Heart Dog Auction at Labrador Life Line

Labrador Life Line's Annual Heart Dog auction begins on February 1 and runs through February 16.  This is one of their biggest fundraisers and your participation can result in more happy endings for so many Labs in need.

Bid to win some amazing items in the following categories:

• For the Dog (Lovin') House
• Don't Shred This Paper! (books, calendars)
• Dog Hair Collectors (clothing)
• People Pleasers (stuff for humans)
• For YOUR Heart Dog
• Mid-Auction Madness
• Flea Market (odds 'n ends)

Auction Rules and Regulations can be found here.   Preview some of the auction items and register now to be able to bid here.

Snag some bargains or even something not offered anywhere else!  

Not all auction items are specific to Labrador Retriever dogs.  You'll find plenty of barking good things for just plain dog lovers, including a bracelet donated by For Love of a Dog  from my Rainbow Bridge pet memorial jewelry. 

This Rainbow Bridge dog lover bracelet includes a rainbow of brilliantly faceted crystal rondelle beads are hand wire wrapped with silver jeweler's wire.  Adorable silver dog collar and dog bone toggle clasp and a winged silver heart create a special memorial bracelet in honor of your beloved dog.

If you visit the auction listing, you'll see that this bracelet will be personalized with the auction winners dog's name on a silver heart charm, plus the bracelet will be custom sized to fit the winner.

For Love of a Dog has supported the good work of Labrador Life Line for many years.  Labrador Life Line is a not-for-profit organization created to help owners or rescuers of Labrador Retrievers who are in need of financial assistance for urgent medical care, as well as to aid Labs in need of new homes.  Fetch Labrador Life Line Success Stories and you'll understand how important this organization is to dog lovers.

The tag line of Labrador Life Line says it all:  Saving Lives, One Lab at a Time. 

Puppy Mill Awareness Day 2012: Austin Texas

What are your plans for this weekend!  If you live anywhere near Austin, Texas, you should head to this big event for Puppy Mill Awareness Day 2012!

Activists, actors and musicians are joining forces to put an end to puppy mills on Saturday and Sunday September 29 and 30, 2012. There's quite a line up!  

Poison drummer Rikki Rockett, actress Shannon Elizabeth, dog trainer Victoria Stilwell, and Animal Cops Houston's Randy Farm will be joining Last Chance for Animals (LCA) president and founder Chris DeRose and rescue group Paws of Austin to host a free educational public event and a VIP reception to raise awareness and put an end to puppy mills.

Take in the VIP reception on Saturday from 7 pm to 10pm at the Urban Grill at The Westin.  For $30 you'll enjoy food, wine, a silent auction and a live art auction featuring puppy mill survivors and their stories.

On Sunday from 10 am to 4 pm celebrate Puppy Mill Awareness Day at Fiesta Garden (West End) with live music, food and drink, the Puppy Mill Survivor Parade, Frisbee show by Karma the Flying Pit Bull and special guest speakers.

Last Chance for Animals (LCA), known as "The FBI of Animal Rights," is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to fighting animal cruelty through education, grassroots outreach and working to enact legislation that protects animal.  Founded in 1984 by Hollywood actor Chris DeRose, LCA began by exposing the inherent cruelty of vivisection (the live dissection of animals).  Over the years, LCA has grown and broadened its focus to include all areas in which animals are abused in our society - including animals in entertainment, stolen companion animals, Class "B" animal dealers, factory farming, puppy mills and the fur industry.

Looking for a Puppy Mill Awareness Day event in your neck of the woods?  Fetch the Puppy Mill Awareness Day site.

Strutt with your Mutt in Kansas City this Saturday

Walk, run, strutt, shop and have fun with your best canine friend at Wayside Waifs 22nd Annual Strutt With Your Mutt event this Saturday, September 22.  Held in Kansas City's historic Brookside neighborhood, the even includes a 5K race and a 3K walk to raise funds to help Wayside Waifs care for 6,700 abandoned, abused and homeless pets every year. 

Any animal lover can run, with or without a dog.  Strutt With Your Mutt Registration is per person and your fee is tax-deductible. Registration includes your participation in either the 5K Race (one with dogs, and one without dogs), 3K Strutt, admission to the Flealess Market, complimentary breakfast provided by Country Club Bank and the Official 2012 Strutt T-shirt! Children 12 and under who wish to participate without a web page or t-shirt, are free. T-shirts are available while supplies last and some t-shirts maybe available the day of event.
 
Day-of registration will begin at 7 a.m.
5K Rescue Race without dogs will begin at 8 a.m.
5K Rescue Race with dogs will begin at 8:15 a.m.
The traditional Strutt (3K Walk) will begin at 9 a.m.

