Hancock Health Boomerang Issue 24 June 2023

ISSUE #24 | JUNE 2023

IT’S THE BIG, HAIRY PET ISSUE...

FUR REAL! Celebrating our favorite furry friends in Hancock County

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IN THIS ISSUE 04 PETS AND PEOPLE: THE PERFECT MATCH 07 OUT AND ABOUT AT THE DOG PARK 09 SHOW US YOUR PETS! 12 MAKE YOUR OWN DOG TREATS! PLUS: 14 ART PROJECT: MAKE A PET ROCK! 15 TOXIC FOODS FOR PETS 16 PERFECT PETS WORDSEARCH 17 OUR FAVORITE BOOKS ABOUT PETS

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H WHAT’S YOUR

ave you ever heard of the phrase “She’s a dog person?”

PET MATCH?

What does “being a dog or cat person” mean? And how do you know which one you are?

You probably understand by now that people have many varying personalities and preferences. Maybe your favorite things to do aren’t the same as your best friend. And maybe what makes you feel cozy and warm inside is different than what your older brother prefers. These varying preferences are part of what helps to make up a person’s personality. And our pets have preferences too!

DO PETS HAVE PERSONALITIES? Many pet owners would agree that their pets have a personality all their own.

In fact, researchers at Michigan State University found that dogs often take on the same personality traits as their owner. How is that for bonding with your pet?

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That being said, different species of animals have different traits all together.

If you have a dog, for instance, you probably know that when you walk in the door, your pet will run up to you with

Curious as to which pet YOUR

If you answered mostly “B” then

personality matches with?

you are more of a cat person!

Check out our short quiz

You are curious, on the

below!

sensitive side and open-

1.

A.

a wagging tail ready to play.

If you are a cat owner, however, you have realized that your cat is more of a quiet creature

B.

WHICH WOULD YOU RATHER DO?

loyal to those around you.

the neighborhood in one

You are probably more on the

big game of tag

introverted side of things,

Play a quiet game with

meaning you enjoy quiet time

one or two friends

alone or with fewer people

time of day if they don’t feel like it.

A.

might not even give you the

I love to talk to people and join groups

So yes, dogs, cats and other

B.

personality traits. And, if someone claims to be a “dog person,” we assume that they probably share some of the same personality traits of their pet.

I prefer to be quiet and observe others

animals can exhibit different

3. WHEN YOU HAVE A PROBLEM TO SOLVE DO YOU ...

A.

Dive right in hoping to solve it quickly

B.

friends that you love and are

Play with all the kids in

2. WHICH OF THESE DESCRIBES YOU AT SCHOOL?

when it comes to saying hi and

minded. You have a few

Hold back for a little bit but let your curiosity lead

versus loud places.

You don’t have to be just one of these options, though!

Remember this is quiz is just for fun! Personalities are always changing and, in some situations, you might feel like a dog person, but in others you might feel like a cat person. It is fun to be able to step into both roles and try them on in order to understand yourself and your pet better!

the way Check out your results!

If you answered mostly “A” to these questions, you are a dog person!

Being a dog person means you are more likely to be energetic, lively, and outgoing. You might even consider yourself extroverted, meaning you really enjoy being around others. You are persistent and follow the rules when going after what you want.

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DOES YOUR PET HAVE A PERSONALITY? Pets DO have personalities! And much of the time, species and breeds of pets will have traits all their own. Check out this list to see where your dog or cat falls in the lineup:

DOGS St. Bernard:

Drooly, calm, loves to nap

Collie:

Devoted, intelligent, athletic

German Shepard:

Loyal, protective of their family, focused,

quick to learn

Beagles:

Hunters, love being around other dogs,

need a lot of play time

Dachshund:

Love to go for walks, friendly, stubborn,

loyal Cocker Spaniel:

Sweet, loving, friendly, highly trainable

Golden Retriever:

Devoted, positive, love playing

and swimming

Labrador Retriever:

Friendly, affectionate, energetic, love

being social

CATS If you are a cat person, you most likely have a mixed breed. Most cats share common personality traits, but there are a few that stand out among the rest!

