Plan to take your pet wherever you go this summer

Princess is having her own little getaway from the shelter in this pool.
Princess is URGENT at ACCT. She is also a member of the Pen Pal
program and you can email her pen pal at colkane77@aol.com for 
more information on this sweet gal. Photo via PSPCA.

The recession has changed everyone's daily lives in many ways. It is evident in the way we speak, spend, plan and adopt and care for our animals. One of the most glaring impacts seen this time of year, is the change in how people are spending their leisure time. The lavish 2-3 week vacations from summers past are few and far between. People plan to stay closer to home or take several short trips that are more cost effective. These changes and all around penny pinching result in more people driving to their destinations and planning on a daily basis rather than big pre-paid and itinerized trips. And how it works out, everything can just get packed right into the car, including your pets. Many hotels and destination spots are offering pet access to guests. Many restaurants all over the country are opening their patios to four legged diners. There are whole websites devoted to traveling in North America with your beloved animals. It may take a little research and planning, but taking a pet along also leaves you in charge of their well-being and saves the expenses related to boarding or engaging a pet-sitter.

Brutas really needs a vacation from ACCT. He is very URGENT
and stressed out. He is loves everyone and seems housebroken.
His Pen Pal is laurenficca@gmail.com. Photo via PSPCA. 

The team at the site Travels With My Dog is dedicated to finding the best places for pet owners to go. The person behind the blog, Helen Fazio, and her dog Raja, are renowned world travelers. Their summer plans are quite impressive. According to a post from June 8, Hotdog! Summertime Fun in the sun, by the end of summer, the pair will "have been to a bike race, a strawberry festival, numerous little league and softball games, various yard sales, a 4 H fair, a harvest festival at the peach farm, and had scores of hikes." Along with this plan comes some advice. Be sure to abide by their helpful tips for outdoor activities with dogs in summer, including, of course, plenty of water, frozen water bottles, special bandanas with crystals that are frozen and stay cold longer. (My dog Rocky sports the Outward Hound Cool-It bandana, in large). Also suggested are battery-operated fans, re-chillable, flexible cooler ice blankets and cooling vests that come in various sizes and weights for visits to very hot, arid regions and really active dogs, like agility competitors. Most importantly,  remember never to leave your pets in a vehicle in this weather. Seems like everyone would/should know that by now, but so many dogs have died in cars just this week, it's astonishing. 

If you are worried about heatstroke, be aware of the signs. According to vetinfo.com, some things to look for include heavy panting, hyperventilation, increased salivation, weakness, confusion, inattention, vomiting, diarrhea and sometimes bleeding. As it progresses, gums may become gray or general paleness, shallow breathing difficult to monitor and even seizures or loss of consciousness. Keep a thermometer handy and if the dog's temperature reaches 105 degrees Farenheit, seek veterinary help. Always have, or have access to, water and cold or frozen towels. As soon as possible, cool the dog down completely, out of the sun. One interesting and helpful step to take (seen in a tip by Ms. Fazio on Dogster) is to apply rubbing alcohol to your dog's paws if he or she has been walking on hot pavement. If more serious distress is evident, you can dampen a whole cloth with the rubbing alcohol and rub down the dog's chest, keeping out of licking area as much as possible.

Getting back to safe summer jaunts, the go-to A-to-Z resource for traveling with your pet(s), is Go Pet Friendly.  Co-founders, Amy and Rod Burkert, provide a complete and thorough guide on traveling all throughout North America, often tweeting and/or blogging daily occurrences or lessons while they are experiencing them. They are on the road 80% of the time, and document everything on their official travel blog, Take Paws. The information on their site is unparalleled and much of it firsthand. They personally traverse all kinds of terrain (and water!) in their Winnebago, accompanied by their two dogs, Ty and Buster. They solicit and generously accept suggestions from users and incorporate feedback into their planning resources. Without a doubt, the affect described in their name does come through online. The team illustrates the 'Friendly' part of their moniker, supporting worthy causes and constantly exhibiting a congenial attitude and offering positive assistance or guidance.

Considering the financial aspect, while the resources of Go Pet Friendly are unequaled, arguably one of the best parts is the price. It's all free. You can schedule your whole adventure, even make reservations, at no cost, with their Road Trip Planner. Enter your interests and destination, list traveling journey members, along with their species (how many, what size dog(s), accompanying cats) and you will be guided to the best hotels, campgrounds, restaurants, fun activities and any vet or petcare services you might want or need along the way. They lay out any important items they have found to be needed on their travels so you can pack accordingly. Go Pet Friendly even stays current and includes any online discounts with their suggestions. Other excellent amenities you can find through the site include special airline deals for flying with animals, lists of dog beaches, off-leash dog parks, wineries allowing dogs, and innumerable other locales your whole bunch can enjoy together.  Even if you can't travel with your pup this year, help fight for the right to do it in the future! The Go Pet Friendly crew has embarked on a campaign called Operation: Give Big Dogs a Break  and is also co-sponsoring this petition to remove size limitations for traveling companion dogs. Please sign and help support more fair standards to assess which dogs are allowed to stay with their humans.