Don't want to walk or run?  Then enjoy the other fesivities!

• Complimentary breakfast provided by Chris Cakes 
• Canine Good Citizen Testing
• Shop the Flealess Market for pet and people friendly merchandise and services
• Play Bark-O
• Enter the Pet/Person Look-A-Like, Best Kisser, Best Costume, or Best Trick contests

 Register online until Friday, September 21 for $35.  Day of Event registration is $45

100% of the money raised through Strutt With Your Mutt pledges goes directly to the care of homeless pets at Wayside Waifs. They care for more than 6,500 animals each year at their no kill pet adoption center in South Kansas City. 

Funds also support 10 humane education programs Wayside Waifs offers to students throughout the metropolitan Kansas City area, including NO MORE BULLIES. This benchmark program works to prevent violence by teaching children how to respect, love and understand the unique bond between people and animals. Money raised also supports Wayside Waifs FEMA certified Animal Rescue and Response Team.
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Watch 2011 AKC Eukanuba National Championship Dog Show on ABC

Don't forget to tune in to ABC tomorrow, Saturday, February 4 to watch the AKC / Eukanuba National Championship 2011 dog show.  Scheduled for 2 pm EST, but you should check your local television listings.

We'll be watching for Talking Dogs' favorite black Labrador Retriever dog, Calypso (GCH CH Kaltrav Caribbean Cruise JH.)     Calypso won Best of Breed at Eukanuba!

Dog Halloween Contest & Party: Bow Wow Ween in Leawood KS

2nd Annual BOW WOW WEEN Costume Party

Saturday, October 29

Costume contest begins at 1pm

Queen of Paws Boutique (inside Trendz Boutique)

5405 W 151st St

Leawood, KS

Hosted by Queen of Paws and the Missouri Alliance for Animal Legislation.

Bring your dogs and your kids to pawty!  Pet costume contest with children's activities, a parade and lots of fun.  Registration is FREE, but donations to MAAL are encouraged.

Purina Incredible Dog Challenge 2011 Finals

The 14th annual Purina Incredible Dog Challenge national finals will return to Purina Farms in Gray Summit, Missouri on September 30 through October 1, 2011.  If you're planning to attend, Purina Farms is located at 200 Checkerboard Drive - 10 miles west of Six Flags, I44 west of St Louis.

Athletic dogs from around the world will compete in dog diving, freestyle flying disc, weave poles, Jack Russell hurdle racing and agility competitions.  In addition to the events being taped for television, fans call follow the Purina Incredible Dog Challenge action on Twitter throughout the weekend with #incredibledogs.  Fetch Bark Network for livestream coverage during the finals events.

Saturday, October 1 Events Schedule

• 11 am   Agility Course Inspection and Diving Dog Warm-up
• 11:15 am   Agility Forerunners
• 11:25 am   National Anthem
• 11:30 am   Incredible Agility Competition
• 12:30 pm   Incredible Diving Dog Competition
• 1:15 pm   Incredible Speed and Catch Competition
• 1:45 pm   Incredible Jack Russel Hurdle Racing
• 2:30 pm   Incredible 30 Weave Up and Back Competition
• 3:15 pm   Incredible Freestyle Flying Disc Competition

Live in the St Louis Missouri area with a diving dog?  An open dog diving qualifier will be held for all dogs who want to dive for distance into a 19,000 gallon pool of water.  Top qualifiers win the chance to compete on Saturday, October 1.  Registration for the Open Dog Diving qualifier is at 9:30 am on Friday, September 30 with qualifying beginning at 13:30 am.  Click here to download a Qualifying Information Sheet.

Yappy Hour at the Velvet Dog in Kansas City

 Yappy Hour

Wednesday, October 5, 2011 from 5:30 - 7:30 pm

Velvet Dog, 400 E 31st Street, Kansas City, MO

Enjoy drink specials and appetizers provided by Velvet Dog and raise money for the Missouri Alliance for Animal Legislation.  Tickets are $10 in advance or $15 at the door.  Admission includes entry for one person and complimentary appetizers.

Well-mannered, leashed dogs that have current vaccinations are also welcome to attend (on the deck only, please).

Play Golf - Benefit Animals in Leavenworth Kansas

Leavenworth Bar Association Golf Tournament

Friday, September 16, 2011 from 12 am - 6 pm

Trails West Golf Course, 306 Cody Avenue, Fort Leavenworth, KS

Love to play golf?  Love animals?  sign up now for the Leavenworth Bar Association Golf Tournament.

