October 2013

See how Bark Busters changedthe life of an Airforce dog han-dler or, view the “Aspen’s Story”video on YouTube.com

Issue 9: Volume 7

Photo by Paw Prints by Jamie Pet Photography.

contents

EVENT CALENDAR 6October 2013

THE SCOOP 7Canine News and Happenings

THINGS WE LOVE 10Top Pet Picks for the Office

SPECIAL FEATURE 14Until There Are None

HEALTH & WELLNESS 18Types of Seizures in Dogs

TRAINING & BEHAVIOR 22Calm Halloween Fright

ADOPTION 24All Border Collie Rescue

PublisherJennifer Kitchens-Street(281) [email protected]

Advertising(281) [email protected]

Contributing WritersBob WilliamsMurphy Merrill

Staff PhotographerJamie Fincherwww.pawprintsbyjamie.com

Urban Paws MagazinePO Box 1556Spring, TX 77383www.urbanpawsmagazine.com

Web: www.urbanpawsmagazine.com

© Copyright 2013. No part of thispublication may be reprinted orotherwise reproduced without thepublisher’s written permission.Urban Paws magazine assumes noresponsibility for unsolicited manu-scripts, feature and idea submis-sions, or photographs, and suchmaterial will not be returned. UrbanPaws magazine assumes no liabilityfor the contents herein and has theright to refuse advertising for anyreason. Urban Paws magazine doesnot endorse any specific product orservice contained herein; we doencourage you to support ouradvertisers whenever possible.

Please tell our advertisers thatyou heard about them in UrbanPaws Magazine!

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ON THE WEBurbanpawsmagazine.com

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FOLLOW US ONTWITTER

AARRTTIICCLLEESS,, EEVVEENNTTSS,, CCOONNTTEESSTTSS && MMOORREE!!

COMING INNOVEMBER:

Senior Pet Issue

COMING INDECEMBER:

Holiday Gift Guide

Contact us forspecial advertising

opportunities at281.384.5431.

OCTOBERevent calendar

OCTOBER 5Parkway Chevrolet Two-Step Gala benefiting

Abandoned Animal Rescue. Parkway Chevrolet,

25500 SH 249. 6:30 p.m. For more details, visit

www.aartomball.org.

OCTOBER 5Special Pals Shelter Open House and Blessing of

the Animals. 3830 Greenhouse Road. Guests can

meet adoptable animals, staff members, and vol-

unteers. Facility tours will be offered, as well as

food and drinks, children’s activities, doggy kissing

booth, and new this year, a dog wash, powered by

volunteers and lots of suds. 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

For more information, visit

www.specialpalsshelter.org.

OCTOBER 12Third Annual Boxer Wine Walk. Join Houston

Boxer Rescue for an afternoon of wine tasting,

hors d'ouevres, live music and fabulous auction

items benefiting the dogs of Houston Boxer

Rescue. This year, 14 different wines from the

West Coast will be featured. Spring Street Studios,

1824 Spring Street. 3:00 - 5:30 p.m. For tickets,

visit www.houstonboxerrescue.org.

OCTOBER 125th Annual Furry Friends Photoshoot with Clark

Lara Photography. This year’s proceeds will benefit

Operation Pets Alive. The fee for the session is a

donation of one medium/large sized bag of food

per dog. Or, you can make a minimum $25 dona-

tion (per dog). The studio is located at 33138

Magnolia Circle, Suite A in Magnolia. To book your

session, email [email protected].

OCTOBER 18-19GreenStreet's 5th Annual Barkitecture Houston,

benefitting Pup Squad Animal Rescue. Houston's

most talented individuals and teams will design

and build a dream dog house to support a great

cause. Mia Bella Trattoria will graciously host this

year's Yappy Hour on Friday from 5-9PM, followed

by the silent auction and festivities on Saturday

from 12-5PM. For more information, visit

www.greenstreetdowntown.com.

OCTOBER 19Pistons and Pits event benefiting Guardian Pit Bull

Rescue. See page 20 for details.

