Links
General
Denver Dumb Friends League – Solutions
The Dumb Friends League Solutions – Veterinary Hospital exists to prevent and alleviate suffering in pets whose caretakers would otherwise be unable to provide this care.
Ginger’s Legacy
The Cartwright Foundation serves the greater Denver/Front Range, Colorado area and helps responsible pet owners with financial assistance for unanticipated medical or surgical costs for their pet(s) when it has been determined that without this assistance, the pet’s life or well-being is in jeopardy. (From their website)
Dumb Friends League
Local shelter and outreach center that also provides counseling and veterinary services.
ASPCA Animal Poison Control
Call them if your animal has eaten something toxic (there is a fee). Many potential toxins (including plants, foods, medications, etc.) can be investigated on their website as well.
Fear Free Happy Homes
A new release from the amazing Fear Free group – information on a variety of topics from behavior and training to health and nutrition.
Center for Pet Safety
A non-profit research group that reviews products for safety including doggie seat belts.
Dogs
The Muzzle Up! Project
Muzzles can be used well or they can be used poorly – this amazing resource teaches how to do it right.
Dr. Yin’s Top 10 Dog Training Tips
Just a taste of her brilliance, her website has many other training tools.
Cats
Catalyst Council
Excellent videos with advice for acclimating cats to carriers to reduce vet visit stress and other happy-cat tools.
Cat Care Society
Local cat shelter with tons of great information on their website.
Birds
Good Bird Inc.
Information about parrot behavior and training through positive reinforcement.
Parrot Enrichment
Great information about foraging behavior in birds, many enrichment ideas.
Understanding Parrots
Another great resource for training and check out her Facebook page too – it’s amazing what she can accomplish!
The Gabriel Foundation
The Gabriel Foundation® is a 501(c)(3) avicultural and veterinary affiliated parrot welfare organization licensed by the state of Colorado, promoting educational outreach, conservation, rescue, rehabilitation, adoption, and sanctuary pertaining to the needs of parrots everywhere. (From their website)
Reptiles
Melissa Kaplan’s Herp Care Collection
Not the most frequently-updated page but a tried and true reptile care resource.
Tricia’s Reptile and Amphibian Care Page
Care sheets for many species.
Colorado Reptile Humane Society
Reptile adoptions and education. Great information about minimum habitat requirements and husbandry.
Small Mammals
Ferret Dreams
Amazing ferret rescue and advocacy group. The Mile High Ferret Club newsletter can be found here.
Colorado House Rabbit Society
Great resource for rabbit care information, adoptions, and more.
Books We Like
Perfect Puppy in 7 Days
Sophia Yin, DVM, MS was an amazing behaviorist – this book has training gems for new and experienced puppy parents. Also available as a Kindle book for easy phone-app reading. With 400 photos and a step-by-step plan, this puppy book visually guides you through socialization, potty training, and life skills while making the process fun.
Cooperative Care: Seven Steps to Stress-Free Husbandry
Seven Steps to Stress-Free Husbandry. Having trouble trimming your dog’s nails or bathing him? Is your dog stressed in the vet’s office? Wondering how to make the process of grooming and veterinary care more comfortable both for you and your dog? Then this is the book for you! Cooperative Care will cover seven main areas to help prepare your dog for all the necessary physical procedures that will keep him healthy and happy. The methods in this book are based on positive reinforcement and allowing our pets the opportunity to choose to opt in and participate in our conditioning sessions. When we take the time to carefully observe our dog’s behavior, read their stress signals, and respect their communication with us, it’s just amazing how quickly we can replace suspicion with trust. Our goal is to empower our dogs and help them gain confidence in the husbandry process. Spending time preparing your dog for typical husbandry procedures is one of the best gifts you can give him!
From Fearful to Fear Free: A Positive Program to Free Your Dog from Anxiety, Fears, and Phobias
The three veterinary coauthors and one highly respected pet trainer have a combined 88 years of experience in the trenches of veterinary medicine, with specialties in behavior and training. By using their cutting-edge techniques, you’ll have pets that are happier, healthier and live a longer, fuller life (from the publisher)