This 4 person scramble has a shotgun start at 1 pm.  The fee is $90 per player and includes:  Green fees, cart, beverages and range balls.  There will be lots of contests with fabulous prizes.  You can register individually or bring your friends for a team. Lunch and Barbecue dinner (Oklahoma Joe's) are also included.  

A portion of the proceeds frm this event benefits Wayside Waifs, the largest no-kill animal shelter in the Kansas City area.

For more information call Wayside Waifs at 816-761-8151

Strutt With Your Mutt in Kansas City Sept 24

21st Annual Strutt With Your Mutt

September 24, 2011

Brookside Neighborhood, 63rd & Brookside, Kansas City, MO

Fetch your friends and form your own dog pack to raise funds for Wayside Waifs, the largest no kill animal shelter in Kansas City.  You'll enjoy food, entertainment, games, prizes, contest and barking good vendors.  Fun for the whole family!  Register today for the Strutt or for the official 5K Race.

Check out the fun at the 2010 Strutt as 1000 people and their dogs helped the homeless pets at Wayside Waifs.

Poker for Pooches 2011 in Olathe Kansas

Poker for Pooches 2011

Saturday, August 5  -  7 pm

Symphony Hill's Clubhouse, 14915 S Gallery St, Olathe, KS

Poker Tournament fee $25 in advance;  $35 at the door.  No entry fee if you are not playing poker in the tournament.  Big prizes and great food and drink. All proceeds benefit the Missouri Alliance for Animal Legislation.  Call 913-709-9438 for more information.

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.

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:

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.

Purina Incredible Dog Challenge Atlanta 2011 in 3D

Wow.  Check out this 3D video of the Purina Incredible Dog Challenge Eastern Regional competition in Atlanta this year.  Truthfully, I don't own a pair of 3D glass, but I still thoroughly enjoyed this overview of events.

Purina Incredible Dog Challenge 2011 Dates

We can't seem to get enough of the Purina Incredible Dog Challenge and we've been on the lookout for 2011 event dates.  Information is scarce, but we've managed to find the following:

• Incredible Dog Challenge in San Diego, CA will be on June 10 and 11
• Incredible Dog Challenge in St Louis, MO will be on September 30 and October 1

The Incredible Dog Challenge National Championships will be held Sept 30 and October 1 at Purina Farms in Gray Summit, MO.

As soon as we have more information, we'll post it here at Talking Dogs.

Largest Midwest Dog Festival: Bark in the Park May 21, 2011

Bark in the Park

When:  Saturday, May 21, 2011    10 am to 3 pm - Walk starts at 11 am

Where:  Cricket Field in Forest Park  (St Louis, Missouri area)

Registration fee:  adults $25; youth $5; children under 3 are free 
More info: 314-951-1567

Grab a leash and lace up your sneakers because you don't want to miss the largest dog festival in the Midwest.  the annual dog walk and country fair is fun for the whole family.  Activities for adults, kids and dogs, too.  Have some fun whole helping homeless animals at the Humane Society of Missouri. Registration includes the dog walk, country fair festival and an Official Bark in the Park 2011 T-shirt.

Activities include:  bounce houses and inflatable mazes; interactive games and crafts;  tips, tricks and agility games for your dog;  Longmeadow Rescue Ranch animals; performances by the Purina Incredible Dog Team;  performance by the Cadence Drum Troupe;  face painting and balloon animals;  shopping at the Missouri Vendors Tent;  silent auction;  great food and treats;  dog and cat adoptions.


Schedule of Events:

• 10:15 am - Purina Incredible Dog Team Performance
• 10:35 am - Cadence Drum Troupe Performance
• 11:00 am - A Walk for Animals Kick-off
• 12:15 pm - Purina Incredible Dog Team Performance
• 1:00 pm - Silent Auction Closes
• 1:15 pm - Deadline to register for Pet Contests
• 1:30 pm - Pet Contest
• 2:15 pm - Purina Incredible Dog Team Performance

Want to bring your dog along?  Great!  However, no retractable leashes!


All proceeds from Bark in the Park go to the Humane Society of Missouri Animal Cruelty fund, dedicated to investigating, healing and preventing animal abuse.


For more information visit the Humane Society of Missouri on the web , call them at 314-951-1567 or email Bark in the Park.

Missouri Puppy Mills: Rally to Save Prop B on April 20

The Missouri Alliance for Animal Legislation (MAAL), along with other supporters of MO Prop B the Puppy Mill Cruelty Prevention Act, are planning a rally this Wednesday, April 20 to urge Missouri Governor Jay Nixon to veto SB 113.  

