Lowcountry Dog Magazine- Oct Nov 2018 by Lowcountry Dog Magazine

Issue No. 19 • OCT/NOV 2018 • DIGITAL

meet the 2019 Lowcountry Dog CALENDAR MODELS!

Pet Psychics

ADOPTABLE DOGS!

Meet the New HSUS State Director

Meet the Pack PUBLISHER Brian Foster brian@lowcountrydog.com CHIEF CANINE OFFICER Peanut EDITORIAL COLUMNIST Alicia Williams AD SALES ASSISTANT Abbie Allen abbie@lowcountrydog.com SOCIAL MEDIA ASSISTANT Izzy Selert STAFF WRITERS Julie Murray Kelly Glasson COPY EDITOR Chelsea Bradford PHOTOGRAPHER Southern Vintage Photography

We believe that our dogs are our best friends, and that’s why we need a reliable source to turn to for information on all things “dog” in our community. Our mission is to be the number one Charleston area resource for dog owners regarding regional dog-centric and dogwelcoming events, health & wellness information, dog training, trends, and local news. We also strive to be a mouthpiece to the public for various Lowcountry-based pet non-profits, and we promote pet adoption and other responsible pet care practices. Founded in Charleston, South Carolina in 2005 as a print magazine, we re-launched in 2015 as an online publication. In 2016 we updated our website to continue our mission to be the best dog friendly resource in the Lowcountry.

RESCUE SPOTLIGHT PRODUCER Palmetto Coast Media WEB DEVELOPER & CONSULTANT Laura Olsen CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Nicole Wilde

Sniff Us out!

CONTENTS COVER STORY

MEET THE 2019 LOWCOUNTRY DOG CALENDAR MODELS FEATURES PEANUT TIPS-

05 DOES YOUR PUP WANT TO DRESS UP?

SIT, STAY, BEHAVE-THE

06 THREAT OF STILLNESS

AND WELLNESS10 HEALTH TOXIC PLANTS AND FOODS

Pet Psychics Page 26

14 PEACE, LOVE & REAL TALK 26 PET PSYCHICS ANIMAL ADVOCATE:

32 KELSEY GILMORE-FUTERAL RESCUE SPOTLIGHTS & 34 GO GREEN: ADOPTABLE DOGS

Page 32

Does your pup want to dress up?

's t u n Pea s Tip

Your dog may react to wearing a costume much like she does during a thunderstorm: Run and hide. Sure, she might look adorable in a Chewbacca costume, but before dressing your dog for Halloween, ask yourself, will she like wearing it? “The most important thing is to be aware of the dog’s response,” says veterinarian Paul Calhoun, Animal Medical Center in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. “If your dog shows signs of irritation or discomfort, it’s best to remove the costume,” advises Calhoun. You can try it again another time, but be mindful that she just might not be comfortable with dog Halloween outfits, If her eyes roll back or she’s looking to the side, has folded ears, scratches at the costume, or makes a run for it, those are pretty clear signs she’s just not into it. You can try it again another time but she may never feel comfortable dressing up. lowcountry dog 5

Sit, Stay...Behave!

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I recently observed a temperament test being conducted to determine whether a dog was aggressive toward other dogs. The dog in question was a large, strong breed and there was much concern because of his past history. As I watched, it became obvious that the other dog being used in the test was very worried. She licked her lips and averted her gaze, both common stress signals. But something else concerned me a lot more: she seemed afraid to move a muscle. Was it because the dog being tested was lunging at her, barking or otherwise being overtly

