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<title>The Joys of Being a Pet Parent</title>
<link>http://www.petfinder.com/pet-news/the-joys-of-being-a-pet-parent.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Brock Weatherup via Pet360Holding my eldest daughter Brooke in my arms for the very first time was one of the most terrifying yet exciting experiences of my life. I was ecstatic that I was going to be her parent, friend, mentor and provider. I was officially a dad.

The day I first picked up my dog Boulder, he shook in my arms - a little, energetic ball of white fluff overwhelmed from the journey he had just taken to get to me. By any measure, Boulder was a fantastic puppy. Chewing was minimal (only one pair of shoes and a small corner of a carpet). Accidents were few and far between.

Yes, I was once again a dad!

Being a pet parent is a little different though.

It was awesome to see Brooke's personality traits, mannerisms and capabilities emerge (yes, even the bad ones she gets from me). But Boulder's personality came out much more quickly, which was a lot of fun!  Sweet, happy and loving, Boulder is my shadow.

While the feedback you get from a child is much more complex, both are full of joy, heartbreak and love. Boulder is an amazing role model to me. His unconditional love reminds me that regardless of what kind of day I have, he is always there to greet me with extraordinary enthusiasm. He is never down and always gives, gives, and gives some more. He reminds me to appreciate the basic things in life that make me happy, like going for a hike with the whole family.

But more importantly, he always lives in the moment, with zero reservations. Well, except when crossing a stream is involved.

You see, Boulder is afraid of the water.

Boulder, an English Retriever, is scared of the water.

If we are hiking near water, he will sit at the edge and whimper. He might let out a bark or two, but no way is he getting in.

And that's okay. Part of being a father, whether to Brooke or to Boulder, involves loving them for who they are and providing support when they need it most - even if it means carrying my full-grown English Retriever across the scariest of inch-deep streams.

This article was originally published on Pet360.

&nbsp;  Pet news brought to you by Zootoo.com]]></description>
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<title>Happy Tail: Catahoula Leopard Dog finds a far-away home</title>
<link>http://www.petfinder.com/?p=26504</link>
<description><![CDATA[Jamie Fultz and Peter Herzeellle knew exactly the kind of dog they wanted to adopt: a Catahoula Leopard Dog. But they soon found they weren&#8217;t the only ones. They repeatedly missed out. One time they made an eight-hour drive, leaving home at three a.m. so they would be first in line. Turns out they weren&#8217;t and once again missed out.
Read Raleigh&#8217;s story in Jamie&#8217;s words.
They persisted, however, and a few weeks later they were rewarded. They spotted a Catahoula pup on Petfinder. He and his family had been wandering the streets when a man rescued them and turned them over to Paws and Claws Rescue in Hot Springs, AR.
Raleigh, as he is named, seemed perfect. The only problem was that he was in Arkansas and they lived in Dundee, NY. Nevertheless, they filled out a lengthy application and their references were checked out thoroughly. Their application was approved and Raleigh was to be theirs; distance was not a deal breaker. The rescue group arranged transport, and Jamie and Peter soon found themselves welcoming their new family member.
Raleigh is just five months old and hasn&#8217;t grown into his big, mitt-like paws. &#8220;When he gets excited,&#8221; Jamie says, &#8220;he&#8217;ll run through our apartment, at full speed with his ears slicked back and tail between his legs! It sounds like a horse trotting around! I can&#8217;t imagine what our downstairs neighbors think.&#8221;
One afternoon while Jamie thought Raleigh was napping, she heard a &#8220;thud thud thud.&#8221; Oh no, she thought, what has he gotten into now. As it turned out, he indeed was napping but was wagging his tail in his sleep. It resounded heavily as it hit the floor. Sounds as if he&#8217;s one happy boy with dreams filled with good things. Surely having his own forever family is part of Raleigh&#8217;s good dream.



