.

Despite hurdles to find a pet friendly place–it seems as though the rental industry may need to change to accommodate the demands as pet owning households increase.

Look what a recent survey of renters around the country found:

Nearly 90 percent of the renters who responded said they have a pet.

Of the renters surveyed that do not currently own a pet, more than half plan to become pet owners within the next year.

More than 80 percent of respondents said a pet-friendly policy played a major role in where they chose to live and 30 percent sought out an apartment in close proximity to desirable pet amenities such as dog parks, walking trails and a veterinary office.

As devoted pet owners, renters are holding on to their felines and canines even when faced with obstacles during their apartment search. While the majority of respondents experienced difficulty finding an apartment that allowed pets, 89 percent said they were not put in a position where they had to choose between their beloved animal and a place to live.

Apartments.com has seen an upward trend of more and more properties welcoming pets. For survey respondents who said they were forced to give up their pet(s), the two main causes were identified as not being able to find an apartment with a pet-friend policy (65%) or not being able to afford the pet deposit (27%).

More than half of renters surveyed said they paid more than $200 for a pet deposit, and nearly 60 percent said they would be less likely to rent an apartment requiring a pet deposit.

Millions of renters from around the country are in need of pet-friendly apartments. In 2008, more than 11 million searches for apartments that allow cats and dogs were conducted on Apartments.com.

I’ve discussed this issue previously and suggested renters construct a Pet Resume.

In addition, you might want to read this post on the Mortgage Crisis & Homeless Pets.

To be successful in finding a rental, make sure you ask permission. Many landlords will accommodate you but some have a strict policy of “no pets allowed.”

If you have plans to get a pet make sure to check that it is okay before signing the lease.

If you are seeking a pet-friendly place, begin your search online. Most online apartment search sites allow users to conduct a pet-friendly apartment search.

Be sure to ask your potential landlord if there are any size or weight limitations. Some buildings may even prohibit specific breeds.

Plan on paying a pet deposit. Some properties charge an additional deposit to renters with pets, or may even ask for a monthly fee for pet rent.

When visiting a potential rental, confirm any additional costs associated with owning a pet. Remember to also ask if the deposit is refundable or non-refundable.

Will this mean that the rental industry will change?

Let’s hope so.

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Volume 7, Number 2-3
Publisher: Guerrero Ink
Online: http://www.guerreroink.com
Copyright © 2009 Diana L. Guerrero. All rights reserved.
Content may not be reproduced without permission.
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February/March News & Tips
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IN THIS ISSUE
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1. Tales from the Trips (Latest News)
2. Discussion for the Month: Getting Wild at ArkAnimals.Com
3. Monthly Roundup
4. Schedule of Upcoming Events & Appearances
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1. Tales from the Trips (Latest News)
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Belated greetings to all of you and I hope 2009 is off to a great start.

February brought a couple of very large snow storms to the area dumping two feet of snow at a time.

I enjoy the snow because I love to tromp outdoors to see the animal tracks. Here the wildlife can be a bit elusive but the tracks after a fresh snow tell a great story of who has been passing by.

March is usually the month we get the heaviest snow fall but it has been unseasonable warm and the last storm brought in rain so it will be interesting to see what happens.

Those of you who have been subscribers for a while know that I’ve been facing some health challenges for a while that have slowed me down.

As a result I was not able to get out the February newsletter and this issue combines the February and March newsletters.

I am happy to say that it looks like the doctors will have a diagnosis this month as to what is actually the problem–and I hope to be feeling better soon.

Having an answer will be a relief—at least then we can address it and it would be nice to be able to tour again and bump up my schedule.

Anyway, things have been quiet because I have not been up to speed and have been only booking direct referral clients.
Remember my telling you about the filming last year? My appearances in the Animal Planet series, “Weird, True & Freaky” has really been creating quite the buzz because they are currently airing.

It seems that every place I go someone stops me to say that they have seen me on the television.

