Posted: Tuesday, September 6th, 2011 No Comments »

We receive at least half a dozen press releases a day, sometimes more. Some get thrown out because we don’t believe they are relevant to you, our readers. Some get turned into articles in the print edition of Dog Living or posted on our website. And then there are press releases like the one below.

While we appreciate the fact that this computer magazine is trying to be creative and appeal to dog lovers by partnering with the RSPCA (the British equivalent of the SPCA or Humane Society in the United States), we’re not so sure we “get” the humor in this new poll. (or should we say “humour”?We’re sure it’s supposed to be funny, but to us it’s just a big turn-off. What do you think?

For those of you who don’t want to go through the whole press release, we’ll summarize for you: Basically, they’re saying that dog owners rely on computers more than their dogs and computers are supposedly better companions than dogs.

July 25, 2011
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

COMPUTER REPLACES DOG AS ‘MAN’S BEST FRIEND’, POLL REVEALS

• Barks give way to bytes in our daily lives
• Even Dog-Owners Now Rely More On Their PCs Than Their Dogs – Male And Younger Dog-Owners Most Of All
• PCs Rated “A More Constant Companion” Than Dogs
• “Only a matter of time until a PC that fetches your slippers.”
• But could the family PC could be a dog’s best friend?

The personal computer has overtaken the family dog as ‘man’s best friend’, according to an online poll conducted by YouGov for Computeractive magazine and animal charity, the RSPCA.

Barely one in 20 of us (6%) believe “most people rely more on their dog than they do on their PC”. Over two-thirds (67%) of us reckon the opposite is true, according to the poll of over 2,000 British adults.

Even most dog-owners polled confessed to relying more on their PC than on their pooch (38% vs 36%), while younger dog-owners did so most of all. Nearly three-quarters (71%) of 18-24 year-old dog-owners said that they relied more on their PC than on their dog.

Male dog-owners rely far more on their PCs than do female ones, reveals the poll, commissioned by Computeractive on behalf of the RSPCA’s [Royal Society for the Protection of Animals] Justice for Animals Appeal.

Male dog-owners (48%) are almost twice as likely as female ones (28%) to rely more on their PCs than their pooches.

Almost two-thirds (61%) of those polled also felt that a PC is now “a more constant companion than a dog” for most people. Less than one sixth of respondents (16%) thought the opposite.

“These days you can even take your PC for a walk, provided you have a laptop or tablet”, says Paul Allen, editor of Computeractive, the UK’s best-selling computer magazine. “It’s only a matter of time until the first PC that fetches your slippers.”

The findings, adds Allen, also highlight what a major role computers now play in family life, particularly for men.

“With broadband bringing them global news and newspaper sales falling, the family dog even misses out on the pleasure of taking the paper to his owner.”

Is the family PC now a dog’s best friend?

It’s not all bad news for Rover, Mr Allen points out:

“The family PC has given dog-owners access to a wealth of resources and information that can help with the long-term care that a dog needs. From finding the best vets to researching great new walks that all the family can enjoy, the Web enables the PC to become a dog’s best friend.”

RSPCA Inspector Tony Woodley adds:

“The Internet is hugely important in all aspects of work the RSPCA carries out, from rehoming animals to campaigns, social media and online are fantastic ways for us to reach out to our supporters.

“One crucial way we use the Internet is to raise funds for vital things such as the Justice For Animals campaign helping us prevent the most severe acts of cruelty from happening again.”

To highlight how the home computer can help the family dog reclaim his place as man’s best friend, Computeractive is donating £2.50 to the RSPCA Justice for Animals Appeal, from every new or upgraded subscription to the magazine, from now until 31st August 2011.

Computeractive is working with the RSPCA to fight for justice against animal cruelty by raising funds for five prosecution cases of animal cruelty. It is donating an initial lump-sum of £2,100 to fund the first of these and then a further £2.50 for any new or upgraded subscription taken up before 31st August 2011.

The magazine is launching the initiative with a short video that takes a quirky look at how PCs have demoted the family dog. It can be viewed at.
http://www.getcomputeractive.co.uk/why_computeractive.php

Posted: Monday, July 25th, 2011 No Comments »

Critters on the Move and Dog Living Magazine want to give one deserving family a free spay or neuter for their pet.  Often owners may want to get their pets spayed or neutered, but due to financial circumstances cannot.  Free and low-cost spay/neuter programs are critical to helping stop the pet overpopulation problem.

