Gimme Shelter Pet Adoption!

4th of July..not so happy for pets...

2011-07-02T14:00:00.000-07:00

Many dog owners feel that July 4th is the worst day of the year for their dogs. On the days leading up to this holiday, Veterinarian offices across America are packed with dog owners looking for salvation. That salvation is usually in the form of drugs to calm their jittery dogs during the noisy fireworks. The Humane Society has confirmed that July 4th is a very busy time for them as well, as more dogs are found wandering loose than on any other day of the year.

Here are 7 tips to keep your furry child happy and calm:

1. Give your dog lots of exercise earlier in the day.

2. During noisy fireworks, keep your dog inside, preferably with human companionship. It’s never a good idea to bring your dog to a fireworks celebration.

3. Put on the air conditioning, it will help drown out the noise.

4. Put on some soothing music, as a comfort and also to help drown out the noise.

5. Make sure your dog has a “safe place” in which to find sanctuary from the noise. When frightened of sounds they’re not familiar with, dogs often prefer small enclosed spaces.

6. Keep the curtains and windows closed.

7. Play with your dog, do something he loves to do.

Peace and Pet Love Ya'll!

Theo needs a home!

2011-06-02T12:32:00.000-07:00

Meet Theo...I rescued Theo from Orange County Animal Services when he was literally being walked to the euthanasia room. Unfortunately Theo had a raging case of Demodex Mange and even though he was barely three month's old, no one wanted him. Luckily he was added to the list of several other dogs that were about to loose their life that day. You see there are many volunteers all over the USA that go into high kill shelters and take photographs of animals that are on death row. They then post their photos and stories all over social media sites and of course e-mail lists. The hope is for rescue groups to pull these animals from the various shelters and get them to safety. Through fostering programs and other rescues that have physical shelters many animals can be saved. I received Theo's XXX URGENT e-mail just in time. I took one look at that face and knew I had to save him. Poor Theo didn't have much hair, he was mostly bald with open sores, especially on his face and neck. I got him home and gave him a nice soothing bath. Theo was so sweet, I wanted to just make it all better. Within 2 weeks his coat started coming back, and he was feeling much better. Theo has been with me for 3 month's and he is now 6 month's old; Theo needs to find his new family. He is fully vetted, gets along with other animals, loves to go to the dog park, and snuggle with me. Theo is a bit shy, but once he gets to know you he will be your best friend forever.

Our Stress, Depression, Joy...Can Dogs Tell?

2011-02-20T09:21:00.000-08:00

After a hard day at work, you come home and find that your dog had quite a day himself – at your expense. He took a vacation from his potty training, made mincemeat of your shoes and slobbered all over that blanket your grandmother knitted for you.

You get angry and your dog gives you the classic hangdog, guilty look. He knows you're mad. So does that mean your dog can sense your emotions? The answer is not as clear. Your reaction made it clear you – the pack leader – are upset, and your dog is desperate to appease you (he probably doesn't know or care why you're angry).

But what if you're stressed or sad about something else, not involving your dog? He may sense something is wrong, but again, may not know why.

Examples of dogs sensing our emotions:

Almost every dog owner has found out that when they are really sad, their dog acts differently toward them.

He may approach them with a concerned look and, quite out of character, hunker down next to them, presumably to provide some support. It is as if they are saying, "I know there's something wrong, I don't know what but I'm here for you anyway."
Fear-aggressive dogs are more often aggressive to people who fear them. By observation, they pick up from a person's demeanor that they are not comfortable and capitalize on their weakness. Perhaps it is because the person has a pained expression; perhaps because the person is a little tenuous; or perhaps the dog reads fear from the large diameter of the person's pupils. For whatever reason, under-confident dogs "know" when a person is afraid of them and will move forward on them, perhaps to attack.
Top trainer William (Bill) Campbell is well known for his "jolly routine" approach to treating fear in dogs. Most people think that this involves being jolly with your dog, but actually that's not so. The real jolly routine means that all the people in the house should behave in a happy, jolly manner with each other. The dog, sensing their apparent happiness, figures out that nothing bad is going to happen and relaxes. The fact that the technique works is testimony to the fact that dogs are influenced by our emotions and behavior. When we're "up," they're "up."
Many dogs slink away and hide or sulk when their human "parents" argue. A major fight between adults really seems to take its toll on some dogs who seem to know that there's trouble afoot. The appearance of the dog's behavior is as if he understands discord and does not want to be around it.
If an owner comes home and finds their home trashed by their dog, the guilty party will often be found hiding, perhaps with a hangdog look. Owners believe their dog is feeling guilty about what he has done and I tend to agree. If you accept the guilt explanation, you must also accept that the dog is projecting your feelings of disappointment or anger. Hard line behaviorists naturally would disagree with this interpretation, preferring to believe that the dog simply associates his owner, the damage, and his own presence with past punishment and acts submissively. This would be all fair and well, but I know dogs that have never been punished who still act in this way. Sure, their owners may have been disappointed and disheartened by the damage, but that's about it. The dogs must have read this disappointment because they sure weren't responding to punishment of any form.
Some naughty dogs do not appreciate their owners hugging or kissing each other. They seem to know that the people concerned are experiencing some pleasure and they want to be part of it. So, they try to leverage themselves into the situation by shoving, pushing, pawing, and jumping. This behavior looks like jealousy but many mainstream behaviorists disagree, preferring explanations like possessiveness, which sounds very similar to jealousy to me, or conflict-induced behavior, because the dog "cannot predict what will happen next."

Examples of dogs seemingly picking up on our emotions are endless but still the scientific proof is not there. The case against animals having the ability to glean our mood and mindset is based on lack of evidence to the effect that it happens rather than conclusive evidence to the contrary.
From an evolutionary point of view, it would be very strange if dogs did not have the ability to sense mood and that it suddenly occurred for the first and only time in the human animal. It would also not make sense to have a pack animal like a dog not realize when he was getting into trouble with another dog or when his behavior was having the desired effect. If dogs feel what we feel, then they would be happy when we're happy, sad when we're sad, and on the lookout (or hiding) when we're angry. All of the above appears to hold true.....PEACE AND PET LOVE YA"LL

You can do it!...Foster a Shelter Animal...Save a Life...

2009-06-02T12:20:00.000-07:00

What is a Foster Parent?

A foster parent provides a temporary home for kittens, puppies,dogs, cats, or other animals in need. The length of fostering can vary from a few days to several months depending on the amount of care or behavioral modification that is needed. The devotion and care given during this time allows the animal a second chance to be adopted by a loving home. The rewards of being a foster parent are many. They include offering an animal a second chance and the added benefit of receiving the love and attention right back from the animal you nurture.

Why are Foster Parents Needed? Temporary foster families are needed for a variety of reasons. The three most common reasons are:

Limited shelter space—The number of animals received at a shelter is sometimes overwhelming and adequate housing is not available. Foster homes provide shelters with an additional option until a space becomes available.

Treatment and care after an illness or injury—Foster parents provide sick and injured animals with the additional time,medication,and space they need to recover. This may include time to recover from emotional, fear, or stress based situations that the animal may have encountered in the past.

Extremely young animals—Young animals, such as kittens and puppies, which are not yet weaned, require special attention. One of the greatest rewards of nurturing these young animals is knowing that you are giving them a great start in life.

Without the additional time and care provided by temporary foster families, many of the animals that fall into the above three categories would be euthanized.

Ok, now that I have explained WHY fostering is so important, I'm putting you to work..

My very good friends from Underdog Rescue (A SMALL DOG RESCUE GROUP) is in desperate need of foster parents.

Underdog takes care of all the Vetting, grooming, etc. whatever the animal needs. If you can't afford food, they will pick up the tab for that as well. All you have to do is provide a safe environment and lots and lots of love. It's a NO BRAINER..If you have any interest please visit the Underdog Rescue website and fill out a foster application.

The following dogs are available for fostering IMMEDIATELY:

Male Chihuahua
Female Chihuahua
2 tiny Rat Terriers that are husband and wife- they don't like cats
Shasta- American staffardshire Terrier - finishing heartworm treatment
Stan-Schnauzer x
Ollie Schnauzer x
Big Boy -large Doxie X
Lafayette- Terrier/Chi looking dog- she doesn't like chickens..haha I guess that means she can't stay with you Wes..
Scooter- cute corgi x small

Please open your heart and Foster today!!

Peace and Pet Love!

Dog-Gone...How to prevent a Dog/Cat-Napping

2009-05-25T14:41:00.000-07:00

Just before walking into a Starbucks, a woman ties her Hound Mix to a newspaper machine outside the store. She grabs a coffee, pays for it and walks out. Total time: about 5 minutes.The dog is gone without a trace. She never sees him again. Unfortunately, this is not a made-up scenario to highlight a growing problem. "This happens frequently," notes Linda Fields, a journalist who founded FindFido.com, a nonprofit pet locater site, where people can post pictures and notices of lost pets.

Dog theft is a crime that is hard to measure in statistics. Some have put the number of total pet thefts at 2 million a year. (Because pets are considered property, the numbers are lumped with other property crimes). However, it is often hard to discern whether a pet was stolen or simply wandered off and got lost. In her experience, Fields estimates that about 10 percent of the 1,460 dogs listed on http://www.findfido.com/ were stolen.

According to National Pet Recovery, a private pet recovery company, about 41 percent of the cases reported to them involved a stolen dog. About 47 percent of lost dogs were those allowed to run loose. Whatever the numbers, dogs are stolen for several reasons:

1)Money. This may take the form of an outright ransom, but the usual method is to wait for a reward to be posted, then call the dog's owners and say they found him wandering around.
2)Dog fighting. This may seem unusual because most stolen dogs have sweet temperaments – otherwise a thief may be deterred. Unfortunately, dogs are either "conditioned" to fight by cruel training methods, or used as "bait" to train other dogs to fight.
3)Cult rituals. Often done for kicks, black dogs (and cats) are at particular risk around Halloween.
4) Laboratory Testing. Animal rights and welfare people also say that stolen dogs often wind up at laboratories across the country. Under a procurement practice called "random source collection," the U.S. Department of Agriculture licenses individuals to sell animals to laboratories. There are two types of licenses: Class A and Class B. Class A are breeders. Class B are individuals who obtain dogs and other animals from various other sources. The USDA investigates to ensure the animals are legally obtained. However, animal groups contend that pets are being stolen and sold for profit by Class B licensees (called "bunchers"). A bill, HR 594, is under consideration now in Congress to eliminate Class B licenses. I highly suggest to everyone to watch the HBO Documentary (Dealing Dogs) this will for sure open your eyes to just how EVIL people can really be, especially when it comes to COLD HARD CASH!!!

Sometimes theft is no more complicated than an angry neighbor who takes your dog to the pound when you're not around.

Tips for keeping your pets safe

1) Secure your yard. Ring it with a fence and make sure the gate is closed (and preferably locked).
2)Don't leave your dogs/cats outside when you're not around.
3)Never leave your dog/cat unattended. It takes only a moment to untie him and lead him off.
4)Be aware. Make sure your neighbors are aware of the problem of pet theft. Let your neighbors know if you are expecting people on your property if you are not around, so they know to call the police if someone unexpected shows up.
5)Never allow your dog/cat to roam free in the neighborhood for everyone's sake.
6)Never leave your dog unattended in a car.
7) ID Tags/Micro-chipping. Always make sure your pet wears a collar with his ID tags, and for sure you might want to consider implanting a microchip under his skin. Shelters and veterinary hospitals use microchips to identify lost animals and reunite them with their owners.
8)Keep recent photos of your dog/cat. Take photos from different angles that clearly show coat type and coloring, close-ups of the face and any exceptional physical characteristics.

Keep all your proof-of-ownership papers (adoption, breeding contract, bill of sale) in one place to prove ownership.If the unthinkable happens, don't panic. Call the police if you believe your dog /cat has been stolen, then begin your own search. Search the area, talk to neighbors and passersby. Walk or drive slowly through the area several times daily. Hand out copies of recent photographs.You should also post notices with pictures of your dog throughout the neighborhood, in newspapers ( SHT allows a free posting for lost or found pets) and with radio stations. The Internet has become a more widely used tool to track down lost pets in recent years. There are a number of free sites on which people post images and exchange information.

Three sites of these sites include:
http://www.petfinder.com/
http://www.missingpet.net/
http://www.findfido.com/

I hope these tips help you to keep your pets safe and sound, it's beyond heartbreaking when a pet disappears and you NEVER find out exactly what happened to them.

Peace and Pet Love!

I kissed a dog...and I liked it....

