A great feel good rescue story.

https://www.facebook.com/TrevDon/videos/10153572401962896/


Rescue. Adopt. Feel good.

The life of a dog parent...

I return from my vacation, ready to meet and greet my babies as I have missed them. And so the story goes:

1.  I let Buddy out when I arrive and his NEW wheelchair literally falls apart and dumps him into the flower bed.

2.  Go down the NEW handicap ramp built for Buddy, slip and fall. Buddy has accidently pooped on it, my slippers hit it and slidding I went.

3.  I put Shanti's seizure meds in her food, she walked away and Sam ate all her food while I was not looking. He has slept all day. 

4. We go for a ride in my truck (I upgraded to a 4 -door so everyone can have space) and they all insisted on cramming upfront (Shanti likes to growl at anyone near her).

5. I put Buddy into his backup wheelchair (also brand new) and he flips it off the handicap ramp and has to be rescued.

Yep, it is good to be home!

(Mom why are you sitting upfront crowding us when you have room in the back?  PS- I licked the opening in your coffee cup- and yes, I ate my own poop this morning)

Save Our Shelter- It's All in the Look.

I just watched this show for the first time on this Saturday morning.  As an aside, I love that now on Saturday you can watch Cesar Milan (Dog Whisperer), Vet shows, rescue shows, and wildlife shows. Kudus for that.

Save Our Shelter, what a great idea for a show. They pick a shelter in need, and give it a makeover, inside and out.  Today they went to Pug Nation in Gardena, CA.  Please consider donating as the owner has been rescuing pugs for years.  They updated her rescue van, the inside of the building, and updated her social media.

It is a nice reminder that curb appeal matters.  Many of us won't buy a house in need of work.  Or we wouldn't give a supermodel a second look without her makeup and designer clothes.  Appearance matters to our society. Same for the dogs. And where they are housed.

I have learned I can take a matted, skinny, unruly dog in an overcrowded shelter and give it a makeover, getting it a home almost immediately after it comes to my house. Same dog- just different environment, look, and approach.

There is a big movement all over the world to take GOOD pictures of the dogs up for adoption. Use professional shots. Dress them up.  No crappy pictures of them in a cage cowering near their own poop. The problem is most of the rescues and shelters have very little funds and they are overwhelmed with dogs in need.  And many lack the social media expertise to help the dogs reach more viewers.

Definitely all shelters and rescues should have a nice entry (like boarding facilities to drive more people in), and an adoption wall of pictures of dogs available with a profile.   Everything needs to be clean and people must be friendly.  And social media is a MUST. Facebook, Instagram. Websites. Twitter. Blogs. You need a strategy to get the message out.  I love social media for that.

I hope people can look past poor facilities and marketing, sometimes bad locations, and foster/adopt dogs rather than buy them from a breeder.  With a little effort, planning and funds- some of these great shelters/rescues can really shine.  Give time, money, or expertise (photographer, dog trainer, builder, painter, web guru, driver/mechanic) when you can.  That will also help save lives.

Envision what a dog will look like with love, food and medical care.  Most dogs do not react well when dumped at a shelter. They are scared, confused, depressed, anxious, and/or aggressive.  It doesn't take long to see another side, if you give them a chance. So let's give them a chance.

It is my dream along with many others that one day we won't need many shelters or rescues....that every dog, cat, pig, ferret, bird, horse, etc. will have a good home waiting for it.  Overpopulation of pets is within our control.  Spay/neuter, foster, adopt, educate, donate.  Show the love for mixed breeds (thus lowering demand for breeders of purebreds).  Eliminate puppy mills. The message is getting out, with your help and mine.

Manny Pacquiao and why he ran away.

Manny is a world famous boxer and fighting this Saturday night against Floyd Mayweather.  I always wonder what fighters feel- what drives them to fight like they do. While not sure of the answer- I know I am now rooting for Manny.

First, shout out to Philippines. What a wonderful, warm, friendly culture. My god daughter Karla Mae lives there.  It is a beautiful country.  But sadly, it is a very poor country- especially in the small towns and islands around the mainland.

Manny ran away at 12 years of age and came from a very poor family.  He ran away because they had no money and barely any food so his dad made the decision to kill and eat the family dog. Manny couldn't take it and ran away from the pain.  I can't imagine how hard his childhood must have been there.

At 14 he was living on the streets and reselling donuts on the street to make a nickel off each one to survive and he found boxing- his way out. Now he is making over $100 million for this one fight, is a Congressman in Philippines, and the populace there want him to run for President.

