Welcome to the Week’s Review of Canine Social Media
Welcome to this Special Feature on the DoggieU K9 Blog for an update on this week’s dog-related social media from around the world. There are so many stories. Here we will share some of the best stories this week.
Enjoy & share them.
Many Millions Have Enjoyed This Video Of Man Having A Dinner Date With His Dog
Click to enlarge pics and for slide show view
Quality time spent wining and dining with a friend is truly time well spent. And with numerous restaurants hidden in plain sight, there’s always something to choose from. However, we find ourselves lacking companionship at times. So what do you do? Well, you take your dog out on a little dinner date!
Social Media has been enjoying a diner spotting a lovely pair – a man and his dog – sharing a bit of quality time together at a restaurant.
One evening, Gemma C. decided to stop by a restaurant in New York City to grab a bite to eat. While scoping out a place to sit and waiting to be seated, she noticed an incredibly wholesome sight, which she then took pics and a video. “I was presented with one of the most unexpectedly heartwarming views. I noticed this dog seated across from his owner, perched up on a chair, acting like an absolute proper gentleman.”
It seemed the pair were on a little date, enjoying one another’s company. From afar, it looked like the man was having a glass of red wine whilst the pup had a glass bowl of water.
We hope the man and his pup get to have a lot more dinner dates together, brightening the days of everyone around them.
Some words of advice if you wish to try this.
- If you are headed to a restaurant, make sure it’s pup-friendly
- Once that’s sorted, make sure to feed, exercise and relieve your dog of toilet duty, so that they have no discomfort or leftover energy that’ll make them zoom around the place.
- At the restaurant, don’t feed them off the restaurant’s plates or utensils, unless they’re provided for that purpose.
- And, lastly, bring something for them to do. Chew toys and tough-to-chew treats can be fantastic ways to keep your dog distracted throughout the meal and elicit good behavior.
- (PS. She got permission to take pics and video)
Capitol Hill Update: Support for Veterinarian Care in the US.
This blog reported last month that “Veterinary professionals from around the country are meeting with senators, representatives, and their staffs to highlight the importance of legislation that will help increase access to veterinary services in rural areas and reduce the spread of diseases that pose a threat to animal and public health.” [Link]
As a follow-up, the Journal of American Veterinary Medical Association has reported success in obtaining continued support for these programs from Washington. 
These programs have been renewed/funded:
- Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program: The VMLRP has received an increase of $1 million in funding from the last fiscal year, for a total of $9.5 million. The program plays a role in closing workforce gaps in food animal medicine and veterinary public health by offering three years of repayment of educational loans in exchange for service in veterinarian shortage areas designated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
- Food Animal Residue Avoidance Database Program: FARAD was allocated $2.5 million to protect the U.S. food supply against drug residues in animal-derived foods so that they are safe for human consumption.
- Veterinary Services Grant Program: The program was allocated an additional $500,000 in funding for a total of $3.5 million. The VSGP is a federal program that provides Education, Extension, and Training grants to develop, implement, and sustain veterinary services and Rural Practice Enhancement grants to establish or expand veterinary practices in rural areas.
- USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service: The agency was allocated $1 million to strengthen its oversight of imported dogs.
- USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service: The FSIS was allocated $2.8 million to remedy the high number of vacancies for public health veterinarian at the agency.
- National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility: $4 million was allocated to continue the transition of veterinary diagnostic capabilities from Plum Island Animal Disease Center in New York state to NBAF and to carry out programs at the new facility, slated to open in Manhattan, Kansas, in 2022
These initiatives are outlined in a new Capitol Hill update video on AVMA’s (American Veterinary Medical Association) YouTube channel.
Some wonderful dog situations from Social Media
Click to enlarge pics and for slide show view
[Link]