Talking Dogs Won Another Blogger Award

We are thrilled to announce that we've won another blogger award!  We are so grateful to Harlequin for singling out Talking Dogs.

It's always exciting to win something, but especially to be singled out in the blogging world.  And one reason we are so excited about this award is that it was bestowed upon us by a blogger in the Czech Republic.  More often than not, the world seems incredibly large... but dog lovers and their love for all things canine remind me that we are a global village with more in common than otherwise.

Here are the rules for passing along this award:

• Winners must post the award with rules on their blog.
• Winners must include a link to the person who gave them the award.
• Winners need to nominate 6 blogs for the award.
• Winners must leave a message on those 6 blogs to let them know they've won.
• Winners must describe what they dream or wish for most in the world.

I read a lot of blogs about a lot of subjects.  Some more regularly than others.  It will come as no surprise when I say that dog blogs are among my favorites.  To single out only six is truly difficult and I've given this a lot of thought.  (With apologies to Harlequin who has been patiently waiting for me to get this post together already!)


Finally, I've narrowed my faves down to six blogs that I try to never miss one single post.  Here they are:

The Chronicles of Cardigan
 Dewi and Jon Farleigh are the Cardigans and their adventures make me smile, laugh (sometimes ruefully accompanied by sympathetic head shaking), relax and eagerly look forward to the next one.
I Still Want More Puppies
If the motto of this blog says it all:  Puppies = Serenity Now.  No Frown Friday is required reading for me, plus Bella's cute mug at the top always makes me feel good.
Bailey Be Good
One look at Bailey the Belgian Shepherd mix puppy and I'm smiling.  A paragraph or two later and that smile is a full blown grin.
Sugar The Golden Retriever
Sugar gives me my necessary daily dose of sweetness, including great dog treat recipes and a positive thought to contemplate.  Good for my soul.
Brown Dog cbr  
Hawk is the Brown Dog and his daily adventures are told via beautiful photographs that include gorgeous fauna and flora.
Nanny McFur
You will find dogs here, but lots of cats, too.  Our cat, Skeeter, insists this is a a necessary balance in our very canine focused lives.


Okay, my dream or wish for the world.  This is difficult.  I have too many.  However, since I write a dog blog...   

I wish for a world in which cruelty to animals does not exist.  No puppy mills.  No Michael Vicks.  No breed bans.  No abandoned pets.  No horror stories of pets suffering at the hands of humans, directly or indirectly.  Where each pet has a forever home with a warm bed, healthy food, regular vet care, and lots and lots of love.  I wish for a world where humans emulate dogs, giving unconditional love and acceptance of all things.

Joplin Tornado: Cocker Spaniel Dog Sugar Found 12 Weeks Later

Joplin tornado victim, Sugar, a Cocker Spaniel, has been reunited with at least part of her family.  Twelve weeks after the May 22 tornado devastated Joplin, there is some good news for the family of Johnnie Richey.

Richey was killed with the twister flattened the Joplin Elks Lodge.  His home was also destroyed.  Richey's family spent days after the storm trying to find him, only to learn that he had perished in the storm.   In addition, Richey's constant companion, Sugar, a 9 year old blond Cocker Spaniel was also missing.

Richey's sister, Kerri Simms,  began a campaign of missing posters and created a Facebook page just for the purpose of finding Sugar.  As the weeks passed, the family worried about just how slim the chance was that Sugar would be found. 

On August 12 a taxi cab driver in Joplin, Chris Ruport, noticed a stray dog who looked "pretty beat up" on the street and decided to pick it up.  His wife posted a photo of the dog on Craigslist.  Within hours the Richey family had been notified that a dog matching Sugar's description had been found.   Richey's sister traveled to Joplin, identified Sugar and took her to the Emergency Pet Center in Joplin.  

Sugar was treated for severe eye and ear infections, flea infestation, and severe dehydration.  Richey’s mother, Joyce Richey, said Sugar was weak when the family picked her up.

“When we first saw her, she was shaking real bad like she didn’t have the energy to stand, but they put her on (intravenous fluids) and kept her overnight, and she was better,” she said.

Kerri Simms, Richey's sister, has taken Sugar home and said Sugar has spent a lot of time sleeping and eating.  Finding Sugar has given her a new connection with her brother, Simms said.

“It means having part of my brother back,” she said. “We can’t bring him back, but we can at least have her. Now we don’t have to wonder. They wouldn’t let us see my brother after the tornado, so I don’t want to say it’s closure, but we know now that she’s OK.”