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6A Daily News – Saturday, September 8, 2012 healthPets & Prepare for disaster with large animals By RONNIE CASEY If you have large animals such as horses, cattle, sheep, goats, or pigs on your property, be sure to include them in your disaster preparations. The follow- ing information is aimed towards horses, but many of the basic principles can be applied to other animals. All the animals should have some form of identifi- cation. Tattoos, brands, and microchips cannot be lost. They can help you prove ownership if you are separat- ed from your livestock. Keep photos that highlight identifying marks and copies of registration papers and ownership records with you at all times in a waterproof bag. In addition, provide a temporary ID on the animal that is easy to spot and includes a contact phone num- ber with area code. It will allow anyone to contact you. Some options for temporary identification are: use a livestock crayon and write your name, and phone num- ber on the animal; use clippers to shave the same infor- mation in its coat; or to attach a band or tag with the necessary information written in waterproof ink to either its halter or by braiding it into tail or mane. In addition, be sure to post emergency contact numbers at your barn and/or on your pasture fence. Ensure that whether you stay or go there is adequate food and water available. Have enough feed and hay to last at least three days. A week is better. Store it in dry, protected areas. Dehydration is a major cause of death for animals in any disaster. For horses, calculate a min- imum of 12 gallons per horse per day and again, store enough for a minimum of three days. If necessary, add chlorine bleach at two drops per quart of water to puri- fy. leads, first-aid supplies, and flashlights are especially important. Check with your veterinarian to find out what he recommends you include as first-aid supplies. If any animal is on long-term medication, keep at least a two week supply available. Keep copies of medical records including history of vaccinations with the kit. Evacuate your animals whenever possible. Advance planning designates where they will go. Create a list of friends, relatives, etc. who would be willing to board them. Familiarize yourself with organizations in the area that are prepared to rescue and shelter during a dis- aster. Temporary housing might include, boarding sta- bles, veterinarians, and fairgrounds. Map out alternate evacuation routes in advance, in case certain roads are blocked. Have sufficient vehicles and trailers available for transporting your animals or know where to obtain them quickly. Train to load. A panic situation is not the time to teach or learn this skill. In emergencies, animals that load easily are evacuated first. Unfortunately those that do not are left behind. In addition, access roads may be blocked and you might have to meet at a central collection point that trailers can reach, therefore, plan alternative ways to get the animals off the property. If evacuation is not possible, animal owners must decide whether to move large animals to shelter or turn them outside. In many cases, livestock will be safer in a pasture than in a barn that could collapse or burn. If you will be leaving the property for your own safety, try to make sure that there is easy access to clean water and forage. It may be days before you return. In the case of horses, if you leave the halter on to facilitate catching them later; be sure to use a breakaway style. Other types can snag on branches, etc. and trap the horse. As a final note, catastrophes affect both humans and animals. Animals can become fearful and, as a result, difficult to control and highly unpredictable during a disaster. Therefore, whether you own one small animal or a herd of large horses, your safety is paramount. You cannot help them survive if you are injured. Remember, the best thing you can do for yourself and your animal in the event of any emergency is to plan before disaster strikes. Prepare an emergency/ first aid kit. Extra halters and DETROIT (MCT) — Jill Andra Young has a soft spot in her heart for dogs and a photographic eye. Combine the two and you get photos of capti- vating, charismatic canines ready for adop- tion. The Plymouth, Mich.,- based photographer loves dogs, but volunteering in an animal shelter upset her too much. But bring rescue and shelter dogs to her studio and she uses her talents to showcase a dog's best side. Dog rescuers say the professional-grade pho- tographs Young