Perhaps it’s the weather that’s making me feel so philosophical. Maybe I’m just tired. Or perhaps it’s just old age.
In Brief Legal Writing Services mascot Eli catching up on the latest news. Photo by Alexandra Bogdanovic
For whatever reason, I’ve recently been thinking not only about the values my parents instilled in me, but also about the life lessons I’ve learned from my cats. So without further ado and in no particular order of importance, here they are:
Forgive but don’t ever forget
Loyalty and respect must be earned
Trust is a precious commodity
So is unconditional love
When someone hurts you, take a breath, step back and evaluate whether or not your own actions prompted that behavior
Physical scars may fade with time, but emotional scars don’t
Compassion is not just a human trait
Persistence pays off
Sometimes you have to yell louder than everyone else in order to be heard
Every day is an adventure
Being really cute can get you out of lots of trouble
Being really cute can get you into lots of trouble
Never let anyone know how clever you really are
Never follow orders without thinking about it first
Let everyone else think they’re really smart
Annual checkups are highly overrated
Road trips aren’t always what they’re cracked up to be
Getting enough rest is super-important
So is friendship
Life can be really hard and scary sometimes…
But no matter what, you just gotta have faith that everything will be okay…
Official disclaimer: I am not a crazy cat lady. For one thing, I only have one cat. For another, I harbor no illusions that he is my “child,” and I do not treat him as such. Eli is definitely a cat.
Having said that, after living with him for more than nine years, I’ve come to the conclusion that he’s a genius. Seriously. This is one scary smart cat.
How do I know? Simple. Through personal observation, that’s how.
Anecdotal evidence
The other day for example, my 11-ish, (possibly) Birman/American Shorthair mix, was clearly looking for something when he came into the living room. He’d already eaten, but I knew there were some leftovers on his saucer and asked him if he wanted his “crumbs.” He promptly went to the spot where he usually eats, and didn’t find his saucer there. So he came and sat in front of me.
In Brief Legal Writing Services mascot Eli catching up on the latest news. Photo by Alexandra Bogdanovic
“Go on,” I told him. “Go and find your crumbs.” I didn’t point him in any particular direction. I didn’t tell him where they were. I simply told him to go find them. And he did.
In past posts, I’ve shared how I taught Eli to sit, so I won’t do so again. However, it’s interesting to note that while he does sit on command, he usually sits when he wants to. To me, this is a sure sign of intelligence. He thinks about it. If it’s in his best interest to plop his butt on the floor, that’s what he does. If he doesn’t feel like it, I can tell him to sit until the cows come home and it won’t make a bit of difference. Like I said, Eli is definitely a cat.
A few other things of interest:
If I tell Eli to go to his “number two person,” he goes to my mom.
If she tells him to find his “number one person,” he comes to me.
If I ask him to “show me out,” he goes to the door.
He comes when he’s called (if it suits him)
Room for debate
Of course, there’s always room for debate. And there’s been plenty of debate about just how intelligent our pets are. There’s been plenty of debate about how much they really understand, how much they remember and how much self-awareness they truly have.
Skeptics say that dogs and cats don’t really understand what we’re saying. They say that our pets only understand body language and tone of voice.
Personally I believe that our pets do understand those things. I know for a fact that they understand and appreciate the love and kindness that we share with them. As living, breathing creatures, they need those things.
Many years ago, I saw Patrick Stewart star in a one-man theater production of A Christmas Carol. It was phenomenal. He was phenomenal. In fact, the performance moved me to tears…
And while that performance left no doubt that he is a fantastic actor, a recent news article left me with no doubt that he is much more. He is a fantastic human being.
Speaking as someone whose interactions with professional athletes made me cynical extremely cynical about celebrities, that’s saying a lot.
A man and his dog
The story to which I’m referring is the one about Stewart and Ginger. Ginger is a dog that Stewart and his wife are fostering. But she’s not just any dog. She’s a pit bull. And she’s clearly wormed her way into the actor’s heart.
As he tells the media: “I find that my relationship to the world and to the news every day in the papers and on the television has been changed by Ginger, because she has brought such a quality of patience and tolerance and fun into our lives, that it has, in a very short space of time, shifted my sense of where our world might be going. I literally find myself more optimistic than I was, and there is only Ginger to account for this. It is the impact of sharing my life for only seven or eight days with Ginger.”
Sadly, Stewart and his wife can’t adopt Ginger because U.K. laws make it all but impossible to bring her back there when they go home.
But what’s even more unsettling is the public reaction to the story.
