After a fire at a Saskatchewan home, firefighters saved two dogs and one cat.

Members of the Regina Fire Department rushed two cats and a dog out of a burning house Tuesday afternoon.

Angela Prawzick, spokesperson for the Regina Fire Department, said a neighbour called 911 at 1:45 p.m. to report a fire at 18 Scrivener Cres.

[…]

“Both the two cats and the dog looked like they certainly suffered some smoke inhalation. Our firefighters did administer oxygen to the dog, (and) they did provide some life-saving efforts to all of the animals,” she said.

“They’ve since been brought to the veterinarian’s. . . . I’m not sure what their status is at this point.”

Prawzick reminded people that when their house is on fire, their first priority should be to get out of the house.

Read the rest here.

In our Pet Tech First Aid & Care classes, we teach the idea that Prawzick mentioned…ensure your own safety, then your pets. Once you’re safe, then you can assess the situation and work on how to safely take care of your pets.

Posted: July 23rd, 2008 under pets.
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The idea that dogs have a built-in ability to swim isn’t always the case. Some dogs need to be taught to swim…

Just like a child who takes swimming lessons, a canine needs to gain confidence before it can swim comfortably on its own, experts say. Here are five steps to getting your dog’s paws wet:

1. Start with water exposure Get your pup used to water with a spray bottle, a hose or a shallow plastic pool, Hassen says. This ensures that it gets accustomed to the feeling of water.
2. Start at a pool or lake with a gradual slope Your first lessons should take place in a body of water in which your pet can gradually walk in the water with you, Peterson advises. You can promote a positive attitude by bringing toys, such as a ball, and encouraging your dog to retrieve.
3. Move into deeper water with your support As you move into deeper water, support your dog’s backside or belly to help it learn that it can float as it paddles with its paws. Hassen says it’s important that the dog learns to “level out” its torso to actually swim in the water.
4. Help your pup find the exit Once your dog is in the water, make sure it follows your commands to find the exit — be it from a swimming pool or into a boat. Hassen suggests leading the dog gently on a leash.
5. Don’t overdo it Dogs that have not swum a lot before don’t necessarily have the muscle conditioning for a strenuous swim. “If your dog never swam for more than five minutes before, don’t ask it to swim out a mile to a raft where you’re going,” Peterson says. “The dog may be too tired to swim back in.”

Continue reading here.

Posted: July 15th, 2008 under dogs, pets.
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I’m looking forward to an upcoming radio show that I’ll be on later this week. Here’s the info…

July 3rd 10:30 - 11:00 am Pacific
ThePoppOff Show

I hope you’ll be able to make it and hear more about The Million Petizen Rally and our work to help four hard-working pet charities!

Posted: July 1st, 2008 under Million Petizen Rally News, Pet Tech News.
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Vickie Holt, of Animals Reign, who is one of our newest Pet Tech Instructors from Seattle sent us this little chuckle a few days ago…

I was taking three of the stuffed dogs, that I bought during our class, to another instructor. We were going to meet half way at a shopping center, and I had the big life-sized Husky in the front seat with me, with windows down waiting for her. All of a sudden, an SUV wheeled in next to me and the man jumped out of the car, walked over and stuck his hand in the window to pet the beautiful…..oh, that’s a stuffed dog! He was so embarrassed, but we both had a good laugh. He ended up taking half a dozen of my business cards to share with others, he was so interested in the idea of pet first aid. I guess I should ride around with a fake dog in the car all the time!

I guess that’s one way to get people to sign up for a class!

Posted: July 1st, 2008 under Pet Tech News, pets.
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