Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Wordless Wednesday: Dog Days of Summer



Okay, not so wordless!  This is Skeeter in her favorite place to nap.  Really.    

Where are the dogs?   Inside.  In the air conditioning!

Monday, June 27, 2011

Joplin Tornado: Over 650 Pets Adopted, More Are Available

According to the ASPCA more than 650 dogs and cats were adopted from the Joplin Humane Society on Saturday and Sunday at the special Adopt-a-thon held for the homeless pets that survived the devastating tornado that hit Joplin on May 22.

The event offered people the chance to adopt a dog or cat without the usual adoption fees.  Over 5,700 people from 24 different states attended during the two day event.  On Saturday 426 pets were adopted.  On Sunday another 234 found homes.

If you couldn't attend the Adopt-a-thon, but would still like to adopt a pet, there are still a few that did not find homes.  In addition, another 200 pets, including newborns and injured animals, will become available for adoption in the coming weeks.  

The Joplin Humane Society will continue to offer free adoption of these animals through July 9.  All pets are spayed or neutered, micro-chipped, vaccinated and come with a free ID tag

Visit the Joplin Humane Society website for more information.   You'll find photographs and detailed information of some of the special needs dogs that are available for adoption.  Please note that you will need to complete an online adoption application and specify which animal you are interested in adopting.

I must note here the good news that a couple of these pets were returned to their owners in the past day!

Sunday, June 26, 2011

Joplin Tornado: Over 400 Pets Adopted on Saturday

The adoption event for the pets who were homeless due to the May 22nd tornado in Joplin, MO, appears to be a real success.  According to the ASPCA over 400 pets were adopted yesterday.

The ASPCA estimated that nearly 1300 pets were housed at the Joplin Humane Society's animal shelter due to the twister.  Of that number, somewhere around 500 were reunited with their owners.  The organizations promised the Joplin community that none of the pets would be euthanized.  The adoptathon held this weekend aimed to find forever homes for all those dogs and cats.  The event continued on Sunday.

Adopt Tiffany: Brindle and White Pit Bull Terrier Dog

Tiffany is a spayed female, brown brindle and white Pit Bull terrier mixed breed dog who needs a forever home.  She's about two years old and would make a wonderful family pet.

She has a very friendly nature, loves to be petted and will even give kisses.  Tiffany is a smart, attentive girl who is housebroken and walks nicely on a leash.  She knows how to "sit" for treats and takes them very gently.  Tiffany is in the Humane Society of Missouri's Train to Adopt program where she's learning more basic commands like "shake" and "down."  She has a playful, curious personality, so she's be great in a home with someone who can spend time with her.

Tiffany loves taking long walks and especially likes rolling in the grass.  She's a happy girl who has quickly become an animal shelter staff favorite.  For more information about Tiffany, contact the Humane Society of Missouri St Louis City animal shelter at 314-951-1562.  Tiffany's identification number is A489980

Saturday, June 25, 2011

Dog Song Saturday: Shannon a Tribute to an Irish Setter

It's Saturday, so time for another dog song from For Love of a Dog.  Today's song is a golden oldie that is pretty wonderful.  I've heard this song before, but I had no idea that it was written about a dog.


Shannon is a tribute to an Irish Setter.  While he was a student at Brooklyn College, Henry Gross became a founding member of the rock and roll group the Sha Na Na.  He wrote the song Shannon about the death of Beach Boy Carl Wilson's Irish Setter dog.  Gross produced this song as a single which went gold and became a worldwide hit, reaching number 6 on the USA charts in 1976.   The lyrics are just below this dog song video.


Grab a dog.  Sit.  Stay.  Relax and enjoy Shannon performed by the Sha Na Na and accompanied by photos of Shannon, the Irish Setter dog.  Scroll down to enjoy the lyrics, then check out the Pet Blogger Hop.  Barking good pets blogs to explore!



