2012 Dog Lover Calendars That Do Good for Animals

Travels with Ace ...

Truthfully, I really don't need to purchase a calendar.  Our Vet gives away free art calendars each year.  Not the cheap kind, plus you can select from western art, puppies, or kittens.  I always take puppies; Gary takes western art.  Both of us are pleased all year long.

However, every year I end up getting at least one extra calendar... or two.  I rationalize that I need one in my office, as well as the kitchen, mainly because I can't resist all good causes.  And I give calendars as Christmas gifts.

 It seems more animal rescue and/ or dog organizations produce an irresistible calendar every year.  This year is no exception.

Take a look at this one from John Woestendiek and Ace over at OhMiDog and Travels with Ace: Dogs on the Road.  The Travels with Ace calendar recaptures some of the more memorable moments from their year and 27,000 miles of travel across America, about half of that spent tracing the route John Steinbeck, 50 years ago, took with his poodle in Travels with Charley.  

It's an 18 month calendar priced at $25, plus $3 shipping.   Not only is OhMiDog one of my favorite dog blogs, I traveled with John and Ace vicariously for that year and became addicted to reading about their adventures.  Gotta have it;  already ordered one.  

Here's the real kicker:  half of all profits will go to Rolling Dog Farm in New Hamphire (formerly rolling Dog Ranch in Montana), the sanctuary for blind, deaf and disabled animals.  Fetch a Travels with Ace 2012 calendar for yourself or as a gift for a friend.

2012 Pinups for Pitbulls Calendar

Have you ever seen any of Pinups for Pitbulls calendars?  They are retro-fabulous and they sell out quickly!  

This year Pinups for Pitbulls, an advocacy and public education group working on behalf of bully dogs, has devoted their 2012 calendar, titled Our FUTgotten Heroes, to women who advocate for Pit Bull type dogs along with their adorable dogs.  With a very World War II retro military theme.  Quite swanky! 

It's usually available on Amazon, though currently it is sold out.  When they restock, be sure to snag a Pinups for Pitbulls 2012 calendar!

Pit Bulls of New Orleans 2012 Calendar

The Sula Foundation's 2012 Pit Bulls of New Orleans Calendar is a beauty!

You'll find the pit bulls of New Orleans seated on stoops, relaxing on porches, hanging out at local shops, along with very cool graffiti art.  

Preview the calendar and then fetch your copy.  Cost is $18 plus $4.95 shipping.  

You can also purchase your 2012 Pit Bulls of New Orleans Calendar at the Sula Foundation web site.  

Labrador Life Line 2012 Calendar

If you love a Labrador Retriever (and you know we do), you'd better have a look at the Labrador Life Line 2012 calendar.  

Filled with beautiful photographs of Labs, selected from favorite entries in one of the organization's contests.  The snowy deck yellow Lab for January is adorable.  I love that you can click to preview each month, too. 
 
Fetch your Labrador Life Line 2012 calendar for $19.99 at the Labrador Life Line's Cafe Press shop.


I love The Sanctuary for Senior Dogs' Graying Muzzles 2012 - a celebration of old dogs - calendar.  Celebrate senior dogs all year long with this beautiful calendar.  Order your Graying Muzzles 2012 directly from The Sanctuary for Senior Dogs web site.  They're just $10 each.  What a bargain!   

Graying Muzzles 2012 Calendar from The Sanctuary for Senior Dogs.

This is just a super small sample of all the wonderful calendars available and the sale of each one benefits an organization working hard to make the world a better place one dog at a time.  

What better gift could you give this holiday season?!


Please, feel free to publicize other animal welfare groups' calendars in the comments below.  Be sure to add links so readers can find them to purchase.
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You Need to Read this Book - Dog, Inc: The Uncanny Inside Story of Cloning Man's Best Friend

I've heard it called an earworm when a song gets stuck in your head.  So, if a book get stuck in your head, would it be a brain worm?  Whatever its called, my mind has been hashing and re-hashing John Woestendiek's new book.

Dog, Inc.:  The Uncanny Inside Story of Cloning Man's Best Friend is a book about science, big business and commerce, merchandising and salesmanship, morality and ethics, as well as the love we have for our dogs. This book proves that truth is stranger than (science) fiction. Once you pick it up you'll have a hard time putting it down. And when you do put it down, you'll find yourself returning time and again to the issues it raises.

John Woestendiek, a Pulitzer Prize winning investigative reporter, does an amazing job of explaining the ins and outs of closing man's best friend. Woestendiek gives us the scientific facts and history of cloning dogs (and other mammals) in easy to understand language. Along the way he gives us a healthy dose of the very human story. From the woman who hoped to clone the pit bull who she believed saved her life and eventually purchased what would be the first commercially produced dog clones, to a billionaire who decides to make a profit from cloning his family dog, to the scientists who made dog cloning a reality.

