I'm sure that many of you watched the NBC Nightly News last night and saw the story in the segment,
"Making A Difference". A girl by the name of Mimi has always been passionate about pets according to
her parents. At the age of 9 she volunteered at the shelter in Bend, Oregon. She became aware, like the
rest of us, of the plight of homeless, abandoned pets across America due to the foreclosure crisis which
has hit all areas of the country. With the help of her parents, she developed a website called freekibble.com
that will donate 20 pieces of kibble per click. Now that she has a corporate sponsor, it has really taken off!
I visited the website and it is very clever in concept. There are simple animal related questions and if you
click on the right answer, you donate kibble to pets in shelters.

I remember how the animal rescue site started out and where it is today. This little girl has a dream: to feed
the homeless animals in America. Let's all help her! www.freekibble.com. She is my kind of girl!

 

"When Hershey passed, Tess and Rudy were left.  I was told by my vet as well as others that I should get
prepared for some conflict in the house between the two as they battled over the Alpha position.  That never
happened.  Tess took on Hershey's role as "mother," "nurturer," rather than the actual Alpha dog.  Rudy was
very content to be the baby as he was with Hershey.  Even though Rudy is 10 years old now, he is still very much
a baby.  They also bonded a lot during the grieving period.

 

Rudy must have obsessive compulsive disorder regarding his ball.  When he wakes up in the morning, the first
thing he does is hunt and get his ball.  He carries it around the house in his mouth all the time.  He even barks
around it.  If I were to allow it, that boy would fetch the ball 24 hours a day.  Whenever anyone comes to the house
to visit, he bothers the crap out of them wanting to play ball.  He rolls it to the person, whether it be me or anyone
else, and if you don't pick up the ball and toss it, he will stand there and bark and bark and bark, until the ball goes
in the air for him to chase.  On and on and on.  If I know in advance someone is going to come over to visit, I will hide
 the ball just so Rudy will be quiet.  He will spend the entire time going from room to room looking for it; but at least
he's quiet.

 

From time to time when I throw the ball in the house, it will go under or behind a piece of furniture out of Rudy's
reach.  Tess is so in tune with Rudy that she can be snoring away, deep in sleep and will jump up and go get
his ball for him.  She will work and work and work to try to retrieve the ball from whatever piece of furniture it's
under.  If she absolutely cannot get it, she will stand up and bark at me never leaving the furniture the ball got
lodged under.  I go get a broom and I swipe the handle of the broom underneath the furniture until the ball comes
rolling out.  Tess grabs the ball, walks away from the furniture and then drops it for Rudy.  She will then go back
and continue her nap.  I've seen Tess come running from another room to help him get his ball for him.  How she
knew from another room that the ball was behind something, I'll never know.  The most amazing thing I've seen
is that one day all the dogs were outside in the yard.  Rudy stayed inside with me.  I decided to give him some personal
time and play ball with him while everyone else was out.  I tossed it several times for him.  Then, I threw it wrong and
it went under the china cabinet.  Tess was at the front door barking and carrying on, pawing at the door to the point
that I thought she was going to break the glass.  I let her in and she immediately ran to the china cabinet and got
his ball.  How did she know from outdoors that Rudy needed help?  How did she know which piece of furniture it
was under?  She could have easily gone to the grandfather clock or this antique radio we have.  Somehow she
knew it was the china cabinet.

 

We have this antique radio/turntable that is a huge cabinet.  It's about 4 to 5 feet wide and about 4-1/2 feet tall. 
That sucker is a heavy cabinet.  We have the radio on a center wall and on either side of the radio are 2 end tables. 
Whenever we want to hide Rudy's ball, we generally will put the ball on top of the radio but behind a picture frame
so he can't see it.  One day a friend of mine wanted to come for a brief visit.  I didn't want Rudy to carry on while she
was here, plus he had been playing so much that morning, he needed to rest (because of his heart problem).  I took
all the dogs outside to do their business and while they were out, I hid the ball behind the picture frame on top of the
radio.  My friend Cathy arrived and while we were talking, Rudy was running around the house looking for his ball. 
Tess picked up on this and decided to help him look.  She went from room to room with him, noses to the ground,
looking behind doors and under things.  No ball.  Finally, my friend Cathy got my attention and told me to look at Tess. 
Tess had jumped on top of the end table next to the radio and was attempting to climb on top of the radio to get Rudy's
ball.  Of course, I stopped her.  That big butt would have knocked down everything from the radio had I let her climb up
there.  I got her down and she went to the front of the radio, looked up at it and barked and barked and barked, until I
had to let her have her way and give her the ball.  She took the ball in her mouth and walked it over to Rudy and set it
down in front of him.  Then she was happy.  First, how did she know that's where I had put the ball (we have several
places we hide the ball); and to what length would she have gone to get the ball for Rudy. 

 

My friend was worried that I might fuss at Tess for being on top of the end table.  I told Cathy, I quit fussing at Tess many
years back.  It only hurts her feelings and then mine and it doesn't accomplish a dang thing.  Tess does what Tess wants
to do.  Cathy was afraid I'd be mad at the toenail scratches on the table.  First of all, Tess didn't make any scratches; and
second of all, it's just a piece of wood.  Tess' feelings mean more to me than an inanimate object that I've been trying to
throw away for years anyway.

 

As far as the other dogs who came into the house later, Tess is very much the Alpha dog and a disciplinarian.  As far as
Rudy goes, it's an entirely different relationship.  She may growl or snap at one of the other dogs for something; but she
has never once snarled, growled or snapped at Rudy.  She takes care of him.  She looks out for him and nurtures him.

 

I'd give anything to know what Tess thinks Rudy is to her.  So, you see, even though she is my "wild child" to a degree, she
is very sweet and loving and caring.  Even when Emad or I are sick.  She is beside us in the bed and she does not leave
our sides.  She tries to mother us and care for us as well.  She is special indeed.  But she is also complex.  She is extremely
intelligent.

 

Sharon"

Doesn't this story just make your day? I would love to have a Tess in my life too. There would never be a dull moment!

Much of my work as an animal communicator deals with elderly or sick pets who will soon be leaving their
owners and going into spirit. Later this month on August 20, I will be offering a teleseminar on death and dying
for my clients to help them at this most difficult and sad time. It is to help everyone who has lost a pet or know
that in the not-too-distant future they will be losing one. Many topics will be covered, but some of them  nclude:
knowing when it is time to say goodbye, passing at home or at the vets, what to expect in the end, how to
commemorate the life of our much loved pets. If you are are facing this situation or know of someone who is,
 please join us for this teleseminar of love, healing and hope.

Charlene
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5.  THE FDA 'REAPPROVES' TROUBLED INJECTABLE HEARTWORM MEDICATION FOR DOGS

Dear Readers.  This news came to me through another list I belong to  and I wanted to include it in my newsletter
as I feel it is very important:

The injectable Hearworm Medication that caused much trouble for
dogs a couple of years ago, is back on market.  To find out more
click on the link below:

"The U.S. Food and Drug Administration allowed ProHeart 6 Sustained
 Release Injectable for Dogs, NADA 141-189, manufactured by Fort Dodge
 Animal Health, back onto the market."

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2008/06/fda_heartworm.html

There are a couple of other links at this site on dog issues of
interest as well.

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