Dogs around the country are looking for loving homes right now.  With that being said, what would be more fitting for Adopt a Shelter Dog Month than providing a supportive atmosphere for a four legged friend?  Rather than visit a pet store to find the dog of your dreams, think long and hard about the thousands of shelter animals who sit and wait anxiously for your visit.  Your decision is the difference between life and death for many of them.  In fact, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) offers a variety of resources that allows you to pick out the perfect canine personality to fit your lifestyle.  From ways to help your local shelter to a list of pet care costs, the website makes it easy to learn more about caring for the animal you decide to adopt. 

To speed up the process, follow the ASPCA's Three Easy Steps for Adoption:

1.  Provide the shelter with two forms of identification.  A driver's license and bill stating your current address is preferable.

2.  Provide a personal reference.  Be willing to give the contact information of a trusted family member or friend that the shelter can reach by phone.

3.  Bring all members of your household to meet your new dog.  In addition to human family members, consider bringing in your other dogs so that an expert behaviorist can help you find the perfect match for your current living situation.

Also consider following the organization's Top 10 Things To Do Before You Bring Your New Dog Home tip sheet.  Covering all the basics from licensing to stocking up on supplies, a few precautionary measures will make the transition from shelter to your humble abode so much easier.

A free Pet Safety Pack makes it easy for your new pet to be rescued in the event of a fire or other type of emergency.  Each kit contains a window decal that can be updated with the type of pets that you have and a contact number where you can be reached.  It also contains an ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center magnet which provides you with valuable information in the off chance that Fido gets into something he shouldn't have.  To get your free safety pack, click here.

Benefits of Adopting

Besides providing you with the deep satisfaction of providing comfort and care to another living creature, adopting a shelter dog can provide you with the following benefits:

• Added companionship
• Lower blood pressure
• A more positive perspective and better mood
• A stress reliever
• An exercise partner
• A way to meet new people
• A built-in intruder alert
• Unconditional love

There are no ifs or buts about it.  Adopt a Shelter Dog Month is a great time to consider adding a new addition to your growing family.  Visit your local shelter or pound today and be a hero to a homeless canine.  You won't know how good it feels until you try it!

Older animals in shelters are often overlooked.  Those with special needs require extra care, more time, unlimited financial resources, and a healthy dose of patience.  Pet owners who are not looking to make a full-time commitment to their new four-legged friend may find caring for a healthy puppy or kitten easier.  Some prefer younger animals because they have the opportunity to be a part of their upbringing and training.  Others like babies because of their small size and cute appearance.  No matter what the reason may be for adopting younger animals, one thing is certain.  There are certain characteristics that make select shelter animals more "adoptable" than others.  Here are a few of the most common:

• The animal is in good health.
• The animal is well behaved in social situations.
• The animal is able to adapt to new environments quickly.
• The animal does not have any physical disabilities.
• The pet is spayed or neutered.

Despite the overwhelming desire to adopt a certain type of animals, shelters can help add to the animal's success in the following ways.

1.   Prevent breakouts of illness and disease from occurring before they can affect the entire shelter's population.

2.   Nip problem behavior in the bud before it gets out of control.  Teaching an animal not to pull on their leash is one way to make it "adoptable". 

3.  Offer low-cost or no-cost spaying and neutering services at the time of adoption.

4.  Provide training and behavior modification exercises for animals that have trouble socializing or adjusting to life at the shelter.

A New "Leash" on Life for Animals Who Are Difficult to Place in Caring Homes

Rolling Dog Ranch and Indraloka Animal Sanctuary offer a safe haven for animals that have been abused, neglected, abandoned, suffer from illness or have a debilitating disability that keeps them from being adopted.  The organizations have a mission to provide a loving home for animals despite physical limitations.  Rolling Dog Ranch cares for animals that are blind, deaf, and suffer from neurological or orthopedic problems.  Indraloka provides shelter for a menagerie of small and large animals including dogs, cats, pigs, cows, horses, goats, chickens, and porcupines.

Proving that love comes in all shapes, sizes, and breeds, the non-profit organizations depend heavily on donations to care for the animals that live on their premises.  To learn more, visit Rolling Dog Ranch or Indraloka Animal Sanctuary online.

