Today Post::Seattle bound, and announcing a Photo Book!

I’ll be speaking be about Shelter Strategies for Pit Bulls at the Pacific Northwest Animal Care & Control Conference this coming Friday and Saturday. If you live in the area and are curious about better ways to help pit bulls, please set part of your Saturday aside to be there. Sat’s session is open to rescue groups and wanna-be rescuers. This is my first-ever time to Seattle, and I’m dying to know, will I get to see a wild orca? (Please, please, please)

Announcing, a Photo Book! We’ve been so inspired by the beautiful photos and stories that have been pouring in to the photo contest that we’ve decided to run a group of ‘judge’s picks’ in a book, entitled - what else - My Dog is Family. With some luck, it will be completed in time for the holidays. The contest runs for another two weeks, so please vote for your favorites. And if you still have photos that you want to share - submit! They just may find their way into this new project. Above: Sasha Bean is loved by Lisa Hagell and her family in Lloydminster, Alberta. Lisa says she is the “best friend to our 2 year old daughter. Our family would be incomplete without Sasha Bean.” Bless you girls!

Today Post::7 Incredible Pets that Will Surprise You

By guest blogger Mary Ward Do you Digg It
Looking for the perfect pet can be a tall order, until you consider some alternative options. There are some excellent pets out there that can bring about hours of enjoyment, and sometimes the least expected choices make the best ones.
1. Hamsters: Sure they are rodents, but these are excellent pets for kids. The maintenance and upkeep is minimal for this family-friendly pet, so it's a perfect starter pet. For the kids that want a family friend to take care of, this is an excellent animal to show what nurturing an animal is all about. These are fairly independent animals so they won't necessarily show loyalty, but they're pretty easy to care for.

2. Guinea Pigs: Along the same lines, these cute little bundles of fur are relatively easy to care for. That's why you see so many of these cute little pets in homes with young people, as well as classrooms across the country. You can shower them with love but they can still do their own thing. This is an excellent pet to be able to care for but not to force too much time or attention as they blend into the family pretty easily.

3. Parrot: Birds are great pets in general, but the parrot can be a lot of fun. These are great pets because they feel like a part of the family as they repeat the words you say, making for hours of entertainment. Parrots are lovable yet fairly low maintenance making them a surprisingly delightful addition to the family.

4. Bunny: Who knew that these cute little fur balls made such excellent pets? Bunnies are great because they don't require quite as much time or attention as cats or dogs, but yet they can be quite lovable. They can come out of their cage to play with the family, but yet will stay for long periods in their little home without making a peep. Cute and furry, these are a wonderful surprise as family pets go!

5. Iguana: Okay so this may not conjure up the visions of cuteness, but they make for good pets. You can shower them with attention though they don't require too much in terms of maintenance. A little known benefit to these pets is that if you let them loose in the yard every once in awhile, they will help to control any bug problems that you may be experiencing.

6. Teacup Pigs: Admittedly any sort of farm animal such as this does better with more room to wander, but this smaller version can provide great delight. This tiny version of your typical pig can be lovable and sweet; it just needs extra attention to ensure they thrive. They are so cute though that you can't help but fall in love with them!

7. Fish: If you want a pet but don't want to keep up with the maintenance, this can be the perfect solution. A nice tank full of fish can bring about relaxation and a nice sense of companionship, offering some excellent delight to the individual who owns them.

These seven animals make surprisingly rewarding pets and companions, and are often easier to keep for many people and people with special considerations like allergies, time constraints, etc. Always keep in mind, though, that you should do your research to learn about any animal before committing to it as a long-term pet, and always consider alternative resources like rescues and shelters to help along a pet less fortunate.

Mary Ward is a freelance writer and likes writing about animal-related career topics, such as how to obtain an
online Vet Tech degree,job and education tips, and more.

