Sundays Happy Tail!

 

Sunday is the latest addition to the Embark HQ family! It was love at first sight for us when we first met her, and she is loving the constant hugs and kisses from an over enthusiastic team of pooch lovers,

Otara rescued Sunday from the streets of Bambalapitiya,on a Sunday, walking around with a collar and covered with a layer of dirt, wounds on her body and clearly not having enough to eat. She was taken in to the hospital for a quick inspection, and after some food in her belly and a nice warm bath, Sunday turned out to be quite the pretty lady! She needed some time at the hospital to get some minor treatments, and team Embark got in to action, trying to find her owners.

It was quite clear that she was an owned dog. She is very comfortable around people and has a delightful habit of shaking paws every time she meets someone new!

So we posted on facebook, on twitter and sent out emails trying to find her family, with no luck.

Then we tried to find her a home, but sadly, the adoption rate for adult dogs is quite low. She visited adoption day after adoption day, yet no one wanted to take her home.

So she stayed in the hospital for a little while longer, hoping against hope that she would find some love.

When Team Embark visited the hospital, we just couldn’t leave her alone anymore, so we sneaked her into the office for a temporary visit, until we found a home for her.

And the rest, is history.

We all fell in love with Sunday, and today she is a permanent Embark pooch, joining the ranks with Rani, Rusty and Browny and making a lot of pooch lovers happy as she shakes her paw!

10 things to know when you adopt a puppy!

Adopting a puppy is a life changing decision. Your family will have a new member, and you will be getting a new best friend. It’s the best decision you can ever make, but once you take home your paw-ever friend, there are a few important things to  keep in mind to ensure the good health and well being of your puppy.

1. De-Worming your pup

Worms are common among all animals, but if unattended to, worms can prove to be deadly.

If your puppy is less than 3 months old, he needs to be de wormed every 2 weeks. Once he reaches 3 months, he needs to be de-wormed every month, and once he reaches 6 months, he needs to be de-wormed every 3 months. The dosage depends on the weight of the puppy.

Always ask your vet about what worming treatment your puppy needs.

2. Vitamins 

Vitamins are good for growing puppies. It is also important to be very conscious about their nutrition. Ask your vet about what vitamins to give your pups.

3. Keep an eye out for ticks!

Ticks love to hide themselves inside the fur of your dog. Constantly check your pups paws and the edges of the ears for ticks. Ticks and fleas carry life threatening diseases that can prove fatal to your pup. Talk to your vet about how to keep your pet flea and tick-free.

4. Vaccinate

Puppies need to be vaccinated on time. Maintain a vaccination book and make sure to give them the crucial vaccines such as Rabies, PARVO and DHL.

5. Don’t forget their teeth

Oral hygiene is very important. Its a very good idea to train your puppy to get used to brushing teeth.However, refrain from using human tooth paste.

6. Skin issues 

Doggies are very susceptible to skin issues. At the onset of such issues where you see your pup shed skin, or suffer with a rash or scratch excessively, use kohomba oil as an initial treatment. If this does not show an improvement, visit your vet.

7. Brush your pup’s coat regularly. 

This will give your pup a sleek and shiny coat and will also help in avoiding ticks and fleas.

8. Bathing 

Only bathe your puppy after the age of 3 and a half months. Before that, you can clean your puppy with a sponge bath with warm water. After vaccinations, dont bathe your puppy for at least 5 days.

9. Monitor your puppy’s behavior.

If your puppy is not eating, seems lethargic or out of sorts, please visit your vet as soon as possible.

10. Be Patient. 

Your puppy is a little bundle of joy, who he will love to run around, chew on things and have little accidents. Give your puppy to time to be who he/she is, and to learn commands, and always be patient with him.

 

Most importantly, Always choose to adopt!

Keep your Dog safe!

Every day, Embark receives at least one call for help in finding a lost Dog. Having our own Rusty disappear from office(even though it is just down the road to see his new girl friend) on numerous occasions, we know how hard it is to lose your pet, and the nerve wracking, nail biting, heart breaking anxiety you feel until you find your fluffy friend.

There are many reasons as to why Dogs disappear. Sometimes their adventurous spirit gets the better of them, sometimes external factors such as fireworks scare them, and sometimes they are stolen by breeders. A new trend in Sri lanka!

These are some basic steps you can take to keep your dog safe.

Keep your gates locked

Awareness is key to keeping your flurry friend safe. Your dog needs to be free and not tied down, but make sure that the gates to your garden are always closed.