ANOTHER DAY IS AT END
MAMA SAYS SHE'S TIRED AGAIN
NO ONE CAN EVEN BEGIN TO TELL HER

I HARDLY KNOW WHAT TO SAY
BUT MAYBE IT'S BETTER THAT WAY
IF PAPA WERE HERE I'M SURE HE'D TELL HER

SHANNON IS GONE I HOPE SHE'S DRIFTING OUT TO SEA
SHE ALWAYS LOVED TO SWIM AWAY
MAYBE SHE'LL FIND AN ISLAND WITH A SHADY TREE
JUST LIKE THE ONE IN OUR BACKYARD

MAMA TRIES HARD TO PRETEND THINGS WILL GET
BETTER AGAIN
SOMEHOW SHE'S KEEPING IT ALL INSIDE HER

BUT FINALLY THE TEARS FILL OUR EYES
AND I KNOW THAT SOMEWHERE TONIGHT
SHE KNOWS HOW MUCH WE REALLY MISS HER

SHANNON IS GONE I HOPE SHE'S DRIFTING OUT TO SEA
SHE ALWAYS LOVED TO SWIM AWAY
MAYBE SHE'LL FIND AN ISLAND WITH A SHADY TREE
JUST LIKE THE ONE IN OUR BACKYARD

JUST LIKE THE ONE IN OUR BACKYARD

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Joplin Tornado Survivor: Family Searching for White Bulldog Hanah

Photo: Bring Hanah Home
I've written about Hanah in a previous post about pets and the Joplin tornado.   Hanah is still missing and her family is desperate to get her back.  Thanks to a photo taken after the twister and another siting, they know that Hannah survived the tornado.  Unfortunately, if Hannah returns to her home, there's nothing there.

Please take a look at this slide show about Hannah and pass it along via Facebook, Twitter and any other way you can share it.  Hannah may very well have been picked up by well meaning animal rescuers and now could be just about anywhere in the United States.  Pets who have been rescued from the storm will begin to be adopted out this weekend.

Hanah is 5 years old and weighed 110 pounds before the tornado.  She's an American Bulldog and a spayed female.  Hanah is white and has one blue eye and one hazel brown eye. 


Hanah has been seen twice since the tornado his Joplin on May 22.  Once on E 26th Street in Duquene.  Hanah lived on 27th Street.  The post-tornado photo in the slide show was taken in Duquense.  The people who live at that location have livestock.  Hanah was carried to the side of the house.  When the sirens went off in JHoplin the second night after the tornado, Hanah ran into some bushes.  Neighbors at a house two doors down spotted her in the yard later.


So far, Hanah has not been spotted at the Joplin Humane Society animal shelter.  There is a reward for her return - no questions asked.  If you see Hanah - at a local shelter or on a venue like Facebook - contact her owner, Kari Wilkes at 1-417-529-8088.  If you see Hanah in the Joplin area, please do NOT approach her.  Call that phone number to report the siting and someone will come asap.

You can read more about Hanah, her family, and the massive effort that has been launched to find her at Bring Hanah Home.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Wordless Wednesday: Rudy's First Swimming Pool

Wow... what is it? Is it to drink?

It's a little like the pond...
Cool!  I love splashing!
How'd I get those splashes going?
I'll try some paw action!
You've got that camera again, don't you, mom?!
You don't mind if I drink this, do you?
This stuff keeps moving!
Rudy likes his new swimming pool, but it sure could be bigger!
I
I know I should leave these photos wordless, since this is Wordless Wednesday.  However, I can't resist sharing that I have been waiting for years to have a dog that enjoys water.  Tucker absolutely hates it.  Lucy will get just her feet wet along the creek or pond edge, but won't go near a pool.  Jeffie avoids water at all costs;  I think he's truly afraid of it. 

Dogs previous to Tucker loved water of any kind and especially a doggy pool.  That was a long time ago (Tucker is 14.)   So... I was afraid any money spent on a pool might be a total waste of time and money.  

Though he hasn't actually sat down in it yet, this little kiddie pool was definitely a hit with Rudy.  I'm enjoying it immensely!  :-)

Sunday, June 19, 2011

Adopt Maude: Boxer Basset Hound Dog

Just look at this face!  Maude is a tan and white Basset Hound and Boxer mixed breed dog.  She's about one year old and already spayed.  She's full grown, so what you see is what you get.  She's housebroken, walks well on a leash and needs a forever home asap.

