The Life 400 August 2018

August 2018

FURRY FRIENDS, FOREVER FAMILY Tips for: • Overall health • Grooming • Adoptions PLUS: The growing popularity of pet acupuncture

400 faces: Cindy Rucker of Rucker Pet

IN THIS ISSUE

from the editor In many ways, life has never been better for pets. For instance, turn to page 21 and you’ll discover the growing popularity of pet acupuncture. Yeah, that’s right – pet acupuncture.

And in many ways, life has never been better for pet owners. For instance, turn to page 18 and discover all the services a professional pet sitter can provide. Watch my pets and rotate my indoor lights? Why, thank you!

The lengths our modern society has gone to integrate pets into our private lives shouldn’t be too surprising. Pets have been revered for as long as we can look back in history. Cows are considered sacred in Buddhism and Hinduism. Ancient Egyptians worshiped cats. (Maybe people who go to those new cat cafes worship them, too.) What our modern society does now better understand is the myriad health benefits of owning pets, as well as methods to better care for those pets we so enjoy.

If that’s your kind of religion, then you’ll want to dig into this issue. It has great tips on how to make the most of your visit to a veterinarian and also how to best groom your pet. If you’re not a pet owner yet but are thinking about it, you can read about the Humane Society of Forsyth County and the Forsyth County Animal Shelter.

And there are fantastic stories about those in the community who have found a calling by serving the pet community.

I certainly learned a thing or two that should help our family’s four-legged member, Scout. We adopted him as a puppy almost three years ago. He’s probably been stressed out enough by my two boys that he could use an Brian Paglia appointment with the acupuncturist.

Editor, Forsyth County News

CONTRIBUTORS

4 Importance of wellness visits

4

A place to rest and be an animal

6

Humane Society runs a tight ship

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Director of Video Production, Photographer

400 faces: Cindy Rucker, Rucker Pet

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ALEXANDER POPP, Staff Writer

Acupuncture gains popularity

21

Stephanie Woody, Publisher BRIAN PAGLIA, Editor Tracie Pike, Production Manager BRADLEY WISEMAN,

BEN HENDREN, Photography

KELLY WHITMIRE, Staff Writer NATHAN SCHUTTER, Advertising Director Connor Kelly, Advertising Rosario Woliver, Advertising DEBORAH DARNELL, Advertising Other contributers:

J.K. Devine, Pamela A. Keene, Layne Saliba

This magazine is a product of the

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www.ForsythNews.com

Advertising rates available upon request.

Call (770) 887-3126 or email marketing@forsythnews.com

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Front cover photo by Ben Hendren

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The importance of wellness visits for your pet

By Dr. David A. Sewell, DVM | Crestview Animal Hospital Just as with human medicine, the importance of preventative care and wellness medicine for our pets cannot be over emphasized. There is a common misconception that annual veterinary visits are primarily for vaccinations. While vaccines are a foundational and essential part of the preventative care plan, they are not necessarily the most important aspect of the health, longevity and quality of life of your pet. Over the years, there has been an active movement within the veterinary profession to change the terminology and emphasis from annual vaccine appointments to annual wellness visits.

Taking an active role in your pet’s preventative care program begins with scheduling annual to semiannual wellness visits with your veterinarian. This should be done regardless of any apparent or overt health concerns or if any vaccinations are required.

Because your pet cannot talk, we rely on you to provide us with key information to help us assess your pet’s overall health status.

The veterinary team will ask you specific questions, and your answers will help guide the examination and could potentially reveal developing health issues that can easily go unnoticed otherwise. Your veterinarian will perform a thorough physical exam

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which gives us a comprehensive assessment of your pet’s health.

During the exam, your doctor will review various aspects of your pet’s health including: • Vaccination status • Parasite control (Heartworms, Intestinal parasites, fleas, ticks etc.)

• Dental health • Nurition and exercise • Behavior After the physical exam, your veterinarian will discuss with you their findings and make recommendations for keeping your family member in optimal health. This will include annual to biannual blood tests depending on your pet’s age, health status and pre-existing conditions. Annual bloodwork provides the doctor with invaluable information regarding your pet’s major organ function. Our hope is that many of our blood panels will return with normal results. This set of values is what is commonly referred to as a “baseline.” Then, if your pet returns and is sick for any reason, we can compare current results to your pet’s baseline results.

