Climate Change’s Impact on Natural Disasters, Ecosystems, and Wildlife.
All around the world, the impacts of climate change are becoming more and more apparent, even here in the Pacific Northwest and the surrounding areas. The rising sea temperatures are essentially cooking some salmon in the Salish Sea before they can reproduce; high...
Behind the Breed: Bernese Mountain Dogs.
These large dogs are working dogs and built for hard work. But despite their size and strength, Bernese Mountain Dogs are sweet, affectionate, and gentle dogs. They're great family dogs because they love their people and love to be included in any activity! As Jackie...
So You Think You Want A Puppy.
Puppies are, at least in my opinion, the cutest heckin' things. They're tiny and often fluffy and still figuring out how to exist in the world, which can be quite cute on occasion. While there are many great things about puppies, they're a whole lot of work and can be...
Behind the Breed: Australian Australorp Chickens
If you're looking for a great backyard chicken, Australian Australorps are a great option! With black feathers that have a purple or green tint, these chickens can be raised for meat or eggs and can adapt well to a variety of climates. Standard Australorps usually...
Southern Resident Killer Whales.
Earlier this year, it was announced that a new Southern Resident killer whale had been born last December! Lucky, as it had been nicknamed, is a part of the L pod and a few months after it was born, another southern resident was born to the J pod. For a short time,...
Behind the Breed: Collies
Collies are, thanks to the television show Lassie, a fairly recognizable and popular dog breed in the United States. These dogs are large (ish) but graceful herders, which means they generally stand 22-26 inches tall, weigh 50-75 pounds, and are incredibly smart....
Separation Anxiety and Boredom in Dogs.
Rooster was an amazing and wonderful dog but one of the more difficult things about him was his separation anxiety. For the first few years, we couldn't even go to the mailbox without him wanting to come with us! One of the first times my parents left him alone for a...
Behind the Breed: Shetland Ponies.
In many parts of the world, horses have been an integral part of life for centuries. With the advent of cars, trains, and other forms of transportation, horses have become less of a fixture but still remain important to many. There are numerous horse breeds around the...
Becoming a Therapy Animal and Handler.
All around the northwest, there are animals of all kinds that work as therapy animals and bring joy to many folks. Some of the animals at Animals as Natural Therapy visit retirement homes and horses on the farm help at-risk youth and veterans connect in a different...
Behind the Breed: Corgis
From the So Cal Corgi Beach Day at the Huntington Dog Beach outside Los Angeles to Cheddar the Dog on Brooklyn 99 to Queen Elizabeth II's many corgis, this breed is beloved by many! Hailing from Wales, this breed's name means 'dwarf dog' or 'gathering dog' in Welsh...
Llamas and Alpacas.
I was incredibly lucky to have grown up next to a wonderful neighbor who had llamas for decades. And after college, I even got to care for a couple of them! Having llamas is a bit unusual but not terribly uncommon in the northwest, as they are not native to the area....
Clear The Shelters 2019
Today is Clear the Shelters 2019! For the last couple of years, NBC and Telemundo owned stations around the country have partnered with different animal rescue organizations and shelters to host a pet adoption drive on the third Saturday in August. One estimate...
Why Should You Adopt Senior Animals?
In the last few years, I've had to say goodbye to a number of senior animals. Shasta the llama was 17 years old; Tommy the cat was 18; Rooster was 14.5; Milo was 11. And those are sadly just a few of my senior furry friends that crossed the rainbow bridge. Taking care...
Behind the Breed: Chihuahuas.
Chihuahuas are a tiny breed with a large personality! This tiny toy breed is the national symbol of Mexico, as they're one of the oldest breeds in the Americas and have a lineage that goes back centuries. These dogs usually stand 5-9 inches tall and only weigh 2-6...
Grieving the Loss of a Pet.
Losing Rooster and Milo within a week of each other was difficult, to say the least. I wish I could say that their passings were a complete surprise but at 14.5 years old, Rooster was a super senior lab and we knew we were on borrowed time with him. Milo was only 11...
Two Years.
Two years ago, I started 'Animals of the Pacific Northwest' and so much as changed since then. I started this project because I realized that there's an amazing online community that loves animals the environment like I do and because folks were saying how much they...
Behind the Breed: Great Pyrenees Dogs
These large and fluffy dogs are well known for their goofy, smart, and calm personalities. While they might be strong and powerful working dogs, Great Pyrenees dogs are known for being loyal and wonderful companions nowadays. Many of these dogs stand at 25-32 inches...
Behind the Breed: Newfoundlands
Newfoundland dogs are a large, iconic breed with an incredibly sweet disposition. Despite their heavy and relatively huge stature, this breed actually has the reputation of a wonderful family companion and nanny dog for kids! In some of the official Peter Pan texts,...
Guerrilla Gardening: Seed Bombs.
For pollinators and other animals, flowers and plants are a vital part of life all around the world. There are many types of bees and bats that call the Northwest home and bee-friendly gardens can help bee populations survive! But with increasing development and urban...
Remembering Rooster and Milo.
In the last couple of weeks, we had to say goodbye to both Rooster and Milo. These two dogs were best friends, brothers in some way. Milo was the little brother who adored and annoyed Rooster but they loved hanging out together and taught each other some tricks (like...
Behind the Breed: Border Collies.
This medium sized breed is incredibly affectionate, smart, and popular! Border Collies are a part of the herding group, which combined with their intelligence and workaholic tendencies means they require plenty of attention, exercise/enrichment, and training! These...