Some of you might already know, but today is Remember Me Thursday, a day that has been set aside to bring awareness to all the animals who have been and currently are sitting inside of shelters and rescue groups across the country (and world) just waiting for their forever home to come and pick them up!
All across the nation today, people are coming together virtually or in person for candle lighting ceremonies!
Even though lots of cities and counties are now turning towards the "no kill" shelter movement, over 3.4 million animals are still euthanized each year...just waiting...(Source: The Humane Society of the United States 2013):-(
Just look at those adorable faces!! ;-)
Here are some of the adorable pups that Domeek has worked with, in the past, at shelters!
Considering that there are over 164 million different pets in the US, but only 30% of them come from rescue facilities, we need to start to bring awareness to all the pups and kittens that are spending each night in a shelters and not in warm and loving homes!
Can you help and get this movement rolling?
The Helen Woodward Animal Center invites you to take part and spread the word - from Facebook to Twitter to Pinterest! :-D I encourage you to take a few minutes, light a virtual candle, and dedicate the rest of today to all those shelter animals lost and waiting!
I just lit my candle...will you join me? :-D
PeeS...for those of you who don't follow me on Twitter, due to the incredible generosity of a few people, I have surpassed my fundraising goal!! WhooPee!! All the pups and kittens at the Humane Society will be sooooo grateful! Thank you all!
"...I will love you and honor you all the days of my life."
Ok, ok, so these might be marriage vows, but I personally see that there shouldn't be any difference between the vow you take with your chosen partner and the vow you take when you chose your soul mate, do you?
Today, albeit a little late, I have chosen to be a part of the Blog the Change blog hop. Blog the Change is a quarterly post where they ask bloggers to come together and write about an animal cause that is both near and dear to our hearts!
Today, I have chosen to write about something that irks me to no avail...
...Senior Dog Dumping!
I will never understand why some humans chose to take their best friends to the county shelters or even rescue groups, just because it takes them a bit longer to go on their walks with you, or because they aren't as sprite as they used to be, or maybe because they need some arthritis medication to feel good in the morning. :-(
Some may chose to be the devil's advocate and tell me that each case is different, but I'm sorry, I will not side with you.
"He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion." (author unknown)
As the Senior Dogs Project points out, "Advancing age is a significant disadvantage in the "civilized" and "westernized" nations of the world, whether it appears in a dog or in a person. When the "youth cult" is added to the "throw-away" mentality of our society, the result is that little thought is given to preservation or conservation, and little patience is applied to making possessions or relationships last. If it's old or broken, obsolete or unattractive, it is put on the trash heap. When it comes to dogs, we see heart-breaking examples of this mentality, in many cases because people think of a dog as a disposable possession rather than a companion with whom they are in a relationship. And, of course, even if there is a relationship, if it becomes inconvenient, well, then, why not just end it?"
How utterly sad is this? Especially when you think that those senior dogs will have a much harder time finding forever homes in either shelters or rescues. Older pups have problems, medically, in adapting to shelter life as well...diseases such as Kennel cough, although highly treatable, can take a senior pup down quickly and lying on a cold, damp, and hard cement floor can be awful for a dog suffering from arthritis!
Luckily for some of those awesome and talented senior pups, who find themselves looking for new homes, there are private, no-kill rescue groups and shelters out there that are happy to take them in! But they are few and far between, so many senior pups fall through the cracks and are euthanized.
So, what can we do?
Realize how awesome senior dogs are!! And consider adopting one next time!
You totally know what you are going to get with a senior dog! They have distinct personalities that are already formed, no surprise like puppies!
Lots of senior dogs are super smart and already have either had training or at least know their basic commands! WooHoo!!
Can you say, "potty trained?"
Most senior pups are a bit calmer than crazy younger dogs!! They are just as happy to sit and watch a movie as they are to go to the dog park!
When teaching them new things, most senior dogs have waaaay longer attention spans than energetic young-ens!
You are truly saving a life when you adopt a senior dog!