While a lot of our bloodwork results will be normal, many times we find underlying issues before you would notice any changes at home. Many of these issues can be easily treated, especially if diagnosed early. Some of the more common conditions we find are urinary tract infections, intestinal parasites, hyper- and hypothyroidism, kidney disease and diabetes.

In fact, for me, one of the most rewarding conditions to diagnosis this way is hypothyroidism in dogs.

It is a classic example of a disease that often will go undiagnosed without wellness labwork. Just as in people, this condition causes vague symptoms including decreased activity, weight gain and a poor hair coat. Once again, because our furry family members don’t speak with us, they seldom complain about any of these symptoms. However, once diagnosed, the treatment is simple and inexpensive.

The pet simply feels better, has more energy, tends to lose weight and ultimately lives a better life.

Many diseases, like hypothyroidism, may be masked or overlooked for extended periods of time, and annual blood testing along with the physical exam may help uncover these issues long before you will see symptoms at home.

Our pets are part of our families, and it is your veterinarian’s responsibility to help you keep them healthy for as long as possible by practicing care designed to prevent illness. Talk to your veterinarian to learn more about the importance of wellness medicine for your pet.

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Photos by Ben Hendren

A place to rest and be an animal ‘Trying to create a shelter that is community-based’

By Alexander Popp This August, the Forsyth County Animal Shelter will celebrate four years in the community, and according to shelter manager Cindy Iacopella, tails are wagging for the programs and specials recently going on at the busy shelter.

She said that despite summer being their busiest season, adoptions are steady, families are happy and at the shelter, animals can just be their natural selves.

To Iacopella, that “natural self” isn’t just a byproduct when animals are well cared for but is a goal that they strive for in every animal that comes through their doors.

“We want to maximize the comfort for animals while they are here,” she said. “Because for any animal, the shelter is a foreign concept, so having them have the ability to get fresh air and sunlight is an enriching environment.”

In order to maximize animals’ comfort while they are waiting for a forever home, shelter employees adhere to the five freedoms: freedom from hunger, discomfort, pain, fear and to express normal behavior. She said that by doing this, animals stay healthier both physically and mentally.

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“It’s a way for each animal to express their natural behavior and have enrichment while they are here,” she said. “We have to provide them the best care that we possibly can.”

And each animal having the space to express natural behavior can get tricky with more than 100 animals in a finite space, as adoptions and seasons go up and down.

“We are doing well here and this is our busy time of year,” Iacopella said with a laugh, walking through the rows of kennels full with cats and huddles of fluffy kittens. “Now we are getting flooded with kittens.”

According to her, this time of year is considered “kitten season” with dozens of litters of stray kittens and their mothers brought into the shelter as the weather warms.

“Sometimes animals get here, and it’s like they can finally take a breath and can rest a minute,” she said, petting a mother cat, sitting in a kennel with one of its kittens. “They aren’t just struggling to stay alive and find food every minute.”

The annual “kitten season” is what Iacopella considers the biggest problem facing the shelter currently. Each year, she said, stray and

feral cats give birth to hundreds of kittens that the shelter has to find loving homes for in the community.

To combat that, the county is moving forward with a program called TNR (trap, neuter, return) where they will bring in stray and feral cats from the community, spay and neuter them, and release them back out into the community.

“It’s the only scientifically proven program to reduce or eliminate overpopulation of cats,” she said.

Even though they have a large number of cats, Iacopella said that they rotate cats in and out of large windowed rooms they call “condos” so each animal can move about unconfined and be on display to visitors.

As she walks from condo to condo in the front hall, she is shadowed closely by a tan cat named Wilcox. She said by letting the cats out to roam on a rotating schedule, it allows them to express natural behavior and puts them in contact with people visiting the shelter.

On the dog side of the shelter, visitors are greeted by a chorus of barking puppies and adult dogs in kennels designed so that each animal can get private inside and outside time.

