Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Wordless Wednesday 17 - Gorgeous Gus
For your viewing pleasure, allow me to present once again, Bella's best beau, Gus!
Monday, November 28, 2011
"A person is the best thing to happen to a shelter pet."
Well, shortly before Thanksgiving week, I received an email from a 'fellow animal lover' (thanks to Christine from Brando and Bogart for that bit of phrasiology) asking me to share some information with you, my dear readers. Since the request had to do with saving lives and getting animals out of shelters and into loving homes, all you have to wonder is how quickly I said "Sure! Where do I sign up?"
Have you heard of The Shelter Pet Project?
You've probably seen a few of the ads floating around cyberspace lately but did you know The Shelter Project is a collaboration between The Humane Society of the United States, Maddie's Fund and The Ad Council with the primary goal of making "shelters the first place potentional adopters turn when looking to get a new pet?" The current series of ads is designed to highlight the bond between shelter pets and their adopters in an upbeat, light-hearted (not soul-crushing) way.
According to the Project's web site, "seventeen million people will acquire a dog or cat within the next year." yet "2.7 million healthy and treatable pets are still losing their lives in shelters each year."
Think about that: it would only take about 15% of that 17 million to save all 2.7 million pets!
Pet adoption is on the rise having increased by 2% in the last 2 years and euthanasia is dropping but myths and stereotypes about shelter pets still abound. We need to continue increasing public awareness to the joys of adopting shelter pets and The Shelter Pet Project is a great way to start.
Check out one of the ads from the current series:
Isn't that great? How would you like that to be your dog? And that's the goal of the campaign.
So, how can you help?
The easist thing you can do is to help spread the word by telling your friends:
But you can also direct all your friends, and anyone else who tells you they are thinking of getting a new pet, about The Shelter Pet Project website. There they'll be able to search for dogs and cats in their area who are looking for new homes. The web site can also put them in touch with shelters and rescue groups in their area. All they need to do is enter their zip code.
So I hope you'll help me in spreading the word about this wonderful campaign to help make shelter pets the first option people think of when looking for a new pet for their home. And when it's your turn to add a new pet to your family, please remember: "A person is the best thing to happen to a shelter pet. Be that person. Adopt."
Bella and I thank you.
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Saturday's Dog: Canine Eye Candy
Another first on Bringing up Bella - today we have our first guest blogger! Well, sort of. Ok, not exactly.
Here's the scoop: My friend, Cindy, sent me an email this week about a dog who just came in to Buddy Dog Humane Society in Sudbury, MA, where she is a volunteer. Seemed a perfect Saturday 'adopt-athon' post to me, don't ya' think?
"Canine Eye Candy"
"Copper, a 10 month old Dobie pup at Buddy Dog. He was surrendered when his owner's landlord discovered him -- it was a no-pet apartment. A tough dog to sneak around!
Isn't he gorgeous? He's sweet, loves to play, does tricks -- what a dog. Normally I'm against the ear cropping, but his are fantastic!"
~ Cindy
Of course, I totally agreed on the "Isn't he gorgeous?" part. If you do too, do me a favor and tweet him around and let's see if we can't get this handsome guy a home, ok? Thanks!
And for some great lazy Saturday, Thanksgiving recuperation reading, be sure to stroll on through the rest of the blogs in the hop.
UPDATE: Jen from The Elka Almanac just confirmed that Copper has already found his forever home! Thanks to everyone who tweeted and networked on his behalf. He made it out in record time. :)
Here's the scoop: My friend, Cindy, sent me an email this week about a dog who just came in to Buddy Dog Humane Society in Sudbury, MA, where she is a volunteer. Seemed a perfect Saturday 'adopt-athon' post to me, don't ya' think?
"Canine Eye Candy"
"Copper, a 10 month old Dobie pup at Buddy Dog. He was surrendered when his owner's landlord discovered him -- it was a no-pet apartment. A tough dog to sneak around!
Isn't he gorgeous? He's sweet, loves to play, does tricks -- what a dog. Normally I'm against the ear cropping, but his are fantastic!"
~ Cindy
Of course, I totally agreed on the "Isn't he gorgeous?" part. If you do too, do me a favor and tweet him around and let's see if we can't get this handsome guy a home, ok? Thanks!
And for some great lazy Saturday, Thanksgiving recuperation reading, be sure to stroll on through the rest of the blogs in the hop.
