Precious Pets vol 1 issue 3 by PreciousPets

Pernicious Pests Special Halloween Issue of

The ultimate monthly paper for pets and their owners VOLUME 1 • ISSUE 3 • OCTOBER 18, 2013 • www.preciouspets.ca

In this issue...

4 This month’s “Angel”

Going Global

Evolution... PHOTOS BY SIERRA VAN BIELLO

WESTMOUNT • HAMPSTEAD • CÔTE ST-LUC

All Hallow’s Eve: My favourite time of year

kay, I know it’s not a holiday, really, unless you are pagan and consider this a religious period. And if you are, good for you. Stick to your convictions and enjoy your holiday! Happy Samhain to you all! But for most of us, Halloween simply evokes memories of days long gone, when we would throw on a white sheet with eye holes poked into it by our beloved moms and stumble around the streets half-blind looking for any treats other than the legendary apple with the razor blade purportedly offered by the old hag next door. At least that’s how I remember it… and I know my dentist probably got rich doing fillings in the months following Halloween. Rotten teeth be damned! But we live in changing times, my friends, and Halloween is not the event it used to be, at least not here. In the United States, it’s another matter entirely. I just returned from a visit to Salem, Mass, the self-proclaimed “Capital of Witchcraft,” where, hundreds of years go, people were actually put to death for being witches. Salem is a truly historic place and if you want to have a blast and learn something in turn, you can still head there. The festival of Halloween is celebrated – and historic walks given – this entire month. But I still love this time of year most. For 10 straight years, I co-hosted CJAD’s Halloween show

with Peter Holder and had the time of my life, spending four hours on air once interviewing guests, delivering horror quizzes I had developed and handing out prizes, with Peter, to the winners. I actually proposed to my former wife on that show in 1992 and brought along a special skull candle we would light and burn in studio as the shows hit the air waves. Peter, you looked scary in shadow! This annual Halloween edition started in my old paper, The Local Seeker, which I published as The Local Shrieker. So it made sense to come up with a fitting fake moniker for the usual Precious Pets. Pernicious Pests is what we are calling it and I hope this doesn’t offend anyone. It is all in good-natured fun, we still adore all animals, and we will revert back to our original guise in November. A huge part of this Halloween edition is the literary section that features horror prose generally not available anyplace else. Thanks to old connections in the genre of the macabre (I was a member of HWA, the Horror Writers Association, for a decade), I have managed to convince some “name” authors such as Nancy Kilpatrick (a former American who has resided here for over 20 years, is Goth in lifestyle and teaches people to write horror fiction) and Jack Ketchum, whose work as many people like and admire as they do

Precious Pets The ultimate monthly paper for pets and their owners

Precious Pets is a publication of Precious Pets Group Inc. Volume 1, Issue 3, October 2013. Copyright 2013. 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.

VOLUME 1 • ISSUE 3 • FRIDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2013

Barking Bram with Bram D. Eisenthal Stephen King’s stuff, to contribute. Joseph A. Citro is a true friend and I never get to see him as often as I’d like to. But he gamely sends me material to use as well. If you wish to read some really disturbing non-fic, as well as fiction, give Joe a whirl. You may also listen to him on VPR (Vermont Public Radio). I consider them all friends, in fact, and they have come through for me once again. Thanks, guys! We are also proud to welcome Jane Greenhill to these pages, with a horror-tinged piece of poignant fiction describing what a dog-eat-dog world

it can be out there for our precious pets. Enjoy them all… they are not too scary, really, just frightening or disturbing enough to create some atmosphere for your 2013 Halloween festivities. As for me, The Walking Dead, one of my favourite television shows, returns this time of year. I’m going to watch it after I light my skull candle, turn off the lights, pour a glass of Shiraz and pull the blanket up just under my chin. I may even tremble… but just a little…. “Trick or Treat” and stay safe, everyone!

OUR CONTACT INFORMATION:

ADVERTISING AND CLASSIFIEDS: ............................................... 438 E-MAIL: ..... info@preciouspetscanada.com EDITORIAL: .............. 514

www.preciouspets.ca

821-6769 975-7745

MAILING ADDRESS: ... P.O. Box 66521, Cavendish Mall, Côte Saint-Luc, QC H4W 3J6 PUBLISHER AND EDITOR: ................................................... Bram D. Eisenthal SALES MANAGER: .................................................................. Tina Di Salvia CREATIVE DESIGN: ................................................................. Mark Lehberg ONTARIO DIRECTOR & DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL MEDIA: .......................Janet Boiangiu

PRECIOUS PETS • VOLUME 1 • ISSUE 3 • FRIDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2013 • www.preciouspets.ca

Bark, Bark, Spray, Don’t Bark Pet Safe Halloween Take costume precautions.

Pet Halloween costumes are becoming more common, but before you play holiday dressup with your pet, make sure the costume doesn’t impair the animal’s movement, hearing, sight, or ability to breathe, bark, eat, drink, or go to the bathroom. Choking hazards are also common, so be sure to ID any potential problems with a pet costume before dressing your pet up. Better yet? Replace elaborate (and probably uncomfortable) dog and cat costumes with a simple, festive bandanna.

Avoid deadly sweets

You’ve probably heard that chocolate, especially dark chocolate, is toxic to dogs. In fact, SPCA’s Animal Control Center sees a 39 percent increase in calls involving chocolate exposures during Halloween time compared to the rest of the year. But a lesser-known—and potentially fatal—toxin is a candy, gum, and baked goods sweetener called xylitol. Xylitol doesn’t hurt humans, but even tiny amounts can send your dog into seizures or cause depression or a loss of coordination. Signs of a chocolate poisoning include vomiting, diarrhea, hyperactivity, increased thirst and urination, heart rhythm abnormalities, and even seizures. The takeaway? Keep the candy dish, bulging trick-or-treat bags, and purses containing gum way out of paws’ reach.

Create a holiday safe house. Trick-or-treating may be a blast for kids, but it can be a really scary night for pets. The presence of strangers, scary outfits, and the constantly ringing doorbell and knocking on the door can make pets very nervous and more prone to running away. Keep your pet in a separate room on trick-or-treat night to reduce his or her stress. “Be sure that your pet has ID tags, should he or she accidentally get loose,” adds Gail Buchwald, senior vice president of the ASPCA Adoption Center. “Halloween brings a flurry of activity with visitors constantly arriving at the door, and pets can easily slip out unnoticed.”

rtie -- that’s my dog -- is a barker. There are dogs who he doesn’t know across the street? Bark, bark, bark. There are loud noises coming from the TV or he hears someone outside? Bark, bark, bark. And it’s not just a bark. No. It’s MANY barks. And it’s not just a little bark. No. It’s a BARK. He’s only 38 muscle-packed pounds, but he’s the Barry White of the canine world -- he has a deep, LOUD voice, and he uses it often. If he just let out one warning bark about something amiss, that would be fine. But he’s vocal. Chatty. Very, very chatty. I’d read about shock collars to curb barking but that sounded like torture treatment. Yes, shock collars have leveled settings and I could set it to the mildest shock, but still. a shock is a shock and it wasn’t something that I felt comfortable with as a training tool. Then I heard about the citronella collar. It’s battery-run and has (re-

Dogged Pursuits with Dawn Mirsky fillable) spray in it. When your dog barks, it sends a harmless burst of citronella to interrupt the barking behavior. The lemon scent is pleasant for humans, but not pleasing to dogs. Even though I thought it was unlikely that it would stop my stubborn beast’s barking, I decided to buy it. Much to my surprise, though, it worked on Artie. The first few times he had it on, he’d bark once, get shpritzed, and then wouldn’t bark again. After that, he “knew” -- the collar was on, he’d better not bark.

