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Getting Started on Facebook

May 12th, 2011

Once thought of as a fad, Facebook can no longer be ignored by businesses, even veterinary ones. Many veterinary practices are now online with a spiffy web site, and that is a great first step. Adding a Facebook page as another way to connect with clients is the logical next step.

Nuts and Bolts: Getting started on Facebook

1) Sign up on Facebook – You need to have a ‘personal profile’ page first, even if you do not intend to be on Facebook as an individual. You will be prompted to create a login at the very first stop: www.Facebook.com.

Many people I have talked to at clinics protest “ugh I don’t want to be on Facebook!” Not to worry – your personal profile page is not publicly connected to your business page. You do not have to do anything with it if you do not want to. Be sure to go to Account > privacy settings to maximize your privacy.

2) Set up a Facebook Fan Page – This is a separate page from your personal profile! It is easy to confuse the two. A fan page is public. Viewers do not have to be signed up on Facebook to see what you have to say. Viewers “like” fan pages. In contrast, people must request to be your “friend” and you must approve that request before they can access your personal profile page. (Your privacy settings will dictate what viewers can see publicly).

Here is where go to set up a Facebook fan page.

3) Customize your page – Now the fun begins. Facebook has some prompts for importing your contacts and promoting your page, but I like to click on the “edit page” button at the upper right. Here you will find several categories to fine-tune the look and function of your page.

First stop should be the Profile Picture. Browse on your computer to find a clear photo of yourself, your logo, or clinic photo, and upload. There are also tips and tricks if you are feeling creative with the profile photo space.

Be sure to fill in address, phone, and all other traditional ways for people to contact your practice.

4) Get posting - This is the most intimidating part for many people. What should we say? How do we post stuff?

Thankfully, Facebook makes it easy to share content with your viewers. Start by copy/pasting a link of a page from your blog or a site with information relevant to your viewers into the “write something” box at the top of the page. Facebook automatically pulls in an image (if there is one) and the text from the article and !viola! a nice easy post – just need to press the “share” button.

Posting photos (and videos) is also easy – click on Photo > browse > upload, add a comment and  ”share.”

I believe strongly in having your own web site/blog first. Putting all of your photos, posts, and practice content into one basket – Facebook – is bad if Facebook goes away or for some reason your page goes away. On the other hand, Facebook makes sharing photos and videos very easy.

There are tools to automatically connect your site and Facebook, which is a nice way to cross-promote and have the best of both worlds.

5) How to find inspiration – Post a pet of the day photo (with owner permission), a behind-the-scenes photo of staff hard at work, or an interesting case. Invite your viewers to post their own pet photos.

By “liking” other pages of interest, you may find pet information that will benefit your viewers. Simply copy the URL, and paste it in the “write something” box. Find stories in your local newspaper or using online tools such as Google Alerts to notify you of topics that would be a good fit for your page.

6) Fans find you, spread the word – Tell your friends and clients about your new page. Once you reach 25 ” likes,” you can claim your own URL, for example www.Facebook.com/YourPracticeName. Each time a fan likes or comments on something on your page, it shows up on their page, letting more people know about your page and what you are up to.

For more information

This is a very quick guide for the mechanics of how to set up a page. To learn more about Facebook etiquette and social media policies specific to a veterinary practice, I highly recommend Social Media for Veterinary Professionals by veterinary practice manager Brenda Tassava CVPM CVJ as a great primer on this topic.

Related:

• Does your clinic have a practice web site? Share it!
• Connect on Facebook

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Spring Cleaning and Poison Prevention

March 22nd, 2011

Pet people know that Poison prevention is a year round  job. And, for the 46th year, the third week in March has been designated Poison Prevention Week to bring additional awareness to common household dangers.

The third week in March is on the cusp of spring, even though it may not feel like it. Yay spring cleaning! Time to get ‘fresh eyes’ and see what can be tossed and what should maybe be stored a little safer.

