Tula the Tulip, a simple and comfortable dog costume. Photo courtesy of Dee Monstah

1. Fido may look adorable in his new superhero costume, but that cape won’t necessarily keep him out of harm’s way. Dressing up your pet for Halloween can be harmful. Costumes should not constrict the animal’s movement, hearing or sight, or impede their ability to breathe, bark or meow. Also, it may be helpful to try on costumes before the big night. If your pet seems distressed or shows abnormal behavior, don’t bother.
   
   FasTags adds that simple is best. Remember that it’s a dog or cat that you’re putting in a costume, not a stuffed animal.
2. Before you and Fido participate in any Halloween activities, take a closer look at his costume and make sure it does not have small, dangling or easily chewed-off pieces that he could choke on. Also, watch out for ill-fitting outfits which can get twisted on external objects or your pet, leading to injury.
3. Putting make-up or face paint on your pet can be harmful. Paints could potentially irritate their skin, or may be eaten. Even make-up that is non-toxic could cause stomachaches or worse.
4. Candy bags are strictly for the enjoyment of trick-or-treaters, not your pet. Chocolate in all forms, especially dark or baking chocolate, can be very dangerous for dogs and cats. Give your pooch their own Halloween candy by treating them to their favorite doggy snack. If you do suspect that your pet has ingested something toxic, please call your veterinarian or your local control center immediately.
5. Keep an eye out for decorative edible items like Halloween pumpkins and candy corn, when participating in this year’s festivities with your pet. While these are considered to be relatively nontoxic, they can be harmful, causing stomach upset in pets who nibble on them.
6. Do not take your pets trick or treating. It’s possible that your dog could get spooked by a ghost or goblin and a dog bite or fight could occur.

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7. FasTags® also recommends that you make sure your dog is wearing a collar tag in addition to any microchips. If you dog is lost, many times local citizens don’t think to take them into a vet to be scanned for identification.
8. It is also a good idea to keep a leash handy if you are handing out candy and your dog is on the lively side. It’s easier to control them with the leash, than with your hip at the crack of your front door.
9. If you use a cage for your dog or cat during the evening events, be sure to take off all collars and tags before putting them inside to avoid the possibility of choking or other injuries.
10. Use common sense, take a few extra precautions to be safe, and have fun on you Halloween hauntings.

Morbidity and Mortality: Up to 80% of exposed dogs contract the disease and exhibit clinical symptoms of fever, cough and runny nose. Reports of 1% – 5% of infected victims die from related hemorrhagic pneumonia. Because this is a brand new virus there is no inherent immunity in the pet dog population.

How does dog flu spread? Canine influenza virus is spread by direct contact with respiratory secretions from infected dogs, by contra contaminated objects and by people moving between infected and uninfected dogs. Dogs are shedding the virus before they exhibit clinical symptoms.

What should dog owners do? Have your dog vaccinated immediately by your veterinarian or attend a low-cost vaccination clinic at the Humane Society. A new Canine Influenza Vaccine H3N8 killed virus was released in April 2009. Protocol is a two shot series two weeks apart and then annual boosters. There have been no reported side effects.

Cost: Being that this is a new vaccine it is relatively expensive compared to other vaccines. Local veterinarians are charging $25 – $50 per vaccination, two shot series $50-$100.

I’m up to my armpits in code and locked in my tower until everything is back to normal.

These fun and durable ID tags are custom designed and include strong co-branding messages that promote participation in the Census, the vibrant community of Goodyear, and the exciting events hosted or sponsored by the city.

City of Goodyear - Census 2010 Package

The cost of the tags is paid for through the U.S. Census MicroPurchase Partnership Program, which provides up to $2,999 to buy items to distribute at events sponsored by cities, counties, NGOs, community organizations, faith-based groups and others. There is no limit on the number of separate requests that can be made by various departments, groups, or activity leaders within a single organization. Goodyear, for example, submitted a dozen micropurchase applications, which were all approved by that city’s regional Census representative.

