I cannot agree more with the idea that the degree of evolution of a society can be measured by the way we treat children, elderly and the animals.
For more than 20 years, I have been a proud Vancouverite who loves the outdoors, healthy life style and my daily dog walks. As a veterinarian who works with dogs and their people on a daily basis, I can see the undeniable positive contribution of dogs to our health, wellbeing, our society, and our economy.
Dogs get us out for walks and help us to be active.
They help us connect with people on walks and prevent isolation.
They help us to be healthy and reduce our health care costs.
They allow us to experience unconditional love.
They keep us company and cheer us up when needed.
They remind us to be playful and enjoy life to its fullest.
They teach us to live in the present.
I could go on and on and create a list that would definitely not fit on one page. There have been numerous studies written about the health and emotional benefits of living with dogs. The question I want to explore here is, why dogs, dog bylaws and animal control have become such a huge issue in recent years?
Some people say that this is a response to a few incidences where dogs of careless or irresponsible dog owners injure people. However, punishing all dogs and dog owners for the issues of a few would not be any different than treating all people like criminals when one person causes a crime. This attitude has generated a fiery public debate that polarizes communities and creates a lot of media attention.
Changing the topic for a moment.
One of my favorite songs is Sarah McLaughlan’s “Ordinary Miracle” and the lyrics say:
“The sky knows when its time to snow
Don’t need to teach a seed to grow
It’s just another ordinary miracle today…”
I love the lyrics because they are a reminder that there is no need to over-regulate the natural balance and harmony of nature or of a healthy society. The Earth will continue spinning and the seasons will changee without our control and generally the unspoken rules and general courtesy in our society are much more powerful than excessive control and policing. In fact such excessive attempt to control others naturally creates rebellion, distrust and disillusion of the general public.
For example, I witnessed an alcohol raid on the beach of English Bay in Downtown Vancouver where the police squads virtually raided the bags of unsuspecting people enjoying a beautiful summer day. While I am not a drinker, the arrogant and rude behavior of some of these officers was a frightening reminder of my past years of living behind the Iron Curtain. It was a reminder that even in democratic society, some people apply for a job with police or in bylaw enforcement because they love the taste of power.
Don’t get me wrong, I do not support heavy drinking neither anarchy, I just suggest that our lawmakers and enforcement could learn a lesson or two from the European countries where drinking in parks is not a big deal and dogs are allowed in parks, restaurants and on transit without disturbing anyone. In my opinion, extreme over-policing generates oppression and anger and makes “drinking in public” more prevalent and serious. The forbidden fruit always tastes the best. But getting back to dogs…
Just the other day, I found a new sign at the Capilano Dam in North Vancouver that said: “No dogs allowed on the lawn.” First I was angry. I have been dog walking in the park and Skai loves to play here! When my anger fizzled out, I realized that this situation could be used us a springboard to an open discussion.
Based on the news in the media, the battle over the freedom of our canine friends has been increasing in intensity. From what I know, the people who demand more animal control and ban of our dogs from parks and beaches are doing so because they are afraid of dogs or do not like dog poop stuck to their shoes. These people have a tendency to make a blanket statement against all dogs as a result of a few incidents where aggressive dogs injured people.
As a veterinarian, I know that most dogs are loving and not aggressive. To me, restricting all dogs from parks is unreasonable and could be compared to us being treated like criminals when one person causes a crime.
In my opinion, the solution is not in “bylaw” officers sneaking up from the bushes and ticketing people for having fun and enjoying good life with their dogs. It reminds me of the fairytale of my childhood about a kingdom where people were punished for singing.
I understand that not everyone has a good connection with dogs and some people are afraid of them. However, because of the undeniable benefit of dogs on our health and in our society, we, dog lovers can’t tolerate the current situation where dogs owners are discriminated and treated as a second class citizens and the the anti-dog bylaws are getting out of control.
Here are a few ideas to open a discussion about how to solve the current situation
Every dog owner in Vancouver should register their dog without an exception which will be helpful to establish the most accurate dog count.
This ratio of families with and without dogs should reflect the ratio of beaches and parks where dogs are allowed.
Ideally each large beach or park should have a dog and no dog section to reduce the need to travel to distant locations.
Led by the example of other developed nations, dogs should be allowed on public transit with a comfortable muzzle with the exception of service dogs who would not need to be muzzled.
