September Article Roundup: Minneapolis Pet News Examiner

I've sort-of adopted another blog for a while (more on that later) and still work as a freelancer on other people's blogs (probably not so much on that later), so poor True to Words has appeared to be abandoned. It's always in the back of my mind, though, and now the itch to clean out the tumble-weeds on this blog has struck. So here we go.

As much as I haven't been keeping up with this blog, I have been sort-of keeping up with my Examiner.com articles. I missed my June article roundup article, so there are more in this post than previously expected!

Exercising safely with your dog. When there's no snow on the ground during the spring, summer and fall months, Minnesotans engage in more outdoor exercise and many times that includes their dogs. It's good for pets to exercise, as up to 40 percent of dogs in the United States are overweight or obese, but just like people, there are some exercises that are better for them than others. Learn more about fun activities that both people and canines can do to stay fit while staying safe.

Minneapolis ranked a Top 10 dog-friendly city. Estately ranked the top 17 Best U.S. Cities for Dogs. Minneapolis ranked No. 10 for dog loving cities. The evaluation included several factors to determine the rankings, including weather, Walk Score, yard size, dog activities, Meetup groups, and the availability of dog sitters on Rover.com. Minneapolis scored well in several categories, with the only thing that seem to factor against Minneapolis being the harsh winters that keep people and their pups indoors for months on end.

Tips for keeping pets safe on the Fourth of July. This was written with the Fourth of July in mind but could also be considered for other gatherings and events. Many of the same dangers present for July 4th are present during other parties, minus the fireworks. That could include lots of guests, alcoholic beverages and too much food available. If you're having a party soon and you have pets, take a few minutes to peruse this article.

Minneapolis pups have Pride (Photos). The 41st annual Pride celebration in Minneapolis was held this year in Loring Park from June 28th to June 30th. I attended the festival and the annual Pride parade on Sunday afternoon, which marched down Hennepin Avenue through downtown Minneapolis. I snapped a bunch of pics of pups pimping their pride, but I'm disappointed that I missed on particular pooch who had been dyed into a rainbow of colors. Next year, my pretty, I'll get a picture of that little dog, too!

Stop the Bleeding: An open letter to police on the shooting of pets. It makes me sad that this article ever had to be written. It makes me even more sad to know that it's one of my most popular posts, knowing that its being shared in sadness and outrage at the callous killing of our best friends at the hands of people who are supposed to be keeping them safe. Click through to read about the excuses that are being made and the problems this is causing to our communities.

Pet Memorial Day event to be held in Minneapolis. More pets these days are considered part of the family. When a loved pet dies, the loss felt by human companions is comparable to the death of a family member. Attending a pet memorial is a healthy way for humans to cope with the deaths of companion animals. Two organizations that work closely with pets and their human companions created the Twin Cities area’s first-ever Pet Memorial Day event on National Pet Memorial Day, September 8th. I didn't attend it, this was more of an announcement so other people who wanted to could.

The next article roundup will be in December, but my next blog post will most decidedly be sooner.