Nipomo Dog & Cat Hospital

Neutering Pets

Mon, 9 May 2011 16:47:42 -0700

I have had a love/hate relationship with Baja California for the past 28 years. My husband and I have been coming to the same little town and much has changed over the years. One of the best changes is the result of visitors who have taken it upon themselves to raise funds to deal with the overpopulation of dogs and cats on the streets here. The difference is amazing and if it had gotten worse I would have stopped coming here.

Many times we have driven or flown home with dogs that we have treated and placed in homes on the Central Coast. To see them suffer was too much for us. Today, I knew I was going to write an article on neutering pets, but I didn’t realize the troubled heart I would have when I sat down to write.

I went to the local market and on the way there I drove by an emaciated dog tied to a fence with a ragged rope. She looked like she had recently had puppies and in spite of her awful appearance she wagged her tail. I bought some dog food at the store and used my best spanish to ask a woman walking by to give the food to the family that lived there. She called to the family and a young woman came out and took the food. I watched as she got a bowl and the dog gulped down the food all the while wagging her tail.

Honestly, I was hysterical and was ready to ask my husband to take me to the airport and let me come home. As I calmed down I knew that running away from here was not the answer. So, I will have the dog spayed and vaccinated while I am here and make sure she is cared for after I leave.

The reasons to neuter your pet are numerous. There are no good reasons not to. Sharing birth with your children should not be a reason to bring more animals into a county where the shelters are full. Letting your cat have kittens because she is so nice and you want another her cat like her is silly. Think of how many nice people have awful kids and vice versa! Breeding animals for profit is raises many ethical questions and should be left to experts, not you or puppy/cat mills.

We still see a surprising number of pets that have not been neutered. The price of neutering should not be a reason to delay. There are humane societies that offer discounted services and some who offer certificates for partial payment. We feel that neutering is such an important part of pet health and a commitment to animal welfare we are offering to help “Spay Nipomo”! On selected days for a limited time we will be discounting our routine neuter surgeries for healthy pets under 2 years of age.

Please visit our website for details on how to get your pet “taken care of ” and help decrease the number of homeless animals in our county!

Lost & Found

Fri, 18 Feb 2011 08:52:45 -0800

Three weeks, three Good Samaritans, and three dogs brought to our clinic. Not one tag, no collars, and no microchips! We found the homes of two of the dogs but one of them was fostered by a staff member for 11 days before the owner showed up! If we had sent the dog to Animal Services she would have been adoptable after 5 days! She was adorable and would have gone to a new home. (Remember the drama of Annie last year?)

Whenever a stray pet shows up we attempt to foster them locally since Animal Services is so crowded and busy. We place found ads in the newspapers and on Craigslist. We call Jackie Hobie and fax the local veterinary clinics photos and details. We print flyers with photos and information and ask the person who found the pet to post them near the the location the animal was found. We place ads on the Ride Nipomo email list. We always contact Animal Services with the information about the animal.

Nipomo is such a kind, animal loving community a dog won’t be loose for long before someone picks them up and brings them to us! In this technical age and in a small town like Nipomo it seems like we could come up with a more efficient way of reuniting pet owners and their pets.

Nipomo Dog & Cat Hospital has an idea. We would like to have a website or some web presence that is only for lost and found animals in our community. It would be like an Amber Alert for our pets. It would be ideal if pet owners were registered on the site so that an email (or phone call?) could be sent out when a pet and its owner lose each other. Finally, if a dog/cat is reunited due to this project it would be ideal if the pet owner is required to get a microchip/tag! If anyone has experience or advise or time to work on this project please contact Libby or Micci at Nipomo Dog & Cat Hospital.

Elementary Clicker Training March 4 - April 8

Tue, 8 Feb 2011 10:50:53 -0800

Nipomo Dog and Cat Hospital
Fridays: 6:30 – 7:30 PM*
March 4 – April 8

* First class is a “people only” orientation from 6:30 – 8:00 PM

This class is a 6-week beginning “Clicker Training” Class designed to teach people how to train their dogs to do basic behaviors.

Clicker Training is a very innovative approach to shaping your dog’s behavior through positive reinforcement. This is a very comprehensive class in basic dog training perfect for any adolescent or adult dog.

In addition to learning the behaviors, your dog will learn to pay attention to you as opposed to all the other dogs and distractions in the class. We will also discuss how to deal with issues such as jumping up on people, rushing out doors, digging, barking and chewing.

This is the basic class required before clients move on to more advanced training classes such as Clicker High, Agility, Musical Canine Freestyle, and Rally-O.

Register online at www.gentlepets.com or at Nipomo Dog and Cat Hospital

Gentle Touch Pet Training!(805) 481-1490!teah@gentlepets.com!www.gentlepets.com

Bare Because We Care 2011 Calendars on Sale Now

Sun, 12 Dec 2010 17:26:05 -0800

In 1999 a few women in England decided to make a calendar featuring themselves in their birthday suits to raise money for cancer research. The photos featured women between the ages of 40 and 70 and was an instant success. A movie called “Calendar Girls” was released in 2003 and celebrated the creativeness of these women.

The Holidays

Wed, 1 Dec 2010 11:07:29 -0800

The holidays are a special time for all of us. Be it good or bad, every year the desire to spend, entertain, eat, drink, and be merry returns. In this era of cautious consumerism there is hope that the simple pleasure of being with family and friends enjoying a home-cooked meal will override the need to buy the next best computer, game, diamond, or huge screen thing now available.

Our pets are such great examples of enjoying the simple things in life. My pups are thrilled with a new toy, but a stick is just as enjoyable as the $15 squeaky toy. They love to eat and a tablespoon of canned food is a luxury for them. A long walk or a car ride is the best gift I can give them. Simple things.

When someone asks me what are the “things” I really care about, what would I grab if my house were burning down around me....I answer, “my dogs, my birds, and my husband. The rest can be replaced.”

As 2010 comes to an end it is nice to look back and think about the relationships we have with our clients, their animal friends, and the dogs and cats without homes that we have helped place. We are so fortunate to live and work in such a supportive, animal loving community. Everyday we meet a new client who comes to us trusting that we will provide the best care possible.

Everyday clients put a dollar or two into our Animals In Need Fund jar at the reception desk. The Fund pays for the medical care of homeless pets that are brought to us. It allows us to provide excellent medical care for these animals who have no one to care for them. Ultimately these dogs and cats are placed in loving homes.

Last year we sold calendars featuring our staff with the homeless animals we had cared for during 2009. This year we have two calendar options! One calendar features 12 animals that we have rescued and cared for and placed in new homes. The second calendar, a bit more risque, has our beautiful staff, somewhat bare, with their own rescued pets! Either (or both) will make a lovely gift and all profits will go to the Animals in Need Fund!