Tuesday, June 18, 2013

The Joy of Fun in the Sun & Pet Summer Safety

Although the official first day of Summer isn't until next week, it's pretty much already here in the mountains of Virginia. It doesn't get quite as hot here as it does in other parts of the country, but it can still get pretty toasty warm. My sister Dixie Mae and I had some great fun outside this past weekend and I have lots of cool photos of us enjoying the summer-like temperatures. But first I have an important "Pixel Public Service Announcement" to share.
Signs-of-heatstroke-in-dogs The sunshine is wonderful, but it can also be deadly for animals if we are not watched and monitored for signs of possible heat stroke. My good friends at PetFinders have a "Summer Pet Safety" campaign that they just launched this week. If you remember, PetFinders "adopted" my blog when I went to the BlogPaws 2013 Convention (Mommy & I won a $200 gift card and lunch with the wonderful producers of PetFinder, where we talked all about rescue work and how we can help more animals), so I am very excited to share aspects of their new campaign with you. This poster lists many of the early warning signs of heat stroke in a dog. Remember when Mommy took me to that dog festival and we entered a contest for "Best Dog Trick" but we pulled out at the last minute because I started getting sick from the heat? Mommy did the right thing because she could tell I was getting heat stroke due to the lack of shade in the activity area. It didn't matter that we were 4th in line and I was just about to be next. Nothing was more important to Mommy than me being okay.
Always check for signs such as exaggerated panting, lethargy, warm/hot/dry skin, weakness, or rapid heartbeat when a dog has been out in the heat or sun. It can make all the difference in the world! Please go visit my friends at PetFinders for more information on Summer Pet Safety.
Now, when Dixie Mae and I go outside together, the first thing we always do is check the yard and surrounding area for safety from neighborhood trouble-makers, strangers driving by in cars, anyone daring to even walk on our street, and most importantly...tiger-werewolf-monkeys. Just look at the intensity of the "guard dog on duty" looks on our faces. We make SURE the coast is clear before we venture into our yard to play.
One of the first things we saw in the yard this weekend was how pretty the little star gazer lilies were.   They looked so pretty in the afternoon sunshine. We have all kinds of things in bloom right now, but the lilies are one of Mommy's favorites!
Dixie Mae and I have different ideas of "fun" outside. Dixie prefers to sniff around in the yard, seeing who has "been there" and investigating to see if there are worms to be rolled on.
Dixie also loves to bask in the late afternoon sun. She sure does look pretty in the sunshine! I love how her confidence has increased the longer she has been with our family. It's been 4 months since she "adopted" us, and she's amazed us all! Did you know she is now a service dog to my grammy? Pretty cool huh!!
My idea of a great time outside, no matter the weather, is doing zoomies in the yard, running as fast as I possibly can and then barreling into Mommy's legs saying "tag - you're it". Mommy says she can see the utter joy on my face every time I run. Can you tell in this double photo that I am getting ever closer? All while wearing a smile on my face.
I also LOVE to find a really good stick for Mommy to throw so I can "pretend" bring it to her, then chew on it in the grass. "Look at me Mommy...you can't catch me 'cuz I am faster than a jaguar!"
Oh yeah, this is one fantastic stick I found. Excellent for cleaning teeth too I'm sure. It's in these moments that I think of my uncle Jessie, who passed away in November. He and I shared this great love of sticks, and we BOTH  would play the keep away game with Mommy and then both chew our sticks together. I miss you uncle Jessie!
Don't worry, Mommy doesn't let me chew much...but it's fun to tease her!
"Mommy, are you going to throw that stick??" We always have a great time outside, and Mommy makes sure we don't get overheated or stay out in the sun too long. We all take summer safety very seriously.
Before I go, I just had to share this sweet photo of Mommy and Dixie Mae laying in the grass together. The look of love in Dixie's face is clear. She's yet another example of how wonderful adoption can be!
We all had fun outside in the warm "almost" summer weather. So now it's time for YOU to go have some fun already and then tell me all about it!!

3 comments:

  1. Wow you have a super garden to have fun in. Ours is tiny but we have the park on top of the road and I go each day to chase squirrels. Enjoy the good weather. Have a terrific Tuesday.
    Best wishes Molly

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  2. Pixel! Did your mommy ever figure out your carrier issue? About your tail? I love your photos here!

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  3. Have fun in your yard and with Dixie! Hope your tale stops bugging you so you can really enjoy your summer :) Emma

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