Each year animal shelters see a record number of strays during the 4th of July.  With all the commotion and fireworks going on it can be a very scary time for your pets!

So what can you do to help make sure your pet is safe?

1) Leave them at home! Your pet doesn’t know it’s a holiday and if they tend to be nervous around loud noises, thunder, and other loud activities, it’s best to just leave them at home.  They’ll feel safer and more comfortable, make sure your house is secured and your pet can’t get out.

2) Make sure their tags and microchip information is up to date. If they do get out, this will be the best chance you have of finding them or of them finding home.

3) Distract your pet. Tire out your pet before the nightly festivities.  If you’re not going to be home, get them toys and a safe place to “hide”.  Turn on the TV or some music to distract them from the loud noises outside.  If you are home, play with them or give them treats so they’re not thinking about the noise.

4) DO NOT leave them outside!! Pets who are normally okay with loud noises may not be okay with fireworks.  Many pets have escaped yards or hurt themselves trying to escape.

5) Consult a veternarian. If your pet is extremely anxious, talk to your vet to see if there are sedatives you can use.  There are also herbal calming solutions such as rescue remedy to help calm an animal down.

Also, please remember, NEVER leave a pet in the car on a hot day or night, the temperature in a car can quickly reach deathly levels within minutes and a dog’s internal body temperature is already 102 degrees.

We hope you all have a wonderful and safe 4th of July with your Furry Friends!

For more information about 4th of July safety check out these articles:

Release Your Dog’s Fear This Fourth of July

HSSV – July 4th Fireworks Are No Blast for Pets

This is a piece I wrote for the Santana Row blog but it’s good to remember good pet etiquette whenever you’re out with your pet!  Click here to check it out on their website too!

Most pets always want to be with you and whenever possible, it can be great fun to bring your pet along, especially when it comes to shopping, outdoor dining, sitting at a cafe and walking around a park.  This is also good for dogs especially as it helps socialize us to different environements, smells, people and pets.  However, there are general rules of etiquette everyone should try to follow to ensure a safe and happy time to be had by all!

1) Be aware of where your pet is and what they are doing. Especially when shopping or pet friendly shopping areas or walking by outdoor restaurants, you don’t want your dog urinating on someone’s leg or merchandise!  Also keep in mind, not everyone likes animals and some are afraid.

2) Keep your pet leashed or contained. In areas where there is a lot of foot traffic, use a non-retractable leash for better control and safety, cats also often like being in strollers for safety reasons.

3) Clean up after your pet. No one wants to step in dog poop or see it on the street.  Help keep places clean and ensure they stay dog-friendly, pick up after your dog.  Respect the hard work of gardeners and try to keep your pets out of planters and flower beds.  Try to “empty”out your pet before heading into shopping or dining areas.

4) Ask before the Sniff! You never know how animals or people will react to each other, be polite and respectful.  Just as people should ask before petting a strange dog or cat, one should ask if it’s okay to let dogs greet each other.

5) Know when it’s best to leave your pet at home. Some situations might be more stressful for your pet or they may not be ready for a loud and noisy area.  Instead of being stressed with your pet, leave him or her at home, go have a good time and come back to a happy and rested pet.

Following these simple rules can help ensure that everyone, including you and your pet having an enjoyable outing!

Alfie D1593

Our blog made it on alltop! Check it out at pets.alltop.com

Name: Angie D2322
Type: Dog
Gender: Female
Breed: Border Collie / Cattle Dog Mix
Age: 1 year 5 months
Hair/Color: Brown / Black / Brindle
Size: 40 lbs.

Now I’ve personally met Angie, me and mom see her every Saturday almost at the Mountain View Pet Club adoption showcase.  She’s such a wonderful dog, we don’t understand why she’s still with us!  She is absolutely devoted to people and we hope she’ll at least get a foster home soon!  You see, whoever picks her up from the pet retreat place to bring to showcase, she LOVES, she’s just so excited to be out and about and with people too!  She does have a lot of energy and would make a great biking, jogging, or agility dog!  So please, won’t you just come and meet her?

Read on for more details!

**Note: Adoption in Northern California – SF Bay Area Only**

Did you come to our event in May at Santana Row?  You might see yourself in the video!  A very special thank you to all our donors and supporters and to everyone who bought a cupcake that day!

Thank you Kara’s Cupcakes, Santana Row, Planet Blue Dog, Diamond Pet Food, and  Lawrence Pet Hospital!

You may not know this, but Santana Row is pet-friendly!  There’s a over 80 stores that allow pets in and many restaurants who accommodate pets on outside seating terraces.  If you have a well behaved pet this could become an enjoyable activity for the both of you – shopping and dining on the row.

Personally, you can often find mom and me having lunch in Park Valencia or along the row, usually if it’s sunny I’m napping in the sun.  We also enjoy just sitting in the lounge chairs near Pinkberry, enjoying frozen yogurt (I always get to lick the cup) and people and pet watching!  As the weather gets warmer, it’ll be nice to get outside!  Also make sure to get a Kara’s Cupcake while you’re there, they helped support Furry Friends Rescue with a cupcake fundraiser recently – their frosting is absolutely delicious!

Check out their new Paws on the Row materials and look for the Paws Welcome Here decals on the windows!

For a list of pet-friendly stores, click here.

Summer is here and the weather is getting nicer – no more excuses to not take the dog outside for some exercise!  Remember a healthy pet is a happy pet (and also means less vet bills and other expenses), plus it’s just as good for you as it is for them!

However if you’re tired of the typical walk around the block, here are some alternatives to those walks and ways to intensify those work-outs.

Ways to exercise with your dog:

• Check out local hikes that you can take your dog to! – http://www.bahiker.com/doghikes.html – One of my favorites to take mom to is Pulgas Ridge, there’s an off leash area in the middle and plenty of on-leash hiking trails.

• Find a local walk-a-thon and see if they allow pets.  There’s usually a race that goes by our house and we see people with dogs and strollers!

• Woof Report recently came out with some great tips for fun games to make you exercise as you play with your dog!  Check out the article here.

• Dog Sports is a great way for you and your dog to stimulate mind and body AND be social! Some of the most popular dog sports are agility, disc dogs, flyball, and dock diving (you’ll NEVER see me do this.. ick Water!!).  A lot of these activities often require the owner to do running and jumping as well – they gotta keep up with us dogs!  Mom and I are currently learning flyball, it’s super fun, I love balls, I love to run!  Check out a list of dog sports here!

• Join a local group that does dog walking – sometimes you just want to walk and talk! Check out Society Dog as an example of a local dog walking group.

• One of the latest new trends is signing up to exercise WITH your pet!  Both of these are in LA, but apparently you can get certified, and I believe there are some videos out there as well! – Thank Dog Boot Camp and Bow Wow Workout.

Whatever you do this summer to exercise with your pet, always remember to BRING WATER!!  Exercising in the early hours or evening hours is often best since it’s the coolest part of the day.  Us dogs and cats can get overheated very quickly, so just watch out for excessive panting and lethargy.