A Fire in the Neighborhood Sparks Thoughts of Disaster Preparedness

Keeping these two safe is my number one priority.

On Sunday afternoon as I drove home from the barn where I had a wonderful ride on my good old horse, El Corazon, I saw a white plume of smoke rising over the freeway. As I got closer it became apparent that it was in my neighborhood. After a brief moment of panic I was able to pinpoint the location slightly south of my own home. Very slightly - as it turns out, the fire was only about half a block from me. I went to have a closer look when I took the dogs for a walk - by that time, the fire crews were packing up but there were still crowds of people standing around, a local news station truck, and a fleet of emergency response vehicles.

News of the fire was soon available on Twitter, and more details emerged on the Monday morning news. The fire was caused by an electrical malfunction and four units were damaged. Thankfully, no one was hurt. Photos online showed flames shooting from the roof of the building - I'd been gone for the worst of it, when black smoke was billowing into the sky. The building is nearly identical to mine - six connected two-story units. The trouble with shared walls is that your neighbor's mistake, negligence or misfortune can quickly become your own. 

Fire has always been one of my greatest fears. When I was a kid living in the country in southwestern Colorado, our neighbor's teenage son shot a bottle rocket into our parched pasture in the middle of the summer. My mother and I watched as within seconds, fire spread across the dry field to our shed and chicken coop. It was lucky that we didn't yet have horses, but my brave and heroic mother rescued our chickens and rabbits from the burning building. We had some irreplaceable items stored in the shed, but the animals were the priority and my mom risked her own life for them. She was ill from smoke inhalation for weeks afterward, my rabbits had to live in my bedroom, and one of our hens suffered severe burns to her feet. The memory of that terrifying day and its aftermath has been forever etched in my mind, and the neighborhood fire brought it all to the surface again.

I had a hard time getting to sleep last night as I thought about how ill-prepared I am for disaster, even being as risk oriented and safety conscious as I am (fifteen years in the insurance industry will do that to a person). I thought about what I would do if I had to quickly evacuate, or what would happen if there was an emergency when I wasn't home. Although they are both micro-chipped, the Ginger Sisters don't wear collars in the house. They play rough and I've read too many tragic stories about dogs getting tangled up. With Ruby being a flight risk, I often wonder if I'm making the right choice.

I envisioned getting out of the house quickly with all three animals, the logistics of where I keep their leashes, what I would do with them once outside. Putting them in my car and moving my car to safety would seem like the simplest plan. I usually keep at least one slip lead in my car, but this new train of thought has prompted me to keep a couple in the bedroom as well, since that's where we'd be if something happened in the middle of the night. I have one of those stickers on my front window alerting emergency responders that there are pets inside, but I should have one on the back door as well. It's hard to imagine strangers being able to wrangle Ruby, Boca and Nina, especially with no collars on. This scary event too close to home has definitely inspired me to make some changes. The CDC's Disaster Preparedness For Your Pet is a helpful guide.

What about you? Do you have a plan for your pets in case of fire, flood or other emergency?

Ruby Reviews: Riley's Organics Dog Treats

At the Ginger Sister residence, we like to have lots of yummy, healthy treats around. We use small treats for training, and the girls get larger "cookies" for being members of the Clean Plate Club after meals. Boca aka Miss Lazybones, has also successfully implemented the bedtime cookie routine as the only way to convince her to move from the sofa to the bed if I stay up late watching television! As such, we were delighted to review Riley's Organics dog treats and offer our readers a chance to win some for their dogs.

Riley's offers something for everyone - their treats come in four flavors (Peanut Butter & Molasses, Sweet Potato, Apple, Pumpkin & Coconut) and two sizes (Large and Small). They incorporate natural, USDA Certified Organic ingredients and are made in the USA. Their products are human grade, and I have to admit that this human was very tempted to try the Peanut Butter & Molasses flavor, which smell just like delicious peanut butter cookies!

Ruby and Boca were very excited to sample the treats out on the patio this weekend. I feel good about the simple ingredients - each recipe contains only five or six - some of which even offer health benefits, like the Pumpkin & Coconut (Organic Pumpkin, Organic Oat Flour, Organic  Oats, Organic Peanut Flour, Organic Coconut Oil). They are free of the common allergens wheat, corn and soy. The small bones are perfect for training, and the large bones can be given whole or easily broken into pieces. 

