Dogs - Central NJ - Loving Home Dog Boarding

04/24/2024

The importance of dog socialization. Good read.

A popular buzzword in dog training is pet socialization. Socialization is the specific act of exposing an animal to novel situations in a slow and precise fashion focusing on keeping interactions short, positive, and fear free.

04/23/2024

Spring is here! Rusty says "hello!" Looking for dog boarding for your Spring Break trips? Reach out to us! Small group boarding in a private home with lots of love and a big, fenced backyard. $40 per calendar day (nights are included free). For well-behaved small and medium sized dogs. Somerset.

03/26/2024

Very emotional post.

WRITTEN BY A VET:
“I have been writing this post in my head for nearly 3 years and until today I've never been brave enough to post it. But recently some people doing similar work and facing much the same reality have used social media to speak up about a topic that for so long has not been discussed. Their bravery has given me the courage to finally share my thoughts and experiences about something that I’ve needed to for so long.

Today I euthanized 5 dogs. This is not an uncommon task for a vet to perform and getting into the profession you are well aware of the fact that this is something you will have to do in your chosen career. However, the dogs I put down today were not sick, they were not injured, they were not old and they were not unhealthy in any way. They were not untamed and they were not aggressive. They were perfect, healthy and normal dogs. There was no reason for them to lose their lives today other than that they were failed by humans because of the current overpopulation crisis of domestic animals particularly dogs that so few people are prepared to accept and try to understand.

The euthanasia of healthy animals by animal welfare organisations and shelters across the world is something that we need to start talking about but it is not an easy topic for someone who is in this line of work to discuss. One, because how can you possibly put into words something that is so deeply personal and difficult to come to terms with in your own mind and two, how can you risk the possibility of losing such important funding that keeps welfare organisations and shelters alive by drawing attention to something that the public at large simply know very little about and so few people understand.

The dogs that I put down today were so excited to see me. How lucky they were to have someone in their kennel giving them attention and maybe just maybe they'd even be so lucky as to be taken out for a walk - their tails were wagging and everyone was jumping for joy. One of them was nervous and scared of me. This was a dog that had likely never had much in the way of attention or love from a human being. I have tried everything possible to make the task easier for myself and for those who assist me. I have tried doing it in their kennels, I’ve tried doing it on the grass outside so that the dogs can walk for a bit to experience one last bit of freedom and fresh air. I’ve fed them last meals, I’ve done it in the clinic and nothing makes it easier. The only thing that makes it bearable for me is to sedate them first so that they are sleeping when their lives end and not wagging their tails looking at me – I know this is a luxury that many other people doing this work do not have access to.

Today I chose to put them down in their kennels after I’d sedated them. Letting them leave on a bed and blanket that they have used for comfort for the past few weeks or sometimes even months. I take care to make sure that no other dog or animal is a witness but still the others around them must know. Usually the dogs bark endlessly at any small movement or sound but there is nothing more deafening than the silence of nearly one hundred dogs while ending the life of one of their neighbours or friends. They must know and I so often wonder if they are thinking if they are next or when their time will come.

In their final moments I tell each of them that I am sorry and for those who leave behind friends, puppies or siblings I promise them that I will take care of them and do my very best to find them homes or see that they are cared for properly. These are trivial words compared to what I should be saying to them but it’s hard to give them the apology they so deserve in the short time it takes for the life to leave their little bodies. What I should be saying to them is that I’m sorry you never got the opportunity to experience what it’s like to sleep on a couch and I’m sorry that those who did get to sleep on a couch once have ended up being unwanted and failed by the humans who took them into their homes in the first place. I’m so sorry that they were born into a world that didn’t have space for them and so many others. I’m sorry that they weren’t pretty enough or the right breed to be one of the chosen ones and I’m sorry that for months or for some of them nearly a year countless people walked past their cage and decided not to choose them or to leave and rather choose to buy a puppy somewhere else instead.

I have tried my best to cope with it as I know many others do too - by doing what I believe is everything humanly possible to find unwanted dogs and cats homes. I spend hours of my time holding them while they pose for photos, writing posts for Facebook, advertising them and putting their stories and personalities into words as best I can all in the hopes of someone deciding to choose them. I talk to people and encourage them to adopt but this does not always work. I have spayed until 10pm at night before because if I can just do one more spay it might help. Like so many others in this line of work, I have done hours of work behind the scenes and out of the public eye for no benefit other than hopefully having to euthanize one less healthy animal. I have done my fair share of adopting too having adopted 8 dogs and regularly contemplate whether I could take on another one or two despite my home already being near overrun.

But it is still not enough and the burden of this crisis and war that we are fighting against over population is not to be borne by only a small group of people across the world who are prepared to sacrifice so much because they are not ignorant to the reality of what is going on around them. It is something that everyone who has ever loved an animal has to accept as their fight too. Which is one of the reasons I am writing this post and have been trying to write it for so long.

