A Letter to SAINTS Rescue From Our Chief Dog Officer "Tux"

Dear SAINTS,

Monday December 23rd marks one year since I moved out of my home at SAINTS and into my forever family. For Christmas, I thought I’d share with you what I’ve been up to these last 12 months…

It all started when Lisa and her family came by SAINTS to visit with some donations they’d collected in December 2012.

Well to make a long story short, we fell in love that day (see how much she loves me!).

On December 23, 2012 I danced a “goodbye” for Carol and a little scared but optimistic I set off for my new life.

Wow! I had no idea what I was in for! First, the kids showed me around the house, it was almost Christmas so everything was decorated.

On Christmas I got my very own stocking! I was so honored!

Then we packed up and drove to the mountains for the most amazing holiday ever. It was there that I first learned that I liked to snowshoe! I even tried ice fishing!

Then we came back to the city and I started my new job. That’s right, I have a real full-fledged job! I am “Chief Dog Officer” at Walks ‘N’ Wags Pet First Aid. I get to teach pet owners the ropes of Pet First Aid!

And in my spare time, I volunteer at BC SPCA children’s camps teaching them the same thing.

I also did my first road trip in March! Me, my 2 adults, 2 kids, and dog pal Buddy drove all the way to San Diego, California. Boy was it fun! Check out some of the cool stuff I did.


In the summer I did some more trips to the mountains. We had lots of fun and as you can see, by then I’d shed a few pounds. Oh, and I became a model, check it out!

I also dropped by for a visit at Saints Open House!


I forgot to mention that I have 2 cats in my house. At first I was kind of scared of them, but over the last few months we have become friends.


Oh, and I still like to burrow in the bed like a frozen mole. Fortunately my family doesn’t mind.

So, as I prepare to spend another Christmas vacationing in the mountains I wanted to say “Thank you” again. For all the years you loved me and for knowing when the right family came to take me home. I couldn't be a happier dog and I wouldn't be here without you.

Love forever your SAINTly friend,

Tux Wagner (aka Joey)

Grooming: What does it have to do with your pet's overall health?

You may or may not know that Prevention and Early Detection makes up roughly 50% of the Walks ‘N’ Wags Pet First Aid curriculum. Why? Because we don’t ever want you to need your Emergency Pet First Aid skills!

One topic we discuss is the importance of regular grooming of your pet. Many people think of grooming as a bath and a possible haircut. However, the concept of grooming an animal doesn’t only include keeping its fur clean and cared for. It also includes assessing and potentially attending to its skin, nails, ears, anal glands, and more! Pets should never look like the image below, this is painful and has numerous negative consequences. Please ensure you are proactive with your pets' health, they are your best friends after all!

(photo from reddit.com)

Walks 'N' Wags Instructors and our friends at Aussie Pet Mobile Canada weigh in on the importance of grooming:

SKIN
As Instructor Trish Seal from Little Wiggles Dog Grooming in Terrace, BC says, "An important function of a regular grooming program for your pet is concerning air circulation to the skin. Lack of air circulation can lead to a multitude of health problems including matting, and skin problems that in extreme cases lead to overheating, sores and infections. When a dog (or cat) is on a regular grooming schedule it serves to remove dead hair from the coat promoting air circulation which also helps in temperature regulation and over-all excellent health."

Aussie Pet Mobile Canada seconds Trish’s sentiments, saying “Regular brushing with the right type of brush for your pet’s coat, helps to remove dead skin cells, distribute natural oils and release any loose hair before it can fall to the floor or start to create a knot. Whether your pet sheds or not, regular brushing also stimulates circulation which is essential to skin health.” They also add another important benefit: “Your pet will love you even more for it!”

(Image courtesy Aussie Pet Mobile Canada)

EARS
A regular visit to your groomer may point to other unexpected health discoveries as well. And in this case, as Vanessa Johne, owner of Best Friends Pet Care in Vancouver, BC shares, your dog walker can also be a good source of information! Vanessa explains: "We walk an adorable little West Highland White Terrier several days a week. One day when we arrived for his regular walk, we noticed he had developed a very slight head tilt. It was so slight the owners did not notice it. Upon closer inspection, we found that he had an infection in both of his ears, it was so severe that the canals were swollen shut. His people were so appreciative that we had discovered his ear infection. With prompt veterinary intervention (oral and topical antibiotics) he made a fast recovery. And I'm sure he felt a whole lot better too!"

