END OF THE BLOG!!!!

i am so excited that i do not have to make another blog!!!!! anyways i suppose i need to finish my final blog on topic. basically, i want this post to be a summary of the blog as a whole.spay and neuter your pets, vaccinated your pets, do not take animals out of the wild, research exotic pets before getting them, and think about adopting from shelters instead of buying them.Also keep in mind that puppies and kittens are not necessarily the perfect pet. i don't really have anything else to write here so i guess i will wrap this up! YAAAY good luck to everyone after graduation!!!!

P.S. do not get pets while in college!!!!!!! they are are too much hassle and responsibility!!! lol ;)

TURTLES!!!!!

Spring has sprung, and it is almost turtle season again. Turtles are starting to come out of hibernation, and finding their ways into our yards and in the streets. It is so tempting for everyone to keep one when they find it.
The truth is that they are much more suited for the wild. I have a "philosophy" i guess u can call it. If a specific animal is born in the wild, then that is where they belong, should stay, and should live out the rest of their life. The only exception is if they animal is injured and completely helpless and vulnerable. Some people may argue that it is part of the life for animals to die of injuries, but i would argue that a large percent of injuries inflicted on wild animals is due by humans. If we did not ruin so much of the world that nature had been so used to, there would be far less animals suffering and dying drom habitat loss, and being hit my cars, boats, and other vehicles. Therefore, i think the least we can do is help a suffering animal. JUST REMEMBER!!! help them, but dont be selfish. they are part of nature and belong to stay there!

Pour Some "Sugar Glider" On Me!

A lot of people who knows me, knows that i have a pretty unusual and interesting. pet. i have a pet Sugar Glider. They are exotic animals, domesticated from the Australian area as as well as New Guinea. I am not going to lie. They are pretty cool! My little suggies name is Mischief. He is a spoiled little brat. As neat as it is for people to have exotic pets, it is not all it is cracked up to be. It is pretty expensive and time consuming. Sugar gliders are special because they are very social animals, because in the wild, they live in large colonies of 13-15 members. As pets it is strongly recommended that potential owners plan on having at least 2. Many breeders often times do not allow people to buy just one. The reason for this is because it is bad enough that these animals have been taken from their natural homes, and domesticated as pets. They often times do not do well alone. Along with other triggers, loneliness is one of the main reasons gliders become depressed. A depressed Sugar glider is a ticking time bomb. they usually begin over grooming and it becomes a OCD problem. it becomes so bad that they will groom all of the hair off of a favored part of their body. this leaves raw and irritated skin, called stress patches. Gliders who become extremely depressed will unfortunately begin to self-mutilate. Mutilation ranges anything from ripping out hair, biting off toes, biting off their tails, to even biting off their own legs. This is often times fatal, and unfortunately it is usually irreversible at this point. Many times, the most humane thing to do is have the glider euthanized. This is very sad, and very hard on owners who have tried to do their best to keep a lone glider happy. sometimes there are instances where a person can only have one glider. It is at this point that the owner either find another home for the glider, with other gliders, or they have to make a major commitment. keeping in mind that captive gliders live 12 to 15 years in good health, owners must be prepared to spend a minimum of 3 to 5 hours a day letting the glider out of its cage, and giving it plenty of attention. it is also important for the glider to be socialized with all people in the household, because all people living under the same roof are, in that glider's eyes. his "colony". I hope this information really opens the eyes of people who think it is no big deal to own exotic pets. I do not discourage the idea of having exotic pets, but i strongly suggests informing yourself about what it is that you are getting yourself into. It is not only for the health and safety of the animal, but for the emotion of the owner(s) who become attached to the animal.