I’ve done a lot of television throughout my career but it is always nice to see people excited about it.

Speaking of media…we’ve been upgrading my media site with my most recent photos and information. This has been a huge task and one that began last July!

I’ve also been pondering ArkAnimals.com and I think you are going to be excited about the changes you will see.

Happy Tails to Your & Yours,
Diana L Guerrero
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2. Discussion for the Month: Getting Wild at ArkAnimals.Com
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In January I asked for feedback from you as to what you would like to see. As I pondered how ArkAnimals.Com has changed over the years, I decided it is time to get back to my roots.

My background is for wild and domestic animal training and so I am going to blend the two topics more regularly.

If you read the commentary about Travis the Chimp you have already seen how I have begun to make that shift.

In addition to my commentary about the chimpanzee attack, I took a look at how the same problems exist between exotic animal pet owners (which is not something I support) and companion animal owners.

Then I delved a little deeper into the ethics of wild animal ownership as shared by some other professional animal people.

You’ll find that I’ll be doing more of this type of comparison as I prepare to launch the http://www/PetParentingSchool.Com later this year.

I’ll continue to visit topics related to pets and new products for animals but you’ll also see more regular features that include: Training Talk, Animal Career Chat,
Furry Fun, and a few more.

Eventually I will lock these down into a regular editorial schedule so if you have a specific interest in only one topic you will know when to drop by for the latest coverage.

In the meantime, you can always catch up through the monthly article round up featured here in the newsletter.

Don’t forget, if you have a name suggestion for any new features—drop me a line to let me know—you could win a surprise gift if I use it!

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3. Article Round Up
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Most of you have said you don’t want daily notifications about the new content on the web. If you do, I’d suggest visiting http://www.ArkAnimals.Com so you can sign up for the RSS feed. Directions are on the website and you won’t miss a thing!

Below are the articles I have written since the last newsletter. Just click in to visit the articles of your choice and feel free to use the “tell a friend” link at the end of each post to email your friend the article link or to bookmark your favorite posts.

February 2009

• Primates as Pets: Right or Wrong?
• Crufts Dog Show Still Raising Hackles
• North American Jaguar (Panthera onca) Collared in Arizona
• Beyond the Flagship Species Orca
• Skidboot the Dog (video)
• Fossil Fuels & Trees
• Australian Animals: Help Bushfire Survivors
• Python Attacks Toddler: Inherent Dangers of Unsupervised Children & Pets
• Chimp Attack: The Travis Travesty
• Romping in the Rain: Keisha
• Snow Days and My Animal Friends
• Happy Presidents Day!
• Baghdad Street Dog Culling (Graphic Video)
• Bad Behavior on eBay
• May This Valentines Day Be the Cat’s Meow!
• Great Backyard Bird Count
• Real Party Animals of Mardi Gras
• Dog Interviews from Westminster Dog Show (Video)
• Charles Darwin The Bicentennial
• Costumed Canines Celebrate Mardi Paws
• Best in Show: Stump Sussex Spaniel
• Westminster Dog Show & The Burning Question
• Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, Canine Art Auction, & Best in Show
• Westminster Dog Show Unleashed: Ruff Competition, Puparazzi, & Other Musings
• Deer Walks into Vet Clinic for Help
• Sarah Palin & Aerial Wolf Hunting (Video)
• Sparta: Mean Little Kitty Song (Video)
• Training Talk: Sibling Dogs Good or Bad Idea?
• The Great Avian Speciator
• White House Unleashed
• Super Bowl XLIII or Puppy Bowl V?

