A Little Dog Safety

My friends Willie and Casey - RIP sweet Casey!

This past week I lost two friends from my "Facebook Family of Friends" Emmitt and  Gabe whocrossed the rainbow bridge unexpectedly; I  also lost my little friend Casey who died tragically.  Emmitt and Gabe both crossed the rainbow bridge at the vet's office and passed peacefully across the bridge in a loving and caring way, but poor little Casey had a truly tragic passing. I want to tell you about him. 

Casey went outside in front of his house in the morning with his "daddy" and was snatched by a coyote!  His "daddy" was surprised but was  able to scare the coyote who dropped little 5 pound Casey, but it was too late.  Casey little neck was broken, and he died in his "Daddy's" arms. Casey's pet parents were devastated; his brother Willie couldn't understand what had happened, and his poor "Daddy" felt very guilty. This was in a residential area of Phoenix, Arizona, not in the mountains, wilderness or desert. Casey's death probably could have been prevented if he were on a leash.

So as I promised, I would always offer some Therapy Dog advice; here it is.

• Never, ever let your small pets off leash or out alone.  Even the best trained pet can be unaware of lurking danger. Small pets, especially, can be snatched by a coyote, hawk or owl in a heartbeat.
• Be aware of your surroundings and "Listen"....for danger as well.
• When walking a small dog, always carry something to ward off a possible attack by a coyote or even an aggressive dog.
• Never use a retractable leash and avoid situations where you and your pet encounter another dog on a retractable leash. (I will tell you more about this on another day. You will have to trust me on this one for now.) 

Remember:  Don't shop...Adopt!