Today Post::more medieval cats on pages

As you probably have figured out by now I do love a sprightly manuscript detail. Turns out the Getty Museum has one I’ve missed. From England, about mid 13th century, a couple of white cats go after brown mice, with mixed results - or perhaps it’s a comic book-style telling of a cat’s failed bid to hang on to mousie, as it shows up immediately underneath in its own vignette looking perky and even triumphant. I’m particularly impressed with the skilled elegance with which the cats are drawn, not a line wasted.

Of course copyright forbids my posting the image, but I’ll send you right to it here.

Today Post::dog on the weekend

This was Cash dog yesterday, being all happy because he got to go bird hunting with his dad and John-of-Robin-and-Finchy. He’s 12 and this is what he lives for.

For it is the weekend and the perfect time to find a happy spot.

Today Post::That's what I'm saying ... !

Claremore Animal Shelter makes the news
It was great to see Oklahoma’s Jennifer Cummings in the news for her part in helping the bust dogs. And in the Washington Post, no less. Congrats Jennifer .. And thank you again for your good deeds. WA Post Article + Photo

On the left is the same cute doggy shown with Jennifer in the Post. We all anxiously await her arrival in CA. Thanks to Molly Gibbs for the great photo.

For every dog that we take from out-of-state, we try our best to rescue a local dog. Below is Turner, who just joined us to today from the kennels of Oakland Animal Services. Ambassadog volunteer Inga Sheffield found him tied to a warehouse fence, forlorn and forgotten. We look forward to seeing him get his bearings and attract a new home. Someone’s going to love this handsome monkey.

In other news from home: The beautiful Tulip is healing from a second exploratory surgery to find the source of a weeping wound. The culprit? A foxtail .. deep, deep, deep within the muscle. Lolo finished her first week in her new home. Bemis left the shelter and went to a new home today. And Aberfoil and little TugTug both have very promising suitors. A good week for Oakland pit bulls.

Today Post::Cleaning Hazards

According to the Environmental Protection Association (EPA), typical household cleaning products and air fresheners are one of the leading contributors to poor indoor air quality. The agency reports that poor indoor air quality can lead to health issues; animals have faster metabolisms and smaller lungs than humans, and not only are they processing these chemicals at a faster rate, they are also breathing them in more rapidly. Because animals are closer to the ground, they are more often in direct contact with these harmful substances.

Now, I’m not about to recommend any cleaning supplies, as the above was actually something a “green” cleaning product company sent to me as part of a press release. But, the information is worth noting that there are so many things in our environment that we don’t consider for either ourselves, or our pets. It is worth doing a little research before using products around you and your pets to make sure it is safe.

Today Post::Celebrating life, Ritualizing death

This has been a weird summer of celebrating and grieving. The dogs from the Missouri centered dog fight bust have been front and center of our activities and brain space and, while many of the released dogs are doing well, others that have come with difficult medical or behavior issues have not had the happy endings we all like to celebrate. We’re big on doing compassion holds for these dogs, one at a time. Our volunteer crew has been especially giving with their hearts this summer and while we keep these dramas on the down-low, behind the scenes we’ve been working hard to maintain our optimism and after having good cries from the belly, moving on to the next dog or group of dogs that need us. I don’t want to! use this entry as a macabre list of dogs that have died (although we will talk about certain special darlings at some point) but I wanted to start to prepare pit bulls lovers for the inevitable .. Through no fault of their own, a LOT of victims of cruelty from the big raid are going to die this summer/fall. We promise to do everything we can to bring dignity to the dogs whose deaths we’re able to be a part of.

None have done that better than Molly Gibbs, who was taking care of Daisy for us (above) at the same time that she was letting go of two special darlings from the Oklahoma centered bust dogs of Claremore Animal Shelter. She wrote an essay on what it was like to put two bust dogs to death. It’s worth reading - slowly - when you’re in the right frame of mind.

