Santa Champ!

Yes, Champ, There is a Santa Claus!


As a really smart human ( yes there are a few) named Francis Pharcellus Church once wrote , "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy." (Had he known me, he would have used MY name instead!)

Santa Claus is coming to town this week and I am worse than any child! I know I am not supposed to pout (at least this week anyway) and I also know there are many animals less fortunate than I. But I really hope he comes down the chimney to see me and even as big a food monger as I am, I would still give him something to eat for his trouble. Although, maybe not cookies and milk.....I love cookies and milk.....

I am pretty sure I won't get everything I have asked for this year, as the list is long. (You knew it would be, right?) Not only is my list long, but it is probably more than even Santa can pull together. And I am not sure his eight reindeer could carry it either, but I bet they would try! (After all, reindeer who fly have got to have Attitude with a capital A! Like me!)

Here is my Christmas List:

~ I want a loving home for every homeless animal in our community (heck, in our whole country.....wait, make that the entire planet, and I want it for the humans too)
~ I want food for every animal, child, and older person -- OK, for everybody -- good, nourishing food (pizza is good; actually, pizza is better than good when I can manage to nab it, and let's not forget the Christmas cookies)
~ I want safe, potable water for everyone (see above, I guess we're talking about the whole world now, humans included)

OK, Santa, let's keep the flow going here....even though certain vets are among my favorite humans, and even though certain vet techs have become my personal servants (how sweet it is!), and even though I am forced to admit that "going to the vet" is a dreaded experience for me, I want all animals -- and humans -- to be able to see a vet (um, or a doctor) and to be cared for properly.
~ I want all dogs (and other beings) who are chained down to be set free
~ I want all cats (and other beings) who have no home to have food, water, and shelter
~ I want all animals and humans to be free from fear, from violence, and from needless
suffering
~ I want.....well, Santa, I could really make this list a long one if I keep going on in this vein! Fortunately, we have many Santas, large and small, in our community and in our world, who are working to make this a better place for all -- animals AND humans! We all need to remember that and to be grateful for the Santas in our lives.....I have quite a long list of Santas I know. If every one of us were to be a Santa for another being, what a wonderful world it would be!

"Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus. It would be as dreary as if there were no CHAMPS. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished." (Again, with thanks to Mr. Church)

With a nod to each of you Santas, from the bottom of my infinitely grateful Great Pyrenees heart, I wish you all the joys of the season, and most of all, I wish you Peace.

WOOF!

CHAMP

Pyrenees Make the BEST Kitty Beds!

The LONG Road Home....

Fred and Madeline Clas, Ray and Cindy Norden as Fred leaves to drive Huey, Dewey, and Louie and five puppies to Wilmington, Delaware.


As I am sure most of you know, I am proud of my "Official Spokesdog" status at the Foothills Shelter. In that capacity, I would like to thank each person who donated their money, their time, their home, or their expertise to the animals at the shelter. Staff, donors, Board members, volunteers, foster caregivers, transporters, kitten feeders, dishwashers, dog walkers, feral colony caretakers, visitors, and everyone who put their spare change in the Foothills donation cans, as well as the businesses who let us put the cans there -- you all are literally life-savers for the animals. We are enormously grateful.

The purpose of my column today is to tell you about the Long Road Home. Each of the animals at Foothills has his or her own story; some happy, some not so good, and my friend, Lennie Rizzo, details many of them for you in his Special Cases column. I would like to tell you about how a community, our community, saved eight very special lives last week.

Last July, someone brought in three large, shy, unruly black pups, about four months of age. No one had taken the time to socialize these dogs, and it was difficult to manage them at the shelter, much less adopt them out. Enter Cindy and Ray Norden, two of the shelter's Fantastic Fosters. One phone call was all it took, and Cindy was at the shelter, leashes in hand, to lead these three lost boys (Huey, Dewey, and Louie, of course) out to her car and back to her farm, so that they could learn how to get along in polite society. Cindy and Ray are miracle workers and the most badly behaved dogs respond to their gentle training methods, becoming healthy, confident, and adoptable. The difference in their behavior was striking, even to me! Cindy returned them to the shelter, but no one came to adopt them, despite their delightful manners and sweet and hopeful faces. As the shelter became more and more crowded, Cindy and Ray took them back to their farm to give them just a little more time to find the perfect homes.

