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Advantages of adopting a pet

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 18:56:00 -0400

THE ADVANTAGES OF ADOPTING A DOG OR CAT

By: Stanley Popovich

There are many advantages to adopting a dog or cat. Adopting a pet can be a great way to reduce our every day stresses and anxieties. In addition, there are many other reasons why adopting a dog or cat can be important in your life.

For instance, pets can help us to relax and help us to focus on the good things in our lives. This can be very helpful when we are overwhelmed by the stresses and anxieties of our lives. Playing with our pets can help reduce our fears and anxieties in any situation.

Pets can get our minds off of our problems. A person could do an activity with their pet or other animals that will give them a fresh perspective on things. Spending time with animals will get your mind off of the problem and give you the energy to do other things. Most importantly, playing with animals will give you the self-confidence that you can cope and that you can get through a stressful day.

Spending time with a pet can reduce loneliness and can be a great source of companionship. A pet can help us to feel better. Also many people talk to their pets and this can help us to get their problems out in the open. Animals can be of good company to all of us and can prevent the fear of being alone during our troubles.

Taking care of dog or cat can be a great way to increase our happiness and self-confidence. There are many animals out there who could benefit from your time and talents. Doing something that will help your pet or other animals can give you a source of pride and accomplishment.

Pets are 100 percent faithful and will be by your side through the good and bad times. Everybody deals with anxieties, stresses and other life problems, and it is during those times when you need someone by your side to talk too. People in our lives come and go, but your pet will never leave you regardless how bad your problems may be.

There are also many different breeds of dogs and cats we can choose from which can accommodate our life styles. If you want a certain type of pet that will suite your life style, all you have to do is talk to a pet expert or a veterinarian. These people will work with you to determine what type of dog to get that will fit in with your household.

By adopting a pet, you will be saving a life; a life of an animal that could very well become your best friend. A pet will love you unconditionally during his or her lifetime. Don’t let a few obstacles prevent you from gaining a faithful companion in your life. Adopting a pet can be beneficial to your health and be one of the best things that you can do in your life.

BIOGRAPHY:

Stan Popovich is the author of "A Layman's Guide to Managing Fear Using Psychology, Christianity and Non Resistant Methods" - an easy to read book that presents a general overview of techniques that are effective in managing persistent fears and anxieties. For additional information go to: http://www.managingfear.com/

Isanti

Sun, 31 May 2009 19:24:00 -0400

It appears as if things have come full circle. Isanti found her forever home this week. The people have been following her story almost from day 1. She will be able to run and hunt and do lots of fun things. They are aware of all her injuries and are prepared to care for her if the need arises. So this story will have a happy ending after all!

It looks like Isanti is going to make it through her treatment ok!!

Update Aug. 18:

Morning!

I've been meaning to send you an update. Isanti is fine and has not coughed for a week or more so far as I know. I took her with me to a hunt test last Saturday so I could keep an eye on her. Worked very well. She gets her second injection Aug 21 and ought to test negative Aug 28 a Friday. I could probably return her Aug 29 a Saturday and take in Bugsy. Actually Friday afternoon would work assuming she tests negative that morning.

I don't know how it works if she tests positive! I better find out the actual program.

Isanti is the queen of the house and quickly comes right back in. I have let her off lease by herself in the back yard. She does her potty things and pops right back into the house. That's alot easier than a long walk on a long lease, especially after dark

Update Aug. 1:

Cathy, Deb

Its Sat PM and little miss bossy (Isanti) is home directing all social events. I picked her up from the vet's clinic Friday afternoon. They advised to try and keep her quiet and get her in for help if need be. Isanti did have another coughing/gag session about 4 AM today, Saturday. This one was not as severe as the last two. She has been fine since. She certainly needs her hugs and cuddles after these events. Everyday foreward is another step away from serious complications. Give it another ten days and she should only have the hic ups to exhibit for her heartworm complications. That'll be a big relief.

Dave

Update July 30: Isanti had a bad night, coughing up pieces of dying heartworms. That is the danger, asphyxiation. She was rushed to the vet where she will spend the night. It is a dangerous time for her so we will keep our fingers crossed.

We got a call one afternoon from a woman in Minnesota who was looking for someone to help out an animal control in a small town who had found an injured dog on the side of the road, that appeared to be a Brittany. She appeared to have a broken pelvis along with some severe cuts and deep bruises. The local animal control person was wonderful in taking her to a local vet as soon as our organization agreed to cover the cost. There was an initial surgery to stitch her cuts and an xray to look at her broken pelvis.

It was left to us to decide if a plate needed to be put in her pelvis, so an appointment was made at our State Vet college. My wife took off work to pick up Isanti and bring her to the vet college. The vet college was wonderful and took her in that same day. It was dicovered just before the surgery during a routine exam, that Isanti also had a severly damaged knee with 2 torn ligaments. Her pelvis would actually heal ok, her knee was the danger. They also removed about 100(literally) ticks form her, many of which were full of blood. Some of the vet students were grossed out by the number and size of the ticks. That may mean Lymes disease for her in the future but there are more important things first. The surgery went well , 3 screws were put in her knee, and artificial ligaments were also put in. She is on crate confinement till the end of June, which she just hates. Through it all she has kept her nice temperment and her love of birds. She may have been hunted.

