Rescue Dogs Make Awesome Pets

Rescue Dogs Make Awesome Pets.

Animal shelters across the United States ,often suffer from a lack of funding. Too many dogs and not enough loving families who want a mutt or half breed dog for a pet. This creates ongoing problems for the shelters. many things contribute to the large populations of dogs, suchas abandoned puppy mills, and those mills which have been legally shut down, irresponsible owners who just turn the dog lose simply because they nolonger want the burden or responsibility.  Disaters, like Forest fires, Tornados,and Earthquakes dogs get scared and become seperated from their owners. Fortunately most of these dogs are eventually reunited with their owner, providing the owner survived the ordeal as well. Sometimes these dogs are in the shelters for a few weeks before they are reunited, they may also require medical attention. If you currently have a dog then you can relate to the  expense of feeding just one dog, imagine feeding eighty dogs a day. Then you have the cost of the medical staff who provide proper medical attention to get these dogs healthy again. 

Some dogs who end up in the shelters have more serious health issues caused by neglect and pure evil cruelity, often leading to surgery and weeks of recooperation. These situations cost the shelters a lot of money to maintain the health of these prescious dogs. Due to budget cuts and other funding shortages many shelters in bigger cities have been forced to adopt euthanasia policies which forces them  to euthanize a dog after he has been in the shelter for 90-120 days with out being adopted, these dogs have to be euthanized so that new dogs can be housed and taken care of..All these Dogs really want is a loving family and they deserve at least that much.

Please understand I am not trying to shame anyone who wants a pure bred dog. If the purpose of  getting the dog is for home security or for a work dog. such as search and rescue dog. Or perhaps a certified service dog, then by all means get a pure bred. However if you are just wanting a pet then by all means visit your local animal shelter. These are dogs who by no fault of their own,  have been turned in for any number of reasons, or perhaps they have been abandoned. Most of these dogs are mixed breeds or mutts. But so often they are the most lovable and appreciative of the second chance you have given them. By being a mixed breed they often possess the best attributes from both breeds. Many of times they are smarter than some the pure bred dogs. Most shelters will have already given them all their current vaccines and they will have been neutered or Spayed. They also put a microchip in them in the event they get lost.       

The last two dogs I have adopted came from our local Humane Society's shelter the first one was Heisen he was about two years old when we adopted him. Heisen had already been neutered, had all his vaccines and a data chip. He was a beautiful black and white Beagle and Dachshund mix. The story we got from the Humane Society was that an elderly lady had him since he was a puppy, her health had had deteriarated and her family had to move in to a asisted living home. Since he was already 2 years old he was already house broke.  Not to mention he actually enjoyed his baths. Heisen was very vocal, which comes in handy when your son or daughter come home after curfew. He was very energetic. He had the long body of the Dachshund and the short legs with the turned out front paws like Fred Flinstone. I used to joke about the fact that he needed a front end alignment. He could run so fast with those out turned paws and short legs;  just watching him would make you feel exhausted. He had the face, voice, and ears of the beagle. Unfortunately Dachshunds with their long bodies are prone to develop back issues. Heisen had a herniated disk the veterinarian put him on some pain killers and steroids and after about four weeks he was as good as new. But that was to only last about 16 months. I noticed he was walking with some discomfort, took him back to the veterinarian, more pain killers and steroids. 

After that he went downhill fast, after two days he was in such bad shape and in so much pain that we had to euthanize him. It was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do. In the four and a half years that we had Heisen he made a lot of trips  to the beach, Heisen also went to Disney world and Branson Missouri. He loved to travel.

Three months had past after losing Heisen, I was on the animal shelters website and came across a photo of a handsome looking 9 month old dog that was part Beagle and part Whippet he was brown, black, and white. The animal shelter had given him the name of Harley. I went to see Harley the next day and put a hold on him which was on Saturday.

Then on Sunday my wife and I went to see him after church, like me she too fell in love with him. We adopted him, being a John Wayne fan I changed his name to Duke. Now being part Whippet he has hind legs like a kangaroo and can walk around on his hind legs longer than any other dog I have seen. I am about 5’ 9” when he jumps he can look me strait in the eye.  Now Duke’s story is kind of sad, he was born as a street dog in Las Angelos California he had never had a home, he was picked up by animal control when he was about five months old. Since he was at the end of the alotted time of Los Angeles  the shelter he was transferred to the Portland Humane Society because they don’t euthanize animals, just to make more room. Portland also has a 98% adoption rate It’s like getting a second chance.  

