Precious Pets Vol 2, Issue 5 by PreciousPets

Precious Pets The ultimate monthly paper for pets and their owners LIKE US ON

VOLUME 2 • ISSUE 5 • DECEMBER 12, 2014 • www.preciouspets.ca

In this issue

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Bunny with her life partner, Larry. The dogs are, left to right: Meo, Will and Dali

Credit KA Agency

Holidays are about helping those less fortunate, remember? I was already good and steamed after listening to a radio commercial for Target stores, well before I heard some really terrible news via e-mail. The Target commercial started off sweet enough, plugging the spirit of the holiday season now upon us. But then, it morphed into a disgusting orgy of commercialism. Several kids started begging their mommy to buy them this gift and that. How disgusting, I thought. Shame on you, Target. Then again, it’s not their fault that the Christmas/ Chanukah season has become a blatant plea by retailers for you to spend as much of your cash with them as possible. That’s your fault, grown boys and girls, because you hand it over willingly and all too easily. How ironic that the same people attending services in churches and synagogues... mosques, too.... say a few prayers and then rush off to “buy” the loves of their friends and family. I have a friend, a Christian, who felt he had to bribe his then-wife with goods and services amounting to thousands in order to gain her love. Disgusting. They are divorced today, so I guess his ploy did not work very well. I was then reminded earlier today, just before I planned this column’s topic, what truly meaningful humanity is all about. Rocky Wood, an Australian

horror writer who has specialized on Stephen King as subject matter and was the past president of HWA (the Horror Writer’s Association) died today after two years’ worth of suffering from ALS. He was just 55. Now that is really obscene. I corresponded with Rocky a few times by e-mail, but before and after he got sick. And he was a real “mensch,” a man among men. Kind, spirited, intelligent and reasonable, I only learned a few months ago that Rocky was very active in the animal rescue field, helping unknown numbers of people be united with pets who had been abandoned or abused. The Land Down Under had a real angel who wrote scary stories on the side, but was one of the gentlest, kindest human beings nonetheless. We will miss you, Rocky, but we thank God for the time you spent among us. By the way, those of you who had to be humiliated into being doused with ice cold water, ya did good and I congratulate you. I refused to do this, because I have and will continue to donate to ALS (motor neuron disease) causes willingly without resorting to gimmicks or challenges. When Rocky needed money to pay for his medical treatments and equipment, he put his entire horror collection up for sale via some of the better bookstores in the

CA BO LL U S O DA K Y TO O TH TE E H S F UR OL OR IDA YS

Barking Bram with Bram D. Elsenthal business, like Overlook Connection and Cemetery Dance. I wonder what he thought of the ice water challenge, but I guess I may never know. I am sure he had a good chuckle. As I said, ya did good. I just hope you donated more money than you spent on your spouse’s Xmas or Chanukah gift. They can live without a new iphone. But ALS patients will certainly not live long without research. I had the extreme pleasure to see the new biopic about the life of renowned physicist Stephen W. Hawking, who, now 72, has been living

as possible... the money you save on expensive, emotionally-overrated gifts may come in very handy. When it comes to holiday shopping: Pets are NOT suitable gifts... all you will end up feeding are the dog pounds and gassing chambers. Don’t give a pet as an impulsive present... unless it’s a well-thought-out decision. Happy, Safe and Frugal Holidays to you all!

EDITORIAL

A MOST SERIOUS MATTER:

with ALS for half a century now. If he can survive this long, perhaps many others can as well. Research is badBram D.so Eisenthal Editor Precious Pets lybyneeded, please ,write a ,cheque to your preferred ALS charity as soon Last issue, I wrote a serious edCharbonneau, via her political attaitorial demanding that the Governche, Carl Lavenant Langelier. The reply from Mr. Langelier is reproment of Quebec shut down their four animal gassing pounds. Dogs, duced below: cats and other animals are essenHi Mr Palermo, tially tortured here before suffering In the name of Mrs Francine a slow, agonizing death. I am sorCharbonneau, MNA for Mille-Îles ry to say that many of you did not riding, I respond to the email that respond to my suggestion that we you sent on October 22, 2014. Aforganize a protest if Minister Pierre ter our conversation that took place Paradis does not act... and soon! on November 28, I communicated Dawson College student Michael with the department of Mr. Pierre Palermo finally received a reply POUND Continues Page 8 from his MNA in Laval, Francine

UPDATE ON GASSING POUND SITUATION

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Precious Pets The ultimate monthly paper for pets and their owners Precious Pets is a publication of Precious Pets Media Group Inc. Volume 2, Issue 5, December 2014. Copyright 2014. Precious Pets does not accept responsibility for errors, misprints or inaccuracies published within. The opinions and statements of our columnists are not presumed to be the opinions and statements of Precious Pets Group Inc.

