Disaster Preparedness For Your Pets

Each type of disaster requires different measures to keep your pets safe. The best thing you can do for yourself and your pets is to be prepared. Here are some tips for the ASPCA to help you prepare for an evacuation with your family and pets.

Step 1: Get a Rescue Alert Sticker

This easy-to-use sticker will let people know that pets are inside your home. Make sure it is visible to rescue workers, and that it includes 1) the types and number of pets in your household; 2) the name of your veterinarian; and 3) your veterinarian’s phone number. If you must evacuate with your pets, and if time allows, write “EVACUATED” across the stickers.

To get a free emergency pet alert sticker for your home, please fill out our online order form; please allow 6-8 weeks for delivery. Your local pet supply store may also sell similar stickers.

Step 2: Arrange a Safe Haven

Arrange a safe haven for your pets in the event of evacuation. DO NOT LEAVE YOUR PETS BEHIND. Remember, if it isn’t safe for you, it isn’t safe for your pets. They may become trapped or escape and be exposed to numerous life-threatening hazards. Note that not all Red Cross disaster shelters accept pets, so it is imperative that you have determined where you will bring your pets ahead of time

Step 3: Emergency Supplies and Traveling Kits

Keep an Evac-Pack and supplies handy for your pets. Make sure that everyone in the family knows where it is. This kit should be clearly labeled and easy to carry. Items to consider keeping in or near your pack include:

• Pet first-aid kit and guide book – ask your vet what to include
• 3-7 days’ worth of canned (pop-top) or dry food (be sure to rotate every two months)
• Disposable litter trays (aluminum roasting pans are perfect)
• Litter or paper toweling
• Liquid dish soap and disinfectant
• Disposable garbage bags for clean-up
• Pet feeding dishes
• Extra collar or harness as well as an extra leash
• Photocopies of medical records and a waterproof container with a two-week supply of any medicine your pet requires (Remember, food and medications need to be rotated out of your emergency kit—otherwise they may go bad or become useless.)
• Bottled water, at least 7 days’ worth for each person and pet (store in a cool, dry place and replace every two months)
• A traveling bag, crate or sturdy carrier, ideally one for each pet
• Flashlight
• Blanket (for scooping up a fearful pet)
• Recent photos of your pets (in case you are separated and need to make “Lost” posters)
• Especially for cats: Pillowcase or EvackSack, toys, scoopable litter
• Especially for dogs: Extra leash, toys and chew toys, a week’s worth of cage liner.

Step 4: Choose “Designated Caregivers”

This step will take considerable time and thought. When choosing a temporary caregiver, consider someone who lives close to your residence. He or she should be someone who is generally home during the day while you are at work or has easy access to your home. A set of keys should be given to this trusted individual. This may work well with neighbors who have pets of their own—you may even swap responsibilities, depending upon who has accessibility.

Step 5: Evacuation Preparation

If you must evacuate your home in a crisis, plan for the worst-case scenario. If you think you may be gone for only a day, assume that you may not be allowed to return for several weeks. When recommendations for evacuation have been announced, follow the instructions of local and state officials.

Click here to read the entire article on Disaster Preparedness.

How To Remove Marijuana and Smoke Odors

Need a simple and inexpensive answer to your marijuana odors?

The truth is that marijuana odors permeates into our furniture, carpets, walls, windows, and just about every other nook and cranny in our homes, making it particularly difficult to eliminate. Earth Care’s Clear The Air Odor Eliminators will pull the odors out of carpets, drapes, furniture, clothing, and bedding without coming into contact them. It works just as well in your car, pulling the odors from the carpet and upholstery.

Directions to Eliminate Marijuana Odors

• Hang 2 Earth Care Odor Eliminator Bags in each room that has an odor. One bag will cover 50-100 square feet. Odor will be eliminated in 24 hours.
• Bag will last 1-2 months, if room is heavily permeated with odor the bag may need to be changed more often at first.
• If odors are particularly strong sprinkle Clear The Air Odor Eliminator for Carpet and Furniture granules on carpets and furniture. Leave down 24 hours and vacuum. Odors will be completely eliminated.
• One canister of Clear The Air Odor Eliminator for Carpet and Furniture covers 50-100 square feet; one bucket covers 900 square feet.
• Granules can also be placed in ashtrays and cigarette butt receptacles.

