Safety Tips to Keep the Fun in Memorial Day Weekend Festivities ~AND~ A Special Art Fundraiser You Won't Want to Miss!

May 22, 2015

Our Flashback Friday is a special one in honor of Memorial Day (Monday, May 25). This patriotic photo featuring our boy Wolf was taken a few years back. On Monday we will feature a special Memorial Day post in honor of our veterans, but today since it's the start to the weekend, we wanted to talk about some safety tips as Memorial Day weekend is also the unofficial start to summer in many areas. It's a time for family and friends get-togethers, barbeques, swimming, and outdoor fun, so we like to take this time to share a few FiveSibes Safety Tips as a reminder so everyone, including our pets, can enjoy the long weekend:

Keep pets in a separate room or kennel while guests are arriving and leaving to avoid any escapes and to help quell any anxieties.
Keep collar and tags on in case they get spooked or sneak off.
Keep a leash nearby for emergency roundups.
Keep lit candles and lighters out of their reach.
Keep them away from hot/flaming BBQ grilles.
Do not use pesticides where your pets will be.
Watch out for poisonous yard plants.
Keep access to swimming pools limited so the furkids can not accidentally fall in. Have an access ladder or float available in case they do.
Have a kiddie pool filled up with water so your dog can

2011 Puppy Pool Time!

cool off an have fun, too!
Keep backyard gates closed and locked.
Keep a watchful out for foods and beverages that are harmful, i.e. alcohol, chocolate, onions, grapes, certain nuts, chicken bones, caffeinated drinks (including that iced tea and iced coffee!), garlic, and salt. And ladies, watch those purses! Gum with Xylitol, pain relievers, and medications are toxic to dogs! For a full list of harmful foods, visit the ASPCA website.
Keep your vet, after hours clinic, and poison control numbers posted near your phone and in your cell phone.
If you are traveling, please be sure to safely restrain your pet either with a pet seat belt or crate. Have dog's photo and vet info handy in glove compartment in case there's a fender bender and your dog escapes the car. And ~NEVER~ leave a pet in a hot car, even if the windows are cracked. If you see a dog in a hot car, report it immediately and get the pet help! (According to Mydogiscool.com, even if it is an 82°F day, inside a car the temperature can be a deadly 109°F !)

With a little forethought and preplanning, we can all have a safe, fun, and memorable Memorial Day weekend. And we have a Memorial Day "sale" for you! Check it out:

Artist Maria Montreuil‎ of The Frenzied Fox Artwork is fostering her first Husky from Trooper Husky Rescue, a Upstate New York rescue who takes in huskies who are older or have medical problems. The Husky she will be fostering has a stomach disorder and he needs medicine to keep everything running smoothly.

Says Maria, "I want to help out Trooper Husky Rescue by having a fund raiser! I will do a quick, unfussy sketch of your dog on 9x12" Bristol (may be slightly trimmed depending on the size of the envelopes) for $16 and this includes shipping (within the U.S.). $5 of each drawing will go towards helping out Trooper Husky Rescue. All I need is a photo of your dog and a bit of a description of their personality so I can best capture that. Email me at: thefrenziedfox(AT)gmail(DOT)com or direct message her on Facebook (see my post for link to her here) if interested! Currently I invoice via PayPal but could possibly try to set up a webpage if that is requested. Thank you for helping the dogs!"

What a wonderful deal - we get a beautiful sketch of our dog and Huskies in need get a donation toward their care! If you'd like to know more about the artist, read my blog interview with Maria this past December, visit HERE. Please be sure to mention you saw this offer on our FiveSibes blog!

Have a great weekend and don't forget to come back and see our special tribute to veterans on Monday, Memorial Day.

Flashback Fridays are brought to you by us - the FiveSibes - and our invited co-hosts, Love is being owned by a Husky, each Friday. We hope you'll find a photo or video from your Memory Lane, post it, and link up to our blog hop each week! If you don't catch it on Friday, you can link up any time during the week!