Monday, July 9, 2012
Who knew bats played such an important role in real life, not just in Team Edward vs. Team Jacob drama?
While movies, TV shows and books about sexy vampires may be all the rage these days, did you know that real bats, the little flying mammals most people are afraid of, are facing a serious threat in Northern Virginia and across the U.S.? And that, my dear neighbors, poses a huge potential problem to everything from our agricultural industry, to our ecosystem, to your backyard. The good news is Northern Virginia has Leslie Sturges and Bat World NOVA, established in 2001 to promote the conservation and protection of the region's bats and to introduce the wonderful world of bats to the area's children. Located in Annandale, Bat World NOVA promotes bat conservation in the Washington Metropolitan area. And Sturges is "The Bat Lady" of Northern …
Monday, July 2, 2012
C'mon now, surely you don't think I mean the guys? I'm talking about the canines!
So what does it take to meet a nice guy in this town? Seriously. I seem to have no problem meeting fantastic guys through my job who live 3,000 miles away, or awesome dudes who are 20 years south of moi, but serious local options? Limited, to say the least. If it was just me facing this dilemma I'd say OK, I'm most likely the problem. But no; all of my attractive, smart, successful single girlfriends seem to have the same conundrum. Trying to meet and date a great guy in the D.C. Metro area is for the birds. Or, more aptly, the dogs. My friends and I have all tried the Meetup groups, the bar scene, setups from well-intentioned acquaintances to no avail. And we've all tried the online dating game at some point to see if the TV ads featuring…
Monday, June 25, 2012
I have to admit, people these days can be pretty shallow. Yet there are those among us who find beauty in the unlikeliest creatures.
"Mugly" is not the prettiest name for a pooch, but it does seem to suit the 8-year-old Chinese Crested who was just crowned the "World's Ugliest Dog." My guess is Mugly's owner doesn't think he's ugly at all. In fact, I've always thought Chinese Crested's were adorable, despite their nearly hairless, naked, bug-eyed and wrinkly appearance. Apparently they top the list on the ugly chart, as last year's winner, Yoda, is a Chinese crested and Chihuahua mix. What classifies as ugly to one person can be considered cute by another. Mugly is a rescue dog from the United Kingdom, and is a past winner of the title of Britain's Ugliest Dog contest in 2005. Typically one does not adopt a dog because they find it unattractive. When I adopted Tiki …
Monday, June 18, 2012
It seems we hear about a salmonella case nearly every day, so why are we so uninformed on prevention?
Each year more than 42,000 cases of salmonella (Salmonellosis) are reported in the U.S., but the actual number is estimated to be 29 times greater when considering mild cases not diagnosed or reported. Do you know what it is, how it can affect your pet/family, and how to avoid it? Here are some facts you need to know: Salmonella germs have been known to cause illness for more than 100 years. They were discovered by an American scientist named Salmon, for whom they are named. According to the CDC, the symptoms that pet parents will see in their dog or cat are usually diarrhea, decreased appetite, fever and excess salivation. Pets also appear very tired. Diarrhea in some animals may have blood or mucus. Most people are not aware they can get…
Monday, June 11, 2012
Pet parents must be vigilant when it comes to keeping their pets safe during hot summer months
No one likes the scorching hot, hazy and humid days of summer, including our pets. While I sit inside my air conditioned house writing this article, the thermostat outside is topping out at 95 degrees. Welcome to summer in the D.C. metro region! I know we all get tired of hearing the same message repeated over and over this time of year, and as responsible pet parents, we would never endanger our pets. Yet, there are still folks out there who don't listen, ignore the warnings or don't care about the risks to their cat or dog. So every year we see news story after news story about dogs left in vehicles to suffer or die, pets left outside in dangerously high temperatures, dogs suffering from heatstroke because their owner took them for a …
Monday, June 4, 2012
No rest for the weary pet-centric, there's always something unusual, fun or quirky going on
Do you have any idea what a mulberry is? I didn't either until my dogs' poop turned black! Sorry about that, but that is exactly how this little saga began. I was baffled about the color, trying to figure out just what the heck the dogs had gotten into. I didn't see anything unusual around the pantry or trash that had been trifled with. The next day I noticed Flip and Tiki rooting around in their fenced yard and apparently eating something (which I imagined to be very nasty, disgusting and likely dead) so I ran out to impose a cease-and-desist order. What I discovered were little black berries all over the ground, and they were scarfing them down as fast as they could. The mulberries actually looked like blackberries, but there are no …
Monday, May 28, 2012
With the kickoff of summer, comes increased incidents of dog bites. Take steps to avoid the bite
Who knows more about being bitten by dogs than U.S. Postal carriers? They walk the streets practically every day, and last year nearly 5,600 of them reported being bitten by dogs. Unfortunately, that number pales in comparison to the staggering number of 2 million children that were bitten last year. That's why the USPS has declared the week leading up to Memorial Day as National Dog Bite Prevention Week. With the warm summer weather, and the end of school just on the horizon, the frequency of dog bite reports is on the rise. While Virginia does not appear on the list of Top 25 Dog Bite Rankings, Washington, D.C. was tied for 23rd place. Here are some eye opening stats: There are simple steps you can take to avoid becoming a statistic, …
Monday, May 21, 2012
Sure, it's the official harbinger of summer! But for one feisty Jack Russell Terrorist, this holiday weekend in particular poses a serious challenge.
Yep, everyone looks forward to Memorial Day weekend, including me. It kicks off all the summer fun, pays homage to our service men and women, offers up countless cookouts and parties, and brings tens of thousands of visitors to the D.C. area to celebrate. Including "Rolling Thunder." Rolling Thunder is not a troublesome weather system. It is not "Hell's Angels." It is a nonprofit organization with nearly 900,000 motorcycle riders who participate in the annual Memorial Day weekend rides nationwide to bring awareness to and action on behalf of the 10,000 reported POWs/MIAs of the Vietnam War. The riders are veterans and non-veterans, male and female, young and old. I can always tell when the Memorial Day holiday is approaching because the …
Monday, May 14, 2012
In tough times, we rally together, lean on friends and family, and reach out to our pets for comfort
Sunday was a Mother's Day to remember: It was my first Mother's Day in 50 years without my mom. None of us were prepared for her sudden stroke in mid-April, and certainly not for her passing two weeks later. As they say, no matter how much you prepare, you are never really prepared. My father, after 56 years together, was probably the least prepared of all. The two weeks in ICU at Fairfax Hospital and hospice care at home are still a bit of a blur. However, there are moments of clarity, tiny details and infinitesimal surprises that I will never forget. While the massive stroke left my mother fairly paralyzed, unable to speak or eat or care for herself, we were all certain that she was still "in there." Sitting by her bedside in ICU, we …
Monday, May 7, 2012
Around town and around the nation, you can be sure there's something pet-centric in the news that relates to you
What do thousands of happy people, hundreds of excited dogs, music and one pink ferret have in common? They all came together at the 12th annual Pet Fiesta on Saturday at Reston Town Center. The weather cooperated with a hot, sunny day, and although there were a few threats of a thunderstorm, none materialized. The Tails on Trails Dog Walk brought 150+ walkers and dogs out in the morning. And throughout the day, the 40 rescue organizations were kept busy answering questions about adoptable dogs and trying to make happy matches between potential adopters and eager foster dogs. It is not too late to adopt, just visit the website of any of the rescue organizations. Thank you to all the GoodDogz.org volunteers who helped make the event another…
Heidi Weiss
4:49 pm on Monday, July 9, 2012
I know what you mean Linda, I've noticed a distinct decline as well. more ›