The Threat of Stillness threatening? No. In fact, he was standing stock still, head slightly lowered, body tensed, staring directly at her. I could feel the tension in my own body just watching it. Seconds later, the dog being tested exploded in a display that, had he not been on leash, surely would have ended in physical harm to the other dog. We are taught things about dogs early on. We learn that a growl is a warning and that if a tail is wagging that dog is happy (although that isn’t always the case). If a dog is lunging and barking lowcountry dog 6

we know to be careful because the dog is emotionally aroused in a potentially dangerous way. What we’re not taught is to beware of stillness. As most trainers know, the vast majority of what we call “aggression” is really fear-based reactivity. While it’s true there are dogs out there who are flat-out aggressive, there are a lot more who are acting defensively. All of that lunging and barking is their way of saying, “Stay away from me! Don’t make me come over there!” In truth, they don’t want to go over there but what they want is for the scary thing to vanish into oblivion, preferably yesterday. But think about this: if a dog really meant to attack, he would. The lunging, barking dog is spending precious energy on a display that, if heeded, will actually avoid conflict. But if a dog is very still, staring, body humming with tension, he’s conserving his energy. That is a dog who should cause the hairs on your own neck to stand up because he might very well attack. I remember receiving an email from someone who had been bitten when he’d encountered a woman and her dog out in public. The dog had been standing very still and staring at him. Not realizing this was a cause for concern, he approached and reached to pet the dog. The dog bit him. He had no idea why. The

As most trainers know, the vast majority of what we call “aggression” is really fear-based reactivity. answer was in the first line of his email where he mentioned that the dog was staring. If more people learned to recognize that stillness for what it is—a precariously balanced moment that could result in violence—more conflict could be avoided. Of course, there is a difference between a dog simply standing still and a dog who has gone into that tense emotional state which can too easily boil over into decisively aggressive action. Unfortunately, many people really are unaware of the difference. See the photo above? That’s a stock photo. The photographer had as part of the description, “Large guard dog with expressive eyes staring in disbelief.” The only disbelief here is mine, that incredulity is the dog’s underlying emotional state. .

Meeting this type of dangerous stillness with threats or aggression is never wise and will almost certainly cause the dog to explode in violence. If you encounter a dog who is displaying this type of body language, donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t try to overpower or scare the dog. Instead, avert your own gaze and back away verrry slowly. Notice I said back away, not turn and walk away; walking away offers the dog a chance to attack from the rear. If a dog has gone still when meeting your dog, get your dog out of there as calmly and quickly as possible.

Health

Wellness

Your Own Backyard Could be Deadly for your Dog! Written by Kelly Glasson, Staff Writer

Sago palms can often be seen in the yards of residents here in the Lowcountry. What most people don’t know is that this commonly seen plant is deadly to pets. This was the case with a Lowcountry resident whose 11 month old Japanese Chin puppy Echo died after she came into contact with sago palm seeds. The cause of death was liver failure after months of battling severe liver poisoning after coming into contact with the plant. lowcountry dog 10

Although this plant is highly toxic to animals and can be purchased at many stores in the Charleston area, they are not required to have warning labels for pet’s safety. The first tell tale signs of concern after coming into contact with the plant are vomiting and increased thirst. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) has compiled a complete list of poisonous foods and plants. While some results may be common knowledge, many may surprise pet owners. Common flowers found in many gardens like tulips and azaleas are toxic to dogs and can cause diarrhea, vomiting and even cardiac failure. Daisies, if eaten by a dog, can cause hypersalivation, incoordination, dermatitis as well as vomiting and diarrhea. Some other popular flowers on the list of toxic plants according to the ASPCA are autumn crocus, amaryllis, calla lily, carnation, chamomile, daffodil, dahlia, iris, kalanchoe, morning glory, mum and more. Palms commonly seen in the lowcountry including the sago palm

can cause bruising, liver failure and even death as even as little as 1-2 seeds can be fatal to a dog. Some other common indoor and outdoor plants that are toxic to dogs include aloe, chive, english ivy, eucaltyptus, fern palm, holly, locust, dieffenbachia, oleander, cyclamen and many others. While plants are definitely a concern for pet owners, another major concern is which human foods are dog friendly. Sometimes feeding the dog a few scraps from the table can do more harm than good. Many common foods should be kept away from your pet including alcohol, avocados, caffeine, nuts of any kind, milk and dairy, onions, garlic, chives, grapes, raisins, salty snack foods and salt altogether. Too many salty snack foods like chips, pretzels and popcorn can cause your dog tremors, elevated body temperature, seizures and even death. Grapes and raisins contain a toxic substance that can cause your dog kidney failure. Feeding a dog nuts of any kind can potentially cause pancreatitis and feeding them Macadamia nuts can cause tremors and hyperthermia.

