STREET GANGS IN CALGARY, ALBERTA

It’s gangs like these that the people of Calgary have to put up with…

A bit different from the problems in other cities…

It proves that every City has their own "unique" gang problems. They Roam the streets and yards night and day.

They hang out in even the best neighborhoods!

…and you CANNOT (legally) stop them.

AREN’T THEY MAGNIFICENT !!!!???

The Law of The Wild says kill ONLY when you are hungry

Photographer Michel Denis-Huot, who captured these amazing pictures on safari in Kenya’s Masai Mara in October last year, said he was astounded by what he saw:

"These three brothers (cheetahs) have been living together since they left their mother at about 18 months old,’ he said.

‘On the morning we saw them, they seemed not to be hungry, walking quickly but stopping sometimes to play together.

‘At one point, they met a group of impala who ran away. But one youngster was not quick enough and the brothers caught it easily’."

These extraordinary scenes followed…

and then they just walked away without hurting him…

Life is short… forgive quickly, love truly, laugh uncontrollably… and never regret anything that made you smile

Are Our Pets Spiritual Assignments

A new weekly feature from Lloyd Marcus…

Lloyd’s Life Lessons: Are Our Pets Spiritual Assignments

I believe our pets are spiritually assigned to us. Mary and I had a Border Collie which apparently was not meant to be with us. He dug his way out under our backyard fence and disappeared. Mary searched for him at three dog pounds without success.

At one of the pounds, Mary and a big black Border Collie connected. She told an attendant, if no one claims him, I will come and get him.

The next day, the pound called to inform Mary the collie was scheduled to be “put down” that day. Mary was headed out the door of our Maryland home to visit her parents in West Virginia. She asked if they could hold the dog until she returned a day or so later. They replied, “No”.

So, Mary picked up “Rush” and took him with her to visit her parents. Mary said Rush appeared extremely nervous and fearful and never left her side. Every time she fed the dog, he would take his paw and tip over his bowl. He would eat a little of his food and bury the rest for later.

It took a while before Rush grasped the concept that we would feed him every day. The slightest raise in our voices would cause Rush to shake, run and hide with his tail between his legs. If anyone walked within five feet of Rush, he would get up and move. Obviously, the poor dog had been abused.

Rush also had a fear of being left behind. Whenever Mary brought out our suitcases, Rush would follow us from room to room.

You can imagine Rush’s panic seeing us filling the moving fan to relocate to Florida.

Rush had several health issues which baffled our vets. Numerous drugs did not stop Rush from periods of losing hair and emitting a foul odor. Still, Rush was our dog. God had assigned him to us.

There are people like our dog Rush who have been kicked around and abused so much and for so long, they expect it. When true love, care and understanding comes along, it takes awhile for them to believe and accept it.

During a thunder storm, a frighten, shivering and almost blind little Cocker Spaniel appeared on our front porch. We called him “puppy”. We thought by not giving him a formal name, we would not get too attached and stay open to finding him a home. We paid for surgery on puppy’s eyes.

When we relocated to Florida from Maryland, the moving van went ahead of us. We drove down in our car with Puppy and Rush who was stinking to high heaven in the back seat; twelve hundred miles.

God truly does give you the grace to do what He has called you to do.

We had both dogs for at least fifteen years. Puppy still eventually went blind. Rush became Puppy’s seeing eye dog companion. When Rush died, Puppy died a month later.

We gave both dogs, Rush and Puppy, good extended lives.

Lloyd Marcus, Proud Unhyphenated American – Tea Party Activist

Every Cat Should Have a Dog!

"We can do no great things: only small things with great love."

Mother Theresa

Get these kitties some SoftPaws… The Purrfect litter!!

Slain Marine’s service dog dies.. (Sad story.. Pictures of Lex and Lee)

Sad story.

According to AP..

Lex a bomb-sniffing military dog " that made national headlines when he was adopted by a fallen Marine’s family has died of cancer."

Back in 2007

" .. a rocket explosion in Iraq killed Cpl. Dustin Lee and injured his canine partner, Lex. The German shepherd, struck with shrapnel and whimpering from his own injuries, stayed by Lee’s side on the battlefield. Medics had to pull Lex away" from the body of Lee.

According to AP..

