Rambling Rovers

Hiking with Dogs is Great Fun, but be Prepared

Like any self-respecting Labrador Retriever, one-year-old Bear is happiest playing fetch in a natural body of water. Lucky for Bear, his partner in crime, Gary Harr, is also at his best on a river or lake.

Harr, who leads dog-friendly hikes for the social networking group Meetin Portland (MIPL), frequently takes Bear for five-mile jaunts in the Columbia River Gorge, and on the Clackamas, Sandy and Willamette Rivers. Last spring he led MIPL hikes at Triple Falls in the Gorge and at Oaks Bottom/Sellwood Park. His weekend haunts also include the Sandy River Delta (exit 18 off I-84), where Bear can roam off leash and splash in the river, always in sight.

Travel/Recreation, SafetyMeryl Lipman - Spot MagazineAugust 1, 2010Outdoors, Safety, HikingComment

Keep Pets Safe on the 4th

Tips from OHS to prevent escape/loss on animals’ most-feared holiday

Few if any pets enjoy Independence Day. The fireworks that we humans find so thrilling can drive pets, especially dogs, to utter panic. Explosions (even miles away), high-pitched squeals and flashes of light can terrify an otherwise relaxed animal. If your pet is frightened by fireworks, you probably know the signs: cowering, trembling, hiding, even disorientation. Some dogs become so terrified they’ll attempt (sometimes succeeding) to crash through screen doors, windows or over fences.

SafetySpot MagazineJuly 1, 2010Animal Shelter, Lost Cat, Lost Dog, Safety, HolidaysComment

Partying with Your Pooch? 6 things to watch out for this summer

It’s the season of backyard barbecues, hiking and camping. Warm weather means new sights, smells, and places to explore for you and your pupster. All of which, for the pup, means new trouble to get into.

Sure, with summer the living is easy, but your pup still needs you to protect her. There are some things just too interesting to leave well enough alone. When with your pooch this summer, be his protective eyes and ears. Especially important to be mindful of are the following six ‘Watch Out’ dangers.

Safety, Health/WellnessVanessa Salvia - Spot MagazineJuly 1, 2010Health Issues, SafetyComment

Dog Safety Alert!

Warm weather months means heading to the lake to cool off. Pet owners are advised to watch out for harmful algae blooms this summer.

Last year Oregon recorded its first confirmed case of a dog death due to algae toxin. The fatality happened in Southern Oregon after a dog was playing in a creek bed, then suddenly became ill and died. At least two more dogs in the same area died during the same time period. It is believed the animals drank pooled water that contained toxic algae.

Safety, Health/WellnessSpot MagazineMay 1, 2010Algae, Health Issues, Safety Comment

ASPCA reports in with the 10 Most Common Pet Poisons of 2009

Is your pooch mad for people food? Does your kitty like to self-medicate? Sadly, not everything we love is good for us. In fact, many common household goods that we take for granted as harmless can poison our furry friends.

In 2009, the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center in Urbana, IL, handled more than 140,000 cases of pets exposed to toxic household substances, many of which included everyday household products like insecticides, cleaning supplies and prescription medications.

To help you keep your pet safe this year, the ASPCA experts have created a list of the 10 common poisons that most affected furry friends last year.

SafetySpot MagazineFebruary 1, 2010Safety, Poisoning Comment

Holiday Helpers - Be Mindful of Seasonal Hazards

In the magic and chaos of the holiday season, it’s easy to forget important safety precautions for our animals. Here is the bark on things to keep in mind to prevent festivities from taking a tragic turn.

The Tree

Whether live or artificial, for pets, the tree can be one huge toy rack. Low hanging baubles, glittery strings and shiny lights captivate can be irresistible. Place only unbreakable, non-toxic decorations on lower limbs. Long, stringy things are a feline’s dream, so be extra mindful of loose ribbons. Experts suggest avoiding tinsel or angel hair of any sort altogether. Tinsel, made from metal, and angel hair, made from glass, can cause life-threatening digestive obstructions and serious internal damage.

Safety, Life with Pets, Health/WellnessVonnie Harris - Spot MagazineDecember 1, 2009Safety, HolidaysComment

Disaster Preparedness: Home Safe

Skip panicked scramble in emergency; BE PREPARED

When planning for an emergency our imaginations can get carried away. Sometimes that's a good thing. If Hurricane Katrina taught us one thing it’s that we can never really imagine the horrific realities wrought by natural disasters of such magnitude.

Learning from mistakes made during events like Katrina is important, especially in the Northwest, where an earthquake or tsunami could actually occur. All the more important considering how easy it is to dismiss the possibility of such events, given their rarity. It’s likely that if or when such an event did occur here, our guard would be down.

Safety, Animal WelfareJake Faris - Spot MagazineDecember 1, 2009Disaster Preparedness, Safety, Emergency Preparedness, First AidComment

Whether earthquake or small kitchen fire, preparation saves lives

This is one part of our 2009 Disaster Preparedness series. Click here for additional coverage.

I will never forget watching the disturbing televised footage of a Golden Retriever swimming after a rescue boat. How happy he must have been to see people; friends, he probably believed. He saw the boat, leapt into the current. They would save him as surely as he would have saved them. How devastated he must have felt when they sped away, leaving him alone, struggling in the floodwaters.

It’s been four years since Hurricane Katrina drowned New Orleans and devastated the Gulf Coast region. Katrina was a disaster on so many levels. For animals, it was a holocaust. There are estimates that as many as 600,000 were left behind to fend for themselves. Thousands perished; many drowned, others succumbed to dehydration, starvation, heat or disease in the weeks and months that followed.

Avoid Thanksgiving Theatrics - Keep pets and people safe and happy during the holidays

The guests are coming, the prep work’s done. Now all you have to do this Thanksgiving is prepare the meal, set the table, and enjoy. You truly are the picture of preparedness. You have got everything under control . . . except your dog. A wayward hound who counter-surfs, begs, jumps on new arrivals, or is just plain rude to houseguests can be quite the nuisance when you’re trying to be a good host or hostess.

Here are a few pointers for a day you’ll remember . . . fondly.

Evacsak - Helping get kitties to safety quickly

Rebecca Rodriguez, an animal activist and filmmaker featured in Spot in July '09, has an impressive, diverse resume. She also possesses the moniker: Inventor.