Pet-a-thon

This Saturday is The Humane Society of Tampa Bay's annual telethon. We will be on channel WFLA 8 from 1pm-6pm EST. My sister, Jenn, Sara and I will be at the shelter helping out too! Sara will be helping with visits getting our furry friends adopted. Jenn and I will be on-air showcasing the cats available for adoption. Click here for more information. I hope you will tune in to see us and the animals. You can even make donations! It all goes to the welfare of our furry friends. If you're in the Tampa area, come by the shelter and see us!!

The Thing Part Duex

I've lacked blogging lately because life is getting in the way. Over the weekend I brought my Girl Scouts camping. Was fun. Now I'm stuck in jury duty. Fun--kinda not. Judge says tomorrow it should end. I had trouble keeping my eyes open this morning. It's interesting but the bad part is knowing that all my work is piling up back at the office.

So the conclusion of The Thing (aka Sara's crawfish.) We came home Friday afternoon to find him floating. He's not suppose to float. Sara poked him. He bobbled in the water. So I prepared for the crawfish funeral. Sara got his lifeless body from the tank; me and both dogs gathered in the bathroom and as Sara dropped him in the toilet we wished him a better life in crawfish heaven. *sniff, sniff*

The Thing

So this morning a little after 6am I'm in the kitchen making Joe's coffee. The office which is next to the kitchen I see something on the floor. At first it looked like a huge lizard but kinda smooshed on the floor. I couldn't actually walk in the office to turn the light on cuz then it would put me near this thing and I didn't want any surprises. I'm not a morning person so I was sure my eyes were playing with me but I wasn't taking any chances.

Finally both dogs are awake and ready to go outside. To get to the back door you have to walk thru the office. So I let the dogs walk thru first. JayJay stops to sniff the thing and it moved!! Since I was more awake I walked near it and turned the light on. I'm yelling to Joe to get his behind in there because he needs to clean the thing up. He walks in saying "it's just dust." I'm like no it moved. So I took a pad of paper and touched it and it moved! Well to cut this story down it turned out to be Sara's crawfish. It was covered in dust. Here he is rescued:

This thing hopped out of Sara's fishtank from her bedroom, crawled thru her room, under her door, thru the dinning room, thru the kitchen and then found himself in the office. Sara has been keeping the lid of the fishtank off because the filter is so loud. Which I've told her the fish need that filter on. But anyways, this crawfish decided to take an adventure. An adventure that might kill him. When I put him back in the tank he was floating. I guess we'll find out when we get home this afternoon if he makes it.

ASPCA

Happy New Year! Welcome 2009!

This week is the first week in a long time Sara and I didn't make it to the humane society. We dearly miss the animals. But we will see them next Wednesday and catch up on who's still there and who's new.

For Christmas my fur babies got me this shirt:
It's an ASPCA shirt (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals). It says 'ASPCA we are their voice'. With the words 'bow wow' making the bubble shape. They support the humane society also. Now I can proudly show my support as well as voice my support.

Here's JayJay and Polly, my fur babies: Aren't they so sweet to get me an ASPCA shirt? They are finally realizing just how good they got it. lol. They also got Sara one that has an image of a dog and says 'Beloved by a dog'. Of course they had help from "Santa" getting these shirts. *wink, wink*

Support ASPCA and your local humane society. Visit their websites to see what you can do. Afterall, we are their voice.

Christmas with the Animals

Went to the Humane Society yesterday. It's always so much fun! We brought toys in for all the dogs for Christmas and also donated to get paw prints for JayJay and Polly to hang on the wall around the shelter. Here is a poem I received from JayJay's friend on Dogster:


CHRISTMAS AT THE SHELTER
author unknown

'Tis the night before Christmas and all through the town,
every shelter is full - we are lost but not found,
Our numbers are hung on our kennels so bare,
we hope every minute that someone will care.

They'll come to adopt us and give us the call,
Come here, Max and Sparkie - come fetch your new ball!
But now we sit here and think of the days..
we were treated so fondly - we had cute, baby ways.

Once we were little, then we grew and we grew -
now we're no longer young and we're no longer new.
So out the back door we were thrown like the trash,
they reacted so quickly - why were they so rash?

We jump on the children, don't come when they call,
we bark when they leave us, climb over the wall.
We should have been neutered, we should have been spayed,
now we suffer the consequence of the errors THEY made.

If only they'd trained us, if only we knew...
we'd have done what they asked us and worshiped them too.
We were left in the backyard, or worse -left to roam-
now we're tired and lonely and out of a home

They dropped us off here and they kissed us good-bye...
"Maybe someone else will give you a try."
So now here we are, all confused and alone...
in a shelter with others who long for a home.

