Archive for the ‘Animals’ Category

Without So Much As A Look Back…

Posted in Animals on Thursday, 30 October, 2008| 3 Comments »

… and that’s what I love about dogs! They are so loyal. Hoss’s owner came home late last night and, as soon as Hoss saw him, I all but disappeared. All the time, love and attention made no difference to him once he saw his owner. Hoss was soooo excited, jumped in the back of his truck and didn’t even look back.  Oh, well ~ he was fun to have around although he was a handful. It certainly was a good distraction while Favorite Man (FM) was out of town.

Dave, my friend who took care of Maya and Sport, had a similar experience last summer. I remember him telling me that as soon as FM showed up to take them, our dogs jumped in the car with no thoughts of Dave.

Having Hoss here for three weeks reminded me how much I miss having a big dog ~ they have a much more “gentle” personality than small dogs.  Many small dogs have the Napoleon Complex, but a big dog has no need to show his strength unless he needs to. Even though I love Sport and Maya, when it’s time to get another dog, I’m going BIG.

I’m thinking maybe an Irish Wolfhound 😉

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Paying It Forward

Posted in Animals on Saturday, 4 October, 2008| 1 Comment »

Maya and Hoss

Last year, my friend, Dave, was kind enough to take care of Maya and Sport while we traveled across the Pacific and across the United States. The trip took us over a month and could not have been done with two dogs in tow. I’m forever grateful to Dave for taking such excellent care of our four-leggers. Dave is a generous soul, never expecting anything for his good deeds. His philosophy has always been “Pay it forward” and I think I have a chance to do just that.

FM works with someone who is single, owns a beautiful one year old Chesapeake Bay Retriever and has to go away for about a month. FM mentioned how bummed he was about putting his dog in a kennel for that long. I could relate ~ I hate leaving out dogs at the kennel. No matter how nice it is, it’s not a home.

Here’s my chance to “pay it forward.” FG and I will have Hoss stay with us for the rest of October starting on Tuesday. FM will be going on the same trip. It’ll be great for Maya to have someone who can keep up with her ~ poor Sport, he tries to run with her but he’s over 11 years old now. And I did warn Hoss’ owner, if my dogs are any influence, he may come back to a fatter and a little bit spoiled dog.

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Doggie Tales

Posted in Animals, Fort Drum on Thursday, 15 May, 2008| 2 Comments »

Yesterday, I finally volunteered at the Veterinary Clinic here on Ft. Drum. The clinic houses abandoned dogs and cats in their very small and limited kennel facilities. I applaud them for their efforts ~ there’s always a need since military bases have a higher than average pet abandonment rate due to moves (especially when moving overseas), deployments, etc. 

I only had enough time to walk two of the dogs but since I live only a couple miles from the clinic, it’ll be a very convenient place to pop in when I have an hour or two to spare. I picked the biggest dogs to walk and they were both so well behaved and SWEET. One was a pure-bred German Shepherd ~ gorgeous. I can’t imagine someone willingly giving up such a wonderful dog so there must have been some extenuating circumstances. So sad. And lucky for FM, there’s a two dog limit for on-post housing so I can’t be tempted to bring home an extra dog 😉

Since I’ve eaten way too many Girl Scout cookies over the last month, this will be a win-win situation. The dogs need time out of their small kennels and I need to get some extra miles in on my daily walk. 

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I’ve Officially Lost My Appetite

Posted in Animals, Food on Monday, 18 February, 2008| 7 Comments »

I find the recalled items from China disturbing but the news out of California about the Westland Meat Company makes my blood boil. The pit in my stomach after watching one of the workers ram a downed cow with a fork lift makes me beyond furious. Not only am I furious at the actual perpetrators, but also at the USDA inspectors. Where were they? The USDA website states there is a continuous presence at meat packing plants but how could that be if it took a non-profit organization to bust the story wide open.  Last year, there was a recall of 21.7 million pounds of ground beef from the Topps Meat Co. because of E.coli contamination. That recall was also the result of an undercover investigation by the Humane Society of the United States. Maybe the USDA should contract the Humane Society to do the work they’re obviously NOT doing. 

The amount of recalled meat is staggering and suggests a much more aggressive inspection stance must be taken by the USDA. Where’s the sense of urgency? 

Thank goodness for the Humane Society of the United States who have people willing to go undercover and expose these kinds of actions. I’m always surprised how the undercover people can film that and not let their emotions take over. I KNOW I wouldn’t be able to continue filming without abusing the abusers.  It is because of the Humane Society’s expose which showed the downed cows made it into the feed supply that made the USDA close down the Company. The USDA inspectors are reacting to the Humane Society investigation and are not being proactive as primary investigators. 

It’s time for me to root through the freezer, throw out FM’s beef products and then write a donation check to the Humane Society.  Dang, I think I need a glass of wine 😉

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Harriet the Hamster

Posted in Animals, Favorite Girl on Friday, 28 December, 2007| 7 Comments »

I feel like I closed my eyes on 23 December and when I opened them, it was 28 December. The time has flown by with so much activity.

Santa brought FG a whole lot of hamster supplies so we took the hint and bought FG a hamster. I have to admit Harriet is a cute little creature and I find myself watching her as she scurries around her cage either eating, cleaning herself or exercising on the wheel. FG has become a little possessive of Harriet and keeps reminding me the dogs will get jealous if I spend too much time with the hamster. FG’s way of saying “Back off, Mommy.”