For more information about Maude, contact the Humane Society of Missouri in St Louis at 314-951-1562.  Maude's animal ID number is A510594

Saturday, June 18, 2011

Dog Song Saturday: Jack the Bitterroot Beagle

It's Dog Song Saturday at For Love of a Dog and today we've got a Beagle dog music video for you.  The song is an original by the Kent Curtiss Band.  Featuring Jack, the Bitterroot Beagle, as he explores some of Southwestern Montana's most beautiful country.   This is part of Jack's (yes, the Beagle dog) DVD movie In Search of the Golden Bone.  Gorgeous video footage of this Beagle dog in the Montana mountains, woods, and more, accompanied by a catchy mellow tune.

So grab a Beagle, though any dog will do.  Sit.  Stay.  Relax and enjoy Jack the Bitterroot Beagle.   Then scroll down below the dog song video and check out the pet blogs.  Today is the weekly Pet Bloggers Hop and you'll find some barking good dog blogs to explore. 



Friday, June 17, 2011

Many Pets Found New Homes Today: Wayside Waifs Pet Adoption Event

What a pleasure to write about the happy news of so many wonderful dogs and cats finding their furever homes in just one day!

The Adoptathon is underway at Wayside Waifs and continues through Sunday, June 19.  It's a joyful thing to watch this video they just posted of so many dogs and cats who've found new homes and families today!

Pet adoption fees are reduced this weekend only and apply to every animal in their shelter.  Over 300 adoptable dogs, cats, puppies, and kittens, many of them rescued from the storm stricken areas of Joplin and Caruthersville, MO.  These animals were evacuated from those tornado and flood devastated communities and brought to Wayside Waifs for adoption.  Many were surrendered by their owners who can no longer care for them, others were homeless before the storms hit and needed to be transferred to make room for animals displaced by the storms.

Wayside Waifs is located at 3901 Martha Truman Road in Kansas City, MO.  Phone is 816-761-8151 or you can visit the Wayside Waifs web site for more information.

Now, settle in for a great slide show of adopted pets and their new peeps, accompanied by Kenny Chesney's You Had Me from Hello.

Wayside Waifs Adoptathon Starts Today; Includes Joplin Tornado Pets

The Wayside Waifs Adoptathon pet adoption event begins today, June 17 and continues through June 19.  Hundreds of dogs, cats, kittens, and puppies are looking for their forever home, including some who were evacuated from the Joplin Humane Society due to the tornado on May 22.  All adoption fees will be half price and include current vaccinations, spay and neuter surgery and microchip.

Joplin Tornado: Adopt a Dog or Cat Event June 25 - 26

More than three weeks after an EF5 tornado ripped through Joplin, nearly 900 dogs and cats remain sheltered at the Joplin Humane Society, most of them unlikely to ever be reunited with their owners according to Alan Scher Zagier of the Associated Press.

Adopt-a-thon scheduled for June 25 - 26.

Hundreds of dogs and cats peer out from their cages at the Joplin Humane Society, some with cuts, infections and broken bones from the deadly tornado that turned their lives, like of those their owners, upside down.

Since the tornado, the Humane Society has found itself overflowing with animals, with about 900 now calling the shelter home — three times its usual inventory. One way or another, the pets became separated from their owners in the chaotic aftermath of the May 22 twister that tore through this town, killing 153 people. In some cases, the owners — scrambling to find housing for themselves after 7,000 homes were destroyed, leaving nearly one-third of the city's 50,000 residents homeless — have simply given up their pets.

But the Joplin Humane Society is determined to find a home for every cat and dog. To that end, it plans an "Adopt-a-thon" the weekend of June 25-26, when animals that haven't been claimed by their owners will be given away free to good homes, after being spayed and neutered.

"The reality is, a lot of these people aren't in a position to come get these animals," said Joplin native Tim Rickey, a field investigator for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. "They've lost everything."
Executive director Karen Aquino said it's not that the Humane Society hasn't tried to find the owners.

"We feel we've exhausted every avenue to get the word out," Aquino said. "We've placed 250 yard signs. We have posters at food and donation distribution points, public service announcements on radio and TV, ads in the newspaper — everything we could think of to let people know their pets might be here if they're missing."

