Bring your pet to the park for some fresh air and fun, with many contests and activities for pets of all kind! All animals must be on a leash.

Brought to you by Coralville Parks and Recreation and Iowa Humane Alliance.  

On Saturday, June 26 from 3 to 6 p.m. enjoy an afternoon full of pet-friendly activities, including:

• Dog contests
  • Owner / dog look-a-like
  • Best kisser
  • Best trick
  • Best costume
  • Waggiest tail
  • Largest dog
  • Smallest dog
• Adoption groups with adoptable animals and educational displays
• The Animal Welfare League will micro-chip dogs and cats for $15
• At Risk Animals will offer dog nail clipping by a certified groomer for $10 
• Children’s carnival with games and bouncy castle (proceeds to benefit animal welfare groups)
• K-9 carnival with special games just for dogs (proceeds to benefit animal welfare groups)
• Door prizes
• Special guest: Coralville’s Police Dog, Ivan
• Bake sale

For more information contact us at 248-1750 or www.coralville.org.

Posted under Pet Events

One of my friends is in a very tough situation with her dog. The dog is only four years old but is completely blind.

He can hear well and knows when people are around, but runs into things a lot. It’s actually very sad to watch. The dog is fine in the current house, he sort of knows where things are, but the family is in the process of moving.

They’re worried about taking the dog to an unfamiliar house, plus the house is huge! I know she doesn’t want him in the kennel all day, but she also doesn’t want him to get hurt wandering around this house.

While moving yesterday, the dog got out and fell into a pond. She found him clinging to a rock.

She has considered putting him down, partly because of moving into a new house, and partly because she thinks he’s depressed about his sight.

It’s a very, very tough call. Cubbie is only four and so full of life, I just can’t imagine putting him down. But I understand she’s concerned about her dog’s quality of life. If the dog was in pain or unable to get around, I think the decision would be easier. I’m glad it’s not my decision to make, but I don’t think I could do it unless I was certain the dog would be better off.

How do you measure quality of life?

Posted under Uncategorized

I took one of my friends to the airport and I saw a dog outside, and then inside the airport I heard a dog barking. My friend made the comment, “The dog will probably be on my plane.”

Well, he was right. I guess the dog was in the seat right behind him and barked for about 45 minutes of his trip to Minneapolis to catch a connecting flight. He said lots of people on the plane were annoyed, which I completely understand. I am a dog lover, but I also respect people don’t want to listen to a dog bark for 45 minutes. It’s not the dog’s fault. The dog was probably scared and can’t understand on its own that barking on a plane is disruptive. As a pet owner, it’s up to us to make sure our animals aren’t bothersome to others. But, I also don’t think having a pet should limit how we can travel or where we can travel.

Zoo Too has a list of the top ten pet-friendly vacation destinations for this summer. From California to Colorado to New York, there are some great options if you want to take a vacation with your pet.

Posted under In the News

I picked up the Cubbie Tails shirts for the ballpark day.

Thanks again this year to the Shirt Shack in Waterloo for doing a great job!

If you can’t tell from the pictures, the baseball-themed shirts come in purple and black.

These will be for sale for $12 at the Waterloo Bucks game on June 20th.

Posted under Uncategorized

Two weeks from today is the Cubbie Tails/Waterloo Bucks Dog Day at the Ballpark. I think we’re pretty well set as long as the weather cooperates!

For $10 you and your dog can watch a Waterloo Bucks baseball game (the dogs and owners will sit in a special section). The game is at 3: 05 p.m.

I also have baseball themed t-shirts for $12 and a silent auction. I think I’ve got some pretty good items to bid on. Here’s a rundown for you to start thinking about!