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PRECIOUS PETS • VOLUME 2 • ISSUE 5 • FRIDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2014 • www.preciouspets.ca

Christmas is an amazing holiday, if you do it right Spiritual Seedlings with Juliana Pavelka

You always know it’s close to Christmas, when those cheesy commercials appear on TV selling kitchen gadgets, the Salvation Army rings its bells, and parking at Fairview shopping centre becomes a contact sport. Parking is customarily challenging to find there. Once December hits, however, it’s almost impossible. On December 15th each year I have to polish my boots. I leave them outside of the door. If I was good, I get a present, but if I was bad, I get coal. My Celtic friends know what I’m talking about. In that case, you probably know about the feast of Saturn on December 17th. In the old days, the farmers finished work in the field, completed the autumn planting, and it was time to eat, drink and be merry. Saturnalia, a favorite Roman holiday, would last for a week. There was a positive urge to spend, people staggering under a load of gifts, food, drink and song. Sounds familiar? Battles were forbidden, businesses closed, slaves could gamble… so we are told by Libanius, a 4th century writer. Winter solstice, December 21st, is Yuletide. Mistletoe was honored as it grew on the side of the mighty oak tree. Later on, these traditions carried forth, from the Yule log, to holly wreaths, decorated trees, bright candles and the marvelous festival of lights to cheer in the holiday season. Would you have guessed that in the 21st century we would have, not war, but terrorism? People picketing in the streets, corruption, government services cut-backs, job-

lessness, homelessness, and low public moral? Somebody is going to get a lot of coal in their shoes this December 15th. We’re intelligent with our techno-gadgets, kitchen gadgets and mechanical equipment, but we still cannot figure out how they built those pyramids? “Where’s the wisdom we have lost in knowledge?” (T.S. Elliot). Can you please fix the Decarie freeway in time to facilitate fluid circulation for the holidays? Then, of course, a lesson we can all relate to: You can tell a lot about a society by the way they treat their animals. On December 6th, at the Shaar Community Centre in Hudson, there will be nine rescue associations, Father Demers will oversee the Blessing of the Pets, and you can have your picture taken with Santa and your favourite “precious pet.” I salute the countless volunteers who tirelessly dedicate their time to help these animals. Frequently I hear of an animal abandoned by the roadside, or left at the doorstep of the local vet, or worse, an animal almost euthanized because the guardian cannot keep it. New hope is given to these animals, as they receive care, medical attention, and get allocated to new homes thanks to: Rosie’s, Animatch, Gerdy’s, Katska, Kiko, …. The list is long. Like those animals, dear reader, there’s hope for us yet. (ED. NOTE: Don’t forget Averil Robinson and her older Golden Retrievers and True Blue Rescue!) Places like Nature on the West Island now host the rescues, during

pet adoption days. You can ask the volunteers questions on pet guardianship, feeding, walking, teaching tricks and the like. I actually see people coming out on those days to learn more about the animals, even if they don’t adopt a pet that day. This is all wonderful! An animal brings out the humanity in us all! In fact, if it were not for our beloved furry friends, who hide your slippers, bark at you, untie your shoe laces, jump for joy when

you walk them, cuddle with you and make you happy, this world would feel grim. In appreciation to the many people who care for animals and who have adopted a rescue animal, please share your story, or photo on Precious Pets’s Facebook Page. I know you’re out there and chances are your photo or story will amuse, cheer and perhaps beguile someone else.

