Pawcurious: With Veterinarian and Author Dr. V

Celebrating the truth that pets make people better.

Photography

Koala Rescue

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If I could go back and do it all again, I'd try to be a National Geographic correspondent. I just can't get enough of their work- I'm quite certain this magazine is the reason I studied biology and primates. Today, I'm fortunate enough to have an excerpt and some amazing photographs about a koala story that I hope you find as fascinating as I do. (Look at the avatar on the Be the Change section of the site if you want to know how much I love them.) I had always assumed koalas were in pretty ... Read more »

Where the Wild Pups Are

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RIP Maurice Sendak, a true visionary. Where the Wild Pups Are The night Brode wore his wolf suit and made mischief of one kind and another His mother called him "Wild Thing!" and Brody said "I'll eat you up!" so he was sent to bed without eating anything. That very night in Brody's yard a forest grew, and grew until the ceiling hung with vines and the walls became the world all around And he sailed off through night and day and in and out of weeks and almost over a year, ... Read more »

Happy birthday Koa- no joke

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Two years ago this February, we took an hour and a half drive north to the Retrievers and Friends rescue to meet a 6 year old black lab named Lucy.  She was feisty, glossy, and fun, a slightly older version of Brody. We loved Lucy. But then the rescue volunteer suggested we take a look at another dog, one who didn't photograph quite so well but was kind and sweet and might be a good match for the family. There she stood, with her hangdog face and her defeated posture and her barrel chest and ... Read more »

It’s a black and white world sometimes

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We had a full and busy weekend, like, I imagine, most of you. The kids are on a two week spring break, which has both its ups and downs. I'm sure they would be more thrilled if we were going somewhere exciting, but we're not, so they're not as thrilled as, say, their friends who are off to Maui or the like. Such is life for a kid. I've spent most of my spare time this weekend obsessing over black and white photography. I don't know why but I've always loved it. I think it's just so much more ... Read more »

Dogs, DNA, and some really incredible pictures.

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I've had dogs on the mind lately (what else is new?), but the world of purebreds has been there even moreso than usual. The AKC/Eukanuba show I attended in December will air on ABC on the 4th, as you probably gleaned by now since I haven't stopped yammering about it since then. In addition, I'm also going to Westminster on February 13th and 14th, for no reason other than I just wanted to see it, to marvel at the spectacle. It's such a strange confluence of worlds, society-minded dog fanciers ... Read more »

Cat Lady Undercover

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Anyone who's read this blog for a while knows I identify as a dog person. In this world, you're one or the other, it seems, but just because you lean towards one doesn't mean you dislike the other. I happen to like cats a lot, too. Which is why I took my daughter to check out the 2012 San Diego Cat Show this weekend. It really is a different world. Much like a dog show, there are 'rings' where the cats are judged. There's none of this running around in a show lead, however. The cats ... Read more »

Hello Olive

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Our friends Jeff and Shelia recently brought home a poodle puppy, Olive. Now, I love these guys to begin with, but when they told me how they prepared for a new dog- being inexperienced owners- I loved them even a little more. They waited three years, until the time was right and the kids were old enough. They researched exhaustively, picking a knowledgable breeder who spent hours with them visiting, teaching them about the breed, and making sure they knew the importance of early ... Read more »

Pawcurious photo gear

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We like photography, and from time to time get questions about our photo gear.   If your question isn't answered below, feel free to drop us a line. Photo Q&A: Q: What kind of camera do you use? A: We use Canon and Leica cameras.   The Canon 5D Mark III, Canon 7D, Canon 30D, and the Leica D-LUX4.   Below you'll find a more complete list of all the gear. Q: What kind of software do you use? A: We use Apple's Aperture 3 for photo post production, along with Nik Software's ... Read more »

Then there was the time my husband almost sold me for some goats

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It's Friday, and I'm in the mood for some Africa. How 'bout you? I don't know where my footage of me being the bush pilot in the Serengeti went, so I've decided I'm just posting Africa posts all out of order while I try and find it, and oh well. That was what happened after we left chimp camp, though. I talked the pilot into letting me fly shotgun over the FREAKIN SERENGETI which might be the only thing that could have topped a chimp brushing by my legs. It was spectacular. Anyway, the ... Read more »

I’m feeling faint…pass me the Africa pics

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I thought I would tempt you with some more Africa pictures. Wildlife is beautiful no matter where it lives. The wild carnivores are surprisingly lackadaisiacal. I have video of me 10 feet from him in a Land Cruiser a little panicked he might try to pounce. Did I tell you about the time the elephant almost took out the tour guide? No? Well I might... if I survive. I'm feeling a little peckish this morning. I had to cover Amanda Brown's escape and I think a zombie peacock pecked ... Read more »

Off the Grid: Surf Dog Kills It

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Yesterday, Brody and I had our rescheduled surf lesson with Evan the Surf Instructor. It went great. Brody is a natural. His handler, on the other hand, needs a lot of practice. I had no idea how much work it was to push a dog into a wave. I would have had a fuller recap for you by today, but as you may have heard, some doofus in Yuma managed to power down the entire county of San Diego for the day. As we were leaving the beach, I remarked that there sure was a lot of traffic, even for 4 ... Read more »