Tag Archives: shelters

Animals Bring Out the True Altruists

Yesterday I was reading a copy of Woman’s World. They always have this “What’s Does X Say about Your Personality?” section. If you’ve never seen it, basically they pose a question and give you five or six options to chose from. For instance, sometimes it’s what does your handwriting say about you? Then you pick which style most closely matches yours. Or which color do you prefer? Again, you pick and read what it says. If You Give Holiday Gifts to Animals… This last one was “What does your holiday gift giving style say about you?” One of the selections … Continue reading →

National Dog Day: Got $5 Bucks?

I’d heard of Take Your Dog to Work Day but I had not heard of National Dog Day. I came across it on one of the lists I check periodically to find pet and/or animal celebration days to write about. Well, the reason I had never heard about it before is because it’s relatively new. If I lived in California, specifically near Malibu, I might have heard about it sooner. National Dog Day events are taking over Calamigos Ranch in Malibu today with activities like Most Beautiful Male and Female, a “Little Dog” Model Search for dogs 25 pounds and … Continue reading →

Meet the Josephs

Tucker Joseph with his Aunt Court and Uncle Wayne Labor Day Weekend 2006 I’d like to introduce you to some very dear friends of mine, the Josephs: Michael, Karen and Tucker, the 80 pound wonder dog. (a.k.a. Murphy’s best friend.) When we lived in Jacksonville, the Josephs lived at the top of our block. They moved into their house right around the same time we moved into ours. I remember thinking as I’d see Karen walk Tucker up and down our street, “My golly, that’s a big dog for that lady. I hope she can handle him.” Well, of course … Continue reading →

Get Your Orange On: ASPCA Day!

I’m in a little bit of a pickle. Today is the ASPCA’s 141st birthday and they’re celebrating it with what I’m calling an “Orange Campaign.” They’re encouraging everyone to help them spread awareness and show support by donning as much orange as possible. I’m not sure why orange. I believe because it’s the organization’s colors, but I couldn’t find anything to confirm that. I don’t have a lick of orange in my wardrobe. (Something that most Tennesseans do own, thanks to the Vols. However, I’m not from this area originally as we only moved here in 2005, nor am I … Continue reading →

The Sam Simon Foundation and the “Dog Nut”

More and more as I get older I find myself getting a little bit jaded about the world we live in. Too much of a gap between the haves and the have nots, too many who are in positions to do good with their fame and/or wealth but don’t, too much emphasis on the negative, etc. But every once in a while I stumble across a story of good that renews my faith in people. On Sunday night I ran across such a story while watching 60 Minutes. Morley Safer did a piece called “Meet Sam Simon, The Dog Nut.” … Continue reading →

The Sad (?) Tale of Gordon Lee

Yesterday my friend Kim sent me an email with a link to the website for 9 News, a news station in Denver, Colorado. The subject of her email read: “This is so sad.” My heart instantly dropped, because not too long ago Kim had to put her dog Caddis to sleep. She still had trusty dog Rusty, though, so when I saw her email my first thought was something had now happened to him. Instead, accompanying her link was this question: “Why do people do such things?” I clicked on the link to read about a poor little Lhasa Apso … Continue reading →

Six Gifts for Both Your Valentine and Endangered, Neglected, and Homeless Animals

Are you planning on buying your sweetheart a Valentine’s Day present this year? Having trouble finding just the right gift that says how much you love her (or him)? Why not consider one of the following then? Not only with your sweetie get a special gift, so will animals in need of help. Flowers • PetsMart Charities Flower Club: If you’re a traditionalist who expresses your love with a bouquet, this is for you. Choose from a variety of professional, florist-delivered, arrangements. And have the satisfaction of knowing part of the profits goes to saving a pet’s life! Chocolate • … Continue reading →

Five Non-Cash Ways to Help Animals/Shelters this Holiday Season

This is the time of year when giving and helping is foremost on everyone’s minds. It’s natural to feel a little more generous and charitable right now, and many with pets want to help animals less fortunate than their own. However, sometimes the desire to give outweighs the means. If cash is tight there are still other ways you can contribute: 1) Time: Commit to spending an hour every week (or every other) at a shelter. Shelters are always looking for volunteers for a variety of jobs. (Not just for cleaning up, but for extra help during fundraising events, rescue … Continue reading →