My Wife and I live in a apartment all the doors have door handles with a single deadbolt above it. As I mentioned we brought Duke home on Sunday afternoon, On Monday night my wife and I stepped out to do some grocery shopping, when we returned we found the front door ajar and no Duke to be found. We set the bags of groceries down and went looking for him. 15 minutes later we found him sitting with a couple of girls on the sidewalk.  The next day we exchanged the door handle for a door knob.

On another occasion I had gone up to the office to send a fax, I was only going to gone for a few minutes At that time our apartment community was much safer so  I didn’t lock the door nor did I take my keys with me, Duke was standing at the door giving me that look, you know the one, the why are you not taking me with you look. I ended up being gone a little longer than I had intended, and when I tried to open the door it was locked. I could hear him on the other side of the door sniffing, or perhaps laughing at me. I have to say that it was good thing nobody was walking through the corridor to hear trying to reason with Duke. One would think that if he could lock the door, that he could also unlock it. Not a chance. We have also found out that Duke does not like a harness of any kind, he either finds a way to pull them off over his ears, or chews through them. He prefers a regular collar, never tries to get out of it. He loves laying in my lap and watching television. He likes Granny Smith apples, pretzel bites, oranges. This little guy has been an awesome companion pet and brought a lot of joy and laughter to our home.

Shelters only have so much room to house the dogs they have, with limited funds so if your looking for a pet who is going to love you as much as you love them. If you have ever had to see a dog be euthanized it is heart wrenching. Adopt a dog today and save a life.

Hotshot Freight

Making More Money by Cutting Your Cost 

In this business like all businesses, you have fixed expenses and discretionary expenses. Your fixed expenses such as insurance, truck payments, trailer payments, and permits, are going to be the same amount every month. Discretionary expenses are those expenses that you have more control over. These would include food, lodging, fuel, and preventative maintenance.

Lodging

lodging can be a huge expense. However, there are several ways to cut these cost. Depending on the type of truck you have and, of course, the weather, you can obviously sleep in your truck. It is not the most comfortable way to get sleep, and you don’t get a good night’s rest and this can affect your productivity and your driving. Since time is money in this business not getting a good nights rest can be counterproductive. It can also wear you down. So there are a few different ways to handle this. Some hotel chains, such as choice hotels offer rewards. Usually, they will offer a promotion staying two nights and get one night free. And a lot of their hotels come with a free breakfast.

On average, it will cost you between $60-$100 per night. A lot of people frown when I say Motel 6, but I have to tell you that 90% of the ones that I have stayed in are very clean and well kept. They do not have a rewards program, but they are very economical, with a price range of $45-$80 per night based on location.  If you are in this business and over 50 years old, I strongly urge you to become a member of AARP and AAA these will often earn you additional discounts at hotel chains. Obviously the cheaper hotel chains do not offer a free breakfast. So when you do the math, staying at one of the choice hotels and getting a free hot breakfast is somewhat of a no-brainer.

Another option for lodging,  depending on the truck you own is a sleeper for the truck, that is DOT certified. The initial investment for a sleeper will run anywhere from $5,000.00 to 9,500.00. One company that I talked to was Cowtown Sleepers, another source that I tracked down is Welden Manufacturing both of these companies offer a wide variety of options. If you were to purchase a sleeper that was in the middle price range and you averaged your hotel expenses at $50. A night the sleeper will pay for itself in six months or less. The advantage to the sleeper is that you can stop to rest pretty much anywhere you are. And you are able to discourage any vandals or thieves.

