Pedigree $1,000 Donation Goes To Havanese Rescue Because Every Dog Deserves a Forever Home

Meet Freddy in NC, an 8-year-old, 14-
pound Havanese available for adoption

Earlier this month, we shared news of Pedigree's Every Dog Deserves campaign. The program included Pedigree's donation of 100,000 pounds of food to help shelters across the country AND the generous offer of donating $1,000 to the animal rescue group of our choice.

Today, we have the priviledge of announcing the recipient of our $1,000 donation made possible by Pedigree. Because we believe Every Dog Deserves a loving home, and because we want every Havanese  to have the chance to live the life of Cosmo, the recipient of our $1,000 donation is Havanese Rescue Inc. (HRI).

We've met so many wonderful people in the Havanese community, and we all share the opinion that our Havs are wonderful, funny and smart little companions. And while it's hard to believe that any of these delightful doggies could wind up being homeless... sometimes they are. All the volunteers at Havanese Rescue work tirelessly to make sure that homeless Havanese and Havanese mixes are provided with the attention, care and medical treatment necessary before they find their forever homes.

We had the chance to chat with HRI President Karen Grant about Havanese Rescue.

Sweet Kate was rescued from a puppy mill
and is looking for her forever home

(Karen has been a volunteer with HRI since it's inception, has fostered and transported dogs, worked on the Intake Committee, and overseen the surrender of dogs through fostering and all the way to adoption for the past four years.  Karen and her family are proudly owned by three Havanese ages 10, 9, and 4.) 

TDWL:  How and why did Havanese Rescue start?

Karen:  Havanese Rescue Inc., officially began its mission on August 1, 2004 to save, heal nurture and find loving homes for rescued Havanese.

TDWL:  How does HRI help homeless Havanese?

Karen:  HRI helps them overcome obstacles, both large and small, before they are placed in wonderful forever homes. Some only need a new home, others need surgeries or training to overcome behavioral problems or just the loving care and time to overcome internal fears.

One of the quilts that will be raffled at this year's
 National Specialty. More about the quilt project here.

TDWL:  What do folks need to know about adopting a Havanese through HRI?

Karen:   Everything pertinent to each particular dog is considered and balanced to find the perfect family for each dog. Each HRI dog has spent time living with a foster family who has taken the time to evaluate the behavior, health and needs of each dog before placement.

TDWL:  How does HRI raise funds to support Havanese Rescue and how are the funds used?  

Karen:  Funds are raised through straight donations, an online auction,  a quilt raffle, sales from the Hav2Havit store, an annual appeal, and a silent auction and drawings at the HRI Reception held during the yearly HCA National Specialty. The funds are used for medical/veterinary expenses, transport, supplies for the dogs, shelter fees, grooming, boarding and other expenses.

TDWL:  How can people donate or support Havanese Rescue?

Karen:   HRI currently welcomes your donations via PayPal, Network for Good and regular U.S. Mail. HRI is always in need of more volunteers and foster families.

Snuggly Sophia in Georgia is
looking for her forever home

TDWL: Where should people go for more info?

Karen: Our website: www.havaneserescue.com

You can also find Havanese Rescue on Facebook and Twitter.

Thank you Pedigree for helping us help the Havanese who need it most!

Wordless Wednesday: Cosmo's favorite things!

The bed is from P.L.A.Y. the toy is from LOLdog, the dog is Cosmo Havanese... he's not for sale!

Come on over to the BlogPaws Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop!

Pet Art: Fred Kessler Stories in Steel

Today's pet artist is Fred Kessler, a craftsman from North Carolina who creates steel animal and plants. Fred says, "If I smile when I make something, and you smile when you see it, I've done my job."

Well done, Fred! Not only did I smile when I saw the lovely steel animal sculptures in your booth, I'm still smiling everytime I look at one of these photos. The "captions" for each, make me smile everytime!

Fred started building steel tug boats about 30 years ago. The work he does now evolved from cutting animals and plants out of scrap steel left over from boat building. Now, Fred and his wife Arlene take frequent trips into the swamps and rivers of the east coast on a small steel tug boat that Fred built. Fred says that many of the ideas for the pieces he creates come to him when he's on the water.

