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Publisher Brian Foster brian@lowcountrydog.com Chief Canine Officer Peanut peanut@lowcountrydog.com Copy Editor Chelsea Salerno chelsea@lowcountrydog.com Social Media Manager Alyssa Helms alyssa@lowcountrydog.com Staff Writers Julie Murray Hali Selert Fern Wooden Staff Photographer Southern Vintage Photography Web and Design Consultant Laura Olsen Contributing Writers Kelsey Gilmore-Futeral Stacy Jessen
For advertising and media inquiries please email contact@lowcountrydog.com
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Above and Cover photo courtesy of Cesar Millan
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 dog-welcoming 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 nonprofits, 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 “Charleston’s Digital Dog Magazine.” We continue our mission to be the best dog friendly resource in the Lowcountry.
the lowcountry’s dog magazine since 2005!
In this issue
6 10 14 16 22 CESAR MILLAN: 30 32 34 38
SIT, STAY... BEHAVE: We Are Our Dog’s Greatest Tool HEALTH & WELLNESS: Energy Healing for Pets and Their People AND THE WINNER IS...
FEATURE STORY: The Racial Impacts of BDLs
Helping Lost Pets Through Innovation LOCAL DOG EVENTS
IN THE NEWS
THINK OUTSIDE THE SHELTER: ADVOCACY GO GREEN: Adopt A Recycled Dog!
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A P uppy Lo oks a t 1 5!
Peanut 's P O I N T
O F
V I E W
As I look back on my 15 years I realized that I have a few lessons under my collar for you young pups. I don’t like to bark much about myself, but now seemed like a good time to share. I don’t like to think about the early days. They were rough and tumble out on the streets. I am lucky enough to not remember much from those days. Things turned around for me one day at what humans call ‘the dump’. I was out shopping for dinner for my young kids when some humans came to pick us up and give us some shelter. I’ll always be grateful to those kind souls. *When your life feels like a dump, remember, there’s always someone who cares. Maybe you just haven’t met them yet. They brought us to a shelter so we could get back on our feet. It was bittersweet to see them all go but I just wanted what any mom wants for her kids, a happy home. One by one they left with good, kind, happy humans. Then a nice couple came just for me. For me! I was a wreck. It was hard to believe that I could have a loving family after such a rough start in life. But they were patient and let me take the time I needed to believe that I deserved love too. *It’s ok if it’s hard to believe that good things can happen to you. But they can. You’ll see. After a while, my humans brought home some young pups. Itty bitty things. I could tell they didn’t have a mom, poor babies. So I gave them all the
love and training I had given my own pups. Over the years, my humans brought home too many lil pups to count! And I love them all like they’re my own. *Always look for ways to treat others like you’d want to be treated. Share the love in your heart and show the next generation how to sit. Around my tenth birthday, I started to think about my legacy. I wanted to share what I know and help people love their pups and take the best care of them they can. So I talked to my humans about ways we could bark about it and they came up with the idea to do that through this magazine! It’s been quite a journey to get here to being a magazine mogul. Young pups ask me all the time how I did it. I tell them to hire good humans and take lots of naps. It’s important to care for yourself. *Surround yourself with others who care as much as you do, you’ll be surprised where you end up! It’s hard to believe that I’m going to be turning 15! If I had to sum it all up, this crazy life of mine, I’d say... don’t bury your bones. Share what you have with others, go for long walks with your humans, and wag your tail at all who pass. ■
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T R A I N I N G
We Are Our Dog’s Greatest Tool! Prong Collars are highly controversial and get a bad reputation. Like any tool, negative effects can occur if not used properly. Consulting a trainer you trust before implementing any training tool is advised. WRITTEN BY: DANIELLE DeLIZZA – Master Dog Trainer and Owner of Strong Mind K9, LLC
Just like humans, every dog is different with their own behaviors, personalities, and how they are motivated to learn; this is what we love about them. With this philosophy in mind, and in order to fill my client’s needs promptly and successfully, I use a variety of tools that balance the dog’s needs in learning skills on and off the leash as well as behavior modification. What is most important is that we are teaching, communicating, and building a relationship with our dog in a swift manner with happy results. By doing this, we are able to have needed structure in our dog’s lives, a way to fairly communicate, boundaries, and a healthy relationship. As a balanced dog trainer, I am able to look at the dog in front of me and problem solve what that specific dog needs motivationally. Using a variety of tools is what makes a dog trainer successful, because they are able to balance the use of treats or positive reinforcements with communicative training collars teaching with low pressures. What types of training collars are there? Some common training collars are simple slip leads, haltis or gentle leaders (nose collars), or prong collars. These collars give you the
