2012 Holiday Gift Guide

Last year I had fun putting together my holiday gift guide for animal lovers, and I chose items from nonprofit organizations because part of those proceeds help even more animals. This year I'm going a different route and supporting small, home-grown businesses by choosing items from my favorite stores on Etsy and displaying one of my favorite items from each store. (You can click on the shop name to view their other animal-related items.) I'm also going to split the categories into types of items as opposed to who they're meant for: jewelry, kids, clothing, artwork, home decor, stationary, wedding and pet memorial.

I hope you enjoy--let me know what your favorites are in the comment section below!

A Dog Year: Movie Review

I’m stuck on the couch recovering from some back issues, and it just so happened that the Netfix movie that came in the mail today was A Dog Year. So after some work, I decided that this would be a good movie to entertain me while I’m feeling very immobile!

A Dog Year is based on Jon Katz' book and came out in 2009 with Jeff Bridges as the main, and nearly only, character in addition to Devin the dog. The movie starts off at the airport where Jon (Jeff Bridges) is picking up a dog that he must have adopted from someone he knew across the country, but the dog clearly has some behavioral issues. The dog gets out of the crate as Jon tries to put a leash on him and ends up darting around  baggage claim. A circle forms around the dog, and Jon rushes over, slowly gets on his hands and knees to calm the dog down, and begins telling him, “I’m Jon Katz… I’m a writer… I’m 56… I have a bad back… Devin, look--I have a treat for you!” I love that this was his way of trying to connect with this new dog in his life!

The movie follows the journey of Jon, who is taking a break from his marriage and is behind on writing his new book, as he adds the challenge of caring for this mischievous, messy border collie named Devin. He gets frustrated when the dog keeps escaping to run furiously down the road and keeps destroying his kitchen to eat all of his food. Jon calls the person he got the dog from and is ready to give up and send him back, but something clicks and instead he becomes determined to conquer the challenge.

Not a lot changes with his efforts to train Devin except for some home damage control—he tapes the refrigerator and cabinets shut with bright red duct tape! But when Jon decides to rent a house in the country to clear his mind, the locals in the small town recommend a dog trainer. He gives in and goes to see her, but when she diagnoses Jon’s own inner turmoil as the main hindrance to Devin’s training, he becomes angry and leaves. He doesn’t want help or to admit his own problems to himself, and certainly not to others. The young handy-man who had suggested the dog trainer helps Jon build a small fenced area for Devin at the house, and when they’re finished he asks, “If he’s so much trouble, maybe you should just get rid of him.” Jon replies, “I’m not getting rid of the dog. I’m not giving up on him.” And maybe he realized he’s not ready to give up on himself yet, either.

When he sits down at the computer to write again, he begins to recount his story about Devin which it opens him up to life again and brings him out of his mid-life funk. He decides to go back to the dog trainer with his new-found sense of determination and patience, and he finally makes headway in Devin’s training and their bond with each other. The trainer reminds him that you have to take it "one step at a time."

This movie will remind you that patience is always key in these kinds of situations, and you should certainly be prepared before taking in a new animal that has known behavioral issues. Through his journey with Devin, Jon finds patience with the dog but also within himself. It’s a simple movie with a simple plot line, but the feelings he encounters along his journey with Devin really ring true in so many ways and will leave you smiling at the end. I give it a 3.5 out of 5 (based on Netflix ratings of 3 “liked it” and 4 “really liked it”), for some of the corny circumstances and some missing links in the story. Overall, I recommend it as a great feel-good movie for dog lovers out there!

Thoughts from my Recent HSUS Deployment

May 2011 Deployment in MS

I had the opportunity to deploy as a volunteer through the Humane Society of the United States’ Animal Rescue Team recently, where I volunteered at a temporary dog shelter in Texas for five days. This was my sixth deployment through HSUS (and RedRover Responders, formerly United Animal Nations), so I feel fairly seasoned as an emergency animal shelter volunteer. But even still, I always learn something new each deployment, and I take away memories that will forever stay with me—memories of working with other caring volunteers to help animals on their journey to a new, humane life.

So what are these temporary emergency animal shelters? These shelters are set up to house large numbers of animals who have been taken from a manmade disaster such as puppy mills, hoarding cases, dog-fighting rings, or other cruelty cases, or animals sheltered during natural disasters like tornadoes, hurricanes or wildfires. Because there is such a range of reasons for setting up a temporary shelter, each deployment is unique in its own right, with the same end goal of helping animals to have a safe, healthy place to live until they are transferred to their permanent homes.

