MAGGIE: the dog who changed my life

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

Friday, November 16, 2012

Colorado Animal Rescue Express Rescues 16,000 Homeless Dogs

Let's Support the  Continued Mission of C.A.R.E. on Colorado Gives Day!

According to Lisa Mendelsberg and Linda Fox, founders of Colorado Animal Rescue Express (C.A.R.E.)  they have "transported 16,000 homeless pets to safety, provided veterinary care to 1,600 animals, and neutered 4,200 dogs and cats in communities with crisis level pet-overpopulation."  These are primarily dogs that have been transported from low adoption, high kill cities and states to places like Colorado with a high adoption rate. 

Tuesday, December 4th is Colorado Gives Day, and C.A.R.E. is participating again. Last year C.A.R.E. "raised over $20,000 and won an additional prize of $5,000 from FirstBank for being the smallest charity with the largest number of donors."  I am writing this post to invite you to donate to C.A.R.E. this December 4 to help these two amazing women who are making such a significant difference for dogs who would otherwise have no second chances at life. In short, they would be euthanized. 

To donate online to Colorado Animal Rescue Express for Colorado Gives Day, please visit their website, www.caretransport.org and click on the link for “Colorado Gives Day 2012”. You can pre-schedule your online donation for Dec. 4th by clicking on a link to GivingFirst.org at the bottom of that page. Be sure to designate that your donation is for Colorado Gives Day. "100% of all donations made through GivingFirst.org will go to C.A.R.E. to help homeless pets.FirstBank and Community First Foundation will absorb all processing fees. In addition, FirstBank's Incentive Fund will be proportionately allocated across all donations received, increasing the value of each donation."

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Thursday, October 18, 2012

Sweet Inspiration Part 3

Many years ago I came across this tiny booklet titled Think by Dr. Robert Anthony.  I was cleaning out my bookshelf over the past few weeks and re-discovered it. I would like to share a few of his inspirational messages with you here:

The biggest risk in life is not risking.

What we are is God's gift to us.  What we become is our gift to God.

Excuses are your lack of faith in your own power.

You can get everything in life you want, if you will help enough other people get what they want.

There are many things I want, but few things I need.

If you prepare for old age, old age comes sooner.

If you are going to give a gift, notice your true intentions.

People concern themselves with being normal, rather than natural.

Worry comes from the belief you are powerless.

Your ability to relax is in direct proportion to your ability to trust life.

Whatever you want, wants you.

Most of the time we don't communicate, we just take turns talking.

The way to win is to make it okay to lose.

Whatever you are afraid to do is a clear indicator of the next thing you need to do.

 Less effort creates more results.

If you have a constant need to help other people, notice how you must keep them helpless.

Life always keep its agreement with you.

Hoping and wishing are excuses for not doing.

He who laughs, lasts.

If your life isn't working the way you want it to, notice you're lying.

If you don't know what direction to take, you haven't acknowledgde where you are.

Once you except an idea it's an idea whose time has come.

Click title below if you want to order my book(s):

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Sweet Inspiration Part 2

Many years ago I came across this tiny booklet titled Think by Dr. Robert Anthony.  I was cleaning out my bookshelf over the past few weeks and re-discovered it. I would like to share a few of his inspirational messages with you here:If you don't have what you want, you are not committed to a 100%. 

Your enemy might become your friend, if you allow him to be who he is.

If you worry about what might be, and wonder what might have been, you will ignore what is.

Before you can break out of prison, you must first realize you're locked up.

When you blame others, you give up your power to change. 

Whatever you are willing to put up with, is exactly  what you will have.

If you acknowledge you are unconscious, you are no longer unconscious.

Your interpretation of what you see and  here, is just that, your interpretation.

If you find a good solution and become attached to it, the solution may become your next problem.

Criticize the performance , not the performer.

You are the cause of everything that happens to you .  Be careful what you cause.

There is no right or wrong, only consequences.

The one who loves the least controls the relationship.

If you require someone to change, you require that person to lie to you.

