 By, Katy Cable-A 4 min. Lifesaving Read “It’s Cancer!” Hearing those dreaded two words can feel like a kick in the gut and would make most of us to go into a fear-induced coma. During October, it’s hard NOT to think about cancer. The month has gone has gone from pumpkins, ghosts and Halloween decor to PINK! In honor of breast cancer awareness, we’re dressing, running, walking, playing sports and purchasing pink with ribbons. And, while all this support and enthusiasm towards the fight is great, the bad news is, this horrific epidemic has also taken our pets hostage at alarming rates. It’s bad enough when the “C-word” strikes a human, but when your dog receives that dreaded diagnosis, there’s a whole new set of challenges? You may be thinking, “Can I afford treatment?” “What will their quality of life be?” “What level of care will be required?” And of course...”How long do they have?” Many people view a dog or cat as a measly pet, but for other “crazy, obsessed, pet parents” like myself, this is a beloved family member who holds the key to your heart in the palm of their precious paw. And while we want to do the best for our four-legged babies, when it comes to cancer the options for support, community and treatments can also be far more limited and difficult to find. Last year, I wrote an eye-opening, exciting (and popular) blog: “Is The Cure For Cancer In Your Dog’s Bowl” It showed how a simple, inexpensive “Ketogenic” diet was reversing deadly aggressive cancers in dogs. A year later, I’m back with more exciting news! Popular dog vlogger, Rodney Habib and Dr. Karen Becker, the world’s most followed integrated veterinarian, have unveiled “THE CANINE CANCER SURVIVOR SERIES” which is a must-see for any pet owner. I had the opportunity to catch up with Habib and Dr Becker at the Super Zoo pet expo in Las Vegas this past June and discuss their amazing new project. Together, they spent the last two years traveling the globe meeting with over 50 leading cancer researchers, oncologists, and veterinarians and their findings are astounding! Their documentary is broken down into 6 different segments filled with innovative insights and practical tools that can be implemented immediately. This series will provide pet parents with answers, inspiration and HOPE if their pet is fighting cancer. This series also provides a wonderful opportunity for ALL pet parents to take healthy, proactive steps in an effort to prevent cancer and other metabolic diseases in their pets. Unlike most medical research, Dr. Becker and Habib present facts, research, tools and information in a fun, simple manner that ANY pet parent can understand and follow. It’s anything but a dry, depressing medical video. As an added bonus, viewers have the opportunity to join the exclusive community where they can chat with other pet parents, as well as Habib and Dr. Becker themselves. Up-to-the-minute advances, stories and issues are addressed in real time and not only is this a wonderful support system, the healing is nothing short of miraculous! If you’re in the throws of this fight with your pup, in addition to purchasing and watching this series, here are a few lifesaving things to do NOW: 1. First of all, YOU must prepare! -Emotionally! This isn’t the time to enter a complete state of hysteria and despair. You must stay strong, positive, hopeful and be your dog’s advocate. It will only make matters worse and add stress to their immune system if you’re falling apart. Get your support team in order. Reach out for help! This is not the time to cower and hide but lean in and FIGHT! Cancer can be beat! Healing can happen even with the most deadly aggressive forms. The resources and tips here could very well save your pets life. 2. Make your environment as clean as possible. Remove toxins, pollutants, smoke, and other chemical hazards. Don’t add more stress to an already compromised immune system. Toss pesticides, toxic fertilizers, cleaning products, shampoos and FOODS and go as natural and organic as possible. There’s an entire episode devoted to cleaning up your pet’s environment and hidden environmental toxins. 3. Start exercising your pet! This isn’t the time to let your “sick” dog flop around in their doggie bed sleeping all day. GET THEM MOVING! The electric voltage in a healthy cell is critical for recovery. You get that by upping your pet’s metabolism through movement and exercise. Even slower, older dogs can benefit from fresh air and exercise. Not only will this strengthen their body and keep muscles from atrophying, it will help fight depression. If your pet is older, badly out of shape or in chronic pain, CDB* (I use Treatibles which is verified for purity and potency ) can dramatically help with pain relief and appetite without any ill side effects. 4. Start feeding your pet a Ketogenic diet. This simple diet has become one of the leading tools in the fight against cancer. (Click on the link above and read my blog then message me if you’d like a free copy of the diet.) Cancer lives on glucose. This diet basically starves cancer cells and heals the body by drastically limiting carbs and putting the body into a state of ketosis. This is also discussed at length in the series. 5. Discuss medical procedures and treatments with your vet. Many cancers can be surgically removed and treated with chemotherapy. These procedures can be lifesaving and often necessary. When combined with the other natural options, the success rate can be even higher and chances of re-occurrence much much less. Ask about using hyperbaric oxygen therapy which naturally increases pure oxygen to all the body’s cells. Cancer tumors can’t thrive in environments with high oxygen levels. Pure oxygen also promotes healing and rejuvenates all cells in the body. Another innovative solution without any harsh side effects is biomodulation therapy. Electro stimulation delivers pulsed electromagnet currents into the body which greatly increases the body’s healing process. It also provides quick pain relief. Pets gravitate to this relaxing sensation and it’s extremely cost effective. I am always saddened to hear of your pet’s health problems and cancer is particularly scary. It is my wish that one day soon cancer is completely eradicated. Until then, I hope this blog has given you some exciting new options to investigate. Please keep me posted! -Pugs and kisses! follow the conversation on Facebook at: DOG CANCER SERIES Ketogenic dog group Order Dog Cancer Series: https://www.dogcancerseries.com/ *I use Treatibles CBD which is verified for potency and purity. Click the link for info. Use: WEEKLY RUNT code for 10% off at check out) https://treatibles.com/ 🐾Katy Cable is a former actress appearing in “Back To The Future” and starring in the TV series: “Safe At Home” & “ Fired Up!” In addition to her dog health & lifestyle blog/vlog: The Weekly Runt, (https://www.weeklyrunt.com/) she’s a contributing writer to numerous publications including Thrive Global, & The Huffington Post. Cable lives at the beach with her husband, Rick and her rescue Pug, Olive.🐾  By Katy Cable-TWR a 5 minute read Calling all teachers! Pay close attention because I'm going to give you my best kept secret for success in your classrooms this school year: A PET! I had my eyes opened 12 years ago when therapy dogs were just being introduced for reading programs in select elementary schools. My then eight year-old daughter, Karley had been approached about training our pug Raisin for such a program. Three months later they became the youngest therapy dog team in the nation. Each week Karley took Raisin to local elementary schools and worked with struggling "at-risk" students. While she (and Raisin) were beyond excited, I was as scared senseless. These were not the well-mannered children seated Indian-style in a circle calmly petting a dog, but boisterous, out-of-control kids, screaming profanities, throwing tantrums and chairs. These children were more than most behavioral specialists and seasoned teachers could manage, let alone a new therapy dog team as green as Kermit-the frog. What I witnessed over that school year was nothing short of miraculous. Just having a dog in the classroom for these students to sit with, talk to, read to, and pet, completely turned them around. Behavior dramatically improved because they were motivated not to miss their "reading with Raisin" session. By the end of the school year, every child was reading at or above grade level and best of all, confidence and enjoyment in school was off the charts. These children once labeled "problem kids" destined to fall through the cracks, were instead pronounced "success stories". And it was all the result of a free therapy dog program. Just bringing a dog into the classroom brought more positive changes than you can shake a stick at! Just look: 1. Decreased Behavioural Problems: In some of the schools we visited, behavior problems were an extremely serious issue. Typically, 3 out of 10 young students suffered from a behavior disorder bad enough to interfere with learning and development. Students had far fewer disciplinary actions after dogs were introduced. Their behavior greatly improved towards both their teachers and fellow students. Additionally, parents reported that children seemed more interested in school as a result of having the therapy dog visits. 2. Reduction in Truancy Problems Many elementary schools we regularly visited had severe truancy problems. Typically the students with the poorest attendance records were also participating in our program. A handful of students previously missing 40 days of school or more, had nearly perfect attendance once the therapy dog program was introduced. Seeing the dogs was a key motivator to come to school each day. 3. Improved Reading Skills Watching children practice their skills by reading to a dog was fascinating. Normally shy, embarrassed students, came alive choosing stories and doing their best to read to the dogs. The dogs never judged or made fun of them. Quite the opposite! They loved the attention. On top of spending time with a favorite therapy dog, students were also offered incentives. After reading 10 books, students earned a book of their choice “pawtographed” with a stamped paw print of their favorite Therapy dog Karley was so inspired by the children's curiosity about her Pug Raisin, she wrote and published a heartwarming and inspiring story "Raisin, -A Doggie's Tale..." which taught children to be responsible pet owners and was the fictional story of Raisin's own "RUFF" beginnings. This book motivated the kids to meet their literacy goals and is currently available at the link below. 