St. Johns Magazine March 2013

St. Johns Magazine ~ Stjohnsmag.com ~904-687-8538 1

m a g a z i n em a g a z i n e

Travel Ireland!Travel Ireland!

BricksBricks 4 4 Kidz Kidz NEW Creativity Center NEW Creativity Center

at Palenciaat Palencia

GO GREEN GO GREEN FORFORST. PATTY’s DAY ST. PATTY’s DAY with GREEN with GREEN PRODUCTS & PRODUCTS & SERVICES!SERVICES!

St. JohnsSt. Johns

Celebrating Local Treasures, People, Places & Events in St. Johns & Beyond

March 2013

St. Johns Magazine~ Stjohnsmag.com ~904-687-85382

Publisher & Editor

Debbie Gaylord

Contributing Writers Angie Bell, Darren Rosenbaum,

Dr. Rosanne Faull, Dr. Melinda Tolitsky, Kay Ferchow, Dr. Peter Veling

Contributing PhotographersCher Brown, Angie Bell

OFFICE CONTACT904-687-8538

[email protected]

ON THE COVER:Bricks 4 Kidz®

Palencia Creativity Center

All rights reserved ©2013 St. Johns Magazine LLC

Published monthly and distributed free of charge,

in print and on the web.

SPECIAL FEATURESHow Green Can You Go? 4

Ireland; Beauty, History & Culture 6

March Calendar 10-11

A Message from the Vet 15

Bricks 4 Kidz Creativity Center 12

MARCH 2013 ~ St. Johns MagazineDear Readers,

As a child I was a gymnast. It began as a fun activity I did after

school but when our Russian coach invited me to be part of his competitive

team it became serious. I was more focused, began perfecting my skills and

enjoyed traveling near and far with my parents to compete in meets. It was

an experience that shaped my character as much as going to public school.

As a parent, I am thrilled when one of my children shows a special interest

or talent in something creative or athletic. Every one of us has a special

talent that is unique and cultivating that talent is how we grow to become

great.

This month we feature the Bricks 4 Kidz® Creativity Center in

Palencia. Read inside about this unique place where children who have a

talent for design, engineering or just enjoy building with LEGO bricks may

take classes or attend summer camps that will help further develop their

minds and imaginations.

For St. Patrick’s Day, we have a wonderful article about a recent

trip to Ireland that may inspire you to plan your next vacation & another

article about Going Green in your life.

As always, let our advertisers know you found them in St. Johns

Magazine!

Debbie GaylordPublisher/ St. Johns Magazine

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IRISH BLESSING

May the road rise to meet you

May the windalways be at your

back

May the sun shinewarm upon your

facethe rains fall soft upon your fields

And until we meet again

may god hold you in the palm of his

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Home & Style Issue Coming April 2013


Green Cleaning There are fi ve inexpensive supplies that can be used for a myriad of cleaning

jobs. These are baking soda, vinegar, lemons, salt, and hydrogen peroxide. Only white

vinegar should be used for cleaning and can be used to deodorize, clean all kinds of

surfaces around the house including windows, deter ants, remove many stains, and

accomplish scores of other chores. Baking soda has countless uses for cooking and

household cleaning and it does not harm the environment. Lemons are natural, cheap,

antibacterial, and antiseptic. Although lemons are powerful, they are gentle on the

body and skin. Not just a seasoning, salt has numerous uses, including pest prevention.

Most people think of hydrogen peroxide for fi rst aid, but it can also clean away many

stains. (One little known use is cold prevention: a few drops of hydrogen peroxide in the

ears at the fi rst sign of a sore throat can knock out a cold before it starts.)

Reuse/ Recycle Recycling is easy in St. Johns County. Cartons (milk, juice, soup) are now

recyclable along with metal, glass, plastic, and paper. Publix also off ers recycling of

paper and plastic bags, as well as the plastic covers from dry cleaning and newspapers.

Reusable shopping bags eliminate the need for some recycling and reusing containers

for storage or crafts is always fun!

