All About Pets 2017

2 all about PETS

The Northern Virginia Daily

AP Photo/Richard Vogel, File

In this Nov. 20, 2015, file photo, rescue dogs wait in a hanger to board planes at the Van Nuys Airport in the Van Nuys section of Los Angeles. Traveling with pets has become easier thanks to pet-friendly hotels. But air travel with pets is a bigger challenge than a roadtrip, and recent news about pet deaths during air travel worries many owners. Air travel is usually quite safe for dogs and cats, says veterinarian Julia Langfitt, who has treated pets in the U.S. and Asia, and is now based in the U.K.

How to make plane trips easier on pets, and owners

Julia Langfitt, who has treated pets in the U.S. and Asia, and is now Traveling with pets has become eas- based in the U.K. ier thanks to pet-friendly hotels. But “Pets kind of live in the moment,” abby Slome rarely vacations air travel is a bigger challenge than she says. “Once they’re on the without her dog Pancho in a road trip, and many owners worry plane, they just kind of settle down and accept what’s happening.” about risks to the pets’ health and tow. He is a full-fledged family Owners, on the other hand, are member. And just as “you wouldn’t life. often “very, very worried about how Air travel is usually quite safe for leave your child at home,” Slome the animal’s going to feel and how dogs and cats, says veterinarian says, she doesn’t leave Pancho

By Melissa Rayworth Associated Press

G

either - even if that means an airplane flight or two.

Julia Langfitt via AP

This May 2016 photo provided by veterinarian Julia Langfitt shows a note on a cat travel carrier in Shanghai, China, which can help airline workers handle the pet with care.

Along with labeling a pet's carrier with the owner's name and contact information, notes like this one can help the pet through its journey with the airline staff.

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stressed the animal is going to be in the carrier.”

name and your contact information, especially if they’ll travel as cargo.

As the summer travel season begins, how can owners make flying safer for their pets and less stressful for themselves?

KNOW YOUR AIRPORTS Airports serving more than 10,000 passengers per year are required to offer “pet relief stations” in each terminal.

But facilities vary: Some have just a tiny patch of fake grass, while others offer real grass and play rooms.

CARGO VERSUS CABIN Pets who fly as checked baggage are expected to be kept in a safely pressurized and temperature-controlled cargo hold. But summer heat can pose risks.

So choose flight times that won’t have your plane waiting on the tarmac during the hottest part of the day. Many airlines won’t transport pets as cargo if the temperature is expected to be 85 degrees Fahrenheit or above.

TSA facilities at airports also vary.

Some have animal inspection rooms, which might be less frightening to a pet than being removed from a carrier at crowded security checkpoints.

TIME AND PLANNING For international flights, investigate local laws, airport rules and airline rules. Pets likely need vaccinations and health clearances within a specific timeframe, which can range from 30 days to just 48 hours before departure.

Therapy animals can ride in the cabin with their owners, and some airlines allow other small pets in the cabin. But there are fees and restrictions on the size, weight and type of pet, as well as the type of carrier. Contact the airline directly when planning a trip, and confirm by phone the arrangements and cost to have your pet travel with you.

If your pet will ride with you, leave extra time to pass through security and avoid crowds at the gate.

And if the pet isn’t comfortable with strangers, arrive early, request priority boarding and keep children from reaching into the carrier.

VISIT YOUR VET Most airlines request proof of a pet’s good health and recent vaccinations, so learn the rules for your airline and schedule a visit to a vet. Discuss any concerns about your pet’s age, health and breed.

The Humane Society advises owners of short-nosed or “brachycephalic” pets, such as pugs and bulldogs, to consider the risk of respiratory problems due to heat or limited oxygen.

Also discuss hydration: Langfitt says to hydrate pets well before a trip, and be sure they have access to clean water while flying. One solution: Teach your cat or dog to use a “sipper bottle” like hamsters and rabbits use. Attach one to the inside of the carrier door several weeks before flying. Place a bit of

Julia Langfitt via AP

This May 2016 photo provided by veterinarian Julia Langfitt shows a cat in a travel carrier in Shanghai, China. To help pets stay hydrated while flying, owners can teach them to use a sipper bottle accessible from inside the pet’s travel crate.

appealing food on the end of the water Dogs who are not crate-trained may have spout, and the pet will quickly learn how a harder time during a flight, Langfitt to get water from the bottle. says. But she doesn’t advise loading up the carrier with toys or blankets. “Less is Upon arrival, especially after long more,” she says. “Just bring the pee flights or multiple plane changes, Langfitt suggests having a vet check the pad.” pet for dehydration and perhaps give flu- It’s also important to clearly label the ids intravenously. pet’s carrier with your name, the pet’s CONTAINER CONCERNS Make sure the pet’s carrier is approved by your airline. For pets traveling in the cabin with you, a soft-sided carrier may be approved, but as cargo they must be in a hard-sided crate.

