We’ve done it again – twice in ten days now… we have another new member of the family now. He has several names, originating with Tater (which is my sister’s name), and I named him Abraham (all my cats are named after writers/poets or Presidents).

Anyhow, he is feral and still quite skiddish, thus, hard to capture on film. But here is a GREAT shot of the two new rescues in our house that I snapped last night!

Maxwell (Mad Max) and Abraham Tater

As you all read earlier, it’s my personal mission to Be the Change in multiple ways throughout not only the ne

Bernie and some rescue pups

xt year — but for the rest of my blessed time on this Earth. (See BlogPaws Be the Change page if you missed my earlier post.)

Today I made a small change this evening… I donated to my friend Bernie Berlin’s animal shelter. Bernie owns and operates “APlace to Bark” – a blog and dog rescue. She’s a no-kill rescue, and practically a one-woman show. She is one of my heroes, although she doesn’t know it. I saw on Facebook that it is her birthday, and for her birthday this year she is only asking for one thing: donations to help her dogs. Nothing for HER. Not a card, not a gift. Her birthday wish is to help the animals in her care…

How selfless…

Bernie rarely visits my blog; and she doesn’t ever comment. But that doesn’t matter to me: she doesn’t have time. She’s busy rescuing dogs from death row and other horrid situations.

Plus – I’m no longer concerned with my traffic or rankings.

What I am concerned about is helping animals, and helping people who help animals.

Another way that YOU can help Be the Change today is by getting in touch with Barbara Schmitz, the Campaign Manager for
“Missourians for the Protection of Dogs” also known as “YES! on Prop B.”

Prop B could change the lives of MILLIONS of dogs. More importantly, it could lay the EXTREMELY CRUCIAL groundwork for other states’ to enact similar propositions, or even get them on the November ballot.

Barbara emailed me today and said this:

“We are less than six weeks away from Election Day — the excitement is building — but we still have a lot of work to do before thousands of Missouri dogs will have a better life. Thanks to your efforts, the campaign is running in high gear, but we must not let up until we win on November 2. Can you find some time to help out this week? Here are three BIG ways:

We’re getting close. Help us maintain the momentum and win for dogs.”

1. Party! for Puppies

Host a Party for Pups Sunday, Oct. 3 with advocates in Missouri and nationwide. Have fun and fundraise for dogs. Plus every dollar raised will be doubled: A Missouri donor will match up to $100,000 raised at house parties. Plan your party»

(I posted about this earlier this week)

2. Hello Neighbor

Spread the word around the neighborhood. Leaflet and table within your community with Prop B materials provided by us. Email info@yesonpropb.com or call 314-725-8880 for materials and a list of local events. Get the goods»

3. Donate for Dogs

With the opposition spreading misinformation, we need more than ever to communicate our positive message of the humane treatment of dogs to voters all across Missouri, through TV ads and other efforts. Give now»

Prop B is strongly supported by SO many welfare groups that I cannot even list them all. Their biggest ally, however, is the Humane Society of the United States.

Now let me explain somethings before some of you exit this page because you saw the term “HSUS.”

They get a bad rap. But if you research the people/groups who spread that “bad rap,” well, I’ll let you discover their legitimacy for yourselves…

HSUS was NOT created to fund all the county Humane Societies across the country. Yes – they do give around 10-15% of their yearly income to those in most need; but the MAJOR GOAL OF the HSUS is to BE THE VOICE FOR ANIMALS on “The Hill,” aka in Washington, D.C. They are the strongest and most powerful animal welfare lobbying group in the country. I have several contacts there at the national and state levels, and I can assure you – if this Proposition B – to help puppy mill dogs in Missouri – actually just MAKES IT TO THE BALLOT – it will be a HUGE win for we animal welfare advocates.

Why?

Well I live in Ohio, and although we had a “puppy mill bill” last year, it died in the Senate.

HSUS Photo of an infamous MO puppy mill

Why?

Because Senators don’t give a damn about animals. They couldn’t care less about the Amish-managed mills in central Ohio, or the packed factory farms across the country, or the underground cock- and dog-fighting rings, or the drastically misinterpreted breeds like Pit Bulls, who are now officially banned in half the counties in Ohio.