Kelly and Whitt Vinesett, another of the shelter's Fantastic Fosters, began by fostering -- wait for it -- EIGHT puppies (oh Kelly, say it isn't so!) but, because the shelter was plumb full of puppies, five of them had not been adopted. Dana began networking, and a rescue up in Connecticut offered to take them, since they had a long waiting list for lab mix puppies.

The rescue put pictures of the five puppies on their website (www.SaveATail.com) and agreed to put Huey, Dewey and Louie's photos up too, just in case someone might want to adopt one of these three lovely dogs. And lo and behold -- a wonderful man saw their photos and decided that all three would be the perfect addition to his family! He filled out his application and his references were checked, and he was approved to adopt Huey, Dewey, and Louie! But one problem remained to be solved.....how could the shelter get all eight pups up north?

Ta-da! Fred Clas saw shelter staff member Angie Yates' plea in the Tryon Daily Bulletin, and volunteered to be a Terrific Transporter. He agreed to drive up to Delaware to meet the rescue, and to take all eight pups with him! Whew! That is one trip I am glad I did not have to make! Fred, you are now officially my hero! So Kelly, Cindy, Ray and the eight pups met Fred in the Ingles parking lot in Landrum at 6 am one chilly morning last week (see photo). Fred's wife, Madeline, was there to see them off, but she said that unfortunately, there just wasn't enough room for her to go along. (Quick thinking, Madeline!) After a flurry of goodbyes from the Fantastic Fosters, Fred and the pups were off!

Following a traffic jam of several hours (whoa, better you than me, Fred), they arrived and met the rescue lady, along with Huey, Dewey, and Louie's new family. These sweet dogs knew instantly that they had a permanent home with a wonderful new family! The other five puppies traveled with the rescue lady to Connecticut -- and they have each been welcomed into new homes where they are loved and wanted! It is a very, very happy ending to what could have been a very sad story. Word has it that Huey, Dewey, and Louie's new owner is so happy with them that he is considering training all three of them to be Therapy Dogs! WOW! I'm sure they'll take after their Uncle Champ and be "simply the best!"

So my hat, if I had one, would be off to Ray and Cindy, Kelly, Angie, Fred, Dana, and the rescue, for ensuring such a happy ending! And we have happy endings every day, thanks to all of you. You know who you are, and I thank each of you from the bottom of my great big pyrenees heart, We are very fortunate to live in a place that has people like you!

Have a happy Thanksgiving, and save a little turkey for me!

Woof!
Champ

Free Cats, Starcats, Gully Street Cats and the Po'Kitties Reception October 16th

I am available if you want to adopt me!


Friday, October 16, is National Feral Cat Day! So it is incumbent upon me (or so I am told) to write something about "CATS". As you know, I live with a number of cats, some of whom I like more than others....but seriously, some of my best friends are cats! (Well, sort of, anyway!)

One of the things I want to remind you about is the Awards Ceremony for the 2009 Po'Kitties All Pet Photo Contest -- which is October 16th! I have seen a few of those photos and they are amazing! Wine and light refreshments will be served beginning at 5:00 pm, and the ceremony will begin at 7:00 pm. My good friend, Randy Grobe, has promised to host the event. I have unfortunately been banned because of my table-surfing habits, and I am told that the food and drink is only for humans. Rats! But bring your family and friends to see these phenomenal photos anyway! The photos remain on display through the weekend, on Saturday from 11-4 and on Sunday from 1-4.

By the way, one of my humans is featured along with Po'Kitties in Debra Halborn's just-released book, "Greetings from the Starcat Cluster". Debra will be signing her book at the Awards Ceremony for the Po'Kitties Photo Contest tonight! A portion of the proceeds from tonight's sales will benefit Po'Kitties, so please, as you are oohing and aahing over the photos, visit Debra's table and buy an autographed copy of "Greetings from the Starcat Cluster". It is one of my personal favorites.... except, Debra, how about "Greetings from the StarDog Cluster, featuring Champ, the Therapy Dog" as your next creative endeavor? A sure-fire best-seller, in my opinion.

Which brings me to another Big Event: the Free Cats-and-Kittens promotion! Yes, for a limited time only, Foothills Shelter is giving cats and kittens away absolutely free to approved homes! So, how is that better than the free kittens in someone's barn, or in the IWANNA? Well, "free kittens" aren't free -- they need shots, and they must be spayed or neutered. But the cats and kittens being given away by the shelter are already spayed or neutered, have had all of their shots, and are healthy and ready to go! The shelter would love a $10 donation to honor these awesome cats, but it is not required to adopt one -- or two! Come on down -- you'll find a potential soul-mate in every cage! And you will be saving a life at the same time!