We asked you to send us your nominations and here are our three finalists.  You, the readers, will decide who will win. The winner will receive a free spay/neuter (up to $125.00) paid for by Critters on the Move.

FINALIST #1

My friend has a beautiful and sweet female Pit Bull who has given birth to several litters for the past few years. She and her husband struggle to keep a roof over their heads as he is disabled, and also have a teenaged son who lives with them. They would absolutely love to have their female dog spayed and their male dog neutered and have no possible means of paying for this. She works extremely hard as a server and is one of the dearest people I know. Her wages barely cover day to day costs of the people and dogs in her home. She gets all her dogs vaccinated and doses them for HW prevention herself but has yet to be able to put aside the funds to spay/neuter. I don’t have to tell anyone who cares about dogs in NC the terrible trouble the Pit Bull breed is in in this area. They die by the thousands in kill shelters every year here and just a few weeks ago 29 were put to death at Brunswick County Animal Control in Supply. Only three were deemed “food aggressive” but these dogs were being slowly starved to death. Please consider my friend and her family as candidates for the Spay/Neuter Contest. Thank you.

FINALIST #2

Carolina Basset Hound Rescue was contacted by a shelter about a young girl who found herself in a desperate place after being hit by a car. She had suffered traumatic injury and unfortunately, nobody came to look for her. The staff at the vets could not believe their eyes that though this little girl should have been screaming in pain and full of fear, she was lavishing kisses instead. She knew that she had been saved. The injury was so dangerously close to an artery that if any shifting of the bones occurred, she could bleed to death before anything could be done. It was also estimated that she was only about a year old and recently had puppies.

Unfortunately, she had not faced her last battle. Standard practice for CBHR is that all dogs they take in receive full veterinary care and all their shots right away however, her immune system had been too severely compromised for them to to do so. She came down with the parvo virus. However, she was not giving up and neither were the volunteers of CBHR. After all she had been through, it was decided that she needed a new name to start her new chance at life. “Mercedes” was the obvious choice. She is now well on her way to going to a loving family once her spay surgery is complete.

Unfortunately, CBHR has been hit with many cases like the one above and is in danger of having to close intake because of a lack of funding. Assistance with her spay surgery will allow us to use those funds on the other 50+ basset hounds in our care. Thank you for your consideration.

FINALIST #3

Driving down river road thru a very wooded area, I saw movement out of the corner of my eye.  something very small was moving towards the edge of the road.  She must of known I was a sucker the minute she saw my vehicle.  There she was this very cute, tiny little puppy.  She may be what you call a chiweenie.  But who really knows.  Thats what I named her, Chiweenie.  Maybe 4 months old and all of a whole 4 or 5 lbs.  Picked her up and brought her home.  How such a tiny dog could be out there in the middle of no where all by herself.  She is a ray of sunshine, such a happy little pup.   I do rescues as I can as Dogs are my life.  I have a Mobile Pet Care business.  Right now my home has 9 dogs.  I try to rescue what I can but at the moment I’m overloaded.  They seem to keep jumping out right in front of me, just that they don’t have thumbs so i’m not sure if they are hitch-hiking or not.  Spaying would help so much with this little chiweenie.  I’d be able to get her adopted faster as I never adopt out a dog without it being spayed or neutered.  So if theres a chance for this kind of help…. I’m writing.  So, as chiweenie did to me… stop here and pick me.

CAST YOUR VOTE BELOW TO DETERMINE WHO WILL RECEIVE THE FREE SPAY/NEUTER.

Posted: Friday, July 1st, 2011 No Comments »

Posted: Tuesday, May 31st, 2011 No Comments »

FROM PRESS RELEASE:

Kara, a three year old pit bull mix saved from a high-kill Los Angeles County shelter, was chosen as the bully breed ambassador for the national “Pit Stops: Crossing the Country with Loren the Rescue Bully” book that launched May 9. Accompanied by Kara, author Michelle Sathe will sign copies of “Pit Stops” at rescues, shelters, humane pet stores and dog-friendly venues from Santa Fe to Pittsburgh during their seven-week trek.

“Kara is such a sweet, affectionate dog, I just know she’s going to charm everyone she meets,” Sathe said. “Having a positive, hands-on interaction with a bully breed is instrumental in turning around the bad rap these dogs have. Like Loren, my canine companion in ‘Pit Stops,’ Kara’s the perfect girl to show the world how great bullies can be.”