Slome and Langfitt both recommend introducing pets to their carrier as early as possible. Slome kept some of Pancho’s toys in his carrier, and kept it open as a place to nap and play. She even fed him meals there to make it more familiar.

Pet owners who are relocating can hire a service to handle their pets’ flights, immunizations and even immigration into a new country. But the costs can be high. Door-to-door service for an international move can cost as much as $2,500 per cat, Langfitt says, and $3,000 to $4,000 per dog. And these services may need several months to handle all the paperwork and examinations.

Slome, a canine nutritionist who runs the New York-based pet food delivery service Ollie (myollie.com), suggests thinking ahead to your pet’s arrival: Familiar items such as a blanket can make a hotel room seem like home, and it helps to feed the pet the same food they eat at home.

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Rich Cooley/Daily

Tammy Orndorff, owner of Creature Comfort Inn in Strasburg, works with her German shepherd Blue.

Despite old adage, you can teach an old dog new tricks ing old dogs instead of puppies is their She then addressed physical limitations attention span is better,” Orndorff said.

But despite the better attention spans, of older dogs, explaining, “Older dogs “You absolutely can (train older dogs), it have arthritis, they have not the greatest Orndorff recommends only training for five to 10 minutes per session because doesn’t hips,” Orndorff said. “So instead of ost people have heard the matter how old they are.” of their physical limitations. She also longer sits, they may be more comfortidiom, “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” Simply stated, you can’t First, she explained, it’s important for the able in a down. Work around what’s best said to pay attention to the weather when training because heat and cold affect for that dog. You can certainly teach a owner to check with his or her vet to make people change their established patterns and behavior. Once a person, or make sure the dog is “physically able to dog, no matter how old they are, ‘place,’ older dogs more so than younger ones. If do the things you’re asking it to do.” which is a great bed command. It’s great need be, train the dogs inside because it a dog, are set in his or her ways, they for their joints, they’re not laying on the only takes a small space to train a dog. can’t change.

Next, depending on the age of the dog, there may be learned behaviors an owner hard floor and it’s more comfortable for Continuing with physical limitations, Tammy Orndorff would disagree with them.” Also, for comfort, train on grass Orndorff explained that trainers should will never get out of the dog. that. Orndorff operates Creature instead of hard surfaces. teach dogs both verbal and hand comComfort Inn, a pet boarding and training You may have to “train around” the service in Strasburg. She explained that behavior because it might be ingrained “The one thing that’s great about teach- mands.

By Justin McIlwee jmcilwee@nvdaily.com

M

when it comes to older dogs, people just need to keep certain things in mind when it comes to training.

in the dog’s permanent behavior.

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Tammy Orndorff, owner of Creature Comfort Inn in Strasburg, says older dogs can be taught it just might take a bit longer than with a younger dog.

“(Older dogs) might not be able to see as well as younger dogs,� Orndorff said. “You can use verbal commands, but also use hand signals in case they can’t hear as well as a younger dog.�

have to be an agility dog,� Orndorff said.

One of the key points in training older dogs, Orndorff explained, is knowing when to stop. It may come across as them being stubborn, but just be ready to stop when they want to stop. She also added that trainers should be realistic in their training of older dogs. “We want to live with this dog; it doesn’t

“It takes older people longer to learn than it does younger people, and it takes older dogs a little bit longer so you have to give them a little bit of slack,� Orndorff said. “We will get it, it’s just a matter of working with the dog and figuring out the best way around their abilities and disabilities.�

She finished by explaining that any dog can be taught, it’s just about finding what’s best for the dog and the trainer.

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Anita Kelso Edson/ASPCA via AP

This undated photo provided by the ASPCA shows the Moore family of the Bronx borough of New York who adopted two long-haired kittens, Cobey and Coffee, From the ASPCA Adoption Center in New York City in memory of their previous cat, Muff Muff, 15, who died of cancer.

The right fit: Many pet shelters choose more ‘open’ adoption

By Linda Lombardi Associated Press

breeder, rescue groups and an animal shel- had one in mind, and in particular didn’t ter. Another one moved in with her fiance. want the biggest one.

