Why Do Pets Have People?

Most animal shelters and rescues depend heavily upon volunteer foster parents to help rehabilitate an animal recovering from surgery or dealing with behavior issues. When the shelter is at capacity, they might reach out to fosters to take in an animal or two to help make room for incoming animals. In all cases, the foster length of stay is usually a month or less, but there are exceptions like "failed fosters," who fall in love with their foster animal and adopt the animal as a new pet for th...

One of the few times we went to a breeder for a dog was 18-years ago. I remember I had to pick up the puppy because the breeder was bugging out due to the oncoming Hurricane Charley. The puppy was only 6-weeks old and was the runt of the litter. She was the size of a 3.5" floppy disk. We named her Fiona, and she was the only female dog we have ever owned. She was so different from the male dogs. I called her Baby Girl, and she was daddy's little girl. (This audiobook is available for purchase...

I recently lost one of my dogs, Max, to degenerative myelopathy. The disease slowly affects the dog's spinal cord, and they lose the use of their extremities. After 11 years of being a great and faithful companion, Max was losing his battle with the disease. He lost the use of his hind legs and could no longer control his bodily functions. We made the decision to help Max crossover the Rainbow Bridge and stayed with him during the euthanasia process. Losing a pet is never easy. Grief is the n...

It’s a fact of life; your dog or cat will go missing at one time or another. It’s a terrible feeling when your pet digs under the backyard fence or gets off the leash and takes off running. You turn your back for just a second, and your pet is gone. Luckily, most responsible pet owners have their pets microchipped which increases the odds of getting your pet back ten-fold. Most animal shelters help owners, and their lost pets reunite by scanning for a microchip, publicizing the animal o...

I recently visited Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach with our Ambassador Dog and my personal pet, Bentley. The university had requested that we visit to help relieve the students' stress levels during exams week. We were happy to be of assistance. While students gathered to pet Bentley, several would pull up a slab of sidewalk and stay awhile. We talked about Bentley, how he was found as a stray not far from the university, what type of pets they had, etc. One of the stude...

Every time one of my dogs crosses over the rainbow bridge, I say to my wife, “I will never adopt another dog because it just hurts too much when they are gone.” But then, a few weeks later, when the silence without them in our home is deafening, I begin to look for available dogs at the shelter. As much as losing your best buddy or baby girl hurts, life without a pet to share it with doesn’t seem right. After a long and trying day at work, sometimes yo...

It’s been two years since I published “Why Do People Have Pets?”, a collection of 75 newspaper columns I wrote for the Daytona Beach News-Journal and Seniors Today. During that time, I had written over one hundred columns about animal welfare and caring for pets. Since then, the Daytona Beach News-Journal became part of the USA Today Network, and the network decided to make my column available to all 2400 newspapers that are part of the network. This was fantastic news, but unfortunately, the...

One of the few times we went to a breeder for a dog was 18-years ago. I remember I had to pick up the puppy because the breeder was bugging out due to the oncoming Hurricane Charley. The puppy was only 6-weeks old and was the runt of the litter. She was the size of a 3.5" floppy disk. We named her Fiona, and she was the only female dog we have ever owned. She was so different from the male dogs. I called her Baby Girl, and she was daddy's little girl. (hear more)

I recently lost one of my dogs, Max, to degenerative myelopathy. The disease slowly affects the dog's spinal cord, and they lose the use of their extremities. After 11 years of being a great and faithful companion, Max was losing his battle with the disease. He lost the use of his hind legs and could no longer control his bodily functions. We made the decision to help Max crossover the Rainbow Bridge and stayed with him during the euthanasia process. (hear more)

It’s a fact of life; your dog or cat will go missing at one time or another. It’s a terrible feeling when your pet digs under the backyard fence or gets off the leash and takes off running. You turn your back for just a second, and your pet is gone. Luckily, most responsible pet owners have their pets microchipped which increases the odds of getting your pet back ten-fold. (hear more)

I recently visited Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach with our Ambassador Dog and my personal pet, Bentley. The university had requested that we visit to help relieve the students' stress levels during exams week. We were happy to be of assistance.While students gathered to pet Bentley, several would pull up a slab of sidewalk and stay awhile. We talked about Bentley, how he was found as a stray not far from the university, what type of pets they had, etc.  (hear more)

     Every time one of my dogs crosses over the rainbow bridge, I say to my wife, “I will never adopt another dog because it just hurts too much when they are gone.” But then, a few weeks later, when the silence without them in our home is deafening, I begin to look for available dogs at the shelter. 