If you don't like the direction the river is flowing, don't jump in.

We fear the thing we want the most .

Feelings of inferiority and superiority are the same.  They both come from fear .

Monday, October 15, 2012

Thoughts to Inspire Part 1.

Many years ago I came across this tiny booklet titled Think by Dr. Robert Anthony.  I was cleaning out my bookshelf over the past few weeks and re-discovered it. I would like to share a few of his inspirational messages with you here:

You don't have to be positive, you just have to be yourself.

You can only have two things in life, reasons or results.  Reasons don't count. 

If you are constantly being mistreated, you're cooperating with the treatment.

You don't have to be positive, you just have to be yourself.

Trying provides two excuses, an excuse for not doing.  And an excuse for not having.

You cannot control without being controlled.

There is no way to know before experiencing.

Consciously or unconsciously, you always get what you expect.

Others can stop you temporarily, only you could do it permanently.

Whatever you are trying to avoid won't go away until you confront it.

If you don't start, it's certain you won't arrive.

What you can't communicate runs your life.

(to be continued ... )

Sunday, October 7, 2012

The Street Dogs of Detroit


I was shocked to learn that there are over 50,000 stray dogs in Detroit, many of them living on the streets. Almost 90% of the dogs picked up by animal control are euthanized. This video is a short documentation of one man who cared enough to show the rest of us and try to raise awareness of this sad issue. Please visit http://www.detroitdogrescue.com/ to learn more and to help. 

Detroit Dog Rescue


Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Taiwan authorities Will Kill 80,000 Dogs This Year

It is heartbreaking. Approximately 80,000 dogs will be killed this year alone by Taiwanese authorities according to a July 6, 2012 Denver Post Associated Press article by Tassanee Vejpongsa. I was so moved by this special photographer who let the plight of these shelter dogs in northern Taiwan impact him, and the way he decided to make a difference. By capturing these shelter dogs last moments, this Taiwan man hopes to raise consciousness of their seemingly hopeless plight. He sees himself and his photography as a medium to help people become more aware of this horrible issue. I can only hope to do the same by sharing it here.

Read the full story here: Taiwan photographer captures shelter dogs' last moments

Monday, September 17, 2012

A Legal Voice for the Animals

Do you need legal assistance for an animal-related issue, like fighting a breed ban in your locale? Have you had a pet who has been harmed by pet food?

Her name is Jennifer Reba Edwards. She is an attorney, and her unique law practice focuses only on animals. "We are the only full-time Colorado law practice dedicated solely to animal law," says Edwards. In 2007, she filed one of the first lawsuits against pet-food maker Menu Foods after pets began dying from their tainted pet foods.

Her firm has also helped in disputes with cities who ban certain breeds, including pit bulls.

See the full story in the August 6, l2012 Denver Post article by Monte Whaley here: Law firm supports animals

Saturday, September 15, 2012

A Modern Day 'Lassie Come Home' Miracle

This is not a story I wrote. It was written by Scott Craven on September 7, 2012 . But you see, one of the heroines in this heartwarming story, Daisy Pettem, happens to be my neighbor, 2 doors away. She blessed us at the dinner table 3 evenings ago with this miraculous story of Timber the dog and his guardian, Rusty.



Military veteran Rusty Reed was overjoyed when he received the call that his lost dog, Timber, was safe with a Colorado family.
Photo by Stephen Root/12 News


"When Rusty Reed opened the camper door for the second time that morning, he felt his heart drop from his chest.  His best friend and traveling companion was nowhere to be seen, the 50-foot leash leading to an empty collar. The vast Utah landscape that had been so welcoming the day before now appeared daunting. It could swallow up a wayward dog in the blink of an eye, and Reed had been asleep for hours.

All the military vet could do was grab his cane and start looking. And so he walked along the only trail he knew, the one he and his malamute-shepherd mix had hiked frequently over the last few days...

Rusty Reed is familiar with the label most people use to describe him. Homeless military veteran ... Arizona was his home, summering near Flagstaff, wintering in Lake Havasu City (where he rents a mailbox at a UPS store), moving among campgrounds that welcome visitors.

