Four-Legged Mayoral Candidate Fetches Ground-Breaking Pooch Training Center to Locate in Wheat Ridge, Colorado  

Ribbon Cutting Ceremony, Friday, January 7, 2011; Time: 6:00 pm 8:00 pm. Location: 12200 West 52nd Ave #6, Wheat Ridge, CO 80033  

Cedar Dog for Mayor™, a twelve-year old Chesapeake Bay retriever, author, and pet therapy dog announced today that a new business is opening in Wheat Ridge, Colorado. The curly-coated canine will introduce the new pooch-training center to the community on Friday, January 7, 2011.
Wheat Ridge Mayor, Jerry DiTullio will join Cedar Dog for the center’s official ribbon cutting ceremony.

The center’s mission is broad. Dana Zinn, the facility principal, has established in Colorado the sport of K9 Nose Work. The activity teaches dogs to use their nose to find a specific scent or odor on cue, and then let the handler know they have found it. This new urban sport taps into a dog’s instinctive ability to hunt using its nose and dogs naturally enjoy doing it. Zinn said, “It is exciting to bring K9 Nose Work to the city of Wheat Ridge, and to be able to offer a variety of resources to the community. Zinn’s goal is simple, “I want to improve the relationships between owners and their pets through education and fun.”

Colorado Paws is a professional group of animal care specialists who have linked-up to offer pets and their companions a diverse education and training class line up; Baking Healthy Treats, Canine Colors, Canine Massage, Compassion Fatigue, Experiential Dog Training classes, Pet Loss and Grief Support, Pet Tech First Aid and K9 Nose Work to name a few.

Cedar Dog for Mayor is also launching her latest initiative, Pets Gone Green University™ at the new facility. The Spring Semester offerings include two-FREE classes, Knowing Your Pet’s Impact on the Earth and Knowing Your Pet’s Health. The Pet Food course—What is in Your Pet’s Lunchbox—is sure to be all the rage.

Cedar will be joined at the grand opening event by her transcriber Kathy Deitsch; Dana Zinn, Zinn Dog Training; Lisa Faust, A New Way to Life Pet Sitting, Pet Tech First Aid & Canine Colors certified instructor; Troy Mills,   A Guy and a Leash Dog Training; and Shelley Sheets, Heart to Heart Healing, animal massage therapist, pet loss and grief support counselor 

 Zinn Training Facility, K9 Nose Work
About Colorado Paws
PetsGoneGreen University, Spring Semester Classes

In news clips from October 18 one appeared that I don’t woof on enough, pet poisonings. The article is on truly harmful chemicals. Most poisonings are totally preventable when toxic dangers are out of reach or out of the house.

In my books grab a copy here there is a lot of information on avoiding dangers indoors and outdoors.  “Animal companions are extremely curious; we will sample taste almost anything.”

Some toxic or hazardous chemicals can kill us immediately or make us very ill. Others build up in our bodies over time, like years, as cats and dogs regularly lick floors and carpets, glass, counter-tops, appliances and even mops. That means unless your family uses safe household cleaners you are regularly taking in toxic ingredients. Indoor air can be a toxic stew; does you family use safe pet care products for bathing and grooming; what chemical solutions are used to get rid of fleas; do you have safe toys and chews. My books lists many of the dangers and some you would not normally think about.

According to the Veterinary Pet Insurance Co. (VPI), the company received nearly 20,000 pet poisoning claims between 2005 and 2009. With the rising cost of veterinarian care it is often difficult for families to find affordable care making prevention even more important. While I do not endorse any one pet insurance plan or company it does seem more and more that pet parents are buying insurance protection for their pets.

Finally, are your pet parents prepared for a pet emergency? Do you have one of our pet first aid kits at home and in the car? Do your pet parents have the knowledge and skills to save your life? If not they can sign up for the next PetTech First Aid course November 7, 2010 in Denver. To sign up and learn more go to   A New Way to Life. Don’t put this off, we are too important.

The 10 most common poisonings from VPI claims.

Accidental Ingestion of Medications (pet or human drugs)    5,131
Rodenticide (mouse & rat poison)    4,028
Methylxanthine Toxicity (chocolate, caffeine)    3,661
Plant Poisoning    2,808
Household Chemicals    1,669
Metaldehyde (snail, slug poison) 396 
(Pets poisoned by snail bait, a real life account)
Insecticide    323
Heavy Metal Toxicity (lead, zinc)    288
Toad Poisoning    270
Antifreeze Poisoning    213
Walnut Poisoning    100
Alcohol Toxicity    75
Strychnine    28
(strychnine used as a pesticide for killing small vertebrates, birds and rodents)

As a dog in the course of animal and human events, I stand for champions, two-leggeds, and often special four-leggeds who serve and work tirelessly everyday to benefit lives.