The taking of life is something not to be borne lightly or without reflection on a heartfelt level. This is something I learned from my Grandfather, who had been a field surgeon during WWI. He said besides performing triage and surgeries, he had to help those who would not live die with as much comfort and dignity as possible. Today such conversations with a young child would probably be frowned upon … continued.

In the meantime, we are celebrating Miss Daisy, who somehow defied the odds by getting a foster spot. She landed in SF last night and waltzed off the plane like a seasoned war veteran who can’t wait to get back to the living. We cling to her good news because she’s such a reminder of the old soul perseverance of the breed during trying times. We have a lot to learn from Daisy. And how much does this little dog look like (another) gargoyle? We seem to be blessed with gargoyle girlies in our corners this year. Go figure.

Welcome to California livin’ Miss Daisy.

Today Post::updates

Sorry I haven’t kept up with updates on Bella and Jack like I should. My business life has been an emotional roller-coaster lately, and it’s taken a toll on my blogging.
Anyway ~ Jack and Bella are still with me. The person who wanted to adopt Jack basically said they don’t take their cats to the vet, would not agree to keep him inside, nor would say they would get him neutered when he was of age. So I told her, “no deal.”
And the person who had said they were going to adopt Bella - well, they simply never showed up.
So, I’m going to try to find a home for them, where they can be together.
In other news - first of all, I need to apologize to Petey. With everything going on, his Gotcha Day kind of came and went, with no fanfare. I will have to make it up to him with a Pete Party soon!
AND - recently, I received an unexpected gift in t! he mail. It was the most luxurious, soft and wonderful blankie for the Purries in the mail! From Peggy of Peggy’s Place!
It was a total surprise and SO wonderful! It is fluffy black and white, to match Pete’s furs! Pete loves it! And so do I!
You can see from the picture below that Bella loves it, too!
THANK YOU, Peggy!
♥
~ Not The Mama

Today Post::Okie girl countdown and barn progress

We’re looking forward to seeing this little munchkin (who needs a name) land in CA. She’s still in Oklahoma, healing from her spay surgery and making up for lost time by schmoozing every human that her new friend Molly Gibbs introduces her to. She’s practicing her craft here with Jennifer Cummings of Claremore Animal Shelter. And did we tell you she gave love-rubs to a cat while at the shelter? Have mercy.

There’s a good chance we’ll miss this girl’s much anticipated arrival … We’re headed back to the midwest for more bust dog business and expect to be tied up for the good part of a week. This involves more gag orders, I’m sorry to say. But soon enough, we’ll be able to outline how yet another state went about handling its bust dog victims.

BARN UPDATE: While we’ve been fussing with travel plans and having fun with the photo contest, people have been great about helping us chip away at Tana Madrigal’s 10K matching gift challenge. We’re currently $7,120.00 away from the big jump up the bar. To sweeten this effort, we’ve been offered a challenge within a challenge. Laurie, otherwise known as dogfostermom around the net, has offered to match any gifts up to 1K that come from readers of her blog called, “My Life as a Dog Foster Mom.” Check it out. Laurie’s got some crazy-fun photos and posts about life with foster dogs and, in between, she’s always raising funds for other groups. Thanks for your big and busy heart, Laurie.

Our most recent barn raisers: Esther Shir, Barbara Mroz, Wilma Broekhuizen, Michelle Stewart, Ann Kolbeck, Ken Foster, Karel Bagwell, Carmen Velasquez, Kristin Herrera, Anne Graves, Martha Kennedy, David Brown, Andrea Ives, Lynn Greenberg, Lisa Warner, Melinda Richards, Kathleen Hanley, Robin Causbrook, Boris Artemyev, Mahsa Adami, Jonna Hensley, and Stuart Fisk. Thank you!

Today Post::a couple more from the fair

(All photos courtesy & copyright John McDermott)

Baby bunny mini-lop in the petting zoo.

(Don’t worry, it was a very well controlled zoo.)

The cat that won the biggest ribbon at the 4H cat show!
He loved being judged and having us all look at him and say “Ah kitty.”