Happy Monday Everyone!! I hope that you all had a wonderful weekend!! :-D
Tonight I got to go to my rescue group's Annual Holiday and Alumni Party! I couldn't wait, especially during the really long car ride...so I made sure that Domeek listened to me the entire journey as I barked about all my thoughts! Hehehe! She might have to told me to be quiet (like 20 billion times) but I had so much to say, so I couldn't! ;-)
Unfortunately doggie parties are early events and we had to come at the tail end of it...so that meant that there weren't as many pups and people as there had been hours earlier! Pft! Thanks Domeek!
It might have taken like 30 minutes for me to walk half a block too, since my rescue group is on the same road as the SPCA, ACC, and another rescue group, which means that there are thousands of dogs who walk and mark along the same journey! I couldn't help myself!!
The group had decorated the shelter so nicely for the holidays...it was beautiful!!!
Look at all the sparkly lights!! :-D That pup you can see in the middle of the picture is Bunny, she's an adorable, one-eyed, Pekingese who was also rescued a couple of years ago!
We brought delicious and beautiful puppy cookies with us, but since the party was winding down, all of my shelter pups will get to nibble on them to go to bed! :-D
They also had a huge Christmas tree that was covered in puppy themed ornaments; I tried to water it, but Domeek caught me before it was "too late"! ;-) Hehe!
Domeek took a billion photos, but my friends and I weren't very cooperative, so pretty much 99% of the photos were too blurry to even determine who was in them. Ooops, my bad!? ;-)
I also got to meet a three-legged, awesome Husky dog named Xander!! I liked him a whole lot!! :-D You know my husky love! A fellow alumni mix, Pono, and then this super adorable puppy who I couldn't play with, cause he was too little and didn't have all his shots!
Yes, he is even cuter in person!!
My group was trying to reach $25,000 in donations by the end of the year, so that they can start a fresh with Vet debt for the new year, and I am happy to report that they are half way there at the end of the Holiday Party!
They also found homes for two more pups during the party too...woo hoo!!!
All in all it was a great and exhausting night, especially after visiting Petco and getting a new bully twirly stick!! :-D
Here's to a wonderful and prosperous 2013 Northern California Family Dog Rescue!! Thank you for everything that you do and all of the animals in the Bay Area that you help!!
So there I was, having my first real walk since Domeek had her surgery on Halloween. We've only done a couple of blocks, when low and behold a HUGE dog comes running up to us.
:-/ As some of you might remember, I have really bad night vision at the best of times, so I wasn't too happy that this giant dog came bounding over. Domeek picked me up immediately, cause she didn't know how he would react to a small dog. Well, he just kept jumping up on both of us and humping poor Domeek's leg. She pushed him off, tried to look for his owners, but didn't have any success in either act. Fortunately he ran off and then disappeared, so we thought that he must have gotten out of his yard and ran back.
So, we continued on our walk!! I got to sniff some awesome bushes and peemail, then marked a couple of things for my doggie friends, and then...voila, the darn huge dog is back! Up I go again! This time though, I really wasn't happy...I growled and barked at the giant dog, but he didn't either hear or care, cause he kept jumping up on us again.
Well Domeek had had enough, she told the dog to go away, and then power walked (well, as powerful as a bum leg can get) home. The dog kept following though and decided that he was going to run 3 TIMES across a really busy street in front of us. Domeek nearly had a heart attack when he did it in front of a bus!! Luckily he wasn't hit and continued to follow. So, I was literally thrown inside the house and Domeek grabbed the Dog's collar and pulled him towards the backyard! Dog didn't have any tags!! People, tag your dogs please!! So, she had to call animal care and control!
While waiting for the officer to show up, Dog and Domeek hung out in the garage...turns out, Dog is actually a really nice dog. He was super friendly towards humans (I still don't know about me though), loved playing with an old foster dog's chew toy, and had a ball getting scratched on the belly. :-)
He managed to get a hold of an Easter bunny that clucked while out there and he went crazy on it! Hehe!
