Have you HIT a DOG!

Can you imagine.  Running over a pet dog!  Or a pet cat...or an animal of any kind.  Well, running over a dog is so hard to picture happening.  But, let me tell you it CAN happen, and it probably will at some point.  I am a huge dog lover and it's based on everything I do as a person...dogs that is!  I never could imagine hitting a dog.  Not on purpose anyway.  But, let me tell you; two big HUGE dogs ran right out into my truck a few weeks ago.  One just kept on going into my truck and right under the back wheel well. I didn't even see them coming and before I could blink I saw the dog tumble behind the truck.

Just yesterday a client called and called me over and over.  When I spoke with her today she informed me she had hit a dog and didn't know what to do.

So, I'm here to give you a few tips.

First, program your city's animal shelter phone number right now into your phone.  (Fort Worth, TX animal control; 817-392-3737)  So, when this does happen you are not standing on the side of the road with some other sweet passerbys trying to figure out who to call and what to do.  Next program the number of your nearest 24 hour pet emergency hospital (Hulen; 817-349-2050, West Freeway; 817-560-8387).  And Last, make sure your pet has a collar and identification tag on with your number and address on it.

Now, the hard core facts; know that if you take into possession a pet that you've hit you are now taking on all full responsibility of that pet to include medical costs.  Truth is you need not pick up this pet but you MUST wait for the pet to be picked up by the City Animal Shelter so care can be provided to it or an owner can be found.

Sounds harsh doesn't it.  We want to save every pet and every situation.  But, honestly, we all can't go around spending 3000$ on a pet for who knows what kind of medical care.  And with my situation having a multitude of pets at home including mostly senior ones bringing home another pet is not feasible and affording that kind of care for another pet isn't imaginable either.

We can't save the world.  We can do what we can.  But, this is a prime example of why a collar with a good identification tag on it makes sense.  The pet I hit didn't have a tag on it.  So, I couldn't contact an owner at all!  If your pet doesn't have an ID tag, call me today so we can get one ordered for you (817-676-1585). It is crucial!  They cost between $11 - $13 dollars and the right kind of tag that doesn't fade is important!

Do what you can within the boundaries of what you are capable of.

The client who called me hit a pet that was running from it's owner.  Luckily the owner was there and it was essentially the owners fault for not controlling her own pet that the pet ran out into the road.  But, if my client would have picked up that pet, it would rest on her shoulders to care for that pet now.

Know your limits in all avenues of your life to what you can handle and what you can't.  But, also, be aware of what will lie on your shoulders in this scenario.  And please please make sure you have a pet id tag on your pet if you want to know about situations like this that could very well happen to your pet.

Facial Hair

Did you know that dogs have facial hair.  I mean a lot of it.  But, what you might not notice is the fact that right up on their upper lip sometimes dogs have long strands of facial hair that they lick that area of their mouth and pull all that hair right into the mouth.  When this happens it wraps around the teeth and may cause the teeth to rot out sooner as well as may even cause choking depending on how long the hair is.  If your pet has this use some thinning shears very carefully trim this hair regularly.  I recently have seen a stream of these types of situations at the groom shop and I trim them down pretty good.  If there is red tint on the hair that means the hair is staying moist.

Dede Croy
www.myfavoritegroomer.com
817-676-1585