Monday Pet Roundup

Hi and welcome to Monday Pet Roundup! The model today is my daughter's cat, Cinnamon, playing with some new toys.

* Election season is upon us. Maybe we should consider this way to vote: According to the AP, the Washington (DC) Humane Society held an election that went to the dogs. Bone-shaped dog biscuits with each of the two mayoral candidates names were placed in front of canine voters. The dogs voted by choosing which bone to eat. Some (hungry) dogs voted more than once.

* In more political news, USA Today reports on an adorable rescue mutt Hewitt, who "helps" County Councilman Dave Somers work in his office in Everett, Washington. Wait until you read how Somers acquired the dog.

* Firefighter Dayna Hilton and her dalmatian are doing great work educating children about fire safety. If you know any kids who like to color, check out her new Sparkles the Fire Safety Dog Coloring Book . It's a great way to spread the fire safety message to children. Congrats on the book, Dayna and Sparkles!

* Love cats? I hope you've seen this UK Ikea advertisement, gone viral on You Tube with more than 600,000 views so far. These are some beautiful cats. Check it out here:




* I think a parrot would make a great pet, but I have no idea how to care for one. Here, Martha Stewart and an animal expert offer a brief introductory video about owning an African Grey Parrot. Did you know they like to be misted with water?

* If you enter this contest, you could win $500 worth of pet care services. Just send Fetch Pet Care a paragraph and/or photos or video to show "How far would you go for your pet?"

What about you? I think we all would do just about anything for our pets, but can you go too far? How far is too far?
And do you think dogs can do about as good job selecting a politician as anyone? lol

Write a Blog Post, Feed a Shelter Pet

Things We Can Do to Help Shelter Pets:

1. Adopt pets from shelters or rescue groups. Give a homeless pet a chance.

2. Support shelters by donating your time, resources, food, blankets.

3. Blog about Pedigree's Adoption Drive.

Kelly is a rescue dog and I'm grateful to the rescue group we got her from for saving her and keeping her safe until we found each other. Shelters and rescue groups are run largely on donations and need our help to make things more comfortable for these beautiful pets while they are waiting for their furever homes.

Why write a post?

* Each year, more than 4 million dogs end up in shelters and breed rescue organizations. Pedigree created The PEDIGREE Adoption Drive to help shine a spotlight on the plight of these homeless dogs.

* This year the PEDIGREE® Adoption Drive is raising awareness for homeless dogs by donating a bowl of food to shelter dogs for everyone who becomes a "Fan" or "Likes" the PEDIGREE Adoption Drive on Facebook. So far more than 1 million bowls have been donated.

* For each blog that posts about the PEDIGREE® Adoption Drive through September 19, PEDIGREE® will donate a bag of its new Healthy Longevity Food for Dogs to shelters nationwide. It's simple: Write a post, help a dog.

When you are finished, join the special PEDIGREE® Blog Hop!

A Dog's Purpose Book Giveaway Contest

Here's what I hear about the new bestseller, A Dog's Purpose by W. Bruce Cameron:
1. The book is a heartwarming dog's-eye view of the world.
2. What's really cool is that the author helps spread the word about critical issues in animal rescue (more about this later.)
3. What's really really cool is that you can win a copy of A Dog's Purpose right here on this blog. (keep reading!)

But the main thing I keep hearing about A Dog's Purpose is that the novel--about a dog's search for his purpose over the course of several lives--will make me cry. Wait! Don't stop reading here...there are plenty of laugh out loud moments in the book, too. After all, Bruce Cameron is a seasoned bestselling humor author (8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter, one of the absolute funniest books I've ever read!) But back to the crying. If you've read any review, it's no secret that the canine protagonist dies three times in the course of the book. Then, (sort of like in the movie Groundhog Day) the dog receives the miracle of life again and again, remembers the lessons of previous lives, and ponders his purpose.

This book is sweet, sincere and charming. The dog's inner voice really works--he thinks exactly the way I would expect a dog in his situations to be thinking. And yes, it's sad. Not that I necessarily like to cry, but sometimes a good cry is a prerequisite to experiencing deeper, happier emotions.

And now for the contest! The publishers kindly provided me with a copy of the book (and Frisbees!) to review, and one to give away! One lucky reader will receive a copy of A Dog's Purpose by W. Bruce Cameron.

Second place winner will receive a pet friendly Frisbee.

How to enter:
1. I'd be happy if you'd follow me on this blog. Thank you! (optional!)
2. Leave a comment that completes the sentence: "A dog's purpose is..."
3. The contest is open now until Sunday 9/12/10 at 5pm.

