A Pet's Ten Commandments

1. My life is likely to last 10-15 years. Any separation from you is likely to be painful.

2. Give me time to understand what you want of me.

3. Place your trust in me. It is crucial for my well-being.

4. Don't be angry with me for long and don't lock me up as punishment. You have your work, your friends, your entertainment, but I have only you.

5. Talk to me. Even if I don't understand your words, I do understand your voice when speaking to me.

6. Be aware that however you treat me, I will never forget it.

7. Before you hit me, before you strike me, remember that I could hurt you, and yet, I choose not to bite you.

8. Before you scold me for being lazy or uncooperative, ask yourself if something might be bothering me. Perhaps I'm not getting the right food, I have been in the sun too long, or my heart might be getting old or weak.

9. Please take care of me when I grow old. You, too, will grow old.

10. On the ultimate difficult journey, go with me, please. Never say you can't bear to watch. Don't make me face this alone. Everything is easier for me if you are there, because I love you so.

~ Take a moment today to thank God for your pets. Enjoy and take good care of them. Life would be a much duller, less joyful experience without God's critters.

~ Now, please pass this on to other pet guardians. We do not have to wait for Heaven to be surrounded by hope, love, and joyfulness. It is here on earth and has four legs!

Animal shelters advise against pets as surprise gifts Idaho Press-Tribune

Animal shelters advise against pets as surprise gifts Idaho Press-Tribune Please don't give pets for Christmas gifts! We love the idea of gift cards to a shelter where someone can adopt their own pet, in their own time, IF they've already made the decision of providing a pet their FOREVER home.

Superior Dog Health Magazines

If you're looking for superior, no-nonsense holistic dog health monthly and quarterly publications, you need look no further than The Whole Dog Journal and The American Dog Magazine.

Two things we really love (among others) about The Whole Dog Journal is their nonbiased dog food reviews and also the fact that they don't accept commercial advertising. This means you get to read from cover to cover highly relevant and informative content about the health and welfare of your dog. We will tell you now: You will want to retain every issue and refer back to it from time to time!

The Whole Dog Journal, while not a thick publication, costs about $1.67 an issue ($20 a year) -- check Amazon for their subscription price, too -- and comes with a 90-day risk-free guarantee. But we guarantee you won't be wanting your money back!

The Pet Guardian also loves The American Dog Magazine. While this is a new subscription for us, we like their ability to get right down to the nitty-gritty about pets, lies, and legislation. You will read articles about socializing and training your dog, nutrition, and lifestyle issues for yourself, your family, and your dog. We look forward to receiving this magazine on a quarterly basis and know you will, too.

Our customers with the Kindred Spirits Gift Shop know that we like "giving back." Well, so does The American Dog Magazine. When customers subscribe to the magazine (a one-year subscription is $20), the customer just has to add their favorite animal charity in the charity box upon checkout, and American Dog will donate 100% of the subscription profits to that charity. That means $8 per subscription is going to the animal charity of your choice. How great is that?

Which pet publications do you like? And cat lovers, please, let's hear from you!

Make 2010 the year you learn more and improve upon your dog's health. The Whole Dog Journal and The American Dog Magazine are two ways you can do just that.

Disclaimer: These are unsolicited, unpaid-for "advertisements" by The Pet Guardian. We want our readers informed and capable of providing the BEST in overall health care for their dogs.

Help with Vet Bills

When faced with a life-or-death crisis for your family pet, what would you do? Would you turn to friends and relatives and beg for financial assistance?

Read Jan Rasmusen's article Help with Vet Bills and learn of some organizations that may be able to assist you during your -- and your pet's -- time of need.

I wish I had known I had some options when faced with my dogs' health crises many years ago. Thankfully, I had a good friend who gave me a short-term loan as well as an employer who advanced my commissions. In spite of my extremely costly efforts to save my dogs, they still passed on to the Rainbow Bridge.

