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Birds Other

Birding Beats Anxiety, Brings Peace, in a Chaotic World

Article

Reading Time: 5 minutes I’ve always found nature to be healing and restorative. On the first day of my journey to becoming a birder, I had headed to the woods, early, in search of peace from the anxiety that haunted me. As I stepped out of my car I was hit with a wall of harmonious chatters, various bird […]

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Activities & Enrichment Dogs Life at Home

Want to Communicate Better with Your Dog? Understand How They Learn

Article

Reading Time: 5 minutes Pet caretakers often relate to their dogs in a manner that’s most closely akin to a parent-child relationship. However, while we may view our dogs as our “fur kids,” in day-to-day living it’s likely we’ll encounter ongoing reminders of just how much “dog” they actually are. It’s there, in the contrast of who we expect […]

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Training & Grooming Veterinary Care

Chin Rest Challenge: How to Use This Cooperative Care Behavior

Article

dog resting chin

Reading Time: 4 minutes The concept of cooperative care is a simple one: teach pets behaviors that will allow them to willingly participate in their own health and grooming care. When they do, brushing and combing, injections, pill-giving and more are easier on everyone—especially your dog. The chin rest is one such behavior and it has many applications. Here’s […]

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Dogs Fears & Anxieties

Dog Bite Insurance Claims: Why Are They Rising?

Article

Reading Time: 3 minutes Something’s going down with our relationship with “man’s best friend,” and it’s not the number of dog bites. According to an article in the April 12, 2023, Insurance Journal, the number of dog bite claims since 2003 has gone from 7,359 to 17,597: a whopping increase of 139 percent. That number far exceeds the corresponding […]

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Shelters & Fostering

Photographer’s Innovative Idea to Help Shelter Pets Goes Viral

Article

Reading Time: 4 minutes Florida photographer Adam Goldberg knows that a picture not only “paints a thousand words” – a good photo can help a shelter pet get adopted. Since 2016, the professional photographer has volunteered his services once a month at the nonprofit Humane Society of Tampa Bay. He spends time photographing dogs, cats, rabbits, and “pocket pets” […]

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Activities & Enrichment Cats Life at Home

What Cats Want and Need: The Science Behind Their Happiness

Article

Reading Time: 5 minutes By Mikkel Becker, CBCC-KA, KPA CTP, CDBC, CPDT-KA, CTC We share our hearts and homes with our feline friends. However, as undeniably deep as the connection with our cats goes, there are certain aspects of our lives that simply can’t be shared. That’s because as much as we love our cats (and believe they love […]

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Cats Dogs Shelters & Fostering Veterinary Care

Innovative Shelter Program Saves Parvo Puppies and FeLV Cats – and Helps Others Do It, Too

Article

Reading Time: 3 minutes Innovative Shelter Program Saves Parvo Puppies and FeLV Cats – and Helps Others Do It, Too Jen Reeder A shelter’s groundbreaking initiative to save dogs and cats with dreaded viruses – canine parvovirus and feline leukemia – all started in a veterinarian’s bathroom. Back in 2008, Ellen Jefferson, DVM, president and CEO of the Texas […]

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Cats Dogs Shelters & Fostering Veterinary Care

Help Cats Battle Carsickness

Article

Reading Time: 4 minutes Does your cat hate riding in the car? It might be because they get carsick. I’ve never had a cat who got carsick, so I was surprised when a friend mentioned that her cat had awful carsickness, manifesting in a terrible case of diarrhea every time the cat had to ride in a vehicle. It […]

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Fears & Anxieties Veterinary Care

Why Fear Free Care Is the Right Choice for Your Pet

Article

Reading Time: 3 minutes Many pet owners have experienced the heart-rending sight of their beloved furry friend trembling, hiding, or acting out of character due to the fear and anxiety of a trip to the veterinarian. These reactions can be distressing for both the pet and the owner. Thankfully, there’s a revolutionary approach reshaping the veterinary landscape: Fear Free […]

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Dogs Veterinary Care

Can My Dog Catch a Cold?

Article

Reading Time: < 1 minutes One of the most common questions that we hear here at Fear Free is, “can my dog catch a cold?” This handout courtesy of Elanco will show help you learn the truth about canine colds and how a Bordetella vaccine can help protect your pup.