Rescue Dog Jake Becomes a Firefighter

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Rescued from a fire as a three-month old puppy, Jake was badly burned. When his treatment was over he needed antibiotics during the day.  Not everyone would have adopted the puppy who required extra care but Bill, the firefighter who saved the little guy adopted him. 

You don't need to read more from me.  You need to watch this special story from HooplaHa.

Just a Perfect Friendship

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

This is a bit of a departure for us but it serves as a reminder: wild animals are not house pets! Thanks to the our friends at HooplaHa, we can share a special story with you that points this out.

Less than a year old, little Morgan the Bobcat was found, of all places, in a room at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in California. One of the workers had brought her across the border and realized she was too much to handle so he left her in a room. The story quickly spread and actress Morgan Fairchild took it upon herself to find a place for the little Wildcat, hence the Bobcat's name, Morgan. She quickly found her a home at The Wildcat Sanctuary in Minnesota. Meanwhile, Shalico, a Canadian Lynx, was also bought as a pet by a college student whose father said this was not a pet. She, too, quickly found a new home at The Wildcat Sanctuary.

Since both wildcats were young at the time, the workers decided to introduce them. Cats of different species don't often co-mingle but this turned out to be the exception, especially since they were young. It was love at first sight and they soon became inseparable. A happy ending to what might of been a disaster.  Here's a video of Morgan and Shalico, perfect friends forever.

Meet This Little Piggy....

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

This is a first for PerPETually Speaking. I usually talk about dogs or cats since they are the popular companion animals and I know more about them.  That said, I couldn't resist the opportunity when our friends at HooplaHa sent a link to a video about a pet pig, well, who could resist?

I remember when Vietnamese Pot Bellied Pigs were all the rage but they didn't necessarily say small and that was a problem for many people. I don't now what kind of pig this is but his pet parents, Kristen Hartness and Jay Yontz love him. They named him Ziggy and they've been a family ever since.

Ziggy's entire story is here for you to enjoy. Who knows, with as much as Ziggy travels you may meet him someday.

Cats Celebrate the Holidays!

Chanukah is in progress, Christmas is on the way and cats are celebrating as only they can. I thought everyone would enjoy this video from HooplaHa showing them at their adorable, mischievous best. I want to point out one glaring warning: whether for Chanukah or part of your Christmas decorations, PLEASE do not use real candles unless you know that you can keep your cats away from them. I was more than a little frightened for the cats in a couple of these clips. Consider those a warning and enjoy the rest.

I want to wish a Happy Everything to my readers!

The Life and Times of a Therapy Dog

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Our friends at HooplaHa! brought a new YouTube series to my attention. For everyone who has every wondered what life is like for a Therapy Dog, this series follows Sullivan, an adorable Golden Retriever, as she goes about her days, bringing love, happiness, stability and security to a wide range of people. 

The first episode, which is below, from HooplaHa! and Inclusion Films, finds Sullivan at a nursery school in California. Sage was trained as a puppy at Project Chance in Jacksonville, Florida. I found it a little jarring that a dog named Sullivan would be voiced by a woman but apparently he is a she. Further on in the video, Sullivan is seen having snacks with the children. It bothered me to see the Golden having popcorn which is not something most of us would recommend since the kernels can either get caught in the dog's throat or scratch the throat. I hope they'll pay more attention to such small details in the future.

In future episodes, of Sullivan's Travels, Sullivan will be seen with handicapped adults at work with his dad, Joey Travolta, at Inclusion Films a really wonderful company that deserves attention. Sullivan also visits nursing homes. 

I wrote one of the first article - if not the first - on therapy dogs. It's nice to see that their work can now be so easily understood through the use of video.  

If you enjoy this, you can click to subscribe to the series.

It's Always a Good Time to Take Your Dog To Work!

Follow my blog with Bloglovin


I'm a huge fan of taking your dog to work. Dogs help us lower our blood pressure (and we lower theirs when we pet them), they help us smile and take the stress out of the day for everyone. As long as your dog is well-mannered, he or she should be a welcome addition to any office. 

This "Chicken Soup for The Soul" moment is a HooplaHa original.  Enjoy!

Are Your Pets Really Guilty?

I was watching a video from HooplaHa. It's a compilation of dogs, puppies and kittens allegedly looking "guilty."  The owner has caught the pet having done something inappropriate such as getting into the trash or unrolling a roll of toilet paper. 

Frankly, these pets found something to do when they were unsupervised and hadn't been given something appropriate to occupy them.  The "look" is not guilt. Dogs and cats, puppies and kittens are very sensitive to us. They're masters at reading body language and if that weren't enough, the owner's tone of voice is a dead giveaway. They know the owner is displeased and the expression is an expression of fear. They want to please us and know that they haven't. They can't predict what the result will be. They were only doing something to amuse themselves, something they were led to out of curiosity and/or boredom. They are not to blame, the owner is.

