I found this website from a dog magazine (Modern Dog) that I subscribe to. The name of the company is Dog Is Good. They have some of the cutest stuff!
They have clothing, hats, sleep wear, greeting cards, water bottles, mugs, stickers and so much more. Their logo couldn't be any cuter...DIG (Dog Is Good).
To check out their site click here. Become a Facebook fan of theirs and use coupon code: FB#1FAN and save 10% off your first order! :-)
Here are some of my favorite things (click on photo caption link to go to that product on their site)....
I grew up going to an Episcopal Church. A memorable event that I cherished was the Blessing of the Animals. I thought it was the coolest thing. My mom and I would pack up all of our animals (dog, kitties, birds, turtles, mice, etc.) and would take them to the church where they would be blessed. The service was outside on the church lawn when the weather was nice and inside when it was raining. I would watch with joy as each precious creature was blessed by the priest.
For those who have not attended an Episcopal, Catholic or Anglican Church you might not be familiar with St. Francis or the Blessing of the Animals service. The wonderful thing is that you do not have to be of any particular faith to participate in the ceremonies. All are welcome to the churches to participate in having their beloved animals blessed. It is truly a non-denominational event that is focused on the love of the animals.
Although I have not been an active member of the Episcopal Church for many years I still participate in the Blessing of the Animals which is performed each year on October 4th (my birthday - extra bonus :-) to celebrate the feast of Saint Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals and ecology. It is a special birthday present to myself to spend that day focusing on what brings complete joy and pure love into my life - my beloved animals or as I usually call them "my precious fur babies." They are my gift. A gift of love. A gift that God gives me each and everyday that I am blessed to share my life with them.
There are many churches throughout the country that participate and celebrate the Blessing of the Animals. To find a list in your area then click here or do an online search for an Episcopal Church in your area and call them to see if they will have a Blessing of the Animals service and what date/time the service will be. If you live in the Greenville, SC area below are the churches in the area that will have the Blessing of the Animals service this year.
Christ Church Episcopal - service held on Oct. 4th @ 5:45 pm (in courtyard near fountain)
10 North Church Street
Greenville, SC 29601
St. Andrew's Episcopal Church - service held on Oct. 3rd @ 4:30 pm (in the courtyard)
1002 South Main Street
Greenville, SC 29601
The Anglican Church of St. George the Martyr - service held on Oct. 2nd @ 9am
427 Batesville Road
Simpsonville, SC 29681
If you don't have a service in your area you can still say a St. Francis, Blessing of the Animals prayer(s) and blessing(s) over your beloved pets. Click here to see a few.
Here is a great video to show you what to expect at a Blessing of the Animals service. It is Pawsitively Funtastic! :-)
Ever wonder what is a dog's mood when you first meet it? Is it excited, playful, distressed, fearful or aggressive? Knowing how to read a dog's body language is crucial. You will know if you can approach it or not.
The Pedigree Adoption Drive
"Because every dog deserves a healthy and happy life."
Looking for a way to help a homeless dog? If you have a blog of any kind, simply write a post to help a dog from now through September 19 and Pedigree will donate a 20-pound bag of food to an animal shelter.
It's that simple.
Just include the bullets listed here, and add the direct link to your blog post to To Dogs With Love Blog Hop. Click here to add your blog post so we can all see how big an impact we are making!
* Each year, more than 4 million dogs end up in shelters and breed rescue organizations. Pedigree created The PEDIGREE Adoption Drive to help shine a spotlight on the plight of these homeless dogs.
* This year the PEDIGREE Adoption Drive is raising awareness for homeless dogs by donating a bowl of food to shelter dogs for everyone who becomes a "Fan" or "Likes" the PEDIGREE Adoption Drive on Facebook. So far more than 1 million bowls have been donated.
* Special for BlogPaws West: For each blog that posts about the PEDIGREE Adoption Drive through September 19, PEDIGREE will donate a bag of its new Healthy Longevity Food for Dogs to shelters nationwide. It's simple: Write a post, help a dog.
* Thursday, September 16 through Sunday, September 19, the Pedigree BlogPaws bloggers will host a Blog Hop to help raise awareness for the "Write a post, help a dog" effort.
