Busy with the holidays? Rushing here? Rushing there? More importantly, have you bought my present yet? If not, you have a few more days. . .
I am feeling the pressure myself, and am quickly whittling down my "Things I want to do list" to the "things I have to do" list. That Martha Stewart- she makes the holidays look so easy, doesn't she?
I was under the gun to get the December issue of Shelter Pet Magazine into the App store before they go on holiday schedule. I had to correct a lot of the photos, like the one on the left, to make it look like the one on the right. Nobody can adopt what they can't see. . .:)
So I uploaded the file, and it hit a snafu. The photos came out wrong and none of the links worked.
It has taken until today to get it sorted out and it works now.
This issue is available for iPads and iPhones in the App store.
It is also available at MagCloud . com . At MagCloud, you can buy the digital version to read on your ipad with the MagCloud App, download the PDF to your computer or to sync with a tablet, or read it on your computer with their web viewer.
The November Issue of Shelter Pet Magazine finally went live today in the App Store/ Newsstand for iPads and iPhones. The App is here at iTunes.
The issue is also available at MagCloudif one wants to purchase the PDF file instead. You can read that on your computer, or download the file to your tablet if you happen to have an Android tablet.
Picking out the ones to feature was fun, not just because of their photos, but their names- Fuzz Aldrin, Fava Bean, Pop Tart, and Luke Skywalker.
There is also a PDF download that is my gift to you if you happen to purchase the issue. It's for tolerating my poor grammar and bad sentence structures, lol. I'm no English Major, I'll admit it.
Hello all. This isn't my story, but it is one that is too good to not share. Kaylee Greer is a pet photographer in the Boston area. She often photographs homeless pets at shelters to help find them a home. Her website is here.
This is her photo and her story. You'll need a tissue, but it is one of those stories that will make you cry, and smile at the same time.
Meet Miss Coco.
The other day, the most wonderful thing happened.
It was Halloween, so I brought costumes up to the MSPCA and spent the
day dressing up the adoptables and photographing them for their
PetFinder profiles. On the way home from the shelter, I had to stop at
PetSmart to get Joshua a bag of food. As I was walking in the door, I
noticed a woman making her way towards the checkout with her arms full and
fumbling with the dog on the other end of the leash she was holding. On
the other end of that leash was the world's sweetest looking, old and
grey Pointer mix. My heart just about melted when I saw her.
Just as they were passing by me, that sweet old pup must have decided
she couldn't hold it any longer and stopped short to have an accident.
The woman who was holding the dog looked so frazzled and upset that I
offered to help. I told her not to worry about the pee, that I noticed
she had her arms full and that I would take care of the cleanup for her,
as I knew right where the paper towels were kept. I smiled and said
'when you gotta go, you gotta go!'. The woman thanked me profusely and
stayed with the puddle until I arrived with some paper towels. As I was
cleaning up the pee, the woman began to apologize and explain 'She has
been having trouble holding her bladder, and lately there has been blood
in it.' I could hear the profound and solemn sadness in her voice when
she said 'She is my best friend and she is 18 years old.'
At
that moment, I looked up at the woman and saw the tears begin to form in
her eyes. She continued, 'I live with my son, and today we decided
together that it's finally time to let her go.' She went on 'I am
picking her up from being groomed right now because we wanted her last
week with us to be special and for her to feel comfortable.'
It was at this point that I began to cry too. Right in the middle of
PetSmart. With a stranger that I had only met 60 seconds before. We
talked about the way that dog's touch our lives, and how some come into
our world and when they leave - we're never ever the same. We talked
about the purity of the love of a canine, their endless selflessness,
their unwavering loyalty and joy. And that's when I had a thought. I
said 'This is sort of a strange question - but do you have any beautiful
photos of Coco? I mean really nice ones that you will remember her by?'
Her eyes closed for a moment, and she said 'No, I suppose not.' And
that's when I told her who I am - what I do. I said 'I am a professional
pet photographer, and I just happen to have all of my camera gear
loaded up in the back of my car right now because I'm on my way home
from a shoot at the shelter. Do you and Coco have 10 minutes to spend
with me outside?'
So we went outside together, and just within
the confines of the modest little median in the PetSmart parking lot, we
made some memories of Coco. When I showed her one of the images on the
back of my camera's LCD, she lost herself to tears. And then, so did I.
She hugged me with an intense gratitude that I have never felt before. I
gave her my card and told her to expect an email with Coco's images
very soon. I looked down at Coco with a meaningful gaze and ended our
interaction with a kiss to her graying snout.