Now that you have a proper frame of reference, look at the videos, listen to the voices. I hope it will help you have a better understanding of your own pets and your responsibility in the equation. There is so much we can do for our pets to teach them other behaviors, to keep them busy, and not to leave puppies or kittens unsupervised with run of the house.

Fall and the Senior Dogs

Picking up where we left off, I have more Senior Dogs to show you from the Mr. Mo Project. I love Senior Dogs (and Cats!). They are usually the first to be overlooked at shelters and the first to die. They have so much more life in them and so much love to give. I want you to watch this video of these Seniors enjoying the leaves like little kids and then tell me why you won't adopt a Senior! Better, yet, tell me why you WILL adopt a Senior Dog.

We have our friends at HooplaHa to thank for this heartwarming, fun video:

Why You Should Adopt a Senior Dog!

I'm a huge proponent of adopting Senior Pets. Everyone deserves a second chance at life and seniors have so much love to give and so much life to share. After loving unconditionally, they often lose their home through no fault of their own. They are usually overlooked and are the first to be killed in a shelter. That's a huge price to pay for being a loving companion. 

Many times they are the victims of the death of their owner, or their owner having to go into a nursing home. Family members will often swoop in, take whatever "possessions" they want and throw the beloved pet out of the house or into a shelter. It's horrible enough that they have lost their human but they lose their home. I've written about this before and discussed preventing this from happening but too many people don't make provisions for the companion in their will and arrange a new home well in advance "just in case..."

Why should you adopt a Senior Dog? This video from HooplaHa will show and tell you why...

The Last Doggy Pool Parties of Summer

As we watch Summer fade into Fall this week, at least on the calendar, it's fun to remember how much dogs enjoy some of the things that we love.  It's nice to cool off in a swimming pool if one is available.

Remember, that not all dogs know how to swim so don't just throw hm in and don't leave him unattended by the pool. 

Our friends at HooplaHa have shared yet another wonderful video. This one is chock full of doggy antics, fun in the sun, and swimming pools.  Enjoy!

Taking It To the Streets

How often have you seen homeless people and their pets? Have you ever wondered what could be done to help them? Here's some inspiration for you.

Lori and Shira Rich have made it their mission to spread kindness to the homeless and their pets. The desire to devote their time and resources to those who are less fortunate than they began in March 2012 with Shira's concern for the homeless pets and the people that care for them. The unconditional love is a two-way street, and so is the loyalty. For many of them it's the only unconditional love and loyalty they receive. The homeless people gain companionship and help them learn about responsibility.

Lori and Shira, true to their grassroots effort, started their nonprofit, Taking It To the Streets. Mother and daughter travel around Riverside, CA giving love, attention and dog treats to the stray dogs in their community. They also raise money to spay, neuter, vaccinate, microchip and provide stray dogs with the care and concern they need in order to enrich the lives of those in need while reducing the street dog population. According to the nice people at HooplaHa, who shared this video, sometimes the best solution to a problem isn't change, but to accept and care for the less fortunate, and the ones they love.




For more information on this non-profit, you can visit their website: 

http://takingittothestreetswithloriandshira.org/index.html

Marshall the Miracle Dog

No one, not human or animal, deserves any kind of abuse. A dog named Marshall was abandoned, abused and starving. He was among 60 other dogs living on a property without food, water and shelter. During the time of his rescue by Animal Planet’s "Confessions," he had a badly broken front leg, bite marks all over his body and a tennis ball sized hole in the side of his face. The Humane Society of Missouri came to the dogs rescue, however Marshall’s injuries were so serious they required surgery before he could be put up for adoption. Marshall died on the operating table…but was resuscitated and the medical team was able to repair his face and amputate his infected leg.

Today, Marshall happily lives in his forever home with has new owner Cyndi Willenbrock. Cyndi has made it her mission to not let Marshall’s traumatic story go unheard, in fact, she has been able to use the events of his past to spread hope to young kids being picked on and bullied in school. Marshall not only warms the hearts of those closest to him, but has inspired a feature film, “Marshall’s Miracle”, staring Lucas Carroll, Shannon Elizabeth, Matthew Settle and Lauren Holly.

You can find Marshall on Facebook and Twitter. Here's a video of Marshall and his new Mom from HooplaHa  doing what he does best: teaching children why bullying is bad.

Please help Marshall spread his message of no bullying, no abuse.

Dogs Who Get Excited when It's Time for Dinner or A Treat

Dogs are so sweet and funny but when it comes to meals or snacks, they're worse than toddlers. They bounce around, bark, jump, race through the house in sheer glee. Everyone who makes a meal wants it to be received with such enthusiasm, however, it's much nicer if your dog learns to sit and wait until dinner is in the dish, in place, and he has been told it's time to eat. Manners should be taught to pets as well as children.

Here are a few overly-enthusiastic dogs in video from HooplaHa;

Cats Practice Stalking

It's always fun to watch cats as they interact with each other as well as other species.  They usually exhibit prey stalking when they play with you with an interactive fishing pole type toy. Some cats prefer to see it fly like a bird while others enjoy it wiggling across the floor like a snake. There are also cats who enjoy both.