ability to apply a soft or low amount of pressure when communicating and give a clear release followed by reward right afterwards. With these collars it is important we are training not only to achieve quicker, smoother results, but to build a relationship and appropriate communication. A balance of these motivators can help encourage good behavior and eliminate negative behaviors. Unfortunately, some of these collars get a bad reputation. Just like any tool, these can easily be used incorrectly without professional help, range in quality depending on the brand, or could be used in training by someone who doesn’t specialize in a balanced practice. The pros? As a result of being consistent and dedicated, we have a balance of clear communication with our dogs. We can present environments or distractions more clearly, and give our dogs direction or redirection appropriately. When we have clear communication, we can give our dog’s a life of freedom, let our dog’s personality shine through, and feel a relaxation in situations that would have caused anxiety otherwise. Ultimately, WE are our dog’s greatest tool. It is up to us to advocate, put in the consistency, and build the relationship with our dogs. Without
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T R A I N I N G
“WE are our dog’s greatest tool. It is up to us to advocate, put in the consistency, and build the relationship with our dogs. ” those three principles, we are doing a disservice to our animals. Research on the right trainer and collar for you and your dog is important. The right trainer will lead you to the correct collar and methods for your dog and be able to explain why they are the best for you and your dog. A professional trainer matters! By seeking professional help from a proper, balanced dog trainer, you get clearer communication with your dog, which will, in turn, allow more freedom for both of you. At Strong Mind K9, our mission is to not only strengthen both yours and your dog’s mind, but increase communication as well. We want you to have the utmost success with training! Strong Mind K9 believes the bond, trust, and level of communication is so important in the relationship between a dog and their owner. Our certified trainer will teach you how to enjoy and clearly communicate with your four-legged friend, and specializes in a wide range of training collars. Every dog is different; that’s why Strong Mind K9 offers a wide range of services to cater to what you and your dog need. Any dog and human can be trained! Let us help you strengthen yours and your dog’s mind today! Check us out and sign up for a free evaluation!■
STRONG MIND K9 Professional Dog Training
Pet Obedience Service Dogs
(843) 405-3206 strongmindk9@gmail.com
Strengthening the mind between human and dog w w w . s t r o n g m i n d k 9 . c o m
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H E A L T H
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W E L L N E S S
Energy Healing for Pets and Their People. WRIT TEN BY: STACY JESSEN, Crescent Moon Healing
We have all thought at one time or another, “Wow, that person looks just like their dog/cat!”; or maybe it’s the other way around and the animal starts looking like their person. Either way, it is obvious that we can share similar physical traits or expressions with our animals. Not only can we share similar traits and expressions with our animal, but it is also true that we can share energy and emotions with them. If you are a calm person, you more than likely have a calm animal. If you are someone that is consistently stressed by the external world, you may notice your animal is more on the nervous or anxious side. This is not always the case, but in general our animals pick up on our state of mind and reflect that back to us. Exceptions are certainly possible. For example, you may have rescued an animal that was neglected or abused by their previous person. This animal can exhibit fearful, nervous or anxious energy that has nothing to do with you but every thing to do with their previous human. Another example could be the dog that has thunderstorm anxiety. This can be due to chronic inflammation that is exacerbated by the low barometric pressure of a storm and the electrical charged atmosphere from lightening. The loud noise of thunder is associate with pain. These animals will know if a storm is approaching long before we do and begin to exhibit anxiety. On the other hand, there are some animals that have learned or
evolved away from reflecting the energy or emotions of their people. Some examples of these animals would be service dogs and cats residing in assisted living centers. Clearly there are exceptions to this rule that animals always take on and externalize their person’s energy and emotions. Animals are natural healers. This is why we have them as companions! They provide us with unconditional love. When the world seems chaotic, we always have our animal to comfort us, help us keep a routine and give us purpose. We may even unconsciously expect them to be a surrogate child, or we may fulfill our codependent tendencies by having an animal that depends on us. Whatever the conscious or unconscious reasoning, we share such a deep and meaningful bond with our animals. We may not even notice that we are ultimately depending on them to keep us sane. Sharing such an intense emotional bond literally binds our animal to us. They want us to be happy and healthy and can take on any imbalance preventing us from achieving homeostasis. Unfortunately, most animals do not understand that it is not their job to hold onto our personal