Another way to reuse is to shop thrift stores. There are three on SR Road 13

in the Julington Creek area: First Coast Women’s Center, Betty Griffi n, and Goodwill.

Buy Green There are a number of stores in the area that feature “green” items. Some

of these are Native Sun, Good Earth, Fresh Market, Whole Foods, Diane’s Natural Market

(with two St. Augustine locations), and the Greenwise section of Publix.

Eat, Drink, and Go Green There are several Farmers’ Markets

where organic and locally grown products

may be purchased. On Saturdays there are two

weekly markets – the Old City Market at the

Amphitheatre and the St. Johns River Farmers

Market at Alpine Groves Park.

If you want to eat healthy organic food, but

have someone else do the cooking, you have

quite a few options. Some are The Present Mo-

ment Café on King Street, Casa Maya on Hypolita

Street, The Manatee Café on SR 16, and Ripe Bistro on A1A, all in St. Augustine.

Go Green and Go Gorgeous There are many natural products that work beauty wonders. Burt’s Bees

and Kiss My Face are products that can be found in many local stores. But, there may

be items in your kitchen right now that can be used to beautify: mayonnaise, avocado,

lemon (not just for cleaning and eating!), cucumber, and more. Lina Woods makes her

own line of bath products that smell amazing. She can be found on Saturdays at the St.

Johns River Farmers’ Market.

The Grass is Greener on the Green Side Kermit the Frog is known for saying, “It ain’t easy being green.” He was right

– it takes eff ort. But, it is worth the eff ort. Organic foods are better for your health;

reusing, recycling, and making your own cleaning products are all cheaper than buying

new and artifi cial; and you will leave less waste behind for future generations.

How Green Can You Go?by Angie Bell

Photo by Cher Brown

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IRELAND Beauty, history & culture

by Kay Ferchow

Luck of the Irish. Kiss the Blarney Stone and receive the gift of gab.

Top o’ the mornin’ to ya! Pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

May the road rise up to meet you.

These are just a few familiar phrases. I just returned from Ireland and every

day that I was there, I saw something that reminded me of how much we are and have

been infl uenced by the Irish.

Refl ecting on the many perils the Irish have been through over the centu-

ries, potato famine, the northern Protestants fi ghting with the southern Catholics, be-

ing invaded by the Vikings and the English; their history is colorful and they are amaz-

ing.

I toured Ireland on an escorted trip via motorcoach and learned so much!

Our escort/driver, Patrick truly loves his country and his passion was evident in his many

stories.

He talked about their history, culture and all the important details. But he

also talked about himself and his family of 12 brothers and sisters. Especially interest-

ing is how alive “story telling” is in Ireland. Pat talked about how they would all be

getting together for Thanksgiving and Christmas and how important stories would be

in their gathering.

We had the privilege of listening to a couple of professional story tellers as

well. I found myself on the edge of my seat, hanging on every word. The Irish are very

superstitious as ee know that by the many stories we have heard about Leprechans and

kissing the Blarney Stone, etc. I was intrigued by the Fairy trees. These are Hawthorn

trees that grow in the middle of a fi eld by themselves. According to Pat, who has one

on his family’s acreage, you don’t go near a Fairy tree. They are bad luck. The Irish don’t

fertilize them, trim them or cut them down. And they have even been known to build

highways around Fairy trees.

The Irish are what makes Ireland so special and they love americans. They

are so friendly and love a good time. Check out the pubs. You’ll fi nd true Irish music,

conversation, dancing and a good time. They want to hear about us and want to get to

know us. Afternoon tea is also a tradition and a time to take a moment. Relax and enjoy

company.

What a beautiful country! Picturesque landscape with its rolling hills, land

separated by an ancient tradition of hedgerows, thatch-roofed cottages, medieval cas-

tles and countryside that varies dramatically from one side of the country to the other.

Forty shades of green? Yes, even in November. The trees were beautiful with their fall

colors contrasting with Kelly green grass.