For Pets And People In Motion

PRECIOUS PETS • VOLUME 2 • ISSUE 5 • FRIDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2014 • www.preciouspets.ca

The broker as pet companion: My dogs and I have shared enormous love by

Bunny Berke, Exclusive to Precious Pets

Over 40 years ago, I travelled to a breeder in Ontario to fetch my first standard Poodle. She was white, with pink ribbons tied around her ears; her name was Lady and she was beautiful. She had originally been sent to a family in California. The match was not good. I became the lucky new owner of this wonderful dog. She came home with me. She was afraid of cars, she barked a lot initially and gradually calmed down. I took her everywhere with me. She was very well-behaved. People would say, “Lady is like your child.” One day, I found, through a breeder, a sister for Lady: I called her

Tramp. She was black and not as large as Lady. They got along very well. I grew to realize that standard Poodles were that special breed for my tastes and we had wonderful years together. They always had lots of exercise and lots of encounters with people of all ages. They received enormous amounts of affection and attention constantly. I introduced them to my horse, Sir Lancelot. They were very protective of me. They swam in the pool (dog paddle, of course) and frolicked in the lake. They ran in the country, they played in large parks. They ate well. One day, Tramp had a stroke, which paralyzed her four limbs. I did everything I could to try to encourage her to eat, but I could not understand, and perhaps was not willing to accept, that she no longer had the will to live without the use of her limbs. I took her to the vet to put her to sleep and really understood for the first time how to say goodbye to an animal and listen to their message. Years later, as I was preparing to go on a trip, Lady asked me to go to the bathroom, came into the house afterwards and died in my arms. I sat with her for eight hours, unable to move. Since Lady and Tramp, I have had an enormous number of standard Poodles in my life, including Chadwick, who lived to 18, Dolby and Godfrey. Most of my standard Poodles were black. Godfrey was brown. They all came from breeders. One day, I received a phone call from a dog rescue organization, telling me about a wonderful black male standard that needed a home. Of course I took him to my home. A few years later, I had another call and brought Dali, a female, home to meet Meo. They are great friends today.

Credit KA Agency

The Poodle is supposed to have originated in Germany, where it is known as the Pudel. The word pudelin in German means to splash in the water. For years, the Poodle has been regarded as the national dog of France, where it was used as a retriever. The standard Poodle is the oldest of the three varieties of poodles and has been famous as a water worker. All of the Poodle’s ancestors were always acknowledged to be good swimmers. Poodles are impressive dogs: They are elegant, proud and clever; They have an “air of distinction” about them; They are renowned for a playful but dignified personality and keen intelligence; Poodles excel

at obedience, agility and hunt tests. Despite their regal air, Poodles are people friendly and very close to their families. They get lonely if left by themselves for long periods. My partner, Larry, whom I was fortunate to meet by pure coincidence, is also a dog lover. He brought a different kind of dog into the equation - his name is Will and he is a Lowchen. We will talk about him another time. People have joked that standard Poodles are to Bunny Berke what water is to fish… an absolute necessity for survival. Having had all my standard poodles from reputable

Love Continues Page 6

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FRIDAY. January 23, 2015

DEADLINE WEDNESDAY, January 14, 2015 info@preciouspetscanada.com Credit KA Agency

PRECIOUS PETS • VOLUME 2 • ISSUE 5 • FRIDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2014 • www.preciouspets.ca

At holiday time, birds need to eat well, too

I love to eat!!! Now that the cold weather is at our doors, it is so nice for me to bake away, creating delicious treats in the comfort of my warm little kitchen. But even if I love to fatten up my family with my goodies, I always think of our little feathered foodies living outside. My heart always goes out to them when I see them shivering on their little branch on the coldest of days. When winter approaches, many birds will change their eating habits and they will also start looking for a reliable source of food, which will be essential for their wintertime survival. Every year, I always find creative ways to let them enjoy my culinary

skills by preparing tasty food to help them gather lots of energy, which will help them stay warm, healthy and cozy. If you are like me and enjoy feeding birds all year round, you may want to start offering them treats with a higher content of fat and calories, as soon as it starts getting cold. Oily sunflowers are excellent to offer in the winter. They have lots of fat and protein and also double the calories per pound then stripped sunflowers. Birds also LOVE suet because it provides lots of energy. You can buy it at the store and offer it in a suet cage or in a log with holes in it, or you can also make your very own feeding container. At the end of this article I will share my favorite homemade “Chantal’s Super Suet” recipe (don’t forget to crumble some suet on the ground for ground feeing birds such a sparrows, juncos and doves). As a bonus treat, you can also offer peanuts, because they are high in protein and have a high fat content. Blue jays and crows (and squirrels, too!) will enjoy feasting on them. I also love to smother some peanut butter (use the crunchy type for extra deliciousness) and bacon fat on tree branches.