The kind workers come through with a meal and a pat,
with so many to care for, they can't stay to chat,
They move to the next kennel, giving each of us cheer...
we know that they wonder how long we'll be here.

We lay down to sleep and sweet dreams fill our heads..
of a home filled with love and our own cozy beds.
Then we wake to see sad eyes, brimming with tears --
our friends filled with emptiness, worry, and fear.

If you can't adopt us and there's no room at the Inn --
could you help with the bills and fill our food bin?
We count on your kindness each day of the year --
can you give more than hope to everyone here?

Please make a donation to pay for the heat...
and help get us something special to eat.
The shelter that cares for us wants us to live,
and more of us will, if more people will give.

Deck the Halls....fa la la la la

I am happy to say that my Christmas tree was angel-less for only 2 days. (See prior post.) We finally got the house decorations up and my home looks so Christmas-y. See:




And every house is not complete at Christmas time without a nativity scene:

Some more of my snowmen:

And the stockings were hung by the fireplace...er...videos?

Yes we do not have a fireplace and we do not have a mantle so I have to get creative with my stocking location. There is one for Joe, Sara, Joey and me and of course I can't forget the furry kids, JayJay & Polly. They are worse than a 4yo searching for Christmas gifts. I've had to hide their gifts way, way up high off the ground because they are already snooping around.

Merry Christmas!

My Stress Therapy

Last night was our Humane Society night. Sara and I absolutely love Wednesday nights to go play with all the dogs and cats that need a home. Just look at this cute face:

This is Eggnog. She is a 5 month old beagle mix. Sara so wanted to take her home. She tried hiding her in her shirt but it was too obvious.

Here's another cutie that I wanted to take home and I know Joe would have totally approved but JayJay wouldn't have. Meet Dasher:

Dasher is a 3 month old German Shepherd mix. He was so soft and cuddly!
If you are in the Tampa area, stop by The Humane Society of Tampa Bay to visit the animals. They love the attention, you can give them treats and who knows maybe you'll find your next best friend.

"I rescued a human today"

"Her eyes met mine as she walked down the corridor peering apprehensively into the kennels. I felt her need instantly and knew I had to help her. I wagged my tail, not too exuberantly, so she wouldn't be afraid. As she stopped at my kennel I blocked her view from a little accident I had in the back of my cage. I didn't want her to know that I hadn't been walked today. Sometimes the shelter keepers get too busy and I didn't want her to think poorly of them. As she read my kennel card I hoped that she wouldn't feel sad about my past. I only have the future to look forward to and want to make a difference in someone's life. She got down on her knees and made little kissy sounds at me. I shoved my shoulder and side of my head up against the bars to comfort her. Gentle fingertips caressed my neck; she was desperate for companionship. A tear fell down her cheek and I raised my paw to assure her that all would be well. Soon my kennel door opened and her smile was so bright that I instantly jumped into her arms. I would promise to keep her safe. I
would promise to always be by her side. I would promise to do everything I could to see that radiant smile and sparkle in her eyes. I was so fortunate that she came down my corridor. So many more are out there who haven't walked the corridors. So many more to be saved. At least I could save one." ~the dogs at The Humane Society

Today was my and Sara's weekly visit to our Humane Society. I absolutely LOVE volunteering there. This past weekend was the pet expo and 114 pets were adopted. The kennel was almost empty tonight! What a great sight it was. But more will be on their way there awaiting for their new home. The above poem was in our volunteer newsletter and it brought a tear to my eye. Yes I'm a softy, a big softy. I hope that anyone out there who wants to get a pet for their children or family will think adoption first. Just say no to puppy mills!

Halloween Images

Here are my Halloween photos:

Doggyween


Sara and I carved our pumpkin. Can you tell what it is?


Batman & Dracula


Indians


Don't we look cool? I love the holiday seasons!

Pet Masquerade

This morning Sara and I volunteered with the Humane Society's Pet Masquerade. OMG was it soooo cute! All the dogs dressed up! Check out these pictures:

Santa Paws


Ladybug


Dracula (this is a guinea pig!)


Chick-Fil-A Cow (no ruffin the cows!)


Fruit Basket (here are grapes and strawberry)


Army


The army dog won 1st place for most original. He actually sat in the truck while his owners pulled him around. Is that cute or what? The santa paws had a white beard on. Too cute! Other costumes we saw were Yoda, quite a few bubblebees, Snow White & the Prince, scuba diving dog (he won 2nd in most original), cannibal (he had skulls hanging on him and was wearing a straw skirt--he won 1st place most scariest), devils and so many other ones. It was the cutest things I have ever seen! Polly would have LOVED to go in her witch costume but golf was more important to Joe since Sara and I were working the event. Maybe next year.

