A little while ago, there was a news story about a woman coming out of a store on West Broadway to find her dog being hauled off by Animal Control.  She had her pooch tied up while she was inside.  She had no clue that she was breaking a Vancouver bylaw, nor had she ever thought it was something that would have her fighting for the return of her dog and dealing with a fine.

This issue has opened up quite a can of worms.

Owning a dog while living in an urban area like Vancouver, has meant that the dog is part of people’s ‘lifestyle.’  Trips to the coffee shops, groceries, and so on, has been part of the dogs daily exercise for many people.  In a recent article in The Province, according to Tom Hammel, Assistant Director of the city’s licences and animal-control division, not many people are aware of that. “There’s a bylaw provision that requires dog owners to be in charge of their dog at all times,” said Hammel, who guessed the bylaw goes back 30 or 40 years “at least.” According to the article, the city had at least two cases last year where a dog tied up this way bit a passerby.

In yet another article on subject in the Vancouver Sun, it was noted that the number of bylaw infractions  issued annually for tying up a dog on a city street was very few. The larger concern, the city said, is dogs who jump on passersby, bark or impede access to stores.  This seems to go back to the age old issue between dog owner and non dog owner over common sense when it comes to knowing your dog and knowing what works for your dog.  If you have a laid back calm dog who isn’t bothered by waiting outside a store and is trained to do so….in my opinion…great.  It is those other kind of dogs that should NOT be left alone, and that is the responsibility of the dog owner.    Properly trained dogs trump lifestyle choices.

Vancouver Councillor. Adriane Carr jumped on this issue and asked that the bylaw be redrafted to exempt the tying up part….but the motion has been deferred for the moment. She did note that the bigger issues with with unlicensed dogs.  It’s estimated there are 100,000 dogs in the city of Vancouver and only about 24,000 of them are licensed.

Is your dog licensed?

I would love to see what other people think about this issue.  In Vancouver there seems to be a huge rift between dog and non dog people.  Do you find this is the case where you are?  Does a does waiting outside a store bother you?

After we lost Callie, we couldn’t help put look at all the dogs available across the Lower Mainland that were looking for forever homes.  It is heartbreaking how many dogs cats and every other type of ‘pet’ are given up, abandoned, lost, and need help.  There are many rescue groups for dogs and cats on top of the municipal shelters and the branches of the BC SPCA.  They all have two things in common: their love of animals and their need for foster homes.

Private rescue groups tend to not have shelter space.  They rely totally on a network of foster homes that their charges can stay in until appropriate families are found and vetted.  Not everyone can foster a dog or cat.  Not everyone is able to deal with a dog or cat that might be arriving with behaviour issues, anxiety, aggression and so on. Not everyone can say goodbye to a dog that they have grown attached to.  However, a fostered animal is far more adoptable than one spending any length of time in a shelter environment.  Many of the animals require all the basic training they never had.  Socializing, walking on leash, sitting, staying, many of the dogs in shelters have not had the ‘schooling’ they should have had.

So what does it take to be a foster family?   Commitment is one thing.  Long and short term care is needed.  Puppies and Kittens tend to be short term.  Long term commitment is needed for those older or slightly less adoptable animals.   You need to decide what sort of size, breed and temperament you and your home can manage.  Your whole family needs to be on board with the idea too.

Dogs and cats with medical issues also require a foster home to recuperate in.  Depending on the issue, this again can take a large amount of your time and energy.  Again, a dog in a home environment will recuperate and thrive far better with the constant care he or she can get from a person rather than a shelter.

If you are considering become a foster ‘parent’ for a dog or a cat, don’t forget to ask the rescue group or shelter some key questions before saying yes.

1. Where did the animal come from?

2. What were the circumstances?

3. Does he or she have any medical issues?

4. Who covers the cost of the medical issues?

5. Do they know how the animal is around children or other animals?

6. Are food and other essential items included with the foster animal?

7. Do they know how the animal handles being alone?

Fostering can be a rewarding experience.   You are basically the ‘rehab’ for these dogs and cats and your care is what will give them the chance at a ‘forever home.’  So many animals out there just need a chance to relax and feel loved.  How can you say no to that?

