20 times • JULY 23, 2015 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.timesnewsweekly.com Vacation Bound! No Pets, Please! By Tresa Erickson You’re going on vacation in a couple of months, but unlike some people, you can’t take your dog with you. They can barely handle short trips to the vet, much less a 10-hour trip to the beach. If you are lucky, you have a friend or relative willing to look after your dog. If not, you may have to look into hiring a pet sitter or boarding your dog. Either way, you’ll have to shell out some bucks, which could leave you with far less to spend on your vacation. Ugh. If only there were another option. Lucky for you, there is—a dog sitting exchange. Dog sitting exchanges are the latest in pet sitting services, and remarkably, they are free! That’s right. You don’t pay the person who looks after your dog a dime. Instead, you return the favor by looking after their dog or a dog of another group member sometime. Essentially, members of a dog sitting exchange barter services. No money is ever exchanged. Dog sitting exchanges are springing up in areas across the country. One look online can uncover dozens of possibilities. To become part of a dog sitting exchange, you must be a responsible dog owner and follow some basic rules. Generally, your dog must be in good health and well behaved. Your home must be clean inside and out. You must have all of your dog’s supplies in good order and their vaccinations up to date. You must also be willing to put in the time. You can’t just sign up as a member of a dog sitting exchange, get someone to watch your dog while you are on vacation and forever be busy when someone calls on you to watch their dog. Eventually, the members of the exchange will catch on and ask you to leave the group. To find out more about dog sitting exchanges and whether there is one near you, conduct a search online and ask around. Check with dog clubs and organizations. Check with vets and groomers. Check with dog parks and pet stores. Where there are dog owners there may be a dog sitting exchange. If not, feel free to start one. Bring together your own group of dog owners, start a website and set up a schedule. Not a dog owner? No problem. Consider starting a sitting exchange for whatever type of pet you own. ORTHODONTICS Adults & Children Invisalign™ Premier Provider MulticolorMini-Bonded Brackets Ceramic - Clear Braces Diplomate, American Board of Orthodontics GLENRIDGE ORTHODONTIC SPECIALISTS 65-34 Myrtle Ave., Glendale, NY 11385 1-718-381-2965 1-718-386-8728 ©Times Newsweekly 2014 – GLENRIDGE WWW.GLENRIDGEORTHODONTIST.COM Dr. V. Bilello*, Dr. M. Nissenbaum, Dr. P. Bilello, Specialist in Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics PROTECT YOUR PET FROM THEFT America’s fascination with canines knows no bounds. Just look at the late notorious hotel operator Leona Helmsley’s multi-million dollar trust fund she left for “Trouble,” her beloved Maltese. The inheritance not withstanding, pet theft has become an increasing problem that only now has begun to be addressed. By following some important tips and being aware of red flags, you can keep your pet better protected from dognappers. “It’s not just about the financial value of the dog for any of these people. It’s an emotional attachment that can’t be replaced by getting another dog,” said Lisa Peterson, a spokesperson for the American Kennel Club (AKC), who started seeing enough concern over pet theft to begin tracking the problem. “Some owners, desperate to find their beloved pets, have contacted us, wanting to know what they can do to help get their ‘family’ members back.” Indeed, pet theft is growing at a hefty rate, with the AKC having begun tracking and reporting such incidents over the past two years. In addition, concern over the theft of dogs has inspired legislators to act by proposing new laws against such thefts and AKC to spread helpful advice for pet owners. The most obvious step in addressing the issue of pet theft is prevention. By paying extra attention to your pet, the prospect of theft goes down. Simple things, like not letting your dog off its leash and not leaving Fido unattended in your yard or car, can help avoid potentially dangerous scenarios. Tying up your dog and leaving it unattended on the sidewalk can be particularly problematic, especially with small dogs. In the unfortunate event that your pet is taken, there are a few methods of recovery. By getting your dog a SpotLight collar with a GPS tracking device or by embedding a permanent microchip in your dog, retrieving and identifying a stolen pet can be made easier. There are other services available to help recover stolen pets. Sites like helpmefindmypet.com work in conjunction with the American Kennel Club Companion Animal Recovery and send e-mail alerts regarding missing pets to every shelter, vet, and animal-control agency within a 50-mile radius. Even if your pet isn’t worth millions, the sentimental value of a loyal animal can be incalculable. But unfortunately there is a market out there for stolen animals. Keeping that in mind, some short-term precautions can contribute greatly to a long-term relationship with a pet.
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