2009-05-21T11:07:00.000-07:00

The old saying, a dog's mouth is cleaner than a human's, likely comes from the observation that a canine will ceaselessly lick his wounds until they heal—or until a veterinarian fits him with a plastic lampshade. Reflecting on the adage, I instantly remember a relevant fact: a dog's mouth is filthy. Suppose your dog has been eating fecal material, taste testing a dead animal, licking your shoe or simply chewing on a stick that has been decomposing on the ground - your dog could have a slew of harmful bacteria cultivating within his mouth. While alternating between licking the kitchen floor and his private parts, a dog's idea of a winning lotto ticket is a partially decayed squirrel. If the prize can't be released from the pavement for a victory lap, an old-fashioned wallow and roll will do nicely. Later in the afterglow, his thorough squirrel-juice-removing tongue bath is rewarded by a couple of cat box tootsie rolls. After a day like this, it seems doubtful a dog's mouth could be any cleaner than a human's (with the obvious exception of Colin Farrell).

There is good evidence that most beasties present in the dog's mouth are species-specific, meaning they are relatively incapable of causing human illness. We are not exactly impervious to canine microbes, but short of a massive exposure, people with normal immune systems are reasonably resistant. A notable exception is the canine roundworm, Toxocara. Present in the majority of puppies, the eggs of this intestinal parasite are jettisoned into the pup's feces and can quickly end up on the more attractive end of the animal. If ingested by a human, the eggs hatch into larvae that wander aimlessly through your internal organs, never becoming adult worms—a condition called visceral larval migrans. Unless a huge number are swallowed, however, you are unlikely to have symptoms or even know it happened. Still, you'd be wise to use the same caution with a puppy's lips as you might with Mr. Farrell's.

The safety of whom you choose to kiss depends on your concern—infectiousness or mere pollution. The human probably wins Most Likely to Disease, but the canine scores Overall Disgusting. But, if I had to choose, I'd rather get kissed by my doggies any day...

I'm the happy victim of walk-by-lickings on a daily basis.....

Peace and Pet Love

Forget the shrink..I'll take some Pet Therapy..thank you very much...

2009-05-15T10:12:00.000-07:00

There are many terms used to describe ways in which animals can help rehabilitate and heal people with special needs. These include 'pet therapy,' 'pet facilitated therapy,' or 'animal-assisted therapy.' Pets can help people with a variety of mental, emotional, and physical disabilities. Fish, birds, pocket pets, rabbits, cats, dogs, and horses have all been employed in pet therapy.

What qualities do companion animals have that make them so therapeutic?

Warm and fuzzy: Animals are warm and fuzzy and alive. Being able to hold and pet another living creature can provide a great deal of comfort. You really don't need another human to COMPLETE you.

Nonjudgmental: Pets are nonjudgmental and do not criticize. So what if those jeans make your ass look big? So what if you didn't recycle? So what if you've been divorced 4 times? Your pet will think no less of you. Pets accept us the way we are...warts and all.

Trusting: Animals are often very trusting and can help build trust in ourselves and others. By watching them we learn we also are dependent and must sometimes rely on others. Not too much of course, but perhaps let your guard down just a bit.

Unconditional love: Pets can often tell when their owners are sad or upset and respond in an attentive way. It is really quite amazing how they can pick up on a person's emotions. Personally I have 5 dogs , and let me tell you when I'm upset they are stuck to me like glue. It's truly amazing, their their capacity to love

Listen: Pets are great listeners. They do not interrupt, or talk over you. They do not feel obligated to share their opinions. They are interested in any and everything you have to say, can you say the same for your human partner?

Help us feel needed and important: It helps to know we are needed. Adopting an animal from a shelter can certainly help you feel that way. A pet's welcome upon coming home from a hard day's work, or even a short errand can be the best part of the day. We may have had a horrendous day at work, or unfriended by a facebook friend, but our pets are happy to see us. And they help us feel needed as we provide them with food, water, grooming, and exercise.

Comedians: Some pets, whether they try to or not, can be real comics. We enjoy watching them and joining in with the play. We allow ourselves to act much sillier in front of our pets than in front of our friends. Pets do not play to be competitive, but just to have fun and be goofballs right along with you. I'm certain my crew think I'm nuts, but they won't judge, they just give me that LOOK ..haha

With these qualities, pets can act as co-therapists for a variety of people with special needs.

Developmentally disabled, children with Down's syndrome and other developmental disabilities can benefit from interactions with animals. Many special education classrooms have a variety of animals, and may have visiting pets as well. The pets can help them learn about nutrition, gentleness, following instructions, and how to care for other living things.

Mentally ill and persons with psychological disorders. The Quakers initiated the use of pet therapy for the mentally ill in the 18th century. Hospitalized patients with a variety of psychological diagnoses who have pet therapy respond well and are less anxious. Pet therapy in a Mental Health setting helps build rapport between the therapist and the patient. When the patient sees the therapist with a pet, the therapist already is viewed 'safer' in the eyes of the patient. The animals can also sense the needs and respond to people with mental illness in ways the therapist cannot.

Physically handicapped or Terminally ill patients. Pets can assist the physically handicapped in a variety of ways. Therapeutic riding is being used for persons with cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, and others with diminished motor control. It helps to improve their posture, balance, mobility, and function. It also provides significant emotional and cognitive benefits.
Physically handicapped pets have been terrific role models for persons with physical disabilities. They help the person understand, 'if a dog can do it, so can . People with terminal illnesses such as cancer, AIDS, and organ failure, and those who are bedridden are less likely to suffer from depression if they have animals around them. The animals bring a level of comfort and support unique to them.

So I say..save your money, get off the antidepressants and go get yourself a Companion Animal.....This advise is FREE my friends.

Peace and Pet Love!

Real Estate has gone to the DOGS!!

2009-05-13T08:56:00.000-07:00

I know the housing market is a mess and foreclosures are at an all time high, but what if I told you that you could snag an amazing custom-designed Spanish-style mansion complete with arched windows, terra cotta tile floors and custom-trim work for just under 10K?

Think it's too good to be true? Well, for you, it probably is, but that's just what you can get for your favorite four-legged friend.

Dog mansions have become the newest trend in pampering your puppy. And I'm not talking about those old-school basic wooden boxes of the past - These new dog houses are beautiful custom-made petite pooch palaces that might just rival your own home.

Doggie Mansions is a Palm Beach-based "real estate firm" specializing in the creation of luxury homes for man's best friend. Each Doggie Mansion is custom built from the ground up, using the highest-quality materials and top notch craftsmanship.

The company's 'top dog' veteran real estate broker, Donald Gorbach, explains, "If you live in a Mediterranean-style estate with stone columns, marble floors, a barrel tile roof and beautiful landscaping, that is what we can recreate for your dog. If you prefer a beach house with white-washed shutters that is what we will build. The whole idea is to integrate your taste and style into the home we create especially for your pooch."

Other popular styles of dog homes include the Key West-style cottage, Hamptons-style beach house, the urban brownstone and the New England-style colonial. Each mansion can be built in various sizes depending on your dog's needs and owners have all the architectural options of a regular home including barrel-tiled roofs or architectural shingles, stone, tile or marble floors, hand-painted faux-finished walls, an outdoor deck or porch, operable windows and doors, sky lights, plants, rugs, lamps and other pint-sized furnishings.

Families with multiple pets can opt for a "Doggie Duplex" or two-room estate with separate entrances for each pet. Most amazingly, all mansions include interior and exterior lighting fixtures, a/c or heat, and are wired for electricity. The houses can also be outfitted with a flat-screen TV/DVD player (where your pooch can watch anything from Lassie to Underdog), Bose SoundDock and plenty of toys and games.

I'm not sure about you, but this time being in the dog house doesn't sound so bad. No pun intended, but this really isn't too far FETCHED...this is Sarasota after all.....

Available at: Doggie Mansions

Peace and Pet Love!!

Is your Pup getting a bit Long in the Tooth....

2009-05-11T11:38:00.000-07:00

It starts when you spot a single grey hair in the mirror...Then suddenly you turn around and your belly's gotten bigger, your joints hurt, you can't quite get up as easily, and that new young perky Pug at the park referred to you as Old Yeller. And then she barked louder because she thought you couldn't hear her.

Aging happens to everyone. And unfortunately for your pup, there's no quick fix of plastic surgery, high-priced wrinkle cream, hair dye, Porsche purchases or dating someone 20 years younger.

Older dogs, just like older people, have special health needs. As your pets age, changes occur in the way their body functions, so it makes sense that you may need to give them a little more attention.

People generally feel they've hit that dreaded 'Golden Age' when they face their first senior discount and suddenly start receiving the AARP magazine - some time between 55-65. But when does your pooch become an official senior? In general, 'elderly' means over eight years old for a medium-sized dog, and over five years old for a larger dog.

The dietary needs of your dogs tend to change as they age. A senior dog will naturally be less active and so he may need less energy from his diet. Further, research has shown that the body composition tends to change in elderly dogs, also reducing his caloric needs. Senior dogs can also experience decreased immune system function and increased intestinal problems. What can I say - 'getting old can be a REAL bitch.'

I have come up with a few tips to keep your "old feller" healthy and happy for as long as possible...

1. Establish a relationship with the BEST Veterinarian you can find. For most older dogs, it is advisable to make an appointment with the vet every six months. Your vet should be someone whom you trust and with whom you feel very comfortable.

2. Become informed about the conditions common to older dogs and the therapies used for them. Be alert to symptoms, bring them to your vet's attention promptly, and be prepared to discuss treatment option

3. Feed your older dog the best food you can afford; consider feeding a home-prepared diet and two small meals daily rather than one large one.

4. Don't overfeed your dog. Obesity will create health problems and shorten their life.

5. Consider the use of dietary supplements such as glucosamine/chondroitin for arthritis.

6. Give your senior dog adequate exercise, but adjust it to their changing abilities.

7. Attend to your dog's dental health. Brush their teeth daily and have them cleaned professionally whenever your vet advises it.

8. Tell your vet you wish to have your dog vaccinated only once every THREE years, as currently advised by the major veterinary associations.

9. Be diligent in controlling fleas and ticks, and keep your dog and his environment scrupulously clean.

10. Make your senior dog as much a part of your life as possible, and do all you can to keep them interested, active, happy and comfortable.

Of course, MOST of these tips apply to all ages, pets...etc...

Peace and Pet Love!

Doggie Day Spa...Home Edition

2009-05-07T09:19:00.000-07:00

You could spend the big bucks spoiling your special Pup at a decadent doggy spa for one super-luxurious afternoon of puppy pampering alongside doggy celebs like Tinkerbell Hilton, Daisy Simpson and Bit Bit Spears - or you could invest in a few key home spa essentials for your pooch and have 'spa day' any day of the week.

I have everything you need to create the dog spa experience at home. Not only can you save a little money, but it's also a way to spend quality time with your favorite furry friend while getting in some relaxation time of your own (and everyone knows that Tinkerbell can be a real bitch anyway)!

So crank up the new age mood music, lay down a few towels, light some candles, slather on the green mud masque (the masque is for you - not your pup) and get ready for a night of perfect pampering for you and your pooch in the comforts of your own canine-friendly casa.

Spa Dog Botanicals Urban Dog Spa Kit
This pure botanical spa set is sure to get any pooch pampering party started. This natural premium product pack combines therapeutic-essential oils and botanical extracts to make sure your furry friend looks spa radiant. The bountiful basket includes the Adventure Dog Sudsmade Shampoo with eucalyptus, patchouli and other natural bug repellants, the Knotty Dog Detangler that creates a soft, shiny coat and the Sweet Orange Spray to help moisturize and invigorate your pup's coat while leaving it smelling sweet. Available at Amazon

Gingham & Terry Duckie Bathrobe
Give your dogs the ultimate in spa comfort with this adorable and cozy yellow and white gingham bathrobe. Freshly bathed dogs will love warming up in this hooded bathrobe made of ultra soft, absorbent white cotton terry. The back of the robe features a cheerful rubber ducky applique made of puffed vinyl. Velcro tabs and a gingham belt provide a secure and comfortable fit. Available at Amazon

Jentle Pet Spa
Water-loving dogs will dive into the Jentle Pet spa by MTI Whirlpools. The super luxurious doggy Jacuzzi features five-point massage jets, hot & cold temperature controls, shelves for shampoo, a hair-trapping suction device, and a special cleaning system. The Jentle Pet spa accommodates pooches that weigh up to 57 pounds and comes in 50 cool colors! Available at MTI Whirlpools

So go and get your Day Spa Dog-on..
Peace and Pet Love

My Rescue Dog is Smarter than your Honor Student!