Birds of a Feather with Chantal Gargano Kitchen scraps can also provide lifesaving nutrition to birds. Put out chopped apples, pears, dried fruits, pastry, cooked potatoes and mild cheese. But, do not include salted food as it can be toxic to birds. Also, avoid giving bread because although it fills up the bird’s stomach, it does not have any nutritional value, fat or protein in it. Offer your bird food twice daily (early in the morning and in the afternoon before dark are the best times). If you have hanging feeders, make sure to place them out of the wind, possibly near a tree or a bush, in order to offer cover and protection against predators and cold. Also, note that birds still need water in the winter. If you can, try to get a heated bird bath. Birds need to bathe

even in crummy weather, in order to keep their feathers in good condition. Chantal’s Super Suet: :Mix 1 cup flour, ½ cup shortening (I use Crisco – not liquid oil, but rather the white solid shortening), ¼ teaspoon salt and just enough water to form a ball. No need to bake it, just put it out near your feeders and watch it disappear! You can add some pumpkin seeds, bird seeds, dried cranberries, cornmeal or any other treats in the mix as well for extra yumminess! Be creative and have fun birdie baking! (ED. NOTE: I think I am hanging around your backyard this winter, Chantal…)

Holiday-time can be a stressful trigger for your animal The season is upon us where we gather as families and the air fills with excitement and celebration. Strange objects appear around the room and schedules are different. Something is wrong! At least that’s the way your dog sees it. The holiday season can be a hectic time for humans and you can be sure that your dog feels the anticipation right along with you. It can be a very stressful time for your dog. Here are a few things to consider during the holidays: First, do your best to maintain a consistent routine. If during the week you walk your dog at 7 a.m., then on holiday weekends you should stay as close to that as possible. The same applies for the holidays themselves. Second, make sure to exercise your dog every day! Rollerblading and biking are now impossible, so think about patronizing a doggie daycare or hiring a dog walker. You will also likely have many people in your home this time of year and that can certainly add a whole lot of stress to your normally calm household. If in doubt

about your dog’s potential behaviour, always err on the side of caution and crate or keep him behind a closed door. You will be distracted with the festivities and may not be paying enough attention to Fido. Give him an antler or stuffed Kong in his holiday crate to keep him busy for the night. Try using something healthy, like mashed sweet potato or pumpkin to stuff it with and freeze the Kong for better duration. Since you know your dog well enough, then simply avoid the things that you know are triggers. It’s only for a short period and with the strange people and excitement it’s better to work on Fido’s issues at another time. If your dog doesn’t like kids, now is not the time to see if he has gotten over this issue. If you have already been putting in the time and effort leading up to the holidays, this could be a good opportunity to proof your work... but only if you can pay enough attention to him. Again don’t forget to keep the exercise up! Play ball in the backyard or allow your dogs to run

Doggie Do with John Truss

around to wear off some energy when long walks are not possible. A treadmill is a good option on those cold or snowy days. Contact a qualified professional if you

are not sure how to get started. You will both benefit from the experience. Happy Holidays from the Team at Bark Avenue!

PRECIOUS PETS • VOLUME 2 • ISSUE 5 • FRIDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2014 • www.preciouspets.ca

Love

Credit KA Agency

Continued from Page 4

breeders for over 40 years, it was hard for me to conceive that this breed was actually on a “rescue” list, that many were badly treated, beaten and starved, as I discovered when I rescued Meo and Dali. My dogs have always been treated as family members: Loved and very well cared for. Each one of them has had their own personality and they have added an enormous amount of pleasure to my life. We take Dali and Meo to Long Island, New York, regularly. They wear doggy seatbelts in the car and are very good travelers. They love to run and frolic on the beach. In Montreal, they go for long walks and runs every day for three hours with Geo or

Clarke. They are completely exhausted upon their return. I feel very happy and privileged to have Meo and Dali in our lives. They love unconditionally and are very protective of us. I cannot imagine my life without them. ED NOTE: Bunny is one of our most loyal advertisers, but I am very proud to depict her passion for her dogs as the ideal way of showing people why animals matter so much. Thank you, Bunny, for such a precious gift to our readers at holiday time. You can reach veteran real estate broker Bunny Berke at 514-933-6781 or via e-mail at bunnyberke@yahoo.ca

Happy Holidays from

The management and staff members of Precious Pets, Canada’s most

unique publication for pets and their owners, want to wish you, our readers and advertisers, your families and friends, a

Happy, Healthy and Safe Holiday Season in 2014. We look forward to an even more fulfilling 2015... See you in January!

