Fundraisers for the Animals this weekend :)

If you are looking for ways to have fun AND help the animals, there is no shortage of events to pick from this weekend!  

• CAPS is coming back to the Middleton Market ... and will be there every Friday from 2 - 6 pm until the Market winds down in the fall.   Its a purrfect opportunity to meet some of their kitties and support the local farmers, crafts folk, wineries and florists :)
• SHAID is holding its Annual Yard Sale this weekend ... see poster below ... with so many delights they have had to rent two buildings!  As a sidebar note to that, today is the last day to drop of donations for this ... and I do believe that this year their Garden Booth will be open on Friday afternoon as well.
• On Sunday, The Lillian Albon Shelter in Amherst is holding the 2011 Jesse Payne Memorial Dog Walk from 2 - 4 pm at the Rotary Park in Amherst ... see poster below for more details.   Please note that people without dogs are very welcome to attend this event :)   Pledge sheets and registration forms are available on the shelter website
• The Friends of the Valley Animal Shelter will hold their Annual Plant Sale on Saturday, May 28 from 8:00 am-12:00pm at 36 Elm St Jefferson Pines Subdivision in Meadowvale, Annapolis County. For more information contact Jennifer @902 765 6629.  Note .. if you are not familiar with the area, Jefferson Pines is located just off the #1, just west of Greenwood and is very well signed :)
• the Annual Spring Giant Yardsale and Barbeque put on by 2nd Chance Charity is being held this Sat from 10 am - 2 pm in the parking lot of the Metro Shelter at 5 Scarfe Ct in Burnside.   They are in urgent need of volunteers to help set up on Friday after 3 pm and also still need folks for Saturday to man tables.  If you can volunteer, please click here.  If you're not familiar with 2nd Chance Charity .. they fundraise all year long at the Harbourview Market for the SPCA, SCARS, TAPA and Pick of the Litter.
• Pierre's Alley Cat Society is holding an auction being held at Big Leagues in Cole Harbour this Sunday, May 29 from 1-5pm. Tickets can be purchased at the door for $5 and it comes with the bidding paddle and a free pop or draft. There will be almost $10,000 in services and merchandise to bid on. There will also be a 50/50 draw, a basket draw and a loto ticket draw. Big Leagues is now at 920 Cole Harbour Rd.
• Don't want to drive anywhere?  Just want to putter in the garden or hang by the pool?   Then there are always the ever popular Facebook Auctions to amuse and delight :)

If for some reason I have missed anything .... please just leave a comment and I'll include it in this post :)

As you can see, there really is something out there for everyone this weekend!

If you haven't any charity in your heart, you have the worst kind of heart trouble. Bob Hope

In praise of full service

I hope that I never lose my enthusiasm for this time of year.  Buds bursting into full leaf.   Blossoms buzzing with drunken bees.   It is almost frosting on the cake that this bevy of beauty is a full sensory package complete with lovely scents to savour through the season.
From fresh cut grass and the first heady hit of lilacs through to the lingering earthy fragrance of fresh pulled winter carrots ... even if I should my sight should falter, I hope that I would keep my enthusiasm for gardening.
Hopefully it will always override the grubbier bits!  From bugs through to the hot sticky work of processing the harvest, gardening is dirty business!
In the three years that I have been doing the homeless pet site, Petfinder has really gained traction in the mainstream animal loving community.   Is that a good thing?  Of course it is!  
What a wonderful and beautiful and simple concept ... to provide a free online listing service to promote individual adoptable pets of all sizes and species and stripes!  ( The subject of how inappropriate their partnership with Kijiji is a testy topic deserving a post of its own on another day ... as is the inability of the society to advocate against purchasing pets online when they advertise on Kijiji themselves.)
Like it or not ... people are choosing their pets in the same way as they are buying their "things" ... online.  Why not?  Its simple.  Its easy.   Best of all, it gives them time to research what is available before engaging in the process.  
I'm getting a fresh perspective on this right now because somebody very near and dear to me is hoping to adopt a dog.  So how are the ads stacking up for him?
Coming out of the gate, he is amazed at the difference in the ads.  
He is only planning on getting one dog so he needs to know about things like separation anxiety.  He works ... so he is looking at adults who are already housetrained.
He will very likely want to bring his new pal along when he comes to visit me, so the dog will need to be ok with cats and other dogs.   This is going to be his first dog, so he needs to know if the training required is a match for his own skills.
His three year old grandson will visit occasionally, as will his four year old grand niece.  
The short version is that he isn't interested in any listing that doesn't offer this kind of information ... no matter how cute the pet is. 
Nor is he psychic.   If the pet isn't listed on petfinder ... he will not know that it is available.  Bear in mind that this is a guy with his own home and a good income who believes that pets are a lifetime commitment.  And he IS a guy ... so save your breath to cool your porridge about putting in a preapproved application :)
Truth be told ... he is the rule rather than the exception.  
As a sidebar note to that, although I try not to play favourites ... I am always impressed when rescues use creative ways to describe their adoptables.   One of the neatest new ideas I have seen in a while comes from (no surprise) Atlantic Small Dog Rescue.  They have added "wags" and "growls" at the end of their already detailed petfinder bios to sum up the best and the worst bits about each pet.
What time is it?  It is always time to understand the value of clarity ... and that time spent on a petfinder/ adopt a pet/ pet tango / rescue website pet listing is never, ever wasted.
We need to decide whether to give full service or lip service.   Peter Block   

Here comes the sun ....

