Adopt a Dog through Petfinder

On Sundays, Talking Dogs focuses on dogs needing forever homes. Rather than feature just one or a few dogs available for adoption, today we want to share a beautiful video made by a thirteen year old who wants to "spread the joy" about dog adoption through Petfinder.

We do not encourage giving pets as Christmas gifts.  However, if you're planning to add a furry member to your family, we urge you to adopt a homeless dog or puppy.

Spay Neuter Dog and Cat Advocacy Jewelry

If you're reading this blog, you probably already know these tragic facts:

• An unspayed female dog or cat and her offspring can produce 67,000 puppies or kittens over a six year period (source: SPAY/USA)
• Fewer than 2% of the stray cats admitted to shelters are reunited with their owners (source: American Humane Association)

 There are lots of forms of advocacy and I've found jewelry to be a subtle and fun way of starting conversations about my own love of animals.

Just one example is this Spay Neuter animal lover bracelet.  The focal is a hand stamped brass oval. Gently domed and proclaiming the message SPAY NEUTER. Beautiful natural Tigerseye gemstone beads are hand wire wrapped with gold jeweler's wire. Perfect gift for any dog or cat lover, pet rescue volunteer or animal shelter volunteer. Wear a stylish bracelet that advocates being a responsible pet owner.

Fetch more dog and cat advocacy jewelry at For Love of a Dog.   Tell the world you're a dog mom, a cat mom, a foster dog mom, or involved in animal rescue.  Great gifts for dog, cat, and horse lovers can be found at For Love of a Dog Jewelry.

Black Dog Pearl Necklace Dog Lover Jewelry

Black Pearl Dog is a name commonly given to black shelter dogs who are commonly the last to be adopted, if they're adopted at all. Animal shelters are increasingly outspoken about what is called Black Dog Syndrome. This black dog necklace was inspired by the advocacy of many who are trying to rescue black dogs.

Absolutely charming Czech glass dog heads with lovely details are featured in this black dog necklace. Black Labrador Retriever dogs may come first to mind, but these dog beads could represent almost any dog including most retrievers, greyhounds, and more.

I've hand wire wrapped beautiful creamy white Freshwater Pearls with gold. A gold filigree ball seems to be the center of a tug of war between these pups. Perfect handcrafted gifts for a dog lover friend or for yourself are available at For Love of a Dog Jewelry.

Highway Rescue of Buddy the Senior Collie Dog

I don’t know about you, but I think there’s a special place in heaven for people who rescue animals.

Several months ago my friend, Julie, began thinking about adding another dog to her family. She began to haunt Petfinder and found herself drawn to old dogs. Her feeling was that the dogs in rescues were probably all going to be eventually okay, so her focus became adopting an old dog who was at a shelter. Believing she could give an old dog a new home and provide it a wonderful life for it’s last years, she surfed Petfinder for that certain chemistry that happens.

Not long after she began tempting herself with Petfinder searches, Julie was driving home from the barn where she boards her horse. On the highway she saw a man walking with two dogs. Being a dog lover, as she drove past the trio she took a good look at the dogs. Her heart stopped when she saw that the Collie was matted beyond belief, appeared old and not at all happy. Julie had to keep going, but felt terrible. She yearned to do something for the dog, but struggled with what that could be. She thought about calling on the owner and talking to him about the dog, but she didn’t.

Life went on, weeks passed by. Julie was driving home from the stables again when she spotted a dog trotting down a highway and panting. The dog was so matted that she couldn’t even tell if it was a male or female at first. She suspected he was an older dog since he had some gray and trotted with a bit of a gimp. After checking with a neighbor in the area who had no idea who owned the dog, Julie took him home. Finding it impossible to get a comb through his matted fur, off they went to the vet for shaving. While grooming they found that an old flea collar was imbedded in the matted fur and had to be cut out. Of course, the dog needed a rabies shot, plus the vet found he had a skin infection, ear infection. $150 later, Julie took him home.

