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Listen to this album and millions more. First month free.
Colours 2 is the third extended play by Canadian recording artist PartyNextDoor. It was released on June 2, 2017, by OVO Sound and Warner Bros. Records. This is the sequel to his previous EP, Colours and following 2016's PartyNextDoor 3 album.

domain: entertainment


House leaders and the Trump administration worked hard Wednesday to lobby for the votes needed to pass the latest bill to repeal and replace Obamacare. Now, CNN reports, the House is expected to vote on the American Health Care Act (AHCA) sometime today.
At the center of the new bill is the controversial MacArthur Amendment, an addition to the previous healthcare replacement bill that failed in March. The amendment, co-sponsored by Rep. Tom MacArthur (R-N.J.) and Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.), would allow states to obtain waivers to charge higher premiums to those with pre-existing conditions—a stipulation that was protected under Obamacare. On Wednesday, Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.) and Rep. Billy Long (R-Mo.) went to President Donald Trump to address their concerns about what the waiver would mean. According to CNN, they emerged with Trump’s support for another amendment that would add $8 billion in funds over five years for patients with pre-existing conditions in states that take the waiver and charge higher premiums.
While the MacArthur Amendment was introduced to appease Freedom Caucus ultra-conservatives who were afraid AHCA was too similar to Obamacare, the new Upton-Long amendment hopes to get Republican centrists on board.
Pool or no pool, though, critics say that AHCA’s pre-existing conditions waiver allows states to discriminate by gender. “Medical issues” that states can consider pre-existing conditions include: postpartum depression, C-sections, sexual assault, and domestic violence. Under AHCA, states can also decide what is considered “essential benefits,” such as coverage for pregnancy, maternity care, and birth control.
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, one in nine pregnant women experiences postpartum depression or post-childbirth depression; one in five women in the U.S. have been sexually assaulted. Not to mention that a 2016 study by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that more than 52 million Americans have a pre-existing condition that may mandate the need for health support.
Though the language of the MacArthur amendment explicitly states, “Nothing in this Act shall be construed as permitting health insurance issuers to discriminate in rates for health insurance coverage by gender” and that it won’t “limit access to health coverage for individuals with preexisting conditions,” critics of the bill say the bill does just that.
“Most of the people who have C-sections identify as women, so that’s a shorthand for a gender discriminatory policy,” Dr. Diane Horvath-Cosper, a Physicians for Reproductive Health advocacy fellow, told Elle. “A majority of people who get pregnant identify as women, so that’s gender discrimination, straight up.”
On Wednesday evening, CNN reported that Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) came out of a meeting with Vice President Mike Pence confident. “We will be voting on the health care votes tomorrow. Because we have enough votes. It’ll pass. It’s a good bill,” he said.


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Houzz is the new way to design your home.
334 rex bed Staircase Design Photos
John Maniscalco Architecture
glass panels on stairs up to bed?
Use to separate kid bed?
Casa by Charleston
Naperville Custom Home
Flower bed- sunny and dry ?
Feldman Architecture, Inc.
Hidden Bed 3
ALTUS Architecture + Design
This sixth floor penthouse overlooks to city lakes, the Uptown retail district and the city skyline beyond. Designed for a young professional, the space is shaped by distinguishing the private and public realms through sculptural spatial gestures. Upon entry, a curved wall of white marble dust plaster pulls one into the space and delineates the boundary of the private master ...More
Design Line Construction, Inc.
Hill Street Project
Lighting against house for front flower bed

domain: artistic


Product Review Taken From Four Small Wheels Magazine McLaren M23 World Champ 1976 Hunt With Lauda absent, recovering from his Nurburgring crash, Hunt needed a good result in Holland and in one of the most exciting races of the year he won by just 0.9 of a second. There’s plenty of detail in Minichamps model and the airbox shape is good. The top cowling and airbox are supplied as separate pieces and to fit these snuggly the mounting pins will need some excess material trimming away and some additional decals (MUSDC43493) will be needed for complete sponsorship.
One of the market leaders in die-cast models. Good shapes, excellent paint and decoration. 1:43rds are kerbside while 1:18ths usually have plenty of opening parts and detail. Also an increasing number of 1:43 resincast models. Made in China.
McLaren M23 model by Minichamps
Formula One or single seater
1st Holland. With engine detail. Arrived 18/01/16
Grand Prix Models, your number one choice forMinichamps - McLaren M23 model


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The Walt Disney World Resort today announced that it’s looking for its first ever "Walt Disney World Family" – and it’s looking in the UK. This never-been-done before search will unearth a unique family that captures what Walt Disney World is all about.
From today, UK families will be able to enter at www.disney.co.uk/waltdisneyworldfamily simply by explaining what makes their family one of a kind and why they best represent the attributes of Walt Disney World - "fun, relaxation thrills and memories".
How to Enter
One winner will be judged by the Walt Disney World judging panel to be the first Walt Disney World First Family. Their entry will show that they represent what Walt Disney World is about, in particular they:
- Can’t wait to tell us about their unique family dynamic
- LOVE Disney parks
- Plan every holiday around shared experiences
- Look to try a variety of new things every time they go on holiday together
- Make the most of every holiday experience together
To be in with a chance of becoming the world’s first Walt Disney World family, all you need to do is complete our simple three step process:
1. Tell us about your family, and the one thing they’d most like to do at Walt Disney World
2. Complete the following statement in 100 words or fewer:My family should be the world’s first ever Walt Disney World Family because…
3. Show us your family! Upload a photo(s) or a video of the people you’d like to take to Walt Disney World for this once in a lifetime holiday (max 10 people)
The competition closes on Wednesday 17th October 2012 at 16:00 GMT


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October 10, 2011 By Matt Leave a Comment
October 2, 2011 By Matt Leave a Comment
We’re excited to announce two more opportunities for you to see our well-loved production of WIlliam Finn and James Lapine’s musical Falsettos.
We’ve added 8pm performances on Friday, October 7 and Saturday, October 8. Click it: for tickets.


Sometimes, you just can’t argue with conventional wisdom.
Del tha Funky Homosapien, No Need for Alarm
There’s something about beats made around 1993 that I really dig.
James Blake, Assume Form
The Colour in Anything made me approach Assume Form with caution. It turns out this album is vying for a spot on the year-end Favorite Edition list.
James Tenney, Postal Pieces
It’s amazing how much music can be generated by scores that fit on postcards.
Jeremy Denk, c.1300-c.2000
This survey of Western classical music spanning seven centuries is another album vying for a spot on the year-end Favorite Edition list.
Lou Reed, Transformer
“Satellite of Love” and “Walk on the Wild Side” are obvious choices for why this album should be in my collection, but really, it’s because it has “Perfect Day”, which Duran Duran covered on Thank You.
Phoenix, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
I dismissed Phoenix back in 2009 as that band in the car commercial. Thing is, “Listzomania” is damn catchy, as is the rest of the album.
Sly and the Family Stone, Greatest Hits
Most of this collection consists of tracks from Stand! It also includes “I Wanna Take You Higher”, which Duran Duran also covered on Thank You.


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Hôtel Beau Rivage
Stay in one of 22 guestrooms featuring flat-screen televisions. Complimentary wireless Internet access keeps you connected, and digital programming is available for your entertainment. Private bathrooms with showers feature complimentary toiletries and hair dryers. Conveniences include desks and complimentary bottled water.
This smoke-free hotel has 2 floors in 1 building and offers complimentary parking nearby. Recreational activities include boat tours nearby, surfing/boogie boarding nearby, and sailing nearby.
- Breakfast available (surcharge)
- Coffee shop or café
- Multilingual staff
- Free newspapers in lobby
- Front desk (limited hours)
- Smoke-free property
- Free WiFi
- Number of restaurants - 1
- Number of bars/lounges - 1
- Number of coffee shops/cafes - 1
- Free parking nearby
- Wheelchair accessible (may have limitations)
The front desk is open daily from 7 AM - 8:30 PM. To make arrangements for check-in please contact the property at least 24 hours before arrival using the information on the booking confirmation. If you are planning to arrive after 8:30 PM please contact the property in advance using the information on the booking confirmation. Guests must contact the property in advance for check-in instructions. Front desk staff will greet guests on arrival.
- Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
- Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card, or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
- Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
- Guests must contact this property in advance to reserve cribs/infant beds and rollaway/extra beds
- This property accepts credit cards; cash is not accepted
- Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher, a smoke detector, a security system, and a first aid kit
Enjoy a meal at the restaurant or snacks in the hotel's coffee shop/café. Quench your thirst with your favorite drink at the bar/lounge. Buffet breakfasts are available daily from 7:30 AM to 10 AM for a fee.
Featured amenities include complimentary newspapers in the lobby, multilingual staff, and an elevator.
Distances are displayed to the nearest 0.1 mile and kilometer.
Foncillon Beach - 0.1 km / 0.1 mi
Congree Centre - 0.1 km / 0.1 mi
Port Royan - 0.4 km / 0.3 mi
Royan Church of Notre-Dame - 0.5 km / 0.3 mi
Le Chay Beach - 0.7 km / 0.4 mi
Royan Beach - 0.8 km / 0.5 mi
Place Charles de Gaulle - 0.9 km / 0.6 mi
Plage du Pigeonnier - 1.2 km / 0.7 mi
Pontaillac Beach - 1.4 km / 0.9 mi
Royan Museum - 1.5 km / 1 mi
Planet Exotica - 2.1 km / 1.3 mi
Conche de Gilet - 2.6 km / 1.6 mi
Plage de Saint-Sordelin - 3 km / 1.9 mi
Plage du Conseil - 3.6 km / 2.2 mi
Nauzan Beach - 4.1 km / 2.5 mi
The preferred airport for Hôtel Beau Rivage is Merignac Airport (BOD) - 141.7 km / 88 mi
This property has received its official star rating from the French Tourism Development Agency, ATOUT France.
- Guests can arrange to bring pets by contacting the property directly, using the contact information on the booking confirmation (surcharges apply and can be found in the Fees section).
- This property advises that enhanced cleaning and guest safety measures are currently in place.
- Disinfectant is used to clean the property; commonly-touched surfaces are cleaned with disinfectant between stays; bed sheets and towels are laundered at a temperature of at least 60°C/140°F.
- Personal protective equipment, including masks, will be available to guests.
- Social distancing measures are in place; staff at the property wear personal protective equipment; a shield is in place between staff and guests in main contact areas; guests are provided with hand sanitizer.
- Contactless check-in and contactless check-out are available.
- Individually-wrapped food options are available for breakfast and through room service.
- Each guestroom is kept vacant for a minimum of 24 hours between bookings.
- This property affirms that it adheres to the cleaning and disinfection practices of Safe Travels (WTTC - Global).
- COVID-19 - Essential Workers Only - NO
- Property is cleaned with disinfectant
- Staff wears personal protective equipment
- Protective clothing is available to guests
- Masks are available to guests
- Shield between guests and staff in main contact areas
- Guests are provided with free hand sanitizer
- Social distancing measures are in place
- Contactless check-in is available
- Property confirms they are implementing enhanced cleaning measures
- Individually-wrapped food options are available
- Individually-wrapped food options are available for breakfast
- Individually-wrapped food options are available through room service
- Gap period enforced between guest stays 24 hours
- Bed sheets and towels are washed at a temperature of at least 60°C/140°F
- Commonly-touched surfaces are cleaned with disinfectant
- Property confirms they are implementing guest safety measures
- Contactless check-out is available
- Property follows sanitization practices of Safe Travels (WTTC - Global)
- Pets allowed
- Only service animals are allowed
- Service animals exempt from fees/restrictions
You'll be asked to pay the following charges at the property:
- Breakage deposit: EUR 500 per stay
- A tax is imposed by the city: EUR 0.99 per person, per night. This tax does not apply to children under 18 years of age.
The following fees and deposits are charged by the property at time of service, check-in, or check-out.
- Fee for buffet breakfast: EUR 8.5 for adults and EUR 4 for children (approximately)
- Pet fee: EUR 6 per pet, per night
- Service animals are exempt from fees
- Crib (infant bed) fee: EUR 5 per night
- Rollaway bed fee: EUR 15 per night