It was on one of his occasional trips three years ago when Reed ran into an acquaintance in Washington who owed him money. The man offered Reed a choice: cash or a dog.

"The dog," Reed says now, recalling the moment he laid eyes on the puppy he would call Timber. "A dog lasts longer than money."

Adjustments had to be made. He glued a Big Gulp cup to the floorboard for a water bowl. Some of his military pension went to canine maintenance, including food, leashes, a collar and the occasional vet visit...

In the evening Timber would relax under Reed's mattress, propped on a makeshift platform. And when Reed crawled into bed, Timber jumped in beside him. But Reed's favorite moments came when he pulled the keys from his pocket and Timber danced at his feet waiting for those magic words: "Wanna go for a ride?"

...In April, as Reed camped outside Ash Fork, west of Flagstaff, a woman camping nearby approached and introduced herself and her two dogs. They talked about a shared love of the road. In April, Reed thought it was only a chance meeting."

Her name was Sue Rogers and she has a blog, rvsueandcrew.com. She described their chance encounter in her blog, and how phone numbers were exchanged.

"It was a bit of a surprise when, four months later and almost a thousand miles away, Reed's name lit up her cellphone screen. They chatted a bit, with Rogers mentioning she was in Oregon, and Reed suggesting places to see. Rogers asked about Timber. The story came pouring out.

It started in southern Utah... Early on July 9, parked on a hilltop outside Loa, Utah, Reed says, he woke to Timber scratching at the back of the camper. He let him out, clipping the dog's collar to his 50-foot leash. Reed climbed back into the truck for just a few more minutes of sleep... a few hours later ... He opened the back to find only the leash... "

Reed searched for Timber for three days, as smoke from a nearby wildfire began to fill the air. Finally the smoke thickened and made it hard to breathe. Before he returned to Arizona, he scattered 8 pounds of dog food and cut open a 5-gallon jug of water...

"The only thing Sue Rogers could do was listen and offer a shoulder to cry on... But she did one more thing. That night, she typed up the story of a grieving friend... she had more than 450 followers... Shortly after midnight on Aug. 26, she posted Timber's tale. By 6 p.m., the post had nearly 90 comments. Most expressed sympathy. But a handful were from someone who identified herself only as a retired police officer living in New York...

 At 2:19, she (the police officer) posted a report of a shepherd mix found July 10 near Loa, Utah, but there was no photo to go with the description.

At 4:49, Rogers ... called the people who found the dog near Loa. She was sending them a photo of Timber and waiting to hear back.

At 6:20, a post from Rogers: IT LOOKS LIKE WE MAY HAVE FOUND TIMBER!

... Daisy Pettem looked at the photos attached to the e-mail. She looked at the rather skinny dog at her house in Boulder, Colo., then back to the photos...

'Timber?' His ears went up...Pettem knew the rambunctious pooch as Willy. Her father had found the dog as he camped outside Loa, Utah, in early July.

The dog approached to check him out, as well as his two dogs. Its friendly demeanor hinted at an owner, but a search of the nearby area proved fruitless. He checked with forest-service personnel, but no one had reported a missing canine. Pettem's father couldn't leave the dog behind, so he took it to California, where he would visit his ailing mother...

A week later, the crew was back in Colorado... She (Pettem)  was sure this dog had belonged to someone. He got along so well with people, and he was neutered. Someone, she knew, was missing Willy.

Which is why Pettem scoured the Internet in the days following Willy's arrival at her home, searching for posts about lost dogs matching his description. She found nothing, so she posted a 'Found dog' notice on fidofinder.com. She put the description, added her contact information, and waited. And waited."

As July passed, Willy played with Pettem's 9-year-old son and their terrier. Later, Willy went with Pettem and her father on a trip to see family in Canada. Then, on Aug. 26, she received an e-mail from Fidofinder.com. Soon, she was on the phone with a woman named Sue. Then she got an e-mail with photos of a missing dog. The lost dog had the same build and coloring. He had a slash of white on his forehead. Just like the dog at her house...

