People keep asking me how Will is doing with the dogs and how the dogs are doing with him. My answer is always, “great!”. Zoey and Stella like trying to get Will to play fetch with them, but Will hasn’t really figured out how to throw yet. When that day comes, all parties involved will be entertained for hours! Here’s an example of how they typically interact. The dogs love to take the ball away from him, and luckily he doesn’t seem to mind. Sometimes he thinks it’s really funny and giggles. I love being a mom!
Popularity: 3% [?]
Tags: babies and dogs, stella, Will, zoey
This is a powerful video by Camp Cocker Rescue to show that if we each just do one thing, we can make a huge difference in the lives of homeless dogs. This video is from Christmas time last year and it’s so heart warming. I dare you not to be inspired to do something.
Popularity: 4% [?]
Tags: camp cocker rescue, dog rescue, homeless dogs, one thing
On my birthday, I mentioned that for a present I wanted everyone to donate a blanket to their local animal shelter. I was inspired by an organization called Operation Blankets of Love and their theory that if a shelter dog has a blanket, they will feel more at ease and at home and therefore be more likely to be adopted. I set out on a mission to collect blankets through the month of July. I personally purchased a couple of blankets and then also bought a bunch at garage sales (it’s a super cheap way of getting great blankets!) and donated a few blankets that we weren’t using. Everything else came from awesome friends, family, coworkers and A.G. Out Loud readers like you!
Yesterday we finally counted up the number of items we had collected and brought them into the Nebraska Humane Society. (Although… I just found another bag of blankets I forgot to bring in so those won’t be included in the total I give today). Here are the results:
- 46 Blankets
- 37 Towels
- 8 Toys
- 3 Rugs
- 2 Kennels
That is a total of 88 items donated to the Nebraska Humane Society!
I’m so excited that we collected so many items and I hope next time I can blow that number out of the water. I plan to do another blanket drive during the holidays, but if anyone has any blankets or towels that they want to donate before them, contact me at agoutloud@gmail.com and I’ll find a way to pick them up from you.
Remember that if you are not in the Omaha area, you can donate blankets to your own local shelter…most shelters will take blankets, towels, toys, etc., but go to their website or call first just in case.
Oh… and if you want to get involved, there are many easy ways to participate:
- Around the holidays Walmart has great fleece throws for $5 and sometimes less
- Garage sales can be a blanket gold mine (I found blankets from 50 cents to $5)
- Thrift stores carry inexpensive blankets
- Go through your own closet and donate towels and blankets that you never use
- Hit the clearance bins at Petsmart or Petco for new dog toys… as long as they’re new and specifically for pets, they’ll take them! (Note, they especially love Kong products that can be easily washed and rope toys too.)
Thanks so much for everyone who donated! You have made a difference in a shelter dog’s life!
Oh… and I need a name for my blanket drive, so leave name ideas in the comments field!
Popularity: 8% [?]
Tags: blacket drive, blankets for shelter dogs, donate, operation blankets of love
I’ve beaten the odds because none of my three dogs have anxiety with storms, fireworks, etc. This can be a real problem for so many people. Dogs can get so freaked out that they hurt themselves. Someone I know has a dog who ran through a window trying to escape from fireworks…luckily the dog was not severely injured.
Meet Bella… (and my attempt at pet photography). Isn’t she beautiful?! Bella is a Vizsla who is full of energy and is downright photogenic…
Bella hates storms. Actually… hate probably isn’t a strong enough word. She has knocked shelving down and put holes in the walls at her house when she’s been scared. Earlier this summer, during a storm, her dad came home to find her in their dishwasher because she was so scared. THE DISHWASHER!!! This isn’t a five pound chihuahua people!
So obviously Bella needed some help. That’s where the good people at the Thundershirt came in. They were kind enough to send me a Thundershirt that Bella could try. Here is a great description of what the Thundershirt can do for your dog when it comes to storm anxiety, separation anxiety, fear of traveling, etc. The gentle pressure that the shirt provides has been shown to have a calming effect on 80% of dogs.
We started out by giving Bella a treat, served on the Thundershirt. Then we put it on her and treated her again. Bella’s mom and dad did this a little bit everyday to get her used to the Thundershirt and to teach her that wearing it is a positive thing. Then we waited for the next major storm….
I was so anxious to hear if it helped. Bella’s mom said that whenever Bella had the shirt on that it really relaxed her and she’d usually go lay down, so we thought that was a good sign.
Unfortunately, when the next big storm came, Bella was still a mess. They didn’t give up though. They still put the Thundershirt on Bella everyday and during storms. Sadly it never worked for Bella, nor did using desensitization thunder storm cds. She is now on medication to help her with her extreme storm anxiety.
