- Karyn Stratton
A Note From The Editor :
I just got done reposting several lost dog alerts to our Facebook page , pets that are still missing from the 4th of July . That , as you ' re probably aware , is the day more animals go missing than any other time of year . Many shelters , in fact , report a 30 % increase in missing pets throughout that holiday week . Fireworks can be so disturbing to a dog ' s sensitive ears , even the best trained and most well behaved pups can bolt at the sound of them . Thankfully , about half of the missing pets posted in this area have been found . Two , sadly , were hit by cars , and the whereabouts of the rest of them are still unknown .
Many pet owners have started using GPS and Apple AirTags so they can better track their dogs and cats , should they get loose . Tags , in addition to microchips , can greatly increase the odds of finding your lost pet . A word of caution about Apple AirTags , though ... Apple itself does not endorse their use on animals , stressing that they were made to track items , not pets . AirTags have a limited range , unlike GPS trackers , which use mobile data to help you locate your dog or cat anywhere , over any distance . The actual tracking range of an AirTag depends on how many Apple devices are nearby . They may not work very well at all in rural areas . AirTags can also be easily damaged by chewing or roughhousing .
It ' s easy to feel overwhelmed or lose hope if your pet has been missing for more than a few days , but pet recovery organizations stress that you should never give up . Continue to post on social media ' s lost pet pages , check local shelters , and put up flyers ( old-fashioned , yes , but they really do work ). There ' ve been two heartwarming stories in the news recently ... one about a dog being reunited with its family two years after it went missing , another after five ! If you happen to see someone ' s pet on the loose , the most important things to do are : NOT chase ... get photos , if you can ... post those photos on social media ... talk to neighbors to see if they know who the animal belongs to ... call Animal Control , if your area is fortunate enough to have one . And that ' s an issue for a whole other column !
- Karyn Stratton
In This Issue :
Pet Calendar of Events ........................................ page 2 Upcoming Pet Events ........................................... page 3 Around the Hydrant : News You Can Use .......... page 4 Sunscreen for Dogs ............................................... page 4 Hector is Hurt .................................................... page 5 Breed All About It - Mini Aussie Shepherds ...... page 7 Cute & Crazy Critters ......................................... page 8 Health Highlights : Heatstroke in Dogs .............. page 9 Adoption : A Loving Option .............................. pages 10 , 11 Pawsitively Delicious ...................................... page 12 Ask the Groomer - Ways to Combat Fleas ......... page 13 Win a Bottle of Tropiclean Flea Shampoo ......... page 13 Wise Words from WAGZ .................................... page 14 Subscriptions - Let Us Fetch Your Next Copy .... page 15
On our cover : “ Bam Bam & Pebbles "
Thanks to Lisa-Marie Carriere of Sudbury , Ontario , Canada
for providing us with their photo !
Pawsitively Pets -- August
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