I want to personally thank the big-hearted folks who have stepped up to the plate and have offered Barn & Board to the Gully Street Cats -- and to those whose donations will help these cats along their way. Thus far, places for 36 cats have been offered, and the cats will be relocated as soon as they're vetted. This is such good news, and, on behalf of Po'Kitties and FHS, we are very, very grateful. Barn & Board is still needed for some of the Gully Street Cats, as well as on a regular basis for some of our Po'Kitties, so if you've got a barn and are willing to provide regular food and water, call Dana at the shelter -- feed a cat, save a life!

I was recently asked what the difference is between a free-roaming cat and a stray cat. Good question! A free-roaming cat can be either a stray cat or a feral cat.

A free-roaming feral cat is a cat who has lived apart from humans for most, if not all, of its life. These cats are not adoptable as house cats, although feral kittens can often be socialized and adopted out if we get them right about the age of six weeks, when they weigh about 1.5 lbs. The majority of kittens entering shelters in this country are the offspring of feral cats, so it would really help to make sure that all feral cats are sterilized.

A free-roaming stray cat, one who once had a home and is tame, is ready to go to a new, loving home after a health check, shots, and a spay/neuter. These are cats who only want to love and be loved, and even I have to admit that they are pretty terrific! (Well, most of them, anyway!)

Our Po'Kitties program deals with both kinds of free-roaming cats -- the strays and the ferals. The cats get spayed or neutered, have a rabies vaccination, and the ferals get an ear tip so they can be easily identified as being in the program. The strays, who make themselves known pretty quickly, move to the shelter to be adopted out, and the ferals are returned to their colonies, all to live out their lives in peace. Which is something we wish for everyone.



WOOF!

CHAMP

PS -- Next time, I swear, I am writing about DOGS!!!

THEY TOOK ME OFF FACEBOOK!!!!

Can you believe that?

Me either!

What's a dog to do?

Woof!

CHAMP

The Shelter Animals Need YOU!

As most of you already know, I am the OFFICIAL spokesdog for the Foothills Shelter.....and if you have not been over there lately, you are missing out!

For one thing, my handsome photo is hanging in the doorway and I have to say, Shelley Dayton did an awesome job of capturing my good looks!

Come check it out! And take a look at all of our adoptable animals while you're there!

You know, I hear so often, from folks who genuinely care, that they do not want to take an animal to the "pound", or they are afraid if they take an animal to Foothills that it will be euthanized. I think everyone should understand what is really happening at the Foothills Shelter.

The folks there are working extremely hard to save every single one of the healthy, adoptable animals. This past month, the live release for dogs was close to 90%, with more than 80% for the cats. Do you realize how difficult it is to save all these animals that are brought in? Right now, they are only euthanizing animals that are aggressive to humans, or who are old with multiple health problems, or seriously ill or injured.

It would be a whole lot easier to just send them all to Heaven and not have to worry with where to put them, but that is not what the Shelter is about! The goal is to save ALL healthy, adoptable animals. But the question is -- where do you put them?

There are lots of options, but community support is necessary to utilize them. Animals are adopted directly from the shelter, or taken off-site to places like PetSmart, the Hospice Thrift Barn, and community gatherings for people to see and adopt. Some animals get into rescues from as far away as New York. Sometimes they need a little more time for just the right human to adopt them, and they get that time in foster homes, right here in our community. There is even a boarding program for emergencies when too many animals come in at one time, so we have somewhere to put the ones who haven't been adopted yet.

So...where do we begin and how can you help?

1. Volunteer for our Fantastic Foster program! Take an animal into your home for a few weeks. Help the animal by giving it regular food, love, and in the case of dogs, walks on a leash. This frees up the shelter runs for new admissions and socializes the animal, which makes it that much more adoptable.

2. Take a shelter animal to PetSmart with our On The Road program. Each animal that goes with this group needs a human to watch over it and show it to potential adopters. This only takes a few hours of your time.

3. Offer your time to be a Shelter Volunteer. They need folks to walk dogs, play with kittens, wash blankets and bowls, stuff envelopes occasionally, and more. Do you have a special talent? Tell the Volunteer Coordinator. They are working hard on this program right now!