domain: travel


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The Hub, is a Myplace funded youth-led ClubHouse in Enfield, London. It is a project for young people 13 to 19. The Hub's new building is a remodelled and re-clad existing two storey youth club with a large new two storey extension.
Dundee, Scotland, UK
Building construction completed January 2018
Opening: 15th September 2018
Total floor area 8,445 m2
Budget: £80.11 million
Client: Dundee City Council
Maurizio Mucciola has been Project Architect/Team Leader from Competition and until 2015 whilst at KKAA
PiM.studio has then been appointed in 2016 to complete the delivery of the Project and Maurizio has retained his Project Architect role until completion.
Lead Architect: KENGO KUMA & ASSOCIATES
Project Architect: Maurizio Mucciola (KKAA – PiM.studio)
Delivery Architect: PiM.studio Architects
Executive Architect: James F Stephen Architects
The Wind Tower is a new sound landmark: a device that on one level focuses and concentrates people’s senses and on the other hand amplifies the climatic (windy) nature of the site. The intervention forces people to the edge – to make a commitment.
Won in a competition staged by Wandsworth Council and The Balham Partnership, and supported by the Mayor of London, the scheme comprises four projects:
• Enhancing the railway bridge environment to increase footfall and unlock the potential of the adjacent areas
• Public realm improvements to Hildreth Street to make it a vibrant market and café strip
• Public realm improvements to Balham Community Space
• A creative solution to the ‘Ugly Wall’ - a prominent but unattractive gable wall
Collectively, the project helps link together Balham’s public spaces, promote Balham’s identity and encourage visitors...
A 1200 sqm commercial and community building, reflecting its position between Victorian gothic and urban warehouse buildings.
Toynbee Hall is an East London charity tackling poverty and social injustice. This new-build 1200 sqm office and community building, with significant improvements to neighbouring open space, will enhance the charity’s physical and community presence in Spitalfields on the edge of the City of London. Due to open in the summer of 2019.
A detached two storey house is split into two flats, each occupying a single level within the building and each occupying half of the rear garden. This results in a garden that is seldom used, overgrown and which does not provide a great aspect for our client on the ground floor.
In order to improve both the internal and external experiences, the portion of ground owned by our client is raised and becomes the floor of the living/dining space and an external terrace. This raised ground floor becomes an...
The Zig Zag Building replaces a 1950s office block with exemplary new office space. Colonnades at various scales indicate and define the entrances to the various different types of accommodation housed within the broader scope of our project e.g. offices, housing, restaurants, shops, bars, etc. Situated between a cathedral and a town hall on Victoria Street, the design seeks to mediate between these two in terms of size and scale and to establish a credible and pleasurable urban spatial order connecting together the grain of this part of Westminster. The...