This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t look into the Thundershirt for your dog if he/she has anxiety issues. The Thundershirt website claims an 80% success rate, so I think that Bella is just in that 20% that wasn’t helped by the shirt. At $36, it’s not a huge investment and they offer a full refund if it doesn’t work and is returned within 45 days of purchase.
I love the Thundershirt company because they are very active in giving back to the dog community. Some of the groups they support include Baghdad Pups, Cocker Spaniel Rescue of New England, Aussie Rescue & Placement Helpline, Citrus Golden Retriever Rescue, Golden Rescue in Naples, Inc, Pitbull Rescue Central, NorthEast All Retriever Rescue, As Good As Gold – Illinois, and GRROWLS-NY.
I’d love to hear if anyone else has tried the Thundershirt and how it worked for them!
Popularity: 13% [?]
Tags: anxiety in dogs, bella, calming effect in dogs, fireworks anxiety, separation anxiety, storm anxiety, thundershirt, travel anxiety, vizsla
Dogs as celebrities… someone was obviously very bored, but thank goodness for that because these are hilarious (and right on I might add).
Popularity: 8% [?]
Tags: dogs as celebrities
Adopt, don’t shop
The Humane Society of the United States
Thinking of adding a pet to your family? Here are five reasons to adopt your new best friend.
1. You’ll save a life
Sadly, between 3 and 4 million dogs and cats are euthanized each year in the United States simply because too many people give up their pets and too few people adopt from shelters. Because there is limited space at shelters, staff members sometimes need to make very hard decisions to euthanize animals who haven’t been adopted.
The number of euthanized animals could be reduced dramatically if more people adopted pets instead of buying them. By adopting from a private humane society or animal shelter, breed rescue group, or the local animal control agency, you’ll help save the lives of two animals—the pet you adopt and a homeless animal somewhere who can be rescued because of space you helped free up.
2. You’ll get a healthy pet
Animal shelters are brimming with happy, healthy animals just waiting for someone to take them home. Most shelters examine and give vaccinations to animals when they arrive, and many spay or neuter them before being adopted. In addition to medical care, more and more shelters also screen animals for specific temperaments and behaviors to make sure each family finds the right pet for its lifestyle.
It is a common misconception that animals end up in shelters because they’ve been abused or done something “wrong”. In fact, most animals are given to shelters because of “people reasons,” not because of anything they’ve done. Things like a divorce, a move, lack of time or financial constraints are among the most common reasons why pets lose their homes.
3. You’ll save money
Adopting a pet from an animal shelter is much less expensive than buying a pet at a pet store or through other sources. In addition, animals from many shelters are already spayed or neutered and vaccinated, which makes the shelter’s fee a real bargain.
4. You’ll feel better
Pets have a way of putting a smile on your face and a spring in your step. Not only do animals give you unconditional love, but they have been shown to be psychologically, emotionally, and physically beneficial. Caring for a companion animal can provide a sense of purpose and fulfillment and lessen feelings of loneliness and isolation in all age groups.
Pets can help your physical health as well—just spending time with an animal can help lower a person’s blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and dog walking, pet grooming, and even petting provide increased physical activity that can help strengthen the heart, improve blood circulation, and slow the loss of bone tissue. Put simply, pets aren’t just good friends, they’re also good medicine and can improve a person’s well-being in many ways.
5. You won’t be supporting puppy mills and pet stores
Puppy mills are “factory style” dog-breeding facilities that put profit above the welfare of dogs. Most dogs raised in puppy mills are housed in shockingly poor conditions with improper medical care, and the parents of the puppies are kept in cages to be bred over and over for years, without human companionship and with little hope of ever joining a family. And after they’re no longer profitable, breeding dogs are simply discarded—either killed, abandoned or sold at auction.
Puppy mill puppies are sold to unsuspecting consumers in pet stores, over the Internet and through newspaper classified advertisements to whoever is willing to pay for them.
Marketed as coming from great breeders, well-rehearsed sales tactics keep money flowing to the puppy mill by ensuring that buyers never get to see where the pups actually come from (a vital step in puppy buying). Many of the puppies have serious behavioral and health problems that might not be apparent for months, including medical problems that can cost thousands of dollars to treat, if they are treatable at all. Unfortunately, a lot of people are not even aware that puppy mills exist, so when they buy a pet from a pet store, online or other retail outlet, they are unwittingly supporting this cruel industry.
