Pet Stories - Page 13 of 28 - Mount Pleasant Pets

No Bones About It: Dogs and Owners Give the Beach Two Paws Up

Whether you plan to take your pup on a stroll through the business district to accompany you for lunch or for a run in the sand, there are a few things to consider to ensure that your outing is more smooth than “ruff.”

The town of Sullivan’s Island requires that all dogs, even those owned by visitors, have a valid Sullivan’s Island permit. Permits are available at Town Hall, or you can download an application packet at www.sullivansisland-sc. com. The website gives you all the details on the costs and requirements to get your furry friend licensed.

Once your leashed pup is legit, it’s time to have some fun. Beachcombing with your canine buddy can be a blast for both of you. Before you splash in the surf and romp in the sand, some proper planning can help to ensure that your pooch’s day at the beach goes swimmingly.

The American Kennel Club provided the following recommendations:

Always bring plenty of fresh water and offer it to your pup often. Discourage your dog from drinking salt water, which can cause “digestive disturbances.”
Whenever possible, provide a shady spot for your dog to seek some relief from the heat of the sun.
When applying sunscreen on yourself, don’t forget your canine companion. Dogs’ noses and ears are sensitive to the sun and need protection, too. The American Kennel Club recommends applying sunscreen to dogs 30 minutes prior to exposure and that you pay special attention to dogs with short hair, white fur and pink skin.
If the sand is too hot for your feet, it is definitely too hot for your dog. Keep an eye on your pet’s paws, since shells and other objects can be hidden in the sand.
Does your doggy paddle? Swimming in the ocean can be great fun for you and your dog. Be aware of strong currents and be careful not to overdo it. Dogs use different muscles for swimming and can tire quickly.
As every responsible pet owner knows, always clean up after your dog and dispose of waste properly.
t the end of your beach day, be sure to rinse your dog with fresh water. The salt and other minerals can damage his or her coat.

One thing’s for certain: After enjoying a day of sun, sea and sand, both owner and pup will probably return home “dog tired.”

By Tanja DePasse

Capturing Life in Dog Years A Day in the Life of a Pet Photographer

Pet photographer? Yes, it really is a thing! My days start like those of most other people – early to rise, coffee and tending to the dogs’ breakfast when the barking chorus of obviously starving canines begins at 7 a.m.

Then I head to my office for a day that may include administrative and marketing tasks and likely some editing. If it’s a Tuesday, I’ll be photographing adoptable dogs through my work with HeARTs Speak. A foster dog might be coming for photos for a rescue website, so I’ll reset my studio work space. Perhaps there’s a client planning my time. It may be an event day, and I know that in just a matter of hours, I’ll be swooning over puppies. Or maybe it’s a senior pet session and my heart will be melting as I document the incredibly special bond between an older dog and his or her people, always in the back of my mind remembering fondly the years I was blessed with my own senior pets.

Like many of you, I can’t see a dog on the street and not want to approach it. Our dogs even travel with us – by choice. I have not had an actual vacation without one or more dogs in tow since 2003. Yes, 15 years – because they are my world and I don’t feel whole without them.

And I know that when people commission pet photos, it is because their pets are their world, too. I respect and deeply appreciate that connection. Pet photography is different than family or wedding photography, for example, where a photographer may include the pet in a few shots. They have a different priority, even though they may take lovely photos of dogs for clients occasionally. A true pet session focuses on the pet and then incorporates the family to capture that aspect of their life, too. It’s physically demanding – I am usually on the ground, contorted in some way – it requires patience, good humor and a total comfort level working with animals that range from gregarious to shy and skittish. It’s truly meaningful work. I enter every session fully aware there will come a day when the only reminders of a pet’s earthly time will be memories and photos, and I always strive to ensure that the photos will stand as a legacy and bring comfort long after goodbyes are said.

It’s true when you find something you love, it will never feel like work. I often wonder what I would do if I couldn’t do this anymore, and I always come up with a blank thought bubble. This is who I am now, who I have become over the last decade in business. I work with families who want to document their pets’ lives; those suffering through the impending loss of a beloved pet; others starting out with a new puppy; or through volunteering with pets in shelters. This work fills my soul, and I can’t think of anything I’d rather do with my days.