Beyond their indoor and outdoor kennels, the dogs at the shelter have a massive backyard space, with toys, shady awnings and daily visits from Continued Page 8

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Forsyth shelter offering adoption specials staff, volunteers and members of the public.

With this time of year being so busy, she said that they partner with other organizations, like rescue groups, to create space and get animals adopted.

Right now, they are in the midst of their Summer of Love Adoption special. All adoption fees have been waived for all the animals. This promotion runs through Sept. 1 and includes microchipping, altering and age appropriate vaccinations.

“We want to get animals out of the building into forever homes, so this is our way of incentivizing people to coming here and adopt,” she said.

Depending on how those events go, she said they might even waive adoption fees for a period of time.

But even in slow seasons, Iacopella said they constantly need volunteers year-round to play with the animals and lend a hand.

“We are trying to create a shelter that is community-based, so we have community groups come in trying to teach young people about sheltering and about the homeless animal population,” she said.

She said that they want to teach the community that they will work with anyone to adopt out kittens and puppies and work with them to

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pick out an animal that fits their family.

“Someone might see a particular dog on the website … but then when they come here they might notice that the dog is really active and that might not work for them,” she said. “So we will work to help them find the right one. It is a member of your family, so you want to adopt what works for your lifestyle.”

For more information on the shelter and its programs, call (678) 965-7185 or visit www.forsythco.com/animalshelter. Residents may also connect with the shelter on their Facebook page, www.facebook.com/forsythcountyanimalshelter.

The Forsyth County Animal Shelter, 4065 County Way, provides animal adoptions from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

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Pet grooming an important part of ownership Photos courtesy Nacoochee Poochie In addition to food, shelter and medical care, pets require grooming to keep them healthy. Small animals, such as hamsters and gerbils, may groom themselves to keep clean, but large pets often require more than tongue baths can offer.

Grooming is an important process that keeps pets’ coats, nails, skin and ears clean and healthy. Regular grooming sessions also offer other benefits, such as providing oneon-one socialization with an owner or professional groomer. Routinely handling a pet will help him or her become more acclimated to people and close contact, while also familiarizing pet owners with their pets’ bodies, which can help them notice any abnormalities sooner.

How frequently pet owners should have their pets groomed depends on the disposition of the animal as well as its coat type and level of activity. For example, dogs that spend a good deal of time indoors may not become as dirty as those that go on frequent jaunts through muddy yards.

Cats handle a lot of their own grooming but may benefit from periodic brushing and other care. Once pet owners see how fur grows and when paws need tending, they can develop a routine that works.

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according to the groomer’s website, www.nacoocheepoochie.com.

Nacoochee Poochie notes that dogs are “calmer and better behaved for grooming when the owner is not present; think about how your kids act when you’re there versus when you’re away. When the owner is present, the dog is so focused on the owner that it disrupts the grooming process. It simply is harder on the dog and the groomer. We need the dogs’ full attention.”

Calculating cost includes many factors according to Nacoochee Poochie: The cost is based on the breed of the dog, what you want done, the condition of the coat and the dog’s behavior. All dogs are different.

The Animal Humane Society recommends bathing dogs only every two to four months unless the dog has gotten into something dirty or very smelly. Cats do not need to be bathed very often, and even then only if they get into a sticky mess or smell bad.

brushings per week will help keep cats’ healthy glows, as brushing removes dirt, grease and dead hair. Cats that tolerate grooming well may enjoy more frequent brushings.

Regular brushing of dogs’ coats helps to slough off dead skin and distribute natural oils. Brush a dog’s coat every few days, regardless of fur length. Look for brushes that are designed for particular coat types.

A few different types of brushes may be necessary.

Brushing

Foot care

Brushing is a grooming technique that can be done much more often. One or two

A variety of tasks are involved in pet foot care. Nails are one area that need to

Bathing

be addressed. Long nails on dogs can be cumbersome and even painful if left unattended. Many groomers and vets recommend trimming nails when they’ve become so long they click on the ground when the dog walks. Pet owners will soon learn to gauge the length of time between trimming, but a good rule of thumb is every two weeks.

