Lovely as a summer day, here's Flower. She's a beautiful adult cat, and one of many
adoptable through Humane Society for Hamilton County. Flower and her friends, Tasha (shown left) Jasmine and Zita are just a few of the lovely ladies patiently waiting for their forever homes.
Find your new feline friends at your local shelter or rescue group, and you'll be glad you did!
Meet June Bug, Firefly, Spring and Summer!
Spring and summer months are notoriously known as "kitten season", as most litters are born in the warmer weather. Mid-summer is an especially crowded time in cat shelters, like Willow Creek Sanctuary.
These beautiful Tortoiseshell sisters, Spring and Summer, are looking for their new home. The only two kittens in their litter, they've bonded, and would love to go home together. They're spayed, microchipped, and ready for summer adventure!
Firefly looks like he's got a lot of spark! From his PetFinder profile:
Firefly is the bravest of the bunch and always the first to explore new surroundings. He is extremely social and loves to be where the action is.
Firefly and his litter mates are just a few of the dozens of cats in need of homes at the Dane County Friends of Ferals in Madison, Wisconsin.
Consider adding a little light in your life!
Meet last week's featured cat, June Bug!
I love my new bracelet from Heritage Makers! I connected with Lisa (aka The Pet Book Lady) at BlogPaws 2010, and we started talking about her line of photo products and keepsakes, like the Heritage Makers bracelet. Lisa was sweet enough to design a custom piece for me with Lyger and Lula's photos, and it's such a fun piece to wear. I love spending my day with my pets' photos looking at me. It's a comfort when I'm away, or having a rough day.
This bracelet gets so many compliments, and would be a wonderful gift idea for a special pet parent. And it's so nice knowing that Lisa donates her sales commission from the keepsake bracelets to Pet Rescue. It's the gift that keeps on giving!
How does it work? It's so easy! Lisa says:
"Customers can go to either MakeBooksOnline.com which will lead them to my assigned Heritage Makers site or than can go directly my the site. They can sign up for a FREE Basic Studio Account. (Look for sign up on the top right of site) From there they will upload their photos. The project they will be choosing to make is under Photo Gifts."
Once you setup the bracelet, you get to see a preview, like this:
Once you approve your order, it'll arrive in about 2-3 weeks.
Want to learn more about creating your own wearable keepsake? Watch:
The Heritage Makers Bracelet starts at $39.95, including the design work. You can also try making your own, or check out the rest of the photo jewelry and flip-books.
Be sure to check back on Monday for our June contest to win your very own custom Heritage Makers bracelet, courtesy of The Pet Book Lady!
Other product reviews
This month is American Humane's Adopt-A-Cat month. Four-million cats and kittens find themselves in crowded shelters and foster homes each year. We're introducing you to felines all over the U.S. but please consider stopping by your local shelter to adopt or foster a homeless cat.
What a perfect name for this event: Meet June Bug, a lovable one year-old tuxedo cat here in Cleveland, Ohio. Lucky Paws Animal Rescue has made sure she's spayed, vaccinated and housebroken. All you need to do is take her home!
Check back every Friday in June for more adoptable cats. You might meet your new best friend!
Join the Paws is teaming up with veterinarians to support the National Wildlife Federation's efforts in the Gulf of Mexico. For more information on their efforts and how you can help, click here or visit them on Facebook.
Johnny's story is one too good not to tell. About 2 years ago, Johnny was picked up as a stray by the local animal control in rural southern Ohio. Clearly an older dog, he was filthy, mal-nourished, and all signs indicated that he was blind. Luckily for him, and for the rest of us, they recognized the amazing personality and resilient temperament, and called GRIN (Golden Retrievers in Need). GRIN picked Johnny up, placed him with a loving foster family, and worked with a vet to determine that his severe visual impairment was irreversible.
Posted on their website, as a "Senior Special Needs Dog" one might wonder how even the greatest of goldens might ever get adopted, let alone a 9 year old blind stray. That was until Carrie saw his profile, and fell in love. Carrie, a school psychiatrist, was looking for her next golden, but she didn't yet know that this boy with the white muzzle could be her next therapy partner.
After just a few days in her home, it became clear that Johnny was as capable of most. When Carrie realized that he was chasing squirrels by scent, it seemed like there was very little that Johnny couldn't do. She began working with Johnny in training classes (taking most of her training drills from online courses), and within a matter of months, he received his Canine Good Citizen certification from Delta Society. He was a natural! The only area of the test that Johnny would need extra preparation for was the distractions segment. If he was to be a therapy dog, Johnny would need to sit calmly even amidst loud coughing, wheelchairs squeaking and crutches clacking. But, with consistent socialization, even these sounds became second nature for Johnny. Now, if Johnny becomes unsure, (as he did on his first elevator ride) he leans in on Carrie's side, for little reassurance.