4. Social Development Having dogs in the classroom was especially helpful in teaching students social skills. There was a notable decrease in discipline issues and tension in the classroom with the addition of the dogs. Students learned that their behavior and actions make a difference and are important. Students showed an increase in sensitivity and awareness for the feelings and needs of others—both animals and humans. Interestingly, young boys who, in our culture, often don't get the chance to practice nurturing skills the way girls do, became much more compassionate. 5. Teaching Responsibility Having a dog or pet in the classroom may be a student's first opportunity to care for another living thing. With dogs or even smaller classroom pets, teachers can distribute chores among the class. Involving students in the daily care of classroom animals helps teach responsibility. Simple tasks such as filling the hamster's water bottle or measuring the cup of kibble to feed the rabbit each day, are wonderful learning opportunities. Often a child follows through in their own grooming as they see the importance of brushing their teeth and washing. 6. A Decline or End in Bullying Bullying is a serious problem in so many classrooms, with children anxious about school for fear of taunting and abuse. Dogs can make a huge difference in the fight against bullies. Dogs visiting schools teach kids about compassion and fairness. Kids identify with animals, and show empathy for dogs. It was found that violent behavior in participating students declined by 55%, and general aggression went down 62%. 7. Help With Autism Children with autism typically have trouble with concentration and interactions with others. Having a dog in the classroom helps with both socialization and focus. Autistic children were able to sit calmly and work for longer periods with the presence of a dog. The children were also far less anxious and rigid. When the children did get upset it was less likely to become a tantrum. 8. Allergy Alerts Just as dogs can be used to detect drugs, bombs, and blood sugar levels, they can also be used to detect life threatening allergies such as to peanuts. Although schools often enact policies designed to help students avoid the problematic allergens, mistakes can happen. For students with severe allergies, these dogs can be life-savers and also provide peace-of-mind to parents and schools. Should any of you teachers wish to bring a pet or therapy dog reading program into your classroom you can expect more than just happier students. Shari Young Kuchenbecker, Ph.D., research psychologist at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, points out, “The child who cares for a pet knows that what he does matters, and so he’ll want to do more of it. The more successfully he feeds, walks, or emotionally bonds with the pet, the more confident he’ll feel.” In fact, studies conducted by the Waltham Centre have shown that children with pets have higher levels of self-esteem than those without pets. I hope more teachers go out on a limb and utilize this new and innovative approach to learning. I would love to hear your feedback. To purchase "Raisin, A Doggie's Tale" click here (https://www.amazon.com/dp/1453699929/ref=cm_sw_su_dp_nodl) For more information about Therapy Dogs visit: Therapy Dogs International: http://tdi-dog.org/ For More information about the No More Bullies Program Visit: http://www.handinpaw.org/pawsitive-living-and-no-more-bullies.php 🐾Katy Cable is a former actress appearing in “Back To The Future” and starring in the TV series: “Safe At Home” & “ Fired Up!” In addition to her dog health & lifestyle blog/vlog: The Weekly Runt, (https://www.weeklyrunt.com/) she’s a contributing writer to numerous publications including Thrive Global, & The Huffington Post. Cable lives at the beach with her husband, Rick and her rescue Pug, Olive.🐾  By, Katy Cable -TWR A 4 min. Read With deadly So Cal brush fires popping up out of nowhere, this is a perfect time to remind EVERYONE, regardless of where you live to HAVE A DISASTER PLAN. Waiting until the last minute to have an emergency plan and supplies in place is not only foolish but may be deadly. So, in the midst of this crisis, while it's fresh on everyone's minds, I hope each and every one of you will take a few minutes and: Make a Disaster Plan for Your Pets! Here are some important tips to keep pets safe in natural disasters and emergencies: 1. HAVE ALL YOUR PETS MICRO-CHIPPED and make sure they are wearing ID collars when home alone. You'll increase your chances of being reunited with pets who get lost by having them micro-chipped; make sure the micro-chip registration is in your name. I advise having your vet scan it to check its working next time you're in for a visit. But remember, the Good Samaritan who finds your pet likely won't be able to scan for a chip, but they will be able to read a basic tag! Put your cellphone number on your pet's tag. It may also be a good idea to include the phone number of a friend or relative outside your immediate area in the event you have to evacuate. 2. *PREPARE AN EMERGENCY KIT: Include essentials such as:: 🐾2 weeks of clean drinking water & non-perishable food. Store in water-tight containers. 🐾First aid kit (I use this one: https://www.rcpets.com/Pet-Safety-Products/Pet-First-Aid-Kit/Product.aspx 🐾Any medication you pet takes plus first-aid meds: (antacid/sm can pumpkin/Benadryl/baby aspirin) 🐾Crate labeled with photo of pet and ER contact # 🐾comfort toys/in crate 🐾booties or baby socks 🐾T-Shirt/warm coat/sweater/blanket/pillow 🐾reflective harness/leash 🐾Life preserver 🐾Puppy pads/poop bags 3. BEFORE DISASTER STRIKES: Make sure there's a sign on your door for emergency personnel that you own pets and where they typically hide in the house if scared. Entrust a neighbor with a key who can get your pet's in the event of an emergency and you are away. Be sure the person is comfortable with your pets and your pets are familiar with them. Show them where your pets are likely to be (especially if they hide when they're nervous) and where your disaster supplies are kept. I like to keep a backpack in a small travel crate. If you have a pet-sitter, they may be able to help. Discuss the possibility well in advance. Also make a plan with a specific meeting spot to retrieve your pets should there be an emergency. Make arrangements with friends or relatives. Ask people outside your immediate area if they would be able to shelter you and your pets—or just your pets—if necessary. If you have more than one pet, you may need to arrange to house them at separate locations. Prior to a storm hitting, check with hotels and motels outside your immediate area to find out if they accept pets. Ask about any restrictions on number, size and species. Inquire if a "no pet" policy would be waived due to an emergency. Keep a list of animal-friendly places handy, and call ahead for a reservation as soon as you think you might have to leave your home. For help identifying pet-friendly lodgings, check out these websites:
Contact your veterinarian's office. Ask for referrals or services in outside areas. Make a list of boarding facilities and veterinary offices that might be able to shelter animals in disaster emergencies (make sure to include their 24-hour telephone numbers). Check with your local animal shelter. Some shelters may be able to provide foster care or shelter for pets in an emergency. But keep in mind that shelters have limited resources and are likely to be stretched during a local emergency. I highly recommend playing it SAFE! If there is a threat- Evacuate early. Don't wait for a mandatory evacuation order. Some people who have waited had to be evacuated by emergency officials and their pets were often left behind. The smell of smoke, rapidly rising water, or the sound of high winds or thunder may make your pet more fearful and difficult to locate or load into a crate or carrier. Evacuating before conditions become severe will keep everyone safer and make the process much less stressful. IF YOU MUST EVACUATE, TAKE YOUR PET: This goes without saying. If it isn't safe for you, it isn't safe for your pets. You have no way of knowing how long you'll be kept out of the area, and you may not be able—or allowed—to go back and retrieve your pets. Pets left behind in a disaster can easily be injured, lost or killed. If you cannot get your pet, do not leave them chained, tied up or locked in a crate. At least give them the opportunity to escape. 4. IF YOU STAY HOME, PLAY IT SAFE: If your family and pets must wait out a storm or other disaster at home, identify a safe area of where you can all congregate.
More likely than a category 5 hurricane or F5 tornado, are everyday emergencies such as sweltering heat-waves, severe winter storms, and brush fires. There may be times that you can't get home to take care of your pets. A sudden brush fire or icy roads may trap you away from home overnight, or an accident may send you to the hospital. But you can make sure your pets get the care they need by making arrangements NOW :