Rusty Reed remembers his heart was nearly beating out of his chest...

Here it was, almost September...

But Pettem and her father were almost 700 miles away. A trip to Arizona would take time and money they didn't have, she said..."

Go to http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/20120831lone-wolf-his-lost-dog-internet-miracle.html to read the full story and the rest of the story about Timber and Rusty Reed's incredible reunion and the people who made it possible. You may also wish to read more about Rusty and Timber on Sue Roger's blog called http://rvsueandcrew.com/

"Daisy Pettem remembers watching it all, the smile never leaving her face. She and her son were going to miss this rambunctious dog, but she could not deny one thing: Timber was home."

Dailsy, thank you so much for brightening our lives with how you, your dad, and the others made such a HUGE positive difference in the lives of Rusty and Timber! And for making us shed tears of joy! And, thank you for sharing your video with us!

Click here for Rusty and Timber slideshow

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Sunday, July 22, 2012

A Father, A Daughter, and a Dog

My cousin, who knows my love of dogs, and the love I had for my father, sent me this via email. I do not know who wrote it, but it brought tears to my eyes with it's touching beauty and how a dog changed this elderly man's life: 

 

"Watch out! You nearly broad-sided that car!" My father yelled at me. "Can't you do anything right?"

Those words hurt worse than blows. I turned my head toward the elderly man in the seat beside me, daring me to challenge him. A lump rose in my throat as I  averted my eyes. I wasn't prepared for another battle.

"I saw the car, Dad. Please don't yell at me when I'm driving." My voice was  measured and steady, sounding far calmer than I really felt.

Dad glared at me, then turned away and settled back. At home I left Dad in front  of the television and went outside to collect my  thoughts.... dark, heavy clouds hung in the air with a promise of rain. The rumble of distant thunder seemed to echo my inner turmoil. What could I do about him?

Dad had been a  lumberjack in Washington and Oregon He had enjoyed being outdoors and had reveled in pitting his strength against the forces of nature. He had  entered grueling lumberjack competitions, and had  placed often. The shelves in his house were filled  with trophies that attested to his  prowess.

The years marched on relentlessly.  The first time he couldn't lift a heavy log, he  joked about it; but later
that same day I saw him  outside alone, straining to lift it. He became  irritable whenever anyone teased him about his  advancing age, or when he couldn't do something he had done as a younger man.

Four days after  his sixty-seventh birthday, he had a heart attack.  An ambulance sped him to the hospital while a paramedic administered CPR to keep blood and  oxygen flowing.

At the hospital, Dad was rushed into an operating room. He was lucky; he survived. But something inside Dad died. His zest  for life was gone. He obstinately refused to  follow doctor's orders. Suggestions and offers of help were turned aside with sarcasm and insults.  The number of visitors thinned, then finally  stopped altogether. Dad was left alone..

My  husband, Dick, and I asked Dad to come live with  us on our small farm. We hoped the fresh air and  rustic atmosphere would help him  adjust.

Within a week after he moved in, I  regretted the invitation. It seemed nothing was satisfactory. He
criticized everything I did. I became frustrated and moody. Soon I was taking my pent-up anger out on Dick. We began to bicker and argue.

Alarmed, Dick sought out our pastor  and explained the situation. The clergyman set up  weekly counseling
appointments for us. At the  close of each session he prayed , asking God to soothe Dad's troubled mind.

But the months wore on and God was silent. Something had to be done and it was up to me to do it.

The next  day I sat down with the phone book and methodically called each of the mental health clinics
listed in the Yellow Pages. I explained my problem to each of the sympathetic voices that  answered in vain.

Just when I was giving up  hope, one of the voices suddenly exclaimed, "I just read something that might help you! Let me go get the article.."

I listened as she read.  The article described a remarkable study done at a nursing home. All of the patients were under treatment for chronic depression. Yet their  attitudes had improved dramatically when they were given responsibility for a dog.