(Photo courtesy Little Wiggles Dog Grooming)

OTHER AREAS
We of course, can’t forget the other important body areas that a groomer reviews such as the nails, anal glands and fur. As Calgary Instructor Ellis van Schuur says: groomers can find “ lumps and bumps” that owners may not have detected. She has also seen “dewclaws so long they would have grown into the legs/paws if we hadn't cut them”. Ellis also stresses that groomers can find other undetected ailments such as ear infections, hair mattes, and impacted anal glands.

A groomer doesn’t just make your pet look and smell good! Your groomer can also be a great wealth of information regarding your pet’s overall health and wellbeing. A list of Walks ‘N’ Wags Pet First Aid Certified groomers is available at: http://www.walksnwags.com/participants.php

(Photo courtesy Little Wiggles Dog Grooming)










Sincerely,

Lisa Wagner
Operations Director
Walks 'N' Wags Pet First Aid
www.walksnwags.com

Why I unexpectedly adopted a senior dog and whether I'd do it again.

Never in a million years did I think I would adopt a 10 year old dog.

My home already housed myself, my husband, my 2 small kids, and 4 pets, all of whom have a unique story:
1. Buddy, dog age 15 (a wary feral dog I adopted at the age of 9 months in 1999 after deciding no one would ever adopt him)
2. Kitty, cat age 14 (adopted in 2000 at the age of one. Chosen not only for her sweet demeanour but because she had overgroomed all of the fur from her legs and tail from stress. I just couldn't leave her!)
3. The Bun, rabbit age 12 (adopted in 2002 at the age of 7 months. She bit like a vampire and wasn't a cute "baby" anymore, someone had to give her a chance!)
4. Kermit, cat age 7 (adopted in 2005 as a kitten. My friend Jen was fostering a litter and Kermit's back hips were not fusing so he couldn't walk properly. Everyone in the litter was adopted except for him. I went to visit him and keep him company one day...and ended up adopting him!)

I've always known that my pets had one thing in common: they all had special issues that drew me to them. But until recently I didn't realize they had one more commonality: they were all young when I adopted them.

So, why adopt a senior? Here's my story:

It all started in December 2012 when Walks 'N' Wags ran our first annual national Holiday Charity Drive. In Vancouver, I approached my colleagues at The Pet Shop Boys to see if they wanted to work together to benefit SAINTS Rescue. SAINTS is a senior rescue based in Mission BC. The facility is beautiful and gives senior animals a chance to live out the final chapter of their lives surrounded by love. Some lucky pets are even adopted out by those wanting to bring a senior into their lives.

The Charity Drive was successful beyond what we could imagine! After picking up all of the donation items from The Pet Shop Boys, I drove with my husband and 2 children out to SAINTS with the goods. They were holding a tour that morning and we happily followed volunteer "Laura" around the facility "ohhhing" and "awing" at all of the sweet animals. In the bedroom was a gang of little dogs, all of whom looked to be about 100 years old. They were adorable! When I sat on the bed to say "Hello" to them, one chubby black and white Chihuahua X sat down beside me, leaning into me and giving me several big kisses. I had my husband take pictures of us together.

We got into the car and started talking about our visit and I brought up the little Chihuahua X. You see, my husband and I had been discussing adding a new dog to our family for awhile. Buddy, my "Pet First Aid demo dog extraordinnaire" was in his twilight years and although he still joined me in Pet First Aid classes, I could see he would soon be ready to retire. My husband had always only wanted one dog so I figured I needed some "legitimate" reason to hit up for a second dog! So I had been working on him for some time. Having said that, our lives had changed since we adopted Buddy. We now had 2 small kids added to the mix and 4 other pets. We couldn't add just any animal that I fell in love with to the family, it had to be just the right one.

So...I tread lightly on this one. "He was sure a cutie hey?". "I wonder how old he is?". "He looked so young and perky to be a senior!". "He seemed pretty friendly I bet Buddy would like him!" And finally: "Maybe we should see if he is up for adoption?" We looked online as soon as we got home. PetFinder said the little guy was named "Joey" and that he was 4 years old. Perfect! A friendly adult dog would be a great fit in our house. I read on to see that Joey also "came with" a second dog (age 10) who he'd lived all his life with. Yikes! Unfortunately I could not invite 2 dogs into our home.

