Pet Health & Wellness

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A SPECIAL INTEREST SECTION BY MEDIAPLANET

PET HEALTH & WELLNESS

Read more at truenorthliving.ca

Spring Canadian Pet Expo Canada’s largest family pet event April 15th to 17th, 2022 canadianpetexpo.ca

Q&A WITH STEVE-O:

Pet Adoption, Animal Love, and Tips for Pet Parents

PHOTO CREDIT: JON PREMOSCH

Mediaplanet chatted with entertainer and TV personality Steve-O, who’s a longtime animal rights activist and vegan, about his adopted pup Wendy, his love for animals, and his advice for fellow pet owners.

From street dog to co-star, Wendy is your forever friend. Can you describe the journey of meeting her? I found Wendy in the streets of Peru, and one of the first things I saw her do was eat poop out of a dirty diaper. I’m pretty sure that would be a major turn-off for most people, but it didn’t bother me a bit! Wendy ended up following me everywhere I went, and we developed a bond quickly. It took me very little time to know that I was going to figure out how to bring her home with me, and she’s gone just about everywhere with me ever since.

What was your experience like bringing home an adopted dog? Not all dogs are going to feel safe and comfortable in a new home, especially if they’ve been abused. Fortunately for me, Wendy immediately got along with all of our other animals, and felt perfectly safe and comfortable from the start.

How has Wendy impacted your life and your love for animals? I don’t know that Wendy has changed the way I feel about

animals overall, but I think it’s safe to say that I love her more than any creature that has ever lived. And that’s not hyperbole — I really do love her so much that it feels as though my heart is outside of my body.

What are your favourite activities to do with Wendy? I love it the most when Wendy plays with other dogs. Pretty much every time I see her do that, I record a video of it and send it to my fiancée, Lux, because she loves it as much as I do.

Do you have any advice to share with pet owners looking to enhance the health and wellness of their pets? Of course it’s important to let your pets know that they’re loved and cared for, but I think the advice most pet owners would benefit from is to avoid over-feeding them. It’s easy to think that giving your pet treats is the best way to show them love, but you can do real harm by over-feeding them.

Check out steveo.com/wendy to learn more about Steve and Wendy’s story.

Working Like a Dog — The Famous and Philanthropic Life of Doug the Pug For internet sensation Doug the Pug, spreading joy is part of his DNA. Learn about his efforts to better the lives of children battling lifethreatening illnesses through the Doug the Pug Foundation.

PHOTO COURTESY OF DOUG THE PUG TEAM

With your busy schedule as an internet sensation, what helps you stay active? I like to go on two short walks a day! My pet friends come over and we play, and a big way I stay active is chasing my cat siblings away from my meals.

Visit dougthepug foundation.org to learn more about Doug the Pug and the Foundation.

Tell us about the Doug the Pug Foundation and what prompted you to start this mission. Doug the Pug Foundation helps children battling cancer and other

life-threatening illnesses. We raise money for these children and their families and are also beginning initiatives to raise money for therapy dog expenses. When I started visiting children’s hospitals to spread joy, I quickly realized that with my platform, I could do a lot to bring even more smiles to these sweet kids.

Do you have any tips and tricks for pet owners looking to support their furry friends’ health and well-being? Our diet is super, super important! Always get the highest quality food if you can. Activity and daily walks, not to mention sunshine and laying on the earth, are also amazing. The most important thing is getting and giving a lot of love because happiness makes my tail wag.

Strategic Account Manager: Sierra Nardella Strategic Account Director: Jessica Golyatov Country Manager: Nina Theodorlis Content & Production Manager: Raymond Fan Designer: Kylie Armishaw Content & Web Editor: Karthik Talwar All images are from Getty Images unless otherwise credited. This section was created by Mediaplanet and did not involve The Toronto Star or its editorial departments. Send all inquiries to ca.editorial@mediaplanet.com.

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