J

Of all the formal adoption processes she’s been through, the most straightforward was when she adopted Lucy, a pit bull mix, from the Washington Animal Rescue League (now Humane Rescue Alliance) in Washington, D.C., last year. After walking through the kennel, Behram asked to meet all the female puppies from one litter. She

illian Behram of Burkittsville, Maryland, has acquired pets in just about every possible way. She found one of her cats as a stray and got the other from a “free to a good home” post on social media. Her dogs have come from a

But the puppies had other ideas. “To my surprise, the one I assumed would be the good match turned out to be the worst match, and the biggest one turned out to pick me,” she says. “She couldn’t stop loving on me.” The caretaker agreed. “It was so obvious that he said, ‘that’s your dog.’”

There wasn’t much more to it. After a chat and some paperwork, “They took my application, and about 20 minutes later she was mine,” she says. “I think I was there an hour a half total.”

This story may surprise pet adopters who recall filling out long forms and waiting days for home visits and reference checks.

But many shelters are moving toward more open adoption processes, which they

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have found to be better for both adopters and pets.

“We’ve stopped policing adopters. We try to match lifestyle with lifestyle and not be judgmental,” says Joe Elmore, CEO of one such shelter, Charleston Animal Society in South Carolina.

Rather than check off a list of black-andwhite requirements, they look for the right fit.

“If you’re at home all day and can walk them every hour and play with them, then you can get those high-energy dogs,” he says. If you’re gone at work 10 hours a day, that doesn’t mean you’re rejected the shelter helps you look for an older dog who’ll be OK sleeping on the couch most adoptions increased and returns decreased, of the day. and follow-up studies showed no differCharleston Animal Society, founded in ence in quality of care. Weiss argues that 1874, is one of the oldest in the nation, this kind of process is harder to fake, so and serves a diverse county of about it’s actually more of a barrier to people 380,000 people in urban and rural areas. with bad intentions.

They are open admission, meaning they never turn an animal away. The change in “It’s much easier for them to do harm by simply figuring out how to fill out the policy has had an impact on the number application correctly, or get their friend to of animals they save.

“We’ve seen a big decrease in euthanasia,” come in for them,” she says. “It’s much more difficult if we have an honest, open, Elmore says. “Back in 2007 or 2008, we eye-to-eye conversation that’s focused on were putting down upward of 7,000 animals a year, both cats and dogs.” Now it’s this individual animal and you as a permore like three or four hundred, including son.”

Fees are another factor intended to keep The idea of simpler, quick adoptions may the bad guys away. But many shelters now do reduced-fee or free adoption events, be unnerving to some. How can you be and research has shown that their only sure these are good homes? effect is to put more animals in homes, Emily Weiss, vice president for research more quickly. Again, there’s no difference and development at the ASPCA, say there in the return rate or how the pets are cared was no systematic research behind the for. standard questions on adoption applicaWeiss observes that people get cats, in tions. particular, from all kinds of places for “As an organization, we started tackling free. Eliminating fees makes the shelter the question scientifically: What is the better able to compete with those sources, real impact on the bond, or the likelihood and shelters’ vaccinated, spayed and of the pet being well cared for, when neutered animals won’t contribute to pet somebody adopts outside of those paramoverpopulation in the future. eters?” she says.

Not all shelters have moved in this direcWeiss developed a program for shelters called Meet Your Match that moved away tion. Some still have long forms; some under-resourced shelters don’t have the from strict rules. “The person fills out a staff for elaborate screening processes. simple survey about their lifestyle. For extreme medical cases they can’t save.

instance, for cats, one of the questions is, ‘Is your home like a library, middle-ofthe-road, or like a carnival?’” The answers are meant to open up a conversation about which pet might meet your expectations.

And you’re still likely to find more involved procedures at private rescue groups, for a variety of reasons, including a focus by some on animals with special needs.

In shelters that implemented the program,

“Because of the dogs that we take into our

program, our adoption requirements are pretty significant,” says Heather Gutshall of Handsome Dan’s Rescue for Pit Bull Type Dogs, whose dogs come both from shelters and from large-scale dog fighting raids. “We are the last stop for many dogs with significant medical and behavioral issues.”

So simplifying the adoption process may not be appropriate for every organization.

But if you haven’t adopted in a while, you might find that things have changed at your local shelter, even though the goal hasn’t.

“The important part is finding a good match,” says Weiss. “Not only do we want Theirs is still a multi-step process involving people to make adoption their first option, we want them to be successful when they phone calls, reference checks and home do so.” visits, which may take several weeks.

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Eric Iversen via AP

This Aug. 10, 2013 photo provided by Eric Iversen shows Bug the cat and Ken Lambrecht at the Point to La Pointe Swim from Bayfield, Wis., to Madeline Island in Lake Superior.

Why should dogs have all the fun?

