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New Director of Spay Texas
SPAY/TEXAS Announces Executive Director Amy Oakley of Waco has been appointed the new Executive Director for SPAY/TEXAS.
SPAY/TEXAS provides Texas residents with low-cost spay/neuter resources to reduce pet overpopulation and promote the benefits of spay/neuter for a happy, healthy pet.
“The founders of SPAY/TEXAS are excited for Amy to take on this role,” said SPAY/TEXAS President Carrie Kuehl. “Her passion for spay/neuter as the solution for pet overpopulation is only exceeded by her excellent communication skills to convey this message,”
Oakley has a BA in Journalism from Baylor University and an extensive background in print/radio media, marketing and project management. She is a volunteer with Heart of Texas Feral Friends and the volunteer newsletter editor for the Waco Humane Society. Oakley is also a trained disaster response volunteer with the Emergency Animal Rescue Service and the American Humane Association.
As executive director, Oakley will be responsible for promoting SPAY/TEXAS through networking, grant writing, awareness and the SPAY/TEXAS website. She will assist in gaining support from animal welfare groups, veterinarians and clinics that offer low-cost spay/neuter and making the information easily available to all Texas pet owners.
“SPAY/TEXAS shares my personal vision of reducing pet overpopulation and unnecessary euthanasia by providing low-cost spay/neuter options,” says Oakley. “This is a smart and humane program and I am proud to be a part of it.”
For low-cost spay/neuter programs in your area, please call 1-877-839-7729 or visit www.spaytexas.org
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Morning Folks
You still have today to get your entries into the Chamber of Commerce and keep in mind if you are dropping them off the new building is open and BEAUTIFUL!
There’s a couple of dog events coming up…
Dogtopia is hosting a charity dog wash…the webpage that explains the non-profit is www.k9support.org. You will see that the money raised will go to military dogs and their handlers in Iraq. We are excited to be a part of this and have a goal to wash 50 dogs in Waco…a very ambitious goal for our first year to join in the event! It will be held at our location, July 13th from 11 until 4. Besides the dog wash we will have fun events for 4 legged and 2 legged participants and we are even working to get some retired military dogs for folks to meet and honor.
The last feral cat forum was last night…sorry I missed the post, but more will be happening in July check their website for more information. www.hotferalfriends.com
The Humane Society is full of puppies and kittens, go by and pick out a new friend this weekend or sign up to foster one of the beautiful litters of kittens or puppies. Don’t forget they are out in the community every week adopting out furry friends for people to love.
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Photo Contest!!!
2008 Summer Photo Contest
About the Program Vision: Bring together the diverse peoples of the Waco community in open dialogue.
Mission Statement: Impact the Waco area through a communitywide program that promotes reading and thoughtful discussion, with activities and events focused on encouraging community participation.
2008 Summer Book: Marley and Me by John Grogan.
The One Book, One Waco Pet Photo Contest is open to any community member. All photo submissions will be evaluated by judges appointed by the One Book, One Waco Steering Committee.
Rules: 1) All submissions must be a 4 x 6 print of an original photo. 2) The photo must be taken by the person submitting it to the contest. 3) To be considered, the entrant must turn in a hard-copy of the photo in an envelope with their name, address, and phone number written on the envelope. The photo will not be returned to the entrant after the contest 4) All submissions must be turned in to Allan Marshall at the Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce. Entries may be mailed or hand-delivered. 5) In addition to the hard copy, please digitally submit your photo to dogblog@hotmail.com if possible.
Photos: 1) May be of any animal 2) May be black and white, color, sepia, or any other color method that the entrant wants. 3) May not be altered in any sort of photo editing program (Photoshop, etc.)
Judging and Viewing: 1) Judging will take place during the week of June 16, 2008. 2) Public viewing will be at Brook Avenue Elementary School on Monday, June 23, 2008 from 5-7 p.m. 3) Awards will be announced at 8 p.m.
Final Deadline for Submissions: June 16, 2008 no later than 5 p.m.
Address to mail: Allan Marshall Director of Community Development Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce 900 Washington Ave. Waco TX 76701
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Calvin Funny
Click on the image below it should pop up a larger image so you can read it! Funny Stuff!
