Beagle Wins Best in Show

Uno, Westminster Kennel Club's 2008 Best In Show dog, is our hero! A Beagle winning Best in Show? Uno represents not just the under dog, he represents "every dog." He's the champion of the common dog and a savior to homeless animals and animal shelters everywhere. Sure, previous winners were great dogs, Bichons, Newfies, Spaniels, Poodles, etc., but let's face it, animal shelters don't have an abundance of homeless toy breeds or gentle giants. Shelters do however, on almost any given day, have at least one Beagle or Beagel mix awaiting a new home. Let's hope that Uno works his way into the hearts of dog-lovers everywhere and starts a new fad that helps to reduce the number of unwanted Beagles in our animal shelters!

Just a little fun fact, the beagle was the second most adopted breed at the Arlington shelter in 2007 -- most likely due to the shear number of beagles at the shelter last year!

Pedigree Says It Best

Call me sentimental, but everytime I see this Pedigree dog food commercial I get just a bit choked up. I have seen commercials and ads for homeless animals that make every attempt to tug at the heart strings, using images of abused, sick or ailing dogs and, of course, they are sad, but this one just does it. It's true! Normal, healthy, mixed-breed dogs are the stars of this clip and the stars at just about every animal shelter in the U.S. They are often good dogs who are given up for unsensational reasons such as "not enough time" or "moving to a place that does not allow pets."

Kudos to Pedigree for hitting this nail on the head and for supporting animal shelters!

Jingle Dogs & Cats Tunes

I'm not usually one for stupid pet tricks and do not advocate making any animal behave un-animal-like for the sake of human entertainment but, as I continue to see promotions for these Jingle Dogs & Cats, I just had to see what the hype is all about. And I found, the Jingle Dog's rendition of Jingle Bells is well worth the click and the Jingle Cat's tunes are, well, interesting!

Not sure I could listen to it on a regular basis nor am I willing to fork over $15 for the CD but I did get a good chuckle listening to the freebies a couple of times -- might be willing to pay a buck for a one-track download.

Check it out. It's bound to get a snicker or two out of your office mates.

The Jingle Dogs & Cats Assurance/Disclaimer:

"No animals were harmed in the making of this record. Some of them prefer not to be... oh nevermind. No really this has nothing to do with any kind of animal treatment at all. The dogs line up on command and sing these songs for the simple reason that they love music. Isn't that wonderful!"

Lessons from Marley

I've heard so much about John Grogan's book Marley & Me, lately. In his story of "life and love with the world's worst dog," Grogan tells the tale of his experience with a lovable, goofy labrador retriever named Marley.

Everyone is gushing over Marley, despite his knack for destruction including eating jewelry and tearing apart the house, but what about Grogan? Sure, most dogs have at least some destructive tendencies and what dog hasn't been freaked out by the occasional thunderstorm? But what about Grogan's dedication to his furry friend? Let's face it, Marley was not the easiest of housemates, but not once did Grogan entertain the idea of surrendering Marley to an animal shelter.

Many of my furry friends at the shelter either ate the wrong piece of jewelry or shredded the furniture and next thing they know, here they are, no longer able to enjoy the comforts of home. Now they are just hoping that someone who walks through the door of the shelter, inspired by the story of Marley, will want to give them the same unconditional love that Marley was so lucky to have found.

True dog-lovers might wonder why this is such a wondrous thought but all of us here at the shelter know that there are scores of pet owners that do not elect to stick with the relationship when the going gets tough and end up surrendering their pets. While shelters and rescues will always be there for the owner that simply cannot handle a difficult situation, I am still in awe of the patience and dedication Grogan showed towards his pal, Marley.

To Grogan and all of the other heroes out there who have similar stories but have not given up, I would thank you but I know that your four-legged friend's love and companionship is thanks enough!