American Shorthair:

Calm, even tempered, quiet

Siamese:

Determined, vocal, active, affectionate,

don’t like being left alone

Bengal:

Athletic, curious, energetic

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DID YOU KNOW HANCOCK COUNTY HAS A DOG PARK? Ever wish you could see your

ROVER’S RUN DOG PARK ISN’T FOR EVERY POOCH

favorite furry friend run like

Dog parks need rules and regulations to keep the animals and people

the wind chasing his ball?

inside safe and sound, so before you head to the dog park, you need

Then a dog park is the place

to know a few things:

to be! Hancock County has its very own dog park nestled

1.

You need a membership (and a grownup)! The price is $40

right into Greenfield, located

for residents, $50 for non residents. Get the application

at Apple Street & US 40. But

by heading here. (WWW.GREENFIELDIN.ORG/PARKS/600-ROVERS-RUN-BARK-PARK)

before you go set Rover free to run his heart out, make

2.

There is an area for all dogs as well as an area for dogs under

sure you know the rules

25 pounds, so tell your grownup to make sure to pay attention

and regulations!

to the signage.

3.

Your dog needs to be up to date on vaccinations, parasite free and spayed or neutered to enter.

4.

The park not only has tons of open space, but they also offer agility equipment for owners who want to test their dog’s training skills!

Follow the rules to make sure you and your pet are safe while you enjoy all the fun the dog park has to offer!

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HANCOCK COUNTY’S BFFS (BEST FURRY FRIENDS) We asked for you to share photos of you and your pets, and you did NOT let us down! From dogs and cats to horses and birds, thanks for sending these to Boomerang for our special “Pet” issue!

Here are a few of the photos we received of area kids and their wide array of pets!

ASHLEY AND DIXIE

AVIANAH AND CAT FACE

CISCO AND CLARICE

CONRAD AND COCO Boomerang

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DIEGO AND NELLIE

HALEY AND SADIE

JACOB, RYDER AND LUCY

KANEKI AND SYLAS

KEEGAN AND RAMSIE

KENSLEY WITH HER HORSE

NAOMI AND CHELSEA

NOAH WITH BEAR

OLIVER AND BRUCE

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OWEN AND KYLO

PALMER AND WRIGLEY

RI'ZEN AND CRITTER

SEBASTIAN AND MARGOT

SEBASTIAN AND TAYLOR

SIENNA WITH OPAL, IZZY AND COSMO

TRAVIS WITH BARKER AND DELILAH

ZENO AND ANA

ZIGGY AND JUNE

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HEALTHY DOG TREATS YOU CAN MAKE How does your dog feel when you give her a big old bone? Does she wag her tail wildly? Dogs love when their owners give them treats, but you can show your pet some extra love by giving them a treat you made yourself!

Hold the sugar please ... and other stuff Before we jump in, it is important to know that dogs can’t have all of the people food we eat/they want. Including sugar. So, when you make your dog a treat, it won’t be like baking a batch of cookies.

Instead, you will use natural ingredients like peanut butter, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, applesauce or other healthy foods. In short, you may not want to give these treats a try yourself, but your dog sure will thank you for helping them to stay healthy!

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LET’S MAKE 3 INGREDIENT DOG TREATS! First things first: Find a grown up to help you with your baking. Below is all the information you and your grownup need to make your doggy extra happy, thanks to SpoiledHounds.com!

Here are the ingredients and tools you will need: •

1 large sweet potato

•

3 cups rolled oats

•

½ cup creamy, natural peanut butter (no sugar added)

•

Silicone molds or rolling pin and baking sheet

•

Measuring cups

•

Bowl

•

Food processor

•

Aluminum foil

1.

Scrub the sweet potato, wrap in aluminum foil and bake in an oven preheated to 400 degrees until it is soft. Remove and allow to cool before handling.

Resist the urge to play hot potato with an actual hot potato.

2.

While your potato is baking, place 1/3 of the oats in a food processor and blend until they are the consistency of flour.

