About
The focus of this site is to help people enjoy their lives with their pets. Initially we had a bigger area of focus outlined in our TREATS section, however, since the pandemic, we decided to narrow down the focus to three (3) pandemic-proof aspects of life with a pet:
- Pet Safe Gardens: Our favorite and top focus since the pandemic has been creating an oasis for pets to enjoy. Gardening is a pandemic-proof activity since it is either outdoors or indoors on your property. One of the things I enjoy most about having a pet-safe garden is that it is a great way to provide enrichment for puppies or kittens and seniors. You can host a puppy social, build a catio or indoor sensory garden for housecats, and produce and outdoor oasis for your senior dog to warm their old bones. Furthermore, if there is another shutdown, at least you and your pet(s) can have an enrichment sanctuary to enjoy together. We research pet safe plants and experiment with different plants in our own garden in Northern California and then highlight them throughout the website. We are working our way through pet-friendly care tips for all of the list of ASPCA’s Non-Toxic Plants that are safe for dogs, cats and horses (and since rabbits are related to horses, we include those as pets not livestock options). We know that there are other gardening sites but not one focused on pet-safe gardening that is as comprehensive as we strive to be. Our goal is to create a resource for pet owners, so check back regularly as we post new articles every other day.
- Dog Parks in the Greater San Francisco Bay Area: Outdoor outings are pandemic-proof. And as a video producer, I noticed that there really are not any good video tours/virtual walk-thrus so you can see what is available before you take the time to go in-person. My goal is to offer video reviews for each of the 101 cities in the 9 Bay Area counties, if they have an official dog park or good dog-friendly park.
- Pet Socialization: Adoptions thankfully increased during the pandemic, which is one of the goals of the site. However, many adopters did not really know how to help their new addition adjust. So our third set of articles will include advice and tips to support pet owners on the journey of pet ownership: training and socializing so that you can enjoy pet-friendly outings to parks, hotels and restaurants.
Mission Possible The Backstory
I have always loved animals. My initial interests, in terms of advocacy, were more focused on wildlife and environmental causes. I started to write to Congress when I was seven on newsprint with a pencil. As an adult, I have produced a number of documentaries and promos about wild animals and wildlife organizations.
Until a few years ago when I rescued a litter of feral cats and the mother, I thought that domestic animals had enough support from their owners and other pet lovers. However, after seeing first-hand how hard it was to catch the feral cats and get them medical care and placement, I learned more about the logistical challenges and more importantly, I met many volunteer groups and lesser-known rescue organizations. (By lesser-known I mean groups that are not household names like the SPCA and Humane Society, both of which are great organizations and make a positive difference in the lives of animals nationwide).
My experience with Mama Cat and her kittens made me want to do something to make it easier for volunteer groups and small rescue organizations to get access to the resources that they need to save and place domestic animals in forever homes.
SOME FACTS
I decided to promote a pet-friendly lifestyle in efforts to increase pet adoptions. While doing some research, I learned that an estimated 6 million domestic animals or potential pets are euthanized every year because they are not adopted in shelters. Think about that, those numbers represent an annual Holocaust for dogs and cats.
I also discovered some statistics that indicated that pets outnumber children 4 to 1. This estimate suggests to me that there are many people who would like to take their pets with them as a member of the family.
THE GOAL
My goal is to reduce the number of deaths from the current 6 million. Wouldn’t that be awesome?
THE APPROACH
- Highlight how great rescue pets are.
- Show how fun it is to have a pet
- Encourage pet owners to frequent pet-friendly businesses so that more businesses want to be pet-friendly
Let’s work together to have fun and save lives!
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