Toxic chemicals in pet products

This just came across an email list that we're on...(Mom n' Me). I wanted to share it with everyone...it lists different pet products that this group has tested for toxic chemicals. Scary!


HealthyStuff

See ya soon!
~SDS

We love tea!

Hi everyone,

We just had to tell you all about our favorite new place to have tea: Sweet Simplici-tea. We all went there last week for John and Mom's birthdays...and we love this place. (though they didn't give me a taste at ALL!) The owners were super nice to me, and even offered me a bowl of water! (I didn't get any...I rarely drink in public...I'm weird)

Anyway...I wanted to post about this place, because we're going to be there on Saturday...because they're having a fund-raiser for Muscular Dystrophy (MDA). Since this is what John has...he was very excited. Mom's going to be out of town, so John and I will be going by ourselves. If you're interested, give the tearoom a call and make reservations!

~SDS

It's hot...

John and I have been trying to stay inside and stay cool lately. It's hard on all of us when the weather gets hot like this.


Me n' John checking out a big rig at the county fair!

Mom said that I should put out some heat-related reminders for those other Service Dogs out there...things to remind your human partners about!

*Watch out for the asphalt and other surfaces! Any human who has gone barefoot on black-top knows how hot it gets...(Mom remembers walking on the painted lines on the road to avoid the heat as a kid). If you are an assistance dog, chances are, you'll be in parking lots and on sidewalks a lot with your human partner. Remind them that you shouldn't have to stand too long on those surfaces...it's hot on a dog's feet too! Have them put booties on you if being on hot surfaces is unavoidable for long periods of time!

*Bring lots of water! (and bowls) John and Mom always have water in the cars, and John keeps a fabric water bowl in his scooter pack at all times. This way, I can get a drink if we're out in the heat. Since I'm not good about getting a drink in public, Mom also gets me flavored powders to mix into my water to make it taste good! (like those little packets that Mom carries for herself...mine are hot-dog flavored instead of lemonade!) If we're out for a long day...Mom will fill a short, squat thermos with water, so the lid just has to be removed for me to drink my fill. John carries that on the floorboard of his scooter! (handy, isn't he?)

*Watch for signs of heat exhaustion Some of us are prone to over-doing it when we work or play. We dogs don't always know when to quit. So #1 is for our humans to keep an eye on us and make us stop before things go wrong! #2 is to watch for signs of heat-related problems and #3 is for our humans to read up on such problems and know what to do if something occurs! Here is a great site with lots of info! Dogs and Heat Stroke

*Protect the eyes! If you spend a lot of time outside, and it's bright and sunny, you might want to have your human get sunglasses for you. I have a pair of Doggles that John keeps handy for him, in case we're going to be out in the sun. It keeps me from squinting a lot, and since I get lots of attention and treats when I wear them, I don't mind so much!

Any other ideas for staying cool and comfortable in this heat? Feel free to post them in the comments section!

~SDS (lying on the couch in the air conditioning!)

A fun therapy visit!

Sorry to have been away for so long! It's been a busy summer!

I wanted to tell you all today about the fun visit we did last night! Mom and I went to Kennedy Krieger for our monthly therapy dog visit. I've never done this visit, Rip and Xander always get to go instead. But mom says that maybe I'll get to go all of the time from now on...because I was so good at it!

We left John behind with Xander to help him at home...and we went off to bring some smiles to the kids!

There were a lot of kids there that were very excited to meet us...and one kid in particular got a kick out of my retrieving skills. Mom gave him a fabric key chain to throw for me...and he'd send it flying across the floor...and I'd run to get it and bring it back to mom for a treat. What fun! I've never heard such squeals of delight! Then he wanted to walk me...so mom let him hold the leash down by my harness, as she held the handle end...she pushed him around the room in his wheelchair, while I walked politely by his side. We did lots of loops, and mom made him say "Watch Your FEET!" to me every time (I mean, I know how to watch out for the wheels...but mom made a game out of it...for the kid!). If I lagged a bit, she told him to say "Come on BEAN!" It was so much fun!

I love that I have two fun jobs...Service Dog first and foremost, and Therapy Dog second. It was so much fun to use my skills as a service dog to bring smiles to the kids' faces. I can't wait to go back next month!

~SDS
*all worn out from last night*

We're on vacation!

John and I are out in Ocean City for a few days...and we're not near a computer. So no pics yet...but hopefully there will be some to post when we get back. We're having a great time...though we've had some accessibility issues with the campground. (who doesn't put in a ramp in this day and age?)

