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The End of an Era

2010-06-10T13:35:00.001-06:00

Tuesday afternoon, Winnie peacefully crossed the Rainbow Bridge. She was at home, on her dog bed, lying in the sun, surrounded by love and her mom and dad. It was as gentle, and beautiful as it could be, and she passed quickly, and pain free. There was a gentle breeze, and dappling sunlight as she left us, and she is forever at peace.

Our hearts are broken, and the grief is almost unbearable, but we are reflecting on the long and wonderful life that Winnie had. She was 14 and a half years old.

Winnie loved her brother Tiggs, and he was with her before and after she passed.

I adopted Winnie when she was 12 weeks old from the Humane Society of Ft. Collins. She was the last dog in the back row, and she stole my heart. She used to carry my purse around Ft. Collins, and loved to chase the prairie dogs at Pineridge. She loved in her younger years, jumping for the branch in our backyard. One day after a snow storm, she actually caught it. She was very proud. She loved car rides, and sticking her head out the window to bite the air. She really loved playing the "hose game" where she would chase the spray from the hose all over the yard. Winnie loved going on climbing trips, even though she didn't always behave. She and Tiggs accompanied us on our year long road trip all over N. America. She was a well traveled girl.

During the last year, Winn had grown more and more anxious, her body started to grow weary, and there were starting to be more difficult days than good ones. We want to remember the Winnie that loved all of her favorite things and the Winnie who had a strong body and strong mind.

She had many good friends over the years, stretching from NY, to Colorado, to all across the country. Everyone loved Winnie, and she loved their belly rubs.

We prefer not to have phone calls right now, but if you have any memories to share, please email us, we'd love to hear your favorite Winnie stories.

I've created an album of some of my favorite pictures of Winnie, and I also went through my albums to find prints (Winnie was old enough that there were no digital camera's for the first half of her life!). I intend to scan those in to post her pictures from when she was a young girl.

http://picasaweb.google.com/woofslc/Winnie?authkey=Gv1sRgCNyAxoDPjor_Gw#

With heavy hearts and much love,

Adam and Melissa

Thank you to all of our good friends who have sent memories and emails, your kind thoughts mean the world to us.

Spring Zanyness

2010-05-10T23:05:00.004-06:00

OK, ok, for my good friend Mike D, whom I miss very much by the way!

I wish I could say that I've been off jetsetting to Cabo, or Font, or surfing in Costa Rica, but alas, I haven't been doing any of those things. I have, however been working a lot of weekends and evenings doing special events, event planning, and working hard. I love my job. Working in animal welfare is an avocation, as well as a vocation. Sometimes it's hard to turn it off. There is always one desperate phone call or email to return, and when it's an innocent pup that's at stake, you just do it, doesn't matter the time or place.

The next month doesn't show signs of slowing. I'll be at Strut Your Mutt with some adoptables on May 22, then I'm planning my first ever large event, Pet Bull Palooza, which will vaccinate and microchip 100 dogs free of charge, as well as provide 60 free spay/neuter vouchers, free dog food, leashes, collars, and dog toys too. I hope it's a huge success, but I haven't slept in weeks. The weekend after that, I head to NYC to help with the first ever Tri State Super Adoption, then off to the Animal Farm Foundation for an internship working with what else? More shelter pit bulls! WooHoo. June will be a crazy month, but I'm excited.

I am also trying to train for climbing alot, mostly in the gym, it's all I can really fit in, plus, WTF, the weather is awful! So, Mike D, if you are reading this, come climb with me, even if it's only on plastic!

Lastly, I'm helping take care of my mom, who became gravely ill with bacterial meningitis while driving from NY to SLC this past week, so I've been at the ICU alot with her. She is doing really well, and her prognosis is very good at this point, so thanks for all of our friends and family who have sent emails and phone calls checking in.

So, that's the Spring Zanyness Report. What are all of your Spring Zany Plans?

Winnie Van Gogh

2010-04-02T14:45:00.000-06:00

My Laundry Room is Famous

2010-03-24T10:25:00.002-06:00

Which I find slightly ironic since Adam and I despise laundry and it is currently piled higher than the North Face of the Eiger (great movie by the way, highly recommend it, but dress warmly as it will make you slightly chilly).

It's always an honor when one of my house photos ends up on the design blogs I love so much. I was just thinking how bad my laundry room needed a spruce up...I was thinking of marmoleum or epoxy flooring, a sparkly white coat of paint and some brighter lighting.

Maybe one of the fans of my laundry room would like to come an help me do my laundry, that'd be swell.

Thanks Desire to Inspire!

Skiing and Coffee and Animals, Oh My!

2010-02-23T16:50:00.003-07:00

Well, it's no secret that I'm not the biggest fan of skiing, 4.5 years of staring at fungal toenails in a ski boot shop and the person attached telling you what a big deal they are will do that to you. However, I am an athlete, and as such, I can certainly appreciate the coolness of the sport at the Olympic level. I for one have watched just about every Olympic sport playing on my new flat screen 42" high def TV nightly from Vancouver. I'm hooked.

Of all things, I think I enjoyed the mogul skiing almost the best. I was blown away at the springy-ness of the competitors legs and the cool tricks they throw down in the middle of their ski run. Wow. And, I was super psyched for the genuine good energy that Shannon Bahrke had after her bronze medal win. I loved her free spirit, her pink hair, and her family cheering her on. Then I found out she is living here in Salt Lake City. How cool is that?! Then, on top of all of that, I learned that Shannon is a huge supporter of Best Friends! Not only that, but she has her own coffee company- AND, that she has several bags of Best Friends Blend. With each bag, Shannon donates $5 to the Sanctuary. A rippin' skier, a coffee connoisseur, and an animal lover and philanthropist? That's my kinda girl.

Shannon also supports other athletes by having different Athlete Blends that feature the them and they all designate their favorite charities. Shannon then donates $1 to their charity of choice, then a dollar goes towards helping the athletes fund their Olympic dreams. Rad sauce.

Thank you Shannon for supporting the animals and your community!

Coffee Covet

2010-02-20T09:55:00.000-07:00

Want this, based solely on shape and color...love.

A Little Video Starring My Friend Andy and Me

2010-02-12T08:45:00.002-07:00

Andy is still looking for his forever peeps! Is that you? Contact me if you are interested! He requires no medications or special treatments for his heart, he just briefly will stumble, then get right back up. He's a young boy, 1.5-2 years old, and he loves everyone and every dog he meets. He's a big, happy, loveable lug.

Worst...blogger...ever

2010-02-02T18:10:00.003-07:00

But, finally got that new sofa! Yay to becoming a couch potato. We are currently on the hunt for the TV that will be mounted across from the chaise.

I was really psyched on the service we got at Copenhagen West. In addition to being really nice people, Diana, our sales person even came to the house to help me...'envision'....I need that, believe me! I'm such a visual person, and it was a huge purchase, I wanted to be happy, and I was fully prepared to send it back if it didn't work.

So, enjoy the pics, can't wait to host some movie nights, but be forewarned, if you spill anything on my couch, I will kill you! Break out the Granma plastic!

And, thank you to my fabulous friend Cerre, for coming over and helping me through this anxiety ridden decision process!

Updates

2010-01-16T10:01:00.005-07:00

Wow, I have been really busy, which means blogging is suffering. My trip to Kanab was productive yet brief. I enjoyed three wonderful nights with my Tina Louise(y) Wheezy, and met a ton of my new coworkers. The one thing I can say about working for Best Friends is that everyone is so passionate, and loves what they do, including me. Everyone works so hard, and it's evident in the creativity and programs that we have. It's very inspiring.

I wasn't in Kanab but two days, when I was called to help with a heartbreaking rescue project out of state. I'm still really not at liberty to discuss the details of this rescue. I can say that Arkansas, and Missouri (well, and a lot of places), have notoriously weak animal cruelty laws. I will enlighten my faithful readers more when the details of this rescue come out for the public. I learned alot, I was glad to go, I would go again, though the outcomes were disappointing. It strengthens our resolve to do more and get tougher laws to protect animals from abuse and neglect. We had a very good team and a wonderful volunteer network in place and seeing that come together was very inspiring.

In other news, Honey started her hydrotherapy. It was so cool, and she loved her hydro tech Wilma. We will go weekly and I think this will help Honey's recovery tremendously.

For my out of state readers, have you heard that Salt Lake City is the most polluted in the nation right now? We have all been breathing a brown soupy cloud for weeks now. Nothing was more evident that flying through the brown cloud on my way home last week. Inversion sucks! There will be a critical mass transit this week in the City to protest our terrible air quality. Uck.

Hope you are all well.

A New Chapter

2010-01-03T07:30:00.004-07:00

Well, this morning I leave for Kanab to start the training for my new job with Best Friends, I'm really excited and nervous all at once. Good thing I'll have the best cuddle bug ever (Tina Louise) to help me relax tonight:

I've been putting all of my energy into getting my workspace ready, and I love the finished product. We sold our futon to make way, now the (WO)man room will be relocated downstairs. This is cool because we'll get a REAL couch and a TV! I've sworn off TV for the last 10-15 years, but screw it. I want a flat screen with Bose surround, High Def, and cable! I'm getting old and I want some serious American excess. Haha!

Here's the couch options, what do you all think?

Vinto Pizza

2009-12-22T12:35:00.003-07:00

There's a new kid in town...Vinto Pizza.

If you love woodfired pizza, reasonable prices, and a hip but comfortable setting, go check out Vinto.

We enjoyed a proscuitto and apple pie with shaved parm and arugula, a baked mac and cheese with fontina, parm, cauliflower and crunchy baked breadcrumbs, and a delicious sorbetto and gelatto sampler.

The wine list is good and affordable, good beer selection, and great service. GO! NOW! What are you waiting for?

http://vinto.com/

418 East 200 South

Pits and Perception Art Show

2009-12-16T08:37:00.005-07:00

Please join one of Best Friend's founding members and wonderful artist, Cyrus Mejia for a reception and art show entitled Pits and Perceptions running from 12/18-1/30/10.

This is an incredible collection of paintings featuring some of the Vic(k)tory Dogs and other pitties from the Sanctuary. You can visit Cyrus' website here:

http://cyrusmejia.com/art/pits-and-perception

This show has traveled the country and is finally stopping in Salt Lake! Please come to the reception and be sure to stop by while the exhibit is up!

I am truly honored to have a digital display of my photography featuring some of my favorite dogs at the Sanctuary that will be up during the exhibit. Please come to the opening and support the show, the dogs, and me!

The Secret to Happy Training

2009-12-07T21:25:00.007-07:00

I have been psyched on training for climbing, and even though my beloved Rachel Orth, and my beloved Rachel Strate have both deserted me for greener pastures (sad, sad days for me), I have been getting amped with visiting, roadtripping Brit Steve Honeyman.

Having a fun, supportive, motivating person to train with makes all the difference, and I've been really amping to get into super shape and hopefully propel that onto some real rock in March (Bishop anyone?)...of course all of that hinges on all of our canine drama that we cannot seem to escape.

For me the secret to happy and productive training (well, really just climbing) is surrounding myself with good people with no egos, and people that realize climbing is fun! My other major secret, and perhaps I shouldn't divulge, lest the masses flood the gym, is going during the day with a few friends when the gym is empty....for me this is as much fun as it is productive.

