It’s become an annual tradition for me to review and recommend a book about pets every December. This year, I’m going to review online resources that I trust and that I encourage you to check out.
I want to start by referring to a new article on my blog: In that article, I reference a popular State Farm television commercial from 2015 that was also a public service announcement poking fun at the internet and making it clear that “Just because it’s on the internet does NOT mean it’s true.” That still holds today. [ FMI - https://forcefreepets.com/onlineinfo-verifyb4trust/ ]
The following are online resources about pets that I trust without hesitation. Many also happen to be free.
Pets and Their People is a blog published by the Pet Professional Guild (PPG) and available for free. The PPG launched Pets and Their People to provide people with online access to reliable and practical information. Articles are curated by PPG’s editor, who also happens to be a veterinarian. You can go to the link and search by topics, or you can subscribe, in which case you get an email notifying you of each new article. Recent articles discuss: How to Minimize Stress for You and Your Dog, Charlee’s Ordeal with an Electronic Shock Fencing System, Minimum Core Pet Care Duties Your Pet Sitter Should Provide, and Would You Know If Your Dog Was in Pain?[ FMI - https://www.petprofessionalguild.com/pet-owners/pets-and-their-people/ ]
Truth about Pet Food is one of my favorite places for learning about trends in the pet food industry and pet food recalls. Their tagline on their homepage, “Don’t just feed your pet. Understand what you are feeding them,” is something I try to instill in all my clients and students. What I like best about this site is that it stands out from similar sites because it is genuinely independent of the pet food industry. I encourage you to check them out and consider joining the Association for Truth in Pet Food.
[ FMI - https://truthaboutpetfood.com/ ]
Companion Animal Psychology is the blog of Zazie Todd, PhD, an animal behavior expert and award-winning writer. In December of 2024, I reviewed Todd’s book Bark!: The Science of Helping Your Anxious, Fearful, or Reactive Dog. I subscribe to her blog because I find it to be an excellent source of well-written articles that I can share with my students and clients.
[FMI - https://www.downeastdog news.com/blogs/words-woofs-and-meows/book-review-bark-the-science-of-helping-your-anxious-fearful-or-reactive-dog-by-zazie-todd]
[FMI - https://www.companionanimalpsychology.com/index.html ]
Raw.u is the education site for Steve’s Real Food. Yes, this is a commercial site, but the online educational courses they provide for pet parents and pet retailers are excellent and based on facts. If you're looking for another source of information on pet nutrition, I encourage you to explore Raw.u. [FMI - https://rawsources.com/login]
If you like your pet information in small, audible snippets, tune in to WNSX/Star 97.7, and you may hear one of my Woof Meow Pet Tips.
A joint project of ForceFreePets and Star 97.7, our goal is to provide listeners with helpful information to help make their lives with their pets the best possible. If you’re not a radio listener, each tip is available on our Facebook pages and my ForceFreePets blog.
ForceFreePets is an educational resource dedicated to providing information on dogs and cats for individuals who live with and care for them. Our blog is FREE and includes my articles, some of which have also appeared in publications such as BARKS from the Guild, Pets and Their People, and Downeast Dog News. If you like what you see, please subscribe at the end of any article. [ FMI -https://forcefreepets.com/blog/]
You probably already know this, but the column you’re reading in Downeast Dog News is also available online. [ FMI - https://www.downeastdognews.com/]
Don Hanson lives in Bangor, Maine, where he is the co-owner of the Green Acres Kennel Shop (greenacreskennel.com) and the founder of ForceFreePets.com, an online educational resource for people with dogs and cats. He is a Professional Canine Behavior Consultant (PCBC-A) accredited by the Pet Professional Accreditation Board (PPAB)and a Bach Foundation Registered Animal Practitioner (BFRAP). Don is a member of thePet Professional Guild (PPG), where he serves on the Board of Directors and Steering Committee and chairs the Advocacy Committee. He is also a founding director of Pet Advocacy International (PIAI). In addition, Don produces and co-hosts The Woof Meow Showpodcast,available at http://bit.ly/WfMwPodcasts/,the Apple Podcast app, and Don's blog: www.words-woofs-meows.com. The opinions in this post are those of Don Hanson.