It’s time for another interview and this time its Ken Foster, author of The Dogs Who Found Me: What I’ve Learned From the Pets Who Were Left Behind. The book is about the dogs Ken has rescued (or as might say have rescued him) and how they have changed him and his life. Ken has lived through 9/11, Katrina, a serious heart problem and the deaths of friends and he credits the dogs for getting him through it all.

Have you ever met someone or even gotten on the phone with them and before you knew it time had flown by and you still wanted to talk? Just imagine if this was your first time ever talking and that happened? That was my experience with this urbane, delightful and open writer (who also happens to be a Dogster himself). What a delight to interview! I hope you’ll experience some of the fun I had as you read through this 10 part series. That’s right, 10 parts! There as just WAY TOO MUCH good stuff to get tossed on the proverbial cutting room (or in this case computer room) floor!

So plan on checking back in every day and getting to know Ken better!

Joy: A little bit on how you got started with writing The Dogs Who Found Me.

Ken: The way I got started writing it is someone asked me to write it, which is a little bit unusual and in spite of the fact I was asked to write it I initially said no. I had done a book before this that was an anthology of dog essays.

I’ve worked with the same editor—Ann Treistman— on all my books at two different publishers. When she moved to Lyons Press we thought we wouldn’t work together again because they do outdoor, nature, animal books and I had nothing to do with those things. Then I got a dog and she got a dog and we started running into each other again and she said do you want to do a dog book? At that time I said “I don’t think I can write a whole book about a dog. I can’t imagine that I have that much to say. “ Laughable now but that’s why I did an anthology first.

Then later when we were working on the paperback edition of that book, every time we were talking I had a stray dog in the house that I would refer to because I would put down the phone and go do something with the dog. She, like all of my friends, would say, “Oh you still have that dog that you found two weeks ago?” And I would say, “No, it’s a different dog.” That’s when she said maybe you should write a book about rescuing dogs and again, I said, “I don’t know what I’m doing. I’m not any kind of expert.” But then the more I had people who were surprised that I kept finding dogs, the more I thought well maybe there is something unusual about this for some people, something that I could explore. And then I decided that I would write it and I wanted to try to really figure out what this is about and not just make it a series of anecdotes even though it is that in a way. But to also try to figure out why, why am I finding them when other people aren’t seeing them. Why do I feel compelled to do something when I used to be the kind of person who wouldn’t, to be honest. So that’s how the book began essentially.

Joy: You weren’t the one finding them. What does that say about you now that you are the kind of person who rescues them?

Ken: That’s exactly the question I was trying to answer in writing the book. Whenever people ask it I think, well, it took me two hundred pages to answer that question.

I think part of it is that I got a dog. A dog first in Costa Rica came to me every day for three months and I fell in love with him without meaning to at all, as frequently happens. When I couldn’t bring him home with me I was sort of devastated first of all but then when I did go back to New York I needed to get a dog because I didn’t know how to live without one at that part.

I think part of it is that I fell in love with dogs so I think living with dogs I have learned to become more intuitive and spontaneous and so the things I would filter out from the environment around me, whether it’s a stray dog or something else, I no longer filter those things out. I’m completely aware of everything. I think that’s one of the things the dogs have taught me because as you know dogs don’t ignore things and dogs know there’s something around the corner even if they haven’t seen it yet. And I think we’re capable of being not quite as intuitive but we’re capable of being more intuitive than we have been in the past couple of hundred years.

Joy: What’s important about having that kind of spontaneity and intuitiveness?

Ken: I think it changes your priorities. I think a lot of our human priorities, especially in contemporary culture, are false. They involve things rather than beings. And they involve things that exist only on paper and things that are televised and things that are electronic and they don’t really involve the actual living world. And I think that’s another part of the book. There are times when I would have to make a commitment to an animal without knowing what might happen or how long it was going to take to solve the problem of this animal’s health or this animal’s homelessness or whatever and I had to give certain things up. I couldn’t do whatever I wanted. I couldn’t take a vacation or I had to delay a vacation or all of those things. But as dog people we do this all the time actually. But it made me realize too, like what if I don’t get to visit my friends this weekend, it’s not that big a deal. I’ll visit them again; it just won’t be this weekend. That’s not such a big sacrifice to make.