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imbalances. These imbalances they are holding onto can cause all sorts of behavioral issues in our animals including anxiety, fear, aggression, undesirable behavior like barking and jumping up, and can even cause physical disease. We love our animals and would never intend for them to take on our issues. So, how can we help them? There are several ways we can help our animals with this matter. One way is to take some obedience classes with a reputable trainer. A good trainer will teach you how to correctly and clearly communicate verbally with your animal. You can also help your animal by having a Reiki Master or Level Two Reiki Practitioner clear your animal of any energy they may be holding onto that is not their’s and does not serve their highest good. You can also have a joint Reiki session for you and your animal. This not only clears the undesirable energy the animal is holding onto, but it helps to heal the precious bond shared between animal and human. It also gives you, the human, the opportunity to receive healing for yourself so that your animal is no longer inclined to take on your energy imbalances. Reiki sessions
can be done in person or at a distance. All the Reiki Master or Level Two Reiki Practitioner needs for a distance session is a picture of you and your animal (preferably a picture of the two fo you together). Distance sessions are just as effective and healing as sessions done in person. Lastly, meditation is a beneficial and effective way to help your animal with this issue. If you do not already have a meditation practice in place, this is a great opportunity to start one. Meditating with your animal can open up a line of communication on a psychic level. Bringing awareness to this bond of unconditional love we share with our animal and the possibility that they can be holding onto energies that are not theirs to bear in order to help us live a happier and healthier life is the first step in establishing a balanced relationship with our animal. Luckily we have amazing obedience trainers as well as Reiki Masters and Level Two Practitioners in the Lowcountry that have dedicated their lives to helping animals and their people! ■
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F E A T U R E
S T O R Y
The Racial Impact of Breed Discriminatory Laws WRITTEN BY: KELSEY GILMORE-FUTERAL, Esq, Best Friends Animal Society
What is a Breed Discriminatory Law? The media sensationalism of pit bull terrier-type dogs and laws that regulate them began in the 1980s after a Sports Illustrated issue featured a snarling pit bull terrier on its cover. Since then, cities across the country have passed, amended, and repealed regulations on certain dog breeds. Oftentimes, these laws are a misguided attempt to make a community safer or to reduce dog bite liability. A law that regulates a certain breed or breeds of dog or dogs who look like those breeds is called Breed Discriminatory Legislation (BDL) or sometimes Breed Specific Legislation (BSL). These laws can target one breed, or they can cast a wider net to a variety of breeds (like German Shepherd Dogs, Rottweilers, or Doberman Pinschers), mixes of those breeds, or dogs with appearances similar to those breeds. For example, South Carolina House Bill 4094 aims to define a “pit bull dog” as: an American pit bull terrier, American Staffordshire terrier, Staffordshire bull terrier, a dog displaying the physical traits of one or more of the above breeds, or a dog exhibiting the distinguishing characteristics that conform to the standards established by the American Kennel Club for any of the above breeds. Distinguishing characteristics include a broad or flat head with high set attentive ears and wide jaw, whip like tail that is thick at the base and tapered at the tip, strong and muscular shoulders with blades wide and sloping, well-muscled hind quarters, and almond shaped eyes.
BDL ranges from outright bans (Overland Park, KS) to mandatory sterilization (Beaufort County, SC) to public housing restrictions. Negative stigma surrounding certain breeds of dogs is also to blame for most major insurance companies discriminating against various breeds of dogs in homeowners’ and renters’ insurance policies. While these laws apply to a small segment of pets and pet owners, they have devastating consequences for dogs and their owners, particularly minority populations. How Does BDL Impact Minorities? BDL is more likely to negatively impact minorities and people of lesser financial means than white wealthy people. In November 2020, seven national organizations collaborated to publish a white paper discussing the insurance industry’s breed restrictions’ discriminatory impact on