Mixed reviews
There are few animals on the planet more polarizing than pit bulls. A lot of people love them, — no matter what. And a lot of people hate them — no matter what.
The story about Stewart and Ginger generated plenty of comments from people in both camps. The pro-pit bull people said Stewart’s relationship with Ginger just goes to show that these dogs are loyal, loving, and misunderstood. The anti-pit bull people said it doesn’t matter. As far as they’re concerned, all pit bulls are unpredictable, dangerous, killers.
An Adopt-a-Dog volunteer with a dog up for adoption at the annual Puttin’ on the Dog show in Greenwich last September. Photo by A. Bogdanovic
Personally I love pit bulls. For the most part, I think they’re great dogs. But they’re also big, strong, dogs. So I wouldn’t necessarily feel comfortable having one in a household with small children or the elderly. I wouldn’t necessarily feel comfortable having one in a household with an inexperienced owner, either. In my opinion, these aren’t necessarily the best dogs for beginners.
All of that being stated, I’m not a big fan of so-called breed legislation. I think it’s overkill.
All we really need to do to help pit bulls is to actively promote responsible pet ownership and forums for honest, open dialogue without fear of recrimination, without name-calling and without hateful rhetoric.
It’s not asking a lot — but sadly it seems it’s asking too much.
Yay! It’s sunny. It’s 70 degrees. It won’t get dark here until 7:29 p.m. And I’m… stuck inside, working. Actually it’s taken me the better part of an hour to come up with an idea for today’s post.
So I decided to go with the obvious. Warm weather and springtime safety tips for pet owners.
Exercise some common sense
When it comes to warm weather, pets and people aren’t all that different. We all want to be outside, having fun. And we can all get a bit carried away.
In Brief Legal Writing Services mascot Eli catching up on the latest news. Photo by Alexandra Bogdanovic
But while we are responsible — and know there are consequences for — rash decisions, our pets don’t. So it’s up to us to look out for them. It’s our responsibility to learn the signs that our furry friends are in physical discomfort or distress. Some of the symptoms are obvious, but because dogs and cats are also adept at hiding weaknesses, some aren’t so obvious. Don’t leave anything to chance… talk to your vet about what to look out for.
While you’re at it, have a frank discussion with the vet or another expert about your pet’s outdoor activities. If you’re going to let your cat romp around the neighborhood or leave your dog outside on its own for prolonged periods (something I personally recommend against) learn how to make the environment as safe and comfortable as possible. Find out:
How to create an “escape proof” yard.
What type of shelter to buy or build.
How to mitigate any hazards posed by other animals.
How to ensure your pet has access to food and water.
How to make sure your pet can be readily identified if it goes missing.
Taking these precautions is largely a matter of common sense. On the other hand, failing to take them could cause a lot of trouble. In Connecticut, for example, failing to provide proper shelter for an outdoor pet can result in animal cruelty charges.
Keep hazardous items out of reach
According to the ASPCA, a litany of springtime items pose a threat to our pets. These include:
Easter candy and decorations
The ingredients in lawn and garden chemicals,
The plants and flowers that will soon appear in our gardens
household cleaning products that we’ll use to get rid of winter funk
Keeping these items out of reach is key to keeping our pets safe at this time of year. But if you do have reason to believe your pet has swallowed a harmful substance, it is crucial to call your own vet or the ASPCA Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435.
A cat may be able to land on its feet, but that doesn’t mean it won’t get hurt
Before you yield to temptation and throw the windows wide open, the ASPCA also recommends checking all of the screens. Make sure they aren’t ripped or torn, and make sure they are well secured, the organization recommends. This is especially important for cat owners — after all, your cat may be able to withstand a fall from a significant height — but that doesn’t mean he or she will come out of it completely unscathed.
Founder/owner of In Brief Legal Writing Services, Alexandra Bogdanovic. Photo by N. Bogdanovic
Just call me old-school.
In addition to the calendars on my phone and iPad, I still keep a wall calendar in my home office. And to be honest, I’ve never been happier about turning the page.
Yes, March was a tough month here at In Brief Legal Writing Services. There was the anniversary of my father’s death; the loss of an old friend; and an unspeakable family tragedy that left us reeling. Collectively these incidents serve as a reminder that life — the wild and crazy and wonderful and wacky ride we’re all on while we’re here — is so incredibly short.
No one will live forever…
Collectively, it was also a reality check. A big one. After all no one likes being reminded about their own mortality. No one like to think about “what will happen if… or what will happen when….” No one really wants to think about putting their affairs in order. So it’s easy to procrastinate. You swear you’ll do it tomorrow and then tomorrow becomes the next day and the next thing you know it’s a week later… so you start all over.