domain: design


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This research examines how community policing enables the development of community in terms of having social order and crime reduction. One rationale for public involvement is the belief that police alone can neither create nor maintain safe communities , thus a need for the whole community in maintaining social order and putting crime reduction strategies to create a safe environment for people to operate.
First, one may ask a question of this kind; how can a democratic country, while governing itself, provide freedoms for the citizens and at the same time allow the police to enforce the laws of that country? The answer depends on what role such a country would like to see the police perform. Hopefully the police will be able to uphold law and order while respecting the rights of individuals at the same time. It is at this level that community power is displayed through the social, political and economical activities of a group of people that have common goals. When we govern ourselves, we should also agree to police ourselves appropriately .This demonstrates who should be responsible in policing issues and of what significance will it lay to the entire community.
This research will be based on a critical analysis and discussion entirely on data of secondary resource based on reading books from authors and writers who have studied and written extensively on how social order and crime reduction are achieved through the philosophy known as community policing, in addition, use of electronic sources such as websites, online reports and the researchers experience on the related field will be of paramount importance to the research topic.
The definition states that community policing is a context which promotes proactive policing by a working partnership and relationship between the wider community and the police aiming at crime reduction even fear of crime and improving the safety of community. In addition, it also aims on assisting in the provision of resolutions for other community issues (Brown, 1992). Sir Robert Peel said it best in 1829; “The police are the public and the public are the police, the police being the only members of the public paid to give full time attention to what are incumbent on every citizen” .
According to Friedmann (1992:4) defines Community policing as a policy and a strategy aimed at achieving more effective and efficient crime control, reduced fear of crime, improved quality of life, improved police services and police legitimacy, through a proactive reliance on community resources that seeks to change crime causing conditions. This assumes a need for greater accountability of police, greater public share in decision making, and greater concern for civil rights and liberties. According to (Segrave and Ratcliffe 2004), Community policing recognizes that community members can work together with law enforcement agencies and play an active role in reducing local crime.
Community policing consists of three elements. Those are community partnership, organizational transformation and problem solving. The elements work together to ensure the policing process to be effective Community policing builds on fundamental policing practices with an emphasis on crime prevention and lasting solutions to problems. It requires new commitment from citizens and new thinking from police officers; these three elements are explained below;
Community Partnerships: Community partnerships recognize the value of bringing people back into the policing process. All elements of society must pull together as never before to deal effectively with the unacceptable level of crime claiming America’s neighborhoods.
Organizational transformation: This requires recognizing that forging community-policing partnerships and implementing problem-solving activities will change the organizational structure of policing. Properly managed change involves recognizing the need for change, communicating a clear vision that change is possible, identifying the concrete steps needed for positive change to occur, developing an understanding of the benefits of change, and creating an organization-wide commitment to change.
Problem Solving: Once priority concerns have been identified, problem solving involves analyzing information about the problem to find out who is being victimized and how, when and exactly where the problems occur and what environmental (or other) conditions make it easy for the crime to occur. Once the nature of the problem is better understood, tailor-made solutions are jointly developed and implemented by police and community members. They also work together to define success and measure the impact of their efforts.
PROBLEM SOLVING MODEL (S.A.R.A.)
SCANNING – Scanning involves identifying neighbourhood crime and disorder problems
ANALYSIS – Analysis creates an understanding of the conditions that cause problems
RESPONDING – Response develops and implements solutions to the problem based on the analysis
ASSESSING – Assessment determines the impact of the response on the problem and, if necessary, develops ways to improve the response
Community policing represent an acceptance which the community has a vital and crucial role to place in having a successful resolution of social order and crime problems, and such partnerships with the community can be much more efficient. According to (Murphy 1993, p, 20-21) also argues that the community is viewed as a resource, a support group and an information source rather than as an authoritative body.
Historical background of community policing
At first, before community policing was initiated traditionally, the Police had to wait around passively for crimes to occur and only react to urgent calls for services, or to respond for complaints from victims or witness.
The movement toward community oriented policing has gained momentum in recent years as police and community leaders search for more effective ways to promote public safety as well as enhance the quality of life in neighborhoods. The roots of community oriented policing come from the history of policing itself. Modern law enforcement began in England with the formation of the London Metropolitan Police District in 1829 by Sir Robert Peel. The new police force was created to address the soaring crime rates in Great Britain’s capital. Peel, the first chief of the police force, is credited with developing several innovations that are still practiced today.
Sir Robert Peel’s cornerstone of community policing was that, the “police are the public and the public are the police”. His “Bobbies” were geographically located and become known to the public thereby creating a trust and recognition that the citizens would then report criminal activity to them. Sir Peel’s ideas served as a model of all modern English and American police forces. His principals included the use of crime rates to determine how effective the police were, the importance of being centrally located, public accessibility to the police headquarters, value in proper recruiting, and training (Patterson, Jeffrey, Learning Lessons of History, p.2) Not only in English and American police but even other interested countries have imitated the same idea of community policing that is viewed of great importance in terms of dealing with crime, examples are Rwanda, Ghana, south Africa, Kenya, Uganda among many others.
The main focus is community involvement in combating crime and disorder. Peak and Glens (1996:46-47), regarded community policing as an excellent opportunity for the government and the police to attend to the needs of their “customers” in society. The fact that customer satisfaction has become such an important part of business and industrial settings may be partly the reason for this movement in government and police services .
Community development is a skilled process and part of its approach is the belief that communities cannot be helped unless they themselves agree to this process. Community development has to look both ways: not only at how the community is working at the grass roots, but also at how responsive key institutions are to the needs of local communities . This emphasizes community involvement in maintaining social order and crime reduction.
In addition to the above said, social order is a concept used in sociology, history and other social sciences. It refers to a set of linked social structures, social institutions and social practices which conserve, maintain and enforce “normal” ways of relating and behaving .
Whereas crime reduction is a consultative, research-based approach to reducing crime by focusing both on the police and the community in general on the underlying cause of crime and dealing with already committed crimes. The prevention and detection of crimes are rightly core function within any Police Force. However they should not be seen as being the responsibility of the Police alone. Every one has a role to play and we can all do our bit to minimize the possibility of becoming a victim of crime . This may be summed up in a say that, the society is the victim of crime, home for criminals, the hideout of crime, and the solution to all.
The listed are functions performed by Community Policing; Responding to crime and emergencies; Maintaining public order; Tackling anti-social behaviors; Gathering intelligence; assisting people in need; Maintaining safety in the community; Being accessible to the public; Provide quality service; Interact with the public. Solve problems; organizing public forums to sensitize people on anti-social behaviors such as crimes among many others.
HOW COMMUNITY POLICING WORKS
ACTIVE COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT As the police and community become partners to address the problems of disorder, community policing places a greater emphasis on crime prevention. As the partnership strengthens, community policing can address the root causes of crime.
Community policing recognizes that community involvement gives new dimension to crime control activities. While police continue to handle crime fighting and law enforcement responsibilities, the police and community work together to modify conditions that encourage criminal behavior.
The establishment and maintenance of mutual trust is the central goal of community partnership. Trust will give police greater access to valuable information that can lead to solving and preventing crimes. Building trust will require an ongoing effort, but it is essential to effective community policing.
LONG-TERM COMMITMENT Community policing does not offer a quick fix. It requires a long-term commitment by police to work with community members to reach mutually acceptable goals in dealing with the arising problems
If the community is involved with the police, it will begin to demonstrate a communality of interest and belongingness, ensuring a sense of ownership and pride. Once citizens sense that they have control of their own destiny, positive change will occur. Community Policing will encourage citizens to work together to increase safety and security of their communities. Likewise, relationship with the youth, senior citizens, cultural, ethnic or religious organizations and government agencies will be enhanced. Community policing will change negative factors such as hostility, prejudice, apathy and ignorance to the positive co-operate image that will portray the service as sympathetic, accommodating, interesting and knowledgeable
In line with this research, (David L. Carter, 2002) shows that, the crime problem is extremely complicated no single community forces, not even the police has the total answer. Police community relations activity assumes a problem solving character, with crime and quality of life issues as the problems. The primary purpose in the community participation approach should be to solve hard problems, to improve the quality of police service in order to serve them better.
With respect to maintaining social order and reducing crime, this can be achieved through Crime prevention which is everyone’s responsibility. There is no way that the police and security organs for that matter can hope to successfully reduce crime without the full support of the community. The strategic direction of the Police should therefore be based upon the concept and philosophy of community policing. This involves increasing the partnership linkages between the police, the various stakeholders (NGO’s) and other members of the community. If there is limited or no community support, communities would only be able to deal with the symptoms of the problems and not adequately address the underlying cause of the problem.
The role of Community in crime prevention is exchanging information timely to the police, efficiently and regular reporting of criminal incidences. Research shows that involving the community in decision making process can help change people mindsets leading to positive results in maintaining social order and reducing crime. Therefore, it’s vital for citizen’s involvement in national security through national security programs by providing quick and first hand information to the Police, other security organs and administrative organs about anything that can help to maintain the peace and security that all people are opted to enjoy.
When carrying out community policing, the Police are finding that, in addition to bringing them closer to the people, community policing offers numerous other benefits. Making effective use of the talents and resources available within Communities helps extend severely strained police resources. As police interaction with the community becomes more positive, productive partnerships are formed. This may lead to greater satisfaction with police services and increased job satisfaction among police officers. Reduced levels of crime allow more police resources to be allocated to services that have the greatest impact on the quality of community life.
According to ( Michael D. Lyman,2004) Crime prevention efforts often result in homeowners installing security related devices in their homes, putting lights up in dark streets, clearing away bushes that may hide criminals and notifying police of suspicious circumstances, identifying criminal collaborators observed in their neighborhoods and by use of informants in the community, the police are able to locate suspects and hideouts of criminals.
In the concept of Community policing, citizens are able to gather information about neighborhood criminality in quite systematic, organized and detailed manner. If such information is supplied to police services through police liaison officers and use of hotlines can help in identifying criminal acts as well as getting information through community neighborhood patrols. It’s evident that through community participation, neighborhood watch programs and night patrols are set up with the aim of watching out for any security threat or disturbance to public order. Therefore, Problem oriented policing partners with pre- identified specific partners in dealing with crime while community policing brings the community in general.
Countries that use community policing, identify problems of crime and disorder by involving all elements of the community in the search for solutions to these problems. It is founded on close, mutually beneficial ties between police and community members .
Achieving less crime is thus interchangeably referred to as preventing or reducing crime, or realizing community safety. The relationship between crime reduction and community safety is not straightforward. Safety is not compromised by crime only, so crime reduction, however successful, cannot by itself achieve community safety ( Tim Newburn, 2008 ), it’s better to look beyond strategies of policing and tackle real causes of crime in the society by engaging the community and this can only be achieved by initiating community policing in all communities so that people own their security.
Community policing in Rwanda.
As community policing has been adopted in English, American countries and other world, dealing with crime comprises a range of activities which cannot be performed by the police alone, but collaboration with different institutions including the citizen oriented policing in order to achieve the effectiveness of policing, that’s why in Rwanda, community policing committees were approved in the ministerial decree No 02/10/2007 that gives guidelines for Community policing committees that are made of citizens who live within the community, elected by the community people in order to participate in policing activities and to gain sense of belonging to their security in collaboration with other government institution assigned with security matters.
Community policing is exercised by partnership between the following, Rwanda National police, Rwanda defense force, local administration authorities, REMA,RBS(Rwanda Bureau of Standards) BTC (Belgium Technical Cooperation),RDB(Rwanda Development Board) National Security Intelligence Service, Local defense force, HAGURUKA, MIGEPROF, Transparency Rwanda, Ombudsman Office, Hospitals, Community policing Committees, Religious leaders, Private security companies and all other interested stakeholders in dealing with crime through:
Reporting all incidents occurred in the community to the liaison police officer, use of police emergency hotlines like 112, 3512( for Domestic violence cases),3511(any crime information among others).
Protection of the scene of crime to avoid crime scene contamination
Help the police to identify and locate the suspects, through community patrol (IRONDO), Unacceptable behavior is recorded and passed up the hierarchy to the police. These partnerships will help to ensure a strong state through social penetration, and also act to relieve the caseload of the police force.
Educating people how to claim their rights,
Teaching the citizens the manner of fighting against criminality and the consequences of the offences.
On 28TH September 2011, During a 460 CPC members who recently underwent a civic education course at Nkumba, in Burera District, The IGP Emmanuel K.GASANA, emphasized that giving the information on time is important in Police’s efforts to reduce and prevent crime in the following words, “Policing is a partnership and your role in this partnership is paramount because thieves, drug dealers and other criminals live within your communities,” It is, therefore, important that you share information about their activities with police so that crimes are prevented”. He further urged the participants to master the art of effectively communicating crimes, by including the what, who, where, when, why and how factors while reporting cases. “You should not allow anyone to undermine the country’s culture, development plans and socio economic welfare prospects,” IGP said, adding that this can only be done through ensuring security. “. This strengthens how significant the community is as far as security issues and development of the community are concerned.
However dealing with crime by involving the community has been successful in crime reduction but still challenges emerge resulting during crime reporting. The widespread charge is Public apathy, particularly when the subject is a crime and involvement with the law, this end up people not reporting crimes committed in their neighborhoods. Secondly, is fear of retaliation which is one of the reasons frequently mentioned by community members, thirdly is lack of communication and coordination facilities at low levels of administration, and last but not least are social and economical factors.
According to Segrave and Ratcliffe (2004) three continuing challenges remaining for community policing implementation: building community partnerships, which in are often more challenging to develop than police perceive; making community policing an integrated approach to policing with other complementary policing strategies (e.g. problem-oriented policing and intelligence-led policing); and the need to strengthen research into community policing strategies to determine its effectiveness as a policing tool.
Overall, the challenges in implementing community policing vary from nation to nation. Law enforcement agencies should not expect immediate results from implementing new community policing initiatives. Community policing requires significant financial and organizational investment, and agencies wishing to implement such practices should base actions on proven successful methods and only if they are able to be adapted to suit the local context (Brogden 2004, p. 649).
Community-Based Policing can be cement for security and development. A Police Force supported by the community and capable of arresting insecurity can have a far-reaching impact in enabling a lasting economic, social and political development. However, as international efforts have so far indicated, reforming a Police organization, re-orienting their shoddy public image and improving their service delivery, means facing daunting political, financial, logistical and historical obstacles
RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSION
To be effective community policing needs a democratic environment to flourish in. This can only happen if the community and the police form a partnership of equality. They must also learn to trust each other with the understanding that whatever the one does will also be in the best interest of the other . States are obliged to overcome social, economical and political needs that hinder community participation in maintain social order and fighting crimes if community development is put under consideration.
Therefore this research has tried to discuss how community policing is of paramount importance in enabling community development in terms of social order and crime reduction as it is the only better way to address the concerns and problems of communities, because it is decentralized, proactive, and deals with crime prevention and the fear of crime. Horowitz (1995:87) wrote that “To rid poor urban neighborhoods of their criminal element, public officials at all levels must encourage the creation of new relationships between low-income resident organizations and local police forces.” Sparrow (1988:1) as community policing concept “perceives the community as an agent and partner in promoting security rather than as a passive audience.”
1. Brown, L. 1992. Community Policing Guidebook, Police Department, City of New York.
2. Swilling, & Boya, 1994. Local Transition and the challenge of Sustainable Development: The Greater Johannesburg Case.
3. Tim Newburn, 2008, handbook of policing, 2nd edition
4. Leftwich, A. 1993. “Governance, Democracy and Development in the Third World”, Third World Quarterly, 24,3,1993.
5. Murphy, Chris. 1993. “The Development, Impact and Implications of Community
6. David L. Carter″ The police and the community” 7th edition, 2002, p31
7. Brogden M 2004, ‘Commentary: community policing: a panacea from the West’, African Affairs, vol. 103, no. 413, October, pp. 635-49
8. Segrave M & Ratcliffe J 2004, Community policing: A descriptive overview.
9. D. Lyman ” The Police An introduction “3rd edition, 2004, p127,147
10. Patterson, Jeffrey, Community Policing: Learning the Lessons of History, downloaded from lectlaw.com on 23rd November 2011
11. Understanding Community Policing, A Framework for Action, MONOGRAPH, (August 1994) prepared by the Community Policing Consortium.
12. Friedmann, Robert R. 1992. Community Policing: Comparative Perspectives and Prospects. New York: St. Martin’s Press. Downloaded from gsu.edu/~crirxf/considerations.htm on 20th November 2011
KIIZA B Joseph