The Humane Society of the United States says that trimming cats’ claws helps prevent deep scratches when people play with cats. Trimming also protects furniture and other household items. Trim claws every few weeks.

Other foot care involves trimming fur from between the pads of feet and inspecting feet to ensure there are no cuts or other foot injuries.

Ears Dogs and cats may need some help keeping their ears clean. Keeping the inside of pets’ ears clean will make pets feel good and can prevent ear infections.

Discharges or unusual smells emanating from an ear or ears should be addressed by a veterinarian.

Grooming pets can help ensure their long-term health and comfort.

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‘Anytime there’s an empty cage, that means an animal that is dying out there’ Photos by Bradley Wiseman

Humane Society of Forsyth County is a ‘tightly run machine’

By Kelly Whitmire Even when she leaves work as president of the Humane Society of Forsyth County, Vicki Rennick’s work with animals in need keeps going.

At her home, Rennick is greeted by nearly 20 cats, both her own animals and nine foster kittens, which she referred to as “joyful chaos all the time.” Of the cats, she said she only had planned to pick out two — Max and Mia — but fate had other plans.

“The other six are all rescue cats that I actually fostered from time to time,” she said. “For various reasons, they were not adoptable, whether they had behavioral issues, health issues, you name it … So, they chose me.”

Once those foster kittens are adopted, new cats will take their place; it’s part of Rennick’s philosophy for the group’s shelter and her own home.

“Our shelter philosophy is if you go in the back and there’s an empty cage, that’s a problem,” she said. “Anytime there’s an empty cage, that means an animal that is dying out there that we could help, so it’s a very tightly run machine.”

In June, Rennick became the new president of the local Humane Society after former president Mark Schullstrom Jr. stepped down from the post. She had served about seven years on the group’s board of directors, including a stint as vice president, before stepping into her current role.

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Programs In addition to adopting out animals, the Humane Society also takes part in special programs, such as Humane Hearts, a therapy program that takes certified animals to nursing homes, schools and libraries for about 1,000 visits each year.

“They go in and they interact with the elders, or in the case of the schools the children,” Rennick said. “With the elder care, you see people who won’t respond to humans respond to animals. It’s very well-known that animals are therapeutic, and we see that.”

Rennick said the program made more than 1,000 visits in 2017 and had its fair share of “tear-jerking moments.”

“At the library, the kids will read books to them,” she said.

“Part of it is opening up to the children a different avenue for them to express themselves or express their knowledge.”

She said reaching out to students is important because it builds the “next set of rescuers and animal advocates.”

In many of the county’s middle schools, faculty have set up a club for homeless pets.

“In the homeless pets club, they’re really wonderful, is where a teacher who has taken the interest and is willing to take the commitment, to put together this club,” Rennick said. “They meet on a regular basis, and we have people come and talk to them. A topic might be the training of a police dog. I went in and talked to

them about the growth of kittens.”

Those kids, Rennick said, will, in turn, make doggy treats, sometimes to sell in bake sales, or toys for the critters.

Services In the first six months of 2018, the Humane Society took in 824 animals and had found homes for more than 700 of them.

“Eighty percent of our animals come out of high-kill shelters,” Rennick said. “We are a no-kill shelter and we are out there pulling animals out of harm’s way. The animals you see with us, they truly are high-risk, and we love it.”

The Humane Society offers several programs to pet owners who may be facing tough circumstances, such as a pet food pantry.

“The food pantry was born many years ago with the last financial crisis that we had when people were losing their homes and shelters were filling up with beloved family pets because people couldn’t afford to feed them,” Rennick said.

“We thought, this is something we can do to help.”

Rennick said owners of more than 500 local animals pick up food from the shelter once a week.

In April, the group’s shelter opened a new spay and neuter facility. Low-cost spay and neuters through SNAP, Spay/ Neuter Assistance Program, have been in place since 2009.

All adopted animals must be fixed, and Rennick and other shelter volunteers have gone a long way to make sure that Continued Page 14

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happens, including one case where an animal was adopted to a family in Chattanooga.