There, he fitted in so nicely. He got along with Julie’s Doberman Pinscher, Jake. He was very affectionate towards people, especially little children that came to the house. Julie and her family began looking up names, especially Irish names to call the dog. However, they kept coming back to “Buddy“ because he just seemed like he was a Buddy.
Julie is a responsible animal advocate, so she did due diligence to try to find Buddy’s owner. She checked newspapers and bulletin boards in the area. Left the information at the vet’s office. Julie had had Buddy for about two weeks and he was enjoying himself, perking up, and fitting right into her family.

About this time a friend of Julie’s was in need of hay for her horse. Julie noticed in Craigslist that there was a guy near her that was selling hay. So, she gave the phone number to her friend. Her friend went to see the hay. It was there that Julie’s friend discovered Buddy’s owner. Buddy belonged to the hay seller’s brother. The Collie dog was 12 years old, relegated to living at the barn alone and suffered in the winter from skin problems. This past fall the dog began coming up to all humans at the barn and barking for no apparent reason.

Julie talked with the owner of the dog. After explaining how she came by him, plus the money they’d spent on vet care, and how very attached her family had become to him, the owner decided to let Julie keep him. The owner told Julie the dog’s name was… Buddy.

This fellow used to walk with his two dogs along the highway. And yes, they are the trio Julie was months earlier. And when Julie picked him up, Buddy was trotting away from his barn home, not going towards it.

Today Buddy is doing great and his coat is growing out, showing what a beautiful boy he really is. He may have grown up in a barn, but he’s now housebroken and doesn’t let Julie forget a single mealtime. He loves to sleep on his blankie next to his playmate, Jake the Doberman. Buddy is a much younger twelve years than he was before.

Sometimes I truly believe there are no coincidences in life. Sometimes seemingly stray and unrelated events all come together in ways we would not anticipate. Timing in life can be everything. Did Buddy catch the wave of Julie’s intention to rescue a needy older dog? Was he trotting towards her because he knew he should? Was Julie drawn to older dogs because somehow she was preparing for her rescue of Buddy? Meant to be? You decide.

Fetch more dog stories at For Love of a Dog.

Arizona Beagle Rescue Beagle Fest 2010

Mark your calendars now for
Arizona Beagle Rescue's BeagleFest
March 14, 2010 at Kiwanis Park in Tempe AZ.

Last year, more than 600 people and 350 beagles attended and they raised over $7,000 for beagle rescue. Volunteers sell raffle tickets for gift baskets and the like, plus they also give prizes for contests such as Longest Ears, Last to Come When Called, and so on. Every dollar raised goes directly to pay for vet bills, shelter fees, and spay/neuter. All of the organizers are volunteers who are dedicated to saving the lives of beagles and beagle mixes

Arrrooo! Visit Arizona Beagle Rescue for more information.

I may not be a Beagle, but I like these people! Woof! Tucker at For Love of a Dog

Wiggle Waggle Walk

Wiggle Waggle Walk

11the Annual Fundraiser for the Animals
Sunday, September 27 from 9am until 2pm
Brookside Park in Pasadena, California

Join thousands of other animal lovers to help the more than 12,000 animals Pasadena Humane Society and SPCA cares for each day. More info

Bark if you love great contests for dog lovers!

My mama subscribes to Bark magazine. We know when it arrives in the mailbox that she's a goner for awhile. First she has to look at the Smiling Dogs, then flip through to see the photography and selection of articles. What we liked in the issue that came this week are the contests!

Jeffie is barking about the Home Away from Home contest. You could win a refurbished lobby or adoption room for your favorite animal shelter. Wow. All you have to do is write a very short essay on why your shelter should win.

Lucy is whining about the Celebrate the Harvest contest. You could win a case of Mutt Lynch wine featuring your dog on the label. What do you have to do? Take an online tour of their dog loving winery. I have to admit, Lucy would look pretty terrific on the label of their finest vintage wine. Don't you think so?

I've been howling about Bark's first Writing Contest. They're looking for the best canine-centric short story they can find. First prize is $500 and publication in the magazine. When I first heard about this contest, I was so excited. Afterall, I'm a writer and I really do have a lot of stories to tell. Then I read their rules. Rule number one says the stories must be written from the human point of view. You cannot have a dog narrate the story. What are they thinking? I just can't help thinking of what that prize could buy me. Oh well... a dog can dream, can't he?

Woof! woof!
Tucker