But as any good lawyer will tell you, making your wishes known through a will or trust is essential. If done properly, the creation of a written, legally binding directive regarding the provisions for your loved ones in the event of permanent disability or death, will give everyone peace of mind.
True, there is a lot to consider. And depending on your circumstances, these considerations may go well beyond “who gets what.” For pet owners, a critical question that is often overlooked is, “what will happen to the animal(s).”
What is a pet trust?
A recent article on forbes.com addresses the issue. Specifically it discussed the importance of creating a “pet trust.”
Basically, a pet trust is a legal mechanism that allows an owner to have a certain amount of money set aside for the care of his or her animal(s) in the event of catastrophic illness/injury or death. It also allows the owner to designate someone to manage the trust and/or care for the animal(s). It can also detail how the animal’s or animals’ needs should be addressed.
Because pet trusts are governed by individual state laws, experts strongly recommend that pet owners discuss the matter with qualified attorneys during the estate planning process.
You can find information about individual state laws regarding pet trusts here.
Don’t leave your pet’s future to chance…
Each situation is different, so a pet trust might not be the right option for you. But unless you know beyond a shadow of a doubt that friend or relative is willing to assume responsibility for your pet(s) in the event that you can no longer care for the animal(s), please, please, please make some sort of provisions for their care. Don’t leave it to chance.
Once upon a time, there were limited options for the anguished owners of lost or missing pets. They could make posters, pin them on utility poles around town and hope. In a best-case scenario, the owner and their pet would be reunited after a Good Samaritan who had seen the poster found the cat or dog wandering in the neighborhood; or the stray ended up on someone’s doorstep and they called the number on its tag.
In Brief Legal Writing Services mascot Eli catching up on the latest news. Photo by Alexandra Bogdanovic
Luckily, advances in technology have changed all of that. Today many pets are microchipped, so it is easier to identify the animal and its owner. The Internet and social media platforms allow owners to notify huge numbers of people about their missing dog or cat. On the flip side, these tools also allow people who have found missing or lost pets to try to find their rightful owners.
Of course there are also all sorts of apps that have been specifically designed to ensure that lost dogs and cats are safely returned to their owners.
And now the Tennessee Department of Health has come up with another solution…
Web-based resource uses info from rabies tags
According to information on a Tennessee TV station’s website, the state health department has created a new tool that lets someone who has found a dog or cat locate its owner by using the information on the animal’s rabies tag.
“Those who find stray pets wearing TDH rabies tags can now use this tool on the TDH website to search for and identify the veterinarians who vaccinated the animals, who can then help with information to find the owners,” NewsChannel9 reports.
The only downside to this is that the health department isn’t the only agency that issues rabies tags. So even if a stray dog or cat has one, it could very well be from another agency. In fact, that’s likely to be the case in Tennessee municipalities that have independent licensing protocols.
If someone finds an animal with a rabies tag that’s issued by an agency other than the health department, however, they should call the phone number provided. That way, the issuing agency can help reunite the dog or cat with its family.
Beat the odds
According to the ASPCA, approximately 710,00 stray dogs and cats that end up in shelters are reunited with their owners. Of those, most are dogs (620,000). The agency estimates that only 90,000 stray cats in shelters are returned to their rightful owners.
American Humane Association estimates cited on petfinder.com indicate that millions of American dogs and cats are lost or stolen each year. Furthermore, “one in three pets will become lost at some point in their life.”
What can’t be quantified or qualified is the heartache pet owners experience when their dog or cat disappears… or the joy when they’re reunited.
A recent search for blog fodder resulted in so many cool articles, I thought I’d touch on all of them in one post rather than doing individual posts on each one. It’s more timely this way. Hopefully it will be just as informative.
Think carefully before you get a wolfdog, or a wolf-dog…
In an article on a Denver TV station’s website, Anica Padilla asked whether wolf-dogs (or wolfdogs) make good family pets.
Padilla’s article was a follow-up to a previous story about the confiscation of an alleged wolf hybrid by local authorities.
The general consensus reached by the experts cited in the latest story is that wolf hybrids (aka wolfdogs or wolf-dogs) are wonderful animals. But they doesn’t mean they’re good pets. Getting one as a family pet is definitely not a good idea.
Because they’re not (and never will be) completely tame, wolf hybrids have different needs than the average dog. They’re generally bigger, more energetic and have a different way of bonding with people.