UPDATE: Jen from The Elka Almanac just confirmed that Copper has already found his forever home! Thanks to everyone who tweeted and networked on his behalf. He made it out in record time. :)
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Wordless Wednesday 16 - Orchid
And now for something completely different: Not The Larch.
Just needed a different color today. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
(Sorry for the bizarre Monty Python reference. My sister will appreciate it. ;)
Just needed a different color today. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
(Sorry for the bizarre Monty Python reference. My sister will appreciate it. ;)
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Gus and Bella, a love story
Finally, the post you've all been waiting for since I introduced him in a Wordless Wednesday a while back. Today I get to tell you the story of Romeo er, Gus.
Once Upon a Time...
I've mentioned before how lucky we were to find Sheila, our brilliant trainer who is just as good at reading people as she is at reading dogs. We have her to thank for introducing us to our now good friends, Cindy and Rick, and their beautiful dogs, Gus the Borzoi and Molly the Greyhound. We'll meet Molly in another post as she is a new addition to their family and focus first on Gus, Bella's best boyfriend. And really, I kid you not, this is love. (At least on his part, sorry Gus.)
Gus and his hu-folks were taking the same class with Sheila that we had taken previously and she saw something in the dogs that she thought would make them good companions for each other. She asked us if we were interested in bringing Bella by after class sometime for a meet and greet. "Sure!", we thought, "we're always looking for ways to socialize our little girl. This would be fun!"
We were on our way into the classroom when the door opened and this ENORMOUS beast came through it on his way out. Bella spooked, feeling trapped in the little hallway and did her usual less-than-polite "I'm big and scary so stay away from me" routine (read: she barked and growled and lunged then ran away and hid behind my legs.) When the big scary dog lunged and growled back at Bella, we promptly shuffled her into a nearby restroom to regroup.
Of course, the big scary dog was Gus, the dog we were there to meet. So, you know, that went well.
If at first and all that...
Sheila was not disuaded from her original opinion that these dogs were perfect for each other and recommended taking them outside to walk around the parking lot to settle down. That went a little better but on the drive home half an hour later, I have to admit Jan and I were dubious. I'm sure Cindy and Rick were right there with us. However, when Sheila suggested we do it all over again the next week, the crazy canines and their human accomplices showed up on demand.
Subsequent meetings went better and we made plans to meet one night after work at the farm field across from Tufts Small Animal Hospital. A 37-acre agricultural field with a mile+ walking trail around it, we were finally going to let the dogs walk "near" each other. This turned out to be a revelation.
The walk started tentatively, the dogs recognizing each other but able to be in their own space as they acclimated to getting closer and closer. Finally, once we were deep enough into the field to be away from too much other dog interference, Gus was let off leash. (Bella was on a very long lead as she didn't have the recall skills yet to be off-leash in a not fenced area...)
Cue the romantic music
I'll let the pictures speak to what happened next.*
Ok, so it wasn't love at first sight
The most remarkable thing, one that I don't think Bella had comfortably experienced before with another dog, was that when she "yelled" at Gus because she was getting scared, he backed off. He actually listened to the scrawny dog! In fact, he seemed to like having a dog tell him what to do because from that day forward, he followed her around like a lovesick, well, pup.
She seemed to give him a sense of direction. And he seemed to give her a sense of security. (It never hurts to have the biggest, baddest boy in the dog park watching your back!)
A few snarks and grumbles later and, well, again, pictures speak louder than words....
Unfortunately, those halcyon days are behind us after some "bad apples" changed the face of the field (although there are other reasons). And while we were unable to get Bella and Gus together there for over a year, their "love affair" picked up without missing a beat when we were finally able to re-unite the lost lovers this past summer. Bella was immediately more at ease with Gus even after such a separation than she is with any other dog.
And Gus still follows her around ignoring almost all other dogs at the park. He sees her coming the moment we step into the park (well, he IS a sighthound, I suppose) and all else fades from view. He can be in mid-play with another dog but when he sees Bella, the music swells and gorgeous Gus comes running in slow motion, hair blowing in the breeze, to the gate awaiting her arrival. It's like a Fabio commercial. (Ok, the slo-mo might be an exaggeration.)
Gus gave Bella something I am not sure we would have ever been able to offer her: security in the freedom of being off-leash. He is so big and so well-loved at the field, and as a member of his pack, no dog dared push Bella beyond her limits (not without facing the wrath of Gus!)
