A warning about ParoVirus

From this morning's Chronicle Herald--PLEASE make sure all your shots are up to date.

Dog owners warned of rise in parvovirus cases Dog owners are being warned to take precautions amid a spate of canine parvovirus cases.An unusually high number of cases of the potentially deadly virus have been reported to the Nova Scotia SPCA.There have been at least 15 cases in Halifax Regional Munic­­ipality, the SPCA said in a new release Wednesday.Puppies are more susceptible to the virus than adult dogs, but all unvaccinated dogs are at high risk. The disease is trans­mitted through contact with infected dogs or with the feces of an infected dog.Symptoms include vomiting and diarrhea, which is often bloody.Tips for dog owners: • Make sure vaccinations are up to date; • Inspect outside areas where your dogs play and avoid off­leash areas if your dog isn’t vaccinated; • Go to a veterinarian if you suspect the animal has been exposed to the virus.

A Giggle

Chandler thought we were being much too serious, so he is forcing me to post this, or he will insist on at least an hour of "throw the bear". Since I am bushed, due to no afternoon nap ( ahhh going back to work after a break is no fun) I am listening to Chandler.

Top 10 Reasons You Need a Vacation from your Dogs

1. When your spouse's shocked voice shouts from the shop, "Honey, come quick, I've had a terrible accident!", you show up breathless with a mop and scent neutralizer.

2. You wake panicked in the middle of the night when you sense you suddenly have room to move your body around the bed.

3. You can't sleep unless you hear lots of heavy breathing and snoring in your bedroom.

4.The emergency number on your speed dialer is for the dog's veterinarian.
5. When someone taps you on the shoulder, you tell them firmly, "Off!", then "Down!".

6. When tempers flare among your family members, you pull out the long forefinger, pointedly raise your voice and shout "Go to your crates, now!"

7 When someone asks what's for dinner you automatically reply, "Kibbles and Bits".

8. When you are walking a ring around the local park and someone points at you and your dog, you raise both arms over your head, whoop and go looking for a ribbon.

9. When shopping, your best friend asks you what you think of that snappy suit in the window, and you scowl and mutter, "Useless, it is the same color as my dog and it has no pockets."

10.When your neighbor points to her crawling infant and asks you what you think of her new baby, you study it for a minute and reply, "Well, a little short on coat and long in the hock, but that kid has a great topline!"

Grrrs & Nips !!

The park is getting dirty once more. I have picked up a number of "presents" that didn't belong to Chandler, as have a number of other people. That's a good thing. Big Snort and Woof for all those who are doing more than their bit ( and there are a lot of you ) But...there is still that contingent who believes that there is a magic poop fairy who will swoop down from the heavens and immediately vaporize their dog's deposits turning them into precious gems. If you see this happening.. Please walk over to these people, hand them a poop bag, and nicely point out where their dog has fertilized the grass. If you need to, explain that the city does not pick up, and that if everyone does not do their share we will lose the park. If that doesn't work explain that there is a fine that can be levied for this sort of behavior. If they are still rude, Chandler says you have his permission to Bark and Grrr at them, even chase them away !

On another note, when you see the garbage cans are getting full, call HRM and ask them to send a crew to empty them. The number is 490-4000. The switchboard is answered up to 9 at night I believe. (I am sure if I am wrong, Maddy's Mom will correct me. )

Chandler & I have been on vacation for a week, but we are back, so many apologies for the lack of updates.

Want a home cooked meal ?

Our petition received a huge mention on Dogkisser ! This will hopefully add a few more names. Everyone is doing very well. So well in fact I was considering offering a prize for the most pages (names) collected. After consulting Chandler, who is very tummy "centric', here is what we came up with; Chandler's Mom is a pretty decent cook so for whoever brings in the most names I will provide a 4 course meal, cooked, and delivered ready to serve to your house for 4 people. Choices for a main entree are 1) apricot glazed chicken stuffed with wild rice 2)roast beef with Yorkshire pudding 3) spinach tortellini in wild mushroom cream sauce 4) ribs n' rice . Dessert will be a home made cheesecake-flavour to be determined. All meals include appetizer and salad. As you fill each sheet, drop us a note here.

We're Lonley!

Okay, so we know that MAYBE someone out there is occasionally reading what we post, and from some of your comments in person, we think you like this newsletter..BUT..SNIFF SNIFF..we would like you to comment..say Hello..tell us what you would like to see here..or just say Hi !

A present in the Inbox

I received a wonderful group of pictures from a lady by the name of Kayla. She is a very talented photographer and spent some time photographing the park. I have posted a group of them in our gallery, but we thought ( Chandler & I ) we would tease you with the one above, that is our personal favorite. A big Woof and Snort of thanks for you. Kayla's website is www.kaylaross.com

Petition is Ready

Chandler is all excited! He is hoping for a new fence for him and his friends. The petitions are ready, and if you haven't already received one,please send Maddy's Mom an e-mail at paigec@eastlink.ca and she will forward you one. Simply print it off, and then go and collect names. We have a very aggressive target of 1000 names. This basically means if 50 people can collect 20 names each we have succeeded. As completed forms come into Maddy's Mom, I will post a side bar telling us how many names we have. So--all humans are potential signatories, co-workers, shop keepers,neighbors and ANYONE out with a dog ! Chandler and his friends are counting on you.

Petition Update

Chloe's Dad is working hard on getting the petition put together. We are hopingto be able to have electronic copies foranyone who wants one,by the end of the week....Stay tuned...more updates as they happen!