Please Vote for JayJay Too!

JayJay didn't want to be left out so here is his entry in the contest:

Vote for JayJay in the World's Coolest

dog pictures & breed info

Please Vote for Polly

My Boston Terror, I mean Terrier, entered into Dogster's World's Coolest Dog & Cat Show. She really, really, really wants to win. You can help by voting for her. See how cute she is?

Vote for Polly in the World's Coolest

dog pictures & breed info

And the funny thing is she loves dressing up! It gets her more attention and she's all about being center of attention. Please visit the above link and put your vote in for Polly!

Pet Care

I'm big into the "Go Green" thing and was so before it was the thing to do. I receive a daily newsletter from The Daily Green. In today's newsletter it had an article about the green way to prevent fleas. I read it and it could have been me writing the article. I'll explain below. Referenced was this website, Green Paws. They have a listing of chemical flea control products that they have tested and you can see what is safe and what isn't. Just because a product is for sale doesn't mean it's good. Check it out.

Being in FL we have major flea issues especially the hot months. (Which is like 10 of 12 months of the year!) This past summer was awful for my JayJay and Polly. JayJay is allergic to flea bites so it only takes 1 and he itches non-stop. I quit using the Advantage & Frontline because the fleas seem to become immune to it and even attracked them! So since I went green in my lifestyle, why not with my pets? So what I did was use a flea comb on the dogs twice a day until the fleas were gone then it went to once a day. They got weekly baths. I constantly inspected them. And the flea control doesn't just stop with the animal itself. You must also take care of its living quarters. I wash the dogs' bedding weekly and vaccum weekly. When we had the major flea problem I put Borax on all carpets in my house, let sit for hours then vaccumed up. The Borax is suppose to dehydrate the fleas and is effective for up to 1 year. It's best when you lay it down that no one walk over it--human or animal.

My dogs are flea-free now (thank god!!) but JayJay still has the itches. Once in a while I will find 1 flea on him but its all controlable. I spray my Daisy Blue Naturals tea tree oil on him daily which helps his skin. I also put garlic in his food which helps repel fleas (that is good for human use too if the fleas like eating you.) I just started giving him evening primrose in his food too which is actually marketed for women's health but it's suppose to help dogs with allergies. He's only been on it less than a week and it will take several weeks to see any results.

So if you want to go green with your pet care let me know. I have tons of info and can direct you in the right direction if I don't have an answer.

R.I.P. Mouse

It wasn't even 3 minutes Joe and I were in bed last night and we hear SNAP! I immediately said a prayer for our furry friend. Joe jumped up and headed out to the kitchen where he met Joey. I yelled "I don't want to hear any details! None!" As much as I wanted the rodent out of my house I wasn't crazy about kiling him. I overhear the boys talking how the trap didn't kill it so Joey wants to shoot with a gun. He took it outback and shot it. May the little rodent rest in peace now. I'm sorry he found our house as his home. If he would have just picked the shed instead of the house he could have stayed out there. Now to get rid of the squirrel party in my attic...

No Animal Testing on Halloween Candy

I received my weekly PETA newsletter and one of the articles caught my attention: Mars Inc., the maker of M&M's, Snickers, Twix, Dove, Three Musketeers, Starburst, Skittles, and other candies, has funded deadly animal tests.

I can't even begin to tell you the horrible stuff about animal testing. There is a video that highlights this I was going to post here in my blog but after watching half of it I had to turn it off. Yes I'm a sap for animals and this just breaks my heart. I love animals and I am for animal rights. Please visit this site to see for yourself.

This holiday season and forever please do not support Mars. Mars' top competitor, Hershey's, has pledged not to fund or conduct experiments on animals. So stock up on Hershey's to pass out on Halloween night.

Other major food corporations—including Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Ocean Spray, Welch's, and POM Wonderful—have also publicly ended animal tests after hearing from PETA.

The Mouse

This mouse that is living with us is one smart cookie! Joe finally put a mouse trap out last night with peanut butter as the bait. This morning I made him get up first to check it because if it was there I did not want to see it. It wasn't there. Turns out the little rascal did visit it because the peanut butter was gone! There wasn't one lick of it left! He licked it clean and the trap did not go off! Joe is showing it to me and how sensitive the trap is. He gave me a ruler and said touch it very softly. So I did and it snapped on the ruler and scared me! I screamed. It even chipped the ruler! That is one powerful trap. So Joe puts more peanut butter on it, reset it and put it in its place. In a way I really don't want to do this. I don't want the mouse dead I just want it out of my house. Yes I am a sap for animals. If you want to see just how much of a sap, read my blog from 10/2/08 titled 'Having Pets.' That will put it in perspective.