Sathe and Kara will appear for a book signing and adoption event at Phydeaux in Raleigh, North Carolina with Carolina Care Bullies, a non-profit education and advocacy organization that rescues pit bulls from local shelters and places them in foster homes prior to adoption. The event will take place on Wednesday, June 1, from 4-7 p.m. at 10 W Franklin St, Raleigh.

“I found out about Carolina Care Bullies through a mutual friend on Facebook. The group has a lot of dedicated volunteers that work tirelessly to save pit bulls and bully breeds in Raleigh and the surrounding areas,,” Sathe said. “Kara and I can’t wait to meet the two- and four-legged representatives from CCB. We hope a lot of people will come out to meet the CCB dogs and learn more about how great pit bulls can be.”
“Pit Stops,” released in the fall of 2010, chronicles Sathe’s cross-country journey in 2009 with Loren, a homeless pit bull from The Brittany Foundation dog rescue in Agua Dulce, where Sathe is a volunteer and board member.

Sathe, a features writer with The Santa Clarita Valley Signal, had turned 40 and decided to combine her dream of the great American road trip with a mission to promote pit bull awareness and homeless pet adoption.

Together, Sathe and Loren crossed 29 states in 50 days, shining a light on animal welfare advocates and volunteers along the way, as well as exposing the brutal reality facing pit bulls and dogs who look like them.

“Bully breeds are the dogs most likely to be neglected, chained, abused or trained to fight, through no fault of their own,” Sathe said. “As many of the experts I’ve interviewed in ’Pit Stops’ have expressed, there’s also a dangerously inaccurate media bias on pit bulls. They’re sensationalized and misrepresented, and because of this, often miss out on the chance of becoming a family pet. Instead, they become a sad statistic in our shelter system.”

Thankfully, Loren’s story in “Pit Stops” had a happy ending when her long-awaited dream came true. Sathe is striving for the same outcome with Kara, whom she describes as a symbol of what happens far too often with pit bulls.

“Kara was used as a breeder for years and then dumped at the shelter when she was pregnant. When her ten puppies were adopted, Kara was scheduled to be killed,” Sathe said.

Instead, Kara was rescued in the nick of time by shelter volunteer Kyle Harris, who fosters dogs at her Canyon Country home, in January. When Sathe saw Kara’s picture posted on Harris’ Facebook page, she knew she had found her new road companion.

 “We’re going to do our best to help these dogs, one mile and one encounter at a time,” Sathe said.
Signed copies of “Pit Stops” are available for $15 at www.pitstopsbook.com. One dollar of every “Pit Stops” sale from website orders and the tour will benefit The Brittany Foundation.

Posted: Sunday, May 29th, 2011 No Comments »

We encourage you to type in your favorite trail in the “other” category and we’ll post all the “other” responses in a new post as they are submitted.

Posted: Sunday, February 20th, 2011 No Comments »

Thanks to a grant from PetSmart Charities, the SPCA of Wake County is offering $5 dog and cat spay/neuter surgeries for residents in two areas of Raleigh. The areas have been identified as problem areas for unwanted and homeless animals.

From February 7 through February 17, residents of zip codes 27610 and 27601 can have their pets spayed or neutered for only $5 each. A rabies vaccine is also included.

The SPCA of Wake County mapped the areas of Raleigh with the most “pick ups” from Animal Control officers. The biggest problems came from zip codes 27610 and 27601. The SPCA hopes the $5 surgery fee and rabies vaccination will encourage pet owners to come forward who might not otherwise be able to afford the traditional surgery costs which can run more than $300.

To get your pet fixed for $5:

-You must live in zip code 27610 or 27601
-Make an appointment by calling 919-772-0211
-More information is available at www.spcawake.org

Posted: Saturday, January 22nd, 2011 No Comments »

It’s the holiday shopping season and we’ve lined up some great deals for dog lovers!*

Check back often as we will be updating this page as the deals roll in.

CHARLOTTE AREA

DEAL:  Chloe’s Playhouse (www.chloesplayhouse.com)
3 Visit Special $55 (save $5)
5 Visit Special $85 (save $15)
10 Visit Special $160 (save $40)
20 Visit Special $310 (save $90)

RALEIGH AREA

DEAL:  AniMall, Cary (www.animall.com)
Pick up a coupon at AniMall good for $2 off any purchase over $10!

