Thanksgiving gives us a whole day to focus just on gratitude. For me, gratitude is where it all starts - balance, peace, freedom, joy, and most of all, love.
I invite you to start this Thanksgiving to thank the people and pets in your life for their love and companionship. To give thanks for the food you eat and the place you live. For beauty in all its…
Continue
Added by Amy on November 24, 2009 at 8:47pm —
1 Comment
You know how sometimes you'll see paths the animals use in the woods? Listen to my podcast about how we can learn from how they move in the world....
Taking the easy way… Continue
Added by Amy on October 19, 2009 at 8:20pm —
No Comments
The controversy continues about whether to let your kitties outdoors. Recently, more research confirms two disturbing statistics about cats who roam:
- They kill a huge amount of birds, especially fledglings
- Their own life spans are considerably shortened over those of indoor cats
Wherever you stand on the issue of letting cats run free, your decision should weigh that information. The New York Times just published…
Continue
Added by Amy on September 29, 2009 at 9:26pm —
No Comments
This amazing lady in South Africa helps people who are at the edge of survival. Even in extreme poverty, most will feed their pets before they feed themselves. When it comes to veterinary care, though, even if they had the money to pay, there are virtually no services available. Cora Bailey provides this help through her non-profit organization, and selflessly devotes herself to animals and people who are often forgotten.…
Continue
Added by Amy on August 20, 2009 at 7:33pm —
No Comments
An article published by MSNBC points to research that studied the smarts of different canine breeds. Some especially bright pooches, such as border collies, poodles and German shepherds ranked among the smartest. According to a language development test, the researches say that dogs can learn between 165 and 250 words, which ranks up there to a two-year-old…
Continue
Added by Amy on August 10, 2009 at 9:00pm —
No Comments
Newly minted Senator Al Franken says his proposed pilot program will train "a statistically significant number of dogs" for veterans living with devastating injuries sustained on the battlefield.
Read the story here... Continue
Added by Amy on July 31, 2009 at 9:00am —
No Comments
A slightly different take on assistance dogs, ministry for dogs is a growing trend.
Read the story... Continue
Added by Amy on July 30, 2009 at 8:30am —
No Comments
The BBC reports that these two rescue dogs are looking for a home - together. When they were discovered, shelter folks discovered that Clyde would not move without Bonnie in the room. He would then put his head on Bonnie's back and walk with her. That was how people realized that Clyde was blind. Bonnie is his willing and protective guide dog.
Read the story and watch the video at the BBC... Continue
Added by Amy on July 28, 2009 at 9:27pm —
No Comments
According to an article on the BBC News site, researchers have studied the different sounds that cats make. They found that cats use certain frequencies to get the attention of humans. Cats make different purr sounds for different reasons. There is the contented, sitting-in-your-lap purr, and then there's the more urgent "feed me" purr.
The researchers found that these sounds imitate the frequency at which human babies cry. This sound spurs humans into action - namely, feeding the cat making th…
Continue
Added by Amy on July 16, 2009 at 8:30am —
No Comments
Some colleagues and I did a paper craft project - it was a great way to see how we worked together. Oh - and it was a lot of fun. Several animal paper craft projects are available from Canon. All you do is print them on a color printer, cut them out and put them together. Click on the images to get started:
snowy owl…
Continue
Added by Amy on July 15, 2009 at 8:00am —
No Comments
According to a New York Times article, a potentially deadly flu virus has been spreading - in dogs. It is believed to have started in horses and jumped to dogs about five years ago. While it hasn't spread widely, it is prevalent in certain U.S. areas: Florida, New York City’s northern suburbs, Philadelphia and Denver.
Any dog can contract this flu strain, but dog breeds with short, snub noses are more susceptible - Pekingese, pugs and Shi-Tzus. Fortunately, a vaccination is now available.
See…
Continue
Added by Amy on July 13, 2009 at 8:16pm —
No Comments
On June 19-20, 2009, you may have received an e-mail about a comment from "Kayleigh Lamb." This "member" is really a "spam bot" that was created by a machine to leave spam comments for all the members.
I banned Kayleigh, which means that her profile is gone, as well as all the comments that were left on member pages.
I have added a couple of required questions for new members to help discourage the "spam bots" from being able to register on the site. Hopefully that will put a stop to it.
I ap…
Continue
Added by Amy on June 20, 2009 at 3:03pm —
No Comments
My father-in-law (91 years old!) get acupuncture every few weeks - I think it's kept him healthy for years. Along with the needles, he gets Reiki from the therapist's, cat, Tigger:
Tom and TIgger Continue
Added by Amy on June 18, 2009 at 9:30pm —
1 Comment
With Memorial Day just around the corner, please keep in your hearts and prayers the many incredible animal heroes who have helped keep humans safe. Whether that safety means comfort when we're sick or protection when we're in danger. From the therapy pets in the hospital to police canines, to the highly trained dogs working with the military, here's a prayer for those who have served:
May you always be remembered
For the love you bravely gave -
To do the job you were born for-
Keeping your peo…
Continue
Added by Amy on May 20, 2009 at 8:30pm —
No Comments
I am blessed to have inherited my Dad's love for animals. He has always related to animals as his equal - to the point of letting his dogs roam free. The animals in his life adore him, and he returns the feeling.
He's been telling me about his days "breaking" horses. He used a method called "gentle breaking," which means that you build a trust relationship with the animal. At first he would talk to a horse, pet her, just be around her as much as possible. Then he'd throw a blanket on the horse…
Continue
Added by Amy on May 20, 2009 at 8:22pm —
No Comments
Chanel, a wire-haired dachshund, is apparently the world's oldest dog at 20 years of age. She has been around since 1988, her health is good, and she still walks just fine, going crazy when her people come home. Because of her advanced age, she has cataracts and wears goggles when she's outside. She also dons a coat in winter and a t-shirt in summer to keep her warm.
The Wor…
Continue
Added by Amy on February 24, 2009 at 8:39pm —
No Comments
Has your pet (or spouse, or kid, or boss) done something that ticked you off? All you can think of is that maddening thing that happened and what you're going to do about it. The spinning in your mind just keeps focusing on this thing - and it seems to grow and grow.
I gently suggest you try something new: invite into your mind and heart one good thing. That is, one good thing about that pet, or spouse, or kid, or boss. Just one - that's enough. It can be anything - an expression, a feeling, a…
Continue
Added by Amy on February 17, 2009 at 7:29pm —
No Comments
The Europeans have included pets in response to the global economic changes. Poor people and those receiving assistance can take their pets to be fed. Read the whole story here:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hgiJdz9fcS9aCfWF4Dixs1TEGbwQ Continue
Added by Amy on January 6, 2009 at 1:29pm —
No Comments
A Nevada woman was looking for a dog to adopt. When she went to the shelter, she learned that 26 other dogs were slated for euthanasia soon, so she took all of them home! She was able to quickly find homes for most of them, but in the meantime got in trouble with both the law and her neighbors...
Woman goes to the pound and brings home 27 dogs Continue
Added by Amy on December 19, 2008 at 2:07pm —
No Comments
Last night on the local Denver news I saw a story about people buying puppies from a pet store. Many pet stores are responsible caretakers of animals, but this one is not. The puppies they sold were sick - even dying. The store owner has been sanctioned before, and blames "bunny-squeezing, tree-hugging, slimeball animal activists" for reporting her.
An undercover investigation uncovered unsanitary and unsafe conditions for the animals, with no isolation area for sick animals.
See the…
Continue
Added by Amy on November 14, 2008 at 11:08am —
No Comments