2009-05-05T09:54:00.000-07:00

I like to consider myself a bit of a "Tour Guide" for pet adoption. I can tell you pretty much any and everything about most of the Animal Rescue Groups in the Sarasota/Bradenton area. I have made it my mission to have as much information as possible, so I can help save lives and educate the locals on the resources available to them.

Ok class pay very close attention...today I will be focusing on "Sarasota County Animal Services" or the POUND as some of you like to call it. We are incredibly lucky to have such a wonderful place for our (strays) or owner give-ups to go. First and foremost SCAS belongs to you.... SARASOTANS, our tax dollars pay for this amazing facility.

What people don't understand is that SCAS must take any and all animals that come through their doors; strays, cruelty cases, owner give-ups(and there have certainly been more than I care to think about as of late). They don't have the LUXURY of turning pets away when they're busting at the seams. Just to clarify, ALL other rescues in Sarasota, DO have that luxury, they can say yes or no whenever they choose. The reason being, they are privately funded. AGAIN, SCAS is a County run shelter. BIG DIFFERENCE!!

Today there are over 37 dogs and 60 cats being housed at SCAS, the shelter is literally overflowing. If anyone is interested in adopting a pet...PLEASE go out to SCAS. I promise this is a beautiful facility, not dismal or depressing. In fact, I encourage you to come out and volunteer your time and walk some dogs or cuddle some cats. I love going out there, it's very serene and you get quite the work out walking the dogs. It's also a great family affair, SCAS is very children friendly, as long is there is someone over 18 to supervise.

So what did we learn today? Get your booty's over to SCAS and ADOPT a shelter pet or volunteer your time, or you don't get to pass my class!!
Check out the sweet angels that need a home: ADOPTABLE DOGS AND CATS

Sarasota County Animal Services
8451 Bee Ridge Rd
Sarasota, FL 34241-6302
(941) 861-9500
Adoption Hours

If you would like to adopt an animal, or volunteer your time....
Monday - Friday: 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Saturday: 10 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Sunday: 12 noon - 2 p.m.

Peace and Pet Love!

See Spot...Buckle Up!

2009-05-04T10:48:00.000-07:00

You and your pup are hitting the open road. The wind is flying through your hair and his fur, adventure and the smell of doggy biscuits are in the air, and you're ready for anything - well, anything except for your curious canine suddenly running through the car, jumping on your lap, hitting the steering wheel and lunging towards a tempting driver-side squirrel (or sexy Pekingese).

Sadly, hundreds of dogs are killed or injured every year because loving owners allow their pampered pooches to roam freely throughout the car or truck. And while you may not think about it, your unrestrained furry friend faces the same dangers as all passengers who don't buckle up, including being ejected like a rocket.

Although experts do not suggest using your car's built in seat belts, there are a wide range of options for keeping your pup safe, including mini seat belts, harnesses, car hammocks and booster seats.

Sure, we know Britney may not realize the importance of car seats but then again she doesn't realize the importance of underwear, either. So put away the razor, grab some undies and check out the cool car seats and other safety items made especially for your canine.

Roadie Elite
Be one of the first to have a *Roadie Elite! Researched and independently tested, Ruff Rider's Roadie Canine Vehicle Safety/Training Harness keeps the dog you love safe while riding, braking or turning and affords the best protection in extreme situations. It easily attaches to any vehicle's seat belt system. It includes a built-in short walking lead for all-around use. Every Ruff Rider Roadie is vet approved & exceeds S.A.E. tensile strength standards for human seat belts. Available at: Ruff Rider.com

Canine Zip Line
This ingenious design allows your dog freedom to move around while keeping her safely restrained. Just connect the zip line to the passenger handles on either side of the vehicle, then clip in your dog. The harness and leash (included) are handy for taking your dog to and from the car and make rest stops a breeze. Harness can also be clipped to a seat belt for added versatility. Available at: fetchdog.com

Jump Seat
We’ve come a long way since the Wizard of Oz. Dorothy now drives a Volvo. And Toto rides shotgun, strapped safely into her comfy, lined Jump Seat. Made for dogs up to 30 pounds, the Jump Seat includes a washable, padded liner and a seat belt tether. Collapses easily for storage. We’re definitely not in Kansas anymore. Available at: Fetchdog.com

Champion Canine Truck Restraint
The CHAMPION Canine Truck Restraint provides a solution, an easy and safe way to transport up to 3 dogs in the back of your truck. This innovative new product features an adjustable strap of heavy duty 2" nylon webbing with 3 heavy gauge welded D rings. The strap ends with 2" round rings that attach to tie down hooks on the truck with the 2 included 3/8" x 4" spring links. Available at: Champ K9.com

This is especially important in our neck of the woods YEE HAW! trucks... trucks and more trucks. Nothing makes me more crazy than seeing a dog flying around in the back of a pickup truck, this is beyond dangerous. Florida really needs to adopt the TETHER law, like California. Peace and Pet Love.....

Only the Lonely...Can Play

2009-05-02T08:18:00.000-07:00

Okay, we know that if we were really well adjusted, mature individuals we'd be happy to spend time alone - enjoying our own company and thoughts...but after about ten minutes of alone time we quickly realize that our thoughts are mostly that we want company.

Let's face it, we're social animals and so are our pups. But while most people can entertain themselves by spending a few hours in front of the tube, it's not like your pooch is hooked on who Bret Michaels will kick off next (no, I'm not ashamed of loving "Rock of Love" - okay, maybe a little).

The point is that no one likes saying goodbye to those big, sad puppy dog eyes but in today's world of the single pet parent or the two working pet parents, we sometimes have to leave our pets alone. Luckily, there are several ways to keep a latch-key puppy free from daily boredom and separation anxiety.

Help your Fur Kid beat the boredom by providing plenty of toys so that he can play while you're away. Experts suggest rotating the toys so they keep their appeal. Interactive toys are especially good for providing mental stimulation.

Dog Tornado Puzzle
This Nina Ottosson Dog Tornado will challenge your dog! There are four layers to this turning spinning puzzle! Each layer has a cutout on each side. The top layer is the cover. Each additional layer has 4 insets for you to put treats in. All of these layers turn. Your dog has to line the cutouts up with the insets to get the treats out! Available at: Best Friends General Store

Busy Buddy Squirrel Dude
Busy Buddy toys is a line of chew toys for dogs, designed to "keep your pet busy with good things to chew!" Each Busy Buddy™ toy is made with a different and unique chewing experience in mind and helps redirect potentially destructive chewing behavior into positive playtime. The Busy Buddy Squirrel Dude features a random bounce and treat dispensing, making this a fun toy your dog will play with over and over. Available at: Smart Pak Canine

Hide-A-Bee Plush Puzzle
The Hide-A-Bee Puzzle Plush is a plush toy in the shape of a bee hive with three 2-1/2" diameter holes in it. It comes with three squeaker bees (about 5" long) that you hide inside the hive. Your dog's mission--and we think he'll decide to accept it--is to stalk those buzzy bees and pull them out of the holes in the hive.
Available at: Lucy The Wonder Dog

These toys are designed to challenge your dog, stimulate its problem solving ability and an outlet for its energy. These Brain Activity toys/games are easy to get out and fun to use for both you and your dog. Don't leave your other pets out of the fun these are great for cats, rats, and all pets. Remember, these are interactive and NOT a chew toy.

Hair of the Dog!

2009-05-01T08:01:00.000-07:00

After a long, hot day there's nothing better than throwing back a few cold beers with some good friends. And if you ever thought about toasting a brew with your very best friend - I say go ahead and let your pooch get his drink on!

Okay, before you start emptying a Michelob Ultra into your pup's bowl - remember that human beers are not safe for dogs. However, that doesn't necessarily mean that your pooch has to be left out of the party!

Phoenix-based husband, wife, and daughter team, Bob, Jenny, and Jessica Brown have created a premium beef-flavored beer that your pooch can finally wrap his paw around. In January 2007 the Brown's began making a peanut butter flavored pretzel treat for their 3 busy dogs, Chewy, Casey, and Dax. After creating the perfect snack, named Spoiled Rotten Dog Treats, they pondered the perfect drink. "Then it hit me," Brown said. "What goes best with pretzels but beer?
The Brown's set out to create the ultimate liquid refreshment for their beloved dogs.

The following month their Bowser Beer had sold out at the Super Pet Expo in Virginia. After looking for manufacturers, 3 Busy Dogs settled on a Florida company.

Bowser Beer is a non-carbonated, non-alcoholic (someone's gotta be the designated walker) beer made especially for your pup. The ale starts with artesian water and choice malted barley. It's brewed in 500-gallon copper kettles and features all-natural beef drippings. Plus, it's fortified with glucosamine and vitamin e (as if beer isn't healthy enough on its own).
The beer sells for $19.95 a six-pack and is available on the Company's website.
For an extra charge, beer labels can be custom made with a picture of the customer's pet.(What an awesome gift idea) Color me there... CHEERS FLOPPY EARS!!! Available at
3busydogs.com

DIETING HAS GONE TO THE DOG'S!

2009-04-30T11:45:00.000-07:00

Has one too many lazy winter days left your pooch packing a bit of a paunch? Is your hound looking a little round? Does his belly rival Buddha's (or maybe John Goodman)?

Well, we've always been one to embrace our canine's copious curves, but if your portly pup's more Perez than Paris then your dog may need some weight loss help.

Obesity is on the rise for canines. The reasons are simple: too much food and too little exercise. Just like humans, packing extra pounds can negatively impact the functioning of the lungs, put extra strain on the heart and create severe joint problems. Just a few extra pounds affect your pup's daily activities such as walking, standing and even sitting and can shorter their life span.

The good news is that I have the insider's track on new fitness equipment and healthy foods to help pudgy pooches beat the bulge and live longer, happier lives.

Doggie Driver
You may be a couch potato but now your dog doesn't have to be. Doggie Driver is a tennis ball launcher that swings like a normal golf club driver, providing hours of healthy exercise and enjoyment for your pup. Doggie Driver will launch the ball up to 100 yards. Available at PetGadets.com

Springer Bicycle Jogger
Get outdoors and enjoy some good ol' Florida Sunshine with the Springer Bicycle Jogger. The bike attachment enables you to hit the open road with your dog safely: allowing riders to keep both hands on the bike, while keeping your dog at a safe distance from the wheels. The springer is equipped with a "Safety Release," which allows the dog to break away instantly if it ends up on the wrong side of a tree, post, etc. Available at PetGadgets.com

Dog Treadmill
Establish a regular exercise routine for your best friend. Treadmill training can give a dog a great workout regardless of weather or environment, allowing owners to maintain a consistent exercise regimen. It provides increased muscle definition, toning, improves vitality, increases life span and can help curb destructive behavior or excess energy often associated with the lack of regular exercise. Available at PetGagets.com

Light or Lowfat Dog Food
You are what you eat so if you want to be lean, you've got to eat lean. Many dog food Company's offer a dog food that has fewer calories and fat and increased fiber to help dogs keep their weight down. It also provides great taste as well as the complete and balanced nutrition adult dogs need. Available at any local Pet Smart, Pet Supermarket, or Petco

Pet Insurance is the BOMB!!!

2009-04-23T18:26:00.000-07:00

What if your pet becomes sick or is critically injured and needs care that is expensive and you can't afford?

What can you do?

This is a common problem that Veterinarians face. And trust me, it is not a problem that they enjoy. Veterinarians would rather work on making your pet better, not deal with the financial issues that involve good pet care.

So, what can you do if your pet has a problem that you can't afford? I'll give you some tips.

1. Credit cards and checks. If this is an option, ask the clinic if they accept checks and credit cards. This can help in some situations.

2. Care credit. Ask if the hospital accepts "care credit". Care credit is a line of credit that you can apply for on an emergency basis and it can give you immediate access to a credit card with a credit line (often at a fairly reasonable rate). I had to use this option a couple of years ago.

3. Most vet hospitals will give you time to make calls to family and friends or to visit a bank machine to come up with the required resources or deposit.

4. Consider other options. It may be that you can cut corners in some manner now to get you to a local shelter or humane society that may provide less expensive treatment or offer billing for additional tests.

5. Finally, if unexpected expenses are a hardship for you, the very BEST thing you can do for your pet is to get pet insurance early, before your pet has a problem. Get it when your pet is young and healthy and the premiums are reasonable. Also, consider taking advantage of the preventative care options that some companies offer.

