MAGGIE: the dog who changed my life

MAGGIE: the dog who changed my life
Click photo to visit dawnkairns.com

Monday, April 26, 2010

Why I Turned to a Raw/Whole Food Diet for My Dogs


When Maggie, our black Labrador retriever, was diagnosed with a cancerous mast cell tumor at age 8, I was in shock as most of us are when we receive a cancer diagnosis regarding our pets. Maggie’s vet warned me that mast cell cancer recurrence was very common.  I was determined to find answers, improve her health, her quality of life, and do whatever I could to avoid another mast cell cancer. This led me into research about canine nutrition and the commercial pet food industry. I’d like to share with you some of my discoveries from Chapter 9 in my book, and what prompted me to change from dog food to a raw food diet.
 


 
Abbreviated Excerpt from Chapter 9: “What’s Really Best for Our Pets?” 

 "With our world rocked, I begin exploring new directions …

 I discover some eye-opening facts about diet. We have the difficult realization that we didn’t provide Maggie with the healthiest diet during these eight years. We were taught … that dog food was nutritionally balanced, and table food was not good for animals. We fed her a popular brand, recommended by most veterinarians. I learn it contains chemical preservatives, and much of its protein comes from grain rather than meat sources … The dog food industry representatives educate veterinarians about their foods in much the same way that pharmaceutical representatives educate physicians, … and nurse practitioners about new drugs …

What I discover about the dog food industry and its practices is nothing short of appalling.


…many pet foods contain inadequate quantities and qualities of proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals. Most labels only list the amount of crude protein…Many manufacturers use inexpensive sources such as poultry feathers, fecal waste, and horse and cattle hair that provide pets with significantly less usable protein. Vitamins, minerals, and amino acids added to pet food are often destroyed by heat processing and during shelf storage.


Another shock was learning that the pet food industry is built on remnants rejected by the human food industry. This can mean slaughterhouse wastes such as spoiled meats and even tissues riddled with cancer. These discards also include moldy grains and rancid fats.


... I research further into problems associated with just one of the above discards—moldy grains. I learn they can produce mycotoxins, the poisonous residues of mold deterioration. These are very potent compounds that cause a variety of human and animal health problems at very low dosages. Aflatoxin, one of several mycotoxins, is a potent carcinogen and immunosuppressant … Grains often affected include corn, peanuts, wheat, and rice, all of which are used in various dog foods …



Dr. Gordon’s words from our follow-up visit still ring in my ears and are
incredulous to me. “Why are you going to change her diet? She’s done so well on it all these years.”


How can she overlook a possible link between Maggie’s cancer and her nutrition? Even human Western medicine is relating diet to cancer and other diseases.


There is no question that we are going to change Maggie’s diet …

Dr. Rupp spends a good hour with me during that first visit discussing the ingredients and proper proportions of a raw food diet ...

The diet change is worth the trouble. It adds energy and exuberance to Maggie’s already abundant supply. Her coat develops a shine and luster that becomes the topic of many conversations with people she stops in their tracks. After eight years of constant shedding, it just suddenly stops…I’m sad to admit that during her eight years of eating a well-known and highly recommended brand of dog food, Maggie’s coat was dull and she shed continually.


Recover Maggie does. Her quality of life surpasses her pre-surgery level. She maintains her new energy level. We are all about to enter the best times of our lives together. Oh, and Maggie never has a mast cell tumor recurrence."



 © 2001  MAGGIE the dog who changed my life. Reproduction in whole or in part of this excerpt must credit the author and book title. 
_________________________________

Many dry dog foods are high in carbohydrate

Since that first raw food diet for Maggie, I have learned and adapted the diet for Chloe and Maddie, our dogs we adopted after Maggie. I increased the meat and decreased the carbohydrate content. Unlike cats, dogs are omnivores, but they’re primarily carnivores. Above all, dogs need protein. 


Dry dog foods are high in carbohydrate and low in protein--the complete opposite! The first ingredient in many veterinarian-recommended and grocery store brands of dry dog food is corn, a grain that may be difficult to digest for dogs. Some holistic vets feel that the wheat gluten in many canned pet foods may cause diseases in dogs and cats similar to gluten-related problems that some humans experience.
The natural diet of dogs, like cats, contains little carbohydrate. 

Get ready for this statement from the veterinary textbook, Canine and Feline Nutrition: "The fact that dogs and cats do not require carbohydrate is immaterial because the nutrient content of most commercial foods include carbohydrates." (From the article "Do Dogs and Cats Need Grains”) 

Wow ... sad statement, isn't it?