PRECIOUS PETS • VOLUME 2 • ISSUE 5 • FRIDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2014 • www.preciouspets.ca

They Call Me Dr. W

Having safe and happy holidays (by Dr. Wybranowski, B.SC. DVM CCRT)

Although some pets love the increased home activity of the holidays, other pets get stressed out that their daily routine has been changed. Strangers come into the house and stay for long periods making lots of noise, or owners are away in the evenings visiting their family and friends. There are numerous things however that you can do to minimize the stress that your pet might feel. If your pet is afraid of visitors, you can separate him in a different room away from the noise with all the comforts he may need. If your home is too small, you can either leave him with a friend that he knows for the day, board him or use natural calming agents that contain anything from casein (the protein of milk), tryptophan (an amino acid) to valerian root and catnip. Watch out for toxic foods and plants. Everyone knows that chocolate and raisins are toxic to pets, but so are many house plants. A complete list of toxic plants and foods for cats and dogs is available at www. ASPCA.org. Most toxicities that I see in practice are accidental, the pet ate the food when no one was looking, etc., – this is always a risk during the bustle of holiday activities! No matter what, keep your food tucked safely away, inaccessible to your pets. Christmas decorations can be very dangerous. Every holiday season we operate on cats that swallowed tinsel or ribbons.

Puppies and kittens love to chew on electrical cords and this can cause severe electrical shock and burns in the mouth. Cover your electrical cords. Leaving your cat behind at home for a few days. Even if someone comes in twice-a-day to feed your cat while you are gone, it is still very traumatic for your cat to be there all by himself. Besides the stress, there can be significant danger as well. I have often hospitalized cats that stopped eating and became ill, because the owner left

them alone. I also remember a case where a cat was left alone in the house over the weekend. Being bored the cat started playing with the curtain cord, but ended up hanging himself by his jaw and he died. So whatever arrangements you make for your furry little friends, please do not leave your cat or cats all alone in the house. The holidays are a very happy period with lots of fun and laughter. Let your pets profit from them as well. Take your dog for a few

extra walks. Use the ribbons to play with your cat, but once you are done please remember to put them away safely, far out of reach. Remember that at Animal 911 we have beautiful, windowed, multi- level condos for cats, in which they will be able to watch the outside world from the safety of their penthouse. On behalf of the Animal 911 team, I wish you a safe and happy holiday season!

PRECIOUS PETS • VOLUME 2 • ISSUE 5 • FRIDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2014 • www.preciouspets.ca

Pampered Pets Westmount: The gift of good grooming by

Anna Maria Ranieri, Exclusive to Precious Pets

It’s the most wonderful time of the year and one of the busiest as well. With all the hustle and bustle of this season many dog lovers are having their fur-babies treated to a little holiday pampering. After all, we have to look our best. ‘Tis the season. At Pampered Pets Westmount we know how to put the “pampered” in your pet. With over 10 years experience, our staff takes their time on each and every pet. Our pets are individuals much like ourselves, with individual needs and we like to cater to those specific needs. On average what can you and your dog expect from us? Well, we like to ask a lot of questions. For example: Has your dog ever been groomed before? Does your dog have any specific aliments or allergies that we should pay careful attention to? How would you like your dog to look? Queries like these. Once we have a general idea of what you and your dog like, off we go to the

grooming area where we begin. We always start with prep work, such as a little mani-pedi before bath time. Once we are done with the lather-rinse-repeat cycle, we take the time to hand-blow-dry your dog (we don’t like cage-drying... it’s not fun for your pet). When your dog is perfectly cleaned and dried, only then do we begin the haircut. This process can take up to two hours to complete and your dog is allowed breaks in between, based on their mood that day. During the time your dog spends with us, they are given lots of love and praise – It’s not easy to stay still for so long, but amazingly (perhaps all my years of experience has helped in this regard), these wonderful dogs have come to understand that this is their grooming time and they work fantastically alongside us. They truly are amazing animals and this is why we love what we do. Any person pursuing a career in

