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Currently an owner of 3 dogs and 2 cats, I’ve gained a plethora of pet-related experience over the years. I strive to provide the best home I can for my little terrors, and you’ll read all about our trials and tribulations as I continue down the rewarding yet rocky road of pet parenthood.

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5 Simple Steps to Prevent Pet Obesity

4153580157_7000b383d1_mAccording to leading veterinarians, pet obesity is becoming an epidemic and should be a top health concern for pets. It is estimated that 54 million cats and 34 million dogs in the US are clinically obese. Many pet owners struggle with keeping their pets at an ideal weight.

We’ll admit, it can be sometimes hard to deny those puppy dog eyes and we just want our pets to be happy, right? So why can’t they have a few extra treats if they want them? Unfortunately, a few extra pounds can be detrimental.

The excess weight on our pets can cause a variety of other health problems, the same way obesity can have adverse effects on human health. A few extra pounds on a dog may not seem like anything to worry about, but the added weight can exacerbate arthritis, cause joint and bone issues, and it can greatly increase the possibility that your pet will develop diabetes or cardiac/respiratory disease. Thier immune systems can be diminished, making their ability to fight off other illnesses and disease.

It’s best to learn how to prevent pet obesity before weight related complications arise, because even if your pet loses weight, the damage may be irreversible.

Is My Pet Obese?

The easiest way to tell if your pet is overweight is to feel the ribs. If you can feel the individual rib bones easily your pet is most likely not overweight. The Healthy Weight Calculator from PetMD.com is also a great tool that can help you determine your pet’s proper healthy weight.

 

11273378_177099ccde_mCauses of Obesity

There isn’t just one cause of pet obesity; there are quite a few factors involved! Our pets rely on us to feed them properly and give them the proper amount of physical activity to stay fit. They don’t think about what they eat, if they are overeating and how it may effect their health. If your dogs are like mine, they will accept any treat or table scrap offered without hesitation.

Most pets, including cats, need a fair amount of physical activity each day in order for them to stay fit; a sedentary lifestyle combined with poor nutrition is the number one cause of pet obesity. When deciding what and how much to feed your pets, keep their activity level in mind. The amount of food listed in the instructions on pet food labels may contain too many calories for your pet, especially if they aren’t very active.

Many pet parents ‘free feed’ their animals, in other words, their animals have constant access to food throughout the day. Some pets, though few and far between, are good at self-regulating and stop eating when they are full, while others will scarf down food whenever it’s available. It’s important to measure out the amount of food that your pets eat in a day (including treats and table scraps!), so you can monitor their intake.

Some specific breeds may be more susceptible to obesity. These breeds may be predisposed to conditions including naturally slow metabolism and hormonal disorders that make them more likely to gain weight.

Having a pet spayed or neutered also causes metabolism to slow, and after the procedure many pets gain weight, but the benefits of spaying and neutering your pets far outweigh the negatives.

 

5 Simple Steps to Prevent Pet Obesity

1. Know Your Pets’ Caloric Requirements

The average human needs a 2000 calorie diet to maintain their weight and receive adequate nutrition, our pets need far less. Refer to the following chart to estimate the number of calories that your pets’ require. For a more accurate estimate of your dog’s require caloric intake, visit the Dog Food Advisor’s Dog Food Calculator.

2. Portion Control7362339338_b348e6b8ec_n

Use a smaller scoop and a smaller food bowl. Studies have shown that the size of your pet’s bowl and food scoop affects the amount of food that you feed your pet. If you have a Chihuahua and you are using an 8 inch bowl, you are probably going to overfeed Chico quite a bit. It all has to with how much food you perceive is in the bowl. If you used a small dish, you would perceive that you were feeding more food. If you are trying to help your pet lose weight, using a smaller bowl and a smaller scoop will go a long way towards helping them reach their goals.

3. Keep Track of Snacks

Many people are feeding the right amount of kibble for their dog’s appropriate weight, but they might also be feeding them a dozen milk bones or bites of “people food” throughout the day. Don’t forget that the treats and snacks that you feed your pet throughout the day should also count towards their daily calorie intake. That includes treats used for training! If you pet isn’t a picky eater, try using carrot sticks, apple slices or celery as a substitute for high calorie treats. They’re natural, whole foods and low in calories, and most pets love them.

