Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Petlife.
How I Ride Horses for Free
I have always loved riding horses. The physical act of riding a horse is hard work, but so is taking care of one—feeding, grooming, stall cleaning, watering, sweeping, and more. As a broke post-graduate professional, I didn’t want to give up my love of horses, so I learned to work for free. Instead of leasing a horse and only being responsible for that animal, I spend countless hours at the barn taking care of horses—and other farm animals—that aren’t mine. I volunteer at a local animal rescue with horses, and while I am not paid for my time, I am compensated with free riding lessons and hack time. While most of my hours at the barn are not spent riding, the extra time and effort are well worth it for being able to spend time in the saddle.
By Laura Fitzgerald7 years ago in Petlife
'So, You Own an Ex-Racehorse?'
When owning an ex-racehorse, you put up with a lot—and it's not all to do with the horse. A lot of the time, it comes from people that cannot understand why anyone would decide to buy an ex-racer and retrain it for other disciplines such as dressage, showjumping or even as a happy hacker. Although, they never say this outright, it can be heard in the subtext of the questions they ask you.
By Rebecca White7 years ago in Petlife
10 Famous Movie Pets Everyone Loved. Top Story - September 2018.
When I was little, the only movie I wanted to watch was Homeward Bound. With few exceptions, you could only get me to watch anything else by replacing the beloved Shadow, Sassy, and Chance with other famous movie pets. As long as there was a dog on the screen, I was happy.
By Nicola P. Young7 years ago in Petlife
Patience
I didn't know you could be depressed as a 9-year-old. I lost my grandmother when I was six, and she was the only person keeping our family together. Without her, the seams came undone. Everyone shut down, became bitter, became hateful. It also didn't help that my 4th grade teacher told me I would never amount to anything. How can you tell a 9-year-old girl, who's just not the best at math, that she'll never amount to anything?
By Courtney Ferguson7 years ago in Petlife
My Boy Buddy
I met Buddy when I was doing social work for a school for autistic students. I was doing field work with our nurse for a student who required a clinical visit. As we began to enter the hospital we saw an emaciated Yellow Lab mix dog at the entrance. My heart broke for him but I had to go inside to do work. The nurse, who was also an animal lover and I took turns running out to see if he was still there which he was for the duration of our work at the hospital. I decided I was going to adopt him but here was the thing: he thought we were a two for one model and would not go with just one of us it had to be with both! Fortunately, we were both able to coax him into her car to take him home. My daughter had just gotten home from school and was thrilled that I had brought a dog home but he needed care. He needed to see a vet and be checked out. He had mange and he was starving but getting him to the vet was a challenge because he was terrified of crossing the streets. I had to carry him across every street on the long walk to the vet's office.
By Florence Mattersdorfer7 years ago in Petlife
The Little Kitten That Could (Part 3)
In my many years of having a cat in my family home, you'd think I would be used to the idea that cats by nature will get out and explore. It's in their nature. No matter how hard we try to keep our little fur babies indoors, they do eventually get out and if it is the first time, it is quite possibly the scariest.
By Abstract Ammy 7 years ago in Petlife
Why You Should Take Up Birding
Perhaps you've seen them down at the park, at a nature reserve, or at a lake. People peering up into the trees with binoculars, or finding an ordinary-looking bush very fascinating for some reason. Maybe they're on the shoreline of a reservoir, gawking through what appears to be a small telescope. Before you assume that they're all creepy peeping toms, ask one of them what they're doing. You should do this, first of all, so you can rest assured that they are actually looking at birds. Second, birders are often giddy to share with passersby what they're looking at. Such is the joy of natural discovery.
By Holden Green7 years ago in Petlife
Dog Sleeping Positions & What They Mean
Dogs are interesting and adorable creatures. If you live with one or more dogs, you are provided with ample opportunities not only to admire your pup, but to ask yourself why your dog does what it does, studying their behavioral patterns over time. When discovering your dog's personality, one common curiosity is the many unusual sleeping positions dogs seem to use and what, if anything, can be surmised about your dog's behavior or personality based on their choice of sleeping position. While it can be hard to know for sure, there are a few conjectures we can make based on some of the most common sleeping positions dogs use. Here are some of the more interesting dog sleeping positions and behaviors, and what they might be able to tell you about your dog's personality.
By Joseph D. N. Kendrick7 years ago in Petlife