Fred has been elected to lifetime membership in the North Carolina Guild of Craftsmen, and he says he marvels at how chance events in your life can lead you in new directions. Says Fred, "Treece Blanton, a 94-year-old cast net weaver from Georgia summed life up for me when he told me 'you choose to throw your net a little different and you wind up eatin' a whole different kind of fish.'"

That's what I'm talking about! I so enjoyed meeting Fred and love his work! Fred and Arlene live in Gold Hill, NC and you can visit his work shop if you send him an email first at kessler@vnet.net. He also exhibits at shows but you'll need to email Fred to check his schedule.

Take Your Dog To Work Day

Today is Take Your Dog To Work Day, a day to celebrate our furry friends. We think everyday should be take your dog to work day, or in some cases... put your dog to work day!

Wordless Wednesday: Dream Dog Park and Cosmos' Day

Last week we visited the Beneful Dream Dog Park on opening day. Here's a look at Cosmo's day in pictures! Above, Cosmo talks DIY and tells design expert Jason Cameron about HIS desperate landscape!

First a few jumps, then...

... A tall drink of water.

Cosmo's favorite place...  his head in someone's bag o' treats. Thankfully they didn't mind having Cosmo root around in their goody bag.

Even better than a romp through the sprinklers!

Pet-Friendly Travel Tips from Dr. Donna Spector

Cosmo Havanese packs his bags with all the essentials

According to a recent survey from  PetRelocation.com, an international pet travel service provider, 58 percent of people surveyed indicated they planned to travel with their pets this summer. And of those, 71 percent say safety is the No. 1 priority.*

Cosmo and I will be right there with the pet travelers, and so we're pleased to bring you these travel tips from Dr. Donna Spector and VCA Animal Hospitals to keep you and your pets happy and safe during your travels anytime of year!

Being prepared will not only ease vacation stress, but also ensure your summer trip is a fabulous pet vacation, VCA veterinarian and pet health expert Dr. Donna Spector recommends keeping the following tips in mind:

1. Make Proper Travel Arrangements – If you are flying, make sure to reserve a space with the airline. There is a fee and are a limited number of pets on each flight. Depending on your pet’s size, they may be unable to fly in the cabin and this will require further information from the airline. If the airline can’t accommodate you, it may be worthwhile to check out Pet Airways, the world’s first pet-only airline.
2. Find Lodging – Have you asked about pet friendly hotels or facilities in your vacation area? Facilities run the gamut from being “no pets allowed” to “pet tolerant” to “pet friendly”. Pet tolerant facilities often require a deposit and usually do not provide special treatment for your dog or cat. Pet friendly hotels and facilities usually go out of their way—offering special treats at check-in, play programs, day care and sometimes even special spa treats for your pet. Call ahead to get details and to reserve a space for your pet.
3. Find Pet-Centric Activities – Is there a local pet day care where you’re visiting? Or, a doggie day camp you can enroll your pet in? Finding these facilities provide fun not only for your pet, but also allow you to have dinner or get a massage without worrying.
4. Preparing to Leave – Before leaving for vacation with your pet, be sure to visit your local vet for a check-up. Is he/she current on their vaccinations, as well as flea, tick, parasite and heartworm prevention? It’s also smart to have your pet micro-chipped, if they haven’t been already, which will enable identification if they ever get lost. Be sure to ask for a health certificate when you’re at the vet and all of your pet’s vaccination tags. If your pet has a medical condition, take a copy of pertinent medical records in the event of an emergency. If possible, identify a veterinarian in the area where you will be vacationing. VCA Animal Hospitals are located in 41 U.S. states: http://www.vcahospitals.com/main/directory.html
5. Know the Law – Before heading on your vacation, be sure to inquire about local leash and dog laws. Can your dog be on the beach? In the woods? On or off leash? What outdoor cafes and restaurants allow pets?