Joy: What’s bad about having this focus on things and things on paper?

Ken: Because you can spend a lot of energy on those things and they don’t give us very much back. The living world is continually giving back to us.

When you rescue a dog you make a commitment and you make sacrifices. Even if the dog doesn’t stay with you the rest of its life, even if the dog goes on to live somewhere else, there’s a huge reward to doing that, which sounds, I hesitate to say things like that because I listen to myself and think it sounds so corny.

My dogs have saved my life more than once. They’ve made me appreciate really simple things and simple things are also really affordable. My parents sometimes worry that I spend a lot of money on my dogs, the medical bills and things like that, yet I think they keep me at home when I might have gone out to dinner and spent fifty dollars on an entrée or given me entertainment that doesn’t require that I gas up the car and drive out of town. And so, I feel like the existence of the living world, particularly in this case, animals, dogs particularly, it’s just a much more efficient way of living and appreciating our lives, to me.

Joy: What does that do for you to have that much more efficient way of living and appreciating your life?

Ken: It makes me happier for one. It makes me feel more alive. I often think what did I spend my time doing before I had a dog? I think what I spent my time doing was thinking a lot about myself, which is just sort of embarrassing. (Laughs) Particularly when I almost died and had to get a pacemaker I was sitting there thinking, “What about the dogs?” Again, I thought, thank God I’m thinking about the dogs. It would be so embarrassing if I were in this situation and thinking , “Poor me!”

Joy: What does that do for you that you can think about them and not yourself?

Ken: I think it’s very liberating. And I think in some ways, I’ve become, to go back into the terms that what we value in society, I think I’ve become a much more efficient person.

Come back tomorrow for Day 2 of the Ken Foster interview! He’ll explain what he means by a “more efficient person” and how the dogs helped him cope with a life-threatening heart problem.

If you can’t wait until tomorrow to know more, you can always visit Ken’s website to see some pictures of the dogs and read up on other things happening to this New Orleans resident and fromer New York City bon vivant! You can also check out Brando’s website here on Dogster!

Dogsters are part of breaking new ground for dogs everywhere!

Veronica Morris wrote:
Hi there,

I thought you might like to hear that founder of the Psychiatric Service Dog Society recently won a Welcome Back award for her advancements in the mental health field!

An excerpt from the article:

“Dr. Joan Esnayra, a successful scientist, was newly diagnosed with a mental illness when she decided to get a puppy in order to lift her mood. To her surprise, the puppy demonstrated an uncanny ability to signal Dr. Esnayra in advance of major mood shifts, allowing her to work with her doctor to adjust her medication dosage, accordingly. Dr. Esnayra connected with others who reported similar experiences with their dogs and she started an Internet support group. She coined the term ‘Psychiatric Service Dog’ (PSD) and developed a therapeutic model around training dogs to do tasks such as waking up their owner in the morning, encouraging exercise and even reminding their owner to take his or her medication. She founded the Psychiatric
Service Dog Society and has helped thousands of mentally ill individuals learn how to train and use their own PSD. She is conducting research on the efficacy of these canine partnerships and will publish her results in clinical journals.”

You can visit the Psychiatric Service Dog Society that she founded at the PsychDog site.

I think it’s great that psychiatric service dogs are getting recognition like this! There are quite a few psychiatric service dogs on dogster (Sabrina included)!

Veronica and Sabrina

To read the rest of the press release from the Lilly Corporation follow this link.

Thanks for barking in Veronica and Sabrina! Congratulations to Dr. Joan!

When Community Dog Randi told me Dogster was going to be featuring “Tails of Devotion” I thought great! Now I can cry more! And boy was I right! And that’s a GOOD thing!

As you may have guessed, I get all weepy over people connecting with their dogs. And when they write it down, well, let’s just say, I keep a lot of tissues around and try not to read those poems or what have you before I have to be seen in public. Until big, red noses and runny make-up are fashionable I’ll have to restrict my tearjerker reading to late nights.