I contacted SAINTS to ask why the dogs came together as a package. Was it important not to split them? That's when I got the REAL news, that the PetFinder link was grossly out of date. Joey was actually now 10 years old, not 4. His companion Peluchi was now 16. SAINTS had taken them both in when Joey was 3 years old when their original family had moved away. They were adopted out together when Joey was 5 but returned a year later when Joey was deemed to have a peeing problem. For the last FOUR years they had both lived with the kind folks at SAINTS. I was told that although SAINTS had been trying to keep the dogs together, Joey was now much more active then his very senior counterpart. Apparently they didn't spend much time together anymore. We could adopt Joey but if he became depressed he had to be returned. And I had to understand he had a peeing problem that would not go away. Oh, and I was reminded of course that he was 10 not 4!

My thoughts, "A 10 year old dog? I already have a 15 year old dog and 14 year old cat, do I want another senior?". My husband worried it would be hard on the kids to potentially lose 2 dogs within a reasonably short time. And of course, can we afford the Vet bills for all these seniors? What about the peeing problem?

For two days, we discussed all of these issues amongst ourselves and with our 2 small children. At the end of the day, a decision was made. Something about Joey had stood out above and beyond all the others. I had seen many dogs while on international World Vets volunteer trips and in our local shelters and none of them had called to my heartstrings like this little Chihuahua had. Age was only a number. This dog was THE dog. Discounting him based on age would have haunted me forever.

We contacted SAINTS and planned for Joey's pickup. We brought him some treats and he danced a little "goodbye" for Carol, the head of SAINTS (see here)

When we got home, Joey was informed that he would now be called "Tux" (picked by the kids, short for Tuxedo as per his colouring).
Tux had many little surprises for us:

1. He walks beautifully on a leash
2. He doesn't shred our furniture! Or shoes!
3. He can be left alone at home without being crated
4. He brings us a toy and dances everytime we get home
5. He burrows in our bed like a frozen mole
6. He gives the best stinky-mouthed doggy kisses EVER
7. He is just plain silly and makes us laugh everyday!

Oh, and did I mention he never got depressed? And that he has peed inside only twice in 36 days? And that despite being a chubby guy he was diagnosed with Hypothyroid and is actually quite athletic? He's already happy but is also well on his way to being slim and healthy too!

Never once have I questioned our decision. Nor has my husband. In fact, we've wondered what we did without Tux all these years!

Would I do it again? In a heartbeat!

Lisa Wagner
Operations Director
Walks 'N' Wags Pet First Aid

Reflections of 2012 at Walks 'N' Wags Pet First Aid

2012 was an amazing year for Walks 'N' Wags Pet First Aid.

Instructors taught in hundreds of North American venues, including one new Province and Territory. Distance Learning candidates from more then a dozen countries completed their Certification at home. Candidates from 18 new locations completed our Instructor training program and are either actively teaching or well on their way to doing so.

Walks 'N' Wags representatives attended many tradeshows and community events just to meet you! They were at: Ottawa Pet Expo, Calgary Pet Expo, All About Pets, Vancouver Pet Expo, Delta Community Pet Expo, Doggy Fun Day, BC SPCA's Paws for a Cause, and more.

Our head office supported more then a dozen rescues and charitable organizations with time, funds, donated course spaces, giveaway items, and proceeds from our Holiday Charity Drive. Some of these organizations include: World Vets International, Second Chance Animal Rescue, Vancouver Orphan Kitten Rescue, Whistler Animals Galore, Cocker Spaniel Rescue of BC, Senior Animals in Need Today Society (SAINTS), BC SPCA, BC Guide Dogs, and more. This just from our head office since the rest of our Independent Instructors assisted dozens of other charities across the nation on their own.

I personally continued to donate my time to World Vets International, completing 2 spay/neuter missions in Colombia and Tanzania. This year I also joined Canadian Animal Assistance Team and Vancouver Emergency Social Services Pet Committee.

We brought in a new product, the Walks 'N' Wags Pridebite toy. This toy is durable, safe, washable, and has been enjoyed by many of our furry class participants.

We had a fun year getting to know our Facebook and Twitter friends with a couple dozen great giveaways including ones in collaboration with Animal Wellness magazine, Aussie Pet Mobile Canada, and Trupanion Pet Insurance.

Walks 'N' Wags was featured in numerous new media outlets, including: radio, tv, magazine, and social media. Special thanks to Animal Wellness Magazine, Black Dog White Cat News, Canadian Dogs Annual, and Integrative Veterinary Journal for publishing several of my articles.

All in all, we were are thrilled with the outcome of 2012 and are looking forward to what 2013 has to offer.

So what's coming in 2013?

We have been working most of the year on a new product, designed and produced in collaboration with a top notch North American supplier/manufacturer. The final prodcut is currently in production and will be rolling out in the next couple of months.

We have an Instructor course scheduled in Calgary in April 2013 with more new dates and locations to be announced.