Everyone has a way in which they can contribute to this fight and many are simple.
- Volunteer - spend time at a local animal shelter or organisation so you have a better understanding of what is happening out there. The animals in shelters love attention and walks even if it is only to make their time there more comfortable until it must come to an end.
- Donate if you can and especially towards sterilisation programs. We must stop these animals at their source – the more puppies and kittens we can prevent, the fewer healthy dogs need to be put down.
- Adopt if you are in a position to get a new pet. There is no reason to go out and buy a dog or cat when there are such perfect ones looking for homes. If everyone who could did choose to adopt, the world would be a much better place for it.

Thank you to those who continue to support me and my work especially through donations towards my sterilisation programs. Every donation that helps me do a spay gives me the strength to face another day and I have a lot of hope that we can change the world one spay at a time. I only wish to create more awareness about the crisis we are facing and I hope that those working in this line of work feel that my words here have done this important topic justice.

I do hope that in my lifetime I could live in a world where no healthy animal is euthanized due to lack of space, lack of homes or lack of resources available. I’m not sure if I will ever get to see that be a reality but I think we all know by now that I will never give up trying! “

📷 : Photo by Kate Jackson-Moss

The dog featured here was a dog I euthanased last year. I was very fond of him but sadly had to let him go. I still think of him often and wish things were different for him and so many others.

03/15/2024

03/14/2024

03/13/2024

Retractable leashes are not only difficult to control, but they can also be dangerous to you and your pet—even for well-trained dogs on their best behavior. Below are some of the dangers of these popular leashes:
The jerking stop of the leash can cause injuries to the pet. Once the leash has run out of cord, or the human hits the stop button on the handle, it results in a sudden jerk that can cause neck wounds, lacerations to the trachea, and injuries to the spine.

The cord can cut, burn, or even amputate the walker. If the human gets tangled in the cord or grabs it while it is retracting or reeling out, serious injuries can occur.

Retractable leashes don’t offer enough control. If your pup is 15 to 20 feet away from you and an unfriendly dog approaches, it’s extremely difficult to pull them back to safety. In the few seconds it takes to reel in your pup, both dogs could be facing serious injury if a quick-moving fight occurs. Dogs can also easily dart into traffic or eat something toxic while walking far ahead.

The leash handle is bulky. This allows the handle to easily be pulled out of the human’s hand easily. It can cause injury to the pet if it hits them, and the loud sound could alarm them, causing them to run away.

Cords can easily break, tear, or fray. If the pet on the other end is powerful and takes off running full speed, the cord can snap. This may injure the human walking them as the cord comes snapping back toward their body and face. Also, the constant retracting of the cord can cause it to rub on the handle, creating frays that can eventually tear with little force or tension.

The leashes can be a tripping hazard. The cord can easily get tangled around the human’s feet, and it can pile up if your pet suddenly stops while the cord is completely extended.

Retractable leashes can encourage bad walking habits in your dog. These leashes can teach dogs to keep their distance from their human on walks. And, because the retractable leash never slackens, it encourages them to pull.

03/08/2024

For Adoption!

Coming soon in PA! - Meet Poet and Teller!!! These two adorable Blue Merle 3-month-old little boys are both minis on their paperwork, but Poet is twice Teller's size - 13.5 # and 7.5 #(they aren't from the same litter). Teller is a bundle of energy but loves to snuggle and asks to be picked up. He is so cute it is actually unbearable. Poet is more pensive, but we think he is going to be a great agility dog and he loves to fetch - he is crazy about the flirt pole. They are being fostered in Perkasie, Pennsylvania. They are both soft clouds of fur looking for their forever families!
https://www.australianshepherdsfurever.org/adoption-application

03/01/2024

02/25/2024

Look at this beautiful big goldendoodle who's still a puppy. Up for adoption.

01/11/2024

12/17/2023

Happy Holidays from Dogs - Central NJ - Loving Home Dog Boarding

12/16/2023

Love them.

12/15/2023

January - Happy New Year Special!! Book any boarding stay of 7 or more days in January, and receive ONE DAY FREE. For well-behaved adult dogs up to 45 pounds. Somerset, NJ. Fully-fenced big backyard, home all day to be with your best friend. 12 years experience in boarding, 50+ years in dog ownership. Call or text (732) 239-4534

12/15/2023

Happy Holidays to all our New Jersey friends, customers, doggies!

12/10/2023

Openings for boarding and daycare in January!

11/16/2023

FOSTER NEEDED! Up for adoption. Purebred red-tri Australian Shepherd, 26 lbs, just turned age One. Neutered next week. High energy, friendly, happy boy who needs a backyard to RUN. Not yet leash trained. Not crate trained. "Bear" needs basic obedience training, like all dogs. This little guy gets along great with other dogs. NOT recommended for children under age 10, as his high-energy could knock them down. House-trained to "go" outside. He is in Kearny, NJ. Can you help? Do you have a fenced in medium to large backyard to give "Bear" lots of exercise? Are you willing to take him to training class? Do you love the breed? Aussies are quite smart, so training is a must to stimulate their brains. Don't let them get bored! Please contact the rescue. KATHY = 201-463-3009

11/16/2023

10/25/2023

WOW 31 years old? I'm sure his family loved him so very much.

"Despite outliving every dog in history, his 11,478 days on earth would never be enough, for those who loved him."

10/24/2023

https://www.facebook.com/reel/359474813191608