I just want to remind everyone that our ‘Win A Memorial For Your Pup’ contests ends on Monday.

If you have lost a beloved member of the family now is your chance to win a beautiful handcrafted heart which has a small portion of your pet’s cremains infused into the glass as it is being made. Thanks to Peternity for offering up this lovely memorial, I have no doubt it will be cherished by whoever wins.

To find out all the details and to enter go to the original post, click here.

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It seems sadly apropos that I post a contest today to win a beautiful memorial to honor your dog’s memory.

If you’ve ever suffered through the heartbreak of losing a pet you know how devastating it is. The terrible void it leaves in your life. It’s not just the loss of a dog, it’s the loss of a family member, a friend.

For those that aren’t dog lovers, they will never understand the importance of being able to say a proper goodbye. Being able to grieve without being criticized, share your feelings without anyone saying it was just a dog. There’s an online site, Peternity, where you can go to connect with others that are going through the grieving process. They have a place where you can post free online memorials, a wonderful way to honor your dear friend.

Peternity also has an online store where you can purchase a vast array of memorial products. They are the same company who gave us the memorial blanket last winter for a contest.  This time it’s one of their newest items that we’re giving away.  One very lucky Dogster is going to have the honor of putting this special heart in their home.

Does your pet hold a special place in your heart? Read the rest of this entry »

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I cannot start today without a special note to all the Dogsters out there.

Losing Logan was obviously devastating to us, he was such a special boy.  I posted the tribute because I was so overcome with sadness I needed to get the words out, I never expected the overwhelming response I received.  Horst and I cannot thank you all enough for the wonderful and heartfelt comments that were left. The poems, stories, and words of sympathy are appreciated more than I could possibly express. Dogsters truly are the best, you guys are amazing.

Anyone who has loved and lost a dog knows the heartache, the devastating feeling of loss. Logan only started having issues a few weeks earlier, we had been running every conceivable test but nothing was coming back conclusive, until that final day.  From start to finish, two weeks, never even saw it coming.  The hardest part, as I’ve expressed, is losing a dog who had finally overcome so much and had learned to enjoy life.

Over the weekend we had our ups and downs, but ultimately we have decided to move forward. After all, without sorrow there can be no joy. We are looking at a 5-year-old Berner girl who is in exactly the same place as Logan was when we got him, scared of everyone and everything.  This time going forward we know what we’re getting into, what it will take to try and save her.  It won’t be easy but we think this is the best way of honoring Logan.

So, the journey begins again.

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I had some posts planned for today but sadly our beloved rescue Berner, Logan, passed yesterday. At the moment it’s hard to focus on much else so my last post of the day will be a tribute to our boy.

Logan lived at a puppy mill for 4 years, he was the stud dog. He had no name, was kept caged, used and abused.

Eventually when the owner of the puppy mill thought he no longer fit the bill as a stud dog he was put up for auction. Yes, auction, so possibly another breeder could come along to buy him and continue his life of abuse. Or,  if he wasn’t bought he probably would have been put down.

This is where a wonderful organization called the Bernese Auction Rescue Coalition comes in. They bought him, got him medical attention, and put him in a wonderful foster home until he got adopted. On June 6, 2008  Horst and I went to pick up our new family member.  When I saw him I had tears in my eyes, he was so beautiful, and so scared.

We celebrated our 1 year anniversary in June, I left a message on his page because it truly was a celebration. Logan had overcome so much in a year, he was a different dog.

When we first got Logan, I’m not going to lie, it was hard. He barely moved, spent most of his days in our 1/2 bath where he was comfortable. We never pushed him, always let him do things on his own time schedule. Every day we spent quiet time laying with him and petting him. We started taking him for walks everyday and that was when we got our first glimpse at the dog who was waiting to come out. Read the rest of this entry »

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Chanel, a dachshund,  turned 21-years-old  on May 6th and became the oldest living dog on record.   Sadly, I just found out that she has passed away. On Friday, August 28th she went to Rainbow Bridge at the tender age of 147-years-old.

She was adopted by Karl and Denice Shaughnessy from a shelter in Newport News, VA. when she was only 6 weeks old. She appeared on the Today Show in May to commemorate her Woofday  wearing tinted goggles for her cataracts and a sweater because she was sensitive to the cold. After the show aired she celebrated with a big Manhattan Woofday bash.

(A.P.) Guinness World Records officials presented Chanel with a certificate as the world’s oldest dog at a Manhattan birthday bash hosted by a private pet food company in May.

Chanel loved the party, especially the cake, which had a peanut butter flavor and had been made for dogs, Denice Shaughnessy said.

There have been claims of older dogs but Guinness World Records has not yet been able to verify any birth records. According to Janelle Derouen her dog Max is 26-years-old. She said GWR officials are trying to verify this information, although they will not confirm this.

* Pic ourtesy AP Photo/Karl and Denise Shaughnessy

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Regardless of what you thought of Sen. Ted Kennedy one thing can’t be disputed, he loved dogs. Throughout his long political career he worked on a variety of legislation to protect the welfare of animals.

(L.A. Times) Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States, wrote today that Kennedy was “a stalwart ally over the years on a wide range of legislation to protect companion animals, farm animals, animals in research and wildlife,” adding that the senator from Massachusetts was instrumental in the passage of animal welfare legislation including laws that cracked down on dogfighting and cockfighting, protected horses and other farm animals, and sent chimpanzees once used in medical research to sanctuaries.

