I felt like starting the week on a lighter note. No message or moralizing. This is just about dogs who perform services for us every day. But you just need to be an animal-lover in general to enjoy it. (If it doesn’t play right, go to https://www.facebook.com/thepetcollective/videos/1804173109597486/.)
Call him a “mutt” or “half-breed” or “exotic mix,” he’s still our treasured family member. And today is his day. It’s National Mutt Day, also known as National Mixed Breed Day. Well, one of the annual days, since it’s also celebrated on Dec. 2. But, hey, humans’ best friend deserves two days.
Animal welfare advocate Colleen Paige established this day in 2005 to counter the trend toward designer-dogs and pure breeds. plus over-breeding, especially by puppy-mills to supply pet stores with these dogs. The result has been sick and extremely neglected dogs.
Meanwhile, 80% of dogs in shelters are mixed breeds just waiting to be adopted before they’re euthanized. This day is intended to point out that mutts generally live longer, are healthier, naturally better behaved, and can just as easily be trained to be service dogs, bomb/drug-sniffers, search and rescue–you name it. And they’ll wag “I-love-yous” even when you’re grouchy.
Think about it.
When I saw this cartoon on Facebook, I had to pass it on. Something to think about when we’re adding a pet to our family.
https://www.facebook.com/682329048475716/videos/1585615671480378/
Here’s a safety tip for those of you who haven’t heard it yet. It has to do with your GPS device that you keep in your car or is built into your car. Many of us put “Home” in so we can find it quickly. Don’t do it. If you’re parked in a mall, for example, someone can break into your car, punch “home” into your GPS, and know where you live and that it’s a good time to burglarize your house because you’re away shopping.
I have my dog’s name programmed into my GPS.
Be safe.
Today I give special loving attention to my dog, Riley, my grand-dogs, Kaya and Sargent, and my African Grey parrot, Max. Why? It’s the 11th National Pet Day. The dogs give me unconditional love, devotion, and protection from solicitors and bad buys who dare even think about coming to my home. All of them make me laugh at times when I need it, comfort me in my “down” times, remind me of the beauty and diversity of Nature, and drive away the loneliness that sometimes creep into my life. All they ask in return is food, water, and some play-time with their human.
To them–and to all of your pets–I wish a happy National Pet Day.
Here’s a switch: a dog shot a man. It’s a clear case of self-defense, though.
A Florida man tried to find homes for a litter of puppies but finally gave up. Instead, he decided to shoot them. He held a pup in each hand. The one in the gun hand hit the trigger with his paw, shooting the man. Authorities found three of the pups buried in the yard and the other four healthy. The man ended up in the hospital.
Read more details at http://www.nbcnews.com/id/5950304/ns/health-pet_health/t/puppy-shoots-florida-man-deputies-say/#.VrzTW_IrKM9.
Would you convict the shooter? I wouldn’t.
Is my definition of “news” outmoded, narrow, or what? I saw a “news” item in one of those little boxes that Comcast uses on their TV screen-saver. It informed me that an actress and animal lover, Kaley Cuoco, had “adopted a cute puppy named Chester.”
Oooooooooooooooooooooooooo…kay……
Take Your Dog to Work Day (today–created in 1999 by Pet Sitters International) is downright silly. Mine is at work with me every day. Of course, I work from a home-office….
Anyway, here’s my helper, Riley Casey O’Donnell. The after-surgery cone and lighting make her look either like an angel (HA!) or, if you’re old enough to recall, the RCA Victor dog.
When you want to create a confined space for your dog, delineate your property line, or beautify your yard, forgo the fencing. Instead, use drought-resistant shrubs and hedges. They add beauty, privacy, and a safe enclosure, plus absorption of CO2 and habitat for your critter-neighbors.
[For more easy, money-saving, earth-friendly tips, download a FREE copy of Green Riches: Help the Earth & Your Budget. Go to www.Smashwords.com/books/view/7000, choose a format, and download to your computer or e-book device. Or download a free copy from your favorite e-book seller.]
This is National Puppy Day. Not an officially-sanctioned day, just something Colleen Paige dreamed up in 2006 to call attention to dogs and the joy and love they bring to people. AND to make more people aware of the horrors of puppy mills–the more than 8,000 backyard breeders and puppy mills in the U.S. that supply pet stores. At these places, dogs are often kept in unsanitary, cruel conditions, then killed when they can no longer produce puppies. The motto for today is “Adopt Instead of Shop!”
I agree with that. Here’s a picture of my 10-year-old “ooops” puppy (adopted from a family). Her name is Riley Casey O’Donnell. She, like all my dogs before her, is a constant lesson on how to give unconditional love, even when the recipient doesn’t seem to deserve it.