As you pack for your trip, having the proper pet travel gear with you will ensure a smoother vacation for the whole family. Dr. Spector recommends bringing along the following items on vacation:

1. Food and water bowls
2. Portable (collapsible) bowls for day excursions
3. Food in airtight containers—it is important to keep your pet’s diet the same while on vacation to prevent stomach upset
4. Poop scooper and bags—to properly clean up after your dog
5. Extra collar and leash—in case the original gets wet, torn or lost
6. Identification tags—make sure there is a cell phone number on the tags in the event your pet gets lost
7. Medication—bring any prescription or non-prescription medication your pet is taking
8. Pet First Aid Kit—ask your veterinarian what to include for your particular pet. Good things to include are benadryl (diphenhydramine), triple antibiotic ointment, general antiseptic (nolvasan or betadine), bandage material (sterile gauze and a wrapping material), tweezers (for tick removal from pets or people if needed), emergency veterinary contact information
9. Pet bed or something comfy to sleep on as well as toys they are familiar with
10. Dog life jacket (if you are taking any aquatic excursions)

Traveling with pets can be fun and enjoyable for all, especially if you come prepared!  

About Dr. Donna Spector, DVM, DACVIM

Dr. Donna Spector is a board-certified veterinary internist who has written and lectured extensively on nutrition, diabetes, gastrointestinal disorders and other animal health issues. She has over a decade of hands-on Internal Medicine experience, helps over 60 general veterinarians across the country manage difficult medical cases every week, provides continuing education for over 2,000 veterinarians every month, is the chief veterinary advisor to Halo, Purely for Pets (a prominent holistic pet food company co-owned by Ellen DeGeneres), serves as a veterinary expert on several nation-wide radio talk shows, and has her advice widely quoted on popular pet blogs and in pet-oriented publications.

*PetRelocation's second annual Summer Pet Travel Survey of more than 10,000 pet owners worldwide

Pet Art: 4 Paws Pottery

Today we'd like to introduce you to 4 Paws Pottery and artist Candice Snook, who we recently met at one of our local art fairs in the Atlanta area.  Candice asks, "Why should pets be doomed to eating off boring dishes?" And we agree! Candice creates one-of-a-kind designs for furry family members, inspired by her love of dogs. All items are stoneware and are dishwasher-safe for easy cleaning.

Here's a look inside Candice's booth at Virginia-Highland Summerfest...

Candice's hand-crafted ceramics include adorable treat jars, bowls, toy and brush jars and accessories like business card holders, ornaments and key chains.

There are many styles from which to choose or you can pick your own colors, designs and add your pet's name for a custom piece. Here's a look at a custom treat jar, and a few others we particularly liked...

Candice even designs specially shaped bowls for the long-eared dog in mind!

We were particularly impressed when we located a Havanese bowl in the booth!

Check out more of Candice's designs at 4 Paws Pottery or at her 4 Paws Pottery Etsy Shop. You can find them on Facebook too! 

Note: We've met so many talented artists recently at local fairs and markets and wanted to feature them here for the rest of the world to see and enjoy! Stay tuned for more Pet Art in weeks to come.

Featured so far:

4 Paws Pottery

Anita Edwards Jewelry and Wall Art

Now let's go to the Saturday Pet Blogger's Hop!

Beneful Dream Dog Park Opening Day!

Yesterday, the Beneful Dream Team unveiled its first Dream Dog Park, and we were there! The $500,000 dog park makeover in the Atlanta area was all made possible when Pat McNeely and his dog Koda were named Grand Prize winners in the Beneful WagWorld Dream Dog Park Contest and provided the inspiration for the renovation.

No dream dog park is complete without features that provide both fun and function, like this doggie-sized drinking fountain.

Or this giant bone-shaped ramp with tunnels. That's Koda resting in the shade underneath.

A closer look at the lovely Koda, a Siberian Husky, on this hot day at the Newtown Dream Dog Park in Johns Creek -- near Atlanta, Ga.

Next, we had the chance to chat with Jason Cameron, TV design personality and head designer for the park renovation. Cameron talks about some of the park's most interactive and unique elements, including the bone bridge and water splash pads.

