Long-Term Dog Sitting

What would you do if you lost your home to the throwes of the economy and had nowhere to keep your dog? Where would your best four-legged friend go if you were deployed with the military? Doggy Day Cares are meant to watch your pups during the day, and pet hotels will keep an eye on them while you're on vacation, but is there an another option for long-term dog sitting? There might be a program out there like this already, but I think a great idea would be to form an organization full of foster families who will watch military personell's dogs while they are overseas, or will take in a dog when his family has nowhere to keep him. If you know of a program that is in place like this, please leave a comment to let us know! I'll do my homework as well and get back to you. Thanks for reading!

The World's Tallest Dog Has Died

Gibson, a Great Dane from California, has died. He was listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as standing 7 feet, 1 inch on his hind legs. He battled bone cancer and fought bravely to survive, even after having one of his legs amputated. I read this story on MSNBC.com if you want to read more about it. How sad! Great Danes are obviously a large breed of dog and often have health problems due to their size. According to Dogs 101 on Animal Planet, Great Danes are prone to heart problems because their hearts cannot support such a massive body. If you want more information about the breed, let me know and I will be happy to point you in the right direction! Thanks for reading!

French Bulldog Meetup in SD!

A wonderful little birdie told me that there will be a French Bulldog Meetup in Balboa Park at 3 pm on Saturday, August 8th! If you love these cute, playful dogs with big ears, you can't miss this event! As I have discovered, French Bulldog owners love their pups a LOT! This is a great way to meet local people who share a passion and get together to have fun with their dogs. If you don't know a lot about the breed, check out this site, designed by an avid French Bulldog-lover. The site provides a great look at what is going on in this awesome community, including adoptable dogs (not just French Bulldogs), a dog manual, links to blogs and hilarious videos of pups having fun. So clear your calendar for tomorrow afternoon and get out there and meet people! Thanks for reading!

Dog of the Week

About eight months ago I saw an episode of Dogs 101 on Animal Planet that featured the Rhodesian Ridgeback. This dog became my absolute FAVORITE breed after learning that they are athletic, have short hair and are extremely healthy. While not many of these dogs can be found in shelters, there are rescue organizations that specifically take in Rhodesian Ridgebacks and help them find forever homes. Check out a picture of this awesome dog and you will fall in love just like I did! I'll post more information about this and other breeds every week. Thanks for reading!

It's Time to Shake Things Up

Okay guys- it's time to shake things up!! I'm looking for the BEST dog-owning story out there! We all know how funny it is when our dogs chase their own tails or when the shenanegans break loose at the dog park. Write your story in the comment box below and let the laughing begin! If you don't have a dog story but would like to play along, vote for the best story! Next Monday at five o'clock I will tally up the votes to see what the funniest dog-owning experience has been! The winner will recieve a free custom dog tag! I know your dog has brought you many smiles, so please- share that gift with others! Have fun and thanks for reading!

I'm Back!

Hi everyone! Sorry it's been a while since I've written. I had a wedding to go to, family in town, a final to take for summer school and the blessed Comic Con to handle. I'm back, though, and ready to write! Leave August 29th open on your calendar, because that's Laborador Harbor's annual Kruise for K-9's! Every year this organization I volunteer for gets as many motorcycle riders together as they can and the whole group rides from Oceanside to Julian. At Julian there will be raffles, games, delicious food and, if I have been informed correctly, lots of good music. It's a really great event, and all the proceeds go to labs who need emergency surgeries but whose families can't afford them. The cost is $25 per person. If you would like more information, just leave me a comment and let me know! Thanks for reading!

Happy Fourth of July!

Happy Birthday, America! We have a lot to be thankful for today. Help your pet have fun and relax too. If your pup is afraid of fireworks, please do what you can to keep it calm. Try to avoid taking your dog to areas where there is no shelter from the explosions- I talked to a local SD vet and she said that when dogs feel threatened there is no telling how they may react. This may seem obvious, but just remember: We know the fireworks won't hurt us, but dogs do not. Take care of your pets this Fourth of July and stay safe! Thanks for reading!

Relinquishing a Pet

It saddens me to say that troubled economic times have led to the abandonment of many pets. There are horrible stories from newspapers across the country where animals are found wandering the streets, alone and hungry. There are ways to go about relinquishing a pet in a humane way. The decision is always hard, but the San Diego Humane Society is there to try to make it a little easier. The best way to start the process is to make an appointment with a representative at the intake desk. There will be forms to fill out, and the SDHS website says to allow about 45 minutes to complete the relinquishment. This is obviously a really low moment in a pet-owner's life, but please- if times are difficult, respect your pet and relinquish it to a friend or to an organization like the Humane Society.

Adopt-a-Pet

While I was researching different rescue organizations in and around San Diego, I realized that there has to be a website that brought all the major groups together so that people could find adoptable pets more easily. While I was on a chihuahua rescue group's site (random, I know), I found the most simple, easy to navigate link- www.adoptapet.com. It lets you look at adoptable dogs, cats and other animals by zip code, breed, special needs and so on. There are pictures of the animals as well as contact information for the organization that is fostering them. The animal's history is also included so you know what you are facing before you meet the pet. This resource seems really useful in finding the perfect pet for your family. Take full advantage of it! Thanks for reading!