But getting Prop B on the ballot makes the concept of animal welfare laws resonate in politicians’ (sometimes small) minds. The more they hear from their constituents, the more likely they are to sponsor actual Bills and other legislation. Especially this year. Those who passed Obama’s bank bailout and other bailouts are TERRIFIED of losing office for that sole vote they made.

So if we can convince these guys that they need to bring up, back up, support, and sponsor a Bill in the House or Senate that either:

- increases punishment for animal abusers

- shuts down puppy mills FOR GOOD (or at least starts the process of investigation, fines, etc)

- increases USDA inspections and presence overall (which is pathetic and seriously lacking)

-investigates places like Petland and other “problem children”

-gets more funding for animal shelters and less for “pork” stuffed into major bills

- I just “co-rescued” (with family) 2 homeless kittens (1 from a parking garage, the other from a feral colony without a mother)

… if we do any of these things and get enough people to sign a petition, or write a letter, or send an email — ALL PROMISING VOTES, well chances are those Reps and Sens just might be a little more open to hearing about it this year… because those who voted for Obama’s bailout are scared s**tless they’ll be booted out of office.

So let’s promise them our votes if they promise us something in return — improvements in animal welfare laws.

I know it’s a stretch, but I plan to take whatever steps are necessary to start, and have already taken several…

- I write letters to local and state officials once a month

- I gather signatures on petitions for BanOhioDogAuctions.com and my great friend who runs it, Mary O’Connor Shaver

- I spread the word to whomever will listen – whether I’m at the mall, a restaurant, walking the dog, or at the supermarket

- I donate money to places like Bernie’s shelter, and to the Prop B group – even though I don’t even live there, because it’s THAT IMPORTANT to me

- I WANT TO BE THE CHANGE. And I want you to Be the Change too, in any way you can.

*** Email me at thoughtsfurpaws@gmail.com for information on how you can get involved in animal welfare advocacy in ANY state. I will not share your email address or information and you can do what you please with the info, advice and materials I send to you.

Me and BlogPaws Co-Founder Caroline (Romeo's Mom)

Phew! It’s taken me a whole week to compile all my thoughts and learnings from the BlogPaws West Conference in Denver last weekend — but I finally did!

It was so wonderful to see bloggie friends like Bev and Tyler from The Fire Hydrant, Mr Skeezix,

3 of 4 IAMS-sponsored bloggers (me on right!)

Cleveland Dog Blog, Life With Dogs, Baxter Boo, and to meet wonderful new friends like those at Pet News and Views, Canine Companions for Independence and the Helen Woodward Animal Center!

Despite the horrible fires burning through Boulder’s canyons, valleys and neighborhoods, and despite the overwhelming number of now-homeless animals collected therefore; BlogPaws West was a smash hit! 

Although I was excited to be nominated for Dogtime.com’s Petties Award for The Best Pet Blog, I did not win… 

My "appearance" in Petties Ceremony

I was definitely not surprised, however; as the other three blogs I was up against are much much older than ThoughtsFurPaws and therefore have a much larger audience and group of loyal followers. STILL– THANK YOU dearly to all of you readers out there who voted for me. I love you and appreciate it more than I can put into words.

The major theme of this BlogPaws conference - which was originally presented at BlogPaws East in April of this year – was “Be The Change.” This concept essentially means that we pet-lovers (starting with pet bloggers) need to start the change we want to see… 

For example, my goals to “Be the Change” include:

-start promoting animal welfare legislation even more than I do now

-start volunteering more

- holding more petition rallies

- holding fundraisers for local rescues and shelters (which we are now going to refer to as “Animal Care Centers” thanks to Mike Arms, Keynote Speaker and CEO of the Helen Woodward Animal Center)

-start advocating more frequently and fervently for change in animal welfare laws at all levels of gov’t

*** Click here to learn more or to support Be the Change for Pets on Facebook.

Aside from the wonderful learning sessions that the speakers’ presented: which covered everything from WordPress/Blogger Tips and Tricks, to Product Review Essentials, to Social Media 101, to SEO for Bloggers, to Using Your Blog to Raise Funds for Shelters, and TONS more; there were also a few WONDERFUL speakers.