How to win:
Winners will be chosen by random number generator
Winners will be announced on this blog on Monday 9/13/10.
If you're selected, I will ask you to provide me with your mailing address so I can send you your prize!

** Here is the cool part I promised you earlier. The author is a true animal lover, spreading the word about spaying and neutering, puppy mills, and adopting rescue dogs. He wrote the book in part because he was inspired by his daughter's dog rescue work with Nikeno's Second Chances in Denver. You can even go to his website and nominate a dog of the week and receive a donation to a pet shelter or charity of your choice.

Don't forget, leave a comment here to be entered to win a free book or Frisbee! And please spread the word to your pet loving friends so they can have a chance to win too. (All you doggies out there, enter for a chance to win the book for your momma or poppa!)

Tail-Wagging Adoption Tour and Susan Sims, Part 2

Wednesday I introduced you to
Susan Sims, publisher of FIDO Friendly magazine and founder of Get Your Licks on Route 66 mobile pet adoption tour. Today we continue our interview, find out what Junior is up to, and learn more about some of the heartwarming adoptions last year.

Q: The pet adoption tour kicks off in Chicago on September 11th. What are the special events along the way?

Susan: Each partner shelter provides volunteers to help during the day and we try and take photos of all the pets being adopted. We place a lot of ads in the local media and its always great fun when camera crews come out during that special day to help encourage more people to consider adopting their next pet. It is truly heart warming to be a part of this experience when people find their new forever friends.

Q: Do you remember some of the pets who were adopted?

Susan: Watching people looking at the pets up for adoption never failed to touch our hearts. One day in particular stands out in my mind when a disabled woman adopted a small bundle of fur who only had one eye. She thought they were a good match!

Last year, we had a cover contest where we chose one lucky pup from the tour to grace our cover. The pet that made it was a white puppy pit bull. He was adopted by a family in Flagstaff, Arizona (pictured with his new family and here on the cover) and they named him Spike. We saw the whole love story unfold that day and it was a perfect match.

Q: Are there cats too?

Susan: Cats are onboard as well!

Q: You're on the road for a month. What are the pluses and minuses of traveling so long?

Susan: We love traveling with our dog, Junior. The plus side is being able to experience different sights and sounds with him. He is always up for adventure. Another plus is that we always order room service when Junior is along for the ride. The minus side is: we always order room service when Junior is along for the ride. Lol

Q: So Junior is an important part of the tour.

Susan: Last year, Junior’s picture was quite large on the side of the bus. The caption was, ‘Hi, my name is Junior and I was adopted.’ We stay at the LaQuinta Inns and Suites as they are our hotel sponsors and one night when my husband was walking Junior at the hotel, a guest came up and said, "Is that Junior?" It took my husband awhile to realize that this person had seen Junior’s face on the side of the bus, and that was why he was recognized.

Q: Darn, I don't live in the Route 66 vicinity. Can we follow along online?

Susan: Thanks so much for asking! We will be blogging daily on our FIDO Friendly blog as well as highlighting stops on Animal Radio. There is also a direct link with photos at www.getyourlicks.org. We will be running a feature story the first of the year which will detail the entire tour.

Q: How many pets do you think will be adopted as a result of this year's tour?

Susan: Last year we helped adopt 150 pets. It would be great to double that amount this year!

Q: That would be great! How can we help?

Susan: You are helping us so much right now by spreading the word about this life saving event. We also have a great auction up on Charity Buzz. Starting September 2nd, people can take a look online and bid for great auction items. All proceeds will benefit the ‘Get Your Licks on Route 66’ tour. Once on Charity Buzz, look for North Shore Animal League America and FIDO Friendly and the event name: Get Your Licks on Route 66.

Thank you Susan, and best of luck on the tour! Hugs to Junior!

If you want, you can leave your good wishes for Susan and Junior and their travels here. And, if you have any questions for Susan, feel free to ask here too.

Tail-Wagging Adoption Tour and Susan Sims, Part 1

If you're like me, you'd take in every sweet, adorable, pleading homeless pet and give them the love and care they deserve...if you could. The next best thing, however, is promoting pet adoption all across the country.

What is it? Get Your Licks on Route 66 is a mobile national pet adoption tour rolling along the length of the America's Favorite Highway, Route 66.

When? The event kicks off in Chicago on September 10th and arrives in California early October.

Where? The 36-foot Mobile Adoption Unit will travel through eight states, with stops in Michigan, Illinois, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California.

Meet Susan Sims, publisher of FIDO Friendly magazine, and founder of Get Your Licks on Route 66.