Tell as many of your blogger friends as you can, so we can help even more dogs. And if you don't have a blog, please tweet about this using the hashtag #dogsrule, re-tweet this post, or share on Facebook to help spread the word even further!
Don't think you will have time to do a blog post before September 19th? Then just copy and paste my blog post and just insert it into your blog. It only takes a few minutes and these simple efforts will help feed countless dogs.
I saw this video on You Tube the other day and my heart went out to these people. How so very hard it is to lose a beloved pet. What is even worse is to feel the guilt of some how thinking it is your fault or that you could have prevented it (which these people couldn't have done). It was not their fault at all. Things just happen sometimes that you can't prevent or explain.
I did a blog about Fire Safety (Pet Oxygen Masks) in August. One can't stress safety enough when precious lives are at stake. Each year, before the winter season, have your chimney's and furnaces checked and cleaned if necessary. Why should you clean your chimney you ask? Well, creosote (residue of the wood you burn) builds up in your chimney and can catch on fire resulting in a flue fire. These can be very dangerous and are easily avoided by keeping your chimney clean. To learn more about how often and why you should clean your chimney click here.
One other thing to remember is to never ever, ever, ever leave candles burning unattended for any reason. I used to be a Property Manager of an apartment community and I saw numerous cases where people were severely hurt (and almost died) from leaving candles burning. Entire apartment buildings burned down to the ground from one single candle. A man and his 7 month old baby were barely saved from a fire that another neighbor caused (by accident). I saw pet parents screaming in shear terror wondering if their pets got out safely and were rescued from the burning flames. I started using the battery powered flameless candles and I LOVE them. I splurge on the really good quality ones (Raz Imports brand) because the cheap ones don't illuminate as well. In this case, spend the extra money on the good quality ones.
Do a checklist in your home of potential fire hazards, write them down and do what is needed to make them safe. Here are a few that come to mind right now:
1. Change batteries in your smoke detectors on a regular basis.
2. Clean your dryer screen after every load you dry (so many people forget to do this).
3. Also clean your dryer vents once a month with a dyer vent cleaning tool and have a professional clean the vent and hoses once a year.
4. Make sure your light bulbs in your electrical fixtures are the right wattage. Make sure you do not go over the maximum wattage listed.
5. Have your HVAC checked and serviced at least once a year (this also helps with energy conservation).
6. Have your fireplace chimney cleaned once a year (if needed)
7. Use battery powered flameless candles instead of the real ones.
If you have a home alarm system, they have new things out that will help detect fires and carbon monoxide in the home and prevent unnecessary damage and death. They cost a little extra money up front but are well worth the investment.
Sherry was kind enough to share her love and her pain to make us aware of fire hazards in the home. This video is a beautiful tribute to her beloved pet and best friend Rusty. Watch it with a box of tissues.
This is one of my favorite quotes and is so true. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
"He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion." ~ Author Unknown.
I leave you all with this...Love Your Dog. Love your dog everyday as if it were your last. You never know when it might be.
A year ago, a friend of mine loaned me this book to read. She said, "You will love it Tina. You being a dog lover will love it. I couldn't put it down Tina." So, I waited for my turn to read the book. Before last year and before reading this book I had kind of lost touch with my love of books. Life takes over and before you know it your busy day has ended and it's time for bed. No time for reading...too busy with other things.
Once the book was in my possession, I sat on it for about 2 weeks. It sat on my nightstand night after night calling to me "Pick me up Tina. Read me. You won't be sorry." Every night I had an excuse why I couldn't read this book. It was only after I realized that I borrowed this book from my friend and that she probably was waiting to get it back to loan it to another friend that I needed to read it soon.
I picked this book up to read on an overcast day, thinking it was a great day to stay in. I couldn't put this book down once I picked it up. Now, I am not the fastest (or slowest) reader but I was so into the book that I finished it in one day (one very long day ;-).
