Passover is going to the dogs, literally. Your pup can join in a pet Seder at the Wigglyville pet store in Chicago.

WHEN Robert Uri Heller, a psychologist and professor at the Adler School of Professional Psychology, leads a Passover Seder in Chicago on Saturday, some of the rituals symbolizing Jews’ exodus from Egypt may be lost on the yarmulke-wearing guests.

Those guests will, after all, be dogs.

The Seder, which will be conducted at a pet store, Wigglyville, is being sponsored by Evanger’s Dog and Cat Food Company to promote its kosher varieties, which have been endorsed by the Chicago Rabbinical Council.

Dr. Heller, who keeps kosher and feeds Evanger’s to Lilly, his wheaten terrier, has led Seders for dogs at pet stores in the past, “much to the chagrin” of many at his synagogue, he says.

“They say, ‘How could you do it for dogs, isn’t it sacrilegious?’ ” Dr. Heller said. “And my answer is, ‘We’re having fun.’ ”

For Evanger’s, though, it is serious business. Holly Sher, who owns the company, which is based in Wheeling, Ill., said that in the week before Passover she receives dozens of calls from Jews, who sometimes learn only a few days before the week long holiday that she makes kosher food, and want her to send a 24-can case overnight. The cost of shipping alone to New York, where she has sent many of the orders, is $110, added to the cost of the food, more than $70 a case for some varieties.

For any pups in the Chicago area who have no Passover plans this sounds like just the ticket.  Head to Wigglyville for good food, good friends, and a good time all while keeping kosher.

* Pic of Ella at last year’s Sedar courtesy Joshua Lott/Chicago Tribune

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In January I posted a story about Operation Blankets of Love, an organization  in California to help supply shelter animals with blankets for their cages to make them more comfortable.

I received a message from founder Eileen Smulson letting us know  their area has been experiencing cold weather, and that they have a large supply of blankets to help out local shelters.

Operation Blankets of Love:

It has been cold and freezing, raining, snowing and even hailing in some places. The homeless pets need warmth and comfort and we have what you need.

CALL US NOW….THERE IS NO NEED FOR ANY ANIMAL TO BE COLD AND WET.

We have tons of clean old and new:

Blankets, comforters, towels, washclothes, some pet beds, tons of dog treats and some small colorful handmade quilts.

So call us on our phone at 818-402-6586 so we can make arrangements to get the donations Operation Blankets of Love has gotten from the local community to help the homeless pets.

Eileen Smulson
Founder & President
Operation Blankets of Love
818-402-6586

If any shelters are interested please call Eileen direct for more information, their site is temporarily down.

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It’s been a very cold winter in many parts of the country, today’s tip is something for everyone to keep in mind.

Week of Feb. 8:

Watch for dogs running (exercising) with owners in the frigid air. Lungs can freeze. Say something. Be a good Samaritan for animals.

I want to thank Anna Nirva, founder of Sunbear Squad, for her insightful article teaching each of us how to become a good Samaritan for animals.  There is still have to join the pack and get your FREE Neighborhood Watch Kit,  you don’t want to miss out on this offer, get those paws typing.

“We must become the change we want to see.”

Mahatma Gandhi quotes

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Times are tough, money is tight, which is what makes Peg DeMarco’s actions even more inspiring.

Peg DeMarco won a raffle, receiving a prize of $11,388.20, and donated all her winnings to help needy animals. She had bought the tickets online, and had her name drawn from thousands of entries.

The “Split-the-Pot for Pets” raffle is sponsored by a NASCAR driver and his foundation.  The raffle is hosted by Charity Splits, for the benefit of the Greg Biffle Foundation.

Morganton, NC: DeMarco on Monday donated $10,000 of her winnings to Friends for Animals Humane Society of Burke County. She will donate the remaining winnings to other animal rescue groups, DeMarco said.

Biffle, who drives the No. 16 3M Ford for Roush Fenway Racing, and DiNunzio visited Friends for Animals on Monday to hand-deliver the winnings to DeMarco who, in turn, passed $10,000 on to Toni Davis, Friends for Animals’ director.

DeMarco said that if she won $1 million, she would had given all of it to Friends for Animals. She said, “I see firsthand how hard the staff and volunteers work and how many abandoned animals they take in and find homes for. It only takes one pair of sad eyes on an abandoned puppy to melt my heart.”