domain: law


text: We have a Pediatric clinic that is "small enough to care." We are the second highest rated clinic by patients surveyed in the State of Utah by SelectHealth. We have tried to create a clinic where patients get care from a Board Certified Pediatrician and Adolescent Medicine specialist, and get to see the same doctor each visit. We are based on a concierge style of private practice. That is where patients can speak to their doctor any time of the day or night, 24/7.

domain: medical


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Ally Week at Stern is featured; MBA student Janice Yong is quoted
— April 20, 2016
Excerpt from Clear Admit -- "Last week, NYU Stern celebrated 'Ally Week,' a week of celebrating being an ally in support of diversity of all forms. The celebration included a film screening of Trevor, panel discussions, safe space forums, a day of service and more. Sternie Janice Yong reflected on the week: 'Again, we know there is still so much we can do to support diversity and allyship, but I can promise you that we at Stern are dedicated to seeing this effort through.'"

domain: news


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Was it when the family all arrived at your home for Christmas Day dinner and you had to cook for loads of people that your realised that your kitchen needed a revamp?
We spend so many hours in our kitchen this is one room in the house that needs some TLC, but before you run off to check out some new units there are a few things you need to think about before making those important choices.
Grab a few kitchen magazines and make yourself a coffee as you flick through pages of designer looks and get a few ideas about how you want your new kitchen to look and ignoring prices create your wish-list making sure to leave nothing out.
Order Laura Ashley’s FREE catalogue here.
If you see something your really like, cut the image out and stick it on a large sheet of cardboard and create your own design board, do the same with paint colours, unit colours, worktops,accessories,window dressings,etc.until you build up an image of everything you need and like for your new kitchen.
Many companies offer a free design service, such as Laura Ashley, so make good use of their expertise and pick their brains for ideas and options you’d hadn’t even considered.
Always top of the list is to know from the outset what your budget is. It’s so easy to let your heart rule your head when it comes to revamping a room and before you know it your way beyond what you can reasonably afford to spend – all that does is leave you fed up and ready to accept whatever is on offer. Don’t let your dreams take second place but keep your feet firmly on the ground and look for an alternative which is within your price range. After all, nice though it would be, do you really need an instant hot water tap?
Remember that age old saying ‘Rome wasn’t built in a day’? Well, neither will your kitchen! So to roll out a few more adages ‘if it’s worth having, it’s worth waiting for’ ,’everything comes to those who wait’ and top of the shop ‘Patience is a virtue’ . OK, you’ve got the point – it may take a bit of time before your dreams truly become a completed reality.
Your designer and fitter only want to complete your kitchen as you envisage it so don’t be surprised or annoyed when a few little snags appear and remember in the grand scheme of things you will have the new kitchen you first dreamed of and as well as adding value to your home, you will have the enjoyment of having a perfectly organised space for you and your family next time you’ve to make Christmas dinner!
What would you design your kitchen like? Comment below and let us know.


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Plastic bag bans across the United States have become increasingly common, aimed at addressing environmental concerns. These bans target the reduction of plastic pollution, a significant environmental issue.
Recent reports by environmental nonprofits indicate a substantial decrease in plastic bag usage due to bans implemented in various states and cities. These measures have reportedly prevented billions of single-use plastic bags from entering circulation.
The bans have led to a notable reduction in per capita plastic bag use. Estimates suggest that individual usage has dropped by about 300 bags annually, marking a significant decline in plastic consumption.
Numerous states have enacted plastic bag bans, joining the effort to reduce environmental pollution. Newly implemented bans in states like Colorado and Rhode Island highlight the growing trend towards legislative action against single-use plastics.
Despite the success, challenges persist, including loopholes allowing thicker plastic bags to replace thinner ones. The increased use of paper bags has also been observed, raising concerns about substituting one environmental issue with another.
Experts suggest that to be truly effective, plastic bag bans should discourage all single-use bags, including thicker plastic variants. The imposition of fees on paper bags is recommended to encourage reusable alternatives.
Communities have generally adapted to these bans, with many individuals shifting to reusable bags. Public sentiment appears supportive, recognizing the environmental benefits of such measures.
The reduction in plastic bag usage extends beyond just numbers. Environmental benefits include decreased pollution, reduced impact on wildlife, and a decline in microplastics, which pose a threat to both ecosystems and human health.
The trend of plastic bag bans in the U.S. appears poised to continue, with potential for more states to join. The continued success of these bans could significantly impact environmental conservation efforts.
“The bottom line is that plastic bag bans work,” said Faran Savitz, a zero-waste advocate. “For our children to inherit a less polluted earth, that’s exactly what we need.”

domain: sociology


Following reluctance shown by allies of the United States to strike Syria, President Barack Obama is meeting with senior national security advisers at the White House to discuss plans for possible military action against Syria as Washington readies to strike alone.
The meeting should be followed by the public release of a report on intelligence the US has gathered about last week’s deadly chemical weapons attack in Syria which convinced them of the Syrian regime’s culpability in the chemical weapons attack on Syria.
Obama says the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad perpetrated the attack. But he has yet to present definitive evidence to back up the assertion.
Secretary of State John Kerry will speak about the intelligence report and the broader situation in Syria on Friday (US time).
Obama may also speak about Syria during the public portion of a White House meeting with Baltic leaders.


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The Comedy Minute
The Comedy Minute presents a showcase of some of Kansas City's most talented stand-up comedians. Curated by KCStandup.com, these comedians represent the vibrantly hilarious stand-up comedy scene in Kansas City. Each show will feature a unique lineup of KC favorites and some promising newcomers!
Brought to you by The Comedy Minute: Comedy from people you haven't heard of, yet. (www.thecomedyminute.com)
Curated by KCStandup.com - Digital Home of Kansas City Stand-up Comedy (www.kcstandup.com)


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Shah Rukh Khan and Pathaan are both flying high, breaking all the box office records. Now, the latest gossip is that Hombale Films, after the stunning success of KGF 2, and Kantara last year, could be working with King Khan for a Bollywood film.
SRK project with Hombale films
Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan is currently on cloud nine after the success of ‘Pathaan’. The film was released a day before Republic Day and has shattered major box office records. The film has collected Rs 634 crore worldwide and has made Rs 330.25 nett collection in India. With this, there are now rumors that KGF’s production house Hombale Films approaching SRK post the success of Siddharth Anand’s directorial, and now the founder has responded about this development.
Reacting to the ongoing talks, Hombale Films founder Vijay Kiragandur said that there is no such plan as of now. He explained that they have not spoken to Shah Rukh Khan or his associates about their possible collaboration. He also added that they might do a Hindi film if they get a really good script to work on.
“There were some rumors last month but there is no such plan. As of now, we are not planning to make any Hindi film – unless we get a really good script,” Vijay Kiragandur told India Today.
No doubt, Hombale films had a great 2022. This year, they have powerful lined up films like the one with Prabhas’ Salaar, Fahadh Faasil’s Dhoomam, Keerthy Suresh’s Raghu Thatha, Bagheera, and Yuva Rajkumar’s film.
Now that Bollywood is back on track with Pathaan’s success, Vijay was asked if it would bother the south cinema. He said, “I don’t think it will impact any of the film industries – North or South. The success of Pathaan will encourage filmmakers to make good films. It is good for the film industries (Bollywood and South) as the audience is often coming to theatres to watch films. This is good for the Indian entertainment industry as a whole. People want to see larger-than-life films in theatres and the success of Pathaan will help all Indian films.”
Meanwhile, SRK has not taken a break after the success of Pathaan. The superstar was seen on the sets of director Atlee’s upcoming thriller Jawan. The pictures of his new avatar have gone viral on the internet.