Sometimes I even forgot to turn it on. Sometimes I’m sure that the battery was dead or there was no spray left in it. But he knew. He knew that if the collar was on, he shouldn’t bark if he didn’t want to get sprayed. So if you’re looking for a safe training tool to curb barking, one that is not painful to your dog, you might want to try a citronella collar. Artie would bark in agreement but he knows that he shouldn’t. He’s such a smart furry man.

Homeopathy for your beloved pet

an you recall the frightening times when you had to give conventional medication to your dog or cat? Can you clearly remember the hiding, hissing, scratching, wiggling, barking and biting? Can you blame them? Well, now my feline and canine friends who happen to require medication actually come and sit for their daily doses. Their “medication” is no longer a bitter-tasting pill. It’s a “remedy,” - a homeopathic remedy - and I believe that they wait for it every morning because it makes them fell good and because they know that it is helping them achieve the best state of health possible. Don’t forget, animals are very intuitive. Homeopathy is a science founded over 250 years ago by German chemist and physician, Samuel Hahnemann. It an “energetic” therapy based on the belief that all “disease” originates in the electromagnetic energy fields of the organism (the “Vital Force”), and that these fields can be corrected or re-balanced by substances that produce an energy pattern that matches the disruption. To achieve this, Hahnemann used an approach which he called the Law of Similars, the idea that a substance which can produce symptoms in a health person can likewise cure the

Pet Healer with Barbara Etcovitch same symptoms in an ill subject. “Like cures like” is its motto. Symptoms are merely the language of the “Vital Force.” With the total picture in mind, the homeopath finds a substance in the extensive homeopathic “materia medica” or collection of remedies that mimics or matches this picture. The remedy acts as a stimulus to coax the energy system into re-balancing itself and the symptoms disappear. Homeopathy treats the individual patient, not the labelled illness. The homeopath needs to know only what the individual’s body, in its intelligence, is attempting to do to expel the problem and cure the illness. Homeopathy assists the body in doing what has already begun to do. It is a safe and gentle process, one perfectly suited to the sensitivity of an animal. The homeopathic remedy is a

high-diluted, “succussed” (energized) substance that can be created from anything on this planet, and in some cases beyond – as in Sol which is created from sunlight. Remedies can be given in dry or liquid form and have little taste. Homeopathy can address acute, first aid and chronic conditions and does not create further dis-ease in the process. My feline and canine clients with chronic kidney problems and diabetes have done beautifully on homeopathic remedies. I’ve also treated all their bumps, bruises, sprains and stomach upsets, as well as their acute and chronic problems. Barbara Etcovitch Classical Homeopath B.A. M.A. D Hom(UK), RS Hom(NA) CCH, RCSHom, AIEM

PRECIOUS PETS • VOLUME 1 • ISSUE 3 • FRIDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2013 • www.preciouspets.ca

AS HALLOWEEN 2013 DAWNS:

Yellow-eyed Angel marks his monastic heritage Story by Bram D. Eisenthal / All photos by Sierra Van Biello / Exclusive to Precious Pets

e was simply gorgeous when I first laid eyes on Angel. A boy cat, he nonetheless had earned the name due to his almost ethereal beauty. I think male dogs warrant tougher names than females, so you may find a girl canine named Amber and a male called Buster, but boy cats named Angel are hardly a dimea-dozen, to be sure. But I digress. Angel was adopted from a very good home, but a home where one of the residents did not handle cats well. Allergies or something, I believe. My girlfriend, who already had the two animals pictured in our first issue – Blacky, a male Shepherd/Lab mix around nine years of age and Sevin, a younger female cat – fell in love with 10-yearold Angel the moment I showed her a picture provided by my co-worker, seeking a good home for her fiance’s kitty. It was a hardly a match made in Heaven, perhaps, when Angel urinated on daughter Sierra during the “scaredy cat” ride home. And then genetic relation Sevin, not Blacky, welcomed the cat to his new home with some mighty and severe hisses (not kisses, as one might have hoped)… hisses still emanating from her two full weeks later. As for Angel, he was apparently scared to death. The poor thing lay alertly on his paws, surveying this new atmosphere with no joy whatsoever and actually growling deep within his belly. At one point, I had to ask in complete exasperation “What the heck is that noise?” Angel has since adapted to his new surroundings quite nicely. He hisses at Blacky now and then, although the affable, sweet-natured dog sniffs him up close and tries to make friends with tail wagging mightily. And Angel tries to follow Sevin around, even outside, although the much smaller she-devil hisses at him like a madwoman whenever he’s afoot. Still, Angel’s background makes him one of the most fascinating cats I have ever known and as we celebrate Halloween, I thought it wise to delve into the background of the Chartreux Cat. If you love sipping its inebriating cousin, the yellow or green-tinted Chartreuse liquor, as I do, this breed is nothing less than preeminent in heritage. The story many accept (*) is that the Chartreux cat was first bred in the Le Grand Chartreux monastery, located in the French Alps outside Paris soince its founding by St. Bruno in 1084 A.D. and inhabited by monks of the Carthusian Order. These monks spent their days praying, first and

foremost, but also forging weapons and making their famous liqueur, which you can find at most liquor outlets today. They needed to “create” the perfect breed of cat for this atmosphere, one where silence was a virtue and rodent-hunting was perhaps a semi-necessary skill. So they bred this cat, which is hearty (called “potatoes on sticks,” due to their larger bodies and skinny legs) smart and very quiet, so as not to disturb the monks at prayer. Crusaders, it is believed, brought back blue cats found along the African coast when they slumped home after being resoundly beaten by the Turks at the end of the Crusades in the 13th century. They bred these cats to have quiet voices so as not to disturb their meditations. And the cats became healthy and hardy, although also very loyal, playful and

sweet, traits that go with their keen intellects today. Their hunting prowess is also legendary, although no sign of this has been seen yet regarding Angel. Come on, boy, bring over a rodent, already! In the 16th century, the Histoire Naturelle, written in the 1700s by Comte de Buffon, listed four cat breeds common to Europe: domestic, Angora, Spanish and Chartereux. In the 1920s, two sisters named Leger discovered a colony of free-roaming blue cats on the Brittany isle of BelleIle, off the coast of France. They matched the description of the Chartreux breed and, by 1931, they were exhibiting these as Chartreux cats in France. While World War II decimated the breed, the survivors were bred with blue British Shorthairs, Russian Blues and Persians, transformed into