While this might seem like a long list of hazardous things for dogs to eat, keeping a watchful eye on your pet and keeping yourself educated on your dogs health is important as a pet owner. Being aware of things that can be hazardous for your dog’s health can prevent a tragedy like Echo’s from happening. For a full list of hazardous plants and foods visit the ASPCA’s website www.aspca.org. If your pet has eaten something you may believe to be harmful or hazardous to them, immediately contact your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426- 4435.

Open Letter to Mayor Johnson of Summerville I am devastated. PetLand Summerville is now selling purebred and “designer” mutts to the public. We all know that I am personally against any type of breeding. I strongly believe that there is no such thing as “responsible breeding” as long as there are animals dying due to lack of space in shelters. However, this is so much more than just adding to the overpopulation of dogs. It is setting us back decades in the animal welfare world. It is incredibly frustrating that PetLand Summerville is in Dorchester County of all places. Dorchester Paws is over capacity as well as nearby Berkeley County

lowcountry dog 14

Animal Shelter, who has to euthanize animals simply because there isn’t enough room to board all of the unwanted animals. That’s right, perfectly healthy animals are being killed while a few minutes away, animals are being “sold.” The shelter itself is not to blame. The shelter has a staff that genuinely cares for the animals. The staff of these shelters has to make the heartbreaking decision of who stays and who goes. I am very disappointed that Mayor Wiley Johnson of Summerville reportedly gave Brad and Kristin Parker (owners of PetLand Summerville) his blessing to start SELLING puppies at their

Summerville location. Honestly, how could you (Mayor Wiley Johnson) do such a thing? You must be out of touch with the animal overpopulation crisis within South Carolina – within your own neighborhood. While local animal rescue non-profits are financially struggling to stay alive, PetLand Summerville is regressing our work while making a profit at the same time. Mayor Wiley Johnson, did you research Mr. and Mrs. Parker? Did you research PetLand? My hope is that you gave them your blessing without doing so – because had you done some research and still willingly gave them your blessing – I would be concerned about your motive. With one click of a search engine, you would find what the Parkers and PetLand are associated with pure negligence. The Humane Society reports that PetLand Kennesaw (a store also owned by Brad and Kristin Parker), received puppies from a breeder who had “more than 840 adult dogs on site.” The same breeder has many other violations including: “failure to provide veterinary care to dogs with open wounds and other serious veterinary conditions, inadequate floor space and ‘fecal material mixed in with the feed’ for several dogs.”

"Perfectly healthy animals are being killed while a few minutes away, animals are being “sold.” The shelter itself is not to blame." I could go on with the other horror stories connected to PetLand Kennesaw, but I think my point has been made – this is a shady business out to make money at any cost. Yes, PetLand Summerville is booming with business – but it’s booming for all the wrong reasons. Even if we made a new ordinance that banned PetLand Summerville from selling animals, homes would still have to be found for those currently for sale at PetLand. See how vicious the cycle is? So again I ask, Mayor Wiley Johnson, why would you give PetLand Summerville your blessing? The animals are literally dying to know.

sponsored by

L A V I T S E F

Day of the Dogs Festival

SORREP SOL ED AID

Saturday November 3rd 3 to 6pm Tattooed Moose Johns Island

live music drink & food specials 6 local rescues local vendors costume contest face painting

About the Cover In May of this year we held our annual cover model contest. You may remember Gia who graced our cover last issue was our 2018 Winner. Well the 12 finalists in the competition became our 2019 Lowcountry Dog Calendar models, including Pono, this issue's covergirl. We would like to introduce them all to you now!