“Their people and I met halfway, we got the kittens and they came to my house, spent the weekend with me, then go get their spay/neuter during the week,” Rennick said. “Then we re-met because we wanted them to be close by unless there was any kind of a reaction or complication.”

Needs The Humane Society’s shelter on 4440 Keith Bridge Road can seem like a wild place since the facility can hold about 30 dogs and 45 cats.

But the shelter makes up only a fraction of the animals in the Humane Society’s care. Some 150 to 200 animals are fostered by volunteers.

“That village of foster volunteers — who volunteer their home, their time, their love, their attention — is what makes us be able to do what we can do today,” Rennick said. “We could never do this without fosters.”

In order of need, Rennick said, the facility is looking for adopters, fosters, volunteers and donors.

“If you want to get involved in your community, adopt,” she said. “If you can’t adopt, foster. When you foster, we supply the food, we supply the supplies, you’re just supplying a little space in your life and home. If you can’t foster, volunteer in another way. We constantly need people at the events we’re doing. We need folks at the shelter socializing animals. A lot of times, we need administrative help.

“If you can’t volunteer, donate.”

Before taking animals home, potential owners need to go

For more information, including how to volunteer at the shelter or adopt animals, go to ForsythPets.org through an assessment either online or at the shelter.

The donations are especially important, as Rennick said the facility is 100 percent funded through private donations, including fundraisers and a thrift store.

“We receive no state, no federal, no local funding,” she said.

“Everything we get we get from private donations and our fundraising efforts.”

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Forsyth County group helps equines one rescue at a time

By J.K. Devine

Photos courtesy Save The Horses After her “most special horse,” Colors, died more than four years ago, Mellisa Cotton needed a way to handle the loss. So the woman from Cumming considered volunteering at the rescue facility, Save The Horses, in Forsyth County.

“I needed a place to volunteer and be around horses,” Cotton said. “I love taking care of the older ones and the sick ones. My true love is helping blind horses.”

Cotton originally signed up for an equine massage class at the facility’s main campus at 1840 Antioch Road in Cumming. The experience transformed her.

“I fell in love with it,” Cotton said, admitting she returned for the organization’s next orientation. “I was hooked. And since then, I’ve adopted three horses who have been blind.”

Cotton’s story is not unique for Save the Horses, which is a horse rescue, relief and retirement facility. Many people who visit the facility for fundraisers, events, open houses or pony parties tend to be touched by the experience. They then return to offer a voluntary hand to the nonprofit.

Those experiences are key, because Save the Horses is run by more than 100 volunteers. Its philosophy of maintaining the facility with only volunteers works in its favor.

“It’s all done out of the goodness of their hearts,” Cotton said.

“You know you have good volunteers when they’ll repair fencing, muck out stalls and build barns. It’s hard physical labor.”

Other physical tasks include releasing the horses into the pasture or bringing them in from the field. These tasks are not done alone or in an all-day scenario. Cotton explained about three to five people work a single shift, which is divided into mornings or

Save the Horses What: A 110-acre farm dedicated to providing rehabilitation and adoption services for abused, neglected, abandoned and unwanted horses. The nonprofit is volunteer run that serves 130 horses and other animals.

Mailing address: P.O. Box 1123, Ball Ground, GA, 30107 Main farm physical address: 1768 Newt Green Road, Cumming, GA, 30028 Antioch farm address: 1840 Antioch Road, Cumming, GA, 30040 Phone: 770-886-5419 Email: info@savethehorses.org or antioch@savethehorses.org Website: SaveTheHorses.org

afternoons. An average shift lasts about three hours.

“But not everybody can spend the same amount of time,” Cotton said, adding the volunteers work at their own pace. “If you have an hour a week, we want you to fall in love with the animals.

It’s what keeps people coming back.”

Of course, not all volunteers spend time with the animals.

Cotton explained some work behind the scenes organizing fundraisers, assisting with birthday parties, adopting horses and helping with other vital operations of Save The Horses. For example, Cella Nelson conducts the marketing for the organization and oversees the website design.