Ireland has so much to off er. I took over 200 pictures in four days. It is an

easy country to visit. Just watch out, they drive on the “wrong” side of the road and have

a zillion round-a-bouts. Asking for directions can be interesting too. If you ask for a

specifi c road name or number, you’ll probably get a shrug and a “Sorry, can’t help ya” as

an answer. It’s best to ask how to get to your destination and they are more than happy

to help.

There are too many things to name, but just a few must sees and dos are

Dublin, Belfast, Dromoland Castle, Waterford factory, the Ring of Kerry, the cliff s of

Moher, and Giants Causeway. Bed & Breakfasts, and farmhouse stays are popular and

plentiful. It is fairly easy to tour Ireland independently, but I recommend you take an

escorted tour and leaving the driving and story telling to the Irish.

For more information and to book your

Ireland Vacation, call Kay Ferchow, AAA Travel, 840

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ST. JOHNS FAMILY

ChiropracticCaring For Your Family As Our Own904-547-2435

309 Kingsley Lake Drive Ste. 904 Saint Augustine, FL 32092

DR. MELINDA S. TOLITSKY, D.C.

One place many of us would like to cut costs is with

our health care. Did you know that in the United States,

we spend an average of $8,233 per person on health care

compared to the top 33 developed countries, which spend

around $3,268 per person (Kane, 2012). State of the art

technology, research and prescription drugs are just a few of the many reasons for the

high cost of health care in the United States. Let’s look at what you can do to help

reduce those costs.

Insurance has become more complicated and it seems to cost more and

cover less every time we use it. To maximize your insurance, you need to understand

your policy. Empower yourself to be a better consumer for health care by understanding

the following:

What type of coverage do I have?PPO – Preferred Provider Organization

HMO - Health Maintenance Organization

POS- Point of Service Plan

HSA – Health Savings Account

What is my deductible and is it diff erent if I go in or out of network? What

is my responsibility (including deductible, co-pay, co-insurance and non-covered charg-

es)? Does your physician participate in a national discount program?

Maximize your health care dollars: • Once you have a clear idea of your coverage. If you have an HMO or PPO, check you

plan for providers in your area.

• Call a couple of providers in your area and ask what they charge and what your

responsibility will be.

• Sometimes going outside of the network can save you money. Dentist, optom-

etrists and chiropractors are often members of national discount programs that

can save you money, so do not be afraid to ask.

• If you have a high deductible or want to maximize your HSA dollars, look for dis-

count plans that have a capped fee per visit.

If you do not have insurance coverage:• Shop around for providers and services. Look for quality of care, costs, and con-

venience and remember the least expensive is not always best so weigh your op-

tions.

• Is the provider a member of a discount plan that you can sign up for?

• Does the offi ce off er payment plans to fi t your budget?

• If possible, avoid in house credit fi nancing that you apply for through a third party

vendor. These credit lines usually have high interest rates and report to your credit

bureau just like a credit card.

How can chiropractic help lower your health care costs? Chiropractors are holistic health care practitioners that focus on the entire

body. They focus on improving and maintaining health. Chiropractic can help you un-

derstand more about healthy lifestyles, reducing stress, exercising, stretching and pos-

ture, and healthy diets.

Dr. Melinda Tolitsky is the Owner of St. Johns Family Chiropractic. To schedule an appointment or for more information, please call 547-2345 or visit www.stjohnsfamilychiro.com

References:: Kane, J. (2012, October 22). Health costs: How the U.S. compares with other countries. Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/2012/10/health-costs-how-the-us-compares-with-other-countries.html

by Dr. Melinda S. Tolitsky, DCHow to Maximize your Health Care Dollars!


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The Scene - March 2013Community ~ Family ~ Fun

Friday, March 1st -March 27thEight Annual All-County High School Art Show, Opening First Friday Art Walk on March

1 from 5-9 St. Augustine Art Association; 22 Marine Street, St. Augustine Phone:

904-547-7565 ; free, The St. Johns County School District and the St. Augustine Art As-

sociation announce the eight annual All-County High School Art Show. The high school

art show features some of the best visual art from six public high school art programs.