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Great Resource
The Denver Dumb Friends League is a great resource. They have literature in English and Spanish and they have answers to all your doggie questions. Check it out here…
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Sorry Readers
My kids are out of school, I’m taking a break from work and I forgot my blog!!! I’ll be back tomorrow with some posts.
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Big Brown’s Big Race
Big Brown’s big race is tomorrow. He is the race horse that is set to take the triple crown. I don’t pay much attention to horse racing, but this horse is fast and is set to win the three big horse races of the year. You can watch the race tomorrow evening on ABC. I think I’ll tune in, I’d like to see this horse run.
Also if you’re headed to Tornto this weekend, North America’s largest outdoor dog festival will also be there. It’s WOOFSTOCK! Check it out here.
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Lab Dogs and Laika
I’m still researching lab dogs. I haven’t been able to find much information. I don’t think the information is made public that often. I know it happens, everyday and very near. For now all I can suggest is to read your product labels and make sure the product is not tested on animals. Some products will read that the final product is not tested on animals, Bath and Body Works, for example. All that means is they don’t test the put together product on animals, but they will test the parts of the the product on animals. Usually its little white rabbits that they test on.
And in honor of all the lab dogs out there, Laika was the first earth being into space in the Soviet Union on Nov. 3, 1957. She died minutes after take off from overheating and stress. We’re sorry Laika. Read more about her here on Wikipedia, she was a cutie.
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Fun Facts
Gibson is the tallest dog in the world. He stands 3 1/2 at the shoulder. Standing on his back legs he is near seven feet tall. He is a harlequin Great Dane and eats ten cups of dry food and two pounds of wet food a day.
Some clams can live to be more than a hundred years old.
Panda Poo can be made into paper.
A springer spaniel in England fetches rocks off the bottom of lakes and rivers for fun!
Oliver the capuchin monkey has escaped his zoo home twice by picking the lock on his cage.
Peanut the parrot saved his family from a deadly fire by mimicking the fire alarm and waking the family getting them out of the house just in the nick of time.
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Your dog does what?!?
Two subjects recently came up in an article from “Bark” magazine that I rarely think about. The first is coprophagia, the other laboratory test animals. For you sensitive and squeamish readers out there you may want to stop now. Coprophagia is the eating of ones own feces. It is somewhat common among elephants, rabbits, insects, hamsters and gorillas. It also is not uncommon in family pets, mostly dogs (a cat wouldn’t be caught dead eating his own poo.) All of my dogs will eat cat poo, rabbit poo, turtle poo, deer poo, squirrel poo, kid poo and basically any other poo found in my yard or trash can. Almost all dogs will do that, but a dog that eats his own feces can cause a lot of stress on his or her owner. I hear there are solutions, I also hear they don’t work. So, basically, if your dog dines on other animals’ poo he is perfectly normal and if your doggie indulges in his own poo accept him as he is and know you, and he, are not alone. There are other closet coprophagic pooches out there.
Tomorrow I’ll discuss the subject of laboratory test animals. (FYI the dog in the article eats his own poo partly because he was a laboratory test dog for 5 years.)
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The Golden Compass
Summer has officially begun for my family. My oldest son is out of school and we’re swimming and watching movies daily! Last night we watched The Golden Compass. I wasn’t sure I would like it, but it was fantastic especially if you are an animal lover. Each human has an animal spirit that walks with them for all to see. Many native peoples believe in animal spirits. The idea has always fascinated me and to see it materialize in a movie was really neat. There are also the magnificent ice bears (or polar bears to us.) I get the shivers just thinking about them, they were so beautiful and brave. If you get a chance, rent it, you won’t be disappointed. I liked it better than Lord of the Rings, or Harry Potter. It is based on a series of books, called The Golden Compass with the first book in the series being called “Northern Lights” by Phillip Pullman. I am going to get the books and make an attempt to read them to my son this summer. Visit the movie’s website at http://www.goldencompassmovie.com/
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Another Deadly Dog Attack
It was in the paper this morning, that on May 18th a boy died from a pit bull attack. He was playing in his yard when attacked and later found dead. The owners of the dogs are now facing felony charges that carries a sentence of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $10,000.
