Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Petlife.
We Treat Our Pets Like People Because We Can't Rely On Humans Anymore
When I discovered puppucinos for the first time, I was flabbergasted. Coffee for dogs, whaat?! There is no way caffeinated bean water is good for my pup, I thought to myself. I can barely make it through a cup of coffee on my own (tea drinker, sorry) and suddenly it was supposed to be trendy to give that stuff to my dog? Of course, I later learned that a puppucino was really just a bit of sugar and whipped cream which of course, I then consulted the internet to find out if it really was OK to give straight whipped cream to my dog. It was in this, unscientifically-biased search that I found the internet as conflicted about this situation as a bunch of parents debating about if they should feed their child McDonalds hamburgers.
By Delilah Jayde8 years ago in Petlife
‘Trophy Hunting,’ a So-Called Legal Sport, Endangering African Wildlife
“We are left shaking our heads wondering why American people care more about African animals than African people” (Nzoaug, 2015). On July 1st, 2015, Cecil, the beloved lion, was killed by American dentists and their hobby for trophy hunting. Trophy hunting is the selective killing of specific wildlife for reasons none other than the pleasure of mounting the animal’s head on a wall. Trophy hunting has many regulations and restrictions that are put up and vary by country. Most common restrictions include the grounds the animal is hunted and killed, the weapons used, and limitations on which animals can and can't be killed. While trophy hunting carries much controversy, and both sides of the spectrum have substantial and reasonable arguments, trophy hunting should be a ceased so-called “sport.” Though the argument behind the termination of trophy hunting is vast, were Dr. Palmer’s actions wrong? Dr. Palmer’s actions were reprehensible as a whole, but not wrong as he claims to not have been fully aware of the operations taken place to make the hunting happen.
By Vanessa Cid8 years ago in Petlife
How Having a Fish Keeps Me Sane at College
College, or university, is something over two thirds of all high school graduates will attend, and I think it is safe to assume that close to a hundred percent of college students struggle with the requirements of college at some point or another. Whether it be at the very beginning as a freshman, or your junior year after you've finally picked a major, or maybe it waits until your final semester as a senior as you come to terms with that fact that it's almost time for you to be a real adult. Life can be difficult, but this is how having a fish helped me manage it.
By Hayley Winter8 years ago in Petlife
The Love of My Life
Have you ever met someone who has left such a lasting impact on who you are as a person? I have had many people come and go in my life who have made an everlasting effect; whether they were a friend, loved one, or an acquaintance, I have encountered many people who have each left some kind of mark. Recently, someone who I have been waiting to come into my life, for what seems like a very long time, entered my life; and I could not be happier. This certain someone has taught me one of the most important life lessons, how to love unconditionally.
By Sarah Siegel8 years ago in Petlife
Rescue Kitty
As many people know, furry family (AKA: dogs and cats) can be a much-needed balm on a troubled mind. I have suffered from PTSD and severe depression for several years. Part of this package includes cycling through different medications; but I have yet to find the right mix for my brain chemistry. While the medical industry figures that out, I take solace where I find it. I truly believe the unconditional love of fur babies can leave pawprints on your heart, and heal a great deal of sorrow. I have two such furries, a small terrier named Pumpkin, and her very best friend, a Cat named Nemoy. When I moved from Southern California to the City of Chicago, my treasured pets came with me to live with my very best friend, Daniel.
By Ashmo Sant8 years ago in Petlife
Liver Failure
Living with a dog that is experiencing liver failure is rough, both physically and emotionally. Physically, because you know they are going to die. That means the quality of life has become just that more important. More walks, more cuddles, and more play sessions. Emotionally, because now there’s a timeline on when they are going to die.