4. Get your pets spayed or neutered! There is really no excuse not to do it now, with the incredible deals offered by Foothills Shelter. It is affordable for EVERY human in our community to have their pets sterilized.

5. Let them know if you are taking care of feral cats! The Po'Kitties program can help with making sure they are not reproducing endlessly!

6. If you have a pet, socialize that pet! Get dogs used to walking on a leash. Teach them not to jump or be too rambunctious. Help your cat learn to be petted and held. These are little things that make it easier on YOU as a pet owner, and if there ever comes a time when you need to bring the animal to the shelter, it makes them more adoptable. Yes, it takes time -- and patience, and work. Just like any other job you do. The good things don't always come easily. And it is unbelieveably sad to see a half-grown pup struggling desperately on the end of a catch-pole, because a caring human has not taught them how to act properly.

7. If you have to bring an animal to the shelter, know that they understand -- but also, please try to help them if they ask you to keep the animal for another night, or another week, while they work to find a place for that animal. They are overloaded and need all the help they can get. And if there is any way you might be able to keep your pet if you had some help, ask to speak with someone about it. Sometimes there are solutions that can be found to allow you to keep your beloved pet.

8. If you know someone who is bringing in puppies or kittens, please ask them to let the babies stay with their mothers until they are about eight weeks old. These babies learn critical behaviors during their first eight weeks, and need their mother's milk until their own immune systems are up and running. The shelter cannot take care of these tiny ones, many of whom need around-the-clock care, and they must go to foster homes. Some do not survive because they need what humans just cannot supply, and there are only so many foster homes available. It is a hard job hand-raising these babies, and so sad when they don't make it. Once the puppies and kittens are eight weeks old, and socialized to humans, the shelter can adopt them out easily.

9. They are trying to save the lives of some of the healthy cats and kittens who must be removed from a colony in Columbus. If you have a barn or shed, and are willing to share it, and food and water, with a healthy cat or two, call and ask for Dana!

10) And lastly, if you are in the market for a dog, cat, puppy or kitten, please consider adopting from the shelter...you will not be sorry!

The folks at Foothills are doing so many wonderful things to save lives, and YOU can help! There is nothing more exciting as when you know that you have helped an animal get a new home, and a new life.....well, almost nothing.....

Please help us save the lives of the animals in OUR community!

Woof!

CHAMP



Photo by Shelley Dayton

The Dog and Cat Days of Summer...

Photo by Judith Kerns


Greetings, everyone!


It's that time of year again -- time for the 2009 Po'Kitties All Pet Photo Contest! All entries must be postmarked by August 31, barely a month away. Once again the Big Bash (Awards Ceremony) will be on October 16, National Feral Cat Day, and the magnificent and generous Celia Kudro has offered the use of the former Red Clover Gallery for the festivities. Last year was such a blast! The food was awesome (and set right about my eye level, yum!) I have been barred from attending by my humans due to the proximity of the food to my face. Busted!!
Last year, the photos were incredible. There were lots of people there, and they gave away some pretty neat prizes, too. There were over 200 entries! And right now, if you want to see last year's winners, you can stop by Carolina First Bank in Columbus where they are on display. It'll make you want to grab your camera!
Send a 5 x 7 photo of your pet snake, rat, gerbil, cat, ferret, parrot, pony, dog, turtle, hamster, spider, goat, donkey, canary, pig, or whatever your pet may be, along with an official Entry Form and $5 to P.O. Box 39, Tryon, NC 28782. You can get an official Entry Form on: www.pokitties.com if you click on the contest link.
Then on October 16, bring your family and friends to see YOUR pet's photo on display at the former Red Clover Gallery! Remember, the deadline is August 31!
Black is Beautiful! (And "fluffy white" is out of sight!) There are a large number of black dogs, puppies, cats and kittens of all shapes and sizes -- some big, some little, some fluffy and some sleek -- at the Foothills Shelter right now. So they decided to have a "Black Goes with Everything" promotion. Look for the upcoming ads! The fabulous (and beautiful) Suzanne Strickland over at Stone Soup has donated ten "Lunch" gift certificates for the shelter to give the first ten folks who come and adopt a black animal during this promotion. Woo-hoo -- who says you can't get a free lunch anymore? I have been known to lunch on the terrace at Stone Soup on a nice day, so I can personally attest to the fact that the staff is wonderful and the food is divine.
By adopting a black animal, you are saving a life. For some strange reason, many people overlook the black cats and dogs, and there are some real winners at the shelter now. So come over, adopt a black pet from the large selection, and, if you are one of the first ten to do so, they'll give you a free lunch at Stone Soup! Black is beautiful, but fluffy white is all right!
And now, drum roll please:
Top Ten Reasons to Adopt a Black Cat or Dog
10. You'll save money on their Halloween costumes.
9. You can always find them in the snow.
8. Holding a black cat is very slimming.
7. Black cats and dogs match any decor.
6. A lint brush isn't required for a black-tie affair.
5. When you love a black cat, luck is on your side.
4. Black cats and dogs are like onyx, a gorgeous,
black gem.
3. Hey, they don't care what color you are!
2. Love knows no color.
1. They are the least likely to be adopted.
Black is beautiful, but fluffy white is dynamite!!
In case you have missed seeing me out and about this summer, I have been snoozing by the nearest air conditioning vents. As soon as the weather cools off a bit I'll be back to meeting and greeting my many friends and fans. So hey to all you animals out there, and stay cool!