Now, the best part of the story. Johnny gets to go to work. A few mornings a week, Carrie grooms him, and just as soon as his grooming is done, he starts spinning at the door, because he knows it's a work day! Carrie and Johnny visit various schools, sitting with kids in individual or group sessions. Johnny lies casually, accepting petting and hugs, often times sticking close to a kid that is having a particularly rough time. After a few minutes, the kids hardly notice his disability, and by the end of a school year, they're telling Carrie "I want a blind dog when I grow up."
Johnny's work is never finished. If one of his students is hospitalized, they go visit at bedside. Over summer break, Johnny visits nursing homes, where he's a favorite of older men, perhaps thinking back on the big retriever they had as a child.
And at the end of the school year, Johnny gets dozens of cards and from his little friends. They thank him for listening, for being their best friend, for teaching them what it means to overcome disability.
With Carrie always at his side, Johnny's disability turns to ability. Ability to connect with adults and children in a way that few pets can.
Thank you Carrie and Johnny, for sharing your story.
Like this post? Meet more therapy dogs:
Meet Inara
Meet Andre
From Delta Society Blog:
A few hours before a resident passes away, Oscar climbs onto his or her bed. He purrs and refuses to leave until the patient dies. His predictions are always right—he never lingers unless the person is within a few hours of death. His unusual talent provides an early warning system, giving caregivers precious time to alert family members that their loved one is near the end of life. Steere House residents and their families are grateful to Oscar for the comfort and companionship he provides during this difficult time...
read more or check out Making Rounds with Oscar: The Extraordinary Gift of an Ordinary Cat
Monday, we talked with Inara. Today, we're going to talk about little Andre, a Pomeranian and Therapy Pet owned by Embracer, Adrienne. For those of you that have never had the pleasure of meeting Andre, I assure you, he's the cutest thing on four legs!
Tell us a bit about what Andre’s training involved, and what work you do as a Therapy Team?
Andre’s training involved basic obedience skills – sit, down, come, stay, heel / walking nicely on a leash. He also has to be well socialized with all kinds of people, different environments, sounds, objects, and other animals. He needed to be comfortable in crowds and with people who might not be coordinated or have difficulty petting him. He had plenty of practice with that since he is a Pomeranian and most everyone that sees him wants to pet and hug him!
Right now Andre and I are involved in the D.O.C. (Dogs On Campus) program at Kent State University. We go and visit the students that live on campus. This is the only program in the country right now that does this. It helps the students who are away from home for the first time and that had to leave their pets behind. The program is also conducting studies on how therapy dogs effect people who are not sick. The program was created and is run by Dr. Kathy Adamle.
What certifications or titles does Andre have?
Andre is a certified therapy dog with Delta Society and has a rating of complex.
What was the hardest part of the CGC training for Andre?
Learning how to lie down. He just did not want to do it and would just sit there looking at me with a “give me a good reason why” expression on his face. It took weeks of work, but he finally decided it was okay to comply with the request. I also had to make sure that he didn’t get over excited when greeting other dogs. He is always ready to play!
What is Andre’s favorite part about therapy visits?
All parts! Once he sees his bandana he wears he is excited and as soon as we are out of the car at Kent he wants everyone he sees to say hello – from the other dogs in the group, to all the students on campus. He’d be ready to move in if they’d let him!
What would be your ideal Therapy Dog job?
I’m not really sure. Right now I love going to Kent and seeing how excited all the students are to see the dogs. You wouldn’t think having the dogs visit would be that big a deal, but it really is special for them. When we do the visits we can have a hundred students come by to see them. They all share stories of their pets and what they did at home. It really relieves the stress of studying and being away from home.
What is Andre’s favorite thing to do when he’s not training?
He loves trying to play with my cats, swimming, and playing with his squeaky toys. He is always up to go for a walk too!
What advice do you have for anyone considering getting into Therapy work?
Start socializing your dog with everyone and everything! The better socialized they are the easier it will be for them to handle stressful or new situations. Take your time and don’t rush. Learn about what is required of both you and your dog. Therapy work isn’t just about the dog (or cat, bird, etc.) The person plays a major part of the team and you will get as much out of it as your pet.
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