Animals Given the Right to Live During Hurricanes

Finally the government is looking at animals in a different light. As a South Florida native, up until November of last year, I have lived through many hurricanes. However, these past couple of years have been the worse hurricane seasons ever to hit in my young 25 years.

Panic struck me when the first hurricane to hit us took 3 days to completely pass just one month after I had my son. Knowing my yard would flood during little rain storms, I decided to pack up and stay with a relative during the hurricane. But, we have two dogs. We didn’t want to leave them behind to fend for themselves, knowing we could not travel in the storm. We also didn’t want them to be scared and have no one there to comfort them. So, hubby stayed behind to care for our other two family members. It was a long several days before we were able to have communication. With phone lines down, areas flooded, and downed trees everywhere it was all I could do to stop from worrying about the rest of my family back at our house on a partially wooded lot. I was in fear that the roof may have come off, or a tree may have fell down. I had no idea what may have happened to my hubby and my two dogs. What a sigh of relief when I eventually found out everyone was safe and sound, but with out power.

We had just received power when, yet again a hurricane struck. It was heading right for us again, and actually struck just 5 miles from the first hurricane. Devastation hit our community. Panic ran high. The gas stations and grocery stores were just getting back to normal and having ample supply, and now the food, fuel and hurricane supplies were disappearing faster than ever. This time, we decided to stay in our own home, as a family, with our pets. Pets were not allowed at any of the safety shelters, so we welcomingly took in the animals of our friends and loved ones who decided to run to the shelters. Luckily, most everyone was spared during this hurricane, as most of the damage was done by the first one.

A year later, we were hit again. This time, dead on. The last two hurricanes, we were stuck on the bottom side of the hurricane wall the entire time. We were battered because we never got a break from one of the harshest portions of the storm. This time, we were in the eye. We again stayed home, as there was no where to take our animals. Hitting us as a Category 4, this Hurricane was mean. It tore through mobile home parks. It crushed beach houses. I watched it tear the roof off of the neighbor’s house across the street. It looked like the wind just picked up the tar paper and shook it off like a sheet on a bed. Definitely a terrifying experience! My hubby and one of our neighbors ran out in the storm to collect the elderly gentleman and his cat and brought them both to our house for safety. This Hurricane finally broke us. We were both out of work for 2 weeks, with no pay. We had no power at home. The stores were out of charcoal and propane. We had to cook our food over a campfire and have the firefighters meet us nightly to ask us to put it out. There was a gas shortage, so we conserved our gas for needed uses and didn’t run to get food from FEMA. This was something you would have to do on a daily basis as they only give enough food for your family for one day. During a gas shortage, that isn’t the most brilliant idea that FEMA could have come up with.

We moved to North Florida after that hurricane. But, I often wondered why they never would accept pets at shelters. People had to leave their animals behind. I know several people who were in evacuation zones that refused to leave because their animals could not go with them. Luckily, South Florida didn’t see nearly the amount of damage that New Orleans did. But, we could have. Lake Okeechobee was near breaking point on that last hurricane. Officials revealed that another 2 hours of rain and the levies would have breached.

So, how has the government finally recognized that animals deserve the right to live? They finally passed a bill including animals on evacuation and disaster preparedness plans. Even further, they are trying to pass bill that allows the FEMA Director to set up funds to help the animals and also for the government to allow each state the funds to set up animal shelters and cages for disasters.

For more information on the new bill, visit http://articles.news.aol.com/news/article.adp?id=20060522220309990002.

Taking the Bully Out of the Breed

Over time, the media has coined the term “bully breed” for the beloved Pit bull breed. With their massive strength, stubborn personalities and lock jaw, people who do not know the breed have come to believe that they are meant to attack. In their eyes, pit bulls are the only breed that attacks regularly. Why do they think this? The media hones in on pit bull attacks, and pitches stories that are twisted in facts to help get their point across. This has created breed discrimination across the country, causing many pet owners to find new homes for their family pets when laws are passed saying that pit bulls are no longer allowed in that town, county or state.

On a personal level, I never knew how much ignorance there was in the world about these loving animals, until I got older. As a young girl, I grew up thinking pit bulls and hound dogs were the only kind of dog you could get. As I got older, I worked in the veterinary field as veterinarian’s technician. I met many different breeds of animals and soon realized it was the cute little dogs that were more prone to biting and attacking. In fact, all of the bites I received in my 4 years of that field were from cats and small dogs.

Now that I am older and have children of my own, it is still the beautiful pit bull breed that I am attracted to. I have two of my own, a brother and sister who are a mix of American Staffordshire and Rednose. People often ask me why I would subject my children to such unpredictable animals and they warn me of how they can turn on us at any moment. I simply reply that I do not subject my children to the animals, I subject my animals to my children. Why do I say that? My family pets are more well behaved than my children. But, they have been taught to take anything a child can dish out. And, they do, with love and readily anticipation.