Courtesy HWAC

As mentioned above, my favorite speaker was Mike Arms from the Helen Woodward Animal Center.

He and I discussed at length the negative connotation that the phrase “animal shelter” now ensues… or the phrase “rescue animal” or “animal rescue.”

About 75 % of the general population associate these phrases with animals that no one else wants; animals that are “broken down, bruised, “problem children,” mutts, ugly, or formerly abused,” etc.

Well, yes, some of them are formerly abused, but in my 15 years of working with animals and at over 12 different centers in THREE different states, I have never met a “shelter dog” or “shelter cat” who was entirely different from one that you adopt elsewhere. If anything, the pets adopted from these “shelters and rescues” end up being the sweetest most loyal types — as they’ve had some rough beginnings or middle parts of their lives; especially today’s shelter pets — most of them are dumped by people who can’t afford them anymore because of the damn economy and the housing crisis.

And what’s with people who say you can’t find a “purebred” at a shelter?? That’s CRAP. One in every 4-5 dogs in shelters are purebreds…

So what can we do to change this perception? Well that’s another of my PERSONAL goals in the “Be the Change” challenge put forth to us bloggers by the BlogPaws co-founders.

Over the next year, I plan to change how people in and around my neighborhood, my city, my county, my region, and my entire STATE especially view “shelters” and “rescue centers.”

 As to how I will do that, well that’s my own secret recipe, but I’ll tell you that:

-It doesn’t come without hard work

The Official Be The Change Sign-Up Board...

-It doesn’t come without spending HOURS UPON HOURS of free-time and weekends working towards a change in the animal welfare arena

- It doesn’t come without tireless research

- It doesn’t come without serious networking and partnering with other bloggers and advocates willing to give time and $$

-It doesn’t come without me spending even more money to hold gatherings & rallies, to make marketing materials for leafleting, and to hire help in areas where I need it

My personal mission to Be the Change will start with the IAMS Home for the Holidays campaign. My readers will see a contest pop up around the middle or end of October. And this is the FIRST TIME in my almost 3 years of blogging where I will be kindly asking my readers to donate $1, $2, $3, or however many dollars you can to help homeless animals to support the efforts of the IAMS Home for the Holidays Campaign. 

The goal of Home for the Holidays? 

To find LOVING homes for millions of pets. Last year, IAMS successfully found homes for over ONE MILLION animals. How incredible is that? Wouldn’t YOU want to be a part of a movement like that? Well ThoughtsFurPaws is going to give you the chance. 

(Whomever raises the most money for my private Home for the Holidays Fundraiser wins: a handheld video camera worth $250; one extra-large ergonomic Furminator; and one $50 PetSmart gift card. These prizes have already been bought.)

(*** And to my every day readers or even those who just stop by every now and then – I do hope you’ll take into consideration how much of my own personal money I spend on this blog… particularly the AWESOME contest prize packages I give away…)

Another thing I’m doing to Be the Change is sitting as a Board Member of my dear, talented friend Kyla Duffy, author and performing artist, who created Up for Pups. You will definitely be hearing more about Kyla’s amazing drive and our combined efforts to help animals through her group.

In closing, the BlogPaws conference was - once more – truly unbelievable — thanks in part to IAMS/Eukanuba and the company’s Home for the Holidays campaign, who sponsored my trip there.  

IAMS is a strong, community-driven company that has survived much mud-slinging in the past from a certain rogue (that’s the nice word I use for psychotic and irrational) supposed, “animal rights” group… and speaking of IAMS, my great friend Bev writes the IAMS blog and works with we bloggers on the Home for the Holidays Campaign! Thank you Bev and thank you IAMS/Eukanuba!

The Donation Bin for Boulder Pets Hurt/Lost in the Fire

Anyhow, the last thing I’ll note about BlogPaws West is that together, we raised over $500 for the Boulder Valley Humane Society – who was the ringleader in sheltering the pets displaced by the raging wildfire.