PRECIOUS PETS • VOLUME 1 • ISSUE 3 • FRIDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2013 • www.preciouspets.ca

today’s cat known as the Chartreux. It is exhibited under the same category of breed known as the British Shorthair. In 1970, the late Helen Gamon of La Jolla, California, brought home a male Chartreux – regally named Taquin de St. Pierre of Gamonal - from the cattery of France’s Madame Bastide, a breeder known for her pure Chartereux lines. This cat became the foundation male of the North American Chartreux and Gamon helped establish the Chartreux in the U.S. and also to gain recognition by the various associations. The Chatreux gained CFA Championship status in 1987. Angel, I bow to you, sire. Now go catch a rat, will you, please? * (Information herein copyright 1998, by Barron’s Educational Series and Encyclopedia of Cat Breeds, by J. Anne Helgren)

BUSINESS PROFILE

GLOBAL PITOU MINOU:

Natural holistic products and food, safe toys and warm clothing, too! by Bram D. Eisenthal for Precious Pets

he customer at the cash was thrilled with owners Murray Schwartz, his son Joshua and their staff, so I wondered what that was all about. “My cat Baileys got as heavy as 20 pounds before we realized something was terribly wrong,” Melinda told me. She brought the cat to the vet and, sure enough, it was quite sick, suffering from diabetes. But since Baileys has been fed with the grain-free wet food sold here, at Global Pitou Minou (5326 Queen Mary Rd., with another location on the West Island), and administered insulin, Baileys has dropped to 14.2 pounds and “feels terrific,” Melinda added. Apparently, the cat assumes ecstatic poses to illustrate, rather than spending his days in lethargic slumber. Global Pitou Minou is that sort of place, specializing in “natural holistic pet foods, premium treats and accessories,” according to the Schwartzs, who opened the shops in 2010, starting with the West Island location. Dad Murray was a pre-school educator prior to that and Joshua helped out at the institution as well, so the two had experience working together. “Joshua and I were looking into a business we could open together when I read in Fortune magazine about the $8-$10 billion pet industry in the U.S. We already had two dogs, our Havanese, Lola and Bichon, Ziggy, so the decision was natural.” The Schwartzs and their highly-engaging staff bring great comfort to all the regulars who shop here, regulars who surprise Murray every time. “I am very moved by the level of commitment people exhibit regarding their animals,” he admitted. ‘How can we show any less of a commitment?” Global Pitou Minou also carries all manner products for fish, small animals and birds, as well as cats and dogs. The West Island location “also sells reptile products and does feedings,” Joshua Schwartz stated. That’s actually welcome news for someone like me, because I had a pet tarantula in the 1980s and had to obtain live crickets with which to feed Judah every Friday. He ate a dozen and it’s nice to see that inflation has not yet caught up with this specialty niche products: one dozen active crickets are just $1.08 per dozen. Before you go “yewwwww!” remember that a pet can mean many things to many people. Tarantulas, lizards, mice…. All are beloved living creatures to someone out there. Joshua could not resist showing me their lines of pet clothing that is

as cute as it is practical, especially with a blustery, frigid winter on the horizon. “We carry Canada Pooch, which is a lot like Canada Goose (the popular and very expensive down-filled clothing line for humans) and we sell a lot of this in the winter, as well as their rainwear in the summer.” The prices are quite affordable, I noted. I was also drawn to a line of crunchy and tasty-looking treats near the cash. “I wish I could eat these,” I commented. “You can,” I was told. Those are for people!” But nearby, sticking out of a display container, were these tasty looking dried meat sticks, as long as canes, that the latest Schwartz canine, Boomer, a very cute, black mini golden doodle, kept sniffing and trying to sample sneakily. “Boomer is allergic to lamb and potatoes,” Murray told me. “So he eats these venison snacks and really enjoys them.” I can see why… ‘Lucky Boomer,’ I thought, pondering the virtues of dropping down on all fours at this very moment. Services here also include RFID tags (with GPS chips buried within) made for your pet on the spot. As for pet toys, there are many more here than can easily be counted. The lines include the large, very safe Kong items referred to in the Toy Tester column which debuts this issue of Precious Pets. For virtually every possible item guaranteed to help your pet stay happy and healthy, Global Pitou Minou has it all. Drop in

and check them out for yourself. You can check out Global Pitou Minou ’s Queen Mary location on both Facebook and Twitter: www.twitter.com/GlobalPetFoodQM

www.facebook.com/PitouMinouQueenMary Feel free to “like” them when you “like” Precious Pets.

Left to right, Joshua, Shanis, Tara and Murray.

PRECIOUS PETS • VOLUME 1 • ISSUE 3 • FRIDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2013 • www.preciouspets.ca

Taking inventory

portant for me to spend time thinking about each member of my family and to make sure we keep in contact. I admit I have too often neglected family members and taken them for granted. A special card or a thoughtful email does wonders to span the months during which there has been too little communication. My closest friends draw on my strengths and my weaknesses. The buttons they push are pushed easily: A very good friend does it without thought or effort, it just happens. You have two choices - mention it, then and there, and deal with it, or just suck it up. If you mention it and deal with it immediately, friends are quick to say they regret any hurt they caused and it is then forgiven and forgotten. It is okay to suck it up, but if it is still bothering you the next day, don’t let it linger, deal with it, and most probably it won’t be a big deal. If you leave it hanging for 10 days you may well amaze yourself at how it has grown out of proportion. Friends are few in number and are not to be lumped into the category “friend,” when all the while you really are thinking about acquaintances. Strangers are friends you have yet to meet. Friends of yours need not be friends of each other.

s we approach winter, I’d like to ruminate on our last season. I see summer, specifically June, as a mid-year break, during which I take inventory of the first six months of my year. It helps me go on vacation with a certain sense of accomplishment. It allows me to let go of what was, celebrate what is, and look forward to a future that will take care of itself. So I look back and take the time to re-examine the significance of a number of people, places and events, which I have been privileged to experience in a few short months of my life. Stopping makes me, as people are prone to say, take time to smell the flowers. It also stops time: It is time-in-the-making that makes time fly by. Memories are not timebound but time-honoured. People are my greatest teachers and mentors. They come from a variety of backgrounds, different religions and political stripes. To listen and learn from their lived experiences enriches my own appreciation of life, offering me more tools to understand my own experiences. I promise you I will not name drop. Family is present to keep you honest and keep you grounded. Family members share their ups and downs and give you permission to do the same. It is im-

Spiritual Seedlings with Father John Walsh I have learnt a great deal from life at Nazareth House, a residence for 22 men with mental illnesses, men who otherwise would be homeless. I drop by a couple of times a week and get caught up on the news with the Director. She takes the men and the staff to heart. She is a dynamic woman who knows how to expend her energy and she maintains her priority of relating to each person, while caring for each one’s well-being. It is a “home,” a “family home,” and entails all that is required to maintain harmony and cohesion. Volunteers of a wide age range come with a variety of services and offer themselves and their talents with a generosity that warms the cockles of anyone’s heart. I count my blessings when I think of so many successful people from

a plethora of professions with whom I come in contact. I cross paths with psychiatrists, palliative care specialists, people from different university milieu, builders and demolition crews, members of faith communities that cover the hues of a rainbow, civic leaders, media communicators, board members with heartfelt concerns for segments of our community, committed women and men who care for others more than themselves… and a myriad of sinners, all helping me to understand myself, forgive myself, forgive others, and go. As winter approaches, we can still ponder these things and learn from them.

