Animal Expert USA

Diana L Guerrero Teaches What You Need to Noah-bout Wild & Domestic Animals!

Animal Disaster Preparedness: Is Your Pet Ready?

Animal-disaster-rescue

Are you ready for disaster? 

How about your pet?!

Pets rely on you--so don't let them down. And if you haven't taken the time to explore just what you would need to do for an unexpected disaster--do so.

I've written about this a number of times, you can even discover some high tech disaster preparedness tips or see what is in my animal disaster guide (still available to my subscribers for free) from my blog.
 
If you are interested in animal's who have predicted disasters see my musings on seismic sentries.

I hope this has been helpful.

Need to find me, track me down by visiting my animal expert site.

Walt Disney World's Pet Resort

Wdw-pet-resort-lg

 

You might not know about the new Walt Disney World's Pet Resort--which opened on September 1, 2010.

There has been a bit of buzz around it and I can say that Disney has the money and talent to really take things to a new level--and they tend to be a good business to watch if you are wondering about any trends.

In this case, the trend is towards being more pet friendly since more and more pets travel with their owners (an estimated 29 million annually).

If you want to check out some photos visit the Disney blog about the Luxury Pet Resort  and the early announcement made in about the pet resort in June with some other snaps.

From the official press release:

The one-of-a-kind resort comprises more than 50,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor space, including 17,000 square feet of air-conditioned indoor space, 10,000 square feet of covered outdoor runs and play areas, and an expansive private dog park exclusively for the use of pet resort clients and their dogs.  

The facility will accommodate up to 270 dogs and 30 cats for both daytime and overnight boarding.  A wide selection of suite choices for dogs includes air-conditioned indoor rooms, 48-square-foot indoor-outdoor suites, and four expansive VIP (very important pet) suites with television, raised bedding and private outdoor yards.  

Feline guests will spend their visit in the separate "Kitty City" pavilion -- away from the dogs -- in two and four-room condos.  All suites and condos are designed to provide comfort and privacy and will be cleaned daily with hospital-grade disinfectants.

The resort's exclusive dog park features a fenced walking trail bordering the natural wetlands around the park.  Inside the trail, guests can choose from a variety of different play areas, including a 3,300 square-foot area covered in artificial turf, a 4,500 square-foot area with shade trees, and a 1,300 square-foot "canines only" water park.  There are several large areas for owners to sit, relax and watch their dogs play.  The entire park is secured from outsiders and is illuminated for use after dark.

 

Other features of the resort include: a grooming salon, which will provide go-home-fresh baths and haircuts for pets; two 1,100 square-foot "camp rooms" for play group and doggy day camp, each opening onto an outdoor play-yard; and a special facility for the boarding of "pocket pets," such as hamsters, guinea pigs, rabbits and ferrets.

Pet parents can choose from a wide range of a la carte activities for pet guests from one-on-one playtimes and social playgroup with other doggy guests, to cuddle time and bedtime stories with staff.  Additional amenities and upgrades include Ice Cream Treats, Bottled Water and Premium/Orthopedic Bedding. Feline guests can also enjoy private playtimes, activity toys in their suites, and treats such as Cookies and Milk or Tuna on a Ritz.

I expect to see more and more companies adapting to the increase in pet parent demands--how about you?

Looking for me? Visit my animal expert site. 

 

Urban Wildlife Bear in Putnam County Neighborhood in New York

Where I live bears are often nearby and amble into town to raid trash cans or on their way to get water from the lake. As we encroach more and more into the territory of animals and fail to construct corridors for them to travel safely, the encounters will only continue to rise.

Although a lot of folks want to see wildlife up close, it is usually not a good idea. 

Habituated animals are the ones that become a problem when they are fed or desensitized to humans.

This bear story hit the news this week, and you can see the video of the urban bear walking in the neighborhood.

It is exciting to most people and very scary to others but here are some urban black bear tips for getting along with the local bruins--check it out if you want to avoid problems.

If you are looking for me, find me over on my animal expert site.

Wedding Trends & Pets

Photobucket

This week I came across a few articles about pet weddings out in cyberspace.

Many people are just discovering that they can include their pets safely and without mishap in their own weddings and so more and more people choose to do so.

This is not a new trend and when I wrote, Blessing of the Animals: A Guide to Prayers & Ceremonies Celebrating Pets & Other Creatures, I included a whole section on pet wedding ceremonies and released tips and hints to successful human ceremonies with pet participation.

At the moment I am working on rounding up a few fun articles for you but in the meantime, if you visit my animal expert site you can find a variety of them in the archives or in the Evergreen Topics section.

Lies about Cat Overpopulation Stats Exposed

Do you remember the pet overpopulation statistic, once published by the Humane Society of the United States and other groups?

That number is still spread by many local animal welfare organizations and cat spay/neuter advocacy groups.

If you are not sure about what I am talking about, the number refers to the offspring of a single unspayed cat which was that within five years might add up to 420,000 cats.

Christie Keith did a great job on this article and had a mathematician run the numbers in a couple of different ways PLUS  he also consulted a number of experts in veterinary medicine and wildlife management.

The real number? Somewhere between a low of 98 and a high of 5,000 cats in seven years.

That is a big difference! Read the entire cat overpopulation article here: http://www.sfgate.com/columns/yourwholepet/#ixzz0x0kxOGU1

Looking for me? Visit my animal expert site.