It’s easy to feel as if everything is “pet proofed” with resident pets. Adding a new pet, or in our case, Burro the foster Greyhound, helped provide those “fresh eyes” for potential dangers.

Burro has a penchant for pencils and plastic. Chomp, chomp. The other day, she grabbed an empty pill vial off of the counter and had the lid off quicker than I could get to her. It was empty, destined for the trash, but one more reminder of how quick and unpredictable pets are.

Probably no coincidence that human medications are one of the top pet poisoning questions received at Pet Poison Helpline.

Most common toxic household items:

(as reported to the Pet Poison Helpline call center)

Human medications: Common human drugs including NSAIDs (e.g. Advil®, Aleve® and Motrin®), acetaminophen (e.g. Tylenol®) and antidepressants (e.g. Effexor®, Cymbalta®, Prozac®) can cause serious harm to your pets when ingested, sometimes given intentionally by well-meaning pet owners.

NSAIDs can cause serious stomach and intestinal ulcers as well as kidney failure.

Acetaminophen can damage red blood cells in cats, limiting their ability to carry oxygen, and in dogs, it can lead to severe liver failure.

Ingestion of antidepressants, which, of all human medications account for the highest number of calls to Pet Poison Helpline, can lead to neurological problems like sedation, incoordination, agitation, tremors and seizures.

Xylitol: Many sugarless gums, including some Trident™, Orbit™, and Ice Breaker™ brands, contain xylitol, a sweetener that is toxic to dogs. Candies, mints, flavored multi-vitamins, desserts and baked goods may also be made with xylitol.

Even small amounts when ingested can result in a life threatening drop in blood sugar, or with large amounts of ingestion, liver failure.

Signs of xylitol poisoning include vomiting, weakness, difficulty walking, tremors and seizures.

Flowers: With Easter and spring right around the corner, flowers will begin to bloom. As beautiful as they are, some flowers can cause severe toxicity, or even fatalities, in animals. Certain types of lilies including tiger, day, Asiatic, Easter and Japanese lilies, are highly toxic to cats. Severe kidney failure can result from ingestion of even a few petals, leaves, or even the pollen. (And that pollen gets everywhere.)

Lilies are commonly included in grocery store bouquets. As beautiful as they are, I do not let them in my house. Not worth the risk with ever-curious Quincy and sometimes-plant-eating Barnie.

In addition, ingestion of certain spring bulbs (e.g. daffodils, tulips) can cause severe vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain. More serious reactions include abnormal heat rate or changes in breathing.

Chocolate: While the occasional chocolate chip in one cookie may not be an issue, certain types of chocolate can be very toxic. Baker’s chocolate and dark chocolate pose the biggest problem. The darker and more bitter the chocolate, the more dangerous it is to our pets.

The chemical toxicity in chocolate is due to methylxanthines (a relative of caffeine) and results in vomiting, diarrhea, hyperactivity, abnormal heart rhythm, seizures, and possibly death.

Fertilizers: Many fertilizers are basic gastrointestinal irritants. However, some are often combined with dangerous chemicals and compounds called organophosphates or carbamates, which can be harmful or deadly to pets.

Ingestion can result in drooling, watery eyes, urination, defecation, seizures, difficulty breathing, fever and even death.

Pest Control Products: Rodent, snail and slug baits are often used to keep pests at bay. However, if ingested, these poisons are extremely harmful to pets. They are highly toxic and without immediate veterinary attention can be fatal.

Rodent baits typically can result in blood clotting disorders, brain swelling or kidney failure, while snail and slug baits can result in severe tremors or seizures.

Poisons and Baits Stored Away, but Safely?

Just because rat poison is green, or blue, or hidden underneath, or on top of, the work bench out in the shed aren’t reasons for dogs not to eat it. It is a bait, it is enticing. With the newer rodenticides and slug/snail baits, the toxicity is highly concentrated. It just isn’t worth the risk for me.

If you do use these items, assume your pet will seek them out and move drawers and boxes to get at them. You never know.

Happy spring (cleaning)!