A grain-based diet promotes insulin production along with other inflammatory chemicals. In addition to weight gain, this can lead to diabetes and other health problems. In retrospect, it is no mystery that Maggie struggled with weight gain despite not eating a lot. On her raw food diet, she lost 7 pounds and maintained her new weight.


All dog food is processed, even healthier brands, which means fewer nutrients than whole foods offer. If you’re unable to feed a raw diet to your dog, there are higher quality dog food choices available through natural pet food stores. Read the labels! Pick a brand high in meat (a specific meat like chicken, salmon, or turkey as the first ingredient, or a specific meat meal like chicken—not “meat” meal) and low in carbohydrates (or grain-free); and without meat by-products, which are parts derived from slaughtered mammals other than meat. By-products can include but are not limited to organs, blood, bone, stomach, intestines, and fatty tissue. Although some by-products would be consumed by a dog in the wild, they’d also get all the meat from an animal they ate. Meat by-products as a steady canine diet are a poor source of protein.


I encourage you to educate yourselves on feeding a properly balanced whole/raw food diet to your dogs/pets if you decide to switch from dog food or cat food. I consulted with a holistic vet to help me with nutrient balance and supplements for Maggie, Chloe, and Maddie. Like Maggie after taking her off of dog food, Maddie's shiny black coat is a conversation piece with most people we interact with when we are out and about!

Posted By:
Dawn Kairns  
Author of MAGGIE the dog who changed my life
Website: www.dawnkairns.com
2009 Indie Book Awards Finalist
DWAA 2008 Merial Human-Animal Bond Award Finalist

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Glimpses of Maggie's Life (pictures not seen before) Video

Today's post is very special to me. I have wanted to create a video with Maggie's unpublished pictures, those not in my book, MAGGIE the dog who changed my life, for almost 2 years. But with so much to learn before and after publishing my book, I haven't found time until now. This is my first attempt through Animoto. I have much to learn, and many more "glimpses" of Maggie's life to share. May I introduce MAGGIE's first video...

Enjoy and please share!



Dawn Kairns, Author of
Maggie the dog who changed my life



Website: www.dawnkairns.com

2009 Indie Book Awards Finalist
DWAA 2008 Merial Human-Animal Bond Award Finalist

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

MAGGIE the dog who changed my life: temporary change in how/where to order

If you try to purchase the paperback version of MAGGIE the dog who changed my life on Amazon.com, you can still get it through their other sellers on my book page at Amazon, but it is currently unavailable from Amazon directly until they correct some print and page color issues. You can still obtain the hardback version of MAGGIE through Amazon. It is also still available at http://www.amazon.co.uk in the United Kingdom.

If you have trouble ordering the paperback version of MAGGIE from Amazon, it is available on Barnesandnoble.com (MAGGIE in paperback). Please share this information with friends who may want to purchase MAGGIE. Thank you very much.

I learned Amazon was putting out my books with white rather than cream-colored pages, and the cover colors were washed out -- the orange in particular was a light pink-orange rather than a deep, rich, burnt orange. Amazon says it's a publisher printing issue (iUniverse). For any of you who received my books with this print error, I apologize very much.

Once again, you can still purchase MAGGIE from the other sellers on Amazon from my book page, but Barnes & Noble online is another choice if Amazon sellers run out before this print issue is fixed. I am very sorry for this inconvenience with Amazon.

Sincerely,

Dawn Kairns
Author of
MAGGIE the dog who changed my life



Website: www.dawnkairns.com

2009 Indie Book Awards Finalist
DWAA 2008 Merial Human-Animal Bond Award Finalist

Saturday, April 17, 2010

Not Without My Dog

Many of you who have read MAGGIE know that I traveled to Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina to work with the animals left behind, homeless due to the hurricane. Many animals were never reunited with their families. It was heartbreaking to witness. Many family pets were transported across the country to be adopted by new families -- a good thing on the one hand, but leaving many bonded humans and animals wondering and searching, never to see each other again.

Jenny Pavlovic also traveled to Louisiana after the disaster, coming home with Kate, the homeless cattle dog who won Jenny's heart. It was Kate and the thousands like her left behind in Katrina who were Jenny's inspiration for both 8 State Hurricane Kate, and now The Not Without My Dog Resource & Record Book. In writing her latest book, Jenny is doing all she can to be sure this kind of devastating separation between animals and their humans never happens again by creating a book that has all the information you need about your pet in one place.

