This is a most beautiful story (get out your tissues) that was shared with me by a wonderful DOG GRANDMA named Melinda
De Marb. A few things are changed around, but for the most part, this story is AS TOLD by Melinda. It was just too wonderful to change. So sit back, relax. read Izzy’s Story, and share it with others. I realize that PitBulls aren’t for everyone, but thank god for those whom they ARE! God Bless this family……and here we go…..

Izzy was picked up emaciated, roaming the streets on the west side of Beloit by Rock County Animal Shelter. She was taken to their site and she immediately tore at the heart strings of the staff, and (thank the creator) wasn’t put down. They nursed her back to health and stayed with them for a few months until they felt she was ready to be adopted.

My daughter, Heather Lee went up there for a meet-n-greet with a different dog. Once she met this dog, it wouldn’t even come to the front of the kennel to see her. She called me and I told her that obviously she wasn’t the right “human” for this particular dog and to meander through the floor and see if “she belonged to anyone else there”. Well, she found Izzy. She asked to take her outside and spent quite awhile with her outside. She knew then that Izzy was suppose to come home with her. Izzy was spayed the next day and came to spend her life with our family. The staff was tear-filled when she left with Heather.

Although, she was gentle with everyone, including the grandchildren from the very start, she at first would not even come out of her kennel. So, my daughter and I spent time with her in her kennel. There were some trials, she had terrible separation anxiety issues that have now come to pass. She also is deathly afraid of enclosed stair cases and anything resembling a “hitting” tool. Izzy also is not at all comfortable around other dogs. She gets defensive if another dog approaches her because she feels they are going to hurt her. So, she is an only child, and probably always will be.

“Izzy”, being a “dog fight ring” pup, will always carry the PHYSICAL scars of her previous life with the most prevalent being her cut off ears. But she NO longer carries the EMOTIONAL scars. She has transformed from a emontionally traumatized pit bull to a wonderful family “Nanny” pibble! Being a “LOCAL” fighting ring dog, she was featured in an article in a Rockford newspaper about adopting pit bulls. Between all the posters that are put up of her, and her family taking her many places, she shows that she is an ambassador for how forgiving, loving, and intelligent this breed is. She is living proof that even the pibbles who have been tortured, maimed and fought can be wonderful family animal companions. Izzy is a constant “LOCAL” reminder that even OUR city is plagued with dog fighting rings that need to be busted up and disbanded. She has brought awareness on many levels, to many people, that otherwise would still be “blind” to the horrors of dog fighting. So, adopt a rescued pit bull so they can “rescue” you. You will never regret it.

Izzy has gone from the horrors of being forced to fight other dogs, being beaten, breed, and starved to being a very spoiled pibble with her own room. She so deserves the life she has as do all animals. I feel honored to have her as my friend and companion, and take advantage of every opportunity to assist her in getting her message out.

Note from me: Again, I can’t thank Melinda enough for sharing this story. Hopefully it will help to take down some of the misconceptions about Pitts and remind us that even in “our own little towns” dog fighting can take place and needs help to be brought to an end.

It’s an EASY read. A read that continues to keep your interest, but doesn’t tire you out to read.
It’s about a DOG!! A Given!
It end’s up FULL Circle. I love when books and life do that.
I’ve always felt that in humans, everything happens for a reason, a purpose. After reading this, I feel the same is true for animals. They TRULY have a purpose!
It brought out some new ways to think about what my dog is thinking yet confirmed some of the things I always THOUGHT they were thinking!
Even though this book is fiction, you could TRULY believe it to be true.
After reading this, you will WANT to share it with other animal lovers…and DO!
You will DEFINITELY want to hug your dog (or even cat) and hold them close for just an extra few minutes.

AFter reading this, I have figured out my dogs purposes. Our beloved Lucy (R.I.P.) was meant to get my husband through one of the hardest times of his life, when his father passed away. She stood by his side, day after day, year after year, watching over him, nudging him for a pet when he was sad, sleeping next to him at night. Although she loved the rest of the family, and everyone around her, it was FOR HIM that she was put here on earth for. After she fullfilled her purpose, and at age 14, she passed away, knowing she had done her job.

My babygirl Molly, the Border Collie, was put here to bring us back to reality. To keep us from thinking too much about ourselves, to keep us exercised as we are getting older, to teach us to laugh at the little things in life, to give us something new to look foward to each day. She is a toddler still, so it brings back the “kid” in us. She is smart, loyal and will grow into a dog that continually amazes us both.

Thank you W. Bruce Cameron for writing a story that so many ages can enjoy. I hear you’ve got another book coming out the end of August, “Emory’s Gift” and I look foward to reading that also.