Because many of these shelters care for animals that have been seized from criminal cases, the details of these shelters are confidential until the case has gone through the court system (as is the case with my last deployment). However, I can share with you a couple of the things I took away from my last deployment.

I have to say first that I am fortunate to work for an animal welfare organization on a daily basis—it’s what I love to do, but it also means that the staff understands the need for national animal rescue volunteers as well. So I was lucky just to have the chance to take a little time off work to deploy! I’m also lucky that I got to work with some fantastic animals and some amazing fellow volunteers. It’s such a unique experience, so you really do remember each deployment and the people you work with. You all are there with the same concerns and passion to help the animals, so it quickly feels like you’ve known the other volunteers for years! And you tend to see the same volunteers and HSUS or RedRover staff, so you do get to know each other better with each deployment.

When I got back to work, my Executive Director asked me if there was one thing I could pinpoint that I took away from this particular deployment. It’s hard to choose just one, but it did come to me and takes a little explanation. It’s an amazing feeling to work with animals that have been neglected and to be a part of their new lives. It’s a feeling that’s hard to put into words. Not all of them have been socialized or are quite ready to go directly into a family home, but each and every one of them deserves a second chance at life and to know what they should have been given all along. The majority of the dogs at this particular shelter were pit bulls or pit mixes, but they didn’t fit the undeserving stereotype of their breed. Most of them were so sweet and were just happy to have our company and pets! (And we were more than happy to be in their company and give out those pets, too!)

One of my volunteer duties was to work in one of the smaller sections of the shelter where we had to walk the dogs more often due to health reasons. I become really attached to one, but it’s funny because if I’d just seen photos of all the dogs there, I know I wouldn’t have picked her as my favorite! She was a little pit bull mix who was just so incredibly sweet. I can’t think of a better word to describe her. She just wanted to be near you and be petted, and you could see her sweet demeanor and personality just by looking into her eyes. Each day as I went to walk the dogs, I would get especially excited when it was her turn to go out. It was hard to leave her there (I would have tried to adopt her if she weren’t in Texas!), but I know that some other family is going to be unbelievably lucky to bring her into their home and that she’ll get to live a happy life from now on. Just thinking about it makes me smile.

But that brings me to one of the main things that sticks out in my mind about this deployment. There are always going to be one (or a few) animals in these shelters that the volunteers will fall in love… but guess what? There are animals right down the road in our local animal control shelters that are just waiting and hoping that someone will walk in there and fall in love with them so they can have a second chance at life, too! They come from all walks of life and ended up in the shelters for different reasons—many reasons that had absolutely nothing to do with them, just like in the deployments. And you can’t just look at a few photos online to know which one you’ll really fall in love with. It’ll certainly help you narrow your search before you go to the shelter, but please keep an open mind when meeting all of the animals. You may surprise yourself and fall in love with an animal that didn’t quite fit what you had envisioned. You have to meet them and fall in love with their personalities, not the color of their fur or their breed. Just like people, you can’t judge an animal by the cover of its book. You may be like me and decide to take home an animal that you never thought you would… but that will make your family happier than you could have ever imagined!

Caring is Cool: Giving Blood to Help Humans AND Animals

I came home today and was happy to receive my American Red Cross blood donor card in the mail! I gave blood for the first time in early July after many months of saying that I was going to start giving, and the partnership the Athens Area Humane Society has with the Athens Blood Donor Center--Caring is Cool--was a big push for me to take finally the leap.

I had a horrible first experience having blood taken in college because the nurse at my doctor’s office rolled my vein, resulting in a very painful experience and a black elbow for about a month. I know that these things don’t always happen, but it put a sour taste in my mouth for having to give blood unless absolutely necessary! But this happened so many years ago, I knew I just had to get over it. My boyfriend gives regularly, and every time he went to give blood I would feel so guilty… especially because I know I am type O- and thus a universal donor.

My experience giving blood about a month ago turned out to be such a pleasant one! The receptionist greeted with me a smile, and my nurse (also named Amanda) talked me through every step of the process and made me feel at ease the entire time. I came in late in the day to donate, but they didn’t make me feel rushed and even encouraged me to stay as long as I needed to before leaving afterwards.