Yes, I frequently recommend that you should at least consider pet insurance. I do this because I've seen the lives of many pets saved because their owners had the financial ability to do the best for their pet.

Today I encourage you to take a minute to educate yourself about pet insurance and learn how it can save you money and give you peace of mind knowing that you will be able to provide the best medical care for your dog.

So take a few minutes to learn about the many benefits of pet insurance and get a FREE quote. Go to: petinsurance.com

Take the extra step today and get an instant quote for your dog, you'll be glad you did.

I hope these suggestions help you.

PLEASE STOP THESE ATROCITIES AGAINST HELPLESS ANIMALS!!

2008-07-10T08:23:00.000-07:00

This is a subject that I am incredibly passionate about. Many of my friends are very much aware of the fact that I rescue animals from Georgia and North Carolina. If you are able to watch the video that I have included in this post, you will understand why. I simply cannot let this continue without one hell of a fight. I cannot believe in 2008 that ANY state is allowing the GASSING, SHOOTING, DROWNING, ELECTROCUTING, of helpless animals. This is an OUTRAGE! This CAN be stopped with your help. We must all unite and make these phone calls and write letters, and whatever else we can do to put an end to this. ALL animals deserved to be HUMANELY euthanized. This is complete BS!! The following is a letter from COMPANION ANIMAL NETWORK

Dear Friends of Animals,

Clinton supporter North Carolina Governor Mike Easley has failed to request the introduction of legislation which would override the Commissioner of Agriculture's recent removal of the state's own board's recommendation to end the killing of pets by carbon monoxide gas under the excuse that"aggressive dogs are safer to kill by gas." Most of this country uses injection to euthanize even aggressive dogs, including 67 of North Carolina's 100 counties, but the Ag. Commissioner's people appear to be claiming that aggressive dogs in the 37 counties which DO use gas are more vicious than those in the 63 which do not. It is not worth commenting.This kind of false excuses by politicians is what has caused so many voters to not vote.I urge you to watch the video at:http://www.companionanimalnetworktv.org/Videos/yadkin_county.movand see the gassing being done TODAY in Yadkin County and 36 other counties in N.C. (63 use inject able). It takes 2-3 minutes to load. This video will be shown tomorrow night in NYC on Time Warner Queens Ch. 34 at 8 PM, and in Manhattan, Bronx, Brooklyn, Staten Island and Nassau and Suffolk counties and the Hampton's in Long Island where the move stars live. It will then go into reruns for many years to come, airing twice every year on all our cable systems. Our television program is carried by Cablevision, TimeWarner, and RCN Cable. Though this video is on our website, I had chosen not to watch it until last night, in preparing it to be broadcast on the show. IT SHOOK ME TO THE CORE !! IF YOU REFUSE TO WATCH THE ATTACHED VIDEO YOU WILL NOT BE MOTIVATED TO DO WHAT YOU WOULD OTHERWISE DO, AND YOU WILL BE JUST AS MUCH TO BLAME FOR THE CONTINUATION OF THIS MONSTROSITY !!After watching the video please call N.C. Gov. Easley at 919-733-4240 and919-733-5811, Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler at 919-733-7125, and Chamber of Commerce Pres Lew Ebert at 919-836-1407 and tell them that you will boycott N.C. goods and will spread the word about the practices N.C. If Gov. Easley's office tells you that the Agriculture Commissioner is a separately elected office, tell Mr. Easley that the governor can cause the introduction of state legislation banning gassing.In Georgia, even though a law was passed banning gassing of animals, the State Assemblyman who passed that law has sued the state for refusing to enforce it 10 years after enactment. States which still allow gas must be federally banned from doing so. I have spoken with the attorney doing that law suit. Also, please ask the Democratic and Republican Platform Committees to include a ban on all gas killing of animals. I, for one, an uncommitted voter, have decided to NOT vote for Obama nor McCain unless and until one or the other addresses this issue by agreeing to nationally ban gas killing of animals. I intend to reach both campaigns.This email needs to be mass distributed nationally, being sent to blogs,other media, yahoo groups. Please forward it to everyone you know. The power of the Internet and television to force change has been proven over and over.& nbsp; Please help us end this monstrous practice NOW! If this was happening to you or me every day which passed by would matter. Just think of the southern summer heat inside those kill boxes, with dozens of pets stuffed in them like toys, pinned against one another unable to move even a paw. Just think of the horror, the anguish, the fear, the TERROR !!!
Garo Alexanian,Companion Animal Network

I DIED TODAY..A MESSAGE FROM BEYOND THE RAINBOW BRIDGE!

2008-07-08T09:23:00.000-07:00

I died today.You got tired of me and took me to the shelter. They were overcrowded and I drew an unlucky number. I am in a black plastic bag in a landfill now.

Some other puppy will get the barely used leash you left. My collar was dirty and too small, but the lady took it off before she sent me to the Rainbow Bridge.

Would I still be at home if I hadn't chewed your shoe? I didn't know what it was, but it was leather, and it was on the floor. I was just playing. You forgot to get puppy toys.

Would I still be at home if I had been housebroken? Rubbing my nose in what I did only made me ashamed that I had to go at all. There are books and obedience teachers that would have taught you how to teach me to go to the door.

Would I still be at home if I hadn't brought fleas into the house? Without anti-flea medicine, I couldn't get them off of me after you left me in the yard for days.

Would I still be at home if I hadn't barked? I was only saying, "I'm scared, I'm lonely, I'm here, I'm here! I want to be your best friend."

Would I still be at home if I had made you happy? Hitting me didn't make me learn how.Would I still be at home if you had taken the time to care for me and to teach manners to me?

You didn't pay attention to me after the first week or so, but I spent all my time waiting for you to love me.I died today.

"Pets in the City"

2008-07-07T11:59:00.000-07:00

"WOW" I'm BLOWN AWAY! I cannot believe the insane support I received from this community when I began to embark on my very 1st FUNDRAISER! With the assistance of my FABULOUS friend Beth we were able to get together a HELL of a party in just 10 days...that's right 10 days. Beth had the idea to have a party coincide with the "SEX AND THE CITY" movie premiere. You see we have both been HUGE fans from the beginning. I told her that I thought she was crazy..there is NO WAY IN HELL we can pull this off in 10 days..well boy was I wayyyy wrong.

1st things 1st..we had to have the VENUE..well let me tell you ZORIA was on board from the very beginning, no questions asked. SIDE BAR..ARTHUR YOU'RE FABULOUS!! OK, then we had to have fun stuff for people to do..my friend Carol Prokap of PRP Wines did a tasting of incredible wines, and my friend Kane the owner of EUPHORIA BAR donated one of his oxygen bar's , which was sooooo refreshing, and of course you can't have a "Sex and the City" themed party with out the COSMOS! That's right the very gracious SZAMBELAN Vodka donated all you can drink Carrie Cosmos. The Tarot Card Reader Desiree Rahill was loads of fun,and we had the most gorgeous Flower Arrangement donated by TIGER LILY.

I have to tell you the people in Sarasota "ROCK"! I want to take this opportunity to thank and recognize those businesses and individuals that stepped up to the plate for the ANIMALS!! I want everyone to remember these names when you're considering spending your hard earned money on; entertainment, wine, vodka, clothes, spa's, tanning, limos, restaurants, teeth whitening, etc. Animal lovers need to know they are buying goods, services, whatever, from people that actually DO CARE about animals...

I cant wait for next year..well of course..did you think I wouldn't make this a YEARLY EVENT... and I promise I will give everyone more than 10 days notice!!!

THANK YOU.....

ANA MOLINARI
PINEAPPLE HOLISTIC DAY SPA
MIDTOWN DENTAL
HORSE FEATHERS
FOXY LADY
LOTUS
ARLENE OAKES
DAIQUIRI DECK
ANIMALS BY NATURE
URBAN OASIS DAY SPA
CORINNE NORTH-FULLER
SUSAN ROOSA

CAROL PROKAP
MIKE KRADLAK
RICK CULPEPPER
MOM&DAD
GRANNY
LARRY'S EXECUTIVE LIMOUSINES
MASSAGE MATTERS
DEREK SMITH
KEN&LINDA SLAVIN
ELYSIAN FIELDS
ZORIA
TIKI TAN

CLEAN STEP LINENS
TIGER LILY
SZAMBELAN VODKA
US TENT RENTAL
LTM PARTY
EUPHORIA BAR
AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST...MY FABULOUS FRIEND BETH HARRIS..FOR WITHOUT YOU MY LOVE THIS WOULD HAVE NEVER HAPPENED!!

BLACK DOG...BLACK CAT!!

2008-07-07T10:50:00.000-07:00

Is it true no one loves black dogs? Well...it isn't "no one" that loves black dogs, but there does seem to be an issue with the adoptability of black dogs. According to statistics "If you have two similar dogs - one black, one light colored side-by-side with similar temperaments, both well behaved, both house broken and friendly, the light-colored dog will be adopted before the black dog".

Why are black dogs less adoptable?

It is hard to know for sure. For one, dark hair is a dominant trait. There are more brunettes than any other hair color. In fact, in people, they estimate that 100 years from now, there will be no red-headed people in the country. Is the same true in dogs? It is hard to know for sure but that seems to be the case on a smaller scale. There may be more black dogs to choose from.

In addition, many shelters are in older facilities. The lighting is often suboptimal. Most people that go to shelters to adopt will find a dog by making a connection with a dog. That usually starts with eye contact. Dark dogs in dark cages are harder to see. It is possible because they are hard to see that eye contact is not as obvious and frequent.

Regardless of the cause - I love black dogs. I think they deserve every chance at a good home as any other dog.

NOW AS FOR BLACK CATS.......

People are crazy AND Superstitious....In Western history, black cats have often been looked upon as a symbol of evil omens: in other cultures they are considered to be good omens. Whatever the case.. I have surmised that Black cats ARE mysterious, elegant, and overall FABULOUS!!!

So...if you are looking to adopt - don't overlook the black dogs OR cats. If you can't see them very well, ask someone to take the dog or cat out of the cage so that you can see him or her better and interact.

For more information on this very fascinating subject please check out BLACKPEARL DOGS, a wonderful website dedicated to helping BLACK DOGS AND CATS!!!

I know you are all very jealous of my beautiful black boy Shakespeare..that's why I had to taunt you with his picture:)

A BAKERS DOZEN OF GEORGIA PEACHES!

2008-05-19T16:26:00.000-07:00

OOPS...I did it again! I cant seem to help myself from Saving GEORGIA dogs, I think it must be the whole gassing, shooting, drowning thing...especially puppies. My GOD they are so frigging BARBARIC. It costs too much for them to HUMANELY EUTHANIZE! I am thrilled that the word is getting out on GEORGIA'S DIRTY LITTLE SECRET!
Myself and Derek embarked on a FABULOUS road trip to HOT-LANTA to save what was originally supposed to be 4 puppies. How the hell we ended up bringing 13 back...I'll never know..oh yes I do... they were all scheduled to be GASSED.. not on my watch.

These precious babies were just pitiful. We had three mange puppies,that were severely underweight, three feral puppies covered in DEER TICKS, 6 HUGE black puppies that were very neglected and also covered in ticks big enough to be an appetizer.YIKES..and finally the little American Bulldog, which was the main reason for going to Georgia.

We have had great success with getting them adopted. Of the 13, 9 have found wonderful homes. If you are interested in adopting one of the remaining 4 please go to our PETFINDER link. They are all so sweet and loving. They for sure know they were saved.

MY DARLING LILLY!!

2008-02-07T14:07:00.001-08:00

It is with an incredibly BROKEN HEART that I must inform everyone that Lilly passed away last evening. I am beyond devastated. Many of my rescue people may remember Lilly from September 2007. There was a desperate call for help to save this precious angel from the Clayton County Animal Services. She was picked up by the lovely (April Landrum Johns) hours before she was to be gassed...yes for those of you that are not aware, they continue to gas and shoot dogs and cats in shelters around the South.
April bathed and took really excellent care of Lilly for a couple of days until transport arrived. THANK YOU APRIL!

We received our bundle of joy on September 13, 2007, along with another sweet girl named Lulu, she came from Athens, also slated to be gassed. I was so happy and her foster daddy Derek knew from the moment he met her that he was going to keep her. She was such a joy to have around, she always had us laughing. Lilly was only a little over a year old, and still had soooo much puppy in her. She thrived for four months....then came the spay.