HEALTH FOOD STORES FOR PETS

FREE DELIVERY

DISCOUNT ON ALL TOYS AND ACCESSORIES WITH THE PURCHASE OF DRY DOG OR CAT FOOD CERTAIN RESTRICTIONS APPLY

5326, CH. QUEEN MARY, MONTREAL, QC H3X 1T7 WEST OF AUTOROUTE DECARIE

TEL:

514 482-0100

14905, BLVD. PIERREFONDS, PIERREFONDS, QC H9H 4M5 BETWEEN ST-JEAN AND ST-CHARLES

TEL:

514 696-0111

PRECIOUS PETS • VOLUME 1 • ISSUE 3 • FRIDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2013 • www.preciouspets.ca

global petfood.qm

JUST CALL ME DR. W

A lost pet has the best hope of coming home with a microchip ID (by Dr. Wybranowski, B.SC. DVM CCRT)

very year thousands of pets go missing. Even though many of these pets may be wearing collars and ID tags, these can get lost. Relatively few pets get re-united with their owners. Happy endings are uncommon. If the pet survives long enough outside or is not taken in by someone, sooner or later he will end up at the SPCA, the Berger Blanc or a similar pet rescue facility. If the owners cannot be found a few days to weeks later, the pet will either be put up for adoption or euthanized. Yet all this can easily be prevented by having pets micro-chipped. A microchip is the size of a grain of rice and is inserted with a needle under

the skin of the neck, much like a vaccine. This microchip will carry an ID number through which the pet can be identified and reunited with his owner. It cannot be lost or damaged and it is permanent. When the dog is brought to one of these facilities, they read the information from the chip using a scanner and the owner can then be contacted. Microchipping has been around for over a dozen years and it has shown that it will more than double the chances of returning a lost pet to its home. Microchipping is an easy, inexpensive and great way to protect your pet from getting lost. There are many microchip producers, so here’s what to watch for: 1. Make sure you have your pet identified with an ISO chip, as it is universal and can be read by every scanner. 2. Choose a microchip that has no annual fees. Some companies will register your pet when you buy the chip, but will then charge you an annual fee to maintain him in their database. 3. If you move or change phone numbers, advise the company of the changes so that they can update your pet’s data in their files. At Animal 911 we use ISO chips with no annual fees. Call us today to schedule an appointment to have your pet microchipped. Animal 911 is having a microchip

clinic on Sunday November 24, 2013, at our hospital located at 11400 blvd Gouin O. in Roxboro, from 9:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. All proceeds from this event will go to Steri-Animal, a cat rescue organization. This community event is held in collaboration with the Global Pitou Minou & Compagnons store located

in Pierrefonds. Please call Vanessa at 514-696-0111 to book your pet an appointment for micro-chipping at a reduced rate of $40 with the added benefit of helping to save unwanted pets! The Animal 911 Team looks forward to seeing many of you at this event!

Dr. Wybranowski and Willow

Coming this November It's the month before Christmas and all through the house, little creatures were stirring, including a mouse. They're panting and barking and meowing, you see, In great anticipation of our Gift Guide, that's free! Join us as we rush head-long toward holiday season, in the next fun and unique issue of Precious Pets, to be coming your way on

Friday, November 22, 2013 Deadine is Friday, November 15, 2013.

PRECIOUS PETS • VOLUME 1 • ISSUE 3 • FRIDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2013 • www.preciouspets.ca

In memory of, in honour of and because we love our

Precious Pets Happy Halloween! Well, everyone, time to dust off the brooms and get ready for Halloween, a time of year when young people “trick or treat,” and we all watch scary movies and spend time with our pets, both indoors and out. With kids the target of all the safety advisories this time of year, please remember that your pets are also at risk. Bringing your pet with you on a cold, dark night is fraught with danger, so please remember to watch for cars and keep your dog or cat warm. And afterwards, while he or she may enjoy candy as much as you do, remember that your pet’s digestive system is not primed for all that sweet junk. You DO know that chocolate could be deadly for your pet, right? Ask your family vet. As promised, we will award a prize to the animal our panel of judges feels is the most appropriately-attired for Halloween. Thanks, have fun and stay safe!

Beamer

Born Oct. 14, 2012, this Yorkie is a “real ladies man.” Very affectionate and enjoying being the center of attention, Beamer enjoys car rides with the Stavrakos family and drove to Niagara Falls recently, excitedly watching the scenery for most of the trip. Beamer hates being left alone and has an uncanny way of sensing when someone is feeling tired or sad – he does his best to make them smile. A sucker for a good tummy rub, he is forever hopeful of getting one. Beamer “loves all three ladies in my life – four if I include my mother,” says owner Chris. “This guy is just the best.”

Mingus

A rescue cat, grey 8-year old tabby Mingus was adopted by the Goldstein family five years agom from an elderly woman who could not take care of him anymore. The woman had adopted him from the SPCA and he was just about to be put down that very day. He was originally found on the street – he must have belonged to someone, because he was declawed in front. The Goldsteins call him their “tubby tabby” because he is a little overweight. He has a lot of phobias…he is scared of plastic bags, vacuum cleaners, loud noises, etc., though he likes to go outside every day. With a recently-diagnosed thyroid problem, Mingus is now on a special diet.

A special gift

by Carolyn Krause During the dust bowl of the mid 1930s, my grandfather and his family managed to survive the Great Depression in southern Alberta. A farmer, my grandfather was just trying to scrape by in order to feed his family. While out plowing the field one day, he stumbled upon a baby bunny. He thought ‘what a delightful gift for my young daughter.’ While money was very scarce then and gifts were unheard of, he knew how she would love the little bunny. He carefully carried the bunny home in his boot, making sure not to drop him. He walked a great distance back to the farm house, making his way back cautiously, wearing only the other boot. My mother was ecstatic with joy when her father presented her with the little bunny. She named him Bun Bun and told her father that this bunny was the greatest gift she had ever received. After I met my husband 15 years ago, I told him the story of Bun Bun. On our first Christmas together he bought me a little white dwarf bunny, whom I endearingly named Bun Bun, too. A friend of my husband’s said in disbelief,” You bought her a rabbit for Christmas? It had better have been wearing a diamond necklace!” Time has flown by. My precious little Bun Bun has just passed away: He was almost 15 years old. My vet told me this age is unheard of for a bunny. I know it was because he received so much love from everyone around him and brought so much love into our family. After his passing, I said to my husband, “Bun Bun was the greatest gift I ever received.” Rest in peace, my dear little friend.

Hershey

Bram’s co-worker David boasts about his Chihuahua Hershey almost daily. And this picture is certainly appropriate for Halloween, as the dog appears to be screaming. Rest assured that Hershey, from what David says, is not only extremely intelligent, but simply does not bark, ever! The mystery question this Halloween season has to be, who stole Hershey’s bark? And even if he nibbles, curious minds want to know, does that make his bite worse than his bark?