4. Several Smaller Meals

If you feel that your pet seems hungry throughout the day, try dividing up your pet’s meals into smaller, more frequent meals throughout the day. Before you schedule your pet for 4 meals a day, a word of caution: your pet has probably trained you into feeding him when he does something specific. For example: Bear knows that if he sits next to the treat jar looking sad, I will probably hand him a cookie or if my cats meow at the top of their lungs for an hour, I’ll provide them with a scoop of kibble or two. My pets are likely not actually hungry, but they are repeating behaviors that in the past has been rewarded with a treat or extra meal. Try not to give in, redirect them with a game or go for a quick walk if they’re particularly relentless.

3835373704_1db968f4ff_m5. Veggies!

Supplementing meals with fresh or frozen vegetables or low calorie fruits can be a big help. The added fiber in the vegetables will help your pet feel fuller, longer. Don’t feed your pet foods that may be toxic, like tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, garlic, avocados, raw or green potatoes, grapes, raisins, or any pits, stems or seeds from fruits. I also tend avoid corn, since it is a common pet allergen.

You should always consult your veterinarian before putting your dog on a special diet or exercise program. The first, most important and often most difficult step is is to control the amount of food your pet is allowed to eat. If you cannot excercise your pet as often as necessary or if your dog has a condition that hinders activity and natural weight maintenance, your vet can often make recommendations to help with your situation.

A slow and steady approach is the healthiest, just as with people in the same predicament. Make slow changes to your pet’s diet and exercise regime. Your pet shouldn’t lose more than 1-2% of body weight per week.

Maintaining a healthy body weight and an active lifestyle will help you keep your pet at it’s happiest and healthiest for years to come!

Lessons Learned Moving Cross-County with Dogs

Hi Pet Blog Readers, It’s been a long hiatus since my last post but for a good reason. My husband and I sold everything and followed our hearts and dreams to Alaska, The Last Frontier. I know it sounds crazy, it felt crazy! It was an incredible journey to get to my new home in the 49th state, and that’s what I’m here to tell you about.

Moving Cross Country3 dogs, 2 adults, 1 Subaru and enough belongings to get by for 2 months; we could have been a very entertaining Subaru commercial, had there been any room for camera equipment!

The 4,579 miles from our lifelong home in Lancaster, Pennsylvania to Chugiak, Alaska would take just over 6 days to complete, with no time for sightseeing. That kind of a journey doesn’t just happen on a whim; it took months of careful planning and preparation to ensure our safe journey across North America. I’d like to share some of the lessons I learned driving cross-country with my dogs.

 

 

Keep Pets Safe in the Car

Safety is the number one concern for driving cross-country. Our dogs are notoriously rambunctious in the car and we feared having to battle to keep them in the backseat while driving on a busy highway. I researched backseat barriers and travel harnesses at length.

The harnesses didn’t appear to be a good option for us because we would have three dogs in the backseat for days at a time. We didn’t want to limit any of their sleeping options; like the floor of the backseat. We didn’t know if they would tangle themselves while racing from window to window, and we didn’t have time to experiment. So, instead, we opted to install a backseat barrier. Being cost-cautious and of the mindset that any visual barrier would deter our dogs, I chose a mesh one with buckle fasteners.

We did test drives using the barrier with success in our home town. However, once we boarded the car with our luggage, everything changed and the dogs became more aware of every weakness in our system.

Lesson Learned: Do Your Research

If I had it to do over again, I’d gladly shell out the extra cash for a solid barrier properly installed in the car. Within the first 5 minutes, Gatsby and figured out how to maneuver into the front seat, the other two not far behind. We had to sacrifice some shoelaces to shore up the weak points.

Proper Hydration and Nutrition for Travelling Pets

Gatsby in the Front
We found a large cup that fit snuggly into the backseat cup holders. Every time we stopped we filled up the cups in the back and the dogs could drink whenever they needed to during the ride. It was messy, but effective.

If you can, leave enough space in your luggage for 1 gallon per 3 days of water using the water that your dogs drink at home. I should have taken 9 gallons of water, but I only stashed 3. I assumed I would refill at hotels and stops along the road.

 

Dogs WatersideThe reason for storing their regular drinking water is to avoid the very slight chance that the dogs would get sick; caused by the different chemistries of water from state to state. We were also traveling through remote areas of Canada and I didn’t know anything about the water quality in that region.

 

I wish I had taken more water not because of the water quality but because I forgot to refill our gallons more than once. This oversight caused us to need to purchase spring water from the next gas station; an unnecessary expense in added to an already expensive trip.

