pets and Kids : All posts

In honor of ASPCA anniversary, look locally to the Huron Valley Humane Society

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) was founded 144 years today, in 1866. I had no idea they've been around so long! In honor of this monumental achievement, I wanted to let families know what they can do on a local level, and what to expect when adopting a pet from Ann Arbor's own Huron Valley Humane Society.

More after the jump…

Must love pets: Speed dating for animal lovers

As a former user of online match-making Web sites, I remember the first question I’d ask a potential date - “Do you like pets?” If I heard any of the following bulleted answers below, my decision to continue chatting became an automatic "No thank you"

• I’m allergic to cats and dogs.
• I’m not much of a pet person.
• I’ve never had a pet, but I think they’re nice.
• I like fish - does that count?

Call me an animal snob, most people do anyway, but I know that anyone who will be in my life for any length of time will need to love pets as much as I do. I think most true pet people would agree. More after the jump…

Meet Gene & Bowen - AnnArbor.com's Pets of the Week

Update - Davy the Beagle was adopted over the weekend!

This week we feature two senior cats that need to find a home together. Gene and Bowen are black cats that were brought to the shelter by someone who said they were found as strays. We do know Gene and Bowen had a home at one time because both boys are front declawed. This means they must be indoor-only cats, please.

This brother pair rely on each other for comfort, and that is why they are part of our "Purrfect Pairs" program. Gene (watch video of Gene) is the more affectionate of the two but both cats are very nice and friendly toward people and other cats. You can adopt them together for only $35.

More after the jump…

Saying bye to Bear: Decision to euthanize terminally ill pet is a wrenching one

It was a familiar sight: My dog in the rearview mirror, pacing around the cargo area, ears pricked up in anticipation of a car ride.

But this was a trip like no other. The scene we’d just left in the house flashed through my mind: our 6-year-old daughter hysterical with grief, our 3-year-old son crying, and my husband trying desperately to keep it together.

I squeezed my eyes shut, took a deep, shaky breath, and threw the car into reverse. As I drove away, Bear looked back at the house — the last time he would ever see it.

Then he heaved a deep, wracking cough, and the words of my vet friend ran through my head: “You’re doing a noble thing by giving him a dignified death.”

It didn't stop me from feeling like an executioner.

More after the jump…

parenting: The Christmas puppy: Good move or good grief?

“Nothing says ‘Christmas’ like poop under the tree.”

That’s what I said at our last supper club meeting. My friend Laura had just announced that her family would get a puppy for the holidays. The reaction from our crowd was mixed.

Some friends said, “Awwww!” and some friends said, “Hmmm.” I—fueled by wine and finger foods—said the thing about the poop. It popped into my head and then out of my mouth—a knee-jerk attempt to push her off a path that, if memory serves, is littered with whining toddlers and chewed-up Christmas ornaments.

But, I shouldn’t have been so grinchy.

More after the jump…