First, why are the animals we share our lives with called pets?  Where did that word come from? The word first entered the English language in Scotland and Northern England around 1500 and pet meant a spoiled child or a favorite. Ah, that’s probably where the expression teacher’s pet comes from. Hear how it evolved to mean beloved animal companions.  

Are you considering daycare for your dog?  Wondering how to find one that your dog will love and also relieve your mind that you’ve left it in safe hands for the day? Or maybe you want to know what is the big deal about it is and why to spend the money at all on daycare when your dog seems fine staying at home.  My guest is Neil Gill, the CEO and president of Dogtopia, the leading provider of dog daycare in North America and he will answer these questions and give you an insider’s view into the world of doggie daycare.  

This week’s creature feature is rather macabre and creepy. But it’s fitting as Halloween is just past, and it could also be an Easter story as well. Here is a story about a dog, I’m calling, Never Say Die. Another mention of a cat being “resurrected” caught my eye. 

October just ended and you have a few more days as a new month starts, to win our promotion and receive 3 months of free pet food. Just leave a comment about one of our 100th episodes on either the show page at www.raisingyourpaws.com or on our Facebook page. We’ll randomly select 2 winners from the comments.  Make sure you get your comments in before November 15, 2021.  Good luck. 

Our new producer is Talk North. The largest sports, outdoor, and lifestyle podcast network in the upper Midwest. Check them out at Talknorth.com. You’ll find this podcast there as well.

Additional Resources for the show. 

Source for story about where word pet comes from:  “Pet Nation” by Mark L. Cushing. 

Dogtopia’s website.

Press Release about the Partnership between NutriSource Pet Foods and Dogtopia. 

The reading program Neil Gill talked about in the show. Sit, Stay, Read. 

The autism organization Neil Gill talked about in the show: Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center.

Source for the stories about pets that cheated death: “Amazing But True Dog Tales” by Bruce Nash and Allan Zullo, complied by Muriel MacFarlane and “Pet Nation” by Mark L. Cushing.