Oct 23 2008

Dog Saves Family From Burning Home, TX

By aschae and has no comments yet.

Source: Angeeneh Adamian- KFOX News Reporter

EL PASO, Texas — An overnight fire rips through an east El Paso nearly trapping a family inside early Thursday morning.

The fire started just after 12:30 a.m. at a home off of the 2100 block of Octobere Dr.Fire officials told KFOX when they got to the scene they could see smoke coming from the roof.

Amazingly the family got out of their home while the fire was still burning because one of the family dogs started barking waking them up.

Fire crews were able to put out the fire and rescue some of the family pets, however, one of the families dogs did not make it.

Fire officials said this fire serves as a reminder for everyone. “The dog probably saved the lives of the owner and the two children. It is smart to make sure you have a smoke detector. At this time we are not sure if they had one. This is the time of year we ask people to change their batteries,” said Capt. Jay Willey, of the El Paso Fire Department.

The cause of the fire is under investigation. More than half of the home was destroyed in the fire however no damage estimate has been released.

Categories: Heros, Recent News
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Oct 07 2008

AVMA Offers Safety Tips on Introducing Your Dog to the New Baby

By aschae and has no comments yet.
Last update: 5:10 a.m. EDT Oct. 7, 2008
SCHAUMBURG, Ill., Oct 07, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ — Mommy, daddy and puppy make three … then along comes baby. Dogs may be affected by the arrival of a new baby, so the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA.) offers some valuable advice to new parents. http://www.avma.org
Dr. Bonnie Beaver, an AVMA past president and a professor at Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine, advises introducing a baby to the family dog with care. Before the baby arrives, a dog needs to adjust to not being the baby in the family anymore.
“Begin training the dog to observe a schedule — treats at a certain time of day, walks at a certain time of day,” she explains. “When mom gets home with the baby, her attention will be elsewhere, so the dog won’t get attention on demand anymore.”
It’s also a good idea to see if your dog likes children, by setting up a meeting with somebody else’s children. Keep the dog on a leash. If the dog is scared or aggressive, consult your veterinarian and use great caution.
When the baby comes home, include your pet. Let the dog greet the new mom, who has been missed while she was at the hospital, and then sniff the baby as well. Keep the dog on a leash or just use a used baby blanket.
Once the baby is home, doggie and junior shouldn’t live separate lives. Don’t ban the dog from the baby’s room, but never leave them together unsupervised.
“The two need to interact, but safely,” Dr. Beaver explains. “For example, when bathing your baby, give the dog a treat, so the dog learns that good things happen when he’s around the baby.
“When a baby cries, it can be extremely disturbing and upsetting to the dog. If the dog is pacing, the dog is saying, ‘make it be quiet.’ It’s not saying, ‘I’m concerned about the baby,’” Dr. Beaver says. “The dog is in distress, and if you ignore the upsetting situation, the screeching, the dog might act on its own to stop the noise.”
Dr. Beaver advises vigilance when the child starts crawling and walking. Once mobile, the child could corner the pet, and the pet could nip. Baby gates can be useful in keeping both the dog and the baby safe.
SOURCE American Veterinary Medical Association

Categories: Children & Dogs
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