keep your pets safe and sound on the 4th
As we make our family plans for the 4th of July, let's also consider the safety of our pets. It can be tempting to include our furry family members in the festivities, but for this holiday, in particular, it might be best to leave Fido and Fluffy behind. Here are a few things to consider this Independence Day:
More pets are lost on the 4th of July than on any other day of the year. Why? Mostly because they are scared of the loud noises. Pets don't understand fireworks, so, if frightened, a common reaction is to run. Pets run from celebrations and even from their own homes and yards. Protect your pet and be sure your pet's tag and/or microchip is up-to-date in case she should become lost.
Be mindful of the heat. We're officially into summer, now, and many areas of the country are incredibly hot. If your pet goes with you, be sure you have means to cool your animal, and be sure to have plenty of water. Also, be sure not to walk your dog on hot pavement. Paws can burn easily. And never leave your pet in a car, even with the windows cracked. Temperatures can rise to fatal conditions within just a minute.
Protect your pet from dangerous foods and cooking. Be sure your pet does not consume something he shouldn't, which can commonly happen during Independence Day gatherings. Inform guests not to feed table scraps, and be sure your pet does not get a hold of chocolate, onions, bones, or other hazardous foods. Also, make sure your grill is supervised at all times. Grilling meat can be tempting to pets, and they don't necessarily understand the consequences of jumping up on a hot grill.
Keep your pet indoors, away from fireworks. It's best to leave your pet home. Be sure all doors and windows are secure so that your pet does not escape. You may want to consider leaving a radio or TV on for your pet to drown out the noise of fireworks and celebrations, both of which can be stressful for your pet.
Help your pet with treatment. Some pet owners will tranquilize their fearful, panicked pet on the 4th, but I prefer natural methods such as Azmira's Herbal Calm or the ThunderShirt. Giving your pet some anxiety relief can help prevent unfortunate situations and can make your pet more relaxed during this stressful holiday.
Well Minded wishes you and your pets a safe and sound 4th of July!
we should have entered the world's ugliest dog contest
I'm a sucker for ugly dogs. Everyone knows it. The uglier, the better, and I'm instantly in love. So when the world's ugliest dog contest comes around each year, I get pretty excited. I couldn't believe it this year when I saw two of the contestants.
Our dog, N.A.S.H.A. bears a striking resemblance to Cupcake L.:
Cupcake L. photo source: today.com
And my sister's dog, Darby, looks quite like Monkey:
Monkey photo source: today.com
As beautifully ugly as these pooches are, we must congratulate Peanut, who took this year's crown.
Congratulations, Peanut! Photo source: pennlive.com
Oh, well! There's always next year.
what to do if you see a scorpion: our encounter
I've lived in the desert for nearly nine years, now, and I've never encountered a scorpion in my home–until this past week. My mother-in-law, Tena, was visiting from out of town and announced more calmly than an Arizona native that "a scorpion came out of my suitcase." What?! I was nervous for her, but even more so for my five-year-old daughter who permanently resides in the room in which she was staying.
"Um, that's a boy job," I said, and we all looked at my husband, Big.
"Okay, I'll take care of it. Where is it?" he asked.
"It came out of a zippered pocket. A zippered pocket! I don't know how it got in there, but it crawled out, so now I'm not sure where it is," Tena explained.
Big grabbed a glass bowl and a piece of cardboard, and the three of us headed upstairs. Tena showed us which pocket he came out of. Next to her suitcase was its contents, tossed during the initial encounter. Big began pinching little corners of clothing and shaking them out. "Glad my underwear is pretty," Tena chimed in, always one to add lightness to any circumstance.
"There he is!" Big said. "Damn, lost him." He went through that cycle about five times, shaking various articles of clothing as he went, Tena and I looking on with morbid curiosity.
Finally, the scorpion was captured.
Though I've heard quite a few stories about scorpions and seen a bunch of friends post their encounters on Facebook, I've never seen one in my home. A couple of times I've had to man up and capture them in clients' homes. In fact, I have one client who asks me to do a "scorpion check" each time I come for a visit. But I've never been paranoid about them. All of that changed once we found one in my daughter's room.
So how dangerous are they, and what should you do if you see one?
Apparently, size does matter. Surprisingly, the small young scorpions are the most dangerous, carrying the strongest venom. If you are stung by one, it will hurt like hell, but as with bees, it's not particularly dangerous unless you suspect you are allergic, in which case you should capture (and kill) the buggar who stung you and take it with you to the doctor so that the correct anti-venom can be used.
There are many species of scorpion. Some are more venomous than others, but most species in the United States are not venomous enough to be deadly.
If you see one, stay calm. I was able to stay calm because Big was on the case. So I recommend finding someone else to capture a scorpion. Worked great for me. Get your husband, your wife, your mom...whomever (just keep little kids out of it).
Scorpions are usually not aggressive unless threatened, and then look out. This trait makes capturing them challenging. They move quickly when they feel threatened, or they may do just the opposite and play dead. Whether a scorpion is scurrying about or looking expired, always use a glass jar or some such thing...never touch a scorpion, even with gloves on.
Once you catch a scorpion, you'll want to watch him for a while, like we did, because, frankly, they are fascinating. Then you have two options.
1. Kill him.
2. Set him free far from your home.
Being the animal-loving types that we are, we opted for option two and released our guy in the rocky wash behind our house. We told him to tell his friends that the next one might not be so lucky.
So what do we do, now? Will there be more?
We live in a suburban area, but there is a lot of desert wildlife around. Our smallish neighborhood is divided from the next by little hills and hiking paths, so it's prime real estate for scorpions. It is likely that we will encounter another in our home considering where we live. Scorpions are very limber, despite their hard shells, so they can squeeze under cracks and small spaces under doors. Summer is prime scorpion season.
We're now shaking out our shoes and clothes before putting them on each day, and I'm doing a cursory check from time-to-time. We've told the littles to do the same. They are a little bit nervous about the whole thing (me, too), but I told them to be cautious, but not fearful. We can't live in fear.
Have you ever encountered a scorpion or been stung by one? Please tell me your story!
Resources and further reading:
silly state law saturday: rhode island
well minded's silly state law saturday–Rhode Island. Map image source: lib.utexas.edu
Rhode island is the smallest state in the U.S., and its ridiculous animal laws reflect that. The bad news? We don't have much to poke fun at this week. The good news? We have a whole list of other states you can peruse over your morning coffee if this isn't enough for you.
• In Scituate, it is illegal to keep a flock of chickens in your motorhome if you live in a trailer park. A flock of pigeons is preferable. Or if you must keep chickens, throw them in your neighbor's motorhome. That also provides entertainment for the whole park, so it's a win-win.
• Riding a horse over any public highway for the purpose of racing or testing the speed of the horse is illegal. A real-life game of Frogger. Fantastic.
We'll look forward to seeing you again next week when we look at South Carolina!
Law information source: stupidlaws.com, dumblaws.com, and realstrangelaws.com.