creates — rather than those ama- teur dog pound shots — help them place dogs that otherwise would be over- looked. Young calls her effort the Sirius Project, named for the Dog Star, the brightest star in the night sky, and because of the double meaning — "I'm serious about dogs." A greyhound rescue group, Greyhounds of Eastern Michigan (GEM), can tell the dif- ference when Young pho- tographs their racetrack rescues. When they post her photos on Petfinder.com, there's a noticeable uptick in how many peo- ple browse the pooch's page, says Mark McCloskey, a GEM vol- unteer. "She does a better job of capturing a playful side or more attractive side," says McCloskey, a stay-at-home dad in Pinckney, Mich. "She's got a better eye than we do. I think the more a dog gets viewed, the better its chances of getting adopt- ed. activities Sit, stay, smile MCT photo Henrietta the rescue pug waits patiently as she is situated for a photo shoot at Jill Andra Young Photography in Plymouth, Mich. marketing it as pet- friendly. The pet side of her business grew as more families included their pets in photo shoots. Her studio's growth coin- cided with the period in which independent pet stores and chain stores started to blossom. Young photographed rescue dogs on and off, but was inspired to create photo workshops for vol- unteers through the Sirius Project when she saw a television feature about a photographer shooting res- cue dachshunds in Dallas. She has photographed do is run to you." Balls don't work because the animals will want to play. "And we rarely use the S word," says Young, referring to the chase reaction elicited with "Squirrel." With one dog, she uttered the words "Mort Crim" to get the canine to perk up and pose. The family told her the mere mention of the retired WDIV-TV anchorman always caught the dog's attention. Ronnie Casey is a volunteer with Providing Essentials for Tehama Shelter.You can read her blog, Mutts & Moggies, at redbluffdailynews.com. "Those photographs are what they would call in the real estate world 'curb appeal,'" said McCloskey. Growing up in Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich., Young's family had a col- lie, Jody. "I learned to walk hanging onto her," Young says. She also had cats, all white and always named Kitty. "I don't know how many Kittys there were, but there were several," she says. When she was 15 years old, her brother Jack gave her a rescue basenji — her preferred dog ever since. Young has been oper- ating a studio since 1989, a variety of critters, like birds, gerbils, guinea pigs, iguanas, one alligator and a quartet of racing turtles. "They were very difficult, because once you set them down, they run," Young says. But she says she can outwait any rest- less, fidgety, cranky crea- ture. "Mostly, it's just being patient and you go with what they can do. Every- thing is about the dog's comfort. Even when we're doing family pho- tos, I put the people down with the dog, since dogs are closest to the floor. "I'm good at pets," Young says. "I can speak dog." Among young's atten- tion-getting tools are stuffed animals, a pole with feathers, and a bird puppet. Squeaky toys are "sometimes a mistake" because "they all have squeaky toys at home and the first thing they want to A secret weapon is a harmonica. It's high- pitched and surprises the animals because it's a sound they haven't heard. She uses it to make ears stand perky. "We try to figure out what calms them down or whips them into a frenzy," Young says. Young's own dog, a rescue basenji named Henri (pronounced Henry), often runs into the studio and assumes a photo-worthy pose atop a prop. Henri (named after the French photographer Jacques Henri Lartigue) responds to the English pronunciation of his name. "It's very hard to use French when yelling" at him, Young says. One day in the studio, Young's studio, a pillow is placed for the dogs' comfort and pearls draped around their necks. "A lit- tle tulle and pearls always helps," Young says. Young then emits sounds kind of like a whirring helicopter and whooshing air. She barks. She ruff-ruffs. She arches a stuffed bird in front of the dogs. She pumps a squeaky toy. Neither pug stays still. Clara breaks for the door. Young brings out the harmonica. The pugs seem peeved. pugs given up by an ailing owner, will have a hard time being adopted, says Susan Tauber of West Bloomfield, Mich. Tauber, a retiree who helps with Michigan Pug Rescue, says that Henriet- ta's age (she's 13) and a medical condition that makes the gray-haired pug prone to toilet acci- dents, will