She had great difficulty and was in much pain the first week or 2 after surgery. It was sad to see her in pain and she was crabby. She could not stand or even move herself around. We had her in a baby pen the first week, confined to a back room. I guess the first sign we had that she was getting better was when we realized she jumped out of the pen and was scratching at the door! So into the crate she went and only out to the bathroom with a sling to keep her weight off and a leash. She is getting better and seems to be making progress. It seems like she would take off and run if we let her 3 weeks after surgery. But it was not as happy as it seemed.

She was diagnosed with being heartworm positive. If you know about heartworm, it is pretty bad and the treatment is life threatening. We are not experts on this and have never gone through a treatment. It doesn't seem right that a nice dog would have to go through this along with everything else she has gone through. We have had several dogs like this, that have had several catastrophes in they're lives but still are nice dogs. There are several new methods of treatment for heartworm and we are researching them . Only when she has recovered from her car accident injuries will we begin her treatment.

Update June 26: Isanti went to see her doctors at the vet college and things are looking pretty good. Her knee is healed well and fully functional. Her pelvis is not completely heeled but the process is going along fairly well. As long as she doesn't take a fall, things should turn out well. The next thing is to figure out her heartworm treatment.

Update July 20 From person doing the treatment:

Morning,

Isanti was dropped off about an hour ago to the vet's clinic. She will get her first shot today and remain in the vet's clinic til this friday afternoon when I can pick her up. The vet will keep her for the first five days to watch her during the most critical period of her treatment. I won't hear from them unless there is a problem. She then stays with me for a month under strict house arrest as this is the second most critical period of her treatment. This is where the real work for me comes in. Keeping a high energy dog like a Brittany quiet is no simple task. Isanti will not be allowed to romp or run with the other dogs. She is going to be pissed off for sure. Tough.

Isanti is quite the little cuddle muffin. She likes to rest on the couch and be petted.

David

Update July 24:

Cathy,

Isanti is now home with me, Friday PM. She made the first 5 days thru the vet clinic without a hitch. Isanti is scheduled for her second injection August 21, a Friday and then if she tests negative August 28th she is condsider free of active/live heartworms. The skeletons of heartworms can break loose as much as a year later and cause problems. I must add that caution in there. Anyway, it would be Aug 31 before I could handle another HWT dog, if I read the calendar right. I think we are on the same calendar for getting Bugsy into treatment.

Isanti is doing fine here at home, she is adorable and spoiled rotten. She is demanding and mouthy just like my girlfriends little female Brittany was. Said girlfriend, thinks this is very amusing, I don't.

Finances are tight for everyone. I've dropped two other charities I used to support. Some choices had to be made. NBRAN is it for the present.

Dave

Piper

Sun, 03 May 2009 18:47:00 -0400

Piper came to us from Indiana. She was found as a stray in the middle of a terrible cold spell. She was wandering in a State park in Indiana, found by park workers. She was starving and nearly unable to move because of the cold. She is a 2 year old. She was taken in and seen by a vet, she slowly began to get healthy and return to herself. She was sent up to us for further care and to find a home. At that time there were several other dogs we were working on that had been strays in the cold. Winter can be a terrible time. She was adopted by a nice couple from Alabama and hopefully she will have a wonderful life away from the cold.

Honey

Thu, 02 Apr 2009 21:55:00 -0400

Honey was a dog that came to us from Kentucky. She was or at least appeared to be about 13 years old. She was very ill, with apparent cancer in her mamary glands, heartworms, missing teeth and no appetite. She was very sweet and nice. We took her to our vet, who was so overwhelmed with her illnesses that she just recommended euthanasia. It was very disheartening that our vet could think of nothing better than putting her to sleep. Our organization was intent on trying to save her.We were very nervous about how ill she was as we had never dealt with these illnesses before. It was a difficult time as she was so nice. She was transferred out of our care and a vet was finally found who would care for her. One by one her illnesses were treated and she slowly improved. It was actually determined that she was really only 7 tho she appeared much older.

She appeared older because she had been a breeding dog from a puppy mill. She had never had much of a life till now. She is in foster care in Indiana and is hopefully content. She is available for adoption so if you would like to give this nice dog a good home, please call.

volunteers

Sun, 22 Mar 2009 17:17:00 -0400

Volunteers are the backbone of our organization. They are like gold! They are precious and good volunteers are pretty rare, at least in our experience. A good volunteer makes our jobs a whole lot easier, taking pressure off of us. There is so much to do and not enough time to do it all.Not only is there a need for foster homes and transporting dogs, but there is administrative work and community contacts. There is also a need to communicate with shelters and other volunters. Trainers are also in great need. If you love Brittanies and are interested in volunteering with us,please call or email, you will be welcomed with open arms!