 

Lesson Learned: Pack more foodShowing the effects of a long trip

We packed enough dog food for our trip, plus one extra week. We had one week of food left when we got to Alaska, and the two local pet stores don’t sell our brand! Gasp!

Traditionally, to avoid gastrointestinal distress, you should slowly wean your pets off their old food and on to a new food over a period of 1 to 2 weeks. I didn’t have that kind of time.

We used the three or four days we had to wean them faster than usual. Luckily, we averted dietary-disaster and the dogs transitioned to a new food without much more than some extra gas. I would’ve appreciated more time to properly research my options and transition to a new dog food.

 

 

Crowded seatPack Light

Bring some of the comforts of home. The keyword there is ‘some’. The small collection of toys and dog chews quickly became overkill and a burden in our heavily laden car. Maybe pare it down to one favorite toy or chew per dog plus a thin blanket.

Leashes & Identification On At All Times

Lesson Learned: At all times means at all times

I let my guard down. I was tired after long days of riding in a car. I checked us into the hotel, entered the room, removed the dogs’ leashes and got ready for bed. I forgot, however, that my husband would be bringing some of the luggage into the room in a few moments.

ArrivedThe card reader beeped and the door opened. In a blur, all three dogs were racing down the hall into the lobby and towards the front door before we had time to react!  One of my dogs is skittish and the first slight noise sent her scurrying back to me where I held onto her collar. My husband ran after the two excited escapees and was able to herd them back into the hallway where I could lure them back into the room with desperate offerings of treats and food.

I don’t like to think about losing my dogs, but I’m prepared. Microchips are great and I have heard a lot of wonderful stories about microchip reunions, but the remote areas I was traveling through wouldn’t have regular access to microchip readers, or even internet access. I relied on a backup of up-to-date ID tags. I had just my dog’s name and our cell phone numbers

Worlds Largest Truckstop SignTime Zones May Change, But A Dog’s Internal Clock Doesn’t

We travelled across 4 time zones, but our dogs were still hungry at noon instead of 4:00pm. Prepare for some transition time.

Never Travel Alone

I had the misfortune of coming down with mild food poisoning during our trek through Canada. I would have been in trouble if I were traveling alone. Thankfully my husband did not suffer this fate and was there to help with the dogs and all the added stress that they bring to a cross- country car trip.

 

Road into mountains

So Many Lessons, Not Enough Time

I could probably continue to write about this for days and still have advice left to give. All in all, we were very well prepared and made it safely without any major incidents. The lessons we learned were infinite, and I’m sure yours will be too. I can sum it up with one statement: It was an adventure that I wouldn’t be quick to repeat; but one I wouldn’t trade for the world.

I’m really interested to hear if any of you have your own tales of the road with your furkids and any lessons you’d like to pass on to fellow travelers? Reply below. Safe travels, everyone!

Travelling with your dogs – long distance road trips

800 miles into the trip, they finally figured out how to keep me in the back seat.Vacations are great: time for rest, relaxation and recharging. However, some pet owners, including myself, feel guilty leaving our furry friends behind while exploring other parts of the country. I’ve discussed hiring pet sitters and boarding facilities before, but there is another option. Consider it the road less travelled.
What about taking your pets with you? Air travel can be expensive and sometimes dangerous for short-nosed dog breeds. What about a good old-fashioned road trip? After you read this, you might reconsider that boarding facility or pet sitter, but for those instances where you really want to share the road with your four-legged best friend, this post will be your go-to resource for planning the perfect road trip.

There are 5 main steps to preparing for your long-distance road trip:

1. Get the all-clear from your vet. Schedule a well-pet visit for any of the pets that you’ll be taking on the road with you. If you’ll be travelling across the Canadian border, make sure you have copies of your current rabies vaccination certificates. Make copies of any other vaccinations and check with the places you’re staying to make sure your pets are up to date on any vaccinations that they require.
2. Plan your route carefully. Pet friendly hotels are more and more common, but you’re going to need to plan ahead. Don’t just rely on a hotel’s information online, make sure to call ahead and get confirmation that your pets are welcome.

You may want to consider camping during your trip or renting an RV for a cross-country trip, especially if you have multiple dogs or large breed dogs. You still need to call ahead and make sure that your pets are welcome. As unfair as it is, some breeds aren’t allowed in some counties, hotels, or campgrounds.
3. You’ll want to first make a list of everything you’ll need for your pet while on vacation, and secondly pack enough of it for the entire duration of your trip. Here’s a quick list that I came up with:

4. Make sure your microchip information is up-to-date. If your pet isn’t microchipped, make sure to get one done at your vet’s office. If they are already microchipped, update your information online to include your cell phone number in case they escape while away from home.
5. Practice makes perfect! If your dog isn’t used to car rides, take small trips in preparation for the long haul. Slowly build up the amount of time that you’re in the car until you’re confident that your pet will tolerate a long road trip.