I remind “pets everywhere” the importance of “celebrating our humans.” We need two-legged backing to make projects for animals work. In Jefferson County Colorado, humans have championed parks for dogs, built the new Foothills Animal Shelter, and have passed laws to ensure that “pets and their people” have safer communities. Today, I add a human’s name to the hall of fame, Jeffco County Commish, Kathy Hartman.

Sunday, September 26, 2010, I invite you to join me at my booth in Arvada, Colorado at the Off-leash Dog Park Festival. At 10:30am, I will make the announcement and endorse a champion for animals and their people; I have a “nose” for picking winners, which is why I will give Jefferson County Commissioner candidate Kathy Hartman’s re-election bid my “paws-up!

As a Doggone Green Crusader and candidate for mayor, one of my missions is to help end animal homelessness and abuse; a big part of that is supporting shelters, which I dub “recycled love zones.” A shelter’s job is to look after and find “forever homes” for down-and-out pets. Too often, economic woes mean bad times for the animals. These days more and more two-leggeds find they can no longer afford the cost of keeping us or worse pets are given up for adoption or abandoned when their pet parents lose homes to foreclosure or eviction. Shelter populations are on the rise; it is worse for cats.

Mom and I trekked out to visit Jefferson County Commissioner Kathy Hartman in late 2008 regarding the new-fangled (and badly needed) Foothills Animal Shelter. I had asked Mom to set an appointment because I was fed up. This dilly-dally of approving a new animal shelter had gone on way too long. I said the animals were being short-changed. I wanted to know what the hold-up was and what we could do to move the new animal shelter project forward. I was being “paw-litical” which I urge every one of you to do too.

What you need to know is that “Hartman’s doggedness” was a big part of making the NEW Foothills Animal Shelter a reality. She has personally contributed to my crusade to raise money to build the shelter and urged others to do the same. “Hartman gets partnership, the importance of humans and animals working side-by-side on issues of high importance to all animals.”

The Cedar Dog for Mayor Campaign is working to raise funds for the NEW Foothills Animal Shelter Foundation. Cast your vote for me and my feline running mate Hillary at Cedar for Mayor.  I am working with Commish  Hartman and her dog Clover to truly make a difference and get “paw-litical for the animals.”  A vote cast with every $1 donation to my campaign goes to the shelter fund.   

About Cedar Dog for Mayor 

I am the author of two books, Doggone Green, and the sequel Doggone Green and Clean, which provide environmental tips and solutions for pets and their people. My books rock, they have humor and are entertaining. I work as a pet therapy dog, blogger, and make public appearances to promote my environmental agenda as a candidate for mayor. I am a rescue dog. My transcriber is my Mom, Kathy Deitsch. 

About The New Foothills Animal Shelter

The new shelter is an open-admissions facility – never turning an animal away.  It opened in August 2010 and sits on three acres of land at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds. The facility is approximately 30,000 square feet in a single story building. Cedar’s fundraising campaign ends on December 31, 2010 at which time she will move on in service to other animal fundraising causes.  

About Kathy Hartman, Jefferson County Commissioner

For the last 25 years Kathy Hartman has been working to make Jefferson County a great place to live, work and enjoy. Prior to becoming County Commissioner, Hartman helped Jeffco families as the Director of Stride, a nonprofit that helps families move from welfare to work. Hartman also taught investment classes utilizing her background as a stockbroker and her MBA. As a former Open Space volunteer Hartman cultivated a love for the beauty of Jeffco’s mountain backdrop and environment. Kathy lives with her husband, Bill, a small business owner in Littleton with their two dogs. As County Commissioner, Hartman has made an open and accountable county government, protecting jobs in the county and expanding open space priorities. See Hartman on Facebook.

About the Festival at the West Arvada Dog Park
Time: 10am – 4pm, Sunday September 26, 2010
Location: 17975 West 64th Parkway, Arvada, CO, 80007
Website
Facebook

The way I see it, dog poop is a paw-dicament. I have always said if you have a dog, it is your job to “scoop the poop.” If it is not your “cup of tea” sign up with a pet scooper service, have someone walk your dog or maybe don’t have a 4-legged that poops outdoors. Do not bring shame on your 4-legged by failing to “scoop” in your backyard, on walks, and in parks. If you live in an apartment or condominium, poop pick-up is not negotiable. Don’t make this a problem by ignoring your job.

