Tag Archives: in which I get serious for a moment

Happy Presi-Pets Day!

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If you’ve been studying your presidential pets, you probably know that President Franklin D. Roosevelt had a Scottish Terrier named Fala.  By all accounts, FDR and Fala were inseparable.  (In fact, Fala even appears next to his master at the FDR Memorial in DC.)  At one point, there were rumors that FDR accidentally left Fala behind during a trip to the Aleuitian Islands.  During the 1944 presidential campaign, Republicans contended that FDR had spent taxpayer money to send a destroyer back to retrieve Fala.  These accusations resulted in the famous “Fala speech” – you can read the full text here, but I’ve found a clip of the portion dealing with Fala and I thought it would be perfect to share with you today. 

Happy Presidents’ Day!

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Blog the Change: Pets of the Homeless

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Blog the ChangeToday’s post is part of Blog the Change for Animals, an event in which bloggers blog (that noun-verb combo gave me pause for a moment – it’s awkward but accurate) about animal causes. At the end of this post, find out how you can participate in Blog the Change (sponsored by our friends at Be the Change for Animals).
You will also find links to all of the other blogs participating in
Blog the Change.  I encourage you to check out these blogs – many great
causes out there.  Finally, if you’re interested in reading my entries from past Blog the Change events, check them out here: Protecting People & Their Pets and Share the Love & Rescue a Pup.

I spent a great deal of time agonizing over what to write about for today’s Blog the Change event.  Should I revisit an earlier topic, like the Pets and Women’s Shelters (PAWS) Program, pet adoption, or the importance of buckling up your pup? Or should I focus on something new?  Lucky for you, dear reader, I recently read a post by CindyLu’s Muse that made my decision for me. As soon as I read that post, I knew that I had to write about this cause for Blog the Change.  It’s a natural sequel to my post on the PAWS program.

That cause? Pets of the Homeless, a nonprofit organization that provides pet food and veterinary care to the homeless and less fortunate in local communities across the United States and Canada. I imagine that you, like me, may have felt your heart break a little when you pass a homeless person with a pet.  Sometimes the love between the two can take your breath away.  Given that winter is a particularly dangerous time to have no shelter, I thought that Pets of the Homeless was the perfect cause to feature during the frigid month of January.

Learn more about this organization and how you can help, after the jump.

Before I go on, I want to quickly address an argument I encountered while doing research for this post.  Some argue that homeless people should not have pets – and that the best solution is to take these pets away.  I’m not going to engage in that debate here.  However, I do want to share the following quote I found on the Pets of the Homeless blog:

“There are those who will say that homeless people should not have
pets. But they will have pets. There are those who will say that people
should not be homeless. But there will be homeless people. This is the
real world.  And as someone who works in that real world, I have
seen abuse and neglect of the pets of wealthy and impoverished alike,
just as I’ve seen wonderfully loving and supportive relationships
between animals and people on every rung of the economic ladder. One
issue, of course, is that economics can and often do contribute to an
inability to provide what can be costly services.”

– Ken White (President, Peninsula Humane Society)

Pets of the Homeless cites a sobering statistic from the National Coalition for the Homeless. NCH estimates that 3.5 million people are homeless. Between 5-10% of these homeless people have pets. (In some areas of the country, this number may be as high as 24%.) For a variety of reasons, many are forced to choose between keeping their pets or having a roof over their heads.  (Many shelters are not equipped to house pets.  For a list of those that do and groups that will provide temporary foster care for pets of the homeless, please click here.)  As a result, the majority choose to stay on the streets with their pets rather than abandoning them.

Pets of the Homeless aims to help this population in a variety of ways.  It has established collection sites to accept donated pet food and distributes this food through partnerships with homeless shelters, soup kitchens, and other entities.  The organization also makes two types of grants: one to veterinarians that go to where the homeless congregate and provide veterinary care such as vaccines, spay/neuter and other needed treatments; the other to homeless shelters looking for ways to allow pets sanctuary with their owners.

If you have tissues handy, I urge you to read some of the success stories and view the touching photos on the Pets of the Homeless website.

Want to know how you can help? If there is a collection site near you, donate pet food and supplies.  (If there’s no collection site near you, find out how to become one.)  Pets of the Homeless also provides a list of other ways that you can donate your time or money to this worthy cause.

I hope you’ll take the time to check out this organization and learn more.


