Sparky Was Attacked

Wow, what a busy week! Sadly this post is about Sparky being attacked by the neighbors German Shepherd.

Last Tuesday night we were letting the dogs roam in and out of the house using their doggy door (like we usually do) when we heard a loud yelp from one of our dogs. Running to see what happened, we noticed Sparky laying on our front door rug and our neighbor in our backyard.

Turns out that the neighbors dog had broken through our wood slated fence and attacked Sparky.

We rushed him to our emergency vet, where he underwent surgery on his abdomen. He had to stay two nights and his recovery was slow at first, but once we brought him home he did much better.
I am happy to announce he is doing really well now and back to his chipper self. We sure love him!

The whole situation was insane and we still can't believe it happened to us and that we could have lost our precious baby. One thing is for sure - we are never letting that happen again!


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More Dog Grooming

I can't believe it has already been eight weeks since the dogs had their hair cut. Wow, how time flies. Luckily, our groomer provides free in-between dog grooming of their legs and face.

If you live in Utah, I would recommend that you take your dogs to All Pet Grooming in Bountiful. They are fabulous and priced really reasonably.


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So Super Mad! Leave the Professionals to Breeding

I have to rant for a minute and I hope you all won't mind and that I don't offend anyone, but here it goes. A girl in my office announced today that her sister's Boxer that she studded out had puppies. Sounds normal enough...right?

Then she started talking about how "she hopes the mom had enough puppies to cover all the costs and so that her sister makes some money."

In fact, she even said that her sister is planning on studding out her dog again soon. None of these puppies have a home! This makes me so mad!

Here are some statistics about Boxer's and why it makes me so mad:

• More than 4 million dogs are euthanized each year because there is an overpopulation of dogs.
• In fact, hundreds die everyday!
  
• A very high percentage of these dogs are Boxers
• For every puppy born three die in a shelter
• etc
• etc
  

Now don't get me wrong I think breeding is necessary, but only for those who have a breeder's license. So for those of you who want to make money, want to show the miracle of birth to your children, or want a puppy so that it will be just like its parent - GET A LIFE a spay and neuter! Stop breeding your dogs!!! And this goes for cats too!

Sorry, but it had to be said.

What do you think of unauthorized dog and cat breeding?


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Orangutan (Roscoe) and Dog Make Friends

Adam forwarded me this email about an orangutan in Northern California and his friendship with a dog and I had to share it with you guys. This is a true story about friendship.

WARNING: You might cry.

Feeding Guinea Pigs

In addition to the daily amount of pellets and Timothy Hay, guinea pigs also need to be fed fresh fruit and vegetables.

My sister (the person who gave us our guinea pigs) is really good at making sure her guinea pigs get fresh fruit and veggies every day. She has taught me about some fun treats to feed to your guinea pigs that I wanted to share with you.

1. Strawberries - they love them!
2. Carrots
3. Bananas
4. Red Bell Peppers
5. And Grapes!

Other blog posts that might interest you:
Teddy Roosevelt Chaucer

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Camping With a Dog

This past weekend we went camping with our three dogs and our family. We had a blast and so did the dogs! Camping is a great way to bond with your dogs. There is so much to do for you and your dogs to do, but it always helps to be as prepared possible.

We have taken our dogs camping before and have learned a few tips along the way that I wanted to share with you guys.

1. Before heading out camping we make sure our dogs have recently been shaved. This helps keep out the weed firs and also helps them to keep cool. One year we took them with long fur and it was a mess!
   
2. Bring some sort of dog bed for them to hang out on and get out of the dirt.
3. Make sure you have enough food and cold water to keep them hydrated and fed.
4. Bring glow stick necklaces. I wish I had taken a picture, but these are really nice. Tie them around your dogs neck at night and you can always know where they are!
5. If they have a kennel, bring it. Dogs actually love their kennel - it is their 'den.' We found it helpful to let them chill out in there for an hour or two to get away and have a nice nap.

Below are a few pictures from our trip. You will see that my nieces were very sweet to make them cute doggie necklaces out of grass.

A picture of my sister's dog Daisy. She loved the dog bed we brought.

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Dog Supplies

For those of you who know me, know that I am very frugal. So you will understand my excitement when we took a trip to Dollar Tree and they had an incredible deal on dog leashes and toys - a $1 each!!! SCORE.

