Merry Christmas 2010 From a Few of My Friends

This is from Best Friends Animal Society and its as cute as it gets!



Merry Christmas from Mikki & Me

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Pets Are Like Wine - They Improve With Age

Senior shelter pets have a hard time finding homes.

They compete with the adorable babies, and it's a competition the old-timers usually lose.

Older pets end up at shelters through no fault of their own.  Winnie lost her home and her family at 12 years old when her people moved.  14 year old Devon's person went into a long term care home.  Bobbie's lost her home at 11, when her person's new partner was allergic.  All of these seniors came into shelters confused and frightened.

Senior pets adjust to new homes as well as any youngster, often better! 

With older pets, what you see is what you get in terms of size and temperament.  Puppies and kittens are tiny robust and frisky...but you never know what they'll be like as adults.

If you have kids, you can choose an older pet that is proven to be good with kids. 

Research shows that pets lower blood pressure and alleviate stress.  Adopting an older pet is not only good for your health, its good for your soul.

So, if you or anyone you know is looking for a new pet, please consider adopting an older pet.  They "know" you have rescued them from the shelter, and taken them away from the noise, the loneliness and the fear.... and into a home with love and affection.

And really, besides food, that's all the seniors want and need ...

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Dog and God

A year or so ago,  I was thinking about my dog Mikki and how much she is a lot like my God.

I put together a few comparisons and I was feeling very clever at how easily they came to me.  For example…

• They both sill sit and gaze at me with love for hours, waiting for me to acknowledge they are there .
• They both are very pleased when I do
• They both comfort me when I’m hurting
• They are both very happy when I take time to spend one-on-one with them.
• They both love me – no matter what.

I was thinking of this today and I wondered who else had the same thoughts, so I googled it.   (google is my best friend … after God and my dog)

I found a wonderful video that says everything I knew in my heart.




Plus I now have a new favorite song!  I know I’ll be singing this one all day!

For more from Wendy who wrote, animated and sang this beautiful video visit

http://www.godanddog.org

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Finding my Soul-Mutt

If you know me, you know how much I love my dog.

I’ve always loved dogs, right from the time I was a kid.  My dogs were always my best friends.

But that was just one more of my passions that I put on hold while I was “building my career”.  I travelled a lot and worked long hours and I knew having a dog was not right for me at that time.

After I was downsized and found myself working from home, I had time on my hands but I hadn’t re-connected with my passion for animals.   In fact all my passions in life were so deeply buried, it never occurred to me that I should have a dog.

Since I had time on my hands, I started doing some volunteer work at the local SPCA.  I made a STRICT rule that I would volunteer only… and not adopt any dogs.  Not one!  Nope…not me.

Well, I was VERY strong for about 6 months and then one day,  I saw her….

She had been a stray for a very long time when they brought her in.  She was so skinny her ribs showed and she was covered with fleas and sores.  But she was sweet and gentle and one look into those big brown eyes and I was hopelessly in love!

They called her Highway at the SPCA, because she was found on the side of the highway.

I changed her name to Mikki.  Mikki is short for Mikaela – “gift from God”.  And she is.

No one came to claim her during the 6 day waiting period.  Everyday I walked her and prayed that no one would claim her.   On the 6th day,  she had to be spayed before adoption and I picked her up straight from the vet and brought her home.   

She couldn’t climb stairs for a few days, so I slept on the couch to be close to her.

Now that I’ve found my soul mutt, I don’t know how I lived without her.  She has been my constant companion for 2 years.

She loves to run and she can jump a 5 foot fence with ease.


She sits patiently by my side when I work online for a good chunk of the day, always knowing that soon we will be going out for a run and a visit with her pals at the dog park.

She loves to rest her head on my keyboard, which drives me crazy when I’m working…

When I am sad,  she always knows and there she is,  nuzzling me and cheering me up.

The day I found Mikki was the first day of an incredible adventure.   She teaches me something new every day about love, loyalty, trust, joy, and so much more.

Adopting a shelter dog is the best thing you can do for yourself.  These guys know you’ve rescued them and they spend the rest of their lives repaying the favor.

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Walkin' the Dogs

One of the things I am most grateful for, is that I have the time freedom to indulge myself in a few of my passions.

Anyone who knows me knows how much I love my dog, and really it goes beyond that…I love all dogs.

A few years ago, I ran into a friend who told me he had been volunteering at the local shelter, walking dogs.  I didn’t have a dog at the time and I thought it would be a nice way to spend a few hours a day, and getting some exercise was an added bonus!

It turned out to be a “dream job”. 

I love going to the shelter and I love working with the dogs.  Not only do I get to walk them through the beautiful trails in our west coast forests, I also get to groom them, play fetch with them and give them lots of cuddles and belly-rubs!

I was a little worried that I would want to bring them ALL home, so I made a firm decision in the beginning to go to the kennel with a lazer focus of HELPING, not searching for my soul-mutt.

I stayed very strong for over a year, and one day….it happened.  I found her.    Here she is… I couldn’t resist!

But… that’s a story for another post.

That was 2 years ago and even though I have my own dog now, I am still walking dogs 2 – 3 afternoons a week.  I love it. 

I especially love when one of our “kids” is adopted and finds a home where they will have a warm bed, regular meals and most important…love.

I hope you’ll take a look at my video…I have some great photos of a couple of our former clients who have now all found homes. You can also see the kennel, which to me is more beautiful than my former executive office!

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A Woman and a Horse - a Love Story

Phyllis Olson is a woman who knows what her passion is.

And she is living her life built around her passion.

This is a powerful video for me. Phyllis and Shag-ra were brought together for a reason.

Their story has touched hundreds of thousands with its message of love, mutual respect and possibility.

I love the back story to this. When I see people who overcome hardship and find their passion, it makes my heart sing!

When I saw the video...

I knew this was a woman who is truly living her dreams!

This is one very blessed lady and horse.

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