HEAT WAVES: Just an hour or two in the sweltering heat can be life-threatening. If you stay at home during a summer power outage, check your local emergency center for pet-friendly cooling centers in your area. Keep a cooler filled with ice and water handy if sweltering temperatures are in the forecast. If you cannot leave, during a power/AC outage, set-up a cool zone in a bathroom where pets can sit in a tub filled with a few inches of cool water. If you have a full tank of gas, you can drive around in an air-conditioned car. (Do not for any reason leave a pet in a car unattended with temperatures over 70 degrees.) WINTER STORMS: Don't be fooled by your pets' fur coats; it isn't safe to leave them in an unheated house. Paws need protection from freezing ice and snow so have jackets, booties and blankets on hand should you lose power in your home. REMEMBER plans aren't only essential for the safety of pets. If you're responsible for other animals, make sure you have disaster plans for them as well. That would include feral or outdoor cats, horses and/or other farm animals. I hope if an emergency or disaster strikes, these tips will protect both you and your beloved pets! Let's keep our friends in the midst of these devastating fires in our thoughts and prayers 🙏🏻🙏🏻💕 *RC Pets has wonderful safety/outdoor/ products that I use. I encourage you to check out their website and entire product line: https://www.rcpets.com/ to donate to relief efforts visit: http://www.redcross.org/ https://secure.humanesociety.org/ 🐾Katy Cable is a former actress appearing in “Back To The Future” and starring in the TV series: “Safe At Home” & “ Fired Up!” In addition to her dog health & lifestyle blog/vlog: The Weekly Runt, (https://www.weeklyrunt.com/) she’s a contributing writer to numerous publications including Thrive Global, & The Huffington Post. Cable lives at the beach with her husband, Rick and her rescue Pug, Olive.🐾  By, Katy Cable-TWR A 4 min. Read Last year I attended the LA premiere for the documentary film: PET FOOleD, which exposes the unsettling truth about the pet food industry. I prayed it evoked the same positive change the documentaries BLACKFISH and DOLPHIN COVE had on the orcas and dolphins at Sea World. And not to downplay those worthy causes but this crisis is so much bigger, literally affecting every cat and/or dog owner in the nation who purchases commercial pet food. Currently we are in the throes of a worsening epidemic of obesity-related illnesses such as diabetes and cancer. And guess what, our pets have also been impacted. Current statistics show 1 out of every 2 dogs and 1 out of every 3 cats will succumb to cancer and/or diabetes at far too young an age. Why is this happening? Look no further than our diets. Most pets are being fed a diet consisting entirely of processed foods loaded with sugary, starchy carbs, poor-quality meat by-products, plus a plethora of fillers, additives, and preservatives, -some of which are toxic. And, the sad thing is, most pet-parents and even veterinarians have no idea what is really going on. So here's the shocking, ugly truth PET FOOleD exposes: Currently there are 5 large food corporations that own 99% of the well-known pet food brands. Nearly every pet food option offered at a grocery store or large retail chain (as well as many featured at independent pet stores) is owned by one of these corporate giants. In addition, the prescription foods sold in veterinary offices, and even the larger chains of those very veterinary clinics also fall under these corporate umbrellas. In regards to pet foods, large food corporations have figured out how to make billions of dollars on the WASTE not allowed to be used in their human products. All the leftover fillers, meat and poultry by-products as well as other unusable cheap ingredients are plopped inside enticing cans and bags featuring beautiful images of fresh meat, fruits, veggies, and healthy pets. A few catchy tag-lines such as "Holistic", "Healthy", "All-Natural", and "Fresh" are added and then, VOILA! These pretty bags filled with garbage are sold for top dollar. The industry first came under scrutiny when in 2007, thousands of pets became ill or died when Menu Foods, a large corporation responsible for a variety of pet food brands, made a common cost-cutting move, substituting a pricier protein found in the wheat gluten, with melanin, which was far cheaper. -Come to find out, melanin was toxic. To make matters worse, instead of informing the public of the problem, Menu Foods kept their lips tightly sealed denying any wrongdoing. After another two weeks lapsed and thousands more pets unnecessarily died or fell gravely ill, they had no other choice but to come clean. Over a million of bags of food were recalled in what was the largest pet-food recall in our history, and consumers got scared. The corporations scurried into "damage-control" mode, revamping labels and commercials assuring the public the oversight had been corrected. But was it? Now, 10 years later, one can walk into most large grocery or retail stores carrying pet supplies and find shelves full of popular pet foods that are mislabeled and /or contain lethal ingredients. The slick packaging makes it virtually impossible for the average consumer to detect any difference between a horrible product and a healthy one. -Even price is not a factor. Sadly, NOTHING HAS CHANGED. It's business as usual for the big pet food corporations, and only a few people are on to the game. One might wonder how this can be? Aren't there regulations on what goes into pet food and truth in advertising? Unfortunately, the answer is an astounding, "No!" While the FDA does have rules and regulations on the processing and handling of pet food, further investigation into what is allowed to be used as ingredients , would turn your stomach. The other main organization, the Association of American Feed Control Officials: (AAFCO), is a self-appointed, self regulated industry that acts only to VERIFY ingredient labels. As long as the active ingredient ratios meet the minimal guidelines to be considered a "balanced diet" for that animal, anything goes. There are NO RULES on quality, sourcing or mixing ingredients with harmful chemicals, additives, and fillers. As we learned after the 2007 debacle, should these huge companies find themselves guilty-as-charged with sickening and/or killing millions of our pets, the worst case scenario is some bad PR and possibly a few thousand bucks to the distraught pet owner. Because pets are considered property, the legal and financial ramifications for wrongdoing amount to nothing more than a hand-slap and some loose change in the scheme of things for these huge, multi-billion dollar corporations. Certainly nothing serious enough to warrant a change. Kudos to the brilliant filmmaker Kohl Harrington who, in the style of Michael Moore, has taken a subject matter that could be as dry and boring as dog kibble and made it quite entertaining. In addition, it's extremely emotional to hear the plight of poor victims who've lost beloved pets at the deceptive hands of these greedy, corporations. The film unveils the real ugly truth and clearly demonstrates how the industry works. And his campaign is working! Pet parents are getting wiser and demanding better choices. It’s now entirely possible to find high quality, humanely sourced pet foods on store shelves right next-door to those "popular" brands. In addition, most pet food retailers now offer frozen and refrigerated fresh foods. Petco is adding kitchens to their stores nationwide and will be offering fresh-fare made to order by Just Food For Dogs. These new options have begun to make a dent in the market share of the big giants and they are taking notice. To meet the growing demand of savvy consumers and more holistic veterinarians insisting on "grain-free" higher quality pet foods, the Goliath’s have had to reformulate and offer better options. But are they? It appears to be no more than gimmicky, deceptive marketing. While the war has gotten underway, it is certainly far from over. Each and every day I consult with pet parent's, rescues, shelters, and veterinarians who are concerned, frustrated and/or confused about what to feed pets for optimum health. After reading labels, showing research, sharing testimonials and photos, many of them are still highly skeptical and return to that "better-known" large pet-food brand because it's a name they can trust. As upsetting as it is, I get it. After all, I was the same way until I saw my beloved Pug Raisin succumb to health issues caused in large part by a prescription diet pet food.. I too fell for those heartwarming commercials that come on every night. I even appeared in some. These brands sponsor large animal organizations as well as major dog shows, and high profile events. They underwrite most veterinary degree programs. The prescription varieties of food are sold in nearly every veterinary clinic. Recalls and lawsuits are kept quiet and consumers have either long forgotten the horrific recall or assume it has been corrected. In order to "kill the giants" and not merely "stub their toes" it will take much more. I am asking everyone who cares about this issue to PLEASE TAKE ACTION! Pass this blog on to a friend, your vet, -or both😜! SEE the film PET FOOleD and recommend your vet, groomer, pet retailers, pet-sitters plus anyone and everyone interested in the well-being of pets also watch this film. Visit pet advocate Susan Thixton’s website: TaPF (Truth About Pet Food) which is dedicated solely to the transparency of pet food companies. It’s a wealth of information containing recall information, lawsuits, “Best and Worst Pet Foods” lists, and must-read articles on issues concerning our pets. Most importantly this site is supported 100% by consumers. Instead if throwing more money at the pet food giants, support top-reviewed smaller brands such as Nulo, Stella & Chewy, Honest Kitchen, Only Natural Pet, etc. and when you see your pet thriving due to a switch to higher quality foods, share your experiences with others. Finally, What you put in your pets dish is the single most important thing you can do for their health. -No FOOLIN'! It is a big deal! It's the reason I became a pet blogger and why I am so excited about the opportunity to be a brand ambassador for Nulo pet foods. I hope you will be an informed consumer and see this film. Stop supporting these big companies at your pet's expense. You are 100% responsible for what goes in their bowls. WE are their voice so let's start "barking on their behalf" and get this high priced poison OFF store shelves. Don't be PET FOOleD any longer! 🐾❤👍🏼 PET FOOleD can be seen on VOD, Amazon, YouTube and wherever movies are streamed. http://www.petfooled.com/ 🐾Katy Cable is a former actress appearing in “Back To The Future” and starring in the TV series: “Safe At Home” & “ Fired Up!” In addition to her dog health & lifestyle blog/vlog: The Weekly Runt, (https://www.weeklyrunt.com/) she’s a contributing writer to numerous publications including Thrive Global, & The Huffington Post. Cable lives at the beach with her husband, Rick and her rescue Pug, Olive.