Even after reading this book a year ago, it still resonates with me. I still think of the story from time to time. I think it is because of the hope that we will all be reincarnated one day (in one way shape or form) and that this life is not all there is. I look at my puppy dogs and wonder....then I just smile! :-)
We signed up for Netflix years ago and we love it. Last Christmas, I got my husband a Roku device which will let you watch Netflix movies, shows, etc instantly on your television. I use the device more than he does. ;-) I am always scouting out new movies and old movies to watch. Recently, I have really gotten into documentaries. I came across one the other day that I had to add to the "Watch Instantly Queue." I sat down tonight to watch it for the first time. The documentary is called My Dog: An Unconditional Love Story.
It was the most beautiful love story I have ever seen. I laughed, I cried (tears of joy & sorrow) and connected with these people more than I ever have watching a film. The common bond that brings all of us strangers together to laugh, love and play....four simple letters....DOGS! How blessed we are to have them in our lives.
If you haven't seen this film yet then I highly recommend watching it. It is beautiful beyond belief. You can rent it on Netflix, watch it on the Netflix Instant Queue or buy it (which I will do) so you can watch it over and over again.
A quote from the film, "What a joy and a miracle it is to be able to spend time with a life form representing pure love" by Livingston Taylor.
I hope you all, my fellow dog lovers, will enjoy this film as much as I did. :-)
I've said it before, I am a sucker for fun and whimsical dog stuff. I don't have a ton of it in my house but I do have a collection of fun dog stuff sporadically placed around the house. I saw this adorable wooden plaque when I was in TJ Maxx the other day (I love that place)! I chuckled out loud when I saw it in the store. No words are needed to describe it.....
Pecan Pie Puppies - Fall 2010 Collection "Olive the Owl"
A friend of mine makes some of the cutest dog collars that I have ever seen. The name of her business is Pecan Pie Puppies (like the name is not totally adorable all by itself). She has an Esty Shop where she sells all of her collars. The best thing about it is that all the proceeds help finance her ongoing dog rescue efforts. Yes, she rescues dogs too. She is an amazing person! :-)
The collars that she handcrafts aren't just for girls (as so many others usually are). She also creates totally adorable collars for the little furry men in your life. You can check out her store here. Don't forget to also check out her blog here.
Here are some of my favorite collars that she has handcrafted......
This blog began because of my undying love for two little Chihuahua’s (Patti Marie and D’Angelo). My love has since expanded to include two more fur babies – Macy Gray and Sadie. You think you only have enough love in you for so many animals until God brings more in need to your doorstep. When you look into their eyes and see their desperation, fear and need - you can’t turn them away. It is then and only then when you realize that you have enough love to go around and then some. :o)
Throughout the years, I have learned so much about animals (especially dogs). I would like to share with you my knowledge, adventures, experiences and everything under the sun related to dogs. I have always been an animal lover since I was a little girl. I would sneak animals in my room at night so they would have a warm and cozy place to sleep and would sneak them back out before dawn (unbeknownst to my parents).
I have always spoiled animals and taken care of them as if I actually gave birth to them. I don’t understand people who think animals are just disposable objects. In the words of Joan C. Fremo, “Those people...who will never have the joy in their lives of knowing they are loved unconditionally by someone as close to an angel as they will ever get. How empty my life would be.”
My husband and I live with our four precious puppy dogs (who rule the house – we just pay for it :-). Three of our dogs are rescues and we have also fostered other animals in need from time to time. I hope you find my blog informative, useful and most of all fun. Thank you for visiting and Enjoy!
Our Fur Babies
Patti Marie
Patti Marie (Chihuahua) - Patti was the only one of our dogs that wasn't a rescue. She was my baby (and always will be) and the love of my life for over 13 years. She will be greatly missed. ♥
D'Angelo (Baby D)
D'Angelo (Chihuahua) - I rescued D'Angelo from the Greenville Humane Society over 8 yrs ago. He was such a sweet, precious little baby boy and the love of my life. He will be greatly missed. ♥
Macy Gray
Macy Gray (Maltese/Poodle Mix) - My husband rescued Macy many years ago. She was in such bad shape that it took him 6 mos. to nurse her back to health. She was such a sweet, precious little girl - the love of our lives. She will be greatly missed. ♥
Sadie Samara
Sadie Samara (Terrier Mix) - We rescued Sadie over 8 yrs ago. She was the missing link to our family. Sadie was such a little comedian. She was such a sweet baby girl - the love of our lives. She will be greatly missed. ♥
