DOG ARTICLES
Save a life during “National Adopt a Shelter Dog Month”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Did you know that there are over 10 million adoptable animals entering our nation’s
shelters each year just waiting for a family to call their own? According to the ASPCA
approximately 5-9 million of these animals are euthanized in our shelters every year due
to overcrowding. Help save a life this October during “National Adopt a Shelter Dog
Month”!
Welcoming a new dog into your home and your heart can bring years of happiness for all
involved. Before you adopt, please make sure that you can give a lifelong commitment to
a new dog by considering the following:
• Research different breeds and temperaments. Do you have small children, live in an
apartment, like to be active? While individual dogs have unique personalities, learning a
little about the breed may help narrow down your choices, even in the case of mixed
breeds.
• How much time will you have to spend with your dog? Dogs that are left alone for long
periods of time can be destructive and develop separation anxiety. If you are away a lot
this may not be the best time to bring a new dog into your home.
• Manners please! Some shelter dogs come with their own set of baggage and
behavioral problems. Even if they don’t, it is important to enroll your new dog in a basic
obedience class to ensure you can enjoy your dog’s company no matter where you take
him.
• A healthy dog is a happy dog. Regular visits to the veterinarian are necessary for the
health of your dog. Unexpected visits are also par for the course when you own a dog,
so make sure you are ready for the financial commitment as much as the emotional
commitment of having a dog.
• Bringing home your new family member. Make your dog feel welcome in his new home
by stocking up on some basic supplies before bringing him home. A new collar and leash,
food, dog bowl, crate or dog bed and some fun toys are a good start.
What can you do to help if you are not in the position to adopt a dog at this time? Help a
dog find a loving home by contributing your time or money to your local shelter. Part of
the reason that shelters are overcrowded is the fact that they don’t have enough
volunteers to help with administrative tasks and adoption events. Another option that is
often overlooked is fostering a dog while it is awaiting adoption. Thousands of dogs were
stranded during Hurricane Katrina and foster homes are still needed. This can free up
more space in the shelter and also provides a comforting atmosphere for a dog. Even the
best shelter can be a stressful place for a scared dog, so why not offer your home as a
temporary reprieve?
While October is dedicated as National Adopt a Shelter Dog Month, help is needed all
year for the millions of dogs that remain in our shelters. To learn more about this cause
you can visit the ASPCA, Petfinder or your local shelter. Lives are depending on us!
About the author: Kimberly Zlatin is a freelance copywriter and entrepreneur. She owns
and runs www.barkslope.co m, an online dog boutique offering dog clothes, dog carriers,
dog beds, and more. Kimberly can be contacted at kimberly@barkslope.com or 773-572-
8222.
Hurricane Katrina: A Lesson in Emergency Preparedness for You and
Your Dog
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Heart wrenching images of Hurricane Katrina’s four- legged victims are too much for most
of us to bear. Fortunately the majority of people around the country have their loving
companions next to them while they are watching the devastating news of dogs left to
fend for themselves and people making the choice of their pet or their own rescue. A
disaster such as Hurricane Katrina is not a common occurrence, but it does bring up
important questions about what you would do with your dog if an emergency did arise in
your household and you were unable to return to your home. Some important facts to
keep in mind:
• Is your dog microchipped? The majority of shelters have a scanning device that can
read the microchip that is placed under your dog’s skin. The microchip carries important
identifying information for your dog and can be provided at many shelters and vet’s
offices for a nominal fee in a matter of seconds.
• Make sure your dog has a collar with updated identification tags. This is a simple way
for people to contact you if your dog has been found.
• Find out where lost dogs are taken in your neighborhood. Some cities have a central
location where dogs are placed for the first 24-48 hours before being relocated to area
shelters. Save yourself time by doing a little research now!
• Have a sign in your window so emergency personnel know that there is a pet inside
your home that needs to be rescued.
• Have a designated person(s) to check in on your pet in case of an emergency. Give
them a list of reputable boarding facilities just in case they are not able to take your dog
into their own home.
• Where are your local emergency vet clinics? You do not want to be scrambling for this
information when your dog needs immediate care.
• Is your dog up to date on vaccinations? If your dog is placed in a shelter, boarding
facility, or lost on the street you want to make sure that he is protected against diseases
that he would not otherwise be exposed to in your home.
• Where can you go with your dog if you must leave your home unexpectedly? Keep a list
of dog-friendly hotels so you know where you can go if you are unable to stay in your
home.
• Bring familiar objects for your dog. If possible, grab a favorite toy or dog bed with
familiar scents that can reduce anxiety in a stressful situation.
• Never underestimate the power of the internet! Email yourself or a friend a picture of
your dog so you have a picture available to post in case of separation. You can send the
picture to local shelters and websites such as Craigslist.com or Petfinder.com.
A little advanced planning on your part could be the difference between a happy reunion
or heartache for you and your dog. While we all pray that we will never need to use this
information, having it on hand as a quick reference can bring some peace of mind in an
emergency situation.
Kimberly Zlatin is a freelance copywriter and entrepreneur. She owns and runs www.
barkslope. com, an online dog boutique selling dog clothes, dog carriers, dog beds and
more. Kimberly can be contacted at 773-572-8222.