Whether it’s a friend or special niche, volunteers find reasons to return. Cotton’s reason was two fold. She found her best friend and a love of treating ailing, injured and blind horses.

“I hit the jackpot,” she said. “I couldn’t be any luckier.”

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Her soon-to-be best friend conducted her volunteer orientation, which is the second Saturday of the month. But the organization’s standout star, a blind horse named Trudy, caught Cotton’s attention.

According to the Save The Horses website, Trudy came to the rescue in 1996. She developed squamous cell cancer in her left eye, which had to be removed and left her partially blind. She then developed tumors in her right eye. It pushed her pupil down, leaving her totally blind and causing her to be stall-bound and dependent on humans.

Trudy was taken for walks during the day by special, dedicated volunteers, but knew the safety of her stall. However, she loved visitors, especially children.

“Trudy would get very nervous and walk in circles around the stall, but she loved children,” Cotton said. “One day I had a troop of Girl Scouts, who were just a bunch of excited girls. Trudy heard them, stopped circling and walked over to them.”

This single incident had an impact.

“One of the girls came back a year or two later and donated her birthday to the rescue,” Cotton said. “And that’s the kind of seed we like to plant.”

Unfortunately, Trudy died March 7, 2018. But she has left a legacy. The organization started a fund for blind horses and those with eye trauma.”

Raising money for this single cause and Save The Horses is how the organization operates as a nonprofit. Cheryl Flanagan, who founded the organization in 1998, does not take a salary, Cotton said.

“Her mission is to rescue abused and abandoned horses,” Cotton said. “She is the one who has the heart for the animals. It is her love and passion and drive that started the rescue and keeps

it going. There would be no Save the Horses without Cheryl.”

Flanagan, a 4H and U.S. Pony Club leader in the 1980s, first started taking horses from the Tampa Bay Downs Racetrack.

People then started calling her to donate horses that they were unable to care for.

“I worked with local law enforcement with abandoned and neglected horses and it just kept on growing,” she said in a statement on her website. “It has continued to grow into an amazing organization thanks to all of our supporters and volunteers who are dedicated to the efforts of saving horses and other animals in need.”

Rescued animals include off-track thoroughbreds, blind horses, horses from animal control, those who the owners can no longer care for, and horses at death’s door.

“We are lucky to have great veterinarians in our area who really care about horses and work with us, advise us, and even recommend us to take horses from clients for various reasons,” she said.

Save The Horses funds its operations by relying on volunteers and donations. The organization also hosts fundraisers throughout the year, such as its Charity Horse Show in June and annual “Hay Day” in October.

Save The Horse’s second annual Charity Horse Show was in June at Wills Park Equestrian Center in Alpharetta.

“Last year was our first one, and we got a big response from the community,” Cotton said. “Every service we needed from horse trailering to our printing was donated to us, allowing us to keep all profits for the rescue.”

In October, the rescue will host its biggest fundraiser, “Hay Day.” Money raised pays for hay in the fall and winter.

And in December, Save The Horses has a “Deck the Stalls.” Santa even stops by to visit the horses.

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Sitters help ease the stress for your pets

By Pamela A. Keene When you’re going to be away, you have options about how your pet will be taken care of. You can board Fido with your veterinarian, you can consider making a reservation at a local pet hotel, or you can ask a friend or family member to check on your pet periodically.

There’s another choice and it’s becoming popular across the nation — hire a pet sitter.

“A pet sitter can care for your pet right in your own home, so that the pet stays in a familiar environment,” said Beth Fasnacht, owner of Pet Watch Inc., based in Cumming. Beth is also the founder of the Georgia Network of Professional Pet Sitters, a registry of pet sitters.

“Pet sitters can do much more than just make sure your pet has food, water and is walked regularly or her litter is regularly changed or cleaned,” she said. “Some pet sitting services will open and close your blinds, rotate your lighting, bring in the newspapers and mail and even water plants.”

It depends on the pet sitting service and what the pet owner wants.

“Different people expect different care for their pets,” she said.

“When you’re looking for a pet sitter, ask questions about their experience with your type of pet and how they will care for your pet while you’re away. You’ll want to tell the sitter about any special issues with your pet and any specific requests.”