Peg Demarco is a volunteer at Friends for Animals, she donates her time as well as her money. She started volunteering there after her son adopted a dog in 2007.  Friends for Animals adopted out 1,560 dogs and cats last year, and is the largest no-kill shelter in Western North Carolina.

* Pic courtesy Rick Fox/The News Herald

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It’s that time of the year when the novelty of Christmas kittens and puppies may have worn off. The reality of the hard work, time, care, and financial responsibility may have set in.  Making today’s tip from our friends at Sunbear Squad something to be on the lookout for.

WATCH TIP for Week of Feb. 1:
Watch and listen for Christmas puppies and kittens banished to the back yard without shelter; they could die from the cold. Call the authorities.

Be A Good Samaritan For Animals

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Here’s another helpful tip from our friends at Sunbear Squad.  Keep an eye out for an upcoming article on “How To Start A Neighborhood Watch” from the founder of Sunbear Squad, Anna Nirva.

Week of Jan. 25:

Watch and listen for stray pets in student neighborhoods. When students move to new apartments, pets get lost, trapped, or abandoned.

 BE A GOOD SAMARITAN FOR ANIMALS

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There’s a wonderful organization, Operation Blankets of Love, that was started in California to help supply shelter animals with blankets for their cages to make them more comfortable.

Dear Animal Lovers,

How would you feel if your pet was in a shelter lying in a cage on a cold hard cement floor? You arrive at the shelter to adopt a family pet to see many of these abused, neglected and abandoned animals shivering and feeling isolated in their cages. Many of these dogs, cats, puppies, and kittens are euthanized if they are not adopted because of the crisis of pet overpopulation.

YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Operation Blankets of Love (OBOL) was established in mid-January 2008. Our goal is to ensure that all homeless animals waiting to be adopted be as comfortable as possible by providing blankets, comforters, pet beds, towels, and other pet related items.

This is such a simple, but terrific, concept.  Everyone has old blankets they don’t use, now you can drop them off to one of the participating shelters where it will be put to good use. Hopefully this will spread around the country so all animals entering a shelter will have a little bit of comfort.

To find out the drop-off locations or how you can become a friend of Operation Blankets of Love stop by their site for all the details.

* Photo courtesy of the OBOL website.

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On Friday I  announced I was going to use the week between Christmas and New Year’s to dedicate to those that make a huge difference in a dog’s life.

The people behind the scenes who get no thanks or glory, and don’t expect it, but do what they do for their love of animals. I started by thanking Laurie Lyon’s and Kevin McCartin, the founders of Canine Corps.  Today I want to thank Anna Nirva who is the founder of Sunbear Squad.

Every Monday I post a tip from Sunbear Squad, but I want to take a moment to share the story behind the organization.  The story is a heartbreaking one,  about a chocolate Labrador Retriever who was left to starve to death.

About Sunbear

Sunbear was a young male chocolate Labrador Retriever in a West Virginia town. One summer day in 2002, his owner locked him into a dark townhouse laundry room, and walked away forever. Incredibly, he was alone in the dark without food and water for
6 endless weeks before he was discovered.

How Did it Happen?

Sunbear’s owner intended to give him to a farm family, but communication broke down somehow. Nobody picked up poor Sunbear. Sunbear’s owner did not call the family to check on how he was adapting to his new home, a simple act taking 5 minutes that would have uncovered the miscommunication and saved his life. No, Sunbear’s owner forgot all about him.
Couldn’t Anyone Help Him?

Did Sunbear bark and whine desperately for help, as he waited in the dark? Did his excellent hearing tell him that people were nearby in adjoining townhouses? Did he smell the 20 lb. bag of dog food that sat right outside the laundry room door? Did he dream about his beloved owner opening the door and rescuing him?

If only one person had heard Sunbear whining and barking during those endless days of starvation, he would be alive today.

Out of this tragedy one woman, Anna Nirva, decided to stand up and make a difference that would change animal lovers into welfare defenders. Stop by Sunbear Squad to read the full, and very sad, story of Sunbear and to find valuable tools for helping to identify and responsibly report signs of animal abuse and neglect.

Compassion has eyes and ears to sense suffering, hands to relieve it, a heart to sooth it, and a voice to cry out against it-forcing the world to listen.

www.sunbearsquad.org

Anna Nirva, we here at Dogster salute you.  We give you 5 out of 5 paws!

* The picture of Buster is courtesy Sunbear Squad.

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