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dog grooming must above all else love dogs and truly hold a passion for their well being. I’m so fortunate to be able to do what I love and to work with an amazing staff that shares the same passion I do. When the grooming session is over and the owners come to pick up their dogs, we love to see the reactions of both the dogs and owners. Big smiles! Wagging tails! It makes it all worthwhile. When leaving your dog to grooming professionals, it’s all about the experience and if you listen closely your dog will tell you all about it. They leave our place smelling fresh and clean and with a little ex-

POUND

Happy Holidays! Anna Maria Ranieri is the owner of Pampered Pets Westmount

Continued from Page 2

Paradis, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. As you may know, this minister is responsible of animals welfare. I did speak with a political attaché for his office this morning and she gave me the following information. As you may know, the minister currently applies law 42 that supervise animal welfare. Inspectors are on the fields to try to close puppy mills and gassing pounds, but it’s still very tough to find them. The government is very concern about animal welfare, especially puppy mills, so a new bill will be proposed to the National Assembly in the upcoming months in collaboration with the minister of Justice to tighten the law and better trap the owners of puppy mills.The bill is currently under progress (and confidential), so I cannot have more information for now. We will know more maybe next winter. The only thing she told me is that the new bill will replace completely law 42. The political attachée also told me that citizens are very important in the applications of law 42, because complaints helps the minister to find the culprits.That’s why, for now, I will refer you to the special phone line that as been created last June by our government (1 844 ANIMAUX or 1-844264-6289).You can call there and fill a formal complaint against the owners which you refer to in your email. For more information, there’s a press release explaining the reasons behind the creation of the special phone line and a website that gives a ton of information on animal welfare : http://www.fil-information.gouv.

PRECIOUS PETS • VOLUME 2 • ISSUE 5 • FRIDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2014 • www.preciouspets.ca

tra bounce in their step. A clean and well-looked-after dog is a happy and healthy one. Remember that dogs are simple and that what makes them happiest is when we spend time with them, pay attention to them and love them. They’re time with us is limited, as dogs unfortunately don’t live as long as we do (in our version of time, in any case), so make the best of it and have fun!

qc.ca/Pages/Article.aspx?idArticle=2206302367 http://www.mapaq.gouv.qc.ca/Fr/ Productions/santeanimale/securitebienetre/Pages/securitebienetre. aspx I hope that it does respond to your question. You can also call me if you need additional information. Thank you very much and have a nice day, Carl Lavenant-Langelier | Attaché politique Bureau de Francine Charbonneau Députée de Mille-Îles Ministre de la Famille Ministre responsable des Aînés Ministre responsable de la Lutte contre l’intimidation Ministre responsable de la région de Laval 3131, boul. de la Concorde Est| bur. 303 Laval (Québec) H7E 4W4 Tél. : 450-661-3595 | Téléc. : 450-6616093 | carl.lavenant-langelier@mfa. gouv.qc.ca (ED. NOTE: We will be staying on top of this matter and will keep you posted regarding our plans. If Mr. Paradis’s office does not react soon enough, a protest is not beyond our rights. I would also like to point out that the “special phone line” referred to by Mr. Langelier is for French-speaking Quebecers only and also that our efforts have nothing to do with PUPPY MILLS, but everything to do with PET GASSING POUNDS.)

Santa’s special animal friend lights the way for X-mas by

Bram D. Eisenthal, Editor, Precious Pets

Editorial Board The Editorial Board of Precious Pets is comprised of individuals connected to the pet field in some manner, who are ready to advise the partners and/or staff when

asked for their opinions. They are:

Michael J. Cohen, Councilor, City of Cote Saint-Luc (Quebec) and founder of its Cats Committee Averil Robinson, owner of Pet Friends (Vaudreuil, Quebec) Gerdy Gouron, owner of Gerdy’s Rescues and Adoptions (Quebec) Dr. Wojciech Wybranowski – Veterinarian (Montreal’s West Island) Gaby Dufresne-St. Cyr – Owner of Dogueshop (Montreal) Suzanne VIlleneuve – President: Suzanne Villeneuve Associates Inc. & SVbiz Inc.

