The Threat Down: Humphrey's PSA

Truman Capote once said, "The world is not kind to little things."*

*Some people are kind to little things.

In the past few weeks and months, a number of threats to Willowdale dogs have been brought to Humphrey's attention - perhaps even some of the things Capote was talking about! As a result, Humphrey has compiled the top three threats to his local friends as a public service.

Threat #1: Spiders!

As many will remember, last March, Humphrey experienced a brush with death after a spider bite. His guardian arrived from a quick trip to the supermarket only to find Humphrey's face puffed up in anaphylactic shock! She rushed him to the vet, where a pair of spider bites on his neck were identified, and he received Benadryl. Within a day, the walnut-sized lumps had receded and what she believed was a nice, dark scab appeared. Humphrey wasn't well, so another trip to the vet revealed that this was no scab - it was necrosis! By that point, Humphrey's organs were affected, and he was put on intravenous.

The culprit? Most likely it was a brown recluse spider, though whether they have made their way to Ontario is debatable. However, Humphrey's guardian did manage to catch a spider that was definitely dark brown, and she suspects it was one of these.


Brown recluse spiders have a "fiddlehead" marking on the thorax.

Humprhey demonstrates that one should kill the spider before it kills you.

Threat #2: Hawks!

Willowdale dog Webber's guardian has sited hawks in the "Gotham City" condos down the way, and there's no question that hawks are living in the GTA. What is shocking is that they can swoop down and snatch a small dog. Sadly, Taco, a canine acquaintance who lived in York Region, lost his life last week to a hawk-snatching.

Taco's guardian, who was one of Humph's guardian's students last year, is devastated.

Humphrey will be well supervised in the weeks and years to come, giving this highly localized threat. He is devastated to hear about Taco.

Threat #3: Baths!

You'd think this threat is dog propaganda - but over-bathing is a threat to poodles! Humphrey just ran into his pal Lucy, a miniature poodle, in the courtyard.

"What's on your back?" he asked, notcing the shaved patch and skin discoloration on her back. "Are you okay?"

"My guardian never had a poodle - so she bathed me every two weeks, just as she had done with her terrier. But my coat was so thick, it never got a chance to dry properly, and my skin got messed up from the dampness!"

Noboby likes to be wet! Cleanliness is *not* next to dogliness.

"Oh," replied Humph. "I'll be sure to avoid the tub. But not the swimming pool."
Lucy thought for a second. "Just be sure they dry you well, that's all."