When the officer got to our home, he was able to scan for a microchip (because he wasn't wearing tags), and thankfully Dog had one! Five minutes later Dog's (oh, I'm sorry, Diego's) Dad was at our house and picking the giant boy up! Phew! Thank goodness for microchips, huh? Do it people! :-D
Domeek was hoping that the officer might give the owner a little lecture, but he was just happy to send this boy home! And, of course, we were too!!
So there you go! I had an icky scare (still getting over it), a super short first walk, Dog/Diego got to hang out with my Domeek instead of hanging out with me, and Dog/Diego found home!
I'm now officially 20 days out from my Humongous trip...still
a bit overwhelming, but I think that we are definitely on the right path! But I
do have a quick question for you all: Have any of you used a DAP collar? If so,
can you give me some of the company names that you liked? Domeek is thinking
that this might be a good option to make sure that I remain calm during take-off
and landing, especially since wearing my Thundershirt for that long is not
going to work. Thanks!
As it's Thursday, I want to introduce you all to a
wonderful shelter/rescue event that is going on around my neck of the
woods...but I'm ecstatic to say that programs all across the country are doing
similar things as well!
Shelters First was created in order to promote adopting
your next lovable companion from a rescue or shelter, as opposed to buying them
from a breeder or pet shop (boo!!!)!
Currently, in Santa Clara county alone, there are over
1200 animals that are in shelters that need out, yet sadly, only 25% of pet
owners adopt through shelters and rescues! :-( So, Shelters First and six
participating shelters are coming together to offer all adult animals for the
low, low cost of $12!! Their hope is to secure hundreds of animals homes before
the Holidays! All six shelters have also committed to not euthanizing one
single adoptable animal during this time too!
The event only started at the beginning of December and
already (as of today) 125 dogs and cats have found forever homes!! WooHoo!!!
How awesome is that?!
So, I thought that I'd introduce you to a couple of
wonderful pups that are up for a $12 adoption fee!
First up is Misha from the Humane Society of SiliconValley! I have to
say that this is an awesome shelter! They have a community dog park,
where you have to be a member, be up-to-date on all your vaccinations, and be
well manner! If we lived closer, I know Domeek and I would be there all the
time!
Misha is a wonderful 8 and a half year old Rottweiler
mix. She's a sweet, older lady looking for a home to call her own. She's a big
love bug when she gets to know someone and will lean in to be close to her
favorite people. She love treats, especially yummy hot dog treats! Are you
looking for a loving and devoted companion? Then look no further, come to HSSV
and ask to meet her today!
Isn't she beautiful? If you would like to learn more
about Misha or if you want to see a video clip of her, please take a look at
her personal page!
And if you would like to see all of their $12 adoptables, please visit their availables
page!
Next up is the coolest looking haircut on a dog that I
have seen in a while...Bam Bam from the San Jose Animal Care Center!
They believe that Bam Bam is a Norfolk Terrier mix and has
just turned 2! He's an adorable little guy who is hoping to melt your heart
when you come to see him. He's very friendly and enjoy being with people. He'd
love to have a family to call his own where he would know that he would be well
taken care of and get lots of love. He's very gentle and loves to cuddle. Since
He's pretty small, he would be easy to take places where his family could have
so much fun together. If you are looking for a special guy to join your family
and give you lots of love and joy, then how about considering Bam Bam. Spend
some 1-1 time with him and get to know the real dude. He'll wait right here for
you.
Doesn't he sound absolutely precious? I know I'd love to
play with him!! So, if you would like to learn more about Bam Bam please take a
look at his page!
If you would like to see all of their $12 adoptions, please visit their
available animals page!
My last featured adoptable pup's name is Rose who is
staying with the Santa Clara County Animal Care and Control.
Please don't judge her on her intake photo, I can't believe that they haven't
taken a better photo yet!