A Nightmare Moment Down the Street

I was driving to work one Friday morning two weeks ago, and only yards from my house on my own street I felt a bump under my car. I froze and looked in my rear view mirror to see an orange cat flailing in the road behind me. It quickly ran across the street into a neighbor’s yard, and a nauseous feeling swelled in my stomach. 

A cat had literally ran underneath my car—I didn’t see it and I didn’t even have time react and try to slow down, much less avoid it. Luckily I wasn’t going very fast, since it’s a narrow residential road, but I immediately felt tears well up in my eyes because I didn’t know if the cat was okay or not. A million things were running through my mind. Where is the cat now? Oh, no, I hope I can find it! What vet will I take it to? It's Friday, so our staff vet and vet techs wouldn’t be at work that day so I’d have to see if a local vet would help me. Who does the cat belong to? I work at a humane society and commit every day to helping animals—how could I, of all people, have just hit a cat?!

I stopped my car on the street and jumped out to try to find the cat. Two ladies were on their morning walks close by, so I asked if they’d seen where the cat went. One didn't respond and walked away unphased, while the other showed me where she saw it. She frustrated me because she didn’t seem to think it was that big of a deal to find it, which made me angry. She said, “You’re so sweet--I can’t believe you actually stopped!” I thought, who wouldn’t stop? But I also knew the answer to that. Not everyone feels as passionate about the well-being of animals, nor would some people know what to do if they did stop.

Dog's Microchip Helps Lost Child Find Home

I stumbled upon this news story a week or so ago and thought I'd share it. As someone who is constantly giving people reasons why they should identify and microchip their pets (whether indoor or outdoor), this was a new one for me! Without speculating as to how the small girl and dog got away on their own in the first place (the parents were napping and didn't know they had wandered off), it's great to know that the police and animal control officers were able to scan the dog's microchip to get them both home safely after a short period of time of being lost. Who knows how long it would have taken them to find the parents if not for the dog's microchip?

I also love this story because this dog had just recently been adopted by the family, so it's a testament to the strong bond that you can create with an adult adopted pet within such a short time period of one week that the dog literally would not leave the child's side! It just warms your heart to think about that, doesn't it?

Click Here to Watch the Video

The Little Things that Make Us Smile, Again and Again and...

Helping me prepare for a presentation last year.

One of the volunteers at my workplace wrote a great story about his recent volunteer experience, and it made me realize how much I’ve been neglecting my own blog! I love my job and helping animals in various ways at work, but sometimes I overlook the little experiences that I can write about in my personal “animal life” that captures the very reason why I devote the majority of my professional and volunteer life to helping animals who aren’t as fortunate as those in loving homes (yet!).

Just as I sat down and started writing this, Cleo (one of my two cats) got in my lap between me and my laptop and forced me to take an early break while she made biscuits. Now she’s just sitting up against my side, content while I type. I love the little funny, cute moments every day like this that make me stop and smile. I definitely won’t be allowed to forget to spend time with either of my cats each day, because I wouldn’t want to but also because they wouldn’t dare let me! Let me take you through a typical day in my life with two cats (my boyfriend is pretty darn great too, but unfortunately for him, my blog isn’t about boyfriends):

You'd believe how beautiful her eyes are by her photos...

When my alarm goes off in the morning, I tend to snooze a couple times before I actually get up. But it’s easy not to sleep through the snoozes, because as soon as the first alarm goes off, Cleo is chirping at me and takes her position on my chest laying facing me until I pet her for a bit and then get up. If I’m too sleepy and don’t pet her quickly enough, she head butts my hands and pets herself until I get the point. I am then followed to the bathroom where I start getting ready for the day, and she stays by my side during my whole morning routine (we have it all down to a science without realizing it). She even lays in front of the tub while I shower, which I’m pretty sure isn’t typical of cat behavior.  Stormy stays sitting close by, staring at me with her big green eyes and using her loud raspy meow to get my attention, making sure that I don’t forget to feed them while I am getting my own lunch ready for the day.  Once I start making my lunch, Cleo takes her cue and jumps up on the table by the window and sits patiently waiting for me to open the blinds so she can assess the morning happenings in our back yard. When I leave to go to work, I can usually look up as I drive away and watch her seeing me off for the day. I’m so used to my morning cat routine that sometimes I forget how cute it really is, but I definitely get a few smiles in from them before going to work.