Take it away, Jenny. The rest of this post comes from Jenny Pavlovic about her new book & the specials available:

"When I couldn't find the book I wanted for my dogs, I decided to make it myself. This book includes everything you need for your dog, with a records section, a resources section, and tips for understanding your dog better."
-- Jenny Pavlovic, author of The Not Without My Dog Resource & Record Book and 8 State Hurricane Kate

"This book is a must-have for all dog lovers and would make a great gift. There is nothing else like it!

—Dr. Marty Becker, " America 's Veterinarian”

The Not Without My Dog Resource & Record Book is available at the special online price of $25 through April 30th (suggested retail price $28.95).

Save $12.95 when you purchase The Not Without My Dog Resource & Record Book with the award-winning 8 State Hurricane Kate: The Journey and Legacy of a Katrina Cattle Dog (usually $18.95)—buy both books for just $34.95 through April 30th.

Books are expected to ship in June. You may also donate a book to the Humane Society of Louisiana or Noah's Wish (free shipping for donated books).

Available from 8 State Kate Press exclusively at www.8StateKate.net.

Recommended by MuttShack Disaster Response Animal Rescue

For daily use, travel, and emergencies, this compact book has everything in one place. The Records section has space for vet records, plus everything someone would need to know about your dog. It also includes "Hound Bites", words of wisdom from the dogs themselves. The Resources section includes information on how to use a microchip effectively, how to prevent your dog from getting lost, how to make a disaster plan for your family and pets (with info from Noahs' Wish,), traveling with your dog, basic first aid tips, and more. Features include a hard cover, concealed wire-o binding to lay flat for writing, archive-quality pages for inserting photos, tabbed pages marking individual sections, and a sealed pocket for storing important records. And… it’s MADE IN THE U.S.A. !!

Click here to look inside the book.
Click here to view the book trailer video.
Click here to order.

“A valuable guide you'll find yourself turning to again and again throughout your dog's life.”

—Kyra Kirkwood, Author of Move Over, Rover!


Posted By:

Dawn Kairns
Author of
MAGGIE the dog who changed my life A Story of Love

Website: www.dawnkairns.com

2009 Indie Book Awards Finalist
DWAA 2008 Merial Human-Animal Bond Award Finalist

Friday, April 16, 2010

Feeding a Raw Diet to Your Cat

Feeding a raw food diet to your dog or cat is something that has been controversial and misunderstood. More pet guardians are choosing to feed their pets whole, raw foods rather than commercial pet food as they learn to distinguish between the myths and facts of feeding raw. I devote a chapter in my book, MAGGIE the dog who changed my life, titled "What's Really Best For Our Pets" to what I learned about the pet food industry and the benefits to Maggie when I switched to a raw food diet after 8 years of dog food.

My posts are typically about dogs. However, my last post honored my cat, Cinnamon, on her 17th birthday this month. Today's post, too, is for all you cats out there -- cat lovers, this one's for you!

F
ellow author, Ingrid King, wrote Buckley's Story: Lessons from a Feline Master Teacher. She also wrote the following article about feeding a raw diet to cats for one of her recent newsletters:

Feeding Raw Food - Separating Myth from Fact

We know from human nutrition that the less processed our foods are, the healthier they are for us. This is no different when it comes to feline nutrition. Cats are obligate carnivores and as such need animal-based proteins to thrive. They cannot get enough nutritional support from plant-based proteins such as grains and vegetables, because, unlike humans and dogs, they lack the specific enzyme that processes plant-based proteins metabolically.


Commercial pet foods are highly processed and most are too high in carbohydrates for cats, leading to all kinds of health problems. Dry food in particular can be the source of many of the degenerative diseases we see in cats, ranging from allergies to intestinal problems to diabetes and urinary tract issues. While a quality grain-free canned diet may be a better choice, the meat in those diets has to be cooked. Cooking degrades the nutrients, leading to loss of enzymes, vitamins and minerals. To make up for this, pet food manufacturers must add in supplements to make up for these losses. Supplementation is not always exact, and depending on the manufacturer, may be done with synthetic rather than natural supplements.

There are numerous benefits from feeding a raw diet to your cat, including improved digestion, reduced stool odor and volume, increased energy, ability to maintain ideal weight, better dental health, and better urinary tract health. With the numerous pet food recalls over the past several years, raw feeding has gained wider attention. Embraced for decades by holistically oriented pet parents and holistic veterinarians, it is becoming more mainstream as pet parents look for alternatives to feeding commercial pet foods. But many pet owners are still leery of the idea of feeding raw meat to their pets, and myths about raw feeding abound. This article will help sort through the myths and facts surrounding raw feeding.