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These are a few of my favorite posts…

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and doggies in spacesuits, rescuing puppies and cats that are so cute… the cone of shame and the amusement it brings… these are a few of my favorite things. (I adore The Sound of Music, and it just seemed like a perfect fit today.)  When I saw that Dr. V did a post highlighting her top 10 posts from 2010, I really liked the idea.  Even better, she’s hosting a blog hop for those who want to join the fun.  Time for a blast to the (fairly recent) past!

Dogs eating ice cream and punny pet names, attempting to test my pup’s IQ with a brain game, having a party for Bella to host… these are a few of my favorite posts (in no particular order):

She’s cute, but…
I administered an IQ test to dear Bella… the results were not promising.

Celebrating the cone of shame
The name says it all.  (It was one of my favorite No Frown Friday posts.)

To all the dogs (and cats) I’ve loved before
For my 100th post, I took a stroll down memory lane.

Corgi, P.I.
The very first breed spotlight.

Protecting people and their pets
A post about the Pets and Women’s Shelter Program (and my contribution to October’s Blog the Change).

My favorite flavor? Neopawlitan
The epic battle of Bella vs. ice cream.

Head of the class
Dogs… in… school!

When he jumps high he flies like a wild eagle
One word: Flashbeagle.

Horrible woman does terrible thing, and now I’m angry
In which I got very, very angry at people who leave their dogs in hot cars.

Case of the Mondays?
Try my guaranteed cure.

I tried not to pick any that were too recent… I figured it would be more fun to dig around in the archives.  Did I miss any of your favorites?

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To all the dogs (and cats) I’ve loved before

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With this post, I reach a bit of a milestone – 100 posts!  For a while, I was stumped regarding what to blog about for number 100.  (I then went on vacation, which resulted in a total post hiatus… more to come on that later.)

While driving earlier, it hit me – the perfect way to commemorate my 100th post.  I’ve decided to dedicate this post to all the pets I’ve loved before.  (Yes, that’s a nod to the Red Headed Stranger – bonus points if you figure it out without clicking on either of the links.)

Anyway, you obviously know lots about Bella, my current fur child.  I’ve also introduced you to some of my past loves – Shadow, Sparkle, Bourbon & Pedro.  Today, I’d like you to meet the rest of the pups and cats I shared my house with growing up…

Each of these wonderful animals (as well as the ones above) really deserves their own post.  So many stories to share – definitely a topic for future discussion.  For now, I’ll just stick with the basics…

I should start at the beginning (a very good place to start).  My first pet was – believe it or not – a cat.  A white cat that I named Buttercup.  (Don’t ask me why… I’d love to ask my three-year-old self the same thing.)

She wasn’t the friendliest of cats to start with, but that’s a story for another day.  She was my first love.

Next, I’d like to introduce you to Kandi, a chihuahua that my dad adopted and brought home one day.  Note – when she got older, her tongue began to stick out all the time.  We used to say that her spring was broken.

Quite the character, that one.

We also had a Norwegian Elkhound named Lady – one of the many dogs that found us over the years.

I loved to cuddle with that gal.

My sister also had a cat – though Tiger joined us when I was much older.  She was once our neighbor’s cat, but decided to adopt my sister instead.  She even decided to have her kittens in my sister’s lap – I believe my sister was around three at the time.  Talk about a surprise!

Last, but by no means least, I must introduce you to the source of my terrier love.  When I was ten years old, I met the most wonderful dog.  My parents had promised me I could get a new dog that would be officially “my” dog.  I considered many breeds, and had my heart set on a Scottish Terrier.  However, when I met this girl, that plan went out the window.  I’d already settled on the most creative name (sarcasm intentional) for the Scottish Terrier I had convinced myself I was getting.  Thus, Scotti the Toy Fox Terrier joined our family.


Take note of the teddy bear in the photo to the right… this is one of the two teddy bears that Scotti adopted and carried everywhere.

Long story short, Scotti was by my side every minute from the time I was 10 until I left for college (as well as every moment I returned home during college and beyond).  Definitely a girl’s best friend.

I have tons of wonderful stories about each of these special animals (as well as several other animals who didn’t live in my house but were responsible for some great memories).  I’m sure I’ll be sharing them over many nostalgic nights in the future.

For now, I just want to say thanks for reading my blog – the first 100 posts have been fun, and I look forward to many more.

In closing, say hi to your puppy for me… and then give him or her a big hug.