Related: CE with Dr. Justine Lee – Top 10 Toxins in Small Animals and How To Treat Them (free Continuing Education webinar)

Thank you to Pet Poison Helpline for top poisons info.

Photo © Willeecole | Dreamstime.com

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Season of Giving

December 1st, 2010

The holidays are here, and while many of us focus on gift ideas for pets and their people, many others focus on where their next meal is coming from. The economic recession has caused loss of jobs, homes, and families all over the country struggle to put food on the table.

According to NPR, “More than 50 million Americans lived in households that had a hard time getting enough to eat at least at some point during 2009. That includes 17 million children, and at least a half-million of those children faced the direst conditions. They had inadequate diets, or even missed meals, because their families didn’t have enough money for food.” Read full article

Included in this crisis are pets and animals. Stories of starved and abandoned horses, dogs and cats are in the news are all too common, and shelter surrenders due to inability to care for pets are at a record high.

You Can Make A Difference

Gifts of food and cash help animals and people in need — not only provide immediate help, they may help keep the family together, too.

Here are some programs and organizations working to provide basic necessities for pets and people. Donations are easy and there are many ways to be involved on a local level, too.

→ PetCo Food Bank Program
From their site: “The PETCO Foundation is expanding our “We Are Family Too” program to include a Food Bank Collection Program in our PETCO stores nationwide. This program was specifically created to support food bank’s inventory of pet food/litter to assist people in financial crisis feed their pets.”

Click on your state and find your city to see what store(s) are collecting food, and for what pet food pantry in your area.

→ PetsMart Shelter Donation Station
From their site: “Each year, millions of pets are surrendered to shelters. To help care for the many homeless pets in their charge, shelters often need items like food, bedding and health care products. Shelter Donation Station makes it easy. You can find the products shelters need on their Wish Lists, purchase the products you wish to donate and have them shipped to the shelter.”

Click on your state and find your city to see local shelter wish lists. Don’t see your shelter? Email shelterdonation@ssg.petsmart.com to see about getting your shelter listed.

→ Banfield Season of Suppers
From their site: “Pet parents have been known to forego their own dinner so their furry companions can eat and we’ve teamed up with Meals on Wheels Association of America (MOWAA) to ensure that Pets and their people both get what they need. Since its inception in 2006, the Season of Suppers campaign has collected thousands of pounds of food to help feed needy pets nationwide.”

The Season of Suppers is one of the first “pet pantry” programs I wrote about. I know seniors who benefit from Meals on Wheels, and before the Season of Suppers, many seniors split what little food they had with their beloved pets. Now, pet food is delivered with the people food.

Season of Suppers offers many ways to help feed pets and become involved in your local community. Get started now.

Start a Pet Food Bank
No pet food bank in your community? No matter how rural or how small of a location, there are likely pets and people in need of food and basic necessities. Local human resources (shelters, food banks), schools, and churches are a good place to start. Here are some starting a pet food bank tips from AnimalShelterTips.com.

Pet Pantry Gets Some Love from K9Cuisine

I “met” Anthony Holloway, CEO of K9Cuisine, almost 2 years ago on Twitter. We have since met in person (and his lovely wife Kate!) at two Blogpaws events. They are the most kind, genuine people you could meet, and they really “walk the talk” by giving back to animals in need. Here is a video of pet food pantries that have benefited from their generosity. Kudos!

Every Little Bit Helps

No donation is too small. Every kibble counts. Don’t have any extra funds or food to donate? Consider volunteering your time; many of these programs are run by volunteers.

Happy holidays to all!

Photo: Licky Dog / TB2011 on Flickr

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Social Media Goodness

November 10th, 2010

Last week I wrote about social media pressures the shift to be ‘active’ and engaged rather than just… social. So many great causes, sometimes too little time. After some fresh air walks with the dogs and a weekend of limited Internet (was router fritzing out a sign to take a break?), I am back with renewed energy!

The focus this week is the amazing amount of good that happens with social networking. There are too many to cover, but here are a few to start. Feel free to add in YOUR social media cause/event/good news in the comments.

