Dogs and Bars Don't Mix

Living in a college town with plenty of bars in the downtown area, I’ve noticed lately that a lot of people are bringing their dogs to the bars with them. While I support pet owners making an effort to socialize their dogs, the bar really might not be the best place to do it. During happy hour when people stop into restaurant-bars, it’s one thing to bring your dog with you for a bit. But when you’re going out for the night, just leave your dog at home!

Some reasons why you should leave your dog at home when you want to go out:

1.      Your attention isn’t fully on the animal, and frankly, people can be stupid… and mixing alcohol in just makes it worse.

2.      There might be broken glass, alcohol, cigarette butts, and/or other dangerous things on the ground that your dog could step on or eat to get hurt.

3.      Your dog probably doesn’t want a bunch of drunk people in its face or petting it too roughly. It’s more of a scary experience than fun socializing.

4.      People can step on or trip over your dog, whether it be by accident or not.

5.      Bars are loud. Your dog’s ears are much more sensitive than ours, so the noise might be painful to their ears.

6.      There may not be many people in the bar when you get there, but you never know when it’s going to get crowded and the environment changes from quiet and calm to noisy and rambunctious.

7.      If you’re alone, you might not be able to watch your dog at all times, like when you take a bathroom break. Asking others to hold your dog might turn into a lost dog situation.

There are many more ways to socialize your dog during the day, so it’s just simply not necessary to bring it to a bar. I’m sure it'd rather be at home in its quite, cozy bed.

The Not-So-Fuzzy Topic of Spaying & Neutering

Most people know that spaying and neutering their pets is an important issue, but up to 35% of pet owners still don’t get their pets fixed for various reasons. It’s not a fun topic to talk about for most people—they’d much rather talk about the heartwarming, fuzzy stories about animals for obvious reasons. But we can’t ignore the high number of animals awaiting homes, or not making it, in shelters.

Recently I’ve had a few people tell me that they want to have their pets fixed and updated on vaccinations, but they just don’t have the hundreds of dollars to spend on it at the vet.  Absolutely understandable. Luckily, price isn’t as much of a concern these days with the rise of low-cost spay/neuter clinics across the country. You can now get your pet fixed and up-to-date on vaccinations for as little as $100 (or less), depending on the clinic and type of animal. Contact your local animal shelter to find out where the nearest low-cost clinic is to you, or visit the HSUS, Spay USA, Spot Society, or if you’re in Athens, GA, visit the Athens Area Humane Society.

Below are some enlightening statistics about spaying/neutering, as well as some reminders why getting your pet fixed in a timely manner is so important.

Did You Know….

Cats and dogs can be spayed as early as 2 months old and/or at 2 pounds. Young pets recover quickly from these surgeries, so vets no longer go by the one-year rule.

Cats and dogs can become pregnant as early as 4 months old.

The HSUS estimates that 3 to 4 million dogs and cats are euthanized each year in the United States—that’s around half of the animals entering shelters. To put this in more perspective on a local level, in metro Atlanta, approximately 166 animals are euthanized every day according to Spay Georgia.

Two cats and their offspring can produce 420,000 cats within 7 years, and two dogs and their offspring can produce 50,000 dogs in 7 years. Wow.

You can get your pet spayed while in heat or while pregnant, although it usually has an added cost.

But Why?....

If the pet reproduction stats didn’t faze you, here are a few more reasons to go through with your pet’s spay/neuter.

Article: Mind Readers

A coworker recently shared this newspaper clipping with me at a meeting:

"A British researcher has confirmed what pet owners have long suspected--that animals can actually sense when their masters are coming home. Rupert Sheldrake, former director of cell biochemistry at Cambridge University, reported that 46 percent of the dogs he studied began preparing for their owners' return up to an hour before they got home, even if they worked odd shifts.

The animals usually became agitated and went to the window to watch for their owners' return. Some cats and other pets showed similar psychic bonds with their masters, said Sheldrake, who collected 1,500 case studies from around the world. One myna bird would begin shouting, 'Robbie's coming home,' when its owner was returning from a trip."
This article is from September 6, 1996 (newspaper and author unknown). 

Many of us can relate to our pets greeting us when we get home as if they knew we were on our way, whether it be from the sounds of our cars or a psychic feeling as this article suggests. One of my cats greets me at the door most days (unless she's soaking up some serious sun or in a deep catnap), but she doesn't go to the door when neighbors come in the house. Maybe it's the way I walk up to the door or the specific sound of my keys jingling--I'll never know! But it's definitely always a nice feeling to be greeted by a furry friend after a long day.

Think Twice Before Bringing Pets to Outdoor Festivals This Summer

It’s summertime in Athens, which means lots of fun outdoor festivals. Pet owners tend to take these opportunities as a cue to get their dogs out of the house, but you may want to think twice about bringing Rover with you. AthFest suggests not bringing your dog because of grass scarcity and the problem of waste disposal. But there’s a more pressing reason you should be concerned about—your pet’s health.

We can quickly become hot at events, but imagine wearing a fur coat and not being able to sweat! Animals can succumb to heat stroke in a matter of minutes if their body temperatures rise above 106 degrees, and humidity exasperates the problem. Have you walked outside lately? Temperatures have been well into the 90’s, which can be dangerous for dogs and present the potential for heat stroke.

“Signs of heat stroke are intense, rapid panting, wide eyes, salivating, staggering and weakness,” says United Animal Nations (now RedRover). If your pet has these symptoms, treat it immediately.  

Other things to keep in mind: your pets’ paw pads can burn on the asphalt (try walking around barefoot and see how it feels), some dogs become nervous or get stepped on in crowds, and uncompassionate people may be mean to animals left unattended.

If you find it necessary to bring your pet, take a bowl and plenty of water, keep your pet out of direct sunlight when possible, and find cool indoor spots to cool off periodically. For more information, visit MyDogIsCool.com.


*I wrote this letter to the editor for the Athens-Banner Herald last week before AthFest, but alas it did not get published. I still think it's a very important message, and it's relevant to all outdoor activities in this summer's incredible heat and humidity. So I hope that you will take this message to heart and will share it with your pet-owning friends and family.

Article: When Lucky Died

Bob and his dog Lucky on a drive.

This is a great article about a journalist, Bob Sullivan, and his quest to deal with his dog's passing. He touches on the difficulty of losing a pet family member, how he dealt with his pain, and how social media played a role in his grieving process (sharing photos, stories, and reading friends' messages). Losing a pet is never easy, and his sweet story hits close to home to those of us who have experienced pet loss over the years. I highly recommend taking a few minutes to read this story.


When Lucky Died: A grief observed, on social media
by Bob Sullivan