Pets Archives - On Davis Time

The Creature Conservancy

Posted on August 2, 2017September 28, 2023 by Tressie

The Creature Conservancy

Where in Ann Arbor, MI can you see an Arctic Fox, a Reindeer and an albino Alligator? The Creature Conservancy !

Warm sun on our faces, Alex and I entered and were immediately intrigued by the black swans floating gracefully in the pond directly in front of us. In the distance to the right side of the pond, Emus wandered down to the waters edge to get a drink. A gentle breeze created tiny ripples in the water, prompting me to take a deep relaxing breath.

Slowly walking to the right, Alex and I headed toward the main building. Immediately upon entering, we met Luna the albino Alligator. We watched Luna for quite some time, swimming back and forth in her enclosure. It never occurred to me that Alligators could be albino, or what they would look like – Luna is beautiful!

After visiting Luna, we saw countless turtles and snakes. As we wandered, a playful and talkative raven named Poe caught our attention. Poe loved to bob his head, and say his name – “Poe Poe!, Poe Poe!”. We saw a sloth, muntjac deer, crested porcupines, an armadillo, barnyard animals and more.

Animal Presentations

Sven the Reindeer was the featured animal the day that Alex and I visited, and we entered the center room of the main building to watch Sven on the stone stage. Sven proudly shook his antlers, and strutted the length of the barrier to show everyone just how beautiful he is.

Other presentations included cougar feeding, alligator feeding, and cougar play time.

Hands On

The best part of the visit, was how many opportunities there were for hands on, interactive moments with the animals. Everything was very up close and personal, and in many cases you could touch the animals.

The entire location – indoors and out – had the relaxed, homey feeling of a farm, and people who work there are clearly passionate about what they do. The animal handlers were friendly, outgoing and eager to talk about the animals they care for. Alex and I were only there for a couple of hours, but we learned so much on our visit and walked away with a greater appreciation of the creatures that we share this planet with (and the people who advocate for them).

If you’re looking for a relaxing, low key outing with your kids in the Ann Arbor area, the Creature Conservancy is the perfect place to spend a couple of hours.

The Creature Conservancy is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that takes in injured, non-releasable wildlife and occasionally acquires individual animal ambassadors to meet their teaching goals. To learn more about The Creature Conservancy, visit their Website.

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Tressie Davis is a blogger and photographer located in Chelsea, MI.

A Faceless Portrait

Posted on February 25, 2016September 28, 2023 by Tressie

A Faceless Portrait.

I created this image as part of the Dogwood 52 photo challenge, for the week 7 theme “Portrait: Faceless” with a description of “Tell someone’s story without showing their face”.

I was not feeling terribly inspired, Continue reading “A Faceless Portrait” →

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Tressie Davis is a blogger and photographer located in Chelsea, MI.

One Cool Cat – Pet Portrait Session

Posted on March 18, 2015September 23, 2023 by Tressie

This Tressie Davis Photography Pet Portrait session was a ton of fun, and my first real experience making professional portraits of a cat. As most folks know, you can’t “make” a cat do anything…so most of the session involved me following Havarti around and waiting for him to look cute. Sometimes he did. And sometimes he had attitude. But that’s ok, because spunk and personality always photograph well, and this kitty had spunk and attitude to spare. Meet Havarti, he is one cool cat…

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Tressie Davis is a blogger and photographer located in Chelsea, MI.

R.I.P. Tiger Dog Davis

Posted on November 14, 2013September 23, 2023 by Tressie

Today I lost my best friend.

I knew it was inevitable, and I was as prepared as anyone ever is. I just didn’t know it would be today. It hurts.

Rest in Peace Dear Tiger. 2001-2013

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Tressie Davis is a blogger and photographer located in Chelsea, MI.

Our Tiger, is it time?

Posted on September 9, 2013September 23, 2023 by Tressie

How do you know when is the “right” time to euthanize a pet? I recently asked this question on Facebook, because my buddy Tiger is struggling a bit. He has been sick for quite some time – possibly a brain tumor, but we don’t know for sure because we are unwilling (don’t hate me) to spend the money on a CT scan simply “to know”.

I will spare you the details of his treatments and our struggles. Suffice it to say that every time we think it is “the end”, he seems to bounce back and though a little wobbly and crooked, becomes his old self again. When he bounces back, we wonder how we could have ever considered putting him down.

The truth is though, that he is 12 years old, and there will be a time that he does not bounce back. How will we know? I’m still not sure, but the great advice I was given on Facebook will help, as will this article I recently found: How to Know When It’s Time to Euthanize Your Pet

Our veterinarian says that Tiger is not in pain. And indeed, he had gained weight since our last visit. His latest symptoms are being (mostly) successfully controlled with medication. For the time being, our buddy will stay with us.

On the advice of our veterinarian, we will take it day by day, and love him while we can.

Our Tiger in his younger, healthier years

Tiger with our other fur baby Lucy

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Tressie Davis is a blogger and photographer located in Chelsea, MI.