An Interview with Dr. Katie Lawlor, Psy.D., MIA Losing a pet can feel like a blow to the gut, leaving you gasping for air. Many pet owners will affirm that the grief they experience after a pet’s passing can feel debilitating, isolating, and leave them with an unbearable amount of guilt. While deep empathy is often found among our circle of animal loving friends, sometimes it’s not enough to help navigate the overwhelming feeling of “How do I get through this?” Dr. Katie Lawlor is passionate about helping people cope with the loss of an animal friend. While completing her formal training in gr ..read more

Southern California has no shortage of celebrities, and that includes the four-legged kind. Let us introduce you to just a few of our local Goldie Palooza regulars whose stars are on the rise on social media platforms like Instagram. Aubrey. PHOTO COURTESY @PAWBREY_ AUBREY @pawbrey_ Aubrey is a 3-yearold golden retriever, known online as Pawbrey. She was adopted during COVID-19 and was named after her human’s favorite rapper, Drake (his full name is Aubrey Drake Graham). She quickly became a lovable social media sensation who makes furry friends, loves magic, and doesn’t believe in hiding her ..read more

Golden retrievers bring the magic. Their glistening fur, big smiles, and wagging tails have a knack for prompting smiles everywhere they go. Smart, eager to please, and deeply intuitive, they seem to always gravitate toward the person who needs them most. Despite the infinite happiness and love our dogs bestow upon us, we seem to never be ready for the sadness of saying goodbye nor the weight of the grief we are left with. Acknowledging our grief and honoring our beloved pets eventually allows us to move forward, take action to help others, and keep our hearts open to welcome another dog when ..read more

Janet had longed for a golden retriever ever since she was a little girl. Somehow, she just knew that a golden retriever was supposed to be by her side. When she and her husband bought their house, that was it. The time had come, it was time to welcome a golden into her family! Their search began, and during a visit to meet available puppies, she couldn’t help but be drawn to the runt of the litter. He was only 9 weeks old and much tinier than a typical golden retriever puppy. They formed a bond in that moment, and she knew she couldn’t let him go. He was meant to be hers. When it came to nami ..read more

Golden retrievers are an iconic breed, known for their good nature, intelligence, love of training, and ability to learn quickly. They make wonderful companions and thus are one of the most popular breeds for service and therapy dog work. Kathi Wahl has been a Therapy Dog Volunteer for 28 years. She is a Tester/Observer (T/O) for Alliance of Therapy Dog, a Canine Good Citizen Evaluator, and a member of LAX PUPS. She says there are countless reasons golden retrievers make therapy dogs, but she gives us her top five reasons here. 5 Reasons Goldies Make Great Therapy Dogs 1.Golden retrievers are ..read more

by Miranda Curry Living Free Animal Sanctuary Shares Tips to Help Enrich Your Pet’s Life At Living Free Animal Sanctuary, our mission extends far beyond simply providing a safe haven for rescue dogs and cats. We are passionately committed to enhancing the lives of our four-legged residents through a variety of activities designed to stimulate their minds, foster socialization, and promote play. We aim to empower pet owners by introducing them to innovative forms of enrichment that seamlessly integrate into their daily routines, fostering happier and healthier bonds with their beloved pets. In ..read more

by Wyatt Dalton My three dogs love car rides. To them, getting in the car means going somewhere fun, new, and exciting (like Kahoots!). They expect to hike, explore, play at the beach, and be around other dogs. These trips are now a central part of our relationship. But it hasn’t always been this way. Their first car rides as puppies were unsuccessful. The pups were full of anxiety, got violently motion sick, and had … well, accidents. There was a learning curve for both me and the dogs before we came to enjoy riding in the car. Hopefully, reading this article can help you shorten that curve f ..read more

“If only they could talk to us. I’m sure most of us have had this thought, or even spoken it aloud at some point when trying to figure out if something was bothering our pet. I hear similar sentiments from dog and cat owners weekly when there is concern for illness. It definitely would simplify my job if I could ask Lola where she felt pain, or if I could have Bentley run through a list of all his symptoms. Although dogs, cats, and other animals are incapable of speech, they do possess other methods for communication. As research in animal behavior and medicine has evolved, veterinarians have ..read more

Caring for a senior pet requires compassion, patience, and understanding. We may see pets in their golden years moving more slowly and finding it harder to get up after resting. Your best friend may become sensitive to sounds that didn’t bother them in the past. They may do strange things with seemingly no explanation. This is natural, and I believe we can help our pets age gracefully and comfortably. In addition to a healthy diet, exercise, mental stimulation, and veterinary care, various holistic options can comfort and improve your dog’s well-being, especially as they age. This article focu ..read more

As a trainer, I get calls daily from people looking for help training their dogs. I offer different venues to train. A lot of calls are regarding board and train. It sounds so great to drop off your dog and three weeks later you have a perfect dog. The reality is, you have a trained dog and now you need to work with the dog so it will listen to you and not revert to previous bad behaviors. I try to talk people out of it all the time, because training your dog is an incredible experience. It creates a bond between you and your dog that you just can’t forge any other way. When you and your dog a ..read more