As spring quickly approaches, flowers begin to bloom and people begin their warm-weathered routine of caring for their lawn. However, if you have a new puppy or a pet you’ve had for several years, it is still important to consider what you have in your front lawn or backyard.

There are many different plants that are poisonous to dogs if they are ingested, and insecticides are harmful as well. Here is a non-exhaustive list of a few plants to look out for this coming spring season; it may affect what you may or may not decide to plant over the next few weeks.

An ever popular plant that is found in many lawns each spring is the Azalea flower plant (Rhododendron spp.). This is a poisonous plant, and though ingestion is not usually known to result in death, it does cause severe stomach and intestine irritation. The symptoms of consumption include stomach irritation, abdominal pain, an abnormal heart rate or rhythm, and convulsions. Sometimes, with great quantities of Azalea consumption, a coma and/or death can result, though that is often not the case.

Another common plant that grows in yards across the United States is English Ivy (Hedera helix L.). It is a dark green vine plant that can be found in almost any locale. They are gorgeous and elegant as they climb up the side of the house or the trees in the backyard, or even as they hang from a plant holder inside your home. English Ivy’s beauty may be deceiving, however; this plant is very toxic to dogs if it is consumed. The symptoms of ingestion include stomach irritation, diarrhea, difficulty breathing and a coma which may result in death.

Lantana is a flower plant that can be very harmful if eaten. It is a popular plant that is present in gardens practically everywhere. It does not always cause death, but it may in extra critical cases. The leaves and berries of the lantana plant are the most toxic part, though the flower section is harmful as well. The symptoms of consumption include weakness, sluggishness, and bloody diarrhea. If the case is severe, death will occur within 2 to 4 days after the plant is eaten.

If you decide to fertilize your lawn this spring, there are a few things you will need to consider first. Fertilizers are often harmful to dogs, and you will need to keep your pet away from the area after the fertilizer has been applied. If you get your lawn professionally fertilized, speak with the professional and ask them when your pup can safely walk over the lawn again. If you decide to self-apply the chemicals, be sure to carefully follow the instructions, and if there is nothing on the packaging that relates to animals, call the manufacturer and ask them; it is always better to be safe than sorry!

Keeping an eye out for plants and flowers that can harm your pet is important. It is easy to not think about what we have in our lawn or our backyard. Even if your dog rarely chews on grass or eats things that aren’t food, it is always a good idea to simply not have anything that could hurt them; your dog will thank you for it!

Have you ever wanted to go on a fun trip abroad, yet don’t know what to do with your precious pup while you are away? Or maybe you would like to take your pet with you, but all the traveling details are simply overwhelming?

Well, you’re in luck. With today’s ever increasing pet-friendly culture worldwide, there are travel agencies that cater specifically to planning fun trips for people and their favorite pet.

So, what services do pet-specific travel agencies offer? The list is far and wide, depending on what agency you decide to go with. However, there are certain services that most pet travel agencies offer in general.

Most pet travel agencies are able to: book flights, make the appropriate accommodations for you and your pet’s flying experience, make lodging reservations, provide information on transportation upon arrival, complete international booking registration procedures, discuss and work out your various budget options, provide a preparation checklist, estimate pick-up and/or delivery services, in addition to providing you with various traveling tips and know-how to make your traveling experience as worry free as possible.

Many pet travel agencies also provide specific pet transport services. Popular services include, but are not limited to: educate the client concerning pet airline travel regulations as they relate to the summer’s heat and winter’s cold as well as helping their client choose the best option; perform complete and thorough research relating to airfare options, rates, and flight information that best suits the needs of the client; provide information of the most current rules and regulations regarding international pet travel; work with the client to form a checklist dealing with the preparation of the client’s pet’s kennel or travel crate that is within standard air travel regulations; and finally, conduct thorough research of the best lodging accommodations, rates, services, and transportation in addition to booking them for the client as an end result.

Not only do most pet travel agencies provide you with exceptional service in making the perfect travel arrangements for you and your pet, they can also help you make plans for your pet if you decide to leave them at home while you are away.

If you plan on being abroad for a long time, and cannot take your pet with you, pet travel agencies will discuss various options with you to ensure your pet will be perfectly well taken of while you are away.

If you have always wanted to travel with your pet, now is your chance! With so many pet specific travel agencies available, planning a wonderful trip for you and your pet has never been easier.

Making elaborate plans for going abroad can be difficult enough as it is, without having to deal with pet accommodations, rules, regulations, and allowances as well! Go ahead; pick the perfect pet travel agency that best suits your needs; they will work with you and help you plan the vacation of your dreams!

Did you know that the top 10 dog names are also people names?

It must be because we are treating our pets more like people!

Here are the top 10 dog names, according to Veterinary Pet Insurance’s database:

Photo by prakhar

1. Max
2. Molly
3. Buddy
4. Bella
5. Lucy
6. Maggie
7. Daisy
8. Jake
9. Bailey
10. Rocky

Interested in the top 10 cat names too? They are:

1. Max
2. Chloe
3. Lucy
4. Tigger
5. Smokey
6. Smokey
7. Oliver
8. Bella
9. Sophie
10. Princess

More about pet names:

He starts out by telling the story of a dog-loving woman who broke up with her boyfriend when she found out that he was not crazy about dogs and did not love her dog.