Food Cost

The price of eating out every day can be very high. This is especially so when you’re on the road trying to make a living. Nevertheless, you have to eat to stay healthy and be productive. There are several ways that you can control your food cost and still eat well. While I was on the road for about a year doing hotshot freight, a few years before this I spent three years driving a semi. During both of these jobs, I kept an ice chest on board with drinks, cereal, fruit, and supplies to make sandwiches. In the Hotshot freight business, you are not as limited on where you can park to dine as you are driving a semi. Either way If I had stayed at say Motel 6 I would have a bowl of cereal in the morning before leaving, later a snack chips an apple something to keep me going. When I got hungry, I would stop in a rest area to fix a couple of sandwiches. Then the last meal of the day would be a hot meal, usually fast food. Often I would get by with spending $10.00 or less on food each day, in part due to fuel incentives. At least once a week I would treat myself special to a more upscale dinner such as Outback, Red Lobster, Texas Road House, and a variety of others

Fuel

Diesel fuel is another big cost of operating a hotshot freight business. Truck stops are nice because they have a lot of roomsto maneuver. Most of the big truck stop establishments such as Pilot, Loves, Flying J, and the Travel Centers of America all have rewards programs and free showers based on fuel purchases. Although these are some great benefits, it does not mean that they have the best fuel prices. Most of us these days have an IPhone or Smart-Phone if you don't know you will want to obtain one. There are about six different Apps that I found for fuel locators and pricing. This will be very helpful in cutting your cost and increasing profits. When you take into account what the truck stops do offer it is indeed a wash in most cases.  Planning your fuel stops will save you a lot of money.

For example, you have two cars on your trailer, and you are leaving Portland Oregon. You are headed south to Weed California, to pick up another car. The car you pick up in Weed California is going all the way to Chula Vista California. Knowing that fuel in California is outrageous, you want to stop and fill up in Oregon before entering into California. If you fill up in Medford it is approximately eight hundred and twenty miles to Chula Vista California, from there you are going back up to San Diego to pick up another vehicle that you will drop in Phoenix along with one of the other cars on your trailer. Your truck gets about 11.5 miles a gallon loaded. You don't want to fill up in California. However, you will have to purchase some fuel to get you into Yuma Arizona where fuel will be cheaper. Your truck only holds seventy-two gallons yet to make it all the way to Yuma you are going to use almost ninety-two gallons of fuel. To be on the safe side, you will want to purchase about thirty gallons in California. Alternatively you can install another fuel tank on the truck and increase the range.

In any case, you are still going to have to plan your fuel stops to save money. Most truck stops charge the same for cash as they do for credit. That being said a lot of credit card companies offer cards with air miles or cash back, since you are going to be spending a lot of money on fuel and food those air miles or cash rewards will add up quickly allowing you to take a nice vacation at the end of the year.

Performing Preventative Maintenance.

If you are still maintaining a home base, or place of residence, where you come in off the road for a break. This is a good place and time to take the truck to the shop for preventative maintenance. You are more likely to get better deals on service and parts at home rather than out on the road. Especially things like tires and batteries and if they find something critical like a bearing, hubs, or brake issues. It is far more cost effective to work with that shop down the street than it is to fix it on the open road. Furthermore by taking good care of your truck you are less likely to find yourself broke down on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere.

Emergencies

Breaking down is not necessarily an emergency. However breaking down in the middle of the desert, the great plains, or in the mountains, can quickly turn into an emergency. As the weather in these areas can change without a lot of notice, depending on the time of year, you can find yourself in a deadly situation quickly. Whether traveling alone or with your spouse it is always a good idea to let someone close to you know where you are heading and the route you are taking. This is especially true when you are going into desolate areas of the country where cell service is sporadic.

With all the violence in our society today people are far more cautious about stopping to help someone who is broke down. And you have to wonder seriously about those that do stop. Carry two signs that you can store in the cab of the truck. The signs should read " I am broke down, please call the State police and tell them where I am" place one at each end of the vehicle so it can be seen by cars traveling in either direction. Odds are their cell phone has no service either. So it may take them a while before they can make a call on your behalf. If you have food on the truck, you should be alright for a couple of days. Make sure that you have a warm blanket and plenty of water on board as well.

 The DOT requires you to have a first aid kit in the vehicle, may I also suggest that you purchase a snakebite kit and something that you can use as a tourniquet. Because I have known drivers who just stopped to check a tire or just wanted to take a photo and wound up with a snakebite. You also will want to add some four by fours for larger scrapes and cuts. This is a very fun business to get into, but it can also be dangerous. You are dealing with machines that weigh several thousands of pounds. Accidents can and will happen, how severe they are and how badly you get hurt depends on you, how cautious you are, and you're aware of your surroundings