Contact Information
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
email: info@barkslope.com
phone: 773-572-8222
web: http://www.barkslope.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Did you know that there are over 10 million adoptable animals entering our nation’s
shelters each year just waiting for a family to call their own? According to the ASPCA
approximately 5-9 million of these animals are euthanized in our shelters every year due
to overcrowding. Help save a life this October during “National Adopt a Shelter Dog
Month”!
Welcoming a new dog into your home and your heart can bring years of happiness for all
involved. Before you adopt, please make sure that you can give a lifelong commitment to
a new dog by considering the following:
• Research different breeds and temperaments. Do you have small children, live in an
apartment, like to be active? While individual dogs have unique personalities, learning a
little about the breed may help narrow down your choices, even in the case of mixed
breeds.
• How much time will you have to spend with your dog? Dogs that are left alone for long
periods of time can be destructive and develop separation anxiety. If you are away a lot
this may not be the best time to bring a new dog into your home.
• Manners please! Some shelter dogs come with their own set of baggage and
behavioral problems. Even if they don’t, it is important to enroll your new dog in a basic
obedience class to ensure you can enjoy your dog’s company no matter where you take
him.
• A healthy dog is a happy dog. Regular visits to the veterinarian are necessary for the
health of your dog. Unexpected visits are also par for the course when you own a dog,
so make sure you are ready for the financial commitment as much as the emotional
commitment of having a dog.
• Bringing home your new family member. Make your dog feel welcome in his new home
by stocking up on some basic supplies before bringing him home. A new collar and leash,
food, dog bowl, crate or dog bed and some fun toys are a good start.
What can you do to help if you are not in the position to adopt a dog at this time? Help a
dog find a loving home by contributing your time or money to your local shelter. Part of
the reason that shelters are overcrowded is the fact that they don’t have enough
volunteers to help with administrative tasks and adoption events. Another option that is
often overlooked is fostering a dog while it is awaiting adoption. Thousands of dogs were
stranded during Hurricane Katrina and foster homes are still needed. This can free up
more space in the shelter and also provides a comforting atmosphere for a dog. Even the
best shelter can be a stressful place for a scared dog, so why not offer your home as a
temporary reprieve?
While October is dedicated as National Adopt a Shelter Dog Month, help is needed all
year for the millions of dogs that remain in our shelters. To learn more about this cause
you can visit the ASPCA, Petfinder or your local shelter. Lives are depending on us!
About the author: Kimberly Zlatin is a freelance copywriter and entrepreneur. She owns
and runs www.barkslope.co m, an online dog boutique offering dog clothes, dog carriers,
dog beds, and more. Kimberly can be contacted at kimberly@barkslope.com or 773-572-
8222.
Hurricane Katrina: A Lesson in Emergency Preparedness for You and
Your Dog
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Heart wrenching images of Hurricane Katrina’s four- legged victims are too much for most
of us to bear. Fortunately the majority of people around the country have their loving
companions next to them while they are watching the devastating news of dogs left to
fend for themselves and people making the choice of their pet or their own rescue. A
disaster such as Hurricane Katrina is not a common occurrence, but it does bring up
important questions about what you would do with your dog if an emergency did arise in
your household and you were unable to return to your home. Some important facts to
keep in mind:
• Is your dog microchipped? The majority of shelters have a scanning device that can
read the microchip that is placed under your dog’s skin. The microchip carries important
identifying information for your dog and can be provided at many shelters and vet’s
offices for a nominal fee in a matter of seconds.
• Make sure your dog has a collar with updated identification tags. This is a simple way
for people to contact you if your dog has been found.
• Find out where lost dogs are taken in your neighborhood. Some cities have a central
location where dogs are placed for the first 24-48 hours before being relocated to area
shelters. Save yourself time by doing a little research now!
• Have a sign in your window so emergency personnel know that there is a pet inside
your home that needs to be rescued.
• Have a designated person(s) to check in on your pet in case of an emergency. Give
them a list of reputable boarding facilities just in case they are not able to take your dog
into their own home.
• Where are your local emergency vet clinics? You do not want to be scrambling for this
information when your dog needs immediate care.
• Is your dog up to date on vaccinations? If your dog is placed in a shelter, boarding
facility, or lost on the street you want to make sure that he is protected against diseases
that he would not otherwise be exposed to in your home.
• Where can you go with your dog if you must leave your home unexpectedly? Keep a list
of dog-friendly hotels so you know where you can go if you are unable to stay in your
home.
• Bring familiar objects for your dog. If possible, grab a favorite toy or dog bed with
familiar scents that can reduce anxiety in a stressful situation.
• Never underestimate the power of the internet! Email yourself or a friend a picture of
your dog so you have a picture available to post in case of separation. You can send the
picture to local shelters and websites such as Craigslist.com or Petfinder.com.
A little advanced planning on your part could be the difference between a happy reunion
or heartache for you and your dog. While we all pray that we will never need to use this
information, having it on hand as a quick reference can bring some peace of mind in an
emergency situation.
Kimberly Zlatin is a freelance copywriter and entrepreneur. She owns and runs www.
barkslope. com, an online dog boutique selling dog clothes, dog carriers, dog beds and
more. Kimberly can be contacted at 773-572-8222.
Contact Information
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
email: info@barkslope.com
phone: 773-572-8222
web: http://www.barkslope.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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