The Pet Friendly Newsletter
For Pets and The People Who Love Them!
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December, 2005

This newsletter is available by subscription only. To manage your subscription, please follow the directions at the end of this newsletter.

If you haven't had a chance to do so yet, check out our free shipping holiday sale - on until December 7, 2005. These items make great gifts and stocking stuffers for pet lovers.

Have some time for a little reading? Grab a cup of coffee and settle down to read some of the wonderful pet stories available in our archive.

Thank you for being a part of our pet-friendly community this year! We wish you and your furry, feathered, and scaled friends a safe & happy Holiday Season. See you again in the New Year!

Angela, Editor
+ Rundle, Tonka, Kimo, and Jasper (the furry support staff)

PET QUOTES

"Cats are absolute individuals, with their own ideas about everything, including the people they own." (John Dingman) "My sunshine doesn't come from the skies, it comes from the love in my dogs eyes." (Author Unknown)

THIS ISSUE'S FEATURED PETS
Photo 1: "Tigier lying down as he drinks his water." Photo 2: "Dakota is ½ Husky and ½ American Staff Terrier. Everyone says he looks like a dingo. Here he is taking advantage of my bed before I had a chance to make it." Karen D., Allison, Ontario
Photo 1: "McDuff (left), a 9 month old Scottish Terrier mix is having a howling good time with his "cousins" Stanley, a Cairn Terrier, and Frankie, a West Highland Terrier!" Photo 2: "'I believe I can fly' ... Madigan, a 5 year old Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier shows off her frisbee catching abilities. Maddy thinks frisbee is a year round sport and enjoys playing in the snow as well!" - Jenny A. of Brampton, Ontario	"Please let me sleep!" 4-year old Sacha loves to lay on his back and fall asleep. - Miriam H. from Valley Forge, PA, USA
Want to show off your pet? Share your cute, funny, or touching photos with our pet-loving crowd. Email your photos in .JPG format, along with a brief caption, your location, and your name, to: newsletter@petfriendly.ca

PET SAFETY FOR THE HOLIDAYS

The holidays are a time for friends, family, and loved ones - pets included! The noise and bustle of the holidays, however, can be confusing to pets. To help keep your pets safe and happy this holiday season: Keep holiday decorations and plants out of harm's way. Poinsettias, mistletoe, and holly, for example, are poisonous to dogs and cats. Keep them out of reach or consider using imitations. No upset stomachs, please! Safely store chocolate out of reach - in sufficient quantities, it can make your pet very ill - and ask guests not to sneak tidbits to your pet (unless they get permission from you to spoil your pet, of course!). Rich foods such as gravy may cause your pet to get an upset tummy. Decorate with your pet in mind: Consider an alternative to tinsel. Tinsel is pretty but if swallowed, can result in an emergency trip to the vet due to intestinal blockage. Does your pet like to chew? Tie extension cords out of harm's way or encase them in a plastic tubing to protect your pet from an unwanted shock. If you dress up your pet for the holidays, ensure any elastics, safety pins, or fasteners are properly secured. Make sure they're all removed with the costume to prevent your pet from licking / swallowing these items. Watch the door! Notify your guests that there are pets in the home so that they do not let them escape out the door. If people are constantly coming and going, consider placing your pet in a secure area with food, water, treats, and a comfy bed. This will help to prevent him from inadvertantly escaping - even the calmest dog can get confused or frightened if there is a lot of activity or new people, sights, and sounds. If your pet does not enjoy noise or meeting new people, this would be a great time to set up a quiet, private area for her until the party's over. Make sure you check in on her once in a while and give her plenty of love!

A RESCUE DOG'S CHRISTMAS POEM (Author Unknown)

Before After 'Tis the night before Christmas and all through the town, Every shelter is full... we're lost, but not found. Our numbers are hung on our kennels so bare, We hope every minute that someone will care. They'll come to adopt us and give us the call, "Come here, Max, or Sparky, come fetch your new ball!" But we sit here and think of the days... We were treated so fondly... we had cute baby ways. Once we were little, then we grew and we grew... Now we're no longer young and we're no longer new. So out the back door we were thrown like the trash, They reacted so quickly... why were they so rash? We "jump on the children," "don't come when they call," We "bark when they leave us," "climb over the wall." We should have been neutered, we should have been spayed, Now we suffer the consequences of the errors THEY made. If only they'd trained us, if only we knew... We'd of done what they asked us and worshipped them too. We were left in the backyard, or worse, left to roam... Now we're tired and lonely and out of a home. They dropped us off here and they kissed us goodbye... "Maybe someone else will give you a try." So here we are, all confused and alone... In a shelter for others who long for a home. The kind workers come through with a meal and a pat, With so many to care for, they can't stay or chat, They move to the next kennel, giving each of us cheer... We know that they wonder how long we'll be here. We lay down to sleep and sweet dreams fill our heads... Of a home filled with love and our own cozy beds. Then we wake to see sad eyes, brimming with tears... Our friends filled with emptiness, worry and fear. If you can't adopt us and there's no room at the Inn... Could you help with the bills and fill our food bin? We count on your kindness each day of the year... Can you give more than hope to everyone here? Please make a donation to pay for the heat... And help get us something special to eat. The shelter that cares for us wants us to live, And more of us will, if more people give. # # # Please consider making a donation to your local SPCA or pet rescue organization. Your donation can help provide a homeless animal with nutritious food, a warm place to sleep, and a chance at a new life. Thank you for caring. - Rundle, Tonka, Kimo and Jasper (the furry 'support staff' at PetFriendly Canada)

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