There is a great webinar coming up soon that will be conducted in December by Pet Poison Hotline.

When: Monday, December 3rd, 2012 | 12 PM CST (1 PM EST, 10 AM PST)

Cost: $10 (with 10% of proceeds going to Best Friends Animal Society, a national animal welfare organization.

(Press from the site): While the holidays bring joy, family, friends, new decor and foods to our homes, they can also bring a bit of stress for both you and your pet. Join the veterinarians from Pet Poison Helpline for a jam-packed, one-hour webinar to learn about common holiday dangers so you can keep your pet safe this holiday season. Weíll discuss ìmust knowî toxins such as lilies, alcohol, unbaked bread dough and grapes. We’ll also do some myth-busting and provide you with the real scoop about commonly mentioned toxins such as poinsettias, chocolate and more.

The fire department has given you 30 minutes to evacuate your home. You need to get all everything you need for your family and your pets in that amount of time. Are you prepared? Do you know which shelters in your area take animals (not all will)? With hurricane season fast upon us, August and September are the busiest months for activity for the Gulf of Mexico. We are barely prepared with enough hurricane supplies as human beings, as evidenced by the number of people who flock to the grocery store, the gas station, and home improvement stores to get things at the last minute. If we have not prepared ourselves for a possible tropical event, it would be even more doubtful that we have thought about our pets. Here is some advice on how to be more organized prior to an emergency event:

1. While preparing your family plan, make specific plans for each one of your pets.

2. If you have multiple family members and multiple pets, make each person in the family responsible for locating and caring for one pet each.

3. In your plan, if you become separated from each other (like for example, a fire), decide where to meet up afterwards.

4. Who can you call outside of your area? If communications are down locally in your area, your out-of-town contact should know your disaster plan and family meeting place.

5. Include others in your disaster plan including family, friends, neighbors, your vet, and your pet sitter.

6. Contact hotels and motels in advance to see which one take pets. Also, check local humane societies and emergency clinics.

7. Develop a phone tree. One person phones 2 people to see if they need help. Those 2 call two more. Support each other.

8. Create a supply kit for you and your pets to take with you on the road before the disaster hits. Remember 30 minutes is not a long time to have to leave quickly. If you shelter in place, make sure which neighbors have stayed and find a place where your family could go as a backup until the storm has passed and repairs can be made to your home.

9. Stay current on vaccines for your pet. Make sure you have a written note from your vet of your pets’ vaccination status in case of evacuation. That should become part of your emergency disaster kit.

10. Practice with your pets in your fire drills at home to get them used to sudden actions.

11. If you use a pet sitter, make sure they have an emergency plan. Most professional pet sitters do. If you are away when disaster strikes, you and your pet sitter should have already discussed in advance the best plan of action. Your local emergency contacts will be essential to a well-rounded plan for your pets.

The National Association of Professional Pet Sitters has a great guide to prepare for disaster. Once at the site from this link: NAPPS Click on The NAPPS Disaster Preparedness Plan for Pet Owners (free 20-page booklet).

Don’t forget to come like us on Facebook (people anyway can participate in this contest) by August 31, 2012 for a chance to win a $50 Petco gift card. The Woodlands area residents also can get 25% of their first contracted service (or next contracted service), or 25% off the first Monday-Friday month of contracted midday services if services are booked by November 30, 2012 and used by December 31, 2012.

Again, this is not mine and I don’t know to whom credit is due, but it is wonderful:

A local business was looking for office help. They put a sign in the window saying: “HELP WANTED. Must be able to type, must be good with a computer and must be bilingual. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer.”

A short time afterwards, a golden retriever dog trotted up to the window, saw the sign and went inside. He looked at the receptionist and wagged his tail, then walked over to the sign, looked at it and whined. Getting the idea, the receptionist got the office manager. The office manager looked at the dog and was surprised, to say the least. However, the dog looked determined, so he led him into the office. Inside, the dog jumped up on the chair and stared at the manager. The manager said, “I can’t hire you. The sign says you have to be able to type.” The dog jumped down, went to the typewriter and proceeded to type out a perfect letter. He took out the page and trotted over to the manager and gave it to him, then jumped back on the chair. The manager was stunned, but then told the dog, “The sign says you have to be good with a computer.” The dog jumped down again and went to the computer. The dog proceeded to demonstrate his expertise with various programs and produced a sample spreadsheet and database and presented them to the manager. By this time the manager was totally dumbfounded! He looked at the dog and said, “I realize that you are a very intelligent dog and have some interesting abilities. However, I still can’t give you the job.” The dog jumped down and went to a copy of the sign and put his paw on the part about being an Equal Opportunity Employer. The manager said, “Yes, but the sign also says that you have to be bilingual.” The dog looked at him straight in the face and said, “Meow.”