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people. The paper determined that discriminatory insurance practices most negatively impact three groups of people, including people of color. The studies cited in the paper acknowledge that BDL is influenced by and fuels implicit racial bias. Several studies have demonstrated an associative link among Americans between race and breed type. A study by Harvard Law Research Fellow Ann Linder showed that study participants most often associated pit bull terrier type dogs with people of color, specifically, young black men. Another author notes “the war on pit bulls … is characterized by elements of moral panic against the persons who have so long been associated with these dogs – ‘gang members,’ ‘drug dealers,’ and ‘urban youth,’ groups that all point back to fear of racial and ethnic minorities.” Setting aside implicit bias associated with BDL, these laws and policies still disproportionately negatively affect people of color and people of lesser financial means. In South Carolina in 2019, 23.2% of black and 21.3% of Hispanic people lived at or below the poverty line, compared to 9.2% of white people. When looking at money alone, it is apparent that those with more money have more options. Having more money means being able to choose a more expensive insurance policy to keep your pet with your family. More money means being able to move when your community passes breed discriminatory laws. More money means being able to comply with laws that discriminate against your dog by paying for elective surgeries, purchasing additional liability insurance, or building bigger fences. More money means you can hire a lawyer of your choosing to defend you in court or to file suit against unconstitutional laws. Not having money means these choices are not available to you unless they are provided to you for free or at a reduced cost by the government or an organization. In addition to limiting choices, less money means laws which levy criminal penalties for owning a dog that looks a certain way affects people of lesser financial means more acutely. Eighty to ninety percent of people charged with a crime nationwide are indigent. A study by the ACLU in
North Carolina found that “court fines and fees disproportionately harm communities of color and low-wealth North Carolinians.” There is little reason to believe additional court fines and fees for dog ownership in South Carolina would impact these communities any differently. Alternatives to BDL As previously stated, most breed specific laws and policies are aimed at solving a problem. However, even if dog breeds could be accurately identified visually (which they cannot), policies and laws that target specific breeds miss the mark on reducing liability or making communities safer. Specifically, “the best predictor of future behavior is past behavior,” not breed or appearance. More effective options are available to communities such as laws that target reckless owners who routinely fail to restrain their dog on a leash, regularly let their dog roam at large, or know of a dog’s propensity to be reactive or aggressive and fail to take appropriate measures to protect the community. Laws focused on these owners and their behaviors will address the problem without painting broad-headed dogs with broad legal brushes and without disparately impacting minorities or those with lower socioeconomic means. Communities can also work to provide low-cost accessible spay/neuter and vaccination services as well as education for professionals on dog bite prevention programs, including specific programs for children. Conclusion There are sound reasons why the United States Postal Service, the American Veterinary Medical Association, the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior, the American Bar Association, the National Animal Care & Control Association, the Association of Professional Dog Trainers, and the National Canine Research Council oppose BDL. Laws and policies which target specific breeds of dogs may be well-intentioned. However, the unintended but predictable consequences of these laws and policies disparately and negatively impact people of color. Therefore, alternative laws and policies which focus on the behaviors
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F E A T U R E
S T O R Y
of specific dogs and their owners rather than the appearance of the dog should be selected. ■ Kelsey Gilmore-Futeral, Esq. is a legislative attorney with Best Friends Animal Society. She chairs the SC Bar’s Animal Law Committee and serves on the board of directors for the Alliance of Therapy Dogs. Until February, she was the SC State Director for the Humane Society of the United States. Kelsey lives in Mount Pleasant with her husband and four rescue dogs and can be reached at kfuteral@bestfriends.org. 1. SC House Bill 4094 (2021) https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess124_20212022/prever/4094_20210317.htm 2. Overland Park, KS Municipal Code §§ 6.10.010 - 6.10.190 (2006). 3. Beaufort County, SC County Code § 14-26 et seq. (2019). 4. Dog Breeds Banned by Home Insurance Companies, Apr. 13, 2021 (last visited May 11, 2021) https://www.forbes.com/advisor/homeowners-insurance/banneddog-breed-lists/ 5. n.a. (2020). Breed Discrimination in the Homeowners Insurance Industry (p. 25). Produced and published by the following coalition: American Dog Breeders Association, American Kennel Club, Animal Legal Defense Fund, Association for Animal Welfare Advancement, Best Friends Animal Society, Humane Rescue Alliance, and Humane Society of the United States. https://support.bestfriends. org/site/DocServer/NAIC_Paper-Final01-12-20.pdf 6. Ann Linder, The Black Man’s Dog: The Social Context of Breed Specific Legislation, 25 Animal L. Rev. 51 (2018). 