Here is a link to the books website, http://brucecameron.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=56&Itemid=64 and they are on Facebook too.

If any of you SaveAPett supporters have other Animal Books that you’ve read and loved, please leave a comment, with the name of the book. It’s always great to find NEW books about animals to read! Give an extra hug to your pet(s) today!

Meet Deb Peterson. A wife, mother, teacher, avid runner and SCARED OF DOGS! Well, let’s start at the beginning of this story. A bit after meeting Deb, she was considering ADOPTING a dog to help out with her children’s Fragile X Syndrome. Her Father In Law had told her that a dog could be her children’s one loyal friend, since the kids lack in social skills and maintaining peer relationships. She knew then that she had to get them a dog when he put it that way.

Aside from never owning a dog, she was very afraid of them. Shortly after her first child was born and the doctor had released her to exercise, she went for her first run post pregnancy. As she was running through her old neighborhood, 2 Australian Shepherd mix dogs ran after her and bit her on the leg. She was afraid of every dog after that and afraid to run without mace in hand. Deciding to overcome that fear, and as any good parent would do, she decided to get a dog for her children. With a little coaching from “Moi”( I was volunteering at my local shelter at the time), her husband and family went to the shelter and adopted Murray. Murray is a gorgeous Border Collie who’s face is irresistible.

Deb at first was timid around him, and unsure of what to expect. Murray did need some training, and being the responsible pet parents that Deb and her husband Rick are, they took him to training classes. In no time at all, Murray had overcome some of his fears, and Deb had overcome most of hers. Murray’s intelligence and trainabilty made this journey a success, and the children loved him too. In no time Murray became a part of the family, and Deb had become….A DOG OWNER! Being an avid runner, she started taking Murray with her as her running partner. They both got what they needed. Exercise, stress relief, and the love of the run.

Now, let’s move forward a bit. This lady, who was unsure of owning “a” dog, now decides to take on ANOTHER dog that is in need of a home. Now THAT is good progress. And….now there are TWO! Murray and Shelby.

Shelby is a lab mix, and like Murray, quickly became a part of the family. Deb knew the right way to introduce a new dog into the family, as she had read up and talked to people about bringing another dog in. This is now a new chapter in her life as a dog owner. She also slowly added Shelby to the pack of runners. Now Deb runs with two dogs, all of them enjoying the benefits of running and togetherness.

And now, we can look at “today”. What do YOU think it holds? If you said another dog, well, the best way to put it is “and now there are THREE”. Another dog has moved in “temporarily” and as you can see in the picture and A TRUE PACK LEADER IS Born!

This story makes me happy for so many reasons. One of course, animals being ADOPTED! THAT is a GIVEN! But it’s also a story of courage. Of overcoming your fears, for the better of others, to seeing a miracle happen in so many ways. When we are unsure of things, and do not know what the outcome will be, it can be scary. But if you talk to others, read up on your worries, give yourself the “YES, I CAN DO IT” attitude, nothing but GOOD can come of it. And Deb is proof of that. Her children have dog friends for life, and through ADOPTION she gave some animals another chance AT LIFE. I also THANK her so much for being a RESPONSIBLE pet owner, and letting me share a quick version of HER STORY! And off they go…onto another run!

This is just one of many HAPPY TAILS to be heard, and I hope to bring more of them to my website. Gotta great animal story for me, email me at Lcpooch1@aol.com and maybe I’ll share yours too!

Recently I had a 50th birthday party…yeah, I’m moving up in years, down on the slide….However, I decided to celebrate my birthday as well as SaveAPett’s 2 year birthday. I asked all my guest to forget the cards, gag gifts, etc and donate some dog or cat food instead. Can I just say that I have THE MOST GENEROUS FAMILY AND FRIENDS!!!!! They rallied together and brought in (some in gift bags, some on shoulders, some even HOLISTIC) 174 lbs of food. Can you say HUMBLED!!!!

SaveAPett donated all the food to a local pantry called Kibble Korner. www.kibblekorner.com It’s located in the Rock River Valley Food Pantry, but enables people “in need” to feed their pets, to keep them from having to be relinquished to a shelter. This BRAINCHILD is just one more way (i.e. spaying, neutering, microchipping) to keep dogs from having to “Live the sheltered life”. It not only feeds people with the food pantry, but feeds their animals too. How great is that! My local tv station (Kudos to WREX TV Channel 13 in Rockford, Illinois) even did a short video on it. Promoting using “special occasions” where people can ask for donations for WHATEVER cause in near and dear to their hearts, instead of gifts, to donate. Especially when an organization is not State or Government run, and relies soly on donations.

