The horrors of Halloween shouldn't include pet danger

You know what tomorrow is.

Boo!

Did I scare you?

Well, it's Halloween. Duh. And that means doorbells will be ringing and trick-or-treaters will be wanting candy.

Remember that the amount of commotion surrounding the festivities might be a little stressful for Fluffy or Fido, and that constantly opening door could be dangerous.

Here are some tips to get through Halloween from the American Humane Society.

Then there are the other problems they face. If pets are not secured and they get out, it can be a particularly scary time, and they may run off and really get lost. Please be sure that your pet always has an ID tag and collar (or a microchip, which is permanent), even if they are always inside.

Candy is so bad for pets, particularly chocolate, so be sure to keep it out of reach and remind the kids how dangerous it would be for pets to eat their stash if it is not carefully stowed away. Also, some people play pranks on their neighbors, so be sure your pets are safely inside your house or secure in your barn. Cats can be particularly vulnerable around Halloween.

And while candles add that perfect spooky effect, make sure they can't be knocked over.

So have fun and don't eat too much candy.

Excellent. Keepin' it real.

Please read this item from USA Today.

The president picks up after Bo.

Woohoo.

That wet dog smell

Scientists have studied how and why dogs — and other animals — shake when they are wet.

Read the story and watch the video from ABC News.

They discovered that the smaller the animals, the faster they must generally shake to dry themselves off.

David Hu, assistant professor of mechanical engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology, said the research is interesting because drying wet fur is critical to how mammals regulate heat.

"A lot of animals have developed fur mostly for thermal insulation purposes and they need special mechanisms to basically get the water off," he said.

Hu said a standard 60-pound dog would have to spend a quarter of its daily calories getting rid of water if it had to rely only on evaporation. Smaller animals would have to use even more.

Why do this type of research you ask? Watch the video and find out. Oh, and read the comments. They're fun.

Rapping pets

Too cute.

My Kate, who is gone

It's been more than 24 hours since my precious Kate left this world.

Sunday morning, I felt it was the time to let her go, to administer a lethal dose of anesthesia that would end her life.

The last few weeks she had obviously been on a steep decline. There were the periods of not eating, followed by vomiting. There were the times when she couldn't keep from "soiling her nest," which, in spite of sleeping on the couch near her bed for three months, I could not prevent.

There were times, however, when she would actually come to the door when I came home. There were times when she would come over to me for, seemingly, the need for affection. Who really knows what goes on in a dog's mind.

Last May, before I was scheduled to attend a journalism boot camp at Gannett corporate headquarters, Kate had what I can only call an "episode."  Fully embracing the concept of letting her go, I was convinced to allow her to stay at the vet's during my absence.

She was fine when I got back.

In the interim, Kate would occasionally stop eating, vomit, have diarrhea. start eating again, have diarrhea and stop eating. Rinse. Repeat.

From my perch on the couch, I slept with one eye and ear open waiting for the unexpected overnight stroll that would culminate in either a rapid exit outside or a thorough cleaning of whatever spot Kate ultimately spoiled.

Flash forward to two weeks ago, when I was traveling to New Rochelle to cover a school board meeting. My neighbor, Nancy, had been more than willing and able to take care of Kate when I was elsewhere. She deserves more thanks than I can give her.

After a 1-1/2 hour commute, I was minutes away from the school board meeting when Nancy called telling me Kate could not get up. I immediately headed back to Poughkeepsie, though traffic and an accident on the Sprain Brook Parkway extended the commute by an additional half hour.

By the time I got home, Kate was fine. A mystery.

Then came last Sunday, yesterday.

I got up and got ready to take Kate outside, which is what I did before going out for my walk.

She couldn't stand up. She was sitting but, even on a textured surface—her pallet and two rugs—she couldn't get to her feet.

I managed to lift her hind quarters and we got outside for a pee.

Afterward, Kate just stood. Not sniffing. Nothing. Like a blank stare. I had to eventually drag her back to the house.

I left her,  as usual, standing in the entry way, to go for a walk on the Walkway Over the Hudson.

I had a lot of time to think about things. More and more, I was thinking that the time was coming to end things.

When I came back from my walk, Kate was sitting up but could not get up on her feet.

That was the confirmation I needed. It was time.

I called the emergency clinic off of Route 55 in Poughkeepsie.

My neighbor Nancy and her granddaughter helped me get Kate to the clinic.

It was over before you knew it.

Kate and I went into a room where I sat on the floor petting her. She was taken away to have a catheter put in her right front leg for easier administration of the drug.

The vet came in and explained the process: a double dose of anesthesia would be administered and Kate would fall asleep.

There was a 1/2 inch diameter tube of pink-ish liquid in a three-inch syringe that the vet compressed.

The fluid went in. Kate was oddly calm for a moment, but then her eyes closed and her head went down, the tip of her little pink tongue sticking out of her mouth. Within two minutes, maybe less, the vet said there was no pulse.

My wonderful Kate, my wonderful companion for almost 16 years, was gone.

Laughingly, there were only two tissues in the room. I said to the vet, "This is the wrong time to run out of Kleenex," and she scurried to get more.

I left the best dog in the world in that room in the clinic on Sunday.

I gave her almost 16 years of love and comfort. I could have given her more if she had let me, but it was time to let her go.

My Kate.

Thank you.

Kate

1995-2010

Animals to be blessed Sunday in Woodstock

The fifth annual Blessing of the Animals will take place at 3 p.m. Sunday at the Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary, 35 Van Wagner Rd. in Willow.

Here's an advance story from the Kingston Daily Freeman.

Each year WFAS celebrates World Farm Animals Day, St. Francis of Assisi Day, as well as Mahatma Gandhi’s Birthday by hosting a Blessing of the Animals Celebration. This is the one day they welcome well-behaved companion animals like dogs, cats, bunnies or reptiles (on leashes or in carriers) to visit the home of over 200 rescued farm animals.

Environmentalist and wild wolf activist Elke Duerr will officiate and the Redwing Blackbird Theater will perform a puppet adaptation of "Peter and the Wolf."

Suggestion donation for admission is $10.

For information, call 845-679-5955.

Been kinda busy

Sorry about the lack of postings. I'll try to do better. New job, you know; wacky hours.