Over one-hundred forty pieces of 2- and 3-D artwork cover a range of media, styles,

and form, from painting and drawing to digital art to pottery, sculpture, and mixed

media.

Tuesday, March 5Dr. Seuss's birthday with a Dr. Seuss-themed Family Storytime

Tuesday, March 5 @ 11 am

Join us for a special Family Storytime, celebrating Dr. Seuss's birthday, as we share

books by Dr. Seuss! Each child who attends will receive a special sticker and we will be

making a special Dr. Seuss-themed craft.

Thursday, March 7thWomen’s Wellness Mixer, Bring a friend, enjoy complimentary

drinks & hors d'oeuvres, meet area physicians, win door prizes, shop local vendors

and much more! 5:00-8:00 pm, Palencia Club House, Kindly R.S.V.P. to Emily at

904.819.4669 or via email emily.stimler@fl aglerhospital.org

March 1 - 30, 2013Art Exhibit: Global Latitudes: Travels Near & Far

St. Augustine Art Association, 22 Marine St. | St. Augustine, FL 32084

local 904-824-2310; The St. Augustine Art Association hosts a visual travelogue of the

places and diverse cultures lost and found.

Saturday March 9th & Sunday March 10th2013 Celtic Music and Heritage Festival. Francis Field,, St. Augustine, FL 32084 http://

www.celticstaugustine.com. traditional Irish music, Scottish pipes and drums, contem-

porary Celtic Rock, literature, and all things Celtic will converge in celebration of St.

Augustine's remarkable Celtic history and heritage dating back to its founding in 1565!

The Celtic Festival features music by international headliners and regional stars, Clans,

Celtic vendors, plenty of fun for kids and a comic Irish play are included. Admission to

the festival is $5 per day and VIP admission is $40 for the weekend and includes t-shirts

and more. Info: http://www.celticstaugustine.com

Saturday, March 9thInspired Floor & Bath Solutions GRAND OPENING EVENT! Special vendor prices,

food, raffl e prizes. 530 State Road 13N, Julington. Inspiredfl oorandbath.com 230-0102

Saturday, March 9thMinorcan Heritage Celebration; St. Augustine; 31 St. Francis Street, St. Augustine. The

Minorcan Heritage Society holds their annual celebration from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the

historic Llambias House, located at 31 St. Francis St. in St. Augustine. There will be dem-

onstrations of mullet net making, Spanish dance performances, Minorcan foods, and

story telling by Minorcan descendants. There will be t-shirts books and food for sale.

Admission is free. Info: 904-826-3388.

Saturday, March 9, 2013St. Patrick’s Day Parade - St. Augustine. Francis Field, St. Augustine, FL 32084

http://www.celticstaugustine.com. This colorful celebration of everything Irish march-

es through the streets of the Oldest City’s Historic District. The circular route is from

Francis Field to Cordova, to Orange to Castillo Dr/Avenida Menendez, to Cathedral, to

Cordova to Francis Field. The parade is from 10 a.m - 11 a.m. The parade is free family

fun! Info: www.celticstaugustine.com

Sunday, March 10thOutstanding Women in the Arts Ceremony - St. Augustine; Limelight Theatre's Black

Box, St. Augustine, FL 32084; 904-808-7330; [email protected]

11 Old Mission Ave. in St. Augustine. Five women will receive Dr. Gail Pfl aster Awards

in recognition of their contributions to the artistic environment in St. Johns County. The

ceremony is free and open to the public.