Try adventure catting get her used to road trips. Determining whether your cat is prone to motion sickness is important, said Moss, who advoCraig Armstrong in Salt Lake City takes his cates using a leash at all times.

Millie never took to her leash, so black rescue, Millie, rock climbing in the Laura J. Moss, the author of a new book, t the beach, in the snow or on a Armstrong keeps her harness on but lets desert nearly every weekend with a buddy “Adventure Cats,” said such excursions hiking trail, heading outdoors for her meander, following her and keeping her who owns a fellow feline adventurer, may not be for every cat, but owners won’t adventures with a “house cat” runs counter moving along the way. He knows her well to the stereotype that all cats really want to really know unless they try. The stimulation named Kenneth. Armstrong is an experienough to know she may do her own thing and connection with nature are invaluable, enced hiker and climber, but he and his do is eat and sleep. friend scaled back their challenges to let the but won’t run off. When rappelling, Millie she said.

Any human who thinks that hasn’t met Nearly two years ago, Moss started a web- two cats hike and climb at their own pace. perches on his shoulders, her harness Ruger, Bug or NouNou. They haven’t secured to safety lines. encountered Helena the bike basket-riding site, AdventureCats.org, connecting enthu- Millie was Armstrong’s first cat. They bonded when she was the one kitten at the “That’s kind of her safe place, on my shoultuxedo cat, or Sushi the salmon-and-white siasts of “adventure catting” around the ders. From the time she was a baby kitty I animal shelter to climb all over him at 8 globe. rescue who’s been in a harness and walking would call her to climb up to my shoulders weeks old.

They started adventuring close on a leash since she was 10 weeks old.

“If you’re a cat lover who also is active outand gave her a treat when she got there. She to home after he introduced her to a hardoors, it’s a great way to get your cat These are not indoor-outdoor cats in the still does that every single morning,” ness in the house.

He would sometimes traditional sense. They don’t have cat doors involved in your active lifestyle,” she said Armstrong said. attach a leash and let her drag it around. at home that allow them to come and go as in a recent interview. “But the No. 1 reason He also took Millie on frequent car rides to As with humans, sometimes adventure they please. Rather, their humans say, their to do it is because it’s good for your cat.”

By Leanne Italie Associated Press

A

lives are enriched - safely - by heading outdoors, whether it’s a simple stroll around the neighborhood or a scurry along a craggy slot canyon in the Utah desert.

Most people venturing out with their cats are not rock climbing, rappelling or snowshoeing, but some are.

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catting is about the gear.

Michele Lanza in Oakland, California, has two leash-trained walkers, but found it A good place to start is figuring out what impossible to walk both cats at the same kind of harness your cat will feel most comfortable in. Traditional harnesses usual- time. They complain loudly, however, if left ly have a few straps, often in a figure-eight behind when the other is out for a neighborhood walk. Lanza’s female, NouNou, is fitting around a cat’s neck and shoulders now 7; her younger brother Jaspur didn’t and fastening between the legs or around take to adventuring right away as she did. the waist, Moss said. Walking jackets or vests fit snugly like tiny coats. They pro“The thought of just forcing them to be vide more coverage and better distribution inside their whole lives felt mean to me,� of pressure points if a cat pulls at the leash. Lanza said. “But I have to get one of the They’re also more difficult to wiggle out of, kids to walk one of them, and it’s a little Moss said. embarrassing for them. They’re both teenagers, and we’ll be walking down the Treat training is also key, she said, as is bringing along water from a source familiar street and cars will stop and be like, what?�

the spring one time and she jumped up onto an iceberg and started pawing the water. That’s when I knew I had a different cat on my hands,� Lambrecht said.

Choose your adventures wisely.

Sushi, who lives in New Hampshire with her human, Georgina Saravia, is a beachloving cat who goes everywhere with Saravia. But Saravia keeps her out of the woods, fearing ticks.

same path.�

They, too, started slowly, going out on the porch or in the backyard to see how Ruger would react to snow. The first time, he was befuddled, but then he gained confidence, and now tramps around in the snow or snuggles into a fleece-lined cat backpack.

“Sometimes the sound of our snowshoes can make him a little bit nervous, so we take them off and go around to smaller “She doesn’t like getting wet, but she likes areas, like a viewing point or lookout on looking to see what might be in the water,� the hiking trail. He likes to come out of the backpack and climbs on the picnic tables.

Saravia said.

Moss suggests keeping cats out of scrub or He comes up to me and puts his paws on my legs when he wants to come up,� brush to avoid toxic plants and foliage. to your cat.

Kenneth Lambrecht is a veterinarian near Randolph said.