Reasons to Adopt Adult Shelter Pets

I stumbled upon this while doing some research on adoption events at work yesterday. It's the PetExpo's top 10 reasons to adopt an adult shelter dog, and most of them can transition to be reasons to adopt an adult shelter cat, as well. (I've combined some of them that are similarly themed). I always support adopting based on the pet, rather than the pet's age!:

1. Adopting an adult dog means that they can wait much longer to go potty during the day, so there's less chance of accidents while you're away at work. Also, most adoptable dogs are potty-trained, either by the rescue, foster parent or previous owners.

2. You don't have to go through the puppy stage where there will be lots of chewing... on whatever they can get their mouths on! You also won't have to worry about the chewing phase affecting your human kids, as puppies tend to be more mouthy with their playing (while they learn not to be). Most adult dogs will have outgrown these pesky puppy habits.

3. Puppies can be demanding during all hours of the night, but adult dogs will generally sleep through the night. They can also have lots of work waiting for you in the form of messes when you come home, which most adult dogs will spare you of.

Bringing Baby Home... to Pets!

There’s been a bit of a baby boom in my life over the last year or so, and most of my friends and family who've had babies (or are now pregnant) also have at least one pet. In preparing for their new arrivals, each of them seemed to have concerns about how their pets would react to a new baby, but there didn’t seem to be many resources immediately available to them for making the pet-baby transition a smooth and safe one. I’ve found Pet Meets Baby: A Guide for Families Bringing Children Home to Pets by the American Humane Association and summed up some of the tips below.

1.     Preparation is key—your pets need time to adjust just like you will, so include them in your baby preparation time while you’re still pregnant. Think about how much time you spend with them now compared to how much time you will once your baby is here, and try to start adjusting accordingly. Increase your quality of time with pets if you must decrease the amount of time with them. On the same note, if you think you won’t be able to give your pets the appropriate amount of exercise or time once the baby comes, consider asking friends, family or a pet-sitter to help out until you can resume your normal pet exercise routine. The thought of making this big change sounds like a difficult one, but it’ll be best for both you and your pets once your baby arrives! 

2.     If you pet has any behavioral issues that you foresee as a problem when the new baby arrives, address is now! Your dog doesn’t listen when you say “no”—sign up for pet training classes. Your cat hates loud noises—introduce a cd with baby noises, starting it low and gradually getting louder as time passes. You get the idea.

3.     Some of us allow pets on couches and beds, but you may want to rethink this habit, especially for larger pets. You don’t want your dog jumping up on the couch where your baby may be laying, as it’s an accident waiting to happen (even though your pet probably means no harm). So break the habit well beforehand to make these areas safer for your baby when the time comes.

A New Year, A New Blog: Thoughts from "Why the Wild Things Are"

It’s a new year, and in setting my new goals I plan to write at least two blogs per month, if not more when time allows. I even have a list of topics to write about, but holidays make life so busy sometimes! I was fortunate to have received a few books related to animals for Christmas that I had asked for, and I began reading one recently. A testament to my eagerness to always learn and to being one of those people who enjoys school, I have been putting my typical penciled stars next to sentences that make me think or that strike an “aha!” moment for me. I’d like to share one today and will pick a few more from the books as I go along to share with you.

The book is called Why the Wild Things Are: Animals in the Lives of Children by Gail Melson (2001). Just the introduction is fascinating, chronicling the author’s curiosity to begin researching the roles of animals in children’s lives as a researcher—and this is coming at a time when few people realized the significance of this research and with little to start from. She discusses the many facets of animals as we grow up, but she also brings in the history of animal domestication and pets’ roles throughout history.

One of my stars is by a paragraph that I can easily connect with (and I’m sure many others can, too) and is one of the reasons why I think I have leaned toward the field of animal welfare. “In open-ended, in-depth interviews, many pet-owning children spoke with deep feeling about what their pets mean in their lives… The ties that children forge with their pets are often among the most significant bonds of childhood, as deeply affecting as those with parents, siblings, and friends“ (p. 16-17). She mentions how pets are playmates, keepers of secrets, reassuring in times of stress, and after-school company, among others. I have always felt that my pets played an important role in my growing up and my desire to incorporate them into my career.