The post Happy Tail: Catahoula Leopard Dog finds a far-away home appeared first on Petfinder.]]></description>
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<title>Romeo&#x27;s High Energy Wake up Tactic</title>
<link>http://www.petfinder.com/?p=26182</link>
<description><![CDATA[This morning, I began the staff wake up process by YEEEEEOOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWLING numerous times from the spare bedroom. Waking people up for BREAKFAST can wear a guy out.
Then, I stampeded into big bedroom and around the bed. I hopped over the laundry basket and knocked into the floor lamp, making loud jangling noise (not that staff wasn't awake already at this point), then stampeded back to spare bedroom. Helloooooo, BREAKFAST.
Now, I am tired and need a nap.
Want more Romeo wake up tactics? Visit my blog for all kinds of ways cats wake up their people!
The post Romeo&#8217;s High Energy Wake up Tactic appeared first on Petfinder.]]></description>
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<title>Happy Tail: Cooperation gives Cattle Dog a second chance</title>
<link>http://www.petfinder.com/?p=26206</link>
<description><![CDATA[Open-admission shelters have a hard row to hoe. They take in all animals that are brought to them, relinquished ones and strays. They don't have the luxury to pick and choose the pets in their care and seldom have the luxury of extra space. Sufficient funding is hard to come by, so they may have to scramble to keep their operations in the black.
Read the happy tail about Sequoyah (left), shown with her adopted brother, Rufus, in Colleen O&#8217;Brien&#8217;s words.
The distressing fact is they often must use euthanasia to keep the population at their shelters at a manageable size to benefit most of the pets in their care. No one likes to euthanize pets, certainly not them. It takes an emotional toll on the people who work in open-admission shelters. And to top it off, they sometimes receive a lot of abuse from animal lovers for the work they have to do.
The blame lies not on the shelters, but on people who let their pets breed indiscriminately and then don't take responsibility or those who abuse, neglect or abandon pets to a life on the streets. The life of a stray dog can be a cruel one, and many are brought to shelters in very bad physical and mental condition.
One of the best things happening in animal welfare is the increasing cooperation between open-admission shelters and rescue groups. Take the case of a dog named Sequoyah who was a stray in Bakersfield, CA. She ended up in an open-admission shelter and because of the crowded situation and her own timid personality, she wasn't an ideal candidate for adoption. Time was running out for her as more pets were brought to the shelter and space was at a premium.
But here's where the &#8220;happy&#8221; in my &#8220;happy tail&#8221; title begins. Volunteers from rescue groups regularly check on many open-admission shelters and take in adoptable pets for placement in foster homes and into other shelters that aren't open admission and don&#8217;t have time limits on how long they can keep them. Crowded open-admission shelters also have forged transfer agreements with other animal welfare organizations that aren&#8217;t so overwhelmed.
Sequoyah, an Australian Cattle Dog, was placed in a foster home with a volunteer who works with Northern California Animal Rescue Friends, based in Elk Grove, CA. And thus she was saved through cooperation.
Colleen O'Brien of Oakland, CA, saw her listed on Petfinder. "Sequoyah was extremely timid when we first met her,&#8221; she says. &#8220;When we walked in the door, she barked at us, peed on the floor and hid under a chair. We weren&#8217;t deterred &#8212; we sat down outside to see if she would warm up to us. She relaxed a little and played with some of her foster siblings, and then at one point ran up to me, planted a kiss on my cheek and ran back to playing. The decision was made." Colleen adopted Sequoyah.
It hasn't always been easy for Sequoyah to adapt to life in a home. But she has become a well-adjusted dog, who is much loved by her family.
It's a tribute to both the rescue groups who pull dogs from open-admission shelters and also to the shelters  who cooperate with other groups to give the pets in their care the very best shot at a second chance. We honor both kinds of animal welfare organizations for the work they do.



The post Happy Tail: Cooperation gives Cattle Dog a second chance appeared first on Petfinder.]]></description>
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<title>petMD Shows Off its New Look!</title>
<link>http://www.petfinder.com/pet-news/petmd-shows-off-its-new-look.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Mellie TestVeterinarian-approved pet health resource petMD has launched a completely new look!  Sliding featured articles showcase hand-picked veterinary-approved content, and columns specifically devoted to Health, Wellness and Education content give you quick access to the information you need.

Once you create an account, you can access the new "my petMD" from any page. My petMD allows you to see your most recent petMD University progress, upload photos of your pet(s), and you're even able to save your favorite articles, videos and blogs!

The new petMD homepage also features a dog breed section for voting on your favorite breed photos, which also allows of your own breed-related photos.

After the featured breed section, you'll find easy access to the petMD pet service finder, as well as a comprehensive alert section for recent brand/product recalls. In case you're planning on adding a new pet to the household, you'll see the top male and female puppy names displayed for easy reference.

my petMD


Featured Breed



Pet Service Finder, Recalls, Alerts and Puppy Names


Some additional petMD resources:

	Cat and Dog Symptom Checker
	petMD Univeristy
	Dog Breed Information
	Cat Breed Information
	Pet Slideshows
  Pet news brought to you by Zootoo.com]]></description>
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<title>Lunch with puppies? Heck yeah</title>
<link>http://www.petfinder.com/?p=26153</link>
<description><![CDATA[I love my job, but I won&#8217;t deny that by Wednesday I&#8217;m starting to drag a little. I like to schedule a good lunch on Wednesdays, or a happy hour with friends to perk up the middle of the week. This week it was the promise of puppies at lunch that got me out the door on time.
Last week Jamie, our business manager, informed me that local Petfinder member shelter Washington Animal Rescue League (WARL) would be at our local Whole Foods this Wednesday with adoptable pets during lunch as well as in the early evening. I immediately suggested that our lunch break be spent with the adoptable pets.
During today&#8217;s lunch I was in heaven. Jamie took a photo of me with a Pit Bull pup named Left Eye who stole my heart.
I defy you to not laugh when a puppy like Left Eye gives you a kiss.
Even though it&#8217;s not the right time for me to bring home a friend for Toby (my beloved cat), I&#8217;m so happy that I went to the adoption event today. In fact, I had such a good time that I&#8217;m planning to visit again when I finish work for the evening. I love looking at adoptable pet photos (and I look at a lot during my average day) but there&#8217;s a special kick that comes from cuddling an adoptable pet in person.
I hope Left Eye and his siblings find forever homes where they can snuggle and lick to their hearts&#8217; content!
The post Lunch with puppies? Heck yeah appeared first on Petfinder.]]></description>
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