Newspaper Pups

As many people may have heard, there have been many horrible people putting posts in newspapers for puppies to adopt. They claim that the supposed pets are not ready to leave but payments can be paid early. Unsuspecting families see nothing wrong with it but when are ready to bring home their new pet, they are dissappointed to find out that they have been swindled. Not only have they paid a high price, they do not even have a pet to claim for it. The truth is that it is dangerous to buy animals from newspaper post, or even craigslist. The best way to avoid being victimized by crooks like this, is to ensure honesty. Go to the supposed breeders home and ask to physically see the potential pet. Also, ask to see the parents. Do not be afraid to ask questions. An honest breeder will not care and will be more then willing to comply.

"Sheltered" Is The Best Breed

So earlier this week, my night class started volunteering at the local animal shelter. It always breaks my heart to see how many animals end up in the shelter. Puppies and kittens are born in shelters all of the time, and although they are more likely to be adopted first, they are also more likely to be returned to the shelter. When people adopt young animals, they do not always know what they are getting into, or they get tired of the animal once they have lost their "cuteness". It is upsetting to see that happen on a daily basis. So many people think that when they are adopting a new pet, the animal HAS to be a baby. Why? There are so many deserving full grown, and even senior animals in the shelter that may be more awarding to have then a young and untrained animal. Puppies and kittens require training and cycles of expensive vaccinations. Adults mainly need booster vaccines. Babies animals are also destructive and messy.

Just as a side note, today my boyfriend and I came across a stray dog in his neighborhood. He was so friendly and he was obviously a pet, because he had a collar and when i caught him on a leash, it was clear that he was leash trained. we walked around the neighborhood for about an hour talking to residents and asking if they recognized the Pit mix. As the number of "nos" increased, I started feeling so horrible because I knew if i didn't find his home I would have no choice but to put him in the shelter and hope that his owners would find him. Just as I was about to call animal control, a neighbor drove up and asked if I was trying to find the dog's onwers. She said they lived across the street from her, and that he gets out all the time. The owner was apologetic and greatful, but he did say that he was planning on finding the dog a new home because he could not handle the constant escape tactics. That goes along with knowing what you are getting into!!

It is sad how many pets get lost and end up in shelters. If they aren't claimed by their owner by 10 days, they become adoptable to the public. However, there is no guarantee that they will be adopted any time soon. What is worse is the fact that so many animals live months in the shelter, and sometimes even die in the shelter.

There are a few messages that go along with this post: Spay and Neuter your pets, Know what you are getting yourself into ( pet ownership is a life long commitment), and also take the few extra dollars to get your pets micro-chipped!!! (REMEMBER almost any animal can be micro-chipped; i.e: dogs, cats, birds, reptiles, rodents, livestock, horses, and many other types of animals)

Vet School!!!

okay, I know this blog is supposed to be about domesticated animals, but the only thing i have had on my mind now is the fact that i got into Virginia Tech!!! I really just want to share my plans for the future. I am going to major in Animal and Poultry Sciences, on the Pre-Vet track. I will be double emphasizing in Livestock and Equine. After graduating, I plan to apply and hopefully be accepted into Virginia Tech's Vet School; Virginia-Marylan Regional College of Veterinary Medicine. Afterwards, i plan to work for the USDA for a minimum of two years, as a way to get some work experience in a Government job. Eventually I will become a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine; DVM for Large Animals!!! well that is basically it. So not all the people that read my blog might not have to keep asking what i am doing after high school! wish me luck, and good luck to all of the seniors getting ready to graduate soon!!! GO SKYHAWKS of 2012!

Parvo

Parvo is extremely fatal to dogs, especially puppies. That is why it is so important when getting a new puppy or dog, to keep them up to date on all of their vaccinations. It will prevent them from suffering a very slow and painful death. Basically the Parvo virus enters the animals body very easily, as it is very contagious, and it forces the animal to vomit uncontrollably. They also have horrible diarrhea, and along with the virus, animals generally die of dehydration. For potential dog owners, please keep this in mind. It is so fatal, yet so easily preventable.