It helps to be prepared and be assured some help can be there for you in your time of need. Read Jan's article and print it out for safekeeping. Hopefully you will never find yourself needing to use it, but being forewarned can help relieve the stress and worry when you can be spending time with and loving your furry friend.

Voluntary Recall: Premium Edge Cat Food - FDA Alert

These "pet food" recalls can be a very scary thing, and, as guardians, you really need to be aware of what's in the "food" you feed your pets.

Feed your cats (and all pets) the best food you can possibly afford. If you don't pay up front, so to speak, you will most surely pay later with vet bills.

If you are considering preparing a homemade diet for your cat, live in the U.S., and have access to a VCR, The Pet Guardian, LLC will send you a FREE VHS tape to learn just how simple it can be to prepare your cat's food. We will even pay for shipping. To take us up on our offer, please contact us through e-mail at jean@thepetguardian.com.

With the 45-minute video "Save Your Cat: Nourish Her the Way She's Built to Eat," you will

* Learn how cats are built to eat
* Learn why homemade raw food is best
* See how to make a simple, well-balanced, homemade diet
* Learn valuable tips to transition cats to new food
* Learn in 1/2 hour per week, make and store enough food for one week's meals

Hopefully none of our readers are feeding their cats this brand of food. Buyer beware!

http://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/NewsEvents/CVMUpdates/ucm187218.htm

Zucchini "Mutt-fins"

Your dogs will enjoy this treat as much as you do and will leave them begging for more!

All ingredients can be found at your grocery store. If you can't find oat flour, check the cereal aisle, where you will also find oat bran.

Use organic ingredients whenever possible.

2 cups oat flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
3/4 cup honey
2 cups pureed zucchini (or zucchini/yellow squash, equal to two large vegetables)
1/4 cup safflower oil
1/4 cup raw or roasted shelled sunflower seeds
4.3 oz. bag of Hormel Real Crumbled Bacon (optional)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Slice and puree zucchini in a food processor.

Combine all ingredients together and mix thoroughly. Spoon into muffin pan with cupcake papers placed in it. Spoon mixture evenly into the pan close to the top. (The mix will not rise very much.)

Bake 30-35 minutes. "Mutt-fins" are done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Remove from the oven and let cool completely on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Makes 15-16 treats.

No-Cost Way to Help Shelter Animals

The Pet Guardian endeavors to pass on information that can make the difference in the health and welfare of animals. One of our favorite sites is The Animal Rescue Site.

According to their Web site, "The Animal Rescue Site provides a feel-good way to help promote awareness and prevent rescued animal deaths every day — through easy and quick online activities." The Animal Rescue Site "focuses the power of the Internet on a specific need — providing food for some of the 27 million unwanted animals given to shelters in the U.S. every year. Over 10 million animals are put to death every year in the U.S. alone because they are abandoned and unwanted.

"Each click on the purple "Click Here to Give - it's FREE" button at The Animal Rescue Site provides food and care for a rescued animal living in a shelter or sanctuary. Funding for food and care is paid by site sponsors and distributed to animals in need at the Fund for Animals' renowned animal sanctuaries (including Cleveland Amory Black Beauty Ranch in Texas and the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in California), pet shelters supported by the Petfinder Foundation, North Shore Animal League, and other worthy animal care facilities supported by the GreaterGood.org foundation."

100% of sponsor advertising fees goes to The Animal Rescue Site's charitable partners.

You can sign up on The Animal Rescue Site to receive daily reminder e-mails to click and give help and hope to those most in need. You can also purchase pet-themed gift items in their store, purchases which provide even more bowls of free food for needy animals.

Copy this link into your browser to sign up and receive a reminder every day from The Animal Rescue Site to click and provide free food for the animals. http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=3&ThirdPartyClicks=ERA_101209_ARS

Like us, we hope you will make it a habit to click daily. It only takes a few moments to click, but remember: Every day counts in the life of a rescued animal.

Thank you for helping to make this world a better friend for our furry friends!