Tag Archives: FOHA

Lists and the women who love them

Posted on by
4

Last year was a busy blogging year for me… just not on this blog. I launched my webcomic, which – like a shiny, new toy – has gotten the lion’s share of my attention. I’ll admit that I’ve found myself missing this space and hope to give some more attention to my first blog-child in the coming year. (We’ll talk more about that later this month – stay tuned.)

With that in mind, I wanted to start off the new year with a new post. When a friend told me about 50 Happy Things, I just knew that this was the perfect way to kick off 2016 (and to help me find some positivity in a year that seemed to be full of sad news from the world at large). Plus, I love lists. I have a list of the lists that I keep. It’s like list-ception.

You can visit Tales from the Motherland for the full lowdown, but here are the basics:

  • Set a timer for ten minutes.
  • During those ten minutes, write a list of 50(ish) things that made you happy (or that you were grateful for) in 2015. (After time was up, I went back and added some links, comments, and photos – you know I can’t resist a good link roundup.)
  • Add your post to the list of bloggers participating in this flood of gratitude. (Don’t have a blog? That’s okay! You can do this on your own – either just for yourself, or to share with your friends in another format. Also, if you want to tell me some of the things that made you happy in the comments, I’d love to hear them!)

I armed Tavish with a stopwatch, which he promptly ignored in favor of going back to sleep. (Hosting people for New Year’s Eve is exhausting, apparently.) So, looks like I’m on my own. Here we go… Continue reading →

Share

Paw & Order: SVMew

Posted on by
Reply

Before we dive into today’s links, a quick plug if you live in the northern Virginia/DC area… this Saturday (the 27th), Friends of Homeless Animals (giver of Tavish) is hosting its annual Barktoberfest. Stop by for pet contests, music, food, drinks, fun, puppies, kittens, and more… check it out!

Now… let’s do this.

  1. First up, your punny pet names: Rawr-iska Hartigay (star of Paw & Order: SVMew) and Ace Hentura (bird detective, obviously).
  2. Speaking of Olivia Benson, I think Mariska Hartigay is my soul mate. (H/t Hey Love Designs for sending this one my way!)
  3. Move over, Ace Ventura.  This little dude is my new favorite pet detective.
  4. Furry pet detective aside, there appears to be an actual and altruistic pet detective in Canada.
  5. I need a detective (pet or otherwise) to help me solve these mysteries. Anyone?
  6. Is your dog the Hooch to your Turner? Take this quiz and find out which fictional duo you and your pet are most like. (My result? Apparently tiny Tavish is a giant St. Bernard at heart, and I’m a nerdy adolescent boy. Who knew?)

Holy crap, you guys. Agatha Christie’s first dog looked like Tavish. Doggelganger alert!

(I realize that the “holy crap” portion of that sentence might not accurately capture your reaction, but I promise you that was mine. My mom loved Agatha Christie, so I have a soft spot for all things A.C.)

Anyway, check it out:

Fascinating, yes? Authors are kind of like rock stars to me, so I loved that video on many levels.

In closing… take a look, it’s in a book.

Share

Just one of those (important) days…

Posted on by
19

Two years ago today, this furry face joined our family. We adopted him from Friends of Homeless Animals, and the rest is history…

Gotcha Day! via wantmorepuppies.com

Happy Tavishversary!

Here’s to a snuggly dog that’s scared of his water bowl and of his own farts… but still struts around the neighborhood like he owns the place. (Bella taught him well. Following her example, he seems to believe that if he can see it, it belongs to him.)

It’s hard to believe that it’s already been two years. So much has changed since then… but not how awesome this little dude is. (He’s pretty darn awesome.)

Share

Shelters you should know: Meet FOHA in northern Virginia

Posted on by
12

Blog the ChangeFor this round of Blog the Change for Animals, I wanted to (once again) highlight an organization that has been helping animals since before I was a twinkle in my parents’ eyes.

Friends of Homeless Animals (FOHA) in northern Virginia has been serving the DC area since 1973. In 2012, FOHA gave me a wonderful place to volunteer and a new pup in the form of Tavish. In 2013, FOHA celebrated its 40th anniversary. This year, the fantastic folks at FOHA are continuing this important work into year forty-one. Continue reading →

Share

Calling all DC/northern Virginia dogs: #Barktoberfest is this Saturday!

Posted on by
8

Are you a dog? Do you have a dog? Do you like dogs? How about cats? Do you live in the DC/northern Virginia area? Do you enjoy seeing dogs in costume? Do you like fun? If your answer to any of those questions is yes, then I’ve got an event for you…

(As an aside, if your answer to my first question is yes… I’m intrigued. How did you end up on my website? Obviously, you have learned to use a computer, so maybe you can also write emails? If so, let’s chat. I have much to ask you, dog genius.)

Anyway… if you’re in the DC/northern Virginia area, get out your calendar and pencil in plans for Saturday. Friends of Homeless Animals (FOHA) is hosting its annual fall festival – Barktoberfest – this Saturday, September 28! Join FOHA at the Loudoun County Fairgrounds in Leesburg from 10am to 5pm. Continue reading →

Share

How can taking a photo save a life?

Posted on by
5

I happened to see that Seth Casteel, the photographer behind Underwater Dogs and the founder of Second Chance Photos, was featured on Buzzfeed last month.  Through Second Chance Photos, Seth works with shelters and rescue groups to improve the quality of their photos in order to help more animals get adopted.

The cult of personality: I Still Want More Puppies

Just a goofy, lovable “shelter dog” (now adopted)

I’ve been a big fan of Seth’s work since 2011, when I had the chance to attend one of Seth’s workshops and to interview him for this blog. Since I last featured Seth on the blog, some big things have happened. In addition to Underwater Dogs being featured everywhere (it seems), Seth has partnered with Greater Good, The Animal Rescue Site, The Petfinder Foundation and John Paul Pet to inspire others to save lives through grooming and photography. Check out the campaign at One Picture Saves a Life.

Finally, I thought I’d share a few of my favorite quotes from my interview with Seth:

There is a great picture for every dog – you just have to find a way to figure out what that picture is.

If you try to force a photo shoot on a fearful dog, the photos are going to be negative. Try to understand what the fear is – the camera? you? the world? At some point, you may just have to put on a long lens and hide in the bushes.

The work you do will save lives. It may not always be easy, but shelter pets need your help. Be patient. Be dedicated. Shelter pets do not have a voice, but you can give them one.

If you’d like to read my full interview with Seth, check out Part I and Part II. If you’re interested in finding out what I learned when I attended Seth’s workshop, click here.

Share