The leashes are really high quality ones and bonus, the dogs really needed new ones. Thanks Dollar Tree!


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Another Vampire Attack

But this time it was by a real life vampire!!! I thought this was animal related enough to post, don't you think?

Ha ha, no but really this 19-year-old man was arrested because he broke into a woman's apartment and tried to suck her blood. He claimed he was a 300 year-old vampire that needed to be fed.


Crazy! Makes you wonder...are vampires real? Hurry, someone throw him into the sun and see if he explodes, or shines like diamonds (thanks Stephenie Meyer!).

See the full msnbc story here: 'Vampire' arrest sparks discussion on pop culture.

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Groomed Dogs

Follow-up: our dogs got groomed over the weekend and as expected, they look and smell wonderful. Just thought I would share.

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My 30-Day Challenge Recap

Okay all, I want to recap my 30-Day Challenge with you. For the most part I think I did pretty well. When I first set out to complete this challenge I knew it would be tough, and man o man was I right.

I am positive I saw 31 different animal species during July, but it was hard to see a new one everyday.

Some of the animal highlights were:

Ducks at Silver Lake

A Ball Python at Petsmart

A Dragon Fly outside my work
Overall, I saw new animal species for 18 of the 31 days, but there were many days I saw multiple species, that I couldn't count.

What do you think? Do I do well, or does it seem like I completely failed? How could I make it more successful next time?

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Dog Grooming This Weekend

We are taking a break from dog grooming and letting the professionals do their magic. About twice a year we send our dogs to the professional dog groomer. They are able to do things that we just aren't (anal gland cleaning - no thanks!). And in between, we do touch-up grooming ourselves to save money.

As you can see below, our dog Lily is looking a little shaggy. We think it is time to get them all groomed.

We just love it when our dogs come home from the groomer; they smell so clean. It just makes it so fun to snuggle them. What do you like about getting your dog/dogs groomed?

Other Blog Posts that Might Interest You:

Dog Grooming

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First Vampire Bat Bite Death in U.S.

I just saw this article on msnbc and had to post about it. As a little kid I heard about vampire bats, but always thought they weren't real. When I was in high school I found out they really were real.

And now a vampire bat has actually killed someone and the United States has had it's first Vampire Bat bite death. Read the full story here.

(Photo courtesy of msnbc)

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Dog Sitting

I had a great time watching my sisters pets last week. I watched her two dogs, two guinea pigs, a rabbit and a Love Bird.


Do you ever get to do any dog sitting? What about animal sitting? Do you have any fun stories to share?


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What did you think of Shark Week?

I want to know what you thought of this season's Shark Week?

Which show did you like the best. Please leave your comments in the comments section below.

Other Shark Week blog posts that might interest you:
Fun Shark Facts
10 Reasons Why Bear Week Would Be Better than Shark Week
Great White Invasion Review

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Shark City Review

Last night I watched "Shark City" on the Discovery Channel. I have to say that "Shark City' was most original of their seven shows they aired this season. In fact, it is probably the most original show ever on Shark Week.

"Shark City" is a hilarious introduction to sharks and the 'cities' that they live in. Most people believe sharks to be solitary creatures, but in many parts of the world, like the Bahamas, sharks live and feed with other sharks.

The show featuring Adam Samberg allows us a rare look into a sharks daily life and helps the viewer to get to know the sharks individually because each shark is given a name, such as 'Big Mama,' 'Harry' and 'Lloyd.'

I really enjoyed the interpretation of a shark's daily life and the names each shark was given. Adam and I were laughing the entire time. If you DVR anything this week, make sure you record this and watch it this weekend.



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Fun Shark Facts - Did You Know?

I put together a list of fun shark facts. Have a look and let me know if any of the shark facts shock you!