See ya soon!
~SDS (rolling on the sandy beaches!)

The end of the fight?

We finally heard back from the Social Security office this past week. The supervisor called and apologized to John (no formal written apology), and said he'd take John's advice about using the ADA definition of Service Dogs from now on in the office. Everything sounded good and he seemed to be getting a clue about Service Dogs...but then he had to go and ruin it by saying, "Yeah, and next time you come in, just give us a call firs, so we know you're coming." Um...why? *eye roll*

But we did hear from the main SSA office...who were extremely apologetic, and also said that they'd use the ADA description from now on also. The office of the Inspector General had called them after getting John's complaint. So the wheels are turning slowly, but they are turning...and the parties involved are calling to apologize.

Things are looking up. Now we just have to "lose" John's Social Security card so he has an excuse for going back into that office...with no phone call in advance of course.

~SDS

Why people, animal lovers, simply cannot move on from what Vick did...

I'll be back this weekend with more Service Dog stuff...but for today...a post from the BADRAP blog about *Why people, animal lovers, simply cannot move on from what Vick did...*

~SDS

The following quotes are directly from the BADRAP blog.

A blog reader writes into the BADRAP blog with this question:

"Hello. I have been following the Michael Vick story and am wondering where BADRAP stands. I didn't see anything on the badrap.org web site. I read in the news that the HSUS has met with him. Since BADRAP took in so many of his beautiful dogs, I thought you guys would be worth listening to on the topic. Is there any indication that he is sincere and recognizes how bad his actions were? Has he actually done anything to show remorse for his cruelty to the dogs you took in? My gut-reaction is to be very dubious. There's just too much money at stake for him if no NFL team will take him on because of this. I think that any public-service ad he does for the HSUS is too little ... too easy. But, I'm just an observer in the whole mess. You guys saw it up-close and I would trust your judgment on the current situation."

This is Donna's, co-founder of BADRAP, an organization that took a good number of the Vick dogs, response:

"From me (Donna) - I admit I'm stuck on this one because I just can't get myself away from the swimming pool in Vick's yard. I first learned about it while riding in the back seat of a federal agent's car that sweltering Tuesday back in Sept 07. The agent was assigned with escorting us to the various Virginia shelters so we could evaluate "the evidence" otherwise known as 49 pit bulls - now known as cherished family pets: Hector, Uba, Jhumpa, Georgia, Sweet Jasmine and the rest. I'm not sure if sharing insider information with us was kosher, but you know how driving down long country roads can get you talking. I imagine she just needed to get some things off her chest. She said she was having trouble sleeping since the day they exhumed the bodies on the Moonlight Road property. She said that when she watched the investigators uncover the shallow graves, she was compelled to want to climb in and pick up the decomposing dogs and comfort and cradle them. She knew that was crazy talk, and she was grappling with trying to understand such a surprising impulse.

Her candor set the tone for this entire saga. Everyone we worked with was deeply affected by the case. The details that got to me then and stay with me today involve the swimming pool that was used to kill some of the dogs. Jumper cables were clipped onto the ears of underperforming dogs, then, just like with a car, the cables were connected to the terminals of car batteries before lifting and tossing the shamed dogs into the water. Most of Vick's dogs were small - 40lbs or so - so tossing them in would've been fast and easy work for thick athlete arms. We don't know how many suffered this premeditated murder, but the damage to the pool walls tells a story. It seems that while they were scrambling to escape, they scratched and clawed at the pool liner and bit at the dented aluminum sides like a hungry dog on a tin can.

I wear some pretty thick skin during our work with dogs, but I can't shake my minds-eye image of a little black dog splashing frantically in bloody water ... screaming in pain and terror ... brown eyes saucer wide and tiny black white-toed feet clawing at anything, desperate to get ahold. This death did not come quickly. The rescuer in me keeps trying to think of a way to go back in time and somehow stop this torture and pull the little dog to safety. I think I'll be looking for ways to pull that dog out for the rest of my life.

So that's where I'm at. A second chance for Vick?

An HSUS sponsored spokesman for ending torture? In my mind's eye Vick is still in the shadows at the side of that pool. As many times as this scene plays out my head, he hasn't yet moved towards that dog to pull him out. Not there yet."

So for all of you who can move on and support Vick, good for you. I won't take that away from you. BUT don't you dare, for one f**king second, judge any of us who CANNOT and WILL NOT forgive and forget so easily.