OCTOBER 19-20Pet Fest in Old Town Spring. Grab your fur kids for

this fun-filled festival of entertainment and educa-

tion while helping to raise money, volunteers and

foster homes. For hours and information, visit

www.petfestoldtownspring.com.

OCTOBER 24Art and Artsy Pet Food Bowl Auction and Party. Art

from local artists, photography, gift items and cre-

ative pet food bowls will be auctioned off to bene-

fit the Houston Area Rescue Bank. McCormick &

Schmick's in Uptown Park. 5:30 p.m. happy hour

with free valet parking, delicious hors d'oeuvres

and a complimentary glass of wine. To purchase

tickets, visit www.rescuebankhouston.org.

Follow us on FACEBOOK & TWITTER for the mostup-to-date information, news and events!

For a full list of events, visit:www.urbanpawsmagazine.com/events

6 www.urbanpawsmagazine.com

the scoop

Finding Montgomery County AnimalShelter Has Never Been Easier Thanks toa New Billboard

Montgomery

County

Animal

Shelter now

has a new

billboard,

located

directly in

front of the

shelter on Highway 242 heading east. And

while MCAS hopes that it helps make it easier

for adopters and volunteers to locate the shel-

ter, they also hope passers-by will take notice

and consider stopping in.

Paid for by MCASociety, the official non-

profit supporting Montgomery County Animal

Shelter's homeless pets by providing medical

care and equipping volunteers to find homes

and save lives, the billboard is big-impact

advertising - an area in which we hope to con-

tinue and grow. Rosanna Russell, marketing

consultant to MCASociety states, "some may

think spending money on a billboard is not

important, but this type of large-scale advertis-

ing serves all animals indirectly by promoting

adoption and encouraging individuals to volun-

teer or donate." Russell continues, MCASociety

hopes to lease the billboard indefinitely and is

considering additional billboard locations for

the future."

The billboard cost is about $300 per month

and any donations made toward keeping the

Urban Paws Magazine 7

billboard up are greatly appreciated - and tax

deductible. Those who wish to help can visit

www.mcaspets.org.

USDA Closes Loophole on Online DogSales from Unlicensed Breeders andPuppy MillsThe U.S. Department of Agriculture adopted a

nationwide rule on September 10th that finally

closes a loophole allowing online breeders to

sell dogs without being licensed or inspected.

This is a huge victory in the fight against

puppy mills. This makes online animal and

puppy mills accountable in the same way as

other breeders.

The President and CEO of The Humane

Society of the United States, Wayne Pacelle,

recognized the victory by saying, “This victory

was the work of many caring organizations and

individuals including Anne Teicher whose peti-

tion on Change.org gained 144,000 signatures.

The landmark rule has the potential to allow

federal inspectors to peer behind the closed

doors of puppy mills and improve the lives of

tens of thousands of animals."

Every year, millions of animals are eutha-

nized in animal shelters. Stopping puppy mills

is one of many ways we can make sure more

animals find good homes.

Free Mobile App Launched Aimed atReuniting Lost Dogs with Their OwnersFinding Rover, a free mobile app for finding

lost dogs in real-time, recently launched its

platform and mobile application. More than 10


the scoop

million pets go missing each year, according to

The Humane Society of the United States.

Finding Rover’s state of the art facial recogni-

tion technology helps reunite more dogs with

their owners by enabling anyone to instantly

identify a missing dog on the spot simply by

taking a photo on a mobile device.

Finding Rover fea-

tures a comprehensive

lost and found dog

notification system

that sends a push

notification and social

feed photo alert if a

dog is lost or found

within a 10 mile

radius. Users can also

view an interactive

map of their area,

which will show them

where dogs have been

lost or found, as well as the time and date. If a

user spots a lost dog, he or she can take a

photo either within the app, or upload a photo

from a device’s photo album. Once a dog has

been found and identified through Finding

Rover’s facial recognition software, the finder

will receive information on how to notify the

owner.

