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by @winecountrydog Tilin Corgi
Wot did you doo durin' summer 2014 vacay? Hopin' you had bestest fresh og noms and good walkies!
When ourselves doo travel any pawlaces, Mumsy does pack emergency Go-Bags for all of us. . . . Ani Meezer maows: "Would you like to see my Hissaster Purrep Kitty Pack? MOL." . . . Mum sez: "Yes, Meezer, everybuddy should see your Purrep Pack. Please post pics someday soon."
Ourselves not travel often or furry far this summer. In summer 2013 da wildfire smokes got us many times. Nobuddy wanting to run into wildfires and smokes again.
In summer 2014, da wildland fires in Nor Cal forests and wilderness areas have been widespread and intense. Mum keepin' watchful and sometimes teary eyes on da fires. . . .Mum sez: "I try not to dwell on the suffering of animals and people caught up in this intense period of Western wildfires. But it's not easy to ignore the suffering, especially that of wildlife in the Siskiyous and Cascades."
You doo know summer 2014 is my ancient woofself's 17th summer? Mum did think mywoofself might not be up for big travels. Mum has da concerns bout my stamina effurr since myself's peeky OTRB in Feb 2014. But myself dooin' fine. Fooled you! BOL!!
Ani Meezer did make wee vacay at Jonny Cat clay quarry. Meezer maows: "Liked tour of giant litter boxes. MOL."
Mywoofself watched local campers tryin' to pitch tent. . . . Howl. Tis not MY craft beer. Methinks Mumsy set myself up to look like a doggeh lush. BOL
Furbro Jackie Nippers also watched campers strugglin' to pitch tent. Hiswoofself asked "Is that a pup tent?" . . . OMD BOL! Myself did snort.
Ourselves did roll on grass wit big BOLs. Da campers looked o'er at ourselves as if we be mad dogs. BOL!
Barkin' at Mum for more vacay! . . . But nobuddy need 'nother "vacay day" like earthquake day on 24 August 2014. *Paw prayers* for all folks and furriends in Napa area. . . . Pawleeze make da emergency Go-Bags for pets + everybuddy, as you doo neffurr know when next disaster comin' eh.
by winecountrydog Tilin Corgi
Every September is "National Preparedness Month" in the U.S.
This is definition of basic preparedness: Being able to be on your own for at least 72 hours during/after a disaster.
Being prepared requires that each of us four-legged and two-legged family members, including finned and feathered friends, has enough supplies to either shelter-in-place or evacuate and survive for three days. And being prepared requires having a realistic evacuation plan.
In September, Mum gives our disaster Go-Bags the annual makeover and Go-Packs the semi-annual makeover. "Go-Packs" are our small packs, often just a Ziploc bag containing pet or people supplies like supplements, meds, and frozen foods. They are stored in different locations like fridge, freezer, Go-Bag, or car.
Mum does also review evacuation scenarios and make us do practice drills. Herself marked up some new maps covering Pacific coast, mountains, and valleys where we often travel these days.
Meezer did enjoy sticking her nose in Go-Bags and doing drills, taking rides in the car in her carrier.
Meezer meows that everybuddy should have a prawpurr evac carrier.
This is a prawpurr kitteh evac carrier? BOL!
Certainly not. But it makes as much sense as some of the crazzy pet preparedness info we read.
Disaster preparedness is for everybuddy -- people and pets, horses and farm animals, big cats and other wild animals who live in captivity. Yet much of the pet preparedness info is mediocre at best and sometimes even dead WRONG.
Consider this advice: A certain Southern Cal NGO tells pet owners "Know which hotels and motels along your evacuation route will accept you and your pets in an emergency. If you learn that you may need to evacuate, you should call ahead for reservations." Know ahead of time where a disaster will strike and what your evacuation route will be? Good advice for psychic pet owners eh.
Do not expect to get through on the phone to hotels or motels during a disaster, and do not count on them to hold a room. Depending on the type of disaster, a better plan could be to drive like howl out of the disaster region and then see what kind of pet accommodations are around. But if the disaster is an earthquake, you likely not going anywhere, not even leaving da house for a while. By the woof, we believe that concierges should waive no-pet policies in times of disaster.
One resource for help in making grrreat Pet Go-Bags and pet evacuation plans is your veterinarian! Remember to ask your vet for help in customizing your pet first aid kit.
Paw-notes: Mum sez, "At the very least, keep maps, cash, contact phone numbers, and cell phone chargers handy at home, in your car, and in your workplace. Encourage pet rescue organizations and animal shelters to do the same. Find time to learn local, county, and state geography, and to become familiar with main highways. As you learn more, mark-up your maps with information such as alternate evacuation routes, hospitals, county fairgrounds, veterinary ER clinics, and pet-friendly places such as Motel 6 locations. The more thought you give to preparation, the better off you'll be in an actual disaster."
Thanx woofs to @hollygomadly for tweeting the great cat pic. Someday ourselves will offer our own pet checklists and other disaster prep tips we have been compiling.
by pawlitico
The thought "howl strange and dangerous are fireworks!" keeps swimmin' round my doghead.
Never met a dog or any other four-footed who likes fireworks. Never asked other furriends, but I 'spoze birds and bees and bugs and others dislike noisy explosions too.
Yet all the nation's a stage fur fireworks on a July 4th evening. Howl, what are fireworks: the humans' tribute to freedom, or a cathartic release of pent-up human anger? Imagine if other species lit colored fires and made explosions. Humans would think we're out of touch with Nature, to woof the least.
Consider the iconic pic below.
The little Yorkshire Terrier is being made to ride in a wee wagon, towed behind a huge human on a terrifyingly large tractor. Howl small and vulnerable this dog is! Not just physically small — also small in terms of what's impawtant to many American humans on July 4th....
Just think 'bout howl this Yorkie dog must feel! Could humans make sure all dogs — and cats! — are somewhere safe on the big noisy holiday?
Pawleeze, American humans everywhere, look out fur animals' needs come the next 4th of July. It'd be wonderful if the emergency veterinary clinics and animal shelters didn't fill up every year after the fireworks explosions.
