Experts share the procedure for getting post-exposure prophylaxis after an animal bite, indicators that an animal might have rabies and what to know about bats in your house.

Experts share the procedure for getting post-exposure prophylaxis after an animal bite, indicators that an animal might have rabies and what to know about bats in your house.
Dogs, cats and fish double as coworkers at many establishments. It is Asheville after all — one of the most dog-friendly places around.
Not all of Asheville’s pups live a life of leisure. There are several who work hard for the money — OK, the dog treats — in our libraries and schools as well as on our streets.
Pia Silvani is the director of behavior and training at the Asheville Humane Society, where she and a team of trainers teach canine manners and “puppy kindergarten” classes.
The survivor of a violent relationship has difficult decisions to make. She has to figure out when it is safest to leave, where she can go, what she can bring and what she can’t. Sometimes she’s stopped cold when she realizes she might have to leave the dog behind.
“Apparently there isn’t common awareness of just how dangerous this is for your animal’s safety, potentially leading to heat stroke, brain damage and even death in a matter of minutes.”
Residents learn in hard and terrifying ways that bears and dogs don’t mix.
Sona Merlin has seen a lot during her 21 years in Asheville real estate. But one house in the Peach Knob Meadows neighborhood near Town Mountain Road stands out above the rest due to a bathroom. Why? It included a miniature shower built for a dog. “They used nicer tile than my home shower has!” […]
Asheville can feel as if dogs have the run of the place. They are seemingly in every brewery and restaurant and on every trail. Nearly all of these animals are pets that might occasionally earn their keep by barking at a black bear in the trash or chasing a gopher from the tomato patch. But […]
“There are more than 40,000,000 homeless dogs and cats in the United States,” wrote Mrs. Fred Hester in a letter published in the May 5, 1957, edition of the Asheville Citizen-Times. “Many people, finding it impossible to find homes for the animals they permitted to be born but are unwilling to keep, resort to drowning, […]
“The threat of BEG diets, particularly those that do not undergo feeding trials, is very real.”
“I do what I do because I care deeply about pets and their health; the insinuation that pet stores like mine are only in it for the money is incredibly insulting.”
“That is the FDA’s warning to pet owners: Be concerned if your dog’s diet is high in vegetable protein”
“If a shopper cannot part with the pet for an hour, then maybe a trip to the shrink should be the priority instead of groceries.”
“I backed myself up and saw it, a sign on the door reading: ‘Therapy Dogs, Emotional Support Dogs and Pets, not allowed inside per Federal/NC State Law. Thank you for your cooperation.’ Uh-oh.”
For do-it-yourselfers, making pet food from scratch may seem like a fun and worthwhile challenge. But dogs and cats have different nutritional requirements from their human friends, so there some important things to know about creating healthy meals and treats for them.
“I urge readers to use some discretion and not revert to a knee-jerk reaction of calling Animal Control every time they see a dog in a car.”
“This is old Fido, writing from the fear and discomfort and relentless frustration of instinct of my life now, in a little cage at the incredibly stressful and incessantly noisy and confusing no-kill shelter.”
Americans love to celebrate the iconic “hobo” lifestyle, yet we’re often quick to stereotype or judge the modern-day iteration of the traveler. Despite the risk of legal repercussions and personal injury, contemporary traveling culture continues to attract people from all walks of life to the rails and the road in search of the next horizon.
“Are you risking killing your dog by leaving it in a hot car?”
“Tattoos, though, aren’t the only thing every second person in Asheville seems to own. What about dogs?”