Insuring your mobile pet
Apparently your animls are covered.
Pets involved in collisons are covered under Progressive car insurance, according to PETA. The company pays up to $500 toward vet bills if you’re animal is injured. The best part: your animals are covered for free. I have Progressive and I had no idea. Kudos to the company for including animals in their policies.
Have you ever made a claim involving your animals? Or do you know if your policy includes your four-legged family members?
- Staff Writer Carrie Coppernoll
Kyle goes extra mile for pups
NASCAR driver Kyle Busch wants to help rescue dogs in shelters — and he wants his fans to help. He has teamed up with PEDIGREE to launch a new program and online sweepstakes titled “Kyle’s Mile.” Winners could meet Kyle at the Checker Auto Pats 500 at Phoenix International Raceway in November.
To help raise awareness and funding for the 4 million dogs in shelters and breed rescue organizations, Kyle’s Miles was created with a goal of raising $100,000 for The PEDIGREE Adoption Drive Foundation. From now through October 15, people can log onto www.Dogsrule.com to make a monetary pledge to sponsor miles of any of Busch’s Sprint Cup races during that window. Donations from pledges will directly benefit The PEDIGREE Adoption Drive Foundation, a non-profit organization that provides funding to animal shelters and breed rescues nationwide.
“As the owner of two dogs I know how happy they can make you, so to me it’s really sad that each year four million dogs end up in animal shelters and breed rescue organizations and two million never make it out,” said Busch in a release.
“Kyle’s Miles hopes to raise money and awareness for the dogs that are so often overlooked and I’m excited to be able to do my part to help.”
Anyone who sponsors miles is automatically entered into the sweepstakes to win a trip for two to Phoenix in November to meet Busch and attend the Checker Auto Parts 500 at Phoenix International Raceway on November 9, 2008. Those who’d like to enter the sweepstakes but not sponsor Kyle’s Miles can also do so at www.Dogsrule.com.
- Assistant Features Editor Matt Price
Pet Show – One smart puppy
Listen to Pet Show! This week we had some very special guests: our dogs. OK, so our dogs weren’t actually on the show, but their smarts were. We discussed the infamous doggie IQ testand how well our dogs performed. The test challenges dogs to behave, hunt for treats and solve problems. Long story short: our dogs are pretty smart. But like all parents, you know the test doesn’t measure TRUE intelligence – our dogs are all geniuses in our minds. Of course.
Aside from that fun, Staff Writer Dawn Marks had some great Tail Tips about summer fruit. As we enjoy more delicious seasonal fruit, we have to make sure to keep it out of reach of our pets. Here’s an advisory from the ASPCA about what to be weary of.
Staff Writer Bryan Dean gave us some excellent pet news this week:
- - An Indiana couple wants to legalize owning skunks as pets. We think the idea stinks.
- - A massive snail migration caused a traffic pileup in Germany.
- - Elvis the parrotis terrorising Wilsden, England, and residents are fed up.
- Staff Writer Carrie Coppernoll
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Hot dogs
This weekend kicks off summer time in Oklahoma, when every day fits into one of two categories: hot or oppressive. So during these warm months, pet owners have to be especially mindful of their animals’ health. Reader Johnna Vogel of Oklahoma City called me Wednesday to point this out, and I think it’s a great time of year to revisit the issue. The ASPCA offers lots of helpful tips for summer animal care, and they even have a special Web page that explains all the concepts in a fun way kids can understand. Here are some of their helpful tips:
- Animals can overheat if they stand on asphalt for too long. They absorb heat through the pads of their feet quickly.
- Heat is hardest on the health of older, overweight or snub-nosed dogs. Keep them inside as much as possible.
- Only use sunscreen or bug repellent that specifically says it’s OK for animals.
- Don’t shave your dog’s hair shorter than 1 inch. They could get sunburned.
- Never leave a pet in a car. The temperature in a car rises about 40 degrees within an hour. (That’s pretty dangerous even in 70-80 degree weather.) Opening the windows and parking in the shade won’t improve the temperature enough to be safe. If you have to leave your pet in the car, carry two sets of car keys with you: one to keep the car and A/C running and another to unlock the car door.
Keep an eye on the forecast, especially this weekend, and enjoy the holiday with your pets!
- Staff Writer Carrie Coppernoll
The photo above shows Kati Gaddis talking to Cheech at the Edmond Dog Park on Wednesday. Photo by Nate Billings, The Oklahoman.
Gator madness
It seems like lately there’s been a bizarre wave of gator hijinks. First, police pulled over a Texas man with a 6-foot alligator in his back seat. Imagine driving down the highway and noticing this:
Then, five kids were arrested for trying to steal a gator. I’m not a reptile owner, but I’m guessing that taking an alligator anywhere it doesn’t want to go is a bad idea. Everyone’s mad – the police and the reptile.
Long story short, let sleeping gators lie.
- Staff Writer Carrie Coppernoll
