Wondering how much a pet will cost you? Check out this infographic on the annual cost of pets:

Annual Cost of Pets infographic

Animal House: Power Your Home With Pets By Movoto Real Estate

Does your pet enjoy vacations and have book cover-worthy looks? Check out AAA's PetBook Photo Contest:

Capture your pet’s most memorable travel moments on camera and enter your ‘best-in-travel’ photograph before November 30, 2012.
Two winning pet photos, chosen in January 2013, will be featured on the cover and spine of the AAA PetBook, published in May 2013. The first place winner, featured on the back cover, will receive $300, a $150 Best Western Travel Card (valid at any Best Western Worldwide), pet treats and five copies of the book. The second place winner, featured on the book's spine, will receive $150, pet treats and two copies of the book.

Check out AAA's page on the PetBook Photo Contest for complete rules and information. 

Be sure to let us know if your pet is picked! 

-- Cheryl Sadler | CSadler@News-Herald.com | @nhcheryl

Learn about data visualization tools.

Browse more data visualization.

Let's take a break from all the politics and look at the really important White House residents: the presidential pets:

Browse more data visualization.

-- Cheryl Sadler | CSadler@News-Herald.com | @nhcheryl

It's fun to enjoy the holidays with your animals, but be sure to keep safety in mind.

I received this email last week with some Halloween pet safety tips:

Heidi Ganahl, the CEO and Founder of Camp Bow Wow, North America’s largest and fastest growing pet care franchise and INC 5000 company, has provideda series of tips below to help you enjoy your night out while protecting your pet.

Tips for Halloween Pet Safety

image from www.supercoolpets.com

· Fido may look adorable in his new superhero costume, but that cape won’t necessarily keep him out of harm’s way. Dressing up your pet for Halloween can be harmful. Costumes should not constrict the animal's movement, hearing or sight, or impede their ability to breathe, bark or meow. Also, it may be helpful to try on costumes before the big night. If your pet seems distressed or shows abnormal behavior, don’t bother.

· Before your pet participates in any Halloween activities, take a closer look at his or her costume and make sure it does not have small, dangling or easily chewed-off pieces that they could choke on. Also, watch out for ill-fitting outfits which can get twisted on external objects on your pet, leading to injury.

· Putting make-up or face paint on your pet can be harmful. Paints could potentially irritate their skin, or may be eaten. Even make-up that is non-toxic could cause stomachaches or worse.

· Candy bags are strictly for the enjoyment of trick-or-treaters, not your pet. Chocolate in all forms, especially dark or baking chocolate, can be very dangerous for dogs and cats. Give your pooch their own Halloween candy by treating them to their favorite doggy snack. If you do suspect that your pet has ingested something toxic, please call your veterinarian or your local control center immediately.

· Keep an eye out for decorative edible items like Halloween pumpkins and candy corn, when participating in this year’s festivities with your pet. While these are considered to be relatively nontoxic, they can be harmful, causing stomach upset in pets who nibble on them.

· Do not take your pets trick or treating. It’s possible that your dog could get spooked by a ghost or goblin and a dog bite or fight could occur.

-- Cheryl Sadler | CSadler@News-Herald.com | @nhcheryl

Fluffy and Spot probably hold an important place in your heart — and they should hold an important place in your estate planning as well, according to Hehr & Hehr Co., LPA.:

No matter how much you love your pets and feel they are “part of the family,” they are generally seen as property by the Cuyahoga County courts and are therefore treated accordingly.  This can cause some concern for pet owners who want to ensure their pets are well-cared-for and able to transition as smoothly as possible after the death or incapacitation of an owner.
One option which many pet owners are now exercising is to create a pet trust.  This type of trust is used to protect the pet in case you are unable to do so.  The trust will likely specify your chosen pet guardian, which can either be an individual or an organization.  This entity will be responsible for taking care of the pet either until the owner is able to do so again or permanently, depending upon the situation.  In the latter case, it may even be necessary for the entity to arrange to officially adopt the pet.

Read more on Albert G. Hehr III's blog post Naming a Pet Guardian as Part of Your Estate Planning.

Share your pet photos with us! Upload your pictures to our pet photo gallery.

I've heard that having a furry (or scaly or feathery) friend can improve your health, but I wasn't aware of all the reasons why until I read the infographic below:

by eBay. Browse more data visualizations.

-- Cheryl Sadler | CSadler@News-Herald.com | @nhcheryl

Humans aren't the only ones who have to worry about cold weather. Animals are at risk when the temperature drops, too.