To handle the additional cats and dogs, the organization fixed up two vacant warehouses next to the shelter into air-conditioned kennels. A gravel parking lot outside a former used appliance store has been converted into an owner's waiting room, with plastic chairs and Polaroid snapshots of unnamed animals stuffed into thick three-ring binders.

Aquino said none of the pets left homeless by the tornado will be euthanized.
"If all of them aren't adopted, we'll start looking to rescue organizations and ways to get some of them to larger cities where they have a better chance at adoption," she said.

More than 100 volunteers from across the country, many from other shelters, are in Joplin helping out — cleaning cages, providing veterinary care and exercising the animals. On most days, a half-dozen veterinarians are at the shelter tending to the wounded.

The work is exhausting, the plight of the animals sad. But spirits are buoyed by good news, such as the recent story of a cat found alive by its owner 16 days after the tornado.

"We've heard some amazing stories," Aquino said. "Animals are pretty resilient."

When Steven and Debbie Leatherman found their lost dog, Sugar, at the shelter, her back legs were paralyzed. Someone had apparently dropped off the 10-year-old cocker spaniel after finding her in a drainage ditch and about to drown. The University of Missouri says the Leathermans' son, Daniel, drove the dog to its veterinary hospital in Columbia, where veterinarians performed spinal surgery that gave Sugar back the use of her legs.

But some owners, such as 47-year-old Linda Head, still haven't been able to find their pets. Since the storm, Head has been looking for 2-year-old Isabel, a labrador/Great Pyrenees mix, and 5-year-old Puddles, a cockapoo.

Both dogs hunkered down with Head, her 23-year-old son and a third dog, Max, in and around a bathtub in their home that was obliterated by the tornado. Head lost Puddles when the dog jumped through the shattered window of a car as Head's son was driven to seek medical care. Max also jumped out in the tumult, but he turned up nearly two weeks later at a Kansas veterinarian's office. Isabel hasn't been seen since the tornado, though Head's hopes were briefly buoyed when a neighbor thought he saw the dog running loose. He was mistaken.

Head visits the shelter twice a week, hoping her dogs will turn up.
"Honey, when I left here the first time, I bawled all the way home," Head said during a recent visit to the shelter. "I'll bawl all the way home today, because I don't have my buddies."

For more information visit the Joplin Humane Society on the web.  There you can view photos and information of the pets currently in their care.

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Adopt a Dog Rescued from Joplin Tornado and SE Missouri Floods

On the left is a beautiful Mountain Cur dog named Smith.  He is one of nearly 70 animals Wayside Waifs transferred from the Joplin Humane Society to make room for animals affected by the terrible tornado. 

For one weekend only, Wayside Waifs is reducing their adoption fees by half to find homes for every animal in their shelter.  It's a part of a revived Kansas City Pet Adopt-A-Thon.

Wayside Waifs is packed with more than 300 adoptable dogs, cats, puppies and kittens - many of them rescued from the storm stricken areas of Joplin, MO, Reading, KS, and Caruthersville, MO.  these animals were evacuated from those tornado and flood devastated communities and brought to Wayside Waifs for adoption.

Many of these pets were surrendered by their owners who can no longer care for them;  others were homeless before the storm hit and needed to be transferred to their facility to make room for pets displaced by the storms.  All animals will be current on vaccination, microchipped, spay/neutered and ready for their new homes.

Adopt-A-Thon hours:  
Friday, June 17   6 am to 8 pm
Saturday, June 18   8 am to 6 pm
Sunday, June 18   Noon to 6 pm

Wayside Waifs will be closed Thursday, June 16 to prepare for the Adopt-A-Thon.   Wayside Waifs is located at 3901 Martha Truman Road, Kansas City, Missouri.   For more information you may call them at 816-761-8151 or visit Wayside Waifs on the web.

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Yappy Hour in Parkville MO Benefits Animal Legislation

Yappy Hour MAAL Benefit
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
5:30 to 7:30 pm
Dluxe Lounge & Cigar Deck, 160 South Main, Parkville, MO

Bring the whole family and enjoy drink specials, complimentary  appetizers, games and prizes.  Tickets are $10 in advance or $15 at the door.  Order your tickets now.

Well mannered, leashed dogs that have current vaccinations are also welcome to attend.

