Pink Pooches In The Park This Saturday!

If you’re looking for something to do this Saturday at 2PM, head on over to Beban Dog Park and join the Pink Pooches in the Park.  This dog walk’s purpose is to raise awareness for the CIBC Run For The Cure.

RSVP to the Facebook Event

Nanaimo Daily News Article

 

Have You Seen This Pug?

Charlotte is a 3 year old female Pug who went missing in Departure Bay on Friday, June 3rd around 3 PM.  She is a much loved family member and her people are doing everything they can think of to get her back home.  If you have any knowledge of her whereabouts or a clue as to what might have happened to her, please leave a message here or phone 250-667-6384.  If you see a dog you think might be Charlotte running loose, try calling her, as she is quite friendly.

$20 Molly Challenge

NanaimoDogParks.ca is challenging Nanaimo dog lovers to donate $20 to help cover Molly’s vet bills.  Molly, a 2 year old German Wirehair Pointer, was dragged half a kilometre behind a truck. She was brought to Island Vet last Saturday and is being treated for injuries that make parts of her legs look like ground meat. She is expected to recover, although the Nanaimo SPCA estimates that her treatment will cost around $4000.

Dragged Behind A Truck

This video contains fairly graphic footage of what happens when some [CENSORED]  [CENSORED] [CENSORED] individual drags a dog behind a truck for about half a kilometre. 

We Donated $20; You Should, Too!

NanaimoDogParks.ca has donated $20 towards Molly’s treatment. We’re challenging Nanaimo dog lovers to do the same.

Why $20?

$20 is an affordable donation for many people.  If 200 people donate $20, most of Molly’s bills can be paid, leaving the SPCA funds free for other needy pets.  Also, we’re pretty sure that you get some kind of good-guy karma out of that. For donations of $20 or more, the SPCA will mail you out a handy receipt the amount you gave.  You can then get that amount chopped off your taxes next year!  Excitement!

I can’t afford $20.  😦

Can you afford $10?  $5? $2?  Partner up with friends, family and co-workers who also can’t afford a lot, but who can chip in a buck or two to the pot.

I want to donate more than $20!

That’s awesome!  Join the challenge and dare your friends and family to match or beat your donation!

How can I donate to the Nanaimo SPCA?

You can donate by credit card to the Nanaimo SPCA here.  For people who are not up for sending their credit card information over the Internet, just drop by the Nanaimo SPCA at 2200 Labieux Road or phone them at 250.758.8444.  While Molly is currently at Island Veterinary Hospital, they are not taking donations for her treatment and urge everyone with an interest in her case to direct funding to the Nanaimo SPCA.

What does my donation help pay for?

What your donation will pay for is the continued treatment of Molly’s injuries.  If you’ve seen the video above, you’ll know that her legs and some of her body look like so much ground hamburger.  The road rash goes right down to things that should never see the light of day, like tendons and bones.

Molly’s going to need skin grafts.  Her surgery, which will remove necrotic tissue and other nasties, is another big expense.

Despite the best efforts of the team at Island Vet to treat the injuries and remove ground-in dirt, sand and the bacteria-laden crap that lies on pretty much every road on the planet, Molly is going to need a lot of antibiotics and painkillers.  She will also need to have medical treatment if secondary infections pop up.  It will be a while before Molly is completely on the mend and not needing medical care.

How do I know my donation will go to Molly?

You can specify on the phone or in person that your donation go to Molly’s treatment.  However, the coffers of the SPCA are kind of one big pool – donations go into it and medical bills are paid out of it.  Your donation helps Molly because it adds to that pool and makes it possible for the SPCA to pay for Molly’s treatment and  the other regular bills that sick and injured animals incur.  If the amount of Molly donations surpass what Molly needs, they will go to help out other needy pets.

What an awesome badge!  I wish I had a badge like that.

Donate $20 or contribute to a $20 donation and you can have this badge for free.  Put it on your Facebook!  Put it on your website!

Please link back to this page if you use this image.  Here’s how to link to this page and to the image:

Facebook: Include the link http://nanaimodogparks.ca/2011/06/09/20-molly-challenge/ in the Add A Description section or comments if you upload this picture on Facebook. Or, just link to this page on Facebook in the regular way and tell people why you’re doing it!

