When A Pet Passes
Leigh Meriweather, Pet Honoring

If you are a long time pet owner, you have probably experienced the sadness of a pet passing. You may hear statements, such as "It's only a cat" or to "Get Over It," from people who have never had pets. These people don't understand the connection and bond people have with their pets, so they don't understand the loss.

Leigh Meriweather is one of those people who understands the loss. She states the grief from pet loss if very real. When she lost her beloved Kelsey, her black lab mix companion of 13 years, she thought, "Is this it?" It felt so empty. It just didn't feel right to her that we don't have anything in place to honor them or say thank you. So that started the process of her providing items and services to others, and creating a website called Pet Honoring.

Some things she offers is an in-person honoring ceremony for a family. She can also customize a pet honoring ceremony, hold it in her studios and record it. This is similar to what a human memorial is like, but it has the elements of honoring and blessing the pet and the relationship with the human and is like honoring the pet's soul.

Leigh also offers Pet Honoring Ceremony Kits, which contains everything needed to conduct your own pet honoring. It comes with instructions, a sample script, which can be used as is or tailored and items such as a picture frame, candle, shell, silk flowers and such.

If someone needs more, Grief Healing Sessions are also available. These can be done in person and also easily through phone sessions. These sessions use Spiritual Counseling, Animal Intuition and Energy work to weave together a session that provides understanding, insights and helps facilitate healing. This helps bring peace and relief.

Leigh Meriweather is an ordained non-denomination Reverend, Reiki Master Teacher and Advanced Pranic Healer...and avid animal lover!

http://www.PetHonoring.com

A Special Pouch For Your Pet
Donna Fox, Cinderooz

Donna fox was a registered nurse and a wildlife rehabilitator. She now has a new career, and has invented the Cuddle 'N Carry Shirt.

It all started when Donna adopted her dog Cinders. When she first brought Cinders home, he was eight weeks old, little and not very healthy. The only place he was happy and warm was in her shirt. Donna tucked Cinders underneath her sweatshirt, but it was limiting. She had to hold him there, and could only do things one handed. This didn't work well for someone who was constantly moving.

Donna then went to her sewing machine and created the Cuddle 'N Carry Shirt. This is a sweatshirt, with a special zippered pouch for your small pet. The pouch allows them to sit between two layers, the outer layer and the one against your body. This lets you have direct supervision of your pet who is literally under your watchful eye. You can feel him breathe, feel his every movement, and hear every sound he makes. But the difference is now you can move and your pet stays put.

These shirts are made of quality materials and look so nice; they can be worn with or without your pet. They are available in black, blue and camel colors, in sizes small, medium, large and x-large. You can even personalize them with up to two lines of text.

http://www.cinderooz.com

The Dogfather's Grooming Tip with Joey Villani

How To Properly Remove Ticks From Your Pet
Joey recently received a call from a family member for something that was so simple for him, but can be difficult and a problem for others, and that's removing a tick from you dog or cat.

First of all, when you come back from a walk with your pet, you should always run a comb through them, especially if you walk in a wooded area. You want to spot a tick on your pet sooner than later.

If you find a tick that is embedded in your pet, there are several things you shouldn't do. Don't put a pesticide directly on the tick. Don't apply a match or cigarette to the tick to burn them. When you try these methods, they will not make the tick back out and will make the tick secrete saliva. Now picture this, a tick buried underneath the skin, secreting saliva. Some ticks carry Lyme disease or Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, and will secrete it into your pet's skin.

Instead, get a pair of tweezers. Start by clearing the hair away from the tick, and then place the tweezers between the tick and your pet's skin. Squeeze tight and pull straight back. Just make sure that you get underneath the tick and don't just pull the body. If you just pull on the body, it is easy to break the head off, which will remain in your pet and can cause and abscess or infection. You can also find special tick removers from your pet store.

Once you remove the tick, you need to dispose of it. Do not step on it. It can carry eggs, which released can still hatch. Put the tick in a container of rubbing alcohol and then flush it down the toilet. If you notice redness or irritation on your pet after removing a tick, pay a visit to the vet.

Animal Radio® News with Stacey Cohen

Dog Protects Lost Boy
A toddler in South Dakota is safe and unharmed thanks in part to his pit bull dog. The three-year-old boy and his dog wandered off in freezing temperatures. The child's mother notified police and they found the boy not far from his home about an hour later. The Custer County sheriff says they found him in a wooded area, but the dog wouldn't let officers get near the boy. His dad was called to come get the dog. Police say the boy had no visible injuries but he was taken to a nearby hospital as a precaution.

Dog Shoots Man
A Florida man is recovering after his dog shot him in the leg. Highlands Today reports Greg Lanier was in his truck with his dog when his four-legged friend kicked a loaded gun to the floor. The 380-pistol went off, shooting the 35-year-old in the leg. Police say Lanier's injuries are not serious.