1. Dog-themed quilt from Crazy to Quilt Shop in Cedar Falls

2. Dog-themed necklace from Roth Jewelers in Waterloo

3. Hotel package from the Isle Hotel and Casino in Waterloo

4. UNI football tickets

5. Gallagher Bluedorn Performing Arts tickets

6. Heartland Acres Agribition tickets in Independence

7. Gift pack from Crossroads Center in Waterloo

8. $50 Jiva Salon and Spa Gift Card

9. $20 Caribbean Tan and Spa Gift Card

10. Gift pack from KWWL

Posted under Pet Events

Good news, the Waverly Humane Society recently signed a lease to rent building space!

The building is located at 504 6th Ave N.W.  in Waverly. Priscilla Blanchard took possession on June 1st, but she has a lot of work to do before moving the animals in.

Here are some of the items she needs donated:

-Window Air conditioners
-Fans (Stand Fans, Oscillating Fans, box fans anything!)
-Vinyl Flooring (roll or squares)
-Light switch and outlet covers
-Underlay floor (plywood)
-Utility Sink

She’s also looking for people to help volunteer to clean up the space and someone who can sew window treatments.

If you can help, contact Priscilla at 319- 269-3722.

Posted under In the News

Being a pet owner means taking care of some needs your pet probably doesn’t like very much: nail clipping, teeth brushing and ear cleaning (to name a few).

I don’t normally trim Cubbie’s nails, I have the groomer do that, but I do try to brush his teeth and we clean his ears once a week.

Cubbie is super smart (and I’m not just saying that as his mom). It only takes one or two times for him to pick up on something. Sometimes it’s nice, other times it makes life more difficult.

For example, when Cubbie sees me grab the bottle of rubbing alcohol, he runs and hides. I try to quietly sneak into the bathroom, grab the bottle and cotton balls, but he always seems to sense what I’m doing and darts for under the bed as soon as I approach. He refuses to come out until he’s absolutely certain I’ve put the cotton balls down.

It’s gotten to the point where I have to wait until he’s asleep. I get everything, and then gently wake him up. Surprise! Once I have the cotton ball in his ear, he’s perfectly fine. He sits still and lets me clean his ears as long as I need to, no fighting. I think deep down he knows it’s for the best and he’ll feel better afterward, but he hates the smell of the rubbing alcohol. As soon as I’m done he starts rubbing his ears on the furniture or a blanket.

Sorry Cubs, I can’t do anything about the bad smell. Maybe covering you head with the blanket will help…

Posted under Cubbie stories

Cubbie and I had a busy day.

We were at Lincoln Park this afternoon taping a promo to air on KWWL for the Cubbie Tails/Waterloo Bucks Dog Day at the Ballpark.

Maria Magner in our promotions department came up with the concept and did the filming.

The idea behind the promo is there are some things you can’t do with your pets, but you can take your dog to a baseball game!

We got video of Cubbie and me trying to play Scrabble and jump rope. The Scrabble was pretty funny. I had Cubs sit on a bench as if he was looking at the board. I think a few of the pieces got some slober on them…

During the taping I was attempting to look “frustrated” because of the things we couldn’t do together. Then I think we’re going to use pictures of last year’s dog day to say you can come to the ballpark!

Cubbie was hot and tired by the end, but overall he did a good job sitting where we needed him to. Look for the Cubbie Tails/Waterloo Bucks promo soon on KWWL.

Later in the day I went to the Cedar Bend Humane Society for volunteer training. Coordinator Alan Malone has some great ideas and techniques for the new adoption center (which opens June 12th). Only trained volunteers will be allowed to help out with cleaning or taking animals on walks.

If you’re interested in helping out, call the humane society to sign up for a volunteer orientation class.

Posted under Cubbie stories

Our beautiful stretch of weather reminded me about some safety tips for hot weather.

Yesterday after work I took Cubbie on a walk since he’d been inside for most of the day. We walked for almost 35-40 minutes. It was warm, but thankfully it wasn’t very humid. Cubs seemed to want to keep going, so we did. Well, when we got back, he was panting with his tongue hanging out the side of his mouth for a good half hour.