If you have fostered dogs or cats, do share your experiences here in the comments.

I will totally admit to being out of the loop when it comes to who or what is nominated for the various award shows.  I watch for the gossip and the outfits.   I was charmed as everyone was when a dog named Uggie stole the show when the people from the film The Artist arrived on stage to accept their award at the Golden Globes.

Photo Credit: The Incredible Dogs

So cute was little Uggie, that he appeared on The Ellen Show and once again charmed all there with his tricks and dignified demeanor.  Dignified because Uggie is a senior citizen at the age of 9 and will probably now retire once all this fuss is over.   According to owner and trainer Omar von Muller, he took on Uggie after the pooch was being given up by a family for the crime of biting a goat.  Muller was charmed by the dogs personality and energy and groomed him to be a performing dog, and the rest, as they say, is history.

In fact a large majority of ‘show’ dogs and cats do hail from animal shelters.  These places are scoured by trainers hunting for a glimmer of potential star power that might make that dog or cat employable.  It doesn’t just take looks to make it in show business, like humans, you need personality and the ability to learn.   Many lovable mutt’s make great acting dogs.

I wonder who was in charge of cleaning up after Uggie at the Golden Globes?

When my son started campaigning for a lizard, we put him through the ringer until we were convinced he was responsible enough to take on being the caregiver of just a little life.   We had him read up on the type of lizard he wanted (gecko), and we had him talk exhaustively with the very patient customer service guy at the local Petsmart.  We even had him work out the monthly cost of keeping a lizard fed and healthy.   He earned that lizard.   So when the kids turned and asked how we chose Callie, our dog…I was quite mortified to admit that I had not been that intense in my research.

In fact, with Callie, I pretty much did everything wrong.   I say ‘pretty much’ because the thing I did get right was not buy her from a pet store.   She was in all sense of the matter, a rescue dog.   I had been researching breeds online for a little while when I started thinking about a dog for our family, but one day had been perusing Craigslist, and sadly there is a LOT of animals up for sale on that site.   One ad caught my interest and the next minute I had the kids loaded up for a drive into Whalley where I confirmed there is NO truth in advertising.   There were no lab pups for sale…just Callie, clearly a mutt.  I took one look at her and the place and new she had to get out of there.  We paid the man and scooped her awkwardly up and she has been with us ever since.

Either we were lucky or we are AMAZING pet owners.   She is a fantastic family dog and we all love her to pieces.   She, like any other dog is a lot of work.  A dog is a lot more responsibility than an aloof cat.  Not only does she require a lot of emotional support (dogs are needy) but she, like all dogs need to be exercised, fed and there is all that poop to be dealt with too.

Dogs take up a lot of time and money.   A dog is a member of your family whether you realize it or not.   Callie’s needs have to be considered just as much as anyone else’s in our family.   I wonder if there would be so many dogs in need of homes if people really thought about this.

We visit Petsmart a lot to pick up our supplies and the kids love all the fish, lizards and rodents as well as the rescue cats they have there.    It is probably as close to a ‘pet store’ as I am truly comfortable with.  The other weekend, after being there, we took the kids to the SPCA.  We got two of our cats there and wanted the kids to see the work that went on in the effort to care for all the animals there.   While the kids enjoyed chatting with the volunteers and talking to the animals, I think they were very humbled by WHY those animals are there.

To all you loving pet owners out there, I tip my cap to you.   To those thinking about a dog as a pet…..do your research, think about your lifestyle and make sure you can keep that dog.

Online and off, the stores are awash with toys, clothing and accessories for your pampered pooch.  From practical to the ridiculous, if you can think of it, someone made it.   This is my favorite right now.  Check out the Marvel Collection by Chic Wow Wow at Funnyfur.com.

Photo Credit: FunnyFur.com

But what about the lovers of these well dressed dogs? What do WE get for Christmas?  I have had a lot of fun surfing the internet to see the amazing range of fun gift ideas for the animal lovers in your life.

This fun site called FindGifts.com has a great list from useful to useless, like Doggie Pajamas, or a personalized ‘Don’t Let the Pet Out!’ personalized door mat! I also like their ‘Advice from a Dog’ t-shirts.