Rose is a 2 and a half year old Pit Bull Terrier with a
spot on her eye that reminds me of Pete the Pup from the Little Rascals! Rose
was surrendered to animal care and control by her owner because he could no
longer keep her where he was living. Spending time with her, they have found
her to be a very sweet & loving girl. She is calm on lead and ignores the
dogs barking at her, but stops to visit nose to nose with the dogs that are not
barking at her. Rose is a real doll, please come to the shelter and spend some
time with her and you will fall in love..
If you would like to learn more about Rose, please take a
look at her personal page and if you would like to see all the rest of the $12 adoptables, take a look at
their availables page!
After clicking through all six different shelters'
available animals pages, I've come to realize that there are far too many Chihuahuas
sitting in kennels right now! Please, if you are considering adopting a little
and mighty pup, consider adopting one of them from your local shelter!
Take a look at the different Holiday discount programs and events that are
going on all around the country!
So, if you are thinking about bringing in another member
of the family during this Holiday Season, please consider adopting through your
local shelter or rescue!
"Christmas is most truly Christmas when we celebrate it by giving the light of love to those who need it most.” ~ Ruth Carter Stapleton
I teased you a couple of days ago by saying that I had a secret, but I couldn't say a word about it! ;-) Some of you guessed that it had to do with tails and ears...well, you were absolutely correct, except not in the way that you were thinking! No, sorry guys, I don't have a new brother or sister (this pup is solo right now, just the way my spoiled tush likes it)! You have to keep reading though...
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If you all remember, a few weeks ago I was a part of a wonderful BlogHop that was partnered by Iams Home 4 The Holidays, BlogPaws Be The Change For Pets, and Dr. Jessica Vogelsang of Pawcurious! All they asked bloggers to do, was to take a few minutes and give back to an animal shelter; whether that meant volunteering, donating, or just buying some items from their shelter wish-list!
I decided to create some beds/blankets and kitty toys for the Huffington Post's Sew 4 Sandy project, that they, in turn, sent along to amazing animal shelters that were in need of supplies!
One of those shelters was the Ocean County Animal Facility South in Jackson and Manahawkin, New Jersey, which is the one I chose to write about.
Well, one lucky blogger that was involved with the Shelter Drive-by bloghop was chosen to be featured on the Iams' Facebook page...and, you guessed it...that blogger that was chosen was ME!! :-D I was incredibly honored and delighted that Dr. V and Iams' liked my post enough to chose it!! Thank you all so much! My post will be featured on December 11th, so make sure that you like the Iams' Facebook page so you can see it on the day!! :-D
***BUT, to make this bloghop even more special and amazing, I was contacted by Chloe of BlogPaws just a couple of days ago, letting me know that they had randomly chosen my post for the insane grand pooh-bah of all prizes...the donation of $1000, that's right, you heard me correctly $1000 to my shelter, the Ocean County Animal Facility South!!!***
I couldn't believe it!! :-D I would just like to take this second to state, if you don't think that one person or dog can make a difference in this World, then you are sorely mistaken my friends! :-D
What's incredible is that I don't know these people or these animals, I live on the other side of the country, yet their stories touched me enough to chose them to write about! They are an amazing organization and amazing volunteers that deserve to have a little more money to help more animals in need!
Please make sure you check out BlogPaws' wonderful post on the Shelter Drive-By bloghop and little old moi!! :-D
Thank you all so very much for continuously coming back to my little blog and commenting...this has been the best few months of my entire life!! :-D
In honor of this spectacular announcement, I would like to continue passing along the love and spirit of Christmas...SO, I am going to be giving away a $25 donation to 2 (that's right, TWO) commentators' charity of choice (one charity per winner)! :-) Not a ton, but a start to a great season! Just leave a comment with what you consider the spirit of the season to be and you will be entered in the drawing. Only one comment per person/pup please! I'll allow commenting through Friday, December 7th and then I'll chose a winner on Saturday, December 8th!! :-D
Unlike my regular Treasure Thursday posts, this week I'm going to be focusing on something that is usually forgotten over the Holiday season...fostering!