To reduce the risk of accidents and dog bites, it may be viable to create a system of dog registration where off leash privileges would be granted to dogs who graduted from already existing “canine good citizen” certification programs. The registration tag for certified dogs could be “green color” to recognize safe dogs easily.
I believe that most people would agree with fining people who mistreat dogs, train them for aggression, act irresponsibly or do not pick up their dogs poop.
Install poop bag vending machines or stands where part of the proceeds from the sales would go towards animal welfare and dog training. There are great “corn based” compostable bags on the market that are environmentally safe. As an alternative, poop bags posts could be serving “sponsored” by a local advertising business.
The point I want to make here is that while I respect a difference in opinions and do not expect everyone to like dogs, I strongly believe that dogs and their people do not deserve to be treated like second grade citizens. No one likes to be spied on, raided upon in parks or forced out in the gettos of small and second grade public parks and places.
Based on the statistics, 36% of Vancouver families live with dogs and this number should be equally represented in the number of beaches and parks that dogs are allowed in.We pay taxes, we love our dogs,most of us are responsible citizens and yes, Mr. or Ms. Politician, we have the power to vote out those, who do not respect our equality.
I have always known that dogs are smart but there is another characteristic that is deeply seeded in the canine soul – compassion.
I know no other animal than a dog to jump to the rescue of his friends so selflessly and without thinking twice if their life is in danger.
My dog Skai regularly jumps to my rescue when I am swimming despite the fact that he much prefers a pasture to the ocean. I have seen dogs grieving their best friends, I have seen them protecting or saving children and I have also heard of stories where a dog ran to get help when their friends were injured.
As I am thinking of all the different situations, I can’t help myself thinking that dogs are in fact the most evolved life form on this planet. They without a doubt are the masters in showing us what love and compassion really is as you can see from the videos bellow.
All I want to do today is to say one big thank you to those dogs and humans who care… and make the lives of others safer and better.
Vaccines are one of the most controversial topics out there. For years, we have been bombarded by propaganda that vaccines make our pets safer but do they?
When I was a veterinary student, I didn’t even question the possibility that vaccines could cause harm. I was taught that they are the cornerstone of health and must be given. However, as I went on to practice, I realized that vaccines are not that safe.
In the first few years of practice, I not only saw severe acute vaccine reactions, but also clear onset of a variety of health problems soon after vaccination. I also saw several cats with (more…)
I write my articles either on the basis of inspiration or a request. The later is definitely true for diabetes.
I will confess that diabetes is not my favorite topics, because I have seen it to be so challenging and time demanding for my clients to manage. Who wants to give insulin shots, be at home on time to give them and skip all the fun events, parties and trips? Who wants to go to the vet clinic for tests after test?
If you are expecting me to give you the magic bullet on how to treat diabetes without insulin, I may disappoint you. There may have been a few cases of diabetes remissions in cats and I have never seen this in dogs. The most frustrating part is that diabetes in animals and perhaps in people appears to be easily preventable.
In 14 years of feeding and recommending natural raw diet, I haven’t seen one single raw fed dog or cat with diabetes. This definitely suggests that the key in diabetes prevention is to stay away from processed food.
While I don’t have a scientific double blinded, triple blindsided study approved by a quadruple titled big honcho from a top medical institution, I may have humble explanation of how diabetes can be prevented. If you feel a hint of fire and pepper in my writing today, it is because I can’t believe that the conventional diet (more…)
Recently, I have had the pleasure to interview one of the Vancouver’s most talented healers, Ryan Carnahan on a very interesting topic of detox. Heavy metals are one of the most serious pollutant and disease causing factors out there. Learning how to detox naturally may ad months and years to your best friends life. I hope you will enjoy this interview.
With gratitude,
Dr. PD:
Hi Everyone, I have the pleasure to introduce you to Ryan Carnahan who has been very kind and agreed for me to interview him. He is a person who has a deep knowledge on the level of nutrition, supplements and energy healing and I would like you to hear a little about minerals and their (more…)
Recently I conducted a survey on the incidence of GDV in dogs. What I have learned is that dogs that are fed processed food are about five times as likely to suffer from a bloat than dogs that are fed raw or cooked food.
Most veterinary textbooks state that gastric dilation volvulus is a serious life threatening condition which is caused by general breed predilection, fermentation and gas formation in the stomach and is often caused by (more…)
Yes, you are reading correctly and most likely are as amused as I am, the world’s very first sex toy for dogs was designed and successfully launched in France, the country of love.