About.com had more practical ideas including a DIY Dog Training Kit and a Furminator DeShedding Tool.  You could offer your pet sitting or walking services as hand made coupons for your pooch loving pals.   Think of how happy a dog owner would be with a year of dog waste removal!

For the animal lovers in our lives, their dogs are part of their family.  Showing them that you understand that can go along way to forging strong family and friendship ties.  Make friends with a dog and the dog’s owner will follow!

Merry Christmas from Doggie Detail!

photo credit : m_bartosch

People love the vision of their children squealing with joy as they are presented with a cute fluffy kitten or wiggly puppy Christmas morning….but the reality is a tad harsher and less magical and a lot less fair on the animal.  Christmas is stressful enough on humans; think about how it is for the family pets, let alone a new one.

Not only is a roomful of tinsel and ribbon hazardous to a puppy’s health, but loud screaming surprised kids, bright lights and Christmas music can traumatize a puppy or kitten.   Let’s not forget all the other gifts and distractions….how long will a puppy or kitten hold their attention when there are MORE gifts from Santa to see!

Families need to be prepared for a pet.  Just like bringing in a new human addition to a family, you have to be prepared and educated for your animal one too.  Is this a gift for a child or the whole family?  Has the family discussed who will be the primary caregiver for the new pet?  Have you researched appropriate breeds?  Who is going to be responsible for training and poop detail?  This is big questions that need some time and thought.  This is, after all, a life that you are taking responsibility for.

If you are still keen on surprising your family at Christmas, why not present them with gift wrapped dog or cat bowls or perhaps a book about the care of dogs or cats.  Present a contract to the children that they can sign.  One that has them promise to learn about their pet and what they will do to take care of the pet when the family DOES go shopping for one.  Remember, the country is FILLED with orphan cats and dogs that need loving homes.  Don’t forget to visit your local animal shelters.

On that note, if your family is dead set on getting a pet at Christmas, SPCA shelters, adoption centres and volunteer-run branches currently have 4,000 homeless cats, kittens, dogs, puppies, rabbits and small animals in care.  You can search animals available for adoption by location, breed, age, gender, colour and other characteristics at bcpetsearch.com, the BC SPCA Pet Search website.

Photo Credit: Maggie Smith

My dog does not like to go out when it is wet and cold. Walks tend to get shorter the worse the weather. For the rest of Canada that can hit the double digits below zero and deal with mountains of snow, I can only imagine the dogs there are even less inclined to venture out. If they do, make sure it is safe for them to do so.

Your small and short haired friends do the worst in the cold. Make sure these dogs have a sweater or coat. Like our own elderly, the cold does a terrible number on the joints and arthritis of our senior pooches too. Like us, they can easily slip and fall on the ice and injure themselves. Keep them on a leash and don’t leave them outside unsupervised.

Keep your dogs paws free of ice balls that can form on the hair. Watch for frost bite. Warm up your dogs paws after being outside by placing them in a tub or warm water. This also helps remove street salt which can irritate their skin and be toxic if ingested. Around your own home, stick with the pet friendly ice-melts. This goes for antifreeze too. Dogs can be attracted to the sweetness of it. Keep all containers stored high and away and clean up any spills you make immediately.

If your dog HAS to be outside, make sure his or her shelter is adequate. Keep the floor raised of the ground a few inches and have a blanket or cedar shavings to help insulate the structure. Use a plastic water bowl to make sure the dogs tongque doesn’t get stuck to a metal bowl.

Watch your dogs food intake. If you and your dog are just as active in the winter…like you he will burn more calories and require a bit more food. If he is indoors more and doing a lot less, make sure he is eating less..nobody likes gaining weight over the winter. Indoors or outdoors, dogs need distractions and fun during the winter months. Try teaching them a new trick while stuck indoors or keep them occupied with a special treat stuck in a Kong Ball or something similar.

A good dog waste removal service goes beyond keeping your yard clean.   There are bylaws to consider and the environment.  Doggie Detail owners Doug and Corey, discovered that although most Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley municipalities have bylaws prohibiting pet waste from being added to household garbage, the municipalities offered no practical alternatives apart from flushing the waste in your own toilets.  This does not appeal to many.   Garbage collectors and the landfills themselves consider dog waste to be a health hazard.

