Boomer, Betsy and Buster had a great time yesterday at Paws ‘n’ Tails. The weather was fantastic and the water was waiting for some paws ‘n’ tails to fill it. It’s always enjoyable to have some time with my dogs at the pool.
Boomer glides through the water with his favorite ball.
Betsy, our little Greyhound, LOVES to swim!
Buster snags a ball.
Buster and Besty enjoying life.
This pup sure knows how to have fun! Socrates had ACL surgery and is doing great. He LOVES to swim and puts every ounce of effort into his sessions. I will miss him when he goes to New York, it is a blast swimming with him and seeing his progress!
After many tests and a number of very different opinions, Mike is working again. Thank you to everyone for your concern during the last few weeks. We will be running at full speed again shortly!
Lightning’s behavior is random and unpredictable. We recommend a very conservative attitude towards it. Preparedness and quick responses are the best defenses towards the lightning hazard.
Swimming pools are connected to a much larger surface area via underground water pipes, gas lines, electric and telephone wiring, etc. Lightning strikes to the ground anywhere on this metallic network may induce shocks elsewhere.
The National Lightning Safety Institute recommends the following swimming pool safety procedures:
- Designate a responsible person as the weather safety lookout. That person should keep an eye on the weather. Use a “weather radio” or the Weather Channel or other TV program to obtain good localized advanced weather information.
- When thunder and/or lightning are first noticed, use the Flash-To-Bang (F-B) method to determine its’ rough distance and speed. This technique measures the time from seeing lightning to hearing associated thunder. For each five seconds from F-B, lightning is one mile away. Thus, a F-B of 10 = 2 miles; 15 = 3 miles; 20 = 4 miles; etc. At a F-B count of thirty, the pool should be evacuated. People should be directed to safe shelter nearby.
- Pool activities should remain suspended until thirty minutes after the last thunder is heard. The distance from Strike A to Strike B to Strike C can be some 5-8 miles away. And it can strike much farther away. Why take a chance with lightning?
WE MAY CANCEL YOUR DOG(S) SWIM SESSION ON SHORT NOTICE IF THE WEATHER TURNS DANGEROUS AND UGLY! THIS IS FOR THE SAFETY OF YOUR DOG(S) AND OURSELVES.
EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY: PAWS ‘N’ TAILS IS NOW CLOSED ON SUNDAYS. INSTEAD WE WILL BE OPEN MONDAYS FROM 9 A.M. – 7 P.M.
Bailey has been swimming at Paws ‘n’ Tails for about a year now. We first met Bailey when she was 13 years old because she was weak in her hind end and had not been able to go for walks for months. Bailey, now 14 years old, would swim all day if we let her! This girl is happy and full of life when she is at the pool. Bailey has built muscle through swimming which helps her to continue to move about and enjoy life. Bailey is also featured on our web site. Bailey is a super dog with tons of personality.
Bailey “bobbing” for her ball!
Serendipity is a lovely Great Dane that is swimming to strengthen her knee after ACL surgery. Serendipity had never been swimming before coming to Paws ‘n’ Tails and, like most Danes, is finding being weightless a bit of a challenge. Mike and I swam with her yesterday and she is much more relaxed in the water now and will, I believe, shortly be swimming on her own. Typical of the giant breeds, she is still slapping the water with her front legs, but has made huge strides in the short time she has been using the pool. In the years I have been a canine hydrotherapist I have found that the bigger breeds really need to feel “grounded” and so, have a more difficult time adjusting to being weightless. Serendipity is more relaxed all around during her time at Paws ‘n’ Tails. We look forward to helping in her recovery. This is a very sweet (big) girl.
Having a shower with Mike.
We introduced you to Caydee a few months ago as a National Mill Dog rescue pup whose left hind leg was basically just a part of her body with not much function. Caydee had been a mill dog kept to breed until she no longer could and her leg was damaged at some point in time, most likely by a human, in the hell she lived in. I first saw Caydee on the National Mill Dog Rescue (NMDR) web site and read about her possibly having surgery to correct the problem. I called and asked Theresa at NMDR to not have the surgery done because I was sure we could help this girl. I went to NMDR to visit Caydee and assess if she was a candidate for canine hydrotherapy. Once I saw her I knew we could help. While I don’t see Caydee as the next olympic gold medalist, when she is in the pool she is working her heart out. Now, months later, through the dedication of her new family, Linda and Rick, and consistent hydrotherapy sessions, Caydee is walking, running, playing, jumping and enjoying life with her pack as she should. Caydee has come such a long way and has further to go but the progress she has made in this short time has been such a joy to watch. This girl is leaving the past behind and moving forward. Caydee’s determination, personality and heart make it all happen. As you can see in the top picture Caydee is balancing all of her weight on her right front and left hind (injured) leg. When I first saw her she couldn’t even put weight on the left hind foot. Go Caydee!
What a face!
Come visit us at this FREE, DOG FRIENDLY, pet expo on August 28, 2010. We will be giving away free swim sessions throughout the day. Come see what Colorado Springs has to offer your companion animal. See you there.