Today Post::cat gummies, cat goma

Katjes of Germany and their candy is not new to me exactly, but it’s been many years since I ran into a bag. And to date I hadn’t run into bags of their Katjes-Kinder, Katzen-Pfotchen, and Ohren (Kittens, Cats Paws, and Ears) all at once. Turns out the entire company’s genesis in 1950 began with a 1910 recipe from Sicily for making licorice cats. But that’s on their History page.
What you probably want to see is the candy. So have you ever had the hard, herbal Katzen Ohren? I haven’t yet, but I tend to like my licorice more plain like the Katjes-Kinder. (Where are the Paws on the company website?) I may skip the Salty Herrings, but! many folks enjoy a good salty licorice. The entire Katjes website is here.

I also happened for the first time upon Himalayan cat Goma’s fantabulous blog today. Which included a link to the Lolcat translator. Oh, temptation.

Today Post::once there was a pig named cupid

Cupid the pig lived in Plymouth, UK, in the mid-18th century. He was the beloved friend and companion of a woman named Emma Gilbert, and is said to have shared her meals at her table, even accompanying her to London. As it happened, Emma was the Countess of Mount Edgecumbe, married to the 1st Earl of Mount Edgecumbe, and so in a position to treat her dearest friend with certain honors.

When Cupid died in about 1768, the Countess buried him near the family estate’s folly, and had an obelisk built in his memory. The obelisk was later moved, and no pig found (or the golden casket in which he was supposedly interred). Or the pig may possibly be buried in a local area called Fern Dell. What I think really matters was the quality of the affection passing between these two. Don’t forget this was during an age of Western philosophy when the idea of animals as feeling, suffering beings was becoming widely acknowledged.

Here’s a news article from the Plymouth paper including not just Emma’s Cupid, but a few more other family pet lovers.

And here’s a post on Cupid from a fine blog on Plymouth local history.

Today Post::1844: a lost lady holds a little dog

Thanks as usual, Wikimedia Commons

In 1844, Carl Timoleon von Neff (Baltic Germany, 1804/5? - 1876) painted this portrait of a striking young woman holding her little dog. All I can find of her is the title: Lady Barrett of Belhus. While I didn’t find many of the answers I sought, I did find some other curious things that led me to reflect on struggle, position and transience. I’ll tell you why.

Carl Timoleon von Neff was a court painter to Tsar Nicholas I of Russia, a position he achieved by a great deal of hard work and applied likeability, for he was the illegitimate child of a French governess. He is identified as being Baltic German, from Estonia, born at the “Pyssi manor,” and died in St. Petersburg. He did well enough to own a manor house at Muuga in Estonia (a Flickr group of the house here).

Last but not least, he traveled to Britain at one point, for the young lady in the painting belonged to a family of minor nobility in Thurrock, county of Essex. The Belhus family’s country house was demolished in 1957, and the family’s history was mildly checkered. It is possible that this young woman is either the wife or the daughter (I think the latter) of Sir Thomas Barrett-Lennard, 1st Baronet.

Good links: von Neff, his art, and his manor house; the lost house of Belhus.

Today Post::World's Most Expensive Dog

It would have been much cheaper to adopt….

What does a $582,000 dog look like? A Tibetan Mastiff has apparently broken the record for the world’s most expensive dog. It was sold to a young Chinese millionare.

You can read the complete article as found on MSN.com.

Today Post::a video blog from Tim

I heard Tim chattering away in his shop today and wondered about the long conversation he was having with the foster dogs. What were they talking about? Turns out he was video-blogging. My resourceful guy. Here he talks about the barn raising and why he’s looking forward to having a place for the dogs to wrestle besides under his feet while he carves (And YES, that’s a sneak-video-peek of new arrival Daisy May!)