" Lee and Lex had worked closely together, scouring roads for explosives and sleeping together at night. When Lee died, his family spent months lobbying for permission to adopt the dog."

" A Marines spokesman said Lex died March 25th. He had been undergoing treatment at the Mississippi State University veterinary school.

In the final years of his life, Lex lived in Quitman, a small town in east Mississippi.

There, he provided a different kind of service: comfort.

See it – Link it:

ajc article  -  Originally Published Friday, April 20, 2012 9:08 PM by godogs  -  Attachment(s): lee4.jpg – cross-posted at Ken Malloy’s Blog  – h/t to MJ

Homemade Dog Food – Delicious and Healthy

Thank you for stopping in and checking out my site. Here is a nutritious homemade dog food recipe, kind of a meat loaf. This is some of the best dog food you can make right in your kitchen. All the dog food ingredients are readily available in your local grocery store. The dog food recipes are easy to follow and simple to make. Most importantly your dog will thrive on them and love the way they taste.

Easy Cooked Dog Food Recipe

Video: Cooked Dog Food Recipe

This was ‘homemade dog food.com’s’  first dog food recipe video.  A very easy, cooked homemade dog food recipe. Happy viewing 🙂

Obama admits to eating dog … fur finally flies

©2012 Nate Beeler, The Columbus Dispatch

Much has been made over the years about Mitt Romney’s decision to place the family dog Seamus in a pet carrier and strap him to the top of the family’s car during a 12-hour drive from Boston to Canada in 1983.

The story was discussed again Monday when Ann Romney told ABC’s Diane Sawyer “the dog loved” traveling that way. “He would see that crate and, you know, he would, like, go crazy because he was going with us on vacation. It was to me a kinder thing to bring him along than to leave him in the kennel for two weeks.”

Democrats haven’t been shy about reminding the American people of the tale to stir the pot and work up the pet and animal people.

Then in January, Obama adviser David Axelrod tweeted a picture of the president with first dog Bo in a car and talked about how “loving owners transport their dogs.”

And now the Romney campaign has signaled it’s not about to cede any ground when it comes to a candidate’s prowess as a pet owner.

Top Romney adviser Eric Fehrnstrom, re-tweeted Axelrod’s original message with a different take on Obama petting Bo.

“In hindsight, a chilling photo.”

It all began, according to ABC News’ Jake Tapper, with a Daily Caller story about the dog-eating: Obama Bites Dog, which Obama wrote about in his book “Dreams from My Father.” The president recalls being fed dog meat as a young boy in Indonesia with his stepfather, Lolo Soetoro.

Lolo Soetoro, Stanley Ann Dunham-Obama-Soetoro, Barry Soetoro, and little sister Maya Soetoro

“With Lolo, I learned how to eat small green chill peppers raw with dinner (plenty of rice), and, away from the dinner table, I was introduced to dog meat (tough), snake meat (tougher), and roasted grasshopper (crunchy),” the president wrote. “Like many Indonesians, Lolo followed a brand of Islam that could make room for the remnants of more ancient animist and Hindu faiths. He explained that a man took on the powers of whatever he ate (I believe it is still the excuse they use both under Islam and in many Asian countries, including China, for killing and eating domesticated animals, pets and endangered species… like elephants where they only use and take the tusks). One day soon, he promised, he would bring home a piece of tiger meat for us to share.”

The Obama campaign shot back, saying the Romney team was attacking a child, since the president was a kid when he ate the dog meat.

“What’s the next attack @EricFehrn and the RNC will surface on a 6-10 year old?” Obama campaign spokesman Ben LaBolt tweeted.

The media has been all too eager to share the story of how Romney put his pet carrier on the roof of the car during a family vacation in an attempt to paint the GOP candidate as heartless. But did Romney ever eat dog? No. Who did? President Obama! Someone decided to do a little homework and finally found the passage in Obama’s book where he revealed that he ate dog meat as a child. Ok media…we’re are patiently waiting for the righteous and hypocritical outrage…

In Dreams from My Father, President Obama wrote, “With Lolo I have learned how to eat small green chili peppers raw with dinner, plenty of rice, and away from the dinner people I was introduced to dog meat, tough, snake meat, tougher, and roasted grasshopper.” and then went on to write:

“This is a very low standard for me. This is a very low standard, but I think – I think it’s one that we can all get behind.