7. Ann L. Shiavone, Real Bite: Legal Realism and Meaningful Rational Basis in Dog Law and Beyond, 25 Wm. & Mary Bill of Rights J. 65, 111-12 (2016). 8. Kaiser Family Foundation, Poverty Rate by Race/Ethnicity, https://www.kff.org/ other/state-indicator/poverty-rate-by-raceethnicity (last visited May 11, 2021). 9. ACLU North Carolina, The Consequences of Rising Court Fines and Fees in North Carolina, p. 19. 10. Id. p. 8. 11. Nat’l. Canine Res. Coun., Visual Breed Identification, https:// nationalcanineresearchcouncil.com/visual-breed-identification/ (Updated March 10, 2021) last visited May 11, 2021. 12. Patronek, G.J., VMD, PhD, Margareg Slater, DVN, PhD, Amy Marder, VMD, Use of a number-needed-to-ban calculation to illustrate limitations of breed-specific legislation in decreasing the risk of dog bite-related injury. Journal of the Am. Veterinary Med. Ass’n, Vol. 237, No. 7, pp 788-792. Finding breed specific laws could not be expected to work even if particular breeds could be identified as high risk because large numbers of dogs of targeted breeds would have to be completely removed from a community to prevent even one serious dog biterelated injury. For example, to prevent a single hospitalization resulting from a dog bite, the authors calculate that a city or town would have to remove more than 100,000 dogs of a targeted group. 13. Nat’l Canine Res. Coun. Action Fund, Letter in response to American Property Casualty Insurance Association’s letter in opposition to NV SB 103, p. 2 (March 5, 2021) https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/81st2021/ExhibitDocument/ 14. Madison Fantozzi, Postal Service Sinks its Teeth into Dog=-Breed Legislation, Scripps Howard Foundation Wire (May 15, 2014) http://www.shfwire.com/postalservice-sinks-teeth-into-dog-breed-legislation/ 15. Am. Veterinary Med. Ass’n, A Community Approach to Dog Bite Prevention, 218 J. Am. Veterinary Med. Ass’n 1732 (June 1, 2001) https://www.avma.org/sites/ default/files/2020-03/dogbite.pdf 16. Am. Veterinary Soc’y of Animal Behavior, Position statement on Breed Specific Legislation, https://avsab.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Breed-Specific_ Legislation-download-_8-18-14.pdf (last visited May 11, 2021). 17. Am. Bar Ass’n, Resolution 100 (Aug. 2012), http://abanow. org/2012/06/2012am100/ 18. Nat’l Animal Care & Control Ass’n, NACA is Opposed to Breed Specific Legislation, https://www.nacanet.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/BSLGuideline-1.pdf (last visited May 11, 2021).
“Lowcountry Labradoodles” 6’ x 4’ acrylic on canvas. As seen in the MUSC Children’s Hosipital Emergency lobby
PET PORTRAITS by LOUISE HALL
See all of my work at www.auberginestudio.com follow me on instagram @louisehhall_visualart Contact me! auberginestudiochas@gmail.com or 843-476-6537
A couple before and afters, 18” x 24” acrylic on canvas. All of my paintings are life-sized and larger. They can range from a head shot only, or a full body portrait with the background of your choice.
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Cesar Millan
Helping Lost & Stolen Dogs Through Innovation
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Written by Chelsea Salerno, Copy Editor Photography courtesy of Cesar Millan www.lowcountrydog.com
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It might be every dog parent’s worst nightmare: your dog slips out of your yard, jumps out of your car, takes off after a squirrel, or worse, snatched straight from your yard, never to be seen again. Sure, there’s microchips and identification tags, but there’s always going to be an uncontrollable fear of your dog being lost in the unknown. Enter the Halo Collar, a dog smart-collar that combines technology and dog psychology to quell all anxiety of your dog ever going missing. It all began in 2017 when founder Ken Ehrman realized there was a need for a better dog safety system when his two young nieces lost their precious pup Ruby. She had wandered out of the yard and been hit by a car, something that could have been prevented with better dog containment products. After some research, Ken decided to create his own completely new technology for a better, safer solution to keeping track and containing your dog by using his background and expertise in tracking and safety technology, Thus, the idea for the Halo Collar was born. Ken and his brother Michael began developing the technological side of the collar but still needed some dog expertise to make this vision a reality. Ken brought in Cesar Milan, the greatest dog behavior guru in the world, and built a team that fused the brother’s advanced technical expertise with Cesar’s world-renowned dog psychology methods. Together, they founded Halo with their shared vision to create this unique combination of smart technology and Cesar’s “natural, simple, profound” approach to dog psychology. This has made Halo into what it is now: the world’s newest and most effective smart fence, smart training and smart collar system for dogs. The Halo Collar was invented and the prototype tweaked over the course of multiple years and a variety of rounds of testing. The official prototype took approximately 3 years of development and testing before it was ready for market and went through many improvements and innovations. The final product has many features that keep your dog both safe and contained. The Smart Fence technology provides fully-closed virtual safe areas for your dog to safely roam off-leash inside the Halo