Q: How did this adoption tour begin?

Susan: Early in 2009 I had the idea to travel cross-country to help promote pet adoption.
FIDO Friendly magazine is such a great venue for all things dog, but I wanted to get out on the road and start a grass-root awareness campaign about pet adoption. We partnered with North Shore Animal League America, (NSALA) the world's largest no kill animal shelter.

Q: So, do you bring pets for adoption along with you?

Susan: The bus drivers take pets from the local shelters along the way and bring them to a designated venue where people can come on board the climate-controlled pet adoption bus and look at pets for adoption.

The 2 bus drivers from NSALA are the true heroes, as they transport pets to the different adoption sites each day and at day's end, take pets that had not been adopted back to the shelters. At this time, they sanitize the bus and get it ready for the next day's adoption. This process is repeated at each shelter.

Q: How can we find out if/when you'll be coming to our town?

Susan: We will be posting the entire schedule on our blog and online.

Q: Why have you made this event one of your personal missions--what does it mean to you?

Susan: Just before the Get Your Licks on Route 66 pet adoption tour last year, we lost both of our two Labs within a few months of each other and as fate would have it, we adopted Junior from our local shelter just before the last sweet spirit passed over Rainbow Bridge. There are a lot of great dogs sitting in shelters right now, just waiting for the chance to become someone's best friend. By making this month long pet adoption tour something fun and hopefully news worthy, I feel that more and more dogs will be adopted as a result of what we do. Junior is a pure bred black Lab, found at a shelter, so he made a perfect choice for spokes-dog. You just never know who you will find that needs a new forever home at your local shelter. These are not throw-away dogs, just sweet spirits looking for a home.

Junior came with us last year, in fact, you could say he grew up on the road. He had never been on a car trip, never in a plane and we just got lucky that he loved the entire experience. We made sure that we stopped at places like Camp Bow Wow when we had extra time so he could run and play with a few 'new friends' before we jumped back in the car for the next city stop. I think if pet parents remember to exercise their furry best friends, making a long road trip like this one can be a great experience for all concerned.

Thank you Susan!

Be sure to stop by again Friday to
Learn more about Junior
Read some of the heartwarming adoption stories
Find out how you can help!

If you want, you can leave your good wishes for Susan and Junior and their travels here. And, if you have any questions for Susan, feel free to ask here too.

We Love Treats!

Treats in the mail! Yippee!
Kelly and I want to give a big BOL Thank You to St. Louis Senior Dog Project for sending us these goodies! We recently won a contest, and couldn't be more delighted when our prize arrived. I got an awesome navy t-shirt and Kelly got some extra-delicious natural treats from Treats Unleashed . Wow, did she love them.


Let me tell you, these treats looked and smelled fresh from the bakery amazing. Here's Kelly sniffing them right through the envelope. (Kelly's on the windowsill where she sleeps most of the day. What does she think she is, a cat?)













I love the good work this place does. In case you're not familiar, the St. Louis Senior Dog Project is a non-profit organization to rescue dogs (of all ages, but especially 5 years old and up) and to promote the adoption of older dogs.
Here are a few of the senior dogs for adoption and check out their Dog of the Week blog.

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.

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.

Monday Pet Roundup

Hi and welcome to Monday Pet Roundup!

* Rachel Baum from Bark: Confessions of a Dog Trainer shares how pet parents often anthropomorphize their pets. I can relate! Isn't Kelly really feeling sad when I leave her home alone? Or hungry when she sees me eating a cheeseburger? Maybe that's why she gets what she wants!

*Love this story in Dogster: For the love of dogs blog about Chloe the pug who rescued his feline friend from a koi pond!

*I just "met" Frankie, the Walk 'n Roll dog. So sweet! Visit him here on Joyful Paws "dedicated to animals whose spirits teach us to live life with a purpose."

* I actually had a dalmatian who fleas seemed to run away from. But most cats and dogs are going to encounter fleas at some point. This post from Pawcurious shares some valuable information on flea control.

*Do you ever wonder about Schnoodles, Goldendoodles and Maltipoos? Here's a thoughtful article over at Pet Connection. I also liked this article "Time to stop littering" about spaying and neutering.

*We all know the benefits of adopting a shelter or rescue pet. But sometimes the connection doesn't last. Petfinder has launched a new program, FurKeeps, designed to KEEP pets in homes.

*A video to make you smile. Petopia has posted this YouTube video for Pedigree dog food featuring beautiful dogs catching treats in the air. The little fuzz-ball at the very end is so cute!