metro pet mag - april 2010

APRIL 2010 • MetroPetMag.com 3

In Every Issue4 Let’s Go...to the Pet Expo

Enjoy hundreds of vendors, demos and more!

9 Dog HoroscopesHow well do you really know your dog?

13 Cat HoroscopesDo you know your cat? Check out its horoscope!

24 Chip’s Corner Complete this pawzelle and learn about a breed!

30 Ask the VetLearn more about laser surgery.

33 How Cute is Your Pet?The winners of this month’s contest.

34 UpcomingEventsCheck out these

upcoming events.

Feature Articles6 It’s A New Sport: Feline Agility

Feline agility was seen at the Cat Fancier’s Association competition in 2005.

10 Training Terminology: CuesHow to use cues in training your pet.

14 Best Methods: Transitioning to a New Foodand Preventing OverfeedingNew food options can be good for your pet, but how do you transition?

16 Thunderstorms: How Does Your PetRespond?There are many ways to calm your pet.

18 Pup My Ride: 2010 Car Picks for Your PetDo you know the top choices for pet friendly vehicles?

21 The Story of Fighting FredThis kitten was bound to live and we didn’t give up on him.

26 Learning to Lead AgainGetting past the shock of the new puppy!!

28 5th Annual KC Pet ExpoMark your calendar for the Pet Expo on April 17 & 18!

32 What’s Your Doggy Doo DoingObserving Earth Day means taking care or your dog poo.

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April 2010

6

4 MetroPet Magazine • APRIL 2010

SPRING IS HERE!It is official — Spring is here — and, I am ready! Even

the latest snow only lasted 24 hours. So what do we do —now that we can go out without worrying about gettingstuck in ice and snow? Let’s all go to the Pet Expo!

KC PET EXPOThe Fifth Annual Pet Expo will be held at the American

Royal Center on April 17 & 18, 2010. This year, the expo will feature close to 200exhibitors, including many local businesses which specialize in providing prod-ucts and services to pets and their human families. There will also be many localanimal rescue and adoption organizations represented.

This event also includes lots of entertainment: dock diving, acrocats, fly balltournaments, reptiles, and more. It will also feature adoptable pets, but you don’thave to take one home. See details in the article on page 28.

There are many other events coming in May, including the Annual Wayside Waifs“Caturday Night Fever,” the Wizard’s Kicks for Canine, the Lakewood Run for theDogs, and more. If you are ready to play with your pet, get ready — because thereare lots of fun adventures ahead!

METROPET IS GROWING!We are hearing from lots of readers — thanks for taking the time to call or write

us. We encourage all of you to support our advertisers — remember to tell them,“I saw your ad in MetroPet.” This will help them grow and will support ourgrowth.

One question we get asked with regularity is “Where can I find a copy?” On page29 is a short list of the racks where you can pick up your own copy of MetroPet.We are now in 100 “Free Magazine Racks.” You can also find copies at our adver-tisers and at over 250 other locations. Of course, you can also read it online!

ENJOY YOUR SPRING!Please stop by and say hello at the upcoming events — we love to hear from you.

SEE YOU AT THE PET EXPO

Barbara Riedel, Publisher

P.S. Looking for a great resource — groomer, trainer,pet food store, day care/boarding facility, veterinar-ian, etc.? Look no further than MetroPet. We havesome great advertisers in our magazine — you won’tbe disappointed!

Publisher’s MessageStaff &

ContactsPublisherBarbara Riedel

[email protected]

Editor/ProductionManagerDan O’Leary

[email protected]

Magazine LayoutROI Marketing

816.942.1600 • [email protected]

Advertising SalesEric Novak

Ad Sales: [email protected]

Contributing AuthorsSean Delaney, DVM, MS

Mike DeathePat HennessyJean Ingram

Sally Perea, DVM, MSHeddie Leger

Jill ReitzPat Riha

Jayne SikytaLori Stiles

John Rowe, DVM

PhotographersEric Novak

Dan O’Leary

Contact MetroPetPO Box 480065

Kansas City, MO 64148Phone: 913.548.1433

Ad Sales: 913.579.3815Fax: 816.941.4655

Publishing Policy: Articles printed in the MetroPetMagazine express the opinions of the individual authors and donot necessarily represent the formal position of MetroPetMagazine. Acceptance of advertising does not necessarilyconstitute endorsement by MetroPet Magazine.

Articles: Readers are invited to submit articles for considerationfor publication to [email protected]. All materials aresubject to editorial review.

© 2010 MetroPet Magazine. All rights reserved. Requestreprint permissions at [email protected].

MetroPet Magazine is owned and published by ROI MarketingServices, all rights reserved.

BELLA 39818475

CHEWS SHOESREPEAT OFFENDER

I t’s 4 a.m. and that darn cat is at it again.He is walking across the papers carelesslythrown on the desk the night before, playingwith a rogue pencil that just missed the pencilholder. Then the real fun begins; he’s over thechair, under the bed, down the stairs, andacross the wood floor, sounding like a thou-sand pound elephant thumping around. It ishard to believe all this noise comes from athirteen pound cat. He is probably a greatcandidate for Feline Agility.

FELINE AGILITYFeline Agility was first seen at the Cat

Fancier’s Association (CFA) competition inOregon in February, 2005. Attendees and par-ticipants raved about the competition whereboth pedigreed and non-pedigreed cats andkittens ran the course. What is most entertain-ing about this event was the effort put forth byboth owner and cat, sometimes successfullycompleting the course, sometimes not. Somecomplete the course in a matter of seconds:others exhaust the three minute maximumand walk off the course anticipating successnext time. It all depends on how the cat feelsabout competing that day.

THE FELINE COURSEThe course for felines looks very much like

one for their canine friends, but on a smallerscale. It consists of jumps, hoops, weave poles,ladders, tunnels, and other obstacles for cats tomaneuver over, under, around, and through.Owners often use a toy to lure their catsthrough the course.

by Jayne A. Sikyta


Its A New Sport:Feline Agility

Ring Masters are the agility officials who evaluate the competi-tors. They count the faults (i.e., mistakes), track the time, and,combining those two scores, determine the winner of the event.The time begins when the cat’s front feet break the plane bytouching or passing through or over the first obstacle and endswhen the cat’s front feet touch down after clearing the last obsta-cle. If the owner is not happy with the time of the first run, theymay try again and keep the best time. Faults on the course can be

either against the owner/handler or the cat. These includeknocking down an obstacle or jump, taking an obstacle out ofsequence, refusing to complete any obstacle (i.e., bypassing it orunsuccessful attempts to get through the obstacle), and stoppingfor more than ten seconds once the cat has started the course.


Faults on the course can beeither against the owner/handler

or the cat. These includeknocking down an obstacleor jump, taking an obstacle

out of sequence...


ADVANTAGES OF FELINE AGILITYThis idea may seem like an exercise in frustration, but there

are many advantages to Feline Agility. The training and eventsare fun for the owner, the cat, and the audience. These eventsbuild a public awareness of how beautiful, intelligent, andtrainable cats are, perhaps even causing some non-cat house-holds to change their ways by adopting a cat. Cat owners,through training to compete, develop an even closer bond withtheir feline friends and develop skills that can be applied totheir own fitness and training programs.

EASY SET-UPAgility training can be done in a small space, inside the house

and is inexpensive to set up. A visit to the Web site of theInternational Cat Agility Tournaments (ICAT) group,www.catagility.com, will help prospective trainers get start-ed. Not only does ICAT inform the public about types of obsta-cles in the course, they also provide low-cost alternatives forthese obstacles, including a pop-up hamper from WalMart thatcan serve as a tunnel for training. There are also instructionsto make some homemade fun obstacles to challenge any felinefriend. Articles, videos, training ideas, rules, and other infor-mation will help any aspiring Feline Agility handler to get start-ed in this sport.

For more information on Feline Agility, check out CFA atwww.cfa.org. Local cat shows in and around the area wouldbe a great opportunity to witness Feline Agility.

Jayne A. Sikyta is the owner of Fidos & Felines, LLC, a pet-sitting com-pany serving Lee’s Summit, MO, and the surrounding community. Jayneand Larry, her husband, have been providing superior pet care for over fiveyears.

Cat agility trainingcan be done in asmall space, inside the house and is inexpensiveto set up.


Aries (Mar. 21 - Apr. 19) Leader of the Pack. Most Aries dogs are com-pletely intolerant of other dogs, constantly gettinginto scraps and trying to dominate every other pet.

Taurus (Apr. 20 - May 20) The Strong Silent Type The owner must be preparedfor the Taurus Dog to sit in front of the refrigerator andmournfully stare. Second only to this canine’s love offood is love of music.

Gemini (May 21 - June 21) The Yapper. Aquarius owners, being broad-mindedenough to allow things to follow their natural course,will find the Gemini Dog to be a suitable pet.

Cancer (June 22 - July 22)The Home-Lover. About once a month, the pull of theMoon will fill the Cancer Dog with a feeling of restless-ness, urging him or her to spend the night in the gar-den, where he or she will howl until daybreak.

Leo (July 23 - Aug. 22)The Boss-Dog. Fiercely loyal, this canine would ratherdie while protecting an owner than allow that owner tocome to any harm.

Virgo (Aug. 23 - Sept. 22) The Helper. Sheep and working dogs governed by Virgothrive very nicely, working from dusk until dawn and con-tent in the productive nature of its employment.

Libra (Sept. 23 - Oct. 22)The Shop-Steward This canine is remarkably persua-sive... some might say even manipulative. They canalso be ridiculously stubborn.

Scorpio (Oct. 23 - Nov. 21)The Paragon. Owners who keep on top of things andwill discover that the Scorpio Dog is basically anaffectionate canine... beneath its prickly exterior.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22 - Dec. 21)The Problem Dog. The Sagittarius Dog will either taketo an owner or not, based purely and solely on thatowner’s merits as a person.

Capricorn (Dec. 22 - Jan. 20)The Social Climber. Ideally, this canine would prefer tobe in a favored position enjoyed by such dogs as theQueen of England’s Royal Corgis.

Aquarius (Jan. 21 - Feb. 18)The Friend. The Aquarius canine must be calmed tosome extent. Humans born under Gemini and Libraare a good match.

Pisces (Feb. 19 - Mar. 20)The Interpreter. Forceful and pushy one minute, thisdog is gentle, retiring and loving the next.

Canine Signs


Okay, we know how to tell our dogs what they have doneright and what they have done wrong. So now have to address howwe tell our dogs to do something (cues).

by Mike Deathe

Cues fall into two basiccategories, verbal cues

and hand signals. A cueis nothing more than

how we ask a dogto do something

TrainingTerminology:

Cues

CUESFor me cues fall into two basic categories, verbal cues and

hand signals. A cue is nothing more than how we ask a dog todo something. For example, I can ask Fido to put his rump onthe ground by saying the word sit, or by flipping my handupward, palm up (my hand signal for sit.) Both, if taught, willwork.

ONE BETTER THAN THE OTHER?I don’t really think so, but I do think that you must first start

by teaching hand cues or signals when training a dog to dosomething. Just so there is no confusion, the words cue, com-mand and signals are all synonymous in dog training, theymean the same thing. I don’t care to argue subtleties or wordmeanings here; suffice it to say they all mean the same thing.So why do hand signals need to be taught first?

Simple, DOGS DON’T SPEAK ENGLISH! If you have read any ofmy articles, you have noticed that this is a common theme inteaching dogs anything. I am here to tell you that making dogtraining easier for dogs is the best way to make dog trainingeasier for people! I know this won’t be popular with all, but Ihave learned that if you insist on teaching a dog like a human,you will fail; but if you think like a dog as you teach, you willbe much more successful with your dog.

Remember, dogs have no ability at all with what Englishteachers call syntax (i.e. sentence structure, meaning orunderstanding with context.) So, speaking to our dogs is aboutas helpful for them as us understanding who is on the phoneby the sound of the ring! (Cell phones with special ringersdon’t count!) Instead of expecting the dog to conform to us, weneed to conform to him. Dogs do understand body languageand body position very well, so why not start there?


HAND SIGNALSWalla — hand signals. Remember the following motto…Keep

it Simple Stupid! I have basically 5 hand signals I use with mydogs. They are for watch me, sit, down, stay and come. Whatthey are is not as important as consistency of use. Mine arepretty simple; Watch Me… pointing my index finger to mynose; Sit…bringing my hand upward, palm up; Down...bring-ing my hand downward palm down; Stay…showing the dog myhand palm foreward and Recall…my arm straight out from myside and bringing it down and slapping my leg. I will discusseach of these in detail in other blogs, visit http://muttzmem-bers.blogspot.com/. In fact, recall or come when called hasalready been done! (see the posts on Recall). Once a dog isreliably responding to your hand signal (80% of the time) it istime to add the word or combine cues.

VERBAL CUESThe trick to this is to always lead with the unknown cue or

command…which in this case is the spoken word. Why?Because if I gave the dog thehand signal before saying thecue he/she would simplyignore it. Remember, the ver-bal cue has no bearing sincethe dog already knowswhat to do when theysee the hand signal.After several repetitionsof saying the verbal cue,such as sit, and then follow-ing immediately with theknown cue or hand signal,something amazing hap-pens; they begin to meanthe same thing to thedog! Now I have twocues, verbal (com-mand) and bodylanguage (handsignal), that areinterchangeable tothe dog. From myprospective, theword is simply tomake us primates feel better, but the body language (hand sig-nal) is really what facilitates communication between our twospecies! With enough practice we could say “pineapple sher-bet” instead of “sit” and it would work as well! A fine exampleof how dogs don’t understand English.

SPEED UP THE TRAININGSo remember that cues are simply how we ask our dog to do

something. What we say is not nearly as important as how werelay the meaning. Training will go much faster if you start with


a hand signal then combine it with a word at a later stage.The goal here is to make training easier for the dog and you,so think less like a human and more like a dog!

CONSISTENCYIt is not as much about the time invested in training a dog,

but more about the consistency of the training that is impor-tant. It would be better to spend 15 minutes a day, sevendays a week rather than spending 2 hours a day, three daysa week. Remember, having fun is vital to teaching anythingto anyone so RELAX.

Mike Deathe is a stay-at-home dad whofound his passion as a dog trainer in 2008. Heenjoys identifying unique and useful “muttz”related products. He is the author of Keep ItSimple Stupid (K.I.S.S.) Pet Blog. Mike hashad dogs since he was four years old andthere are currently several dogs and cats liv-

ing in his home! As an avid pet lover, he regularly sees the number ofdogs and cats that never find a home. In 2009, he and his wife Katefounded Muttz “R” Us, a t-shirt company with a philanthropic mottoof “Adopt a Pet, Save a Life.” Visit them at facebook or twitter or followthe blog at http://muttzmembers.blogspot.com/ or check outthe website at www.muttzrus.com!


Aries (Mar. 21 - Apr. 19) The Stray Cat. Basically a loner, if forcibly confinedto the lap of one who feels the need for company, theAries Cat will quickly convert from a feline to awrithing bundle of needle-ridden fur.

Taurus (Apr. 20 - May 20) The Earth Mother. It will be necessary to vacuum,dust and step around this feline. This cat sleeps mostof time and during slumber, nothing will awaken it.

Gemini (May 21 - June 21) Cat On A Hot Tin Roof. This feline will cavort end-lessly, sliding down banisters and climbing up curtains,but hardly ever sits still long enough for a cuddle.

Cancer (June 22 - July 22)The Crazy Cat. The Cancer Cat has the uncannyability to melt a human heart with its constant desirefor affection.

Leo (July 23 - Aug. 22)The Top Cat. This cat is intensely loyal (in its own way)and equally as faithful as it is self-opinionated. In fact,as cats go, this feline can be quite a friendly soul.

Virgo (Aug. 23 - Sept. 22) The Kitten Cat. Outside, with nature at paw’s reach,this feline will forget all his or her problems and hang-ups.

Libra (Sept. 23 - Oct. 22)The Copy-Cat. An inherent urge for unity with otherswill make it natural for this cat to create an atmosphereof harmonious relationships with home companions.

Scorpio (Oct. 23 - Nov. 21)The Cat’s Pajamas. The Scorpio Cat is alwaysstrangely drawn to those unfortunate humans who arenot fond of cats.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22 - Dec. 21)The Stable Cat. The Sagittarius Cat is fond of felinecompanionship and delighted to allow another cat (oreven more than one) to share home and family!

Capricorn (Dec. 22 - Jan. 20)The Cat Burglar. The Capricorn Cat prefers city life tocountry living. They will be house-trained almostovernight.

Aquarius (Jan. 21 - Feb. 18)The Hip Cat. Contact with humans (albeit from a dis-tance) is more important to an Aquarius Cat than thetime spent with other felines.

Pisces (Feb. 19 - Mar. 20)The Ship’s Cat. Cancer subjects possess a bigenough sense of humor to actually enjoy this feline’smany quirks and peculiarities.

Feline Signs

by Sean Delaney, DVM, MS and Sally Perea, DVM, MS

When bringing home a new bag of pet food, it can be tempting to quickly fillup your pet’s bowl in the excitement of having them enjoy a new food. However,it is important to remember that most dogs and cats are not accustomed tochanges in their diets, and that sudden differences in dietary moisture, fat,fiber, and even total calories can result in stool changes, potentially leading todiarrhea. Similarly, this is one of the main reasons why human babies andyoung children also must be slowly introduced to new foods. Your pet may beenthusiastic about the new food, but it is important that you do not overfeed.

Try these tips for transitioning your pet companion’s food over time.


FEEDING A NEW FOODThree food nutrients — moisture, fat, and fiber — common-

ly have the largest effect on transition feeding and diarrhea, andmust be carefully controlled during diet changes. If a new foodis rapidly introduced, the result can be undesired stool changes,but this can be avoided or minimized by using a transition peri-od in which the new food is slowly introduced while the old foodis phased out.

The transition period required will vary based on the degree ofdifferences between the new and old foods as well as individualpet differences. In general, one week is a good minimum lengthof time to transition to a new food, as outlined in the tablebelow.

If at any step in the transition the pet experiences undesirablestool changes, the previous transition step should be extendedfor at least an additional two days. If the pet continues to haveundesired stool changes, especially if poor appetite precededthe diet change, a veterinarian should be consulted to ensurethat no underlying problems need to be addressed.

FEEDING THE APPROPRIATE AMOUNTIn addition to affecting nutrients, feeding excessive calories

can result in undesired stool changes. Therefore, it is importantto adjust the amount of the new food to match the pet’s currentcaloric intake.

For example, if the pet was previously fed two cups per day ofa food providing 300 kcals/cup (for a total of 600 kcals/day)*,


Best Methods:TRANSITIONING TO A NEW

FOOD & PREVENTING

OVERFEEDING

a new food providing 400 kcals/cup should befed at 1 1⁄2 cups per day† to provide an equiv-alent amount of calories and prevent overfeed-ing. (See example in table at right).

SIGNS OF A HEALTHY PETSo how do you know if your new pet food is

working? Commercial pet food selection crite-ria are many, but the most important is howthe food performs in your particular animal.Luckily, there are several noticeable indicatorsthat can help pet parents know if their food isworking.

• Body Condition Maintenance — Thenumber one criterion for selecting a dogfood is whether or not it can maintain yourpet with an ideal body condition. Just likehumans, our animal companions need tomaintain a healthy weight in order to max-imize their quality and quantity of life.

• Coat Luster — Many nutritional defi-ciencies manifest themselves in a pet’s fur,decreasing its luster. An overall healthypet’s coat will have a nice sheen.

• Volume and Form of Feces — Stoolsshould be firm but more importantly thevolume should be minimized. If volumeincreases significantly with a new food,then it might not be as digestible — cost-ing you more money with less nutrientintake. With several premium brands youfeed less because the formula containsmore nutrients per cup or can, creating acost-effective solution.

• Palatability — Eating is one of the greatjoys in any life, including a pet’s. Your ani-mal should enjoy its food and readily fin-ish her meal.

Most importantly, pet parents need to lookbeyond the label to verify that the ingredientson the back of the package offer the right bal-ance for optimal nutrition. Whatever pet foodyou choose for your animal companion, makesure you make the most of your best friend’sdining experience.

With the right food, transitional period, andamount to feed, any pet can happily and safelymake the transition to a new food. Beforechanging your pet’s diet, always speak withyour local retailer, your veterinarian, and yourdog-loving friends.

Sean Delaney, DVM, MS, Diplomate of theAmerican College of Veterinary Nutrition, is a boardcertified veterinary nutritionist and Chief NutritionOfficer of Natura Pet Products, manufacturer of EVO,

California Natural, Innova, Karma,HealthWise, and Mother Nature natural petfoods and treats. Sally Perea, DVM, MS,Diplomate of the American College ofVeterinary Nutrition, is a board certifiedveterinary nutritionist and SeniorNutritionist of Natura Pet Products.



Why is it scary for Sophie when the thunder rolls in, butMax is oblivious to it? Storm phobia can be a tricky item to dealwith, but each dog is different. It is the same reason one personloves to ride roller coasters, while another can’t bear it. Orsome people aren’t bothered by the sight of blood, but otherswill faint. We all have ways in which we cope with things. Lifeexperiences, whether good or bad, develop learned responses.And lack of experience can create a fear of the unknown.Sometimes our responses are genetic, which may explain whythe dog you have had since she was a tiny puppy ended up hav-ing fears, even though you socialized her and she was nevertraumatized.

Whether a fear response is based on environmental or geneticfactors you can still help your animal companion cope with afearful situation. When faced with fear, the body automaticallygoes into a “fight-or-flight” pattern. Heart rate increases, adren-alin levels go up, digestion shuts down and breathing becomesrapid. When exposed to that same situation again, your body willreact the same way. If you can find a way to calm the body dur-

ing a fearful situation, and offer that same calming techniqueagain for the same fearful situation, then your body will adjustand become less sensitive to that stimulus. Over time your bodywill retain the calm response but it doesn’t mean you have for-gotten what once frightened you; it means you have learned tocope and reduced or extinguished the fear response. When youwere a child there was probably something that frightened you,like going down in a dark basement. Once you went down to thebasement with your parents or an older sibling and realizednothing was going to happen, you got used to it and it no longerfrightened you. As an adult you can go down into a dark base-ment and not think anything of it unless you hear a noise, thenyour fear response will kick in. The moment you turn on thelight and look around to see nothing is wrong, you recoverquickly; your heart rate goes down and your breathing slowsdown.

What we would like to do for our animals is give them theexperience of feeling “ok” during a storm and let that “ok”feeling build up over time. Then if they have a moment occa-sionally that startles them, they will recover quickly as well.

It is a plus if you can find a way to learn to calm that does notinvolve drugs. Drugs provide an artificial reaction to a stimulusand what you want is to build a long term solution vs. some-thing you have to use each time. Often times, depending on thedrug, the animal may or may not really be calm but rather lessreactive, and therefore appear to be calm. Some drugs justrelax the muscles but not the mind. When you can, provide aninfluence over the nervous system that will build memory forthe mind.

CALMING TECHNIQUES• TTouch™ — a method of very light gentle touch (much

lighter than massage) that influences the nervous systemand calms animals

• Wraps — Body Wraps (another TTouch™ technique ofapplying stretch wraps in a crisscross configuration),Anxiety Wrap™ or Thundershirt™, are tools that apply con-sistent pressure and work like swaddling a baby

• Dog Appeasing Pheromone (DAP) diffusers — theycome as a plug-in units or as a spray which can be used onbedding or added to a scarf around the neck

by Pat Hennessy

Thunderstorms: How does yourpet respond?


• Supplements (non-pharmaceutical)• Flower Essences: a blend of flowers infused with water

– used to help restore balance (such as Bach’s RescueRemedy)

• Calming supplements: such as ProQuiet® made with L-tryptophan, Chamomile and Ginger or Calmazon™ a blendof Chamomile and Passion Flower from the AmazonRainforest.

There are many ways to approach the storm phobia problem.You need to assess the level of anxiety and try a holistic (wholebody systems) approach with a technique or a blend of tools.Let your dog practice the wise words of Louisa May Alcott, “I’mnot afraid of storms, for I’m learning how to sail my ship.”

Pat Hennessy, is the founder of N2paws, LLC, anorganization that provides companion animalattunement through behavior education, energywork, and positive training methods. Pat is a certi-fied TTouch practitioner 2, CPDT and member ofthe IAABC, IAATH and AWA. You may contact N2Pawsvia email [email protected], phone 816-522-7005,or visit the website www.n2paws.com

If you can find a way to calmthe body during a fearfulsituation, and offer that

same calming technique...


BEST UTILITY VEHICLEFOR YOUR POOCHHONDA ELEMENT EX

• This car was designed with your dog inmind: low to the ground, large cargo space,urethane flooring, dog restraint safety fea-tures, ventilation fans, spill resistant waterbowls, extendable cargo ramp, and more. It isknown as the alpha dog of pet travel.

• The executive vice president of AmericanHonda, John Mendel, was insightful when hesaid, “In an interesting turn of events, cars arenow chasing dogs.”

MOST SPORTY UTILITYVEHICLE FOR MAN’SBEST FRIENDSUBARU OUTBACK• The Subaru Outback is the Motor Trend

2010 Car of the Year (with Subaru back-to-back awards, as the Forester was the MotorTrend Car of the Year for 2009). Subaru mod-els are all wheel drive, low to the ground, havelarge cargo space, dog restraint safety fea-tures, and more. Subaru owners say, “Itrocks.”

• Knowing that 60% of all Subaru ownershave dogs, Subaru is pet friendly in more waysthan one: Partnering with the ASPCA in theSubaru “Share the Love” promotion resultedin $1.2 million dollars in donations the first

Pup My Ride:

2010 Car PicksFor Your Pet

I t was a long hard winter, and boy do we welcome spring! One way to breakthat cabin fever is to go for a ride. But you can’t go alone. Patches and Lucky wantto go too. You love to take them(and they love to go), so you headout to the garage to get the car ready.As you are putting away the bootsand ice scrapers and vacuuming outthe grunge from slopping in and outduring winter, you think about hownice it would be if you had morecargo space and wish it was easier toclean. Knowing that we are headinginto spring and summer activities,you think about how you will takethe dogs along more, and how nice itwould be if there was enough roomfor them and your gear.

As you are daydreaming of this newcar you start thinking about all the other things that you will need to consider.Lucky is getting up there in years and she may have trouble getting in and out of anSUV. You have also been thinking that you might add another dog to your pack, so

you need tomake sure therewill be enoughroom, especiallysince you arestill undecidedabout whatbreed (there-fore, what size).

The good newsis that there arechoices forevery life style.The top two util-ity picks foractive caninecompanions.

by Pat Hennessy

SUBARU OUTBACK

HONDA ELEMENT EX

year. Many dealerships throughout the country are set upwith pet friendly service areas (visit Lee’s Summit Subaruwith your canine companion where there is plenty of spaceand free dog treats).

ADDITIONAL AUTO FAVORITESSome additional auto favorites from our four legged

friends.• Best luxury car for the lovely little lap dog: Lexus

LS (Lap-dog Style)• Best car for the pint sized pup: Yo quiero Mini

Cooper• Best Minivan for your Dane and 4 of his friends:

Chrysler Town & Country (with stow n’ go seats and aDVD player to watch Hotel for Dogs on their way to thepark)

• Best Police Cruiser: Dodge Charger Police Edition(voted #1 by the German Shepherd Dog Police Academy)

• Best Pickup Truck for the hunting dog: anythingwith a king cab, because I like to stick my head out thewindow but I don’t like to be tossed around in the bed

• Best Low Rider for the street cruising dog: ZipZinger Skateboard (Tillman the Bulldog’s favorite, visitwww.gotillman.com)

• Best transportation for your feline friend: the backof a limousine with a can of caviar.


• Best NASCAR: Greg Biffle #16 (sponsor of the Greg BiffleFoundation founded to raise awareness and serve as an advo-cate to improve the well-being of animals, check outwww.gregbifflefoundation.com for fun products).

No matter your pet companion’s breed or your life style, thereis a car out there for you. If you want to learn more about the toptwo rated pet vehicles, visit www.leessummithonda.com orwww.leessummitsubaru.com or come down to the Pet Expothe weekend of April 17-18 to see the cars on display. Now thatspring is here it’s time to get behind that wheel and go places, butremember, “Never drive faster than your guardian angel can fly.”

Pat Hennessy, is the founder of N2paws, LLC, an organization that providescompanion animal attunement through behavior education, energy work,and positive training methods. Pat is a certified TTouch practitioner 2, CPDTand member of the IAABC, IAATH and AWA. You may contact N2Paws viaemail [email protected], phone 816-522-7005, or visit the websitewww.n2paws.com.


Now that spring is here it’s time toget behind that wheel and go places,

but remember, “Never drive fasterthan your guardian angel can fly.”


Another rushed morning, off to work. Following myusual routine, I yelled the word “treats”, there was one, two,but one was missing, Midnight. Quickly checking the usualhiding places, I decided to check down stairs in the basement.I saw him on the floor and I knew he was gone. He was onlytwo years old.

After my son Zachary got over the initial shock, he decidedthat he wanted an orange cat. So the hunt began. We looked atthe Raytown Animal Control and they had one, but the orangecat they had was very scared and climbed up Zachary’s back.Needless to say, there was no bonding. We tried the animalshelter in Grandview later that evening. As we walked in, therewere kittens running, playing, and jumping everywhere, but

no orange kitten. Our search continued and we visited theLee’s Summit Animal Shelter. They only had four gray/whitekittens that were available for adoption and one very shy buffcolored kitten. My son asked to hold the buff colored kitten,even though we had been searching for an “orange” cat.When picked up he licked/kissed him on the finger. That wasall it took, this very small, shy, and buff colored kitten wouldnow have a future in a loving home.

Two days later we took him to the vet because we had twoother cats and didn’t want to pass on any ailments he mighthave. Fred passed his first set of tests. Since he was so small,less than 3 pounds, the vet suggested that we feed himcanned kitten food along with kitten formula, but he seemedto be getting weaker, no energy, and had the most patheticmeow I have ever heard. Three days later he became muchworse. Back to the vet, they gave him some fluids, antibioticsand sent us home.

The Story of

So the hunt began. We visitedshelter after shelter, until wefound the right kitten. It wassmall, shy and buff colored

and would now have a future in a loving home.

by Jean Ingram

FightingFred


A FRANTIC CALLOne day later I received an urgent and frantic call from

my son who had just gotten home from school stating thathis kitten was dying. I told him that if it looked like he was-n’t breathing to cover his mouth and nose and gentlybreathe while I was inroute. We made a maddash to the AnimalHospital and rushedinto an examining roomto see the doctor. On hisfirst examination, thedoctor listened for hisheartbeat, which shouldbe every 5 to 10 sec-onds, but he found noheartbeat. He sadlylooked up at us andstated that he was gone.In a desperate attemptto do something, I stat-ed that just a block awayhe had cried and was breathing shallow, but he was breath-ing on his own. After hearing this, the doctor took hisstethoscope and listened again… he found a heartbeat, butit was more like every 15 to 20 seconds. They rushed himto a back room where they gave him intravenous liquids,massaged his heart, and gave him more antibiotics. Thedoctor came back to the room and said that he couldn’tbelieve that he was still alive since his heartbeat was soslow. They wanted to keep him a couple hours but statedseveral times that his chances were not looking very gooddue to his size, heartbeat, and the fact that he was verydehydrated.

ALIVE AND FIGHTINGFred still had an IV but was still alive and fighting. The

doctor gave me two options: leave him overnight but noone would be there to check on him, or feed him throughthe night every hour on the hour and bring him back firstthing in the morning. Since my son had just lost his belovedMidnight, I chose the second option. What else could I do?

Getting ready I made formula, syringes cleaned, cleantowels, hair dryer, heating pad, pillow, and my area in thefront room was ready for feeding him on the hour, everyhour. He seemed to be getting a little better, but was stillunable to walk or go to the bathroom in his kitty litter pan.

As Zach left for school, he thanked me for taking care ofhis cat all night. I was to leave him and pick him up after4:00 pm from the vets. The girls in the office couldn’tbelieve that he was still alive. I couldn’t believe that he wasstill alive. He was being such a fighter! After talking to thevet before leaving, he stated that his chances were better,but that we were not out of the woods yet and probablywouldn’t be for sometime.


THE MIRACLE CATAfter school was out we went to check on Fred, hoping that

he continued his fight to live. One of the girls in the frontoffice called Fred the “miracle” cat. As I talked with doctorhe stated that he could not believe how well he was doing, buthe was not out of the woods but was doing extremely better.I was to feed him every two hours.

Making through another night of feedings, he was startingto get stronger. Just like the previous day, back to the animalhospital. The instructions given were to feed him formula andcanned food every four hours and come back to the office thefollowing morning.

I took him back to the vet’s the next day, were given a fewmore instructions and he was given one last treatment ofmedicine. The doctor couldn’t believe that Fred had made itand was now on his way to recovering. We were to bring himback the next time the office was open, two days away.

NOT ABOUT TO GIVE UP... We still extremely miss Midnight and he will always have a

place in our hearts, but our little Fred, “Fighting Fred,” isdoing wonderfully. I made the right decision by not leavinghim overnight and making nightly feedings; three nights of lit-tle to no sleep was worth the effort since Fighting Fred wasnot about to give up, so neither was I.

Jean Ingram grew up and lives in the KansasCity area. When growing up she had a variety ofpets, including turtles, rabbits, and of course catsand dogs. As a pet lover, Jean has adopted catsand dogs from the local animal shelters, andhopes that others will do the same.

March PawzelleAnswer

by Heddie Leger


Chip’s FriendsChip would like to

help you get to knowhis friends.

The Doberman PinscherOwners and lovers of the

Doberman will tell you pawsdown the Doberman is theworld’s Number One breed.However, with that said, theDoberman isn’t for every-one. Dobermans require a calm, stable, firm, andsmart assertive owner that they can respect as theirleader, or they will assume that role for you. Theymust also have plenty of vigorous exercise every day.They are highly intelligent and require stimulatingmental challenges. Without these things, they can finddestructive ways to entertain of themselves.

The Doberman Pinscher is well known for itsguarding qualities. Through years of careful, meticu-lous breeding they have become known as a fun-lov-ing, exceptional athlete and a watchful, protective,and above all, discerning companion who has notrouble accurately distinguishing between friend andfoe. The key word is discerning.

A Doberman will anticipate a threat to you and or afamily member, sometimes in uncanny ways. Properlytrained and socialized, a Doberman will place itselfbetween you and a visible threat.

Considered one of the top smartest canine breeds inthe world, the Doberman pinscher is breathtakinglyperceptive, intuitive, and sensitive. One last thing:Dobermans are nick-named “Velcro dogs” becausethey stick to their people. Heaven for a Doberman isleaning into you for a prolonged head rub. Balancingthat well-known guardian instinct is the world’s mostloving heart and a sense of humor that will keep youlaughing its whole life long.Credit: Information from the Doberman Pinscher

Club of America.

Across:1. The Doberman is _____________ between friend

and foe4. Needs stimulating mental ____________________7. Well known for this quality11. they need plenty of stimulating ____________

challenges12. The Doberman has a good sense of_____________16. Plenty of vigorous daily ______________ is

required17. Can be ________________ of its family19. It is one of the _______________ breeds20. The doberman is _____-_______

Chip’s Corner

Pawzzle


Down:1. Chip’s Friend of the month2. requires a _________ owner3. The Doberman is very ______________ _5. Will place itself between you and a visi-

ble _________6. Not challenged mental and physically

can become ______________8. The Doberman needs to

______________ its owner9. Dobermans require a calm, stable, firm,

smart ______________ owner10. It is important to ______________ your

Doberman to help them be good neigh-bors

13. The Doberman is not for______________

14. Known to __________ on you for pro-longed periods of time

15. Often called the __________ dog18. It is very important to do this with your

Doberman

Come See Us at the KC Pet Expo Booth #1419

My initial reaction was to just delete her from my Facebook page. Sure, she was my friend and neighbor, but after that phone call,

I was ready to eliminate her from my life. Yes, my GermanShepherd had cornered her in fear for the second time that week;but still. Everyone walked away unscathed.

I assured her I’d take care of it. No dog of mine would have ablack mark in the neighborhood. Especially when our formerdogs had always been admired for their stellar qualities.

We had become accustomed to the longing looks at our dogs.The compliments. The adoration. I had no idea how to maneuverthis side of the fence.

A CHALLENGING PERSONALITYThis dog’s personality had always been more “challenging” than

any of the dogs we’d had before. He was cursed in my mind. I hadtaken him for all the wrong reasons. My Rhodesian ridgeback,Regan, had just passed, and my German Shepherd, Rosco, hadsunk in to deep despair, or so I thought. I couldn’t erase theimage of Little Ann on top of Old Dan’s grave, as I would pet mymourning dog.


My husband and I adopted the dogs when we first came togeth-er. Losing Regan signaled the end of an era to me. I thought thatif Rosco had some youthful distraction, he would pull out of hisslumber. Some sleuthing brought me into contact with a 6-week-old fur ball that would soon be called Irie.

A NEW ADDITION — IRIEI was uncomfortable taking a pup away from his pack at that

age (we now know more about nip inhibition) but was assured itwas normal. It had been 11 years since I had a puppy, and I feltRosco slipping, so I said “yes.”

As the days wore on, Rosco remained in mourning, and wecould not even pet Irie because he nipped incessantly. We just lethim roam about. When he would fall asleep, we would anxiouslypat his soft fur and whisper sweet nothings in hopes of injectingsomething lovely into him.

A month later, Rosco died — undetected cancer. I was trying tosave my dog with a puppy, and he had been sick, not sad. My guilt

mounted, and now we were stuck with Irie andhad no desire to even figure him out.

I contacted a trainer, who showed us how toteach Irie the basics, which he eagerly con-sumed. I could tell he was much smarter thanany dog we ever had.

He instantly learned every command. It waskind of frightening how I would show himsomething one time, and he would just do it.

Our trainer, Eric, stressed how to make Iriesee me as alpha, but I figured it would just hap-pen. Obviously a dog could see the strong,Amazonian presence I encompassed, right?

To counteract the lack of training we were givinghim and to help wear Irie out, we tried doggie day-care. That backfired. He became aggressivearound other dogs, hair standing on end andgrowling whenever one passed. And he continuedgnawing on me like a chew toy. My arms were cov-ered in bruises. My neighbors raised their eye-brows at my husband as a potential aggressor.

Learning to lead again …getting past the shock

of the new puppy…by Jill Reitz

Irie

At home, he would follow me around, biting me in the rear andbarking when I would not play. It was kind of entertaining for abit. We would laugh, and my 4-year-old would say, “Go, Irie! Go,Irie! It’s your birthday!” or, “Don’t talk back, Irie!” My husband,whose travel schedule left him little time to bond with our newaddition, would just shake his head and say, “He definitely doesn’tsee you as his alpha.”

Yeah, right. I knew that by now. It just didn’t make sense. I was theone home all the time. I was the one who walked him and fed him. Ihad done the training thus far. Didn’t I deserve the alpha role?

A CALL FOR HELPAfter the “incident(s)” with the neighbor, I called (in tears) one

of the trainers we had worked with before, who suggested board-ing Irie for a few weeks.

Months of asking myself why he just couldn’t be naturally easylike my past dogs had to be pushed out of my brain if I ever want-ed this new pack we were creating to work.

I agreed. We did not have the money, (thank you credit card) butI wanted something to change. I felt funny dropping him offbecause it was so obvious that all his true problems rested in myrearing of him. I think our trainers were just too nice to tell me.

Three weeks later, Ken delivered him back to my house – appar-ently, oblivious to the checklist of “issues” I had presented on Iriewhen I dropped him off. They never even took any “before” and“after” footage of him due to his well-behaved, highly responsivenature. He was essentially perfect. I felt like I had just taken mycar to a mechanic complaining of a noise theycould never find.

A NEW BEGINNINGBut it really wasn’t like that. Something had

changed. He walked in a new dog. Calm.Submissive. There was this amazing, zen-likeenergy flowing between the two of them withno words ever really being spoken. Irie cameback balanced. He was the star of some DogWhisperer episode that I wished I had DVR’d.

I was so transfixed at his energy transforma-tion that I became consumed on how to main-tain this sense of calm with help from ourtrainers. Their techniques weigh heavily onmodifying the owners’ personal behavior –making the dog believe the owners are incharge. The method isn’t unique in dog train-ing, but the way they put everything into areal-world perspective motivated my relation-ship with Irie.

They believe in setting both dog and human“up to win.” I should have learned it earlier. Butwe are balanced now. Our pack is established.And my neighbor stayed on my friend list.

Jill Reitz is freelance writer in Overland Park,Kansas. She is an avid pet lover.



ONGOING EVENTSDockdogs has a national championship at the Pet Expo. Big

Air Wave, Extreme Vertical and Speed Retrieve events are per-formed in a 5,000 gallon pool inside Hale Arena. Canines com-pete by hurling themselves down a ramp into the pool.

A continuous Flyball Tournament takes place involving thir-ty canine teams who compete in a high pitched and excitingelimination. If you’ve never witnessed Flyball, you’re in for atreat!

The Acro-Cats are performing felines that perform a series ofamazing feats.

David Nieves, herpetologist and author, will give multiplepresentations daily using his live reptiles and those of theKansas City Herp Society.

BENEFACTORSNo More Homeless Pets KC, Animal Haven, Half Way Home Pet

Adoptions, The Greater Kansas City Humane Society and WaysideWaifs, all share in the ticket sales to the Kansas City Pet Expo.

New to the Kansas City Pet Expo in 2010 is the Super Adoption,instituted by No More Homeless Pets KC. The goal of SuperAdoption is to have more than 500 pets adopted as a result of the


When the Kansas City Pet Expo debuted five years ago, thegoal of the Expo was to provide the public with an opportunityto learn about both common and not-so-common animals thatare found as pets, and the products and services that wereavailable to provide optimal care for these animals. We felteducation was key in assuring that animals kept as pets arehealthy and treated humanely.

Five years later, the goals of the Expo have not changed.Proper animal care is at the heart of the Expo. But the Expo hasevolved into an entertaining family event that goes beyond edu-cation. Animals are showcased in a variety of events rangingfrom dockdogs®, to reptile programs to performing felines.

5th Annual

KC Pet ExpoApril 17 & 18

by Pat Riha


Expo. Paramount toSuper Adoption isfinding suitable andpermanent homes forpets. Sponsors arebeing sought to sup-port the SuperAdoption marketingeffort and any personor organization that isa Super Adoptionsponsor will be fea-tured prominentlythroughout the expo.

The KC Pet Expotakes place on April17-18 at the AmericanRoyal Center.

On Saturday, thePet Expo is open

10 am - 7 pm and Sunday the Expo is open 10 am - 5 pm. Comeearly and stay for the day – let us entertain you!

NOTE: For health and safety reasons the public will not beallowed to bring any animals into the The Kansas City PetExpo except for animals assisting the disabled.

Wanna Go?What: 5th Annual Kansas City Pet Expo

Who: The KC Pet Expo was founded in2005 by consumer tradeshow pro-ducers Patrick and Kate Riha.

When: April 17 & 18, 2010

Where: American Royal Center

Cost: $8.50 for adults, $6.00 for children 6 — 12 years of age; children 5 andunder are free.

Details: Visit www.kcpetexpo.com or call 816-931-4686

A $1 discount per ticket is availablewith a Price Chopper Shopper Card.

METROPET PICK-UPLOCATIONS

MetroPet Magazine can be found in 100 FREE Magazines racks in the KC metro area.

Here is a short list of these locations.

Blockbuster Stores: All KC area locations

Sears/K-Mart Stores: Most KC area locations

CVS Stores: Most CVS locations

Grocery Stores: See list belowGladstone, MO• Hy-Vee, 71st & N Prospect• Balls Price Chopper,

500 NE Barry Road• Balls Price Chopper,

5820 N. Oak Trafficway• Balls Price Chopper,

6475 N. ProspectKansas City, MO• Hy-Vee, 207 NW EngelwoodParkville, MO• Mckeever’s Price ChopperPlatte City, MO• Price ChopperRiverside, MO• Red X

Kansas City, MO• Hy-Vee at 207 NW

EngelwoodMerriam, KS• Balls Hen House,

5800 AntiochOverland Park, KS• Queens Price Chopper,

86th & Antioch• Queens Price Chopper,

151st StShawnee Mission, KS• Hy-Vee, 13650 W 63rd St• Ball’s Price Chopper, 63rd St• Ball’s Hen House• Costentino’s, W. 66th St

QUESTION I’ve heard about laser therapy, but I haven’t used ityet because I don’t know enough about it. Forstarters, what exactly is a laser?

Dr. Rowe: A laser is photon energy, or light energy, thatuses focused light to treat tissue.

QUESTION Aren’t lasers used in surgery?Dr. Rowe: Yes, lasers are used in surgical procedures but

therapy lasers use less power. Instead of cut-ting or sealing, the laser light is used to stim-ulate tissue.

QUESTION How long has this therapy been around? Dr. Rowe: Laser therapy has been used in human medi-

cine for decades but is relatively new on theveterinary side, about 2-5 years.

QUESTION So how exactly does it work?Dr. Rowe: Focused light working in parallel beams puts

energy into tissue that is painful, swollen, orneeds to heal. These lasers have less energythan those used in surgical procedures. Thewave length of the light governs the depth ofpenetration and the power of the laser governshow fast it gets to that depth. While the laser hasone head, it works with two wave lengths contin-uously and is able to penetrate about three cen-timeters into the tissue.

QUESTION I know how acupuncture works. Is it similar to that?Dr. Rowe: Often I use acupuncture in conjunction with

laser therapy. Acupuncture also stimulateshealing but it uses your own body to increase


circulation. With the laser, an outside sourceof energy is used, light energy, which isapplied to small areas of tissue (about the sizeof a business card) to increase healing.

QUESTION Is the therapy painful? Dr. Rowe: Laser therapy is not painful. The patient feels

no discomfort. The most we see is an increasein temperature in the treated area tissue.

QUESTION In what types of treatments is laser therapy used? Is itjust for wound healing?

Dr. Rowe: Laser treatment is highly beneficial todecrease wound healing time for post surgeryor sores. I also use it regularly on my arthrit-ic patients. In fact, the most common everydayuses for the laser are arthritis, back pain, earproblems, degenerative joint disease, neuro-logical pain, gingivitis, and hot spots. Thelaser blocks pain transmitted by nerve cellsand generates healing and when treating liga-ments and muscles, the laser has anti-inflam-matory effects.

QUESTION So is the laser “curative” or do I need to keepbringing my pet for treatments?

Dr. Rowe: We shouldn’t use the word “cure” but lasertherapy aids in healing and, depending uponthe condition being treated, can resolve aproblem over time. Most patient conditionsrespond well after 3-6 treatments.

QUESTION How fast does it work? Will I see an immediatechange in my pet?

Dr. Rowe: Each patient and their condition is unique. Ifthe injury is acute, patients will feel relief afew hours after treatment. If we are treating achronic condition such as arthritis or diskproblems, three to six treatments is the normbefore the patient sees relief. The most imme-diate response is a reduction in pain and anincrease in circulation. Healing is what takestime.

QUESTION Can I expect Shooter, my German Shepard to havesome inflammation after a laser treatment?

Dr. Rowe: No. The laser treatment itself will reduceinflammation.

Ask the Vet

by John Rowe, DVM

Laser Therapy:

The Future of Healing

QUESTION What’s the downside to laser therapy?Dr. Rowe: The only time we don’t recommend laser ther-

apy is on a thyroid or on/around a malignan-cy.