To be perfectly honest, I have never been a big fan of driving.  Even back in the day when I had better vision, a car was always a utilitarian object with one specific purpose - to get from point A to point B.
These days I seldom drive further than Berwick or Middleton, so new acquaintances are understandably amazed to find out that I have actually driven cross country on postings.  
This morning, Miss Ruby and I went to the Berwick Animal Hospital for her annual checkup.  Even though it was a short simple good news checkup, the car was noticeably warmer we came back out, even with windows cracked open a couple of inches.  
According to the nifty weather station my brother gave me, its up to thirty now and I expect the mercury isn't done rising for the day. 
I know I've talked about it before, and actually have a page for Warm Weather Pet Safety Tips on the homeless pet site ... but it just seems to be one of those seasonal change things that seem to catch everyone by surprise. 
What time is it?  It is always, always time to remember that our pets are depending on us to keep them safe.

PS .. for downloadable, printable flyers and posters, go to My Dog is Cool

In praise of asking why not...

Looking for a fun destination for drive this Saturday?   Looking for a way to help the animals?   Then look no further.  This Saturday, PET Projects are holding their Spring into Pets family event and fundraiser.

Its no secret that I have a soft spot for PET Projects.  Although I try not to play favourites, its hard not to have a special affection for these very special folks.

They are as close to full service as it gets in this province.  What is their secret?  Do they have some magic millionaire footing the bills?  Not even close!

PET Projects takes a different tack ... and offers to partner with area residents who find strays / need to rehome their own pets / TNR feral cats / find their lost pet / rehome their chained dog or even just need a little help with food or vet costs to be able to keep the pets they love.   

There is no secret ... nobody has waved a magic wand ... it is simply a shining example of what beautiful things can happen when a rescue group really engages the community.  

What time is it?  It is always time to support the folks who are thinking outside the box for the animals.

'Some people see things as they are and ask 'why'? I see things as they have never been and ask 'why not'?' George Bernard Shaw

Update on The Mighty Quinn

I am happy to report that it was a big .... but very successful ... day for Quinn.  His foster Mom reports " Here is Quinn home from surgery with his lovely hat on (so he doesn't chew his stitches). He had 4 teeth pulled, 2 large molars and 2 in front that were full of hair from years of flea biting!

His neuter went well (he might not agree) and the tumour has been removed. We decided not to test it since Dr. Hall believes that all of it has been removed. It may have been cancerous but now he is free from it and is ready to heal.
Free to heal ... free to have fun .... free to finally learn the new skills needed for domestic bliss ... and free to find a kindred spirit who can appreciate the lifetime of love that Quinn has saved up.  

Comfy as an old slipper ....

I love rhubarb cobbler!   There is an upside to everything and this cold wet weather is at least good for growing rhubarb.   It will be a day or two before there is enough ready to stew, but it will be a treat to have nice hot cobbler to warm up with for lunch.
At least it is cool enough to put a good fire.  What is good for the garden is not always the best for arthritis ... as both Andy and I can attest.   Does that mean we are over the hill?  Not in the slightest!  If anything, exercise is more important for us to help manage our arthritis. 
But it does mean that we truly appreciate such creature comforts as a cozy fire.   When I first adopted Andy, it was clear that many of the nice little things were novelties to him.   
Contrary to the old adage, you CAN teach an old dog new tricks.  Or house rules.   Or obedience.  Or even housetraining for the ones who have had the short end of the stick being sentenced to life on the end of a chain.
Contrary to the old myth ... senior pets are actually wise enough to seize a second chance at love.  Andy and I are as devoted to each other as any pet who has been here since his or her youth, eh?
And contrary to the popular misconception ... senior pets do NOT become homeless because they are flawed in some way.  In some instances, they have simply outlived their caregivers.  Others are 'collatoral damage' for all the unhappier life events that can befall any family.  Nor did any pet who led a less desirable life ever choose to be ill treated.
I know I say it all the time on the senior pet site .. but the truth is that senior pets are never, ever too old to be loved.
For more information about any of the lovelies below, please visit The Nova Scotia Senior Pet Project or the NS Senior Pet Blog. 
What time is it?  It is always time to understand that there is nothing wrong with wanting an easy life ... and that adopting a senior pet can be one of the easiest bits of all.
Old dogs, like old shoes, are comfortable. They might be a bit out of shape and a little worn around the edges, but they fit well.   Bonnie Wilcox 'Old Dogs, Old Friends'  

How to make the ride worthwhile

I have always loved going to the woods with my dogs ... but it is a particular joy to be able to share that with these good dogs of mine who had such a hard start to life.

In their horrible old lives, they were struggling to survive.  Ruby was so starved she barely had the energy to stay alive.  Henry's history is a mystery, but the fact that it took a couple of years to build his confidence is very telling indeed.  Nor could it have been easy for a (then) 13 ish small dog with only two teeth to survive on his own :(

I know I say it all the time on the homeless pet site, but there really is more love than anyone can possibly imagine for those who adopt a homeless pet.  The reason I go on and on like a stuck record on the subject is that I am continually ... each and every day ... exposed to this joy first hand.

For those who might be thinking of starting this journey, East Coast German Shepherd Rescue is holding their monthly dog walk this Sunday, from 11 am til 1pm at Hemlock Ravine in Halifax.   Its a great opportunity to meet the dogs in person.  Even better, its a great way to see how they behave around other people and other dogs.  Best of all ... any time spent walking with a dog outdoors on any kind of spring day is always time well spent :)

When you open your home and your heart to a good dog from a foster based rescue ... you are actually saving two lives, because then there is room to help save another life.  Even better, their foster parents can actually tell you how the dogs behave in real life situations.  Best of all .. you are often able to bring home a pal who has already started learning good skills.

Love doesn't make the world go round.  Love is what makes the ride worthwhile.  Franklin P Jones