The Vancouver Parks Board has long been looking into the issue of dog waste not only on how it is affecting the city parks, but finding alternative ways to dispose of it. Currently, the dog population of Vancouver alone each day produces over 26,000 pounds of waste.   They have also been experimenting with composting of dog waste.  However waste composting is far trickier than when dealing with your kitchen scraps, since various pathogens and harmful bacteria are present and need to be destroyed.

The Iona Island Sewage Treatment Plant  north of the Vancouver International Airport is currently one of the few waste water treatment plants that accept dog waste and that is the plant that Doggie Detail Pet Services Inc. currently uses to dispose of your pooches waste.

If you are looking for a cost effective AND environmentally friendly dog waste service, the Doggie Detail Bucket Service is a great choice.  For as low as $5 per week plus HST, Doggie Detail will provide you with a bucket and liner that will be picked up each week, after you have picked up and disposed of your dogs waste into the bucket yourself.    The waste will then be sent to the Iona Island plant to be disposed of in a law abiding and environmentally safe way.

First of all, if you are visiting from the SwarmJam deal, we want to say welcome!! There were no errors with the deal itself and we hope you try (and enjoy!) our services.

Edited To Add: SwarmJam has made corrections to their site with regards to the services we provide. If you’re visiting via the SwarmJam email sent this morning, please read through the clarifications below that address city bylaws pertaining to dog waste removal.

We want to make anyone who visits from SwarmJam aware that a draft version of our ad was posted without our approval or knowledge. As a company that strives to maintain a professional demeanor, despite the dirty nature of the job we do, we were very disappointed about the fear mongering that came across in our ad. We want our customers to use our services because we are committed to high standards, not because they are afraid of receiving a fine from the city.

Here are a couple facts that we would like to set straight:

1. Most cities in the BC Vancouver area and Fraser Valley prohibit dog waste from being added to household garbage (or to yard waste bins that hold grass clippings and leaves). Phone your local city hall for information on city-specific bylaws.

2. Rarely are fines given for adding dog waste to your garbage; however, we have had customers who have had their garbage service cut off until they stop adding dog poop to the garbage bags.

Again, we want to apologize for any confusion and anxiety that may have arisen from the November 19, 2011 Fraser Valley SwarmJam. Needless to say, we are very disappointed with our experience advertising with SwarmJam and are happy to answer any further questions you may have about our services (and about local bylaws). Please feel free to contact us!

October’s winning Dog Story comes from Kimberly R. Congratulations on winning one free month of service!

Six years ago, my husband (boyfriend at the time) and I moved out together.  I took along with me my 9 year old mix breed dog, Jake, and my fat old cat, Kemp.  My husband had never had pets and never understood the bond pet owners have with their animals.  Well, as all things do, my wonderful fur companions passed away.

Within weeks our house seemed so empty we couldn’t imagine not getting another dog.  After searching the local pounds we finally found the perfect dog.  We named him Ryder and brought him home: what was a wonderful one-year-old Shepherd-Rottie mix at the pound, turned out to be a scared, abused six month old Shepherd-Hound Cross.  It took almost a year and a half of continuous work to turn Ryder in to the great dog he is today.  Then, the time came for us to get married and buy our first house. Moving from an animal friendly neighbourhood with so many wonder dog friends for Ryder, we decided he needed a little sister.  We found Siren an adorable eight week old Border-Collie Cross puppy.  They were (and still are) instant friends.

Now five years old and almost three, Ryder and Siren are inseparable.  Both of these dogs have wonderful personalities and are very well behaved.  Their unconditional affection has made my husband realized that not only are animals member of the family but they help complete our family.  We have now added a cat (who rules the roost) and our almost one year old son Jaxon.  The dogs are so tolerant of the baby and love him to pieces, even when he is pulling their tails and stealing their bones!

I can’t imagine not having our dogs or having our son grow up without animals in the house.  I also can’t imagine cleaning up after them, thanks Doggie Detail!!!