How To Eliminate Odors From Your Boat

Does your boat have an unpleasant odor?

Boats typically are filled with powerful odors such as bilge odors, mold and mildew odors, fuel odors, head and holding tank odors, galley odors, smoke odors and pet odors. Earth Care will eliminate all these odors.

Here’s how to Eliminate Odors From Your Boat or Yacht

• Hang one bag in each bilge compartment, the head, the galley, the forward cabin and aft cabins or where odors are strongest.
• Some air circulation such as an open hatch is needed. Do not put bag directly in standing water or direct sun.
• The bags will continue to eliminate new odors for up to 3 months. Each bag will cover approximately 100 square feet.
• Sprinkle all 3 cans of  Clear The Air Odor Eliminator for Carpets and Furniture on all upholstery and carpet. Leave down 24 hours and vacuum or sweep up.
• All odors are typically eliminated in 24 hours.

Have questions about how to use our product? Contact our customer service department to answer all your odor issue questions!

All About Partnerships With Industry

Here’s what Partnerships With Industry (PWI) is all about.

PWI was established in 1985, to provide supported employment opportunities to adults with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities living in San Diego County. Since that time, PWI has opened three additional offices, strategically placed to serve the entire county, and has helped 11,000 individuals find employment and thrive in a work environment.

It is PWI’s mission to successfully create win-win partnerships between San Diego County businesses and adults with disabilities who want to work. PWI clients have a wide range of intellectual, developmental, and/or other disabilities; however, at PWI, we like to focus on their many ABILITIES rather than disabilities.

In addition to our more than 234 local business partners, PWI has also recently expanded the opportunities it provides by opening a Document Destruction Center. The Document Destruction Center is a separate business, operated by PWI clients. Clients collect, sort, and bale paper materials for recycling.

PWI is dedicated to providing the highest quality employment opportunities, and the highest quality of job training and support to those it serves so they can find meaningful and lasting employment, and move toward maximum independence.

How To Safely Travel With Your Pet

Traveling with a pet involves more than just loading the animal in the back seat and motoring off. The ASPCA offers the following tips to help you prepare for a safe and smooth car trip:

• Keep your pets safe and secure in a well-ventilated crate or carrier. There are a variety of wire mesh, hard plastic and soft-sided carriers available. Whatever you choose, make sure it’s large enough for your pet to stand, sit, lie down and turn around in. And P.S., it’s smart to get your pet used to the carrier in the comfort of your home before your trip.
  
• Get your pet geared up for a long trip by taking him on a series of short drives first, gradually lengthening time spent in the car. And please be sure to always secure the crate so it won’t slide or shift in the event of a quick stop.
  
• Your pet’s travel-feeding schedule should start with a light meal three to four hours prior to departure. Don’t feed your furry friend in a moving vehicle—even if it is a long drive.
  
• Never leave your animal alone in a parked vehicle. On a hot day, even with the windows open, a parked automobile can become a furnace in no time, and heatstroke can develop. In cold weather, a car can act as a refrigerator, holding in the cold and causing the animal to freeze to death.
  
• What in your pet’s traveling kit? In addition to travel papers, food, bowl, leash, a waste scoop, plastic bags, grooming supplies, medication and a pet first-aid kit, pack a favorite toy or pillow to give your pet a sense of familiarity.
  
• Make sure your pet has a microchip for identification and wears a collar with a tag imprinted with your home address, as well as a temporary travel tag with your cell phone, destination phone number and any other relevant contact information. Canines should wear flat (never choke!) collars, please.
  
• Don’t allow your pet to ride with his head outside the window. He could be injured by flying objects. And please keep him in the back seat in his crate or with a harness attached to a seat buckle.
  
• Traveling across state lines? Bring along your pet’s rabies vaccination record, as some states requires this proof at certain interstate crossings. While this generally isn’t a problem, it’s always smart to be on the safe side.
  
• When it comes to H2O, we say BYO. Opt for bottled water or tap water stored in plastic jugs. Drinking water from an area he’s not used to could result in tummy upset for your pet.
  
• If you travel frequently with your pet, you may want to invest in rubberized floor liners and waterproof seat covers, available at auto product retailers.