Those of you who’ve been reading this blog since the beginning may remember I blogged on “Tails of Devotion” a while back. So I thought I knew what I was in for when I started reading Dogsters’ entries. I WAY underestimated how talented Dogsters are and how moving the entries would be!

Just like you, I want to read through the entries. Some are short and cute. Some are longer and make me weep openly (which really upsets Beatrice and Star). Some are like gentle hugs. But all of them will touch you. Once and a while, I’ll pull out one of these Dogster Tails and share it with you. Like this one for Lyle.

Lyle’s mom’s Tail is not one of the weepy ones. Its more like a pat on the head or a good cuddle. But it touches you. And that’s a good thing too.

Deep Thoughts, by Lyle
My Tail of Devotion for Lyle

I originally thought that the “Tail of Devotion” would allow me to tell all of the Dogsters why I love Lyle. But now I see I’m supposed to tell Lyle why I love him, which is a bit more challenging. I see it as a dialogue:

Me: Hey, Lyle, c’mere, buddy.

Lyle: Hi there, nice lady. Do I know you?

Me: Ah, yeah, I’m pretty sure we’ve met.

Lyle: Oh. Okey dokey. You got anything to eat?

Me: In a minute. I want to tell you something. I want you to know how much I adore you.

Lyle: More than chicken?

Me: Yes, Lyle, more than chicken. You are such a sweet, uncomplicated soul and I love that about you.

Lyle: What does uncomplicated mean?

Little Bit: She means you’re simple, stupid.

Lyle: Hey! This is my Tail of Devotion! What are you doing here?

Little Bit: I can’t help it if I read faster than you.

Me: Dogs! Focus! Lyle, what I meant was that you are simply joyful. You show me what kind of happiness I might attain by uncluttering my mind and focusing on what makes me happy.

Lyle: Chicken makes me happy. Is this the part where you say what a good dog I am?

Me: You’re a very good dog, Lyle. You can always make me smile, no matter what crazy dumb stuff you might do.

Lyle: The dumb stuff rings a bell.

Me: I love you for your enthusiasm. I love you for your joy.

Lyle: Blah, blah, blah. Are we done yet? Can we eat?

Me: Yes, Lyle, we can eat.

You can write your own Tail of Devotion by following this link. Who knows? The next time you check out the blog, you might see yours featured here.

Would you like to test your pet’s intelligence? (I know mine often test MY patience but that’s another thing entirely.) If so, check out this test on BBC.uk.co.

Have you got a clever dog, a cunning cat or a brainy bird?

Find out just how smart your pet is, and how it compares to the rest of the nation, by putting it to the test.

My question is, if they’re smart enough, can I encourage them to get a job and help support the rest of the dogs? I hear PetSmart’s hiring (as long as they’re not a pittie and want to oversee the Doggie Day Camp).

Follow this link to the test.

And they say dogs are vicious! Sheesh! Check out this story from WESH in Florida. Also, take a close look at the missing dog, Prudence. If you know wanything, please tell the authorities.

ORMOND BEACH, Fla. — A disabled Volusia County woman was allegedly attacked by a roommate and then swindled when the suspect stole her bank card and other property.

Most upsetting to the victim, she said, is that the suspect took her beloved dog, WESH 2 News reported.

The alleged beating happened more than two weeks ago, but the woman is strong enough now to tell her story.

Investigators said they think the ultimate goal of the suspect was to steal the victim’s identity. Robin Silva, 44, advertised for a roommate in a local paper and trusted the roommate was all she claimed to be.

“I innocently just trusted her and believed that everything would be OK,” Silva said.

But nothing was OK after Silva welcomed a woman who called herself Ann Wilson into her home.

Silva is disabled by cancer treatment, and she now has scars from the beating she took when the suspect appeared at her bedside, naked and with handcuffs.

Follow this link to read the rest of the story.

Dogs in California have a new hero, Joaquin Pheonix. This article was recently published on SFGate.com.

Actor Joaquin Phoenix is spearheading a new campaign to ban the chaining of dogs in California.