PRECIOUS PETS • VOLUME 1 • ISSUE 3 • FRIDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2013 • www.preciouspets.ca

Betty Hill’s pet chickens

Bun Bun

When I visited with late, legendary UFO abductee Betty Hill at her home in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, on July 12, 2003, I was stunned to encounter her pet chickens running around her front lawn. But here you have it: The most storied woman forcibly taken aboard a flying saucer (and read her story anywhere on line – including mine that ran in The Globe and Mail - to learn some astounding facts that are difficult to deny) in 1961 considered her poultry much more than a menu item (Bram Eisenthal).

as bumble bee Bun Bun steals the show this issue, as she sports the latest in “bee wear,” just in time for a recent Spring season. She’s just the kind of animal we enjoy at Halloween, a pet with flair for showing off…

Recipe

Finally, we thank avid reader Chantale Garganeau for providing the following bunny snack recipe: Yummy Bunny Biscuit Treats (remember that these biscuits are treats, so please offer them very sparingly) * 1 small carrot, pureed * 1/2 banana, mashed until really creamy * 1 tbsp honey * 1/4 cup rabbit pellets, ground finely in a coffee grinder * 1/4 cup whole wheat flour Mix pureed carrot, banana and honey in a medium bowl. Add pellet powder and whole wheat flour. Mix until blended. Knead in your hands for 1-2 minutes. Roll out the “dough” in 1/8- to 1/4inch thick layers between sheets of plastic wrap. Cut into small cookies (about 3/4 inch across). Place cut shapes onto a parchment paper-covered cookie sheet. Bake at 325 degrees for about 30 minutes (check to make sure they are not browning too much). Turn off the heat and let the cookies sit in the warm oven for an hour or so. You can also try finely ground rolled oats instead of the flour. I am sure that lots of other changes could be made to the ingredients and that these would still work (for example you could replace the carrot with some apple or pear).

Bean

Yes, tis the season… for bunnies, that is…. Keep them warm and make them some snacks (see this issue’s featured recipe just for rabbits).

Chikis

Our favourite black cat was also the official mascot of The Local Herald for three years. She was purchased by the Treminio family at Cavendish Mall for daughter Jacqueline, now an employed Concordia grad who writes for us now and again. Chikis has two adopted siblings: feline Juliana (“Hoolie”) and Jack Russell Terrier Chico. She is typically an indoor cat, so you won’t have her ringing your doorbell dressed as a pooch, not this Halloween, in any event.

PRECIOUS PETS • VOLUME 1 • ISSUE 3 • FRIDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2013 • www.preciouspets.ca

A DASH OF …. PEPPER!

Tik Tik Tik ……. Is this thing on?

A pet-friendly inn, for VIPs (very important pets)

rends, my name is Pepper and I was Joe T Reporter’s younger, bigger brother (by adopshin, of coarse). I have been asked to take over his collim in the Preshiss Pets Nooze Paper. I no I have some VERY big paws to fill and I will try my BEST to live up to the repewutayshin that Joe T left. A bit abowt masself first. I am a 5 yeer young greyhownd. I had an eggsellent raisin’ career (Grade A!) until I dropped a mussel in my thy and I had to retire. I spent some time in Flowerdah until I was brot to Oh! Canada whereby I got adopted. I am knot as worldlee as Joe T was but (with the help of Momma) I will endive uhm atempt uhm TRY to answer your qwestchins. Lets look in the mailbag…. Heer’s one:

Deer Pepper There is a holiday coming up called halloweenie. It seems that at halloweenie people go crazy and try to adorn their pets with all kinds of décor called “costumes”. I am afeared of said “costumes” and I do KNOT want to wear one. Wot should I do? Signed, Pirate Pete Deer Peet I feel your payne brother – Imyownself will NEVER let Momma put a costume on me. I let her no in no unsertin barks and wiggles that I DO KNOT tolerate sutch hewmiliayshin. Perhaps you kin do the same? I have attached a pickshoore of me in owr last yeers “Growloween wok” and you will see that I am sertinlee knot wearing a costume…. Pepper

nn by the Sea has 17 pet friendly rooms- they are the same as all other rooms just kept segregated so that people with allergies don’t get a pet room. We are different from many hotels in that we do not limit the size or number of pets a guest travels with, nor do we charge extra fees for pets. We also allow guests to eat off the gourmet pet menu in the lounge or on the deck- so guests can enjoy a meal with their favorite travelling companion! And now for the next two weeks, before we drain and close the pool for the winter, it goes to the dogs for the next two weeks- ;literally- only dogs can swim in the pol. So they can have a walk on the beach, perhaps have a doggie massage, go for a dip in the pool...and then have a gourmet meal in the fireplace lounge- such is the dog’s life at Inn by the Sea! VIP’s (very important pets) welcome at Inn by the Sea Dogs Days at Inn by the Sea include in room spa services, amenities and over the top pampering for both traveling pets and their human companions. One of the first luxury hotels to accept pets, Inn by the Sea has welcomed man’s best friend for over 18 years with complimentary stays, water bowls, beach towels, cozy L.L Bean dog blankets, hand made treats at turn down, and a seasonally updated brochure with information on leash free beaches , dog parks and local pet services. Gourmet pet menus for in room dining, dog walking and doggie day care as well as pet massage is all available for doggie divas. Dogs are welcome to join their humans for meals al fresco on the seaside deck or full menu service in the fireplace lounge. During the dog days of summer, our VIP’s (very important pets) are invited to lap it up at happy hour. In house pets are welcome to enjoy complimentary ice cream on the boulevard while humans are invited to order drinks from the signature cocktail menu or bar on the outdoor boulevard. A dollar from each signature drink will be donated to the animal rescue league. Dress code: casual leashes . Fetching fall days include the pool going to the dogs- the last 2 weeks of October the pool is closed to people and open for pets to enjoy after a relaxing walk on the beach. Crescent Beach is closed to dogs during the Piper Plover mating season in the summer, but other local beaches have pet hours, and Great Pond trail is a wonderful nature walk for the whole family. The beach is open fall through spring to dogs.

Hay – Waitaminnit – how did THAT pickshoore get there? GAH!

Who needs a circus when you have Precious Pets? So you like animals, huh? We’ve got ‘em on every page! And clowns? We’ve been known to clown around, too. If you advertise in Precious Pets, you are supporting our animal friends and helping us grow, as well. We want to continue giving you the scoop on everything animal in nature. Advertising in Precious Pets is affordable and targets your ideal readership. It’s also easy to arrange, affordable, too. Call or e-mail Tina DiSalvia, Sales Manager: Tel: 438 821-6769, email: info@preciouspets.ca

PRECIOUS PETS • VOLUME 1 • ISSUE 3 • FRIDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2013 • www.preciouspets.ca

THE PERNICIOUS PESTS EXCLUSIVE….

Library of Terror

When we publish an annual Halloween edition, we always try to give aficionados of horror literature something special that you cannot find in other local periodicals. This year is no different, so without further ado, please enjoy the following literary shorts – featuring spooky pet themes - by some veteran and up-and-coming authors. They’re not too unsettling, but as it’s almost All Hallow’s Eve we nonetheless welcome you to… “Stay scared, everyone!”