Lilly was taken to be spayed on January 2, 2008. I received a call from the Vet saying that they were unable to continue with the spay, Lilly's blood pressure had bottomed out. I immediately took her to get blood work. The next day we received the results, she had elevated liver enzymes. She began walking as though she were a drunken sailor, more so than usual, you see Lilly had major bone deformities, a bit of a club foot, so she always walked a bit funny. This progressed over a couple of weeks until she went completely down, absolutely zero use of her legs.

After 2 specialists and an MRI, we found out Lilly had a BRAIN CYST. This cyst was huge and was causing pressure which made her unable to use her limbs. She had to have the cyst drained, IMMEDIATELY! Dr. Anne Chauvet, a brilliant Neuro Surgeon performed brain surgery on Lilly, January 28th...her prognosis was (GUARDED AT BEST) needless to say we were a complete mess waiting to hear the results of the surgery. The phone rang and all I heard is.."She made it through the surgery"! We were elated.

I thought our girl was going to pull through. She came home a few days later and things started out fine. She was eating and drinking, still unable to use her legs, but of course she had just had the surgery so we naturally thought it would take time. She started losing interest in food and water...BIG PROBLEM! I took her back to Dr. Chauvet, where they put her on IV fluids; after she was hydrated she still had no interest in food. After a couple of days they put a feeding tube through her nose. I think she just lost her will. I came to see her everyday assuring her that I was there for her and loved her dearly.."Please fight “I told her.

It looked really good for a bit...then her temperature dropped to 94 degrees. They had a warmer on her the last time I saw her. I told her to hang in there and how much I loved her. She passed away last night. I received the call at 8:00 A.M. When the phone rang....l knew she was gone. You will forever be in my heart my sweet Lilly... you touched so many peoples lives...I can be at peace just knowing that the last 5 months of her life...were indeed THE BEST!!! With lots of love thrown her way!

I have experienced a lot of loss these last couple of months. But I have to say I would not trade in the time I had with each one of these special fur babies for anything in the world. I truly enjoyed my time with Lincoln, Greta, and of course Lilly... they would have been dead long ago, had I not come into their lives.

I LOVE AND MISS YOU!

FLY HIGH BABIES....

Mommy

ANIMAL TESTING SUCKS!!

2008-01-31T12:13:00.000-08:00

Here are some of the companies/products that DO TEST on animals! PLEASE "DO NOT" BUY FROM THESE COMPANIES OR PRODUCTS!!
-Aim
-Arm & Hammer
-Bic Corporation
-Brillo
-Chesebrough-Ponds
-Church & Dwight (Mentadent, Nair, Orange Glo, Pearl Drops)
-Clairol (Aussie, Herbal Essences, Infusium 23, Proctor & Gamble)
-Clorox (ArmorAll, Formula 409, Fresh Step, Glad, Liquid Plumber, Pine Sol, Soft Scrub, Tilex)

Here are some of the companies that DO NOT test on animals:
-Almay
-Aveda
-Bare Essentuals
-Bath & Body Works
-The Body Shop
-Chanel
-Clinique
-Estee Lauder
-Freeman Beauty
-MAC Cosmetics
-Mary Kay
-Nexxus
-OPI Products
-Paul Mitchell
-Prescriptives
-Revlon
-Sebastian Int.
-Smashbox Cosmetics
-Stila Cosmetics
-Tommy Hilfiger
-Victoria's Secret

PLEASE "DO" BUY FROM THESE COMPANIES!!!!

THE TRUTH ABOUT SHELTER ADOPTION!

2007-11-08T10:49:00.000-08:00

There have always been much criticism towards animal shelters and the animals in animal shelters. This post is to help separate fact from myth so that people will have a more compassionate understanding towards animals in animal shelters that are in desperate need of finding a good home.

Myth: Shelter pets are obviously not good pets, or else their original owners wouldn't have gotten rid of them
If the main reason why a pet gets brought to rescue shelters was because they were a *bad* pet, there would be thousands of empty shelters across the country. Animals are brought to shelters for a large variety of reasons, some of which are...

*Their owners have passed away
*The animal's owners were abusive to the animal, so the authorities have removed the pet from the harmful environment
*An animal was purchased or adopted by someone who did not take into consideration all of the responsibility that caring for that pet would entail. A good example of this would be someone who adopts a pet in an apartment complex that does not allow animals and then is subsequently forced to get rid of the pet.

Myth: Animals from abusive homes will never be good pets because they have been mistreated for so long
Most animals coming from abusive homes will typically make a full emotional recovery - with proper care and attention. In fact, many of them are so grateful to be rescued from their previous situation, they end up being more devoted and loyal than animals coming from non-abusive homes.
Myth: You never know what you're getting with shelter pets
Although its true that the medical history and temperament of an animal adopted from a rescue shelter are not always able to be tracked down, its really no different than an animal you might get from a pet store, unless you are buying a pedigree, but most animals from pet stores are from Puppy Mills and are more sickly due to unsanitary conditions and repeated inbreeding which causes genetic birth defects and/or severe health problems.

Myth: All animals in rescue shelters are sickly or unhealthy
Once again, it certainly IS possible that a pet adopted from a rescue shelter may have medical problems, however the majority of the animals that are adopted from shelters are perfectly healthy, and just need a good home. If anything, you're more likely to get an honest answer about an animal's medical problems from a shelter volunteer - who is clearly there because they *care* about the animals - as opposed to a pet store owner or breeder that is only it in for the money. Additionally, animals in shelters are typically treated much better than animals in pet stores, which have often spent their short lives in cramped environments with little socializing and often, unsanitary conditions.

To illustrate the point a little more clearly, when you go to a pet store, the animals are kept on display in tiny cages, often with multiple animals in one cage. When you go to a shelter, you will usually find much bigger animal pens, where the animals have some room to move.

Please adopt a sheltered animal or encourage others to adopt. These animals need a good home. Please give them the chance to find one.

Please go to my website to get a list of local shelters

ADOPT, DON'T SHOP!!

SUPPORT ANIMAL RIGHTS!!!

THE STORY OF LINCOLN!

2007-11-01T13:56:00.000-07:00

With a very heavy heart I must inform you all that Lincoln passed away Monday, after a valiant battle against a litany of medical issues, including heart worms and osteosarcoma.

For those of you that don't know about Lincoln,he was an amazingly strong, soulful, tenacious creature, that came into my life about 6 months ago.

Although our time together was brief, I experienced a powerful connection to this dog, unlike any other. I would not give this experience up for the world. Lincoln certainly taught me a thing or two........

He was found covered in fleas, with speaker wire around his neck, severely emaciated. He had been waiting to be rescued...6 years later his dream would come true. He met three people that welcomed him with open arms, and did everything humanly possible to make sure he lived his final years knowing love,friendship, a nice place to sleep, good food, and clean water.

Unfortunately, the rest of his life was 6 months..First came the heart worms, then the limp..that turned out to be cancer. We had the leg removed, but you would never know it was missing..the day after the amputation he was running around like a warrior. The biopsy came back negative in the lymph nodes..we were ecstatic. We just knew Lincoln would beat the odds of the 1 year life expectancy.... Then..three days after the amputation, his back legs started sliding around, we think he probably hurt himself running around with the other pups, trying to keep up with them. Finally, he went
down..and stayed. He went through acupuncture treatment for a week before being referred to Dr. Chauvet, a Neuro Vet, we thought possibly a slipped disk, and trust me, we had every intention of having the back surgery. I mean come on, surely he didn't go through all of this in vain?

Dr. Chauvet took another x-ray and confirmed our worst fear...the cancer had spread to his lungs. We were devastated to say the least. How cruel..to put this dog through all of this trauma, did I mention the neuter..:) just to lose him a couple of months later.

I, Derek, and Beth decided we had to do the right thing.We could not let him live like this...zero use of the back legs,and the cancer gaining on him.

Monday October 29Th around 5:30 P.M. we said goodbye to our Lincoln. He still had a sparkle in his eye until his last breath...I could go on for days about Lincoln's brilliance and strong will to live, but I'm getting misty.

You'll be sorely missed my graceful...TRUE GENTLEMAN!

Hope you're flying high.......

FOSTER BABE TO THE RESCUE!

2007-08-30T09:42:00.000-07:00

I have to start out by saying...I LOVE Julie Royal... AKA Foster Babe.
She is amazing. This goddess is responsible for saving hundreds of dogs
and cats from certain death. She will FOSTER litters of puppies and
kittens,seniors, crippled..whatever. Did I mention she also has her own
Real Estate business. This woman is such a ROCK STAR..

I got an e-mail over the weekend from a rescue group that I work with in Alabama
They were in desperate need of fosters and other rescues. You
see, they had over 90..that's right (90) puppies that needed to be out
of the shelter by Monday, not a lot of notice hmmm. They had to make room for 50 animals that were coming in from a CRUELTY case. SIDE NOTE...I hate most people, OK,
I digress. I immediately call Jules too see if perhaps she had room at HER Inn..ha. She, as
usual without hesitation, said "SURE" I can take a couple of litters.

She drove to the SPCA in Tampa to meet the transport that was coming from Alabama. She took 2 litters, a total of seven pups. They are all so damn cute.Anyone interested in adopting one of these little guys, please contact me, and I can hook you up with FOSTER BABE..Thank you for everything you do Julie, you are a Guardian Angel for the animals.....

THROW AWAY SOCIETY

2007-08-22T13:56:00.000-07:00

This just in folks....if you have a perfectly fabulous pet, and you just
wake up one day and decide they are no longer worthy of living out the
rest of their lives with you...you can just toss them away "LIKE SO
MANY RAGS"..I just don't understand, I never will. How do you throw
your family away? I wish I could just make people understand that
animals have the same emotions as humans..they love, mourn, feel pain,
loss, you name it..I think the only emotions they don't share would be
revenge or hatred. My first example is this absolutely stunning Persian. I don't have his name, I just know he's 2 years old neutered, and declawed. His owners think he is too jealous of a niece that comes over on occasion, this is frigging
absurd If anyone is interested, e-mail me and I will get
more details. Next up is 2 gorgeous Seal Point Siamese sisters...Coco
and Cashmere....ohhh such classy names.. 3 year old sisters, declawed
and spayed. Another tragedy. Again, anyone interested in providing a
FOREVER home for these lovely kitties, please contact me..I have to go
throw up now.. writing this blog LITERALLY made me sick.....

DOGGIE RES Q R' S

2007-08-16T14:19:00.000-07:00

I find it so dejecting that dogs love humans with their whole heart. No
judgement, no prejudice,they ask no questions, they pass no criticisms.
Yet, humans don't even come close to reciprocation. I watched a really good example of this last night. Please check out this articleThis group of dogs have saved over 70 HUMAN LIVES this year alone...how amazing is that? Would we do the same for them?

“The one absolutely unselfish friend that a man can have in this selfish world, the one that never deserts him, the one that never proves ungrateful or treacherous, is his dog."

Remember this..A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than you love yourself...

CON-VICK-T

2007-08-15T08:51:00.000-07:00

What can I say..I am thoroughly disgusted with
this loser. Yea, I know..innocent until proven guilty, whatever... There is already talk of him copping a plea.I
suppose the thing that bothers me the most would be that clearly Vick
just gets off on torturing and watching dogs kill each other. It's
certainly not about the money. This is a very twisted individual. I'm
so looking forward to him loosing EVERYTHING. I hope it was worth it ASSHOLE!!

MANDATORY SPAY NEUTER YES !YES! YES!!!!!

2007-08-14T08:33:00.000-07:00

Dog advocates unleashed
There's wide agreement that most dogs
should be spayed and neutered. But who should make that decision -- the
state, the city, the owners, a selected kind of owner or the dog
itself? All this week, BillHemby and Daniel Guss debate California's kaninekulturkampf.

Today, Guss, founder of Stop Torture Abuse & Neglect of Dogs, discusses the stymied "California Healthy Pets Act" with Hemby, founder of PetPAC. Later in the week, they'll debate pit-bull deprogramming, muscle-dog culture and more.

Don't listen to the profiteers -- mandatory spay-neuter now!
By Daniel Guss

What a great way to start the week: I am a volunteer humane advocate going
against you, Bill, a paid lobbyist and profiteering dog breeder allied
with a PR firm that unsuccessfully defended Big Tobacco and fought
against a living wage law. Birds of a feather, readers!

And now, here's the scoop:

Millions of dogs and cats are killed every year in the United States. I'm
talking about really sweet, please-rub-my-belly pets, including small
ones and purebreds.

Who could say we're doing right by the animals?

Imagine their millions of bodies spread out over Yankee Stadium or the Rose
Bowl, 100 feet deep. This happens every year, as far back as records
are kept. Some image, right? Society used to drown them enmasse. Now they're injected with poison without so much as a sedative to soothe their nerves.