I'm hoping to take a trip down South for some new bouldering areas- Duncan, if you are reading this, let's GO!

And this link probably won't work, but this pic is a hilarious oldie but a goody, me bouldering with a harness on and a huge ass chalk bag dangling behind me- good times!

Holidaze

2009-11-30T10:15:00.004-07:00

Well, Adam and I enjoyed a very quiet T-giving. Jaima and John came over for drinks and appy's then Adam and I made a lovely dinner...though the turkey was not so good. I think Mr. Turkey lived a rough and tumble life on the streets, and was one...tough...bird.

Yesterday we got our tree up and decorated in preparation for Scotty and Mel's visit- the little nephews Reece and Trevor warrant getting a BIG tree, so we went with a 10 and a half footer! But, our space is limited, so it couldn't be more than 3 ft wide...good challenge!

Hope you like it:

In other news, we found Honey a stroller, but it was a bust- she HATED it, and sang the Honey Donkey Opera all the way down 45th South- people were coming out on their lawns to see what that donkey/manatee/operetta was coming from inside the stroller....then she wedged her head through the back pocket and clawed her way out- embarrassing. But, we did get some Ruff Wear booties, and they are a GREAT SUCCESS- in addition to climbing V10 now, she can also wander the first floor of the house with her booties on without slipping on the wood floors- as Mel Gibson in Braveheart would say- FREEEEEEEDOOOMMMMMMMM!!

Facebook is killing my blogging. Sorry for the lack of updates. Hope all of my readers are well.

Right About Now

2009-11-15T21:46:00.003-07:00

We need THIS for Honey:

Her shit still is messed UP- limping, and the new freakish repair is still shifting a few degrees each week. We've been xraying her weekly, she is now radioactive. She lives in a pen. My poor dog. If I can come up with 250 bones, this baby will be hers! Then she could have some fun adventures. If any creative, handy friends want to try to make this out of a converted kid stroller, let me know, I'll pay ya!

Come to the Paws and Claws Adoption Event

2009-11-11T21:19:00.005-07:00

Please come to this event, let's help get the University of Utah's Research dogs adopted and give them a happy ending they deserve. Come and meet the animals, show your support for the dedicated volunteers who see that they get walked daily, given treats, and love by caring people, and help find adopters and foster families.

I do not support the research on animals at the University of Utah. It's wrong, I hate it, and I want to take all of these animals home with me. I am sick that I live in one of the only two states that allows Pound Seizure- meaning shelters can be forced to turn over their animals to research laboratories. It's heartwrenching to think that if someone surrenders their family pet to a shelter (don't get me started on that), or a stray whose family cannot be located, that their once loved family dog or cat can end up a research subject in a laboratory.

Yes, there is controversy swirling around the University of Utah research on dogs, cats, and other animals, and PETA has infiltrated the labs with their expose that published in the Salt Lake Tribune today. The problem is (and let me preface by saying I hate PETA, they are only "ethical" if you support euthanasia of pit bulls and total breed discriminatory laws...um, yeah, PETA can suck it), they do not propose solutions or seem to support how the citizens of Utah can get involved to help the animals- like writing our State reps and congressman on overturning the inhumane and archaic laws supporting Pound Seizure.

But, I digress- alas, this post is NOT about PETA, or about the research, it's about supporting the animals that come out of those labs by fostering and adopting them, and coming to the Paws and Claws, which will be an awesome event highlighting some of the adoptable animals- there will be adoptable animals, crafts, food, etc.

For more on Pound Seizure and how you can help overturn this law here in Utah, check out this website.

GRRRL Power- Outdoor Inspiration- A Divine Line

2009-11-03T12:14:00.005-07:00

My good friend Jaima has started a new website to help connect the female backcountry enthusiasts of the Wasatch. Her site is called A Divine Line and her aim is to have a forum, gear reviews, classifieds to buy and sell used gear, interviews, and great trail information for ski touring and climbing in Utah. Jaima is an amazing athlete, from snowboarding, to backcountry skiing, to climbing, she is pretty much a badass, and her website will no doubt be a fun, inspiring place to visit and a great way to connect with other women who enjoy the Wasatch backcountry. Stop by and join her forum today!

I'm Like David Hasslehoff

2009-11-03T10:04:00.009-07:00

Not really, but this is a banner week for media. I must be big in Japan...or Germany, or somewhere!

Yesterday, my friend Chris pointed out that I am a centerfold in the new Urban Climber for an FFA I did in LCC about two years ago...oh well, better late than never, right? And, for those of you who have asked, Yes, it was scary. It's actually Ditch Witch low, or sit, or whatever it's called and was a fourth overall ascent, first female ascent. Back when I used to be strong, was motivated, and had balls. I remember the day well, I made Andy promise to stay on the ground and spot me with Justin, and he PROMISED he would and that he wouldn't take pics. When I topped out that boulder and looked over in the trees and saw Andy in a tree limb with his camera in hand, and only little ol' Justin on the ground, I was MAD. But, I was also so ecstatic, and I forgave Andy, as I was happy to have his amazing pics to remember it by.

Then today, again in design blog land, I have popped up again on Apartment Therapy, a republish of a shot that appeared about a year ago. This time, they have labled me as having an "Unstuffy Dining Room." Cool, I'll take it. I need to entertain soon in that Unstuffy Dining Room, because as of late I have been a total and complete shut in.

While we're on the topic of my status as a shut in, Honey is still struggling. I can't really write about it, because it's painful. She is still having problems on her leg that was re-operated on, and we go back in again on Thursday for another xray. At this point, I'm saying no more surgery...let's let this poor Honey heal and try again in a few months. And as if to tell me how over it she really is, she took a dump in my laundry room- a first, and hopefully a last.

That's the news for the day, and if you have any funny stories, I could use a laugh right about now.

Pic by Andy Burr

pic by yours truly

Honored- Desire to Inspire Shout Out

2009-11-01T13:12:00.002-07:00

Well, off the topic of pooches, and on the topic of design. Very thrilled and honored to have on of my photos appear on one of my favorite design blogs Desire to Inspire. If you ever are stumped on a house project, or just need to be inspired for your space, this blog is a must read! Thank you so much Desire to Inspire!

We Made the News

2009-10-31T08:07:00.005-06:00

Our Pittie Pumpkin Party made the Deseret News, and personally, I think our photographer, who doesn't have any pets, really fell for some of the dogs, especially Aggie, the black and white pup in a chicken costume (I was quite smitten with her as well...).

Photos by Chen Wang, Deseret News

Pinups, Puppies, Pitties, and Pumpkins- Oh My!

2009-10-29T22:09:00.008-06:00

Cute pupper!

Pumkin or Puppy?
Short, brindle ballerina SUNNY girl!
Oscar
Lindy Princess

Heeler Pups!
One of the new heeler pups!
Campaign Tables At Pinups Event
Pinup and Adoptable
It's been a busy week for me helping the dogs! On Tuesday, we had the Pinups for Pups event, it was fun, and sexy, and if you are a single dude, you blew it by not attending...lots of beautiful women dressed as the old time pinups walking adorable adoptables down the runway. You can see pics of the Pinups for Pups event here.

Today, we held a Pittie Pumpkin Party at Salt Lake County Animal Services. I got to meet the new heeler litter...oh....my....GOD, they are so precious! Then we carved pumpkins and had a pittie parade with many of the shelters most adoptable pitties in costume.

We had two very deserving dogs go into foster care, including one of my personal favorites, Oscar, who went to crash on my good friends' Jessica and Justin's couch for a while...yayyy, I get to visit! Sunny also went, and for anyone who is a sucker for short, squatty, brindled dogs loaded with love and personality, this gal will steal your heart!

Fun, fun events, for great, very deserving dogs. Hope to see more of you out there next time!

For more puppy and PPP pics, go here.

A New Litter of Puppies at SLCOAS

2009-10-28T09:12:00.007-06:00

And, as a follow up to my last post...look who has just arrived at SLCOAS shelter. Who's got room for one more....c'mon, what's one more :))) Here they are, a litter of brand new heeler pups at SLCOAS...Needing rescue and their forever homes! Please, spread the word and share with friends and family. The shelter is located at 511 w 3900 s in Salt Lake City. All adoptions include spay/neuter, vaccs, and a microchip as well as a free vet visit!

A brief update as I've gotten a few inquiries and a little more info: they will be ready for adoption in a week and a half (they still need their next round of vaccs and s/n surgery) and will also get their deworming and a free bag of food as well. Their adoption fee will be $195 (but includes all of the aforementioned items and services). I do not believe they are on petfinder yet, or they were possibly listed under another shelter recently in another part of the state. They are however currently at SLCOAS. I am also not sure, but there may be a possibility of fostering- if you are interested, you can ask the staff at the shelter. I hope to have more pics for everyone on Thursday as I will be there volunteering! If you have more questions, keep them coming and I will try to find out. Let's help get these cuties adopted!

Are You in the Market for a New Puppy?

2009-10-26T08:12:00.006-06:00

Sometimes it sucks to be me. I am very OCD about everything in life, it doesn't matter what it is, if I'm into it, I'm INTO it, putting my whole heart and soul into whatever it is. I guess that is good, because usually when I set my mind to something, it will usually get done. Climbing has been a big part of my obsessions, and when I was growing up it was gymnastics. The older I get the more things get added to the OCD pile. House projects, climbing, dogs, ...that's what gets me to this point. It's so difficult when you are have an OCD personality- I just have to get it done and I will lose sleep while I am working on it, whatever 'it' happens to be, and I tend to worry a lot (hence one of the reasons why it sucks to be me).

People probably get sick of me talking about it, but when I first set my mind on being involved in animal rescue, from then on, I have felt like I am personally responsible for saving every dog I meet that needs a home. It can feel like an insurmountable challenge. Personally, I have never owned a dog in my whole life that wasn't rescued. I remember my first dog Sasha (aka FATHEAD) came from Lollipop Farm when I was ten years old. Somehow I just always knew that if you wanted a dog, you went to the pound, and you got one that really needed a home.

The problem with being OCD about rescuing dogs is that sometimes it seems like an uphill battle. Without sounding like a self righteous lunatic (or at least trying not to) you constantly, until blue in the face, try to recruit adopters, foster homes, and you try to explain to people the importance of adoption, spaying and neutering their animals, etc. You try to explain to people the problems with backyard breeding, the issue of puppy mills, and the staggering statistic that 5 million perfectly lovable, adoptable dogs and cats of all breeds and varieties are euthanized for space every year in this country. Personally, I think that everyone who wants a pet should spend an afternoon volunteering at a shelter- it is truly heartbreaking when a dog you have spent an afternoon with walking and playing with, looking into their eyes, and getting to know isn't there the next week, and it ain't because they were adopted into a loving home.

People will say though, "but I want a puppy " or "I want a [certain breed]" Well, there are tons of puppies in the shelters and they get euthanized as much as anyone else. Did you know that 1 in 4 dogs in shelters are PUREBRED? There are even breed rescues, so lets say you want a beagle, well, there's plenty of beagle rescues, or poodles, or huskies, or whatever your flavor. If you do your homework, you will find your perfect companion, purebred or mutt, puppy or old man- all that need an adoptive home.