Dr. Jeffrey A. Richman of Richman Animal Clinic offered some suggestions for keeping pets safe in the cold in a news release published on finance.yahoo.com. Check it out before leaving animals out in the cold.


-- Cheryl Sadler | CSadler@News-Herald.com | @nhcheryl

If you were young when a family pet died - or you lost a family pet when your children were young - then you know the pain and confusion kids can go through with the loss of a pet.

Journalist Barbara Walsh tackles that topic in a new book, "Sammy in the Sky." The book includes illustrations by Jamie Wyeth.

David Sharp of The Associated Press wrote about "Sammy in the Sky" in a feature story this weekend. Walsh tells him that agents and publishers were hesitant to publish the book, which is now in its third printing. Head over to News-Herald.com/Life to read more about the book and the journey to getting it published.


-- Cheryl Sadler | CSadler@News-Herald.com | @nhcheryl

While Halloween is a great occasion to dress up and show off your four-legged family members, keep some tips in mind to help them have a safe holiday.

I blogged about pet safety tips for Halloween last year, and here they are again:

• Animal-proof your candy stash (from Petco's "The Chilling Effects of Chocolate")
• Let your dog meet your child in costume so he is not frightened later (from Petco's "The Chilling Effects of Chocolate")
• Keep jack-o'-lanterns and candles out of reach of animals and their tails (from Halloween Safety Guide)
• Don't let animals (especially black cats) outside, or keep them in a separate room during trick or treat at parties. Noise and doorbell-ringing may stress them out. (from AMVA's Paws for Pets)
• Dress your pet in reflective costumes, and don't leave a dressed-up pet alone because they make chew or choke on their costumes (from About.com's Veterinary Medicine guide)

For more tips, check out ASPCA's Halloween Safety Tips for Pet Parents.


-- Cheryl Sadler | CSadler@News-Herald.com | @nhcheryl

The American Kennel Club announced the top 10 dog breeds in the United States. Did your pooch make the list? Watch the slideshow below to find out:




-- Cheryl Sadler | CSadler@News-Herald.com | @nhcheryl

Travel agency AAA has something special in store for "Traveling with Your Pet: The AAA PetBook".

Send AAA your pet's "best-in-travel" moment, and the critter might end up on the cover of next year's AAA PetBook.

From AAA:

Two winning pet photos, chosen in January 2012, will be featured on the cover and spine of the AAA PetBook, published in May 2012. The first place winner, featured on the back cover, will receive $300, a $150 Best Western Travel Card (valid at any Best Western Worldwide), pet treats and five copies of the book. The second place winner, featured on the book's spine, will receive $150, pet treats and two copies of the book.

Entries are judged on such artistic qualities as photographic composition and ability to convey the joy of safely traveling with a pet. Candid compositions are preferred over posed, and studio photographs or those determined to be significantly altered will be disqualified.

View the photo gallery to see some of last year's entries (including the absolutely precious first-place winner) and what kind of cute competition you'd be up against. And be sure to read the photo contest official rules.

Happy travels and good luck! (And be sure to let us know if your pet wins!)


-- Cheryl Sadler | CSadler@News-Herald.com | @nhcheryl

If your summer vacation plans include your pets, you should be sure to make safety a priority for them.

Sunday's News-Herald included some expert advice on keeping your pets safe during trips, including using appropriate restraint systems for the car.

Click here to read more from Staff Writer Betsy Scott, and use the checklist embedded below when traveling with a pet to ensure you have everything you need for the trip.

What to take when traveling with pets


-- Cheryl Sadler | CSadler@News-Herald.com | @nhcheryl

Are you in the mood for looking at some incredibly adorable photos?

Check out the blog Animals with Stuffed Animals, which features photos of -- you guessed it -- animals with stuffed animals.

Couldn't you spend all day looking at images like this?:

They sort of remind me of the dozens of email forwards I used to get at my AOL account 14 years ago.

Check out the adorableness for yourself at animalswithstuffedanimals.com.


-- Cheryl Sadler | CSadler@News-Herald.com | @nhcheryl

A Geauga Park District program addressing herbal alternatives for pets and livestock will be from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Feb. 17 at Swine Creek Reservation Lodge, 16004 Hayes Road, Middlefield/Parkman townships.

Topics discussed during the program will include homeopath and herbs, as well as Bach Flower Remedies, a liquid created by immersing a flower into water and exposing it to sunlight or heat. BachFlower.com states that this preparation, applied with a small dropper, could help animals when they have negative emotions, just as they help humans who are emotionally out of balance.

