Is your yard pet safe? Even though today is the last day of National Poison Prevention Week, we should always be alert and attempt to prevent poisoning – do you have the tips? And then there are always those accidental cases, where even with the best of intentions, pets somehow manage to find, ingest, or come in contact with poisonous substances. Do you know what to do? First and foremost – keep your vet, local emergency vet hospital, and a Poison Control number visible by your phone and listed in your cell phone.   Secondly - do a safety check around your home, car, yard, garage - anywhere your pet has access to. Thirdly - be aware of what is poisonous. Some seemingly harmless items can be pose a very serious threat to your pet. According to Pet Poison Helpline, the top poisons include: Human medications, including ibuprofen and acetaminophen   Insecticides (STOP, don’t spray that wasp or spider anywhere near your pet or on a surface where you pet can get ...

A s far back as the early 1920s, Siberian Huskies were symbols or mascots for schools. Many mascots originated as live sled dogs, later joined by a human dressed in a Husky costume. Siberian Huskies are not just known not for their striking beauty. They are also famous for their strength, speed, and tenacity; the same qualities valued in sports. It's no wonder the Husky is a very popular school mascot! A while back, I invited readers to submit photos of their local school Husky mascots, and/or student artwork (with school official's permission) portraying the Husky. Today, we are featuring our very first school district in this Husky Mascot series...  ...a drum roll and some Husky woos for...  Highland High School,   dubed "Home of the Huskies," located in upstate Highland, New  York!   T he Highland students are very proud of their schools and of their mascot, and it shows in the beautiful artwork on display in the school. Here is a slideshow featuring the Hi...

Wolf waiting for the supermoon to appear. T oday's Shadow Shot Sunday is devoted to "supermoon" watching! T his was a pretty special weekend indeed for moongazers and photographers alike, as it was the appearance of a supermoon. A supermoon is when the moon orbits close to the earth - and this supermoon was the closest it has been to Earth in 18 years. The colors change from a bright white to a glowing gold-orange depending on the location and time, and in some areas, it loomed large over the horizon. Now I would have to say, it definitely is in competition with the August "harvest moon," but this morning actually proved to be the best time to capture some awesome "larger moon" shots. H ere is a little slideshow of the supermoon's progression, beginning Friday night.  H ere, most of the FiveSibes took it all in stride, periodically perching themselves looking upward to stare at the bright beauty. Just one Sibe seemed to be affected by its ...

There is so much we can learn from dogs. In our everyday lives and when something tragic hits, such as the recent earthquake and tsunami in Japan. Our hearts and thoughts go out to all--both human and animal--who have been touched by this disaster. The images are so vivid. Burned in our minds forever. We send our hopes and prayers to them.  It's hard to see the devastation and think, "what good can I take from this horror?" I can honestly say that I can not answer that. It seems there is nothing good to glean from it at all. What we can do, is focus on hope. Hope for survivors. Hope for no further eruptions. Hope for help. Hope for assistance for the pets who have been lost or hurt as a result of this to be found and reunited with their families. So many of us have been touched by the incredible video of one lost dog, who caught the attention of a cameraman to lead him over to another dog, apparently injured or worse at first glance. The first dog refused to leave thi...

I n honor of St. Patty's Day, I'd like to share with you a great recipe by Andrew Kaplan I saw in the Everyday with Rachel Ray magazine that I'm going to cook up for the FiveMcSibes. It sounds like a tongue-waggin', lip-smacking holiday recipe for our furkids! Green-With-Envy St. Patty's Potato Cakes   Ingredients: 1 c. leftover mashed potatoes* 1 egg, lightly beaten 1 oz. corned beef, chopped into small pieces 1/2 c. frozen chopped spinach, thawed & drained 1/4 c. frozen green peas, thawed 1 T. chopped parsley 2 T. extra-virgin olive oil Directions: In a medium bowl, stir together the mashed potatoes, egg, corned beef, spinach, peas, and parsley. Mix with wooden spoon to combine. Form into golf-ball size balls, then flatten with the palm of your hand.  In a large non-stick skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add the potato cakes to the pan and cook, turning once, until golden brown and heated through, about 5 minutes. Tra...