Happy Halloween! Bram D. Eisenthal Publisher and Editor Pernicious Pests No. 1 (copyright October 2013) A publication of Precious Pets Media Group Inc.

Pandora’s Box Jane Greenhill, Canada

With her lily-white tail sticking straight up, echoing her razor sharp perked ears, Pandora tugged at the leash and ground her hind legs into the soft earth. She stopped and sniffed an ancient maple tree, the crispy leaves crunching under her four paws. More than fifty scents bombarded her nose. She knew that Daisy, another West Highland Terrier, had chicken for dinner and a few beef-flavoured dog treats. A shiver shimmied down her spine when she smelt the scent Cerberus had left. That dog thought he was God’s gift to the dog race, his scent musky and masculine, a commercial in how to be a canine stud. But it reminded Pandora of a greasyhaired used car salesman that her owner had taken her to visit once, when she she’d shopped for a new vehicle. Pandora didn’t trust anyone who put greasy gel on their hair and Cerberus was a male diva, an Austrian Shepherd with mismatched eyes. They were creepy. Speaking of the devil incarnate, he leapt from behind the tree, causing Pandora’s heart to palpitate. Pandora walked around the tree, inconveniently wrapping the leash around her owner’s legs in an attempt to get away from Cerberus. What is it with male dogs who always want to sniff

your nether regions? Geez, is nothing sacred? “Hey, doll face.” Cerberus focused his left blue eye and right brown eye on Pandora, daring her to break the stare. She ignored him, heading the other way around the tree, the leash catching in the ancient bark. She glanced up nervously towards her owner who was oblivious to the evil that sat at her feet. Instead she continued to chat with Cerberus’ keeper. “And it was the funniest thing. We were at the leash free zone and Cerberus bullied this other dog and I have to say I was so proud of him.” Pandora glanced up at Cerberus’ keeper, his blue jeans straining at the pounds that were trying to escape. “The other dog bit him and he hasn’t been the same since.” With no provocation, Cerberus’ eyes suddenly glowed a reddish hue, foam flowing from his canine teeth and ooze dripping from his ears as he leapt at Pandora, grabbing her by the throat, latching on. Pandora struggled to get away, but the leash responded like a hangman’s noose, cutting off what little air was getting into her lungs. “Cerberus, stop that!” Pandora lay in a heap at her owner’s feet, her soul floating up towards the high leaves and the clouds that darted across the sky. Glancing down, she watched the tears of her owner moisten the soft dirt under the tree. Weeks later, Daisy stopped to sniff the dead tree and shivered. She smelt the scents of Cerberus and Pandora. Pandora’s scent scared her. She was not familiar with the smell, and it scared her. Ever since Pandora was placed in a box under the maple tree, the once vibrant tree was now a corpse: Dry, barren, abandoned by all… all except Pandora.

Michou

Jack Ketchum – USA So you’re in the basement of a bar And it’s okay down there It’s better than the street It’s dark most of the time but you have good eyes And you can see to avoid the bigger rats and stalk the mice You’ve been there as long as you

can recall You’re used to being alone Except when the double metal doors above the stairs Open and the street pours in Sounds that bleat throughout the night suddenly clarify Into screams and wails that no animal has ever made And footsteps hit the stairs and boxes hit the floor Boxes pile up in front of you and all around And maybe someone calls you by name and you come out of hiding Long enough for him to scratch your head before he retreats Back the way he came. You’re a New York cat in the basement of a bar Now and then a woman who smells of foods you’ve never imagined could exist Emerges down another stair at the sound of a wooden door flung back Opens boxes and removes bottles which bear the scent of earth and human sweat Michou! she says and puts down a plate of hard food you could almost adore Were it not the same every day And a bowl of water. This woman is legion She changes so often you can’t keep sense of who she is Her skin is dark then fair then dark again But she is kind She stops to scratch your head and you make that sound again inside you as you eat Sometimes she give you a plate of food Some of it fine, some of it impossible to eat Before she retreats Back the way she came Amid the voices above Which sound to you like pleasure sounds Then go muffled and later, silent. You’re in the basement of a bar It’s dark down there but you can see Much smaller creatures than you scuttle along the damp walls and floor And you chase them or not accord-

ing to your wont, according to their trajectory According to your interest Some have hard shells and are bitter Some have many long legs These are soft and tastier Some fly and make you leap Mostly you sleep It’s cold It’s hot You listen for the sounds Mostly you sleep. You’re a cat in the basement of a bar And for a long time there’s silence above No footfalls at all No footsteps on either set of stairs No hard crunchy food and no bowl of water No sounds of pleasure from above You lap the wet floor You listen Mostly you sleep It seems forever and you have killed the mice, though few and very badly You’re not much of a hunter But you’ve avoided the rats Your belly moans. In the end you are nothing but sleep and dreams Until the light streams down and you are lifted up Suddenly awake in someone’s arms and moving up the stairs. You lived in a basement, dark and damp A man lifted you up And took you into the light The basement is nothing now You have lived forever in the light. --For Neal and Victoria

KYO

Nancy Kilpatrick (USA/Canada) by travel/food critic Anhiya Schaym KYO Lodge is not just another world-class eatery, but a unique dining experience where you can enjoy Mallevia’s national dish, cooked in the traditional manner, in a natural environment. Buried in the Blood Forest at the foot of Mount Dissolution, less than one hour’s drive from Skankisgrad, KYO Lodge caters to faded royalty, CONYT’D ON PAGE 12

PRECIOUS PETS • VOLUME 1 • ISSUE 3 • FRIDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2013 • www.preciouspets.ca

STRANGE FORCES AT WORK:

A Canadian “Keep Out!” (PITTSBURG, NH TO CHARTIERVILLE, PQ) by Joseph A. Citro My search for oddities had taken me a little out of the way. I was in the northern part of Pittsburg, New Hampshire - about as out-of-the-way as you can get. This is the Granite State’s northernmost town. Anyone who has visited this vast, unspoiled region realizes it is a world unto itself. Bordered on the north and west by Canada, on the east by Maine, and on the south by the forty-fifth parallel, this remote rural rectangle once declared its independence from everything, setting up as the Indian Stream Republic. But I wasn’t looking for history, I was tracking mysteries. And surely Pittsburg has a few of its own, but the one I was after is in Canada. In fact, it’s just across the line. Following Route 3 north, I crossed at New Hampshire’s only border crossing. The Customs booth was immediately visible at the bottom of a hill. I obediently stopped and after promising I was not planning the overthrow of the province, I revealed to the officer the true purpose of my trip. I asked him where to find the. . . (here I cleared my throat and spoke a bit more softly) “Anti-gravity spot.” Apparently he was used to the question so he didn’t roll his eyes or give any indication that he might have thought I was nuts. He simply smiled and pointed to a nearby sign that marks the spot and gives instructions. I turned around and parked my car at the bottom of the hill, on the same road that had brought me into Canada. I shifted into neutral, made sure my foot was off the brake, and wait-

ed. Soon - surprisingly soon - and against all logic, common sense, and natural laws, I found myself moving, rolling upwards, actually accelerating back up the hill. Was it anti-gravity? An optical illusion? Or some kind of magic? Who knows? All I can say for sure is that it is fun, strange, and effective. I sensed powerful unknown forces dragging my car uphill... with me in it! It was indeed mysterious but became almost funny when I realized those mysterious forces were propelling me right back into the United States! Welcome to Canada and Bon Voyage!