Tens of thousands of animals sit in their kennels over the winter break; most of them are sad, cold, and lonely! How would you like to make one animal, this year, ecstatic at Christmas time??? It's pretty easy! All you need to do, is take one cat/dog/guinea pig/bunny/rat/ferret (you get the picture) home with you over the Holidays; let them into your life and your festivities and they, in turn, will make your Christmas the greatest it can be!! :-D
PetFinder has partnered with hundreds of shelters and rescues all over the country (and Canada) to match you with the perfect Holiday foster animal...there are eight rescues in my area alone! :-)
This is the wonderful Rocky Road from Doggie Protective Services in Palo Alto, California (right next door to me)!
Rocky Road is a 4-5 year old Terrier mix with a soft wire coat. She weighs about 7lbs and is a fun-loving spunky gal. Initially she's insecure and she's not always comfortable with strangers picking her up right away. Once she knows people then she loves to climb into their lap and will hang out there. But Rocky Road's absolute love in life is playing fetch. She will play fetch all day long. She will bring the ball back and stand in front of you but she won't let it go. You have to actually take it out of her mouth. It's so funny! Then she gets so excited when she knows you are going to throw the ball for her again. She wants you to take it out of her mouth and she wants you to throw it again, again and again and you can spend all day throwing that ball and she'll fetch it even when she's exhausted.
Rocky Road could be an apartment or condo dog. She could be one who goes on walks, goes to the dog park or hangs out with other doggy social friends. She gets along with big and small dogs and she even shares playing fetch with other friends. Rocky Road is better suited for adults and/or older kids. She's just not a youngsters type of dog. She isn't one who wants to be dressed up, pulled by the tail or really "man-handled" as kids so often do. She's a great adult's dog. She's potty pad trained. She's not a big barker.
Rocky Road has a long soft wire coat that doesn't necessarily need to be professionally groomed. It doesn't continue to grow. It is non-shedding and with regular brushing it stays detangled. It's a fairly easy coat to maintain.
Rocky Road is looking for the perfect forever home, but in the mean while, she will be a wonderful edition to any Holiday home!! If you are interested in learning more about Rocky, please visit her PetFinder page!
The beautiful Edie of Pound Buddies in Muskegon, Michigan is looking for a fantastic Holiday foster opportunity!
This sweet and gentle Italian Greyhound mix has all the qualities someone could desire. Edie is a 23lb girl that is quiet and loyal. She is not demanding, just wants to be near her people. Edie is about 7-8 years old and is house trained and crate trained. She does great with other dogs and children and we are sure she would be fine with cats. Edie would make a perfect companion for another older dog that needs company or someone just looking for a best friend. Edie like to go for walks and snuggle and if you let her she will sleep right next to you with her head on your pillow. Who could ask for a better low shedding companion than Edie?
If you are interested in taking this beautiful and special girl home for the Holidays, please take a look at her PetFinder page!
Malcolm, a large and beautiful Australian shepherd mix, with Austin Live in Austin, Texas would love a foster home!
Meet Malcolm, a gentle soul who deserves a second chance.
When Malcolm looks at you with his gorgeous yellow eyes, you can almost hear him saying, "Can I trust you? I don't know how or why I ended up in here. I'm an older dog, I had a great life, and this is all new to me. Frankly, I'm really not that into it and I would be ever so grateful if you would bring me home."
Malcolm is slightly overweight, so he is not a high energy dog. He's somewhat bewildered in the shelter environment and is reluctant to try new things. This kind, gentle soul just needs a calm home where he can relax in knowing he's not going anywhere.
Malcolm is not overly cuddly, but he does respond to touch and soft words. He does fine with other pets and will be great around kids. He had a sleepover with a volunteer recently and was such a sweet and easy houseguest. He's housetrained and a rock star on a leash.
Malcom believes home is where the heart is. Won't you open up yours?
If you would like to take Malcom into your home for the Holidays, please take a look at his personal information and see what you can do!
Thanks for dropping by, as always, and have a wonderful day!!!