Should You Let Your Dog Eat Bugs?

A Dog-Eat-Bug Life: Is it Safe for Dogs to Eat Bugs?

Your dog eats the food you provide and loves the treats you bestow. Sometimes, even the grass looks too inviting to pass up! But you’ve noticed that your dog also eats bugs, and you worry if that’s safe. If you see your dog chewing on something that you didn’t provide, the first rule of thumb is to try to stop it. Dogs have been known to eat just about anything, including rocks, grass, foreign objects and animal feces. Some things are harmless, while others can be devastating if ingested. Here are a few of the insects most commonly snacked on by dogs:

1. Flies and moths

If your dog is entertained by chasing flies or catching moths, there’s no need for concern. Some dogs will eat flies all day long. Although anything in excess isn’t good, including a dog’s consumption of flies or moths, the occasional winged snack will not be harmful to his or her health.

2. Crickets

Maybe it’s because they’re crunchy or just fun because they jump, but for whatever reason, dogs love to eat crickets. Crickets happen to be high in protein, so if ingested by your dog, there’s no need to worry. There are, however, exceptions to every rule. If the cricket happened to be infected, or if that cricket had been poisoned, it may cause an upset stomach. If your dog shows signs of repeated vomiting or fatigue, call your veterinarian.

3. Grasshoppers

Grasshoppers are related to crickets, and eating a few probably won’t hurt your dog. The difference between crickets and grasshoppers, however, is that some grasshoppers can carry potentially harmful parasites. If your dog eats a grasshopper and becomes infested, it could be very serious. If left untreated, the ingested parasite could lead to blockage in your dog’s intestines and even result in death. It can be difficult to tell if your dog has parasites without blood tests, however there are some signs that your dog needs to see a vet right away. Watch for diarrhea, sudden weight loss, or signs of maggots around the anus. Of course, call your vet immediately if you see any of these signs.

4. Bed bugs

Perhaps because they are so small, dogs rarely try to eat bed bugs. If your pet does eat one or two, he should be fine. You have bigger problems than Fido snacking on them, however; if you think you have bed bugs, call a professional exterminator. It’s next to impossible to get rid of them by yourself.

Bug-proof your home

Make an attempt to keep your home and the area where your dog lives bug-free. Store dry food in air-tight containers and keep food bags off the ground.

Make a habit of purchasing smaller amounts of dog food at a time rather than buying in bulk and leaving extra bags out where they could become contaminated. Even if it is sealed, the longer you leave food out, the higher the chance it may get pests. To avoid immediate problems, keep leftover food off the floor and off the counters. Prevention is the key to keeping pests at bay.

Dogs Or Cats?

Are you a dog person or a cat person?

Clear The Air came across Dr. Mercola’s article about the differences between dogs and cats and we would like to share it with our readers:

• Dogs can be trained quickly, some in a matter of minutes, to obey basic commands like ‘come’ and ‘sit.’
• Most cats are difficult if not impossible to train to respond to directives.
• Cats can be house-trained in an instant as long as they have access to a litter box. There’s really no training to it, in fact. It’s instinct.
• Most dogs take considerably longer to housebreak, and some just never get all the way there. Unlike with Fluffy, housebreaking a pup is usually a hands-on, time intensive project.
• Dogs are social beings. They want to be with their pack, wherever their pack may be.
• Cats are solitary by comparison and their primary attachment (when forced to choose) is to their territory rather than other two or four-legged animals.
• Dogs have 42 teeth.
• Cats have 30.
• Cats can jump and climb, giving them more options when they need to hunt for food, or when they feel threatened.
• Dogs are earthbound, so they need their pack to hunt effectively. And when a threat triggers their fight-or-flight response, they are more likely to react with aggression because their ability to flee from a predator is limited.
• Dogs are scavenging carnivores, which means although they are primarily meat-eaters, if necessary they can survive on plant material alone (remember, surviving is different than thriving).
• Cats are obligate or strict carnivores. Kitties cannot sustain life without eating meat in some form.
• Dogs in the wild catch their prey by running it down. They are long distance runners, not sprinters.
• Cats creep up on their prey and catch it by surprise. They are sprinters, not distance runners.
• Cats cannot be fasted and should not be dieted down too quickly. Kitties don’t efficiently burn fat reserves as an energy source. Instead, without food, their bodies break down non-fatty tissues for energy. This can lead to a life-threatening liver condition called hepatic lipidosis.
• Dogs are much better at using their fat reserves and can tolerate a lack of food for much longer than cats.
• Cats have retractable claws that stay sharp because they are protected inside the toes.
• Dogs claws are always extended and become blunt from constant contact with the ground when they walk.
• A dog’s memory is only about five minutes long.
• Kitties can remember up to 16 hours.