I don’t want a President who knowingly ate dog,” Glenn joked.  Most people don’t!!

“The Democrats have been bashing Romney on the car carrier incident in 1983 where he left his dog on his roof,” Stu said. “This is from ABC News. Democrats have signaled that they have every intention of making sure the American people, especially dog lovers, know the tale.”

“In January senior Obama campaign strategist David Axlerod tweeted a photo of the President and Bo, his dog, in a car with the observation, ‘This is how loving dog owners transport their dogs.’”

“I would like to ask David Axlerod how do loving dog owners transport their dogs? In their bellies?” Stu said.

After Stu mentioned the tweet above, Glenn challenged viewers to submit their own photos interpreting Obama’s claim to have eaten dog.

The results?

I can only say that no matter how old you were, once you have eaten an animal that is a pet, no matter what your age you have no right to attack someone for putting his pet’s carrier on top of the car because there is no room in the car with 7-people.  And you need to stop your team from attacking your opponent for doing such.

Secondly… I do not condone, in anyway, putting your dog or cat in their carrier, strapped to the top of your car.  I would never do it. But believe it or not, (some) people did that in the 1950’s, ‘60’s and ‘70’s. And it was reported that Romney constructed a special windshield for the carrier, “to make the ride more comfortable for the dog.”   Also how many people do you see every day in 2012 with dogs in the back of their pick-up trucks untethered in all kinds of weather and on all kinds of roads? Do you speak up?

And no matter what… transporting your dog on top of your car so he can go along instead of staying at the kennel is not the same as eating a dog… Period!!

How many of you protested the China Olympics because of their poor human rights record and their record for cruelty to animals and people, which includes both dogs and cats?

My husband spent a year in South Korea and they eat a lot of odd, different down right offensive things.  He refused to eat animals like dogs, cats, monkeys and any animals that were prepared inhumanely.  And I can tell you that even at age 6, I would not have knowingly eaten dog or cat meat!

With all the problems we have, this issue is just another created distraction that backfired on Team Obama who was again trying to create a big issue over the Romneys transporting their dog, like the issues they tried to create over Ann Romney being a stay at home mom and changing the conversation from ObamaCare paying for abortions with taxpayer funds and requiring religious institutions who are employers to pay for them into a war on women and an attack campaign on Rush Limbaugh. Obama’s record is abysmal and he has fires burning all around him… so Team Obama’s focus is creating distractions and diverting the conversation.

Related:

• Jihad making lives “Ruff” for Dogs in Europe; PETA Silent
• Bo Obama’s dog trainer dies at age 52 (Jan. 2011)
• Muslims in Spain Declare Jihad on Dogs
• Man’s Best Friend in Shariah’s Cruel Crosshairs
• Dogs… Pets – Beyond Traditional Islam
• The Latest Enemies of Iran: Dogs and Their Owners
• Iran Cleric Says Dogs “Unclean” and Not to be Kept as Pets
• 1 Million Stray Dogs in Iraq to be Culled
• Banning Dogs as Pets
• President Bush and His Pets
• Bush and Barney, Just Like Old Times
• New First Pooch Is Arriving Soon
• Arrival of New First Pooch Imminent
• Stop Killing Dogs! 2 Million Dogs Killed in Horrible Ways Every Year in South Korea
• Dog Meat in Beijing Ordered Off Menu for Olympics
• Olympic Clean-up Chinese Style: Beijings Shocking Cat Death Camps
• Presidential Pet Museum.com
• Obama Lifts Ban on Horse Slaughter (for meat)

Blind Dog Living in a Trash Pile Gets Rescued

We’ve shared a lot of dog rescues, but this one may be the most heartwarming and amazing outcome yet. When you see Fiona in the trash, your heart will break… but just wait until the end.

You’ll love it!!  This is the most touching story ever.