If anyone is in the market for a puppy, or a certain kind of dog, please, let me know, I can help you connect with a rescue group that might have the perfect puppy or dog that you are looking for- skip the classifieds and send an important message to backyard breeders to spay and neuter their animals- it's the responsible thing to do. Don't believe it when they tell you there was an 'unexpected meeting' or it was an 'accident.' There are plenty of affordable and low cost spay and neuter clinics in the valley that anyone can utilize if cost is an issue.

You can also visit Petfinder, a wonderful rescue resource where you can do an advanced search to find your perfect companion based on age, breed, gender, location, etc.

If you have ever 'bought' a dog, please don't be offended and don't despair- this post isn't intended to make anyone feel bad- it's a chance to educate people on rescue and adoption and also inspire people to get involved to make a difference in the life of a homeless animal.

Photos: by moi, at a recent No More Homeless Pets Adoption event.

And Now for Random Photos...

2009-10-25T20:42:00.002-06:00

Surgical Stress- It's Complicated...

2009-10-22T18:53:00.006-06:00

I'm not sure where to begin.

First and foremost, my Honey is home with us following another surgery this morning to correct one of her two failed surgery knees.

The surgeon, the best in the this entire region, has only seen 3 in 5,000 surgeries go this way. It really sucks when your dog is the one with the 1/10th of a percent chance complication.

In addition to her tibial crest fracture which wouldn't have been that bad, two of her screws had sheared, causing the whole plate to shift and the tibial plateau to return to it's pre surgical angle.

Now, the crux was how to fix it...he couldn't touch the two broken screws, so he moved the plate and did another placement. The crappy thing about that placement, and it was the ONLY place to go without shattering her knee...was that there is now a screw head sticking up in her joint. He doesn't feel this will be in the way YET, but there is no way to know. He used locking hardware

plates and screws this time (where before he had not).

Additionally, he had to drive two other pins in to stabilize the fracture, then added a tensioning wire for additional support, which now runs through one of the now vacant screw holes.

Since were are in unchartered waters here, we really have no idea if and how this repair will hold.

He is recommending that if it is successful, that in 6 months, we remove all hardware from this leg. Assuming her other surgery leg is doing well, we'll leave that hardware alone- he doesn't like to remove unless necessary.

So, we have nothing to do now but wait and see. I'm trying to stay strong. He said of the three he's seen that were similar, one dog was 'never really the same' and the other two fared well.

That's the news...I wish it were better, but Honey is still her cute little wiggly-waggly butted, licking, happy little pink nosed pitty. So, from her I take my strength and good humor- it's all we can do at this point.

2009-10-21T14:20:00.000-06:00

Surgery Complications for Honey

2009-10-21T14:09:00.003-06:00

Many of my faithful readers already got this news, but Honey's left surgery leg has failed. Her tibial crest has fractured and the hardwear inside may be compromised. I had been concerned about this leg all along- it looked more bowed AFTER surgery, and I raised numerous concerns. Finally, by Sunday, she started limping, where she hadn't been before. She didn't even limp the day after surgery with both of her legs being operated on. I couldn't figure out why on Day 10 of recovery, all of a sudden we were seeing such a backslide.

I brought her in to the surgeon on Monday, he manipulated both legs, watched her walk, and said she was just healing unevenly- but, he never xrayed her legs- and he gave us the go ahead to start pt/rehab on Tuesday (yesterday). The rehab vet was also concerned when she saw the limp. She took some films, which showed things in tact. We began two hours of hydrotherapy and rehab, when as an afterthought, the rehab vet decided to get another view on an xray. This time, a clear fracture was noted. She emailed the digital files to the surgeon, and he said it's a problem, and needs to be reoperated on to fix it. Mind you, we just did two hours of rehab on a broken leg.

Now, today, she is in so much pain on BOTH legs, that she won't walk at all. This backslide is devastating- I'm sick to my stomach with worry, and we go in tomorrow for another surgery. I'm angry at being brushed off in the first place (twice) when I raised concerns about the left leg.

I'm angry that she did two hours of rehab on a broken leg, which has now taxed the remaining good surgery leg to the point that she doesn't want to weight it. If both of these legs are sabotaged, I will die. My poor Hun Buns.

Please, send some good wishes our way. This has been beyond stressful. I can only hope that in the long run, this will help her. This is difficult because I was always on the fence about whether to subject her to these surgeries in the first place. Now my worst fears are coming true. I feel so helpless. I have to stay strong for my baby.

University of Utah Research Dogs

2009-10-15T21:58:00.009-06:00

It is only within the last few months that I learned about the University of Utah's research on dogs. When I say research on dogs, I don't mean veterinary studies...I mean medical research being conducted on dogs taken from the shelter- dogs that were going to be euthanized. These studies have been going on for many, many years, and span a variety of areas including pain studies, anesthesia studies, lung studies, and much more. Some of the dogs are control dogs, and therefore are not subjected to the "real" drugs or experiments, however many are given various drugs, procedures, etc, that some might equivocate with torture, depending on your point of view.

Many of the dogs are 'released' from the studies and are then placed up for adoption, facilitated by one very dedicated volunteer, Linda Schmidt. Linda has been helping retired research dogs find their homes since the mid 90's. Her dedication is unwavering- she has built a very nice volunteer network, and people meet daily at 5 pm to walk the dogs and give them a half hour reprieve from their kennels. She tirelessly advocates and tries to find foster and adoptive homes for dogs that have been released and has helped some 600 animals over the years have a second chance. Linda does not work for the research lab, she happens to be a scientist in her own right in a different lab. She does not conduct any testing on the animals. She is truly their angel, helping them find light at the end of a very dark tunnel.

In her words, however, many are not released- meaning, these dogs will be killed either as part of the study, or following the studies completion, never having the chance to find happiness in a loving home.

I will tell you, when I walked into the building, my chest felt an intense pressure, I could hardly breathe...I though I might pass out. The air was so thin- knowing what these dogs have endured and still seeing how hopeful they are just rips my heart out of my chest.

If any dear readers can open thier hearts and homes to a retired research dog, please, please contact Linda and she can direct you.

Please also come to a fundraiser November 12 in the Eccles Genetics center on the U of U campus, an early holiday bake and craft sale, where you can meet many of the adoptable animals. After the fundrasier, the dogs' fate is unknown.

UPDATE: Jasper, the handsome black lab/pitty mix at the top has gone into a JACKPOT of a foster home with Agnes and Brandon, who love him and have spoiled him already! Let's see if we can get a few more of these great dogs out of the kennel into foster care or adoptive homes!

Linda's email is: linda.schmidt@hsc.utah.edu Contact her if you'd like to foster, adopt, or volunteer to walk the dogs.

To see more photos of Jasper with his new foster mom and dad, copy and paste this link into your browser: http://picasaweb.google.com/woofslc/BrandonAgnesAndJasper#

Honey's Recovery Day 3 Post Surg

2009-10-11T15:47:00.002-06:00

Wow, Honey seems to be forgetting that she has Frankenknees...she just wants to moooove. She's annoyed that her area is restricted, and she has become very vocal to let me know about it. We have been walking several times a day to the corner and back (maybe 100 feet?). She isn't allowed to be near Tiggs for fear they will try to play...this will be tough, they are best buds, and they cannot play for 4 months! They will be able to walk next to each other however, on leash only.

We don't start rehab for another week and a half...I'm wondering what I am going to do to keep us all from going stir crazy. Meanwhile, Adam's been walking Tiggs and Winn and making sure they are getting out.

This pic was taken this morning from Honey's new lookout post by the front door. It's about the only excitement she is allowed.

Honey's Surgery Day 1

2009-10-09T11:59:00.003-06:00

Honey is a BRAVE girl! She got through her surgeries yesterday with flying colors. Now we begin the long healing process. Honey's ACL's and CCL's were gone, and her meniscuses were torn and calcified. Dr. Dale Smith put Honey back together again by performing a bilateral TPLO surgery. Doing both knees at once has advantages and disadvantages. Right now, Honey is trying to stand up and walk, naturally this is difficult since two of her four legs are stapled and screwed together.

We will just take her recovery one day at a time, and she is a brave little trooper. She loves her food, and we're making her special meals that are extra, extra yummy. We also will be icing her throughout the day to help reduce her swelling.

Thanks for the good wishes!

Surgery Day Tomorrow

2009-10-07T10:04:00.004-06:00

Everyone, please send us good wishes and thoughts and love out to the universe. Tomorrow, our baby Honey will be having her major knee surgeries, they will operate on both of them at the same time. We are very nervous- we know our Honey is a trooper, but it's very scary, and she will be in a lot of pain for a while. No playing, running, jumping, stairs, or dog door for a couple of months. I know she will do awesome, because she is as brave and tough as they come.

We will keep you posted, and her big brother Tiggs will be holding her paw the whole way, he's always keeping a good eye on her.

Special thanks to No More Homeless Pets in Utah for helping us with this surgery, along with Mountain View Animal Hospital in Sandy for donating their fees and anesthesia- they have been Honey's guardian angel from day one when they rescued her.

Grief and Loss of a Pet

2009-10-06T08:38:00.002-06:00

During this last year, and especially the last few weeks, I've had several friends lose their beloved animals. This is such a difficult loss because those of us that have dogs (and cats too!) think of them like our furkids. It's never easy, and the loss seems to break our hearts into a million tiny pieces. People that don't have animals don't always seem to understand the void that this loss leaves, and how deep the grief can shake us. My Winnie is now nearing 14 years old, we don't know how long we have left with her, and she continues to have some very difficult days. I know that the day we have to say goodbye will be a very sad day for us.

I have come across a few words in my circles lately that seem to provide a little comfort. If you have lost a pet recently, or know someone who has, I hope that these words help you a little bit too.

I love this quote (author unknown):

Whenever one of my dogs die, they take a part of my heart. When ever a dog comes into my life, they give me a part of their heart. If i am lucky to live long enough I will have the heart of a dog and be as good as they are!

I love these two poems (author unknown):

We have a secret you and I,
That no one else shall know.
For who but I can see you lie,
Each night, in fireflow.
And who but I can reach my hand,
Before we go to bed,
And feel the living warmth of you,
And tough your silken head.
And only I walk woodland paths,
And see you ahead of me,
Your form racing in the wind,
So young again, and free.
And only I can see you swim,
In every brook I pass,
And when I call, no one but I
Can see the bending grass...

The Rainbow Bridge

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.
When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor. Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.
They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent. His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....

New Mobile

2009-10-05T11:28:00.003-06:00

I love this simple, cool modern mobile from CB2. It's an injection of cool, mid century style that will only cost you $20, but have a big impact in your space. If you have noticed my Flickr bar in the upper right corner, you may have already seen this pic, if not, enjoy, I think that there are a lot of inexpensive ways that you can brighten up your space.

Any reader favorites for punchy, inexpensive decor?

Pinups for Pups Event

2009-10-01T21:56:00.007-06:00

This is going to be sooo cool and really fun! Pinups for Pups is a great group that does all kinds of unique fundraisers to help animals in need. Details to come, but please save the date for October 27th at Club Bliss in Salt Lake City. Please, put this on your Facebook or other social media outlets to help promote attendance! I will be there representing the Salt Lake County Pit Crew and Best Friends Pit Bulls: Saving America's Dog campaign. I will hopefully even have a few adoptable ambassadogs there for foster and adoption!

