I hope everyone had a nice Christmas with their families including their Jack Russell pets. Most people take off a few days at Christmas/New Year’s to spend time doing the things they love. This is an ideal time to bond with your pet.
Unfortunately, there are some pet owners (former) that decide after Christmas & New Year’s that their new pet is not fitting into their family structure. The dog may have grown a bit and is not as cute as it was on Christmas morning.
Early in Jan09, a jogger found a dog near a park close to death. He rushed it to the vet where a small paralysis tick (common in agricultural areas) was found. It had attached itself under the skin of his front leg. The toxins in the tick had caused an ascending paralysis. Had the dog not been rescued, the dog would have died as the toxins would have paralyzed the muscles in his chest, causing him to stop breathing.
After the vet stabilized him, he was then transferred to the Lost Dog’s Home veterinary clinic for further treatment and observation. This poor dog’s life hung in the balance for three days. The owner never came forward to claim the dog. He had no tags and was not micro-chipped. Luckily he has now found a new home.
The holiday period is the highest time in the year when families decide to take on ownership of a new puppy or kitten. Unfortunately the message, ” A pet is for life, not just for Christmas” that has been promoted over the last decade, is clearly not getting through to some people.
When pets grow up and become more of a commitment, some people decide ownership is not for them and they simply dump their pets.
Pups and Kittens need to be properly socialized from the start. Dog’s need to be walked regularly and the owner should invest in basic training. New animals need to be micro chipped and de-sexed.
I hope that all owners (of Jack Russell Terriers & all other pets) have made a New Years Resolutions to treat your Pet with more tender, loving care by ensuring that they are properly trained, fed adequately, micro chipped, de-sexed and have proper Identification on them at all times.
Pet ownership is a two way street; if you take care of your pet; he will always be your companion and will enjoy 2009 as much as you do!