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Madonna today unveiled the fashion designers with whom she is collaborating for her costumes on her highly anticipated Rebel Heart World Tour. The list includes Alessandro Michele for Gucci, Alexander Wang, Fausto Puglisi, Jeremy Scott for Moschino, Nicolas Jebran, Miu Miu, Prada and Swarovski. Costume designer Arianne Phillips will be overseeing the wardrobe for the Rebel Heart Tour and will also contribute designs, marking her sixth tour with Madonna.
The Rebel Heart Tour will kick off on September 9th in Montreal, Quebec at Bell Centre and visit cities throughout North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. Since the tour was announced this past spring, due to overwhelming demand, multiple shows have been added in cities across the world including: Montreal, New York City, Toronto, Miami, Koln, Turin, Barcelona, Berlin, Sydney, Melbourne, Manila and more. Diplo will open the Rebel Heart Tour in Montreal on September 9th and 10th, and Amy Schumer will open the two dates at New York’s Madison Square Garden and the Barclay Center in Brooklyn.
Click here for full tour itinerary and tickets info.


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- Many are still mourning late Nigerian musician Sound Sultan who passed away on Sunday, July 11
- Friends, fans and colleagues recently came together to honour the memory of the Mathematics crooner by holding a candlelight session
- Videos from the ceremony sparked fresh reactions from social media users with some praying for the late singer to rest in peace
Exactly one week after the sad news of singer Sound Sultan’s death and it is evident that friends, family members, colleagues and fans are still nursing heartbreak.
Just recently, a candlelight session was organised to honour the memory of the much-loved singer who lost his life to a battle with cancer.
Those in attendance wore black shirts that had been customised with the singer’s name and image. There were also banners, balloons among other items that carried the name and pictures of the Nigerian superstar.
Sound Sultan: Many moved to tears as Darey, Waje, Yemi Alade and Falz perform a tribute to late singer
One of the videos making the rounds online captured the moment those in attendance rendered a sombre version of the singer’s hit single, Mathematics.
Watch videos below:
More condolence messages pour in for Sound Sultan
As expected, the video stirred emotional reactions from members of the online community who couldn’t attend the candlelight ceremony.
Read some of their comments below:
"Celebrity has a wider range of impact outside of their core areas like sultan. Music, comedy, actor, sports (basketball), social commentator name it and he was top norch in all!!"
"May Almighty Allah forgive his shortcomings and grant him peace in his grave."
"We love you S.Sultan but I believe Allah took you home to rest because he loves and know the best for you."
"Who else saw sound sultan smiling down at them Rest in power king."
Obi Cubana: Davido, Dbanj turn funeral to music concert with energetic performances, crowd goes gaga
Darey, Falz, Waje and Yemi Alade pay tribute to Sound Sultan
The celebrity singers who are coaches on The Voice singing show performed the singer’s 2016 hit single Motherland.
The powerful performance stirred mixed reactions from Nigerians on social media with some people saying they were moved to tears.


During the 20th century, asbestos was used in many building materials. There is a possibility that your home may have asbestos products if it was built before 1990.
It is not a good idea to attempt to remove asbestos yourself. You may need professionals to remove the asbestos depending on its type. We will take a closer look at asbestos found in residential properties. This includes how to remove it and the cost of doing so.
When did asbestos stop being used in homes?
Most asbestos was eliminated from Australian homes by the 1980s. In the mid-1970s, asbestos production peaked. At this point, the government began to investigate the health effects of asbestos dust exposure.
Australia banned asbestos completely in 2003. However, asbestos was still mined in Australia up to 1984. It is found in approximately one third of homes built before 1990.
In the 1920s, Australian manufacturers began to import and mine asbestos. In 1983, 1.5 million tonnes had already been imported to Australia. The following are common products made from asbestos:
- Cement sheets
- Corrugated roofing
- Vinyl floor tiles
- Pipe insulation
- Loose insulation
There is training. OHS.com.au offers separate courses for friable (Class A), and non-friable asbestos removal.
Cost of removal will depend on the amount and location of asbestos. It may take more to remove loose-fill insulation from large homes than removing pipe insulation from just a few pipes.
Costs can be increased by obstacles. You may be charged an additional fee to remove asbestos from hard-to-reach areas, like an area where workers might have difficulty accessing.
From the 1920s to the 1980s, asbestos was used by both homebuilders and construction companies in a variety of building products. One in three homes built prior to 1990 contained some form of asbestos.
You may need to inspect an older house for asbestos before you do any repairs or renovations. Exposure to asbestos fibers can cause serious health problems.
To remove any kind of asbestos from a house, a professional must be hired. An asbestos assessor licensed in the state of California can inspect the property for asbestos and recommend the best course.


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A hungry, hungry caterpillar
It’s not a worm. It’s a caterpillar that grows into a moth. This means it can travel far once it reaches the adult stage.
100 km per night
The adult moth can travel over 100 kilometres per night, and with the help of a good wind it has been known to travel more than 1,000 kilometres in 30 hours.
1,000s of eggs per female. In the adult stage, the Fall armyworm reproduces quickly.
80 plant species make up the menu for this hungry, hungry caterpillar. This includes key staples, like maize, millet, sorghum, rice, and wheat, as well as sugar cane and vegetables. These are all important crops for both farming families and farming businesses.
Maize is a staple food for millions of small-scale farmers — and for the Fall armyworm. Young caterpillars like to feed on the leaves, and can eat the growing point of the plant. Older caterpillars will bore into the cob.
$13 billion US: the predicted losses in maize, sorghum, rice, and sugar cane that African farmers will experience this year. Small but devastating for sure.
An invader from the Americas
The Fall armyworm originates in the tropical and sub-tropical regions of North and South America. It was first reported in West Africa in early 2016.
There is another armyworm that is native to Africa. The African armyworm generally attacks the leaves of the plant, causing crop losses, but not total harvest loss. The Fall armyworm is more destructive. Feeding on young plants, it can kill the growing point, and feeding on older plants, it can burrow its way into the cob and eat the kernels.
26 African countries
The Fall armyworm has been spotted in 26 African countries as of May 2017.
Information is key.
The Fall armyworm is not native to Africa, and recommendations for managing the invasive pest are evolving. Researchers are involved and a regional plan is being developed by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization.
This makes information a key tool in slowing the devastation caused by the Fall armyworm. Farmers need the right information to identify the Fall armyworm, and to distinguish it from other pests such as the African armyworm, African bollworm, tomato moth caterpillar, and maize stem borer. And, as researchers formulate pest management plans, these need to be communicated to farmers as well.
Researchers and policymakers also need information from farmers to track the path of this voracious caterpillar and to tally up the losses left in its wake.
Farm Radio International is supporting farmers in a variety of ways, largely through information sharing and connecting broadcasters to experts in their region.
We can reach more than 100 million farmers through our network of broadcasters in sub-Saharan Africa.
Learn more about the Fall armyworm through CABI, the Centre for Agriculture and Biosciences International: https://cabiinvasives.wordpress.com/2017/08/29/a-can-of-worms-fall-armyworm-invasion-in-africa/
Give a donation today … because millions of farmers count on rural radio for reliable information.

domain: agronomy


HVAC Technique High-quality Installation Rater Checklist -- This checklist makes guaranteed the technique has appropriate ducting, proper functioning of lines (such as, ductwork might not run along The within of a wall with no right R6 insulation), and that the system is of the right measurement for maximum effectiveness in heating and cooling your home.
In some instances, you could have a process that's so outdated that areas are no more accessible or else they are not nearly code. In such a case you'll need to think about replacing your complete technique.
In 1758, Benjamin Franklin and John Hadley, a chemistry professor at Cambridge College, done an experiment to examine the theory of evaporation as a way to fast great an item. Franklin and Hadley verified that evaporation of really volatile liquids (for example Liquor and ether) might be utilized to drive down the temperature of an object earlier the freezing point of drinking water. They done their experiment Together with the bulb of a mercury thermometer as their object and that has a bellows applied to hurry-up the evaporation.
Insulation is on the market in a number of kinds and is also appropriate for unique locations. According to the Section of Electricity, these are:
When replacing your HVAC procedure, you need to know what sizing to get. Should you have not produced any additions to your private home, you have to be in the position to stay with precisely the same measurement method. For those who have manufactured additions, although it had been just turning your garage or attic right into a livable Area, you will need to recalculate your preferences according to the new dimensions.
Window unit air conditioners are installed in an open up window. The inside air is cooled as being a admirer blows it more than the evaporator. On the exterior the heat drawn from the inside is dissipated into the natural environment being a next lover blows outdoors air in excess of the condenser. A big household or setting up can have quite a few these types of models, making it possible for Each individual home to generally be cooled independently.
You'll be able to put in address the greatest HVAC method ever built, but if your house isn't insulated very well, it's only planning to end up costing you extra money. Older homes could possibly have fiberglass insulation which includes damaged down on account of pests, humidity, or poor installation.
As pointed out higher than, the guideline is you will need 20 BTUS for each square foot of livable House. However, this assumes that you simply live in best temperatures and possess a very and correctly insulated residence with Totally no decline or leakage. Actually, the local weather you reside in will affect the amount you really require.
Zoned methods -- Zoned techniques observe parts of the house and only heat or interesting those that will need it. Dampers while in the ducting shut off regions of the home to divert the airflow only at yahoo to specific rooms.
Cool air blows throughout the heat exchanger and absorbs the heat. The blower then sends it through the ducts and into your rooms of your property. The flue sends any exhaust gases safely outside of your house.
SEER is relevant to the coefficient of general performance (COP) frequently Utilized in thermodynamics as well as towards the Electrical power Efficiency Ratio (EER). The EER may be the efficiency ranking for your machines at a particular set of exterior and internal temperatures, when SEER is calculated around a complete array of exterior temperatures (i.e., the temperature distribution to the geographical locale with the SEER exam).
An Digital air cleaner: This extra filtration can help continue to AC Repair Phoenix keep pollen and also other allergens from moving into your procedure and circulating through the entire property. See exactly how much it prices to install an entire residence air purifier or cleaner.
Look at what sort of heating and cooling method you would like installed for that square footage of your home. Do you need a full technique using a thermostat or a particular machine to the summer just like a swamp cooler? Do you need a different furnace only for the winter? For almost any of such projects, the associated fee will differ based on the good quality, design and style and equipment size you decide on.
At the time per month clear any leaves or debris from outdoor condensers. This is especially vital in the course of the summer months months.