Two Different Doctors’ Offices Two patients limp into two different medical clinics with the same complaint. Both have trouble walking and appear to require a hip replacement. The FIRST patient is examined within the hour, is x-rayed the same day and has a time booked for surgery the following week.

NOTE: “Magnetic hills” such as this are rare, and this one is especially convincing. It’s well worth going a little out of your way to see it and you don’t even have to leave Canada.

The SECOND patient sees his family doctor after waiting 4 weeks for an appointment, then waits 8 weeks to see a specialist, then gets an x-ray, which isn’t reviewed for another week.

Joseph A. Citro is an expert in New England weirdness and also a good friend. His books, fiction and nonfiction, are available as ebooks or in old-fashioned paperand-ink. A collection of short stories, Not Yet Dead, is forthcoming from Crossroad Press. You can reach him on Facebook or via the electronic Ouija board at:

And finally has his surgery scheduled for 3 months from then. Why the different treatment for the two patients? The FIRST patient is a Golden Retriever. The SECOND patient is a Senior Citizen. Next time take me to a vet!

BLOG: http://josephacitro.blogspot.com WEB: http://www.josephacitro. com

Halloween

CONT’D FROM PAGE 11 affluent heads of state, globe-trotting celebrities and jaded world travelers, who feast on the most unusual cuisine offered on the planet. The lavish entrance to the grounds is a veritable maze of topiary. Follow the cinder path to the quaint lodge, built from the blood, sweat and tears of local peasants, dating back six centuries to the reign of Queen Raeveshmee I. Inside the main hallway, palates are wetted by an array of mounted trophies that represent the unique game bred on the premises. Inscribed beneath a bust of Queen Raeveshmee I is her immortal chal-

lenge to the nobility during The Days of Dementia: “To each of you I say: kill your own!” Seasoned marksmen and novices alike are quickly drawn into the sport of Stalk the Stalker. Expert guides guarantee you will bag dinner for your party. As owner Ibeena Sychho, a direct descendent of Malvestia’s first ruler says, “Here, nobody go hungry!” For a mere ten thousand skultars, hunt down wild, succulent yearlings using a variety of weapons, from crossbow to Uzi, available from the KYO arsenals. An additional two thousand skultars allows patrons to track one of the large and fearsome

dominant males roaming the adjacent forest, the population of which is now on the endangered gender list. But the grand prix at KYO Resort is that rare and exquisite creature, the dangerous and elusive female of the species. Only fifty thousand skultars and hunters are guided to her den. The Sychho family has been breeding stock for two centuries, and bagging pregnant quarry is not unheard of. Ibeena Sychho laughs, “Two for price of one!” Once the joy of the slaughter has been realized, the best is yet to come. Europe’s most talented haute cuisine chefs bleed, strip and gut

PRECIOUS PETS • VOLUME 1 • ISSUE 3 • FRIDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2013 • www.preciouspets.ca

your prey and prepare, to specifications, a sumptuous repast for your hungry party. The lodge offers the opportunity of a lifetime to enjoy a meal fit for a man who would be king. As Sychho warns, “You taste flesh of werewolf, after, you never satisfied with normal. Never!” The KYO Resort is open one night each month throughout the year, when the moon is full (exception: twice during a blue-moon month). Reservations are taken twelve moons in advance. Meat curing, hide dressing and taxidermy services extra. And don’t forget to visit their amusing gift shop!

Comfort Hotel Downtown

Free Printable Sudoku Puzzles

Puzzles

Sudoku is easy to play and the rules are simple. Fill in the blanks so that each row, each column, and each of the nine 3x3 grids contain one instance of each of the numbers 1 through 9.

Sudoku #137 (Medium)

Sudoku #138 (Medium)

Expedia.ca CA$119.16

Expedia Guarantees the Best Price.

SOLUTION TO LAST MONTH’S PUZZLE

Comfort Hotel Downtown Expedia.ca

SUDOKU 1

Sudoku #138

CA$119.16

Expedia

SUDOKU 2

Additional Sudoku puzzles as well as the solution to these two puzzles can be found Guarantees (Medium) at the following web page:the http://www.puzzles.ca/sudoku.html

Best Price.

...more Halloween Pets

PRECIOUS PETS • VOLUME 1 • ISSUE 3 • FRIDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2013 • www.preciouspets.ca

Testin’ tough toys M y dogs have always been strong chewers. When they were puppies we went through a plethora of toys to keep them busy, happy and away from the furniture. For a long time they were fine with one or two small rubber toys, but since our move they’ve been totalled. So, we’ve begun our search for tough toys to keep them busy while we’re out during the day. To start, we thought we’d test the Kong Dental Sticks, a couple of rubber toys where you can stick some treats inside. This particular type is cylindrical in shape and empty in the middle, with notches on the outside to help clean the dog’s teeth. When I got back home, I came in to find pieces of the toy scattered about. Both sides had been chewed down, but the center remained intact. For rubber, it’s fairly sturdy, and though it’s been worn down, the fact that a bit of it has survived is a testament unto itself. I remember using Kong in the past and it remains a fairly sturdy brand. Our next attempt came on a whim, as we stopped by the nearby dollar store. We noticed some material toys, the kind you normally use to play tug-of-war. My younger dog has a habit of chewing material things left about, so we figure we’d test this. At first our dogs got a kick out of them, but they soon lost their appeal, and now they won’t even sniff them as they walk by. Two attempts so far and we still haven’t hit the jackpot just yet. It’s

hard to find safe, sturdy toys for a couple of adult Labs. But we’ll keep trying, and hopefully, find something to keep them busy, happy… and away from the furniture. Elysya Scerbo-Pasta is a student at Concordia University’s School of Journalism. We welcome her to Precious Pets and look forward to her future contributions. Editor’s Note: Our loyal advertiser, Global Food and Accessories (Pitou Minou and Friends) also features the safe and secure quality Kong line among its fine toys and other accessories. Check them out on Queen Mary, the West Island and in both the ad and feature article found in this issue of Precious Pets (Pernicious Pests).

Pawz Nuze woofed by Allan J. Berbrier & YETI

Toy Tester with Elysya Scerbo-Pasta

Saturday, September 7th:

The annual Beaconsfield Pet Fair took place @ Centennial Hall. Many adoption centers’ attended to showcase some of their many animals up for adoption. Also available were several other pet related services. There were contests, prizes & various special events.

Sunday, September 9th:

The SPCA Monteregie held this years’ annual walk in Candiac. Many activities took place. This event (plus the money raised from the dinner on Friday night) totaled $39,000.00 to help with the rescuing & finding fur-ever homes for the dogs & cats, in their no-kill shelter.

Welcome to our new animal events column. I will let you know about the local animal kingdom happenings going on in our city (past, present & future). Please e-mail your detailed information to albeemtl@aol.com. I am the Chief Woofer of the Montreal Active Dogs Meetup group (http://www.meetup.com/MONTREAL-ACTIVE-DOGS/). We have been around since 2007 & now boast a membership of over 200 dog lovers. Come & visit us (you may want to join the group) & see where & what we have been up to.