🐾  By, Katy Cable- TWR A 2 Minute Read After a fabulous visit to Hawaii, I began swirling a heaping spoonful of organic coconut oil into my morning cappuccino. Wow! Suddenly I had a delicious cup of aloha! I also rubbed it into my dry, peeling, sunburned skin for immediate relief. It worked great when in a pinch I needed some hair conditioner. When Olive began feverishly licking it off my fingers, I rubbed it on her coat and dry paw pads. It made a perfect moisturizer. Imagine my excitement to learn this tasty, healthy fat was the new MIRACLE CURE-ALL! I’m a super fan of coconut oil and buy jars of it by the caseload! It’s by far my most viewed video blog. When a trusted friend sent me an article by the American Heart Association warning of the dangers of coconut oil, my own heart stopped! As I began looking into their claims, I was hit again with another viral crackdown on coconuts. Dr. Karin Michels, adjunct professor at Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health recently gave a lecture that quickly went viral. She urgently warned, “Coconut oil is “ pure poison and one of the worst foods you can eat!” OMG! My super cure-all was not just a bunch of hype but POISON! I suddenly felt as if I had been hit over the head by a coconut. There it was! First eggs were bad, then it was butter, now coconut oil! I looked into this with a vengeance and received dozens of research studies which were usually WAY over my head! After discussing it with trusted professionals I finally got my hard head around what was going on. So here are the hard facts in a nutshell. -A “COCO” nutshell that is! First of all, Michel’s big issue is that coconut oil is extremely high in saturated fats. (80%) Pure lard, by comparison is only 39% Saturated fat raises bad, artery clogging LDL cholesterol. And that’s a bad kicker for your ticker! The next issue is that coconut oil (like most fats) is extremely high in calories. At 117cal per TBS, All those “TBS” I’m swirling in my lattes should result in more “LBS” than a Weight Watchers failure! -Hardly the WUNDERKIND weight loss tool it’s been touted to be. What Michels failed to mention is that coconut oil is a MCT (medium chain triglyceride) which melts fat like a snow-cone in July. It also contains Lauric acid which make it a powerful antioxidant. Coconut oil also produces ketones which seem to EAT cancer and fuel the brain! Coconut oil is a big staple in anti-cancer ketogenic diets. It’s also being used in some of the most promising new experimental Alzheimer’s drugs. And the list goes on and on! In addition to the issues, I received loads of comments that Michel’s has special interest ties with big pharma. Whether that’s true or not, I know the drug companies sure don’t want us switching off our expensive RX drugs in favor of a $7 jar of coconut oil. But, the astounding feedback I received was the HUNDREDS of comments on how beneficial coconut oil has been for so many people. It’s used for everything from swishing it in mouths (oil pulling) to rid cancer sores and whiten teeth to diabetes control, lowering cholesterol and weight management. (See tips below) The reason I became a blogger is to take all the hype and hoopla, test things out and share my experience with you. I have nothing to gain. I don’t own coconut trees or stock in coconut oil (but I may look into it😜!) This is what I personally use and it’s saving me lots of $$$! I’m healthy, my cholesterol is great. I take no prescription drugs, and my weight has remained the same for 21 years (give or take a few pounds.) And the same holds true for Olive. Her teeth are white, her gums are healthy. Rashes, hot spots, ear fungus even FLEAS all go away quickly when coconut oil is used! Olive’s fit, trim and athletic. She’s healthy. And she’s also COO-COO for coconuts. So, next time you visit the grocery store, grab a jar or two and start indulging. I think you’ll be amazed at the health benefits both you AND your dog can receive! 20 Amazing Uses For Coconut Oil🥥 FOR THE SKIN/COAT: 1. Coconut oil makes a wonderful lotion that increases tolerance to harmful sun rays. -A safe, natural sunscreen.🌞 2. Gives your pet a glossy, shiny, healthy coat. 3. Helps heal minor skin abrasions and irritations. 4. Kills topical yeast and fights candida. 5. Reduces itching, redness, irritation. 6.. Soothes eczema & psoriasis. 7. A perfect moisturizer for paws, nose and ears. 8. A great anti-aging facial moisturizer. 9. A simple, natural flea repellent. 10. Natural anti-bacterial skin cream. IMMUNITY/HEALTH BENEFITS: When ingested daily coconut oil: 1. Reduces hair balls & shedding. 2. Can help relieve allergy symptoms. 3. Can help regulate/improve insulin levels. 4. Boosts energy 5. Protects the liver from toxic antibiotic drugs. 6. It’s high Lauric acid and MCFA content helps boost metabolism and speeds weight-loss. 7. Improves digestion 8. Can be used externally and ingested to speed recovery time from UTI's 9. Speeds healing of fungal infections. AND LAST, BUT NOT LEAST: 10. There is some evidence that regular ingestion of coconut oil and the beneficial fats it contains can help prevent or reverse: Alzheimers/Autism/Cancer/Depression/Arthritis So Dr. Michels, put that in your cup and swirl it! Now who wants to grab their dog and come join me for a coconut-capp??? 🌴pugs and 😘 kisses! -Katy 🐾Katy Cable is a former actress appearing in “Back To The Future” and starring in the TV series: “Safe At Home” & “ Fired Up!” In addition to her dog health & lifestyle blog/vlog: The Weekly Runt, (https://www.weeklyrunt.com/) she’s a contributing writer to numerous publications including Thrive Global, & The Huffington Post. Cable lives at the beach with her husband, Rick and her rescue Pug, Olive.🐾  By Katy Cable-TWR A 3 min. Read It's the most wonderful time of the year: BACK TO SCHOOL!. The kids are no longer busy with vacations, camps, summer-school, internships or simply spending countless hours sitting around the house on their phones sucking up all your data! I figured back to school time is a perfect week to address one of the biggest mistakes pet owners make: NOT TRAINING THEIR DOGS TO BE GOOD CANINE CITIZENS. Several of my close friends are dog trainers and puppy-raisers for Canine Companions. I also have friends who train and handle animals for TV and movie shoots. One important thing I've learned is A GREAT DOG IS MADE NOT BORN. Sadly, animal shelters are full of dogs who didn't get a proper start in life or the right family to meet their needs. As a result they developed behavior problems. An unpredictable or out-of-control family dog is not only exhausting and difficult to be around, but worse, they can pose a huge danger to property, your family members, other animals or themselves. I learned this first hand when our family was asked to participate in a new TV show for Animal Planet called "Who Gets The Dog". The concept was three different families share a shelter dog chosen as a good match for their lifestyle. The dog spends an entire day and night with each family while the show documents the visits. Lastly, a team of dog experts chooses who the best-suited family is to adopt the dog. The winning family is awarded the dog and a year's supply of dog food. We were looking for a small Pug or similar dog that was good with small children and didn't need a lot of space. I also have bad allergies and couldn't have some breeds. No sooner did we get the news from Pugs and Pals Rescue that we could adopt Raisin (our first Pug), we also received a call from the show. I declined their offer to appear but they twisted my arm insisting the dog they had was perfect and we would probably want to have this one as well. I again politely refused. The last straw was when they pleaded with me to please do them a favor as they needed just one more family to complete this episode. Poor Raisin went right back to his foster family for an overnight and the TV crew came out. The minute the cameras were rolling, in bulldozed an enormous, shedding, ball of energy named SULLY. After knocking me flat on the ground Sully proceeded to run upstairs and unleash a good liter of urine on our new white carpet. I took one look at this huge furry dog and realized in an effort to make interesting television, they had pulled a total bait-and-switch. Sully went on to ransack furniture, tear up pillows and destroy pricey decor and it just got worse from there. My then 7 year-old daughter Karley loved the dog and it was too dangerous for us to let her walk him or go near him. I wanted this "DOG-GONE " and our darling Raisin back. To begin what stands as the thee most exhausting stressful day of shooting in my entire life, we took Sully to our local dog beach to play some games. We no sooner got out of the car when the poor dog went completely crazy tearing down the beach chasing a bird. He nearly got flattened by a UPS truck and was so out of control it took 5 huge crew members to contain him. -And it just went downhill from there. By the end of the day, I looked like a basset hound from allergies and sobbing. I told the producers we were not interested in keeping the dog. He was not a good fit and it was terribly dangerous. I was so upset at both their negligence and the trauma it put on this poor animal and our well-intentioned family. The final blow was watching the show on TV only to discover they had further manipulated us by editing our segment to only show Sully sleeping or calmly laying down and catching our reactions when he had been bouncing off the walls or trying to catch him before he ran out in the road and was flattened by a delivery truck. We came across as manic and Sully looked like a perfect pet anyone would be crazy not to want. Fortunately the show was quickly cancelled but with the wonderful trend of people seeking relinquished shelter/rescue pets as well as those opening their hearts to senior, special needs or problematic dogs, it's extremely important to understand the best way to rehabilitate and train animals who got off to a "ruff" start. First of all: Expect some behavioral issues and address them from the get-go. The most common being housebreaking problems but other stress-related behaviors include excessive barking, chewing & destroying inappropriate items, escape attempts, jumping up on people and hiding. The most important thing to remember when trying to eliminate undesired canine behaviors is that dogs learn desired