Woof!

CHAMP

Do I Look Terrifying?

Do I look terrifying? Right now, the cats take one look at me and run for their lives! It's awesome!! But....that is the ONLY good thing to come out of my fractured dew claw. We Great Pyrenees have double dew claws on our back feet and I broke one of mine off and it had to be removed...OUCH! My humans have forced me to wear this thing around my neck that keeps me from licking the sore place, and I am not a happy camper. However, it is almost worth it to scare the living daylights out of everyone!

We have a houseful of foster kittens too; but I don't frighten them nearly as much. The shelter has been full-full-full and so some of the kittens are staying at our house and other folks' houses to get bigger and stronger and get used to humans (and dogs). I have got to say, they are awfully cute, and I feel so sorry for them. They have no homes, and there is really nothing that makes me more unhappy than to know that so many animals in our community are homeless.

The shelter staff and volunteers have been working literally around the clock to try to find foster homes, adoptive homes, or rescues where some of the homeless ones can go. As much as we all hate it, there is only so much room at the shelter.

One thing that is helping with the overcrowded situation is our new Boarding Program. The terrific folks at LANDRUM VET have given the shelter a great deal so that some of the overflow animals can be boarded, which gives the shelter more room and the animals more time. It is a huge help to get those animals awaiting rescue transport out of the shelter to make room for the new ones. The LAKE LANIER TEAHOUSE is helping raise money for this great program by hosting “Paws on the Patio” every Thursday night from 5pm until 8pm on their gorgeous terrace overlooking the lake. A portion of the proceeds goes to support the Boarding Program. All of us well-behaved dogs-on-a-leash are welcome to dine with our humans! It is certainly on MY calendar, and you can find me there on any Thursday it's not raining.

If any of you folks reading this would like to be a Fantastic Foster or an Awesome Adopter, please call or come to the shelter. You can see some of the available animals online at www.foothillshumanesociety.org (click on “animals”). We have some fine dogs and a bunch of kittens in every color and attitude! And since June is "Adopt a Cat" month, they might even let you have two for the price of one! I can personally attest to the fact that having two kittens is a whole lot easier on everyone in the house than having just one.....

And if you are going on vacation and have a little extra room in your car (and your heart), maybe you can be one of our Terrific Transporters and help an animal (in a crate of course) get to a new home or rescue. Call the shelter and ask for Dana if you would like to be a member of this prestigious group.

And....FREE HOT DOGS (my favorite!) and Veggie Hot Dogs will be available at this Sunday afternoon's FATHER'S DAY FROLIC at the shelter on Little Mountain Road. We are showcasing Working Dogs so you can see demonstrations of agility and obedience. Polk County's own K-9 Unit will be there, and of course Yours Truly will make an appearance, so it will be a “Do-Not-Miss-The-Fun” afternoon. PLUS there are great door prizes, including ten "Get Your Pet Spayed/Neutered FREE" certificates. A big Woof to that!! Bring Dad! Heck, bring the whole family! See you there!

Woof!

Champ

In All Fairness....

April has been a whirlwind of a month! I have been busy....more than busy, actually, but I guess that is a good thing.