Dog poop is a health hazard, an issue of water quality; dog poop is not fertilizer. Forty percent of pet parents do not “stoop to scoop,” more men than women do not pick it up.

Dog droppings are one of the leading causes of E. coli pollution. A gram of dog poop has over 20,000,000 E. coli colonies in it. You may not think a modest mound of poop could be a dilemma but the combined effect of thousands of dogs (and yes, cats who eliminate outdoors) in a metro area can create havoc to the soil and water supply. Unlike wastewater from homes, storm water is typically untreated. When pet parents fall short and do not “stoop to scoop” the poop and disease-causing bacteria mixes with storm water runoff and meanders into waterways; that is a big deal when you think about clean water. Source: Doggone Green book.

“Runoff flows over surfaces, including streets, parking lots, yards, construction sites, farms, and forests picking up fertilizers, loose soil (sediment), leaves, gravel, animal waste, leaking motor oil, antifreeze, grease, metals, pathogens (bacteria and viruses), chemicals like pesticides, herbicides and trash. Source: EPA

I predicated a while back that DNA analysis of dog poop would come to the U.S. Several years ago Germans thought DNA testing, that is matching “poop to pooch” would solve a nasty crisis, too much dog poop on public property.

The plan, gather waste samples from all dogs at the time of licensure. Build a registry of the findings. Sanitation workers would cart around feces-sample kits submitting poop to a lab where doo-to-dog is matched, offenders are identified and fined. The city stood to turn a profit; the problem would vanish or would it?

In May of 2010, a lavish condominium in Baltimore thought this might be a good idea as well. Have all canines’ tested, examine unauthorized poop and fine the offender. In the end, the plan was pooh-poohed.

As a dog, I embrace a more paw-active approach, a “stoop to scoop” dog poo removal. I also believe we can fetch a more advanced and tech-savvy solution for throw away. Here is where I need your help.

I do not want my poop going to the landfill, tons of poop piles, too many plastic bags that sit in the landfill for years.If you are trashing the poop, I suggest compostable bags made without petroleum products (biomass instead) and made in the USA.

What to do with it, how about composting the stuff and selling it as doggone good compost for shrubs and bushes around the yard, currently the mission of Envirowagg.comin Denver, CO. You can learn vermiculture, worm composting, get your own doggie septic-style waste disposal system or do it the natural way, bury it and let nature do its job. The EPA advocates flushing your dog’s waste.

Mom and I came across the coolest (no pun intended) campaign today. Thought we would share it as it is a matter of highest importance. It’s called “Don’t leave me in here, it’s hot” campaign.

As a bit of background, I wrote in my first book, Doggone Green: A Call to Action to Save Our Earth a chapter on avoiding doggie danger in the great outdoors. It was on “overheating.” I explained that “warm weather dangers prevent me from running as many errands with Mom as usual; meaning I have to stay home in the warmer months so as to stay safe and cool. It’s my nature to want to ‘go’ and keep her company (as we have a lot to woof about) as well as keep her safe. I have had to listen and ‘stay’ home ever so reluctantly.”

According to United Animal Nations (UAN) “in the last two weeks alone:

• A 14-year-old Golden retriever named Delta died in the car while her owner shopped at Costco on a 104-degree day in Frederick, Maryland.
• In New York, a six-pound Maltese died in a 140-degree car while his owner went for a swim in a state park.
• A Wisconsin woman left her pit bull in her car at Wal-Mart while she attended a court matter. Police broke the car window and tried to save the dog, but he died at the scene.”

Bottom line, pass the word along; it gets hot in a car on a warm day. It can be just doggone dangerous. So better do as I do and just rest in the cool house under the ceiling fan and wait for a cooler day. 

Check out  My Dog Is Cool There are down-loadable posters, fliers and all kinds of helpful educational stuff.  

The UAN was founded in 1987. They focus on “bringing animals out of crisis and strengthening the bond between people and animals through a variety of programs, including emergency sheltering, disaster relief services, financial assistance and education.”

If you haven’t VOTED for me yet I need your support. Click the VOTE button (at the right)  and learn about my paw-litical work.

Woofs, Cedar Dog
Denver Green Pets Examiner

I say over and over that humans make things hard, and what’s more, they do not get the gravitas of my eco-agenda. However, wait, there is hope; two-legged support is on the rise as four-leggeds have risen up! In paw-ticular faithful felines, in fact this time they have really stirred the box. I have my feline sister Hillary to thank, let me clarify. 