It happened in the local steam bath, here in Montreal. I was sitting there, on a cedar bench, when opposite me, on a similar bench, I spied a portly elderly man, clad in a white towel around the waist, his white hair plastered to his head, his beard long and flowing and his face creased into a frown. “Sir, are you okay?” I asked. He looked up. “What... excuse me... were you asking me something? Sorry, I have a matter of serious concern to ponder.” It turned out that this man had visited a special place the day prior, a “reindeer pound” and had encountered a special new friend. This young reindeer was distinguished by a ruby red nose that actually lit up, like a search beacon. “He was very cute, a rescue from a very bad home where no one ever gave presents to the other members of the family, not even home-made cards,” the man told me. “And the worst part was that they had chained this youngster to a wall and not ever allowed him to fly, an uncanny ability that only a few special reindeer on Earth possess. This unique breed of reindeer needs to fly regularly, or they get very depressed.” When the man further enquired about this reindeer, he learned that he was part of a large litter, but that he was the only one with a red nose that lit up. Although he was already six months old and cute as a button, this was apparently the

reason that young Rudolph had been shunned by visitors. “I felt so sad for this pup being discriminated against because he was different. I could not leave him there, as I had heard that Quebec had several gassing pounds and I was worried that he might be killed, just because his nose was unusual. So I adopted him.” The man paid the reasonable required fee, which included the veterinarian’s costs, and took young Rudolph home. He said he lived in the North Pole. “I live far away – I am just here resting for a while before work, he told me. “But young Rudolph flew me home in a flash. It turned out that he was quite anxious to fly, having been cooped up for so long.” That is when the man told me about a brainstorm he had... to use Rudolph to lead a herd of fly-

ing reindeer that would be pulling a sled through the air carrying an important cargo. “In a very short time, I need to deliver some material to its destination,” he stated. “I do this work once a year and it is very, very important. My group of reindeer are getting old and are not so anxious to pull their weight anymore. But this young guy... he’s champing at the bit. His red nose will also lead the way nicely during a time of year when blizzards are frequent. We can really use him.” I looked down for a moment to clear the sweat from my eyes. I looked up to tell this man that he had done a really good deed, but he had already slipped away. “Good luck!” I yelled through the mist. “Ho, ho, ho,” came his distant reply.

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PRECIOUS PETS • VOLUME 2 • ISSUE 5 • FRIDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2014 • www.preciouspets.ca

Animals closer to our Creator than you may think Animals can speak many different languages (I am not talking about sonic or body language). As a friend’s dog, a boxer named Max, told me about animals: “We are badly multilingual and we are the coolest on Earth. We really want to understand everything that lies in your heart. We love you a lot. “Animals use different languages to speak to us. The first language they will try is the language of our expectations. Each telepath has some kind of expectations of what the animal is going to be like in communication, so the animal doesn’t want to freak us out with too many surprises. They can adopt a language of best-friend-and-bestest friend, or a master-and-personal-cop language, or the adult-and-child language, or the dumb-dog-and-ahighly-evolved-from-the-monkeyshumanoid language. It all depends on your openness

of mind and what you are willing to allow. (Max told me: “I also sing with my master because she understood I have a musical ear”). Animals, as I have come to understand through many communications with them, are highly intelligent and can assimilate any sort of knowledge on any subject at all. When I am around animals, they sense my need for guidance in life and they immediately adopt a “truth-seeker” and “the-expert-on-everything” language. Navigating through the telepathic world, however, I understand that some people tell their pets non-intentionally “Don’t be intelligent,” mainly because it freaks them out. This is what science fiction does to people. There are so many stories and movies where some kind of species gets out of hand, due to intelligence overdose, and starts to kill people. Just because authors have a lot of imag-

Pet Whisperer with Rita Fert ination, it doesn’t mean we have to get traumatic. After all, who do you want to be among? Dummies, because it keeps you from your fear of sci-fi or around top intelligence? Just because your dog is advanced it doesn’t mean he’s gonna hit you on the head with something. If you got lucky to be with a Bodhisattva, better make the best of it and ask Him about everything you can. Animals are angels, Bodhisattvas and God

incarnate, so you can really have the time of your life with them. When I say animals are highly intelligent, it excludes evil. High intelligence means also having high sensitivity and being ruled by love. Rita Fert’s e-mail: dogmcmurphy@live.ca ED. NOTE: Thanks to Max for his wonderful insights and to Rita for channelling them.

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PRECIOUS PETS • VOLUME 2 • ISSUE 5 • FRIDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2014 • www.preciouspets.ca