The two pups closest to his heart were his own Portuguese water dogs, Sunny and Splash. His dogs were the impetus behind his book “My Senator and Me: A Dog’s Eye View of Washington, D.C.,” which introduces young kids to the political process. The book is told through Splash’s viewpoint, making it both a fun and informative read for children.

Even if Sen. Kennedy’s political viewpoint differed from your own, and you didn’t respect him as either a man or politician,  he diligently fought for the rights of animals.  For that, we should be grateful.

*Pic courtesy Steven Senne / Associated Press

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I’ve just been informed that three Dogster pups, all belonging to the same household, have been poisoned by antifreeze. It saddens me to share the news that all have passed over to Rainbow Bridge.

The beautiful dogs lost were Jake, Joey, and Nari.  Not much is known at this time, but it’s suspected that someone in the neighborhood is responsible.  I will update as soon as I have more information. In the meantime, please visit their homepages and leave a little love. I have no doubt their owner is in desperate need of some kind thoughts to help get her through this. We extend our heartfelt condolences to the family.

Antifreeze poisoning is a big issue because dogs are drawn to the sweet smell. Dogs  have even been known to chew through the container when they find it left in the garage or elsewhere in the house. It’s so important to make sure the container is stored in a safe and secure place, just like you would do if you had a small child at home. It’s reported that about 10,000 accidental poisonings, both cats and dogs, happen per year.

Death by antifreeze poisoning is not a pretty way to go, it’s a long and painful death. The good news is that if you get your pet to the vet within 9-12 hours after ingestion they may recover.

Read the rest of this entry »

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I want to wish all the moms out there a happy Mother’s Day, regardless if their “kids” have two or four legs.

I also want to give a shout out to Spy’s family who lost their human mom Wendy when she very unexpectedly passed away in early January.

Wendy was a wonderful woman and a big part of the Dogster community. It must be very hard on her family this first Mother’s Day without her. I would just like her family to know that although she isn’t here physically she will never be forgotten by her Dogster friends, and will always be a part of the Dogster family.

For all those lucky enough to still have their moms with them make sure you let them know how much they mean to you this Mother’s Day, and throughout the year.

Happy Mother’s Day!

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As most of you know Bea Arthur passed away recently, but you may not have known was she was an animal rights advocate.

The animal protection community lost a wonderful advocate and generous philanthropist last week, when Bea Arthur passed away. Since the 80’s Arthur has lent her fame to a number of animal welfare causes. She advocated against wearing fur, gave her support to a campaign against KFC, became a spokesperson for the effort to end horse abuse in the production of premarin, and she raised significant amounts of funds for charity. To acknowledge her many contributions over her lifetime, PETA made her an honorary director.

Getting Involved:
Bea became involved in animal issues in 1987, after recording an anti-fur episode of Golden Girls. She soon became a member of PETA. She said, “at one time I used to wear fur. It never entered my mind how fur got to be fur. I just thought you go to the store and you get a fur coat. It wasn’t until later that I said, I can’t do this. This is obscene.”

Bea’s Advice:
Here’s what the sassy actress had to say to people who want to do something for animals: “get involved at ground level. Start by neutering and spaying animals. You begin by just being aware and just do what you can. Just pick up the goddamn newspaper everyday and read something and find out what’s happening. And do something about it. Or try to do something about it.”

I don’t think you’ll find better advice than Bea Arthur’s.  I have no doubt her death will leave a big void in the animal welfare community.

R.I.P.

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In February we had a contest to win a “I’m tired of...” bracelet. Dan Hoffman and his sister Carrie Pollare created a wonderful company that has the opportunity to make a tremendous difference for so many causes.

The “I’m Tired of…” bracelets were created to fight against the world’s issues that we are all tired of, like animal cruelty, world hunger, global warming, cancer, diabetes and so many more. The fashionable bracelets are made from recycled tires and metals, creating a fun play on the word, tired, and cost just $10, so anyone can afford them. Then half the sale ($5) from each one is donated to charities the company is aligned with that support each cause. Best Friends Animal Society is the beneficiary of the sales of the animal cruelty bracelets.

Carrie Pollare gives so much of herself to help others, she’s a champion to the animal welfare cause. Last year Carrie found out that no matter how many lives you save, sometimes you can’t save those that are the closest.  She found out her dog Noah had cancer, they were about to start the fight of their lives.

It all started with an innocent scoot across the floor. At first she didn’t pay much attention to an act all our dogs have been guilty of at one time or another, but after a few more times it was off to visit the vet.  What Carrie thought was something minor turned out to be life changing when the vet told her there was a lump in Noah’s anal gland.

After crying my eyes out for the first of what would be many times, I got angry. There was no way this could happen to my “Poppy” (no, it’s not a typo). Hadn’t he had enough pain in his life…homeless on the streets of a Los Angeles ghetto, used as target practice by derelicts with a bee bee gun, and now this is how it would end? And, in spite of those difficult beginnings, my doggie is a beautiful sweet spirit, who I’ve snuggled with every night on my bed for 10 years before we go to sleep…who we call the “con artist” because his communication techniques are hysterical when he wants treats or a walk…who taught himself to “get a bear” (which is the generic name we use for all of his stuffed animals) to calm himself down because he gets so excited when someone comes to the door. So he runs it out, back and forth, until he can greet without jumping. And, at 10 years old, he still has the energy of a two year old pup.

Read the rest of this entry »

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