While you’re on the road, make sure to give plenty of water and stop every few hours for a stretch and to relieve them. Take a short walk at each rest stop to reduce anxiousness. If you can, go for a run or do some exerting activity so that they’re nice and tired for the next leg of the trip!

Do you have any words of wisdom for any pet lovers getting ready to go on a road trip with their furry companions? Leave them in the comments!

Lancaster Barnstormers invite dogs (and That Pet Place) to the ballgame!

Bernie at the Barnstormer's GameThis past Sunday the Lancaster Barnstormer’s held their annual Bark in the Park event at the Clipper Magazine Stadium. That Pet Place mascots, Bernie the St. Bernard and Chompers the shark, were in attendance, and That Pet Place had several reps in the lawn area with all of the pets and other vendors.

The afternoon started with a yappy hour in the front of the stadium with $1 hot dogs. All proceeds from the sale of the food and the special lawn tickets went to the Lancaster SPCA and supports a great cause to our local community.

The Barnstormer’s also had several other events going on that day: a walk for kids with diabetes & it was their mascot, Cylo’s, birthday! There were tons of mascots in attendance, including the Turkey Hill Turkey and the Hershey Bear’s mascot! Bernie and Chompers were honored to be a part of the celebration.

Back in the lawn area, the reps from TPP (including myself) were swarmed with fans and their friendly dogs. Everyone had a great time mingling and socializing with each other. Tina from Furever Homes Adoption joined us as well (they’re a proud member of Lancaster CARES) to promote their upcoming craft and vendor fair on That Pet Place grounds on July 12th, 2014. TPP had a camouflage bandanas for the dogs in attendance. If you missed the event, stop by the store. We have a few left over and they’re for sale in the retail store in Lancaster, PA!

Did you go to the game? Snap any pictures? Please, share them with us on our Facebook page!

If you weren’t able to make the game, make sure you keep an eye out this fall; the Lancaster Barnstormer’s are planning another event for this fall! Watch our Facebook page in the coming months as we figure out the details!

Unique Pet Portraits by Bztat Studios – A gift from BlogPaws

As a follow up from my post on low cost DIY pet portaits, I had the opportunity to meet with the artist behind Bztat Studios at the 2014 BlogPaws Conference in Lake Las Vegas. I even won a free digital pet portrait at the conference!

For those of you who aren’t so artistic or “do-it-yourselfers”, a Bztat pet portrait could be a great option if you’re looking for a contemporary style pet portrait and you don’t know where to start to look for an artist. I’ve met her, she’s a real deal artist and very passionate about her art; and great at what she does! Check out some of the Premiere portraits from her blog:

Premiere Style Portraits from Bztat Studios

Premiere Style Portraits from Bztat Studios

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2014 Proud Pet Day A Huge Success!

Hi That Pet Place readers – If you’re local to the Lancaster, PA area I hope you had a chance on Saturday to stop out at the 2nd annual Pet Pantry Proud Pet Day for some fun and games!

I want to thank all of the organizations, volunteers, and customers for making this event such a huge success this year! We had beautiful (although a little bit chilly) weather and a great crowd to meet with.

Cylo from the Lancaster Barnstormers stopped by to promote their upcoming Bark in the Park event (a day where you can take your dog with you to the baseball game) and was a huge hit with the kids and the dogs!

Forgotten Friends was taking snake photos, The Feathered Sanctuary had lots of rescue birds out who were available for adoption, and all kinds of rescue organizations from around the area stopped by to promote pet welfare and adoption.

Thanks to all of our customers who donated to the Stuff the Truck event & helped feed pets in need; the 50/50 raised about $500 and Beau, last year’s winner of the Beneful Dream Dog Park chose the winning tennis ball towards the end of the day.

Local artist Neil was doing Pet Caricatures and Pet Psychic Cynthia was doing readings… all for this great cause for our local area! I can’t even begin to thank everyone enough for all the support they showed.

Another big thank you goes out to the vendors who took the time to set up a table or booth at the event and hand out samples to customers.