Founders of Halo: Michael Ehrman, Cesar Millan, and Ken Ehrman Fence you create. Halo Fences are then stored directly in your dog’s Halo Collar and are fullyautomated via GPS and the Halo Collar’s internal logic. The Halo Fence boundaries communicate intuitively with perfectly timed Prevention Feedback that you can customize for you and your dogs needs. These fences can be created virtually anywhere in the world, the your Halo Collar will track your dog’s location accurately within 10 feet! Halo takes a holistic approach to boundary training that’s more effective than any other. Cesar’s four step program sets you and your dog up for success. Your Halo User Training is an allaccess pass to Cesar’s dog behavioral psychology methods so you can learn what it takes to improve your relationship with your dog and fully utilize all the features of the collar. Once you have mastered this, you will learn Ceasar’s methods to put your pup in a positive state of mind. Your third step is learning to activate your dog’s natural capacity to learn. Indoor Halo Beacons communicate instantly with your dog’s Halo Collar via Bluetooth, providing perfectly-timed guidance to teach your dog to keep away from off-limits areas and come back to safety. The custom prompts have 15 levels of volume and static, plus a wide variety of vibration types, sounds and tones for every parenting style. Finally, practicing outdoor training using the same methods your dog has already mastered inside completes the four step
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program. Halo Fences instantly communicate with your dogs Halo Collar and you will work with your dog’s natural instinct to master distractions and keep improving positive encouragement to come back to safety. Together, these steps will work towards eliminating your dog’s use to run out of the fence and keep them safe and sound! It isn’t only lost pets and escape prevention that are helped by this technology. The 2020 coronavirus pandemic showed an increase in dog theft across the entire country. Due to the lockdown, people were spending more time at home and looking for companion animals. Unfortunately, this pushed the price of dogs and puppies up in general, which criminals capitalized on, resulting in a high rise in dog theft. The most famous recent example of this happened earlier this spring when two of Lady Gaga’s French Bulldogs were stolen and her dog walker shot. After Lady Gaga offered a $500,000 reward for the safe return of her pets, a woman claimed to have “found” the dogs and was subsequently taken into custody
as a suspect. Upon further investigations, LAPD connected the woman to four other suspects who were also taken into custody. “Detectives do not believe the suspects were targeting the victim because of the dogs’ owner. However, evidence suggests the suspects knew the great value of the breed of dogs and was the motivation for the robbery,” an LAPD news release stated. French Bulldogs can cost up to $10,000 and are a highly coveted breed, but many other purebred dogs are also targets of dognappers, especially small ones that are easy to grab and conceal. The American Humane Association estimates that 1 out of 3 pets become lost at some point in their lifetime and close to 10 million dogs and cats are lost or stolen in the US every single year and according to the Coalition for Reuniting Pets and Families, less than 23% of lost pets in the U.S. are reunited with their owners. Because pets are lawfully viewed as personal property nationwide, those who steal them have relatively little to lose. Pet thefts are mostly considered misdemeanors,
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a session for
eve ryone
and the punishment is similar to the consequences of stealing someone’s couch. It varies by state, but if the perpetrator has no prior criminal history, the penalty is typically a small fine and often little to no jail time. Smart collars such as the Halo Collar are the first step in preventing dogs from going missing or being stolen. The Halo Collar alleviates the number of pets that go missing every year by keeping dogs contained to prevent them from going missing in the first place. Their technology has several failsafes in place, like guiding your dog back to safety using advanced internal logic, and tracking them if they somehow get lost or stolen. Most tracking collars only notify you once an emergency has already occurred but the Halo Collar can both track and autonomously guide them back to safety. Their mission statement is “no more lost dogs”, which sums up their overarching goal to keep dogs safe and ensure pet parents know the location of their dogs at all times. Additionally, the activity monitoring in this collar can show you if your dog is being transported in a car, which helps in the event of dog-napping. There may be an increase in dog-napping during these unsure times, but the creators of Halo Collar are doing everything they can to insure the safety of your pets. To learn more about the Halo Collar or to purchase one for yourself, please visit www.halocollar.com for more information. There are 6, 12 and 24 month financing plans available as well as a 60 day trial period and year long warranty.■
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Come meet adopt ables at 20 8 St J ames Av e in Goose Creek on t h ese d ay s !