When Online Meets Real Life
This was the essence of the two Blogpaws conferences this year — to meet up with our online friends and contacts and have some face time. Meet many more friends and contacts. Learn about some of the amazing things people are doing to help animals.

I was honored to meet several veterinarians that I have corresponded with over the last year, many of them attending and being part of the Blogpaws Vet Track.

Working Together
One of those vets, Lorie Huston DVM, applied to be a Contributing Writer for Veterinary Medicine at About.com and I am pleased to announce that she starts this week. Having the online friendship and then meeting in real life really makes working together fun. We have lots of topics planned. Learn more about Dr. Lorie.

Another vet who I first ‘met’ online then at both Blogpaws conferences is DrV of Pawcurious. What can I say about DrV? Well, lots… here was my first impression and my interview with DrV on About.com.

Since then, we have worked on fund raising blogathons, eBay auctions for Haiti victims, and sharing blogging and social media tips along the way.

Here is an example of DrV in action. Working with Iams Home For The Holidays, DrV encouraged blog comments and Facebook photo postings to earn bowls of pet food for shelters. I don’t have the exact totals, but I think it was close to a million bowls of food. Or something like that. Excellent!

Speaking of Blogathons…
It is the second annual Blogathon this weekend – November 13 starting at 11 am PST and going for 24 hours. This year, 8 of us will be blogging for a variety of animal-related causes. Wow! That is a lot of blogging going on.

I will be blogging at AboutVetMed.com. I am joining DrV, Michelle Maskaly, and Dr. Finch to raise funds for a service dog for a boy who has epilepsy. The dog will be a seizure alert dog and companion for 4 year old Bradyn.

I’ll be honest –  I am a little nervous about staying up for 24 hours, but very excited for this event. I have a few handmade glass beads to add to the party. My plan is to have little quizzes – the answers to be found over on about.com – with beads as prizes. Open to ideas and bead suggestions. I may add some more beads if there is interest.

Share The Social Media Goodness
This post only scratches the surface of all that is going on out there. Check out Be The Change for Pets to get a glimpse of other pet projects. Please add your own in the comments below.

You never know who you might meet and the good that will come out of that connection…

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Socially Pressured by Peer Media

November 4th, 2010

The title of this post is a little tongue-and-cheek, but have you noticed the shift in social media? Every day I hear (or read) “Find us on Facebook!” or “we need your votes to____”

More sites to visit, more votes to click.

Social Media is Continually Evolving
At first, social media was simply social — everyone connecting, reconnecting — friends and family members keeping in touch easier. Fun. Easy. No pressure. (Well, unless you count the Farmville requests )

Then big corporations and small companies became aware of the power of social media. Some were slow to embrace it at first, but this “new technology” is the best word-of-mouth advertising money can buy, and much of it just ‘happens,’ for free. Because of this, social media has become more action-based.

Making Your Networks … Work
The other day, I saw a drawing for a chair (a chair!) on my friend’s Facebook page. It was easy, I just needed to supply my email address (uh oh). Then, when I clicked “submit,” I was met with a “thanks for that, now tell all of your friends to enter to keep the prizes coming.” Where is the Do Not Like button? I didn’t feel the need to let my friends know about this one.

Shelters and pet-related businesses are very active in social media, and who doesn’t love seeing adorable pets and reading amazing stories? I do. I learn about what is going on with animals around the country and world, too. Pretty cool.

Helping Out With Just A Click
The first site I remember using social media to entice viewers to help animals with the click of a mouse was The Animal Rescue site. With one simple little click of the mouse, you can help feed animals. There. I just did it again and earned 0.6 bowl of food for rescued animals. How can animal lovers not do something this easy to help? Seriously. You can also shop there and some of the funds go to help animals. It is so easy.

Fast forward to now. Many, many times throughout the day I am urged to click here, vote for this, comment on that to give food/cat litter/raise funds to help animals. Again, so easy… how could you not? It is almost a duty for people who love and want to help animals.