The star has teamed up with animal rights group People For The Ethical Treatment of Animals and penned letters to every top California politician, asking them to support a new bill, which would make attaching chains to dogs a state offense.

In his heartfelt letter, Phoenix points out, not only does chaining lead to lonely suffering for dogs, it also presents a very real danger to people, especially children who wander into the area where dogs are kept chained.

He writes, “Life at the end of a chain is miserable. Senate Bill 1578 would give animal control officers a much-needed tool to help protect our canine companions from long-term neglect and our communities from dog attacks, a problem that has engendered increasing public concern in recent years.”

Follow this link to read the rest of the article.

Those doggy poets in the Pet Poetry Group are at it again hosting another fun photo stroll.

Furio wrote:
Hi Joy,

The Pet Poetry Group is hosting a 4th of July photo/poetry contest.
The winners will be announced on July 4 if you would like to include them in the blog!

Thanks!
Furio

And this is the announcement in the Pet Poetry group.

Let’s do a 4th of July photo/poetry contest! There’s only one week, so get patriotic! Tag your picture/poem:

4th of July PPG

So get those patriotic photos tagged and get strolling!

Thanks, Furio, for running another fun event!

Miss those old boy or girl scout days? Well now you can have a new scouting experience — Dog Scouts. The Dog Scouts of America are:

dedicated to educating the public about responsible dog ownership and the important role of the human/canine bond.

This is an organization for all you Dogsters (two- and four-legged) who want to get out there an be ACTIVE!

Dog Scouts of America (DSA) was established in 1995. It is a non-profit organization of people who are dedicated to enriching their lives and the lives of others with dogs. Founder, Lonnie Olson, has hade it her life’s ambition to experience as many dog sports and skills as possible with her dogs. If you believe that dogs really enjoy learning new things and spending time with their owners, you’re our kind of dog person. Dogs were not meant to be “furniture.” Working dogs want to work. Without having an acceptable activity in which to use up all of that energy that comes “built-in” with a dog, our canine companions often get into trouble. By better understanding how your dog thinks, how he learns, and what drives his behavior, and by participating in a variety of dog sports and activities, you will become a more responsible dog owner. We hope to prevent misunderstandings, communication failures and behavioral problems which often lead to dogs being given up as a “lost cause.”

They even have badges! How cool is that!?! But before you get too excited about making up a sash to put them on, you should know the badges are for the dogs, not you. But hey, you get to have the fun of helping your furbabies earn those badges!

If any Dogsters are Dog Scouts, bark in and tell us about your experiences!

Sophie Marie’s mom posted this piece in the Over the Rainbow Group. It is so moving I knew I had to share it with you. But I’m warning you now to get out those tissues! This is another real tearjerker!

Loving tribute to all pets: Past, Present and Future

When you bring a pet into your life, you begin a journey. A journey that will bring you more love and devotion than you have ever known, yet will also test your strength and courage. If you allow, the journey will teach you many things, about life, about yourself, and most of all, about love.

You will come away changed forever, for one soul cannot touch another without leaving its mark. Along the way, you will learn much about savoring life’s simple pleasures — jumping in leaves, snoozing in the sun, the joys of puddles, and even the satisfaction of a good scratch behind the ears. If you spend much time outside, you will be taught how to truly experience every element, for no rock, leaf, or log will go unexamined, no rustling bush will be overlooked, and even the very air will be
inhaled, pondered, and noted as being full of valuable information.

Your pace may be slower, except when heading home to the food dish, but you will become a better naturalist, having been taught by an expert in the field. Too many times we hike on automatic pilot, our goal being to complete the trail rather than enjoy the journey. We miss the details: the colorful mushrooms on the rotting log, the honeycomb in the old maple snag, the hawk feather caught on a twig.

Once we walk as a dog does, we discover a whole new world. We stop, we browse the landscape, we kick over leaves, peek in tree holes, look up, down, all around. And we learn what any dog knows — that nature has created a marvelously complex world that is full of surprises — that each cycle of the seasons brings ever changing wonders, each day an essence all its own.

Read the rest of this entry »