Tuesday, March 12thHotel Ponce de Leon Anniversary Lecture; 74 King Street, St. Augustine, FL 32084

903-823-3378; http://www.ponce125.com/ Dr. Alan Woolfolk presents a lecture titled

“The Rise of the Wasp Establishment.” The presentation is part of the commemorative

events celebrating The 125TH Anniversary of the opening of Henry Flagler’s Ponce de

Leon Hotel and takes place at 10 a.m. in the Flagler Room of the former Hotel Ponce De

Leon, 74 King St., St. Augustine. Tickets are $5 per person for a single lecture, or $15 for

four lectures. Active military personnel may attend at no charge. The lecture will last

approximately one hour and will be followed by a coff ee and pastry reception. Reserva-

tions call 904-819-6282 www.ponce125.com

Thursday, March 14thDiscover First America! Program Adventure. 7pm, Flagler College Auditorium; This pro-

gram in the series is titled Revolt in Revolutionary War St. Augustine. It is sponsored by

the Colonial Quarter. Paseo Pastel - St. Augustine

March 22-24, 2013CHALK WALK: The St. Augustine Regional Council (StAR Council) has created a fi rst time

event and one of the most unique ideas to

support the city’s 450th commemoration:

The FIRST ANNUAL Paseo Pastel - St. Augus-

tine Chalk Walk is scheduled for March 22, 23

& 24, 2013. visitwww.staugustinechalkwalk.

com.

Photos from the First Florida Credit Union Safety Event fea-turing McGruff the Crime Dog, and the St. Johns County Fire Department/ held on February 23 at the CR 210 Location.


STRAWBERRIES: Although central Florida is known as the Winter Strawberry Capital of the World, St. Johns County residents can pick and enjoy hydroponically grown Florida strawberries from December through May locally at U-Pick Farm located at St. Augustine Marketplace at I-95 and CR 207. Saturday, March 23thArtbreakers 2013 Music & Art FestivalFountain of Youth Archeological Park, 11 Magnolia Street, St. Augustine, FL 32084904-599-2551; http://www.artbreakers.org“Back to the 70’s” themed event will feature a 90-minute performance by Derek St. Holmes, the original lead vocalist for the Ted Nugent Band. The event also features a silent auction, prizes for the best 70’s attire and the Cancer Support Services and Info Tent. The event is a fund raiser for Artbreakers -- a non-profi t organization supporting St. Johns County cancer patients. The event takes place 5:30 p.m. at Ponce de Leon’s Fountain of Youth, 11 Magnolia Ave. in St. Augustine. For more information and to pur-chase tickets ($10 each), go to www.artbreakers.org or call 904-599-2551.

Sunday, March 24, 2013Blessing of the Fleet, 111 Avenida Menendez, St. Augustine, FL 32084; 904-824-9725; http://www.sayc2000.com In an annual event dating back to St. Augustine’s earliest history, watercraft from trawlers and yachts to sailboats and motor craft - all decorated with fl ags and bunting --receive this special blessing from the Bishop of the Diocese of St. Augustine. The ceremony begins at noon with a procession from the Cathedral Basilica along the Plaza de La Constitucion to the St. Augustine Municipal Marina. Info: 904.824.9725 orwww.sayc2000.com.

Wednesday, March 27th“La Florida” Art Exhibition at Flagler College; 74 King St.,, St. Augustine, FL 32084http://www.christopherstill.com; Renowned Florida artist Christopher Still will share his most recent work, La Florida, at the historic Hotel Ponce de Leon, now Flagler Col-lege, in St. Augustine. A member of the Florida Artists Hall of Fame, Still is particularly well known for his series of murals created for the Florida House of Representatives depicting Florida’s historic and natural beauty. La Florida focuses on Florida’s 500th Anniversary and the arrival of Ponce de Leon on Florida’s east coast. The event takes place from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the Flagler Room of the college located at 74 King Street. www.christopherstill.com

Thursday, March 28thSt. Johns Family Chiropractic Open House, 5-7pm. Come meet Dr. Melinda Tolitsky and see her new offi ce at 309 Kingsley Lake Drive, Suite 904 (Behind Duncan Donuts on CR 210. Call 547-2435 for details.

