Take Nothing But Memories; Leave Nothing But Footprints…
In our never ending desire to adhere to the sage advice attributed to *Chief Seattle of the Duwamish Tribe, and thanks to the hours-long efforts of a few hardy Callahan Dog Owner Group members on Sunday, February 13th, we were able to do a pretty good job cleaning up the poop piles along the Millwood entrance trail (Moore Road) and its intersection with the Earthen Dam. We received many ‘thank yous’ from various park users (and had interesting conversations with a couple of pairs of newly transplanted-from-out-of-state couples who were incredulous at how we neglect and abuse our natural resource). Sadly by Monday midday, the results of our efforts were all but obliterated by new brown deposits. While the clean up made us all look good, the scofflaws make us all look bad. Is no one seeing these offending dog owners looking the other way as their dogs squat?? Speak up on behalf of our beautiful Callahan. Educate your fellow dog lovers!
A special thank you to those of you braved the cold and loaned your shovels and lent a hand during our February 13th poop-sicle clean-up! THANK YOU!
The Worm Turns…
Leaving poop on the trails is not only unsightly, it is a health hazard to all of our beloved companions – of the two legged as well as the four legged variety! As some of us were scooping the poop, it became squirmingly apparent that a dog – or dogs – who walk (and poop on) the trails at Callahan are/were infected with visible worms. There are dogs who roll in it and dogs who eat it, but your dog does not necessarily need to belong to either group to be at risk for worms (dogs step in it or on the soil it has contaminated; some infestations can occur thru the skin and paw contact; some, when dogs lick paws that had been exposed to the parasites; still others when they lick the lips of feces-eating dogs).
There are five types of intestinal worms or parasites, and effects can range from nuisance to… death. Dogs infested with roundworms for example – which may be passed wholly in stool (is this what we saw??) – may experience vomiting, diarrhea, and show a generally unhealthy appearance. These worms also can cause intestinal blockages. A general guide to worms in dogs can be found here: http://www.wormsindogs.org.
Worms are generally investigated at every annual exam (hence the fecal ‘gift’ to the vet tech at your well-pet check up); be sure to being a sample to your darling’s next annual check-up (and it must be a fresh sample. An old or a frozen sample may not include live organisms, so may not yield accurate results).
Please, please, please for so many viable reasons: CLEAN UP AFTER YOUR DOG!! And on behalf of the health of your dog, speak up to others who may be putting your precious pet at risk!
Callahan Spring Clean-Up: April 16th- SAVE THE DATE!!
It’s hard to believe, we know, but Spring will come and the snow will melt and the earth will re-appear under your feet – and with it any and all debris that’s been buried since November! April 16th is the day designated by the Department of Conservation and Recreation as Park Serve Day – and the day in which Callahan Dog Owners Group simultaneously schedules our annual Spring clean-up. Please save the date and set aside an hour or so of your time to grab a trash bag on your way into Callahan to pick up anything that does not belong and deposit in the trash receptacle on your way out. C’mon… you’re gonna be at Callahan anyway. We’ll be at the Millwood entrance with Cal-Dog caps for sale, along with DCR/Callahan custodians who will provide bags and gloves, and water to rehydrate and maybe even protein bars to replenish. Stop by, say hi, grab a bag, give an hour and make a difference in the park we call our own.
WEEBLES WOBBLE BUT THEY DON’T FALL DOWN!
Until the snow melts, be careful on those trails, the oft-trodden centers of which have become packed and can be treacherously slippery. Any who walk the trails during winter should have at the ready (i.e. in the car!) some facsimile of Yaktrax. These are rubbery slip-ons (over your shoes or boots) with metal spiral cleats that provide sure-footed traction on snow and especially on ice. Yaktrax can be the difference between an effortless walk in the park and a tentative, arduous hike… or worse: a sprained ankle! When in stock, they can be purchased at REI (Route 30/Framingham) at the bargain rate of $19.95. They can also be found online (various vendors i.e. Amazon, Eddie Bauer; google ‘yaktrax).
If you walk/hike/jog/run? in the winter, Yaktrax are among the essential gear that make winter walks comfortable and safe.
*Note from site admin: buy Yaktrax online at yaktrax.com or REI. I also highly recommend the Kahtoola MICROspikes, available at REI. Be careful around paws if you use spikes, though!