Fasnacht began her pet sitting business, Pet Watch, in 1995 to allow time and flexibility to care for her family. She also realized that with the 1996 Summer Games coming to Atlanta, many residents would be going away, and most likely they would need care for their pets. To benefit both pet owners and pet help Atlanta petsitting companies, she created the Georgia Network of Professional Pet Sitters to help match clients with pet sitters.

Today, the organization provides referrals and offers a common bond among professional pet sitters. She is also active with Pet Sitters International, (www.petsit.com,) a membership organization that offers business support and insurance services for pet sitters, as well as information for the public. “It is an excellent resource for both sitters and pet owners,” she said. “The group hosts annual educational conferences and expos to help pet sitters keep up to date on

pet first aid, pet care and even ways to grow their businesses.”

Perhaps one of the biggest challenges that pet owners face is connecting with a pet sitter because pet sitting requires commitment and a love for animals.

“We are always looking for more sitters to help fill the need,” she said. “Hours are flexible and if you love pets and have the right temperament, it’s a great job.”

Pet Watch requires a written application, a background check, a face-to-face interview, then a 3- to 4-hour orientation for each candidate. Fasnacht goes over Pet Watch policies and procedures and offers initial hands-on support as sitters become established. Pet Watch can even take care of administrative tasks and other paperwork for each sitter.

“Many pet sitters work part-time, either because they are retired or they want to supplement their regular income,” Fasnacht said. “We look for people who are responsible, level-headed, have the availability to spend time with the pets they care for and love pets.”

Pet sitting is a shared responsibility between the sitters and the pet owners.

“The services provided are discussed between the pet owner and the sitter, but we also ask pet owners to prepare,” Fasnacht said. “Making sure there’s enough food, treats, kitty litter for the time you’ll be away is understood, but also please leave your contact information, the contact information for your veterinarian and any details about care or medications. Let your vet know the name of the person who will be caring for your pet when you’re gone.

“It’s also important to tell the sitter where your pet’s leash and their carrier is located,” she said. “We always recommend that sitters use a leash, because even though the pet may stay close to the owner, a pet may try to run free with a sitter. Be sure to put ID tags on your pet and update your chip registration information before you leave.”

For more information about pet sitters and Pet Watch, visit www.petwatchtoday.com or call (770) 887-7930.

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400 faces

Cindy Rucker, Co-owner of Rucker Pet

By Brian Paglia In 2006, Cindy Rucker and her husband, Scot, opened Rucker Horse and Pet on Keith’s Bridge Road, though neither knew anything about running a retail business. Cindy was a horse trainer, Scot was a hay broker and the two owned a horse training facility in Forsyth County. But they decided to sell the horse training facility and make the jump into the pet health and nutrition retail industry.

Now, the couple have four Rucker Pet locations, including one that opened this past December on Windermere Parkway and Highway 20, making a small but prominent footprint in Forsyth County’s business and pet communities.

We sat down with Rucker, at that first location on Keith’s Bridge Road, and talked about her favorite pets, least favorite pets and how she gets away from the frenzy of entrepreneurship, all while Rucker’s dogs Tucker and Rizzo played nearby.

Happy place?

“We’re very fortunate to live on [Lake Lanier]. To take a nice slow ride on my pontoon boat — I call it my old lady boat; it goes very slow — with my husband. That’s my happiest place in the world. That’s where I want to be.”

Favorite pet?

“Of course dogs. But I do love horses. Horses have been very rewarding for me. My family had them when I was a kid. I love the connection that you can make with those animals. They’re very gentle, they’re very kind, and you can create such communication with them that they enjoy making you happy as well. It’s an easy relationship if you know how to work with them. To be able to bond with an animal that size and with that kind of beauty is very rewarding.”

Least favorite pet?

“The pet I don’t understand the attraction to is the reptiles.

They frighten me. They need to stay in their space. I don’t want to hurt them. I’m not a snake-killer as long as they stay in their space, and I stay in mine. I’ve got a girl that works for me; loves the reptiles. I just don’t get it.”