Donating brings a special feeling that you can’t describe. It’s like buying a scratch off ticket, and winning, only not only do YOU win but your “cause” does too. A DOUBLE WHAMMY, a WIN=WIN, a feeling of “wonderful” because you know it’s going to help in it’s own way. I hope that by reading this, it makes YOU want to find a way to donate. Whether it be by a special event where you ask for donations, or setting up a food drive, getting scouts and brownies involved, having a yard/garage sale and donating the profits. There are SO MANY ways you can donate, and it will reward you in ways you never knew possible. The old saying goes “Pay It Foward”…means more then you can imagine. If you smile at someone, they will smile at you. If you see a donation that makes you happy, YOU will in turn donate something to. Follow suit, give to those in need!

Thank you to all my family and friends…for without YOU, SaveAPett could not do the things that it does. I help the animals, but it’s YOU that makes it happen! One last time…Pay It Foward, DONATE, no matter what it is….because those in need, appreciate it. And you can affect a person or animal in ways that you will never even know!

How Cats Play ~
By 4 weeks of age, kittens practice four basic techniques: play fighting, mouse pounce, bird swat, and fish scoop. The first play displayed by kittens is on the back, belly-up, with paws waving. Feints at the back of a sibling’s neck mimic the prey-bite used to dispatch mice (toy or real). Kittens also practice the simpering sideways shuffle, back arched high, almost tiptoeing around other kittens or objects. Soon, the eye-paw coordination improves to execute the pounce, the boxer stance, chase and pursuit, horizontal leaps, and the face-off where kittens bat each other about the head. These skills falls into the following play cat-egories:

Social play refers to games with others. That can be wrestling with littermates, playing tag with other pets, or ambushing the ankles of a favorite human. Social play reaches its peak in kittens aged 9 weeks to 16 weeks, and decreases thereafter. Adopt two kittens together to avoid becoming a target of kitten play aggression.

Object play is interaction with toys–and for a kitten, everything is potentially a toy. Chasing, pawing, clawing and capturing are the names of the games. Movement and sound stimulates play behavior, so choose lightweight, easy-to-bat-around toys that make interesting noise. Try a ping-pong ball in an empty tub. That helps prevent ” gravity experiments” when cats push breakables off high shelves to see what happens.

Self-directed play such as tail chasing or pouncing on imaginary objects is thought to be a replacement for social play when a play partner isn’t available.

Locomotory play simply means the cat is in motion. That can involve solo play of running and pouncing on imaginary targets or involve others.

- Play helps kittens develop eye-paw coordination and strengthen muscles. Adult cat play keeps tubby tabbies trim.

- During play, kittens learn the feline rules of the road. They learn to inhibit tooth and claw, and that chomping on their own tail hurts.

- Play teaches kittens about their world. They learn cause-and-effect through play, i.e. that swatting a wad of paper sends it bouncing away.

- Playing together reinforces social bonds. Because your cat considers you its best friend, playing with it strengthens the bond you share. Interactive toys like feather wands and fishing pole lures teach the cat that you are the source of fun.

- Cat play relieves stress and tension. It allows hissed-off cats to release energy in a legal, productive way by stalking and “killing” that arrogant toy mouse instead of your toes under the covers. Directing claws at legal scratch objects lets cats vent while preserving your furniture.

- Play boosts the confidence of shy cats when they capture the feather lure at the end of a fishing-pole toy. The cat can stay a safe distance but still have fun. Play distracts fearful cats in scary situations like a new house. And play changes cat-titude about strangers so there’ s a benefit to interaction.

- Play exercises the mind as well as the body. Playing with adult and senior cats lubricates the mind to reduce the chance for kitty Alzheimer’s.

Play is serious business for cats. In a stress-filled world, we all benefit from a daily dose of giggles. Take a lesson from your kitty and find time to play every day.

(Below is a reprint from Pawnation about a wonderful volunteer group that goes into disasters and aids animals. What a great organization that I had not heard about before. Volunteers are needed if this is something you could do! )

During a hurricane, fire or flood, the first priority of rescue personnel is to get people to safety. But what about the pets and other animals left behind? Who takes care of them? Enter Noah’s Wish, an organization founded in 2002 with a single mission: to provide rescue and recovery for animals during disasters.

When the call goes out, volunteers from all over the country arrive within 10 hours to begin caring for affected animals. They commonly go into areas with no power, no water, flooded streets, toxic debris all around and animals in desperate need of help. The animals may suffer from burns, smoke inhalation, wounds, infection, injury, exposure, dehydration, hunger, parasites and toxins. Pets may be lost, scared, and running and swimming through dangerous polluted streets. But Noah’s Wish volunteers have been trained to help.