Excellent Meeting!! Woof's & Snorts for ALL

Tonight's meeting with District 11 Councillor Jerry Blumenthal went well. There were approx 30 people present, and he was very surprised at the interest shown,as well as the demographics represented. The individuals present were not only from his constinuency, but from Beaverbank, Prospect, Clayton Park, Fairview, and Central to name a few of the other districts represented. Well done! We made our point that the people who use the park come from all over. Further our efforts to keep the park clean, and our sense of community within the park were also duly noted and favourably commented upon. We received a committment from the Counsellor that he would work with us to help keep the park open and assessable to all, including dogs. To that end it was suggested that we present a petition to council vis a vis Jerry, asking that a fence be erected across the "imaginary" line that seperates the on leash area from the off leash area. Chloe's Dad (Jeff) , has accepted the responsibility of drafting the petetion, and then we will work to have it posted on line, whereby we can collect as many signatures as possible. By this method we are hoping to provide enough leverage to see if a fence can indeed be erected.
Presentations were made by Santana's Mom ( Donna) on the clean-up day, and Charlotte's Mom ( Donna ) on obtaining better signage to designate on/off leash areas, as well as additionbal garbage cans and their placement. A question and answer session followed with an excellent exchange of information between those present and the Councillor.
Each person who attended tonight helped bring home the point that Seaview is our community, as well as a park. By continuing to work together, not only can be strive to keep the park open, we can create a community through which we can hopefully make the park a focal point for all canine citizens and their keepers within HRM.
I have posted Councillor Blumenthal's contact info in the box on the right, as he is encouraging anyone with any questions or issues to contact him.
Everyone, give yourselves a big Woof & Snort !

Meeting Tonight!!

Please try and make sure you attend. Its critical that we have a good turnout. You dont have to say a word. Just be there. Numbers count.

Desmond's Dad was published in the Herald !

Desmond's Dad had a letter to the editor published in yesterdays's Herald. Good job! A huge Woof & Snort for Desmond's Dad !

READER’S CORNER
Dog days at Seaview

Sat. Apr 10 - 4:53 AM
There is a very special place in the HRM for dogs and their owners, and that is Seaview Park. For those not familiar with it, Seaview is a fenced-in park in the HRM located on the site of the former Africville community, where most of the land is designated as off-leash for dogs. This site is used every day, year round, for dogs to run and play with each other, while providing a much-welcomed social outlet for their owners as well. On a nice day, it’s not uncommon to see 20 to 30 canines interacting and enjoying their freedom.

For the uninitiated, the idea of this many dogs running around off-leash might sound disastrous. New visitors to the park discover that these well-socialized dogs interact just fine without human help and on the odd occasion when tension occurs, it’s over as quickly as it begins and without injury.

Recently, complaints were expressed to the local councillor about Seaview concerning dog poop not being cleaned up and the park being generally untidy, leading to some calls for its closure. After some discussion, a committee of regular park users was formed to work with the city and initiate a process where we could preserve this place that we all love and which adds greatly to the profile of the HRM.

On March 27, about 25 people came out and did a clean-up of the park. While some dog poop was discovered, mainly on the edges of the park by the gates, we cleaned up a variety of garbage, ranging from cigarette butts to beer bottle caps to condom wrappers. We intend to do more clean-ups in the future and hopefully have a working relationship with the city to maintain the quality of the park.

We love Seaview and what it has created: a community of dogs and their owners who enjoy each other’s company. In a day and age when technology frequently isolates us from our neighbours, this is something truly special. Anyone who wants to be kept informed about Seaview Park and the activities of our committee can visit our website: http://seaviewpark.blogspot.com/.


Jeff White, Halifax

Thanks Joan !

A big Woof and Snort of thanks to my old buddy Joan, who gave us a word of mention on her blog, as well as posting the information about the meeting on Monday. For those of you who already havent read/bookmarked Joan's site, I would urge you to scoot on over and take a look. She has been writing about issues that affect all of our four legged friends since Chandler was a puppy ! We have a link to her site here, in the links section, but to make it easier here is the link
http://dogkisser.blogspot.com/

We Made the News!!

Our Woofs and Snorts are being heard ! Yesterday Maddy's Mom was interviewed by CBC TV, and she made the 6 o'clock news telling everyone about how we are working to keep our park open! Rupert's Dad was interviewed for CBC Radio as well. and..I Chandler's Mom woke up this morning at 6:30 to hear CBC chatting about our park, featuring a sound byte from the previous interview,plus a comment by Irvine Carvery on how he is willing to work with us to keep the park open. This is excellent news and excellent exposure. Well done to all!! I must stress that its extremely important that each and everyone of you come to the meeting next Monday. You don't have to say a word. Just be there. It is only in strength of numbers that we can make the point to HRM that we do have a political voice. Dog owners are traditionally the last to be considered when policy is being made. We need to change that. As a collective group we contribute a significant amount of revenue to the coffers of HRM through tag levies, as well as by supporting those business who supply our canine buddy's needs. If we didn't have canine companions there would be no need for day cares,pet shops, vets, or specialty bakeries and boutiques. All of these businesses pay business occupancy tax to HRM, as well as support employment within HRM. Pet owners as a whole contribute to the largest growing economic segment in North America. Pet Services and supplies have exponentially exploded in revenue growth in the past 5 years. This is the message we need to ensure that HRM receives. We do contribute significantly to the economy of HRM, and thus deserve a voice and a say in its policies regarding pet ownership.

Please pick up any broken tennis balls or toys.

Please pick up any broken tennis balls or plastic toys you find at the park. These small pieces can be easily swallowed, creating a risk of choking or intestinal-blockage.

A BIG HUGE WOOF & SNORT FOR MATT

The changes on the blog are due to the creative brilliance of my co-admin here. Matt you rock ! Matt is Rupert's dad and he and Rupert will be working along with Chandler & me to ensure a smooth flow of communication. Actually we will all be working and Chandler will be barking or snorting to see if Rupert wants to help him raid the treat jar!