Thursday, March 28thReptile Show at the Bartram Trail Library at 10 am ; Looking for something both fun and educational to do while on Spring Break? Gather the family, friends, and neigh-bors and come to the reptile show at the library! LB Reptiles will bring lizards, snakes,

turtles and more to our library! This program helps educate children about the needs, conservation, and care of these wonderful reptiles. To learn more about the LB Reptile Experience, visit their website at www.lbreptileexperience.com

Thursday, March 28th The Healing Farm presents a concert: John Wubbernhorst & Facing East, 7-9pm. $12 per person. Contact Gita at 540-0365 or visit www.gitayoga.com

March 30, 2013Uptown Saturday Night; San Marco Avenue, St. Augustine, FL 32084From 5 – 9 p.m. on the last Saturday of each month, experience live music, refresh-ments, new exhibits, book signings and much more at the galleries, antique stores and unique shop on St. Augustine’s San Marco Avenue between Ripley’s Museum and the Mission Nombre de Dios. The Mission Nombre de Dios provides FREE PARKING. 904-823-9263

HAPPY EASTERHAPPY EASTER! March 31March 31

Flagler Hospital’s Health Care Foundation hosted the Go Red for Women luncheon and fashion show on Feb. 23 in the Casa Monica Hotel. Here are the models in their day wear look. Photo by Cher Brown

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for kids to spend their summer break.Robotics • Space Adventures • Movie Making • Make and Take, these are just some of the fun camp themes we off er. With specially-designed Bricks 4 Kidz® mod-els, LEGO® games and challenges, and plenty of time for open play allowing campers to expand their imag-inations, kids are always having fun. Campers ages 5-12 are welcome. All of our camps are staff ed by trained and screened Bricks 4 Kidz® teachers. Check out our Camps page for more details at www.brick-s4kidz.com 342-3392


Calling All Inventors, Builders & Creative Geniuses Bricks 4 Kidz® Creativity Center Now in Palenciaby Debbie Gaylord

Who will become the next great builder or inventor, the next Frank Lloyd Wright or Th omas Edison? Th e seeds of bril-liance may begin with something as simple as creative play with one of the most beloved toys of the past century - LEGO®. At Bricks 4 Kidz® Palencia Creativity Center children of all ages use their imaginations to build models with LEGO® bricks. As they build they are introduced to architectural and engineering ideas, and math and science concepts that tie into their natural curiosity to understand how things work. As any kid (or adult) who has ever built a LEGO® rocket ship or skyscraper knows, the satisfying sound of two bricks snapping together is almost irresistible, which may explain why Bricks 4 Kidz® is a success. Th e concept of Bricks 4 Kidz® was developed by Engineer and Mom Michele Cote of St. Augustine. Michele recognized how much her own son loved to build with LEGOS® and came up with an aft er-school enrichment program where kids could engage, play and learn valuable skills like problem solving in a non-competitive environment. Th e idea took off immediately and today Bricks 4 Kidz® off ers classes in and out of the school for children ages 2 – 13+ and is one of the fastest growing franchises in the United States. Bricks 4 Kidz® Corporate Offi ce and Palencia Creativity Cen-ter is where they develop curriculum and provide training for fran-chises throughout the world! Th e center is bright & cheery, clutter free and fi lled with LEGOS® of every shape size and color. Teach-ers Mary Gillespie and Vanesa Beattie buzz with excitement about working together, researching ideas and creating a curriculum that will be used at the Palencia Creativity Center and other franchises. On a recent visit I had the chance to see the magic of a Bricks 4 Kidz® Parent/Child class in action. Th e Wednesday morn-ing off ering is designed to develop fi ne motor skills, gross motor skills, language, problem solving and creativity in children ages, eighteen months to three years olds.

Miss Mary asked the toddlers to gather around as she began the class with music play and singing and then transitioned to walking on a beam made of giant LEGO® bricks. Th e project of the day was to build a large yellow duck and everyone was given instructions on how to build the model with their parent. Th e theme of animals is incorporated into ac-tivities seamlessly. Th e children listened at-