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Photos by J Michael Walker

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lowcountrydog 31

PET PSYCHICS: We Know What You're Thinking

Written by Julie Murray, Staff Writer

How many times have you said to yourself “I wish I knew what my dog was thinking.” I will admit, most of the time I’m glad that I don’t know what’s going through Zelda’s mind when she sees me go for that 4th slice of pizza or when I’m singing her a random song I just made up. There have been times where she just didn’t seem like herself though, and I wish I could have just a little peek into her doggie brain to know what’s going on. If you find yourself wondering about this often, read on to find out if visiting a Pet Psychic is in your future. (see what I did there?)

Pet Psychics, more accurately named “animal communicators” or “animal intuitives” (mostly) don’t claim to have any actual psychic powers. Instead they are able to build a relationship with an animal and read their energy using intuition. I can definitely believe that some people are able to connect better with animals. We’ve all met those people with whom our dog seems to just take to immediately even if they tend to shy away from new people. I’ve also met people who are very sensitive to the moods of those around them. I’m actually one of those lowcountry dog 26

people; if someone around me is negative, upset or sad, I tend to suck all of that up and let it affect me. But how do these qualities allow us to communicate with animals? One of the scenarios I read about during my research for this article presented a pretty common situation. A family with an older dog adopted a new dog and everything was going well until they sent the new dog to a board-and-train program. The new dog was gone for a month and had a wonderful time learning and playing but upon her return, she began to act tense around the older dog and would attack him for no reason. The family took both dogs to a trainer for a follow up session but nothing seemed to be working and they eventually had to keep the dogs separated. They were absolutely committed to keeping the new dog (amazing) but didn’t want the older dog to feel threatened and uncomfortable so they decided to consult a pet psychic. This communicator used meditation and intuition to gain an insight into the new dog’s behavior. The family was understandably skeptical at first, but when they heard the findings of the communicator and tried them out, they were happily surprised with the lowcountry dog 26

results. They learned that the new dog was insecure, thought that the older dog was getting too much attention and had some undiagnosed health issues that could be helped with massage and essential fatty acid supplements. Of course, all of their problems were not magically solved but the family learned that the emotional tension they had around the dogs, waiting and worrying for them to fight, was creating a self-fulfilling prophecy. They learned to change their behavior, observe and listen, relax more and the dogs sensed that and reacted accordingly. When you think about it, those are all things we should do anyways! As you can imagine, I also came across some information about pet psychics that was a little harder to swallow, like the one who said she could talk to your pet over the phone and read its mind. I also tended to drift when they started talking about special electromagnetic energy detection and pets visiting them from “the beyond”. Science has not found any conclusive evidence of that type of energy or any other special sensory organs that allow this type of communication. But do I believe that our pets can pick up on our silent communications and react to our

stress? Absolutely. And if a visit with a pet psychic teaches more about this phenomenon and how to interact with my dog in a way that helps her, I would definitely give it a try! If your dog is acting in a way that may pose a threat to his health or the health of others, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best to consult a veterinarian or a certified animal behaviorist. However, if you are just stumped as to why your buddy seems a little blue or is acting out in a certain way, a pet psychic might be able to give you a glimpse into that mysterious doggie brain.

If this article inspires you to give

it a try, let us know about your

experiences! Send your stories to

me at julie@lowcountrydog.com.