Proceeds from this event benefit the Missouri Alliance for Animal Legislation.  Founded in 1990, MAAL is a non-profit organization working to bring positive change for animals through legislative means and concentrates its efforts on state legislation.

Monday, June 13, 2011

Hurry to Enter Labrador Retriever Photo Dog Show Contest

Time is running out!  The Labrador Life Line Cyber Dog Show runs through 5 pm Pacific time on Friday, June 17.  Here's a great opportunity to show off your Labradors and to support this terrific group.  Even if you don't have a Lab, you can participate in this online dog show.  There's a special set of categories for all dog breeds. 

There are lots of categories and its easy to upload your photos to enter. The entry fee is $6 per photo, though some classes allow 3 entries for $15.  You can find details about the photo regulations, plus contest rules at Labrador Life Lines. Prizes will be awarded to the winners of Best of Breed, Best of Fun, and Best in Show.

You should definitely take a look at the photos that have already been entered in the dog show.  Gorgeous dogs abound, plus there are some dog-gone cute and funny entries, too. 

Last year the Cyber Show had a record number of entries:  over 200!  Labrador Life Line would love to break that record this year.  All proceeds from this online dog photograph contest go to benefit Labrador Life Line, a non-profit organization created to help owners / rescuers of Labrador Retrievers who are in need of financial assistance.  That assistance includes, but is not limited to, covering various medical costs and help to cover rescue or transportation expenses.  

For Love of a Dog is a proud supporter of this barking good group.  You can read more about Labrador Life Lines in this Talking Dogs article.

Sunday, June 12, 2011

Incredible Dog Challenge 2011: Surf Dog Ricochet Wins Second Place

Surf dog Ricochet came in second place in the large dog heat of the 2011 Purina Incredible Dog Challenge surf contest on June 10 in California.


Ricochet is the only known dog in the world who surfs with disabled surfers and special needs kids for therapeutic purposes.  This Golden Retriever has raised almost $90,000 in the past 18 months which, along with a sponsoring Rose Foundation grant, goes towards physical therapy for spinal cord injured, Patrick Ivison.  Ricochet's SURFice dog initiatives are part of Puppy Prodigies, a non profit organization that focuses on early puppy develpment and service dog training for people with disabilities.  


Watch Ricochet compete:


Adopt Diesel a Pit Bull Terrier Dog

Now here's a handsome dog!  Diesel is a make brown brindle and white Pit Bull Terrier dog.  He's about one year old and already neutered.  A very friendly fellow, Diesel sits for treats and walks very nicely on a leash.  If you've got room in your heart and on your couch, consider adopting Diesel from the Humane Society of Missouri.  Diesel is currently at their St Louis City animal shelter.

For more information visit the Humane Society of Missouri on the web or call the shelter at 314-951-1562.  This beautiful Pit Bull Terrier dog, Diesel, is identified by the number A508905.

Saturday, June 11, 2011

Dog Song Saturday: Golden Retrievers Always Look on the Bright Side of Life

Yup, it's Saturday again, so time for a dog song from For Love of a Dog.  Today's song is Always Look On the Bright Side of Life performed by Monty Python.  Very appropriately, it's accompanied by a great photo essay of Golden Retrievers.  If our Jeffie and Lucy are any indication, Goldens do, indeed, look on the bright side.  Always!

So, grab a Golden Retriever, though any dog will do.  Sit.  Stay.  Relax and sing along to Always Look On the Bright Side of Life.   Then, while you're still smiling and feeling all mellow, scroll down and explore some barking good pet blogs.  Today is another Pet Bloggers Hop and I know you'll enjoy them!

  



Friday, June 10, 2011

Joplin Missouri Tornado: Pet Reunions with their Families

There is some good news coming from Joplin after the devastating tornado swept through the town on May 22.  Thanks to the efforts of many animal welfare groups, including the Joplin Humane Society, the Missouri Humane SocietyHSUS and ASPCA, over 1,000 pets have been rescued and almost 300 have been reunited with their families. 