We will be at the Vancouver Pet Expo, Vancouver Island Pet Expo, and Pet Lover shows in the early months of this year with more Canadian shows to follow.

We will continue to work hard to support the hard-working animal rescues and services who make the lives of the pets in our communities better. I will continue to devote my time to World Vets with news of my upcoming work with them coming soon.

And of course, last but not least we have new curriculum we are working on that we think you will find very exciting.

So, let's celebrate both 2012's successes and an amazing year to come. Without our devoted Instructors and caring animal owners like you, I could not write this blog so I would like to sincerely thank you for your support and for choosing Walks 'N' Wags.

Sincerely,

Lisa Wagner, Operations Director
Walks 'N' Wags Pet First Aid

Instructor Profile: Heather Rankin of First Aid "Fur" Pets Preventative Care Centre, BC

Heather Rankin has been a Walks 'N' Wags Instructor since completing her training in summer 2011. Although most of her courses are in BC's Fraser Valley and Burnaby BC, since that time, Heather has travelled all over the province offering Pet First Aid courses wherever she has been needed.

We have found that Heather is not only committed to readily offering the program but she is also very energetic, fun, and inspiring. You also may have seen Heather at many local Pet events sharing information about Walks 'N' Wags with local animal lovers.

Here, Heather shares a little about herself:

"Growing up with an Irish ‘terror’ terrier from puppyhood, and having experienced the aftermath of seeing him jump out of, and back in through, a closed window – was an unexpected experience that could happen to any pet owner. The resulting injuries required a successful trip to the veterinarian. Hearing of Pet First Aid, years later, prompted me to become a Walks ‘N’ Wags Pet First Aid Instructor, so that others would learn how to cope with unexpected incidences with animals, especially cats and dogs.
This knowledge would have been useful throughout all the years of having lived with a variety of animals: a stray cat, a Greek tortoise, an English hedgehog, twenty budgerigars, the dog, the school science lab’s stick insects, a Rex rabbit, and a couple of box turtles.

Even as a young child on holiday, when a donkey mistook my hand for food, chomped on it, and swallowed it and my arm with it; I fed him again at the field on subsequent days, without fear. I recall, also, going within an arm’s length of a Guillemot, until a brash approaching cameraman caused the bird to dive back into the sea at the Giant’s Causeway, Co. Antrim.

From childhood, animals of all kinds have fascinated me, though years later, I realized that becoming a Veterinarian would be best left up to others. Instead, a career in teaching and another in art, followed. Both have been useful in delivering the Walks ‘N’ Wags first aid course throughout BC, from the Lower Mainland to Clearwater, and Kelowna, BC, to name a few.

My time is divided between teaching and marketing the course, private tutoring in the Vancouver, BC area, writing ESL books, and occasional article writing in magazines and newspapers, and keeping up with the necessary bookkeeping.

I look forward to meeting many more people who are interested in taking the initiative not only to prepare themselves for emergency situations with animals, but in gleaning from the course some knowledge of early detection and prevention of illness and disease. I thoroughly enjoy meeting all the participants with their dogs and having the opportunity to share this important skill and information, as well as learning from you all. Thank you!"

We sincerely appreciate Heather's enthusiasm to share her knowledge and hope that she will be with the Walks 'N' Wags family of Instructors for many years to come.

If you are interested in taking a course with Heather, she can be reached at:
www.firstaidfurpets.com and has upcoming courses in Surrey, Cloverdale, South Burnaby, and Whistler BC.

Creating a home-made Pet Disaster Kit

I am the first to admit I am not a Disaster Relief specialist of any kind. I have, however, witnessed disaster a few times. In December 1989 I visited San Francisco 2 months after a devastating earthquake took its toll. In October 2011 I saw the destructive flooding and mudslides that heavy rain storms caused while traveling with World Vets in Guatemala. Both of these tragedies resulted in loss of life and displacement of many people and animals from their homes.

Most recently, there was a call out to Emergency Social Services volunteers right here in Vancouver Canada. Rising river waters threatened to displace many and destroy homes. Fortunately the water levels receded and crisis was averted. Vancouver is also near a faultline that is due to cause an Earthquake at any time. Last month, when questioning my house insurance cost increase the Insurer blamed the looming earthquake. The reality finally settled in: I am not prepared and this could really happen!

My home consists of 4 people, 1 dog, 2 cats, and a rabbit. No small feat to prepare for us all. I decided to start with what I know best: my animals. Yes, I know it is all backwards but I figure we as humans are resourceful and will figure something out in the meantime, while my pets don’t have that option. Responsibly I must recommend that you do the reverse and prep for yourself first.