Myth: Cats need dry food to keep their teeth clean.

Fact: Dry kibble does not clean your cat’s teeth. Most cats don’t chew their kibble long enough for any of the scraping action that is the theory behind this myth to kick in. Some pet food manufacturers offer a “dental diet” that is made up of larger than normal sized kibble to encourage chewing, but in my years at veterinary practices, I’ve seen many cats swallow even those larger size pieces whole. Additionally, dry food leaves a carbohydrate residue in the cat’s mouth that actually encourages growth of tartar and plaque.

Myth: It’s dangerous to feed raw meat because it contains bacteria.

Fact: Cats have highly acidic digestive tracts, which makes them pathogen resistant. Their digestive tracts are also much shorter than humans – food passes through their digestive system in about 12 hours, compared to two or three times as much for humans. This doesn’t give bacteria enough time to proliferate in their system. As long as you use safe handling procedures with raw meat, the risk to your cat is minimal. In fact, the emphasis on safe handling that you’ll hear from most proponents of raw feeding is for the humans in the household, not for the cat.

One caution: this applies to healthy cats. Bacterial resistance in cats with an already compromised immune system may be diminished.

Myth: Raw feeding is complicated and requires grinding of meat, bones and a lot of preparation time.

Fact: Raw feeding doesn’t have to be complicated. While some cat owners want to make their own raw foods, there are many companies that offer frozen raw food that is already nutritionally balanced. Two that I like are Feline’s Pride and Nature’s Variety. It really comes down to thaw and feed – no more effort than opening a can!

Myth: It’s dangerous to feed raw meet because it may contain parasites.

Fact: The companies I mentioned above, and I’m sure there are many others as well, source their meat from reputable farmers and test for pathogens and parasites. Of course, there is no way to be 100% sure, but then, neither is there a 100% guarantee that commercially prepared foods are going to be free of toxins, pathogens or other contamination, as the 2007 pet food recall showed us in such tragic proportions. Do your research and find out where the company you’re buying from sources their ingredients. Reputable manufacturers will be happy to answer your questions.

Myth: Raw diets are not complete and balanced.

Fact: That depends on the diet you choose to feed. Some raw diets are balanced and include proper levels of supplements, others will require adding a good vitamin and mineral supplement. The reality is that no one food can be nutritionally complete. True nutrition comes from a varied, whole foods diet. This is why it’s a good idea to mix and rotate different meats and maybe even different manufacturers.

The idea of raw feeding has initially been a big leap for me. For starters, I’m semi-vegetarian and don’t eat red meat or poultry, so I wasn’t crazy about having to handle raw meat, even if it was best for my cats. The twelve years I spent in the veterinary profession taught me a lot about animal health, but initially, not a lot about nutrition. Traditionally, veterinarians don’t receive a lot of training in nutrition, and what training they do receive in veterinary schools is funded by major pet food manufacturers. I was fortunate that I eventually worked with several holistically oriented vets, and I began studying feline nutrition on my own as well. Look for more articles on feline nutrition here on The Conscious Cat in the future. If you’d like to see something in particular addressed, leave a comment.

To conclude, I’d like to offer the following wonderful resources for feeding raw food to cats:

Feeding Your Cat – Know the Basics of Feline Nutrition – this site contains a wealth of information by veterinarian Lisa A. Pierson, DVM

Feline Nutrition Education Society – a site dedicated to educating cat owners about the benefits of feeding raw, showcasing some of the leading voices advocating change in how we think about feline nutrition.

Visit Ingrid's website at http://ingridking.com/ to learn more about her book, Buckley's Story.

Posted By:

Dawn Kairns
Author of
MAGGIE the dog who changed my life A Story of Love

Website: www.dawnkairns.com

2009 Indie Book Awards Finalist
DWAA 2008 Merial Human-Animal Bond Award Finalist

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

In Honor of My Precious Cat, Cinnamon: Happy 17th Birthday

Those of you who read my book, MAGGIE the dog who changed my life, have already met my Cinnamon and know her as the new, spicey little kitty that came into Maggie's and our lives after Maggie lost her pal, Shanna, our previous cat. Well, time marches on, and I share this picture post with you today to honor my feline soul mate, the one you don't hear too much about because I talk so much about canines! Ms. Cinnamon turns 17 this month. Happy Birthday, my precious little Buddha (that's her other name she earned because of her little Buddha belly!)