• There are more than 400 different kinds of sharks.
• You are 1,000 times more likely to drown in the sea than you are to be bitten by a shark.
• Sharks are more related to fishes like the stingray than they are barracuda.
• A shark can hear a fish in the water from more than a mile away.
• Sharks can smell one drop of blood in a million drops of water.
• Scientists can determine the age of a shark by counting the rings that form on its vertebra, much as you can count the rings on a tree to tell its age.
• Sharks’ wounds heal quickly and they rarely get tumors.
• The Dermal denticles that covers Shark skin is so tough and hard that before the invention of sandpaper, shark skin was used to polish wood.
• Shark teeth have been used as weapons and tools for many centuries.
• Eating Shark flesh is forbidden in both the Solomon and Fiji islands.
• About 100 people in the world are bitten by sharks each year. Of these, five to ten die.
• The chance of being killed by a shark is one in 300 million. The chance of being killed by airplane parts falling from the sky is one in 10 million.

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10 Reasons Why Bear Week Would Be Better Than Shark Week

Now I don't agree with the title of my post...I think Discovery Channel's Shark Week is awesome, especially Shark Week 2011 episodes! But, I found this funny article on College Humor and thought I would share a laugh with my readers.

Here is a little taste of the top 10 reasons. For the entire list please visit the 10 Reasons Why Bear Week Would Be Better Than Shark Week on College Humor. Special thanks and all credit should be given to Kevin Corrigan who wrote the article.



I must admit that the first reason is pretty convincing! What do you think?

Other Blog Posts that Might Interest You:
Great White Invasion Show Review
Sharks Close to the Beach

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Great White Invasion Review

I hope you all have had a chance to watch the Great White Invasion on the Discovery Channel, it is definitely worth the watch. Great White Invasion is one of their seven new shows they are airing this week. It features, you guessed it "the Great White Shark!"

It highlights the new places biologists are seeing Great White Sharks, locations they haven't seen them before, for example, they are seeing tons of Great Whites next to California beaches - really popular California beaches.

Most scientists think it has something to do with Global Warming. Sharks like warm water and since the new warmer waters tend to circulate near beaches, that is where they are now finding the sharks. Another theory is that the warm waters also brings in a huge food source for them. And who doesn't want to live by their food?

Overall, I thought this episode was really thrilling, especially when one of the scientists took a paddle board and paddled on top of the water above a Great White Shark. Personally I thought he was nuts!

If you want to know more, you will have to watch the 1-hour special for yourself. But I promise it is worth the watch!

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Find Shark Week on Facebook

Don't miss out, follow Shark Week on Facebook. They will keep you up-to-date on all the latest and greatest. Enjoy!


By the way, which new Shark Week show have you liked the most this year? So far I think mine has been the Great White Invasion.


If you like what you read here, make sure to share it with your friends by "liking" this blog post.

Sharks Close to the Beach?

I have been really into Shark Week on the Discovery Channel for about three years now and it was about that time that I saw some of the most startling shark footage ever; hundreds of sharks were swimming right next to beaches covered with people!!!

I tried to find the exact video, but I didn't have any luck, however I did find a similar video that was also quite shocking.

In addition, I wanted to also show you some images I found. Scary!


Now, I am not trying to say that people should fear sharks, but just be cautious. Have any of you had any experiences with sharks in the wild?

Other Blog Posts that Might Interest You:
Great White Leaps onto Boat

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Shark Week Starts Tonight!

Enough said!


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Shark Week Schedule

Shark Week on the Discovery Channel starts this Sunday at 9 p.m. E/P. This year they are launching seven new shark shows, and Extraordinary Pets couldn't be happier!

Premiering Shows:


GREAT WHITE INVASION
Premiering Sunday, July 31, 9PM e/p

JAWS COMES HOME
Premiering Sunday, July 31, 10PM e/p

ROGUE SHARKS
Premiering Monday, August 1, 9PM e/p

SUMMER OF THE SHARK
Premiering Monday, August 1, 10PM e/p

KILLER SHARKS
Premiering Tuesday, August 2, 9PM e/p

HOW SHARKS HUNT
Premiering Wednesday, August 3, 9PM e/p

SHARK CITY
Premiering Thursday, August 4, 9PM e/p

In addition to airing these new shows, Discovery Channel will also be showing some classics.

I don't know about you, but I know what I will be watching this coming week. Which new Shark Week episode are you the most excited about?

Other Blog Posts that Might Interest You:

Great White Shark Leaps Onto Boat

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Water Birds at Silver Lake

On Saturday, Adam and I took a mini drive to Silver Lake up Big Cottonwood Canyon. It was beautiful up there and it got us away from the heat. Not only was the scenery beautiful, but the amount of animals we saw was spectacular!