This mountain of death irrefutably proves that humans have failed animals miserably.

Historically and correctly, government does its best work after people create -- and
can't solve -- alarming, preventable tragedies like this. The time for
mandatory spay-neuter laws is now.

In 1984, New York passed the nation's first seat belt
laws because we killed ourselves on the roads at an alarming,
preventable rate. Every state now has seat belt laws, and DUI laws,
because we couldn't stop the killing on our own.

Should the free market decide these things? See how your insurance company reacts if
you get popped for a DUI. Call them and say you won't buckle up. These
laws helped reduce the slaughter.

Likewise, because dogs and cats can't beg for mercy, governments are now actively
considering mandatory spay/neuter laws at the behest of animal shelter directors,
workers and veterinarians, as well as police departments, animal
rescuers and citizens fed up with needless killing of good dogs and cats.
.

My friends devote their lives to saving animals, enduring
enormous personal and financial sacrifice. Hundreds of daily e-mails
pass among them, desperate to save "Coco" or "Lucky" from being dragged
on a rope or pole, and killed on a cold steel table or concrete floor
reeking of the dog or cat killed there minutes earlier.

Not once have I seen an e-mail response from a breeder, puppy mill or pet store
saying that they will save these animals' lives. It would mean one less
family to which they could sell a puppy or kitten at a profit. These
profiteers not only fail to help, they are now frantic to stop those of
us who are demanding a change.

Who do you trust? Those who sacrifice or those who profit?

With some common sense exemptions, like for police dogs, the time for
mandatory spay-neuter has arrived. (See Assembly Bill 1634, at
www.CAHealthyPets.com.) The bill even gives breeders multiple
exemptions, but still they are indignant because saving shelter animals
shrinks their customer base.

So when you see someone foaming at
the mouth about mandatory spay-neuter, ask them how many shelter
animals they've saved lately, if ever.

Mandatory spay-neuter is the only solution. Believe those of us who sacrifice, not others who profit.

LEO GETS A NEW LEASH ON LIFE!!

2007-08-13T13:43:00.000-07:00

It seems as though everyday I get an e-mail, phone call, or read about
someone needing to GET RID of their beloved pet. It's the same old
excuse, people are either moving, have just discovered they have
allergies, have children, or this is my favorite(ya know I'm just
really tired of cleaning up all of the hair) after, I might add having
this cat for 11 years. What the hell is that? How heartless can someone
get? This is something I just cannot tolerate.

This story has an excellent ending, but started out quite the contrary. I got a phone
call from a woman that needed to GET RID of her dog ASAP. She had
originally RESCUED Leo as a puppy(big joke)and kept him outside tied to
a tree. Leo was stolen about 3 months after she got him. She had given
up hope of ever getting him back, and even(RESCUED) 2 other small dogs
from Hurricane Katrina. One night she had a dream that Leo was in the
local dog shelter, so she woke up the next morning and went straight to
Manatee Animal Services...low and behold Leo was in fact there. The woman was elated, so much so that she decided to put Leo right back outside tied to the same tree. ARE YOU STILL WITH ME? OK,
she decides she can't handle 3 dogs and it's not fair to Leo, because
the other 2 KATRINA dogs live in the house, and he always looks so sad
that he cannot be a part of the group.The woman decides to give Leo to
some friends?..dubious...to make a long story short, the woman gets a
phone call from Animal Services, guess what? Leo is back. They knew
this because he was micro-chipped from his previous stint in the
shelter. She of course goes down and retrieves Leo. Back to the tree
Leo goes..WTF? She FINALLY decides to do the right thing and call me, the fabulous animal goddess...ha ha I didn't hesitate, I went the next day to pick up the precious Leo. Can I just tell you, what a phenomenal
dog. Derek was back to his fostering duties! He had him for about six
weeks, then we found the perfect family for Leo. SCORE BABY!!!

I just received pictures from his new family, they are so crazy about
him. He now has a sister (DIXIE)the fabulous pitbull, they are the best of friends. oh, and guess what?.....................

LEO WILL (NEVER) BE TIED TO ANOTHER TREE FOR THE REST OF
HIS LIFE!!!! Thank you Samantha and Derek..

THE 10 COMMANDMENTS OF ANIMAL GUARDIANSHIP

2007-08-12T12:20:00.000-07:00

TEN COMMANDMENTS OF ANIMAL GUARDIANSHIP

1. When you adopt me, remember that my life is likely to last 15 to 20 years. Please don't forsake me, any separation from you is painful.

2. Please give me time to understand what it is you want from me. Change can be more difficult for me than for you.

3. Please don't be angry with me for a long time, and don't lock me up alone as punishment. You have your human family, your friends, your entertainment and I ONLY HAVE YOU!!!

4. Please trust me and help me to trust you . . . it is crucial for mine as well as your well being.

5. Talk to me . . . even if you think I don't understand your words I understand your voice and love when you speak to me and stroke me.

6. Don't ever hit me! Remember that I have teeth and claws and could easily hurt you but I choose not to bite and scratch you because I love you.

7. Be aware, that however you treat me, I WILL NEVER FORGET!!!

8. Before you scold me for being uncooperative or bad, ask yourself if maybe something is wrong and there is another reason for my behavior. Perhaps I am sick, hot, old or just plain tired, frustrated and weak. PLEASE TRY TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IT IS LIKE TO BE ME AND PUT YOURSELF IN MY PLACE.

9. Please take care of me when I get old and don't abandon me, for you too will grow old. Please notice when I am ill because I need you to take me to the vet for help when I am ill just as you need to see a doctor.

10. Go with me on the most difficult journeys. Never say, "I can't bear to watch" or "Do it when I leave" because I need you with me even at the end of my journeys. Please always do what is best for me even if it is unbearable for you to do so because I love you and trust that you will DO WHAT IS BEST FOR ME.

I HAVE BEEN REALLY BAD!

2007-08-07T21:31:00.000-07:00

I have been totally remiss in my blogging duties.."AGAIN"..I promise I will start my blogging on a regular basis..please don't hate me..I've been busy saving lives....

LIVING IN CHAINS.. A LIFE SENTENCE

2007-03-13T14:28:00.000-07:00

I just have to get something off my chest. I am currently living next door to a NIGHTMARE. My new neighbors, who by the way replaced the other BONEHEAD neighbors that I mentioned in a previous post, keep their two BLACK dogs outside 24/7. They have provided ZERO shelter or bedding. I am so sickened by this. It has been 37 degrees outside, it has poured rain and I mean COLD rain and still they remain outside. Why the hell even bother having an animal if you are going to sentence them to a life of solitude and chains. That's right ONE of the dogs is on a very short chain, while the other is allowed to run free. I don't get it. This is a 6ft shadow box fence. There would be no way for this dog to get out. This is animal cruelty at the highest level. They may not beat or starve the dogs, but they have no interaction with the dogs what so ever. They keep the blinds shut, and pretend as if there is nothing in the backyard but grass. How do I know these things? I'll tell you how.. I am incredibly observant, especially when it comes to the welfare of animals.

DAISY AND GEORGE HAVE FABULOUS NEW HOMES!

2007-02-26T14:21:00.000-08:00

I am happy to give two new updates. First is the lovely DAISY. I got so
incredibly lucky on this one. My friend "Julie Royal" called me up a
couple of month's ago and informed me that her niece saw Daisy on the website and had to meet her. I arranged a meeting, and it was "Love at first sight" Courtney has now had Daisy a couple of month's and she is doing great. Courtney takes Daisy pretty much everywhere, which is wonderful. Even though I miss my girl, I know she is very happy. I will be arranging a play date in the very near future, remember Daisy is my little angel Shakespeare's mama. Please go see Courtney if you are looking for a fabulous hairdresser. She works at NUOVO Whole Foods Centre Sarasota. Next up is GEORGE. Derek ended up fostering him for about 6 weeks, and after interviewing several potential families, we finally found the perfect home. George's new mom Joanna, is a Mental Health Therapist for Sun coast Behavioral Medicine. She takes George to work with her daily, and he is able to socialize with Joanna's patients, and from what I understand he is doing a fabulous job. I am so proud of my Good BOY GEORGE! So there you have it....two happy endings for two very well deserving angels.

RAISE YOUR PAW IF YOUR PISSED!

2007-02-20T15:23:00.000-08:00

I'm getting really disgusted by the GREED of Sarasota! First, they shut
down Pelican Man's Sanctuary for whatever stupid ass reason. I'm appalled that they were actually able to close
the place down. We desperately
needed that Sanctuary. Now TODAY I read that "the greedy ones" are at it
again, this time trying to close 17Th Street Paw Park. This is an outrage. What
the hell is going on around here? I guess if there isn't a tidy sum of money involved, SARASOTA wants no part of it. They want to make it a "TRIO" of football fields for the "Sarasota Ringling Redskins". Their current field is becoming a parking lot. The proposed plan is 4 million dollars. What planet are these people on? The worst part is they want to move the dog park to Cooper Creek Park, which surrounds a mile-long lake which contains more alligators than the Everglades. Last time I checked dogs and gators don't mix. I seriously hope that someone will step up and put the KIBOSH on this deal. Our dogs need a place to hang out and socialize without worrying about becoming a gator's lunch. I say move the Football field to Cooper Creek. Why not? They say it's safe for our dogs, why not children? Why? I will tell you why. Because this deal is in fact not about a children's football field. It is really about the "Cincinnati Reds", and their plans for building a "NEW" spring training baseball stadium. So there you have it folks. As usual, "MONEY" will always WIN over everything, no matter who it hurts. Please give me your thoughts on this matter.

UPDATE ON THE LOBSTER GAME:

After a little investigating, I found that I was not the only one that was outraged
by the LOBSTER GAME. The proper name is"LOBSTER ZONE", and there is a petition that is going around to have it
stopped. Please go to the website and sign the petition:

JUST SAY" NO" TO AMPUTATION!

2007-02-15T14:17:00.000-08:00

I have worked with hundreds of cats in shelters and have participated in many online forums dealing with feline health and behavior. It’s been several years since behavior modification tools such as Sticky Paws and Soft Paws were introduced to the pet supply market, yet vets continue to declaw cats, often without advising clients that declawing involves amputating the cat’s toes at the first joint, resulting not only in extreme pain for the cat (declawed cats have been used in vet schools to test the efficacy of pain medication), but also in behavioral issues. Inappropriate urination or litter box avoidance is a common side effect of declawing. One probable reason for this is that the cat experiences pain in the amputated toes when digging in the litter. Another very common side effect of declawing is biting.

The reason most people give for declawing their cats is that they want to protect their furniture. Sticky Paws is an excellent way to protect furniture while the cat learns acceptable places to scratch, such as a sturdy scratching post or a corrugated cardboard scratch pad. Nail trimming helps prevent damage to furniture and skin. As a last resort, Soft Paws vinyl nailcaps can be applied to the cat’s claws. When our fingernails grow, would we ever consider cutting off our fingers at the first joint rather than trimming our nails?The bottom line is that furniture does not feel pain or have to walk on amputated toes. The U.S. and Canada lag behind most of the western world in banning declawing. If you are considering declawing a cat, please do some research first and learn about humane alternatives.

SIDE BAR: Please read the Feb 14 issue of "CREATIVE LOAFING" There is an excellent article on Feral cats. Joel, you did a great job on the story!

CELEBRITY SKIN

2007-02-12T10:09:00.000-08:00

I had the most amazing day yesterday. I was invited to be the "Celebrity" Judge-MC for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation fundraiser 'BEST IN SHOW"! This Foundation has been the Global Leader in the fight against breast cancer for over 20 years. The event was held at the Rosedale Golf and Country Club. They had several contests for the pooches, along with a ton of Raffle prizes. They had Best Costume, Longest Ears, Shortest Tail, Most Obedient, and Best Trick. I , as mentioned earlier was the judge. It certainly wasn't easy, they were all winners in my eyes. Several rescue organizations showed up with dogs and cats available for adoption. Cat Depot, Humane Society Sarasota, Underdog Rescue, and Humane Society Manatee County. I did my best to coerce the crowd into opening their hearts and adopting one of the beauties available for adoption I have my fingers crossed! I have to say it was such an honor to have been chosen to MC this amazing event, and I must have done something right...they invited me back next year.

On a side note I want to wish my BEAUTIFUL, AMAZING, mommy a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY! I LOVE YOU!

CATSINO NIGHT OUT!

