Archive for March, 2007
They might not be able to help if you forget your Pin, but these dogs can get your money out without paws-ing for thought.
The pooches are among an army of ‘assistance dogs’ who have been trained to withdraw money from cash machines for their disabled owners.
They are adept at inserting and withdrawing cards at ATMs to help owners in wheelchairs who are often not able to stretch far enough to do it themselves.
A spokesman for charity Canine Partners, which trains the dogs, said: ‘They put in the card and take it out and take out the money and give it to the person in the wheelchair.
‘They can’t put in the Pin but a person in a wheelchair can go sideways on and do that.’
Up to 30 dogs are trained each year and the charity is hoping to double that figure next year. It takes two years to train them, in which time they also learn to load the washing and pick up items from shop shelves.
Well here in Denver we haven’t had snow in over a week, and that hasn’t happened in months, and Daylight Savings Time starts this weekend, so Spring must be upon us. Which means it’s time to take precautions to protect yours and other neighborhood pets and animals from the dangers lurking in your innocent looking garden.
Animals that chew can get hold of poisonous seeds, leaves or berries. Dogs or cats that frolic or roll on the lawn can pick up toxic chemicals through their paw pads and skin and track them into the house. They can get scratched by thorns, stung by bees, bitten by fleas, landed on by ticks. People who love pets and gardening can have both, though, with a little common sense and careful use of pet-safe plants and chemicals.
The first good-sense rule is not to plant anything that’s toxic to animals. Toxicity can relate to the size of the animal and, of course, amount of material ingested, but it’s better to avoid anything that can be harmful. A sampling of landscape plants that are toxic include yew, wild black cherry, azalea, rhododendron, hydrangea, daphne, nandina, oleander, English ivy, daffodil, tulip, lily of the valley, foxglove, hyacinth, rhubarb and castor bean. Some toxic houseplants to avoid are dracaena, dieffenbachia, golden pothos, philodendron and peace lily. Cocoa bean mulch, a byproduct of chocolate manufacturing, contains both caffeine and theobromine, which are harmful to dogs.
If you already have some of these trees, shrubs or plants, you can minimize exposure by fencing them off, or by teaching the pet to avoid parts of the yard.
For lists of toxic plants, see www.cybercanine.com/toxicplants.htm or www.aspca.org. (Click on the link to Animal Poison Control and then click toxic plants.)
The next issue to consider is chemicals. The ingredients in herbicides, insecticides and soil amendments can be toxic. If they are, the package directions should say so. Some products are labeled as pet-safe; they may be based on ingredients such as corn gluten or seaweed.
You might think that the best course is to go organic, but not all organics are a good idea. For instance, one organic method to add phosphorus to soil is as pulverized bone meal. Dogs love bones, so they will lick this material. Generally, they won’t lick enough to hurt themselves, but if they get into the bags, they will wolf down enough to be dangerous. Products may not list some trace materials, such as heavy metals that may be present in the plant and animal byproducts and volcanic ash, ingredients in such all-natural fertilizers.
One common household product that makes a good organic fertilizer is used coffee grounds. But this is not good for your pet. For more possible problems, see the American Veterinary Medical Association’s website.
To keep pests in check, use integrated pest-management techniques, including improving soil and drainage conditions, using beneficial insects to fight harmful ones, applying the least toxic remedies for pests and diseases, and pulling or hoeing weeds.
If a potentially more harmful substance is required for the health of your garden, keep pets (and children) away from areas being treated. One source, “The First Aid Companion for Cats and Dogs,” suggests keeping pets off sprayed surfaces for a week.
And, speaking of things to avoid, if winter lingers be sure and watch out for hazards such as street salt spread on drives or walks; wipe pets’ paws before they come inside. And remember, antifreeze is also hazardous any time of year.
Happy Spring!
We are very excited to have found another very creative, very crafty artist who created custom, adorable artwork of Kylie. This time the medium is very, very small… They’re beads!
Criss of Custom Creations is the talented artist behind the tiny designs on handmadebeads.com! Criss makes all the glass beads by hand (hence the name Handmade Beads) in her studio in Alabama where they are also annealed. I had to look that word up by the way – To subject (glass or metal) to a process of heating and slow cooling in order to toughen and reduce brittleness; To strengthen or harden. She can not only make them in most any color or size you need, she can even match the markings of your pet by working from your pets photos! It is so cool!
You’ll have to forgive how many images we have included in this post, you just can’t believe it until you see it. So please click on the thumbnails below to see the larger images and the amazing attention to detail.
In these two, that we call our little Kylie action figures you can see that Criss even gave Kylie four toes on her back right foot, and only three toes on her back left foot. To find out the significance of that you’ll want to read Kylie’s blog about how she got the nickname, Kylie Threetoes, but trust me, that’s attention to detail! You can also see the scale, because the really impressive part is that she can achieve that level of detail in something so small! And you’ll notice Kylie’s favorite toy, her pink hedgehog, Pinky is also included.