My workday will eventually end, and I will spend my evening in the company of my very supportive husband and our two maniacal, loyal, affectionate, ridiculous Catahoula leopard dogs. I will rest my head at night knowing I have spent my day doing something I love and giving back, and, when morning comes, I’ll wake up grateful.

By Jeanne Taylor

Fierce and Furry The 2018 Puppy Bowl

The National Football League’s 2018 Super Bowl was one of intense rivalry as the Philadelphia Eagles took on the almighty bowl veterans, the New England Patriots. Competition and excitement were in the air as fellow Americans chose their sides and witnessed one of the nation’s favorite pastimes. Although it was an amazing and very close game, this year’s Super Bowl was undoubtedly the second best bowl game of the year. Face it: The game lacked cuteness, personality and most importantly, fur. Neither the Eagles nor the Patriots can ever hope to be able to pull at the heartstrings quite like a bunch of puppies, especially those diminutive canines at this year’s Charleston Animal Society Puppy Bowl.

Partnered with Mount Pleasant Towne Center, the Charleston Animal Society hosted a thrilling game of adorability Feb. 3, as available puppies took the field in their very own championship game. Elena Lawson, the director of special projects and business partnerships with the Charleston Animal Society, had the idea one night while watching “Animal Planet.” After bringing her idea to fruition, the Puppy Bowl has simply grown in numbers and popularity over the past three years as people from all over the Lowcountry have traveled to Mount Pleasant to find their familial companions. This year’s game included 23 “pupletes” who fearlessly charged the field. Knowing that the stakes were high, the pups ran, kicked, chewed and played their hearts out, leaving it all on the field and enticing the crowd to cheer and adopt. The field was flooded with puppies of all mixes and sizes, donning their jerseys and monogrammed bandanas. They all competed in the 2018 Puppy Bowl, exhibiting their talent, athleticism and winning personalities. Their performance, along with their charm, enticed the crowd to gawk, cheer and give all 23 champions their forever homes.

The Charleston Animal Society partners with many businesses and organizations throughout the year to host various adoption events. However, the Puppy Bowl is always among their most successful events. The Puppy Bowl is not just for the puppies; it is also a fun family day with games and activities for all to enjoy.

The Charleston Animal Society, along with other sponsors and participants, strives each year to make the Puppy Bowl more than just an adoption event. Instead, they have created a fun, family-centered day that helps raise awareness along with money for a worthy cause. This year, the Charleston Animal Society raised $6,116 for the shelter, and all 23 puppy participants won the gift of a lifetime – their own loving furever homes. The Eagles may be going to Disney World, but these puppies get to go somewhere even more magical: home.

By Emily Paschal

All Creatures Great and Small St. Francis of Assisi Blesses our Pets

Even if you’re not a religious person, you’re probably familiar with the iconic image of St. Francis, often found gracing gardens or natural areas as a statue of a robed man with birds, deer or other animals flocking to him. St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals and ecology, has won the hearts of many, both inside and outside of the Catholic faith, and is a symbol of caring and compassion for all animals.

Francis, born in the 1100s, did not always lead a saintly lifestyle. He was born into wealth, and, even as a teenager, was known as a vain, rebellious partier and drinker. An aspiring knight with no combat experience, he fought on the losing side of a bitter war between Assisi and Perugia and was one of a few spared death, instead spending nearly a year imprisoned underground awaiting ransom money from his family. While a prisoner, he began having visions from God, and, upon his release in his early 20s, he returned a changed man. He followed God’s instructions, devoted himself to Christianity and moved to a radical life of extreme poverty at a time when the church and many of its leaders were wealthy.

He developed quite a following and was skilled in delivering sermons that appealed to commoners and even preached to animals. He viewed them as brothers and sisters, equal to humans, and he considered both humans and animals to be God’s creatures. He was known to pray often with flocks of birds or other animals along the roadsides, and even preached to a wolf who had been terrorizing a village, killing people and other animals, and who afterward lived peacefully in the village with the promise that the villagers would feed him regularly.