Then he goes on to talk about some research into why we humans go to such great lengths out of love for our dogs.

You can read the article here.

I find this whole idea very interesting. I have heard something similar before. Like Katz, I don’t feel that this diminishes my love of dogs at all. If anything, it just shows how intelligent they are, that they have adapted to us so well.

By the way, Jon Katz is the author of A Good Dog: The Story of Orson, Who Changed My Life, A Dog Year: Twelve Months, Four Dogs, and Me, and several other dog books.

He has a new book coming out in July of this year — Dog Days: Dispatches from Bedlam Farm.

A high-powered lawyer in Washington, DC grew disillusioned with her life after being severely injured in an accident.

She moved to Seattle but was still not happy. That is, until she got a dog.

According to the article:

The dog changed everything.

“I was having a little difficulty trusting people because of the accident. I just felt a little more comfortable around animals,” she says.

Wynn went to the Seattle city pound to offer her help. When she found it didn’t have a volunteer program, she set one up in 1998. Within three years, her nonprofit organization was so successful that most of Seattle’s adoptable dogs were finding homes. So Wynn started a nonprofit for rural dogs in 2001, called Rescue Every Dog. She took a job with a tax law practice but still has plenty of time to volunteer. The accident money has allowed her to take no salary from her nonprofits. Her invested savings from the recovery are worth more than $1 million.

“The settlement gave me an opportunity to look past just how much was I making and how hard was I working to what could I do for the community and others,” she says.

Her volunteer work has been emotionally healing. Being around the people who give their time and money to help animals, she says, has helped her learn to like, and trust, people again. She hopes to pursue a new legal career: animal rights.

Read the entire article…

It is amazing what an animal can do to change your life. I know my life is much richer for having a dog. They do take you out of yourself and help you to notice the good things in the world.

The first thing that struck me about this story is that the woman first got the beagle, Snowflake, when she saw her tied up in a yard and not gettng much attention. She asked the owners if she could have the dog, and they said yes. How easy — just to ask! I guess since they were not paying much attention to the dog anyway, they might have been happy that someone wanted her.

Then, after the dog ran away, the owner never gave up hope. She kept checking back at the shelter, week after week, to see if Snowflake had been found.

Read the whole story here.

The top dog names are:

1. Max
2. Ben
3. Buster
4. Tyson
5. Lady
6. Jack
7. Sam
8. Charlie
9. Molly
10. Tara

In case you want to see the top 10 cat names, rabbit names, or top 10 names for all species, here is the article…

She greets guests in the lobby, and people can sign up to take her on walks.

According to Boston.com News,

Catie trained to be a seeing-eye dog but needed a “career change” when she developed cataracts, said Jim Carey, the concierge director who takes her home most nights. Two of Fairmont’s Canadian hotels had successful canine ambassadors — including one pooch who was walked by Queen Elizabeth II — and the Copley Plaza decided to give it a try.

Catie and Carey take a 20-minute subway ride to work each morning, with Catie lying in the same spot in the first car next to the driver.

At work, she curls up on a powder blue bed next to the concierges, who keep her walk schedule in a black leather appointment book. Most mornings Carey lets her run the hotel halls, her nails clicking across the marble floors. Guests and tourist huddle around her bed, and she gives a wag each time someone pats her head.

“It’s a down-home, welcoming feeling,” said New Yorker Curtis McKinney, 44, who comes to Boston once a month for business and now stays exclusively at the Copley Plaza. “We started coming here basically to see her.”

Read the entire article…

This is a great story! It is amazing how a dog can make a place seem so much more special.

Lucey Higginbotham, or Satey as her friends call her, has been cutting hair in Titusville since 1965. She said she’s had a little dog beside her for 21 years and isn’t going to stop now just because the state says she has to.
…
The Department of Business and Professional Regulations says it’s against the law to keep the tiny canine in the business.

Twice Higginbotham paid the $200 fine to keep Snoopy around. Then she was sent a third fine for $5,100.

Read the entire story…

I didn’t know it was against the law to keep a pet at your business. I could see if it was a place that sold food… I wonder if the laws are the same all over. This case is in Florida.

Belle was in Washington, D.C., on Monday to receive an award for biting onto owner Kevin Weaver’s cell phone to call 911 after the diabetic man had a seizure and collapsed.

“There is no doubt in my mind that I’d be dead if I didn’t have Belle,” said Weaver, 34, whose blood sugar had dropped dangerously low. Belle had been trained to summon help in just those circumstances. She had been taught to bite down on the number 9 on his cell phone contacting 911.

Read the rest of the story…

The story goes on to say that the dog is able to sense when her owner’s blood sugar is low, and alerts him to check his blood sugar.

It is amazing to me what dogs can do, and how much they help us in so many ways.