by Contributor on September 2, 2010
By Maria Smith*
To say that my husband and I are dog people is putting it mildly. When we first started seeing each other, one of our favorite dates was watching other people’s pups frolic at one of New York City’s many dog runs. We didn’t have the time or money for our own dogs, so this was a cheap and simple vicarious pleasure.
 Nutleigh at the beach. (Photo courtesy of Maria Smith) My husband grew up with German Shepherds, and I grew up with Yorkshire Terriers, and we’d debate the merits of each. It was a safe way to talk about the differences in our personalities and upbringings, as the gruff-but-softhearted Shepherd and the small-but-fiesty Yorkie mirrored our own identities.
Many dog run visits and 8 years later, we got married. We took our time because we were ambivalent about having kids. At first, neither of us wanted them. But blame my biological clock and our exceptionally cute nieces and nephews — a few years into our courtship I decided that maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to have a baby, after all.
Some days my husband agreed. Some days, he didn’t. We struck an uneasy truce, and decided the most important thing was to be together, kids or no kids.
And then came Nutleigh. In 2007, a year after we married, my husband got me a dog for my birthday. While she was technically my present, it was clear from Day 1 who she loved best. Full of energy, she loved roughhousing with my husband, something I wasn’t used to. (Not a good idea to scrap it up with perfectly groomed, five pound toy terriers.) Read more.
by Daniela on September 2, 2010
by Daniela on September 2, 2010
I’m so looking forward to watching ‘My Dog Tulip.’ Christopher Plummer and Isabella Rossellini voice the animation — a story of friendship between an an elderly bachelor and his German Shepherd, now in the theaters.
It’s based on the memoir by British author J.R. Ackerley, illustrated by the husband-and-wife team of Paul and Sandra Fierlinger.
Watch the trailer…
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by Daniela on September 1, 2010
Surf Dog Ricochet, who has won several surf dog contests to raise awareness and funds for human and animal causes, teamed up with Endless Pools to make a brain-injured two year old’s dream come true.
 Ricochet catching some waves. (Photo courtesy of Ricochet) A $11,000 therapy pool will be delivered to Finnley in the next couple of weeks as part of Ricochet’s fund raiser for her.
Finnley was born with brain damage because oxygen was cut off to her brain during delivery. She was expected to live up to 72 hours, but 2 years later she is still here, willing to go on. Her brain damage caused cerebral palsy, seizures and vision impairment. She can’t walk or talk. But she appreciates live very much. She is even fond of classical music.
Her cerebral palsy tightens her muscles, but when in a pool, she’s able to move her arms and legs. Her parents have been saving to purchase a therapeutic swimming pool, so Finnley can get the daily therapy she needs, but who knows how long it would take for them to raise $ 11,000.
When Ricochet heard about their situation, she started fundraising for Finnley right away. Ricochet came up with the idea of calling Endless Pools to see if the company would be willing to help her make Finnley’s dream come true even sooner.
The company offered a 60% discount. The funds Ricochet raised, coupled with the discount meant the family only had to come up with $2560, which they had in an account from previous fundraising they’ve done.
Finnley’s mom, Care, was in tears when she heard the news. And even though Finnley doesn’t talk, she broke out into a huge smile. Thank you, Ricochet and Endless Pools for being so compassionate!
by Daniela on September 1, 2010
A bit more information on the recent Iams cat food recall. Procter & Gamble is voluntarily recalling bags from a specific lot of one of its dry cat food products due to potential salmonella exposure.
No illnesses have been reported. Here is the information on the food affected by this announcement:
| Product Name |
Version |
Code Date |
UPC Code |
| Iams Indoor Weight Control with Hairball Care dry cat food |
6.8 lb bag |
02304173 (B1-B6) |
1901403921 |
The company traced and retrieved nearly all affected products and estimates that fewer than 60 bags from this production run may have been purchased. Read more.
by Daniela on September 1, 2010
Marnie, a blue Indian Ringneck parrot, talks to a cockatiel on this super cute video. (It’s a pity it’s a bit out of focus.)
Marnie says “hello”, and “You’re so, you’re so cute!” several times. Later he demands the cockatiel to give him a kiss. He leans in for a kiss, makes kiss sounds and then delivers a big “Wheeee!”.
If you like this video, bookmark Marnie’s official web site. Soon it will carry other videos.
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