By adopting instead of buying a pet, you can be certain you aren’t supporting cruel puppy mills with your money. Puppy mills will continue to operate until people stop purchasing their dogs. Instead of buying a dog, visit your local shelter where you will likely to find dozens of healthy, well-socialized puppies and adult dogs—including purebreds—just waiting for that special home—yours.
Popularity: 6% [?]
Tags: adopt don't shop, humane society of the united states, pet stores, pets, puppy mills, reasons to adopt a dog, save a life
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Back when I had Stella microchipped, I talked about how important it is to have your dog microchipped in case they were to ever get lost. One of my biggest fears with my dogs is having them get out of the house somehow and take off running. It’s happened before and luckily we’ve always been able to get them to come back inside. It’s a little more comforting to know that if they did escape, the fact that they are microchipped gives them a better chance of getting back home. Most vets and shelters have a microchip scanner, so if someone found them, they could figure out who they belong to.
This is all fine and dandy if you have finished the microchip registration process… not so much if you haven’t. See, Zoey and Leroy have been microchipped for over five years and Stella has been for almost a year, but I never sent in their information or my information to the microchip company. There was also a small yearly fee to pay so that they could store my information… didn’t do that either. It was time to practice what I preach.
So last week when all three dogs were at our vet getting their yearly check ups, I had them scanned so that I knew what their microchip numbers were and what company they were registered under. All three of the dogs had Home Again microchips. Then all I had to do was go to the Home Again website and register them. It was so easy, but I had put it off. Knock on wood, I’m so lucky that my dogs haven’t gotten loose because not only do they not wear collars/tags, but up until last week, their microchips wouldn’t have been much help either.
Now I’m asking you… are your dogs microchipped? If so, have you completed the microchip registration? Do it.
Popularity: 7% [?]
Tags: home again, lost dog, microchipping your dog
The people at iRescueRover are my kind of people. They make fun tees for adults, kids and dogs that give back to the dog rescue community. Their mission statement states:
“iRescueRover Apparel offers exquisite hip, quality, graphic shirts and other selective animal themed products for all ages. When you purchase our items you generate support for dog and other animal rescue efforts. Your purchase saves lives!”
Check out some of their other adorable designs…
Popularity: 10% [?]
Tags: apparel, dog tees, i rescue rover, irescuerover
Click on the picture above to go to a great video by Petfinder about how to stop your dog from barking for attention. We are totally guilty of reinforcing this behavior in Stella. She will drop her toys at our feet and bark until we throw it…and a lot of the time we give in and do it. She’s got us wrapped around her crazy crackhead finger! This is something we will be working on in A.G.’s household.
Popularity: 8% [?]
Tags: attention seeking barking, dog barking, how to stop your dog from barking, petfinder, stop barking
I absolutely adore this idea. If we can educate young people and get them involved in animal welfare causes, we will have a better chance of making this world a better place for dogs, cats, etc. I hope the Unleashed program kicks some butt and spreads throughout the country! -Anne
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A new initiative launching in New York City is inspiring adolescent girls to unleash their inner strength and ambition to help find sustainable solutions for curbing rates of homeless animals entering city shelters.
Called “Unleashed,” this pilot program will officially launch in middle schools in New York City this fall, but will already have a track record of having rescued more than 40 dogs.
The program’s mission, however, is not simply to take in and adopt out strays, says Stacey Radin, the founder of Unleashed. She aims to encourage young girls to work together and develop innovative action plans to help prevent issues like cruelty and overpopulation that lead to an increase in strays.
“I don’t want girls to think that simply rescuing is a solution to this problem,” Radin said. “Yes, we need to keep rescuing, but I want them to be thinking about this as a problem, and to be considering strategic types of solutions. These girls will become the social change agents that we need to make this happen.”
Radin, who has a Ph.D. in clinical psychology, initially began developing Unleashed over the past few years with the sheer aim of sparking confidence and leadership in adolescent girls.
“Early influences shape a women’s perception of her power, and if you trace back powerful women to their beginnings, there is something in their early experiences that impacted their abilities to be powerful and to stand out, to be a non-conformist,” she explained.
Radin spent 15 months conducting focus groups with teenage girls of all ethnicities, in different socio-economic backgrounds, and found a common passion running throughout the groups: animals and animal welfare.
“One of the things they can wrap their heads around is animal cruelty and homelessness,” Radin said. “They can say, ‘I can help a vulnerable animal. Even I could impact an animal’s life in some way.’”
Forty-five girls, coming from three middle schools in Manhattan and Brooklyn, will now have the chance to do that starting this September, when they will meet once a week for the 12-week Unleashed program.
