If your dog’s acting funny, get out the umbrella! According to a Petside.com/Associated Press poll, 72% of dog owners believe their dog can detect when stormy weather is on the way.
"There was a lot of crying, especially from my mom, aunt, and sister," he explained. "Even my dad — when we said goodbye, he had a hard time looking at me. He told me he was proud of me and I saw tears, and I can't remember the last time I've seen my dad tear up like that."
"They're really sad, because you don't know if that's the last time you're seeing them in person," he added. "And I acknowledged that potential reality. But they also understood — they know where my heart is and they know where my intentions are. So they didn't want me to go — they still message me every day saying, 'OK, it's time to come home now' — but they know who I am."
Always keep an ID tag on your pet. Consider getting your pet microchipped as well to help identify him if he is lost or stolen.
Narrowly avoiding an attack, Praul made his way to Lviv, where he found Домiвка Врятованих Тварин, loosely translated to "Home of Rescued Animals," an animal shelter working to care for both wild and domesticated animals who have been abandoned, orphaned or displaced as a result of the war.Feed him properly. Ask your vet what type of food and how much is right for you pet. Keeping your pet on a regular, portion controlled diet will help with weight management and prevent weight related health problems.
"They have all the dogs that just come from all over the place — there are some days where they just get a huge number of animals just dumped on them, and that's when it's really loud," Praul explained. "The dogs that I've been working with almost every day now don't really like that — it's too noisy for them. So it's harder to build those bonds of trust."
Make an ice lick by freezing toys, bones, and chicken broth into a cake mold.
For Safety Keep Your Dog Restrained in the Car. I know that dogs love sticking their head out car windows – but it’s a dangerous habit. They’re at risk for being hit with debris, damaging their ears & there’s always the risk that they’ll see something & jump out. If you’re going to be driving over 20 mph it’s always recommended to have your dog restrained in the car.
The dogs are a mix of strays and pets who have been left behind by families fleeing the country, Praul said. When he walks the dogs, he can immediately tell if the animal has been domesticated or not. Some of the dogs seem oblivious to the war — their tails never stop wagging and they never stop wanting to play. Others, however, have clearly been traumatized by violence.
"The dog I have the biggest attachment to right now, she can't go out because she doesn't trust anyone," he added. "Animals don't have a choice in any of this — it's human drama and the animals don't have any say. It's really upsetting. One woman came with two dogs who were just left at a train station tied to one of the poles, and they just had two pieces of paper with their names and ages on them."
INTERESTING FACT ABOUT YOUR PET: Dogs can be trained to to detect cancer and other diseases in humans. Cancerous cells release different metabolic waste products than healthy cells in the human body. Dogs may even be able to sniff out cancer cells simply through smelling someone’s breath.
In that moment, the dogs Praul has been caring for unknowingly cared for him, too.
"Some of the dogs got a little riled up for a bit, but two, three minutes after the hits I go back to the dogs and it's just a loud noise to them," he explained. "Their tails were wagging — they just wanted to get taken out and just wanted some love. It was calming, in a way. I had a view of the attacks, but those dogs are just trying to enjoy their day still. They're still trying to live."
Always keep an ID tag on your pet. Consider getting your pet microchipped as well to help identify him if he is lost or stolen.
Praul says back at home, the bills are piling up — he knows he will have to go back home soon after spending a month in Ukraine. And while he is excited to get back to his family and his own beloved pup, a part of him will remain in Ukraine.
"I'm going to try to extend my stay as long as I can," he said. "But I already have a feeling that the day I leave I'm going to be feeling like I should be back here."
Russia shifts strategy to focus on eastern Ukraine
02:41
Holocaust survivors recount trauma of having to flee a second time
03:06Here’s looking at you. Dogs have three eyelids, an upper lid, a lower lid and the third lid, called a nictitating membrane or “haw,” which helps keep the eye moist and protected.