6 / 8/2 02 1 D og Days at the Jo e t icke ts a t ri ve rdogs. co m 6 / 13 / 2 02 1 Ta ils & Ales at G host M o n ke y B re we r y fo r Euno ia Rescu e 1 to 4 p m 6 / 13 / 2 02 1 C ha ri ty G olf Outi ng 2021 for All 4 Paws R i v er s Cl u b , Pawl eys I sl an d 9 am
6/19 /2 02 1 Bull ies 2 th e Rescue 1 2:30 t o 3:30 6/2 6/2 02 1 Lib by an d Mace’s P la ce 1 to 4 pm 6/2 7/2 02 1 Berkeley An imal Cente r 1 to 3 pm
6 / 19 / 2 02 1 P ro m by the Po nd D o rch est e r Paws 7 pm 6 / 22 / 2 02 1 D og Days at the Jo e t icke ts a t ri ve rdogs. co m 7 / 6 / 2 02 1 D og Days at the Jo e t icke ts a t ri ve rdogs. co m 7 / 27 / 2 02 1 D og Days at the Jo e t icke ts a t ri ve rdogs. co m 1 0 / 1 0 / 2 02 1 Woo fsto ck 2021: A Low coun tr y D og Festi val featuri ng S iste r H a ze l ! Ha n ah a n A m phithea ter, 11 to 7 pm w o o f st o ck 2021 . co m
C h eck out our Event s page for eve n more local event s and to ch eck fo r da te changes. w ww.lowcountr ydog.com/ events
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Opening July 2021 in Murrells Inlet
Plus A helpful neighborhood store.
Minus Keeping you waiting.
Pet Supplies Plus Murrells Inlet | 12150 Highway 17 Bypass, Suite B | 843.299.1963 Open 7 days a week • Mon-Sat: 9am-9pm • Sun: 10am-6pm Independently owned & operated petsuppliesplus.com
Free 1 Hour Curbside Pickup
Free Same-Day Delivery
Self-Service Full-Service Pet Wash Grooming www.lowcountrydog.com
Price Match Guarantee Independently Owned & Operated
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In The News 41 neglected dogs removed from training business in Kershaw County The Kershaw County Sheriff’s Office has removed 41 dogs they say were neglected from a training business in Camden. Deputies say they executed a consensual search of the property on Bradley Road at the request of Kershaw County Animal Control.
Pet Helpers creates SNAP to aid the community Pet Helpers mission is to end the euthanasia of all adoptable dogs and cats by operating a no-kill shelter, promoting forever adoptions, humane education, and providing low-cost spay/ neuter surgeries. Along with our Food Bank, we have created a Spay/Neuter Assistance Program (SNAP) for those needing help to care for the wellness of their furry family members.
New Berkeley Animal Center to Open June 14th Berkeley County invites you to join in the opening of our new, 11,500-square-foot Animal Center. The event will be at 4 p.m. on Monday, June 14.
Click images above to read the full story. For more top stories, visit www.lowcountrydog.com/top-stories
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SPAY/NEUTER CLINIC ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
SNAP Vaccine Clinic Tuesdays 9:30 am - 2:30pm By Appointment Only
SNAP is an income-based assistance program that offers pet owners deeply discounted fees for spay and neuter surgeries, as well as annual vaccinations for cats and dogs.
SPAY AND NEUTER
Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays Morning Drop-Off By Appointment Only
Email spay@pethelpers.org to set up an appointment or learn more about clinic services. 843-531-6153 | pethelpers.org | 1447 Folly Rd Charleston, SC
www.lowcountrydog.com
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ADVOCACY: Recognizing Alicia Rose Williams WRITTEN BY: BRIAN FOSTER, Publisher
One winter day in 2015, I got a very enthusiastic email from a girl who wanted to have her rescue at our Eat, Drink & Rescue Event the upcoming January. Lowcountry Dog was just getting back on its feet under new ownership and this was our first event we had planned for the local rescues. I had never heard of this rescue nor this girl despite being fairly active in the rescue community for 6 years. The rescue’s name was Eunoia Rescue and they had formed just a few months earlier. I looked up the name and saw that it meant “Beautiful Thinking” before looking up the founder and found it to be a recent college graduate named Alicia Williams. Unfortunately, the event was already planned and we had no room for another rescue but her persistence landed us at a lunch meeting one weekend. I brought Peanut, our chief canine officer, along and a girl with green hair showed up with a pit bull named Happy Face. Alicia told me all about the rescue and how she started after she graduated from Clemson the previous year. She had only pulled a few dogs at this time and was learning the rescue world as she went. I was very impressed with her conviction and dedication to saving dogs from euthanasia. Soon after that initial meeting, we were invited by the Charleston Riverdogs to participate in an event and we invited Alicia and Eunoia to tag along. Alicia was doing everything herself at this time including fostering most of the dogs at her parents home in West Ashley. She soon started getting foster volunteers and in May of 2016, her first adoption event took place at our PBR event just for pit bulls. That summer, Alicia approached us again with an idea… “What if I write an editorial
for Lowcountry Dog every issue?” Peace, Love & Real Talk was born and first published in our August 2016 Issue. This became her podium to share her opinion on some topics that needed a platform. Alicia did not pull any punches going after some Charleston institutions like The Citadel for their mascot breeding program to the Town of Summerville for supporting PetLand selling puppies. Her column has been a major part of Lowcountry Dog ever since.