Guided by Unleashed facilitators, called “leads,” the participants will learn about animal welfare and then design events, campaigns or plans that offer some kind of solution to the problems they have addressed.
Enthusiasm in the focus groups was running high for the pilot program.
“Every girl in the focus groups was like ‘I want to do this, I want this to come to my school,’” Radin recalled. “There aren’t a lot of options for girls these age, who often become the forgotten population. They are too young to volunteer at a shelter or at a rescue organization.”
The girls also seemed to appreciate that the program made them the primary decision makers, Radin says, noting how community service projects their schools arrange might not appeal to their particular interests and leave them disengaged.
Animal welfare, however, seems to strike a chord with these pre-teen and teenage girls.
“This is something they feel strongly about and girls them a window into the larger injustices of the world,” Radin said. “The curriculum of Unleashed is really a social changing program, that is providing these girls the skills they need to take action about this important issue.”
Though Unleashed is only in its pilot stage right now, its warm public reception offers hope for expansion in the near future. Already, Radin has been asked to serve on the United Nations’ Task Force Working Group for Girls; she was also asked to participate in the New York Women Foundation’s World Leadership Day.
Radin’s own fifth-grade daughter, though unfortunately not eligible to be an Unleashed girl, offers a prime example of how other young girls stand to be impacted by animal welfare education.
“She does research on puppy mills and makes banners and puts them up all over her school,” Radin said. “She hates circuses and zoos and is just so aware of the injustice of how some animals are treated. It’s amazing to see how when you talk with girls at a young age like this and expose them to these issues how they internalize it and take action on their own.”
Story by Amy Lieberman, originally published August 2010 on Zootoo.
Popularity: 8% [?]
Tags: adolescent girls, amy lieberman, animal welfare, homeless animals, new york city, puppy mills, Stacey Radin, unleashed, zootoo
I’m a regular reader of Heather Armstrong’s blog, Dooce. Her wit and transparency along with her adorable dogs Chuck and Coco keep me coming back for more. Recently, Heather received these custom portraits of Chuck and Coco from Kristin Bowen of Doghouse Pet Portraits. Check out the portraits compared to the real deal… she nailed it!
Kristin Bowen has taken her graphic design background and her passion for dogs to create her dream job of creating fun, whimsical pet portraits. She also is the co-owner of an online paper boutique that I have profiled before called The Kiwi Tree. Here are some more examples of Kristin’s fun work!
Popularity: 10% [?]
Tags: art, chuck and coco, custom pet portraits, doghouse pet portraits, dooce, heather armstrong, kristin bowen, the kiwi tree
My gosh isn’t this cute?! Sara the dog likes to swing apparently. There’s even another video showing how excited she gets when her dad asks her if she wants to go to the park to swing. Who knew that a dog would like to swing so much?! Disclaimer: DO NOT try this at home… most dogs probably wouldn’t like swinging like this.
Hat tip to Steve Good
Popularity: 11% [?]
So I admit it… I was a New Kids on the Block fan. Not just a fan, I had a kazillion NKOTB t-shirts that I wore all the time, bed sheets, and buttons. My gosh did I have buttons. I wore them all over whatever shirt I was wearing that day. There were small ones and huge ones and they took up the majority of my five foot frame.
Not since then have I wanted to wear buttons all over me… until now. The Silly Dog Magnet Shop by Blennox has moved into the world of buttons. They have tons of breeds to choose from and they’re all so adorable. And suddenly I’m ten again.
Popularity: 9% [?]
Tags: blennox, buttons, dog buttons, new kids on the block, the silly dog magnet shop
I know it’s a little early to be thinking of the holidays… especially since when I walk outside I practically melt because it’s so hot. That said, these amazing felted wool dog sculptures by Amelia Santiago are at the top of my list for what I want for Christmas this year. Amelia is beyond talented. She will made a miniature replica of your dog out of wool using a needle felting technique. I’m so impressed! Here are some photos from some of her happy clients:
Hurry to order now because she gets very busy before the holidays and it’s never too soon to order your needle felted wool dog miniature! Amelia was nice enough to offer $20 off each sculpture you purchase when you use the promo code “outloud20″ when you order. Seriously… I want three.
Popularity: 14% [?]