By Kayla Babb8 years ago in Petlife
The Joys of Owning the Most Stubborn Pupper in the World
On September 24th, 2016, our lives changed forever when we brought this crazy little pupper home with us. Before my boyfriend and I decided we would bring another dog home, however, we already had my pup that I've had even before I was dating Andrew. She was definitely a challenge coming from a broken past full of abuse and neglect, and training her and showing her the love that she deserved was hard. We felt like she deserved to have a pupper friend to share her life with and make her days a little brighter. What we didn't expect was the challenge that came with our new found bundle of fur. When we first brought our little guy home he already came with a handful of problems. He was very sick with kennel cough and had a belly full of parasites. At first we had no idea, and like any new puppy parent, we wanted to show him off to everyone that we know. BAD IDEA. Not knowing about the kennel cough at first, our little puppy ended up getting all of our doggo friends sick with kennel cough. Which was our first mistake. Our second mistake was thinking that his calm, cool, and collected attitude that he had during his sick days would stay forever. We learned very quickly that we were absolutely 100% wrong on sooooo many levels. Not even a week after we gave him his medicine for his kennel cough, he was up and about getting into EVERYTHING. Everything except things that he knew his mommy and daddy wore daily like shoes and clothing thankfully. Everyone else's stuff, however, was completely up for grabs. And teaching him how to consistently go outside to go potty was a challenge all in itself. We would take him outside to go and five minutes later he would go inside after we let him back in too. It took months until he finally got the whole potty training thing down for good. All of those things, however, were just the beginning. We had no idea we had an escape artist on our hands as well. About four months after we brought him home we decided to move into Andrew's parents house for a little to save up some money to move later on. This led to bigger and badder problems with Zero constantly running away with his partner in crime, Andrew's parents' dog Bullitt. Not only would he run away, but he would come back with a plethora of different findings from out in the woods. From a white tail deer vertebrae, possum, hoof, squirrel, and once a leg. He treated them as trophy findings and would lay them at our feet when he would come up to us after an outing. As mad as we were we just felt as though we couldn't scold him for wanting to bring something back to us. The only scary thing we were up against was when we decided to move out on our own back in Hamburg where he could get hit by a car. As he got older, however, he stopped trying to run away so much, but if he ever did it would be for longer than just 15 to 30 minutes. Zero is a very stubborn pupper and when you would try to call him back into the house he just completely ignores you and acts as though you aren't there. And recently we have been letting him outside in our neighbors yard where he has discovered a way to escape through their gate. A week ago he got out of their yard and we didn't realize it until I tried to bring them both back inside after being outside for about a half hour. He was gone and we had no idea where to even start looking for him. It was raining and there was slushy snow everywhere. It was just a horrible night to actually lose Zero in our little town. After searching for two hours we decided to take a break and Andrew needed to go to bed. I waited at home for a little while before going back out and searching for him once again. After calling a friend, we decided to go out together and look and not even 10 minutes after leaving I get a call from Andrew telling me that Zero just waltzed up to our porch and was waiting to be let inside. Owning this dog has been an adventure and a half, but loving him has been the easiest part. He may get on both of our nerves but I wouldn't trade this pupper for any other dog in the world.
By Tiffany Youse8 years ago in Petlife
Simple Pleasures to Give to Your Kitty
There are many things in the world that make people happy, and for me it is cats. So I thought, why not try to make every cat as happy as they make me? Now there are so many different kinds of cats, and many have different personalities. Some do not cuddle, like my first cat, and some will follow you around “yelling” at you until you pick them up. But one thing that is true is every cat will purr. That is the sweetest noise a cat can give you. Your kitty is telling you that they are happy and content.
By Brynn Bast8 years ago in Petlife
More Hospitals Allowing Pet Visits for Patients
More than a dozen hospitals in the United States and Canada are now allowing patients to have visits from their pets. The programs not only brighten patients' spirits, but hospitals are reporting that the pet visits can have dramatic effects on patient's health, recovery and emotional well-being.
By Alicia Bayer8 years ago in Petlife
10 Healthiest Human Foods for Your Dog
Some of us love to share our food with our pets... well, sometimes. Sharing as in actually handing it to them and not getting your burger, and possibly you hand, snatched by your dog. They can be reckless at times, but we love them unconditionally because they're one of the main reasons in bringing joy to our lives. Except when they steal the food straight from our hands...
By Penny Newton8 years ago in Petlife
Korky
This right here is Korky. She's the most recent addition to the family. She doesn't like this at this very moment. She actually is way bigger than how she is in this picture. This was taken after a weekend at Las Vegas. I know what you're thinking, "buying a dog after spending hundreds of dollars in Las Vegas." We actually had some money saved for emergency or I guess impulse buys. "We" is my mom, my brother, and I. We decided on the dog because we had three other dogs; Mabel, Poochie, and Oddie. Mabel is a german shepherd, then poochie and oddie are shih tzus. We wanted to even out the family in a way, two big dogs and two small dogs.
By Nina Mesina8 years ago in Petlife