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Thank a Veteran today

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I realize posting has slowed a bit this week… I promise I’ll return to normal form soon.  However, I did want to share a post from the archives in honor of those who have served our country.  On Memorial Day, I shared information about some inspiring heroes, both human and canine (including Military Working Dogs).

If you’d like to read it:

I think it’s a pretty appropriate post for today as well.  Thank you to those who have served our country – we are blessed that you chose to make such a sacrifice to protect our freedom.
(Also, a quick housekeeping note – No Frown Friday will be on hiatus this week.  So if you just can’t wait for more, be sure to check out the archives.  Normal posting will resume soon – in the meantime, say hi to your puppy for me!)
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Blog the Change: Protecting people and their pets

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Blog the Change

The post below originally appeared on this blog on August 4, 2010.  While trying to choose a topic for today’s Blog the Change, I kept coming back to this issue.  Victims of domestic violence may delay leaving a dangerous situation for fear of leaving their pets behind.  The Pets and Women’s Shelters (PAWS) Program is an effort to create opportunities for victims of domestic violence and their pets to be safe and stay together.  I think it’s a really important cause, and it seemed worthy of posting again.  In addition, National PAWS Day was October 5, so it seemed like the perfect time to resurrect this post.

At the end of this post, find out how you can participate in Blog the Change (sponsored by our friends at Be the Change for Animals). You will also find links to all of the other blogs participating in Blog the Change.  I encourage you to check out these blogs – many great causes out there.  Finally, if you’re interested in reading my July entry for Blog the Change, check it out here: Share the Love & Rescue a Pup.

Your regularly scheduled No Frown Friday will return next week.

Update (1/16/11):  The PAWS Program is no longer at American Humane.  However, you can read up on its current status here.

Bella’s serious face

Every now and then, I get serious for a moment.  Today is one of those days.

When you give your heart to a dog, you get so much in return.  In addition to unconditional love, a furry friend (like my Bella) provides companionship, comic relief and so much more.  Seeing my pup after a long day always makes me smile, and snuggling with her while sharing my troubles helps melt away the stress of the day. 

We always talk about rescuing animals, but sometimes an animal rescues its person.  I read a moving story yesterday courtesy of the lovely folks over at FIDO Friendly Blog called “The Dog Who Saved Me From Abuse.”  The author tells the story of how adopting Baby (a Chiweenie – great breed name, right?) changed her life.   She was stuck in an abusive relationship with no way out – at first, Baby gave her an excuse to get out of the house, and then Baby’s unconditional love helped the author survive and find the strength to leave.  It’s an inspirational tale, and I hope you will take a moment to read it.  Grab some tissues.  In fact, you may want to have your pup handy – I know I needed a Bella hug when I finished reading.

The post also contains information about a great program that I want to share with you.  It’s called the Pets and Women’s Shelters Program (aka the PAWS Program).  American Humane developed this program to encourage domestic and family violence emergency housing shelters to allow residents to bring their pets with them.  (This post is getting a bit long, so you can find the remainder after the jump.  I have lots of info to share with you today.)

Allowing residents to bring their pets with them to these shelters recognizes both the comfort that pets provide and the importance of the human-animal bond.  Further, it removes one more obstacle that might discourage people from getting out of abusive relationships – if they can bring their pets to the shelter with them, then they don’t have to worry about leaving their furry friend behind.  (There is often a link between domestic violence and pet abuse – both human and furry family members may be in danger.)  Keeping domestic violence victims and their pets together is an important mission – I encourage you to learn more about the PAWS Program and what you can do to help.  

The United States Humane Society also has a program to help victims of domestic violence and their pets – it’s called Safe Havens for Animals.  This program aims to provide temporary housing for victims’ pets when a shelter cannot accommodate them.  The goal is the same – to give people and their pets a way out of abusive situations.  As noted above, animal cruelty and human violence often go hand in hand.  The more options out there, the better.

If you want to read more about this issue, I’ve rounded up a few other links:

This concludes today’s serious interlude.

To find out how you can participate in Blog the Change, go here.  You can also add your BtC post using the list below.  While you’re at it, visit some of the other blogs participating in Blog the Change:

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Back in black

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That’s right… I’m starting you off with an AC/DC reference before the holiday weekend.  Originally, I was thinking that this post might have a Columbus Day theme, but it was not to be…Instead, our focus today is on the one of the less adoptable groups in the pet world – black dogs and cats.  Today (thanks to our friend Lily Danel) I saw a great article about how one shelter is attempting to help black cats overcome their undeserved reputation as bearers of bad luck.  The Loudoun County Animal Shelter in Virginia is hosting Black Cat Weekend on October 16th and 17th (all black cats adopted from the shelter will be spayed/neutered for free).