Twitter:  Add http://goo.gl/xDzg5 to your Tweet!  It will take readers right to the blog post.

Website/blog:  Toss this link into your HTML: <a href=”http://nanaimodogparks.ca/2011/06/09/20-molly-challenge/”><img src = “https://nanaimodogparks.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/mollysm.png”></a&gt;

Aggression in the Dog Park

What do you do when your dog shows aggression towards another dog at the dog park? While some people say that a single instance of ‘unprovoked’ aggression is grounds for keeping your dog away from the dog park, we don’t think that this is necessarily the solution.  A measured approach to your dog’s behaviour and comfort is a better way of both enjoying the dog park and ensuring that your dog does not decrease others’ enjoyment.

Sometimes, things just don't go well.

Before entering the dog park, think: is your dog in the right frame of mind and body to be comfortable?  Bitches in heat, dogs recovering from injuries or illness, dogs newly adopted, dogs that have been recently seriously attacked by another dog should be kept away from off-leash areas until they are fully recovered, have a strong bond with their owners and are not nervous or threatened by other dogs.

When your dog is in the dog park, be active in ascertaining their situation. What is the dog’s body language like?  Are there things that could provoke an aggressive incident at the dog park, like toys/balls/food?  Are there children in the dog park and is your dog okay with that?  Are there dogs ganging up on your dog?  Is your dog ganging up on another dog?  Is your dog or another dog being rude?

Just because your dog has come into the dog park hundreds of times before does not mean that there is no potential for aggression.  We don’t always know what is going to piss a dog off.  With dozens of dogs coming in and out of an off-leash area, personality conflicts are bound to happen.  Even if your dog doesn’t start something, they might get involved in something.

Most aggression in the dog park is mild.  A snarl or a snap is a dog’s way of saying, “Dude, get the hell out of my space; you’re bothering me.”  Most dogs will express aggression just enough to get another dog out of their face.  Some dogs might take it further, chasing the other dog or pinning it to the ground.

It takes two dogs to make a fight, so knowing how your dog reacts to another dog telling them to piss off is important.  With some dogs, ‘trash talk’ (snarling, growling, snapping) can escalate into an actual damaging fight if people don’t intervene before the fight starts.  If your dog is involved in a potential conflict, don’t stand there if you can get your dog away without being bitten. (This post is not going to go into if a fight actually develops; that’s for another post.)

Sometimes just calling each dog over and taking them to other parts of the park to cool off is enough for them to forget all about their conflict.  Putting your dog in a down-stay can be effective if they aren’t mobbed by other dogs.  Sometimes, if your dog seems excessively stressed or defensive, taking them completely out of the dog park is the best thing for all concerned.  Let them have some time away from other dogs and then you can try again.

HOWEVER:

If you notice that your dog is starting to escalate aggression – going from a snap or growl to full-on physical aggression mode in response to minor conflicts, for example – it may be time to take them out of the dog park altogether.  You might decide to do this after one serious incident that you don’t want repeated.  You might decide to do this after several minor incidents that show a pattern.

Your dog doesn’t have to cause actual damage to be a stressor in the dog park.   If they are bullying other dogs with excessive dominance displays or attacking other dogs over who gets to use the water bucket first, they are not contributing positively to the dog park atmosphere.  This is why you need to keep an eye on your dog, so that you know what happened, what dogs it happened with and whether your dog was the aggressor.

If your dog causes serious damage to another person or dog, think before allowing him or her back into the park, even if your dog didn’t start the conflict.  Many dogs can become excessively defensive after a serious fight.  Make sure that your dog is calm and happy about meeting other dogs before allowing them back into the park.

While some people might view a dog’s behaviour as a reflection on its owner’s, don’t allow ego to get in the way of making the dog park a better place.  Some dogs just don’t get along with other dogs.  Some dogs are just not sociable.  Some dogs may not start a fight, but will end it very badly if provoked.

If your dog is causing a problem by being aggressive, it’s better to hang outside of the park so your dog can enjoy the company of other dogs without being involved in unpleasant incidents.  There are also a number of on-lead walks in Nanaimo and area that you can enjoy with your dog.