Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Petlife.
I'm Not Brave
Remarks I have gotten regularly since the beginning of my riding career include "You're so brave!" or "I would never get on that horse!" or even "You're crazy!". While the latter may be true, I struggle daily to explain to fellow riders that I feel the same way as they do when a horse rears up in my face or bolts under saddle. It is not a matter of fear, it is simply a matter of how you choose to respond to the emotion.
By Treble Ranch7 years ago in Petlife
Shelter, Store, or Breeder
When adopting a pet there are generally three options that people choose to go to: an animal shelter, a pet store, and breeders. There are pros and cons to each of these that should always be taken into consideration before adopting your very own fur baby.
By Kristen Knight7 years ago in Petlife
Did You Know that an Animal Can Be Your Nurse
Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays; the food, the cooking, the parade, the ceremony of it all. And I must say, ours is very peaceful and small, but I cook as if there are ten people here when it's really just two of us and our four fur babies, three dogs and one kitty. I love to cook so the cooking and planning is my favorite. I enjoy that as much as I do eating it all. So I'm not so sure what happened a couple of days later, but I got the 24 hour bug as they call it, fully exhausted, feeling sick, and food coming out of both ends if you know what I mean. I was down for the fucking count. The referee said 10! and I was still out.
By Kimm Smith7 years ago in Petlife
Winter Hazards for Your Dogs
First of all, let me begin by saying this is being written from the perspective of a Canadian. So winter is definitely a snowy time of the year. But just because there is snow doesn't mean there is a lack of things to do. For most people, there are just as many activities to do in the winter time as there are in the summer. Considering, in some places, winter is about half the year we've had to get creative.
By Samantha Reid7 years ago in Petlife
I Didn't Rescue Him, He Rescued Me
I recently moved to Missouri, I left my entire life behind me back in Illinois and decided to start new. Goku, a golden lab, was put on Facebook from a family going through a divorce. Neither of them wanted him anymore and they were going to put him down if he did not find a home. Thoughts crossed my mind, what could this dog have done to be treated that way? Is he a big attitude of a dog? No dog deserves to be put down at such a young age. He was a year and a half and healthier than ever. The next thing I knew I had a new pet. He was a little skiddish and constantly put into a cage. I moved into an apartment and he finally became comfortable with me to show his true self. He grew fonder of me as did I with him. He became my cuddle buddy and took up more than half of my queen size bed. He has no sense of a personal bubble as he thinks he needs to be in your face at all times.
By Meghan Swanson7 years ago in Petlife
Why I Needed a Training Collar
We got Jax, a lab mix, from a family who had too many dogs to be able to care for him properly. He would become our first pet we have had in a few years, since our last dog passed away. He instantly became a part of the family and I worked with him daily on commands. He knew the "come" command, but as a puppy, it was only when he wanted to know it. I had been researching training collars online, then the day came that I KNEW I had to get one. My daughters were crossing the road to get on the bus and he ran after them. I had to chase after him and was yelling like a mad lady, which probably was a hilarious sight to the people watching in their vehicles that were stopped for the bus. I came right in to the computer and ordered this training collar. I ordered it because of the good price, the three different modes, it was weather-resistant, and had a 1000 foot range. I was like a kid waiting for Christmas morning and then it finally came. It was easy to set up and I put it on him. I was instantly impressed. He learned very quickly what it meant when it beeped or vibrated.
By Somer Michalski-Jones7 years ago in Petlife
Food Do(n'ts)
There is a lot of speculation on what is OK for our babies and what isn't. Everyone feels they know their baby and to an extent it is true. But more often than not we feed them things that we didn't know were really bad for them. A lot of times, despite what we think we know, we are under-educated. We go off what we know and what we have learned and what we grew up seeing. I was the same way, I have had animals all my life. Cats, Dogs, Rabbits, Snakes, Fish, Turtles, even a hermit crab. I always wanted to grow up to be a veterinarian, have a farm, and lots of land to rescue animals. My dream didn't work out that way, they hardly ever do. But I did become a Vet Assistant, and I learned that a lot of what I THOUGHT I knew wasn't even half of it and a lot of it was wrong.
By Bunny Donham7 years ago in Petlife
Pets and Babies
Pets are strange sometimes. To many people, pets are their children. Some people dress them up. Some people carry them around with them wherever they go. Some people have endless photoshoots with their pets commemorating their lives. And some people go to extremes that I can't even bring to mind at the moment.
By Samantha Reid7 years ago in Petlife