I drove to the animal shelter that afternoon.  After I filled out a questionnaire, a uniformed officer led me to
the kennels. The odor of disinfectant stung my  nostrils as I moved down the row of pens. Each contained five to seven dogs. Long-haired dogs,  curly-haired dogs, black dogs, spotted dogs all  jumped up, trying to reach me. I studied each one but rejected one after the other for various reasons too big, too small, too much hair. As I  neared the last pen a dog in the shadows of the  far corner struggled to his feet, walked to the  front of the run and sat down. It was a pointer, one of the dog world's aristocrats. But this was a caricature of the breed.

Years had etched his face and muzzle with shades of gray. His hip bones jutted out in lopsided triangles. But it was his eyes that caught and held my attention. Calm  and clear, they beheld me unwaveringly.

I pointed to the dog. "Can you tell me about him?"  The officer looked, then shook his head in  puzzlement. "He's a funny one. Appeared out of nowhere and sat in front of the gate. We brought  him in, figuring someone would be right down to claim him. That was two weeks ago and we've heard nothing. His time is up tomorrow." He gestured helplessly.

As the words sank in I turned to the man in horror. "You mean you're going to  kill him?"

"Ma'am," he said gently, "that's our policy. We don't have room for every unclaimed  dog."

I looked at the pointer again. The  calm brown eyes awaited my decision. "I'll take him," I said. I drove home with the dog on the  front seat beside me.. When I reached the house I honked the horn twice. I was helping my prize out  of the car when Dad shuffled onto the front  porch. "Ta-da! Look what I got for you, Dad !" I said excitedly.

Dad looked, then wrinkled  his face in disgust. "If I had wanted a dog I would have gotten one. And I would have picked out  a better specimen than that bag of bones. Keep it!  I don't want it" Dad waved his arm scornfully and turned back toward the house.

Anger rose inside me. It squeezed together my throat muscles and pounded into my temples. "You'd better get used to him, Dad . He's staying!"

Dad ignored me. "Did you hear me, Dad?" I screamed.  At those words Dad whirled angrily, his hands  clenched at his sides, his eyes narrowed and blazing with hate. We stood glaring at each other  like duelists, when suddenly the pointer pulled  free from my grasp. He wobbled toward my dad and  sat down in front of him. Then slowly, carefully,  he raised his paw..

Dad's lower jaw trembled as he stared at the uplifted paw. Confusion replaced the anger in his eyes. The  pointer waited patiently. Then Dad was on his  knees, hugging the animal.

It was the beginning of a warm and intimate  friendship. Dad named the pointer Cheyenne.  Together, he and Cheyenne explored the community.  They spent long hours walking down dusty lanes.  They spent reflective moments on the banks of streams, angling for tasty trout. They even  started to attend Sunday services together, Dad  sitting in a pew and Cheyenne lying quietly at his feet.

Dad and Cheyenne were inseparable throughout the next three years. Dad's bitterness faded, and he and Cheyenne made many friends. Then late one night, I was startled to feel Cheyenne's cold nose burrowing through our bed covers. He had never before come into our  bedroom at night. I woke Dick, put on my robe and ran into my father's room. Dad lay in his bed, his face serene. But his spirit had left quietly sometime during the night.

Two days later,  my shock and grief deepened when I discovered Cheyenne lying dead beside Dad's bed. I wrapped his still form in the rag rug he had slept on. As  Dick and I buried him near a favorite fishing  hole, I silently thanked the dog for the help he  had given me in restoring Dad's peace of mind.

The morning of Dad 's funeral dawned  overcast and dreary. This day looks like the way I  feel, I thought, as I walked down the aisle to the  pews reserved for family. I was surprised to see  the many friends Dad and Cheyenne had made, filling the church. The pastor began his eulogy.  It was a tribute to both Dad and the dog who had  changed his life.

And then the pastor turned to Hebrews 13:2. "Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this, some have entertained angels without knowing  it."

"I've often thanked God for sending that angel," he said.