Here are some tips for our furry friends this summer:

Pets need sunscreen. Just like humans, your cat or dog can get extremely sunburned, especially if your pet has light colored hair. Animal sunburns can cause the same problems as those of humans: peeling, redness and even cancer. Skin cancer in pets is much more prevalent than one would assume, so purchasing pet-friendly sunscreen can go a long way in protecting the health of your pet when the heat kicks in. Places that are easy to forget, but prone to burning are: inside the nostrils, tip of nose, around your dog’s lips and the inside of ears for dogs with stand-up ears.

Never leave your pet in the car. It may seem like a car trip will cool off your pet, but it will probably do more harm than good if you leave your pet in the car for even a few minutes. The temperature in your car can rise over 100 degrees in a manner of minutes, so if you are bringing the dog in the car, make sure you can take him out on any errands you run when parking the vehicle.

Pets need extra water… but don’t let them drink just anything. Just like humans, pets need a lot of water during the summer, but be careful not to leave that water out too long. The heat can breed bacteria, which can sicken your pet if you’ve left it out in the sun too long. Give your dog extra water during the spring and summer, but be careful to change the water often. If dogs are extra thirsty, pets are bound to drink something they shouldn’t drink. Puddles of what looks like water may be on the ground, but these may include antifreeze or other dangerous chemicals, so keep an eye when the dog is panting and looking for something to sip on.

Don’t give your pet TOO much exercise. Don’t overdo it in the heat. Keep walks to a gentle pace. If your pet is panting a lot or seems exhausted, it’s time to stop. There are quick and easy ways for you and your pet to get in shape together this summer, but one of them is not overdoing it — try changing up the routine and jogging intervals with your dog, or walking up and down hills in order to exercise both yourself and your pet.

Inside is better than outside. Even if your pet is in the shade, it can get sick quickly on hot days. As much as Fido wants to go outside, it is usually smarter to keep your pet inside as much as possible. If you have to leave the dog outside on a hot day, make sure to check on him/her regularly. NEVER leave the house on a hot day with the dog outside.

Watch for heatstroke. Dogs can develop heatstroke fairly quickly. Signs of this are excessive panting, staring, anxious expression on the face, warm skin, refusal to obey commands by owner, vomiting, collapse and rapid heartbeat. If you suspect that your pet is suffering from this, lower the animal’s body temperature by applying towels soaked in cool water to the hairless areas of the body. Often the pet will respond after just a few minutes of cooling, only to falter again with his temperature soaring back up or falling to well below what is normal. Take the dog to the vet immediately — don’t try to solve this yourself.

Throw away uneaten food. Although you may leave wet cat food out or dog food during the day in winter months, summer months and warm weather lead to increased bacteria growth, so if your pet doesn’t eat it immediately, bring the food inside to the cool house, where it can be kept for longer.

SPECIAL TIPS FOR CATS

Watch out for hairballs. Despite the fact that spring is the main shedding season for cats, indoor cats also shed a lot in hot weather, so be wary of this during the summer months. It is much easier for your cat to ingest more hair and spit up hairballs frequently when it is hot outside. Frequently brushing your cat helps alleviate the chance of this, or even buying a “hairball prevention product” which will lower the chance of this happening and making your cat sick.

Keep the cat wet if it is an outdoor pet. If you have an outdoor cat, it is likely that it will remain outside most of the time during the spring and summer months. Frequently give it a bath or spray it with a squirt bottle to keep it from overheating, or even pet your cat with a wet glove or towel to cool it down. This is especially important if your cat is elderly or obese.

Protect outdoor cats against fleas and ticks more than ever. Although fleas and ticks are problems throughout the year, they are especially bad during the summer months. Ensure you use a good quality flea control product on your outdoor cat and treat the environment that it stays in as well. Make sure that you check your outdoor cat for ticks often as they are dangerous and can result in death.

Posted under In the News