Madison, Wisconsin. He’s also a crossKim Randolph, in the Upper Peninsula of So how do you know whether adventure country skier, cyclist, water sports lover catting is right for your pet?

Michigan, and her fiance started taking her J.P. Chan in New York City’s Harlem and proud dad to four cats: Lance, Bug, neighborhood has been trying to leashcat Ruger snow hiking about two years “Is your cat interested in watching the Annie and Georgie. Bug, a rescue who’s train his Helena for a while now, but she ago, along with their German shepherd. world outside the window? Is your cat a now 6, has been adventuring since kittendoesn’t love it. She DOES love hotel door dasher? Does your cat have a lot of “He’s kind of a funny cat. We got him as a hood, and Annie is an up-and-comer. rooms, however, and joins him and his girlpent-up energy?� asks Moss. “At the same kitten and started harness training almost The two cats ride with him on his paddletime, you can have a cat who’s extremely immediately because I love dogs and my friend on airplane trips and in pet-friendly board, and Bug hikes and travels extensivehotels. He bought a special cat basket that courageous and always up to try something first pet out of college away from home ly.

But Lambrecht warns that a cat like her new but who may not feel comfortable outwas a cat because I couldn’t have a dog,� has a mesh dome and clips securely onto is one in a million. side. You can also have a cat who’s very Randolph said. “I treated that first cat like the front of his bicycle. timid and hides when somebody comes “She’s fascinated with water. When she “She likes people. She’s very friendly,� he a dog. He went everywhere with me, so over but loves to walk around the backyard.� was younger, the lake was breaking up in when I got Ruger we put him on that said. “Why should dogs have all the fun?�

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Owners of flat-faced dogs don’t mind the snorting

By Solvej Schou Associated Press

T

he first time Lisha Gonzalez and her husband, Victor, met their bulldog, Buddy, as a puppy, they immediately fell in love with his slobbering, smushnosed face and stubborn charm.

They didn’t realize that Buddy, now 6, would be allergic to grass, cats and dust, take medication daily and need medicated shampoo. He can’t get too hot or his skin will break out in a rash. He also snores at night and snorts like a pig. But that’s all fine.

“Buddy has been a very delicate creature. But he’s very loving and social,” said Lisha, 56, one recent day as Buddy rolled around in the grass at their home in Pasadena, California.

With their short muzzles and smaller upper jaws, flatfaced dogs - known as brachycephalic breeds, and including bulldogs, Boston terriers, pugs and French bulldogs - tend to have particular health issues, from breathing noisily to overheating and allergies. But they remain favorites among dog owners. According to the American Kennel Club’s rankings of popular dog breeds for 2016, bulldogs rank No. 4, French bulldogs No. 6, Boston terriers No. 21 and pugs No. 32 out of the AKC’s 189 recognized breeds. (Labrador retrievers top the list.)

The four breeds “are all known for their good temperament, and they tend to be affectionate, loveable and friendly,” said AKC Vice President and Executive Secretary Gina DiNardo.

Lisa Hsuan, a veterinarian at the Animal Health Care Center in Los Angeles, said brachycephalic breeds are seen as “cute, funny, trendy and sociable,” as well as entertaining (think of those videos of skateboarding bulldogs on social media).

quently helps to avoid contact with environmental allergens. A lot of medicated shampoos have anti-yeast and anti-bacterial ingredients.”

Energy levels vary among individual dogs and breeds, Hsuan said.

Sharon Freeark of Pasadena had reservations about getting a bat-eared, squish-faced French bulldog five years ago, but since then has fallen in love with sporty, poolloving Booboo.

“She’s darling with kids, and is so smart, but incredibly disobedient,” said Freeark, as Booboo panted loudly “Boston terriers can be wild sometimes, and are pretty high energy,” said Hsuan. “Bulldogs tend to be nice, and next to her on a recent walk. “‘Sit, stay, come’ mean nothing to her. She’s also hilarious, and she’ll sit with Prospective owners should do their research first about low energy. They’re heavy and don’t breathe very well, her feet sticking straight out.” so they don’t have a lot of stamina. A lot of brachythe dogs and their issues, however, Hsuan said.

Los Angeles artist Lili Chin’s 12-year-old Boston terrier, “They have breathing issues because of the anatomy of cephalic dog owners don’t understand how important it Boogie, is the muse and model for her business, Doggie is for their dogs to be lean.

Being overweight can their faces, airways and noses, are prone to yeast infecDrawings, which specializes in pet portraits, dog art, increase stress on their dogs’ breathing.