For  me, the past dropped into place, completing a  puzzle that I had not seen before: the sympathetic  voice that had just read the right article... Cheyenne 's unexpected appearance at the animal  shelter..... his calm acceptance and complete devotion to my father and the proximity of their deaths. And suddenly I understood. I knew that God had answered my prayers after  all.

Author Unknown

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Help Pets Displaced by Colorado Wildfires

Please help CO animals displaced by our recent wildfires. This post taken from the Denver Dumb Friends League:


Help humane societies in fire-ravaged parts of Colorado

As of June 28, active wildfires in Colorado have consumed more than 148,000 acres, displacing tens of thousands of people and their pets. Because of the urgent need to house these displaced pets, local humane societies like the Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region, Larimer Humane Society and the Humane Society of Boulder Valley have stepped in to help.
The Humane Society of Boulder Valley and the Dumb Friends League have already sent teams to Colorado Springs to help care for animals at the Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region that have been displaced by the Waldo Canyon Wildfire evacuations. The PetAid Disaster Relief Fund provides some reimbursement and coordination to local shelters involved in relief efforts.
In addition, the Dumb Friends League has taken in more than 55 adoptable pets from shelters along the Front Range, helping create space for the temporary housing of displaced pets. The Humane Society of Boulder Valley has taken in more than 50 adoptable pets.
To help these organizations continue to provide care for displaced animals, you are encouraged to donate directly through their websites:

Monday, May 21, 2012

My Wish for Homeless and Abandoned Animals...

My dear cousin sent me this beautiful wish for my birthday today in this amazing Rascal Flats song titled My Wish. I was so touched by her heartfelt gift to me, so I want to share it with you as my wish for you ... and for the animals.
The words are under the video.  For all the animals, especially the homeless and abandoned animals out there, "my (birthday) wish, for you, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to..., that "your worries stay small...," and that somebody will love you...



 I hope the days come easy and the moments pass slow,
and each road leads you where you wanna go,
and if you're faced with a choice, and you have to choose,
I hope you choose the one that means the most to you.
And if one door opens to another door closed,
I hope you keep on walkin' till you find the window,
if it's cold outside, show the world the warmth of your smile.
But more than anything, more than anything...

My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to,
your dreams stay big, your worries stay small,
You never need to carry more than you can hold,
and while you're out there getting where you're getting to,
I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too,
Yeah, this, is my wish.

I hope you never look back, but you never forget,
all the ones who love you, in the place you left,

I hope you always forgive, and you never regret,and you help somebody every chance you get,
Oh, you find God's grace, in every mistake,
and always give more than you take.
But More than anything, yeah, more than anything...

My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to,
your dreams stay big, your worries stay small,
You never need to carry more than you can hold,
and while you're out there getting where you're getting to,
I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too,
Yeah, this, is my wish. Yeah.

My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to,
your dreams stay big, your worries stay small,
You never need to carry more than you can hold,
and while you're out there getting where you're getting to,
I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too,
Yeah, this, is my wish.

 Posted By Dawn Kairns, Author of MAGGIE: the dog who changed my life

Saturday, May 5, 2012

Reading Program Therapy Dog Extraordinaire: Happy Birthday, My Precious Maddie

For years she brought smiles to faces of juveniles, or at least managed to brighten the day each time she visited high risk youths. Now Maddie lies at the feet of small children in the reading program at Columbine Elementary school as the children sharpen their reading skills in the nonjudgmental presence of Maddie and four other certified therapy dogs.

"Can  I read to Maddie now?"  I frequently hear. Giggles erupt when Maddie's constantly wagging tail accidentally swats a child getting ready to sit next to her. Some of the children will stop in the middle of reading a page to pet her and smile at her, or perhaps ask her to lick them by placing their hand under her nose.

"Can I throw the stick for Maddie now?" many of the boys ask when their reading hour with the five dogs is over.

Watching children who were fearful of making mistakes as they read improve their skills in the presence of Maddie and her canine buddies is a true joy.