2007-02-11T14:02:00.000-08:00

I just have to thank all of the wonderful people that donated prizes
for the First Annual Fundraiser for "Cat Depot", "CATSINO
NIGHT". It was held at "Michael's on East"
and was a huge success. I went to several business owners looking for
RAFFLE PRIZES at the very LAST minute, I
might add, and they all came through without hesitation. I want to take
this opportunity to acknowledge these amazing people. I want all of my
animal peeps to know who the real animal lovers are in this town, and
hopefully you will patronize their businesses. I will start with "The Table", Rafael
was "Over the top generous; I hear he really loves the kitties, and the
food is amazing.
"Red" a new Peruvian Restaurant is again another fabulous place to dine;The Ceviche is to die for! OK,Chutney's is next, Great Tandoori and Hummus
, not to mention if you want to know the latest gossip in town "ASH" is
the man! If your looking for amazing tapas and people watching please go check out "Sangria's", located in downtown Sarasota, the owners rescued Bella who was on death row, you guys are great. And last but not least for the restaurants is the most
romantic waterfront dining in town, "Ophelia's on the Bay"
Just a quick side bar: the service is FLAWLESS! I was also able to snag
an $85 bottle of Port along with a very generous gift certificate from
Mr.Mike Flanagan, owner of
"Flanagan's Wine
Market", the best wine store in town, AND he has two rescued
kitties. If you like to golf, and I know many of you do, "The Links"
at Greenfield Plantation is the place, beautiful course and
friendly staff. For those of you that need to get away from it all and
pamper yourself, male or female, you must visit my next generous donor,"Urban Oasis Day
Spa",Linda, the owner, will totally hook you up. Any unwanted
hair and she's your wax queen, no need to keep that pesky little
moustache! Last but not least is a Day Spa for your beloved pooch.
"The
Yuppy Puppy". Ask for Becky she will totally give your babies
the STAR treatment that they deserve. So there you have it folks. These
are the people that step up to the plate for animals, even if it is the
11th hour. Thanks again guys, YOU ROCK!

SAVING GEORGIA DOGS!

2007-02-07T14:48:00.000-08:00

I know, I know...We have our hands full with homeless animals in Florida. However, I have recently gotten involved with a group in Georgia. As a matter of fact, they are one of the MYSPACE peeps. Just in case you did not know, Georgia has an insane amount of unwanted pets. The shelters in Georgia are very high kill. It doesn't matter if it's a Yorkshire terrier, or a Golden Retriever. This particular group "SAVING GEORGIA DOGS" are amazing. They go around to all of the "HIGH KILL" Animal Shelters in Georgia and pull as many dogs out as they possibly can. They have a network of Foster and other Rescue Organizations around the country that will take these dogs in. The key is actually raising the funds to get the medical, boarding, and transportation for these precious dogs. The group will POST bulletins on MYSPACE, pleading for the lives of these dogs. The amazing part is that 9 times out of 10 they actually raise the money. There are some wonderful caring souls that are on myspace. There is another group I want to mention. They are called "SAVING SHELTER PETS,INC", another amazing group that pulls from high kill shelters all over Georgia, and other states. I had the pleasure of meeting one of their volunteers KASEY. She lives in Orlando, and is one of the most FABULOUS women I have ever encountered. Together, we helped save "MAMADOG", a very pregnant hound mix that came from "THE DEKALB SHELTER" in Georgia. She was literally knock knock knocking on Heavens door. I called the lovely Julie Royal and asked if she could help find a foster for MAMADOG. Without hesitation, she agreed to take her in. The entire operation was executed flawlessly. Several volunteers agreed to transport MAMADOG. She was picked up from Dekalb Shelter, another volunteer met her 100 miles later, then another and another and finally she got to Jacksonville where Kasey met her. Kasey then drove straight to Brandon, where Julie met her, then finally HOME SWEET HOME! Julie has renamed MAMADOG; she is now KASEY..how appropriate! Julie has now had Kasey about 3 weeks. She gave birth to 10 beautiful healthy puppies, and they will all be available for adoption in a few weeks. See, this is what it's all about folks. Animal Rescue may not always be pretty...but at the end of the day, it is sooooo worth it.

MY SPACE....

2007-02-05T14:49:00.000-08:00

Hello Animal Lovers. I must share my very recent experience on MYSPACE. You see, up until a couple of month's ago, I, in fact, was a MYSPACE VIRGIN. I decided to make a profile and use it to promote my Pet Adoption Show. I had absolutely no clue what I was doing. I had a friend walk me through the process of "PIMPING OUT" my myspace. I had a blast choosing my layout. The photobucket copy and paste deal, you can really get creative. Then I go on to learning the friend process. My sole purpose for being on myspace is helping animals, I have found that it is a tremendous networking tool. I immediately joined several Animal Rescue Groups. I was amazed and flattered at the number of people from all around the world that requested me as a friend. I am now up to 51 friends. The funny thing is that I only personally know maybe 7. How crazy is that!? I get these "HAVE A GREAT DAY" messages from complete strangers. I suppose the Esprit de corps is that all of my "friends" love animals, which is a beautiful thing. Let me just say, these Animal Rescue Groups on Myspace are raising money and saving thousands of animals lives. So my point to this blog is...Myspace is not just for pedophiles, bands, and teenagers.

HAVE YOU HUGGED YOUR PITBULL TODAY?

2007-02-03T09:09:00.000-08:00

">" border="0" alt="" />
Last night, we shot the most amazing show on Pitbulls. I could not have been more thrilled. We went to Mo-Joe's Family Friends. Melissa Benfield, the founder, is awesome. She rescues mainly Pitbulls and all types of "BULLY BREEDS". Her entire family is very involved, which is a wonderful thing. Unfortunately, Pitbulls get a bad rap most of the time. People just don't get the fact that HUMANS are responsible for the violent behavior in all dogs, not just Pitbulls.I have a link that I want everyone to visit"THE PITBULL PROBLEM" It is not fun to watch, but it is the reality of what goes on with these innocent creatures. Pitbull fighting is rampant and doesn't seem to be slowing down. The culture that we live in is branded in a HYPER-VIOLENT PSEUDO WORLD, without consequences. This desensitizing encourages this type of 'ENTERTAINMENT" to flourish. I can attest to the fact that if you give your Pitbulls love and respect, they simply will not attack you. If you knew what these "" "LOATHSOM INDIVIDUALS" actually did to these dogs to get them to behave in this violent way, trust me, you would be OUTRAGED and HEARTBROKEN. Please watch my show this week....You may learn something, and not be so judgmental. Remember, people are afraid of what they don't understand.

LOBSTER KARIOKE

2007-02-02T14:34:00.000-08:00

I was recently out with a few friends and we decided to go KARIOKE SLUMMING. There are several dive bars in Sarasota that have FABULOUS Karioke. We decided on "THE CRACKER JACK". Now some of you may or may not know that someone was actually SHOT in there a few months ago, so clearly we were insane for even considering this place. We get there around 11:00 and the place is packed. Some guy was up singing "REBEL YELL", he actually wasn't half bad. Anyhoo, I saunter up to the bar to get a drink, while waiting I look over at a group of people gathering around what looked to be some type of gaming machine. These people were getting really excited, so me being the inquisitive one, decide to go check it out. I finally get a peek, and was absolutely horrified to see it was a LOBSTER TANK, with LIVE LOBSTERS. It is set up like one of those machines with stuffed animals, you know the one where the big CLAW comes down. For $1 you get a chance to "WIN" a lobster. I find this disgraceful. What the hell is some bored drunk going to do with a LIVE LOBSTER? I feel the LOBSTER GAME is an unfortunate example of our culture at large. As the saying goes,"Idle hands are the Devils workshop". I will be contacting several of my Animal Rights peeps, to see what can be done about this repulsive game.

I'M BAAAACK!

2007-01-31T20:10:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I have clearly been remiss in my blogging duties. I truly apologize, and promise to try very hard to keep this baby updated. Wow, so much has happened since my last post. I have been able to help many animals get adopted, which of course is my biggest goal in life. At the moment there is one very special dog I'm fiercely focused on getting adopted. His name is George, and he is the most precious angel. I must share his story. I was volunteering at Petsmart one Sunday about 7 month's ago. I had been there about 15 minutes when this VERY young couple came in with a puppy. They approached me and told me they had just found him wondering around the parking lot. He was the most adorable little angel. I thought for sure someone would come in Petsmart frantically looking for their puppy. Unfortunately, that never happened. At the end of the day I called my very good friend Derek and asked if he would consider fostering the little guy ,he happily agreed and I brought him right over. Derek decided to name the hansome boy, Moe. I had Moe neutered and got him his first round of puppy shots,within 3 weeks he was ready to bre adopted. I took Moe back to Petsmart on SDA'S adoption day, of course he was a huge hit, and within 1 hour he was adopted. Now let's flash forward 6 month's later. I get a phone call from the girl that adopted Moe, now renamed George. She is crying telling me she must move out of state and cannot take George. I guess dogs are banned in the state she is moving to...Anyway, I meet her at a McDonald's parking lot to retrieve the now enormous George. Yes, he is indeed a big boy. Thankfully, my very good friend agreed to foster George, AGAIN! He has now had George a little over a month, and I think he will make someone an excellent companion. He just wants to love and be loved. So anyone reading this that thinks they may be interested in having a Fabulous companion, please contact me. Serious inquiries only, I want George's next home to be his LAST, even if you must leave the state!

CHAT NOIR

2006-10-31T14:00:00.000-08:00

October has been my favorite month for as long as I can remember. Not only is it my birth month, but I happen to love HALLOWEEN! This year however, has been the worst October of my life. Not only did I lose my beloved NIGEL, I just learned that my adopted cat CHAT NOIR has left this earth as well. Chat came into my life about 2.5 years ago. He just appeared one day, I'm guessing he was dumped off. He was about 5 months old, and the most gorgeous pure black kitty I had ever seen. My neighbor at the time had been feeding him and told me that they wanted to keep him. I was thrilled to arrange getting him neutered and up to date on all of his vaccinations, I even provided the trap. Yes, CHAT was a funny little bugger, he would only let the neighbor touch him. Everyday I would ask the neighbor, did you catch him? Finally after about a month of badgering him, he told me that he caught another neighborhood cat. He said that Chat was too smart to go into the trap. I of course knew that was complete bullshit. So one year later the neighbors were getting ready to move and I'm having a conversation with the wife, she admits to me that in fact they did catch CHAT, but the husband felt so guilty that he released him immediately. I was really not surprised by this. First of all, they had an un-neutered dog, as well as a declawed cat that lived outside, they were clearly irresponsible pet owners. Their cat CASEY had become best friends with CHAT, they were always together. This is why my heart was broken when I learned from another neighbor that they had left CHAT behind. They said they were unable to catch him, again, I say BULLSHIT! I decided on that day that CHAT would become part of my family. I provided food and fresh water every day. He eventually began to trust me, he would even let me give him MAD LOVE! Now, one year later, he is gone. Ron, the other neighbor that I mentioned earlier had been looking after CHAT as well. I'm not sure exactly how all of this came about, I just know it ended with CHAT at the Veterinarian diagnosed with FELINE LEUKEMIA! A FATAL disease in cats that is highly contagious. I also want to mention this disease is 100% PREVENTABLE. I blame the idiot former neighbor, you remember the one that "felt sooo guilty" for trapping CHAT. Had he actually taken him to the Vet two years ago when I set it up (FREE) my little CHAT would still be with us. I will miss you terribly, my hansom CHAT NOIR. PLEASE VACCINATE YOUR PETS! THEIR LIFE COULD DEPEND ON IT!

DOUBLE EXPOSURE!

2006-10-18T14:03:00.000-07:00

I had the extreme pleasure of shooting two shelters this past weekend. First up was the Humane Society of Manatee County, what an amazing group. I had them on my show back in March so I knew several of the staff/volunteers. The lovely Denise called me and asked if I could help promote the adoptions of several of the LONG- TERM RESIDENTS. HSMC is a NO KILL SHELTER, which is fabulous of course, but unfortunately they have SEVERAL dogs and cats that have been there 1-3 years. This is a very sad situation, some have literally lived at the shelter their entire life. I am specifically going to mention PEPSI, I know the name is ridiculous, and he doesn't even come close to resembling a pepsi. He is very REGAL in fact. He is a Great Dane mix with impeccable manners. I think he is more of an Arthur. KELLEY is another angel that has been at the shelter for a really long time. She is such a sweet girl, it just breaks your heart. Hopefully, someone reading this blog or watching my show will go down and meet these lovely creatures. After my wonderful experience with HSMC, I was on to ANIMAL SERVICES SARASOTA. Sarasota in Defense of Animals were sponsoring their HOWL-O-WEEN ADAPTATHON. They had quite a full house, I can't remember the last time I saw the shelter that packed. There are some wonderful dogs and cats available for adoption. I hope anyone looking for a new family member will go down and meet these wonderful furries. I am happy to report 17 cats and 3 dogs were adopted that day. I also want to take a moment and honor all of the FABULOUS VOLUNTEERS that showed up to help with the adoptathon..YOU ALL ROCK!