limit interest in adopting the duo together. Clara is more agile and younger at 9 years old. On the stage at Henrietta and Clara, Young uses all her tricks as she devotes a couple of hours to photographing rehabilitated racetrack greyhounds, aging pugs, and three other dogs that were on the verge of being put down at local pounds. She resorts to "whiff- ing" the dogs with a bag of liver treats passed under their noses. Now that she has the attention of their olfactory nerves, the dogs freeze and stare her down. Young gets her shots; the dogs get their treats. Tauber is pleased, but wishes Henrietta had shown her teeth because "she has such a beautiful smile." Talking Dogs: Withhold attention while dog is barking Sandy has adopted a dog from an animal shelter. The 8-month-old Chi- huahua mix is feisty, bright and a lot of fun. In addition to having been taught a few tricks by his mom, Sebast- ian has come up with a few tricks of his own, and one in particular is causing Sandy DAILYNEWS in Discount Coupons were published last week in the $ 63 00 $ RED BLUFF TEHAMACOUNTY offering percentage discounts, two-for-ones and Free-with-Purchase offers! … And that does not count all the ads Don't miss a day of it! Subscribe Today 527-2151 It pays for itself. 00 some distress. Sebastian becomes frus- trated when Sandy turns her attention elsewhere: the computer, the newspaper, the television, the tele- phone, etc. It seems Sebast- ian wants her total attention, all of the time, and has developed a habit of barking at her to get it. Everything she has tried to correct it — scolding him, putting him outside, shaking a noise can at him — has failed. The reason her attempts at correcting the problem have failed is because they all result in giving Sebastian some form of attention, Sierra Sound Car Audio 35th $ 226 So. Main St., Red Bluff 527-3735 All CD's 13.99 Anniversary Sale or less which is what he is seeking in the first place. Dogs will settle for negative attention over no attention at all, and Sebastian is getting some satisfaction from his inces- sant barking. Fortunately, there is a way to extinguish this behavior. a relatively new behavior, so it will be easier to over- come than a habit a dog has practiced for months or years. First, she must out- think Sebastian, and set him up for success when she needs to focus on things other than her puppy. Fortu- nately, there are lots of Luckily for Sandy, this is options here. The first is to dedicate 15 minutes prior to sitting down to her comput- er for intense play and activity with Sebastian; the goal is to really wear him out. Once he is clearly spent, give him a few min- utes to recover, allow him access to water, and then place him in his crate — in another part of the house. Then Sandy can focus on her computer. Chances are that Sebastian will voice his complaint at this turn of events for a few minutes, but he is safely contained in his crate, and Sandy can ignore his pleas for atten- 18th STOREWIDE SALE Gold Exchange facebook.com/redbluffgoldexchange Sept. 1st 413 Walnut Street K W I K K U T S Family Hair Salon ANNIVERSARY - 15th $200 REGULAR HAIRCUT off with coupon Not good with other offers 1064 South Main St., Red Bluff • 529-3540 Reg. $13.95 Expires 9/30/12 Coffee NOW .94¢+tax LUNCH & DINNER SPECIALS EVERYDAY Coming Soon Beer & Wine! Best Homemade Pies in Town Ice Cream Orders to go 731 Main St., 530.529.4012 open 7 days 5:30am-9pm tion. He will give up, and will eventually fall asleep; Sandy is only to release him from his crate when she is ready, and he is quiet. Another option is to give Sebastian something spe- cial to keep him occupied while Sandy's attention is focused elsewhere. Attach- ing him to a leash, and then placing the handle of the leash under a heavy piece of furniture in the room Sandy is in makes it impos- sible for him to get to her and directly demand atten- tion. Leaving him with his own special project like a Kong with some peanut butter in it or a nice meaty bone to chew on should be adequate to keep him focused and on the task of enjoying his goody, rather than barking. Under no circumstances should Sandy pay attention to Sebastian when he is barking to get her attention. This means no eye contact, no talking to him, and no physical interaction. Sandy should take care to wait for silence, and then reinforce it with attention and praise. This way, Sebastian learns a new trick: Silence and patience eventually results in the attention he is seek- ing! Write to Lisa Moore in care of LifeStyles, The Modesto Bee, P.O. Box 5256, Modesto CA 95352.