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U.K. Judge Rejects Assange Bail Request, Citing Flight Risk
Julian Assange will remain in a British prison after a U.K. court denied his request to go free on bail Wednesday, citing the U.S. government's ongoing attempts to extradite Assange to face espionage charges.
District Judge Vanessa Baraitser – who gave Assange a court victory earlier this week by rejecting the U.S. extradition request – ruled that Assange must be held in custody while the U.S. government appeals, saying he poses a flight risk.
Assange will remain in Belmarsh prison in south-east London, where he has been held since the spring of 2019. He was arrested after spending seven years in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London.
"It is extremely disappointing that even though the request for Mr. Assange's extradition to the United States has been denied, he will continue to be held in a maximum security prison in London, under lockdown during a pandemic," Assange's attorney Barry Pollack said after the ruling. He added, "We look forward to the day that he can be reunited with his family."
Baraitser denied Assange's application for bail comes days after she ruled that because of Assange's mental health and the risk of suicide, "it would be oppressive to extradite him to the United States of America."
In court Wednesday, Baraitser said that Assange's mental health condition is being sufficiently managed by prison officials and staff, contrary to the views of Assange's legal team and supporters.
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


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This post may contain affiliate links which means I make a small commission if you click on any external links and make a purchase. For more information, visit my Legal Stuff page. I value your support and always promise to prioritize my honest opinion over any monetary gains..
I have always been obsessed with animals. My mom calls me Ellie Mae Clampet because strays have a way of finding me. Which is why we’ve had 2 squirrels, a bat, a chinchilla, a ferret, 2 bunnies, 8 turtles, 10 frogs, a billion cats and dogs. I like animals more than people, so I truly enjoy spoiling them… but mostly, I want them to be healthy. Here are some pet care tips from a vet tech, a pet lover and a kennel manager.
My old boss used to say “an ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure”. If you’re a pet parent, you need to remember that. It might save you a lot of time, money and heartache. Keeping your pet healthy is easier than treating it after an illness or injury. This is what I’ve learned from working at a veterinarian for 5 years (and living with Hunter- who was a vet tech for 10 years).
Meet Our Pets
The pet care tips listed here are things I’ve learned over many years of being an obsessive mommy to these runts. They drive me insane and test my last nerve… but I wouldn’t trade any of them for the world.
Before You Get A Pet
To the parents buying a puppy for their kids for Christmas, only to send it to the pound a few months later: don’t adopt a freaking pet.
Dear college kid wanting a cute puppy to drag to tailgating parties…. don’t adopt a freaking pet.
To the people considering buying a pet with any intentions other than keeping that pet until it dies: DON’T ADOPT A FREAKING PET.
You would be disgusted if you knew how many people ‘return’ their pet. Like it was a dress that you bought for a party and then returned after. Once they realize dropping food into a bowl does not count as pet care, they decide ‘eh no thanks’. You’d be even more disgusted to find out how many people want to euthanize their pet if they decide to move, have a baby or just ‘don’t want a pet’ anymore.
If you’re considering bringing any pet into your family, you need to be certain of your decision. You need to be financially prepared to care for a pet (in sickness and in health). You have to be sure that you can dedicate time to care for them, train them and love on them. If you can’t guarantee that they will be a priority forever, don’t adopt a pet.
I’m so adamant about this because I think pets truly deserve more than some people are willing to offer. Pets aren’t just things that you buy and put in your yard to make you look like a nice, loving family. They are living, breathing, feeling beings. While you may legally ‘own’ them, your real job is to care for them. If you don’t have the heart, time or money to make that a priority, a pet will not fit happily in your home.
Day One Of Pet Care
Keeping your pets healthy starts the second you bring them home. You need to make sure that you have everything they need. Not only pet care supplies, but a plan for your life together.
The Right Pet Care Supplies
For dogs, you’ll obviously need a leash, collar, ID tags, water bowl, food bowl, dog bed, dog food, dog toys, chew bones…
For cats, you need a litter box, litter, a litter scoop, food bowls, water bowls, cat food, cat toys, nail trimmers, cat toys, collar and ID tags for outdoor cats….
A lot of pet parents go all out for their fur kids at first. They go to the pet store and buy everything in sight. However, it’s more than just buying the supplies. It’s about buying the right supplies.
Most new dog owners will buy a retractable leash. However, they can be terribly dangerous for both you and your dog. They can get wrapped around things…they can give you ‘rope burn’…your dog could run out in front of a car. You could drop the leash and scare your dog, causing them to run away from the big plastic box chasing them.
Trainers hate retractable leashes for many reasons, but mainly because it doesn’t set a strict boundary for them. The trainers I worked with usually recommend a leash like this.
Also, I know it’s hard to stomach spending $20-$30 bucks on a water bowl, so a lot of people buy cute, cheap plastic bowls. I have strong feelings against plastic bowls, even ones made in the USA.
Most pet bowls say ‘Not Safe For Human Use‘…… why is it safe for my pets but not my pets?
The plastic can leech chemicals into their water, a puppy can chew and swallow pieces of a bowl… I’ve just never liked plastic. I opt for a sturdy ceramic bowl instead. They last longer and you can disinfect them.
We had the same ceramic water bowl for 6 years, but sadly it broke when we were moving into our new house. I searched high and low for a decent looking ceramic bowl that wasn’t bright colors or say ‘drink’. We love this bowl. Even with 9 billion animals, I only fill it twice a day!
One day, I might make a list of all the pet supplies we live for… and the flops. Like I said, I’m an overbearing pet mommy and I do everything in my power to keep my fur kids around for as long as possible. I know I go overboard and I know not everyone will be as nutty about pet care as we are. However, just know that I’ve done my fair share of research- I want your pet to live as long as possible too!
Your Pet Care Plan
All pet care tips from a vet tech will inevitably require you to start with a plan.
As part of your plan, you need to decide on long-term rules your pet needs to follow. These have to be set in stone and you need to make sure the whole family is aware of the rules. Are they allowed on the sofa? Can they sleep in your bed? Will you let them eat table scraps? How often do they get treats? What time do they get fed?
This plan is to prevent any kind of confusion for you or the pet. They learn people, patterns and behavior very quickly. You will end up with a very undisciplined, confused pet if one family member lets them on the sofa, but the others say the sofa is off limits.
It’s also important to decide who is in charge of what aspects of care. Ask the overweight dog about why this is important. No one could figure out why he was so fat. He was exercising and only getting 1/2 cup of food twice a day. Except, the parents didn’t talk about who was supposed to feed him. So, he was running a con-job and getting 1/2 cup FOUR times a day.
If you have a crazy hectic family schedule or no one is really ‘in charge’ of certain aspects of pet care, just make sure ya’ll have a system to communicate. Something like this feeding reminder chart may help keep everyone on the same page. Don’t just wing it… especially if your pet is on medications. You could end up overdosing them!
A lot of people see training as ‘optional’ when it comes to adopting a pet. But training doesn’t require you to bring your dog to a trainer. It means conditioning them to understand the rules and certain commands. This is important for their safety and your sanity. And yes, you can even train cats.
Train your pets to stay away from the door: so they know not to dart or get a paw squished. You want to teach them to stay off the counter: so you don’t end up with hair in your food (or worse, they could get ahold of some toxic foods). They also need to learn to socialize (with people and other pets): this can help so you you don’t end up with a fearful, anxious or aggressive pet.
Training your pet doesn’t have to cost money. I honestly just believe in calm, consistent reminders. Whacking your pet with a fly swatter or continually laying on the shock collar button doesn’t teach them anything. It teaches them to fear you or something they associate with being punished.
I know dogs that become fearful of children because they’re continually swatted at for getting too close to a newborn baby. Then the parents are confused later why the dog doesn’t like the child- or even worse, will bite the child out of fear.
Training your pet is the best way to keep them healthy, happy and safe. An untrained pet can injure children, hurt themselves or even poison themselves accidentally. It’s also very beneficial for your relationship with your pet to make sure they are well trained. A happy family rarely includes a destructive pet.
The ‘Small Dog Exception’
So many small dog pet parents don’t set any boundaries or rules. They say ‘he’s a little dog- it’s not like it matters’. This is the opposite of the truth. If you have a small dog, you need to be more adamant about creating a structured pet care plan. They need to know that they can’t get under your feet and that they should only jump in the laps of guests if they’re invited.
Small dogs are naturally more fearful and reactive due to their size. It’s easier for a small dog to feel cornered than it is to make a Great Dane feel like they are in trouble. When getting a small dog, make sure to consider how often they will be around children, other dogs and what you will do to make sure that they feel comfortable in each situation.
Exercise is something that most pet parents think they can skip over. So, you come home after a 12-hour work day and you’re exhausted. Guess what? Your dog doesn’t know or care. They still expect to have your attention and time.
They have been at home alone all day long. They’re excited to see you and they have tons of excess energy. Even some cats get bored if they’re left alone to a silent house all day long. If you become lazy about exercise, you can’t blame your pet when they become destructive or anxious.
Take your dog on a walk, throw the frisbee or take them swimming. I think the dog park is a great outlet for energy (if it’s used sparingly). I am guilty of taking Alli to the dog park every single day when she was younger. It’s good as an occasional treat. However, a lot of ‘dog park addicts’ are truly ‘over-socializing’ their dog. The same dogs that go every single day will create a ‘clique’ (or pack) and bully the new dogs.