Halloween themed event--Oct 27th

6 :00 Doors open.
6:30 Fashion Show with Models from the “Voodoo Darling’s” local talent and adoptable dogs .
6:45 Interlude & Music setup -“Best Friend’s “animal sanctuary and Local Rescue Groups speak.
7:00 Singer/Songwriter: Nicole “kole”
7:30 Singer/Songwriter : “Melody with Tyler Forsberg
8:00 Singer /Songwriter : Ashlee Dickson
8:30 Singer/Songwriter : “Alicia Mcgovern

Music will finish by 9:30-10 p.m. thereafter, participants can mingle and pose for photographers until 11 p.m at culmination.

“The Depot” will be promoted as the major sponsor of this event with: “Pinup’s for Pups”

The participants are volunteer’s and the proceeds will be donated to local animal rescue’s in partnership with Best Friends Animal Society. The aim is to create an environment to educate and unify the community in support of local animal groups . We promote awareness; people want to be involved, many just don’t know how.

A table will be set up to dispense materials to attendees on fostering programs, adoption and how each person can make a difference. There will not be a fee to attend the event in hopes of encouraging more to come out. This is a method we have found successful in other markets to get people in the door. At the event we have girls walking around encouraging donations throughout the evening.

Sondra Shannon (Pinups for Pups ) has arranged ‘star clad’ fashion events in Los Angeles , Nicole Christensen (Summer Jam West) event promotion and planning , Deena Marie (women of a thousand faces) in media, and Jennifer Tarasevich (voodoo box, and the voodoo darlings) production. All these reputable ladies have joined in support of this great cause with confidence of it’s success and passion for the cause.

Thank you for your support, this will be fun!

Today on NPR's Fresh Air with Terry Gross

2009-09-24T09:50:00.003-06:00

I love NPR's Terry Gross and her show Fresh Air. Terry always asks candid and pointed questions and seems to be able to draw information out of people in ways that no one else can.

Today Terry is tackling the subject of dogfighting. I'm curious to see which angles she will be looking at with this story, but surely with all the recent controversy surrounding S(v)ick's return to the NFL, and huge recent fight busts in the midwest, this is a timely topic. Dogfighting seems to cross all socioeconimic lines, with some recent busts targeting teachers, police, and other "white collar" individuals.

Terry will feature John Goodwin of the HSUS, and a former dog fighter on the show. If you are in Utah, the program will air at 1pm today on KCPW.

Tune in and tell me your thoughts after the show! I hope that this show is an informative and engaging show that will enlighten many people as to the horrific abuse these dogs endure at the hands of these greed driven sociopaths.

HERA Climb for Life '09

2009-09-20T15:31:00.001-06:00

Here's just a few of the pics I shot at the HERA Climb for Life event this weekend in Salt Lake City.

This year I was one of the climbing pros that got to guide participants climbing to raise money and awareness for ovarian cancer. I have tried to do this event every year since 2005, when I met Sean Patrick the founder of HERA in Las Vegas at Red Rocks. Sean passed away this year, and she was sorely missed at this years event, but the spirit of HERA seemed even stronger as everyone was inspired to 'do it for Sean' this year. Nearly $100,000 was raised by participants from all over the country.

My group was very cool and everyone was so positive it was infectious. We had the father-son duo of Sean and John, Diana, Shelly, and Alison. Some of these climbers were very new to climbing, or had never bouldered outside. Everyone was determined, and every climber enjoyed tons of personal success.

I was proud that the company I work for, Black Diamond, as well as one of my climbing sponsors Five Ten, were involved in making this important, inspiring event happen.

I hope to see many of my faithful readers at next years event!

Super Adoption Success

2009-09-15T09:56:00.002-06:00

These are some pics from the Fall Super Adoption, and our first annual Salt Lake County Pit Crew Tent. This is an exciting collaboration between Salt Lake County shelter and Best Friends Pit Bulls: Saving America's Dog Campaign. During the three day event we adopted out about 45 animals, about 10 of which were pit bulls! In total, I believe close to 400 animals were adopted out between all of the shelters and rescues that attended the event.

Special thanks to No More Homeless Pets in Utah for organizing and hosting this wonderful event twice a year, it's a tremendous effort and none of this would be possible without them. Thank you NMHP!!

Fall Super Adoption Event- Your Help Needed

2009-09-07T14:53:00.003-06:00

An open call from NMHP:

Dear Animal Lover
The Fall Pet Super Adoption is this weekend! We are still in need of volunteers to help us care for the 800 homeless animals that will be saved at this event.

It takes a lot of teamwork to successfully put on an event of this size. Hundreds of cats and dogs will be adopted into loving homes this weekend - and you can be part of making that happen!

We need help with setting up and tearing down, walking the dogs, caring for the cats, gate security, keeping things tidy and helping with other various tasks.

Here are the shifts we still need help with:

Thursday Sept 10th: 8am or 9am-1pm and 1-6pm to help set up. We really need good volunteers to help us get this event set up.

Friday Sept 11th: 8am to 1pm to help finish setting up; noon-4pm and 4-8pm to clean and care for the animals, etc.

Saturday Sept 12th: 7am-noon for early morning dog walking; noon-4pm and 4-8pm to clean and care for the animals, etc.

Sunday Sept 13th: 7am-noon for early morning dog walking; noon-4pm and 3:30-7:30pm for cleaning up and tearing down the event. We always appreciate a fresh batch of volunteers for our tear down crew!!

Even if you can only commit a few hours and not a whole shift, no problem! We'd still greatly appreciate the help! To sign-up, please contact Maranda Hawkes (801-364-0370 x27, maranda@utahpets.org) or Danielle Slaughter (801-364-0370 x20, danielle@utahpets.org) as soon as possible.

On behalf of all the dogs and cats who will be saved at Super Adoption, we thank you in advance!

Visit Our Website
Sincerely,

Holly Sizemore
No More Homeless Pets in Utah

Reflecting on Katrina- the Canine Cost

2009-08-28T09:13:00.005-06:00

It's been 4 years since Hurricane Katrina pounded the Gulf Coast. So many people are still struggling to rebuild their lives and homes. New Orleans will never be the same, nor the many other surrounding affected communities.

Reflecting on all of this, I'm reminded naturally of what became of peoples beloved pets. Sadly, so many dogs lost their lives and homes during the storm. Despite heroic efforts, many people were never reunited with their pets, and this thought breaks my heart.

Not Left Behind is the story of the rescue told by Best Friends and photographed by Troy Snow.

Many animals went to rescues and sancturaries all over the country. Best Friends took a large number of these dogs, and at present, there are 28 adoptable dogs listed on the Adoptables page at the Sanctuary. There are actually many more than that, because they are not all posted at the present, and many arrived recently from another rescue that closed it's doors.

I can't help but think how broken hearted I would be if I had lost everything during that fateful storm, and then was left to wonder what became of my furry family members. I don't think I would ever sleep soundly knowing that they could be alive out there and not in my arms. What if I lacked the resources to try to find them? My heart would always have an empty void.

Please consider helping out these animals by sponsoring or adopting them. Because I work so frequently with pitty bulls, here are some of my favorite Katrina dogs residing at the Sanctuary.

Four long years later, and these beautiful dogs are left wondering where their families are and who might give them another chance.

photos by yours truly

Chairs Make Me Giddy

2009-08-18T09:12:00.001-06:00

I admit, I have a furniture addiction. Here are my latest: Bertoia (shameless) knockoffs, found at a sadly now bank owned modern furntiture store in Bend- no sales tax, and extremely cheap, too good to pass up. And, new happy orange Ikea chairs..these are one of the coolest chairs at Ikea I think.

Yes, I'm a Chairfag (a great chair blog name): because you are gay for chairs...yes, that's the tagline of that said blog, but oh so true.

Salt Lake County Animal Shelter Unveils New Bully Program

2009-07-30T00:09:00.005-06:00

Meet some of the new adoptables in the progressive new Bully Program over at SLCO. This program offers the opportunity for volunteers to pair with an adoptable pittie or pittie mix to obtain the AKC Canine Good Citizen Certificate. Additionally, it provides FREE spay and neuters to pitties and pittie mixes in the County, as well as low cost Canine Good Citizen training for all pitties and mixes in the County. The goal of this program is to address the disproportionate numbers of pitties in the shelters which would also reduce the disproportionately high euthanasia rates for pitties.

Best Friends will be supporting and collaborating on the program with it's Pit Bulls: Saving America's Dog campaign. I will be a volunteer extrordinaire and photog, and am hoping this program is a huge success. As always, these programs rely on YOU, faithful readers to volunteer, donate, foster, whatever you can do!

Meet from the top: Ziggy, Zip, Lewis, Lilly- ALL ADOPTABLE

Photos by Yours Truly

AscenDance

2009-07-27T08:48:00.001-06:00

My good friends Skippy and Isa came to town to put on a helluva good show at the Outdooor Retailer street party last Tuesday.

AscenDance can be described as dance-climb fusion, and as a former dancer, gymnast, and current climber, I think it's pretty badass.

Isa and Skippy live in the Bay area, and they are incredible athletes and all around great people. Isa's choreography was beautiful and displayed so much strength and grace in each piece. They made it look effortless, and trust me- it's not. They taught me one move, and I was sore for a week!

Check out their website, AscenDance Project.

Tiggs- One Year Later

2009-07-16T21:43:00.001-06:00

Today marks the 1 year anniversary that Tiggs was diagnosed with the dreadful, awful disease IMHA/AIHA (Auto Immune Hemolytic Anemia) that nearly took him from us.

He is in remission and off of medications to treat this disease as of today, and after fighting so hard, we thought he deserved a little party. We made him a big hamburger and he LOVED it! We also got him a special bandanna from the Morris Animal Foundation's Meisha's Hope Fund, which donates money to research that helps find better treatments and hopefully a cure for this terrible disease. Perfectly timed, his bandana arrived today.

We are so grateful that Tiggs is doing so well, he continues to be a joy and a friend to all, and inspires me daily with his happiness, kindness and love.

We are so proud of him. Way to go Tiggy!

Please Help a Climber in Need

2009-07-07T09:56:00.004-06:00

Any amount will help! We all have to stick together, that is what makes the climbing world so special.

This is Tacos, a climber from Japan, who was seriously injured in a car wreck here in the States. Tacos needs help getting back home with two caregivers. To read more about her, please visit over at my good friend Rachel's blog.

Martha Stewart

2009-07-01T11:12:00.001-06:00

Every now and then I get a wild crafty hair up my butt. I have been searching out new dog collars for my crew, and I always seem to have champagne taste on a beer budget- with everything!

I asked my artsy friend Catherine at work if she knew anyone that made cool custom blingy dog collars, and she said, 'why don't you just make one?' Huh...could I?

I went to the Leather Craft store...scoff if you will. There were really nice, albeit interesting people that work there, and are into Leathercraft. Braveheart was playing on a screen in the back, and a group of teenagers were working on projects like a giant leather shield.