I swear that originally I had no intention to write a blog on dogs and their sexuality. My very pure intention was to reply to a few questions of my readers about spay, neuter and false pregnancy and then I did some research online discovered a dog toy of a very different kind.
We all have seen dogs expressing themselves freely in many different ways. Sometimes to our amusement and at other times are embarrassed when Fido decides to hump the leg of our mother in law or a dignified official visitor.
So today, I would like to start a very public discussion on dog sexuality, holistic approach to false pregnancies, spay and neuter procedures and yes, the world’s first sex doll for dogs.
False pregancy
When I was a child we used to have a dachshund named Gerda. In fact she was on top of the children’s hierarchy when it came to my father’s rating because she adored him and never talked back.
Spaying dogs was not as common back than and I remember Gerda wearing special pants that my dad called “the heat pants.” They not only prevented the carpet from being spotted with blood but also the heat vents prevented undesired pregnancies. They were kind of a canine version of the chastity belt. (more…)
A few weeks ago, my yoga buddies came to Maui to attend a yoga retreat. I wanted to show them around and decided to go to see a beautiful bamboo forrest nearby. As the our group was preparing to embark on the journey, one of the group, Cathleen, saw Skai on the back seat of my car and said: ” Oh, I forgot, I don’t love dogs. I better go in the other car.”
First, I was rather upset over her quite rude comment. Her ignorance and lack of tact amazed me. Then I started to feel sorry for her because I knew that she was missing out on one of the most amazing gifts that humans ever got. The miracle of dogs.
Just yesterday, I came across this amazing documentary and remembered Cathleen’s comments. I decided to send her the link and also write this blog.
This documentary shows that dogs are truly unique and they have evolved along side humans like no other (more…)
Eye discharges are one of the most common problems. Whenever I see my clients with concerns about their dogs or cats eyes, the first question I ask is what they’re concerned about the most. Most people reply that they’re concerned about infection and their worries make me realize that I need to write a blog to clarify some of these misconceptions.
First, I’m not planning to rediscover the universe here, neither am I eager to make things more complex because I do not need a PhD. What I would like to do today is to bring more clarity into what you may call conjunctivitis, eye discharges, redness or an eye infection.
The anatomy of an eye
Most of the problem conditions that are seen in daily practice relate to the conjunctiva, eyelids and cornea. Conjunctiva is, in fact, the layer of tissue on the inside of the eyelids that connects directly to the cornea, the clear layer covering the eye itself.
The inner structures of the eye are a little more complex. The sequence of the parts of the eye are as follows: cornea, anterior chamber (the space in front of the lens), the iris, the lens that is attached to the eye by a very sophisticated focusing system, called a irido-corneal muscle, then there is the posterior chamber filled with the clear translucent mass called vitreous body and beyond is the retina, the canvas of the eye that is connected to the optic nerve conducting the visual images to the brain’s visual center and the cortex.
The functions of the eye
Most people see the eye as an organ of vision but there is another important function – cleansing. In fact many openings of the body including the eye serve as cleansing and detoxification areas. If the body needs to get rid of impurities it does it really well through the eyes, ears, feces, urine, lungs and the saliva.
This cleansing process is usually manifested by increased local inflammation and redness that is often misperceived as an infection. In fact most of the cases that my clients consider an eye infection would in fact be cleansing reactions of the body and nothing to do with bacteria and infections.
This fact is often ignored and the most common conventional prescription for eye redness are, yes, you guessed right, antibiotics and steroids. It may also surprise you that for majority of cases this medication is unnecessary or even contraindicated. (more…)
One of my friends recently called me asking for help. Their dog wasn’t eating for three days, was vomiting and his tummy was sensitive and a little firmer than normal. As I was asking for more details to help the husband and wife they confessed that years back they lost another dog to pancreatitis and they feared the worst again.
It didn’t take me long to make a decision to write a blog on pancreatitis as I realize it’s one of the most commonly misunderstood conditions. Out of curiosity I decided to do a little survey on Facebook to see what your opinion was and it confirmed that after the topic of general puppy care, pancreatitis is the second most questioned topic.
From my point of view, pancreatitis in other words, the inflammation of the pancreas, is a result of multiple (more…)
I write my articles either on the basis of inspiration or a request. The later is definitely true for diabetes.
One of my friends recently called me asking for help. Their dog wasn’t eating for three days, was vomiting and his tummy was sensitive and a little firmer than normal. As I was asking for more details to help the husband and wife they confessed that years back they lost another dog to pancreatitis and they feared the worst again.