Important Information About Ear Plucking

I have been grooming for almost 30 years and since day one I was taught to always remove the hair from the ear canal of certain breeds and now designer breeds that grow hair in the ear canal.

One of the responsibilities of owning a pet is keeping it clean and healthy, and that includes knowing your breed and what special needs may be required by that breed. My vet still recommends ear plucking, however there are some vets and some websites recommending not to pluck ears.

It is our firm belief that ear hair can be a problem in certain breeds including the designer dogs. This ear hair can prevent air flow into the ear canal so plucking your dog’s ear hair can be essential. When a little moisture or yeast builds up and there is no air flow then the dog’s ears can become infected. Plucking the ears regularly to keep the hair blocking the canal to a minimum can help prevent ear infections and moisture build-up.

We also want to respect what you and your vet decide. Please be advised that at A Paw Spa, we pluck hair from the ear canal of any pet growing hair in the ear canal. If you and your vet have decided you do not want this done, PLEASE make us aware, and we will not pluck the hair from your dogs ears.

It is always our goal to do everything possible to aid in the continued health and beauty of your pet. We welcome any questions or concerns you may have on this subject, and we recommend you also consult your vet when making this decision. If you do decide not to have your pets ears plucked, please be aware you will need to advise us of this decision EVERY time your pet is dropped off.

Thank you,

SURPRISE Fact

Some of you may know that for way to many years, since high school, I have been a devoted KISS fan. I have a virtual KISS museum in one room of my home and even passed it down one generation to my daughter. She has been able to attend 2 KISS concerts with me and even dressed up as Ace Frehley, the Spaceman for one concert and won a number of Halloween contests with the costume I made for her. We try to watch “Gene Simmons Family Jewels”, but the grooming, puppies and dog showing consume a majority of our time. You would know my vehicle by the KISS Army sticker on the back and if you see me out with sandals, you may catch a glimpse of my KISS tattoo on my right ankle!!!

This photo was taken in Madame Trusseus Wax Museum in Times Square New York City.

New Christmas Poem

This poem is a Christmas poem, but a reminder also for all year round, that men and women are fighting by choice and are proud to do it….. remember them in your prayers.

TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS,
HE LIVED ALL ALONE,
IN A ONE BEDROOM HOUSE MADE OF
PLASTER AND STONE.

I HAD COME DOWN THE CHIMNEY
WITH PRESENTS TO GIVE,
AND TO SEE JUST WHO
IN THIS HOME DID LIVE.

I LOOKED ALL ABOUT,
A STRANGE SIGHT I DID SEE,
NO TINSEL, NO PRESENTS,
NOT EVEN A TREE.

NO STOCKING BY MANTLE,
JUST BOOTS FILLED WITH SAND,
ON THE WALL HUNG PICTURES
OF FAR DISTANT LANDS.

WITH MEDALS AND BADGES,
AWARDS OF ALL KINDS,
A SOBER THOUGHT
CAME THROUGH MY MIND.

FOR THIS HOUSE WAS DIFFERENT,
IT WAS DARK AND DREARY,
I FOUND THE HOME OF A SOLDIER,
ONCE I COULD SEE CLEARLY.

THE SOLDIER LAY SLEEPING,
SILENT, ALONE,
CURLED UP ON THE FLOOR
IN THIS ONE BEDROOM HOME.

THE FACE WAS SO GENTLE,
THE ROOM IN SUCH DISORDER,
NOT HOW I PICTURED
A UNITED STATES SOLDIER.

WAS THIS THE HERO
OF WHOM I’D JUST READ?
CURLED UP ON A PONCHO,
THE FLOOR FOR A BED?

I REALIZED THE FAMILIES
THAT I SAW THIS NIGHT,
OWED THEIR LIVES TO THESE SOLDIERS
WHO WERE WILLING TO FIGHT.

SOON ROUND THE WORLD,
THE CHILDREN WOULD PLAY,
AND GROWNUPS WOULD CELEBRATE
A BRIGHT CHRISTMAS DAY.

THEY ALL ENJOYED FREEDOM
EACH MONTH OF THE YEAR,
BECAUSE OF THE SOLDIERS,
LIKE THE ONE LYING HERE.