I enjoyed myself thoroughly at the Upstate Special Olympics this year. There were so many very special athletes in attendance.....so VERY many..... I thought the Ceremonial Opening Parade would never end! These special athletes brought joy, hope, and determination along with them, and their enthusiasm was contagious. One little boy was having a major melt down and I went over to cheer him up. He certainly forgot his troubles, at least momentarily, when a cold wet nose was presented, up close and personal. I mean, that is what a therapy dog is all about, right?

The Special Olympics renews my spirit in so many ways, I feel humbled before these incredible humans (well, as humble as I ever get, I suppose). I have never walked away from these games with anything less than the greatest respect and admiration for the athletes, their teachers, and their families.

I was invited (and was thrilled to attend) the Foothills Humane Society's annual fund-raising event, the Animal Fair on Sunday, May 3, as the "cultural attache" (go look that up in the dictionary!) What an amazing event! It rained cats and dogs (haha) for the first 15-20 minutes or so, but after that the weather was perfect. The food smelled delicious but not ONE solitary person gave me a bite.....not very humane, in my opinion! This year the Animal Fair was held at the Cotton Patch, and I would have loved to have been free to explore this beautiful place.

There were many animals present (although I was the only one walking about doing meet and greet duties). Matthew Lytle's reptile display included many interesting-smelling snakes, including a very large yellow boa that made me just a little bit nervous, although she was beautiful and as tame as I am. I think. And he had a real live dragon too! He and his helpers were kept busy answering everyone's questions, and I learned a lot about snakes.
Wild at Heart is our local wildlife rehabilitation center, and they do a lot of educational outreach and teach respect for wildlife. They had an amazing display there, including a Barred Owl named Locket. I did not see Locket at first, but Locket certainly saw ME. When I finally looked up, there was a very penetrating stare being aimed at me.....hmm. I am fond of chasing birds, much to my humans' dismay, but not when they are looking at me like that!
There were some miniature cows and horses that smelled pretty good from a distance, and at the bottom of the hill they had an exhibit that included a very large rabbit, a turtle (this one was a lot bigger than the ones I see in the woods around here), and some baby goats and baby pigs. When the lady went to feed the babies I guess she wasn't fast enough for their liking, and the baby pigs squealed like they were being attacked! At the first squeal I froze; at the second, I simply had to go make sure they were alright. My human insisted on accompanying me and since she can't run as fast as I can it was like dragging an anchor, but I did get down there and smelled the piglets thoroughly and we all touched noses and wagged tails. Cute little things, and smart, too.

Unfortunately, I was forced to have a bath for this event, and the crew at Landrum Vet (who are personal friends of mine) apologetically washed all the great smells out so I was really clean. They really outdid themselves and I will forgive them. This time. I honestly tried to behave, although they KNOW I don't like any pulling when they comb me out!

This Sunday is Mother's Day! In addition to honoring and remembering Mothers, and wishing every Mother you know a happy day, it is also a good day to plan to spay and neuter your pets!!
Woof!
CHAMP

P.S. Please if you are looking for a dog or cat to adopt, please go to the Foothills Shelter on Little Mountain Rd. and check the dogs and cats out! They always have some wonderful pets there waiting for their very own home! They are open seven days a week, and on Mother's Day from 1pm until 4 pm.

Special OLYMPICS 2009

The Good, Bad, and Ugly

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

It has been a busy month for me, and it has most certainly had its share of ups and downs, at least in my world!

First, let me tell you about a little glitch I had....

Earlier in the month I had a really rotten day, because I insisted on counter-surfing. As it turns out, I had to pay heavily for my sins.

For those of you who are not familiar with the term "counter-surfing" , let me share the official Urban Dictionary definition: "counter-surfing: a habit of medium-to-large dogs whereby they stand on their hind legs to see what is on the kitchen counter". Ha ha, and my personal definition includes grabbing and eating whatever I please, which is a wonderful reward, or so I thought. Anyway, on this particular day, there were some very tasty-smelling freezer rolls rising on the top of the stove. It didn't matter one bit to me that they were still in a hard, frozen state -- I ate them anyway.

Now, how was I supposed to know that this was now a Medical Emergency??? Thankfully my humans knew and took immediate action. This occurred at o'dark thirty when none of the clinics were open (of course) so they called my Godmother, who happens to be a terrific vet as well as an understanding friend, and she told them I had to give the rolls back, immediately. Uh-oh, that didn't sound good......and let me tell you, it was not a fun time for any concerned! They took me outside and poured something down my throat, and my stomach felt really, really bad and....well.....1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 rolls....
yup, they got them all back, much to my dismay. I felt crummy ALL DAY.