As you know, I launched 1 Million Strong for Environmental Awareness in April. I had speaking gigs in Chicago, shelter stopovers, and fans in the Mid-West to woof with and get the paw-ulse of supporters as I kicked-up my eco-bark-a-lot-campaign. Before leaving, I launched National Green Your Pet Month in Edgewater, Colorado with the Mayor. The yearly tribute will take place every April alongside earth day celebrations worldwide.

Before my trip, Hillary and I designed cat-paign work she would do here at headquarters. Hillary’s job, to dig up the dirt on a stealth cat society we thought might be willing to lend-a-paw to our eco-work. Hillary had said she wanted to do something sly. Hence, we thought this was a great opportunity for the daring orange tabby to be in charge at the home office.

Hillary is a rescue kitty thrown out of the back of pick-up truck four-years ago. Today she is as clever as they come; trust me, I know; she can outfox every two or four-legged. “Hill” as I call her, is well known for her “spunk and attitude.” Some of you know she and I have been “prowling” around more and more in public lately. See our recent pet therapy photos from YourHub, The Denver Post. 

When we were approaching downtown Chicago, I got a call from “Hill,” she had uncovered a lead in the city that I needed to check out quickly. She explained, “It is by your speaking gig Cedar,” she told me to send little brother Ernie (who was with me) out to do some “nose work.” I was in awe; it gave Ernie a job (all dogs need a job) as he was getting on my nerves anyhow and it was an opportunity for him to put into practice his scent training. Perfect I thought. “Hill” had done terrific work, but wait, she was not done.

Sure enough, Ernie uncovered Hillary’s lead right away. It was at the exit, within two blocks of our weekend activities. There it was a huge billboard with a paw labeled crime-scene over a litter box.  Hillary had described it purr-fectly. Sure enough, the stealth group of cats known as Cats against Clay had positioned a billboard ad at a strategic spot. I did doggie back flips; how very cool, they were promoting my work. I spent the weekend teaching humans to be eco-bark-a-lots and pointed out the feline billboard scores of times. Cats had stepped up! I say paw-er to felines.

Of course, the information is not new to our tribe. Our environmental awareness campaign is proud to welcome and give a paws-up to CatsAgainstClay.org. You see the cats in this campaign are sly, witty and have clawed their way into my work, which is paw-fect! We have been talking about the harmful clay-based cat litters everywhere as we advocate for safer, biodegradable litters that are nontoxic for pets, their people and the earth.

Come to find out the remarkable group of cats have billboards appearing in other major cities like San Francisco, New York, Miami, and Chicago. Last month the determined felines took out a full-page ad in the New York Times. I am so proud! This kind of promotion is just what our campaign needed. As I say, “You just can’t buy publicity this good.”

Are you on FaceBook? If so, LIKE me and Join my 1 Million Strong for Environmental Awareness Campaign.

Woof and Purrs,
Cedar & Hillary

I told you a bit about me in the last blog. Today, I’ll woof about some things I think you would want to know so you can join me in my labors of love.

During the 2009 holidays, I began offering my book pack for sale at a reduced price and giving $5 (five dollars) from the sale of the pack to my CedarforMayor campaign. That money goes to the local animal shelter in my own backyard. You see, our community is building new digs and I want to do my part for the animals. I urge all of you to help me. It is soooo easy, go to CedarforMayor (or use the vote button on this page) and vote for me; $1 (one dollar) equals 1 vote (one vote); Vote Early and Vote Often. It’s a big deal.

I call shelters “recycled love zones.” Unlike our people, animals don’t have a way to state and defend our rights; therefore, it becomes the responsibility of the community of humans to care for us. There are thousands of homeless animals who are treated cruelly or who are abandoned in our own communities. They need us to rally round and lend a paw or a hand.

Now for a little bit about what my grassroots campaign. I know kids and neighbors, mayors and everyone love animals. I am setting up this CedarforMayor campaign to make it easy for everyone to vote and help with small gifts. Like a dollar or two or maybe even one hundred pennies; having all of the animals and humans in your house vote for me. You can vote more than once, vote early, maybe every month thru December 31, 2010. I call it being paw-litical for the animals.

I know my life is really good, I couldn’t ask for much more. If you’d talk to my little brother Ernie, who co-authored the children’s book, Doggone Clean and Green: Eco-Solutions for a Pet’s Daily Life with me, he’d tell you he doesn’t get enough to eat, he wants more food. He gets enough; he just wants to “gorge.” I suppose I used to be that way too; in reality many animals have little or no food, water or shelter.

