I was out with the dogs, scooping poop as we meandered down the street. The man carefully negotiated the turn on his motorbike and headed up the street toward us. He saw me bagging poop and, with a sympathetic grin, said, “That has to be the worst part of the job.” “Not even close,” I […]
multi-species families
Living on the Planet of Awesome and Forever
I live on the Planet of Awesome and Forever. I have proof. Sometimes my planet is real and physical: I revel in the sun and rain, the dark and stormy, the people and the beings who make me laugh and think while challenging me to be my best, no matter what. Always my planet is […]
If You Die Before They Do: Protecting Your Animal Family
I had the flu in February. Big time. Haven’t been that sick in years. Bad cough. High fever. So sick I needed help. I’m the only human in my multi-species family, so getting help was hard. Yes, I have friends to call, and no, I didn’t want to. The ‘flu’ (an epidemiologist told me they couldn’t […]
How a Company’s Raffle Prize Helped an Animal Shelter
On the weekend before the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show back in February I attended a pet writing conference in New York City, the day before I won the Merial Human-Animal Bond Award for my book, Bridging Species: Thoughts and Tales About Our Lives with Dogs. Yay! It was a fun weekend and I met […]
What Made My Deaf Dog Hear Again, Part 2
When my youngest dog, Alki, became deaf, I had to figure out how I could make him comfortable with his handicap. How to make us all comfortable: Alki, my nearly 10-year-old Cavalier; his 12-year-old Cavalier sister, Murphy; Grace the Cat; me; and friends, family, and visiting clients. We’re familiar with handicaps at our house: of […]
How Mall Dogs Trump Wolves
Survival of the fittest isn’t what you think it is. It depends on who you are and what you’re up to. I personally would not survive if I were a wolf and had to run down an elk or a rat. I wouldn’t even want to (either survive or hunt down anything but a cherry […]
What Made My Deaf Dog Hear Again, Part 1
My son is deaf. My youngest dog, my Velcro boy, my goofy sweet Alki, is stone cold deaf. It happened when I wasn’t looking. Somehow, the years between puppyhood and senior dog warped and folded in on themselves, and my little boy aged. It shocks me, really. Just yesterday he was an exuberant, mischievous puppy, […]
Worshipping at the Altar of Rimadyl
My eldest dog, Murphy, a female Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, is 13. We never expected her to make it to 3, but she’s vibrant and healthy. It took a lot to get her that way. Some of her problems were inherited, some medical mistakes, some the normal up’s and down’s of life. Murphy’s health took […]
It’s Called Trespassing: Quit Ruining the World for Dogs
It was a summer evening and the dogs and I were out for last call. A man and woman at the end of the block were standing next to the waist-high wall that bordered my neighbor’s steep property. It’s unusual but not alarming to see strangers lingering in our busy beach neighborhood at night. However, […]
When Animal Communication Bites
Have you always wanted to talk with an animal? And hear it talk back? It’s easy. Just do it. But be polite, or you’ll find out, like I did, that animal communication can bite. Just like talking with any being out there, from a tree to a hurricane, animal communication is about respecting all life […]