It's moments
like those that make me grateful to have the privilege of doing what I
do. If I am able to take the joy in one tiny moment, and freeze it in
time so that somebody can keep it by their heart forever - then I
consider myself the luckiest girl in the world. I think serendipity
played a thoughtful hand in my meeting Coco and her Mom that day, and I
am so grateful that I could give her a part of her sweet girl to hold on
to forever.
It's almost 2 months late, but it finally went live today. And the app says it is compatible with iphones and ipod touch. I am not sure how convenient it is to read a magazine on an iphone, but if it works, that is a nice and unplanned benefit.
It is still available at MagCloud.com if someone wants to read it on their computer, or download the pdf to read on their Android tablet.
Here's the Link to the App Store. If you download it, and you like it, please take a few minutes to rate it or leave a comment in the App store. I think it helps with visibility, and the more people that read it, maybe that'll be more homes, or foster homes, for homeless pets.
Have a nice weekend. Cheer on the Dawgs in Jacksonville if you happen to be at the World's Largest Cocktail Party.
The Sept issue of Shelter Pet Magazine has turned into a late October issue. I thought I was being careful about which company I chose to publish the App in the first place. I chose wrong. It has been one delay after another . . . Apple was billing people in the App store, but the company wasn't delivering the magazine. The company had outsourced the project to someone in Germany who refused to look for the problem, and kept saying the App worked perfectly. So I had no choice but to pull the App from the App store. Anyone want to buy several unused Apps? only slight defective? it'll only cost a few thousand dollars for the set. . .
But I found another company to put the App together correctly for the App Store. It should be in Apple Newsstand in a few days. So if you have an iPad you might want to wait on that version.
If you don't have an iPad, the issue IS also available at MagCloud.com
On MagCloud you can do a few things. You can read it on your iPad with MagCloud's iPad App. You can read it on your computer with their WebViewer. If you download the PDF, the hyperlinks will work from your computer. You can also read the downloaded PDF on an Android tablet if you have one of those. So you'ze got options.
The photos are low resolution, designed for a digital publication, so I would avoid the printed version all together.
Shelter Pet Magazine is dedicated to helping homeless pets find a home. To advocate and encourage adoptions and fostering, and to help rescue groups place their rescues so other pets can be saved. You'll also meet people behind the scenes using their time and talent to make help make a difference. This particular issue was designed for digital publication. Some of the photos are low resolution and will be grainy if printed. Some of the…
While it might appeared that I have died, from the lack of blog posts, it isn't true. I am still here.
I came across this today and wanted to share it. It's a simple idea but could be really helpful for lots of dogs. Some dogs need their space, for whatever reason. I had a Great Dane as a patient and kids in public made him nervous. Especially if the kids were loud, excited to see him, wanted to hug him, or they had some physical challenge or a mental or emotional disability.
They made him nervous and his owners had to be extra careful with him in public, if they were traveling, to keep someone from getting bit.
The Yellow Dog Project would have been perfect for him.
If you remember a long, long, long time ago- in the 1990's- you'd remember my first dog, Jezabelle. She was old and had to be put to sleep in November 1999 with cancer. She was little pit mix, white with a patch over part of her face and eye. She was a pound dog. The hospital, where I was working at the time, served as a holding facility for the city animal control officer. Had a home. Didn't have a home. Tied to a tree. and eventually made her way back to the veterinary hospital, a few months later, only because of her Rabies tag on her collar.
It seemed like it was meant to be, so I ended up keeping her.
Below is my business card that I still use today.
So when I saw this girl below, you know who I immediately thought of.
This is Fancy. She is a from a animal shelter on the other side of Athens, about an hour away.
6 years old. 55 lbs. Obviously has had several litters of puppies.
She was running out of time and options. So I contacted a local rescue group to foster her for them.
She was surrendered by her owner, so I was told that she is about 6 years old. For 6 though, she has a rather young spirit and a sweet soul. She's had a couple of medicated baths for her skin, and will probably be getting spayed the end of this week or maybe the first of next week.
If you want to see all her photos, click on these links to see the Flickr sets. Set 1.Set 2. Set 3.
This is Zorro. He was brought in the other day for euthanasia because his hair was matted. There is (was) too much cat hair in his house according to his owner, and her landlord. ( Never mind that there is another cat and a Yorkie dog that live there too. Booooo. )
He's about 12 years old according to the owner. He went to the vet for his vaccinations 11 years ago. (Boooo some more.)
Me- Is he sick?
Her- No.
Me- You've lived there for 3 years plus. Does he have to leave today?
Her- Yes.
Me- Have your tried to find him another home?
Her- No.
