“Saving one dog will not change the world, but surely for that one dog, the world will change forever.” ~ Karen Davison Today, we are joining the Be the Change for Animals Blog the Change and with October being "Adopt A Shelter Dog Month" what more of a perfect time to talk about bringing awareness to the millions of dogs that enter shelters every year. As an advocate for the ASPCA , we here at FiveSibes wish to talk about adopting a dog from a shelter, whether it's a cute puppy, a 'tween, and especially senior dogs.   My previous two angels, Sandy (above left with my daughter when she she was a toddler) and Chelsey (above right with my daughter when she was a teenager) were both adopted as puppies from our local SPCA. While I grew up in a household full of dogs and had my own as a teenager, our  Sandy, a golden German Shepherd/Chow mix (I suspect a little Husky in there), was the first dog my husband and I welcomed in our home as a married couple. ...

Today is National Pet Fire Safety Day ~and~ Blog the Change for Animals, so we here at the FiveSibes want to once again talk about the importance of Pet Fire Safety. We believe so strongly in Pet Fire Safety, that we chose to talk about it once again featuring tips, recommendations, a photo of a fireman in our own family, a video of a Husky who was burned and rescued from a house fire, and an in-depth heart-to-heart conversation with the Husky's mom and neighbor about the frightening ordeal. The goal of this post, reshared from last year, is to share vital information that could possibly safe a pet's life...or at the very least, give each family some peace of mind that they have done all they can in preparation for, but hopefully never have to experience, a fire where their pets are. So many times we all settle into our daily lives with routines that take us from morning until night, weekdays until the weekend. But how many of us have stopped to make an emerge...

Harley with my First Aid book from class. Do you know how to help your pet in case of an emergency? Are you certified in First Aid...for your pet? Do you have a First Aid Kit all stocked and ready? April is National Pet First Aid Awareness Month , and today for Blog the Change for Animals ,  (which is part of Be the Changes for Animals, or BtheC4Animals , where bloggers share their "cause" quarterly to help benefit the welfare of animals worldwide), we here at the FiveSibes homestead are talking about Pet First Aid Awareness. To kick it all off, we are starting with a brief pop quiz to test your knowledge on recognizing and responding to a pet emergency. Now come back here...no one likes quizzes, but this one could save your pet's life... Ready? Here we go... 1. Your dog has a seizure, what do you do? 2. How do you know if your pet ingested/inhaled, or absorbed a poison? 3. Do you know the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke? 4. What to...

Be the Change for Animals' Blog the Change for Animals happens quarterly, and today is one of these important dates! Many of you know my six-year-old wooly Siberian Husky, Gibson, is an Epi-dog. He was diagnosed, and has been treated, for Canine Epilepsy since he turned three. This was my first introduction to a seizure disorder, and as any Epi-dog parent can attest, it is indeed a very scary thing to witness. I've shared my experiences and journal entries from those first few heart-stopping episodes before I learned all I could about what it was that was affecting my beautiful boy. I have a wonderful team of veterinarians who truly care about my boy and finding the best treatment for him with the least effects. For Gibson, so far, his treatments are what I call "successful." Each day that turns over into a week then into a month, then into six months, then a year that he can remain seizure-free is a true blessing. And I take it day by day. There is no guarantee th...