Oldest Horse Dies
A horse believed to be the oldest in the world has died after reaching the age of 51. Shayne, a liver chestnut Irish Draught cross thoroughbred, had been enjoying a comfortable retirement at an Essex sanctuary, spending up to five hours a day in the fresh air despite suffering from mild arthritis. But last month he was unable to get back up after his legs gave way and staff took the decision to put him down. Staff at the sanctuary believed him to be 51 based on the date of birth given by his previous owner, and medical checks. Veterinary staff try to find out how old a horse is by looking at the condition of a horse's teeth. How long teeth are, how worn they are, and how deep any grooves are, can all give clues as to which birthday should be celebrated. A British Horse Society spokesman estimated that Shayne's years made him the human equivalent of more than 100, but said that the older they get, the harder it is to tell once horses get past their average life expectancy of early thirties.

The Boy that Cried "Crocodile"
James Bond is being blamed for a supposed crocodile sighting in the Thames River. According to The Daily Telegraph, a retired university lecturer cried crocodile after he spotted the beast during a bike ride near his home in Reading. But now another local man, Michael Law, says there's nothing to worry about because the reptile was just a prop from the Double-Oh-Seven film Live and Let Die. Law says boat expert Peter Wallace, who used to head Caversham Boat Service and has worked on several Bond films, was keeping the fake crock on an island near Reading. Law suspects it must have floated out on its own recently. A spokesman for Caversham has confirmed that the crocodile was on the island at one point, but did not say whether it was still there.

No Standards For Pet Travel Products
New Jersey is the first state to consider a requirement that pets be restrained in vehicles. However, curently there are no guidelines or testing standards for pet-travel products. While some makers claim to test their products, without test standards claims cannot be substantiated, Subaru said. "The Center for Pet Safety conducted a pilot study which showed that the majority of pet safety restraints currently on the market do not provide acceptable protection in a crash situation," said Michael McHale, Subaru's director of corporate communications. "As many of our owners have dogs, we feel it's our responsibility to help them keep their pets as safe as possible when they journey with us." Tests conducted by the Center for Pet Safety use crash-test dogs, a 55-pound crash-dummy dog, which was subjected to collision tests at 30 mph. No live animals are used. "We are thrilled to have the support of Subaru as its love for pets is as deep as ours," said Lindsey Wolko, the Center for Pet safety's founder and CEO. "We have received requests from all over the world from manufacturers who want guidance on developing a safer harness and, through this partnership, we can finally conduct additional testing to help develop a suitable standard, provide the needed knowledge base to manufacturers, as well as determine the top performers."

The "Pill" For Rats
New York City's Transit Authority wants to do something to curb the rat population in the subway system. The agency is testing a rat bait that will render the rodents infertile. The bait company says it has worked well in rural areas, but urban rats are a little pickier, so baits with different scents and flavors will be mixed in with subway trash to see what works best.

Chicken Sitting
It turns out there's a need for chicken sitters in Portland, Oregon. And ABC News says Linda Walker is satisfying that need. She explains that she landed the job when a newlywed friend with 200 chickens went on her honeymoon and needed someone to look after the birds. Walker, who gained her knowledge about chickens while working in a feed store, says she discovered that chicken sitting is a lot like babysitting, only much less complex. So after her first experience went well, she started advertising her services with posters placed around town, and has already received more than 20 callbacks. Linda says the gig has made her realize how much she enjoys chickens, which she calls beautiful, "really funny," and "better than TV."

Don't Mess With Her Cat!
A Siberian woman has been accused of murdering her husband over a pet cat. According to Russian news agency RIA Novosti, the 56-year-old woman was allegedly protecting her cat when she stabbed her husband to death in February. The couple had been at home drinking to the point of intoxication when the tragic incident occurred, according to The Huffington Post's translation of the Russian-language story. "Over dinner on the evening of February 10, the couple had been drinking alcohol when the husband's eyes fixed again on the cat. He seized a poker and chased the cat, attempting to hit and injure it," said investigators. To protect her cat, the woman allegedly grabbed a knife from the table and stabbed her husband three times in the chest. The man reportedly died at the scene. Interfax News added that the husband had previously expressed a deep dislike for the cat, which his wife had taken in earlier this year, and had often hit the animal. According to RIA Novosti, the woman is currently under investigation and is scheduled to undergo a psychological examination. She faces up to 15 years in jail if convicted of murder. This is not the first time that a woman has been accused of attacking her husband over a pet cat. In September, Texas resident Audrey Deen Miller was arrested after she allegedly shot her husband in the stomach when he threatened to shoot her cat with a pellet gun.

NEWS UPDATE Brought To You By ScoopFree.com. Free Shipping on trays plus up to $20 off your first subscription.

Listen to the entire Podcast of this show (#694)