Me- And your other dog and cat is fine to stay there?
After His Haircut
Her- Yes.
Okay, got it. I'll stop asking questions before I blow a gasket.
She let me keep him to see if I can re-home him with someone who appreciates him.
He seems like a really quiet cat. Would be perfect for an older person who might not want to deal with the antics of a kitten or a younger cat. I think he prefers inside. I am not sure he is happy about living in a cage though, even temporarily, as he hides in his sleeping box, or his litter box. You find him peeking over the top during the day. If you go in the cat room late at night, when it has been quiet and dark, he is out of the boxes then.
We took his photos the day he arrived, and after he had a haircut to get the matted fur off of him.
You can more photos on Flickr. Here or Here.
If someone local would like to foster him, while his photos go up on Petfinder.com and Adopt a Pet, that would be fine too. I'll update his booster shots- Feline Leukemia, FVRCP, and his Rabies.
Contact the office and we'll work out the details.
I have been taking a break from blogging for part of the summer. Working on some other projects. And not having to much to say.
One project that came about partly with the passing of Jimmy, and then Bert a monthly later, was thinking about how can more homeless pets find homes. The internet and social media is great for sharing photos of pets needing a home, but I got to wondering was their more that could be done.
And what sort of fell into place during June was the idea for a digital magazine on iPad. To help homeless pets find homes, to increase awareness about adoptions, and spay/ neuter to reduce the number of unwanted litters clogging animal shelters. A magazine not written directly for rescue groups and those involved in animal rescue. But a magazine that is more mainstream- sort of like a cross between Chicken Soup for the Soul, Guidepost, and photos and videos thrown into the mix.
Apple Newsstand became available last October and it looks just like a newsstand on your ipad or iphone. So I shared my idea with a few people to get their opinion, set how to have an app built, and a preview issue published. It went live the end of July. You can find the preview issue in iTunes by clicking this link.
If you don't have an ipad, you can find a pdf of the preview issue, in a blog post on a new site. I am a Shelter Pet. It also explains why the issue is only available on iPads. At least for the time being.
It has been getting 40-60 downloads per day through the App store. And to various countries. USA, China, Australia, Europe, and South America. Which is sort of fun to see where it goes each day.
or so it might seem as I have been neglecting my blog for the past
few weeks.
I am still around working on a few projects. One that I am
super excited about, but still waiting on it to come together. You'll
be the first to know, I promise.
Happy Friday Everyone. I have been neglecting my blog for a month or so, working on other projects.
But I wanted to give a shout out for Toyota's program where they give away cars to various non-profits. 100 cars in 100 days. Have you been following this? or voting?
Alley and Bama came in today for their 2nd kitten vaccinations. and a toenail trim as they have learned to claw up the furniture despite have scratching posts and pads all around.
Hello all. I've put this post off for the past few days. You'll know why in a second. But if you've been following the stories of Jimmy, Ginger, Bert, and Rosie, I feel that I owe it to you.
Jimmy passed away this past weekend. Early Sunday morning. Exactly 6 months to the weekend, that they first arrived. They arrived on Friday night late, and on that Saturday in November, I walked into the office, and started cleaning them up and working with them. "Here we go", I said to myself.
Jimmy's last day here.
This past Saturday, the 19th, I came in to walk everybody, we had several boarders staying too. Everything was fine. Rosie went out. Bert went out. And while I was putting Bert back up, I saw Jimmy throw up at the door to his cage. It was dog food mixed with lots of fresh blood. Too much blood.
I looked at the floor. And then at him standing in his cage waiting to go out. Back to floor. Back to him. And these questions came to mind. WHERE did that come from? WHY are you throwing that up? and WHAT are we going to do about it?
I took him out . . . he seemed okay. His stool was a bit loose. He drank a little water and kept that down. By lunch time, his stool had turned to bloody diarrhea. I called my brother who is also a vet to make sure I was being rational in my thinking, as I left the realm of veterinarian and moved to frantic pet parent.
All 4 of them tested positive for heartworms when they got here from the pound. The drug to kill adult heartworms was not available in the States at the time due to a manufacturing problem. But, heartworm guidelines have changed over the years, and while we used to use the drug immediately, now it is recommended to use a slower treatment protocol. I should do a whole blog post one day to explain that in more detail. Ginger, Bert, and Rosie started their treatment in November, and Jimmy had to wait till mid February, as that was when we could get out hands on him enough to test him while he was anesthetized to be neutered. So we knew he had heartworms. From the outside, it's difficult to tell how bad the worms are and what damage they are causing.
