Pets

Center focuses on maintaining pet-owner unity through respite, training

Sol Dog Lodge and Training Center provides obedience, behavior, K9, Good Citizenship, and service and therapy dog training. Keeping pets and their people together is the ultimate goal.

A group of women with passion and compassion for dogs is at the heart of Tucson’s Sol Dog Lodge and Training Center, a nonprofit organization. The community has recognized their dedication: they have garnered the annual Arizona Daily Star’s Readers’ Choice Award for best dog daycare/boarding for the past… Read more »

Pets may deter violence victims from finding safety

A man was furious at his partner for leaving the house to run errands without his permission. Knowing she was 30 minutes away, he called her and said if she did not return home within the next 10 minutes, he would put her beloved cat in the microwave. The… Read more »

Understand your pets through their body language

Dogs with raised eyebrows elicit a strong desire in humans to care for them. (Alexandra_K/Adobe stock

The domestic canine, descended from the wolf, eventually evolved into “man’s best friend.” New research from the University of Portsmouth shows that facial muscles evolved over thousands of years, allowing dogs to better communicate with humans using those big, round, heart-melting “puppy dog eyes.” The study comparing dog and… Read more »

UA research center studies the relationship between humans and dogs

Black Labrador Sisu spends her days in the laboratory, helping conduct research. (Shane Tarquinio/AJP)

Sisu is a black Labrador. She wears a red collar and has sweet eyes and spends her days on the third floor of the University of Arizona anthropology building, assisting in research at the AZ Canine Cognition Center. Sisu mills around the lab, getting pats from lab coordinators and… Read more »

Local pet lovers have options for day, overnight animal care, socialization

Janice Fischer provides daycare and overnight stays at Camp Doganuga. (Courtesy www.campdoganuga)

About 28 percent of American households have dogs. That’s a whopping 90 million four-legged friends, or as many dog-owners prefer to say, family members. When dog-owners are unable to take their fur babies with them, or when they want to offer them some social interaction, daycare or overnight care… Read more »

PAWS treatment options help maintain pet wellness

he heated underwater treadmill at PAWS provides hydrotherapy benefits. (Courtesy PAWS)

There are scores of veterinary clinics in Southern Arizona, many that have specialties. PAWS Veterinary Center is an integrated health care center, combining the science of conventional medicine with the benefits of alternative therapies. These complementary alternate options include ancient Chinese therapies with herbs, acupuncture, pulse and tongue diagnosis,… Read more »

Beware of treats that can harm your dog’s health

B efore you toss that treat to your pooch, remember it might be a fatal decision. Human bodies process foods differently than canines, says U.S. Food and Drug Administration veterinarian Carmela Stamper. Like people with allergic reactions to foods, one food may harm one dog and not another, depending… Read more »

Local woman’s pet proves its dedication as Handi-Dog

Talya Fanger-Vexler trained Sapphire to be a service dog with the help of Handi-Dogs, a Tucson nonprofit organization. (Debe Campbell)

Talya Simha Fanger-Vexler fell in love one day with a fluffy puppy in a pet shop window. It had sparkling blue eyes and a calm, composed demeanor. Talya pictured long hikes and active adventures with the bouncy sable Sheltie at her side. Five years later, the lovable fur ball… Read more »

AJP Pet pages 5.26.17

Tzeitel, owners Larry and Melanie Rogovein

  To see many more pet pictures from our readers, staff and colleagues, click the link below. And please patronize our advertisers! Pages 11-12-13… Read more »

Pet briefs 5.15.15

In celebration of National Therapy Animal Day, Handi-Dogs will hold free information sessions, “Can My Dog Be a Therapy Dog?” on Monday, May 18, 11 a.m. to noon and 6 to 7 p.m. at the training center, 75 S. Montego Drive (one block east of Kolb and Broadway). The… Read more »

Handi-Dogs plans informational sessions

Handi-Dogs will hold two informational meetings on Thursday, Jan. 15 for people who may want to volunteer with their dog as a pet therapy team, visiting in settings such as hospitals, nursing homes, libraries or schools. The one-hour sessions will be held at 2:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. at… Read more »