Blogs

A dog-free weekend
A couple of weeks ago, my daughter had a soccer tournament in Ft. Bragg, California, about 200 miles north of our Bay Area home. In ninety-nine percent of times like these, I immediately start researching dog-friendly hotels, because the dogs just seem to always be with me.

The angels among us
I now know how angels manifest themselves on earth. They come into this world as kittens, spreading pure love, joy, and contentment. It does not matter what time of day or what may or may not have happened to me. When I come into contact with this kitten, every bad, disappointing, sad, or scary moment evaporates...

More pictures from the weekend Family Pet Expo
We had so much fun this weekend at the Family Pet Expo in San Mateo, California, I wanted to share some additional pictures...

Having a great time at the California Family Pet Expo
This weekend, the My Pet Street Team is truly out the in the neighborhood talking up PetAlertz and growing the community by leaps and bounds. It's a lot of fun being surrounded by other dedicated pet people who are anxious to join us in helping to keep our pets safe.

Blended pet families
I’m writing this on an airplane. For the past 8 weeks, six of them have been on the road, it’s my excuse for why my blog hasn’t been updated as much as I’d like. While I’m traveling, two of our pets get cared for away home.

Foiling those who would otherwise do harm
People who know me well are aware that I have some "hot buttons" that will make the fight in me come out front and center. I felt one arise the other day when I read an article about the growing trend of dishonesty when looking for a lost pet.

 

Strutting our stuff at Mutt Strutt
I've been traveling a lot lately (a blog entry will be entered on that soon), but last weekend, we took a break and joined in the festivities at the Peninsula Humane Society's Mutt Strutt.
 

Things we never admit to thinking
When my daughter was first born, she was a perfect angel as she slept during the day. At night, however, she’d howl non-stop. On my third no-sleep night with her, I started thinking, “This is not working. It is a mistake...

A tribute to city dogs
I’ve decided I love city dogs. In dense city sidewalks, I see them wagging their tails, keeping up with their walkers, and still finding an opportunity to do their doggie things – a quick sniff, greet, and even mark while they keep pace with the rest of the crowd.

Vacation thoughts
As I get ready to take some vacation, I realize the things I like to think about shift. Once all the animals are taken care of, and the transition of the house is made to the house sitter, my interest turns to looking for stories and information that inspire and help me recharge my batteries.

When helping can be hurting
News item: Pfizer announces a canine diet pill that will hit the US market next month.
News item: Eli Lilly launches a division to develop six drugs exclusively for pet psychological ailments.
News item: The New York Times Magazine releases an upcoming 8-page expose on pill-popping pets.

What are we doing?

Where will the dream lead?
It started with a stray dog. Thought to be a lab/pit bull mix, Daphne showed up on Paul’s property in Tucson, Arizona. She was not friendly, and her time on the streets was evident as she maneuvered around the property.

A wonderful friendship
Last night, I ran across Marilyn Pon's letter posted in the San Francisco Chronicle giving an update on Winnie the Parrot. In the letter, she refers to her two earlier articles on the friendship she established with this wild yellow-headed green Amazon parrot.

A couple of weeks after adoption
We've had our guy Toby for a little over two weeks now. He is a two-year old rescue that originally arrived at our house to be fostered until a permanent home was found for him. That plan worked for about one minute - when we took one look in those bottomless brown eyes, we were goners. He was our dog.

How one woman makes a difference for dogs
Just as an early summer weekend approaches, I encourage you to spend seven minutes watching this amazing profile of Gill Daley, a British woman living in Thailand that has dedicated her life to helping the Thai Soi Dogs...

 

Adoption Absolutes
In my second week after adopting Toby, a two-year-old mixed breed rescue, my eyes lock on any article or opinion about pet adoptions. Monday, a Washington Post article did an overview of its area shelters, and the high standards one of them puts on qualifying adoptive families.

Scaring us to death: cocoa mulch
With summer just around the corner, many of us are out in our gardens making them look pretty for the warm weather season. As we do so, we may also receive frightening emails that warn we could be putting our pets in danger...

Welcome Home, Toby
Honestly, at first it was going to be a fostering situation. A nice dog needed a place to stay until just the right loving home was found for him. This initial arrangement would work well for me, because like you, I am currently juggling a hundred different things...

When there are no boundaries
I continue to be amazed at the people I meet who have dedicated their lives to animal welfare. The thing that strikes me about this group is that an animal in need is an animal they will try to help regardless of where that animal may be.

If you read only one thing today...
...please read the full letter from Kim, who works in a shelter and provides a "behind the scenes" description of what she deals with on a daily basis.