Kelly Goes to the World's Largest Garage Sale

Every fall, the little town of Warrensburg NY plays host to a big event--in fact, they bill it as the biggest sale of toys, crafts, used clothes, antiques and doohickies in the whole world! I Googled it, and dozens of other towns make the same claim (Duncan, Loveland, Evanston, Flagstaff...) but no matter, we love Warrensburg and The World's Largest Garage Sale.

Kelly helped us do our shopping. Here she is checking out a row of stools. Or perhaps she is posing as a stool. As you can see, they come in all colors. You really can find anything at The World's Largest Garage Sale.



Kelly thought she needed some bling, so she stopped at the vintage jewelry booth.
















The World's Largest Garage Sale is an event where you can take your dog, and believe me, people do! We saw breeds from Bernese Mountain Dogs to Basset Hounds, German Shepherds, English Bulldogs and Chihuahuas. Most of the dogs walked on leashes but a few rode in wagons and baby strollers. Kelly met a new friend. What? You don't speak penguin?















We attended the sale from noon-4:30 on Friday, and then again from 8am-5pm on Saturday and never covered all the territory. Kelly joined us only on Friday, and she was so pooped out she napped at home with her Grandmom and Grandpop all the next day. Here she is resting near the end of the day Friday. She had about enough garage saling for one day.















This event is held the first weekend in October every year. It's a fun way to get out in the beautiful, crisp autumn weather and explore, snag a few bargains, and spend time with your dog too. And don't worry, treats abound for the pets. There were personalized dog tags, hand made cat houses (looked like little pup tents) and homemade organic cookies. yum!

Meet Sparkles the Fire Safety Dog

For Firefighter Dayna Hilton, the biggest blessing is knowing that Sparkles the Fire Safety Dog saves lives.

Dayna is serving her 10th year as firefighter with Johnson County RFD #1 of Clarksville Arkansas. She loves her job, but what she loves most is educating children to help keep them safe. And that's a mission Sparkles helps with every day.

Unfortunately, Sparkles started off in a hoarding situation. Living with 62 other dogs in Oklahoma wasn't easy, but Sparkles strong spirit shone through. Luckily, Dayna Hilton came along, scooped her up, and offered the pup a fur-ever home and a job.

As part of the department's Fire Safety Team, Sparkles assists with educational programs, appears in schools and on videos, and helps children understand what to do in the case of a fire emergency--such as recognizing the firefighter and crawling low under the smoke.

When little 5-year old Angelica Riggins of Tulsa Oklahoma awoke to smoke and fire in her home, she remembered what she'd learned from a recent presentation by Sparkles. Angelica says: "I was in bed under the 'cobers' and the smoke came. I crawled out of bed and crawled low, just like Sparkles showed me to. I said, 'Come on Daddy, you have to get on the floor and crawl low like Sparkles.'" As soon as the two made it out the front door, the home erupted in flames. Thanks to Sparkles, everyone was safe.

Media Hound
Sparkles has participated in a Congressional briefing in Washington DC, appeared in magazines such as Cesar's Way, and FIDO Friendly, and on television including FOX and friends, and PBS KIDS Sprouts.

Sparkles also stars in his own books! Dayna is author of two books about Sparkles, Sparkles the Fire Safety Dog (also available in audio book) and Sparkles Goes to Boston. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the books goes to Sparkles foundations to keep kids fire safe.

I'm happy to get to know Dayna and Sparkles. Way to go with your pawesome work educating children in fire safety!

Check out Sparkles' blog, Facebook page, or Follow Sparkles on Twitter.

Being Better for my Dog

Our dogs love us completely, even on days we fall far short on our end of the relationship. That unconditional love is part of the reason why we care so much. Yet, it is also why I want to try even harder to be the best I can for my dog.....why I research healthy pet food...take her to the vet's for check ups when needed... throw her tennis ball over and over and over. And I still want to do more.

An article last week in the Miami Herald cited ways to be a better pet owner. It mentions common suggestions such as daily care and preventative care, and being prepared for emergencies. But more importantly what specifically can I do for my little Kelly? I thought about this.

How can I be a better owner/friend/parent to my dog?

1. Take her on more walks. Kelly loves her walks. I know, because she livens up, her ears perk up, she wags constantly, and sniffs around almost with a smile on her face. And yet, some days I'm too busy to clip on the leash and get her out the door. Even if I only have time for a short spin around the block, I commit to walking her daily, or even twice!

2. Find her a playmate. I could be wrong, but I think Kelly would like a playmate. This is a bit difficult, because sometimes Kelly doesn't seem to get along with other dogs. She growls a bit when we meet them on the street. And sometimes when I've had a friend bring their dog over to play, neither dog is interested. Wow, Kelly must really be finicky about her friends. But whenever I see dogs romping together and playing, I think she must be wanting some of that fun, too.

3. Stop feeding her my pizza crusts. Since Kelly and I have been on a diet together, I've stopped feeding her table scraps. Well, almost. I really don't care for pizza crusts, or the crusts of sandwiches. And Kelly looks up at me so cute and beguiling. We've switched to whole wheat pizza dough and healthy whole grain bread, so I figure if it's good for me, it is good for her. But really, I know that is too many calories for a little gal. But did I mention that she looks at me so cute?!

I'm still not sure about #2, but I have recommitted to walking Kelly more and to stop giving her my crusts. (maybe a bite?!)

What about you? What are some ways you think you could be better for your pet?

Hero Dogs and Soldiers

In an ultimate act of devotion, Rufus bit the Taliban terrorist on the leg.

CBS News reports that Rufus and two other stray dogs thwarted a surprise attack by a suicide bomber in Afghanistan last February. Sgt. Chris Duke vows that the dogs saved his life, and those of 50 other sleeping American soldiers.