Today, St. Francis is remembered for the miracles God performed through him for the poor, the sick and animals.

The Feast of St. Francis of Assisi is celebrated each Oct. 4 by Catholics and people of varying religious backgrounds with a Blessing of the Animals. In Mount Pleasant, creatures great and small are brought to churches for the ceremonies, which impart God’s power of health, healing and life for the benefit of each animal.

The Blessing of the Animals reaches beyond the doors of each church and inspires many nonmembers to join in the ritual – animal lovers, pet owners, rescues, business owners and families look forward to the opportunity to support our furred, feathered and scaly friends.

Carol Linville, president and founder of Pet Helpers, participates in several Blessings of the Animals each year, both at a church and through shelter events.

“Yes, I believe in St. Francis,” Linville smiled. “And St. Anthony – the patron saint of missing things – because I pray for so many animals to find their way home, and St. Jude, the patron saint of miracles, because these animals need miracles. I’m not even Catholic; I just love the saints. They are listening.”

In January, eighth graders Matthew Mutter and Simms Hoyt, students at Christ Our King, arranged a special Blessing of the Animals for a service project at Pet Helpers. Before the ceremony, the two worked for hours knotting flannel for blankets and making homemade toys for the adoption bags they gave to Pet Helpers. They also made and distributed little cards to all the homerooms at school, asking each student from kindergarten through fifth grade to write their name on the card and say the prayer for the animals’ adoptions. They gave the basket – holding more than 600 prayer cards – to Pet Helpers as well.

The boys were particularly drawn to Pet Helpers because it is a no-kill shelter, which aligns with the Church’s belief in the sanctity of life. In a small, short ceremony with a handful of students and families, Pet Helpers’ staff and a few members of the media, Christ Our King’s Deacon Bob Boackle read from the Order for the Blessing of Animals. He blessed the participants before walking through the shelter, sprinkling holy water with an aspergillum throughout the kennels and animal areas before stepping outside and making a final sign of the cross to conclude the ceremony.

“I wanted to do something with animals and for them that would show how much I appreciate all that they do for us,” said Hoyt. “They make us better people. I hope this blessing helps all the animals find a home with love.”

By Anne Toole

Funding Your Pet’s Medical Bills: From Piggy Bank to Doggy Bank

When it comes to your favorite furry friends, most would agree that the sky is the limit in regards to pet care and health. Whether it’s a brand-new pet or longtime companion, these animals quickly know how to leave an everlasting mark on our hearts. From quality food to nontoxic treats and toys, you think of everything to keep your pets happy and safe – and that doesn’t have to stop at pet insurance policies.

For pet owners, it is an easy decision to get pet insurance to ensure they’ll have financial support in the unfortunate event that their pet is injured or suffers an illness.

As one veterinarian from Mount Pleasant Animal Hospital put it, “These days we have a specialist for every part of the pet’s body – much like medicine for humans – and, as the industry advances with internists, cardiologists and more, it tends to get expensive.”

Having pet insurance helps people afford the quality care they need for their pets, including the various diagnostics that often help veterinarians determine exactly what the problem might be.

A veterinarian from Tidewater Veterinary in Mount Pleasant agreed, saying: “It makes health care more accessible, and I even have it for three of my own pets.”

Pet insurance is often overlooked when owners cannot afford the monthly payments for “possible occurrences.” Dr. David Steele with Advanced Animal Care suggested starting a pet fund as soon as you bring your pet home.

“Talk to a financial advisor as to what form of savings account works best for you,” he said. “Consider how accessible the money needs to be and what your usual monthly budget can absorb if a significant medical condition should arise. Set aside, for example, $30 to $40 per month. That amount accumulates into a nice ‘medical savings’ rather quickly.”

Over time, you will either have saved a comfortable fund for unfortunate events pertaining to your pet or be able to start paying monthly toward pet insurance, depending on your needs.

Ultimately, it’s about making the best decisions that lead to the highest quality of care for your beloved furry friends. With pet insurance, you can sleep easy knowing that if an accident happens or an unexpected illness arises, your four-legged pal will receive top-notch medical care no matter the circumstances or cost.

By Krysta Chapman