We are certainly a generous group – and I know you, my readers, are generous as well. So I do hope that you’ll get as excited as I am about Home for the Holidays.

Stay tuned for information and details about the contest. In the mean time, head on over to Bev’s blog, the Helen Woodward AC, or IAMS’ Facebook H4tH page to read for yourself how much of an impact Home for the Holidays has had on animals over the years. Also, make sure you follow Home for the Holidays on Twitter!

In closing, I also want to thank all the companies who sponsored this event and gave us some AMAZING swag: including Hartz, PetSmart, Kyjen Toys, Bissell, Inc, Embrace Pet Insurance, Greenies, IAMS, Dogtime Media, HeartGuard, Wellness, Purina,  Found Animals, and so many more.

PetSmart’s annual Halloween photo contest lets pets compete for a national TV commercial appearance; plus new costumes, toys and events make Halloween a real treat!

PetSmart is gearing up for its highly-anticipated, sixth-annual Halloween photo contest, and this year one lucky pet will win a chance at stardom with a cameo in a national PetSmart television commercial that will air in 2011.

How cool is that?

This year’s theme is “Scare Your Way into a PetSmart Commercial,” and the contest kicked off last Monday, September 13.  

Pet parents can enter by visiting www.facebook.com/PetSmart and uploading a photo of their pet decked out in their

Just one of PetSmart's ADORABLE costumes!

Halloween best. Facebook fans, pet parents and their family and friends will vote for the winner, who will be announced on November 1. PetSmart is also giving away more than $3,600 in cash prizes and gift cards to those who participate!

To create more buzz around the contest and the season, ThoughtsFurPaws has teamed up with PetSmart to run a contest! Seeing as PetSmart has this year’s hottest new Halloween pet costumes and toys, I’m going to give away two Halloween prize packages from PetSmart to two lucky winners. 

Here are the rules and guidelines:

1. Enter the PetSmart contest on Facebook first.

2. Send me no more than three pictures of your pet in a Halloween costume.

3. Contest entries will be accepted & posted every day beginning September 22nd & ending October 13th at 9 pm EST. (Entries received after Wednesday 10/13/10 will not qualify for the October contest.)

4. Voting will take place for all entries ONLY from Weds., Oct 13th through Fri., Oct 22 at 9 pm EST. Votes sent to me before or after the specified time period will not be counted.

PetSmart's Halloween loofahs for dogs

5. Winners will be announced on Saturday October 23rd, sometime before 5 pm EST. I will then ship your prize packages to you so you will have them BEFORE the actual holiday!

The two prize packages will be of equal value; each will contain a $50 PetSmart gift card and a big box of seasonal surprises!

**  So  everyone gear the camera up and send me your funniest, cutest, most adorable pictures of your fancied-up-felines, dressed-out-doggies, bedazzled birdies, or other costumed-critters !

Throw Your Own Party for Pups!

On Sunday, October 3, join animal lovers across the nation and throw a Party for Pups –

in your home or at a local bar or restaurant —

and help save thousands of puppy mill pups on Election Day.

At puppy mills in Missouri, dogs are crammed into small and filthy cages, denied veterinary care, exposed to extremes of heat and cold, and given no exercise or human affection. These puppy mills are cruel and the way these dogs are treated is wrong.

 HSUS makes it easy for you to host a party and make it successful. Just sign up here to use the easy tools on the website—then create your own house party event page, establish a fundraising goal, send invitations to friends and family, and collect donations through our secure website.

Proposition B, which Missourians will vote on this November, will stop puppy mill abuses by establishing common sense standards for the proper care of dogs.

Give these dogs a reason to celebrate in November — plan a Party for Pups and support Prop B on October 3.

As a host, you can create your own party page, establish a fundraising goal, send invitations to friends and family, and collect donations through our secure website. Then during your party, you and your guests can join a live call to action broadcast from St. Louis — bringing together thousands of others across the country partying for a purpose.

Because most of the dogs bred in puppy mills are exported from Missouri to states across the nation, this is a national issue for all of us to be concerned about.