With an open mind, Craig, the very large (he told me you have to be fat to go behind the counter), very nice guy working there, gave me an hour and a half lesson on how to make a collar, which is apparently a 'good beginners project.'

We chose my supplies, decided on purple with pink crystals and domed rivets, and off I went. Adam made fun of me and didn't believe I'd do it. Anyone here who knows me shouldn't be surprised that I'll try anything at least once. Why not?

Hope you like how my first project turned out. Honey is blinged, and I will design another for Tiggs and Winn next.

Capitol Hill

2009-06-29T23:15:00.001-06:00

2009-06-29T23:13:00.002-06:00

Every now and then it's fun to take time to smell the flowers. After walking some of my client's dogs, Adam and I headed out to the Capitol Hill area to photograph the sunset. It was simple and beautiful, and the dogs had a ton of fun rolling around in the four foot deep wheat grass. It was a great way to unwind after a long day.

Ogden Update

2009-06-19T09:40:00.003-06:00

Hi friends,

Thank you Erin and Shannon for you comments, as always, I love my friends!

We attended the 'work session' last night, and though unable to participate, myself and Nikki Sharp of Best Friends were able to introduce ourselves after the meeting. I felt that the council did ask some good questions, and may be open to other ideas. Hopefully Nikki will be able to meet with them to propose some alternatives.

Here is what they proposed (they were clear not to say 'ban'):

Ogden City (Utah) Council regarding their proposed BSL that would add pit bulls and pit bull 'type/mixes' dogs to their dangerous dog ordinance. They are proposing legislation that would require:

*special registration of pit bulls and their owners
*special microchip and tags identifying the dog as a pit bull
*6 foot privacy fence WITH 2 FEET of underground fencing, or kenneling your dog in your yard
*for renters, written landlord consent that you have permission to make alterations to fence/property and own a pitbull
*immediate notification if your dog is loose
*special insurance or surety bond in the amount of $50,000
*Animal control can inspect at any time for compliance

They can be emailed or contacted through:

www.ogdencity.com/government/city_council.aspx

I feel this Ordinance is flawed in many ways. The problems Ogden is having relates to irresponsible ownership, people who wouldn't follow these requirements anyways. They cited their gang problem as issue number one for pit bulls...So why not address that?! They will punish the majority for the issues with the minority, and this will do nothing the help the hundreds of dogs in the shelter find good homes. It will only increase their euthanasia, and harm the dogs, and the responsible people who love them.

I am looking forward to seeing where this process goes. I do hope that we can make some headway in presenting Ogden with better alternatives.

City Of Ogden Proposes Breed Specific Legislation

2009-06-18T08:29:00.005-06:00

There will be a meeting tonight at 5:30 pm in Ogden to review their City Council's proposed BS legislation....

Ogden City Municipal Building
2549 Washington Blvd Ste 340
Ogden UT 84401

For the uninitiated, Breed Specific Legislation simply means a ban on a particular breed (pit bulls in this case), or any pit bull 'type' dogs. What does this mean? The burden usually falls on the owner to prove that their dog is NOT the affected breed, lest their dog is impounded and euthanized, as is the case in Denver. Please read Desiree's story about her beloved Coco:

I can remember how I felt the day I came home on 6/23/2008.... When I came home & saw the card in my screen door with the writing on the back "call us about your dog." I felt so empty because I knew the destiny for my son. Denver Animal Control had taken Coco from the back yard while we were gone. The hardest thing for myself while Coco was on death row was going to visit him. He didn't understand what was going on. He thought we were there to take him home. It broke my heart every time. He was in their 3' by 5 ' cell for nearly 2 months. They said they took him outside every day, but by the way his nails looked, I doubt it. Every time I would leave I could hear him cry & scream all the way to the door. He was so confused. Several workers there at the dog pound told me how he was such a good dog, so I would reply to that, "How do you kill a innocent family dog," and they would always have the same response, "It's just our job." One animal control employee even nicknamed Coco, "Cocolicious."

The last day Coco was alive they had finally moved him to a double cell which is just a metal slab in between 2 of the 3' by 5' cells so he could run back and fourth through the 2 cells. I believe he knew what was going to happen to him within the short hours to come. He was very nervous. His eyes & nose were bright pink & I could not get him to calm down. Maybe he felt how sad and scared I was because I knew it was coming down to his final hours. I lay on the floor with him for about an hour then I said my final goodbye!!! That was the longest walk out the dog pound. I felt that I had let my son, my innocent son that has never hurt anything or anybody in his life, down. He never knew anything about violence; he was a spoiled brat that our entire family loved. The next day when we picked up his remains was even harder than the last walk. They had him in a black trash bag. About 20-25 of our family members were there and we all held hands and said a prayer. Now he is at home with us in his urn on our front desk. He will remain in our hearts & thoughts forever.

I will be in attendance with written materials to give to the Council. I'm told that while the public is invited to attend, they are not however, able to participate. Don't ya just love democracy?!

Casino Night

2009-06-15T08:37:00.001-06:00

We volunteered at the 2nd Annual Canine Casino Night to benefit No More Homeless Pets, it was a blast. Everyone wears a wig, and people bring dogs of all shapes, sizes and pedigrees. There is a huge silent auction. I donated a few items, and won a few. I won the auction on these beautiful small hand made bud vases, as well as 2 arial dance classes at a studio called Revolve! I didn't even know we had that here, but I have a feeling I'll be addicted- it's all fabric and trapeze, Cirque du Soleil style! I also bought a beautiful handmade necklace with an old fashioned picture of a pitty bull on it. The artist's name is Paige Burris, and she is a pitty advocate too. Her necklaces show through the old photos that pit bulls were once revered family pets, not ostracized outcasts. Fun was had by all, and I hope that we raised a lot of money.

Five Years

2009-06-09T14:13:00.003-06:00

Adam and I celebrated our five year wedding anniversary on June 5th. Adam got me peonies, just like my bouquet. It's hard to believe five years have passed. We went to the Tin Angel and had a nice meal in an eclectic setting. Followed by a day of pumpy sports climbing actions in Maple Canyon with our old, dear friends from Fort Collins, Melissa and Jimmy, and Lisa and John. All of my peeps have kiddos now, and it was a total trip to see all of these cute little 3 year old mini-me's running around the crag. I forgot my damn camera at Maple, but fun was had by all.

Need a Lift? Volunteer!

2009-05-28T22:11:00.004-06:00

My good friend Rachel, recently back from her kick ass 10 month climbing road trip, asked if she could come and check out what we do with the dogs when we volunteer for No More Homeless Pets. We were thrilled to have her, and Sparky the pit bull was even more thrilled. Rachel fell in love, and Sparky was a fantastic breed ambassador. Rachel has an inspiring view on volunteerism- give back by choosing a weekly volunteer project! She not only takes time out of her busy life as a brilliant venture capitalist, but then takes even more time to spread the word and the mission of whatever lucky, wonderful organization that she has helped. Awesome idea!

Michael Vick is Released from Prison

2009-05-21T08:00:00.006-06:00

Yesterday, disgraced Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick left prison after serving 19 months for dogfighting. He will serve two more months at home, and has apparently offered to work with youth through the Humane Society to educate others about dog fighting. Hmmm...the irony there being that the HSUS wanted to euthanize all of the dogs that were seized.

Well, as you all can imagine, I'm not in the group of people that feel MV deserves a second chance.

The silver lining is that many of the wonderful dogs that were taken from his hellhole, were given a second chance, and they are thriving. Several have become therapy dogs, been adopted to good homes, are in foster care, or are living their days at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab.

I'd love to hear from you, I have posted a poll on the right sidebar. Vote, and tell me why you chose your answer here in the comments.

Salt Lake Capoeira

2009-05-17T23:45:00.003-06:00

This is a group I used to train with, Salt Lake Capoeira, and it was so fun to see them perform. I miss it tremendously, I wish I could still do capoeira and climb, but alas, hopefully these pics convey the athleticism and training required. It was just too hard with climbing. If you ever have a chance to see or participate in Capoeira, do it! It's an amazing Brazilian martial art, heavily influenced by African culture, it's part dance, part acrobatics, part music, and all culture! For more high rez pics, go to my flickr page.

Please Vote for the Shelter Challenge!

2009-05-13T22:23:00.004-06:00

Hello faithful readers! Please take less than 10 seconds out of your busy days to vote for No More Homeless Pets on the rescuesite.com's Shelter Challenge.

Go here, and then type in No More Homeless Pets in Utah- 1 click, and Voile! you're done. No registration required.

Thanks for supporting our local awesome no kill program! We will receive a $20000 grant if we win.

Garden Boy

2009-05-10T08:18:00.001-06:00

Holmes has been toiling alot in the garden. He built this beautiful redwood box, and it is really cool. He built a square foot garden, and has planted veggies a plenty. He is very proud, as he should be, he worked pretty hard to get this going. Hopefully the bounty will be great.

Apartment Therapy AGAIN!!

2009-04-29T22:02:00.004-06:00

Um, super sweet, third time this year, BOOYAH, thanks AT!

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/la/inspiration/how-are-your-home-resolutions-coming-along-083170

My Exciting News- My Own Business!

2009-04-28T08:34:00.004-06:00

Some of my faithful readers already know this, but I have been working on getting my own dog walking and petsitting business going. It's called WOOF! SLC.

I have a LOT of details still to work out, but so far, I have registered as an LLC with the State of Utah, and created my own website...nothing fancy, just simple and easy to use.

I'd love feedback on the website, or anything else that you might have thoughts on. I hope to be taking real clients by June 1.

Please stop over to the site and it's sister blog, which you can link to from the site, or also from here on the lower right link list.

http://woof-slc.com/

New Bamboo and More PJ's

2009-04-26T09:23:00.001-06:00

Adam has been killing himself making some new garden beds for his vegetable garden that he is so excited to plant. We also finally ripped out that dark grey, dated berber carpet in our bedroom, painted the walls white, and had some beautfiful woven bamboo installed by Underfoot Floors, they did a fantastic job, and we love the room. Also, a nice shot of Winn's face that I love. My girl is getting old, she is now over 13 years old!

Did You Know?

