They’ve just added I’m Tired of Puppy Mills with a new very cool charity partner, Last Chance for Animals, and they’ll be adding a lot more causes shortly. They also have new products, brand new I’m Tired of Animal Cruelty dog tags and key chains.

Are you, like me, tired of reading horrific animal abuse stories? Fed up with the lax laws and lack of legislation to punish offenders? Do you ever feel that as one person you can’t make a difference? Good news, you can, and it’s easier than you think. When you buy one of their products half of it goes to charity, you can’t beat that.

“Each of us has the power to make a positive change in the lives of animals in need. But, when we join together, our impact skyrockets.”

— Dan Hoffman, ITo Co-founder

Dan Hoffman and Carrie Pollare have created a wonderful company that has the opportunity to make a tremendous difference for so many causes. As an interesting aside, this brother and sister team didn’t start this company to make money, they already had a multi-million dollar computer related business. “I’m Tired Of… ” was started as a completely altruistic endeavor, they wanted to make a difference.

Since working on the blog I have personally dealt with Carrie on a number of occasions, she’s a wonderful person and the money donated from  her business is making a huge difference in the lives of so many animals.  Please support her by buying “I’m Tired Of..” products and letting other animal owners know about the company.

On a sadder note, Carrie just lost her beloved dog Noah to cancer.  He put up a brave fight but it was finally time to say goodbye, never an easy thing to do. On behalf of the entire Dogster community I want to let her know that her family is in our thoughts.

A short but nice story on a football player who’s making a difference.

CAMBRIDGE SPRINGS, Pa. – Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is helping a northwestern Pennsylvania police department fight crime.

The Cambridge Springs police department used $8,000 from the Ben Roethlisberger Foundation to care for and equip a new 2-year-old German shepherd. The department paid $11,000 for the dog, which was raised in a community fundraiser.

Roethlisberger’s foundation provides funding to train, equip and purchase police dogs. The foundation has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to pay for service dogs used by police and fire departments in Pennsylvania, Roethlisberger’s home state of Ohio and elsewhere.

We give Ben Roethlisberger four paws up!

* I think Leroy is a fan of football

There’s a fun event coming up for dog lovers in the San Jose, CA area. The annual Paws in the Park event is less than two weeks away, mark those calendars.

Saturday, May 30th – 1:00-4:00 p.m.
Location: Santana Row, Park in front of Maggiano’s (Get Location)

Bring your pet and join us for a fun filled afternoon and cupcake fundraiser with proceeds benefiting Furry Friends Rescue!

Featuring…

* Kara’s Cupcake Fundraiser for FFR – Profits from Kara’s SWEET VANILLA cupcakes go to FFR
* Doggie fashion show
* Raffle prizes
* Dog contests – $5 entry fee
o Cutest Diva Contest
o Coolest Dude Contest
o Best Trick Contest
* Information about Furry Friends Rescue
* Adoption showcase

Also check out Santana Row’s – Paws on The Row – Shop and Dine with your Furry Friends
Pet Friendly Santana Row Brochure

*Did you know you can shop with your pet? Santana Row is Pet Friendly. Look for the “Paws Welcome Here” decal for your pet friendly shops and restaurants or come by the FFR booth and pick up your Pet-Friendly shopping guide!

Furry Friends Rescue is an all-volunteer non-profit Bay Area companion animal rescue organization, comprised entirely of experienced volunteers who collectively have rescued hundreds of companion animals and placed them in loving homes. They focus on saving unadopted dogs and cats destined to be euthanized in Bay Area shelters.

The FFR is a wonderful organization,  show your support by attending Paws in the Park and participating in the fun contests and stuffing your face with as many of Kara’s Cupcakes as possible. Remember, when it’s for a good cause calories don’t count.

*Baxter, Sokie, and Donovan all rescued by FFR

On Wednesday I posted about the Atlanta Animal Rescue Friends (AARF) benefit happening on Saturday, April 18th in Atlanta.

I wanted to let everyone know I will be attending the benefit and would really enjoy meeting some of the Atlantan Dogsters (the two-legged ones) out there.  It would be great to be able to put a face to some of the readers out there.

AARF is holding 219: The Show on April 18th

The art auction will feature 219 works from various Atlanta-area artists. Each piece will represent one dog or cat that will have lost his or her life in a county shelter that day. The art will be sold in both silent and live auctions, with all proceeds going to AARF’s rescue, spay and neuter and education programs. The organization’s fundraising goal for the event is to generate enough to support the rescue every pet that would die in the course of one day in metro Atlanta.

Go to the original article to get all the details about the show and to find out how to get tickets.  Come out to support a great cause and fun while you’re doing it.  Hope to see you there!

* The artwork covers a wide range of subjects , it is work being donated by local artists.

Gemstones come in many shapes and sizes. This one just happens to come shaped like a Golden Labrador, the most precious gem of all.

Evie Crook’s life has been transformed by the arrival of Gem the golden Labrador at her home.

She was diagnosed with high frequency deafness when she was two and half which left her with a 80 per cent hearing loss. She uses hearing aid which give her 50 per cent hearing and can lip read.

Gem, from the Hearing Dogs charity, has been trained to find Evie, who has a sister Maddy, 11, and tell her when one of the family wants her attention.

She also takes messages to and from Evie in a purse which she carries in her mouth and alerts her to a cooker timer which is used to measure all kinds of activities including her homework.

Evie is the youngest person in Britain to use a hearing dog.  Sounds like this Gem is going to make a big difference in her life.   There’s another little girl who is waiting to get her Autism Service Dog and could really use our help.

Violet Vickery is a beautiful 6-year-old who lives in Monticello, MN with her parents. Her folks have desperately been trying to raise enough funds so they can receive an Autism Service Dog, to help give Violet a chance at a more normal life.

An Autism Service Dog will be trained specifically for Violet’s needs from All Purpose Canines in Aberdeen, SD. Violet will increase her social skills by forming an attachment with the dog, adults, and children that might approach the dog while out in public, allowing Violet to be put in social situations she can learn from.

She will be reassured by the dog’s constant presence. She will learn responsibility by caring for the dog, most of all Violet will be much safer. The service dog will be Violet’s guardian not letting her leave the house unattended, run into the street or run away from her parents in public.

You can read all about Violet, and what her life is like, on her doggie fund site. The Vickery’s need $15,500 to bring her service dog home, currently they are at $9,714. If you would like to donate to help the Vickery’s achieve their goal stop by their fundraising page.

Good luck to both Evie and Violet.

* Photo of Evie and Gem courtesy ROSS PARRY SYNDICATION.