Neuter your Dog

One of the main reasons as to why Dogs are stolen is for breeding. Neutering your dog will keep him safe from people who steal Dogs for the purpose of breeding. In addition, It will make them less likely to roam, another way by which dogs get lost or stolen.

Use a dog collar with a tag that includes the owners details

The trend of using Dog collars haven’t actually caught on that much in Sri Lanka yet, but now is a good time as ever. It wont help if your Dog has been stolen, but if your dog is lost and found by a kind person, it makes it easier to identify and establish ownership. Better yet, have a small tag with your contact no and name on your pooches collar, that will make identification much easier.

Give your dog plenty of exercise and play time

Dogs are active, spirited animals, and most try to run away when they are bored and need an adventure. Walking your dog every day, and some play time that will help them spend their energy will keep your dog satisfied and from running off.

Train your dog to be comfortable with loud noises.

Generally, loud noises such as thunder and fireworks scare the Dogs. When it comes to seasons such as awurudu and the new year, or whenever we win a cricket match, fireworks are an unavoidable hazard. At times like this, keep your dogs safe place available to him – for example, if your dog runs under a chair or a bed when he is scared, keep the place available for him.

You can also use the following exercise to train your dog to be comfortable with loud noises.

Make a recording of the loud noises that generally scare your dog, like thunder, fireworks etc. Take an hour every day, and play this recording at your house, initially at a very low volume and gradually increasing it. Meanwhile, during this hour, play with your dog, pet him, give him treats and generally engage in activities that relaxes him. Keep continuing until your dog gets comfortable with the loud noises.

These are a few tips that can keep your dog safe, and make sure that he wont get lost.

Valentine’s at #Embark

The resident #Embark pooches are such drama queens. (and kings). Before I go on to tell you how valentines went down at the HQ, let me introduce you to Rani, Brownie and Rusty.

Rani considers herself the queen of embark. She likes to claim her throne at the HQ’s every morning, and by around 10 goes downstairs to guard the main door. She loves being petted, and everyone who visits embark HAS to pet her. No excuses.

Brownie is, well, literally a pudgy squishy brownie. She loves to curl up on her bed and sleep, and sleep and sleep. Occasionally she decides to engage on a tug of war with Rani for the best bed, but most of the time she is happy to loose and sleep – and it does not matter where.

Rusty is the Adonis of the HQ. He is the alpha male, and likes to prove that once in a while by barking really loud. He is also used for photo shoots  and knows just how to pose when we direct a camera at him

Rusty was two timing it all this time with Rani and Brownie, you might say that he is the Archie to Rani’s and Brownie’s Veronica and Betty. Since Rani and Brownie got along fine, this wasn’t too much of a problem, and they lived in peaceful harmony.

Note the past tense.

A few days before the dreaded 14th of February, Rusty fell – hard – for a neighboring lady dog. She struts along near the HQ and sun bathes on the pavement, and, according to Rani, is quite the she devil.

Valentine’s Day approached and Rusty had eyes for no lady but the new girl in town.

Things have been taking a down turn in office since then. Rusty’s bed has been sabotaged, and Brownie has been walking around with down cast eyes. Rani, being the queen she is, has taken over Rusty’s bed and refuses to share, making the poor boy sleep on the floor.

The three dogs are studiously ignoring each other, and we haven’t been able to drag Brownie away from her bed.

Everyone at HQ is hoping that this will pass, since Brownie seems quite heart broken and Rani is on the war path.

Hell hath no fury greater than a woman scorned they say.

A very selfish independence

In the year 1948, Sri Lanka gained independence from the British invaders. This meant that we were free – that we could proudly call ourselves Sri Lankans and that we were not ruled by another nation but our own. It meant that we finally had the freedom of choice, to choose our leaders and our laws.

We celebrate this independence every year, with so much pomp and gaiety. We celebrate and revel in the glory of being a free and independent nation.

But is ‘Sri Lanka’ independent? Or is it just the humans in Sri Lanka who are independent?

Every day Embark receives numerous calls about dogs who have been caged, about monkeys who have been tied without food and many other atrocities committed towards animals. We have mindlessly destroyed the habitats of the animals with whom we are supposed to coexist – forcibly domesticated these animals and then refuse to treat them with the same respect we show towards fellow humans.

Animals have feelings and needs. They feel hunger, pain, the need for love and care. They care for their children, the value their freedom, they have a sense of community, yet we carry on as if animals exist solely for the purpose of our entertainment.

So if you have an animal chained or caged in your house, or if you have just walked away from a starving animal without batting an eyelid, take some time this independence day to think about the true meaning of independence and freedom.

Lets create a truly independent Sri Lanka for all living beings.