Help Prop B pass — and have fun, too — by hosting a Party for Pups.

And then on the day of your party, join with thousands of others across the country on a nationwide conference call linking all the parties.

This post stems from an idea/concept created by Milo and Alfie (in the CB). They would like us all to take a stand against cancer in cats on October 2nd, which is coming up soon!

So how many of you out there have lost a cat to cancer? Or how many know someone who has lost a cat to cancer?

I’m guessing everyone raised their hands on both of those questions…and that is why this is so sad, yet such an important movement. We need to start motivating everyone – those who aren’t in the pet blogosphere, or those who don’t have a dog blog or cat blog – to join in the fight. There are plenty of animal lovers out there who don’t blog… we just have to get them to join us!

I received the word about Live Strong Day from the fabulous KC at CB and our dear friend Ann at Zoolatry. (She’s the fantastic graphic artist behind the badges you can choose at Milo and Alfie’s for your post or sidebar.)

Milo and Alfie say:

“We say: WEAR YOOR LIVESTRONG BRACELET wiv PRIDE!  And if yoo are helping us support LIVESTRONG by going  YELLOW on October 2nd 2010! Please snag yoorself a tag  to put on your blog ~ and don’t forget to TELL EFURRYONE to join in!”

———————————————————————————————————————————————————-

Live Strong Against Cancer

The idea is to dedicate October 2 to taking a stand against cancer in cats by ”going yellow.”  Wear something yellow, dress your pet in yellow, paint your nails and toenails yellow; anything you can do to promote the message is just fine!

I plan to dress in yellow, write in yellow text and make donations on October 2 to the cancer-fighting organizations I mention below. This is just one small part of my intention to Be the Change - the concept created by some of the BlogPaws founders/members…

(You will hear more about Be The Change throughout the rest of the year and into next Spring as I have many super-secret plans under my belt to make a GREAT change here in Cleveland especially…)

 I am also taking the October 2nd opportunity to stand against the cancer in dogs:   the evil Cancer monster has taken three of my dogs (all Golden Retrievers) in the past 13 years. 

Youall might remember that nasty Cancer-man taking my precious Theodore this past February as well.

(And if you remember that, then you remember Gibson’s passing just four days later…again from the evil Cancer monster. )

Since February, I have  been learning more about and studying organizations that collect donations to find a cure or other means of (at least) comforting the pain that cancer-ridden cats and dogs go through: the National Canine Cancer Foundation and the Dog and Cat Cancer Fund.

Both organizations are reputable non-profits, and NCCF in particular has a TON of state and local/county groups that you can join or volunteer for.

So everyone should go and grab a badge at Milo and Alfies for October 2nd.

Let’s all LIVE STRONG – like Lance Armstrong –

and stand up against cancer in our pets.

Thanks to BlogPaws.com for this article, and thank you to my dear friend Bev for having the same heart and soul as I: filled with a deep love for animals…

How could we not help announce this? PetCare Bev, whom many of you met at BlogPaws West, shared this information with me and I had to help spread the word.

It’s become a September tradition at P&G (the parent company of Iams and Eukanuba, sponsors of BlogPaws) to allow every employee at the Mason headquarters to spend the day participating in Paws for a Cause. Today, this program is part of giving a makeover to the SPCA Cincinnati’s Northside shelter.

SPCA President and CEO, Harold Dates, says, “This will help make the shelter more inviting and comfortable for the animals and bring in more adopters.”

How kewl is that? As Dates says, the shelter will be a nicer, more pleasant place for the animals, and it will help enhance the experience we possible pet parents have, when we visit and consider adoption. And honestly? It’s something many of us could contribute to our local shelter. A little face-lift.

Truly, Paws for a Cause.

This is in preparation for Iams’ Home for the Holidays event, coming this winter. The goal is to help get 1.5 million pets adopted this year! W00t!

(Readers of ThoughtsFurPaws will be hearing LOTS more about Home for the Holidays this season, and there’s an upcoming holiday contest centered around the cause…)

Let’s give Bev our support!