“A dog is a beloved family member and if it

goes missing it can be devastating to everyone

involved,” said John Polimeno, CEO and

founder of Finding Rover. “We want to do

everything we can to safeguard our dogs from

being lost forever. Registering a dog on Finding

Rover is another step all owners should take to

further protect their cherished pet.

Finding Rover is currently available on iOS,

online at http://findingrover.com/ and the

company plans to release an app for Android

this year.

Teachers, Students and Parents AreCalled On for the Unity 1000 YouthChallengeThe Unity 1000 Youth Challenge is a project to

involve Houston's young people in creating a

solution to a huge problem in this city: hun-

dreds of thousands of homeless dogs and cats

living on the streets of Houston.

Barrio Dogs realizes that reducing the num-

ber of homeless animals in Houston is not

going to be easy, but the best way they know to

approach the problem is to educate pet owners

about spaying and neutering their pets.

As a result, Barrio Dogs has made it a priori-

ty to encourage people to fix their pets. They

want to spay and neuter 1,000 pets belonging

to low income residents free of charge by the

end of 2013. In exchange, they ask that these

pet owners become advocates for change and

ambassadors for the cause. To be part of the

solution, the public is encouraged to raise

money to fix and vet pets belonging to low

income Houston residents. For more informa-

tion, visit www.barriodogs.org.


lifestyle

The Lydia and Pugs 2014 calendars fea-ture 12 unique watercolor painted dogillustrations. Perfect above a desk orkitchen wall. Calendar is spiral boundfor hanging. www.lydiaandpugs.com

Move over Julia Child, BeefBourguignon has gone to the dogs,sans the wine! Bocce’s Bakery treats arewheat-free with fresh, human-gradeingredients perfect for pups with aller-gies or sensitive bellies.www.boccesbakery.com

This ceramic French bulldogstamp from Anthropologie isabsolutely darling! A musthave for every dog lover’soffice. www.anthropologie.com

At the OfficeIf you can’t bring Fido to the office with you,

try these cute pet products that are fit for any space.


Never lose another piece of mail withthis Dachshund Letter Organizerfrom Anthropologie.www.anthropologie.com

What’s an office without a greatbook? This New York Timesbestselling book is the charmingstory of one woman's discoveryof all she really needed to learnabout life through her relation-ships with her canine compan-ions. www.amazon.com

The cards feature simple illustrationsof some of the most loved dogbreeds with cute accessories likescarves, sweaters, and bows, and theyare blank, so they are perfect for anyoccasion. www.riflepaperco.com

Make each lettera special deliv-ery! Put a per-sonal touch onyour mail withthese personal-ized postagestamps.www.zazzle.com

“I’d rather havean inch of a dogthan milesof pedigree.”

Dana Burnet

mutt mugs


special feature


Until There Are NonePet Adoption Criteria

By: Jennifer Kitchens-Street


adore dogs. Dogs of all shapes and sizes,

mutts, purebreds, short haired, balls of

fur, I love them all. Working with animal

rescue organizations, I’ve seen many adorable

animals. I’ve heard many people make the

comment, “I couldn’t volunteer at a shelter. I’d

want to take them all home with me!” While

the sentiment is nice, I can say for certain that

there are plenty of dogs that I wouldn’t want as

my own. Every shelter dog is completely wor-

thy of a home, don’t get me wrong. There are

just some that aren’t right for me.

Some adoptions are truly love at first sight and

they work out perfectly. Considering that it’s a

life long commitment, I just believe in taking

my time before making the decision to bring a

new dog into my home. I know this, because I

learned the hard way. Dogs have individual

needs, personality traits and emotions. When

you consider that, it’s no wonder that not all

dogs get along.

Perhaps one of the biggest reasons to be picky

about adopting is that returning a pet can stink.

It stinks for you, the dog and the animal shel-

ter. This type of situation is less likely to occur

if you take your time to discover what dog best

fits your lifestyle and personality.