I am concerned why a seven year old child was unsupervised for a long enough time to be attacked and later found by a passerby. I am saddened that another pit bull has been involved in a mauling death.
Why are pit bulls involved in so many of these attacks? Why are so many people willing to risk taking another’s life and ruin their own by keeping aggressive dogs? Is there a solution to this pit bull problem?
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Search and Rescue Dogs
I was provided a really useful website about search and rescue dogs. These dogs are often pulled from shelters by volunteers trained to spot that special personality that makes a good S & R dog. They are then trained and put to work. The website has several videos and you could even get certified to spot these dogs in shelters.
Visit…http://www.searchdogfoundation.org/98/html/6_watch.html
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Good Stuff
Hope everyone had a good Memorial Day! Here is a cute list of what it means to be a dog owner…enjoy!
If I Didn’t Have Dogs …
I could walk around the yard barefoot in safety.
My house could be carpeted instead of tiled and laminated.
All flat surfaces, clothing, furniture, and cars would be free of hair.
When the doorbell rings, it wouldn’t sound like a kennel.
When the doorbell rings, I could get to the door without wading through fuzzy bodies who beat me there.
I could sit on the couch and my bed the way I wanted, without taking into consideration how much space several fur bodies would need to get comfortable.
I would have money …and no guilt to go on a real vacation.
I would not be on a first-name basis with the veterinarian, as I put his yet unborn grand kids through college.
The most used words in my vocabulary would not be: out, sit, down, come, no, stay, and leave him/her/it ALONE.
My house would not be cordoned off into zones with baby gates or barriers.
My house would not look like a day care center, toys everywhere.
My pockets would not contain things like poop bags, treats and an extra leash.
I would no longer have to spell the words: B-A-L-L, F-R-I-S-B-E-E, W-A-L-K, T-R-E-A-T, B-I-K-E, G-O, R-I-D-E
I would not have as many leaves INSIDE my house as outside.
I would not look strangely at people who think having ONE dog ties them down too much.
I’d look forward to spring and the rainy season instead of dreading ‘mud’ season.
I would not have to answer the question ‘Why do you have so many animals?’ from people who will never have the joy in their lives of knowing they are loved unconditionally by someone as close to an angel as they will ever get.
How EMPTY my life would be!
Author Unknown
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How does a horse see you?
The Crossings in Austin has a program called “The Gift of Equus.” It is a program designed to assist you in non-verbal communication through the use of horses!
“Recent studies indicate that 93% of communication effectiveness is determined by non-verbal cues. Through fifty million years of evolution, horses have highly developed non-verbal communication skills that make them natural geniuses at communication. Because horses have extraordinary sensitivity to non-verbal cues, they can provide you with a mirror reflection of your body language, offering immediate insight to your communication skills and helping you connect effectively with other people in every aspect of your life.”
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Lost Parrot!
This is the coolest story I’ve seen in a long time! A lost African Gray Parrot in Japan tells the authorities his name and address! Read the full story here.
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Paws Picts
If you’re looking for paws picts click here…ENJOY! I’ll post more tomorrow.
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Paws in the Park
Paws in the Park was a hit! The weather was beautiful, the dogs were cute and everyone had fun! I met some wonderful dogs and their owners. I have fallen in love with a Greyhound from Texas Greyhound Adoption Program. I’ll call him Tiger, because he looks like a tiger, of course! There was food, and entertainment, agility, snow cones, popcorn, candy and dogs. The vendors were great with loads of freebies, for people and pets. I had a great time look for photos this week, I’ll be posting asap.
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The Iditarod
The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race is a fierce trek across more than 1,000 miles of Alaskan Wilderness. In 2008 a record number of 110 teams entered the race. It began on March 1 in Anchorage and ended 10-17 days later in Nome, Alaska. The race first began in 1973, with the official length in miles being 1,049. There are two trails, a northern and southern route which are used alternately. The entry fee is 3,000 dollars but the prize money totals 874,800 that is divided between all the finishing teams. A sled dog team is made up of a maximum of 16 dogs and minimum of 12. To finish the race a team must have at least six dogs still running. Lance Mackey was winner of the 2008 race for more information and lots of interesting facts visit www.iditarod.com.