WILMINGTON AREA

DEAL:  Molly Maid (910-392-3234)
$20 Off Cleaning - Must Mention Dog Living!

DEAL:  Cool Dogs & Crazy Cats, Southport (910-457-0115)
HUGE holiday sale with 20%-70% off many items…While they last!

DEAL: Wasting Time Pet Waste Removal Service (910-795-4979)
They’ll clean up the “presents” your dog leaves behind!  Mention Dog Living and take 50% off your first month’s service.

ONLINE

DEAL:  TrimDog (www.trimdog.com)
Use the coupon code “dogliving” and receive $5 off the purchase of any TrimDog Weight Loss System.  FREE shipping also included!

DEAL:  Products 4 Paws (www.products4paws.com)
North Carolina residents use the code “NC PET” and receive $5 off your order!
Early Black Friday Specials…
Zoom Crunchy Bites w/Glucosamine $32.00
Advantage for Dogs (4 pack) $36.00-38.00 (large dog)
K9 Advantix (4 pack) $43.00-50.00 (large dog)
Pharmaseb Ear Flush (4 oz) $10.50
Pharmaseb Ear Flush (8 oz) $15.50
Leba III Oral Spray $47.00
Zymox Ear Cleanser $9.95
Zymox Otic Enzymatic Solution (1.25 fl oz) $13.95
Zymox Otic HC 1% Enzymatic Solution (1.25 fl oz) $13.95

DEAL:  Critters on the Move (www.crittersonthemove.com)
Mention Dog Living and receive 50% off decal orders through December 10, 2010!!! (limit one per customer)

*Offers are from third parties and subject to change without notice.

Posted: Tuesday, November 23rd, 2010 No Comments »

Ollie and August insisted that I take them on a doggy adventure this past weekend, so how could I resist?  Since I’m not exactly an early riser, I quickly ruled out any hardcore hikes to the west of our “base” in Wilmington.  By the time we would have reached some of the really good places, the sun would have been going down!

So I decided we’d work with what we have right here in southeastern North Carolina.  I packed our adventure kit (water, bowls, treats, leashes, poop bags) and headed south.  Our first stop was at Carolina Beach State Park.  We parked by the marina and took a short walk down the nature trail to the water and found a spot somewhat away from the trail.  I unleashed them both (ssshhh, you’re not supposed to do that!) and they went wild running up the sand and splashing around in the water.  After they were both fully soaked and August had rolled in something that obviously smelled incredibly good to her, we headed back to the car for our next stop.

After cruising down Lake Park Boulevard we discovered there were actually dogs at the Gurney Hood Barking Lot in Kure Beach, so we stopped to play.  Of course, once Ollie and August got into the dog park, all they wanted to do was sniff and poop, so, at least they got that out.

After the dog park we continued south to Fort Fisher where we parked at the Battle Acre.  We made the short walk along the paved path and headed down to the shoreline before turning around and heading back to the car.  It was time to catch the ferry!

Ollie and August were especially excited to find out the man at the ferry terminal was waiting for them with two biscuits!  We boarded the ferry and made a relaxing journey to Southport.  Once we got to Southport we parked at the Visitor’s Center and walked.  And walked.  And walked.  We explored the side streets, the old jail, the Old Smithville Burying Ground, the Riverwalk and more!  After getting our exercise the sun was beginning to set, so we decided it was time to make our way back to the ferry to begin the journey home.  But our doggy adventure was not over yet!

It was dinnertime and not only were the dogs hungry, I was hungry.  We stopped by PT’s Grill near Monkey Junction where we all enjoyed a burger (and I enjoyed a beer!).  And wouldn’t you know it, there was a group of children of various ages sitting next to us.  While the two-legged children screamed and ran around, Ollie and August sat quietly by my side.  It made me such a proud mama!

So, here’s a recap if you’ve got a few hours to spare and want to make your own doggy adventure in the Wilmington area:

-Carolina Beach State Park
-Gurney Hood Barking Lot (Kure Beach)
-Battle Acre (across from the Fort Fisher site)
-Southport/Fort Fisher Ferry
-Southport Walking Tour
-PT’s Grill (although there are many other dog-friendly places to eat/drink along this route!)

Posted: Monday, November 22nd, 2010 No Comments »

Posted: Thursday, November 11th, 2010 No Comments »