I chose this bracelet set in black and white so I could wear it anytime, with anything; and I chose the curved Kylie instead of a dangling Kylie so that I could wear it every day and not worry about banging it on the desk or the keyboard all the time.
This colorful collection of beads is called Citrus Punch, and Criss added in Kylie as a charm as well as two “Pinkies,” a tiny replica of Kylie’s favorite ball and other personal touches. Criss said she likes every custom piece to tell a story about the subject. Which is what makes her designs so special (even if it makes her a little nuts! – in a good way of course!).
Of course you can have Criss design custom, handmade beads of things other than pets. Little people or faces can be made in any skin tone, hair color or style, eye color on faces, or even in a team outfit and colors for an ideal gift for mother or grandmother. And if made in larger sizes the beads make great keychains or pendants. She can match an outfit or hobby or even a collection? You can just pick out your color and character and she can make one of a kind beads that are perfect for those hard to buy for people. Custom earrings, bracelets, keychains, and pendants are all available for those who seem to have everything. I guess that would be us.
In addition to custom designs, Criss offers an array of adorable designs, like the “It’s a Bug’s Life” collection below. Check out the catalog of collections on her site and you’ll find that each one is cuter than the last!
We saw the most amazing story of a Siberian Husky’s medical miracle on the local news. It was about a dog named Triumph who survived having her two back legs amputated, who came to Denver to get a chance at a normal life with prosthetic legs!
Triumph’s story began in Turkey where she was found beside the road bleeding–her rear legs had been cut off. She was taken to a shelter where the first of many miracles began – they treated her wounds and kept her alive instead of having her euthanized as most would have. Her story was put in the paper there and for the next two months they tried to find her a home. Unfortunately, no one came forward; but two volunteers who worked with the shelter took a liking to her and began the huge effort of trying to find someone who was willing. They contacted a friend in Philadelphia who put the story up on the Siberian Husky rescue sites with a picture of the dog standing on a stainless steel table with a look that was hard to ignore. It was sent via email to a woman in Nashville who has worked for years with the most severely abused dogs, damaged either physically or emotionally. Marion Moeller, “Moe” as her friends call her, said when she first read the story and saw that the injured dog was in Turkey, she deleted the story thinking there was nothing she could do. Then later that same day, another person sent the same photo with the same plea, “can you please help this animal”. To Moe this was a sign she was supposed to do something and so she began getting more information. Ultimately Moe after 6 weeks of effort, was able to get a plane reservation for the dog, but it took a lot of money and a lot of convincing to get an international airline to agree to transport Triumph in her condition. Most of the $2100 was paid out of Moe’s own pocket.
Moe knew of a man in another town who made prosthesis for humans. When called, Tom came forward and volunteered to give
making some prosthetic legs a try. After several trys Tom fashioned some prosthesis that had Triumph up and walking. Her story doesn’t end there however, ultimately (and after several more miracles you can read about in detail in Triumph’s story in her own words) she came here to Denver and met with Carrie at Colorado Rehab and Alameda East who introduced them to Dr. Robert Taylor who was able to offer a brand new cutting edge surgery that hadn’t been done before.
Eighteen months and seven surgeries later, “She’s runnin’ with the big dogs now,” said Moe.
It took months for the skin and the bone to grow into the special foam metal. Triumph fought infection, and had to have one of the prostheses replaced. Now her doctor in Denver and her owner from Nashville hope the patient can finally be a pup again.
“The reason that we did this is so that she could lead a normal life,” said veterinarian Robert Taylor. X-rays show the newest implant in the right leg looks good, but Moe had concerns about the left because Triumph was licking it constantly. Blood tests showed bacteria causing a relatively minor skin infection, something her doctor said should be easily taken care of with an antibiotic. Dr. Taylor is pleased and Moe is ecstatic that Triumph, finally can go be a dog. And apparently it’s tough to keep up when Triumph takes off. The hope is she’ll come back to Denver from time to time, back to where the beautiful husky made medical history.
Please click the image below to view the news story, you will be astonished and moved.
You can read the complete news story on CBS4Denver.com, and visit Triumph’s own site, TriumphTheDog.net to read her history and get updates. Also, this week Triumph is being featured on an episode of Animal Planet’s “E-Vet Interns,” so you can set your Tivo and see more of Triumph’s amazing Triumph!
Jake, the genius Dachundshund, near Charlotte, North Carolina called 911 this week! No, seriously!
The emergency?? Apparently he was bored! You have to see it to believe it, so click the image to visit Best Week Ever and view the video.
The funniest part may be the “loosely translated” transcript!
This is why we try not to leave Kylie home alone any longer than absolutely necessary!