In honor of this great idea, I dedicate this post to all of the less adoptable black pets out there:

  1. As always, your punny pet name for the week: Blackeared the Pirate.
  2. Pawcurious has the right idea: Black is the New Black.
  3. I know it’s No Frown Friday, but I promised nothing with regard to tears. Check out this moving video about black dog syndrome via Of Cows’ Tails and Chew Toys.
  4. Here are a few lighthearted reasons to adopt a black dog or cat.
  5. Check out the crew over at Life with 5 Dogs… how could anyone pass up cute dogs like these?

Growing up, I had four dogs that would qualify for the black dog club – a German Shepherd (Shadow), a mutt named Pedro, and two Flat-Coated Retrievers (Sparkle and Bourbon).  Here are a few photos of my loves:

Shadow
Pedro

 

Sparkle & Bourbon (during their puppyhood)

Fun fact: while looking for photos for this post, I dug out one of my old photo albums.  When I put the album together (maybe 10 years ago), I apparently decided to ditch any chronological order and organized it by dog photos first, then family. I couldn’t stop laughing.  (To any family reading this post… no offense!)

If you or someone you know is looking for a pet, make sure you don’t overlook the black dogs and cats out there.  (Adopt a less adoptable pet… all the cool kids are doing it.)  Visit the Black Dog Rescue Project, Start Seeing Black Dogs and http://www.blackpearldogs.com/ to learn about other ways to help.  Don’t worry – we didn’t forget about the kitties!  Check out Black Cat Rescue and read about helping black cats here.

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Be like Bella

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Time for a brief PSA (Pup Service Announcement)…

Humans aren’t the only ones who should buckle up in the car.  Dogs should too!  You know your dog wants to be cool like Bella – pictured below in her “flight suit.”  (Travel drugs optional.  Not optional for Bella though.)

Bella models the Travelin’ Dog Harness from the Good Pet Stuff Company

For more info, check out Be Smart Ride Safe, this week’s cause at Be the Change for Animals.  If you have any traveling recommendations or tips, feel free to share them in the comments!

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Through a Dog’s Eyes

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Ugh. Yesterday, I had to take a sick day.  It was absolutely zero fun.  The one bright spot was getting to catch up on my DVR.

One of the programs I watched was called Through a Dog’s Eyes.  It’s a wonderful documentary that aired on PBS in April (and again in September), and it follows a group of people as they visit Canine Assistants to meet their service dogs for the first time.  Canine Assistants is a group that breeds, trains, and places service dogs with people who have physical disabilities, seizure disorders, and other needs.  (Canine Assistants provides the dogs free to the recipients through donations and sponsorships.)  The stories of the recipients are moving and interesting – and it gives a whole new perspective on the human-canine bond.

Here’s a preview for the show – if you missed it on PBS, you can watch the entire program on the PBS website.  (Bonus: it’s narrated by Neil Patrick Harris.)

Learn more, after the jump.


PBS has a wealth of useful information and great links on its page dedicated to the program. (There are even outtakes, training tips and a section simply called “More Puppies” – talk about knowing your audience.)

The founding of Canine Assistants is a great story.  Jennifer Arnold was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis at the age of sixteen.  Jennifer’s father suggested she get a service dog.  An organization denied her application, which provided the inspiration for Jennifer to found Canine Assistants.  (The organization is truly a family affair.)

Jennifer’s training philosophy is also a great one – it’s based on the idea that the dogs want to please their people, and it’s about positive reinforcement rather than domination.  (I’m sure our friends at Never Shock a Puppy would approve.)  The program also briefly touches upon the science behind the dog-human bond.  (Through the PBS site, I found a link to the Family Dog Project, which is dedicated to researching this bond.  Interesting stuff.)

Paw Nation is doing a series of posts about another recipient who is getting a dog from Canine Assistants.  The first post appeared earlier this month – I’m looking forward to reading more.  (You can also read an interview with the After-care Coordinator for Canine Assistants.)

If you’d like to learn more about Canine Assistants, visit them here.  I’m also considering picking up Jennifer’s book (also called Through a Dog’s Eyes)… after the documentary, I’m sure it will be good!

Have you seen the documentary?  What did you think?

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