There are 1,500 unpaid trained volunteers and two paid employees at Noah’s Wish who are ready to help when emergencies arise. Veterinary care, vaccinations and emergency services are provided free.

When something bad happens, California-based Noah’s Wish contacts animal service providers in the affected area to get the invite to help, then rescuers find a location to set up “MASH”-style hospitals and shelters, throw up fences and gather supplies to handle the dogs, cats, horses and other pets that soon are brought into the triage stations. In just 11 weeks after Hurricane Katrina, 1,974 animals were cared for by Noah’s Wish volunteers. Noahswish.org “It is the most rewarding thing I have ever been involved in,” says longtime volunteer Charlie Crosby, who has proudly rescued animals since 1999 from 13 fires, three hurricanes and multiple floods. “The adrenalin rush when you get the deployment notice usually lasts three days, so you are using that energy to function. You just go into overdrive, applying all the things you know to get the shelter up and running.

“Then there is the team camaraderie. We only get to work together at a disaster, so it may have been a year or two since we last saw each other. It is the best feeling in the world to be able to come together as a fantastic team and do the job at hand … rescuing and sheltering animals in disasters.”

Because Noah’s Wish operates on the front lines of dangerous situations, volunteering is serious business. Training courses are three-day-long camping trips in which volunteers pack all of their own gear and train for a variety of emergency situations. They learn pet CPR, animal first aid, triage and intake so they can be ready to act the next time disaster strikes. “We always need people,” says Crosby. If you want to volunteer, just sign up online and attend the next training course.

If you aren’t quite up for that level of commitment or don’t have the flexibility to mobilize at a moment’s notice, Noah’s Wish is always looking for food, supplies and local drivers with vehicles.

For a list of needed items, go to www.noahswish.org. For disaster help during emergencies, call 916-939-9474. For nonemergencies, e-mail info@noahswish.info.

Below is an article from Bark Magazine. I absolutely agree with what this homeless shelter is doing, and hope by reposting, someone else will see it, and pass it on. If enough people pass it on, maybe another homeless shelter will pick up the idea. What an amazing concept…don’t you think? Please enjoy, leave a comment, or just pass it on! Together, we can make good things happen!

I think that dogs have an innate ability to bring out the best in us. Over the last year, I’ve written about dogs calming humans testifying in court, putting patients at ease in the doctor’s office, and even helping people meet new significant others. Now, dogs are helping residents open up to staff members at a Boston, Mass., homeless shelter, while increasing their own adoptability in return.

About a year ago, Barbara Davidson, head of a homeless shelter and support organization in Massachusetts called Pine Street, was working with a man who suffered from paranoia. He refused treatment, but knowing he loved dogs, Barbara began volunteering with him at the local animal shelter to help him feel more comfortable. He loved the work so much that he asked Barbara to let him bring one of the dogs back to Pine Street.

Barbara soon found that having a dog at Pine Street helped residents to open up and build trust with the staff. Now, Pine Street fosters six dogs.

The residents at Pine Street can relate to the homeless dogs, developing a strong bond. They also provide the dogs with socialization and training, making the pups more attractive to adopters. A very cool win-win for all involved.

(Reposted from Change.org)

“Puppy mills” are large-scale commercial operations where dozens of dogs are kept in small cages for their entire lives, forced to give birth to litter after litter until they’re no longer fertile, at which point they’re usually killed. Puppy mills are unsafe, inhumane, and produce thousands of puppies with serious health problems every year. Now, puppy mills have found a national vendor: eBay.

A few years ago, eBay had plans to sell animals via online auction. Responsible breeders would never sell dogs via online auction, so this would have resulted in the site becoming a haven for puppy mills. eBay users and anti-cruelty activists spearheaded — and won — the fight to prevent eBay from selling live animals. But now all that’s changed.

Despite eBay’s claims that it “do[es] not condone unethical treatment of animals,” eBay now allows puppy mills to sell dogs in its classified section. This practice enables flagrant cruelty to dogs, and it has to stop. Tell eBay to shut down its sales of cruelly treated puppies and all live animals.

Puppy mill dogs spend their entire lives in small wire cages, without companionship, and often without vet care, exercise or shelter from the elements. As far as puppy mill owners are concerned, the dogs have one purpose: to supply the pet trade. The USDA recently admitted that they’ve failed to effectively monitor commercial breeders and puppy mills. When it comes to sites like eBay Classifieds, it’s even worse: Breeders who sell directly to customers online aren’t subject to any USDA regulations.