2009-04-23T18:25:00.004-06:00

Famous Pit Bull Owners

Helen Keller (Pit Bull Named - Stubby)
Anthony Robbins
Molly Price (Actress)
General George Patton
Jan Michael Vincent
Fred Astaire
Stephany Kramer
President Woodrow Wilson
Pink (the singer)
Ashley Olsen
Jan Michael Vincent
Alicia Silverstone
Humphrey Bogart
Ananda Lewis
Linda Blair
John Steinbeck
Fatty Arbuckle
Malcolm - Jamal Warner
Mary Tyler Moore
Steve & Terri Irwin (Pit Bull Named - Sui)
Mo Vaughn (NY Mets)
James Ellroy (Author)
Amy Jo Johnson (Actress)
Jack Johnson (Hawaiian singer)
Sinbad
Barbra Eden
Rosie Perez
Kelli Williams (Actress from The Practice)
AJ Mclean
Rachel Ray (from Food Network) (Pit Bull Named - Isaboo)
Orlando Bloom
James Caan
Shaquille “Shaq” O’Neal
Judd Nelson
Barbara Eden,
Veronica Mars
Walter Scott (Author)
Ken Howard (Father in Crossing Jordon - his Pit Shadow saved his life)
Usher (Singer)
James Caan (Actor)
Michael J. Fox
Thomas Edison
Mel Brooks & Anne Brancroft
Julian schnabel
Jessica Alba
John Stuart
Jesse James and (Pit Bull Named - Cisco)
Stephan Jenkins (Singer)
Madonna
Jack Dempsey
Brad Pitt
Theodore Roosevelt
Bernadette Peters
Stephan Jenkins
Tamika Dixon (Athlete)
Singer Rick Springfield
Actor Vin Diesel
Barbra Ede
Cassandra Creech
Sir Walter Scott (Poet)
Shannon Elizabeth
Earl Holliman
David Spade
Robert Ferguson (Green Bay Packer)
John Stewart (from the Daily Show)
Bill Berloni (Broadway show dog trainer who has said that the Pit is the breed of choice for training),
Roy Jones Jr.
Serena Williams
Justin Miller
Cozy Coleman
Veron Haynes
Hugh Douglas
Kamal
Jermaine Dupri
Richard "Rip" Hamilton
50 Cent
Young Buck
Lloyd Banks
Jordan Babineaux
Jonathan Babineaux
Maurice White
Andrew Vachss
Ira Glass
Rosie Perez
Kelli Williams
Judd Nelson
Thomas Edison
Mel Brooks and Anne Bancroft
Julian Schnabel
Stephan Jenkins
Jon Stewart
Tamika Dixon

Well known sports figures who own Pit Bulls include:

Tennis Star Serena Williams (Pit bulls Name - Bambi)
Professional Basketball Players Desmond Mason (Pit Bulls Named - Zane & Capone)
Rashard Lewis (Pit Bull Named - Cookie, Angel & Ginger)
Amare Stoudemire (Pit Bull Names - JT, Ace & Deuce)
Alton Ford (Pit Bull Names - Mischif, Rosy, Spicey, Diable +3 pups with names unknown)
Tamika Dixon and Mo Vaughn

Two of my Kids are Poster Children

2009-04-19T22:11:00.001-06:00

I am so proud of my 'kids.' Honey will be the next No More Homeless Pets appeal dog. This means that she will be on a special fundraising letter with her photos and story to promote adoption, specifically special needs adoptions. This couldn't have come at a better time, because we have learned that Honey will need BOTH of her knees operated on this year, at a whopping $2500 per knee, so our in addition to helping raise money and awareness for NMHPU and adoption, we will need to mount our own fundraising goals to help pay for Honey's surgery.

Also, Tiggs will be featured on a large poster at a sale to benefit the Morris Animal Foundation's Meisha's Hope fund, which raises money for research to find a cure and better treatment for Immune Mediated Hemolytic Anemia. Tiggs can be seen on this poster, about the seventh row down towards the right- one of my favorite pics that we snapped of Tiggs while living on the road, in Squamish.

Bravo to my brave furkids for helping raise awareness for special dogs everywhere!

Greens and Beans

2009-04-15T07:35:00.005-06:00

MMMM, Greens and Beans is a simple, Southern Italian/Sicilian peasant dish. You take cleaned and chopped escarole (a bitter green like chard almost), sautee it with lots of fresh garlic and oil, then add a little broth and white beans. You can also toss in some sliced Italian sausage...Serve with a crusty artisan bread, and buon appetito!

New Front Door Color

2009-04-10T10:44:00.001-06:00

With Spring comes a renewal of my OCD for house projects. On tap for the next month is and has been: painting the front door as seen here, painting my bedroom bright white instead of cave grey, ripping out the carpet and installing strand bamboo in said bedroom, putting in gravel in back yard beds to dog-proof and cut down on dust/dirt/and mud coming into house, then planting cool grasses in big pots in the gravel beds.

More pics to come as projects evolve!

Cookie Heaven with My Dough Girl

2009-04-07T08:52:00.002-06:00

Holy cow, these cookies are to die for. My Dough Girl is the new kid in town as far as bakeries, and it is owned by a friend of a friend. The owner clearly has a background in Martha Stuartdom, or maybe she was just a designer in her former life. Her logo is darling, her cookies and graphics are all vintage pinup girls. Right now, my favorite cookie is the Gabrielle, which is a cocoa ginger confection. I could live on nothing but this cookie for the rest of my life. Cookies dough comes frozen and raw by the dozen, pretty reasonable, and you can also buy a fresh baked version while you deliberate which of the many dozens to buy. Check her out, 3rd West and 770 South.

Get Shorty

2009-04-03T07:55:00.001-06:00

Yup, that's me, Shorty. Photo by Adam.

Blogosphere JACKPOT

2009-04-02T17:27:00.005-06:00

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!! I made Apartment Therapy again! I LOVE it, I'm so excited, what a huge honor to be recognized there. I check AT several times a day to find interior inspiration, and I love the variety of content there, all geared towards smaller space, creative design. So cool, I'm ecstatic. There is talk of a future online house tour of our home. We'll keep you posted!

And another blog, Plastolux, also picked it up! Thanks to everyone who has given us feedback.

New Camera

2009-04-01T08:02:00.002-06:00

Ok, we spotted an amazing deal on Craiglist on the camera we wanted and snagged it. I can't thank my friend Joe enough for letting me try his out.

Please visit my Flickr page to see what I've been shooting, but it will come as no surprise to those who know me: dogs and interior design stuff. I promise to expand my skills, but for now, I'm working with what is right in front of me.

NMHP Adoption Event

2009-03-30T09:53:00.003-06:00

Hugo the Heeler

Sherry the Lab/Cattle Dog mix

Bane the Pittie

Sierra the Lab mix

It was a slow weekend for No More Homeless Pets adoptions, except for the wonderful official adoption of Bane by Jaima. I was so happy to have been a part of it, and I know Bane is a very lucky girl. Another foster experiment failed! I give a lot of credit to foster families that can actually foster and then see the dogs they have helped be adopted out. Most of us seem to get attached and that is that. Either way, it's a win-win situation. Bane is a beautiful girl, and she will have a happy, wonderful life with Jaima and John and Loc, the little thug-muffin.

Playing with Joe's Camera

2009-03-24T11:34:00.001-06:00

2009-03-24T11:00:00.000-06:00

Joe's Valley

2009-03-24T08:21:00.001-06:00

It has been forever since I climbed outside due to injuries and/or weather, so this last Friday when Ashley and Rachel were psyched to get outside, I jumped at the chance. We had a fabulous girls day. Thanks ladies!

2009-03-24T08:00:00.000-06:00

Saving America's Dog

2009-03-20T07:29:00.002-06:00

This video that just posted by Best Friends is simply beautiful. It's only about 2 minutes, please watch it if you have two minutes to spare.

It's Official

2009-03-15T12:51:00.002-06:00

Honey was officially adopted today, and is a permanent part of our family. We couldn't be happier. On site to welcome her to the brood was her Grampa Lipani, Tiggs, Adam and I, and Amber Randall of No More Homeless Pets.

Utah Gymnastics

2009-03-15T12:44:00.004-06:00

We initiated Dad into Utah Gymnastics Fan Mania for his visit. We brought him to the Utah/Florida meet Friday night, which Utah dispatched with ease (well, after a slightly scary bars rotation). It was super cool because it was senior night, with two of the most favorite, successful gymnasts at Utah, Nina Kim and Kristina Baskett, compteting for the last time at Utah. Over 15,000 people came, and Dad learned the cheers. Here's us doing one of the cheers. Also in the crowd to support Nina Kim was her best friend, Olympic All Around Gold Medalist Nastia Liukin.

Pics from the Salt Lake Tribune.

Honey's Got a Grampa!

2009-03-13T14:57:00.002-06:00

Today I took Honey back to the the vet that cared for her for 3 months. Dr. Hassinger of Mountain View deserves the Nobel Peace Prize in my opinion. It was a happy reunion, as all of the staff there were elated to see Honey, and they couldn't believe how healthy and happy she looked! They said it was so far from where she started- abandoned there by her last owner, who refused to treat her medical needs, bathe her, and wanted to put her to sleep. When they got her she was bald and filthy. They nursed her back to health for 3 months until they could find a suitable situation for her. It was evident how much they loved her, as everyone took turns coming to give her love and meet her new family- me and her new Grampa Lipani (too bad Adam was at work and didn't get to meet everyone)! Her new 'forever' Grampa, my dad, loves Honey, and she loves him. They took a snooze together. Later today I gave Honey a frisbee I bought her, and she looked like a flower when she put her face through it. She made me laugh! I'm so glad her story has a happy ending. We got her one month ago today, and she fits right in. Tiggs loves her, and Winnie still wants to kill her...we're working on it!

Consider Helping a Homeless Animal- Become a Foster Parent!

2009-03-08T08:27:00.005-06:00

Ok, so I'm not doing so well at fostering, as Honey will most likely be a permanent addition over at our house.

But, I did convince my good friends John and Jaima to give fostering a try, since No More Homeless Pets is swamped with dogs right now. Our program is no kill, and we can only save and pull as many animals off of euthanasia lists at other shelters as we have space and foster homes for.

John and Jaima decided to give it a try since their sweet boy Loc has been lonely since their angel Ky crossed the rainbow bridge last Spring. Yesterday they picked up Candy, aka Bain (perhaps her new name?!). You can read about Candy/Bain here.

Five Ten Treasure Hunt

2009-03-06T12:03:00.002-07:00

I'm not sure exactly how this works, but if you are on Twitter (that's YOU Cragbaby and Wasatch Girl!)then check it out!

Me As a Superhero!

2009-03-03T10:04:00.002-07:00

This was really fun to make. Go here to make your own!

New Do Narcissism

2009-02-23T12:35:00.007-07:00

Only a talented Aveda stylist could get my Sicilian 'fro straight! I am so impressed, that I had to take some pictures. Anyone who knows me knows that my hair is only ever in a ponytail and the only time it's ever down is when I get it cut and styled. I wish I could afford to get thermal straightening. But for the next few hours until the frizz takes hold, I will wear it down.

And of course, the obligatory Honey and Tiggs cuddling shot.

Special Needs

2009-02-23T12:18:00.004-07:00

Our dogs, personal and foster, rely on a lot of medication to stay healthy day to day. We fill four med boxes a week, and it takes a lot of patience, love, and accuracy to make sure that everyone is getting what they need. A year ago, I would have never envisioned needing to provide this kind of care my dogs. I love them all, they are worth it!

A Good Laugh

2009-02-18T22:11:00.004-07:00

I saw this in Wired, and it struck me so funny, about a trademark flap between rival 'fart gadgets' and in case you needed clarification on the phrase 'pull my finger' here it is, courtesy of Kevin Houchin, InfoMedia's lawyer:

The phrase "pull my finger," and derivations thereof, are generally known and widely understood in American society to be a joke or prank regarding flatulence. The prank begins when the prankster senses the deep stirrings of flatulence. The prankster then requests that an unsuspecting person pull [his or her] finger. The prankster extends his index finger to the victim. As the victim pulls the prankster's finger, his flatulence erupts so as to suggest a causal relationship between the pulling of the finger and the subsequent expulsion of gas. In other words, the phrase "pull my finger" is understood to be a description of the act of passing gas.