Some vets and tions in their skin folds, which are always moist, and and infographics on dog behavior and training. breeders put the dogs on low-fat diets early in life.” have allergies and sensitive skin,” she said. “They have a lot of ear infections, because their ear canals are narrow Cynthia and Geraldo Rodriguez of Altadena, California, “Boston terriers’ faces are so expressive and full of and twisty. They’re also prone to heat exhaustion, since occasionally look after their adult daughter’s 6-year-old character,” said Chin. “Perhaps smush-faced dogs look more like people, with their big eyes and pouty mouths.” they don’t move air very efficiently because of their pug, Lola. With her scrunched face and bulging eyes, faces. They pant a lot.”

Lola resembles a sad, cute clown.

Boogie used to develop staph infections on his skin every summer. He takes allergy medicine daily. Yet he These dogs shouldn’t be allowed to overheat or exercise “There’s a lot of personality in a little package with in warm weather, Hsuan said. Keep them indoors with pugs,” said Cynthia Rodriguez. “You have to make sure plays like a puppy, and enjoys long walks. air conditioning on very hot days, DiNardo added. with their protruding eyes that they don’t run into a cac- “I love that Boogie likes to sleep in the mornings. He’s a tus! Lola is prissy. She’s a sitting dog. She likes comfort. wonderful snuggle buddy,” said Chin. “I feel very lucky Pay attention to cleaning and hygiene, Hsuan said.

If the ground is too rough, she doesn’t like it because it that aside from the allergies, Boogie is a relatively “Minimize contact with dust, grass and pollen, which can cause skin inflammation,” she said. “Bathing frehealthy dog, and I would love him even if he wasn’t.” hurts her little paws.”

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Animal lover fancies cats and their shows He took his cats away on shows, as well, traveling throughout Maryland and Virginia and heading to Philadelphia and Allentown.

By Max Lee mlee@nvdaily.com TIMBERVILLE

S

These days, Marsden only goes to a few shows a year, rather than the seven that he went to in the 1991-1992 cat fancy season. He no longer breeds cats, and his two cats, Polo and Dancer, are both neutered and spayed.

teve Marsden has always liked animals.

“My brother says I’m like Noah,” Marsden said. “He could look over at my yard, and all the birds are over here in my yard. The squirrels, the rabbits they all seem to be hanging out in my yard. You don’t really see them in too many other people’s, but they’re always in my yard.”

Nor does he organize the cat fancies.

Marsden said that there were only four or five people in the Shenandoah Valley Cat Fanciers group who did the work of organizing the events; a few others were eager to go to the shows but weren’t willing to spend the time working to prepare for the events.

That love - the natural, mutual attraction Marsden has with animals - led him to one of the hobbies he maintains to this day. Since 1983, he has taken cats to cat shows.

Between finding a large enough venue”you’ve got to have a big, open space for cat shows,” Marsden said - and finding judges for the events, the workload of organizing those shows was too large for just those four or five people, Marsden said.

Marsden said that he first really became involved in the word of “cat fancies,” or cat shows, after his first show in 1983. In that event, he received a blue ribbon for his cat Missy.

“Now, I just go to shows,” he said.

“And then…I guess I was just hooked,” Marsden said.

He enjoyed the game - grooming and bathing his cat so that it met or came close to particular standards for its breed. (In a show, judges handle and examine the pets, comparing each pet to a particular pre-designated standard.

The ones that come closest to meeting that standard win awards.)

“A lot of these people go to football games or whatever - this is our sport,” Marsden said.

And he enjoyed the community that came with the events.

“There’s just wonderful people you meet,” Marsden said.

Steve Marsden poses with his show cat, Polo. said that he went to clubs in Harrisonburg nearly every day of the week - and at least five times each week.

But that stopped after he started going to the shows.

“I guess [going to shows] might have turned me in from a bar fly into a cat fancier, I guess,” he said.Marsden It was the combination of the commu- quickly became involved in the cat nity, his love for cats and the sport of fancy world. In 1984, the year after his the shows that got Marsden more and first show, Marsden joined the more involved.

Shenandoah Valley Cat Fanciers, a Before he was involved with cat shows, group that continues to this day. a large part of his social life came from As a member of that group, Marsden bars and nightclubs. He is single and helped to organize cat fancies in the He added later, “The cat people stick together, they really do.”

But while his involvement in cat fancies has decreased, his habits and love for the animals has continued. He still gives his cats fresh water twice a day, feeds them with specialty food and gives them special white litter. (The grey litter can discolor a cat’s pristine, white fur, Marsden said, and it can Max Lee/Daily make it harder for owners to know if a cat’s urine has blood in it.)

Shenandoah Valley region. For a while, “I just love my cats,” Marsden said. he bred cats for the shows.