 

 

Video: Blind Dog Living in a Trash Pile Gets the Most Beautiful Rescue – The End is Amazing

h/t to MJ

Canadian Humor

Only in Canada would you see a sign like this!
Read the whole sign.  Fort Steele is near Cranbrook…

Caring for Pets Before, During and After Anesthesia

By Dr. Becker

Story at-a-glance

• Most pet owners are very leery of their furry companions going ‘under’ with anesthesia. And those concerns are understandable. Fortunately, there are guidelines for veterinary practices to minimize the risk of complications from anesthesia.
• Late last year, the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) released new dog and cat anesthesia guidelines for veterinarians that cover the process from the pre-anesthetic evaluation right through to recovery. We wanted to share those with you for a better understanding of what you should expect when your pet requires anesthesia. Hopefully, you will also find the guidelines reassuring in that they clearly lay out the procedures vet practices are expected to follow when anesthetizing pet patients.
• The new guidelines include information about patient anesthetic plans, client communication, the use of pre-anesthesia and pain management drugs, management of anesthesia patients who have significant chronic disease, and the all-important recovery phase.

I think more pet parents than not are fearful of veterinary procedures requiring anesthesia.

It’s unsettling to imagine your helpless dog or cat lying on a table unconscious.

Perhaps you’ve had a bad experience when a beloved pet was anesthetized.

I understand and sympathize with concerns about veterinary anesthesia.

That’s why when I come across information about new developments or enhancements in the field I like to make both my clinic clients and Mercola Healthy Pets readers aware of them.

New AAHA Anesthesia Guidelines for Dogs and Cats

Recently the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) released new dog and cat anesthesia guidelines for veterinarians. The guidelines cover the process from the pre-anesthetic evaluation right through to recovery, and are intended to complement existing protocols from the American College of Veterinary Anesthesiologists.

The guidelines also include:

• The need for individual patient anesthetic plans, client communication, and preparation for anesthesia.
• Management of emergency cases where the patient can’t be fasted prior to anesthesia.
• The use of pre-anesthesia and pain management drugs.
• Management of anesthesia patients who have significant chronic conditions like diabetes, kidney, heart or liver disease.
• The use of other drugs before and after anesthesia, for example, anti-anxiety medications and bronchodilators.
• Checklists for patient preparation, including equipment and monitoring tools.
• Tips on inducing, maintaining and monitoring anesthesia.

The new guidelines also outline with specificity proper management of patients recovering from anesthesia.

According to the AAHA, 47 percent of anesthesia-related deaths in dogs and 60 percent of kitty deaths occur within the first three hours of recovery from a procedure.

The guidelines point out that veterinary staff should be trained to recognize the signs of developing post-anesthesia complications.

Phases of the Anesthesia Process

There are several phases to delivering anesthesia to pet patients, and many of those phases overlap.

First there is the pre-anesthetic patient assessment and preparation.

On the day of the procedure, there is pre-medication with sedatives and pain drugs that permit endotracheal intubation for induction of the anesthetic.

Maintenance of anesthesia after induction is usually with a volatile anesthetic like isoflurane or sevoflurane, also using the endotracheal tube.

Also used are local nerve block agents and various drugs infused to control pain.

While the patient is ‘under,’ heart rate, respiration and central nervous system functions are monitored continuously so the depth of anesthesia can be adjusted as necessary.

During and after the procedure, emergency drugs and equipment plus an action plan for their use should be available, in addition to IV access and agents to maintain circulating blood volume.

Throughout the recovery period, veterinary staff trained in the detection of anesthesia recovery problems should monitor the patient. This should be done in conjunction with monitoring body temperature and level of sedation, and administration of appropriate pain management drugs.

Pre-Anesthetic Evaluation

The purpose of the pre-anesthetic evaluation is to identify individual risk factors that will or might influence the patient’s ability to tolerate anesthesia. Areas covered during the evaluation include patient history, physical status, age, breed, temperament, type of procedure planned, use of heavy sedation vs. general anesthesia, and the experience and qualifications of veterinary staff.

There are five general classifications of patient physical status, including:

• Normal healthy patient
• Patient with mild systemic disease
• Patient with severe systemic disease
• Patient with severe systemic disease that is a constant threat to life
• Moribund patient who is not expected to survive without the operation

Patients determined to be at greater risk for anesthetic complications require additional precautions.

Patient Preparation

Pet parents must be advised ahead of time about how to prepare their animal for anesthesia, including administration of medications, fasting requirements and allowing free access to water.

Young pets require shorter fasting times than older animals.

