We choose Captain Marvel as our adoptable pet of the week because he reminds us so much of our old dog Kelsey. Captain Marvel is a male young adult lab mix with an irresistible smile.

The Captain’s description from harfordshelter.org:

Look at his face! Captain Marvel is a young dog (less than 2 years old) who can’t wait to meet his next best friend. He’s ready for fun and games (and a doggie toy, and a bone and a few treats . . .)

For more information, contact Adopt@harfordshelter.org

Time: 6:30pm to 7:30pm
Location: Harford County Public Library-Abingdon Branch
2510 Tollgate Road, Abingdon, MD 21009

Luna’s House will be holding our second volunteer meeting, which is open to the public—all are welcome! We will be reviewing our progress as an organization so far, discussing upcoming events, our capital campaign to raise the funds for a central facility, discussing policies and procedure, and answering any questions that those attending have. Volunteer and Foster Applications and Agreements will be available for those who wish to join the Luna’s House team & help us save and better as many lives as possible. If you need additional information, please contact Lisa Randle at Lisa@lunashouse.org or (410) 274-4837.

Here at Harford Pets we have another first. This is our first adoptable pet of the week. There are so many animals waiting for a loving home all over the County. We have Marge below with a bit of her story- while she has had a fabulous foster home she is ready to meet her permanent family… if you are interested please contact Luna’s House.

Marge is a 2.5-year-old iguana girl who is pretty as can be and on the prowl for her forever home. Marge came to Luna’s House from a local shelter after her previous caretaker broke her tail when he yanked her out from beneath his shirt. It seems her former person did not realize that Marge just wanted to keep warm and be close to him. That isn’t the only thing that went unnoticed…when Marge first came to us (underweight and with very stunted growth), her given name was Homer! Luckily our vet straightened things out and “Homer” became “Marge!” After several weeks of TLC and pampering in her foster home, Marge is more than ready to give love another try.

Today’s HarfordPets.com Pet(s) of the Day comes from Elizabeth.

I have wacky pets! I’m a frog fan and have 14 amphibians. Why do I like frogs? Who knows but I always have. I just started keeping them about a year ago in custom built vivariums. What are vivariums? They are planted tanks with bark, dirt and water. They are alive!

The count of amphibians in my house are as follows:
6 White’s tree frogs (Grace, Greenie, Peanut Butter, Jelly, Trevor and Philip)
4 Firebelly toads (The Toads)
3 Red Eye tree frogs (no names yet)
1 ornate horned frog (Meatball)

Also residing in my house are 3 cats; Sam, Abby and Weasley.

Having pets are very rewarding. Providing proper care gives great returns.

Read the rest of this entry »

Our first HarfordPets.com Pet of the Day is Stewey! Stewey’s owner Ann P. had this to say:

Hi, This is Stewey, he was recently adopted from the HCHS! He is the sweetest little boy and has been a great addition to our doggie family!

If you want your pet to be a HarfordPets.com Pet of the Day, send your pet pics in to info@harfordpets.com

From March 1, 2008 through June 30, 2008, the Humane Society of Harford County is offering a certificate that is good for one free feline spay or neuter, a rabies vaccination and one topical flea control application. The certificate is only valid at participating local veterinary offices. There is a limit of three certificates per family or until the funds are gone.

For more information, please visit their website at http://www.harfordshelter.org.

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa on Tuesday signed one of the nation’s toughest laws on pet sterilization, requiring most dogs and cats to be spayed or neutered by the time they are 4 months old.

The city of Los Angeles is pushing towards being a no-kill city and they feel that this will set them on the right track. Just think of how many euthanizations are conducted each year in city’s much like LA. Thousands and thousands of animals are put down to the tune of $2 million dollars. Yes, that is state money.

The law will exempt show dogs, professional breeders, guide dogs and those used by police force. This has been successful in surrounding areas. What do you think? Do you agree with mandating spay and neutering?

I am a smell person and that goes for my pets as well. Over the years, I have come across a few home remedies for pet odors as well as some easy fixes for common pet smells…

Flea killer: Dawn dishwashing liquid, add a few drops to your dog’s bath and shampoo. Rinse well and kiss the fleas good bye!

Dog odor: When your dog comes in from the rain or outdoors, wipe him down with a dryer sheet, that will make him smell good!

Dog odor on the carpet: Sprinkle baking soda and wait 15 minutes then vacuum it up, it is safe for the pets and will smell nice again.

Pet hair removal solution: To remove pet hair from carpet or furniture mix 1 part fabric softener to 3 parts water in spray bottle and spray on carpets and furniture. Wait 2 or more hours, then vacuum. Goodbye hair!

Pet Urine & Sour Spilled Milk Odors: Neutralize urine by dampening the spot and sprinkling 20 Mule Team® Borax over it. Rub the 20 Mule Team® Borax into the areas and let dry. Brush or vacuum to remove the dry Borax.

Pet Urine on Carpet: First, blot up what you can with paper towels. Mix one teaspoon mild dish-washing detergent in one cup warm water, dip a clean towel in the liquid and dab at stain. Do not overwet. Rinse with fresh water and blot dry. Next, add on-third cup white vinegar with two-thirds cup water and dab on stain. Rinse with water and blot until dry. Once area is totally dry (after at least 24 hours), sprinkle entire carpet with baking soda or rug deodorizer. Vacuum after a few hours.

Removing Pet Hair from Clothing: Just put the item in the dryer with a damp towel and run it for about 20 minutes. The dryer will pull the fur off and the lint trap will catch the pet fur for you. I have tried this one but did not have great success!

Does anyone else out there have issues with anxiety among their pets. Our middle dog Ashton has been a nervous nelly since he was a pup. When he was a little guy he would get so nervous and anxious when we were not there that he would poop all over his crate and we would come home to a big mess and have to wrap him in sheets and give him a nightly bath in the backyard. He is lucky we love him so much!

Our vet had offered up the suggestion of a pet psychologist but that was a wee bit expensive and time consuming. We managed to curb some of his behaviors over the years and Ashton is a wonderful dog but living in this area and near the Army base proves to be very tiring some days. The bomb goes off and here comes Ashy, all 75 pounds of him, running towards you to lay between your legs and shake. Some days you can just smell the fear, literally (I know gross, right?)

I was recently told to try Benedryl. I have given him 25mg of the medicine hear and there and it has seemed to do the trick. Has anyone else found something that works? Please share your knowledge because I don’t even want to go into what happens during a thunderstorm in July!

What is that thing you ask?? That is my wooly wire-haired black and tan piebald mini dachsund. His name is Dexter and he is sooooo bad, but cute. He has been mistaken for everything from a beagle to a schnauzer. But he is a pure bread mini wiener dog.

We actually bread him with a smooth haired silver dapple and out of the small litter of 4 there was only one that looked to be wooly haired. And none were piebald. We did run the risk of creating a double dapple with the mix but thankfully there were none of those pups.

Dexter will be ‘losing’ his manhood early next month as we are retiring him as a stud! We are hoping that this helps with his peeing issues- but that is a story for another day. Isn’t he beautiful though???