Last week the Missouri House of Representatives passed SB 113 which repeals Prop B.  Now the fate of thousands of dogs living in Missouri puppy mills rests in the hands of Governor Nixon.

They'll have signs and t-shirts with special messages that the Governor can't ignore.  If you live in St Louis or Kansas City you can attend the event via the Humane Trains - special buses provided.  These buses will depart at 12:30 pm from each of those cities.  If you plan to attend and ride a Humane Train bus, you'll need to RSVP so they can keep a spot for you.

For more information you may contact MAAL at 314-361-3944 or toll free 877-444-6225.

Greyhound Competing 2011 Purina Incredible Dog Challenge in Atlanta

I am hooked on the Purina Incredible Dog Challenge.  I never seem to be able to pick my favorite event;  it seems to be whichever one I'm watching at the moment.  Yesterday the 2011 Purina Incredible Dog Challenge kicked off in Atlanta, GA.  I couldn't be there, but I did manage to find this video gem.

This is Riley, a four year old Greyhound dog competing yesterday (April 2, 2011) in Atlanta.  This is the Weave Pole Challenge:  30 weave poles down, turn around in a tunnel, and 30 weave poles back.  Riley was a very good sport about having to do 180 weave poles in about 10 minutes.  They usually don't do that many in a week.  Riley won this brace.

2011 Purina Incredible Dog Challenge Kicks Off Today in Atlanta GA

Photo: Bark Network

The Purina Incredible Dog Challenge kicks off today with some all-American baseball in Atlanta, Georgia.

Friday, April 1, 9 AM - Open Qualifier Registration

Saturday, April 2 - 11:30 AM to 4 PM - Purina Incredible Dog Challenge

Centennial Olympic Park

265 Park Avenue West NW,  Atlanta, GA

Follow the action on Twitter throughout the weekend with #incredibledogs

Some of the most talented dogs from around the country will make their way to famed Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta to participate in the Purina Incredible Dog Challenge.  This premier canine sporting event features dogs competing in a variety of Olympic style events including dog diving, freestyle flying disc, head-to-head weave poles, Jack Russell hurdle racing and agility.

Dogs will celebrate the start of the 2011 baseball season with an inaugural baseball game against local tee ball players this morning.

Local dogs have the opportunity to qualify to participate in two events:  dog diving and freestyle flying disc.  Top qualifiers win the chance to demonstrate their skills in Saturday's April 2 competition with the possibility of qualifying for the National Championship in St Louis in October.

Schedule:

 Friday, April 1
 9:00 AM         Qualifying Sign-Up and Registration
 9:00 AM         Purina Incredible Baseball Game Location
10:00 AM        Incredible Diving Dog Qualifying
10:30 AM        Incredible Freestyle Flying Disc Qualifying
 1:00 PM         Incredible Agility Practice
 1:45 PM         Incredible Diving Dog Practice
 2:30 PM         Incredible 30-Weave Up-and-Back Practice
 3:15 PM         Incredible Jack Russell Hurdle Racing Practice
 3:45 PM         Incredible Fetch-it Practice Dog Diving
 4:15 PM         Incredible Freestyle Flying Disc Practice


Saturday, April 2
11:00 AM        Agility Course Inspection
11:15 AM        Agility Forerunners
11:25 AM        National Anthem
11:30 AM        Incredible Agility Competition - Large & Small
12:30 PM        Incredible Diving Dog Competition
 1:15 PM         Incredible Jack Russell Hurdle Racing
 2:00 PM         Incredible Fetch it
 2:30 PM         Incredible 30-Weave Up-and-Back Competition
 3:15 PM         Incredible Freestyle Flying Disc

2011 marks the 14th year of the Purina Incredible Dog Challenge, which continues to demonstrate Purina's commitment to and passion for pets.  The even has become a national sensation known for attracting world-class canine athletes in a multi-city tour that culminates each year with the nationally televised championships.  For more information on the Purina Incredible Dog Challenge visit Bark Network.

Winners of the 2011 HSUS Spay Day Pet Photo Contest

Pet lovers raised almost $340,000 to help fund spay and neuter efforts around the world in the recent Spay Day Photo Contest sponsored by the Humane Society of the United States.

Grand prize winner in the Fundraising Category: Matilda whose charity is Lost and Found Dog Rescue Adoption Center in New Castle, Delaware.

Matilda - photo courtesy HSUS

Winner in the Judged Category:  Jinjy a dog from Edwards, Colorado, whose favorite charity is any and all participating Spay Day organization.

Jinjy - photo courtesy HSUS