Well sometimes it is hard to keep clicking. Especially if you can’t spend one. more. minute. at your computer. Or, if you are like me, you may check in with your phone while in line at the grocery store and think “I’ll post on that later” then forget to, once the groceries are put away.

And If You Don’t Click
I realize that this is in part due to who I friend and follow, and it is voluntary. But… here is social pressure part. The very point of social media is the connectedness. So you do see who supported what cause and who… didn’t. If you didn’t, why? Too busy? Other causes to support? Not worth it to you?

Friends and fans are left to wonder.

I Love Social Media
I really do. On the plus side, it has been fun, engaging and in some ways changed the way I view veterinary medicine and my own pets. I have met fantastic people online and through “real life” events such as Blogpaws and the Vet Track at Blogpaws.

I also love all of the awareness campaigns and ways to truly help animals using social media. Seriously. And if I haven’t joined in yet, I may not have seen it, or I may not have had the time. Hopefully no one will take it personally.

I may just be out for a walk with the dogs and will be back later, clicking.

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Petland Pet Store to Sell Shelter Animals

October 27th, 2010

Some of you may recognize the name “Petland,” a chain of pet stores based in Ohio that were the subject of an 8-month long investigation by the Humane Society of the US (HSUS). The stores were under investigation for selling puppy mill puppies to the unsuspecting public. News stories, demonstrations and lawsuits concerning these puppies and Petland brought more awareness to the plight of puppy mills and all animals for sale in pet shops.

Not everyone, but more people now question where is that doggie in the window from? It’s a start.

It’s a sad situation all around. Those puppies certainly didn’t plan on being born in horrible puppy mill situations. They need homes too, which unfortunately leaves more ‘room’ in the puppy mill market.

Shelter animals, like puppy mill dogs, also didn’t plan on ending up abandoned, neglected or for-whatever-reason in a shelter.

An innovative approach?
Puppy  mills need to be outlawed, shut down. Meanwhile, shelters are overflowing. Hmmm….

In a recent news story, husband and wife Eric and March Caplan, Petland franchise owners, say that they are going to stop selling purebred and “designer” dogs. Instead, they will be working with local shelters to provide dogs and cats to the public.

The Caplans are modeling their new business plan after seeing the success of another Petland franchise in Texas who made the switch to shelter animals. At this writing (10/27/10), they are still working to sell their current 8 puppies from breeders and no shelter animals have made an appearance at the store yet.

Once the plan takes place, shelter animals who have been spayed/neutered, microchipped, and vaccinated will be available at the store. According to this article, “The cost of adoptions will include the shelter fee plus a service charge for caring for the animals at the store.”

Petland has 100 stores in the US, and 96 of them are franchised-owned. Will more of the franchisers follow suit? Time will tell.

Cautiously optimistic
The “selling” of shelter animals is still largely untested, but I think making adoptable animals more “available” by this could be a step in the right direction. It is still just the talk phase at this point, since no shelter animals have been placed at this store.

I attended the Blogpaws keynote speech by Mike Arms, an accountant and passionate animal advocate. His message is that saving animals is a business and we need to start thinking of it as such. As pet lovers, we don’t always like to associate animals with buying/selling, but better marketing is what they need. (For the record, I have no idea what he thinks of this new venture at Petland.)

I have seen the results of getting animals out in the public eye firsthand many times. I have worked at the Greyhound rescue adoption meet-and-greets. Adoptable animals shown at weekend Adopt-A-thons, pet fairs, even my state fair always get lots of loves and questions about adoptions.

The animals love it, and the best bonus … I see many “adopted” signs at these events. It happens just by getting the animals out in the public view. Right or wrong, for a myriad of reasons, people avoid shelters.

What do you think?
Does this new way of thinking – pet stores partnering with shelters – make sense? What are some pros or cons that you can think of?

Related Reading:

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Who are YOU bringing home for the holidays?

October 15th, 2010

The first of October kicked off this year’s Iams Home For The Holidays pet adoption drive. Coincidentally, October is also Adopt-A-Dog month.

