Pet Theft on The Rise

        Hold on to your pets, folks. According to the American Kennel Club, dog theft is up a staggering 32 percent this year – a fact that should give all beggin strips coupon users pause.

         The numbers come from the AKC’s database, which catalogues media reports of stolen pets and reports of stolen pets to the AKC’s Companion Animal Recovery service. In the first half of this year, 224 pets were stolen across the United States, in comparison to just 150 in the same period last year. When compared to the 162 pets stolen in the year 2009, the numbers are even more shocking.

            "Some are taken out of homes, some are taken out of cars, some are taken out of pet stores," said AKC spokeswoman Lisa Peterson. "I've even seen some taken out of a child's arms on a park bench."

            Analysts say that the spike in pet abductions can be tied to the nation’s financial situation – stolen pets can be sold for cash, given as gifts, and even held for ransom.

            To protect your pet from pet-nappers, the AKC recommends that people micro-chip their dogs. Also, you should beware people who are overly interested in or inquisitive about your dog. If anyone asks you how much your paid for your dog, this should raise a red flag. Finally, keep an eye on your pet when you’re out running errands and using Beggin Strips coupons to prevent opportunistic thieves from snagging your pet. 

Pets Make People Happy (Science Proves It)

Anyone who uses pet food coupons know that the rewards of pet ownership far outweigh the costs. But now, there’s science to back that up – the emotional benefits of pet ownership can in fact be equal to the benefits of human friendship, according to findings by psychologists at Miami University and St. Louis University.

            The findings, which were based on the results of three separate experiements, were recently published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.
            In the first study, 217 people filled out questionnaires to gauge their self-esteem, loneliness, illness, depression and activity level.  Survey respondents who own pets scored far better overall. They had higher self-esteem and were less lonely than those people who did not own pets.

            In the second study, 56 dog owners answered the same questionnaire from the first survey but also offered information about how they related to their dogs. In the cases where the dog was seen as a compliment rather than a complication, people experienced the greatest emotional return.

            "In fact ... we repeatedly observed evidence that people who enjoyed greater benefits from their pets also were closer to other important people in their lives and received more support from them, not less," the study says.

            In the final portion of the survey, 97 undergrads wrote about socially uncomfortable experiences and then about memories of their favorite pet. The feelings of exclusion brought up by recollecting bad memories were remedied by thinking about happy memories of pets.

            This may sound pretty groundbreaking – who knew that people who used pet food coupons were happier than people who don’t have pets? But other earlier studies elsewhere have also shown that pet ownership is linked "to decreased pain transmission" and found that the benefits pet ownership can especially be especially pronounced in people older than 50. All of this just goes to show that dogs really are man’s best friend!!!

Unsung American Heroes: Navy SEAL Dogs

            It was international news when United States armed forces took down Bin Laden, and one of the interesting facts about that event which emerged in the following days was that a dog was involved in this historic event. I didn’t know that until I was looking for Purina coupons online the other day, but it’s actually a pretty amazing story.

            The team that took down Bin Laden was composed of 80 members, one of whom had four legs and a tail. Though the dog’s breed has not been certified by the US military, he was likely a Belgian Malinois, a Newfoundland, or a German Shepherd – these breeds are commonly trained for and excel at military service. According to the New York Times, the canine involved in this important mission was strapped to a Navy SEAL and was lowered from a hovering helicopter before the raid of Osama Bin Laden’s compound.

            The military often employs dogs for their bomb-sniffing abilities, though they have other capabilities that make them valuable during wartime. Some dogs can locate snipers and boobytraps and then silently warn their human handlers of impending danger, for example. According to the Atlantic, the dog on this SEAL team could have been trained to sniff out enemy troops from as far as two miles away, which would have helped the SEALS pinpoint Bin Laden’s exact location.

            Though all dogs have keen sensory perception, the best service dogs have these natural abilities as well as the proper disposition – a personality somewhere between that of docile tracking dogs and that of aggressive attack dogs is considered ideal.

             “The capability they bring to the fight cannot be replicated by man or machine,” said General David H. Petraeus said last year.

            Contemporary dogs in military roles are officially referred to as Military Working Dogs (MWDs) or are identified by the code K-9, which is also a common designation used for dogs in police roles. The roles of such dogs can be highly varied, but it is rare for them to be used in front line missions such as this, which makes this dog’s role especially fascinating.