If this is your first time to adopt, you should

be most concerned with finding a pet that fits

your current lifestyle. The adoption application

I is, in part, designed to get to know you and

your needs. If you loathe the thought of a dog

following you around everywhere, you proba-

bly don’t want to adopt one with separation

anxiety. If you’re searching for a jogging part-

ner, a couch potato more than likely is not the

best choice. If you already own a few fur balls,

there is even more to consider when adopting

a new pet. You have to consider your pet’s per-

sonality as well as that of the potential new

family member.

One of the best ways to find the right fit is

through the shelter staff and volunteers. They

aren’t there just to keep the dogs clean and fed.

They can be your best resource for selecting

your new pet. They know each animal’s person-

ality and special needs since they spend every

day with them. Don’t be shy about specifying

the traits that you are looking for. They may

not have a dog with a particular look, but they

may be able to find one that fits the personality

and other qualities that you are searching for.

Just as with human relationships, the best

matches are those with the right chemistry.

That connection with your dog makes it all

worth it.

n

FACTS & BENEFITS

DID YOU KNOW

In the United States, almost 7 million pets enter animal shelters each year. Of these, 4 million are euthanized. About 20% of cats and almost 60% of dogs are euthanized each year.

Many people choose to buy from a breeder because they are looking for a specific breed of dog. However, 25% of dogs available for adoption in shelters are purebred.

164 million pets are owned in the U.S. and only 20% of these pets were adopted. Most pets were free.

50% Free

26% Breeders

20% AdoptedDESCRIPTION

PERCENTAGE OF ADOPTED PETS

Think pets from shelters have behavior problems? Think again. Most animals from shelters were forced from homes and can be already trained as well as have sweet traits. Senior pets are also great compan-ions because they tend to be more mellow and don’t make the demands on your time that puppies do.

THE BENEFITS

YOU Adopting can be less costly and animals will provide companion-ship and fun.

PET Your new pet will gain love and a fun, new family. Adopting also provides more space and time for animals in the shelter.

DON’T FORGET

$1,800

$900

0

COST OF OWNERSHIPIt costs $1,800 in the first year to keep a dog and $900 on average for every year after.

If you still want to adopt, but do not have the funds for a dog, cats and small mammals cost 50% less and are better first pets as well.

$

CONCLUSION

By adopting instead of buying a pet, you can be certain you aren't supporting cruel puppy mills with your money. Instead of buying a dog, visit your local shelter where you will likely to find dozens of healthy, well-socialized puppies and adult dogs—including purebreds—just waiting for that special home—yours.

here are few things more frightening

than watching your dog have a seizure.

Once you realize that your dog has seizures, you

may be concerned for their health. However,

there are many treatment options available and

seizures in dogs do not indicate a life of poor

health or a shortened life. Most dogs prone to

seizure have a long, healthy life.

There are no real definitive answers for why

some dogs get seizures. There are some factors

that can be considered. Obviously, a dog that

has a brain injury or a brain

tumor is likely to be more

prone to seizures than

dogs without brain

impairment. There

are some

breeds that are more prone to seizures than

others. Realize, however, that all breeds have

been known to have seizures.

Seizures fall into one of two broad categories.

These categories are focalized seizures and gen-

eralized seizures. Generalized seizures affect

the entire brain. These seizures tend to be more

intense and in some cases the dog can take sev-

eral days to fully recover from a generalized

seizure.

Focalized seizures affect a portion of the

brain instead of the entire brain. This means

that the affect on the brain is less severe than it

would be in a generalized seizure,

which makes recovery faster.

Focalized seizures, for this rea-

son, are sometimes harder to diag-

nose but they still require medical

treatment.

In severe cases, your vet may refer

you to a veterinary neurologist in order

to receive more in depth care for your

dog's seizures. This is especially com-

mon in cases where the issue is a brain

tumor, as neurologists are more

qualified to treat a brain

tumor.

Dogs that have gen-

eralized seizures

suffer from one of two

kinds of seizure. There are major

motor seizures, which create a classic

epileptic seizure, complete with muscle rigid-

Types of Seizures in Dogs

health & wellness


T

ity and twitching as well as involuntary loosen-

ing of the bowels or vocalizations. These are

highly traumatic to watch. The other generalized

seizure is less dramatic but no less serious. It is

called an absence seizure and it results in the

dog being still and unresponsive to outside stim-

uli.