Cinnamon, like most cats, was a home body. After losing Maggie, and as Cinnamon got older, I didn't want to leave her behind on our trips anymore. I wondered how she'd do in our camper, and at age 12 we decided to find out. Well, she did beautifully, and it just gets better. The more she trusts us to keep her safe and stable when we travel by car, the more comfortable she becomes. Even going into motel rooms for 2 nights on our long drive to and from Texas is just no big deal for her anymore. She knows the routine.

Recovering from surgery in 2004

Sharing back seat with buddie Maddie on drive to Padre Island.

Enjoying her ocean view from condo deck in Padre Island.

"I love watching the ocean..."

Kicks Golden Chloe out of bed. "Hmm. Don't know where Chloe went. Nice bed, though ..."

Cinnamon finally gets another black dog (Maddie) who will actually sleep with her!

"I LOVE black dogs!"

Relaxing on bed in the camper enjoying the sunny view.

Loving camper life.
"Maggie taught me to cross my paws like this ..."

Last week in yard: "Meowwwww!! I can still prowl at 17 -- as long as I can see Mom!"

"Ah, deer turds here!"


Cinnamon gets brave in Wyoming, July, 2009 & looks out truck window at a stop. She usually hides in her litter box when we stop. (She is secured w/leash & harness).

"What was Maddie looking at?? I can do it if she can ..."

And more ...

Thank you, my angel, for being another "rock" in my life for so many years; for grounding me, for holding the space of peace, centeredness, and calm in our home -- for being my little Buddha. Happy 17th Birthday, my spicey little girl. I love you, Cinnie.

(For those of you who tried to read my 2 previous picture posts on Cinnamon and found the links dead, I apologize. It's my lack of skill in placing pictures in my blog in aligned fashion. I can only hope this one works when I push publish this!)

Posted By:

Dawn Kairns
Author of
MAGGIE the dog who changed my life A Story of Love

Website: www.dawnkairns.com

2009 Indie Book Awards Finalist
DWAA 2008 Merial Human-Animal Bond Award Finalist

Saturday, April 10, 2010

For the Battle-Scarred, Comfort at Leash’s End

By JANIE LORBER
Published: April 2, 2010 in the NY Times
www.nytimes.com

WASHINGTON — Just weeks after Chris Goehner, 25, an Iraq war veteran, got a dog, he was able to cut in half the dose of anxiety and sleep medications he took for post-traumatic stress disorder. The night terrors and suicidal thoughts that kept him awake for days on end ceased.

Stephen Crowley/The New York Times

The dogs learn to fetch, turn lights on and off and even dial 911.

At the Mid-Orange Correctional Facility in Warwick, N.Y., service dogs share a room with the prisoners who help train them.

Aaron Ellis, 29, another Iraq veteran with the stress disorder, scrapped his medications entirely soon after getting a dog — and set foot in a grocery store for the first time in three years.

The dogs to whom they credit their improved health are not just pets. Rather, they are psychiatric service dogs specially trained to help traumatized veterans leave the battlefield behind as they reintegrate into society.

Because of stories like these, the federal government, not usually at the forefront of alternative medical treatments, is spending several million dollars to study whether scientific research supports anecdotal reports that the dogs might speed recovery from the psychological wounds of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

In dozens of interviews, veterans and their therapists reported drastic reductions in P.T.S.D. symptoms and in reliance on medication after receiving a service dog.

Veterans rely on their dogs to gauge the safety of their surroundings, allowing them to venture into public places without constantly scanning for snipers, hidden bombs and other dangers lurking in the minds of those with the disorder.

In August, Jacob Hyde got his service dog, Mya, from Puppies Behind Bars, a program based in New York State that uses prisoners to raise and train dogs for lives of service. The organization has placed 23 dogs with veterans with P.T.S.D. in the last two years, training them to obey 87 different commands.

“If I didn’t have legs, I would have to crawl around,” said Mr. Hyde, 25. “If I didn’t have Mya, I wouldn’t be able to leave the house.”

If Mr. Hyde says “block,” the dog will stand perpendicularly in front of him to keep other people at a distance. If he asks Mya to “get his back,” the dog will sit facing backward by his side.

The dogs are trained to jolt a soldier from a flashback, dial 911 on a phone and even sense a panic attack before it starts. And, perhaps most important, the veterans’ sense of responsibility, optimism and self-awareness is renewed by caring for the dogs.