MONEY IS NO OBJECT!

2006-10-17T09:21:00.000-07:00

I woke up this morning feeling a bit melancholy. Today is the day I pick up my beloved Nigel's cremains. I was horrified when I checked my phone messages from the day before, and there was a message letting me know that Nigel was back from the Crematory. My poor baby had to spend the night at the Vet's office. Not to be a drama queen, but honestly that was very upsetting to me. I arrive at the Vet's office and one of the Vet tech's told me that he really needed my help with a dog that had come in. Basically there was a 7 month old pitbull that had been hit by a car and her leg was broken. The owners were unable to pay for the surgery, and if he did not find a home for her by the end of the business day they were going to euthenize her. Well as you can imagine I was a bit taken aback. I was already mentally drained, now I have to figure out a way to save a puppy's life, and by the way, I had about 2.5 hours! First, I agreed to pitch in $100 for the surgery. One of the vet tech's talked the Dr. Into giving the employee discount for the surgery, which is significant. Everyone at the office pitched in the remainder of the money. Ok, now we come to the hard part, finding a foster home to care for an active puppy with a broken leg. I decided to call the ultra fabulous JULIE ROYAL, she agreed immediately, without hesitation. Can I just say, I love this woman, she is so dedicated to saving the lives of shelter dogs and cats. She and her husband Michael have already fallen in love with the ADORABLE MICHELLE!
Yes, that's right Julie decided to name her after me, I'm extremely honored. Michelle is recovering beautifully, and will be available to go to her new forever home very soon. I do want to mention to those of you feeling badly for the former owners; they were unfit. I will not be able to elaborate, just trust me it was not a healthy environment. In the beginning of this post I mentioned that I started my day feeling melancholy, then I realized by the end of the day that it was NIGEL that made all of this happen. He brought Michelle to me so I could help save her. When I finally met her, I knew that the $100 that I contributed, was the best $100 I have ever spent!

IN LOVING MEMORY

2006-10-08T07:43:00.000-07:00

I am sad to report that my little guy NIGEL, has lost his battle with Heart Disease. He had been doing so well, I was lulled into believing he would be around a bit longer. He had a really alarming seizure on Monday morning. I knew in my heart what was about to go down. I rushed him to Dr. Holland, and after what seemed like a lifetime of waiting, he finally came in. He checked his vitals, and even though he had not completely come out of the seizure, he said everything was NORMAL, well except for the MASSIVE heart murmur. Well folks, I have to tell you, at this point I was ready to have a complete MELTDOWN. What do you mean NORMAL? I had resolved myself to the fact that TODAY was the day, now your telling me maybe not. Now this is the part that is MIND BLOWING. Just as I'm ready to lose it, my little ANGEL goes into another seizure, as if he were letting me know, HEY MOM, IT'S TIME! I told Dr. H that I could not allow this to continue. He left the room for a brief moment, and came back with a Vet Tech and the NEEDLE, you know the one with the PINK LIQUID. He told me that once he actually had the vein that he would go within 20 or so seconds. I thought I would have the HEART ATTACK, I was physically ill. I told my angel how much I loved him, and how much joy that he had brought to my life for 15 fabulous years. I held him tight, and just like that... HE WAS GONE..I think that was possibly the saddest day of my life. I look around my home, and even though I have three amazing furies, the house does feel quite empty. Nigel was such a PRESENCE. YOU WILL BE WITH ME FOREVER MY DARLING NIGEL......

FREE TO A GOOD HOME?....DUBIOUS

2006-10-04T06:41:00.000-07:00

Has anyone been on this FREECYCLE_SARASOTA website? Great concept, you can put anything, and I mean ANYTHING on the website..as long as it's FREE. So maybe you have a fax machine or DOG that's taking up too much space and you need to get rid of it ASAP. You can place an ad on this website. I am appauled at the number of animals that are showing up on this website. What the hell is wrong with people. I'm not sure that people really understand the danger of placing your pet in an ad (FREE TO A GOOD HOME). I will explain. First, our local University( you know who you are) will give anyone that shows up with a dog or cat $35. They will then be used for LABORATORY TESTING. That's right folks, your beloved pet that you just had to get rid of because you are moving, or whatever BULLSHIT excuse you want to give, could possibly become a test animal. THAT IS NOT A GOOD HOME! Secondly, pitbull fighting is RAMPANT! Guess what you need for pitbull fighting? BAIT. That's right, your beloved pet could become pitbull bait. Normally these losers are looking for small dogs or cats, but I'm sure anything will do. There are humans, and I use this term loosly, that actually do nothing but scour the Newspapers and Internet for animals that are free to a good home. These folks are very good at what they do, trust me. They will make you believe that they want to take your pet and love them forever, when infact their plan is much more sinister. I will just give this advice, for what it's worth (YOUR PET'S LIFE) If you must get rid of your pet, GOD I hate that term....please please please try first to find them a new home with people you trust. After all, you made a CHOICE to get your pet in the first place. The least you can do is make certain that they have a fighting chance to have a HAPPY HOME If this is not possible call your local shelters, and if that doesn't work then place an ad, but NOT FREE TO GOOD HOME. Charge a small adoption fee. That's my 2 cents.

NEVER A DULL MOMENT

2006-09-29T09:03:00.000-07:00

This is my life.....Never a dull moment. Yesterday I had to go to my Vet to pick up meds for my little NIGEL, which by the way is still hanging in there. He is a tough little guy. I thought two weeks ago he was checking out, and low and behold, he comes back. He has an amazing will to live. Anyhoo, back to the story..I leave the office and head down the road, 2 miles later what do I see, a dog in the middle of the road, coming very close to getting run over. I quickly pull off the road and call him over. He comes right up to me, I open the back door, and he loads up. I couldn't believe it. He sat in my back seat like such a gentleman, you would have thought he had been there before. I took him back to my Vets office, and they gladly took him in. Just another day in the life of ANIMAL RESCUE GIRL....And by the way, I'm grateful to have the privilege to assist in saving an animals life.

SMASHING SHELTER!

2006-09-18T13:53:00.000-07:00

Sarasota Humane society was on tap this weekend. What an amazing show. It was "Seniors for Seniors", a new event which places Senior pets 7 years of age or older, with Senior Citizens. There is no charge to the Senior, a fund has been established that pays for the adoption. Can I just say..Older dogs and cats RULE! No potty training, or trying to pluck your shoe out of their mouth, unless of course you give them the shoe. HA They are mostly mellow,and just want to be your BEST FRIEND. I am happy to report that they had several adoptions. YEA BABY! Barbara Goodfriend was on hand to do some animal communicating, she is unbelievable! Let me just tell you non- believers, don't knock it til you try it. She did a reading with my beloved, Nigel, and I was blown away. There are simply some things that you cannot fake. So on to the best part of my show, besides the animals of course...The staff/volunteers of the Sarasota Humane Society, what a truly GROOVY group of people, I especially want to give a shout out to KERRI KOPPIN... You are awesome! This is a well oiled machine, and these guys take this shelter very seriously! If I could describe them in one word it would be TEAMWORK! I was very impressed. Keep up the good work guys......

KISMET BABY!

2006-09-12T13:19:00.000-07:00

I have to say, I was absolutely put on this earth to rescue animals. If there is an animal in need, they will find me. Let's take the most recent encounter..This week to be exact. I was on my way to work listening to Nina Simmone getting ready to start my work week, and low and behold, the most amazing little pitbull sauntered out in front of my car. I, of course pulled over and the little guy came right up to me. He looked like Petey, of Our Gang. What a complete DOLL BABY..Not only was he a sweetie pie, but had the most stunning underbite, which for those of you that know me, know that is a prerequisite in my household. Ha ha. I took him to my office waiting for Animal Services to open, and within 20 minutes he had a home. There were three people actually fighting over who would take him. Just to let everyone know, I have been looking in the newspaper to make sure his owner was not looking for him. 5 days later, no sign. I must say that I had a feeling that no one would claim him. What a throw away society we live in. I don't understand how someone could dump/abandon, whatever the case may be, such an incredible creature. I am thrilled that his amazing personality was not effected by the carelessness of his previous owner. I just heard today that BO'S new family adores him and what a wonderful addition he has made to their family. Hey, I am always happy to help...

LIVE AND LET DIE

2006-09-11T12:54:00.001-07:00

I truly apologize for my lack of posts. You see, this has been a very tough couple of weeks for me personally. I know most of you out there have been through this exact heartbreaking scenario. It goes something like this...Your beloved pet finally becomes a Senior Citizen, for some that day comes a bit earlier, say 9 to 13 years. For the lucky ones you get 14 to 18 years... I, feeling incredibly fortunate, have had 15 amazing years with my darling NIGEL. Then, one day you go to your veterinarian for a routine check-up, and find out the bad news. In my case it was an enlarged heart. You are then given the bleak prognosis, along with a cocktail of drugs. My rollercoaster ride began October of 2005, and now almost 1 year later, we are near the end of the road. My heart is broken, and I know it's about that time, you know the one...The time when you have to decide what day to send your baby over the RAINBOW BRIDGE. I don't know about the rest of you, but this is absolutely killing me! He's not suffering, but the quality of life is just not there. You look in their little eyes and they are trying to tell you it's ok, let me go, we have had a wonderful life together and it is now time to say GOODBYE...We will meet again. My head knows this, I just wish my heart could let go......

PUSS' S........GET THE BOOT!

2006-08-24T14:39:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's true. These three amazingly beautiful cats were dumped off at Animal Services by their owners. Even though they had owned all three since they were kittens, they decided that their life was no longer worth living. I really don't know how some people can live with themselves. I'm befuddled, how the hell do you send your FAMILY off to a certain death. I mean come on folks, let's put a little effort into finding them a new home. There is absolutely NO EXCUSE for the way these losers handled the situation. They were all three scheduled to be euthanized on Tuesday. Thankfully, the very lovely Darlene, came to their rescue. She picked them up Monday evening and brought them home with her, even though her home is overflowing with her own furries. These babies are in need of a FOREVER HOME, not a ONLY WHEN IT'S CONVENIENT HOME! Please contact me if you can help find a home for these beautiful animals.

LIGHTS, CAMERA.......ADOPTION!

2006-08-21T11:59:00.000-07:00

GIMME SHELTER started in early January 2006. I am very happy to say we just completed the 11th show. My mission is to use the power of television to get the shelter animals out of the shelter and into loving homes. I also want to help the (LITTLE KNOWN ) shelters, get the attention that they so much deserve. Unfortunately, the "majority" of animal shelter/rescue groups do not have deep pockets. Many do not have the resources or manpower to get the much needed funds to run a shelter the way they really need to. HELP HAS ARRIVED! Myself, along with a small group of volunteers have made this show a priority. We have just begun this journey! The BRILLIANT sponsors have made this show possible, and I must give props to the man that basically saved the show....Mr. KEN SLAVIN! He is FABULOUS. I totally appreciate that he could see my vision. Now as I mentioned earlier,this is a work in progress. We still are in need of sponsors. The show only exists through sponsorship. The airtime is incredibly expensive, and my goal is to run the shows 7 days a week. I am so honored to be able to say that this show is WORKING! I know that animals are getting adopted, and donations are being given. That is so amazing to me. Our lovely community is responding! Please visit the website at: www.gimmeshelterpets.com.

Daisy Needs a Home....

2006-08-19T07:51:00.000-07:00

This is the lovely DAISY. She just gave birth to 12 puppies about 9 weeks ago. She and some of her puppies may have ended up as bait dogs. Thankfully someone intervened, and now I am happy to report that many have been placed in loving homes ...including mine! Yes, one of those beauties - his name is Shakespeare totally melted my heart. He has the most intense eyes and is ridiculously smart. Now we have to find a home for his beautiful mother.

DAISY is so sweet, she really just wants to be loved. She is probably around 1 year old, gets along great with other cats and dogs, and is pretty much house broken and crate trained. I will also note she is unequivocally the Alpha. Please open your heart and come get your new forever companion. She is waiting...

Please contact me if you can help find a home for this beautiful animal.