BARN PROGRESS: We are currently $4900 away from the big 10K matching gift challenge that Tana Madrigal made the first of September. Not bad! We have these barn raisers to thank for getting us this far: Sara Hughes, Nafija Mujic, Sharon Logan-Smith, Lindsey Wetterhahn, Virginia Kelly, Elizabeth Richards, Darlene Kenney, Will Stearman, Michelle Harrington, Sandra Barker, Kristin Tassin, Lisa Wolverton, Laurie Metzger, Jackie Tracy, Tammy Chang, Lindsey Morris & Bryan Klavitte, John F. Hill, Altria (Matching gift for Jennifer Al Mo) and Salvito - who sent us Euro dollars (!) - in memory of Lulu, from her sister Stormy. Thank you big hearts! We’re so very grateful for your help.

Today Post::the spy's dog

There was a brief period during WWII when a great deal hinged on one woman’s grief for her dog. The woman was Nathalie Sergueiew, a Russian whose family had fled to France in 1917 to escape the Revolution. In 1939 she began working for German intelligence - and very shortly thereafter became a double-agent for the Allies, codenamed “Treasure” by the British.

She had had to leave her dog Frisson behind in her Madrid posting, with a boyfriend’s promise that Frisson would be smuggled into Britain. But the boyfriend failed, and Frisson died (I haven’t found out how). In misplaced revenge, “Treasure” threatened to slip a code into her transmissions to Germany that would tell them she was being held against her wishes. If she had, more likely than not the Allies’ entire double-cross system would have come crashing down.

Luckily, she didn’t. She went back to France, and eventually wrote a tell-all memoir that was published in 1968. You can read more about “Treasure” here, and learn more of the spying details here - no mention of Frisson, but there is a photo of Sergueiew.

Today Post::See this

I sure needed me some Mavis this morning. We came back from the midwest with a THUD and have been having a bit of a time climbing out of the jet-laggin’ hole and back into business as usual. But Mavis - Photo Contest Diva from Madison WI - She put it all back into perspective with her photo and owner’s words. Thank you, darlin’!

Mavis’s person Alyssa Sean wrote: “Mavis’s best trait is putting up with me.” I’m sure she sees right thru to your heart Alyssa.

Inspired in Philly - Hat tips to Ken Foster for pointing out this very impressive ‘Save A Bull’ effort created by Philadelphia group PAWS to help the pit bulls in their city. In their words:

Our Mission is to reshape misperceptions regarding pit bulls in the City of Philadelphia, educate the public about what wonderful pets, family members, and companions pit bulls can be, serve as a source of information and referrals for pit bull owners, and ultimately reduce the number of pit bulls that are killed in shelters by promoting foster care, adoption, and responsible ownership.

Well done, PAWS. We look forward to seeing this website grow. And we love that you’re recommending trainer Carol Siegrist among others for help with pit bulls. Carol spent a week with us at Pit Ed Camp and we give her two high paws up for her clear vision and big heart for the dogs.

Today Post::223 cyber stars, and counting

We hope everyone is enjoying the daily arrivals of the My Dog is Family calendar photo contest as much as we are. Some have suggested that we find an additional way to get the contest entries in front of public eyes. Thanks guys - Great idea. We’re spinning some thoughts around and will see what we can come up with. Hopefully we can find a fun way to show off a bigger number of these heartwarming pix, outside of our 2010 calendar.

If you’ve submitted an entry, don’t forget to promote it around the Net using the handy-dandy share feature located just beneath the Log In button of your photo page. You can launch your favorite entries anywhere you’re hooked up (facebook, twitter, etc) via this tool. —->

Some recent entries that have us smiling:

Eloise of New York is owned by Bara Sapir. Bara says that, “Eloise closes my laptop computer if she thinks I’ve worked too much.” Smart doggy. I sure could use a helper like that.

Lolabean Starlett’s photo makes us want the small fluffy as much as we want to squeeze Miss Bean. Lucky Alissa of Medford, NY.

Ollie and his beautiful friend know exactly what family means. Submitted by Rana Pawlowski (Paw-lowski, really? love it) of Tullahoma, TN.