So, how did I raise my pit bulls to be so friendly? Here are a few tips:

1. Introduce your pet to as many children as possible from the time they are puppies. Never stop introducing them, this keeps them used to the idea of having a child around.

2. Pull tails and ears, poke around the eyes, lift the lips to look at their teeth, place your hand in their mouth. Do this from puppy age throughout their lives. If I were to place your arm in my dog’s mouth, they would hold their mouth open until your arm is taken out. This is something they have been trained to do.

3. Show your animal love at all times. While discipline is something you must teach your animals, abuse is not tolerated. My dogs were punished by being sent to their kennels. Now that they have outgrown their kennels (the male is 130 lbs himself), they are sent to a room away from the family for a “time out”.

4. Do not teach your animal to stray. If you are going to walk your pit bull, walk them in another neighborhood or in a park where dogs are accepted. Never, walk your animal around your neighborhood. This just shows them that it is okay for them to explore these areas. With this concept, our animals have never strayed from our home, which has never been fenced in. If we let them out and forget them, they are waiting by the front door for us to let them in.

5. Do not let your pit bull become loyally protective. Keep interaction between you and other people in front of your pet. Show them that it is okay for people to approach you, touch you, etc. They will know by your reactions, if someone is going to harm you, should the occasion ever happen.

6. Never let them become food growlers. While they are growing up, take food, toys and treats from them often. This shows them that they must share it. Give it back to them later on and do the same. In fact, because we had two dogs, we would take them and switch which dog we gave it back to. They now had a different scent. This helps them learn to share their belongings and also teaches them not to snap should you take something from them.


With these tips, you too can have a loving family pet!

Developmentally Delayed?

What classifies a child as Developmentally Delayed? Is it the opinion of the neighbor next door? The other mom you run into from the past? Or, perhaps friends and family members who believe they are experts because they have more than one child over the age of 5? I am finding more and more people have an opinion about what my son can and can’t do at his young age of 21 months.

My son, The Monster, rolled over before he was home from the hospital. He held and pulled his head up starting at 2 months. He was crawling at the age of 7 months, and walking by the age of 10 months. He, now, shows an interest in books. He dances and spins around in circles. He climbs on everything he can possibly find, despite Mommy and Daddy telling him “No!” The Monster has even learned to pat his legs, raise his hands in the air and clap his hands along with the characters on the movie Little Einsteins.

With everything The Monster can do, why do people tell me he is developmentally delayed? At the age of 21 months, my son barely has a vocabulary and doesn’t quite grasp most concepts yet. Oh, he can say the typical words, “Mama,” “Dada,” “hot,” “bad,” and “Papa”. He has even learned to say the word “pat” while he pats his legs along with the characters of Little Einsteins to help Rocket gain enough power to BLAST OFF! He grasps the idea of being thirsty and brings his cup to us to refill it. He also knows what meal times are, nap time and bed time. But, because at 21 months, he doesn’t understand the concept of something being lost, gone or broken and still is addicted to the binky because of this reason, he has been labeled “Developmentally Delayed” by well-meaning, opinionated “experts”. Well, that and the fact that he isn’t spouting off words on demand.

So, let’s get back to the original question. What classifies a child as Developmentally Delayed? According to The Arc of Dallas (www.arcdallas.org) the definition of Developmentally Delayed is “a child less than 5 years old who is delayed in development by 1.5 standard deviations or more in one or more of the following areas: communication, self-help, social-emotional, motor skills, sensory development or cognition.” But, how does that help a parent know if they need to bring the subject up to their pediatrician? Well, the University of Michigan has created a guide, of sorts, for normal development at the age of 2 (http://www.med.umich.edu/1libr/pa/pa_devtwoyr_pep.htm). They warn that it is simply a guide and that children do develop at different speeds in different areas.

However, are all delays a developmental issue and not just the parent? I admit I am partially to blame for my son’s delay in speaking. I do not push him to speak. I, instead, repeat the words to tell him what he is asking for. He knows what the words mean, as he always responds to them. And with a binky in his mouth, it is harder for him to articulate. We have now taken the binky away during the day and he only gets it during times where he needs comfort – sleeping. My decision to take the binky away during the day sparked when he started babbling to his toys, the TV and singing along during “music time”.

So, the bottom line is, before you let some well-meaning, opinionated “expert” label your child Developmentally Delayed and ignite a world of emotions within you, stop and analyze the underlying problem. Is it something you may be contributing to? Can you make some slight changes in the way you approach the subject and see a positive response from your child? If the issue at hand isn’t something you think you have readily contributed to, or doesn’t approve with some slight changes, maybe it is time to approach your child’s pediatrician with your concerns.