General

/General

Clean it up and be responsible

By | May 7th, 2019|Categories: General|

Two recent dog incidents prompted me to write this to educate readers about a couple of dog laws that, if not complied with, can lead to health and environmental issues. Incident number one: A Bay resident found significant bags of dog waste tossed over a bridge and in a creek as he was doing yard maintenance. This prompted the resident to look back on home security footage to witness the repeat offender daily tossing dog-waste-filled bags in the creek. This person was less then two blocks from a park entrance that greets everyone with trash cans. Incident number two: Bay Village Police received a complaint about an adult walking dogs on a regular basis during the day and repeatedly putting full dog-waste bags in a street sewer. The Bay Village codified ordinance states: "It shall be the duty of all persons having control of animal to curb such animal and immediately remove all feces and dispose of same in sanitary and safe manner." Canine waste contaminates water and is not a fertilizer. EPA studies show canine waste pollutes waterways. The EPA categorizes it the same as oil and mine run-off. The Clean Water Campaign released these facts about pet waste [...]

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Do not let Fido get you a ticket!

By | April 16th, 2019|Categories: General, Pet Advice, Pet Safety Tips|

According to the Cuyahoga County Fiscal Officer, just under 1,200 dogs are current on 2019 county dog licenses for both Westlake and Bay Village combined. That is a significant decline from previous years. At this time the Cuyahoga County Animal Shelter is monitoring communities that are or have become non-compliant with keeping current licenses on dogs. However, our dog population has not declined with dogs walking in our communities, visible in our parks, animal hospitals and other professional pet care providers caring for new and multiple pet family members. Alarming is the frustrating and growing presence of "no tags or collar" in animal facilities and on social media. The Ohio Codified Ordinance 955.01 states, in brief: "Ohio law requires owners of dogs to purchase/renew their dog license each year between December 1 and January 31." Fines are applicable for late registration of a county dog license application. Fines from local law enforcement can range from $20 and up per incident. Some municipalities have also retained dogs until the owner could prove or provide proof of a current tag and then been fined a daily charge for the dog being held. Even if you missed the renewal period to purchase a [...]

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87-year-old Lakewood woman warned by police for violating retractable leash law ban

By | April 1st, 2019|Categories: General|

POSTED 5:14 PM, MARCH 27, 2019, BY ROOSEVELT LEFTWICH Watch the video here. LAKEWOOD, Ohio-- She just wanted to take Boo and Lulu on their daily walk. But for Fay Olson, that walk turned into a brush with the law. The Lakewood woman was using a retractable leash, the kind she's used for 20 years. "I was coming down my driveway and he was already parked, waiting for me. And when I hit the sidewalk, he got out of the van and told me I was being illegal. I haven't broken a law in 87 years and now I'm illegal," Olson said. Last year, Lakewood updated its dog ordinance with guidelines for everything from liability insurance to the type of leash you can use. Olson said the retractable leash works best for her because her dogs are trained and they respond well to it. Lakewood city officials declined to comment about the leash part of the ordinance. Retractable leash bans are already enforced in other places, including San Francisco and California State Parks. Veterinarians also caution the leashes can do harm to dogs. Cleveland Animal Protective League President Sharon Harvey said she understands why Lakewood and some cities banned them but [...]

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Available for purchase online and in retail stores

By | March 25th, 2019|Categories: General|

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Inspect Your Fence!

By | March 22nd, 2019|Categories: General, Pet Advice, Pet Safety Tips|

Please remember to check gates and fencing as sometimes they are left open or not properly secured by lawn care, heavy winds and other individuals entering the premises.  Consider attaching a sign that says “please close gate.”  You can also secure gates with bungee cords (which might be chewed), locks or clips.   This is also a good time to inspect fencing and to insure electronic containment is working properly and to mark it for landscapers. Check around your fencing to look for low areas where animals may have dug in or the ground has shifted around your fencing. If putting up or modifying fencing inspect it well to insure it is secured properly and how much space is visible from the fence to the ground. Consider adhering chicken wire fencing to the bottom.  Since some pets can scale or jump fencing don’t leave choke collars on dogs so they don’t get hung on fence.  Consider electronic containment or good tethering within fencing. Remember with just electronic containment you are containing your pet but not keeping others out.  Have a clear understanding of boundaries and what potential issues can arise with electronic fencing (deliveries, power outages, etc).  Check city ordinances [...]