The best chance we have to shut down puppy mills is to hold vendors accountable. Click here to tell eBay to shut down all live animal sales immediately: Copy and Paste the Link Below:

http://www.change.org/petitions/ebay-classifieds-stop-selling-live-animals?alert_id=JhDDcGIQNR_jIxRAiGgZL&me=aa

Thanks for taking action!! We ARE their VOICE!!

That question is asked by many I’m sure. I know I’ve asked it a time or too myself. I kept thinking, ‘I’d like to help but I don’t have the time, or the money, or the resources, or the creativity”…..excuses! It’s not that I didn’t TRULY love and want to help animals, it’s that I didn’t know where to start. Well, let me give you a few ideas, so you can throw your EXCUSES (like I did) out the door.

1) Volunteer at your local shelter or rescue. The first step for me to do this was signing up, and the second step was to go to the meeting. Once you’ve done those two things, your questions will be answered. Like how many hours you need to put in (as many as you can or want to). And how will I know what to do (they will train you). What should I expect (you will be told, and then realize there is SO MUCH more that is GIVEN to you when you volunteer).

2) Do a fundraiser. This can be anything from a Kissing Booth at a fair, to recycling ink and toner. From selling candy bars to doing a dog wash. There are a MILLION ideas out there and all you have to do is find the one that fits you. Just Google “dog or animal” fundraiser ideas and I’m sure you’ll find something.

3) Sell a Hobby. Do you have a craft or hobby that can make something to benefit for animals? Something that you really love to make. This can be from Bandanas, to clothes, to photo’s, to ID tags, there are so many creative and crafty ideas out there for you people.

4) Start a side charity or business (like I did with SaveAPett). Start small with an idea in your head. For me it was blogging. Although I don’t do that blog anymore, it got me started meeting other animal lovers and thinking about what my next step would be. Which was starting a website and selling just one logo on t-shirts only. Now I have developed MANY logo’s, many adoption wear items (Sweathshirts, hoodies, hats, etc) and find new ideas to sell everyday.

The point is you just have to find the niche that fits YOU and then go for it! With so many great ideas out there, and your own creativity and willingness to help, you will figure it out. Everything that I sell, any money above the costs of the adoption wear and hosting/website fees gets donated to needy animal organizations throughout the United States. But that’s just my thing. You can donate to your favorite organization locally too. The thing is to JUST DO IT!!!!

It’s not only fun and REWARDING, but it will make you feel good about yourself and the animals you are helping. Believe me when I say, the lives you can help save, will forever THANK YOU!!

Everyday with My Adopted Molly is a new adventure. Not only for us, but for her too. Being a puppy, EVERY day is something new to learn. Right now there is nothing more joyous, then to see her frolicking in the snow, putting her whole head into it, then coming up with a freshly snowed face. It makes me smile and warms my heart that this puppy who spent her first months of life in a cage, is now free to frolick. I wish this life for EVERY shelter animal.

There are also things to UN-learn too, like barking. Molly has a very LOUD, shrill bark, and when she sounds off, she means business. That’s great for when needed, but, I didn’t want her barking at every thing that moves. Since she spends a lot of her time looking out the sliding glass doors, she barks A LOT! Ugghh!! A friend suggested to me that I try his “Indoor Bark Control” item that he purchased at Menard’s for $39.00. It basically justs puts a high pitched sound in their ears when they bark. Well, if you read my posts, then you KNOW that I am a “mom” and worry about everything that might “hurt” my dog. I tell you, I was scared to try it for “fear” she would cower, and go into a fit, and never love me again..and..and..and………
Well, then I tried it and got OVER IT! IT worked like a charm for her. When she barks, it picks up the sound and puts a 2-3 second loud pitch that only she can hear. It only took two times, and she was a new dog. She looked at me like “what the hell was that” the first time, and the second time decided that was “enough of that” and quit barking. To be honest, she wouldn’t come near it for about an hour, then that passed and now she’s fine with it. There is no collar required, just set it out within 25 feet or range, and keep the 9 volt battery in it. It picks up automatically, or you can press the button manually too. Now, I don’t even have the battery in anymore, it just sits out on the ledge. FANASTIC!

So, there’s no guarantee that this product will work for all dogs, but it did work for mine. And I truly believe that she is less stressed now that she’s not barking constantly. Don’t be afraid to try new products with your new (hopefully adopted) pets, as they not only can help YOU, but can also relieve your pet from their unwanted behaviours.

ADOPTION is the OPTION, ADOPT don’t SHOP, Don’t Let Them Live The Sheltered Life…….give a dog a home!