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Alicia was busy growing Eunoia Rescue and LCD helped with setting up and working some adoption events, fostering dogs and doing some transport. Alicia helped LCD by working as our rescue coordinator and getting the information on the sponsored adoptable dogs every issue until our social media manager took this on in 2021. Almost every non LCD event that we participated in, Alicia was there to help us as well as share information on Eunoia. Eunoia Rescue turned 5 years old in September of 2020. They now have a great group of volunteers who work tirelessly to get dogs adopted and in foster homes. Eunoia has grown to be one of the largest foster-based rescues in the Lowcountry thanks to the dedication and vision of Alicia and her team. In the past few years, Alicia herself has focused on saving senior dogs that need a place to live the remainder of their lives as well as starting a community program to help low-income people get their animals spayed and neutered. You may be asking why we are writing this piece about one of our own and that is because Alicia has made the difficult decision to step down from animal rescue as well as her role with Lowcountry Dog. Anyone who has put in the time and energy into animal rescue as Alicia has the past 5 years will know what rescue fatigue is. Alicia has left Eunoia Rescue in the very capable hands of Hali Selert, who has served as vice president in recent years. Hali is also a staff writer with Lowcountry Dog and she has been very active in the day to day operations of Eunoia for almost as long as Alicia. Hali was one of her very first foster volunteers, so it is only fitting that she should take over the rescue Alicia has built. Lowcountry Dog celebrated Lowcountry Dog Animal Advocates for the past few years before shifting to our THINK OUTSIDE THE SHELTER article. Being an Animal Advocate is a way to THINK OUTSIDE THE SHELTER and we want to recognize Alicia Williams as a true animal advocate for her accomplishments in rescue and with our own magazine. We wish Alicia the best as she begins a new chapter of her life and we know that her committed spirit to rescue will never leave her! ■ www.lowcountrydog.com
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T H A N K
Y O U
T O
DAYCARE
O U R
R E S C U E
S P O N S O R S
BOARDING
GROOMING
1090 Jack Primus Road (Just off Clements Ferry)
Vintage Antique Edwardian Art Deco Victorian Jewelry
Lucee's Treasure Chest
10% of sales donated to local spay & neuter efforts
etsy.com/shop/LuceesTreasureChest
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Over 35 Years Experience in the Pet Industry.
One stop shop for food, treats, supplements, grooming, and self serve dog wash Certified in pet allergy and nutrition. Corn and wheat free store. Locally Owned
440 Old Trolley Road, Ste A Summerville, SC 29485 843-871-7977
www.lowcountrydog.com
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GO GREEN | ADOPT A RECYCLED DOG
PET HELPERS
CAROLINA BASSETT HOUND
THESE ADOPTABLE DOGS ARE SPONSORED BY:
CAROLINA COONHOUND
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BERKELEY ANIMAL SHELTER
LIBBY AND MACE’S PLACE
ALL 4 PAWS
THESE ADOPTABLE DOGS ARE SPONSORED BY:
www.lowcountrydog.com
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GO GREEN | ADOPT A RECYCLED DOG
BULLIES TO THE RESCUE
EUNOIA RESCUE
THESE ADOPTABLE DOGS ARE SPONSORED BY:
H.F HELP
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LAKESIDE ANIMAL RESCUE
SOUTHERN TAILS
WATERS ED GE
THESE ADOPTABLE DOGS ARE SPONSORED BY:
www.lowcountrydog.com
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DORCHESTER PAWS
HALLIE HILL
THESE ADOPTABLE DOGS ARE SPONSORED BY:
CAROLINA BOXER RESCUE
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DOG PARK
AT WANNAMAKER COUNTY PARK
C H A R L E S TO N CO U N T Y PA R KS .CO M
Photo courtesy of SeamonWhiteside
www.lowcountrydog.com
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