Well, I would solute Manny Pacquiao as President of the Philippines and hope he furthers the education of his people and understanding the importance of family pets (all kinds of animals).  There are alternatives for food, and how horrible to lose your dog this way.

Do good things Manny.  Do good things.

Karla

Alerts@dogfoodadvisor.com- Nylabone- Salmonella- in Puppy Starter Kit

(Resharing. Your pet can die from Salmonella poisoning so watch for the signs if you have purchased the Puppy Starter Kit with nylabone dog chews):

Dear Fellow Dog Lover,

Because you signed up on our website and asked to be notified, I'm sending you this special recall alert. 

On April 22, 2015, the FDA announced that Nylabone Products of Neptune, New Jersey, is recalling one lot of its Puppy Starter Kit dog chews due to possible contamination with Salmonella bacteria. 

To learn which products are affected, please visit the following link: 

Nylabone Dog Chews Recall 

Please be sure to share the news of this alert with other pet owners. 

Mike Sagman, Editor
The Dog Food Advisor 

P.S. Not already on our dog food recall notification list yet? Sign up to get critical dog food recall alerts sent to you by email. There's no cost for this service.

Toss out your retractable leashes.

I have had them before and they stopped working, jammed up, smacked back, etc. I don't like them and don't use them anymore.  Please read below to learn more.

Feel free to add comments if you have used them or still do.  Thanks.

Retractable leash injuries are a serious problem 

				Retractable leash injuries are a serious problem Retractable leash injuries in dogs can be a serious problem. Making wise leash and collar choices for your best friend can...
				View on old.pe...	Preview by Yahoo

 

And it hurts when you call me fat...

Samson to Shanti

No I don't want to play.

Go away. It's my birthday and I will nap if I want to- Sam I am

Yes, I did hoard all the treats and toys. Again, it is my BIRTHDAY.

Are you, will you take me for a golf cart ride today?

Sam I am

Give me a minute.

I'm still thinking.   -Buster the Foster

Stop it.

You guys disgust me.  -Shanti to Buddy and Sam

Can't sleep with someone else playing with my tug-o-war rope.

Not going to happen - Buddy Love

I love you all though.

I fell asleep surfing the net.

You really should delete your history perv- Buster the foster

Buster is available for adoption thru BTRTOC.  He is 5, fixed, sweet and loving.  He is a bit of a bully and we are working on that with other dogs.  He is a good looking brindle.  24 lbs. Loves to walk and ride, and eat.  LOL. Has a beautiful smile. Cute bugger.

Kickstarter company that helps dogs/people:

Cute that a Boston Terrier gave them the inspiration.  They want to expand and you can give as little as a dollar to help their business grow.  Or order their Wugadogs for your event.  Here is the info.

(And for those who do not know about kickstarter, it is a website that lets small businesses take on small investor(s)/investments. Add it all up and it helps many companies)

Tall Trees Toyworks. They make plush dogs called Wugadogs, which are made to look like your pet.  They even have a Boxer plush available and are trying to raise more money in order to keep making her. They also have donated their plush dogs to rescues so that the rescue could sell or auction them off. They currently have a Kickstarter campaign because they need more money to support their business. As of this email, they have $550 Canadian dollars and they need $16,000 Canadian dollars Just so you know, Kickstarter would convert your money to Canadian dollars automatically when you donate. You could also contact the owner of Tall Trees Toyworks at:  darrinsworld@gmail.com
Also, here is the link to their Kickstarter page if you want to take a look at it: 
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1501503679/wugadogs-huggables-designed-after-real-pets/posts

Oh, I am so glad to make it out of this kennel finally.

Let me kiss the ground in thanks! - Maisy moo

These dryer sheets are supposed to keep the mosquitoes away.

But it is just making me horny for you.  How about we sneak us each a beer from that cooler behind us and get busy in the woods while we are unleashed? - Sam to Shanti

99...100! 100 push-ups. Oh, hi mom.

Stopping now to go for water.  - Maisy Moo

Don't give you what face?

Sam I am, trying to look sad for snacks.

(you gonna gimme some right?)

This way Sam. I will show you the way out of this Southern Blizzard.

And home to the cabin. - Maisy Moo without a clue where she is, or where she is going.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Happy Valentine's Day to you too Luscious.

- Now can you leave me alone so I can sleep this off?- Shanti Baby