3.

Once your sweet potato is cooled, take of the peel and add the flesh to a bowl along with the blended oats, regular oats and peanut butter. Mix together with your hands until a soft dough forms.

4.

Press dough into the silicone molds and place molds on a baking sheet. If you aren’t using molds, roll the dough out with a rolling pin and use cookie cutters or a knife to cut into pieces before lining them up on a cookie sheet.

5.

Bake at 250 degrees for 2 hours. Remove and allow to cool completely on a wire rack.

Now for the big test: tell your dog to sit and then let them indulge in a special homemade treat from you!

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MAKE A

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FIND YOURSELF A ROCK

Don’t Share These Foods with Your Pet

(OR TWO OR THREE...)

Does your dog or cat ever look at you with

Don’t have a pet? Or maybe you do, and you want another one, but your parents are saying it would be too much extra work? Don’t settle for a no.

Make your own pet instead! These adorable pet rocks can be your companion during homework, bedtime and more.

1.

Next time you are at the park with your grownup,

those big, sad eyes when you are eating your

see if you can find a smooth rock about the size

dinner or snacks? Does it make you want to

of your hand or smaller. Some other great places

share it with them? Pets can have some people

to look include your driveway and yard, the woods

foods but there are others that are poisonous

(especially along trails), or next to a body of water

for them to eat. Here is the rundown:

such as a river or lake. Take a look at the shape of the rocks you find. Could you imagine them as

5 MOST TOXIC FOODS FOR DOGS

a ladybug? What about a turtle or a cat?

It doesn’t matter what color your rock is because

1.

Onions, garlic, chives and other members of the onion family

you will soon be painting it!

2.

Chocolate

3.

Macadamia nuts

Acrylic paints, glue, googly eyes and even felt for

4.

Avocado

trimming into tails and ears are great things to

5.

Grapes and raisins

2.

GET OUT YOUR SUPPLIES

have on hand for this project. You may also want to spread out a newspaper, cut up paper bag or

5 MOST TOXIC FOODS FOR CATS

a large piece of paper to set your rock(s) on while

1.

Onions and garlic

painting.

2.

Raw eggs, meat and fish

3.

Chocolate

The sky is the limit for this craft, so get creative

4.

Grapes and raisins

with it! Remember to allow paint to dry before

5.

Cheese and milk

attaching any eyes, tails or ears to your pet rock and always ask your grownup’s permission!

This isn’t a list of all the foods your pet can’t have, so it’s important to check with an adult

3.

SHOW US YOUR ROCKS!

Have a cool new rock pet to show off? Just tag

before you think about sharing your snack with your favorite furry friend!

us on Instagram @HancockHealthNetwork so we can see all of your cool Boomerang creations!

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L C H G

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C K E N G O

G C X H E H O H

N O Z X A J U K A A H S L A T T R D T M O N B D R U Z O W S R A

I

P F D R G L T

S K R C U

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Z T K E

E E D U X P S B L R K

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T T Y O P H B E

M J M O U S E Y D K

PERFECT PETS WORD SEARCH 02 16 14Boomerang 02 Boomerang Boomerang

GOLDFISG | LIZARD | MOUSE | SNAKE | HAMSTER TURTLE | HORSE | DOG | CHICKE | PUPPY | CAT KITTY | GOAT | BIRD

BOOMERANG BOOKSHELF CALLING ALL PETS!

BY KATE FINCH PETS AND THEIR FAMOUS HUMANS

BY ANA GALLO PETS RULE! THE POODLE OF DOOM

BY SUSAN TAN CANTERWOOD CREST: TAKE THE REINS BY JESSICA BURKHART PUPPY PLACE SERIES

BY ELLEN MILES VET VOLUNTEERS: THE TRICKSTER

BY LAURIE HALSE ANDERSON NICOLE STICHTER IS THE YOUTH SERVICES LIBRARIAN WITH HANCOCK COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY

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Become the healthiest generation ever!

When you know more about your health and how to take care of it, you can be more, do more and have more fun — starting now!