“They’re my heart and soul.”

Spicewood Flats Boarding Kennels & Grooming

Owners: Michael & Gina Moore 125 Spicewood Lane Front Royal, VA 22630 (540) 635-8979

spicewood@centurylink.net www.spicewoodflats.com

all about PETS 13

The Northern Virginia Daily

Joe Shearer/The Daily Nonpareil via AP

In this May 31, 2017 photo, David Tanner poses for a portrait with Aaron, his Siberian Husky, outside the dog's custom-built dog house in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Not content with pre-made dog houses or just making something simple, Tanner took to making a home for Aaron could use all year in all types of weather.

Iowa man builds special doghouse for his pet Siberian Husky

By Mike Bell The Daily Nonpareil COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa

T

his dog’s got nice digs.

David Tanner’s backyard is home to a lot of tools and projects, but none as eye-catching as the small house now standing among the grass dedicated to his Siberian Husky Aaron.

Tanner, a steel mechanic and hardware manager at Bomgaar’s Supply, has several hobbies all connected with working with his hands and

building things for fun.

The roof of the doghouse can be raised for increased ventilation or In 2012, Aaron came into his life closed against the elements. Plastic after the dog could no longer stay rain stoppers keep water from getting with his then-owners in Omaha. through the entrance. A heater (that Tanner’s previous dog of 16 years had turns off in case it’s tipped over) just passed, leaving a void in his life. keeps the puppy warm in winter; a “My brother, Jack, brought Aaron fan near his bed keeps him cool in summer. over, and I told him he didn’t know how to take care of a dog. So now I A gallery of photos of Aaron are do,” Tanner told The Daily Nonpareil framed inside the doghouse, so Aaron (http://bit.ly/2qYVSBR ). can look at himself while chewing on Not content with pre-made dog hous- Milkbones. Or he can stare out at es or just making something simple, bunnies through the framed windows.

Tanner took to making a home for Aaron he could use all year in all types of weather.

It even lights up at night.

“I love my buddy,” Tanner said. “I’d do anything for him.”

Joe Shearer/The Daily Nonpareil via AP

This May 31, 2017 photo shows Aaron, a Siberian Husky owned by David Tanner, from the raised roof of his custom-built dog house in Council Bluffs, Iowa.

14 all about PETS

The Northern Virginia Daily

Keeping captive-bred fish has gotten easier

By Linda Lombardi Associated Press

R

emember when keeping a saltwater aquarium was just for experts? Now, the technology has advanced to the point where just about anyone can do it and expect to keep the fish alive and healthy.

there being anything when I was a kid that was regularly captive-bred. Every now and again someone would say they got a clownfish to breed, but then they had problems with the young... It was nothing like it is now.”

The most recent list of captive-bred species compiled by Tal Sweet for Coral Magazine totals 330. Twenty-seven species are judged as “commonly available” and 38 “moderately available” plenty of choices with which the new hobbyist can stock a tank.

uring out how to breed these fish is not simple.

“It’s not like putting two animals of opposite sex together and just saying go do it,” says Fenolio. Temperature and season are important, but that’s just the start, and each species presents its own challenges. In the wild, critical details might include lunar cycle, changes in salinity, even other species’ breeding. “A lot of species won’t breed unless their prey species is breeding around them they won’t get going till their babies will have something to eat,” he says.

For one thing, captive-bred fish are likely to start out healthier than wild fish: “They’re not exposed to disease and pathogens, and not exposed to as much transportation stress,” says Sweet.

They’re also more likely to eat what you can buy to feed them. “Captive-bred fish have grown up eating pellets and frozen foods,” he says.

Commonly available captive-bred species also tend to be fish that beginWhere the fish come from has also ners can succeed with. “They can withchanged: Many are now bred for the stand a little learning curve,” says Jeff trade instead of caught in the wild - a Gibula, zoological operations manager at Sweet started compiling the list - a joint difference that tends to be healthier for Newport Aquarium in Kentucky. He effort between the magazine and the the fish and the environment.