PeeS: Domeek abandoned me last night and went to see these weird people called the Trans Siberian Orchestra...to get you all in the Holiday spirit, enjoy this awesome rendition of the Nutcracker Suite! :-D
I hope that you are all having a wonderful Thursday!
Just in case you didn't know, November is PetFinder and the ASPCA's "Adopt a Senior Pet" month, so that's what I'm focusing Treasure Thursday on!
Ok, I'll be the first to say that us puppies are the cutest darn things in the world...but boy oh boy are we a ton o' work!! We bite, we chew, we have little to no manners, we have no clue what "house training" is, and we cry in the middle of the night!
So if you can't face constantly cleaning the floors or training 24/7, then I have to urge you to look into my senior brothers and sisters!! Not only are you saving them when they most need you, but you know 100% what you are getting into (no pup at the age of 6 is going to come into your house at 15 pounds and 6 months later leave 40 pounds heavier ;-P), they like to relax, watch some tv, and take a good nap, but also have a great time when you want to too!! What more could you want?! The ASPCA has a great list of top 10 reasons to adopt a senior pet that you might want to check out!
My first featured dog's name is Emma, a beautiful 14 year old German Short Haired Pointer and Dalmation mix, who is being adopted and cared for by Lily's Legacy Senior Dog Sanctuary in Petaluma, California (just a short distance from me!)! Lily's Legacy Sanctuary provides a safe and loving home for senior large breed dogs who have been displaced from their homes and/or abandoned for any reason, until adopted or to remain at the sanctuary until they pass on.
If you would like to learn more about Emma (or any of their other fantastic dogs), please check out Lily's Legacy Senior Dog Sanctuary's adoptable dogs and search for her name! Considering that the Holiday season is right around the corner, Lily's Legacy is trying to do some fundraising: Shopping on line during the Holiday Season? Visit all your favorite stores and help save some old pups at the same time. Please shop through eScript to get the most out of your holiday shopping or anytime shopping while getting great contributions (up to 16% back) for Lily's Legacy Senior Dog Sanctuary!
My second featured pup's name is Henriett, who is a beautiful senior miniature Schnauzer, currently being adopted through Senior Dog Rescue of Oregon, in Philomath, Oregon! Their goal is to rescue senior dogs who are homeless and place them within permanent, loving homes. While they prefer to take dogs 6 or more years of age, no dog is turned away from our program if they have the space to foster him or her, regardless of age or health.
If you are interested in learning more about the wonderful Henrietta, please take a look at her PetFinder profile! If you would like to take a look at their other wonderful senior dogs, please check out their available dogs page!
My third and final featured dog's name is Dayton, a spunky senior Shepherd, Collie mix, who is being adopted through Young at Heart Pet Rescue in Palatine, Illinois! Young at Heart Pet Rescue is a volunteer-based organization dedicated to the rescue and rehoming of mature and senior dogs and cats. 100% of their adoptable pets are rescued from open-admission shelters where their age makes them first in line for euthanasia. They rescue them, rehabilitate them, and place them into loving homes all over the Midwest!
Look at that gorgeous face!! If you would like to learn more about Daytona, please take a look under Young at Heart's available dog's section and search for Daytona's name! They also adopt out senior kitties as well, so if you would like to see all of their cats, click here!
During the Holiday Season, Young at Heart also has a fundraising program:
Every year we decorate our virtual “Tree of Hope” with ornaments from animal lovers all over the country. Each ornament represents not only a person, family, or pet who believes that senior pets deserve loving homes, too, but they also represent lives saved.
Without the love and support of each one of you, Young at Heart would not be able to provide the services to senior pets who need our help! Your love and support is what saves their lives. By donating to the 2012 Tree of Hope campaign, you give hope to hundreds of senior pets waiting to be saved from euthanasia!
Thanks for dropping by and have a fantastic rest of the day!!
PS. Here's a funny video that Domeek took a week ago. I sometimes get hypnotized by balls...and sometimes I go on sneezing fits...and then I throw a hissy fit over both! ;-)