So we quickly ran narrowed down possible causes. If it came from the lungs, it could be pneumonia, it could be from the heartworms. If it is from his stomach, not sure.
The other problem is Jimmy himself. While his social skills had been improving, and he looks better on video over the past few months, he is still far from a normal dog. A NORMAL dog would lay still for an xray. Sit still for bloodwork. Get in a car if they need to go to the University to have some test done. Be fine around strange people. Be fine with strange people handling them in a strange place like the teaching hospital. Be fine being hooked up to an IV pump.
Jimmy didn't like to be picked up to be put in the tub for a bath. Or to have his temperature taken. Anything out of the ordinary, would stress him out. I was going to have to treat him here, and wing it, without the luxury of having test results.
The other rule out for his vomiting and bloody diarrhea, was hemorrhagic gastroenteritis. Also know as HGE. It happens quickly, no one knows quite how or why, but it is suspected to be a Clostidial endotoxin much like botulism or tetanus.
So I loaded him up on fluids for the dehydration and diarrhea, 2 different antibiotics for possible pneumonia, along with anti-inflammatories and cortisone for possible problems from the heartworms. Shotgun therapy- treat for everything, hope something works.
By late Saturday night at midnight or a little later, with all his meds and fluids on board, I kissed him on top of the head, which "Normal Jimmy" would not have allowed, and told him, "I hate to put you to sleep without know exactly what is going on with ya', as that sort of feels like I'm giving up on you. But I don't want to watch you suffer either. You have to help me out a little if you want to stay."
By early Sunday morning, he was gone.
Jimmy had a little bit of a fan club on my hospital facebook page. So I had to tell them the news. They were as shocked and saddened as I was. You can read the posts and comments from Sunday, you might have to scroll down or back a few days. Here's the link.
I took his body to the diagnostic lab for an autopsy. On Monday, I sent his blood sample, that I pulled on Saturday, to the lab. The pathologist called on Monday afternoon late, and said Jimmy had a heavy heartworm burden with lots of damage to his heart and lungs. There was bleeding in his intestine and they would be doing some tests to determine the cause of that.
The bloodwork I sent to the lab, showed a severe low platelet count which is consistent with DIC. Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation. It is never a primary problem, it is always secondary to something else, but the prognosis is grim with DIC.
The pathologist called today and said the intestinal bleeding was caused by Parvovirus. Which isn't common in adult dogs, and Jimmy was vaccinated, but can sometimes occur. Parvo is bad, but not always fatal. Heartworms are bad, and not always fatal. Both Parvo and Heartworms can trigger DIC. But Parvo, Heartworms, heart/ lung damage, and DIC is just too much to overcome.
I had no idea when I walked into the office on Saturday morning, the 19th would be Jimmy's last day here. 6 months to the weekend that he arrived.
The video that I shared last Friday, the 18th, was clips that I had
collected over the past 6 months. I put it together on Wednesday, the 16th. The wrestling clip with Ginger and
Daisy, towards the end, was from Mother's Day. A week before he passed away. I think Ginger and Daisy have missed him this week as much as I have.
And even though I shared this last week, I am posting it again as a tribute to him. It is how I want to remember Jimmy. I hope other remember him too. And I hope it encourages people to consider adopting shelter and rescue pets, no matter how unadoptable they seem at first. Please feel free to share it, if you wish, if you didn't share it last week. Feel free to share it 2 weeks from now, 2 months from now . . . next year . . . whenever you want.
It's a new video, but put together from his photos and videos. I see him everyday so I forget what he looked like when he first got here and how much progress he has made.
It does tug at your heart a little, I'll be honest, but in a good and happy way. You might want a tissue handy, though, I don't want anyone blowing their nose on their shirt sleeve.
I hope by sharing his story it encourages people to adopt shelter pets or take a chance on those who might not seem so adoptable at first.
This is Alley and Bama. They are about 9 weeks old and rescued from a storm drain. Their owners brought them in yesterday for their first vaccinations. Guess which team their owner pulls for?
This is the video I put together from Sunday's wresting footage. Notice how crabby Miss Daisy was being. She was snapping at Jimmy, and didn't want to play much with Jimmy, but notice that she also didn't want Ginger to play with him either.
I put her back in her cage for a little timeout. In the middle, you see her back in jail. Ginger, I think, wanted to play but was too worried about Daisy jumping on her.
Notice how Daisy challenges Jimmy and Ginger to take away the cotton from her, at the end of the video. And how she quickly snatches the little piece that lands by Ginger. Miss Daisy "Leona Helmsley" Mathis
One of my favorite, favorite, FAVORITE animal charities is Old Dog Haven in Washington State. You've heard me talk about them before. They rescue older pets from shelters and put them in fosters homes to be adopted, or for the really old or sick, hospice homes or what they call final refuge homes.