Our Foster Dog Honey

2009-02-13T16:07:00.001-07:00

Well, through all of my fun volunteer work, I've developed the reputation of a special needs pittie lover. So, today when I got the call about Honey, I couldn't say no!

Honey is 4 years old, and she has a pretty severe case of Hypothyroidism, which incidentally, Tiggs has also been diagnosed with, thanks to his IMHA. Not only that, but Honey has pretty bad allergies and requires a special diet as well as weekley baths. Hmmm, all of this is sounding quite familiar.

We had been talking about trying a foster dog, with the understanding that there would need to be a strict crate and rotate with Winnie, since Winnie is very aggressive. So, we are trying small increments of crate/rotate/crate/rotate. I think it will be challenging, but I like challenge, and I LOVE dogs, so I'm game! Luckily, my awesome, wonderful, SUPERSTAR of a husband is on board too.

Here's Honey. If anyone needs a beautful girl, and isn't afraid of a little medicine and a bath once a week, she is a great family girl. She LOVES other dogs, her and Tiggs were instant friends, and she's a cuddle machine!

Honey Pot!

2009-02-13T16:05:00.001-07:00

Trying to Organize the Blog!

2009-02-13T09:33:00.003-07:00

Hi everyone!

Today I started trying to organize 4 YEARS of blog content. And because my interests and my readers are all over the map, figuratively and literally, I'm experimenting with labels. So far, I have done all blog entries for 2008 and 2009, but haven't gotten past that. When I do, if you are interested only in updates on a particular subject, like say climbing, dogs, or my house, you'll be able to go straight to those posts and skip the extraneous stuff that you could care less about. You can see what I've done so far, but when I get back into 2004 and 2005, it will be quite a task, since that is the year we lived on the road and climbed full time (ahhhh, those were the days). So, this coming week, stay tuned, I will try to continue this mega proj!

Melissa

The True Story of a Beautiful Spotted Princess- Best Friends Blog Part 2

2009-02-11T16:31:00.007-07:00

Once upon a time, there was a beautiful princess dog named China who lived in an amazing place called Best Friends where all princess dogs are given an unlimited amount of love and care. When China was a young puppy, she found herself in the middle of a big hurricane in Louisiana, like many other dogs who live at Best Friends. It was a very scary time, but China never dwells on this experience, it is after all, what brought her to the magical place called Best Friends.

I first laid eyes on China on the world wide web, and when I saw her beautiful, majestic white body and her perfect right eye patch, I knew that I must meet her when I came to Best Friends. In the weeks leading up to my visit, I got some phone calls that there was going to be a big, very important meeting, and all of the people who work at Best Friends were going to be gone the afternoon of my arrival. They told me that I wouldn't be able to volunteer after all that day, and that I also probably wouldn't be able to take a special dog on an outing or sleepover. I was soooo disappointed, but then a guardian angel named Fredi who works in the volunteer office pulled some strings, and I got permission to pick up a very deserving doggie for an extended outing and sleepover. They asked me who I would like to take. Now, there is no shortage of beautiful princess dogs at Best Friends, but the sweet China was beckoning me, and she was a bit of an enigma, for no one could stop her from moving so fast long enough to take more pictures of her that didn't look like a white streaky blurr.

So, China it was, and my husband and I set off to Amra's to meet this mysterious girl. Along the way, I met two other very special people that I have as my pen pals on the world wide web, McKenzie and Kathy. They, along with Amy, take very special care of all the prince and princess dogs at Amra's.

When we picked China up, I was immediately smitten. For she was so beautiful in person. She looked like the kind of princess doggies that are in movies, and on greeting cards. And, she was so happy to meet us too! It seems that China has a few quirks, shall we say, like ocasionally having an accident in the car, or nibbling on some magical brown pellets on the ground, but she didn't want her outing to be anything less than perfect, so a perfect angel she was.

First we went into town and walked down the main street. There were so many interesting things to see there, you could tell that it was all very unfamiliar. We even saw a mailbox, and for some reason, China was a little nervous. But, China is such a strong girl, and she really trusts her people, because she looked to us for confidence, and we just kept on moving. She showed that mailbox who was boss. We stopped for a smoothie, and all of the people said, 'Wow, what a beautiful girl,' and they stopped to pet her. She really loved all of the attention, and wanted to meet new people.

Then we went hiking to the Great Sand Dunes, where China showed us her Olympic running and jumping skills. She would love so much to have a person that would do more agility and hiking with her! She also has an amazing gift for catching flying snowballs, and then we would sit in the sand, and she would come over and bestow some magical princess doggie kisses on our cheeks. We had the whole place to ouselves, it was a serene, bluebird, beautiful day. China also wanted to show us how she can hurdle the little cattle fences, she leaped up like a gazelle and gracefully landed on the other side.

Later we stopped at a scenic view for more pictures and we all enjoyed the view. China saw a little boy, and she was so very interested in this new creature. We didn't stop to say 'hi' though because China is a very strong princess doggie, and she didn't want to accidentally knock him over when she really just meant to give a hug and kiss.

We picked up dinner in town, and went back to the room. China was pretty tired and very relaxed at this point. She even slept in the car the whole way back! When we arrived, she headed right for the big fluffy bed so she could relax with a nice belly rub and some squeaky toys. We worked on taking toys gently, and she aced this little training with ease. We even worked on her 'leave it' with treats, because her caregivers have really been working on this. She was a perfect A+++ student! She was so mellow and just kind of relaxed and kicked back with her toys. She loved it when we laid with her, and we rubbed her belly, ears, and back, while she just lavished it all. Every know and then, she would gaze up and give us a loving round of kisses. I gave China a pretty pink bandana, and you can tell, she knows she looks beautiful. Everyone who sees her with her new outfit can't help but say how pretty she looks.

I was sad to say goodbye to China that morning, but on Sunday, I went back to her run and Kathy, Adam and I took her into the exercise run so we could play one last time. She is a perfect princess girl, who is so ready for a loving home. I absolutely love and adore her, and I will be thinking of her everyday until I can see her again.

China was a beautiful, mellow girl. She slept all night, very content, and in the morning, she didn't want to wake up. We spent an hour just cuddling and snuggling, and she seemed like there was no place on earth she would rather be. And at that moment, there was no other place on Earth that we wanted to be either.

For many more pictures of China, and the rest of the beautiful dogs of Best Friends, go here:

http://flickr.com/photos/dzinelvrslc/

Another Great Weekend at Best Friends and the Story of Tina Louise

2009-02-05T09:36:00.008-07:00

Once upon a time, there was a beautiful striped pit bull named Tina Louise. She found herself in the midst of a hurricane down in Louisiana when she was just two years old. Some people tried to help her, so they brought her all the way to Santa Cruz, California to the SPCA. The nice people there said that she was a very sweet girl, but she was having big problems with other dogs. So they called a place named Best Friends, and Tina Louise made the long journey to Utah.

I first saw Tina Louise on the world wide web. I fell in love with her smile and knew we must meet. When I took my first trip to Best Friends in November of 2008, I met Jeanne and Robin, volunteers extrordinaire. I told them I wanted to meet the stripey dog with the ten million megawatt smile named Tina Louise, and they were ecstatic, because not many people asked about her. That is when we took our first walk together. I made a promise to Tina Louise that I would take her on a sleepover when I returned. For no one had EVER taken Tina Louise on a sleepover in her couple of years at Best Friends.

I tried to get back to Best Friends over New Years, but had many roadblocks in the way. I cried so hard when my trip fell through, because my spirit needed it so badly. But, I knew I'd make it soon. When I did finally arrive back at the Lodges, I immediately asked one of her caregivers if I could spend the night with Tina Louise. She wasn't sure if Tina Louise was on the sleepover list, and for a while there, our night together hung in the balance. When I finally go the go-ahead, Jeanne and I hugged and jumped up and down. We were to drive up that afternoon, right up to Tina Louise's run, to pick her up, because she can't even walk down the road of Dogtown without getting upset.

Tina Louise jumped right into our car, then crawled up into my lap, showering me with kisses and love. I had to push her gently back into the backseat and encourage her to stay there until the car stopped, that we would have lots of time to cuddle once we arrived. On the car ride into town to pick up food, Tina Louise looked contentedly out the window. She seemed to really be taking in the view. I think she loved the red cliffs, and all of the pretty scrubby trees. When I got out of the car, she jumped into my passenger seat to shower my husband Adam with love, as if to say, finally the car stopped, now we can cuddle!

When I got back in the car, it was as if we had been separated far too long, her tail wagged furiously, wagging a swath so wide, she hit herself on her sides! She showered me with affection.

Once back in the room, she jumped right onto the bed. She looked into my eyes, crawled into my arms, and smiled her trademark grin. She looked at me with so much love and happiness, as if to say "thank you so much for choosing me, I've waited so long to spend a night with you, and I can't believe someone finally picked me!"

Tina Louise army crawled in whatever direction we happened to be in the room, and if we went to sit with her, she immediately crawled right into our lap, so happy to be held.

After we ate dinner, the three of us went on a walk. Tina Louise was very curious, but anytime we stopped, she would run back into our arms to get a hug and a kiss. Then we would trod on our way. She was very curious about the deer, but she responded well when we told her to keep moving.

Before bed, she was so content. Every time we touched her, her heart began to pound, and she would pant with excitement. She finally fell asleep between us, on her back and into contented sleep. At around 6 am, I stirred slightly, and rolled over and put my hand on her chest. I must have hit the cuddle switch because she immediately started nuzzling and kissing me and almost crushed me with her love. She was so gentle with all of the treats I bestowed on her, and when I gave her a little rawhide chewy, she let me stick my fingers in her mouth without a peep. I kissed her face, her ears, and even picked her up and she didn't mind any excuse to be touched.

I can't say enough about Tina Louise. I think she has a bit of a 'wild child' reputation, and living in the very last run at the Lodges with a red collar dog limits her exposure to volunteers. But Tina Louise is the most loving and affectionate dog I have ever met. She is bursting at the seems with love and happiness, and she would relish and love the opportunity to spend any time with a volunteer, especially a sleepover. I do think Tina Louise would love children, however she doesn't realize her power when she crawls into your arms to cuddle. Tina Louise would make someone the perfect, loyal, devoted affectionate dog, and she would be forever grateful to have a person to love and call her own.

Please, go meet Tina Louise, take her on a sleepover or outing and get her away from the hustle and bustle of Dogtown, and see what a truly amazing girl she is.

I love Neko Case

2009-01-15T11:03:00.010-07:00

Aside from her hypnotic voice and badass lyrics, she is donating $5 to Best Friends per blog post of her new song and one dollar per download of the song (free to you to download!). If you are a blogger, please consider adding this link to your blog.

Please go here to listen and download:

Here is the original post at antilabelblog.com:

The promotion will run from January 13 to February 3, 2009. Five dollars will be donated for every blog post and one dollar for every user of iLike that adds the song to his/her profile. Details and instructions after the break.