Fences

Wed, 11 Mar 2009 19:06:00 -0400

Brittanies are high energy dogs bred for hunting. They were bred to cover lots of ground hunting for birds and they are very good at it. Anyone who has ever seen a Brittany run knows how fast they can run and how beautiful they are.It is a memorable sight to see a Brittany running, hunting through the fields. They are much more energetic then a Lab or Retriever. Having a fence makes things much easier and safer for the typical Brittany. They can run and play as much as they like in a fenced in area although a fence is not necessarily the total answer. We have had dogs that could dig or climb amazingly quickly. One of ours is an escape expert. He can figure a way out almost faster than we can fix it. It is like a chess match keeping him contained. We finally went with an electronic fence.

We had brittanies for several years with out a fence. We used tie outs and daily runs for an hour. It worked ok for us till we got more dogs, then it was too much. Safety is the most important thing for us as we live in a fairly busy area. We hope potential adopters seriously consider a fence to keep their new dogs safe.

Hunting(Pointing) dog training

Sat, 28 Feb 2009 13:04:00 -0500

We believe, along with other rescues, that with knowledge and the proper equipment it is possible to train a rescue dog to be a hunting dog. As long as the prospective student has a desire and passion for birds he can be trained. We have had many young enthusiastic brittanies who would have made great bird dogs if properly trained. There are rescues who'se dogs have place in field trials so anything is possible! However many people want a rescue dog to immediately use as a hunting dog and that may be expecting too much from a rescue dog. We think that a bond should be established and then at least some basic training should be gone through before any hunting is undertaken.

I am a novice trainer and also a novice hunter, but there can be great pride in what your dog can do in the field. It is a thrill to see a beautiful brittany go on point and to see them at full stride searching a field for birds. There is a great tradition of pointing dogs and bird hunting. Great authors like Nash Buckingham and Bob Wehle sparked an interest in me.

It is a nice way to bond with your dog to try to train them. I believe it strenghtens their friendship with you and bonds them with you forever.

Transports

Mon, 23 Feb 2009 19:30:00 -0500

Transports are when a dog needs to be moved a cosiderable distance, say 500 or 600 miles. Usually there is a transport coordinator who posts the needed route on message boards and contacts potential drivers in person. These transport coordinators are tireless overworked overtired dedicated people. We know one lady who regularly stays awake all night trying to arrange safe passage for dogs needing to be moved. It is not an easy thing to do.I was completly amazed when I was involved in the first transport. A dog was moved about 600 miles in a day and there were about 10 people involved. It was amazing to see everyone volunteer.

Sometimes transports are fun , like when you go out into the country to a small town or some rural area. I really enjoy these trips , going new places and meeting new people. It costs gas money, but other than that I enjoy spending mornings or afternoons going to pick up or drop off a dog. My wife is tireless in this. We have traveled the byways of Minnesota, Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin and Michigan in the name of dogs.

Sometimes transports are not so fun, like in the middle of a winter storm. We have near come to disaster a few times because of storms , floods or getting lost. Gps really helps!

My wife one time took the ferry accross Lake Michigan to transport an elderly Cocker Spaniel.

One time my wife did a transport in which all 5 dogs had been beaten in some way. They all had open wounds that the local shelters could not handle, and were being transported to people who were going to get them fixed up and healed.

Zeke

Sun, 22 Feb 2009 19:59:00 -0500

We got Zeke from our local shelter, as he had been there for a couple months. He had been a stray several times in this area and ended up back at the shelter. He was in danger of being put down because of how long he had been there. We were his last chance. We decided to take him. It was an eye opening experience because of his aggression and anger. We could not really pet him or get too near him. He was mean to us and our other dogs. He would gaurd bones and food and attacked dogs that touched him. However, interestingly he would ocasionally jump on us and lick our faces which made us think maybe underneath he was not a bad dog. Gradually and very slowly, he allowed us to pet him and handle him. He slowly began to play with our other dogs, after several months of terrible fighting. Now, after 2 years he has become a pretty nice dog, playing with our others and laying on our laps. He is even ok with new fosters coming into our home. It took about 2 years to get to this point and he still has a few issues to be ironed out, but he is a much improved dog. We think it was mostly fear based aggression as he does seem fearful at times. We are glad that he survived.

Little Hunter

Sun, 22 Feb 2009 12:28:00 -0500

Hunter is a diabetic Britt who was an owner surrender. His owners bought him from a breeder in Wisconsin. When they contacted the breeder about Hunters condition, the breeder said he would take hunter back and give them a new pup, but the owners feared Hunter would just be killed so they kept him. The wife became pregnant so the family could no longer deal with Hunters health issues. They contacted us and we took him in. We were very nervous as we had never delt with an ill dog like him before. He is a very nice looking dog, not at all how we had imagined him to be. He is friendly and happy! His eyesight is going and his blood sugar has been difficult to get regulated. He has had one episode of diabetic shock where his blood sugar was too low and he went into seizures. We rushed him to an emergency vet but we had done everything correctly so he was fine.

We had a surgey on one of his eyes but it was not as successful as we had hoped. He will not have very good vision in that eye but at least he will be able to see a little. His blood sugar has now stabilized and he has settled in to life with us. We like him alot and we enjoy his company. I took him for a walk the other day and he actually flushed a pheasant!