When Sgt. Duke returned stateside in March, he never thought he'd see Rufus again. But thanks to Robert's Cause, a nonprofit animal advocacy group, Hope for the Warriors, Facebook, Pet Airways, and some good Samaritans, Sgt. Duke and Rufus are now reunited and will live together, along with Duke's family, in Georgia. One of the other strays, Target, arrived to live with a soldier in Arizona. Way to go!

The reunion was captured by news outlets across the country. This video report is from Fox News:



I'm inspired by all the people who came together to help bring these dogs and soldiers together. This isn't the first great project aided by Robert's Cause. Robert Misseri is a founding member of Rescue Ink, has been instrumental in helping countless abused and neglected animals, works with Puppy Rescue Mission, and numerous other animal advocacy efforts.

Ricochet the SURFice dog visits the blog

Seeing this happy dog up on a surf board is a beautiful sight. But there's much more to the story.

Ricochet is a golden retriever with a heart of gold. She's not only a pawsome surfing dog, but also a "SURFice" dog who believes in pawing it forward. That's right, her mission is to help others by raising awareness and funds for human/animal causes.



Judy Fridono, Ricochet's mom and a certified professional dog trainer (CPDT) shared with me some of Ricochet's accomplishments.

Q- Thank you Judy for joining us. I live in New York, so I don't know any surfing dogs. How did Ricochet learn to surf?

A- Part of my nonprofit organization, Puppy Prodigies, focuses on building balance and coordination in puppies. So when Ricochet was learning her service dog tasks, she was also working on balance and coordination. I put a boogie board in a kiddie pool and invited her on it. She took to it, so we slowly progressed to a regular swimming pool, calm water of the bay, and finally to the ocean. Now she participates in some surfing competitions, but her primary objective is helping people and animals.

Q- What are some of the projects Ricochet has been involved in?

A- Her first fundraiser was for a quadriplegic surfer named Patrick Ivison. One day at the beach she jumped on his board and it was clear to me she wanted to surf tandem with him. She raised over $10,000 for his physical therapy and her sponsor, the Rose Foundation, awarded a grant for an additional 3 years of therapy.

Since then she's raised money for arthritis (human and canine), cancer, toy drives, pet food drives, and so much more.

Q- What project is Ricochet supporting now?

A- Ricochet supports several organizations on an ongoing basis. One project she just began working with is Finnley, a 2 yr old little girl who suffered a brain injury. Ricochet is helping raise money for a resistance pool that would greatly help with Finnley's therapy.

Q- What can we do to help?

A- Of course donations to any of these causes are always greatly appreciated, but also spreading the word is such a great help! You can check us out on Facebook and Twitter.

Thank you Judy for sharing Ricochet's inspirational story. There are many worthy causes to join in and support Ricochet in helping others.
As Ricochet "says": Paw-abunga!

Monday Pet Roundup

Hi and welcome to Monday Pet Roundup!

* I'll occasionally review a pet product I think you'll find helpful, and csn stores contacted me recently with another great offer to review one of their products. At their website you can find everything from a bedroom vanity to a braided rug to a barbecue grill...but seriously, you're going to love their wide range of pet products. Stay tuned in the following weeks for my review!

* You may have heard of Ricochet the surfing dog. Now meet Outback Addie! This rescue dog was once afraid of everything, but now look at her go! Hang twenty, dude!

* Take the USA Today poll. Should dogs be allowed in restaurants?

* Neil Genlinger suggests that we may be wasting too much time watching cute pets on TV, movies and the Internet. In his New York Times article he notes that one You Tube video, "Surprised Kitty" received more than 28,500,000 views. The clip is only 17 seconds long, but this amounts to 15 years of time spent (he says "wasted") watching this. I don't know about you, but I think that 17 seconds of my life was worth it!

*Chocolate...grapes...onions. Zootoo reminds us to keep these foods away from our pets.

* My vet warned me that my dog Kelly shared many of the same risks as I due to being overweight. At Dancing Dog Blog, Mary Haight shares some authoritative insight on dogs and human diseases.

5 Reasons to Love a Dog

Wednesday I posted a column on 5 Reasons to Love a Cat. Today, in all fairness, I would like to share some of the reasons why I love dogs. And let's hear from you, other dog people, and why you love your dog, too!

5 Reasons to Love a Dog

1. Dogs want nothing more than to spend time with you. Kelly follows me around the house. Even if I've gotten up and moved only a few feet away, she follows me, wanting to be right by my side. When I take the time to walk her or play with her, there is nothing she'd rather do.

2. Dogs generate great body heat. I love it when Kelly curls up beside me. I instantly feel her warmth spreading over to me, like a hug. And that translates into love.

3. Dogs forgive and forget. It doesn't seem to matter if I was out all day, neglected to fill the food bowl, or accidentally stepped on her tail--Kelly forgives. She greets me enthusiastically when I finally come home, accepts the food happily whenever it's presented, and turns around to lick my cheek even when she's hurt.

4. Dogs are hysterical to watch when they play. Kelly can be such a klutz when she plays, banging into walls, tripping over her feet, and tumbling around like a spazzy acrobat. But she's never embarrassed. She loves to have fun, to attack her playtoys with abandon.

5. Dogs bond. Kelly loves everyone in the family, but she especially bonds with me. She doesn't want to experience life alone, but to share her days with me. I especially love it when I come home, and see her peeking out the front door window, waiting for me. It makes me feel like I was missed, and she seems to tell me that she's happier when I'm around. I know I'm happier when she's around!

Please leave a comment here and tell us why you love a dog!