behavior through positive reinforcement. Simply put, you must reward good behavior and ignore the bad. What DOESN'T work is any kind of physical punishment or yelling. This will simply add to your dog's anxiety and stress plus it can make your new family member fearful of you. Training should begin the second your new dog comes home with you. Right from the first meeting you should begin addressing your dog by their name and using basic training commands like: "Come", "Sit", "Stay", "Down" and "Off!" If you're lucky you might be surprised to learn your dog can already follow a few. And when they do, give lots of love, praise and positive attention. On the other hand, you might find that you need to do a lot more work. If your dog isn't getting the hang of basic commands, take it very slow, and work on just one command a day or for a couple of days (or weeks) before overwhelming them with others. Your dog doesn't speak English and repeating commands over and over and LOUDER and LOUDER won’t make your pooch listen any better or learn any faster. In fact, it will just set-back progress. I know first-hand how frustrating it can be so if you find yourself having issues, I recommend enlisting the help of a professional trainer who practices positive reinforcement to show you how to communicate more effectively and offer helpful tips. Although I'm a huge fan of group training classes, when it comes to a new shelter or rescue dog, I often recommend having a trainer work with you in your home or one-on-one first to get the basics down. You will have much more success in a group class if you have waited until a trusting bond with your new dog has been formed. This might take more time, patience and work. Remember your dog probably had a life of complete chaos and fear prior to meeting you. It’s also a good idea to assume your dog wasn’t socialized by their previous owners. They might be distracted by other dogs making training nearly impossible. When I rescued Olive she was a frightened little breeder pup who had never lived outside a crate. She had never seen stairs, been on a walk, or had any loving experiences with humans. She was scared to death being put in a harness, driven in a car and led into a brand new home. In an effort not to completely overwhelm her, I enlisted the guidance of top-notched trainers who advised me to gently and slowly begin exposing Olive to all the sights, sounds, smells, and other living creatures in her new environment. When she got scared, I backed off and went at her timid pace. After nearly three year's with me she still has fear issues with crates, cars and water but she's come such a long way. She is just now learning more complex commands and often does them extremely SLOWLY. I typically wait and repeat commands while she tentatively moves. But I always give her lots of praise and love! Do your best to make training fun for both you and your dog. Be a life-long learner and continue in classes, refresher courses, agility, therapy, nose-tracking work or other activities. Get suggestions from your vet, PetSmart or local pet store for fun classes, trainers or clubs to participate in. At the end of the day, you are learning and getting just as much out of it as your pooch is. By addressing behavior issues immediately, they can be corrected and not turn into bad habits which follow your dog into their new life with you. Once you begin and a trusting bond has been formed, your dog is sure to be “Best In Class” and a great life-long learner. Here’s wishing all you students a successful school year! Pugs and Kisses🐾🐾💕 🐾Katy Cable is a former actress appearing in “Back To The Future” and starring in the TV series: “Safe At Home” & “ Fired Up!” In addition to her dog health & lifestyle blog/vlog: The Weekly Runt, (https://www.weeklyrunt.com/) she’s a contributing writer to numerous publications including Thrive Global, & The Huffington Post. Cable lives at the beach with her husband, Rick and her rescue Pug, Olive.🐾  By, Katy Cable-TWR A 4 minute Read This is by far the saddest and most difficult blog I've written as it deals with the hardest thing about being a pet-owner: Saying goodbye! August 16th marks the 3 year anniversary since we sent our darling Pug Raisin to run free at Rainbow Bridge. In that time I have learned a lot. I hope this blog helps you prepare and deal with that horrible yet inevitable day. It was early August, two years ago when I took my 13 year-old Pug to the Vet. He was yelping and shaking his head in a strange way and I assumed he must be suffering from yet another ear infection. If only that were the case. Instead of confirming my suspicion, my long-time, trusted Vet took a look in Raisin's ears and found no sign of infection. She thoroughly examined my sweet little guy and found nothing. I then showed her video clips on my cellphone of his yelping and head twitching. She suspected a tumor and said with Raisin's age and medical history, doing MRI's and costly exploratory procedures would be inhumane. She then handed me the dreaded brochure which read, "When It's Time To Say Goodbye" containing home euthanasia information. I broke down hysterically crying, as did the entire staff. As I was stumbling out the door, the Vet handed me a strong course of antibiotics and suggested giving them a try. At this point it wouldn't hurt and I had no other options. I stuffed one in a pill pocket and fed it to Raisin on the spot. By the time we arrived home, he was bouncing around eating and acting like his old self. His symptoms had disappeared. My prayers had been answered. I quickly called Vet with the terrific news: Raisin was back! For the past year I had watched Raisin's health swiftly decline. Degenerative hemivertebrae issues which are common in Pugs, had taken their toll on Raisin and he had completely lost use of his hind legs. The chronic ear infections had damaged his hearing. His dry-eye had left him nearly blind. He suffered skin allergies, and had only a few teeth left in his mouth. Yet, even in his poor physical condition he was not in pain and happy as could be melted on a lap like butter. After all, Pugs were bred simply for the purpose of sitting on the laps of royalty. We got Raisin wheels (which he never really enjoyed) and since he never did charge down the beach like I had hoped, I opted for using a Radio Flyer wagon or stroller for outings. I upped his daily dosage of Rimady and he had done fine. As tiring as his care was, as long as he was happy, comfortable and enjoying life, I was glad to do whatever my little fur-baby needed. Each day as I carried Raisin up and down the steps and helped him walk, at least one onlooker would chime in, "Why don't you put that old dog to sleep!" They just didn't understand. However, I was in a personal panic over how Raisin was going to survive when we made the upcoming trip across the country to take our daughter off to college. Raisin was too old and immobile to join us, yet leaving him with his rescue family in a strange environment, without the family he loved and relied on, would probably cause him more fear and stress than he could tolerate. Horrible thoughts went through my mind about our daughter never seeing HER dog again. Or worse yet, getting the call he had slipped away while we were gone without having a chance to say goodbye or be with him in his final days. It would've haunted me forever to think Raisin had felt abandoned by his family in his last days. I prayed for solutions. The next week I treasured every waking minute with Raisin. I wheeled him down to the bay in his wagon for short dips in the cool sea water. I paraded him in his doggie stroller down the neighborhood to visit all his friends. I fed him his favorite treats and gave him lots of warm baths, gentle massages and cuddles. I carried him with me everywhere I went, knowing my days with him were numbered. Just as I had feared, Raisin's remission was short lived. A week later he was up all night trembling in pain and shaking his head. He didn't relieve himself in the morning and had no interest in food. His eyes looked tired and I knew he was done fighting. I gathered the family around and we made the heartbreaking decision to make the dreaded call. The first few times I dialed, I had to hang-up because I was sobbing too hard to speak. Thankfully Dr. Annie Forslund at Southern California Pet Euthanasia, picked up the phone. She knew exactly how to handle a distraught pet mom and put me at ease. As luck would have it she was free that afternoon and, not wanting to prolong Raisin's pain, I made arrangements for her to come out as quickly as possible. The delightful Dr. Annie Forslund arrived in her polo shirt with an embroidered logo of a dog with wings. She was beautiful, kind, gentle and angelic. I introduced her to my husband Rick and daughter Karley, who was stroking Raisin on her lap. I told her about all the work Raisin had done as an award-winning therapy dog, then showed her the book Karley wrote when she was just 12 years old, "Raisin, -A Doggie's Tale" which received nationwide attention. She could see how special he was and also recognized how much pain Raisin was in. Dr. Forslund explained that she would start by inserting an IV catheter. Once Raisin was calm and we had said our goodbyes, she would come back in and do the procedure which would take less than a minute. She let us know she would wait in the next room until we alerted her we were ready. At that point I made a half-serious comment, "What if I'm never ready?" She politely replied, "Then I will ask you if you would prefer me to come back another time!" I so appreciated her compassion. Raisin was so lethargic and out of it, Dr. Forslund had no problem inserting the catheter. We then moved out to Raisin's favorite spot on the couch and with the PGA golf game showing on TV, we each stroked Raisin and told him how much we loved him. We were all sobbing uncontrollably telling him how much we were going to miss him. I then called Dr. Forslund back in and while Raisin was dozing comfortably on my lap, and we continued to pet him, she covered his legs with a towel so we wouldn't have to witness the procedure, and told us if we were ready she would start administering the lethal injection. Watching my little Raisin take his last breath and slip away to Rainbiw Bridge was