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Volunteer to save dogs in Ohio

By | February 9th, 2018|Categories: Advocacy, General|

Tens of thousands of dogs are suffering in puppy mills throughout Ohio. They are crammed into small, filthy wires cages for their entire lives, exposed to extreme heat and cold and denied basic care. It is time to take a stand against this abusive practice, and show the rest of the nation that Ohioans will not tolerate this cruelty. The Humane Society of the United States and our coalition partners, Stop Puppy Mills Ohio, need your help to put a critical measure up for vote on the November 2018 ballot to help protect dogs living in unsanitary and harmful conditions. Please volunteer to collect 400,000 signatures by July. If passed, this measure would require responsible breeding practices, housing with adequate space and enclosures with solid flooring. It also requires that dogs receive exercise, socialization, veterinary care, clean food and water, and more. YOU have the opportunity to save sick, malnourished and injured dogs from a lifetime of abuse—sign up today. VOLUNTEER

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cleDOG February 2018

By | February 1st, 2018|Categories: General|

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Baby, It’s Cold Outside

By | January 9th, 2018|Categories: General|

It's one of those jobs you just don't ask a native (and lifelong) Californian to do: review dog coats. The only time I tried it, I failed; I separated the products under consideration into two categories - rain coats and warm coats - and was taken to task, rightly, for not providing a choice for dogs who have to go out in freezing rains. Because... a freezing rain? I have never experienced such a thing, much less had to walk my dog in one. I was reminded of this recently, when I flew into Edmonton, Alberta, in order to tour the Champion Pet Food manufacturing facility north of there. I have never, ever, been somewhere so cold before - and they were having a relatively warm week for that time of year. The whole time I was there, I kept thinking, how on earth can you walk your dog in this cold? How do their paws not freeze? Well, I guess they do; at least, the only dog I saw being walked the whole time I was there (about 36 hours) was wearing boots. I'm sure that while coyotes and wolves and even feral dogs either adapt or die in such cold, [...]

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Reel It In – Why I Don’t Like Retractable Leashes

By | November 10th, 2017|Categories: Advocacy, General, Pet Advice|

WholeDog Journal by Nancy Kerns There’s an old joke about if there’s one thing that two dog trainers can agree on, it’s that the third one is doing it wrong. But if you know me at all, you know I hate online squabbles; I don’t participate in digital fights about training methods or tools. That said, I think I’ve found something that very nearly ALL dog trainers agree on, and that I will defend anywhere, anytime, and it’s this: Retractable leashes have no place in dog training. It almost reaches the level of a joke: If you go to a dog park or almost any gathering of dog people and their dogs, the worst-behaved dogs will be the ones on retractable leashes. It’s sort of a chicken or the egg thing: What came first, the poorly behaved dog or the leash that teaches him nothing? I get how convenient it is to be able to walk along with your dog on leash and have your dog stop for a moment to smell something or take a quick pee, and you only have to slow your pace for a moment, rather than stop dead. When he’s through or he hits the [...]

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Please Have an Emergency Evacuation Plan for Your Family (Pets and Humans)

By | October 12th, 2017|Categories: General, Pet Safety Tips|

This past week, we've had some terribly windy days. In the wee hours of Monday morning, I woke up to a strong smell of smoke in the air. I stepped outside; the odor was strong but I couldn't hear sirens nor see the glow of a fire anywhere. I turned on my computer, and was immediately able to find news about the source of the smoke: a wildfire had broken out about 10 miles north of my town. Another was burning about 20 miles to the east. My town was safe - but oh my word, there were also enormous fires burning 100 miles away, in the heavily populated areas of Napa and Sonoma Counties. And the wind was still gusting at 50 and 60 miles per hour, spreading burning embers far, wide, and fast. As I type, tens of thousands of people have had to evacuate their homes and businesses, and hundreds of homes and businesses have burned to the ground. Read More

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