“We wanted something different from the ordinary give-aways like pens and sticky-notes,” said Nora Fascenelli, public information officer for the city of Goodyear. “FasTags were perfect because the vendor was able to do a custom co-branded design with Goodyear’s logo and the Census logo. There are inserts than can be printed with whatever message we want. The tags pack flat and are super lightweight to carry to event venues.”

FasTags come individually packaged. Write a name and contact info on the shrinkable, high-tech plastic, pop it in the oven for a few minutes, and tag everything from school backpacks, gym bags, and computer bags to mp3 players, digital cameras, and even the family pet. The tags start out as a nice, large surface upon which information can be easily written. After just five minutes in the oven, the tag shrinks into a lightweight, durable tag small enough for today’s compact electronics, yet big enough to be easily spotted on any airport’s luggage carousel.

Vendors are paid by credit card, directly by Census officials. That means no waiting for invoices to clear and no procurement hassles.

For more information, contact FasTags toll-free at 866-412-6860 or by email at cynthia@fastags.com. To learn more about partnering opportunities and the 2010 Census, visit http://2010.census.gov/partner

Please click on the link below to download the PDF document.

PDS-Map2-Contacts-July2009

Intuit Payment Solutions allows you to process payments directly through your Quickbooks program, which makes life especially easy.  You don’t have to fill out anything by hand, the computer will process everything and record the payments directly into your Quickbooks program.  It’s so easy to use!

By mentioning FasTags, you can save on your set-up fees and more!

Simply call 1-800-601-3751 and give them the following information:

• Our Company: Project FasTags, Inc
• My name:  Cynthia Kirkeby
• Our phone number:  714-633-0100

This will give you some serious savings:

•  No set-up fees
• No application fees
• AND not service fees for 2 months!

Don’t delay, start saving money and selling with the help of QuickBook’s Intuit Merchant Services now.

photo courtesy of Mitch Diatz - CC 2.0

Over the last 15 years, I have raised nine orphaned kittens. Four of them were two weeks old when their mother was killed; three others were only hours old when their mother died; two more kittens fell out of the nest in our barn when they were only a day old. Raising motherless kittens is not a difficult process, but it does require patience, time and plenty of TLC.

Here are some tips to help you raise your orphaned kittens:

Chocolate Lab courtesy of Jen and a camera/flickr

Phylllis is an introverted classical pianist from Pittsburgh. In her later years, she has also become a coach and counselor. After the tragic death of her 21-year-old son, Phylllis was unable to bear the company of human beings and took great solace in Ygraine’s love and understanding. Ygraine is her Chocolate Lab.

Phyllis begins, “It is very hard to lose a child. To lose a child at the age of 21, they say, is the worst thing that can happen. That, among other words spoken to me over the course of my grieving, made it through the fog as “meant well” but words were of little use or comfort.

“Though I’m a coach and counselor, I speak in the first person, because it’s different for each grieving parent and a situation where you are inevitably alone. You walk under a different sun. I happened to be living alone at the time.

“The pain is so different from anything else, and so visceral, one of the things I had to deal with was terror at ever loving like that again in the face of loss. Yes, even at the ripe old age of 52. I didn’t want to ever care like that again. My willingness to connect with people was tenuous.

“My therapist helped me because he didn’t demand words. My sister helped me because she didn’t demand words and because we go way back. . . . I was between the living and the dead.

“And then Ygraine helped me.

“My surviving son gave me Ygraine. Chocolate Labs, as they say, are really people. They’re just the right size, and they are very one-person dogs. My son had her perfectly trained and actually offered me either of his Labs, Bailey or Milo. Bailey came first. When I would cry, Bailey would force her head into my lap, just push and push, and insinuate her way in. This didn’t work for me. It was “too much.” I then had to care about her, as much as I did about myself, because of her giving, and I couldn’t tolerate that at the time.

“Milo came second. She was the second dog in my son’s household, and acted like the second dog. She was shy and quiet and kind of puzzled about things. I really think she’s an introvert like me. She was used to Bailey doing the interpreting of “people language.” If you told her to “sit,” she would look over at Bailey to see what that meant. They thought she was ‘quirky,’ and preferred her less. Sometimes human introverts get the same reaction, I think!

