Scratchings-and-Sniffings

Good Dog! Good Cat!

Once in a while you meet someone who is impressive not just because they like the same things you like (think pets) but because they are working in the community to help promote change. 

Steve Dale is that kinda guy. He's smart and talented and a good writer, but he's so many other things it's hard not to gush about him, given the chance. Of late, he's also an author of two new books, Good Dog! and Good Cat!  

As a pet behaviorist, Steve makes it his duty to help pet parents understand why Fido and Fluffy do what they do. Oh, if we could all just spend an hour with Steve - the things we might learn!

I'm one of the lucky ones who got a sneak preview of these books before they came out. They involve a nice Q &A, where Steve shares the questions he's most generally asked, and the answers to those questions. 

I Think, Therefore... I Think

Today's popular take-off on the "I think therefore I am," quote is, "I link, therefore I am." Pithy, I guess.

But, let's look at the original quote more closely - thinking makes me... human. It's something we do and other 'animal' species do not.

Really? Other animal species don't think? Raise your hand if you find that a lot of poppy-cock. Thank you.

Animals do think. They may not think in the same terms as we think (what should I have for breakfast today? Or, where should I go for dinner tonight? Or, why didn't Alice get back to me yet?) but they think. It's quite clear, if you observe your dog or cat or ferret or even your guinea pig, for just a little while, that they think. I doubt they ruminate (think deep thoughts about their existence and where the animal world is going - to hell in a handbasket, maybe?), but they definitely consider their surroundings, their humans, themselves, and their animal friends. 

Senior Dogs

I think about 'seniors' all the time. Not just dogs, but cats, other pets, even people. Seniors of all sorts just deserve more respect and attention than we give them in this country.

Found this great new site via BlogPaws' community: Senior Dogs Books. The post today is for "A Manual for Senior Dog Care" which will be available in January of 2012. 

Do you know of anyone with a senior dog?

As dogs reach their senior years, their bodies and needs change. If your dog is aging, now is the time to take care of them unconditionally, just as they have always taken care of you.

25 Facts About Pet Rescue and Adoption

From my friend, Susan Daffron, who is a top-notch professional in the writing/publishing world and very much involved in rescue work.

25 Facts About Pet Rescue and Adoption

SANDPOINT, Idaho -- A new book called “Publicity to the Rescue" (ISBN: 978-1-61038-004-1; LCCN: 2011914679) explains how animal rescue groups can raise awareness about their organizations to increase donations, recruit more volunteers, and boost pet adoptions.

Author Susan Daffron, the Founder of the National Association of Pet Rescue Professionals offers up 25 Facts About Pet Rescue and Adoption:

Got Your Back! Wordless Wednesday

Teamwork!

Kids and Pets: A Book for the kid in your life

Kyla Duffy from Happy Tails Books has done it again. Now she has a book for children - all about pets and saving dogs from puppy mills. Her latest is How I Became a Real Dog: A Picture Book.

It's too fantastic not to share. The book is a picture book, and as a publisher, I know what goes into creating a truly dynamic picture book for little kids. It's not easy, folks. Not only does it take concentration, focus, and understanding the process of images on paper, it takes a dedication to the reality of storytelling.

Think of it - what better way to show small children that dogs are sentient beings and deserve our love and attention than by using a picture book? What better way to introduce a scary subject, like puppy mills, than to tell the story of "a little girl who survived eight long years in a puppy mill before becoming a 'real dog' named Phoebe."

15 Great Pet Blogs and Their Most Memorable Posts

Edited by Kyla Duffy and Lowrey Mumford

This is a fantastic book! I wrote about its development back in April and now it's here! Kyla Duffy of Happy Tails books did a fantastic job with it. When she asked me to write the introduction, I wasn't sure how to do that but here's a little sample of what I decided to write:

Why Do Pet Blogs Count?

Pet blogs count because pets count. It's as simple as that. Pet bloggers are vocal advocates of pet causes, of pet health, pet heroes and pet humor. Evidence of their popularity can be seen at sites like I Can Has Cheezburger, Dogtime Media, Caster, Dogster, The Pet Podcast Channel, and BlogPaws.

Yes, You Should Come to BlogPaws - I Want To Meet You!

BlogPaws 2011is being held in Tysons Corner, VA on August 25th-27th. We're busy making the preparations and we hope you will be there!

BlogPaws isn't about me - or Caroline or Tom. We are the Founders, yes, but everything we do is driven by the pet blogger community. Are you a member of that community - in our growing database? We are working with pet companies and brands from across the U.S. There will be a lot of opportunity to connect to your pet blogger friends, to be part of marketing campaigns and product reviews, and to help us create the best pet blogger, social media conference ever!

Tales from my hometown

Or, how twitter helped save a cat's life.

I don't know about you but I get so sad sometimes just thinking about all the cats and dogs and ferrets (and rabbits, guinea pigs, etc) who are on "death row" at our local shelters. I'm on Facebook and Twitter and when I see posts about these pets, I always pass them on. When I can help, I help.

Just the other day, a twitter message alerted people to a cat that was on death row in NY City. But, let's back up...