There are other traits that make wolf hybrids harder to care for than a golden retriever, poodle or chihuahua. And depending on where you live, it may be illegal to have one.
I speak from experience. No, I never had a wolfdog. But as a reporter in Virginia, I spent more than my share of time writing about a woman who got in trouble with the state for breeding them. I don’t remember the specifics, but I do remember that it wasn’t much fun…
Now that’s no ordinary cat
In Brief Legal Writing Services mascot Eli catching up on the latest news. Photo by Alexandra Bogdanovic
On a similar note, some residents in a Paterson, New Jersey, neighborhood got quite a surprise when they spotted an unusual cat last week.
According to published reports, one witness described it as “something like a puma.” Another admitted that she didn’t know what kind of cat it was. She just knew it wasn’t an ordinary house cat.
As it turned out, she was right. It was definitely not an ordinary cat. It was an “exotic” cat called a Savannah. A Savannah is a cross between a domestic cat and an African wildcat called a serval.
Apparently this one escaped when its owner left the window open, but there was never any cause for alarm, one man told the media.
“The cops know him, everyone knows him,” the man said. “He’s always on the window. Real nice cat.”
Although they can get quite big, a local animal control officer told the media that ownership of Savannahs is legal in New Jersey “as long as they’re at least one percent domestic cat.”
Santa Monica’s bravest go above and beyond to save a dog
Since everyone can use something to make them smile — especially on a Monday — I just had to share this feel good story about some California firefighters.
According to media accounts, it took a truly heroic effort, but Santa Monica’s bravest were able to save a 10-year-old dog from certain death last week.
Nalu, a Bichon Frise/Shih Tzu mix belonging to a Santa Monica woman, lost consciousness and was in grave danger when firefighter Andrew Klein found him trapped inside her burning apartment.
The drama continued outside, where Klein and another firefighter administered emergency medical treatment. Working together, it reportedly took them 20 minutes to revive the little dog.
Within a couple of days after his ordeal, Nalu seemed to be well on the road to recovery.
“He was essentially dead, so to see him kissing people and walking around wagging his tail was definitely a good feeling,” Klein told the media.
A few months back, Alaska became the first state where courts are instructed to consider the pet’s well-being in divorce cases in which custody is an issue.
The question then became, which state or states, would follow suit. And the answer is… Rhode Island.
Of course, it’s not a done deal, yet. But if everything goes according to plan, it will be.
Rhode Island’s pet custody bill
In Brief Legal Writing Services mascot Eli catching up on the latest news. Photo by Alexandra Bogdanovic
As proposed, an Act Relating to Domestic Relations — Pets — Custody, would amend existing state laws by adding a new section pertaining to the custody of pets. It specifically directs courts to “consider the best interests of the animal” when “awarding possession of a domestic animal in a divorce or separation proceeding.”
The bill’s co-sponsor, Rhode Island State Rep. Charlene Lima, recently told The New York Times that she planned to “introduce specific guidelines to be considered, such as which spouse most cared for the animal and took it to the vet, and whose lifestyle was best suited to pet ownership.”
Lima added that she hopes the measure, if passed, will help protect innocent animals from human vindictiveness.
“A lot of time I think it’s used as retribution,” Ms. Lima told The New York Times. “People can get really vicious in divorces, and using emotional attachment to a pet is something they can use to gain leverage.”
When people are at their worst, pets lose
If the findings of a 2014 survey cited in The New York Times article are any indication, Lima’s assessment is right on target.
More than a quarter of the participants in the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML) survey acknowledged “an increase in the number of couples who have fought over the custody of a pet during the past five years.”
More than 20 percent of the participants “said that courts are more frequently allowing pet custody cases,” and 20 percent acknowledged “an increase in courts deeming pets to be an asset during a divorce.”
As Maria Cognetti, president of the AAML at the time, noted, “far too many spouses attempt to initiate these disputes as a negotiating strategy, often believing that they can use the animal as a kind of bargaining chip. This tactic is usually not effective and can come back to ‘bite’ the antagonist throughout the divorce process.”
In other words, don’t try to make your dog, cat or any other pet a pawn in your divorce. Because there’s no law in Rhode Island… yet. And if you don’t live in Alaska, the court doesn’t have to take your pet’s best interests into account. Legally, it can just treat your pet like any other piece of personal property. And if that’s the case, you won’t like the outcome. And your pet will pay the price.
As long as it exists, it will cause controversy. Is it a gateway drug or a cure for all that ails us? Should it be legalized — or not?