Tags: amelia santiago, dog miniatures, dog sculptures, needle felting, wool dog miniatures, wool dog scultpures
There are so many bad breeders and puppy mill owners taking to the internet to sell their dogs. Just because you go through a “breeder” to get a dog does NOT mean that they are responsible and humane. Please do your due diligence if you want to get a dog through a breeder. Go visit. Do they raise their dogs in the home? Are they only focusing on one breed? Do they require a spay/neuter agreement? Do they only breed when they have a waiting list of people who want the puppies? Do they do health testing? Do they require you to bring the dog back if you can’t take care of it so they can properly place that dog? Do they check you out as much as you are checking them out? The answer to these questions should all be “YES”. Please read this article and share it with everyone you know…especially those who are looking to get a dog. -Anne
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Airline’s Puppy Deaths Spark Debate about Commercial Breeders
ASPCA Website
As animal lovers become more aware that purchasing a dog from a pet store supports the inhumane practices of puppy mills, commercial breeders are using online sources to get their dogs directly into homes across the country.
On August 3, seven puppies died of suspected heat-related complications in the cargo hold of a plane en route from Tulsa, OK, to Chicago, IL. The victims were seven of 14 pups transported by the airline, and reportedly came from a commercial breeder in Oklahoma—many of the puppies were booked on connecting flights, making it likely that they were purchased online by buyers in different cities.
“Puppy mill operators are creating professional looking websites that convincingly dupe consumers into thinking they are reputable breeders,” says Cori Menkin, ASPCA Senior Director of Legislative Initiatives. “A sure way to spot a scam is that they often offer to ship the dogs to the buyer without ever meeting in person. No reputable breeder would ever ship a puppy to a buyer sight unseen.”
Buying a puppy over the Internet is just as risky as buying from a pet store—you can’t see the puppy’s breeding premises or meet his parents. Furthermore, those who sell animals online are not held to regulations established by the Animal Welfare Act.
“The Animal Welfare Act requires breeders to be licensed and meet specific minimum standards of care for animals bred for resale, but a loophole allows puppy breeders who sell directly to the public—which includes over the Internet—to go unregulated,” says Menkin. “They are able to keep inspectors away and operate without being accountable to anyone.”
“The bottom line is the only way to be sure your new puppy isn’t a product of cruel and inhumane conditions is to see for yourself where he lives—visit the breeder’s facilities and meet the puppy’s parents,” Menkin states. “Or better yet, adopt from your local shelter.”
For more information on the risks associated with buying a puppy in a pet store or online, please visit our online Puppy Mill campaign.
Popularity: 28% [?]
Tags: airline puppy deaths, animal welfare act, aspca, commerical breeders, commerical breeders selling puppies online, Cori Menkin, online sale of puppies, puppy mills, puppy mills and the internet
I’m so in love with pet photography. Seriously… great pet photography can be such a gift to those of us who love our pets as we do our kids. Sarah Beth Pet Photography is a shining example of modern pet photography that captures the true essence of each dog, cat or otherwise. I mean come on… look at these precious faces!
Popularity: 13% [?]
Tags: modern pet photography, pet photography, sarahbeth photography
Oh my Crazy Crackhead, Stella. Today is your 2nd birthday, which means you’re 14….which explains a lot of things.
You are obsessed with your toys. You’d be so happy if we did nothing all day but play catch with you. The minute that Will learns how to throw a ball, you will be in heaven.
You are definitely a diluted Jack Russell in an Italian Greyhound’s body. We think you’re beautiful…albeit a little crazy!
We love it when you go into “Sweetheart Stella” mode. You are so cuddly and lovable and just melt into whoever is nearby. Those eyes of yours shift from having a wild glint of light in them to soft and sweet.
I think it’s so funny the way you will wrestle and roughhouse with Leroy one minute and then cuddle with him the next. Zoey too.
You LOVE being outside. There’s nothing better than chasing butterflies, exploring all the smells, and laying in the sun. You also adore chasing the neighbor dog, Obie up and down the length of the dividing fence.
Happy Birthday, Stella girl. Even though you drive us nuts sometimes, barking up a storm and waking us up at 3am every morning, we love you. You are here to teach us so much about life and I can’t imagine my life without you.
Popularity: 17% [?]
Tags: crazy crackhead, happy 2nd birthday, italian greyhound, jack russell, stella, sweetheart stella
Well, Etsy never ceases to surprise me! Thanks to Karyn for this find! In the Hot Digital Dog shop, you can get your pet’s portrait done Victorian style. I DIE! Here are some of my favorites that have been done:
Popularity: 15% [?]
Tags: etsy, hot digital dog, pet portrait, victorian pet portrait
Most people would be surprised to know how much I enjoy listening to rap music. Heck, my birthing song was “Til I Collapse” by Eminem! So of course I think this beatboxing dog is brilliant! Don’t you?
Popularity: 14% [?]
Tags: beatboxing dog, eminem, rap music, til I collapse