Read entire article about dog and cat differences from Dr. Mercola here.

How To Eliminate Mattress Odor

Does your mattress smell funny?

Many things can happen, your child has an accident, your cat uses your mattress as a litter box or it just smells funky! Clear The Air eliminates foul mattress odor and can eliminate harmful odors you can breathe in when you sleep.

Here is how to eliminate odors from your mattress:

• Take all your bedding off your mattress, including your mattress cover. Wash all your bedding.
• Sprinkle Clear The Air Carpet/Furniture Odor Eliminator on your mattress where you smell the odor the strongest.
• Leave the product on your mattress for up to 24 hours.
• Vacuum product up from your mattress. Odor will be eliminated!
• If some odor still exists, apply a second application to your mattress.
• Return your clean bedding to your mattress and enjoy a peaceful, odorless night’s sleep!

Have questions about how to use our product? Contact our customer service department to answer all your odor issue questions!

Dogs In Hot Cars

Urgent Alert – A Note From The ASPCA on leaving pets in your car.

From the ASPCA – Please do not leave your pets in the car! Cars can heat up incredibly fast and are an extremely dangerous place for your pets!

As summer heats up, it’s tempting to bring your pet with you on car rides around town. Sadly, many people believe that cracking a window is enough to keep their dogs cool in the car while they make a quick pit stop—but they couldn’t be more wrong. When it’s 80 degrees outside, your car will be a staggering 114 degrees in less than 30 minutes.

Worse still, dog can’t cool themselves down as easily as people, and once they overheat, they can suffer extensive organ damage or die. That’s why leaving an animal alone in a car is more than just a bad idea, it’s a form of animal cruelty. And since the ASPCA can’t be everywhere at all times, we need YOU to be our eyes and ears on the ground.

To help save animals from dying in hot cars, take the following actions:

• Immediately call animal control or 911 if you see an animal trapped in a hot car. Local law officials have the ability to enter the vehicle and rescue the pet.
• Do not leave until help has arrived.
• Notify the managers of nearby businesses so they can make an urgent announcement.
• Sign our Hot Car Pledge to help save lives this summer and all year long.

We are working hard to spread awareness about the dangers of hot cars, but all too often, the difference between life and death comes down to the actions of individuals like you. We hope you will join our cause by keeping an eye out for dogs in distress, and by making a donation today. Together, we can prevent more tragedies and make this summer our safest season yet.

Read entire article about Dogs In Hot Cars from the ASPCA.

Close The Fridge, It Smells!!

If you open up your refrigerator and it smells, you need Clear The Air!

Imagine you have people over for dinner and every time you open the fridge, a foul odor creeps out. How embarrassing!

With Clear The Air’s Odor Eliminating Bag, you can will eliminate odors from your refrigerator once and for all! All you have to do is simply place the Odor Eliminator Bag in your refrigerator and foul odors will be eliminated. The Odor Eliminator Bags last up to 3 months.

If you want to keep your refrigerator clean and odor free, follow our helpful steps below:

1. Clean everything out of your refrigerator. All the items that must stay cold, you can put in a cooler with some ice temporarily. Make sure to throw away any spoiled food and wipe any bottles or canisters that have food leaking out of them.
2. Once you’ve taken everything out, turn off your refrigerator. Take out all your shelves and drawers and wash them in the sink to remove any spilled food particles. Wipe down the inside of your refrigerator with soap and water.
3. Now, place one to two of our Clear the Air Odor Eliminator Bags in your fridge towards the back or wherever they won’t get in the way. Turn the refrigerator back on.
4. Return the cold food items to the fridge and you are ready to enjoy your refrigerator odor free!