I COULDN’T HELP WONDER
HOW MANY LAY ALONE,
ON A COLD CHRISTMAS EVE
IN A LAND FAR FROM HOME.

THE VERY THOUGHT
BROUGHT A TEAR TO MY EYE,
I DROPPED TO MY KNEES
AND STARTED TO CRY.

THE SOLDIER AWAKENED
AND I HEARD A ROUGH VOICE,
‘SANTA DON’T CRY,
THIS LIFE IS MY CHOICE;

I FIGHT FOR FREEDOM,
I DON’T ASK FOR MORE,
MY LIFE IS MY GOD,
MY! COUNTRY, MY CORPS.’

THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER
AND DRIFTED TO SLEEP,
I COULDN’T CONTROL IT,
I CONTINUED TO WEEP.

I KEPT WATCH FOR HOURS,
SO SILENT AND STILL
AND WE BOTH SHIVERED
FROM THE COLD NIGHT’S CHILL.

I DIDN’T WANT TO LEAVE
ON THAT COLD, DARK, NIGHT,
THIS GUARDIAN OF HONOR
SO WILLING TO FIGHT.

THEN THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER,
WITH A VOICE SOFT AND PURE,
WHISPERED, ‘CARRY ON SANTA,
IT’S CHRISTMAS DAY, ALL IS SECURE.’

ONE LOOK AT MY WATCH,
AND I KNEW HE WAS RIGHT.
‘MERRY CHRISTMAS MY FRIEND,!
AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT..’

This poem was written by a Marine.

Our 14 year old dog, Abbey, died last month. The day after she died, my 4 year old daughter Meredith was crying and talking about how much she missed Abbey…. She asked if we could write a letter to God so that when Abbey got to heaven, God would recognize her. I told her that I thought we could so she dictated these words:

Dear God,
Will you please take care of my dog? She died yesterday and is with you in heaven. I miss her very much. I am happy that you let me have her as my dog even though she got sick.
I hope you will play with her. She likes to play with balls and to swim. I am sending a picture of her so when you see her You will know that she is my dog. I really miss her.
Love, Meredith

We put the letter in an envelope with a picture of Abbey and Meredith and addressed it to God/Heaven. We put our return address on it. Then Meredith pasted several stamps on the front of the envelope because she said it would take lots of stamps to get the letter all the way to heaven. That afternoon she dropped it into the letter box at the post office. A few days later, she asked if God had gotten the letter yet. I told her that I thought He had.

Yesterday, there was a package wrapped in gold paper on our front porch addressed, ‘To Meredith’ in an unfamiliar hand. Meredith opened it. Inside was a book by Mr. Rogers called, ‘When a Pet Dies..’ Taped to the inside front cover was the letter we had written to God in its opened envelope. On the opposite page was the picture of Abbey &Meredith and this note:

Dear Meredith,
Abbey arrived safely in heaven.
Having the picture was a big help. I recognized Abbey right away.
Abbey isn’t sick anymore. Her spirit is here with me just like it stays in your heart. Abbey loved being your dog.. Since we don’t need our bodies in heaven, I don’t have any pockets to keep your picture in, so I am sending it back to you in this little book for you to keep and have something to remember Abbey by..
Thank you for the beautiful letter and thank your mother for helping you write it and sending it to me. What a wonderful mother you have. I picked her especially for you.
I send my blessings every day and remember that I love you very much.
By the way, I’m easy to find, I am wherever there is love.

Love,
God

The Drover Song

The lead character in the movie, Australia, was played by Hugh Jackman the 2008 Sexiest Man Alive…. how fitting that we named our boy after the character he portrays, “The Drover”.

A drover in Australia is a person, typically an experienced stockman, who moves livestock, usually sheep or cattle, “on the hoof” over long distances. Reasons for droving may include: delivering animals to a new owner’s property, taking animals to market, or moving animals during a drought in search of better feed and/or water. Moving a small mob of quiet cattle is relatively easy, but moving several hundred head of wild station cattle over long distances is a completely different matter.