I’ve spent a lot more time cooking and baking this year. We wanted to share some baked goods with the soldiers on duty for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. I made cookies, brownies, & muffins. Of course, I had to taste each batch to make sure they were delicious.

Christmas here in the North Country has been wonderful and FG was thrilled to have Grandma Betty with us again. We spent Christmas eve at a neighbor’s home and we’re really enjoying our new-found friends.

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Paws on the Ground

Posted in Animals on Sunday, 17 June, 2007| 2 Comments »

Our four-legged family members are now safe in Atlanta and they’re residing at Dave’s “Pet Resort”. Dave is not only a very good friend of over 20 years but also FG’s Godfather. One thing about Dave is he’s a huge dog lover and, other than our house, there was no other place I would feel completely comfortable sending my furry babies.

Their trip from Guam to Atlanta was long and, no doubt scary, especially for Maya who is a puppy and this was her first flight. Sport, on the other hand, has more frequent flyer miles than most people. They had to stay 24 hours in Honolulu for a “rest” and I was a mess thinking about how they were doing and who was taking care of them. I HAD to speak directly with the person taking care of them. It took me awhile to get his cell number and anyone associated with Continental Cargo in Honolulu probably refers to me as “that neurotic dog lady.”  Actually, everyone I talked to from the reservations and throughout the trip were very professional and caring.  So, if you have a dog or cat, who will layover in Honlolulu, send me a comment with your e-mail address and I’ll pass along the cell number so you too can speak with the man who takes care of them ~ he recieves them, feeds, walks, waters and puts them back on the plane.

Now the ONLY problem with Maya and Sport staying at Dave’s is they will no doubt be beyond spoiled when I get them back. Kinda like going to the favorite Uncles house where it’s one big vacation!

I just spoke with Dave and the dogs finished their dog food with “ORGANIC vegetable broth” and were happily sleeping on the bed (which Sport never does at our house).

Oh, my…they may refuse to come with us to New York.

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Come Strut Your Mutt

Posted in Animals, Travel on Friday, 25 May, 2007| 2 Comments »

Hit Radio 100’s First Ever Dog Show will be this Saturday (26 May) at JFK’s High School (Ramsey Field) from 4 pm to 8 pm. There will be “Purebred”, “Boonie” and “Fun” categories including Best Pooch Smooch, Longest Tail, Best Trick, Cutest Puppy, etc.

There will also be hundreds of raffle ticket prizes (tickets are $1.00 each). All proceeds will go to G.A.I.N (Guam Animals in Need).

Since I’m volunteering, I won’t be able to “show” my dogs and I’m trying to talk FM into being either Sport or Maya’s handler.  Maya may have aged out of the Cutest Boonie Puppy category but she might be able to take Best Pooch Smooch.  

I hope to see my Guam friends at the show with their furry friends.

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Dog Nut

Posted in Animals, TV on Monday, 12 March, 2007| 3 Comments »

Did anyone else catch the 60 Minutes segment on Sam Simon? Now there’s a man after my own heart. He’s more than a little nutty about dogs but he’s smart enough to know it’s a little over the edge even for him. He laughed at himself regarding his obvious love of dogs which is so refreshing to see. 

I was very impressed with his foundation, The Sam Simon Foundation, whose primary focus is to train Hearing Dogs, saved from L.A. animal shelters. Once the dogs graduate, they are placed in homes to assist the deaf. Oddly, the foundation doesn’t take ANY donations! It’s completely funded by Sam Simon. 

Dogs unable to complete the program are adopted out as companion animals. No fee is  charged for the adoption but an application and home visits are required. And, if that isn’t enough, he completely funds a mobile spay/neuter clinic for low-income families in Los Angeles.  He’s truly a guardian angel for dogs.  

Where does he get all his money? He was one of the original creators of The Simpsons.  

Wow ~ what a feel good story for dog lover like me!

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For Guam Residents

Posted in Animals, Travel on Monday, 22 January, 2007| 3 Comments »

Guam Animals in Need (G.A.I.N.) is sponsoring a low-cost spay/neuter clinic the first week of February. Veterinarians flying in from the mainland will be donating their time and expertise for this clinic. Due to the cost of sponsoring such an endeavor, GAIN may not be able to afford to do this again next year so PLEASE pass the word to as many people as you can. The clinic also needs volunteers to help on surgery day ~ no medical background needed.

This is the information from the GAIN flyer:

Clinic location:  238 E. Marine Corps Drive (next to Feathers & Fins)

Dates: February 3-10, 2007

Cost: No cost for those on public assistance. All others: $20.00 for the first pet, $10.00 for each additional pet.

  • No appointment necessary; first come, first serve
  • Pets 8 weeks of age and older accepted
  • Pregnant and in-heat pets accepted
  • Do not feed pets after midnight the night before surgery
  • Bring your pet(s) in between 6:30 to 9:00 in the morning
  • Dogs must be on a leash and cats in a carrier

Call 653-GAIN (4246) for additional information and to volunteer at the clinic.

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Puppy Update

Posted in Animals on Saturday, 2 December, 2006| Leave a Comment »

Maya and Sport  ~ Maya adores her big brother, Sport and the feeling is usually mutual but not always.

Maya is growing quickly but still has all her puppy teeth. I forgot what a pain the puppy stage is and how she eats EVERYTHING in sight. I had to get a worm out of her mouth yesterday. Lovely, eh? But she is sweet as can be and loves to cuddle so I think she’ll turn out to be a nice dog.

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