I was in attendance as a representative of the organization Tripawds, who is very near to my heart. My very own Tripawd, Barret, was there and of course was the star of the show. He was busy showing off his balance skills on the FitPaws Balance Disk to anyone who might give him a treat (which he got many of since we were stationed next to a treat station from Bradley Caldwell!). Pet Cancer and limb amputation isn’t something a lot of people want to talk about openly, but I had a lot of people who were surprised he was able to get along so well with 3 legs. I just kept repeating that he was “born with 3 legs and a spare”! I hope that I was able to dispel some common myths and rumors about canine cancer and provide a future resource to anyone who may face this tragic disease in their pets’ futures.

We were also stationed next to Chance, the Boxer who had an untreated leg injury as a pup which left him unable to walk (from Last Chance Animal Rescue). Chance recently had surgery to fix his injury and is now learning how to walk for the first time. I was able to talk with Dr. Bryan from The Pet Pantry and Chance was able to to try out the FitPaws Balance Disk which might help him recover if used for physical therapy and training to rebuild the muscles he hasn’t ever had a chance to use!

The question I had to answer most (other than explaining Barret wasn’t a lab puppy, but a 6 year old cocker spaniel mutt) was that he was most certainly NOT up for adoption! This little boy has a home, but anyone looking for a pet, whether they are “specially abled” or not, should check with their local rescues and PetFinder.com before going to a breeder or anywhere else.

Stay tuned, Pet Place friends and family, we’ve got even more adoption and pet welfare events planned throughout the year!

Check out The Pet Pantry of Lancaster’s Photo Album on Facebook – Part 1 and Part 2

Did you attend the festivities? What did you think? Did you have a favorite booth or activity? Let us know what you thought so we can improve the event for future years!

See you next time, Heather & Barret

BlogPaws 2014 Lake Las Vegas Review

Hi Pet Blog readers and bloggers!

If any of you attended BlogPaws in Las Vegas, you’ll know I’m not lying when I tell you we had a BLAST! It was a fun, pet-friendly event that was just perfect for That Fish Place – That Pet Place to attend.

I couldn’t have asked for more. I met with tons of passionate pet bloggers who have a ton of followers and they’re all looking for the best products for their pets. We’re only happy to oblige 🙂 Bonus! I finally got to meet the founders of Tripawds, who were my personal saviors when Barret was going through his cancer diagnosis and surgery. I don’t think it would have been possible for them to be cooler people to spend the week with! I am more passionate than ever about furthering their cause.

The seminars were fantastic resources for bloggers looking to gain an edge, a following and to perfect their art. The dinners and events were fun filled and fantastic opportunities to talk with everyone about their products, pets and passions. The expo hall was filled with great products to try at home and blog about (or even bring in to the store for our customers to try, too).

I was amazed by some of the pets that bloggers brought with them. There were dogs of all sizes, of course, cats, birds, ferrets, rats, even a Capybara! And everyone was dressed to the nines for the red carpet on Saturday night.

The absolute best part was seeing all the donations that the BlogPaws teams presented during the ceremonies; everything from cash donations to armor for Nevada police dog units.

If you’re a pet blogger or have a following on your social media page, I highly suggest you purchase tickets to next year’s event in Nashville. You won’t be sorry you did and hopefully you’ll see us there, too!

Did you go to BlogPaws? What did you think? Share with us in the comments!

That Pet Place Attending Blog Paws 2014

BlogPaws 2014As I type this, I’m currently en-route to BlogPaws – the biggest [and best, as far as I am aware] pet blogging and social media conference in the US. I could not be more excited to meet more pet bloggers and community members as dedicated to providing fellow pet owners with valuable information to keep their pets safe, healthy & happy!

I’ll be blogging from the event as often as time allows, so stay tuned. In the meantime, if there are any aspiring pet bloggers out there looking for  a chance to contribute – don’t forget that That Pet Blog accepts guest blog posts, check out our general guidelines here), and we’ve just introduced a partnership opportunity for more established bloggers who wish to write product reviews on their blogs (or guest post on ours). Take a minute to fill out our entry form  for consideration in this program.

So, how did I even hear about BlogPaws? Well, I heard of it a few years back and I remembered hearing about the conference just after last year’s event, but didn’t really dive into the community until a good friend of mine from Tripawds was looking for a sponsor to attend and suggested that it would be a good opportunity for That Pet Place to attend as well. And here we are! I’m attending Blog Paws for the first time and That Pet Place is proud to sponsor Tripawds trip and watch them present at the conference!

image[3]Speaking of Tripawds, At the retail store next weekend (May 17, 2014) we’re celebrating the 2nd Annual Proud Pet Day! I’ll be back in time to attend the event as an official Tripawds representative, with Barret of course!