tentively to directions, concentrating on the placement of each yel-low or green brick. Mary assured the kids and parents that there was no right or wrong way to build the duck and each fi nal product had its own unique twist. Once the children completed their task they move on to the next activity. Th roughout the one-hour class, the toddlers jump, laugh and play while learning valuable skills that will help them as they transition to preschool and school later in life. Monday – Th ursday from 4:30-5:30pm its Open Play time when anyone ages 5-12 can come in to express their creativity. I brought my nine-year-old triplets and I was a little nervous because my son Jake has Autism and is sensitive to new places. But the environment is serene, free of fl ashing lights, loud noises and other distracting stimuli, and this immediately made Jake feel at ease. He enjoyed the large bricks, and also had fun collecting and lining up as many horses as he could fi nd, and with Miss Mary’s gentle guidance he was able to feel a part of the group. Shainna and Lexi each discovered their own activities. Shainna engaged with other children of all ages and together they built a life-sized fortress out of the large bricks. Lexi created an imaginary medieval castle com-plete with horse-drawn cart full of LEGO® fl owers. Bricks 4 Kidz® is unlike any other enrichment program. It off ers a much-needed detour from the insanity of our hectic mod-ern world of computers games, television, constant noise and stim-ulation combined with the ability to encourage children to engage their creativity and feed their ever-developing brains. You never know, it may be the training ground for the next Leonardo Da Vinci, Picasso or Alexander Graham Bell! But if not, at least your child will have a lot of fun learning!


A Message from the Vet

The Mistakes We Make With Our Pets

by Dr. Peter Veling, DVM

Dr. Peter Veling, DVM is the owner of Palencia Pet Clinic.

B i g H o o c h Pet Sitting

TAKING CARE OF YOUR PETS & YOUR HOMECollect Mail & Newspapers

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LOCALLY OWNED BY SOUTH HAMPTON RESIDENT JAMES P. STUNDIS

RETIRED NYPD & USMC VETERAN

Veterinarians get to see the best of people and pets. We also

get to see things that just make us scratch our heads in amazement at the

obvious mistakes that pet owners make. Here are some examples.

1. Every veterinarian’s nightmare – I was driving across State

Road 16 coming home from a friend’s house on a Saturday evening. A

white pickup truck was traveling in front of me. When it stops at a traffi c

light a German Shepherd stands up from where it was sitting in the back

of the truck. Attached to its collar was a rope that allows the dog to pace

from side to side, which it did when the truck starts to move again. I

followed for a while. The truck was doing 60 plus mph. Suddenly another

dog rushed out from behind a bush and gave chase to the truck. The

German Shepherd lunged out over the side of the truck, still roped to the

truck. It began to cartwheel over and over as the truck continued to drive.

The driver slowed. The rope broke. The dog actually got up before anyone

could get to it and ran off miraculously into the woods next to the road

never to be seen again. Dogs should be in the car or truck with the owner

or crated in the back of the truck for safety.

2. Similar nightmare – a wonderful, sweet Cocker Spaniel I had

the pleasure of serving was in the passenger seat of a sedan with the

window fully open, ears fl ying back. The owner knew how much the dog

enjoyed sniffi ng the wind so he purposefully allowed the dog to stand

with its paws on the edge of the door at the bottom of the window. A

squirrel ran in front of the car. The dog leaned and fell out of the window.

It hit its head on the pavement when it fell, leading to its death. Dogs

should not be allowed to put their heads out the window of a moving car.

3. Hidden risk – a routine walk in the neighborhood with your

dog on a leash. Nature calls. The walk continues with the load left behind

in then empty lot or on your neighbor’s grass. Unbeknownst to you, your

pet may have roundworms. The eggs of the worms are in the feces. Those

eggs can infect a child causing blindness years later because the eggs last

5 to 7 years on the ground. It is every pet owner’s responsibility to pick up

after their pet on a walk. Bad relationships in a neighborhood have been

started over less than an ignored pile of dog feces.

4. Cats should be kept indoors. No exceptions. It’s the law unless

the cat is on a leash, just like dogs. Cats that go outdoors are decimating

the wild songbird population in the US.

All of the above are easily prevented with common sense and routine

veterinary care. Every year a fecal sample should be checked ion your dog

or cat. Please keep your cats inside.

Pet Pages

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St. Johns Magazine March 2013

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Transcript of St. Johns Magazine March 2013