Saturday, October 12th:

PAST EVENTS

COMING UP

Friday, September 6th:

Saturday & Sunday, November 2nd& 3rd:

The SPCA Monteregie sponsored a spaghetti dinner @ Scotyz Bar & Grill in Brossard. They raised $4,000.00 which will be going to help with the rescuing & finding fur-ever homes for the dogs & cats, in their no-kill shelter.

Gerdy’s Rescue & Adoptions held a garage sale in Westmount.There was a great variety of baked goods, coffee, lemonade & soft Drinks. There were also a good assortment of NEW jeans, slax, t-shirts, etc. (top quality donated items). NEW dog coats of all sizes, china, glass, antiques & collectibles, paintings, books, gift items were also available for sale.

Saturday, October 12th:

Ani-Match held a Meet ‘n Greet at Global Pitou Minou in Ste-Rose.

Salon national des aniaux de compagnie at Place Bonaventure.

Saturday, November 9th:

Rescuer of the Year Awards at the Monkland Community Centre.

PRECIOUS PETS • VOLUME 1 • ISSUE 3 • FRIDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2013 • www.preciouspets.ca

Our Humanz

...because people are precious too

Get healthier by accepting the Thin Evolution challenge By Bram D. Eisenthal

y struggle with weight doesn’t place me into the upper echelon of “zoftig” men. I’m not huge, but I am – I admit – somewhat portly. I am a far cry from the scrawny kid who weighed 130 pounds till age 20, soaking wet, and who took up weight training to pack on pounds. In my early forties, I was a muscle-massed monster, which lasted till 45 or so, at which time I ruptured my right bicep and ended my bodybuilding career in glorious-though-stupid fashion. So, what to do now at 56, with Type 2 diabetes, blood sugar that is not responding well to meds and the need to drop 25-30 pounds…. or else? I weigh about 220 and I need a method of losing weight that will work. Several dieticians didn’t work out (mainly my fault) and Weight Watchers isn’t for me, either. Been there, done that… and had a modicum of success, but not nearly enough. I contacted Tina Di Salvia, a Laval native and Director of the Thin Evolution weight loss program here in Montreal, and pleaded my case. When younger, this confident and helpful woman, now 50, was interested in the health field. “After graduating from high school, my goal was to help people look good and feel even better,” Di Salvia is a married mother of three, told me. Working in the fashion industry and then moving on to aesthetics and the weight loss industry has been a road toward accomplishing that goal. I feel pretty good about how my career has turned out.” Thin Evolution, which Di Salvia has been intimately involved with for about two years now, augmenting a decade of prior work in the field, is all about finding your comfort level regarding eating and exercising, then sticking to it to achieve results and keep them at the “success” end of the spectrum. “In 2002, I went to Florida and trained with a doctor who specializes in nutrition and weight loss and I learned, most of all, that we are all individuals. Everyone responds differently to food. Some require less and are full faster and others need a more balanced mix of carbs and protein to avoid feeling

hungry and overeating. “Next to my family, my business career is what I am most passionate about. It is so satisfying helping people get in touch with the things that make me happy.” Di Salvia added, with a huge grin. After meeting with Di Salvia to determine your lifestyle patterns, she will help you create a program that it easy and hunger free while you shed “the 2-3 pounds per week” that is the norm, if you follow the program faithfully. “You will not find a set-in-stone program in our literature, because everyone loses at different paces depending on their lifestyle. I have one client who has dropped almost 100 pounds in a year and that is remarkable… he has some 50 pounds to go and is thrilled with how good he feels. He has changed his eating habits, knows on how to make the right choices and if he falls behind he will call me to help him get back on track. If you stick to the calories recommend daily by Di Salvia, you will do very nicely. We provide the motivation , the meals and snacks and the know-how and the rest is up to you.” You can just walk into Thin Evolution and buy their products, however Tina recommends the one-onone weekly meetings for weigh-ins, motivation and support. “This is the key to successful weight loss,” she stresses. “Because without this support and advice, you may as well buy

any other product on the market. We don’t present a weight loss program from a box, but you speak with real councilors who have had real experiences.” Doing a program on your own is not often successful. I’ve been starting my days with egg whites and turkey bacon, taking salad with added protein to work for lunch and trying to have some small, healthy snacks (like an apple or a yogurt) at break time and the results are nothing to write home about. I became diabetic several years ago (being adopted, with no medical family history, this came at me without warning about 5-6 years ago) and it’s gotten worse despite my best efforts, not better. “Our program is a no-brainer if you follow it,” Di Salvia promised. “Men tend to lose faster than women, but ultimately they put the excess weight back on just as quickly if they go back to their old eating habits.” In my case, I felt healthier while weight-lifting, as my muscles grew. I had much more energy, as well, and the fat stayed off because muscle burns fat. The problem after stopping your work-outs suddenly has nothing to do with your muscles turning into fat, a physical impossibility (the cells are totally different), but as you maintain the same eating patterns, including drinking those delicious eggwhite and chemical protein shakes, you are taking in far more calories than you burn. Ah, there’s the rub,

said Shakespeare. So, I am issuing Thin Evolution a challenge: I will work with you at following your program and will document the attempt in these pages. And we will see the result. Either I am a skinnier, healthier editor ultimately or perhaps an eventual “deaditor,” a term I just coined. Clever, huh? Meanwhile, if you are interested in losing weight, feeling better and looking amazing – Ladies, that little black dress will look gorgeous on you and, guys, women are not at all turned on by a flabby, bulging stomach, no matter what they tell you – contact Tina Di Salvia at Thin Evolution, because she may just help you change your life for the better. Thin Evolution is on the web at thinevolution.com and you can e-mail them at info@thinevolution.com. Their number is 514-483-1000 PostScript: Following my May 2013 interview with Ms. DiSalvia, I was so intrigued and passionate about trying to lose weight –I had blossomed into a most unflattering 229 pounds and my blood sugar (I suffer from Type 2 diabetes) was spiking to a very lofty 13.4 - that I challenged Thin Evolution to help me lose weight. I spent most of this past summer on their plan and, as of October 7, 2013, I weigh 200 pounds, my blood sugar is in the high-fives, low sixes and I feel amazingly healthy. A blood test about six weeks ago revealed incredible results that would be hard to believe if I did not see them with my own eyes. I had developed enough of a belly back in June that I was wearing size 42-44 pants. This past weekend, I bought and wore a pair of black skinny jeans… size 34! I have not worn a size 34 jean since I was about 23. I am 56 today. So, you tell me? Does Thin Evolution work? I have tried dieticians, Weight Watchers and gym workouts plus meal scrutinization. But 29 pounds and six pants sizes less in about two months? What is this, science fact or fiction? Thin Evolution is on he move. In the near future, they will be out of the West Island. Call 514-483-1000 for more information. Or visit the website for periodic updates.

PRECIOUS PETS • VOLUME 1 • ISSUE 3 • FRIDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2013 • www.preciouspets.ca