Sleeping Chocolate Lab courtesy of Nick M/Flickr CC 2.0

“I’m an intellectual; I like to know what’s going on. I’d read a beautiful book called ‘A General Theory of Love,’ that talked about how we mammals (dogs, cats and people) operate on an open-loop feedback system. We cannot regulate our life forces alone; we need each other. It’s not good to live alone; in fact it’s quite detrimental to your health. This can be hard for an introvert at any time, but especially at a time like this. You need a mammal around to look into their sentient eyes and see life, and orient to it. That’s the scientific explanation.

“The personal explanation is that it was comforting to have a quiet, undemanding sentient presence in the house when I could not tolerate having a person around. I knew I could meet the rudimentary needs of an animal, though not the more complex needs of a person, while I licked my own wounds. Dogs don’t care about words. She didn’t ask me to comment upon my condition or to tell her how I was doing, or what it’s like to lose a son, or even what I planned to do that day. We were together and in the moment. Neither of us had plans for the future.

“Ygraine is a huntress who is often attacked by her prey. One night she was crying in pain, suddenly, and I saw her groin was swollen and she couldn’t move. Some creature had bitten her. She weighs 65 lbs. and I couldn’t lift her. I pushed her over blankets and tried to pull her across the floor, but that didn’t work. It was 3 a.m. and she needed to get to the vet.

“Finally, in desperation, I looked into her eyes and told her, wordlessly, “Ygraine I want to help you and I cannot do this. You must get to the car so I can take care of you.” Silently she got up and got herself outside and up into the car. Even though it was excruciatingly painful, she didn’t even whimper. When we got to the vet’s she wouldn’t move, and when the man came out to lift her out of the car, she cried.

“She became “my” dog almost immediately and stuck by my side if we went for a walk, or if a repairman came in.

“Best of all, when I went to visit my son and brought her along, he told me how she had thrived and blossomed under my care, how she had come into her own and was a different dog.

“Your job, as a parent, is to keep your child alive. If nothing else, you should be able to keep your child alive. When they die, you have failed. This feeling is primordial and has nothing to do with intellect or explanation. Ygraine restored my faith in my ability to nurture life. She was faithful to dog dharma, as one of my clients told me, living her purpose of being a loving companion. And a more extroverted dog would have been just impossible. I loved Ygraine most of all because she was an introvert like me.

Brisk in Slidell - Photo by DiveOfficer/Flickr

If You Evacuate, Take Your Pets

The single most important thing you can do to protect your pets is to take them with you when you evacuate. Animals left behind in a disaster can easily be injured, lost, or killed. Animals left inside your home can escape through storm-damaged areas, such as broken windows. Animals turned loose to fend for themselves are likely to become victims of exposure, starvation, predators, contaminated food or water, or accidents. Leaving dogs tied or chained outside in a disaster is a death sentence.

• If you leave, even if you think you may be gone only for a few hours, take your animals. Once you leave, you have no way of knowing how long you’ll be kept out of the area, and you may not be able to go back for your pets.
• Leave early; don’t wait for a mandatory evacuation order. An unnecessary trip is far better than waiting too long to leave safely with your pets. If you wait to be evacuated by emergency officials, you may be told to leave your pets behind.

Don’t Forget ID

Your pets should be wearing up-to-date identification at all times. It’s a good idea to include the phone number of a friend or relative outside your immediate area; if your pet is lost, you’ll want to provide a number on the tag that will be answered even if you’re out of your home.

This is a great time to use your FasTags® to ID your pet!

Find a Safe Place Ahead of Time

Because evacuation shelters generally don’t accept pets (except for service animals), you must plan ahead to ensure that your family and pets will have a safe place to stay. Don’t wait until disaster strikes to do your research.