Mister needs some serious R&R, anywhere but ACCT, where he is
now. This poor 6-12 m.o. puppy has a severe case of easily
treatable and non-contagious demodex. His paws are too sore for
him to walk and he is very depressed, not the way any dog should
start his young life. With just a short time off his pained paws in a
foster home, he will be good as new. Please contact
nsmith@pspca.org if you can help him live. Photo via PSPCA.

One of the best spots to find everything you need to go from adopting a pet, to training him or her all the way to taking a trip with your pup, is Dogster. (Helen Fazio offers today's Daily Dog Tip, Recession Upside: Pets are Welcome in More Places.) Dogster is a large database of all things dog related. Like the Daily Dog Tip, there are all kinds of valuable resources, many of which are delivered daily in email. The site is always providing answers and updates from experts on behavior and training, issues specific to certain breeds; how to pick the right breed for your lifestyle; dogs for adoption in your area; nutrition and information about food- amount, type, trends, recalls-and weight control/management. There is invaluable health care information like symptoms of and treatment for common ailments, instructions on what to expect from your new puppy and how to react. There is a section that allows you to find veterinarians across the country by zipcode. The lifestyle section offers great tips like how to to travel with your pup, how to create great pet photos and even how to find support groups for mourning the loss of a pet. There is also a great community for sharing problems, solutions and cute behaviors and pictures of various pets. (I just got a birthday card for my 11 year old dog) Its counterpart in the feline world is Catster. Catster has all of the same sections and items of information. (Greetings, too, as my cats received cards with well wishes for their 14th birthdays in May) There is really great advice for traveling with cats and interesting breed facts. An area is dedicated to the peculiarities of kitten care. A very educational general  cat healthcare section provides valuable insight to symptoms of  issues that can be a mystery, especially for first time cat parents. Extremely helpful instructions on how to socialize and introduce cats can help diffuse what could be a very tricky situation. Much of this information is more essential for traveling with a pet than it seems, such as guides to poisonous plants indigenous to other parts of the country and what behavioral issues to expect with a cat in new situations.

So, think about ways to see great things and bring your favorite furry friends along for the adventure. Fiscally, you can save a substantial amount on pet boarding while paying very little, if any, additional amount to have your pet accompany you. Arranging the whole itinerary is free and can be pretty fun. It is surprising how many places are pet friendly because their owners or founders were/are big fans of their own four legged best friends. Everyone with a mobile pet should try at least once to plan and embark on a vacation that lets everyone you love see the sites with you. Even if you are stuck with just a staycation this year, checking out a new hip restaurant with a pet  adds to the fun and is a great way to get a sense of the staff and their flexibilty. Most places are so eager for business right now, they will be accommodating with fresh water and even some snacks for outside dogs with their paying human companions. The socialization in a busy spot is great, especially for a new (meaning puppy, foster or just adopted) dog. It also takes away from the rushing home to check on or walk your dog after dinner and gives more time to enjoy the food and the local happenings. Then, best for everyone is a nice leisurely stroll home to burn off the extra calories and the excited energy your dog has from all he or she got to experience with you.

Another way the recession is evident right now- all local shelters are full and puppies and kittens are being euthanized daily. So please check out the adoptable pets at PAWS, the PSPCA, ACCT and Morris Animal Refuge. You can even start with a Petfinder search of adoptable pets in your zipcode and locate the perfect pet without leaving your house. Most breed rescues offer free transport upto 1,000 miles. Fosters and adopters are so desperately needed at this time, you can often find great deals on pet adoption fees. Check here for dog fee specials at the PSPCA and ACCT and here for discounted cat adoptions. There is even a horse farm not too far away where rescued horses can be adopted and transported to the area starting at $300.

For more information on cats, dogs, pet adoptions, traveling or the three dogs in danger at ACCT pictured here, please check out the following links: 

• Princess' craiglist and petfinder pages
• Mister's petfinder page
• Brutas' petfinder page
• Give a special dog independence this holiday weekend for $25
  
• Previously- PSPCA adopt-a-thon $1 cats through July 12!
• Check with ThePhillyDog for great coverage of local specials, events, promotions and pet friendly restaurants, hotels, parks, etc.
•  Travels with my dog blog, Eating Out: Pups on the Patio
• Operation: Give Big Dogs a Break on Just Paws blog, gopetfriendly.com
• Operation: Give Big Dogs a Break petition - sign to encourage more fair standards for hotels to let well-behaved dogs over 25 pounds have a chance to stay
• Visit the Crossed Sabers Stables and check out the horses for adoption. This farm is in big trouble and overburdened with rescue horses they can not afford to feed. Those not sponsored or adopted will be euthanized next week.
• Dogjaunt is a blog dedicated to people who want to travel with their small dogs.
• PSPCA foster care page and application
• PSPCA/ACCT volunteer application
• More ACCT Dogs, pictures, pen pals and profiles
• Examiner.com's adopt-a-pet page- Pet adoptions, shelters, health & advice