Each step along the way there are fascinating stories to be told, and told they are by Woestendiek with the same charm, good humor and keen observation that readers of his popular blogs ohmidog! and Travels with Ace have come to expect. It's obvious that this guy does his homework, personally grapples with the issues, can maintain objectivity, enjoys true human stories, and loves dogs.

As the author says:


"Like most good dog stories, the saga of dog cloning probably reveals more about humans than canines - our innate need for power, fame, money, and love; our thirst of instant, or at least speedy, gratification; our uniquely human refusal to accept the finality of death, and our overwhelming desire to control the world in which we live. And, like most good dog stories, it likely contains some lessons for those who navigate on two legs, the kind of wordless tutelage dogs have been offering for centuries - if only we'd listen. With the cloning of dog, man may have crossed the final barrier to cloning humans. ..."

I'm a dog lover. I've often jokingly said I'd like to clone Lucy, my "heart dog." I won't be saying that anymore. It's no joke and it is no longer the stuff of science fiction. If you've got about $100,000 to spare, you can clone your beloved dog if you want to. I'll pass. When the time comes, I'll head for the nearest animal shelter.

You can find Dog, Inc. at Amazon and other book sellers.

New Book: Dog, Inc by John Woestendiek Explores Cloning Man's Best Friend

Okay, I admit that from time to time I've said I want to clone Lucy.  Lucy is my heart dog and I honestly can't imagine my life without her.  (I also admit that I sometimes wish I'd let her have a litter of puppies, just so I could have another small piece of her.  But that's another story.) 

At any rate, the sheer cost of such a venture is more than daunting.  Plus, the more I thought about it, the more I questioned the whole idea.  If I were able to have Lucy cloned... what would I accomplish?  I'd have a physical replica of her.  Wouldn't I?  And is it her physical beauty that's important?  Nope.   As I told the author of Dog, Inc, John Woestendiek, I don't think they've yet figured out to clone souls.

I have not yet read John's new book Dog, Inc.: The Uncanny Inside Story of Cloning Man’s Best Friend, but I've signed up for the Amazon pre-order and am looking forward to December 30 when it will be released.  You may be familiar with his beloved ohmidog! blog.  I figure if the writing is half as good as his current Travels with Ace series, then the book is absolutely not to be missed.  Sounds like a barking good read for any dog lover.

Here's what the Dog, Inc: The Uncanny Inside Story of Cloning Man's Best Friend web site has to say:
Ever Wish You Could Clone Your Dog?  You can, for $100,000 or so. But whether you should is another question —one that’s investigated and explored in Dog, Inc.: The Uncanny Inside Story of Cloning Man’s Best Friend. What Stiff did for the dead and Fast Food Nation did for the burger, Dog, Inc. does for the stranger-than-fiction world of commercial dog cloning.

It all began with a pit bull named Booger. Former beauty queen Bernann McKinney was so distraught over the death of her dog, whom she regarded as her guardian and savior, that she paid $50,000 to RNL Bio for the chance to bring her beloved companion back to life. The result was five new Boogers—the first successful commercial cloning of a canine—delivered in 2008, along with a slew of compelling questions about the boundaries of science, commerce, and ethics. Blending shocking investigative reporting with colorful anecdotes, Pulitzer Prize-winning John Woestendiek takes readers behind the scenes of this emerging industry.

But Dog, Inc. isn't just a book about pets. Nor is it just a book about science. Rather it's a fascinating look at how our emotional needs are bending the reaches of science and technology, as well as a study of this uncharted territory. With our pet obsession climbing to new heights and our scientific abilities even more so, this combination raises a serious concern: Are we crossing the boundary of controlling science in the name of science, in the name of love, in the name of merchandising—or a blend of all three?

Dog, Inc.:  the Uncanny Inside Story of Cloning Man's Best Friend by John Woestendiek.  Order your copy today.

Ohmidog.com John and Ace visit The Dog Bar

Very rarely does a day go by when I don't check the updates at Ohmidog.  This is my favorite dog blog on the web for dog related news and entertainment.  Sometimes I cry;  sometimes I laugh.  I am always glad I checked in with Ace and John.

Ohmidog.com is the web domain of John Woestendiek, a former newspaper reporter and Pulitizer Prize winning author who, after bloggin about dogs and animals for the Baltimore Sun newspaper, decided to unleash himself and go out on his own.  Among other things, authoring dog related book is in his future.


This summer John and his canine companion, Ace, are traveling the United States taking an up close and personal look at what dog friendly really means.  One of his recent blog posts is simply not to be missed by any dog lover.


John and Ace have discovered a version of dog lover nirvana and John tells about in his blog post:  "Chasing the Blues Away at The Dog Bar Where Everybody Knows Your (dogs) Name"  The Dog Bar is located in Charlotte, North Carolina and this video explains:



If you're like all of us at For Love of a Dog... you'll wish you could head on over to The Dog Bar right now.  I guess if we hurry we might catch John and Ace!  

For more dog lover fun, fetch For Love of A Dog Jewelry's dog stories, humor, songs, video and more at our web site.