gut-wrenching. When Raisin had gone, Dr Forslund excused herself in order to give us some time alone. On our cue she returned and covered Raisin's lifeless body in a pretty blanket and I carried him out to her car. Living at the crowded beach, the last thing I needed was a child running up wanting to pet a now lifeless Raisin. Fortunately I made it to Dr. Forslund's van without incident. I placed Raisin in a beautifully decorated doggie basket she had waiting in the back. She hugged me goodbye and offered her deepest condolences. Before she left with Raisin, she informed me his ashes and paw print would be delivered in two weeks. For the next few days I laid in bed sobbing continuously, wanting desperately to be put-to-sleep myself. My daughter was leaving for college, and now my sweet Raisin had left me for the Bridge. I didn't want to live for those first few days. Thankfully, I had to go out and run some last-minute errands with Karley before she left and getting out of the house was just what we needed. When we were returning home that afternoon, we noticed an enormous yellow Monarch butterfly following our car. At first we thought it must be a toy or decoration since it was bigger than any butterfly we'd ever seen. It literally followed us the entire ride home and then was a constant visitor in our front yard. I told Karley it must be Raisin's spirit telling us he's free. When Rick returned home from work that night I pointed out the huge butterfly and he commented, "I noticed that exact butterfly following you the other day when you were carrying Raisin's body out to Annie's van. I didn't think anything of it at the time except what a huge butterfly it was." As painful as this experience was, I could clearly see the gift I had received. I was SO grateful we all had the chance to say goodbye and to grieve Raisin. We were able to be with him right up to his last breath and he left this earth, not on a cold table in the Vet's office, or a boarding facility but in his home surrounded by his entire loving family. We got to be there for him when he needed it the most. Not everyone is as fortunate. One of the hardest things about being a pet-owner is saying goodbye. Many people don't know the option of home euthanasia is available and even more people struggle with how to read signs of pain and distress in their animals. Wherever you live, and regardless of your pet's age and health condition, I urge you to educate yourself on how pets express pain and also get some tentative plans made for when that dreaded time comes. Don't wait until you are under the extreme stress of a situation to seek out your options. Talk to your vet, and/or pet parent friends BEFORE you need it. Raisin shuddered with fear every time he entered the Vet's office so I made my wishes known from the get-go. I was not going to put Raisin through arduous medical procedures and expensive tests only to prolong his life a few months. I would keep him comfortable until he was no longer expressing the will to live. If possible, when the time came, I wanted a Raisin to leave us in the privacy and comfort of his home. I'm so very thankful it worked out as beautifully as it did. That being said, I still experienced extreme sadness, grief and depression that was beyond my wildest dreams. I knew the end was near and it still flattened me like a Mack truck. Some tools that helped me cope were: 1. Planting a tree in Raisin's honor. 2. Buying a Pug charm that holds some of Raisin's ashes. I wear it next to my heart. 3. Putting my favorite photo of Raisin on a coffee mugs and taking him with me wherever I go. 4. Framing favorite photos of Raisin. 5. I received a beautiful Memorial candle from Pet House Candles which I burn on the anniversary of his passing and his birthday. (Click Name to Visit Site) 6. I learned about pet loss grief/bereavement support groups 7. Although it took a few months before I could even look st Raisin's book, having his legacy in print, with funds supporting child literacy and pug rescue has helped so much. Raisin lives on forever in his book: Raisin, -A Doggie’s Tale... 🐾The number one best thing I did to heal was adopt Olive. I know some people need time (For months my husband refused to get another dog) but for me having another Pug (who's completely different right down to the color and gender) that I can love makes everything much, much better! No dog can ever replace another and Lord knows there is NOTHING I wouldn’t do to bring back Raisin happy and healthy. Since that's not an option, I will love and help other dogs in need. For me the best anti-depressant available is a dog! You may be surprised that even after all that, I still find myself breaking into tears over FB posts, sad songs on the radio or seeing a pug that reminds me of Raisin. So I UGLY cry, wipe my raccoon eyes and thank God I was blessed to have such a wonderful dog for 13 years. On every anniversary of Raisin's passing, I get an email from Dr. Forslund to "light a candle in Raisin's honor" on their memorial site, which I do. In honor of what would've been Raisin’s 14th birthday, I spread his ashes at all his favorite haunts and planted a Birch tree in our front yard. The tree has grown so much and seems to constantly attract huge Monarch butterflies.🌈 For more information, please visit: Home Pet Euthanasia of Southern California https://www.onefurallpets.com/ to order a copy of Raisin's book click here: https://www.createspace.com/3469234 🐾Katy Cable is a former actress appearing in “Back To The Future” and starring in the TV series: “Safe At Home” & “ Fired Up!” In addition to her dog health & lifestyle blog/vlog: The Weekly Runt, (https://www.weeklyrunt.com/) she’s a contributing writer to numerous publications including Thrive Global, & The Huffington Post. Cable lives at the beach with her husband, Rick and her rescue Pug, Olive.🐾  By Katy Cable-TWR A 3 minute read It was pitch dark when my alarm abruptly ended my REM sleep. Olive was softly snoring right next to me. Obviously dreaming of the new life she was spoiled with. Long gone were her days of being an abused breeder dog. I trudged out of bed and decided it was too early to even think about making a cappuccino. I thanked God getting up at this hour was not part of my normal routine. Today, I had been invited to join a very important rescue mission helping transport shelter animals to their new "FUR-EVER" homes. This was an opportunity I definitely didn't want to sleep through. At 5:30am sharp, just as the dawn was breaking, I arrived at a private aircraft terminal in Long Beach. Already on the tarmac was a Cessna 208B Grand Caravan and a large SPCAla transport van. A tireless group of volunteers were quickly unloading dozens of plastic travel crates. The precious cargo inside: nervous canine first-time fliers. These lucky dogs had arrived from several over-crowded, high-kill shelters in the LA area. The more dogs coming into these shelters, the less time they have. And for these dogs, their time had run out. That is until a hero came along. That hero is Peter Rork M.D., Co-Founder and President of DOG IS MY CO-PILOT. Rork, "the pilot" put himself through medical school working as a commercial pilot. In addition he’s qualified to fly single engine aircraft, sea planes and is a certified flight instructor. After spending over 30 years practicing orthopedic surgery, he retired his scrubs and took to the friendly skies where the views can't be beat. Always a passionate dog lover, Rork makes "no bones" about his preference for dogs over humans. He teamed with Esq. Judy Zimet, who coordinates the details on the ground and formed DIMCP. I wanted to kick myself with my stiletto heel for the ridiculous shoe choice I had made. In the time it took for me to saunter over and join the sweating, hard working volunteers, the van had been completely unloaded. Fortunately, no sooner had it been emptied when another one filled with more "lucky dogs" pulled up right on its tail. Surrounded by rows of tagged plastic crates, I wondered what type of magic act it was going to take to somehow fit them all into this aircraft. On second glance I saw the inside had been completely hollowed out and Rork was strategically stacking crates with the precision of a Jenga master. "Give me large crates going to Spokane!" He called. It wasn't ten minutes until more than 35 dogs and cats had been positioned in the plane. "Ok! If that's all of 'em, I've gotta get out of here! This fog is rolling in fast and I don't want to be grounded!" Rork yelled while climbing into the plane! In addition to the inside of the plane being outfitted to carry pet crates, Rork also designed the outside to look like the Jet Blue of pet travel. It features the DIMCP logo as well as a sketch of Rork's black lab Doyle, in his flying googles, cap and scarf. Tragically Doyle passed away in 2017 but will serve as the mascot in infamy. On Sunday, August 5th, DIMCP celebrated a huge milestone and saved the 10,000th soul since its inception in 2012. The idea was simple, move animals from high kill overcrowded shelters to rescues/no-kill shelters in areas that have a demand. While numerous large dogs sit on death-row in LA, there are many families in Boise, Spokane and other areas looking for large active dogs to serve as hiking partners. To transport these animals by van would take over 18 hours and greatly limits the number of animals that can be saved. A typical rescue mission will transport anywhere from 30 to over 260 dogs from populated shelters in CA, AZ, NV, TX, LA & OK to states in the Pacific Northwest where they will likely be adopted. If not, they will be temporarily housed in no-kill shelters where they never run the risk of being put down due to over-crowding. As a "nervous-flier" -which is the understatement of the year, I wondered how who these dogs and cats handle air travel which, especially in small planes, is loud and often turbulent? Rork surprised me when he told me, the cats often meow for a time but the dogs are easy and they're usually lulled to sleep within 10 minutes. And having a small plane means remote destinations can be typically reached in 3-5 hours. Those hours are the highlight of Rork's day, since he loves having his "head-in-the-clouds!" To keep this operation going, takes the coordinated efforts of hundreds of