Pet Talk

Evacuation plans should include your pets
Our pets rely on us to feed them, to take them to the doctor when they're sick or injured, and keep them safe from harm. Many of us are well intentioned and take very good care of our animals. It would only make sense that we would make the effort to evacuate our pets if we were forced to leave our homes for safety's sake. Unfortunately, many of us have never thought about what we would need to do to evacuate our pets in an emergency situation. The sad truth is many pets are left behind because their owners are unprepared and run out of time.
     A whopping 80% of people who re-enter an evacuated area, often illegally, do so to rescue pets that were left behind. In one evacuation situation, following a train derailment, emergency personnel had to organize an official pet rescue on the forth day, in order to reduce the number of people returning to their homes to retrieve their pets. Most of them left their pets behind because they didn't think they would be gone very long. If the situation is dangerous for people then it is dangerous for animals. Be safe and evacuate your pets even if you perceive the threat to be minimal. Read more . . . .

To the GREAT STAFF at Tenaker:
I just wanted to thank you all for taking such good care of my pooch--Thurza Honeybunny (the little pie bald dachshund). When she had that little injury a couple weeks ago, you took such awesome care of her. Dr. Matt Fordham's kindess in treating her made me trust your staff even more.
      I notice when I watch her on the webcam that the staff likes to hold her--she is truly a people dog. In fact, the first thing Honeybunny did when I picked her up from her litter was to climb onto my lap and fall asleep.
      She also loves children and has a terrific memory. She would meet a little boy one day at the park for the first time; a few days later, she will immediately recognize the same boy when he enters the park, run up to him, and smother him with puppy kisses.
Again, thank you for your outstanding petcare services.
Sincerely, Jenny Loo

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Meet Derek Scott
Derek is an ABKA Certified Kennel Technician at our Aurora facility, having passed the rigorous training course of the American Boarding Kennels Association. He plans to obtain his Advanced Pet Care Technician certification soon. He has been with Tenaker for over a year, but he has been working with dogs for five years. Derek was also our Aurora employee of the month for August. He enjoys working at our facility because he is able to play with the dogs during playtime and pool time. He loves spending time with animals and even has several pets of his own. He has a rabbit named Kelichi, dogs named Muttly, Lola,and Sam (he saved Sam from being euthanized by being a foster parent to him), an iguana named Frankenstein and last, but not least, a salamander named Neo.

The Human Animal Bond Trust (HABT)
The loss of a pet can be a difficult time for many of us. We cherish our pets and have as much affection for them as they have for us. When they're gone, they leave behind memories that are darkened with emptiness and sadness. The grief experienced by the loss of a pet can also trigger sorrow from previous tragedies and heartbreaks we've experienced. If you find it helpful to talk to someone about your loss, there are supports groups available.
     The Human Animal Bond Trust (HABT) meets every Thursday evening at the Denver Area Veterinary Medical Society. It is located at 789 Sherman Street, First Floor Conference Room (use West entrance). There is no cost to attend and no need to call before attending. Please bring a picture of your pet if possible. Find more info about dealing with grief from the loss of a pet on their web site, www.humananimalbondtrust.org.

Why Do Cats Rub Against Our Legs?
They twine sinuously around our legs, rubbing insistently with their heads. Is this action a demand for food or a friendly greeting? Most of us tend to assume the former, knowing how meaningful meals are to our cats, but what we are actually experiencing is a combination feline greeting and claim of ownership.
     Cats have scent glands distributed over their bodies: the perioral glands on the lips and chin, the temporal glands on each side of the forehead, and the caudal glands along the tail. Although the scent emitted by these glands (unlike the scent of cat urine) is undetectable by humans, it serves an important role in feline and feline/human social rituals. One cat approaching another raises his tail in greetings. If the second cat also raises his tail, the two will then rub against each other.
     In the same manner, cats greet their people, butting heads with them or rubbing up against their hands or legs. Not only is this a friendly gesture, it also allows the cat to indicate to all and sundry felines that this person is his. In fact, cats who mark excessively in this way may be nervous or unsure of themselves. So the next time your cat gives you a nice head butt or swirls his tail around your legs, thank him for the compliment, and reassure him that you will always be his devoted love slave.
Credit Line:
From Why Do Cats Do That? by Kim Thornton (BowTie Press) $6.95. Reprinted with permission of the publisher. Please visit their web site http://www.catchannel.com

Board your dog with us for ten consecutive days or more and receive one day free. Coupon is valid at the Aurora or Aurora Center and expires October 31, 2006. Tenaker reserves the right to refuse any coupon that appears altered or is expired. This coupon has no cash value. One coupon per dog, per consecutive ten days of boarding. Click here to print out this coupon.

Dumb Friends League
Wag n' Trail 2006

Pet Profile
Of The Month
Osa

Osa enjoys her daycare time at our Aurora Center. Osa is a Bernese Mountain Dog. She acts like the mother of all the other daycare dogs and spends her day keeping them in line. Perhaps her interest in keeping things smooth and orderly stems from her ancestry. Bernese Mountain Dogs are originally from Switzerland, where they are used for herding livestock. They are nimble, intelligent, and work well in the mountain terrain. Osa loves keeping all the dogs safe and when playtime is done, she is rewarded with a creamy yogurt snack.

       ABKA Accredited Boarding Kennel