If the procedure must be performed on an emergency basis, fasting is usually not possible, which means attention to airway management is critical. A good rule of thumb is to manage the airway of every patient as though his stomach is full.

If a pet has diabetes, he may or may not be fasted depending on the vet’s preference and how long the procedure is expected to take. For diabetic patients, insulin must be adjusted according to any change in food intake.

Preparing an Anesthetic Plan

Veterinary staff should create a plan individualized for each patient based on risks identified in the pre-anesthetic evaluation.

Also included in the plan should be staffing, equipment and drug availability, all drugs to be administered before, during and after the procedure, recovery support and monitoring criteria, and planned responses to adverse events.

Pre-anesthetic and Pain Management Medications

Pre-anesthesia medications and analgesics lower stress levels in both the patient and veterinary staff members. The patient is easier to manage, reducing risk of injury. These drugs also reduce the dosages necessary to induce and maintain anesthesia during the procedure.

Careful selection of these drugs and dosages, based on the individual patient, is critical.

Pain medication used both during and after the procedure must also be individually tailored to the patient. Multiple pain management techniques should be considered for more painful procedures.

The animal’s comfort should be assessed frequently and medications adjusted as needed.

Recovery

Recovery is a critical phase of anesthesia and begins when the anesthetic gas is turned off and continues beyond extubation (removal of the endotracheal tube).

Patients recovering from anesthesia should be monitored by veterinary staff trained in recognizing complications, who should be especially vigilant in the first three hours post-surgery.

Monitoring of vitals should continue until they return to near normal. These include pulse oximetry, blood pressure, and periodic auscultation (listening to the body’s internal sounds, usually with a stethoscope).

During the early recovery period, respiration remains depressed, so supplemental oxygen should be continued until breathing returns to normal.

The endotracheal tube should remain in place until the patient is able to swallow and protect his own airway. From the guidelines:

With patients that have undergone a dental procedure or oral surgery, it is beneficial to position the nose slightly lower than the back of the head and leave the ET tube cuff slightly inflated during extubation. This will help clear blood clots and debris from the trachea and deposit any fluid or debris into the pharyngeal region, where it can drain from the mouth or be swallowed, thereby reducing the risk of aspiration.

Patients with a low body temperature should be given thermal support until they achieve a normal temperature.

In many cases eye ointment may be required until the blink reflex returns.

The bladder may need to be expressed if it is distended.

The patient’s pain level should be continually assessed and pain management adjustments made as required.

The optimal situation for recovery is a quiet environment and adequate pain management.

Discharge of patients after a procedure requiring anesthesia should wait until the animals is “awake, aware, warm, and comfortable.”

Pets should be evaluated for their responses, the ability to interact normally with their owners, and achievement of physiologic balance.

Discharge should also include written instructions for the pet owner about proper drug dosages, potential side effects, and any physical or behavioral irregularities to watch for once the animal is home.

I hope I’ve given you a better understanding of the phases of anesthesia and perhaps some reassurance about the type of care you should expect for your pet in the event she must undergo a procedure that requires an anesthetic.

The complete report: AAHA Anesthesia Guidelines for Dogs and Cats

Additional Suggestions to Help Your Pet Recover

I recommend you take your pet to an animal chiropractor after any procedure requiring anesthesia. Many human hospitals and surgery centers now put patients on ‘anesthesia boards’ to transfer them from the gurney to the surgery table and back to the gurney. Unfortunately, pet patients aren’t usually handled as carefully.

A limp body is difficult to lift and move. All that flopping around can throw your pet’s body out of alignment during transfer from the surgery table to the recovery area.

Also, many animals jerk their bodies around as they awake from anesthesia, which can also damage their skeletal health.

I also recommend some patients undergo a mild post-anesthesia detox, depending on what medication was used. I routinely suggest the incorporation of chlorella, milk thistle and dandelion into a patient’s protocol for a week following anesthesia to assist in the body’s detoxification mechanisms. Discuss appropriate doses for your pet with your vet.

Source: dvm360 December 1, 2011

Related Links:

• What You Must Know Before Your Pet Goes "Under"
• Top 10 Reasons Pets Go Under the Knife
• This Trendy Pet Dental Procedure May Do More Harm than Good