So, did I learn anything from this misadventure, you ask? Heck, no! I would do it again in a heartbeat! Hopefully my humans have learned their lesson and will never again leave rolls out where I can reach them! Like most dogs, I will eat whatever I please without regard to whether it will cause me illness, or, as in this case, potential death.

I am a very lucky dog because my humans knew that rising dough is extremely dangerous for animals to eat -- it can kill us, and very quickly. I am also lucky that they knew who to call and were able to get the dough balls back, and apparently just in the nick of time. Humans, ask your vet what to have on hand in case your pet gets into this sort of trouble.

But let's forget that little incident, as I am back to my normal, glorious self. I had a really great time at Laurelhurst this month! The residents there were practicing for their St. Patrick's Day Bash and sang a song for me. It was "I'm Looking Over a Four Leaf Clover" and they were not only jolly, they were in tune! Got to love those Irish! Oh yeah...and they gave me my own little bag of doggie treats!! YUM! (No frozen dough balls either!)

I also went to two local schools this month. I was invited to Polk Central School, and let me tell you, these students rock! The students and teachers there raised over $700 for the animals at the shelter, and that is no small change! I was so impressed! They had a pet photo contest complete with the caption, "Whose Pet Am I"? under each photo. The photos were great! Of course, I personally am no one's pet, although I will admit that on most days, my humans are my equals. Maybe one day they will realize this.

I also got to visit at Tryon Elementary along with Jack, my funny Therapy Dog friend. There were a lot of students here and we were the only dogs, so it got just a little crazy! Most animals do best in a calm, quiet atmosphere, but I enjoyed myself anyway. And I do think the students did quite well on their animal test!

I am going to be at the Animal Fair this year! I was hoping I would be strategically placed next to the food, but in light of my recent escapades, my humans asked that I be stationed as far away from the food as possible. (Gee, thanks a lot.) Tickets for the Animal Fair are still available, and the best part is, you will get to hang out with ME. And feed me a treat, if my humans aren't looking.....

I am also going to be a judge at the April Fools Doggie Costume Contest on Saturday, April 4th. Judging will be at 11:00 am at St Luke's Thrift Store in Tryon. Don't laugh -- I take my jobs very seriously! Please come out with your best costume on! My friend Lennie Rizzo and Ziggy, my wonderful, crazy Therapy Dog buddy (whose photo won an award in the Po'Kitties All Pet Photo Contest last October), will share judging duties with me. It should be a fun time. And the BEST part of being a judge is -- I don't have to wear a stupid costume!


Woof!

CHAMP

Kelley Kitten - This One's for YOU!

I was thrilled last week to receive an email from one "Kelley Kitten". Granted, I was a little disturbed about what Kelley was saying, but nonetheless, I was still very glad that she wrote me. I am going to share her email here:

"Dear Champ the Therapy dog,

My name is Kelley. I am a three year old gray and brown tabby cat. I live on a horse farm in Campobello. When my owners are away at work, I read the Tryon Daily Bulletin. I like your column the best. Your last column was about caring. Being a cat, sometimes that is hard, but I try.

I am worried about a problem and I hope you can help me. I live on the farm with three other cats. We are all strays which were adopted. We all try to get along, but since we are all girl cats, we do have our disagreements. The problem is someone keeps dumping more stray cats at our farm. Sometimes there is a new cat every week. They are all big tom cats, and they are scary. I am small for my age. I asked my owners why I am so small, and they said it is in my genes. I’m still confused, because I don’t wear pants.

Anyway, they are mean and one chased me up a tree last week. Luckily, my owner was home to rescue me, but I’m still scared when I go outside.
I’m just a little cat with a little voice, but you are a big dog with a big voice. Maybe in your next column, you can ask people to stop dumping cats on other people’s farms. Maybe you can ask Uncle Leo to do the same thing in his next Humane Society update column. If things don’t improve, Ill have to get my own Great Pyrenees dog to protect me. I can’t wait to read your next column.

Thanks for listening.

Kelley Kitten"

Of course I responded immediately to Kelley privately and so did Uncle Lennie, but there are so many cats that have either been abandoned or have been born because the abandoned ones were not spayed or neutered, it's hard to say whether they were dumped out, or whether they just traveled from somewhere else to find Kelley's food source.

So, what can be done?