Animal Cruelty Happens Everyday

There is one

group who fights

for those who

SUPPORT have no voice...

valiantanimalrescue.org

Written by Julie Murray

Meet the New SC Director of the HSUS

Written by Julie Murray Kelsey Glimore-Futeral In this issue, we are highlighting Kelsey Gilmore-Futeral as our Animal Advocate. Kelsey is the new South Carolina State Director for the Humane Society of the United States the nation’s largest and most effective animal protection organization. I can’t imagine how much work that entails so Kelsey graciously took the time to tell me a little bit more about herself and her new role. Kelsey has been a long-time animal advocate. She has been a therapy dog handler since 2007 after her mother told her about the therapy dogs that visited the VA Hospital lowcountry dog 32

where she worked in South Dakota. “[My mother] shared the immense impact the dogs made on her patients, her staff and her.” Kelsey began with her dog Eddie and has had four registered therapydogs since then. Currently she and her dog Pixel visit The Palms assisted and independent living facility in Mt. Pleasant and bring joy in a way that humans just can’t quite do. One of her favorite therapy dog stories is about Chi Chi, a golden retriever who was found abandoned outside of a South Korean dog meat market. She was so mistreated that all four of her paws had to be amputated. But, in true

canine fashion, her spirit and will to live endured all the abuse. “She is a therapy dog [now] and seizes every day to enjoy naps, squeaky toys and life in general.” She also advocated for animals while attending law school. She cofounded the Student Animal Legal Defense Fund and was one of the first students to argue at Harvard Law School in the Animal Law Moot Court Competition. Even though she has always been an animal lover, Kelsey told me that law school honed her skills as an advocate to be a voice for the voiceless. As the new Director, Kelsey has created some amazing goals. She wants to continue the work of passing state and municipal laws and codes that protect South Carolina’s animals. In particular, she will focus on the issues of humane tethering (the process of tying an animal with a rope or chain), keeping animals out of hot cars and curbing the state’s coyote bounty hunt (the draconian measure by the state rewards people for hunting and killing coyotes). “I also intend to continue to offer training to law enforcement officers and prosecutors around the state to help

them identify and prosecute animal cruelty offenders.” She believes the toughest part of her job will be getting strong animal welfare legislation passed. However, she plans on connecting with animal advocates across the state so they can all work together to improve the lives of animals in South Carolina.You can help Kelsey achieve her goals as well! One of her initiatives will be to grow the Humane Society of the U.S.’s volunteer network. If you are interested in volunteer opportunities in South Carolina, CLICK HERE Kelsey also pointed out that not all giving has to be hands-on or financial. Sign up as an HSUS Ally; post and share on social media to spread awareness and shape public opinion; be an advocate for animals in your daily life. “There is always more room for volunteers and we have opportunities to meet all levels of commitment. Before 2018 comes to an end, I’ll be touring the state to meet volunteers and animal advocates all over and look forward to getting to know a wonderful network of people.”

Lowcountry Lab Rescue (LLR) was founded in the late 1990’s by San LeBoeuf. She was saddened and shocked by all of the needless euthanization of Labradors taking place in South Carolina and decided she needed to help. Years later, the organization is still going strong. San is still involved, and works closely with the current Executive Director, Amy Fabri, to ensure her mission continues. Gail Golightly, LLR Volunteer and Event Coordinator spoke with me and gave me some facts about the rescue. “We are all volunteer. We are very proud that with no facility and no paid employees LLR has averaged saving the lives of 100 labs in each of the last 10 years.” In 2016, LLR is well on their way to meeting that goal again. As of May 13th, they have placed 30 dogs in their furever homes. Gail is an animal lover who adopted her first Labrador in 2000, named Radcliffe. He was a part of their family, and when they lost him twelve years later, Gail says “[We] wanted to give back to the organization that brought us the love of our life…” so they started volunteering with LLR and adopted another lab, Jack, in 2013. Jack came to the rescue after being hit by a car and losing a front leg. After he healed, he was placed with a family who, unfortunately, had to give him up after seven years. He returned to LLR where he eventually ended up with Gail and her family. Gail told me that his rough start to life didn’t stop him from being a wonderful dog. “Jack’s personality was one of absolute sunshine. He loved everybody and everything.” He became a therapy dog and worked with children and Alzheimer’s patients until his passing.

Learn more by clicking here

Hurley- LLR

Sophie- LLR