January 2009

• Global Warming & Animals (Video)
• Training Talk: What’s the difference?
• Pet Safe Ice Melt Products
• Eco Friendly Pet Beds
• Obama Dog & The Name Game
• Veterinary Service Tax: Call the Governator
• Interspecific Pals: Bird Pets Kitty (Video)
• Animal School: NCFE Diploma in Animal Care
• Q&A Blessing of the Animals
• Obama’s Military Mutts
• Obama Dog Frenzy
• San Anton Blessing of the Animals
• How Many Dogs Are Too Many?
• Presidential Pooch (2)
• Puppedential Election (Video)
• Tiertafel: Feeding Pets In Need
• Wildside: New Species Identified in Tanzania
• Training Tips: Puppy Brains
• Ark Animal Tracks January 2009
• New Year Weight Loss (Video)
• Happy New Year!

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4. Schedule of Upcoming Events & Appearances
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My calendar is now live online. I am still not scheduling much at the moment during my recovery but you can access it at http://www.arkanimals.com/calendar/

Teleseminar Sign up: http://tinyurl.com/yukf8d

If you would like an animal behavior or training appointment just call (800) 818-7387 or you can book an appointment online. Don’t forget that I also do phone consultations.

Thanks for your continued support and suggestions
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Have a great month and stay tuned!
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Thanks for joining me. If you have a topic you would like to see covered in this newsletter, please visit our online form at http://www.arkanimals.com/contact/

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Copyright © 2009 by Diana L. Guerrero
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Above: Pet Obesity is a HUGE problem.

This time of year people are thinking about New Year resolutions–those promises of change that may or may not happen.

One of the most common resolutions is for weight loss and fitness so I thought I would ask you–are you killing your pet?

You might be.

Many pets gain extra weight during the holidays right along with their owners according to a pet obesity study.

One of the things people do is overfeed their pets even beyond the holidays.

For instance, I had one client whose diabetic dog was on a strict diet–but she kept giving her lots of treats–which defeated the purpose and kept the dog fat.

It eventually killed the dog.

Now this might sound awful but most people I meet make the same mistake.

Right now I have a client that moved her dogs onto a better food–she should be feeding less but instead she is feeding the same amount and her dogs are plumping up as a result.

People don’t think treats count and people don’t adjust their pet’s diet when they change the main diet–both actions create problems.

Just check out this announcement from the study conducted by the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention (APOP) headed up by veterinarian Dr. Ernie Ward:

The National Pet Obesity Awareness Day study (October 2007) found 43% of all dogs and 53% of all cats were classified as overweight or obese by a veterinary health care provider; 10% of all dogs and 19% of all cats were classified as obese.

Above: Fat cat photo by Yukariryu.

The problem is that urban animals are also not getting enough exercise to justify the caloric intake.

Free feeding is not a good option for many animals either.

How do you tell if your pet is a healthy weight?

• Ribs are easily felt
• Pet has firm abdomen
• Waist can be seen when viewed from above

How do you tell if your pet is overweight?

• Difficult to feel pets ribs under fat
• Pet has sagging stomach
• Pet has a broad, flat back
• Pet lacks a waist

You can download a pet daily calorie guide with the calorie listings of  what I consider “junk food” treats here.

Today more and more people are jumping on this issue because it is a serious concern.

Now you can find a pet diet site and Hill’s promotes an annual pet fitness challenge if you are so inclined.

Last year pet weight loss drugs were making headlines in the UK (Yarvitan) and here in the United States (Slentrol).

My opinion is that drugs are not a good solution for most pets. Owners should be monitoring pet health and following the recommendations from their veterinarian.

Now I know that there are those pets that gain weight due to hypothyroidism, Cushing’s disease, insulinoma, diabetes, pituitary abnormalities, and other diseases–but mostly I suspect overfeeding and lack of exercise for the majority of fat felines and those chunky canines.

So, today I wanted to suggest that if you are making resolutions to lose weight this year–why not include a program where you work out with your pet?

Pick up a few tips from Fitness Unleashed!: A Dog and Owner’s Guide to Losing Weight and Gaining Health Together since it might be a healthy treat for both you and your dog.

As for those fat cats try Fat Cat Thin: How to Keep Your Cat Lean, Fit, Healthy and Happy–and get them exercising too!

For both canines and felines you can reduce calories and increase activity to create a positive change.