To thank the wonderful, supportive community there and commemorate some of the awful losses from canine cancer over the last year since I’ve been a member I decided to create a photo album to explain what Tripawds was all about and how dogs of all shapes, ages, sizes and shapes could live and love life on three legs. I think it was a pretty successful venture, but I’ll let you be the judges. Check out the full PDF version here 

Pages can be added at any time and it will travel with the Tribute leash and banner to events or wherever its requested.  I hope that everyone enjoys looking at the photos as much as I enjoyed creating it.

image[4]So, if you’re heading to Las Vegas for Blog Paws 2014 – keep an eye open for me, Heather Crotsley, from That Pet Place and introduce yourself!

If you’re going to be in the Lancaster, PA area on May 17, stop by Proud Pet Day and support local animal rescues and organizations (you’ll have a blast, too: live music, games, prizes, food, and more!)

 

**Update: I’ve already met 2 great bloggers and the event hasn’t started yet! Jamie from Thoughts Fur Paws  and Christine from Oh My Shih Tzu were so welcoming and had lots of great tips and got my brain working!

Low Cost or Do It Yourself Pet Portraits and Dog Paintings

If you’re anything like me, you’ve seen those ads on Etsy or Pinterest where you can purchase a painting of your pet for hundreds of dollars. You may have even been tempted, like I have been, to buy one or check further into it, only to be deterred by the cost of the artist’s work. As an artist myself, I know that their time is valuable and their work is worth it if you have the money to spare. Many of us don’t have that kind of cash lying around for a treasured piece of art.

Painted in WaterlogueIf you’re a little cash strapped and you’re looking for an inexpensive alternative for some custom pet artwork, either as a gift or for décor for your own home, look no further. This is the blog post you’re looking for! I have 3 low-cost options that every pet-enthusiast will love!

Waterlouge App

(Available on iTunes – $2.99)

This is my favorite app for watercolor dog paintings and cat paintings. It produces high quality watercolor-like images that you can save and email to yourself, then print at an enlarged size without losing the quality. I’ve used this app for framed pictures of my dog paintings, screensavers of my dogs, photo collages, and even custom greeting cards. At $2.99 you’ll be shocked at how much use you can get out of this app. It’s currently only available on iTunes for iPhone or iPad.
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My Chat with a Pet Communicator

2014-Proud-Pet-DayThis past weekend Barret and I visited the American Cancer Society’s Bark for Life in Hummelstown. He had such a great time meeting new people and other dogs! He was such a good boy!

Part of our visit was to see how he is going to do when he is an ambassador for Tripawds at The Pet Pantry’s Proud Pet Day on May 17th, 2014 at That Fish Place – That Pet Place. He’s going to be a delight! The only embarrassing thing he did was swim in the baby pool intended as a water dish for the other dogs. Oops!

One of the booths we stopped at had a local Pet Communicator or Psychic, Cynthia, doing readings. I thought, what the heck! Why not?

I thought I’d share my experience with you and I’d love to hear if any of you have ever spoken with a pet communicator. If you have, leave a comment and let me know what you took away from the experience.

photoThe first thing she said to me when I sat down with Barret was that he had the youngest most innocent spirit she had ever met. He knows no pain, no anger, no sorrow. I have to say this is pretty spot on for my Barret. He is so trustful of almost everyone and just happy all the time. Even at five years old and down to only three legs, he bounces around like a twelve week old pup! He does not have an off-switch. She could tell that I was very attached to him and that his amputation had made us very close. This is totally true, and any other Tripawd mom will agree. There is no bond that can compare.

I didn’t have any specific questions for him, so I asked if she could sense anything about my pets at home. Amazingly, without me giving her any additional information she asked if I had a Brown dog only a little bit bigger than Barret. I said yes (Gatsby). She said that he’s vocal and appears aggressive towards other dogs sometimes. That’s kind-of true. It’s actually more true of Sara, who is also brown and white. I would be curious to know if she had Sara and Gatsby switched around. Everything she said about Gatsby seemed to fit Sara more than Gatsby.

She said that the brown dog was attacked when very young. He acts up to protect himself. It’s possible, He was 16 weeks when he came to our home. Sara could have been attacked in her previous home with all the other dogs in the home and the poor care she was receiving. She had some desensitization suggestions for this “Aggressive” dog (who I still think more fits Sara than Gatsby).
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