• Contact hotels and motels outside your immediate area to check policies on accepting pets. Ask about any restrictions on number, size, and species. Ask if “no pet” policies would be waived in an emergency. Make a list of pet-friendly places and keep it handy. Call ahead for a reservation as soon as you think you might have to leave your home.
• Check with friends, relatives, or others outside your immediate area. Ask if they would be able to shelter you and your animals or just your animals, if necessary. If you have more than one pet, you may have to be prepared to house them separately.
• Make a list of boarding facilities and veterinary offices that might be able to shelter animals in emergencies; include 24-hour telephone numbers.
• Ask your local animal shelter if it provides foster care or shelter for pets in an emergency. This should be your last resort, as shelters have limited resources and are likely to be stretched to their limits during an emergency.

If You Don’t Evacuate

If your family and pets must wait out a storm or other disaster at home, identify a safe area of your home where you can all stay together.

• Keep dogs on leashes and cats in carriers, and make sure they are wearing identification.
• Have any medications and a supply of pet food and water inside watertight containers, along with your other emergency supplies.

As the Disaster Approaches

Don’t wait until the last minute to get ready. Warnings of hurricanes or other disasters may be issued hours, or even days, in advance.

• Call to confirm emergency shelter arrangements for you and your pets.
• Bring pets into the house and confine them so you can leave with them quickly if necessary. Make sure each pet and pet carrier has up-to-date identification and contact information. Include information about your temporary shelter location.

Make sure your disaster supplies are ready to go, including your pet disaster kit.

In Case You’re Not Home

An evacuation order may come, or a disaster may strike, when you’re at work or out of the house.

• Make arrangements well in advance for a trusted neighbor to take your pets and meet you at a specified location. Be sure the person is comfortable with your pets, knows where your animals are likely to be, knows where your disaster supplies are kept, and has a key to your home.

If you use a pet-sitting service, it may be able to help, but discuss the possibility well in advance.

After the Storm

Planning and preparation will help you weather the disaster, but your home may be a very different place afterward, whether you have taken shelter at home or elsewhere.

• Don’t allow your pets to roam loose. Familiar landmarks and smells might be gone, and your pet will probably be disoriented. Pets can easily get lost in such situations.
• For a few days, keep dogs on leashes and keep cats in carriers inside the house. If your house is damaged, they could escape and become lost.
• Be patient with your pets after a disaster. Try to get them back into their normal routines as soon as possible, and be ready for behavioral problems that may result from the stress of the situation. If behavioral problems persist, or if your pet seems to be having any health problems, talk to your veterinarian.

Evacuation Planning:

You may not be in a flood zone or have to flee wildfire, but even a hazardous material incident on a nearby street could force you to evacuate. It pays to be prepared!

Disaster Supply Checklist for Pets

Every member of your family should know what he or she needs to take when you evacuate. You also need to prepare supplies for your pet. Stock up on non-perishables well ahead of time, add perishable items at the last minute, and have everything ready to go at a moment’s notice. Keep everything accessible, stored in sturdy containers (duffel bags, covered trash containers, etc.) that can be carried easily.

In your disaster kit, you should include:

• Medications and medical records stored in a waterproof container and a first aid kit. A pet first aid book is also good to include.
• Sturdy leashes, harnesses, and carriers to transport pets safely and to ensure that your pets can’t escape. Carriers should be large enough for the animal to stand comfortably, turn around, and lie down. Your pet may have to stay in the carrier for hours at a time while you have taken shelter away from home. Be sure to have a secure cage with no loose objects inside it to accommodate smaller pets. These may require blankets or towels for bedding and warmth, and other special items.
• Current photos and descriptions of your pets to help others identify them in case you and your pets become separated and to prove that they are yours.
• Food and water for at least three days for each pet, bowls, cat litter and litter box, and a manual can opener.
• Information on feeding schedules, medical conditions, behavior problems, and the name and number of your veterinarian in case you have to board your pets or place them in foster care.
• Pet beds and toys, if you can easily take them, to reduce stress.

Other useful items include newspapers, paper towels, plastic trash bags, grooming items, and household bleach.

Other Evacuation Tips