Our New Pet?

Many nights I will awake to the sound of little feet pitter-pattering thru the house. Well, the attic. The sounds of rodents. EEEWWWW! Actually I think it's squirrels because they tubble and run and yell at one another. It's a squirrel party in my attic. Joe keeps saying he will get rid of them but I've been hearing that for a year now. I don't want them dead I just don't want them in my house.

We have another furry addition to the rodent klan: a mouse. Well it may actually be a rat but a mouse sounds better so we will call it a mouse. Several months ago I wake up to Joey in the kitchen making too much noise for 2am. He was chasing a big, nasty, hairy rat. So he says. JayJay (the dog) has been trying to get it the past 2 months as well. He lives behind our cabinets so JayJay is trying to dig thru them but getting no where. Joe bought some stuff a few weeks ago to rid of the rodents. Guess where it is? It's still in the bag unopened in his pile of crap. So we remain to cohabit with these furry creatures.

Yesterday morning we had a run in with this mouse. I'm in the kitchen and happen to look up towards Joe in the office (which is the room next to the kitchen) and I see a small furry thing run under the desk. Joe comes to me and says "it's so cute. I found it all curled up in the towel in the media room." as he's also telling JayJay "get it boy! It's over here!" JayJay is going nuts. I'm staying as far away from the office as I can. A little while goes by, things are calmed down. I needed to make a copy. I go in the office. JayJay is still digging under the desk but his barks are gone. So I'm standing at our fax/scanner/copier waiting for my copy when the mouse runs out from underneath the stand (right at my feet!) runs thru the kitchen, jumps over Sara's feet (she is sitting on the kitchen floor playing with her phone). I scream, Sara screams. JayJay runs after the mouse as he flies behind the stove. I'm sure JayJay spent the entire day trying to get behind the stove. Shortly after that Sara and I left to start our day. What a way to get our morning going at 6:30am!

Having Pets

I am a huge animal lover. To the point that some think I am crazy. One time Joe and I were driving down the road and there was a lizard on the windshield. Joe's first thought was "turn the wipers on and watch it fly!" I scream "NNNNOOOOO!!!!!" In the end he ends up pulling over into a gas station and carefully removing the lizard by hand and putting him in the bushes. I was happy. Am I too animal crazy? Now when it comes to bugs, they are bugs not animals. Certain bugs could die especially roaches. EEEWWWWW! I will absolutely not go near one or touch one with a napkin. Even if it's dead. Another reason I have Joe.

This is one of my dogs, Polly. She's a Boston Terror. Yes terror, T-E-R-R-O-R, not a terrier. She is our psychotic dog. I also have a Jack Russell Terror. He is our crazy dogs. But I love them and they are great company and entertainment.

Last night was Sara and my weekly visit to the humane society. We volunteer there and help with the animals or where ever else is needed. We can take the animals out of their cages so they aren't cooped up all day. It is a lot of fun. Can be tiring cuz some of those dogs have some energy! There was this one little black Chihuahua that was so cute and loving. I stopped to see him every time I passed him. Except when I already had a dog with me. Then this little Chihuahua was so mean! He had split personalities! He definately has to be the only dog in the household. You know how they say the little dogs think they are big dogs but they are stuck in little bodies? Well, this Chihuahua definately thought he was a big dog!

So if you are ever in the market you want a pet please visit your local humane society first. Most the dogs that I've met there are all so nice and just want to be loved. In the 2+ months we've been volunteering I haven't met a mean dog. They are all just greatful to have someone take them out of their cages and play with them. Now the cats on the other hand....they are cats. Some want to play others just want to be catered too. But all in all, my point is adopt. Don't buy a pet from those pet stores. Many of them get their puppies from puppy mills which is bbaaadddd! Let's not support them. Oh yeah and yes I'm a supporter of PETA. Not necessary all of PETA because I'm not a vegetarian. But I am a firm believer in animal rights. My 2 dogs are part of my family. They are my kids. They get special dinners, treats and have a basket full of toys. They sleep in our beds and I talk to them like I would talk to Sara. The best part is they don't talk back! Except when JayJay (my JRT) is in his mood and growls at me. He's the devil. That's another story for another day.