Visit, Vote, Enjoy. BR Photo Contest

Today Post::The life and times of Rosie - In memorial

I opened an email headlined
Rose Caldwell 2001-2009 early this morning and was confused for a few minutes. Who died?

My bleary brain started working as I read on. Rose - our little Rose. She was one of our all time favorite dogs. She lived with us for the good part of a summer while recovering from a rough beginning. Her adopter attached BR’s Happy Ending bio for Rose to this sad note as part of her eulogy:

Miss Rose
‘This beautiful creature achieved a sad form of celebrity status when she was removed from 3 Oakland youths who later pled guilty to setting another pit bull puppy (Theo) on fire. True to their brave and hardy breed, neither the hairless (mange infected) Rose nor the severely burned Theo showed any lasting ill effects from their crappy beginnings. Like a Little Elfin Queen, Rose kept her impish personality and tomboy confidence, and never failed to offer cheerful greetings to an adoring public wherever she went -even (and especially) children. She embodies so many qualities that are classic pit bull that having her around made us fall in love with the breed all over again. Rose is a VERY smart, responsive little dog ever eager to show the world how incredibly vivacious her pit bull kin folk can be. She was adopted by an active SF couple and their pit mix male. She gets to jog with her athletic ‘daddy’ and anxiously awaits her opportunity to play Nanny’s Helper to the couple’s soon-to-be-arriving first child. Congrats to everyone in this busy, loving family.’

Attached to the email was over a dozen photos outlining Rose’s life with her adopters: Camping adventures, a pregnant belly being inspected by a gentle Rose, heaped on the sofa with a new baby, a car ride next to a toddler, dress up parties, endless cuddling sessions by an affectionate family. My eyes burned with tears. This former cruelty victim’s new life had been meticulously recorded as she participated in every important family event. She was family, no doubt, and will always be a part of the Caldwell’s memories. We couldn’t ask for a happier ending to the story of Rose.

From her human mom:

Dear Friends

I just wanted to let you know that our beloved Rosie was put to rest this morning around 8:30 am. Rosie was recently diagnosed with advanced cancer and a tumor in her abdomen which had likely spread to her lungs. Our family is very sad. Rosie was truly one of the best living creatures I have ever known. A wonderful family dog from beginning to end, Rosie endured countless “riding” and dress up by toddler girls. A wonderful companion and friend, she is terribly missed in our home.

Best

Kristin, (Robert, Lola, and Skye Caldwell)

Our heart goes out to the Caldwell family for their painful loss.

Rest in peace little prick eared Rosie. You did such a good job here on earth.

Today Post::Jazper

 One of the most difficult decisions about closing The Wren’s Nest was knowing that I would have to find a new home for Jazper.  Unfortunatley, while he loves kittens, he just cannot get along with other adult cats.  I haven’t blogged much about my failed attempts at integrating him in with the rest of the Purries, but he just attacks.  He and Isis get along fine, because she grew up with him and he is used to her, but other adult cats - well, he just attacks.  Like he is going for the kill.
It is way to stressful for me and the other cats, because of this, to consider keeping him.  It would not be fair to any of us.  He needs to be in a home where he can have lots and lots of attention, and frankly with all the Purries, sometimes I seem stretched a bit thin in the attention-giving department.
So, today, on the first day of my Store Closing Sale, even before I get a “Certified Used Cat” flyer read! y for him, in walks a former business owner of another shop downtown, and an aquaintance of mine.  After talking, I knew that this would be the person who could give him a Forever Home.  Even before I said that I had to think about finding a home for him, she offered to adopt him.
She’s coming back tomorrow to spend some time with him, and to talk with me about the details - like WHEN she would take him, but it sounds like it will be a good match.
It will break my heart to let him go, but I also know in my heart it will be the best thing for him — for all of us — in the long run.
I’ll keep you updated,
NTM