Don’t forget you can like us on Facebook by 8/31/2012 and receive an entry for our $50 Petco gift card; if you happen not to have a Petco near you, another equivalent prize will be awarded. You do NOT have to live in our area to participate. Our site, Facebook, and Twitter feeds are for all animal lovers. Bonus offer for people in The Woodlands, Texas or surrounding communities is that you will receive 25% off your next service with us that is good until the end of the year. Must have an initial consultation by 11/30/2012.

Original author unknown.

How Many Dogs Does It Take To Change A Light Bulb?

Golden retriever: The sun is shining, the day is young, weíve got our whole lives ahead of us, and youíre inside worrying about a stupid burned-out bulb?

Border collie: Just one. And then Iíll replace any wiring thatís not up to code.

Dachshund: You know I canít reach that stupid lamp!

Rottweiler: Make me!

Boxer: Who cares? I can still play with my squeaky toys in the dark.

Lab: Oh, me, me!!!!!!!!! Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeze let me change the light bulb? Can I? Can I? Huh? Huh? Huh? Can I? Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeze, please, please, please!

German Shepherd: I’ll change it as soon as I’ve led these people from the dark, check to make sure I haven’t missed any, and make just one more perimeter patrol to see that no one has tried to take advantage of the situation.

Jack Russell Terrier Iíll just pop it in while Iím bouncing off the walls and furniture.

Old English Sheep Dog: Light bulb? I’m sorry, but I donít see a light bulb!

Cocker Spaniel: Why change it? I can still pee on the carpet in the dark.

Chihuahua: ? Yo quiero Taco Bulb. Or “We donít need no stinking light bulb.”

Greyhound: It isn’t moving. Who cares?

Australian Shepherd: First, I’ll put all the light bulbs in a little circle

Poodle: Iíll just blow in the Border Collieís ear and heíll do it. By the time he finishes rewiring the house, my nails will be dry.

How many cats does it take to change a light bulb?

The Cat’s Answer:

Cats do not change light bulbs. People change light bulbs. So, the real question is, ìHow long will it be before I can expect some light, some dinner, and a massage? All of which proves, once again, that while dogs have masters, cats have staff.

If your breed is not listed in that joke, how would you word it for your dog?

Don’t forget our great contest ending 8/31/2012. Like us on Facebook and you can get 1 entry into our contest for a $50 Petco gift card.† If you don’t live where there is a Petco, other arrangements can be made for an equivalent prize. Also follow us on Twitter and tell us about your furry kids!’

Launch Date Special

Our launch date is very near. Social media is key to promoting us higher on the Google search engines. It does not matter whether or not you live in our service area–our web site, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest accounts are geared towards all animal lovers everywhere.

In order to generate buzz, we have two offers occurring:

Offer #1: Like us on Facebook. Everyone who likes us on Facebook between today and 11:59 p.m. central daylight time August 31, 2012 will receive an entry for a $50 gift card to Petco. You do not have to live locally to qualify. Winner will be announced sometime on September 1, 2012. Any person who has already liked our page prior to today is automatically entered.

Offer #2: Like us on Facebook and call for an appointment to meet your pet(s) and set up a service time prior to December 31, 2012. You will receive 25% off your first service contract or 25% off your first month of Monday-Friday service. Please see the description of our services for more details. When we have our free initial consultation, please mention this offer (coupon code FBLAUNCH). Offer expires November 30, 2012. This cannot be combined with any other offer. We will book up quickly for the holidays and this does not guarantee a service date if we are already booked.

Spread the word!

The web site is up and this is my first blog post for my new business, A Leash Above. It is so surreal. I’ve taken all the right steps to ensure I set up this business the correct way — insurance, bonding, professional pet sitting membership. People will be putting a great amount of trust in me and I intend to rise to that challenge. I look forward to what each encounter will teach me along the way.

Growing up in a culture where the client is always right will help ensure I have a strong code of professional ethics. I was also taught that to win over hearts and minds you must work hard to earn and keep that trust, to go the extra mile, to stand out. When it is time to add employees, my previous employer stands out on how to approach that the right way, to take care of your employees as you would family.

There are many people who I need to thank. Stephen Mott, my web designer and friend, who put a lot of time and effort into the site to make it look professional and user friendly. To Kelly for helping make the company’s logo. To the “malcontents” (inside joke) who are a constant source of love and support. To Frith who helped me edit some of my thoughts so you wouldn’t read 3 pages of my life. To the many friends and family members who gave me feedback during a first look at the site before it went live. And to my immediate family–my exceptional son with autism who inspires me every day and my amazing husband who has given me tremendous support in pursuing something I love.

The official launch date is August 15, 2012–a new chapter in my life begins.