YOU GOTTA HAVE HEART
The response was so generously overwhelming to the plight of Dora – the gorgeous German Shepherd who lost not one but two homes in the last year – our inbox has seen a sudden rash of heartbreakingly sad and sorry news of abandoned, abused, neglected, forgotten, and/or languishing innocents.
Rather than release a notice each or any time such pleas come our way, we will be adding a Foster/Adopt a Pet page to our website (in addition to existing links to nearby shelters:
Buddy Dog/Wayland; Baypath Humane Society/Hopkinton; Sterling Animal Shelter/Sterling; SaveADog/Sudbury). We may also include info on our **Facebook page and post a mention on our **Twitter feed.
But since I have your attention…
Do you adore Weimeraners, or know someone who does??
Blue is a beautiful, 5 year old, Weimaraner whose elderly owner died suddenly. This handsome, lovable, gentle boy was on is way to an ASPCA shelter when he was discovered and taken in to be fostered by one in the rescue network. Weimaraners are athletically built, high energy dogs with a strong desire to love and be loved; they do best in households where they can have some company (definitely human; maybe canine?) more often than they are left alone.
Looking for a bundle of love??
Winston is another in an apparently never ending series of sad dog ‘tails’. An adorable, big-boy (70 pounds), 6 month old Pit Bull Terrier/Cane Corso Mastiff mix Winston was deposited on the doorstep of Animal Protection Center in Brockton at the age of 4 months, when his elderly owner could not afford to treat the puppy’s injury – which was determined to have been a broken leg that had gone untended. Winston is left with a limp from his untreated broken leg, but is pain free and otherwise healthy. At a time when Winston should be learning and loving, and being loved by a forever family, he is languishing – and apparently deteriorating – for two months now, in a shelter. His situation is deemed urgent.
Maybe some have overlooked a dog with a limp – but at Callahan, we’ve seen and known confident three-legged dogs who run with the best of them. Maybe this gorgeous puppy has been languishing, unclaimed in a shelter because he’s suffers from breed profiling, but not only is Winston a mixed breed pup (he is part Mastiff. and Mastiff’s are lovable, gentle giants!), generally Pit Bulls have undeserved reputations. We dog owners and lovers know that there are no bad dogs; only bad owners. Every well loved, well trained, well exercised dog is a loving, loyal and well behaved member of the family. For a bit more info on a disparaged breed, here is a link to pit bull owning/loving site: http://www.pitbulls.org/
Winston’s had a rough start to life. He deserves to be loved in his forever home. Maybe, just maybe… Winston is the rescue you’ve been waiting to save?? Here is a photo of this sad puppy (who can also be seen on the Petfinder website: http://www.petfindercom/petdetail/18211681)
For more information on either of the pups who appear above, you can get back to us, here. We’ll tell you what we know and provide direct contact information for more information from those who brought these ‘tails’ to our attention.
LEND A HAND…
If you do not have the means or the room or the time to foster/adopt/rescue, perhaps you will visit the web sites of some of these animal shelters to contribute in another way. Maybe you could volunteer just a little time; maybe you could send a cash donation or a gift card; perhaps you could donate some new or gently used item(s) on their wish lists…
A visit to the home page of the Sterling Animal Shelter states that February is their Adopt the Love of Your Life Month – featuring reduced adoption fees. Additionally, there is useful information about an ASPCA on-line Animal Behaviorist resource, and valuable information about financial pet-aide for any who are having a difficult time affording medical/emergency pet care. Check it out.
CURTAIN DOWN
As always, this newsletter will be posted on the Latest News page of our website (www.callahandogs.com).
Whether you are reminding pet-lovers to clean up after their dogs, or you spy an unleashed dog in an on-leash area (i.e. Earthen Dam is an on-leash ‘trail’), please direct newbies to our site for guidelines for the responsible pet owner/walker at Callahan, and for clearer parameters of off and on leash areas
**And if you Facebook (callahan dog owners group) or Twitter (callahandogs) – and doesn’t everybody do one, the other or both these days?? … you should check out ours. We won’t waste your time telling you what we had for lunch. Our pages are particularly well suited to up to the minute news and alerts when they occur and as they occur: Lost Dogs; Found Dogs; Urgent Callahan News – the kinds of things that demand sudden posting and may facilitate expedient remedy.
Like us on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Callahan-Dog-Owners-Group/125254604156583)
Follow us on Twitter (http://twitter.com/callahandogs)
See you on April 16th!