volunteers, shelter staff, veterinarians and the team at DIMCP. In order to fly, dogs must be over 8 weeks old, have their rabies vaccine, be spayed/neutered and in good health. It costs roughly $150 to transport a pet but most costs are funded through generous donations and no one is charged a "transport" fee. On Sunday, August 5th at 7:07pm, DIMCP celebrated the biggest milestone since its inception in 2012: the transport of it’s 10,000th passenger. The “lucky dog” is an 8 year-old chocolate lab who was found roaming the streets covered in ticks and gravely ill. Fortunately, the abandoned dog was rescued and treated in the nick of time by DC Paws. While making a quick stop in Hobbs, NM, en route to collect the 10,000th pet, Rork was introduced to the dog and the rest is history. Rork has a huge soft spot for Labs and was searching for one since losing his beloved Doyle. What a happy coincidence! This special dog, who Rork ingeniously named “Hobbs,” has found his new “fur-ever” home with none other than Rork himself. “I don’t know what his name was before, but his name is Hobbs now. I have two other rescues at home and we’re all going to have a great time!” And although DIMC is saving thousands of innocent pets, (ruff-ly 2,500 per year) the work is hardly done. The heartbreaking fact still remains that pet overpopulation is a huge problem. ✅Currently there are 8 million healthy, adoptable pets sitting in over-run animal shelters. Usually they're surrendered or abandoned. ✅Every 3 seconds a perfectly wonderful, innocent, helpless dog is euthanized due to over-crowding. Every animal sitting in a shelter is there because of human neglect. These animals have no voice and no say in their destiny. But you can help. Be part of the solution by doing the following: 🐾If you own a pet: Spay/Neuter and Microchip them. 🐾Adopt a shelter or rescue pet. Never use backyard breeders or puppy mills. 🐾If you can't have a pet look into fostering or temporarily fostering one. 🐾If you can't foster, volunteer some time to help a local shelter or rescue. 🐾If you don't have the time to volunteer, donate or sponsor needy pets. 🐾If you are not in a position to donate financially, use your social media to:, “LIKE” 👍🏼“FOLLOW” “SHARE” “Tweet" and # "Hashtag." As the sun began to rise and the fog quickly rolled in, tears welled up in my eyes at the miracle I was witnessing. Gliding up towards the sky was a plane filled with "precious cargo" on a one-way flight to their new "furever" homes. I was so happy for these sweet souls and the new lives they were about to embark on. In my opinion: Every dog deserves a loving home but not every home deserves a loving dog! ❤️🐾 If you can help with a donation or would like to find out more: http://dogcopilot.org/ https://spcala.com/ 🐾Katy Cable is a former actress appearing in “Back To The Future” and starring in the TV series: “Safe At Home” & “ Fired Up!” In addition to her dog health & lifestyle blog/vlog: The Weekly Runt, (https://www.weeklyrunt.com/) she’s a contributing writer to numerous publications including Thrive Global, & The Huffington Post. Cable lives at the beach with her husband, Rick and her rescue Pug, Olive.🐾     By Katy Cable, TWR A 3 min. read This is a painful blog to write but an important one. My story begins while waiting for a job interview at a high-kill shelter. It was a position I was excited about and thought I stood a good chance at landing! As I paced the lobby, I watched what I thought was perspective dog owners walking potential new family members around the courtyard. What I witnessed next still brings me to tears as I write this. A well-dressed couple arrived in a luxury car that cost more than most homes. They emerged wearing designer clothing from head to tippy-toe carrying a senior dog also outfitted in “canine couture.” As they approached the reception window I overheard them say, “We’re moving and can’t take the dog. She’s gotten too old.” The woman working at the shelter “intake” window asked for a fee to relinquish the dog and said this was an overcrowded, high-kill shelter. Due to the dog’s age, the chances of her being adopted were slim to none. The couple was completely unaffected hearing of their dog’s certain fate and couldn’t discard this precious pooch fast enough. They tossed both the dog and a wad of cash through the window without a second of remorse. -Or so much as a pat goodbye. Hearing that heartbroken dog howl and whine as she was abandoned, is a scene I will never be able to erase from my mind. I couldn’t hold back my tears listening to a stereo of crying dogs in cages. I realized that all the dogs I’d seen in the courtyard that afternoon were not adoption candidates but were actually being relinquished. I knew right then and there I couldn’t work in this environment. We live in an “out with the old, in with the new” culture. We value shiny, new things and quickly replace anything the minute an UPGRADE or newer version hits the market. We’re all too interested in what’s trending with “millennials” yet disregard all the experience and wisdom held by those eligible for “Medicare.” And the same holds true with our dogs. Nothing is more heartbreaking than seeing so many people surrendering older dogs. For some, it's the mounting medical expenses. For others it's the care they need. And, tragically, sometimes it’s the simple fact that the pet is now just too old. Whatever the case, that loyal companion that always had your back, loved and adored you, now needs your care and attention more than ever! As a dog ages, their sole purpose becomes being your faithful companion. (Pugs in particular are bred for that sole reason.) Providing unconditional love is what they DO! Having nobody to love compromises their immune systems terribly. -As our shelters and rescue groups see all too often. I realize I’m singing to the choir! The fact you’re reading this blog tells me you would sever your own arm before discarding your aging pet. But there’s so much more that can be done. Here’s how you can help. ❤️Let’s be advocates for adopting senior pets and start promoting all the advantages❤️ 1. Shelters and rescues charge far less for senior pets and those with special needs. 2. With some pets considered “senior” at only 5-6 years old, many “older” pets can still live long, happy lives. 3. Most older pets are already well trained and know commands. However, you can definitely teach “old dogs new tricks” and can still train them later in their life. 4. Senior pets are quite capable of transferring affection and you’ll be regarded as their hero. 5. Older pets are quite content with a slower-paced, simple lifestyle. They don’t have the same energy levels or require nearly as much exercise. If you’re considering adopting an older pet or if you currently have one that’s “getting up there”, here are a few helpful tips: 1. Pets age as quickly as Hollywood ingenues: about 7 dog years to 1 human year. It’s important to have more frequent vet checks. This way you can hopefully catch any problem while it’s less risky and expen$ive. Your vet can also be helpful in recommending supplements and medications to ease issues and give your pet a good quality of life. 2. Dogs thrive on familiarity and routine. Any change to this can be a huge stressor. Don’t make your dog age even quicker by adding more stress to their life. For instance, when planning your vacation, it’s perhaps better to leave your dog home with a trusted familiar pet-sitter rather than put them through the stress of travel. Do your best to keep their familiar routine. 3. Keep things accessible. Be mindful of stairs, slippery floors, and other hard to navigate surfaces. Keep food, water and potty areas in well lit, easily accessible places. Be mindful of re-arranging the house and moving everything around. This will be stressful for your dog, especially as their senses decline. 4. Don’t neglect dental care! It all starts in the mouth. Billions of bacteria can flood into the bloodstream and attack every organ in your dog’s body. Don’t forget to have their teeth checked and cleaned and if you’re not doing it already: BRUSH THEIR CHOPPERS! It’s not too late to start. 5. Senior/mature dogs have different dietary needs than a growing or more active dog. As dogs age, their sense of smell and taste diminish. Teeth can be sensitive (or, in the case of many pugs, -GONE!) Your once happy eater may become bored with current food. Now may be a good time to switch from dry kibble to canned, fresh, and/or raw foods. At the very least, try switching to a less carby, senior or mature formula of food and READ THOSE INGREDIENTS! (See video below for tips and discuss options with your vet.) 6. Exercise is important but modify activity. Those all day hikes and 5 mile runs along the beach, may need to be replaced with a slow walk (possibly with your dog in a stroller or wagon) and some play in a pool. However, it’s crucial to keep your dog moving. Try using CBD* and other natural supplements for muscle pain relief. 7. Know the signs of pain. Dogs are stoic. By nature they don’t want to appear vulnerable to predators and they can endure ungodly amounts of pain without you having the first clue something’s wrong. Here’s a few possible indicators that your dog may be in pain: *Be mindful of any changes in their eating, sleeping, activity, peeing and pooping routines. *No enjoyment from treats, play or other pleasures. *Unusual lethargy *Your dog has begun isolating. *Your normally tame dog has acted aggressively. They may try to bite or growl to avoid being touched if in pain. *Limping or favoring one side or area of their body. *Shivering, drooling, panting, when it’s not particularly hot or cold. *Yelping or whimpering when moving or touched. **Listen to your GUT! If you feel something isn’t right don’t delay! Get them checked! Nobody EVER said, “Gee, I Wish I’d waited longer to get my dog in to the vet!” I've been privileged to watch a few pugs go from young puppies to ripe-old seniors and there’s something extra special about older dogs. Just like an infant they’re totally reliant on you for their care. And while giving to them, you will be the one to receive the most precious gift in life. You will see and feel unconditional love in action. Your heart will expand. You will become a much more humble compassionate person. You will become a hero. For while you’re just one person in this great big world, to your dog, you ARE the entire world and YOU make their life worth living. ❤️ Dedicated to all those who have loved and cared for wise-old dogs! *To learn more about CBD/to order click here: www.weeklyrunt.com/blog/cbd-re-leafweeding-thru-the-hype 🐾Katy Cable is a former actress appearing in “Back To The Future” and starring in the TV series: “Safe At Home” & “ Fired Up!” In addition to her dog health & lifestyle blog/vlog: The Weekly Runt, (https://www.weeklyrunt.com/) she’s a contributing writer to numerous publications including Thrive Global, & The Huffington Post. Cable lives at the beach with her husband, Rick and her rescue Pug, Olive.