This love story continues. As for this blog post, alas, I'm afraid it is:
The End.
* (I apologize for the poor quality of the pictures - it was cold, I was freezing, lighting was low and the dogs were fast. Don't fret, though, Gus and Bella will ultimately litter my Wordless Wednesday pages so there will be better pictures to make up for these...)
Once Upon a Time...
I've mentioned before how lucky we were to find Sheila, our brilliant trainer who is just as good at reading people as she is at reading dogs. We have her to thank for introducing us to our now good friends, Cindy and Rick, and their beautiful dogs, Gus the Borzoi and Molly the Greyhound. We'll meet Molly in another post as she is a new addition to their family and focus first on Gus, Bella's best boyfriend. And really, I kid you not, this is love. (At least on his part, sorry Gus.)
Gus and his hu-folks were taking the same class with Sheila that we had taken previously and she saw something in the dogs that she thought would make them good companions for each other. She asked us if we were interested in bringing Bella by after class sometime for a meet and greet. "Sure!", we thought, "we're always looking for ways to socialize our little girl. This would be fun!"
We were on our way into the classroom when the door opened and this ENORMOUS beast came through it on his way out. Bella spooked, feeling trapped in the little hallway and did her usual less-than-polite "I'm big and scary so stay away from me" routine (read: she barked and growled and lunged then ran away and hid behind my legs.) When the big scary dog lunged and growled back at Bella, we promptly shuffled her into a nearby restroom to regroup.
Of course, the big scary dog was Gus, the dog we were there to meet. So, you know, that went well.
If at first and all that...
Sheila was not disuaded from her original opinion that these dogs were perfect for each other and recommended taking them outside to walk around the parking lot to settle down. That went a little better but on the drive home half an hour later, I have to admit Jan and I were dubious. I'm sure Cindy and Rick were right there with us. However, when Sheila suggested we do it all over again the next week, the crazy canines and their human accomplices showed up on demand.
Subsequent meetings went better and we made plans to meet one night after work at the farm field across from Tufts Small Animal Hospital. A 37-acre agricultural field with a mile+ walking trail around it, we were finally going to let the dogs walk "near" each other. This turned out to be a revelation.
The walk started tentatively, the dogs recognizing each other but able to be in their own space as they acclimated to getting closer and closer. Finally, once we were deep enough into the field to be away from too much other dog interference, Gus was let off leash. (Bella was on a very long lead as she didn't have the recall skills yet to be off-leash in a not fenced area...)
Cue the romantic music
I'll let the pictures speak to what happened next.*
Ok, so it wasn't love at first sight
The most remarkable thing, one that I don't think Bella had comfortably experienced before with another dog, was that when she "yelled" at Gus because she was getting scared, he backed off. He actually listened to the scrawny dog! In fact, he seemed to like having a dog tell him what to do because from that day forward, he followed her around like a lovesick, well, pup.
She seemed to give him a sense of direction. And he seemed to give her a sense of security. (It never hurts to have the biggest, baddest boy in the dog park watching your back!)
A few snarks and grumbles later and, well, again, pictures speak louder than words....
Unfortunately, those halcyon days are behind us after some "bad apples" changed the face of the field (although there are other reasons). And while we were unable to get Bella and Gus together there for over a year, their "love affair" picked up without missing a beat when we were finally able to re-unite the lost lovers this past summer. Bella was immediately more at ease with Gus even after such a separation than she is with any other dog.
And Gus still follows her around ignoring almost all other dogs at the park. He sees her coming the moment we step into the park (well, he IS a sighthound, I suppose) and all else fades from view. He can be in mid-play with another dog but when he sees Bella, the music swells and gorgeous Gus comes running in slow motion, hair blowing in the breeze, to the gate awaiting her arrival. It's like a Fabio commercial. (Ok, the slo-mo might be an exaggeration.)
Gus gave Bella something I am not sure we would have ever been able to offer her: security in the freedom of being off-leash. He is so big and so well-loved at the field, and as a member of his pack, no dog dared push Bella beyond her limits (not without facing the wrath of Gus!)
This love story continues. As for this blog post, alas, I'm afraid it is:
The End.
* (I apologize for the poor quality of the pictures - it was cold, I was freezing, lighting was low and the dogs were fast. Don't fret, though, Gus and Bella will ultimately litter my Wordless Wednesday pages so there will be better pictures to make up for these...)
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