            Perhaps even cooler is the fact that SEAL dogs are usually outfitted with titanium fangs capable of ripping through an enemy’s protective clothing. Each titanium tooth costs about $2,000, but we equip our human soldiers with state of the art weaponry so it makes sense that we would do the same for service dogs.

            I’m sure the brave canine who completed this mission got a lot of treats and belly rubs as a reward for his bravery – and I’m glad he’s earning the recognition he deserves. I’ve owned dogs and used Purina coupons for decades, but I never cease to be amazed by their incredible abilities!

A Doggone Good Summer Read

            

           Calling all pooch-loving, Pedigree-coupons-using bookworms: I have a summer reading suggestion for you. It’ll require a bit more brainpower than your usual beach book, but it’s also expand your mind a lot more so I think it’s well worth the extra work.

            The book was written by John Bradshaw, director of the Anthrozoology Institute at the University of Britstol. He’s studied the behavior fo dogs and their owners for more than 25 years, and he definitely knows his stuff. The book is called In Defence of Dogs and it’s basically composed of Bradshaw’s life’s work, redrafted for the common reader.

            This isn’t the kind of lovely-dovey dog memoir like My Dog Tulip or Marley and Me, it’s definitely a research-based book. It’s full of conversations starting facts you probably never knew and will give you a whole new appreciation for your best friend.

            For example,  did you know that dogs share 99.96 percent of their genes with wolves but are not descended from some world that came in from the cold to hang out with a cave man? Dogs and wolves ahd a common ancestor way back when, but the fossils of that animal are something of a missing link. Bradshaw goes on to talk about dog learning styles and behaviors at different life stages, which is sure to make you think differently about your pet the next time you use Pedigree coupons. Yeah, it’s kind of a thick book – but you’ll look awfully smart reading it, and you’ll feel awfully smart when you’re done. 

Cali Paper Celebrates Extraordinary Pets

I read a lot of celebrity profiles in magazines, but none are as memorable as the adorable Pet Profile I came across online the other day. It’s out of a local online newspaper in Newark, CA, where every week they celebrate a different begin strips loving, tail-wagging, slightly-slobbery best friend. I wish my paper at home did this! My dog would definitely get his 15 minutes of fame.

         Anyway, the profile I read was especially amazing because it was about a border collie mix named Press who is totally blind! Press owners adopted him when he was just three years old, and in the eleven years they’ve been family, Press’s parents have been amazed by how mobile he is. He even roams around the neighborhood and uses his sense of smell to get home! According to the pet profile, Press’ favorite activities are lounging on the sofa “like an old man,” barking at random sounds, and sleeping underneath beds. His favorite toys are golf balls and his favorite treats are begin strips and taco meat mixed with watermelon (ew?). My dog may not be that quirky, but he’s definitely photogenic so he’d look good in his portrait! If you line in the Newark area and have an interesting pet you’d like to see in the paper, e-mail nika.megino@patch.com.

Chill Out With Your Dog This Summer

Everyone loves popsicles in the summertime – even dogs! When the mercury rises, you can mix up your dog’s dietary routine from the usual Kibbles and Bits coupons with this “pupsicle” recipes. They’re pet safe, super refreshing, and easy to make with ingredients you have on hand. Bon appétit!

Basic recipe:

         1 banana, ripe

         4 cups natural orange juice

         ½ cup plain yogurt

Puree all the ingredients in a blender and pour into ta popsicle mold. Freeze & feed to your favorite pet! You can mix it up by substituting peaches, watermelons, blueberries or strawberries for the banana.

Savory popsicles:

         If you had chicken for dinner, your dog can enjoy it for dessert! Let the leftover chicken carcass simmer in a pot of hot water for an hour and a half. Cool, pick the meat off, and discard the bone. Combine chicken broth, mashed up carrots/peas/corn or other leftover veggies, pour into popsicle mold, and freeze. These can be a bit messy and are best served outside.

Lazy pet owner’s recipe:

         Cube some watermelon, put it in a plastic baggie, and put it in the freezer. This cool all natural treat is the easiest way to let your dog enjoy a sweet taste of summer!

        

If you don’t have a popsicle mold, you can freeze your pupsicles in a small Tupperware container or empty single-serve yogurt containers. Remember that these pupsicles can’t substitute for the well-rounded meal Kibbles and Bits coupons provide, so feed them to your dog only as a special treat.