This race is often controversial due to the stress it places of the racing dogs. What do you think about sled dog teams? Do they love it or is it abuse?
Don’t forget Paws in the Park the Saturday in Indian Spring Park from 12-4 with Wag, Angel Paws and lots of other fun activities! And the ABC Clinic will have a Vaccination Clinic on Sunday on Wooded Acres!
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Wheel Chair Stories
This is a brief story from Shadow and Sandy.
There were kids everywhere. All shapes, sizes, ages and personalities. We were at the Children’s Health Fair which is a yearly function that has come to be known for the therapy dogs that attend. Several feet away from Shadow and I, a boy in a wheelchair came by with his parents. In all of the confusion Shadow sees the boy and immediately gets up seemingly drawn to him. He obviously has cognitive problems as well as muscle problems. Shadow goes to work with her nose smelling is chair, hands, clothes and so on. The boy smiles and begins to pet her rubbing and kissing her head, and hugging her. He struggles to say he wants to walk her. I have a special leash that allows a person to “walk” Shadow even though I have full control so I ask Mom and Dad if it is “OK”. They say yes and the boy takes hold of the leash and gets out of his chair. He is walking Shadow with a hug grin on his face. He tells everyone he sees, “I am walking Shadow.” Shadow knows instinctively to not pull and be very careful. He walks back to his wheelchair and sits down with a grin which says I am very happy. He gives Shadow a huge hug and says “I love you.” She looks at him and gives him her nose kiss.
Therapy dogs are trained to tolerate wheelchairs, but not all like them. Shadow likes them and the people they carry. She has special talents when it comes to kids as well and works weekly at schools and hospitals.
Sometimes dogs need wheelchairs too and this website is for those canine friends that need a little extra help! www.eddieswheels.com. The dogs and cats on the site use their chairs to get around all sorts of terrain. It is proof that no pet is hopeless or disposable. With time, love, and ingenuity even disabled pets can live long, happy and healthy lives. Enjoy the site it is quite inspiring.
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Dog Gone Postal
On a recent trip to North Carolina my family and I visited the National Train Museum where I found the charming story of Owney the Postal Pooch. Owney wandered into the Albany, New York post office in 1888 and went to sleep on a pile of old mail bags. From then on he felt at home wherever the mail bags went. Owney’s journey was recorded by mail clerks across the country who attached railroad baggage tags to his collar. He accumulated 1, 017 tags, tokens and medals and travelled over 143,000 miles. He even went around the world by registered mail. He retired at the Albany post office but soon boarded a train bound for Toledo, Ohio where he died in June 1897.
Don’t forget Paws in the Park this Saturday 12-4!
Latest comments
Hello Katie, I coordinate volunteers who sew dog & cat beds then donate them to the shelters in San Diego County.
I received the following email tonite, & am at a loss how to help themz’
I am the director of a no kill shelter
... read the full comment by Joan Laisney | Comment on New Director of Spay Texas Read New Director of Spay Texas
Missing Family Member
Adult spayed brown/black weiner dog missing. Max is a chubby weiner dog. Last seen at Valero Gas Station at Loop 340 and Hwy 6 Thursday afternoon oct. 17th.
My brother in law was traveling home from
... read the full comment by quita | Comment on Dog Gone Postal Read Dog Gone Postal
Our Huge Puppy Adoption Event: August 2nd, 2008 at the Killeen, TX Petsmart from 11:00am until 5:00pm!!! We will have lots of puppies, of various breeds and ages up for adoption the 2nd, and we would love to see you there. We will have puppies 10 weeks
... read the full comment by Huts for Mutts Dog Rescue | Comment on New Director of Spay Texas Read New Director of Spay Texas
Hello, question for you Ms. Kroft.
We have a female yellow lab, spayed, and is an alpha female.
To our home, we added a young mix breed and is a male, what is the age that the male can be fixed and how do you go about getting these two dogs
... read the full comment by Clyde L Harris | Comment on New Director of Spay Texas Read New Director of Spay Texas