Although I have SO SO much to share about the fantastic experiences I had at BlogPaws, courtesy IAMS/Eukanuba, The Fire Hydrant and the BlogPaws co-founder Caroline Golon, I must first announce the August Pet Photo Contest Winners!  You’ll hear more about BlogPaws tomorrow though:)

I know you are all dying to find out…so here we go, in order:

The winners of the August Kitten and Puppy Photo Contest are:

1. Rumble the Shar-Pei (105 votes)

2. Travis (101 votes)

3. Timmy (100 votes)

4. Sweet Praline (84 votes)

5. KC (75 votes)

Honorable Mention:

Frank the Great Dane (50 votes)

Congratulations to the winners and to all who entered!! I think you are all winners:)

In the end, I received over 500 votes for this contest, and there was actually a day-to-day battle for the first two places over the past 9 days.

All of your prizes are packaged up and ready to be mailed — it’s just a matter of me finding time to get to the post office!

CONGRATS to everykitty and everydoggie- you are all adorable and are all winners to me!

** If you read this  before I contact you, please email me your full name and mailing address so I can send your prize package out! (Email thoughtsfurpaws@gmail.com)

It’s a bittersweet time for all of us pet bloggers here at BlogPaws West in Denver. There’s an undeniable energy of underlying excitement for the upcoming days’ events, speakers, informational sessions, networking and classic fun times; however, there also exists a feeling of hoplessness as there are HUNDREDS or animals – namely cats, dogs and horses, either missing in the wild, and/or feared dead in the uncontained potent flames of the wildfire in Boulder that’s been raging and spreading since Labor Day weekend.

Some believe their precious pets may be gone forever, as many residents were out of town for the holiday and couldn’t return home to gather their pets. On top of that, most evacuation centers do not accept family pets… I can’t politely share my feelings on that without breaking my own rules for content on this blog. What I will say is this:

Where does that leave those families? Where does that leave the thousands of family pets? It’s a horrifying thought…

This only makes me more fired up to Be the Change – which is the brilliant BlogPaws’ founders’ idea and program to change the way we treat our animals; let’s start giving animals the treatment they deserve. Starting NOW.

People in Boulder, CO, where the fires originated, have worked for decades on their beautiful foothill landscapes; the area is also widely known for horse-breeding, sheltering, lessons, etc as well.

The Boulder Valley Humane Society is completely overwhelmed — so much so that national organizations like American Humane Association and others have sent loads of their rescue/emergency “units” to gather wandering/lost pets coming down the hills, or to accept them from families seeking shelter in the evacuation who cannot take them.

According to AHA’s website: 

“American Humane Association issued grants to the Humane Society of Boulder Valley and the Longmont Humane Society. Both organizations have worked tirelessly to ensure that evacuated pets were sheltered and cared for during the disaster, and

American Humane Emergency Relief Agents Assist Soot-Covered Pups

the grants will help cover the costs of providing this vital support to families and pets.

American Humane Association would also like to commend the dedicated and diligent efforts of the management and officers of Boulder County Animal Control to rescue and care for pets stranded and displaced by the fire. Their efforts have truly been heroic.”

This pilot's efforts seem mute considering the size of the blaze.

Adn per the Greeley Tribune, as of last night there were 6,200 breath-taking acres of Boulder land ablaze, up to 10 people misssing, and over 3,500 evacuated. The real number of animals missing or feared dead is even higher some suspect…

The firefighters are also fighting another beastly danger: Rattlesnakes… Apparently there are groups of them forming and making their way down out of the flames, attacking clans of tired yet fearless firefighters trying to save some hillside homes in a heroic mission.

So please, let’s all say a prayer right now for all the people who have lost their homes, their pets, possibly their entire lives, or anything else. Also let’s pray for the multitude of firefighters from all over the West who’ve convened here. And for the unknown number of beloved pets who crossed the Bridge way before their time was up…

Please call the Boulder Valley Humane Society ASAP even if you just send them $5.00. Click here to see their donation page.

Every little bit helps. You can also make a donation to the AHA team that’s on-site.