One of their ambassadors is a dog named Solomon. You can find him on Facebook by searching for his name. He likes howling at firetrucks, drinking out of buckets, and chewing up car interiors.
Well, Solomon lives with another dog named Mitch, a black lab. A few weeks, maybe months ago, I asked about painting Mitch from a photo they posted. They said sure, that was fine, so I started a painting, and it sat on my painting table for several weeks.
This week I read about one of the ODH foster dogs, named Bubbles, who has torn the ligaments in his knee and needs surgery. Knee surgery isn't inexpensive.
This is Bubbles.
Since I took in 4 rescue dogs to foster back in November, any extra cash I have goes towards buying dog food for them (the hungry beasties). So I finished up Mitch's painting, and will be selling the prints, with part of the proceeds going to Bubbles fund with Old Dog Haven. The prints sell for $20 and $5 of that goes to Bubbles. (25% if my math is correct).
The print is signed. Printed on Ultra Premium Photo Paper with Pigmented Ink. Image size is approx 5 x 7 inches. Paper size 8.5 x 11 inches. $20.
Ships in a flat rate priority envelope. For international shipping, ask, as I will need to check into that for you, depending on your location.
From time to time, Zazzle puts their postage sheets on sale. (Do you get their newsletter? It's worth subscribing, imo) $8 off with the coupon code "AprilPostage" but only until midnight tonight PST.
For comparison, 20 first class stamps would cost $9 at the post office. 20 first class stamps at Zazzle, with the coupon is 11-13 something. So it's a pretty good deal.
Rosie, Bert, Ginger, Jimmy and Daisy all went out for their evening walk. Evening before last. Get a few mosquito and tick bites, and it will be like you are right there.
This is what I do once a day . . . sometimes twice . . . . I should be high school skinny soon . . . or have Lyme's disease from tick bites. Good thing I know a doctor who can get me some doxycycline.
So last week, I was trying to get better (more adoptable) photos of Bert and Rosie for their petfinder page, and their adopt-a-pet page. Jimmy was feeling left out. So he went out one morning for a photoshoot. A few turned out- I liked this one best. I was using a telephoto lens so it made the background nice and blurry.
One thing that I wished was better, was to get more light into his eyes. I liked how Ginger's photos turned out last week, when she was out late in the afternoon. That golden yellow light really showed off her color and her eyes. So that afternoon, I took the camera out for his walk. It was cloudy, but the sun did come out for a few minutes. And this is what I got.
And after that, everyone went out for their afternoon walk. Ginger had new head shots made in the late afternoon sun. She laid down in the grass, and I was able to zoom in on her with the telephoto lens. I love these two photos. Can she be any more adoptable?
This video came to my attention today and it is too good to not share. A little blind stray dog was rescued off the street, had cataract surgery to restore her sight, and then adopted into a permanent home. It'll make you smile and cry at the same time. Such an amazing transformation and story.
The weather was perfect here over the weekend. Bert even wanted to take a siesta at 9:30 am in the grass. Problem was, while he was lounging away, 3 others were waiting for him to get through with his business, so they could attend to their own. So to get him to move, I had to promise to take him out later to nap in the sun. Which he seemed to appreciate.
I tried to get a better photo of Bert for his petfinder page. Still working on that one. He won't look in the camera so I assume that he is part Amish. You can see the whole set here at Flickr.
Lucky and Maybelline napped in the afternoon Sunbeams. Dragging those cat beds around like a respectful cat owner . . .I am. More photos here at Flickr.
And most fun of all- everyone was feeling frisky with Spring Fever so we had a wrasslin' match on Saturday morning.
He was okay with the washing part. Wasn't a fan of the power blow dryer or dryer cage. So he dried naturally most of the afternoon. You know- as to not get split ends, or something.
I don't know about you, but I don't play games on Facebook, and it is annoying to see notifications pop up all the time. You log in, think you have a notification for something important . . . grrr.
Here is how to turn those off. It is sort of hidden.
Click the Notifications tab button at the very top. And then click on See All Notifications on the Drop Down Menu.
Find the Notification from the Game that you want to turn off.
Move the cursor to the right hand side, and you'll see a little grey X magically appear.
Click on the X, and Change to Notifications to "Never, Never, and Forever"
Well, maybe the second Never and Forever isn't an option, but you get the idea. Save the Settings, and proceed to do a Happy Dance around the Room, Desk, or Cubicle. Whatever the case my be.