Such efforts, however, have created a observes that big breeders are likely to Marine Life Aquarium Society of Dante Fenolio, vice president for conser- Michigan - in 2013, when the total was a range of captive-bred options for the put their efforts into what keeps cushobbyist, and experts suggest sticking to tomers coming back: “You want to sell vation and research at San Antonio Zoo, little over 200 species. So progress has the thing people can do well with.” been rapid, and impressive, because fig- them. in Texas, remembers what the business was like in the 1970s and early 1980s: “My dad owned a company that importCoral Magazine captive bred lists: ed fresh water and marine fish from all http://www.reef2rainforest.com/coral-magazines-captive-bred-marine-aquarium-fish-list-project-homepage/ over the world,” he says. “I don’t recall

all about PETS 15

The Northern Virginia Daily

Aside from your success as a fish-keep- lected fish are likely to be more expener, though, there are also bigger issues of sive, but Sweet says you’re getting value conservation. for the money: “In the long run, it’s better to pay more for a fish that’s going to Wild aquarium fish are sometimes last longer.” caught with methods that are bad both for the fish and the ecosystem it comes from. The fish may be stunned with dynamite or caught using cyanide.

There’s also the pressure often put on wild populations.

You’re also doing the responsible thing.

Fenolio notes that even for species that are currently doing well, the global phenomenon of coral reef bleaching is an issue.

Gibula, who runs his own aquarium installation company, says some wholesalers offer sustainably caught wild fish that he is comfortable buying. He can see how they track the fish from their point of origin, and they guarantee how they’ve been caught and handled.

“Species could quickly become endangered because there aren’t that many healthy reefs left,” he says.

Still, as a conservationist, Fenolio doesn’t discourage people from keeping marine fish - quite the contrary. “I do support the hobby wholeheartedly That may be an option that allays envibecause it offers an opportunity for peoronmental concerns, but you won’t know ple to connect with wildlife as our cities unless you ask. get bigger ... and as wildlife and wild “My favorite store, they label every fish places vanish,” he says. where it came from - the name of the But do it responsibly: Don’t just go into company or breeder,” says Sweet. “Not the store and point at what looks pretty. every store does that, but if I go into a Do your research and know what quesstore and they can’t tell me where their tions to ask. Says Fenolio: “Impulse fish is from, I won’t buy it.” buys are absolutely the worst thing you Both captive-bred and sustainably col-

can do with any pet.”

At All Pets, we have the only pet crematories in the area, so your pet will never leave our care.

We treat your precious pet with respect and professionalism.

1560 Amherst Street Winchester, Virginia (540) 450-2262 WWW.ALLPETSCREMATIONCENTER.COM

Pet Boarding & Training We offer many services and activities for your pets while boarding. Please see the Activities and Services section for descriptions and pricing on our website.

All of our boarding guests enjoy: • Potty Walks in or fenced play yards accompanied by staff who gets to know your dog.

• Daily Wellness check-getting to know your pet is what we do, we look for subtle signs that may mean that your pet isn’t feeling well.

• No extra charge for feeding your own food from home or administering medications.

• Meticulous maid service • “Turn-down service”-treats at bedtime.

• Loads of love & attention • You can add extra services for your pet at the drop-off from our Ala-Carte Menu) And don’t forget Training at Creature Comfort Inn! With private, one-on-one lessons for pets and their owners as well as Boarding/Training and everything in between we offer lots of options to help you and your pet.

Also Offering Boarding Services for Exotic Animals: Reptiles, Ferrets, Hedgehogs, Sugar Gliders, Birds, Rabbits

1937 Millner Rd., Strasburg, VA 22657 540-465-3007 • 540-465-2216 (fax) creaturecomfortinn.net

16 all about PETS

The Northern Virginia Daily

Congratulates Dr. Vandrey joined WCVC in December 2013 after spending his early career as a large animal veterinarian in Rappahannock County. Dr. Vandrey’s professional interests are broad, but lameness and orthopedics along with general medicine are rewarding pursuits. He is married to Dr. Amy Wright and they have three children. When not working, Dr. Vandrey enjoys the country life, coaching youth baseball and basketball teams, fishing and enjoying the outdoors with family, friends and pets.

Welcomes

“Mentor of the Year” for the 2nd time!

Dr. Ianni grew up in Fairfax City and earned her undergraduate degrees at Virginia Tech, where she eventually received her DVM from the VA-MD Regional College of Veterinary Medicine in 2011. After several years living and practicing small animal medicine outside Camp Lejeune Marine Corps Base in Jacksonville, NC, she and her husband are now happy to be raising their family in their native Virginia. Along with their human daughter, they are blessed to share their home with three dogs (Freyja, Amber, and Cassandra), two cats (Gaius and Pudding), two rabbits (Charlotte and Squid), and various farm animals.

4310 Rivermont Dr. Front Royal, VA 22630

8506 Winchester Rd. Front Royal, VA 22630

(540) 635-4176

(540) 635-3299

Dr. Derek Vandrey

Voted Virginia’s

Dr. Kate Ianni

www.wcvet.com

Clinic Hours: Monday-Friday - 8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m. • Saturday - 8:30 a.m.-Noon