Favorite book?

“My favorite books are fictional histories. Love to be taken to another time or another country and lose myself in it. I wake up at night kind of half-awake and think, ‘Oh, I should read.’ A lot of times I get so caught up I end up reading all night long.”

Favorite music?

“I love Southern rock. The Allman Brothers, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Creedence Clearwater Revival; I am a diehard CCR fan. That’s me is that Southern rock. That’s Scot’s love too.

Always on a Southern rock station.”

Perfect vacation?

“We love to go to a beach where we can sit on a private balcony and look at the ocean. This year we went to Cabo San Lucas (in Mexico). Had our very own whale show right in front of our balcony. It was the most awesome seven days ever.”

Sports fan?

“Scot is. He loves to watch sports. He watches everything sports. He will watch them play darts. Anything sports, he’s watching it. And I’m reading a book.”

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Simon,a 5-year-old cat, gets acupunture treatment for his eyes at Lance Animal Hospital.

Pet acupuncture gains popularity

By Layne Saliba Photos by David Barnes People have long treated their animals like family. It’s become natural to have them ride in the car, sleep in the bed and be a part of all the big moments in life. So why not treat them the same way when it comes to medicine?

That’s becoming the case more often as people are turning to non-traditional medicine, specifically Chinese medicine, to treat their pets, part of which includes veterinary acupuncture.

“I got tired of doing everything conventionally that you need to do, and having to have that conversation with owners that that’s all I can do,” said Dr. Marie Lance, a veterinarian at Lance Animal Hospital in Gainesville near north Forsyth. “I just thought there was more that I could do.”

Lance said she believes her office is the only place in Hall County that offers this type of treatment option for pets. She was trained in Chinese medicine at the Chi Institute and has been practicing it since 2012. She’s been practicing traditional medicine since the 90s.

“Acupuncture is to move energy through the body and make sure there’s even flow,” Lance said. “Because without energy being able to freely flow through the body, then disease happens

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and imbalance happens.”

She said acupuncture for animals is “sort of like a recipe.”

There are different spots along an animal’s body, much like humans, that react and release endorphins that can correct imbalances. Once she learned those spots, she was able to create a “prescription” for what is needed.

Through acupuncture, Lance puts small needles of different lengths and gauges into certain spots, depending on the treatment needed, to restore balance within the animal’s body.

“Acupuncture is just one part of Chinese medicine,” Lance said.

“The needles are just the icing on the cake, because needles can be helpful, but it doesn’t last. So to get the effect to last, you have to build it from the bottom.”

That means treating the animals with food therapy, herbal medicine and massage therapy. By using the proper food, Lance said she’s able to prevent imbalances in the animals she treats. That, along with herbal medicines to target any disease and massage to help circulation, she’s able to help animals that are struggling.

“I treat a lot of cancer patients that are either on [chemotheraSee Acupuncture, Page 22

py], or decided not to do chemo, that are looking for quality of life,” Lance said.

She doesn’t take Chinese medicine lightly, though. Instead of just doing a physical and prescribing medicine which sometimes happens in traditional medicine, she takes time to sit down with the owner and ask specific questions about the pet and look at what its everyday life is like.

“Western medicine, if you’ve got a rash, you go to the dermatologist, they put something on the rash and you’re done,” Lance said. “In Chinese medicine, we have an interview, they have a take-home questionnaire that goes over the dog’s personality, because all those things affect your health. We’re finding out that emotional stress affects people’s health and it’s the same thing with animals.”

She said veterinary acupuncture isn’t for everybody. While it’s not especially expensive, the thought of having needles put in their pet is sometimes unsettling to owners. But Lance said the majority of animals don’t even know it’s happening. They’re too focused on the plate of peanut butter they’re getting.

“Normally, a lot of people come to me as a Hail Mary pass,” Lance said. “Which I would rather them not. I’d rather see the patients sooner.

But for people who have exhausted conventional medicine, they often, just like with their own health, turn to alternative medicine.”

Dr. Marie Lance feels along the spine of Jenna as she inserts the acupunture needles along the spaniel’s back.

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