HOMEWARD BOUND How a Microchip Can Reunite YouWith Your Pet The Best Companion
No one ever plans for their pet to go missing, but it happens every day. Dogs can escape a fenced yard, and outdoor cats can suddenly stop coming home. Both dogs and indoor cats can be sneaky and slip out the door in an instant. While you should take every precaution you can to prevent your pet from getting lost, you should also have a contingency plan in case they do. Microchipping is the best way to help your missing pet find their way home. Microchips are inserted into the skin between an animal’s shoulder blades with a needle. The process does not require anesthesia and only takes a few minutes, with no more pain to your pet than a vaccination. A microchip does not track your cat or dog like a GPS. Instead, it contains the same information a collar tag would, but it can’t be lost. A vet or animal shelter can easily scan the found animal’s neck to check for a chip. If there is one, they can access your contact information and reunite you with your furry friend. There are countless miracle stories of pets and owners being reunited thanks to a chip. In 2017, Sven the Yorkie went missing in Alabama. His owners did everything they could think of — canvassed the area, talked to neighbors, and posted online — but he was nowhere to be found. Eight months after he went missing, Sven turned up in Ft. Meyers, Florida. No one knows how this little dog wandered 800 miles, but after being taken to a vet, his microchip allowed him to be reunited with his owners the next day. If your pet already has a microchip, take a moment today to confirm that your contact details are up to date with the chipping company. If you don’t know who that is, your vet or the shelter you adopted from can probably help. Remember, a microchip is worthless if it won’t help whoever finds your pet get in touch with you. If your pet is not microchipped, the procedure is inexpensive and fast. Please call our office to schedule an appointment today. We hope you’ll never need that chip, but someday, you could be very grateful to have it.
2 FUN FAMILY CARD GAMES TO PLAY WITH 1 DECK Whether you’re hanging out at home or camping with the family, card games are a great way to relax. A single deck is versatile and easy to pack, so if you have one on hand, try these two games that go beyond the classics like War and Go Fish. 1. Slapjack (2+ Players, No Jokers): The goal of this War-style game is to win all of the cards. To start, deal all of the cards face down, then have everyone form their cards into a pile without looking at them. Each player then flips a card face up into the center. Continue doing this until one of the cards played is a jack. When that happens, the first person to slap the jack wins it and the cards beneath! They add them to their deck, and play continues until one player has all of the cards. To keep things interesting, if you accidentally slap a card that isn’t a jack, you have to give up one of your cards to the player with that pile, and if you run out of cards, you can reenter the game by slapping the very next jack. 2. Spar (2–4 Players, No Ace of Spades or Cards Below 6): This easy game is played with just 35 cards, and the object is to win the last round (aka trick). To start, deal five cards to each player. Then, have the person to the left of the dealer lay one of their cards face up. Each person in the circle then plays a card in the same suit if they can or another suit if they can’t. Whoever has the highest card in the original suit wins the trick and starts the next one! The winner of the fifth trick wins the game. If you want to keep score, award three points if the winning card is a six, two points if it’s a seven, and one point if it’s an eight or higher. Then play again! We found these games on BicycleCards.com, but you can learn about them and dozens of others by checking out “The Ultimate Book of Family Card Games” by Oliver Ho from your local library. 2 970-856-4474
Made with FlippingBook - Online magazine maker