The goal of Home for the Holidays is to find homes for 1.5 million pets — dogs, cats, rabbits, horses, goats, you name it — by January 4th, 2011.

That is an ambitious number, but considering that 1.3 million pets found homes last year, I think it is attainable. To date, 15 days into October, 51,107 pet have been adopted (numbers updated weekly).

I learned about this drive in September of 2009, after hearing a talk by Mike Arms, founder of Home For The Holidays. He also spoke about this and promoting adoptions in general at his September 2010 Blogpaws keynote speech, Saving Pets Is A Business.

The holidays … really?
At first, it seemed counter-intuitive to me. The holidays are a crazy time – shopping, parties, houseguests or trips out of town to visit friends and family. Bringing a pet into the middle of this almost didn’t seem fair. Would there be enough time and enough calm to help that animal become part of the family?

Pets are a commitment for the life of that animal. The time, costs, and day-to-day management of that pet’s health and happiness requirements must be considered by all family members responsible for care. I feel strongly that pets shouldn’t be given as surprise gifts.

The more I thought about it though
Why not? The kids are on a break from school, and we actually are home more than the busy days of summer. So I started looking at Petfinder.com. Just to look. A little research for an article I was writing about pet adoption. Oh hey – you can enter in your zip code to localize your search. That was it. I started sending my husband links to many adoptable dog profiles. Then he got involved, doing more searches.

Which is how we found a local rescue group and adopted our retired racing Greyhound, Argos.

Before that though, we had a family sit-down meeting to discuss this choice and how everyone would be involved. Argos did beautifully. He and Sophie really hit it off. He traveled with us to see relatives, and blended in to our family immediately. I will be doing a 1 year update on Argos’ adoption this December.

Home For The Holidays 2010

• Iams Home 4 the Holidays runs from Oct.1, 2010 to Jan. 4, 2011
• This year’s goal is to adopt 1.5 million pets
• 1.3 million pets were adopted last year alone
• 3,500 partner animal organizations (21 participating countries around the world)
• Information on how to get involved, how to find a participating shelter in your area and other important tips for new parents can be found on Facebook at www.facebook.com/iams or on IamsHome4theHolidays.com.

New ways to be involved and help animals this year:

• You can “Like” Iams on Facebook to donate food to shelters in need.
• You can “Share” Iams content with friends to adopt or donate food.

Related: Hilary Swank – Champion for Animal Adoption
My interview with the 2009-10 Spokeswoman for Home for the Holidays

Iams 2010 Home For The Holidays Commercial:

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It’s Hard Being Your Neighbor

September 30th, 2010

Shelters and animals up for adoption, even the “less adoptable” ones, are finally getting some of the attention they should.

The numbers of animals killed each year are still staggering, but I do feel that through grassroots efforts such as Blogpaws, things are changing. The mantra of “helping just one animal may not change the world, but the world will certainly change for that one animal” helps me stay focused.

I watched the show Hoarders for the first time the other night, and it happened to involve a woman who hoarded not only things, but cats, too. There were 36 cats in that house, and 13 of them were dead. Sadly, this story isn’t unique.

Stories of abuse, neglect, and animal hoarding are everywhere. I interviewed Beth Brookhouser of the Monterey SPCA for an in-depth view on how to identify and report animals in crisis. Those “lucky” cases that make the news are flooded with cash donations and offers to adopt. A life of horror finally has some redemption.

Finding that Forever Home
I am always glad for dogs to get out of the shelters and find that forever home. Who isn’t? That’s the goal! But what about those dogs in backyards who languish away, day after day? Forever has a whole new meaning now.

They survive in all types of weather, with minimal or no housing, stale water (if they are lucky), and little food. They eat, sleep and defecate in very close quarters, and barking is their only “exercise.”

Life in a shelter suddenly seems pretty glamorous. Someone to feed you, give you fresh water daily, and maybe even a walk. Human contact!