As for me, watching my girl bring such joy to others, both in the therapeutic context and her every day interactions with people, is a blessing in my life. Sound familiar for those of you who read MAGGIE the dog who changed my life? So today, my little black angel, for all the joy and laughter you bring to my life, I am grateful for this special day, the day you were born, Maddie girl, that magical date of 05-05-05. HAPPY 7TH BIRTHDAY to our precious Miss Maddie. I am so grateful for that day we found you at Denver Municipal Animal Shelter when you were 10 months old. And so are so many others. I love you, Maddie.


For those of you who love to read dog books:

Friday, April 20, 2012

Finding Foster Homes for Dogs: A New Mission for Local Business

Bishop Plumbing in Chicago has taken on finding foster homes for dogs as a “company mission,” one that has a strong place in the hearts and minds of the owner and employees at Bishop Plumbing.  Bishop Plumbing "informs its clients about opportunities to foster dogs, and some of the company’s employees have provided foster homes for the dogs.




After several months with Oakum, his chocolate lab, Bob, the owner of Bishop Plumbing, decided to adopt another dog.  In his search to find a dog to adopt, Bob was very affected by the number of dogs up for adoption due to being abandoned.  He eventually adopted Buster, but he never forgot all those dogs that needed homes. Kristina Curran, one of the company managers, was contacted recently regarding a couple of dogs were in danger of being euthanized at a pound in Jacksonville, Illinois.  Kristina discussed this with Bob and they decided to rescue them! AND find good homes for them.  They developed a list of foster homes from Bishop employees and sent a Bishop truck to Jacksonville to pick up the dogs.  By the time the dogs arrived that afternoon, the two black labs and the white shepherd had all been found homes, thanks to Kristina.

"Bishop Plumbing is now starting an initiative to inform their community of clients about the need for safe homes for dogs who are currently roaming the streets or housed in pounds until the time comes for them to be put down.  If you are interested in either adopting or fostering one of these dogs and rescuing them from these fatal possibilities, please contact Kristina Curran at Bishop Plumbing by calling her at 847-824-1800."

Looking for a new company mission for your business? Why not follow the example of Bishop Plumbing and  network with your employees and clients to find homes for homeless and abandoned dogs and cats!


For those of you who love to read dog books:

Friday, April 13, 2012

Colorado Takes Step to Improve Lives of Abused Animals

I just received this email from Lisa Pederson, CEO of the Humane Society of Boulder Valley and am glad to share this wonderful animal news with you.

"Yesterday was a very good day for abused animals in Colorado! I am happy to tell you Gov. John Hickenlooper signed into law a bill that makes Colorado much safer for abused and neglected animals.

Bill 1125, Cost of Impound and Care is a historic milestone for Colorado's abused animals. The bill streamlines and clarifies the hearing process in seizures of animals who are impounded under state cruelty charges, providing for a speedier and fair process, and ensuring these animals are not in limbo as the case progresses. This means abused and neglected animals can get the care they need and get into a new loving home more quickly! Guardian rights, animal shelters (such as ours), and of course animals needing assistance were all protected in this legislation.



The bill was sponsored by two dedicated legislators — Sen. Pat Steadman (D-Denver) and Rep. Robert Ramirez (R-Westminster) — who recognized its importance. The bill was also supported and co-sponsored in the House by Rep. Jerry Sonnenberg (R-Sterling). On March 20, the Colorado Senate passed HB-1125 by a unanimous and bipartisan vote of 34-0. The House of Representatives concurred with the bill and sent HB-1125 to Gov. Hickenlooper's desk for his signature with a vote of 60-3. This bill is unique because of the amount of bipartisan support in both chambers and from both sides of the aisle."

May more states follow Colorado and pass bills like HB-1125. Interesting that it is the love of animals that brought Democrats and Republicans together so unanimously when not much else has been able to! Thank you to the Colorado House and Senate, and to Governor Hickenlooper. And a huge thank you to the Humane Society of Boulder Valley for all your time and work with the Colorado legislature to get this bill passed, and for informing the public and encouraging us to support the animals by supporting HB-1125.
   

For those of you who love to read dog books: