Some Puppy To Love

Sweet Tucker When Christina Simmons left for work to tend bar at a Holiday Inn in Clifton, NJ, she never imagined that she would receive a lifesaving gift for her beloved pooch. Just days before, her Great Dane-Labrador Retriever mix, Tucker, had swallowed a tennis ball and was in need of emergency surgery. Simmons had no idea how she would pay for the $2,700 operation. A lifelong animal lover and a rescuer, Simmons was tending bar when a customer noticed her paw print tattoo and asked her about it. The man and his wife began talking to her about animals and she related her ordeal with Tucker. Simmons, who works three jobs (a full time chef, bartender on Saturdays and food prep worker two days per week) is also a volunteer for a pit bull rescue group and regularly helps find homes for stray animals. Although her husband also works full-time, they had very little left over while raising three children. She knew she had to save Tucker’s life but feared she would never be able to p

We're ready! This great guest post is courtesy of Lucy Postins, co-founder of  The Honest Kitchen ,  which develops natural dog foods, cat foods, treats and supplements that are made only from  100% human-grade ingredients. By  Lucy Postins Call ahead to be sure you won’t be turned away when you arrive , and check all regulations, (such as size of dog, requirements for containment or leash restraint). It might sound unnecessary, but many parks and campgrounds that are listed as pet-friendly actually have pretty stringent restrictions about where your dog can go. Some campgrounds actually go  above and beyond  to make sure your pup has a fabulous time on the trip – but regulations still apply. Make sure you understand the leash laws.  Most national parks allow dogs at campgrounds, but require that they are tethered or on a leash at all times. Some pets are fine with this and the squirrels certainly appreciate it, but many dogs can become quite frantic at all the wonderf

We have covered some incredible dog tricks here at Babble Pets. There was the  dog that plays patty-cake , Norman the Scooter  dog who rides a bike  (for real!), and we can’t forget the  ‘most helpful dog in the world’ who does household chores ! And while each one of these dogs is spectacular and their tricks stunning, the video I came across yesterday just might show the most amazingly trained dog ever. Not only does this dog respond to several commands at barely a whisper in tone, but he manages to stop himself from grabbing a ball multiple times as directed. In fact, he even retreats time and time again as he draws closer to his object of affection. See the full video at Babble Pets!

This has to be one of the most creature and adorable videos I've seen. Through song and dance, a bevy of cute, fluffy animals and a bunch of awesome people, it urges people to adopt a pet.  Performed by the wonderful staff at  The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) of Wake County, Raleigh, NC, each staffer (many along with their kids) lip sync to Abba's "Take a Chance on Me" while holding a sweet animal.  Kudos to the choreography and the incredible spirit of these people! It's a feel good Friday video, for sure.  Enjoy!

No one likes going to the vet, especially our dogs. Like many others, my dogs can sense when they are going way before we get there. They get nervous and hyper. Some dogs whimper endlessly at the vet’s office while countless others have fear-induced accidents right in the office. While regular check-ups and vaccinations are a necessary evil, we can try our best to keep our pups in optimal health thus avoiding another dreaded trip. Veterinary Pet Insurance  compiled a list of the 10 most common medical conditions that send dogs to the vet. Some are unavoidable while others may be caught early on. Dr. Carol McConnell, DVM points out that many of the conditions that most regularly require vet visits “can be stopped early or successfully managed in partnership with a veterinarian. To prevent some of the discomfort that so many pets experience from common diseases, the place to start would be by checking them regularly for developing problems.” Check out the full list here at Babb

Over 1,500 signatures have already been placed on a petition to ban Jets quarterback Michael Vick from SUNY Cortland's campus. The campus was set to hold the Jets training camp there this summer, but hopefully with the petition in force, that might not happen. The NY Daily News reports, " The petition,  h osted on the website Change.org , is addressed to Erik J. Bitterbaum, the school's president and reads: "If we welcome Vick onto our campus, we are complicit in his crimes. We are sending the message that, for money and publicity, we will turn a blind eye to the horrors of dogfighting." The Jets have held training camp at SUNY Cortland every season since 2009 (except for the lockout year in 2011). If you would like to sign and share the petition, you can find it here.

Please get involved in the important endeavor. You can participate from the comfort of your home on Tuesday, April 8th, from 7-8 pm Eastern time: Dog fighting is a horrendous, money-making system and the ASPCA is bringing awareness to this insidious crime by dedicating a day to helping stop it:  National Dog Fighting Awareness Day   takes place on April 8th, 2014. This day was created to get people talking about this severe form of animal cruelty and help put an end to it. It is estimated that dog fighting has been going on since the late 1800s and now takes place throughout the country and in all economic brackets. When offenders, particularly famous offenders, such as NFL football player Michael Vick,  are overlooked for having instituting and profiting from this horrific cruelty, and go on to secure million dollar sporting and endorsement contracts, it only makes it  worse. (Terrible move, NY Jets, for signing him this year. Visit  Boycott the NY Jets and Michael Vick) .

Here's what I'm writing about over at Babble Pets today: This just might be the sweetest thing you’ll see all day. Two-legged boxer, Duncan Lou Who (don’t you love the name?!) enjoys his first day at the beach in this heartwarming video that has gone immediately viral. This sweet boxer boy was born with his back legs and pelvis severely deformed. By eight weeks of age, the bones in his hind legs had actually fused together, and there was very little chance that he would have a normal life in that state. So his owners decided to do something brave. They had his back legs amputated when he was just 12 weeks old, feeling that the double amputation would give him the best chance at a happy and full life. Read more at Babble Pets...