Cosmo says agility features are a must for a dream dog park. Cosmo gives the "tire" a test run.

And then there was the water feature, our favorite for hot Atlanta summer days!

Truly interactive, the water splash pads are enjoyed by dogs, kids and grown-ups!

And a great place to grab a drink... the ultimate dog bar!

Another nice feature is the separate small dog area, with scaled down versions of the splash pads and tunnels.

Poodle siblings share some refreshment in the small dog area!

It was a fabulous day, and all made possible because Pat McNeely entered the Beneful Dream Dog Park contest a year ago. We had the chance to chat with Pat, too.

Now in its second year, there's still time to enter this year's Beneful Dream Dog Park contest. From now through June 21, the contest invites dog owners to get creative and answer the question: If you had $500,000 to spend to create the ultimate dream dog park, what would you do? The Grand Prize includes a half-million dollar makeover of your community dog park, a $10,000 cash award and one year supply of Beneful brand dog food. So get dreaming and enter here!

Thanks Beneful for an amazing opportunity to share the adventure. We feel a house is not a home without a dog, and a dog park is not complete without plenty of dogs and humans to share the adventure. Dog pawty ON!

For more photos from our adventure, visit the To Dog With Love Facebook page.

Wordless Wednesday: Two of Us

The BlogPaws Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop...

Beneful to Unveil America's First Dream Dog Park in Atlanta!

If your dog could design his dream dog park, what do you think it would have? ... a giant, bone-shaped pool with a sandy beach? A treat dispenser? Lots of stuff to climb on and jump over? I know that's what Cosmo would like. Tomorrow, we'll get to visit the unveiling of America's First Dream Dog Park, the dream of another Atlanta dog, and we can't wait to see what it holds!

Pat and Koda inspired the first Beneful Dream
Dog Park. Their entry showed how their ideas
would strengthen the bond between the pets and
humans who came to visit the dog park together.
Well done Pat and Koda! High Paw!

It's a $500,000 makeover from the folks at Beneful, designed by DIY celebrity Jason Cameron. And it's all right here in the Atlanta area thanks to Johns Creek resident Pat McNeely and his Siberian Husky Koda. The pair won the first ever Beneful Dream Dog Park Contest, inviting dog owners across the country to share their ideas for the ultimate dog park.

Not sure it'll have a treat dispenser, but we've heard there are more features than we can possibly imagine including a 3-D bone bridge, water splash pads, tunnels and plenty of shade trees for us humans and the doggies.  And there's a separate area for small dogs, which will make Cosmo very happy!

Here's Pat and Koda's winning video... Wow! No wonder they won the Grand Prize.  We can't wait to meet them and shake their paws!

If you're in Atlanta and want to attend the opening day festivities here are the details:


          WHAT:          All two-legged and four-legged friends are welcome to attend the unveiling
                                  of the Newtown Dream Dog Park that will provide fun daily adventures for
                                  the community to enjoy for years to come.

          WHEN:          Wednesday, June 15
                                  11 a.m. -- 1 p.m.

          WHERE:        Newtown Dog Park
                                  3150 Old Alabama Road
                                  Johns Creek, GA  30022

If you have a dog park in need of a makeover in your neck of the woods, there's still time to enter this year's Beneful Dream Dog Park Contest! All the details here. You have until June 21 to enter your essay and photo. If selected as one of the finalists, you'll be asked to create and submit a video.

Bideawee to Honor Iams at Tonight's Gala

Joe Garrison, a member of the Bideawee Board
Emeritus group, is being honored tonight for his years
 of service to Bideawee. Here he is with his Wheaten
Terrier, Austin, who Joe adopted from Bidewee

This past December, we participated in the Iams Home 4 the Holidays campaign, a wonderful progam that helps suport shelter and rescue pets in need. And we recently learned that Bideawee, one of the shelters that participates in the Home 4 the Holidays program, is honoring Iams at its annual June Gala in New York City tonight.

Bideawee, a Scottish term for "stay a while," is one of the oldest animal pet adoption and animal welfare organizations in the United States and serves the New York metropolitan area and Long Island communities.