One thing is for sure. Marijuana might not kill you. But it can kill your dog.
Finn’s brush with death
According to published reports, Finn, a boxer-blue heeler mix almost died after eating a cookie that had marijuana in it.
Apparently the pup inadvertently got a hold of the pot-laced pastry at a party a few months back. His owner, Candace Braden, found him in obvious medical distress the next morning and rushed him to the vet.
“I was pretty much having a nervous breakdown,” Braden told the media. “It’s really scary to see your baby like that.”
Fortunately, the vets were able to induce vomiting, and Finn made a full recovery.
Large doses are lethal, fatalities are rare
According to media accounts, large amounts of marijuana are lethal for dogs because of the way the drug affects them.
In Brief Legal Writing Services mascot Eli catching up on the latest news. Photo by Alexandra Bogdanovic
“The lethargy and fogginess that might make a pot brownie fun for a human can render a dog incapable of basic functions. In rare cases … a dog can undergo gradual paralysis and die,” according to published reports.
Even so, fatalities are uncommon. And in some cases, when it is administered properly, medical marijuana can help dogs and cats that are suffering from certain ailments.
However, and this is important, the medical marijuana created and prescribed by some vets has a different chemical composition than “ordinary” marijuana. Specifically, it has less THC, the agent that causes the “high” in both people and animals.
Better safe than sorry
As we all know, medical marijuana can help people, too.
But the bottom line is that our pets often have a knack for getting into trouble. Hell, my cat, Healsie, ate rubber snake once. And Eli would eat an entire spider plant if I let him. So I guess it’s a good thing we don’t live in Colorado.
According to published reports, “veterinarians at Fort Collins Veterinary Emergency and Rehabilitation, about 60 miles north of Denver, see between five and 10 cases per week of marijuana toxicity in dogs.”
The Colorado media also “cited a 2012 study in which researchers found a positive correlation between marijuana toxicity cases in dogs and medical marijuana licenses in the state.”
No matter where you live, if you have pets, please safeguard all of your medication. And if you choose to use marijuana for other reasons, make sure you keep it somewhere out of Fluffy or Fido’s reach.
For some reason, some New Yorkers insist on taking pet ownership to another level. A dog or cat just won’t do. Gerbils, hamsters, ferrets or birds don’t cut it, either.
These New Yorkers only go for unusual pets — whether it’s illegal to have them or not. And in most cases, it is.
Life in the concrete jungle
According to a recent New York Post article, the city has responded to nearly 400 exotic animal complaints since January 2016.
In Brief Legal Writing Services mascot Eli catching up on the latest news. Photo by Alexandra Bogdanovic
Most of the complaints (more than 150) were about people keeping roosters in the concrete jungle. There were 36 complaints about snakes and 30 about turtles.
In one case, a Queens man came to the city’s attention after his neighbors reported that he had roosters.
The man, Mark Singh, denies he did anything wrong, however.
“You feed chickens and they give you eggs. So why not keep chickens?” he wondered. “ One of my neighbors nursed baby raccoons for two years — and they have rabies,” Singh told the Post.
In another case, city health inspectors responded to a report of a Staten Island man who was allegedly keeping venomous snakes as pets. The accused, Gregory Johnson, said he had a permit to keep them.
“The city’s Health Code forbids keeping any animals that are “naturally inclined and capable of inflicting harm” on humans. Rooster keepers face fines of $1,000,” the Post reported.
Exotic pet complaints — by the numbers
According to the Post, the number of reports about illegal pets made to a New York City tip line made from January 1, 2016 to date is roughly the same as those made during the same time period for 2015-2016.
However, there have been more complaints in the Bronx and Queens, and fewer complaints in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Staten Island.
In addition to banning potentially harmful animals, the city’s Health Code identifies illegal pets as “any native or exotic wildlife whose possession or sale is prohibited because they are designated as protected or endangered pursuant to any federal, state or local law, regulation, or rule.”
Any animal classified as an illegal pet by the New York Health Department “cannot be sold, given, received, kept, harbored or exhibited in New York City” unless they are kept in an approved facility.
Some of the animals that can be kept as pets include dogs, cats, gerbils, hamsters, guinea pigs, domesticated rabbits and fowl or small birds such as parakeets, parrots, canaries and finches. However, it is only legal to keep these animals as pets as long as “possession of the animal is not otherwise prohibited by law, including federal, state and local laws regulating domestic animals and livestock or protecting wildlife and endangered species.”
For more information about illegal pets in New York city, click here.
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