"As most residents in Geauga County have either farm animals, pets or both, this program will offer valuable information for comforting/healing animals in a natural way," said Teresa Runion, special events coordinator for the Geauga Park District.

The program for all ages is full wheelchair and stroller accessible. A $7 fee will be charged at the door, and registration is required at geaugaparkdistrict.org or 440-286-9516.


-- Cheryl Sadler
CSadler@News-Herald.com
@nhcheryl

Who would you pick? Read on ...


NEW YORK (AP) — Your sweetheart or your pet. Which would you dump if one had to go?
Most current pet owners said they would hold on to their spouse or significant other (84 percent), but a sizable 14 percent picked their pet, according to an AP-Petside.com poll.
Put Sally Roland, 53, of Omaha, Neb., down in the dog-first column. “I’m divorced, so that might explain it,” she joked.
The unmarried, like Roland, are more apt to choose their pet over their mate — 25 percent among unmarried pet owners versus 8 percent among the married.
Count Fidel Martinez, 30, of Akron, Ohio, as forever loyal to Killer. That’s his mix-breed, 100-pound rescue dog.
“I would absolutely give up my girlfriend for him,” Martinez said. “I know it sounds insane but I’ve had numerous relationships with women. My dog has never let me down.”
For the record: Martinez and Killer have been together for seven years. Martinez and his girlfriend have been together for four. The two-legged pair have no immediate plans to cohabitate, he said, but she does like the dog a lot.
Women are far more likely than men to say the human-pet choice would be a tough one (40 percent among women compared with 26 percent among men). Both genders were equally likely to go with their spouse or significant other, according to the poll conducted by GfK Roper Public Affairs and Corporate Communications.
There was also no difference between dog and cat owners: 35 percent of each said the choice would be a hard one and more than eight in 10 would choose their spouse.
Urban dwellers (47 percent) are more likely to say they’d have a difficult time choosing than did suburbanites (35 percent) or rural residents (25 percent).
Giving up a pet for any reason can be really tough — unless you are the owners of Princess the canine escape artist.
David Rosenthal and his family in Missouri City, Texas, were ready with what they considered an ideal fenced backyard when they welcomed the 2-year-old American Eskimo from a shelter. Then things went from pretty good to not at all.
“She kept getting away,” he said. “She’d dig underneath the fence, sneak out through every little crack. It would usually take about an hour or so to corral her.”
Even worse, the 49-year-old Rosenthal discovered the hard way that the bushy sago palm plants in the backyard were poisonous to dogs (and humans, too). Princess sampled them and nearly died. Treatment cost about $2,000.
“Plus she was nipping at kids,” said Rosenthal, who has three. “We were told it was friendly to kids.” So off Princess went, back to the shelter after a year. “It was sad but we knew there was already somebody there to adopt her.”
The family now has two other rescue dogs.
About six in 10 adults (57 percent) have had to give up a pet at some point in their lives, with current pet owners (64 percent) a bit more likely to have done so.
The most common reasons had to do with the pet’s health: 69 percent said their pet was too sick to live on, 52 percent too sick to be cared for at home. But there are other reasons as well, including about one in 10 (9 percent) who, like Rosenthal, said their animal was too dangerous to keep.
One-third (34 percent) of current pet owners said it would be “extremely” or “very” difficult if they were forced to choose between a pet and a family member who became allergic. Another 20 percent would find the choice somewhat difficult and 46 percent said it would be “not too difficult” or “not difficult at all.”
Christopher J. Hampton, 67, in Bellingham, Wash., has loved Pembroke Welsh corgis since he was a kid. He had a 5-year-old he had raised from a pup when he and his wife realized 40 years ago that their year-old son’s asthma was dangerously exacerbated by their pet.
“I couldn’t give up my son, so that was it,” Hampton said.
The AP-Petside.com Poll was conducted October 13 to 20, 2010 by GfK Roper Public Affairs and Corporate Communications. It involved landline and cell phone interviews with 1,501 adults nationwide including 1,000 pet owners. Results among all adults have a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.3 percentage points; for results among pet owners it is 4.0 percentage points.
Deputy Director of Polling Jennifer Agiesta contributed to this report.
Online:
Poll questions and results: http://www.ap-gfkpoll.com.
Petside: www.petside.com/giving-up-a-pet

-- Robin Palmer
rpalmer@news-herald.com

Geauga Humane Society’s Rescue Village will host a special holiday pet adoption event from noon to 8 p.m. Dec. 17. A 20 percent discount will be given for all animal adoptions. The facility is at 15463 Chillicothe Road, Russell Township.