Just a note on Boca's eye: she is recovering well from her conjunctival graft surgery and at our re-check appointment on Saturday the vet was pleased with how things are progressing. She will be wearing the cone collar for another week but was able to enjoy some supervised time without it this weekend, including the photo shoot for this review. I think everyone agrees that she deserves lots of extra treats for all she has been through lately!

Here is your chance to try Riley's Organics - four lucky readers will each win one package of Riley's Human Grade Organic Dog Treats. The giveaway is open to U.S. residents only, and winners will be selected at random.

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Disclaimer: I was provided Riley's Organics dog treats in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own and I only publish reviews for products I feel comfortable using in the day to day life of my pets.

The Meaning of Rescue

Boca ready for her flight off the island - photo courtesy of The Humane Society of Grand Bahama

Inspired once again by my friend Anna's wonderful writing (I'm not kidding, she has a book coming out soon), I wanted to talk about my own experience and the evolution of my thinking regarding rescue, which happened over the course of adopting two rescue dogs. There is a lot of controversy surrounding "rescue" vs. "adopted" and the criticism that people like to throw the term 'rescue' around to feel better about themselves. Some think we should forget our animals' pasts and live in the moment, to stop labeling them as rescues and ourselves as rescuers. There is a lot of in-fighting even among the people who are fighting for a common cause.

To be clear: I did not rescue Ruby and Boca firsthand - I adopted them. The savior credit goes to Ruby's angels, who pulled her from death row in an Arkansas shelter and transported her to Colorado, and Boca's angels, who saved her off the streets of The Bahamas, housed her for a full year and flew her to Denver. They were absolutely delivered from terrible fates, and I am forever grateful to the wings both literal and figurative that flew them home to me. I will always refer to them as rescues, as a tribute to those who saved them and what they have overcome.

What I didn't fully understand about rescue, despite having volunteered, transported and fostered for Norwegian Elkhound Rescue, is the shoestring budget they are normally operating on, the extremes of abuse and neglect that they witness on a regular basis, and the level of dedication they have to their customers - the animals. They aren't in business to make sure you get a perfect dog, but to make sure the dog gets a forever home. You can hardly blame them if they seem overprotective or ask a lot of questions - they have seen the worst of the worst.

Ruby at the dog pound in Arkansas - photo courtesy of Arkansas Angels for Animals

A few days after adopting Ruby, I found a tick in her ear, followed by two more on her back. I was somewhat horrified, to be honest. I didn't understand how the vet that had performed her spay had missed them, or how she had been released to me in this condition. I had always adopted animals from big fancy shelters, where my pets were sent home with free vet checks, obedience classes and a goodie bags. I contacted the adoption coordinator to let her know about the ticks, and she apologized but didn't seem to think it was a big deal. Ruby's icky freeloaders were evicted with no ill effects, and as a bonus I am now really good at removing them!

I was later humbled as I realized why it wasn't a big deal. I started following the efforts of the rescues and shelters that were instrumental in saving The Ginger Sisters' lives. I saw picture after picture on Facebook of the desperate dogs they were trying to help. These were not animals that were relinquished because someone was moving and kenneled in state-of-the-art, well-funded shelters. These were animals that were skinny and starving, badly injured, bald with mange. If they had ever had a home, they had now been dumped on a highway or abandoned on a chain. They roamed the streets of the south, the Caribbean and rural Colorado. They probably had ticks, and ticks were the least of their problems.

I will repeat what Anna says: rescue is not for everyone. The sad story dog is not the instant gratification dog. As much as I am an advocate for adoption and nearly always encourage anyone I know to rescue or adopt, I am the first to admit that it can be hard. It takes patience, creativity, and a willingness to let go of expectations. I met someone at an event recently who said their friend had also adopted a potcake, but was mad because the dog turned out to be partially blind. It's true: a rescue dog might come with some unwelcome hitchhikers, be leash-reactive, or have an eye problem. There are no guarantees with a rescue dog except one: they will love you and change you for life. Not because they're a rescue, but because they're a dog and that is what they do best.