PetCentric Monthly Pet Photo Contest: Win a $500 Amazon Gift Card

Celebrate Take Your Pet to Work Week by snapping a photo of your dog or pet at work.  You could win a $500 Amazon.com gift card from Purina Pet Centric.  Enter now.  Contest open until June 30, 2011.

Thursday, June 9, 2011

Incredible Dog Challenge 2011: Watch San Diego Finals Live June 11

Tune into Barknetwork.com on Saturday, June 11, 2 - 7 pm EST to watch incredible dogs compete in Dog Diving, Freestyle Flying Disk, Hurdles and Surfing.  It's live coverage of the San Diego venue of the Purina  Incredible Dog Challenge!

This is the Western Regional and will be staged at the San Diego County Fair in Del Mar, CA.  There will be an open qualifying session on Friday, June 10.  Competitors are invited to try out for Incredible Diving Dog and / or Incredible Freestyle Flying Disc.  You can download a schedule at Bark Network.

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Wordless Wednesday: Dog Cookie Voyeur

Are you gonna eat all of that dog cookie?
I know its Wordless Wednesday, but ... please know that Tucker is not growling at Rudy over the dog biscuit.  He's chewing!  Though Rudy may step in when the cookie is gone (to sniff out crumbs) he never challenges Tucker, Lucy or Jeffie over food or toys.  He's simply a voyeur. 

Monday, June 6, 2011

Joplin Missouri Tornado: Support Pet Rescue Efforts

On May 22, 2011, the city of Joplin Missouri was demolished by a tornado.  Where there once were neighborhoods and businesses there is now prairie filled with rubble.  Hundreds of pets were displaced and animal rescuers sprang into action.  Watch this inspiring video showing the Joplin Humane Society in action, then join us in supporting their efforts. 

Sunday, June 5, 2011

Joplin Missouri Tornado: Pet Rescuers Race Against Time

The race is on. The window of opportunity to rescue pets after the devastating tornado that hit Joplin on May 22 is closing.  The bulldozers are on the way and demolition will soon begin.

Postings at community forums around the area point out the fact that not all pets have been found and time is running out. Just one example:  With the talk of demolition starting we NEED to get the word out about the still missing Miss Hanah! PLEASE help circulate her picture and information. White American Bulldog, 110lbs, two different colored eyes. Last seen as recently as Saturday at: 4224 E. 26th street. Her house once stood at 4915 E27th st. Searchers meeting tomorrow at 430 to go into the area to look for her. Please look at her pictures and circulate.  I cannot express how dearly she is missed.

Multiple animal welfare organization are using the Joplin Humane Society as a clinic for sick and injured pets.  Three warehouses are being used as an emergency shelter.  As of this past Friday, 944 pets have been rescued and 292 of those have been reunited with their owners.

One dog gives rescuers hope and underscores their belief that there are other pets that need to be saved.  12 days after the EF5 tornado struck, the ASPCA's on site rescue team found a dehydrated dogin a twister-demolished house, huddled under a bed with debris covering it.

Agencies are still deciding when to draw the line.  Until then they'll keep searching.  As Kyle Held, ASPCA Midwest Director of Field Investigations and Response said:  That's why we do what we do to save the one animal that couldn't be saved.

 

Saturday, June 4, 2011

Adopt Rocky: Dog Surrendered Due to Active Military Service

Rocky   Photo: Nathan Gray 
The world turned upside down recently for a dog named Rocky.  His owner, a serviceman from Anderson, South Carolina, is being deployed.  And Rocky is left behind.  He needs a home.  FAST.  He's got only 21 days to find that home.

Inside a cage at Anderson County’s animal shelter, the shy tan and white Labrador-shepherd mix does not compete with his neighbors for the attention of visitors. He won’t run up to the door of his cage and stand on it, begging to be let out. He won’t whine or wag his tail, at first.

But he does appreciate a visitor who will take time with him. And after a few minutes of gentle encouragement, he will burrow his head into the nearest person’s lap.

Rocky was surrendered to the staff at Anderson County’s animal shelter three weeks ago, when his owner, whose name is kept confidential under shelter rules, found out that he would soon have military orders to leave the country.
But the 3-year-old dog could not be put on the shelter’s adoption floor at first; it was already crowded.