Older dogs, puppies, smaller dogs and cats still need some form of exercise. Age and breed should not cause you to let your pet become a sedentary blob. No, you can’t run them or throw ball like you would for a young, active dog.
Depriving an animal of regular exercise will shorten their lifespan. They’re just like humans- exercise is necessary for a healthy heart. Seeing as smaller and older dogs are prone to heart conditions anyways, it’s actually even more important for them to get moving.
Even active animals enjoy a variety of exercise outlets. For Alli and the cats, we use a laser pointer tower to get some excess energy out. It’s sort of a cross between physical exercise and mental stimulation.
Alli and Cooper are both very active, anxious puppies. If we can’t go for our normal run, they go nuts. So, we use puzzles as a boredom buster to tide them over until we can get some real exercise. Alli likes puzzles because she is a freaking genius- she loves figuring things out. Cooper likes them because he’s food motivated.
Puzzles and brain are a must in any anxious pup’s pet care routine. You don’t have to spend a ton of money on fancy toys. A milk jug with a few holes and 1/4 cup of kibble will keep most dogs entertained for a while.
Can you tell we like Nina Ottosson? I’ll do a post later all about behavior and talk about why we’re obsessed with her. I almost forgot what these look like new… ours are a bit… tattered.
We buy the super durable puzzles because we use them so often and Coop had a tendency of tearing pieces of plastic off the milk jugs. (Always, always, always watch your pups with any kind of toy!)
‘Hide and seek’ with treats is free, easy and fun for you both. Just go around and hide small pieces of kibble or treats around the house. Super smart or obsessive pups may start searching the house even when it’s not ‘game time’. So, make sure to have some sort of ritual before you start to play so they know it’s a special activity and there isn’t always going to be food tucked around the house.
The minimum and maximum exercise for a puppy will vary greatly among breeds. Due to a puppy’s growing joints, bones and ligaments, you can’t exercise them vigorously. As a rule of thumb, you can increase exercise by 5 minutes per month of age. So, a 4-month-old puppy should have 20 minutes of exercise each day, 25 minutes at 5 months, etc.
The reason I feel the need to stress this: doggie daycare. One of the reasons I quit my job in vet med was because I managed the kennel. We had parents bringing 4 month old puppies in for 12 hours of daycare 5 days a week. They would plop the energetic puppy into my arms, giggle and say ‘Wear him out today’.
Nothing made me more upset than pet parents who flat out wouldn’t listen. Vigorous exercise like that at such a young age will cause long-term joint damage, separation anxiety, bad dog body language, dog aggression…. We’ll touch more on this in a minute.
One of my #1 pet care tips from a vet tech….Please don’t over-exercise your puppy. Stick to the minimum exercise recommendation times… and if they’re still off the walls, try a puzzle or brain game.
Doggie daycare is not as it seems. It is not the end-all, be-all, cure-all for your hyper dog. Being overstimulated surely isn’t a fix for your bored dog. A group of 30 dogs wont make your shy dog turn into a social dog. Leaving your dog at daycare wont calm a dog with separation anxiety. Being forced to socialize wont make your insecure dog become an outgoing dog. And it damn sure wont make your dog that ‘doesn’t like dogs’…. start to like dogs.
Call me a drama queen or whatever you wish. However, I have seen daycare literally ruin the best dogs. I want to write an entire post on this one day, but for now I’ll keep it short and sweet.
Their Experience In Daycare
Not all dogs are cut out for daycare. To be honest, most dogs are not ‘daycare dogs’. They may get ‘accepted’ or ‘pass the assessment’ that most daycare/boarding facilities require. But trust me on this, they are not judging if your dog actually enjoys daycare.
They’re assessing the risk they assume by allowing your dog to come in their facility. Then they are thinking about profit. Then they are thinking about ease of controlling your dog. After that, they’re considering about 50 other aspects before they consider if your dog is actually enjoying their time in daycare.
And for probably 90% of dogs, I would say ‘no. They are not enjoying it. They are tolerating it’.
Most facilities do not offer the correct training, have the necessary policies or have the building retrofitted to conduct a safe, happy, truly effective doggie daycare program.
Most dogs will return home exhausted. But don’t mistake that for a good time. I like to explain it as a day of travel. Picture 12 hours of traveling by bus, plane, taxi, subway… Non-stop, go go go, loud noises, congested areas, lots of shouting. No real down time, no personal space. So busy that you actually forget to take care of basic needs (water/potty breaks). At the end of the day, you’re exhausted beyond your wildest dreams.
Then imagine getting up to do the same thing the next day.
Again, I’ll write more on this later. Just please, trust me. I have one extremely anxiously pup because of daycare.
I am the mother who did this wrong. Alli was in daycare for 10+ hours 4 times a week till she was almost 2. I didn’t stop taking her until one day my mom was watching her on the doggie cams and saw her cowering in the corner. I am also the mother who found out way too late that I was upsetting my dog…. and paying to do it.
I’m an incredible stickler about food. My childhood dog, Sugar, died at 11 due to kidney failure. She lived on a solid diet of Little Ceasers wet food, milk bone treats and table scraps. She was a very active, spoiled Jack Russell Terrier, so she could have lived much longer if we had fed her a healthy diet.
When Sugar was alive, my dad would freeze grapes and eat them as a snack. One grape for him, one for Sugar, one for him, one for Sugar. She got any food that we would eat… she was incredibly spoiled. Normally, I’d be proud of a spoiled pet, but this type of spoiling is what led her to an early grave.
Here are some things that are deadly/toxic for dogs:
- Chocolate, Coffee and Caffeine
- Coconut and Coconut Oil
- Grapes and Raisins
- Macadamia Nuts
- Milk and Dairy
- Onions, Garlic, Chives
- Raw/Undercooked Meat, Eggs and Bones
- Salt and Salty Snack Foods
- Yeast Dough
Cats have a similar list:
- Caffeine (coffee, soda, tea)
- Xylitol (found in sugarless gums, candies, toothpastes)
- Yeast dough
Cats and dogs alike can be mischievous and get into all kinds of things. Alli swallowed a cigarette butt on a walk when she was a puppy. I spent all night on the phone with animal poison control. Otto ate 2 foot of ribbon and had to have very expensive surgery. So, as you would with children, make sure to put away any medications, toxic plants, household chemicals…
Store Bought Nutrition
As far as dog food and kibble, I’m one picky mama. Pet nutrition is similar to human nutrition. One week, eggs are bad for you… the next week, you should eat 3 eggs a day. One week grain-free diets can keep your pet alive longer… the next week, grain-free diets can cause heart disease. I just do the best I can with what information is available to me (and of course, consulting with our vet).
Alli started out on Blue Buffalo as a puppy. It was the healthiest thing to feed a dog when she was a puppy. Turns out, they’re really just marketing geniuses and it’s not actually better for them than a brand like Purina… but its triple the price.
Now, we go back and forth between any of the ‘Taste of the Wild’ recipes and Natures Domain from Costco. Our vet actually recommended Natures Domain over most of the expensive brands. It’s produced by Blue Diamond and they are one of the ‘safest’ food brands. They have an excellent product recall history and it’s a quality food.
Grocery Store Diets
My general guideline is: if it’s on the shelves at your local dollar store or your local grocery store… don’t get it. There are a few exceptions to this because some grocery stores are starting to offer very quality foods. Just stay away from Ol Roy, Alpo, Cesar, Big Red…. anything that costs $10 for a 2 month supply will obviously not be quality food.
If you are buying the grocery store brands because it’s convenient, check out Chewy.com for food and treats. Our cat food, dog food, treats, dental chews, cat litter and toys all get auto-shipped to the house with free 2-day shipping. Score!
You’ll have to do your own research and consult with your own vet about your options. Just know that food is very important. Just like humans: if you eat junk food, you’ll feel horrible and wont live long. Pets are the same way. Some foods are the equivalent of eating 4 hamburgers at each meal. Make the responsible decision for your babies.
If we can’t survive and thrive on a junk food diet… why would they be able to?
The day you bring your new pet home, create a file. Include any receipts, training receipts, adoption paperwork, vet receipts and bloodwork results. Treat it like you would your own paperwork or your kids medical history. Keep it organized and easy to access. It’s quicker to navigate an orderly folder than a ruffle through a junk drawer in case of an emergency. And sometimes, minutes couldn’t mean life or death.
Internet Pet Care
As any human doctor would tell their patient: ‘Stay off WebMD’…..
Any veterinarian would say ‘Stop Googling pet health questions.’
You could honestly be putting your pet’s life at risk by relying on the internet to ‘troubleshoot’ their medical problems or find ‘alternative care methods.’
Baking soda will not keep your dog from getting infested with fleas and raw eggs will not cure a dog of worms. There are a few at-home remedies that really work, but ask your vet first. We had so many pet parents come in with a sick puppy that they had tried to heal with tips online. A few very unfortunate pets actually lost their lives from misguided internet ‘miracle cures’.
When in doubt, call and speak to your veterinarian about what’s going on. Any decent vet will tell you if you need to bring your pet in for a visit or if you can do anything about the situation at home. Listen to your vet- if they say you need to come in, make it a priority.
Trusting Your Veterinarian
If you are going to be a responsible pet owner, you need to have a very open relationship with a veterinarian that you trust. Don’t just go to the local vet ‘everyone loves’ or ‘because it has been there forever’. Go in for a ‘trial visit’ and see if you trust them. You can usually tell with how the vet greets your dog and how quickly they try to sell you products and services.
I know of some super sketchy, super snake-y vets who will change their opinion of products based on what makes them the most money. However, I also know of some vets that try to save you money by suggesting at-home treatments, alternative methods and natural options.
My mom’s chocolate lab, Snickers, had to be euthanized recently because of severe joint degeneration. If we had a trustworthy vet when she was younger, we could have started her on medications and prevented some of her pain. Instead, they suggested we euthanize her at 5 years old. She lived to be 11 (only because our current vet helped to manage her pain naturally).