1) First off, I suggested that Kelley get a Great Pyrenees dog like me! I think that is a terrific idea! (C'mon, what did you think I would say?)

2) PLEASE get your dogs and cats (yes, I am talking about ALL animals) spayed or neutered! Call Foothills Shelter at 863-4444 and do your part to stop this cycle! If money is an issue, just call and they'll be happy to discuss your options. And seriously, run - don't walk - to get your cats spayed or neutered. One unsterilized cat can lead to....well, a real CAT-astrophe! Thankfully, Kelley's humans have done their part and made sure that Kelley and her cohorts are sterilized and can no longer add to the cat overpopulation problem. But every other cat owner needs to do the same!

3) Some people mistakenly believe that if they dump an animal out in a rural area, there are enough farms and barns that these animals will find food and shelter somewhere. WRONG! Dumping or abandoning an animal that is a pet and domesticated is unspeakably cruel. It is far better and much more humane to take the animal to the shelter where it will be cared for. If you can no longer keep your pets, at least give them a real chance to find a home through the shelter!

4) If they are feral cats and too wild to tame, call Foothills Shelter and get information about the Po'Kitties program, so these cats can be sterilized. Do your part to stop the cycle of unwanted cats! Sterilization puts an end to nearly all of the "unwanted behaviors" exhibited by these cats (i.e., fighting, spraying, etc.) and the sterilized cats rarely cause trouble for anyone.

5) Lastly, kittens are as cute as they come, but why subject even more of them to a life that is not the best? Don't they deserve the chance for a good life? If you want a kitten, go to Foothills Shelter and adopt one!

Kelley Kitten and her humans are the victims of irresponsible pet owners who either do not spay or neuter their animals or who dump and abandon their animals. The only solution is for pet owners in the community to take responsibility! In these hard times, we all have to stick together. Kindness and responsibility can go a long, long way to making our community stronger, healthier, and happier. Not to mention making Kelley Kitten's yard safer and more pleasant! So please be a good neighbor! (You can sing the refrain with me now: Neuter and spay, don't delay!) And please,don't be cruel -- take unwanted animals to Foothills.

Woof! (Meow!)

Champ

2009: "Learning to Care"

I know you all have been eagerly awaiting my "word of the year" for 2009; however, I noticed that not even ONE of my readers sent in a suggestion! Give a big old fluffy fellow a break, will you? I know it took awhile, but I thought of so many important and meaningful words that it took a while to choose, and I had to go with a slogan. Are you ready? Drum roll, please......my slogan of the year for 2009 is "learning to care".


I actually got (stole) this slogan from a couple of my friends that do the Foothills Humane education program, Ruth Kellick-Grubbs and Kathy Toomey. They were giving out pencils with "learning to care" printed on them to the students they visited in the schools. They are bright orange pencils and they are a nice little gift. And I think life is a lifelong process of "learning to care".

"Who cares", you ask? I do, for one! I think it is a worthy virtue to teach the children at our schools....not only to learn to care for the animals and those less fortunate than ourselves, but also about other people. There are some folks who become hardened by life and who lose their ability to care or be kind, but if you look around, you will see a whole lot of folks doing kind deeds every day. They have certainly "learned to care" and have not let life's issues cloud what is important.

If we all take "learn to care" as our slogan for 2009, our community will be enriched immeasurably. I myself plan to "learn to care" for the feral cats in the Po'Kitties trap-neuter-return program. It is a great program -- my cat-mates all tell me it is the cat's meow -- and well worth supporting. Let's all commit to learning to care about our community, and each other.

There are many ways you can help out your fellow beings in one way or another, and there are so many great organizations in our beautiful community to volunteer for! Of course I am more than a little biased towards Foothills Humane Society (where, as you may remember, I am privileged to be the Spokesdog) but any of the organizations around would be grateful for your assistance. And if you want to be a volunteer for Foothills Humane Society, just call 863-4444 and ask for Paula.

By the way, I visited over at Tryon Estates over the Christmas holiday. I enjoyed seeing everyone and I did, of course, don my Santa hat for the occasion. (Under only mild protest, as I was trying to be good!) I have also been to the Polk Central after-school program and plan on going to more schools over the next few months. So, students, see you soon!

Woof!

Champ

PS...It is starting to be that time of year when the shelter will gets lots of puppies and kittens in...so PLEASE consider having your dog or cat spayed or neutered...the price is right if you call the shelter @ 863-4444. It will help us save lives!