The dogs help soldiers understand “what’s happening as it’s happening, what to do about it, and then doing it,” said Joan Esnayra, a geneticist whose research team has received $300,000 from the Defense Department to study the issue. “You can use your dog kind of like a mirror to reflect back your emotional tenor.”

The dog is also often the first visible manifestation of a former soldier’s disability. Because people are curious about the animal, the veteran gets an opportunity to talk about his condition and his war experiences, discussions that can contribute to recovery. More broadly, the dogs help increase public awareness of P.T.S.D., which the Veterans Affairs Department said affects about one quarter of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans with whom it has worked.

Under a bill written by Senator Al Franken, Democrat of Minnesota, veterans with P.T.S.D. will get service dogs as part of a pilot program run by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Training a psychiatric service dog and pairing it with a client costs more than $20,000. The government already helps provide dogs to soldiers who lost their sight or were severely wounded in combat, but had never considered placing dogs for emotional damage.

But there is debate within the emergent field about the appropriate time to pair a veteran with a dog. Sara Meisinger, the chief of occupational therapy at the warrior transition unit at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, said a service dog should be used only in the final stage of treatment, after a soldier has accomplished as much as possible with traditional therapy. Many experts say the veterans should be living on their own for at least a year before they receive a dog.

But when Gloria Gilbert Stoga, who runs Puppies Behind Bars, received an application from Maj. James Becker, she decided, with support from his doctors, to take a chance on a veteran who had just left inpatient care.

Major Becker, 45, suffered two severe brain injuries in separate explosions, earning two Purple Hearts in his three tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. When he came home last winter, his 24-year-old daughter, also an Iraq veteran, was being treated for leukemia.

In Major Becker’s mind, home started to resemble Afghanistan’s Helmand Province. His P.T.S.D. symptoms worsened, and a suicide attempt in July landed him in San Diego Naval Medical Center for seven months. A few weeks after leaving the San Diego hospital, Major Becker flew to New York to collect his dog, Annie, and participate in a two-week training session with Puppies Behind Bars. Still, he said he spent a lot of time alone in his room “because it’s easier to deal with four walls than it is to come out and deal with crowds.”

But within days, Annie was beginning to pull him out of his shell. “She helps me meet people,” he said, describing how people are attracted to the dog.

He added, “I like to think it’s going to get better.”

Posted By:

Dawn Kairns
Author of
MAGGIE the dog who changed my life A Story of Love

Website: www.dawnkairns.com

2009 Indie Book Awards Finalist
DWAA 2008 Merial Human-Animal Bond Award Finalist

Monday, April 5, 2010

Marky the Rescued South Texas Dog: Update

I wish I was writing to tell you that Marky is in his forever home, or that he is in foster care with Sheree, being considered as her forever dog. Unfortunately, neither is the case at this point. It has been a while since I've updated you about Marky because I don't really have anything new to report.

Marky remains in foster care with Cindy and is doing very well. He gets along well with other dogs, and the great news is he does well with cats, too, I learned. The report continues to be that he is both sweet and smart.

Marky will still go to Sheree if she becomes ready and able to take him. In the meantime, the Brownsville SPCA will begin to take Marky once again to PetsMart on the weekends for exposure to potential adopters. Will you please visit Marky's page at Petfinder.com and share his information and picture in his Petfinder link with your dog loving friends who may be interested in adopting him? He is still just under a year old -- a perfect time for him to form a deep bond with you.

If you are new to my blog, you can see previous posts on Marky at:

http://maggiethedogwhochangedmylife.blogspot.com/2010/02/dog-rescued-near-border-gets-second.html (2-3-10)

http://maggiethedogwhochangedmylife.blogspot.com/2010/02/dog-rescued-near-border-gets-second_07.html (2-7-10)

http://maggiethedogwhochangedmylife.blogspot.com/2010/02/markydog-rescued-near-border-is-adopt.html (2-17-10)

http://maggiethedogwhochangedmylife.blogspot.com/2010/02/forever-home-for-marky.html
(2-28-10)

http://maggiethedogwhochangedmylife.blogspot.com/2010/03/marky-rescue-dog-update.html (3-11-10)

Wow, I didn't realize how many posts I had about that little rescue who really so touched my heart... I will not be writing more about Marky until he is adopted.

Posted By:

Dawn Kairns
Author of
MAGGIE the dog who changed my life A Story of Love

Website: www.dawnkairns.com
2009 Indie Book Awards Finalist
DWAA 2008 Merial Human-Animal Bond Award Finalist