August 6th 2005

Anita Salzberg - Confessions of a Turtle Wife
What in the world is a "Turtle Wife"? A turtle wife is just like a football or golf widow - except the operative word is now "turtle." The Turtle Wife's spouse is totally obsessed with/fixated on/passionate about nature's shelled wonders. There are a surprising number of us, and we put up with a lot from our significant others. For instance, while the football, golf, and baseball widow gets dragged to the stadium, the golf links, or the ballpark, the turtle wife spends untold hours at the pet store, the reptile expo, and . . . sigh . . . even the pet wholesaler. In response to all the turtles residing at, visiting, and parading through my home, I wrote Confessions of a Turtle Wife, the story of how I learned to live with and love a man who loves turtles. It all began on a visit to the Bronx Zoo, when my husband Allen rediscovered one of the deepest joys of his childhood.

Dr. John Hadidian, Director of Urban Wildlife for the Humane Society
Going Batty Over Bats in Your House?
Occasionally, bats take up residence in attics or cellars but right now is the best time of year for people to help them get out of buildings. Fortunately, it's easy to get the bats to leave and not come back, according to The HSUS. Forget the myths about bats being blind, getting in hair, and sucking human blood. In reality, bats are interesting and beneficial. The only mammal capable of true flight, they hunt at night by echolocation, using high-frequency sound to guide them. Bats also consume vast quantities of insects for sustenance. There are more than 40 species of bats in the U.S. and Canada; bats live in every region of North America. If you have bats in your house, remain calm, keep pets and children away, and never try to handle a bat with bare hands.

Ed & Toni Eames - Partners in Independence
Ed Eames, PhD and Toni Eames, MS are a unique and powerful couple who are advocates for disabled people. Both are established writers and authors of several articles that have been published in Dog World Magazine and Cats Magazine. Their article "A Gentle Goodbye" was recently published in Chicken Soup for Cat and Dog Lover's Soul. The Eameses have just released a new book, Partners In Independence: A Success Story of Dogs and the Disabled.

Chris Bereki - Mouth-To-Snout
First, check to make sure the patient has a clear airway. Then check to see if the patient is breathing. Then check the pulse to make sure the patient has a heartbeat. If the patient awakens during the administration of cardiopulmonary resuscitation, be careful not to let him bite you. It's the ABCs of CPR, but with a twist. The patients are dogs and cats - not people - and it's a growing trend that is now entering the High Desert. Chris Bereki is an American Red Cross certified instructor of pet first aid and CPR, and teaches classes to both adults and children. "And the more people we get up here, the more we need to be concerned, especially with the heat," Bereki said. Bereki teaches her students about general pet safety along with first aid and CPR techniques. She has classes designed for ages 4-7, 8-11, and 12 and older. The adult class is four hours, and students become Red Cross certified.

Carol Lea Benjamin
Mother Knows Best: The Natural Way to Train your Dog
The dog is a social animal, and in nature the mother us a dog's most successful teacher. This simple fact translates into a highly effective, dynamic approach to dog training based on the natural way dogs learn. Using this natural way of learning as a base, the books presents a sensible, easy, humane training program designed to shape your dog into the best companion it can be, at home and in public. From the basics of puppy training and good house manners, on through all levels of structured obedience exercises, Mother Knows Best: The Natural Way to Train Your Dog helps your dog learn as it was intended to.

Darlene Arden
Finding a Good Dog Trainer

Rae Ann Kumelos
The Pigeon: Bird of Courage and Valor
The pigeon acted as a messenger of hope for the early pioneers and Native Americans, and actually delivered messages for Julius Caesar. So brave and courageous were the pigeons that delivered top secret information in World War II, they were awarded medals of honor.

Listen to this show now
Read this months Newsletter

As heard on Animal Radio: Get your pets pic on real U.S. Postage