The vet that is real with you is the vet that actually cares about your pet as much as you do. That vet will work with you to make sure that ya’ll have a wellness plan that will allow your pet to live the longest, healthiest life possible.
This all just goes back to having a trustworthy veterinarian in your life. One of the vets I took Alli to was alllll about vaccines. Some were required every 6 months, some were annual… I felt like we were at the vet all the time for shots and bloodwork. My wallet agreed.
Once I went to a vet that I actually trusted, I realized that the first vet was just bleeding me for money. Our current vet is the absolute queen and she loves my pups like they’re her own. She hates giving them shots, so she doesn’t give them anything that isn’t necessary.
We get a 3 year Rabies vaccine, 3 year DAPP (Distemper, Adenovirus, Parainfluenza, and Parvovirus), annual Bordetella and annual Leptospirosis (only because our pups are outdoorsy). We do annual senior bloodwork and intestinal parasite checks.
Our cats also get just the minimal recommended vaccines for indoor cats- which is great because they aren’t the best travelers.
Wellness Visits and Exams
A lot of people will ignore the veterinarian’s postcards and delay the visit as long as possible. Please don’t. The most important part of an annual Wellness check-up is the actual exam. If you catch an illness or condition early enough, you have a much higher chance of curing or controlling it. Our vet knows our pets so well that if they get a tiny lump or change in behavior, they notice right away.
We saved pets from cancer because the parents noticed a small weight fluctuation. We also lost pets to curable diseases because their parents put off the appointment stumbled across the incorrect information on Google and decided they were fine.
Prevention At A Young Age
None of our pets have any pressing medical conditions that we have to treat. We’ve really been blessed with great health for both of our senior pups.
Cooper is a labrador retriever and that breed is known for getting arthritis in their hips and knees. Alli is a mixed mutt but I still worry about her joint health. Our vet suggested that we start them joint support supplements as part of our pet care plan. It’s easier to get ahead of pain and prevent it before we begin noticing any real pain or discomfort.
Our pups get fish oil and glucosamine/chondroitin from every single day. You can also get the big bottles from Costco or Walmart. Not only does it prevent joint issues, the fish oil has cut down their shedding a whole lot. Make sure that you check with your vet to see if your pets would do well taking natural supplements like that.
Preventative Pet Care
Prevention also includes heartworm, flea, tick and intestinal parasite prevention. These are not optional. They need to be on prevention for their as well as your family’s safety.
‘He’s an indoor pet’…. just doesn’t cut it. Even indoor pets are exposed to the things that can make your pets ill.
Mosquitos carry heart worm disease. You are lying if you try to tell me that you’ve never seen a mosquito in your home.
Worms and parasites can live in potting soil… and regular soil that you can track in the house on your shoes. You and your family can actually get worms from your pets. Nasty, right?
One female flea can produce up to 50 eggs per day. I honestly don’t believe that there is a place in the United States that is ‘flea-safe’. Even if there are areas that are less likely to have a flea issue, ticks are another story.
Don’t risk a flea infestation or lyme disease- just prevent it.
Prevention is always the part of pet care that people think is too costly. Well, heart worm treatment, flea removal and lyme disease treatment is all way more expensive and troublesome. Not to mention, they may not be curable… and you may lose your fur kid.
Dental Health & Treats
Our general health relies heavily on our oral health. It is the ‘gateway’ to our bodies. You can have kidney issues, bad skin, heart conditions…. all from poor oral hygiene.
Dogs are no different. Except, it’s harder to keep their teeth healthy. They can’t brush their teeth, or floss. So you have 3 options: brush their teeth, use water additive or give them dental chews. If they’ll let you brush their teeth, do it! Some dogs don’t like toothbrushes, so you can try try water additive. If they’re jerks like my dogs, a dental chew is sort of your only option.
My dogs get one of these as their ‘Night Night Snack’ every single night. They are sure to tell me when I am late or forget giving it to them. I swap it up between the Veggie Dents and the Hextra chews. They like the Hextra chews more and they ‘do more’ mechanically to remove any plaque… but they are a bit pricier and take a lot longer for them to eat.
As far as treats, I just mix it up with whatever is the best selling and most highly recommended treats on Chewy. My creatures are insanely picky and have yet to turn a nose to the treats I offer. They get bored with treats if I ‘serve’ the same kind for more than week.
I know… they’re spoiled and I’ve created monsters. But they’re happy monsters. I say pet care… but I mean buttlering…
This fits in with training, exercise, health…. but it’s an incredibly important aspect of pet care. People frequently euthanize pets because of their behavior. Destructiveness, anxiety, aggression. These are all signs that your pet is under extreme stress. As their pet parent, it is your job to figure out why they are stressed.
New baby in the house and now your cat started peeing on the floor? Well, for 13 years, that cat was used to being the center of attention and living by certain rules. Now that the baby has arrived, most of those rules have probably changed, you may have changed the location of the cat box, started buying them a different food because it was easier to pick it up from the grocery…. and almost certainly, the cat is now seen as an ‘annoyance‘.
I saw it all the time with new parents, new homeowners and new marriages: what was once a cute quirk, trait or habit is now considered ‘annoying’. The dog used to sleep on the sofa, but now that you got new furniture, he’s not allowed up there anymore? Your dog has no clue why he is no longer allowed on the sofa. It’s a change to his daily life that makes zero sense. Being creatures of habit, any change can be extremely stressful.
That’s why I mentioned that you needed a pet care plan and you had to stick to it. It may not be as important on day 5 as it is on year 5 or 15, but it has to be an absolute. Is there any circumstance that you would start kicking your dog off the sofa? Yes? Then make that a rule from day 1.
Our home is a pet home and they will forever be allowed wherever. No new sofa, bedspread or pillowcase will change our rules for our pets. However, not all homes are like that. It’s better to set expectations from day 1. It’s easier to set strict rules than try to change them.
The Causes of Stress
When our animals start to show the beginning signs of stress, we try to resolve the issue by checking our rules first. Then going down our ‘ladder of anxiety’…..
- Have we changed the way we do anything around the house?
- Are we gone from the home more often than usual?
- Is there someone new to the household (pet or human)?
- Could they be experiencing any strange, loud noises (fireworks, gun shots, construction)?
- Are they getting enough exercise?
- Are they showing any medical signs of distress (pain/lethargy/fever/vomiting/diarrhea/weight loss…)?
If there’s not a behavior that we can change to ease their stress, then we will medicate with natural anxiety medications. I use lavender essential oil in an oil diffuser all day long, every day. We also use Feliway and Adaptil if we know something is going to freak them out in advance. (Thank god for these… they saved our furniture and sanity during our many moves a few years ago.)
We also keep a pet-safe prescription anxiety medication on hand for extreme situations. Fireworks are an extreme situation in our home. We’ve learned to skip any natural stress remedies and go right to prescriptions meds. Loud music, drugs and patience are all we can do to get through New Years Eve without catastrophe.
We’ve never had to go past anxiety medications for any of our pets. However, I know of people who have to hired a behaviorist to fix very extreme anxiety or behavioral issues. There’s no shame in needing a professional. It means you care for your pet!
Please give your pet a fighting chance. So many people will get frustrated and give up before they actually have a chance to change. They just call the dog broken, annoying, old or psycho and call it quits. Just because they can’t talk doesn’t mean they aren’t trying to tell you something. Listen to them.
Final Pet Care Tips From A Vet Tech
So, anyone who was just considering pet ownership has probably changed their minds and any current pet owner is probably feeling horribly judged for their current pet care routines.
I don’t mean for either of those to be what you take away from this. I just wanted to raise awareness. I’ve seen horrible things happen to pets because their parents didn’t know how to take care of them… or even worse, they didn’t care.
Animals are willing to offer you more than you will ever consider offering them. They will give you every ounce of loyalty, love and affection that they have in their tiny little bodies. The commitment they give deserves more than we could ever give them. The least we can do is offer a good, healthy pet care routine to keep them with us for longer.
They give with taking only little in return. They can cheer you up on the worst day of your life. Every day, they protect us, calm us, save us, and even love us when we can’t love ourselves. I wrote a bit about my life for animals here.
I wish every person would adopt a dog or cat or pet. People would be much happier and we’d have less homeless pets. But, I know we don’t live in a fairytale. Even if the only result of me writing this post is that someone takes their pet to a vet check-up, re-evaluates their pet care routine…. or decides to adopt a pet…. I’ll feel like this was a total success.
Disclaimer about Chewy
While I use Chewy.com affiliate links, just know that I signed up to be an affiliate after I wrote this.
One of my favorite customers at the vet told me about Chewy about 5 years ago. Ever since then, I have used Chewy for all of our pet care needs. I’ve turned everyone I know into a Chewy person too. Just because their company is really just that good.
Price, ease of auto-ship, free shipping… I could list all of the perks of Chewy. But, the real reason I wanted to become an affiliate and spread the word is because they’re people that love pets.
I had a bag of dog food arrive damaged a while back. The $95 bag of Orijen dog food had exploded inside the box. The box was damaged so it was most likely damaged during shipping. I messaged Chewy and in 10 minutes, I had another bag headed my way, one-day free shipping. They told me to keep the box with the damaged bag and donate it to a pet in need.
I mean who does that? They could have said ‘send us a picture to prove it’…. or ‘send us the damaged box back’. No, they just made it right even though it wasn’t their fault. That’s just one of my many, many pleasant interactions with Chewy.com.
They literally send out handwritten thank you cards and for random holidays…. what kind of company does that anymore? Basically no one… and that’s why I’m such a loyal Chewy customer and I hope you will give them a try. You won’t be disappointed.

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