Focalized seizures consist of either simple or

complex seizures. Simple focalized seizures are

when the dog experiences a major motor seizure

on a smaller scale, for example, on a single body

part or a single side of the body. The complex

focalized seizures are seizures that affect the

behavioral areas of the brain, causing sudden

psychological changes in the dog. Although rare,

dogs have been known to become violent dur-

ing complex focalized seizures.

Seizures in dogs are hard to accept but with

care and patience, your dog can live a happy and

fulfilled life. With medication and attentive care,

seizures can be minimized.

How can I tell if my dog is having a seizure?Clinical signs of seizure type activity can range

greatly in severity. Regardless of how severe the

episode is, it is important to take your pet to

your veterinarian as soon as possible.

• Mild episodes may be barely noticeable and

consist only of staring ("star gazing") or repet-

itive jaw movements (chewing gum seizures).

• Severe seizure episode activity can range up to

extremely violent thrashing and complete loss

of body control and awareness.

What should I do if my dog is having a seizure?If your pet is having a seizure, or if you notice

any signs of seizures it is important to take your

pet into see a veterinarian as soon as possible.

If a seizure lasts longer than 5 minutes or if

your pet is having seizures in a cluster, this is a

medical emergency and you should seek imme-

diate veterinary care.

Regardless of the duration, it is important to

diagnose the cause of the seizure as soon as

possible after the event. Post-seizure diagnosis is

based on symptoms, medical history, examina-

tion findings, blood and urine tests and some-

times x-rays or other imaging tests. Treatment

and prognosis will also vary greatly depending

on the underlying disease.

Once diagnosed, how do I best manage my dog’s seizures?• Use all medications as prescribed by your vet

• Accurate dosing schedules are very impor-

tant to help control seizure activity.

• It is helpful to your pet's veterinarian to track

any seizure activity in a "seizure log".

• Keep your pet hospital’s contact information

and call your veterinarian whenever your pet

has a seizure.

• Monitor your pet's progress carefully and

have him/her rechecked as recommended

by your veterinarian.

By: Murphy Merrill



training & behavior

HalloweenFright

Halloween can be a dangerous holiday for

dogs. Keep your dog safe with these tips.

BRING YOUR DOG INDOORS

Even if you have a fenced yard, bring your dog

inside where he cannot be harmed or over-

whelmed by little ghouls and goblins. If he is

an outside dog, bring him in a few times

before the big night to get him comfortable

with being indoors. Remember, it is a natural

instinct for dogs to protect the family from

strangers, and on Halloween, there will be

plenty of strangers.

KEEP YOUR DOG RESTRAINED

If your dog is timid or scared, or if he tends to

love people a little too much, put him in a sep-

arate room, away from the front door. This

will limit his excitement, aggression or chance

of running outside and getting lost or injured.

REASSURE YOUR DOG

If your dog seems to feel unsettled by

Halloween activities, just act as normal as

possible. By over-reassuring your dog or giv-

ing him extra attention, you inadvertently can

communicate to him that there must be

something to worry about.

HAVE YOUR DOG GET USED TO COSTUMES

Your dog may regard his family members as

strangers once they don their Halloween cos-

tumes. Before the kids put them on, allow

your dog to smell the costumes. Keep masks

off while your dog is around.

CHECK YOUR DOG’S I.D. TAG

Be sure identification tags are secure on your

dog’s collar–just in case.

KEEP CANDY AWAY FROM YOUR DOG

Many candies –especially those containing

chocolate or xylitol, an artificial sweetener–

are toxic to dogs. Problems can range from a

mild upset tummy to vomiting and diarrhea,

or even death. For your dog’s safety, be sure

to keep all sweets and their wrappers well

away from him.