I went online and found several useful website including:
ASPCA Disaster Preparedness
City of Vancouver Pet Emergency Resources
The Humane Society of the United States Disaster Plan for Pets
Canadian Disaster Animal Response Team

I won’t share with you every item these web sites suggest packing; I am sure you will want to review the sites yourselves. You can see in my photo many of the items I included anyway (note I did not include my labelled animal crates in the photo).

I will tell you that there were a few items that I would never have thought of. For example:
• Cat litter and an empty litter tray – Of course, what was I thinking? I had only thought about food and water.
• Flashlight and extra batteries – We have these in the house but if we couldn’t get inside and there was no power these would come in handy.
• Papertowel, dish soap, hand soap – Cleaners are important. Especially when there may be no power nor running water.
• Food: my pets eat raw food, tricky for a disaster kit. I chose foods that were similar proteins to what they are used to in order to try to prevent stomach upset. Don’t forget a can opener!
• Blank ID tags – your pets may have to relocate to stay with someone else or in a City Disaster shelter. Blank ID tags will allow you to fill out their appropriate temporary contact information.
• Include photos of each of your animals – a few copies of each pet so you don’t give away your only one if you lose your pet.
• Label your animal crates with your pet’s names and their descriptions

A few things to consider when designing your own kit:
• Rotate food, medication, and water frequently to prevent spoilage. This is easy to do! For example, when you run out of pet food go buy some but instead of using it, use what is in your Disaster kit and put the new items inside.
• Plan for longer periods without food/water/electricity versus shorter…better to have too much food then too little.
• Leave the kit in a safe place outside of your home (like your garage), or if that is not possible leave it somewhere you can easily grab it when exiting.
• Tell people what you are doing, they may have creative ideas of how to secure supplies, or you may just be the inspiration they need to get their own kit going.

I have to admit, it took two pet supply stores, an outdoor store, and a grocery store to complete my kit, but overall it was relatively painless to find all of the items. When packed up, the kit also doesn’t take up as much space as I had anticipated and it now resides in my garage. My pet disaster kit will hopefully never need to be used, but I feel much better having a “better safe then sorry” attitude.

My future plans now that my pets are cared for? Preparing for the humans in my household…

Lisa

Lisa Wagner is the Operations Director of Walks ‘N’ Wags Pet First Aid, International provider of Pet First Aid training for cats and dogs. Learn more about Walks ‘N’ Wags at www.walksnwags.com or on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Walks-N-Wags-Pet-First-Aid/142710559130541?ref=ts

Instructor Profile: Krista DeCarle of Royal Pooch Pet Services, Calgary Alberta

Krista DeCarle has been offering the Walks 'N' Wags Pet First Aid program in Calgary, AB for the past 12 months. Here is her story: "I have a loving husband who has accepted my crazy love of animals and joined in by my side. Our 5 year old daughter and 19 month old son are in the mix of all these animals and learning how important animals are. I have always been passionate not only about animals but the welfare of them, including volunteering at a feline rescue for over 3 years. There I worked with domestics to ferals, giving the abused a second chance at trusting and being loved. I also worked at a veterinarian's for 3+ years which I found so interesting especially when I was able to watch the surgeries. Over the years I was always the person friends/family would ask to care for their pets. When I was on maternity leave with my son I decided to turn my passion into a business that could not only benefit my family but also benefit those families out there looking for quality pet care! I opened Royal Pooch Pet Services and it is one of the best decisions I ever made. Seeing clients feeling at ease and returning time after time because their pets are happy is why I do it. Then when I had the chance to be able to teach Pet First Aid I was thrilled. It was an honour to be able to teach others what to do in an emergency situation, how to care for their pet day to day and to even teach professional pet care workers how to make their work place a safe environment. I am excited to see what the future holds and excited to be able to touch even more pets and their owners." Pictured here with rescue dog "Georgie", Krista recently volunteered at a spay/neuter clinic at a reserve near her home community. Between her job, teaching, and her family we are always amazed when she is able to add extra activities like this to her schedule. Krista is a dynamic and kind Instructor who is full of energy and passion for what she does. Krista actively teaches public classes in Calgary, and is also open to offering private courses to rescue groups and other private businesses. Krista has 2 upcoming public courses for you to choose from in North Calgary: June 2, 2012 (full day) or June 16/17, 2012 (2 half days). You can reach Krista and Royal Pooch Pet Services at: www.royalpooch.ca or 403-701-9609.