🐾  By, Katy Cable-TWR A 3 minute read The dog days of summer are here! Time to get out, get away and have some fun! Last week I went over important safety tips for traveling with your pet, this week, Part Two, includes planning a trip and pet-friendly vacation ideas for any budget! Most of us consider our pets family members and many would love nothing more than to include them on our vacations. In order to make it a fun, safe, memorable IN-A-GOOD-WAY here are some important tips: Prior to making your vacation plans: 🛳Think honestly about your time, budget, and what your priorities are for this vacation. A quiet get-away to re-charge or a busy family trip to re-connect. 🐶Evaluate how safe and prepared your pet is for traveling. Depending on the type of adventure you are planning, the best option may be to leave your dog with a pet-sitter. Or, if you are including your pet, a relaxing short drive to a dog-friendly campsite might be a better idea instead of having an elderly dog or fearful new pup accompany you on a long airline flight to a new destination. Or maybe you are interested in a bit of both. A fun trip that caters to dogs by providing pet-friendly activities and amenities as well as other family-fun options. Read on for some of my favorite destinations to explore. Whatever you're looking for, one of thee very best dog travel resources I have found is: bringfido.com This terrific website includes everything you need to plan and enjoy a wonderful vacation with your pet virtually anywhere in the world. Filled with pet-owner reviews, and every amenity and service you may need from dog-friendly accommodations to emergency vet care to dog-friendly activities. For hotel reservations, check out All The Rooms with great pet-friendly accommodation options and tips. As a pug owner, I am against airplane travel if at all possible. Flat-nosed dogs have difficulty breathing and can overheat easily. With all the possible issues that can occur on a plane, it's just not worth the stress and possible heartbreak should something happen. Sometimes air travel is the only way to go therefore, refer to last week’s blog for life-saving important tips. ✈️ As luck would have it, living here in So Cal, some of my favorite getaways are just short car rides away. Whether you have children and are doing a family trip or a more relaxing adult retreat, these can be perfect spots. From the glamour of Beverly Hills, to the beautiful beaches it would be hard to find a better travel destination than right here in my own Southern California backyard of Long Beach. Not many places offer the year-round excitement, diversity and options. Long Beach is both centrally located right in the middle of LA and OC and is less crowded and expensive than many other destinations. It offers great public transportation into various parts of LA, as well as an airport. Just a short drive to Disneyland (and other attractions) and plenty to do if you want a day to stay put. Regardless of what you choose to do Long Beach is a great bet! Not only is it extremely dog-friendly, boasting 10 off-leash dog parks and the only off-leash dog beach in LA county: Rosie's Dog Beach. There is plenty to do with the family AND Fido. There are several wonderful outdoor shopping areas including the quaint Shoreline Village, Retro-Row, Downtown Pine Street, and the popular Belmont Shore. Most offer an array of cafes, bars, coffee houses and restaurants with dog-friendly patio dining. Most stores are also welcoming towards pets. With perfect weather year-round, you can rent a bicycle and pedal down the bike path which lines the beach from Belmont Shore to Shoreline Village. In addition to bikes, you can rent kayaks, SUPS, Duffy electric boats or even 30ft. sail boats and have a day on the water. -Or pretend you're in Venice, Italy and take a gondola ride through picturesque Naples. Over the summer there are an abundance of free outdoor concerts in the park, moonlight movies on the beach, and street fairs you can attend with your dog. Although summer is a fun time to visit, after Labor-Day rates go way down as do the crowds. The great thing is, the weather is still perfect year-round. After a sunny day playing in the salt water and sand, your pooch can be royally pampered at one of the many pet spas and boutiques. Don't miss Pussy and Pooch on Second Street in Belmont Shore. Although wonderful places to visit year-round, after Labor Day rates go way down as do the crowds. There are plenty of dog-friendly hotel and AirBnB options which will likely be less pricey than staying in the heart of LA or OC. And again, being in the center of everything gives you easy access to anywhere you're interested in visiting. Again, visit All The Rooms for ideas. I have to laugh, but it seems to be my experience that the finer the hotel, the more responsive they are to pets. My dogs receive first-class treatment at many 5-Star resorts, yet they're forbidden from staying at most budget motels. In addition, I've noticed my canine was definitely cleaner, smarter and better-mannered than most the other guests at these haunts. -Well, RULES are RULES😜! It wouldn't be a trip to SoCal without a visit to "The Happiest Place on Earth" as well as some of the world's other leading amusement parks. Disneyland, Universal, Knott's Berry Farm, Six Flaggs, and nearly every other theme park and attraction are just a short (ok, maybe not in the summer traffic) drive away. Or pay a visit to something different like the OC Fair, or one of the many museums. Unless you're Doug the Pug, most theme parks and attractions do not allow pets. However, they do have nearby kennels, day-care and boarding facilities. Disneyland has a kennel on-site and right next door to the park entrance. The kennel is typically open both one hour prior to the park opening and after it closes. The great thing is it's highly rated, clean and safe. It's convenient, and you have flexibility to go visit, play, or walk your pet during your day. -In fact it's encouraged as the kennel does not provide care or play. They do not feed, exercise or engage with pets in the kennel. If your focus is Disneyland and getting the most of your visit there, I recommend leaving your pet with a nearby pet-sitter or boarding facility that provides play and interaction. Consider Camp Bow-Wow or PetSmart PetsHotel where your dog can socialize, get exercised and have some fun. You'll also find local daycare/boarding options on bringfido.com (The Disney resorts do not allow pets so you will have to make other arrangements if you are staying at a Disney property. The trams allow dogs to ride from the parking lots to the theme parks.) Once you've checked the happiest place on earth off your list don't leave before visiting LA. Walk down Rodeo Drive. See the stars on Hollywood Blvd. Dine outdoors in a beautiful cafe, spot celebrities at the Grove then go see a taping of your favorite TV show. You can take a studio tour, max out your credit cards at the world’s best boutiques from Robertson to Melrose to the garment district downtown. Do something off-beat and unique, check out my homepage: The Weekly Runt for fun activities like a free DOGA (yoga with your Dog) class, Yappy-Hour or an outdoor hike. Should you find yourself in a situation where you want to enjoy an outing or overnight sans dog, I recommend Doggie Day Camp or the PetsHotel at select PetSmart locations. A loving, trained staff offers excellent care at affordable prices and can be readily found throughout the nation. If you want to get-away from the city, some of my favorite destinations for dog-friendly vacations just outside LA are: Ojai Valley Inn and Spa is a beautiful, relaxing paradise for all of us. We enjoy long walks, popping our dog in the basket and going for bike rides, and then the dog often joins us for al fresco meals. We've brought our dog out golfing, to the driving range or let them nap in the room while we hit the amazing spa or pool. There's a fun kids camp and family friendly events like dive-in movies at the pool and making s'mores over the fire. Although it can be far too sweltering hot during the summer and fall, another favorite dog-friendly destination (November-May) is La Quinta Resort and Spa. I love the beautiful Spanish-architecture and historic grounds. The expansive property features numerous pools, world class golfing, tennis, and spa treatments. There are several quaint restaurants with patio dining and nearby you will find wonderful shopping destinations where everyone is happy to see a well-behaved dog. There are numerous dog-friendly parks, and outdoor piazzas for quaint shopping and dining. If you want to escape the heat, head to the snow. I've have had some fun adventures up in the local mountains. Playing in the snow is a perfect change of pace for my "beach-dog." Even during the summer months, you can get out on the lakes, hike in the great outdoors and enjoy the fresh mountain air. Try not to feel bad if you don't have the time, budget or adaptability to do a full-blown getaway with your canine. On my Homepage I have listed some fun local events going on. You can have a ball on a free "stay-cation" right in your own neck of the woods. Not from this area? Check your vet's office, groomers, pet stores, Facebook, Meet-Up sites and local news for fun things happening near you. Or better yet: start your own. I hope you have an unforgettable and wonderful summer filled with happy memories. I would 💝💝💝💝 to see your great getaway photos and to include them on this site. 🐾🐾Happy Tails to you!🐾🐾 -Katy |
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