We saw water birds (some form of duck), deer, squirrels, a chipmunk, and tons and tons of mosquitoes! I was happy to cross off yet another animal species off of my 30-Day Challenge.

The hubs enjoying himself at the Lake (below).

Do you have a favorite place to go to in the summer where you can see many different kinds of animal species?


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My Top 10 Animal Movies

I love movies. In fact, on the weekends it always ends up being Adam and I's go-to thing to do! I even love animal themed movies. It got me thinking...what are my favorite animal movies? So, I decided to put together my list of top 10 animal movies of all time. Here is goes:

What do you think of my top 10 animal movies? What are your favorite animal movies and why?


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For those of you in Utah - Happy Late Pioneer Day

Enjoy your day off, I know I will!

Announcement - Shark Week Starts July 31st @ 9pm

Shark Week snuck-up on me this year. I am happy to announce that the excitement starts Sunday, July 31st at 9 p.m. on the Discovery Channel.

Check back that week for EP's full week of shark themed posts.

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Vets replace tortoise’s leg with wheel!

I love turtles and ever since I watched "The Last Song" I have dreamed of watching baby turtles hatch and make their long journey to the ocean. This story melted my heart and I wanted to share it with you guys.

A 12-year-old turtle in Washington state underwent a major operation that replaced his injured leg with a wheel! Read the full story here at msnbc.msn.com.

I am so amazed by the medical field and the huge advancements they are making. I am sure happy this little guy gets a second chance, because you know, turtles can live up to 100 years.

Have you heard about any other major medical advancements for animals? If so, I would love to hear about it.

Other posts that might interest you:
Pet Turtle - Are You in the Market?

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Great White Shark Leaps onto a Boat

I love sharks, but I don't know how I would feel about a 10-foot Great White shark leaping aboard my boat. In fact, that sounds like one of the scariest things ever!

Check out the full story here at msn.com.


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I saw a snake

We had to pick up some dog food over the weekend and while we were at the store I saw a snake, a Ball Python. See the picture I took below.


I have already mentioned my hatred of spiders, but I also don't really care for snakes. I prefer my animals furry, not scaly. I think most of it stems from watching my friend feed her garden snakes live baby mice.

However, I did see one and I wanted you guys to know about it.

How about you, do you hate any animals? What about spiders?

Other post that might interest you:
30-Day Challenge Reveal

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Don't Poop on My Lawn!

I love all animals, well not spiders, and I consider myself to be a very giving and easy-going type of person, but I hate it when my neighbor let's his dogs (yes he has two) poop on my lawn.

My neighbor let's his dogs run around like nuisances! I cleaned up 5, yes 5 dog droppings off my lawn. And to top it all off I came home to one of them squatting on my lawn while the owner was out watching from her front lawn.

I am not sure what to do, I am thinking about writing a nasty letter.

What do you think I should do? Do you have any advice?


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Enjoy Your Weekend

With the weather so nice outside, make sure you get some fresh air and let your animals get some fresh air too!

Talk to you Monday!

Recap of the Last 15 Days of my 30-Day Challenge

Here is a quick recap of the last 15 days of my 30-Day Challenge:

Starting July 1st - 15th

1. I saw my dogs


2. I saw a Buzzard (I thought it was an eagle at first, I was very wrong!)


3. I saw a cow while driving home from California
   


4. I petted my cat Aedan


5. I saw a lady bug chillin on my plants outside.
   


6. I saw my guinea pigs

7. This is lame, but I saw an ant outside on the sidewalk

8. I killed a fly that was inside my house annoying me

9. It rain so the snails were out in full force on my sidewalk

10. I was pulling weeds in my garden and I came across some nasty looking spiders.

11. I didn't see any new animals today

12. A swatted about 10 mosquitoes off my legs!!!

13. I didn't see any new animals today...oops

14. I shewed a moth out of my house.

15. The day is still young, I am on a mission to see a new animal tonight!

Harry Potter Tonight!

At midnight tonight, Adam and I along with thousands of others will be watching Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 (HP). Will you be watching? Planning to see it this weekend?

