Rachael Ray

animal lovers can upload photos of rescued pets; the top three vote getters to determine which pet organizations split $25,000 donation December 15 2011 - Things tend to get pretty hectic this time of year - with last minute shopping, holiday get-togethers and with family and friends visiting from out of town.  But television host and bestselling author, Rachael Ray is hoping we can find the time this holiday season to remember our four legged friends - many of which have no one to care for them. She has partnered with PEOPLE and PEOPLEPets.com to create Click the Cutest: Rachael Ray’s Shelter Helpers’ program as a way to raise awareness about the joy of adopting a pet.  Starting today, the public is [...]...

These might be the best dog biscuits your dog will ever snack on. This fall I coached a girls running/character program called Girls on the Run and part of the program dictates that the group design and execute a community service program. The overwhelming majority of my group voted to do a project to benefit our local SPCA. We decided to collect items the shelter needs for the dogs, pulling from a list on their website, and we also made dog biscuits from a recipe posted on the SPCA site. The recipe couldn’t be easier and the girls had a blast. I gave some samples to my dogs, and they devoured them. This would be a cute holiday gift for your [...]...

My family just adopted a dear, sweet 3-year old yellow lab - Chloe - who has fit right into our family like she has always been with us. The poor thing however, has more than a few lbs to lose. Her previous owners didn’t walk her too often (as they admitted) and she regularly got into the family’s food - in the garbage, on the counter, from the baby’s highchair. Well, those days are over as we are conducting our own “Biggest Loser” program for Chloe (of course we are not going that extreme). While she may be adorable in her chubby state, it’s for her own health that we help her to slim down a bit. In addition to [...]...

As I blogged a few days ago, we adopted a 3-year old yellow lab last week. Her family had not crate-trained her, while my husband and I firmly believe in it and have witnessed how beneficial it is for dogs, first hand. Our 13-year old dog has been in a crate since day 1 - initially he would go in the crate during the day while we were at work, at night, and any time we left the house. Now he can be trusted to roam the house freely when we are out, yet most of the time he chooses to relax in his crate on his own. Why? It is his personal space, where he feels safe. We weren’t sure [...]...

One night last week at my son’s soccer game a friend mentioned that he knew a family who had a great dog - a 3 year old lab named Chloe - and they were looking to give her to another family because she didn’t fit into their lifestyle (The mom didn’t love dogs, their upkeep or their fur - her husband brought home the puppy without warning from a trip. Chloe spent the majority of her days gated off in a mud room.). Our friend thought of us as our dear 13-year old yellow lab, Biko, is slowing down significantly and we know his time with us is limited. We talked to our kids and they were excited to have a [...]...

Dear Pet Lovers: My family really wants to get a puppy and I am actually contemplating getting two puppies at the same time so they will have a playmate. Siblings sound like a good idea - what do you think? Am I crazy? Thanks- Mary Dear Mary: Two puppies at the same time can be a good idea but remember - it is twice the work! Picture bringing home twin babies who are instantly mobile, don’t wear diapers, and chew. What about sibling dogs? You would think it would be a good idea but actually experts recommend against it. Why? There is a likelihood that the dogs will bond more strongly to each other than you, the owner, which can mean trouble when it comes [...]...

Look at that handsome devil - doesn’t he look wise? He was our dear, sweet, more-intelligent-than-many- humans-in-my-life cat to whom our family had to say goodbye a few weeks ago at the age of 18. We thought he would live forever but in the blink of an eye, he was gone. My husband and I were never ”cat people.” My then-boyfriend, now-husband, feigned cat allergies when we were in our early twenties living in Seattle on a whim - but when our apartment wouldn’t allow dogs, I wore him down into adopting a kitten. His friend at work from a town outside the city had taken in a pregnant stray and he had some kittens to give away. We got in the car one rainy Saturday morning [...]...

Dear Pet Lovers: My dog Lucy was sprayed by a skunk and she absolutely stinks. What do you recommend to remedy this situation? I remember hearing something about a tomato juice bath? Lucy’s Mom Dear LM: Hurry up as time is of the essence and you need to act fast when your dog is sprayed by a skunk. Before you do anything you should inspect your dog for any cuts and take a look at her eyes to see if they are red and watery, which could mean she was sprayed by in the eyes and should get to the vet. Your dog won’t be blinded but it is very painful. Tomato juice is a time-honored way of covering the smell up, but it doesn’t [...]...

It’s been so hot in the Northeast, it reminded me that dog owners should be aware of their dog’s exposure to the sun and heat, just as you would pay attention to a child’s. Dogs can get sunburned.  If you have a short haired dog or one that has a pink nose, they are especially prone to sunburn so do not leave them out in the sun too long!  Keep dogs in shady areas and always apply sunscreen.  Did you know they made sunscreen for dogs?  They do, and you can find these products and other pet care products such as insect repellent easily on Amazon.com. If your dog does get burned, you can see it, just as you would on a [...]...