People Got A Lotta Nerve - Neko Case

Celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2009, Best Friends Animal Society is one of America’s foremost animal rescue organizations. Founded in 1984, Best Friends advances nationwide animal welfare initiatives by working with shelter and rescue groups around the country. On any given day Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, the nation’s largest facility for abused, abandoned and special needs companion animals located in southwestern Utah, is home to approximately 2,000 dogs, cats, horses, rabbits, birds, and other animals. The society also publishes Best Friends magazine, the nation’s largest general interest, pet-related magazine with approximately 300,000 subscribers. For more information, visit www.bestfriends.org.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

How do I post on my blog?
Every time a blog reposts “People Got A Lotta Nerve” by Neko Case, we will donate five dollars to the Best Friends Foundation. Here’s how to participate:

There are two ways ANTI will know you reposted the track. If your blog is currently being registered in Google Blog Search, Technorati, The Hype Machine or Elbo.ws, we will automatically be able to find it. If not, please email newmedia@epitaph.com with your blog post information and we will be sure to add you to the list of participating donors.

To find out if your blog has made it on the list, please visit www.antilabelblog.com and see the list of participating blogs on the left hand column under “Neko Case: Blog For Charity.” There you can also find available assets to help you with your post.

Post any of the following links to your blog

People Got A Lotta Nerve - Neko Case

How do I Ilike “People Got A Lotta Nerve”

Ilike “People Got A Lotta Nerve” by Neko Case and we will automatically donate a dollar on your behalf to Best Friends Foundation. Here’s how to do it:

1) Go To Neko Case’s Ilike profile here
2) Select “People Got A Lotta Nerve” under Featured Songs
3) Click “Ilike” in between Album and Send

Additional Artist Assets:
Myspace | Imeem | Ilike

Sausage Fest 2009

2009-01-14T19:44:00.001-07:00

In New York

2009-01-03T22:17:00.007-07:00

Hello faithful readers,

I have hit the pause button on the blog, due to a family medical emergency. My mom has undergone a lung surgery to remove a large cyst that had collapsed her lung on Christmas day. She is doing very well currently, and we hope she will come home from the hospital early this week. They were able to do her entire surgery through three small incisions and a camera! She is such a strong woman, and in good spirits all things considered. Keep her in your thoughts, and I will return to Salt Lake around January 20th.

In the meantime, have a look at these latest volunteer pics from the last No More Homeless Pets adoption event last weekend. Aisha is available to foster and/or ADOPT :)

A Fantastic Article in Sports Illustrated

2008-12-23T09:58:00.008-07:00

I know lately, a lot of this blog has been centering about dogs...specifically pitties. I've been volunteering for No More Homeless Pets and Best Friends, and of course, having two rescued pittie mixes of my own, clearly this is close to my heart. I have been following the stories of a lot of dogs, and I am hoping to adopt another rescued pittie in the future (though not while Sweet Winn is of this earth). I, like many, have been captivated by the stories of the Vick(tory) Dogs that have ended up at Best Friends, and Bad Rap, another fantastic dog rescue out of the Bay Area.

This article was in Sports Illustrated today, and I think it's a great one. It chronicles not only the horror that these dogs endured, but the hope they now have. You will also see in print, PETA's stance- if you don't remember reading this on this very blog previously, I'll recap: PETA believes in Breed Specific Legislation, and that pit bulls should be euthanized. Sickening and oh-so-ironic.

Anyways, please read this article in SI today online and be sure the check out the photo gallery if you have a chance- it will enlighten you not only to the plight of the Vicktory Dogs, but to the tradgedy of dog fighting in general, and the important work of the rescues involved.

Also, if any of you readers have cable, tomorrow on the National Geographic Channel, they will run a marathon of the show Dogtown, which chronicles many of the 500 various rescued dogs living at Best Friends. Adam and I will be volunteering again January 1-4 in Kanab at Dogtown, and I am counting the minutes.

I love this!

2008-12-20T22:08:00.004-07:00

I got nuthin'

2008-12-20T21:09:00.006-07:00

No news is good news, right? Not one exciting thing going on right now. But, if I had to come up with something:

*Was paid for my first professional interior design gig helping a very nice woman pick out paint colors for a beautiful new Craftsman home

*Finally ate at the Wild Grape Bistro and paid a very large tab...ouch, but the food was excellent- perhaps we'll go just for brunch next time?

*Climbing A LOT in the gym, damn will it ever stop snowing here? Nope, probably not until late May. Yipeeee.

*Working too much- damn whiney skiers and their nasty feet. EWWWWWW.

*Counting the days until our next trip to Best Friends January 1-4

*Collecting tennis balls from local tennis clubs to bring on the BF trip, along with a lot of donated gear from a few kind souls at Black Diamond to help with the BF Rapid Response rescue team- think Search and Rescue for animals

*Giving huge thanks to the universe that Tiggs is doing AWESOME!

Tiggs posed for the camera today

2008-12-07T17:06:00.002-07:00

Another ridiculous cop out of "humane" treatment of pit bulls by the SPCA

2008-12-07T14:27:00.004-07:00

So…Where Are the Dogs?
reprinted from the Bestfriends.org website
The real victims of Houston’s dog fighting bustBy Ed Fritz, Best Friends staff.

On November 14, one of the largest dog fighting rings in the country was busted in Texas, according to the Houston Chronicle. The individuals facing charges come from all walks of life; from school teachers to oil industry executives to hardened criminals. While many man hours and resources have gone into prosecuting this case to what seems to be the fullest extent of the law, what is missing from the news reports is what has become of the victims? How many resources went into helping these dogs used as pawns by these violent offenders? Chillingly, all reports suggest that all 187 of these dogs have been summarily euthanized, no questions asked.

One group, Love-A-Bull would like to know why rescue organizations were not consulted, if only to save one life - it would have changed the world for that one victim.Desperate attempts were made by rescue groups to get as many dogs as possible to safety. The dogs were placed in custody of the Health Department. Because the Health Department does not house animals, local organizations stepped up. It turns out that the offer to help did not pan out so well for the dogs. These organizations do not adopt out pit bulls, nor do they provide sanctuary.Lydia Zaidman, President of the 501c3 pit bull advocacy organization Love-A-Bull in Austin, Texas is one of those that reached out to offer help with rescuing the confiscated dogs. Lydia was shocked to hear from SPCA spokesperson, Meera Nandlal, that the dogs were “line bred for fighting” and were going to be “humanely euthanized.” According to Zaidman, representatives of the SPCA would not answer more questions or comment any further. She then decided to advocate the best she knew how. She rallied the group and passed the ball to fellow pit bull advocate, Robyn Roberts who got things rolling with her Houston Press blog.

In an article posted on the Animal Law Coalition website, Laura Allen writes that just days after the seizure of the dogs “…a judge awarded custody of dogs seized in Harris County to Harris County Public Health and Environmental Services Dept. Assistant District Attorney Belinda Smith told Animal Law Coalition these dogs have already been euthanized. Harris County animal control also has a policy of not adopting out aggressive dogs.”Nandlal, Public Relations Manager for the Houston SPCA, which took 61 of the dogs, had this to say, “These animals were bred from a long line of fighting dogs to be aggressive. We have made the decision to have them humanely euthanized.”

As Best Friends Animal Society took in 22 of the pit bulls from the infamous Bad Newz Kennels, owned by Atlanta Falcons Quarterback, Michael Vick, I can tell you with first hand experience that dogs that “come from a long line of fighting” do not inherently fight. It appears that even animal care professionals, in this case the Houston SPCA, still need an education on pit bulls.

Dogs from even the worst case scenarios can be rehabilitated and it has been proven by the progress made by the victims of Michael Vick. Some of the rehabilitated canines can even go on to become beloved house pets and therapy dogs! To think that the dogs seized in this raid were given no chances, no attorneys, no reprieve – only euthanasia as their final solution - is unconscionable!

HOW YOU CAN HELP:

1. We urge you to write to the President of the Houston SPCA and ask that they readdress their policy regarding pit bull type dogs.

- Request that in the future, when rescue groups stand up and offer help, that they accept it.
- Request that before decisions of euthanasia are made, reputable animal trainers and behaviorists are invited to fairly evaluate the animal in question.
- Request that the shelter system work towards developing model adoption programs for pit bulls and other bully type breeds.
- Insist that the Houston SPCA live up to their mission statement (from their own website): “The Houston SPCA is committed to accepting all animals in need and giving them a second chance at life.”
Patricia E. Mercer, PresidentHouston SPCA900 Portway Drive Houston, Texas 77024-8022Phone: 713-869-7722
Email: patriciamercer@hspca.org
Other contacts for the Houston SPCA

2. If you love pits, support bully friendly organizations such as:• Love-A-Bull • Bad Rap• Animal Farm Foundation• Our Pack

3. Support the victims of dogs rescued from fighting rings. Post your comments on the Houston Press Blog. For more background information and updates on this unprecedented case go to:• Petabuse.com

Posted by Jennifer Hayes, Best Friends staffPhoto credit: dogs pictured were not those seized and were taken by Best Friends photographers

Please take a brief minute

2008-12-06T16:41:00.004-07:00

To click on this link, fill out a vote for No More Homeless Pets to recieve a grant. It will take less than 30 seconds, and will cost you nothing! If they get enough votes, they get $10,000! It's super easy, please take a second to do this.

Into All Things Orange and Retro

2008-12-06T10:45:00.004-07:00

If I had room, I'd have one of these...currently on KSL for $300- http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=218&ad=4982045&cat=&lpid=1 though I probably would forgo the wood paneling, carpet, and weird tile backsplash....I would have it in my fabulous mid century modern glass house like this one.

Pre-Feast Post

2008-12-03T20:23:00.004-07:00

Hello to my faithful readers. For those of you in Salt Lake, please be sure to check out my neighbor's new restaurant The Wild Grape Bistro, where the former Avenues Bakery resided. Troy and Jessica are great people, and Troy has a lot of experience as a sommelier. Adam and I can't wait to try it, and plan to go next week. They have a late night menu (food and full bar until midnight!!), as well as brunch on Saturdays and Sundays. They are getting rave reviews already, so be sure to stop in for a glass of wine and some dinner ASAP!

The Wild Grape Bistro

481 E South Temple
Salt Lake City, UT 84111

$50 Well Spent

2008-12-03T08:26:00.006-07:00

Lately I've been bummed out about the lack of cool stuff on Craigslist, but there was one listing that kept popping up that was sticking around. I kinda sorta needed a more comfortable office chair, but it was far from crucial, but when I saw this baby, I couldn't really get it out of my head. I have a friend who collects all of this vintage office furniture, and it looked so cool in her house, so I told her about the chair. Days went by, and she didn't get it, and there it was still languishing on Craigslist. I decided to offer the seller $40- she wanted $80, but hey, these are tough times. We settled on $50 and I picked it up last night. It is a mid century classic office chair made by Shaw-Walker of Muskegon, Michigan.

After doing a little research, I was pleased (shocked) to see that a restored version of this chair is selling for $1250!!!! So, I'm off to figure out what a restoration would entail. First thing is getting the upholstery cleaned and re-padded. Coincidentally, I live across the street from an upholsterer, so that will be the research project du jour.

The Tree is Up!

2008-12-01T08:37:00.001-07:00

Early Merry Christmas to all. We got the tree up yesterday, I love the way it makes the house smell.