Tonight, Bideawee is presenting the "Bideawee Corporate Award" to Iams in recognition of its corporate contributions to foster the health and well being of pets.

Says our pal Bev VanZant, also known as Pet Care Bev from Iams, "It makes me so proud to have this incredible organization take notice of our long-standing commitment in promoting responsible pet adoption and our support of animal adoption organizations across the country. This past year, you may recall, we helped more than 1.1 million pets find forever homes and donated 5 million meals to shelter and rescue pets in need. It's icing on the cake for Bideawee to honor us with this award!"

The Bideawee Ball is the premier social gathering that celebrates animal welfare and the mission to promote and support safe, loving long-term relationships between people and pets.

More information about tonight's Bideawee Ball is here.

EVENT:                     Bideawee Ball

DATE:                        Monday, June 13, 2011 

LOCATION:             Guastavino’s

                                    409 East 59^th Street

New York City

TIME:                         6:30 pm to 10:30 pm 

Pet Art: Anita Edwards Handcrafted Jewelry and Wall Art

The bone moves in this doggies mouth!

We get the chance to see lots of talented artists at art fairs and festivals in the Atlanta area, and we find ourselves drawn to some of the pet-related products and designs. So over the next few weeks, To Dog With Love will feature some of our favorites, starting with an artist we met last weekend at the Virginia Highlands Summerfest.

Jewelry designer Anita Edwards creates whimsical animal jewelry and wall art -- hand cut with a jeweler's saw from sheets of sterling silver, brass and copper. Her creations are hand-finished and hand-assembled, and even have moving parts. She says her goal is to bring you art that will make you smile, and we can't help but smile at these fun creations.

Here's a look at Anita's booth at Summerfest.

Anita's jewelry collection includes pins, earring and pendants. She's has many breeds represented and will also create custom pieces from your photo...

                                               From this...                 To this!

Anita says she is a life-long animal lover. Her father, a wildlife biologist, introduced her to animal rescue by constantly bringing her homeless animals he had found in the woods.

As an adult, Anita has surrounded herself with dogs and cats and works with her local humane society as a pet-facilitated therapy volunteer. Her current loves are a terrier mix puppy, Zoe, and two big-boy, fat cats (Anita's words!) Stan and Ollie.

That's a photo of Zoe in the upper right-hand corner.

For yourself or a gift for your favorite pet-lover, we love these adorable creations!

Now, let's hop on over the the Saturday Pet Bloggers Hop!

Wordless Wednesday: Lazy Daze with Cosmo Havanese!

Ticks and Dogs: Tips from DogAndTicks.com

Deer tick

This week we learned about a resource for pet owners that's all about ticks, tick prevention and treatment for tick-borne diseases in dogs. And since we're right smack-dab in the heart of tick season -- it runs from April through November -- we think DogsAndTicks.com is a worthy resource for all owners of pets who may be exposed to ticks.

There's lots of useful information on the site including information on how to protect your dog from ticks and how to recognize signs of tick diseases in dogs.

Western black-
legged tick

We particularly liked these handy Tick Prevention Tips which include important safety tips as well as these tips on how to remove a tick from your dog.

How to remove a tick 
If you find a tick on your dog, remove it right away:

• Wear rubber gloves to protect your hands.
• Grasp the tick very close to the skin with a pair of fine-tipped tweezers. With a steady motion, pull the tick's body away from the skin. Avoid crushing the tick to prevent infection.
• After removal, clean your dog's skin with soap and warm water.
• Throw the dead tick away with your household trash or flush it down the toilet.
• Never use petroleum jelly, a hot match, nail polish or other products to remove a tick.

Years ago I remember hearing about using a hot match or petroleum jelly to remove a tick, and it seems that's not only an old wives tale but also a bad idea. 

For more information about tick diseases and tick-bite prevention, check out DogsAndTicks.com and consult your veterinarian. 

Ticks can be found anywhere, from deep woods to urban parks. Cosmo says, be sure to check your dogs for ticks every day, especially during tick season.