Sometimes our lives change too and we are sent back to a shelter or worst left behind; a pet parent passes away, or there isn’t enough money to care for us. Maybe our people lose their home. I came to my “forever home” from Chesapeake Bay Rescue; my early life was not good as I was abused and penned-up outdoors.

Today, as an author and environmental advocate ending homelessness for the animals is my top eco-agenda item. All of us, cats and dogs, need to be licensed wherever it’s required and wear identification tags or be chipped. Our humans must make sure we can’t escape through holes in or under a fence or nudging open a gate and keeping our feline brothers and sisters indoors.

My agenda includes pet overpopulation controls, spay and neuter. Imagine this, 70,000 kitties and puppies are born every day compared to 10,000 human babies.

Finally, why are so many pets given to shelters? In my books I list common excuses that people offer when cats and dogs are turned over to shelters. Some of them are so silly they make you wonder why people get us in the first place. I like to remind pet parents we are entirely dependent on our people for our well-being.

Check out CedarforMayor, Vote for me and help the animals.

Cedar is asking for your help. Are your pet’s micro chipped, licensed, tattooed or otherwise distinguished? If not, why? We have found numerous dogs recently in the neighborhood that were not tagged. Without ID it is hard for a pet to find its way home. You may think your pet won’t escape but sometimes a door is left open unintentionally or some other oddity takes place. Bear in mind only 2% of lost cats and 15% of lost dogs are reunited with their pet parent. Don’t overlook indoor pets, especially cats.

We are challenged to understand the reasons why people don’t license their dogs. Is it the cost, you just haven’t gotten around to it, you don’t think it is necessary or you didn’t know it was the law?

Do you live in a city or rural? Would you tell us where?

Please send Cedar an email with your input. You’ll hear more about this in the future on this blog and at examiner.com. It is a growing concern and a major Doggone Green Agenda issue.

Join her as a Doggone Green Crusader

Cedar Dog

The humans at Honda say their Element SUV is the most up-to-date creation happening; they call it the Honda “Element Pet-hauling Champ.” I am thrilled an auto-maker wants to create the ultimate pet car. See more dog-friendly vehicles.
Let me be clear, I am not being compensated by Honda to write on their 2009 fall edition Dog FriendlyTM SUV. I do put my paws together for a “dedicated second row and cargo area pet restraint system.” An unrestrained dog impacting humans in a collision can be deadly for everyone.

I’ve had a seatbelt for several years. It provides protection in a standard vehicle including the back of a SUV and uses the vehicle’s existing seat belt system. My belt has its own carrying case so it goes with me and features a metal latch vs. the breakable plastic models. See the video crash tests with a 35lb. dummy dog in a vehicle traveling 30mph. When the vehicle impacted, the dog generated 1,135lbs. of force. That’s a smasher!

Now, let’s get back to Honda’s “Pet-hauling Champ.” It features a cushiony pet bed which should be eco-friendly. The bed is in the cargo area on an “elevated platform.” Hum, I wonder if there is a sunroof above the pet bed. What’s more, they’ve added an extendable cargo area load-in ramp which can be useful for a senior dog. The seat covers in the second-row show off a dog pattern design which matches the pet bed fabric. The floor mats have a toy bone pattern, are all-season rubber and washable. The “dog friendly” exterior emblem broadcasts; special cargo onboard.

Other features include a spill-resistant water bowl. This is an opportunity for a green and healthy add-on; I recommend a stainless steel bowl. Their 12V DC rear ventilation fan is attention-grabbing especially if a dog is sitting in the cargo area or second-row seat and their pet parents smoke. Second-hand smoke is super toxic. I am adamant and won’t take no for an answer Honda; pets in a confined area need better than the flow of fresh air. We must have a quality air machine.

With all of the challenges car makers face these days, Honda may want to reassess. With my healthier, eco-friendly plan, pets and their people could benefit. Even if it’s in just one category; air filtration would help everyone breathe easier.

Two last things; despite their claim that this is a “Pet-hauling Champ,” my feline family is left-out. There is no mention of crate restraints. My idea; advertise the new Honda Element as a Dog-hauling Champ. Oh, one more thing. Where are the door and window locks? Dogs can easily roll down a window or unlock a door for a fast escape?

I’m a penny-wise Doggone Green Crusader. I’ll bring my own add-ons and continue to Reduce-Reuse-Recycle.

Click here for more information on seatbelt restraints.