PROTECT DOGS FROM CANDLES AND

PUMPKINS

Agitated or excited dogs (and their swinging

tails) can easily knock over a lit candle or

pumpkin. Keep such items out of your dog’s

Calm

By: Bob Williams, Bark Busters Home Dog Training

that the person jumping out at you will not

hurt you; they often think they can only help

you by acting aggressively. Neither children

nor adults in costumes should approach a dog

without the owner’s consent.

reach, or consider using a battery-powered

candle that does not burn.

THINK TWICE ABOUT DRESSING YOUR DOG

IN A COSTUME

While some dogs do enjoy being dressed up,

many don’t. Experiment first to see if your

dog likes being in a costume. If he shows any

resistance to it, don’t do it. Tie a fun bandana

around his neck and he’ll be happier and

safer.

CONSIDER CAREFULLY AND BE

PREPARED

Think carefully about taking your

dog with you on trick-or-treating

rounds. You may unintentionally

instill a new fear of strangers in him,

creating a wariness that could last

long past the holiday. If you do take

your dog, keep a firm grip on his

leash. Dogs do not understand


All Border Collie Rescuewww.allbordercollierescue.com

All Border Collie Rescue is a not for profit volunteer rescue organization dedicated to the rescue ofBorder Collies. This passionate group of Border Collie lovers have had the good fortune of meetingand befriending each other through past rescue work. Some of our volunteers are new to workingwith border collies, while some possess over a decade of experience with Border Collies. We workextensively with many other Border Collie and all breed rescues. Our goal is to rescue, in some casesrehabilitate, and successfully match our Border Collies to forever homes with well-matched tempera-ment and abilities.

adoption

Do you love border collies for all of

their cute and funny quirks? Then This

is your guy! Chase was pulled from a

kill shelter where he was going to be

put to sleep for being deaf. ABC

pulled him immediately. He is an

amazingly smart boy and is learning

sign language with his current foster.

He LOVES to look for birds, bugs, rain

drops, or anything in the air that he

can jump and try to catch. He shows a

little bit of ball interest, but quickly

loses interest when he sees some-

thing else fun to go after. He loves to

wrestle and run and roll with his resi-

dent puppy friend, and gets along

with all kind dogs. He will hold his

own when bullies go after him, but he

has never started any trouble. He is

perfect in the house, crates up beauti-

fully, sleeps all night, or lets his foster

mom know if he needs a potty break.

This boy will grab your heart the

minute you meet him.

Phot

os b

y Pa

w P

rints

by

Jam

ie P

et P

hoto

grap

hy.

Our cover dog, Chase!

Join us in helping our four-legged friends

find loving homes. Adopt a dog today!



Ashley

Ashley is a happy natured, two-year-old girl wholoves attention from people, likes to give kisses,and lives for belly rubs. Ashley is good with otherdogs, although she does try to herd them! Ashleyknows basic commands and is working on “stay”and “leave It”. She walks on a leash, but needs alittle work yet. She tested well with children buthas not been cat tested. Ashley would do best in ahome with another canine companion and lovesall other dogs she has been exposed to. She has asubmissive nature with both people and otherdogs.

Three-year-old Paisley has had somebad luck in her life, but thanks to AllBorder Collie Rescue, her future islooking very bright. Paisley is a verysweet-natured, fun-loving dog. Shehas great house manners and knowssome basic obedience as well.Paisley has a few tricks up her sleevetoo. She can shake and catch treatsin the air. She loves car rides andgoing for walks. She gets along great with dog savvy cats, but doesn'talways make friends with her caninecompanions.

Paisley

Rusty

Rusty is a four-year-old total gentle-man with the perfect mix of bordercollie traits: he has a great off switchand loves to cuddle with his people,but he also loves to go for walks/runsand play hard with his foster broth-er. He would probably do best in asemi-active home with at least oneother dog. He can be a little shy, buthe really likes meeting new peopleand is very gentle and sweet. Rustydoes get a little anxious when he's allalone in his crate, but he quietsdown after just a couple of minutes.Rusty doesn't show a lot of interestin toys, but he loves treats and affec-tion.

Documents

October 2013