In My Neighborhood
Lives one of those types. They have had many dogs over the years. Cute puppies to start, they all end up outside. On a cable. In a 10 x 6′ pen. Some escape. Some I have given food and water to. I have done all of the things you are “supposed to do,” including calling animal control. As I was told by one officer, the law states that the animal has to have food, water and shelter. The law doesn’t state you have to love the animal.

That’s hard. Harder still hearing that dog cry all night, dying of loneliness. This isn’t just my neighborhood. I complain to friends, colleagues, and it’s the same story. Different dog. Different neighborhood. Same story.

Stressful Being on the Sidelines
It is frustrating being alone and powerless to affect change. Offers to adopt, purchase, donate fencing and housing supplies are turned down. (That’s the friendly approach.) Any other action would be a criminal one, in the eyes of the law, anyway.

Dog in the Photo
Titled “Abandoned Dog,” this photo is from the Flickr Creative Commons area and the photographer is Tobyotter. Here is the photo caption:

“The problem neighbors across the street did a midnight move two days ago – owing the landlord 4 months rent, they trashed the house and property – but worse yet they left their two dogs behind.

This female pit bull is half starved. Animal control has been here – the made some shelters for them, with straw inside and left them food. It has been raining all night. Animal control have been stopping by every few hours to check on them (I also go over and check on them). Animal Control can not seize the dogs until 24 hours have passed since they posted the door. That will be this afternoon.”

Related Story in the News
In this news story, neighbors complained repeatedly (and thank goodness they did not give up), about a dog locked in basement. This dog was “living in his own waste, but because Lucky had food and water, it wasn’t a clear-cut case of animal cruelty under state law.” This, a dog confined to a backyard for four years and a basement for four more years – not a clear case? I feel we need stronger legal definitions of “neglect.”

Is There Any Hope?
I found some web sites dedicated to this situation. I had heard of them before, but thought they were focused on dogs chained in a yard, for health reasons associated with the chain and collar. No, they are focused on dogs left outside, abandoned, whether on a chain or in a 10 x 6′ kennel. Same difference.

• Dogs Deserve Better
  →Report a chained, penned, abandoned, or neglected dog
• Dogs Deserve Better – Washington State Chapter – they are responsible for helping “Lucky” the dog by contacting the local media after animal control could not help.
• Unchain Your Dog

I am at the same time happy to find these resources and sad to know how widespread these horrible living conditions are for thousands more dogs out there.

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Vets Connect @ Blogpaws West 2010

September 16th, 2010

A quick look back
I met Caroline Golon, voice of Romeo The Cat and co-founder of Blogpaws, about one year ago. She had this little idea to bring together pet bloggers, writers and animal professionals and trainers. She visualized a conference setting to network and learn how to be better at blogging and working for animal causes. Did I think it would fly? uhhh… YES!

So the first Blogpaws was born. In just six short months, Golon and co-founders Yvonne DiVita and Tom Collins put together the first Blogpaws, held in April 2010 in Columbus, Ohio. They hoped for 20-50 attendees. If necessary, they would pull in as many friends and family as needed to fill the seats.

What happened took everyone by surprise. People had apparently been waiting for a meeting like this; sponsors lined up and over 250 people attended. Blogpaws was on its way.

Blogpaws West was born
The ‘surprise’ of the April Blogpaws had many people wishing they hadn’t missed out. They didn’t want to wait a year for the next one. So the decision was made to start planning for Blogpaws West, six months later, in Denver.

It was at the first Blogpaws that the Vet Track idea started. Could we pull both of these events together by September? I admit that I had a few doubts, but was ready to get planning.

Blogpaws West Vet Track
It happened – we connected in real life(!). Seven vets and an attorney that I have gotten to know through Twitter, Facebook, phone calls, blogs and email finally came together in Denver, Colorado for the Blogpaws West Vet Track.

We went to dinner the night before and got to know each other. We talked about blogs and social media. We enjoyed connecting faces and names, making our online connections even stronger.