Dog Parks!

The Fourth of July is only a few days away! If you're looking to avoid crowds at places like the baseball game or the beach, take your dog to a dog park. I attended an event a couple of months ago at Harry Griffin Dog Park in La Mesa. It's a small area, but even with booths and tents set up, there was still plenty of room for all of the furry kids who were there to run around. There's also Poway Dog Park, Morely Field in Balboa Park, Wells Park in El Cajon and Rancho Bernardo Park. Let your dogs have fun this weekend and enjoy the festivities with their human counterparts! Have a safe holiday!

Pet-Assisted Therapy

The San Diego Humane Society has a unique group of volunteers. Those who help run the Pet-Assisted Therapy program bring animals like dogs, cats, guinney pigs and rabbits to places where people are usually not allowed to have pets. Because this group knows the importance of human-animal interaction and the therapeutic value that animals have on people, they take time out of their busy lives to bring some peace to those who struggle to find it. I've talked to a couple of the volunteers with the program, as well as the director, and among all of their different stories, they all said the same thing- whenever they bring animals to a hospital, convalescent home, juvenile facility or nursing home, the residents feel like they can escape reality for a while. One volunteer told me a story about a boy who woke up from a coma after a guinney pig was placed on his chest. He had a guinney pig as a child, and the stimulation of the animal brought him out of the coma. This is an emotional reminder to us all that animals have the power to heal us. I would like to extend a special thanks to the volunteers who took the time to talk to me and share their stories with me. To learn more about the Pet-Assisted Therapy program, go to the SD Humane Society's website and look under the "Pet-Assisted Therapy" tab. Thanks for reading!

ICanHasCheezburger

Okay, so this one's just for fun! Go to the website ihasahotdog.com for some of the funniest pictures you will ever see. If you're having a bad day or if you just love to smile, check out the site. It's on my Favorite's list and is the first site I go to when I turn on my computer. Have fun!

The San Diego County Fair

I volunteer with a group called Laborador Harbor. We raise money to help families with labs that need emergency surgeries. Last weekend we had a booth at the San Diego County Fair, or maybe as it is more affectionately known, the Del Mar Fair. We had a great turnout, and we were lucky enough to have many new email addresses added to our list. I was so glad to see how many people were touched by the stories of our dogs who need help. There are many groups like ours out there. One rescue group is called Southern California Laborador Retriever Rescue, Inc., and they are a great source of information if you're looking to rescue a lab, donate money, or volunteer your time. Thanks for taking the time to read today's blog. The San Diego County Fair was a great success, and we hope to have many more events like this in the future.

Bella

A couple nights ago I was watching the Animal Planet (as I have been known to do from time to time) and the show "From Underdog to Wonderdog" came on. The premise of the show is to take dogs who live in really destitute conditions and train them, spruce them up and find them a family to live with. The episode that was on the other night was about a little terrier named Bella. She had matted fur, poor social skills and was all around in need of some love. The family she went to had a little boy with some disabilities. When Bella was cleaned up, she went to her new family. She and the little boy bonded, and she brought out his real personality and made him smile and laugh. The little boy, who was so shy and quiet, laughed at little Bella as she played. I just wanted to share with you the power of animals on the human soul- even when they themselves need love, they are capable of bringing a smile to those who don't smile enough. Thanks for reading!

Bichon Fur Kids

My major has introduced me to some great rescue groups in San Diego. I found one, Bichon Fur Kids, that has done awesome work to help bichons in need. I went to an event in May, the Bichon Bash, at the Rancho Coastal Humane Society that Kim Moore, one of the main organizers, consideres the biggest event of the year for the group. To put it simply, the event that Bichon Fur Kids put on was fantastic. There were probably close to a hundred little white fluffy dogs running around scores of booths, picnic tables and auctioneers. Raffles were drawn and items such as doggie-first-aid kits and heated comfort pillows were given to those who had donated to the raffle. The money raised for this event went to the organization, which helps rescue Bichons from terrible situations and place them with caring foster families and, hopefully, loving permanent families. The photos on the Bichon Fur Kids website are heartbreaking, but they remind us all that there are animals who need our help. Take some time to visit the site. I will have more links availble soon, and will also post some stories of love that show the healing power of animals. Thanks for your time!

Check Out My Work on JMS Reports!

As a senior journalism student at San Diego State University, I have worked hard over the last four years to develop a niche that allows me to follow my passion- dogs. I believe that animals, especially dogs, have the amazing power to heal the soul and bring joy to those who need it, and I have made it my goal to share this power with others. In my capstone journalism class, I had the opportunity to write two stories about animals who help others and animals who are in need of help. Please check out my class's website to find out more about some really great animals in San Diego.

Thanks,
Jen