The Importance of Rabies Vaccines

I really don't understand why it is so hard for people to get their cats and dogs rabies vaccinations. They are relatively cheap. I want to stress its importance because what some peopl may not know is that they could end up 3ith more than just a ticket for not keeping their pet up to date on their rabies. They could lose their pets as well. I learned this from an animal control officer. if a dog or cat bites another pet or person and it is reported, a bite report must be filled out. If the animal does not have current rabies vaccination, the owner has 2 choices. Keep their pet under quarantine for 6 months, or have the animals euthanized. That is a hard choice. If an animal is put under wuarantine, they have to stay in a small cage for 6 months, and they are NEVER allowed out of it. The only person to come into contact with the animals is the owner to feed and water it. It is not fair to the animal to live like this. animals feed off of their owner's attention. Without it they become depressed. I just felt the need to show how important a rabies vaccine is. I hope it gives pet owners something to think about.

The Importance Spaying and Neutering Pets

Some pet owners don't find it necessary to spay and/or neuter their pets. They do not realize just how harmful it actually is.

• In the United States alone, approximately 70,000 dogs and cats are born EVERYDAY! That is about 3,000 every hour; 50 every minute.
•  Currently in the United States there are approximately 70,000,000 dogs and cats living as strays strays. 
• 30,000,000 animals will die this year from cruelty, neglect, abuse, and exploitation. 
• There are approximately 5,000 animals shelters nationwide. 
• 6-8 million cats and dogs will enter these shelters this year. 
• 3-4 million of those cats and dogs will be euthanized this year; nearly 10,000 everyday. 

 These staggering numbers are so easily avoidable. The numbers would drop drastically if everyone simply spayed and neutered their pets. When surveyed, owners' most common reasons for not spaying and neutering was as followed:

• Not Bothered to do it yet- 29%
• Desire to breed their animal- 16%
• Feeling the animal was too young- 15%
• Affordability- 9%
• Feeling that it is cruel to the animal- 5%
• Feeling that it is unnatural- 4%
• Other- 15%
• Not sure- 7%

So where do you stand. Do you believe in Spaying and Neutering pets, or do you have reasons not to?

for more information and statistic please feel free to go to this website: http://www.oxfordpets.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=61&Itemid=63

Are Entertainment Animals Really Given The "Movie-Star Treatment"?

I want to know how everyone feels about animals that are used in movies. Some people may not give it a second thought, however there have been multiple movies in the last decade who have used animals in their films, and some of these animals have died. For example, one of the horses that was being used in the 2005 movie Flicka died when one of the "well-trained" animal handlers lost control of the horse. AHA, the American Humane Association, is supposed to have a key objective in mind; the safety of animals. I understand that accidents can happen but I consider it very negligent to put the lives and safety of many smart and wonderful creatures in the hands of people who are careless and sloppy about their work. In order for the entertainment business to use animals in their films, animal handlers must take classes and receive special certification to ensure the best possible treatment is given to these animals. Perhaps AHA is slacking off. I feel as though AHA is not being held at a neccessary standard. I need someone to please prove me wrong!

What is Right and Wrong?

I believe that many people do not understand the real difference between Animal Rights and Animal Welfare. Animal Rights include the belief that animals should never, under any circimstances what so ever, be exploited. This means they should not be used for food, research, or even as pets. Animal Welfare involves the humane and proper treatment of animals. This includes being fed and water properly, and being provided with the proper healthcare and protection. Animals are also not to be abused. So Which is better? Is Animal Rights over the top? Does Animal Welfare not protect animals enough? I am borderline on both. I do not believe animals should be used for research, however without the use of animals for research, there would be far less medications. Also I do believe in eatting meat, and animal by-products. As far as Animal Welfare, I believe in it 100%, however, I believe some requirements should be strictor in how animals legally must be treated. Just because a dog has food, water, and shelter, should not mean that they can be left outside tied to a tree all day. Let me hear what you all think of this controversial topic.