I made a photo album of the Vet Track and Blogpaws West on Facebook. In this album, you can meet each speaker, find out what they talked about, and click on a link to visit their web site.

We had great sponsors, too. Thanks to Boehringer Ingelheim for dinner, AAHA and Merial for your sponsorship and support of this track.

Thanks too, to Laura of Embrace Pet Insurance and Brenda Tassava of the VMHA for “live tweeting” during the Vet Track. You can view those tweets here.

What we’re blogging about
Here are some recent posts about Blogpaws from the Vet Track Team.

• Exceptional Dogs for Exceptional People – Larry McDaniel DVM
• Will You Be the Change for Pets? – Lorie Huston DVM
• Best Blogs for Dogs, Cats, Pets and Causes – Lorie Huston DVM
• Blogging – So Easy A Cowboy (Equine Dentist) Can Do It! – Geoff Tucker DVM
• Rules of Engagement: Sit in the back – Jessica Vogelsang DVM
• I am the change – Blogpaws West Part II – Jessica Vogelsang DVM
• Veterinary Social Media Highlighted – Douglas Jack, Solicitor

There’s more. So much more.
I posted some photos of my pets enjoying their Blogpaws swag. That was a start, but I haven’t even touched on the fantastic general session keynote speakers – Mike Arms, president of the Helen Woodward Animal Center, and Patricia Callahan of Canine Companions for Independence (CCI).

The enthusiastic sponsors, the Be The Change for Pets team (wow), the Pettie Award ceremony and the people of Blogpaws all deserve mention, too.

For now, follow the #Blogpaws tweets. They will open up doors to the many wonderful bloggers that make up the Blogpaws community.

Posted in K9 Expert Question, K9 Fun, K9 News, K9 Stories | 3 Comments »

Meeting Up and Reconnecting at Blogpaws

September 9th, 2010

Update: 9/16/10: Blogpaws and Vet Track Recap with photos

It seems like just a short while ago I was writing about our first ever Blogpaws – April 2010 in Columbus, Ohio. Now I am in Denver getting ready for Blogpaws West have a sneak preview of the venue:

I had to get a closer look at this floral arrangement.

And the view from the room:

It was a pretty sunset tonight. I have never been to Denver, aside from the airport. It was dark and I was tired -  not the time to go exploring the Denver metro area just yet.

The Blogpaws organizers and attendees will arrive tomorrow. I know that there are many cool and exciting things planned, and I am amazed at how efficiently and creatively the planning team put everything together just 6 months after the inaugural Blogpaws. Over 230 people are registered (as of last week), and we have an extra day of sessions to help people become better bloggers on behalf of animals and rescue-related causes.

Reconnecting The Old and The New
I wrote about my 20th vet school reunion last week. Blogpaws West also feels like a reunion; reconnecting with the friends we met a few months ago and meeting new friends that feel like old friends, thanks to Facebook, Twitter, blogs and emails.

Since that vet school reunion, a few of us “reunited classmates” have found each other on Facebook. One of my classmates just signed on Facebook and started a page for his veterinary practice last week. Meanwhile, I was getting ready for the Vet Track at Blogpaws – connecting web-savvy 8 veterinarians* with an audience of veterinarians, vet techs and veterinary practice managers who want to learn more about the web. The Vet Track vets will be speaking on various ways to interact with client and the public via social media, web sites and blogs.

I feel in between -  bridging the gap between old and new … friends, technologies, ideas. And it feels like it is all coming full circle.

* Vet Track Speakers and Panelists

• Geoff Tucker DVM (@EquinePractice) – web site
• Nancy Kay DVM DACVIM (@SpeakingForSpot) web site
• Douglas C. Jack, Solicitor web site
• Jessica Vogelsang DVM (@pawcurious) web site
• Lorie A Huston DVM (@LorieAHuston)  web site
• Dr Young DVM ABVP (@DrYoung) Facebook
• Cathy King DVM PhD (@WorldVets)  web site
• Larry McDaniel DVM web site

Posted in K9 Fun, K9 News, K9 Stories | 3 Comments »