I work at a small, premium pet food manufacturer. People already complain about our prices. While most of our ingredients are sourced domestically, specialty meats are not. Lamb, duck, venison, goose, etc. going up will dramatically raise our prices.

Many of our products are chicken, pork, or beef-based, and these ingredients are sourced domestically. The fun twist is the rise in popularity of breeds and designer mixes that are predisposed to ingredient sensitivities or allergies. Many of these breeders advise against chicken or beef in these dogs’ foods.

You’d think people spending 3-9 thousand dollars on puppies would be in a position to afford special diets, but my experience says otherwise. It’s about to get a lot worse.

We’re lucky, in that we’re one of the few brands who utilizes mostly domestically sourced ingredients. I would expect pet food to jump generally, which doesn’t bode well for the increased pressure shelters and rescues are already facing.

This is great advice. My partner does this, and he surprised me with an alexandrite ring I was drooling over. I was so delighted when he gave it to me, and it was such a thoughtful thing to do.

Etsy has lots of unique and affordable options when it comes to jewelry. You can use keywords about her style and whichever type of jewelry you are considering.

I took a quick look for autumn witchy earrings, and I found a ton of cute options. I will share some of what I liked below, but of course you know her tastes best!

Dangling autumn earrings

Woodland leaf earrings

Raindrop moonstone earrings

Solar system earrings

True, but not people they care about. I can only imagine the mental gymnastics it must take to be this apathetic about such drastic increases in maternal mortality and trauma, and yet still sincerely believe you’re a moral and decent person.

Women are dying, being jailed, and forced to carry unwanted pregnancies because this archaic soapbox is getting its long awaited crawl out of the dark ages. It costs zero dollars to mind your own fucking business, and now we’re paying in lives because some people are weirdly obsessed with controlling strangers’ lives.

We’ve been enjoying momma Madeline and her little cookies on the cams at work for weeks. They’re so big now, though, so we are trying to mentally prepare for not seeing them again.

It’s a slippery slope. I heard if you listen to too many sea shanties you will start aggressively lactating.

I’m curious why you assume almost all were willing participants. I’m also concerned with the use of the word “coerced”.

The promise of good money doesn’t ensure willingness, and just because workers are “street level” doesn’t mean they aren’t being exploited.

Depending on the company, you often have the option of either a group or a private cremation. Group cremation is what you described, but private cremation ensures you only get your pet’s ashes returned. The company my vet uses even offers the option for you to be present and view the cremation.

Mental health is health, and treatment for these conditions are healthcare.

Voter roles are registration are effective. I vote in almost every election, and they can tell my ballot status when I go in. My vote is tied to my address and other factors, so it seems like it would be clear if I wasn’t a legal citizen.

I also have to show a government ID when I vote, but it doesn’t seem like that’s made a big difference in the security of the elections I participate in.

Facing the day can look like whatever you need it to to get to Tuesday. Getting up, taking care of your body by feeding it, drinking water, and practicing good hygiene can be enough. Caring for your mental health with compassion and understanding is also very important.

Doing what you need to do to keep yourself safe and comfortable is the top priority right now. Having a medical condition is not your fault, and it’s nothing you should feel any shame about. You’re not feeling well, and that means you need to give yourself the space and grace to heal and feel better. However you need to achieve this, as long as you aren’t harming yourself or others, is perfectly valid.

Please try to be kind to yourself and focus on healthy coping mechanisms. You have an appointment coming soon, and help is just a few days away. If you need emergency care in the meantime, that’s okay, too. You’ve got this. It takes strength to get this far, and you can do this, too. Please take care.

It’s a Gentle Leader. It doesn’t function like a muzzle, because it doesn’t inhibit a dog from biting. It’s basically a harness that attaches at the head. You can read more about them here: How to use the gentle leader

God, do I miss living alone sometimes.

Absolutely. I moved from urban Southeastern Wisconsin to the upper peninsula of Michigan in a rural area. I love visiting that spot, and I got a job offer five years ago while on vacation. I snatched the opportunity to move to my favorite place and uprooted my life in under two months. I didn’t last two years before coming back.

The amount of times I got into verbal altercations with strangers and acquaintances over their use of racial slurs, most often the N-word, made me become a homebody. I was a bartender, though, so you can’t exactly hide.

That’s not to say I haven’t heard it in public all throughout Wisconsin. The difference was how comfortable people felt using these words and sharing openly racist views and stories like they were bragging about it. It felt like an area where people breathed a sigh of relief and took their hoods off. I couldn’t stomach staying in a place where certain friends of mine couldn’t comfortably visit.

Still, all that is nothing compared to what I saw and heard living in Tennessee. It’s sad and frightening how many communities are like this.

He’s gorgeous! It’s always hard to guess breed mixes based on appearance alone, as physical appearance is determined by such a small percentage of DNA. It’s always fun to guess, though! I’ve worked in various animal industries for years, and we always start a poll when someone submits their dog for DNA testing. My guess for the predominant breeds is either Belgian Malinois or German Shepherd, then Staffordshire terrier.

Congratulations on finding such a fantastic dog, and I hope you update us once his results are in!

They make freeze dried raw salmon treats for dogs and cats. Mine go crazy for them!

For some people this works well. I am an introvert, and my alone time is necessary. Having a part of the day only for me is helpful. My partner feels the same way. Our schedules are mostly dictated by work, so we sometimes move closer together schedule-wise on the weekends. It’s a good balance for us, and we complement each other more because of it.

I’m actually surprised that my area of Wisconsin has the majority of these within a 15 minute walk. Bar included, of course. It makes me appreciate my neighborhood more.

Yeah, probably when the system changes.