A couple of years ago, I wrote a column, and later a book titled “Why Do People Have Pets?” This column asks why do pets have-need people from the POV of the pet.Not surprisingly, pets have people for some of the same reasons people have pets. Companionship, love, friendship, and understanding come to mind. However, pets need people for reasons that are not in common, such as shelter, food, protection, water, medical needs and attention, maintenance for their body, etc. A pet cat or pet dog depends on its owners to provide all of these necessities and their entire lives. Unlike a child that grows up and learns to drive and work at age 16, a 16-year-old dog or cat still needs the same care and commitment from its owner as it did when they were 3-months old. Pets only age physically, not cognitively.

Welcome to the Evolution Studio Works Podcast Series. This discussion offers comprehensive advice for prospective cat owners. It emphasizes that adopting a cat is a significant, long-term commitment, often spanning 15 years or more. The discussion details the financial responsibilities beyond initial adoption fees, including ongoing costs for food, litter, and veterinary care. It also highlights the daily time commitment required for feeding, cleaning, and interaction, while explaining essent...

Many shelters have homeless dogs and cats that have been temporary residents for six months or longer. In a few cases, for over a year. Why do some animals take longer to find their forever homes than others? The obvious answer is that these animals compete with younger and more desirable breeds, but the number one reason is behavior.I have seen many older mixed breed dogs get adopted daily because they are friendly to their potential adopter. Their breed or age means very little to the adoption outcome. A few weeks back, I decided to foster a dog to help free up a kennel for a new arrival. As I walked the kennels looking at each dog, I noticed many of the dogs reacted to my presence fearfully and jumped at their kennel door. Some were still displaying friendly behavior, while others were exhibiting whale eye and aggressive behavior. I made notes about the dogs I wanted to take out of their kennel to better know them. Always take a dog or cat out of their kennel/cage to see more of their real personality. Animals that spend much of their day in a small enclosure will be stressed and act unlike themselves. Most want to get out and are trying to get your attention; thus, their antics may be vamped up a bit.Listen now.

On January 28th, I had to help my 11-year-old Golden Lab rescue, Max, crossover the Rainbow Bridge. He was inflicted with degenerative myelopathy about 6-months ago. The disease finally got the best of him, and he could no longer use his hind legs or control his bodily functions. My wife and I stayed with Max as he left us, and of course, we wept and have been grieving ever since.Our other dog, Bentley, a Golden Retriever that we rescued about 3-years ago, doesn’t understand what happened to Max. Animals have no concept of time or death. Unlike humans, animals have no idea that one day they will die. If Bentley could write a letter, here is what he might say-“Daddy,What happened to Max? He was just here, and now he is gone. Is he visiting another family? I have looked for Max everywhere. I even went into momma’s closet, which I had never been in before. Max wasn’t in there. I thought maybe he was hiding in the garage, but I didn’t see him out there either. Listen now. 

A few months ago, I had the opportunity to meet a dog named Jimmy. A small brown and white Chihuahua-Gargoyle mix with bulging eyes and a permanent snarl on his face. Jimmy was a very nasty little dog. He belonged to one of the residents in my neighborhood. Every time his owner walked Jimmy down the block, he would growl and jump at anyone walking, cycling, or driving by. I don’t know what he thought he was going to do to a full-size F-150 pick-up if he was to catch it, but nonetheless, he tried his darndest to grab onto a fender or tire as the massive truck sped by. One day, I was washing my car in my driveway, and from a distance, I could hear what sounded like a garbage disposal grinding glass, but alas, I looked over my shoulder and recognized it was Jimmy. His owner is a lovely woman and very friendly. She would yell above Jimmy’s growling, “Good morning! How are you?” As soon as I started to reply, Jimmy would go flipping crazy. He was trying to break free from the retractable leash so he could sink his teeth into my leg. At least that was what I believed he wanted to do based on his antics. His owner would talk to him in a very calm and soft voice, “Now Jimmy, hush up. This man means you no harm.” Jimmy stopped for about 3-seconds and looked at her, but then turned his attention back to my lower leg and snarled as loud as possible.Listen now.