QUESTION Can you use this therapy on pets of all weights?Dr. Rowe: Laser therapy can be used on most pets that

are five pounds or more.

QUESTION How long does it take? Will my pet have to be putunder or restrained?

Dr. Rowe: Each treatment lasts three to eight minutesand there is no need to anesthetize. Thepatient does need to be immobilized sincesmall areas are treated.

QUESTION Is it expensive to have these laser treatments?Dr. Rowe: The cost varies depending upon how it is used:

post surgery, allergies, chronic back pain, etc.

QUESTION You said before that you use the laser with othertreatments like acupuncture. Is that the only othertreatment you use it with?

Dr. Rowe: Acupuncture is one other treatment we usewith the laser but certainly not the only one.Each patient’s diagnosis and treatment isindividualized. Some of the other treatmentsused in conjunction with the laser includemedications such as anti-inflammatory andpain reducers.

QUESTION What’s the difference between using medication totreat inflammation and using the laser?

Dr. Rowe: The laser had several benefits over the tradi-tional pain and mobility treatments includingthe very rapid disappearance of pain, evenneuralgic (pain coursing along the nerve).

QUESTION What’s the difference between alaser treatment and a heating pador hot pack?

Dr. Rowe: Thermal heat absorbs and radi-ates into the body while lasertreatments actually penetratesthe tissue and focuses heatenergy 1-3 cm into the body.

QUESTION Is laser therapy safe?Dr. Rowe: Yes. Extensive research proves

its safety and efficacy in thereduction of pain, increase inthe release of endorphins fromthe brain, increase in circula-tion, the stimulation of theimmune system cells, the heal-ing of nerve endings, and thestimulated production of newcells in wound healing.


Dr. John Rowe received his veterinary degree fromKansas State University in 1990, and has been the proudowner of Aid Animal Hospital for over a decade. Today, Dr.Rowe is an accomplished surgeon, certified veterinaryacupuncturist, and medical practitioner. He can bereached at 816-363-4922 or aidanimalhospital.com.

It’s out there in our yards ready to be stepped on by us or our dogs, but did you knowdog waste is a pollutant? April 22, 2010 represents the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day!Earth Day, celebrated each year on April 22, was created by Senator Gaylord Nelsonwho wanted to raise public awareness of pollution affecting the air, soil, forest, andwater. So let’s take a look at how Rover’s leftovers are polluting our earth.

HOW DOG WASTE AFFECTS OUR ENVIRONMENTLeaving an accumulation of dog waste on the ground is the

main contributor of water pollution. Each time snow meltsor it rains the bacteria run-off from dog waste washesinto storm drains. This water is untreated and movesdirectly from storm drains into rivers, streams, lakesand oceans.

Approximately 15 years ago scientist perfectedmethods of tracking bacteria levels relating to dogwaste. A single gram of dog waste can contain 23million fecal coliform bacteria. Unfortunately, for theKansas City Metropolitan area, most of our local water-ways do not meet state water quality bacteria standardsfor recreational use. In a recent study of streams andcreeks, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) determinedpet waste was the source of approximately 25% of the bacteria in Kansas City water-ways. A devastating future of increased bacteria could kill fish and wildlife such asbirds, deer, etc. that depend on streams and lakes for their natural survival

HOW QUICKLY DOG WASTE

ACCUMULATESThe American Pet Association released an

interesting statistic. There are approximately71 million dogs in the United States that elimi-nate approximately 4.4 billion pounds of dogwaste each year (nearly 6,000 tons of waste

daily)! This is enough to cover 900 footballfields 12” thick of dog waste!

Fact: Dogs eliminate waste up totwo times per day. Three dogs cangenerate up to 168 dog piles in onemonth! Remember, dog waste doesnot: (1) decompose in your yard;(2) the lawn mower does not remove

it; (3) it is not fertilizer; and (4) it isa health hazard to you and your pet.

Referring to the above numbers — howmuch waste is collecting in your yard?

HOW YOU CAN HELP PROTECT OUR

WATERWAYSThe level of dog waste bacteria has been an

issue for 15 years. Considering the (USGS)determined pet waste was the source ofapproximately 25% of the bacteria in KansasCity waterways we might consider our contri-bution to this staggering percentage. Another15 years could raise our bacteria levels to50%, and at that point it would kill fish andwildlife and discontinue all recreational use.Our earth only has so many resources. Let’sconsider the message from the 1970’s, “Givea Hoot – Don’t Pollute.” In relationship toour waterways we might modernize this mes-sage 40 years later to “Give a Hoot – Pick Upyour Dog PoopSM!”

Lori and Alan Stiles founded Scoopy the PooTM in2005. Scoopy the Poo provides professional dog wasteremoval services. They have also designed equipmentused by professional pooper scoopers. This equipmentis sold directly to the public. For information aboutservices and equipment go to scoopythepoo.com orcontact Lori or Alan at 816-412-9000.

What’s YourDoggy Doo Doing?


by Lori Stiles

Observing Earth Day:

Is Your Pet theCutest in KC?

Snap a photo of your pet and submit it at metropetmag.com.

Gizmo (cat) and Muffin (dog) — Gizmo, astray cat, had been welcomed into our home a fewmonths prior to this picture. She was still gettingused to my English Pointer, Muffin. When I sawthem laying together on the couch, I knew theyhad accepted each other. Fortunately, my camerawas nearby. Submitted by Jennifer Tiffany

Alexa — Alexa loves Pancakes. She willwait and enjoy her pancake together with usat our breakfast table!

Submitted by Debby Liwang

Brody — Brody is a sweet golden baby..Heloves to run and play in the snow.

Submitted by Angie FlinnAPRIL 2010 • MetroPetMag.com 33

KC Pet Expoat the American Royal Sat & Sun, April 17 - 18Details: kcpetexpo.com

Spring Garage SaleSat, April 24 • 9 am - 4 pmBenefits: Animals Best Friends Details: animalsbestfriends.org

Pets for Life —Open House Learn about Pet Therapy Work atSun, April 25 • 1-3 pmDetails: kcpetsforlife.com

Lakewood Run for the DogsBenefits: Heart of Humane SocietyLake Village Park, Lee’s SummitSat, May 15, 7 - 11 am Details: heartofamericahs.org

Caturday Night FeverBenefits: Wayside WaifsSat, May 8 • 6 pmOverland Park Convention Center Benefits: Wayside WaifsDetails: waysidewaifs.org

Northland Animal Welfare SocietyGeneral Volunteer meetingFriday, April 2 • 6 pm • at Paul & Jack’sDetails: pcnaws.org

Spay-ghetti and No BallsBenefits: Animal Haven & NMHPKC Sun, Apr 10 • 5:30 - 7:30 pmDetails: nmhpkc.org

Night at the CabaretSun, April 24 • 6 - 9 pm at Fabulous Flo’sBenefits: No More Homeless Pets Details: nmhpkc.org

34 MetroPet Magazine • APRIL 201034 MetroPet Magazine • APRIL 2010

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