This week, Rocky made it to the adoption floor, with his own cage and a bright yellow mat to stretch out on. If he is not adopted, he has 21 days left to live.
Brande Kupfer, who handles day-to-day operations at the shelter, said the staff typically gets at least a dozen dogs a year that are surrendered by military families.

“There are foster programs that are out there for military families with pets,” Kupfer said. “But most of the time, what we hear from families is that they don’t know how long they’ll be deployed, how long they’ll be gone. It might be six months. It might be a year or even longer. They don’t want their dog to get used to living with another family for a year or two, and then suddenly, their owner comes to reclaim them. It’s a shock. They would rather leave their pet at the shelter and hope that another family adopts it.”

The reality is that most of the dogs and cats that come in to Anderson County’s animal shelter don’t get adopted. Of the 14,000 animals that come in every year, 70 percent of them will be euthanized instead of adopted.

This week, the animal shelter advisory committee briefly discussed the possibility of creating a county policy that any pet surrendered by a military family would be fostered until the deployed could come home. Rocky’s arrival was the catalyst for that discussion.

If such a program did exist, officials said, no dog or cat that belonged to a military family would be fostered without its owner’s consent.
But so far, the program is just an idea; it would have to receive the blessing of the county council to become a reality.

In the meantime, Rocky is up for adoption, wearing a red cloth collar, and a separate tag that identifies him only as animal No. 1103448.

Contact the Anderson County PAWS animal shelter at 864-260-4151.  The adoption fee is $65 which includes vaccinations and neutering.

Dog Song Saturday: 20 Dogs

It's Saturday.  Time for a dog song from For Love of a Dog!  Our apologies in advance for this one.  It's another earworm.  Very lively and just plain fun.  20 Dogs is a video for kids to laugh, sing, dance and learn along with lots of cool dogs including Beagle, Poodle, Doberman Pinschers, Bulldogs, Great Danes, Labrador Retriever and more.  Your toe will be tapping!

Are you ready?   Grab a dog.  Sit.  Stay.  Sing along with 20 Dogs.  Then scroll down below the video and explore some barking good dog blogs courtesy of the Pet Blogger Hop.



Friday, June 3, 2011

Adopt Dynamite a Quarter Horse Available at Longmeadow Rescue Ranch

Dynamite is a sorrel Quarter Horse about 9 years old. She's been at the Longmeadow Rescue Ranch shelter since October 2007 and is looking for a forever home.

According to shelter staff, Dynamite is an exceptional horse. She requires an experienced rider, but in the right hands, she has the potential to be a great performance horse. She knows leg and seat cues and is very responsive.

As you can see from the video, Dynamite carries herself well and loves to chase that big red ball. She's make a terrific cow pony.

Dynamite's name fits her. She has bucked with some riders and she has a lot of get-up-and-go. She's not a tall horse but is wide, strong and very athletic.

If you're interested in adopting Dynamite, contact the Humane Society of Missouri's Longmeadow Rescue Ranch at 636-583-8759. Dynamite's animal id number is A421897

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Joplin Missouri Tornado: Elephant Assists in Recovery Efforts

It's not just dogs who are helping out in Joplin, after the tornado hit May 22.  The latest cleaning crew includes an elephant from the Piccadilly Circus.  Scheduled to perform in Joplin, the venue was destroyed by the EF5 tornado ravaged the town on May 22.

Some folks watching the elephant move heavy debris, some thought it was simply a publicity stunt.  Other observers thought it was great.  According to one Joplin resident:  "A St John's pediatrician told me that children, who'd been scared and jumping at every noise, broke out into big smiles and thought it was very, very cool indeed.  Everyone here is very stressed, but let's try to keep a generous spirit as much as possible.  Just look at the volunteers who've driven miles and put their lives on hold, just to help us dig ourselves out, in 90 degree heat.  Thank you circus!"

 

Talking Dogs Blog Featured on Pocketchange

Now, this is fun!  Talking Dogs was featured on Pocketchange Best of the Web

I have to confess that until I was contacted by Chrissy at Pocketchange, I'd never heard of it.  It's a part of become.com and, as I can attest, you can spend hours surfing topics of interest.  My favorite (of course) are their Beloved Pets blog posts.    Great place to check out new pet products, tips and news.