Category: Global

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Review: The Story of a Seagull and the Cat Who Taught her to Fly by Luis Sepulved

Allison Helps Cats

Titles intrigue me. Consider for example: The Story of a Seagull and the Cat Who Taught her to Fly. Immediately, the title prompts all kinds of questions: How can a cat teach a seagull to fly? I’d like to know, wouldn’t you? Or when is the last time I have read a book about a seagull? Books abound about dogs and cats, to a lesser extent about mice and rats, but not so much about birds. Among those, when is the last time I have read a book that is not about a lost or stranded animal seeking its owner? … Continue reading Review: The Story of a Seagull and the Cat Who Taught her to Fly by Luis Sepulved

Allison, Books, Care, Enrichment, Global, Guest Posts, Other Animals, Owners, SocializationLeave a comment

Review: H is for Hawk by Helen MacDonald

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Pawsome Reads Book Club is an online Facebook book club for like minded pet owners and animal enthusiasts who appreciate the bond between humans and their animal companions. A friendly community, the only rules are nominated books must relate to pets or animal/human and that members must treat each other with kindness. Featured books are discussed by sharing of thoughts and findings with no personal details of members shared. This post carries reviews from host Catherine Smith and from member Marcy Graybill of the club’s featured reads H is for Hawk. CATHERINE’S REVIEW H is for Hawk is a beautifully crafted … Continue reading Review: H is for Hawk by Helen MacDonald

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Online Pet Scams

Allison Helps Cats

If you’re thinking about adding a new pet to your family, be on your guard against online pet scams. According to a study conducted by the Better Business Bureau, as much as 80% of paid advertisements about pets may be fake. The BBB Scam Tracker has 907 reports on pet scams, and the Federal Trade Commission has 37,000 complaints involving pets brought online. The BBB says that it’s understandable why pet scams are so pervasive. Pet ownership has been growing in popularity, with the selection of a pet being viewed as the first step toward bringing a pet into the … Continue reading Online Pet Scams

Advocating, Allison, Books, Dogs, Global, Owners, Training2 Comments

Review: Grieving the Loss of a Pet by Betty Carmack

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Years ago, I bought Grieving the Death of a Pet by Betty Carmack because the topic interested me. When I recently lost my cat of eight years, I picked it up again to once again find comfort in it. The first few weeks after Lucy’s death, the personal stories of owners who had also suffered loss filled me with such uncontrollable grief that I had to put the book back on my shelf. Now, two months later, I’ve finally been able to read Grieving the Death of a Pet in its entirety. In the chapter about love, Carmack addresses the … Continue reading Review: Grieving the Loss of a Pet by Betty Carmack

Advocating, Allison, Books, Dogs, Global, Owners, TrainingLeave a comment

Review: Mine for Keeps by Jean Little

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Mine for Keeps by Jean Little is a long-time favorite book of mine. Little so perfectly captures the emotions of her characters that all readers will relate to them, whether they’re the intended audience of elementary-school children or forty-something-year-old adults like me. Mine for Keeps, along with Little’s other stories about young people with disabilities, remains among the best fiction out there on the topic. As an additional perk, Little’s books are set in Canada. The main character of Mine for Keeps has cerebral palsy. While Sal’s experiences might differ from mine, her feelings continually resonated with me. Take for … Continue reading Review: Mine for Keeps by Jean Little

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Book Reviews from Pawsome Reads

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Catherine Smith is a pet owner, artist, and entrepreneur. She founded Muttleys, a fully-insured and professional First Aid Trainer, Dog Walker, and Pet Care Service provider based in Nottingham in the United Kingdom. She also started Pawsome Reads Book Club. This post carries reviews from her of two of the club’s featured reads. Maggie the Wunderdog follows the life to date of Maggie from her humble beginnings as a street dog in Beirut, through her journey of adversity to a loving forever home in the United Kingdom  with author of the book Kasey Carlin. I was a little apprehensive about … Continue reading Book Reviews from Pawsome Reads

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Review: The World of Farley Mowat

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Published in 1980, there are nine sections to The World of Farley Mowat, each of which contains excerpts from one of more of Mowat’s published writings. Selections are grouped in chronological order. As such, given how much of Mowat’s writings were based on his own life, The World of Farley Mowat not only provides readers exposure to a variety of his writings but also a glimpse into his personal life. Indeed, the autobiographical sections are my favorite. These include Saskatchewan, Tide of War, parts of Northern Territories, Siberia, and parts of The Rock and The Deeps. Although his childhood life … Continue reading Review: The World of Farley Mowat

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Review: Newfoundland Pony Tales By Marian Brake

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The idea for Newfoundland Pony Tales came to author Marion Brake when she visited the Newfoundland Pony Refuge in Change Islands and could not find a children’s book about the pony in the town’s visitor’s center. To meet that need, Brake decided to write her own. The result was a collection of stories about the ponies, with an introduction about the sanctuary. The illustrations by professional artist Cassandra Gallant are gorgeous, while the semi-interconnected tales are cute and left me wanting more. Newfoundland Pony Tales starts out by introducing Tia, the oldest Newfoundland Pony on Change Island. Her owners could no … Continue reading Review: Newfoundland Pony Tales By Marian Brake

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COVID-19 & Our Pets

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In this time of uncertainty, there is reassuring news. According to both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American Veterinarian Medical Association (AVMA), there is no evidence that pets can spread COVID-19. The CDC website states that coronaviruses are a large family of viruses, of which some cause illness in people and some cause illness in animals. However, the coronaviruses that infect animals rarely infect people. While the first infection of COVID-19 (and its predecessor SARS) has been linked to a live animal market, CDC added that public health officials do not actually know the exact … Continue reading COVID-19 & Our Pets