO Project, organic, Crofters, Crofters Fruit Spread, nature, jam, fruit spread, fruit, environment, food, GMO,
Crofters is a Canadian company, located in Parry Sound, Ontario. They have been in business since 1989, and they are deeply passionate about the environment, and about the public knowing what is in their food. That is why being verified by the Non-GMO Project is so important to them.
Organic Week, Non-GMO, Non-GMO Project, organic, Crofters, Crofters Fruit Spread, nature, jam, fruit spread, fruit, environment, food, GMO,
A VOICE FOR THE VOICELESS
PAWS FOR REACTION is celebrating 12 years! Ottawa-based pet care and nutrition, environmental, and lifestyle blog- always searching for the best in pet care, eco-friendly products and fun local events! Come explore with Hazel, the Saint Bernese, as she lives her best, food-driven, outdoor-loving, asymmetrical, #DogLife
ABOUT ME: I have nine years of experience working in veterinary medicine. I'm a Climate Reality Project Leader and have spent years volunteering with organizations including OSPCA, Farley Foundation, Ontario Nature, Future Ground Network, and Girl Guides of Canada.
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