Our friends at HooplaHa have shared a video of cats exhibiting this behavior. They call it Cats Trying to Scare You and they do note how patient cats are while watching their prey. 

 I'd like to note that some of the clips involve cats outdoors which is something we don't recommend in the U.S.  There are far too many dangers outside including disease, other animals who might attack them, cars racing down the road, etc. Indoors with environmental enrichment keeps them healthier and they will live a whole lot longer.

Now for your enjoyment, and education if you want to study the body language of each of the cats, is the video.

Pets and The Iraq War Veteran with PTSD

I'm sure all war veterans suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) but it is only with more recent wars that the problem has a name and there is treatment. When people are geared up for war, living on adreneline, it's hard to get out of that condition. Expecting land mines wherever you walk, snipers around every corner, even sleep isn't restful after our soldiers come home from war.

One of the ways in which many veterans are helped, along with therapy, is a service dog trained to help someone with PTSD.

Thanks to the nice people at HooplaHa, here is a Chicken Soup for The Soul video introducing you to Iraq War Army Veteran, Stephen Simmons, his PTSD dog, Puppi, and his family's cat, Burma. Together they run and hike in the mountains in Oregon, doing what Stephen calls Adventure Therapy that he created for himself. He discovered that beneath the depression, he really did care what happened to him. "Adventure therapy has given me immense hope for the future, and a new-found determination to overcome my situation."

Golden Giggles

Some days you just need a laugh and what's more adorable than a puppy?  How about 21 Golden Retriever puppies romping in a meadow? Running full out, stretching their little legs and thoroughly enjoying themselves.  

I thought a video would be a fun way to start the week.  We can thank the people at HooplaHa for this fun time with the Golden puppies. It makes me wish I could sit there and play with them.  How about you?

How Rescued Senior Dogs Can Help

Dogs make life so much better.  For many people, they make life bearable. They are there during the darkest times, when the whole world seems to have gone away.

It doesn't matter which breed, or if the dog is of mixed heritage, dogs are who they are and they always seem to know exactly when we need them. And, of course, they need us as well, for a range of reasons.

Few people know this better than Vicky Neville. Vicky had had Bulldogs and loved them dearly but life wasn't always good for them. Her dogs had died, so she was dog less when Vicky was recovering from a divorce and the death of her sister and soulmate. It was all too much. Vicky was admitted into inpatient care for her chronic depression. 

While she was in recovery, Vicky heard about the Mr. Mo Project, a non-profit organization that finds loving homes for senior dogs. What a great idea!

On Easter Sunday, Mr. Mo Project founders, Chris and Mariesa Hughes, arrived at Vicky's house with Macy, a Senior Bull Dog. Vicky and Macy made an instant connection and before Vicky new it, her life began to change. She began to live again, laughing, gardening and rediscovering the parts of her day that made her truly happy. All of this with her new companion by her side. 

We know that shelter dogs need our love, and sometimes it's the unconditional love from a dog that can make all the difference to its owner.

Senior dogs are usually facing a death sentence in a shelter when they have so much more love to share and deserve a second chance. This is a win/win.

Thanks to Hoopla-Ha, please enjoy this video of Vicky and Macy and hear Vicky talk about what this wonderful Senior dog has done for her. You can see for yourself what Vicky has done for Macy, and how the program works.

The Humane Society of Utah's Clever Idea!

Sometimes it's hard to walk into a crowded shelter and make a connection with a dog when you want to adopt a new pet. Shelters are crowded, noisy, dogs are jumping, barking, and not much fun for dogs or people. The Humane Society of Utah decided to give each dog a chance to shine in front of the camera.

Each dog was given an opportunity to show his or her personality to staff photographer, Guinnever Shuster. 

Separating each dog from the others allowed their personalities to shine, captured on film. This gives potential adopters a chance to get to know the dogs by looking at their pictures before they meet them. Potential dog owners are now lined up to meet the dogs who have captured their fancy. Each dog now has a much better chance to find a forever home.

Cat Got Your Tongue? No. Cat Has the Dog's Bed

Cats and Dogs can live together quite harmoniously. However, when you wonder who rules the roost, so to speak, the cats often have the upper paw. Just like small children, they need to learn to share, as so well shown in this video compilation from HooplaHa:

Did You Ever See Animals Interacting with Their Reflection in a Mirror?

Cinnamon by Jayne Lewis

Animals are so much fun. We love interacting with them and for good reason - they are part of the family. One of the most amusing things is to see an animal's first reaction upon seeing him or herself in a mirror for the first time. Do they realize they're looking at their own reflection? Do they think they're seeing a potential playmate? An enemy? There are probably as many answers as there are animals. 

I thought we could use a little levity this week so I'm happy to share the video below. Take a look at what the nice people at Hoopla-Ha!  http://www.youtube.com/HooplaHa

Relax, laugh and share this with your animal loving friends. They deserve a laugh, too.