It is crazy how huge the HP phenomena has become and how fanatic people are. Did you know that some people even name their children after the characters? Now, I don't know about that, but what about naming your pets after them?

I think it would be cute to have a cat named professor McGonagal, or a lizard name Snape.

What do you think? What HP character would you name your pet after?

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Harry Potter Actor Animals

Did you know that some of the actors in HP 7 Part 2 are actually big pet lovers? You might be surprised about what kind of animals they own and who they own them with. I know I was.

Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter) - Owns a ferret and a dog.

Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley) - Owns two teacup pigs!

Emma Watson (Hermione Granger) - Owns two cats named Domino and Bubbles.

Michael Gambon (Albus Dumbledore) - Owns a dog with his mistress and their love child (Sounds scandalous).

So what do you think? Who's animal choices shock you the most?

Other blog posts that might interest you:
Harry Potter Week


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Harry Potter Week

If you didn't already know, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 comes out this Friday! And Extraordinary Pets is celebrating! Stay tuned this week for our Harry Potter (HP) themed week.

To kick us off, I want to highlight the ordinary animals involved in the HP series that had extraordinary talents.

Who's your favorite and why?

• Crookshanks - is Hermione Granger's pet cat, however she is part Kneazle and can detect when there are untrustworthy people around.
• Fawkes - is Dumbledore's pet phoenix, who's feathers were placed in Harry's and Voldemort's wands.
• Hedwig - is Harry's Snow Owl that delivers very important messages for Harry.
• Nagini - is Voldemort's pet snake, who is used to protect Voldemort's immortality.
• Scabbers - is the Weasley's rat, who turns out to be Peter Pettigrew, a Death Eater.

I think my favorite is Nagini. She is so mysterious and evil. She adds another element to the books and made me jump pretty high in the last movie!

What's yours?

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Does Your Dog Snore

Does your dog snore? Ours does, in fact all three of them do! It is kind of funny when it happens because I can tell that they are getting really good sleep.

However, Sometimes Adam and I complain because on more than one occasion we have been woken up by our dog Sparky.

For the most part I don't mind the snoring because it makes me feel loved. Let me explain...when our dogs snore and they are laying on our laps, or at our feet, I can tell that they were so comfortable that they had to fall asleep and snore. Snoring = Comfortable = they trust us & love us! Make sense?

Story: While we were out of town last time, we had Rick from Happy Paws Pet Sitting Plus watch our animals and he said that while he was hanging out with the dogs on the couch that Sparky fell asleep on his lap and snored. Sounds like, my animals are very comfortable around him. I am happy we found a company that treats our animals really well!

Do your dogs snore? How about your cat? Does it annoy you, or does it make you feel loved?

Other posts that might interest you:
Indoor vs Outdoor Cat

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Conjoined Baby Birds

I saw this story the other day and I had to post it. A woman found a set of conjoined baby Robins in her yard. Luckily she has tons of experience taking care of birds.

What are the odds a conjoined birds would fall into her yard? Either way, I am happy they found her because they wouldn't have survived much longer without her help.

Conjoined Birds - posted by MSN


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A Must Watch - The Honey Badger

I found this video yesterday on Hollywood Gossip and I thought it was hilarious. The video is about the Bad Ass Honey Badger.

I will warn you though there is quite a bit of profanity. Enjoy!

Honey Badger Video

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Child Raising V.S. Pet Raising

I am not a mother of a human baby yet, but I do consider myself a mother to all of my pets.

I have raised them all from babies, taken care of them when they were sick, and cleaned up many dirty diapers (i.e. accidents in the house). Adam and I call each other mom & dad, and I even get a card on Mother's Day, but sometimes I wonder, how close is pet raising to child raising?

Or do you even consider the two at all connected?

I hope so, because in my opinion I am a really good pet mommy!

So, what do you think? Is child raising similar to pet raising? I want to know what you think.

Other posts that might interest you:

Animal Bucket List
Full House

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Weekend

We had a great weekend in California and as always the dogs had a great time with Happy Paws Pet Sitting Plus! Now back to real life. I will update you in the next few days on my 30-Day Challenge. I think you all will be impressed!


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Happy 4th of July

Have a great 4th of July and enjoy these cute animal pics!

**If you like what you read here, make sure to share it with your friends by "linking" this blog post.