Studies have proven that direct contact with animals has therapeutic qualities.  Individuals that are disabled, ill, lonely, and depressed have responded positively to visits by their canine and feline friends.  Daycares, hospitals and senior care facilities have incorporated programs into their schedules that involve pet therapy or animal assisted therapy.

Essentially, these programs were created in an attempt to achieve two things. One, pet therapy helps people physically, socially, emotionally, and cognitively.  Two, the programs take animals out of their comfort zones and get them acquainted with other human beings.  After going through special training, select animals are then brought into various healthcare settings where they can serve the greatest good.

In addition to providing unconditional love and companionship, animals have been known to:

• Decrease heart rate and lower blood pressure
• Teach people how to empathize with other living creatures
• Promote nurturing
• Take the focus away from a person?s problems or illness
• Provide stimulation?physically and mentally
• Give a person something to look forward to
• Encourage people to interact with others socially
• Provide entertainment for the duration of their visit

Due to their calming effect and notable influence on a person?s mental health and physical well-being, pet therapy animals are in high demand.  The Delta Society offers advice, classes, and instructional materials to anyone who is interested in incorporating animal assisted therapy into their practices or workplaces.  The organization also offers a Pet Partners Program which screens and provides training to volunteers that are interested in participating in pet therapy programs across the country.  Focusing their energy on ?both ends of the leash,? the Delta Society helps people and animals to be successful participants in settings that involve children, the disabled, and the elderly.

Partnering up with the ASPCA, the Delta Society encourages newly adopted animal participation in their pet therapy programs.  Giving shelter dogs and cats a new lease on life, owners can continue to foster goodwill by honing in on their new pet?s therapeutic qualities and sharing them with the people who would benefit the most from spending time with the animal.

Singer and actress Jessica Simpson recently made headlines after a coyote snatched her beloved dog, Daisy.  Launching a massive search that enlisted the help of a pet detective, the 29-year-old star simply could not give up hope until the malti-poo was found alive.  Despite criticism from the public, Simpson hung posters and Tweeted updates about her missing pet.  Noting that her feelings were maternal and that she was ?Daisy?s mommy,? the young woman called off the search after a weekend of no leads.

Like thousands of other pet owners whose four legged friends met an untimely demise, Simpson would benefit from some time alone and the following advice:

• Surround yourself with positive people who know how much your pet meant to you.  Avoid being around people who cruelly state, ?It was just a dog or cat!?
• Spend time quietly mourning your loss.  Take a long walk, keep a journal based on the feelings that you are having, or write a letter to a friend.  Understand that grief is a complex process with multiple stages.  In order to make progress, you must conquer feelings of disbelief, anger, and guilt.
• Refrain from making life-changing decisions until you are in the right frame of mind.  Grief can cause a person to act irrationally.  Give yourself time to reflect upon a situation before making a decision that you might regret.
• Seek professional advice if you have difficulty performing daily scheduled activities.  Be honest about your feelings and heed the advice of the therapist.
• When the time is right, consider fostering a pet from an animal shelter.  Fostering animals gives a person a chance to be a part of an animal?s life without making a full-time commitment to its care. 

The death of a pet is devastating.  By taking the time to mourn their loss, men and women significantly decrease their level of stress by becoming resilient, increasing their chances of feeling comfortable caring for animals again.

If you?ve read between the lines of a few of my blogs, you?ve already gathered that I have a profound interest in the care of senior animals, special needs animals, and animals with cancer. I recently had the opportunity to chat with Nadine M. Rosin, pet parent and author of ?The Healing Art of Pet Parenthood.?

Nadine?s beloved 8-year-old dog, Buttons, was diagnosed with cancer in 1992.  She was told that without amputation, chemotherapy and radiation within 48 hours of having received the diagnosis, Buttons would only have weeks to live.  Deciding to bypass that path in favor of holistic care, Nadine set out on her mission, making simple changes to Buttons? diet and environment, and healing her with herbs, tinctures and homeopathic remedies. Cancer-free, Buttons passed away peacefully of old age, in Nadine?s arms, a week before her 19^th birthday.

Here, I share with you Nadine and Buttons? amazing story.

Hi, Nadine,
Thanks so much for speaking with me about your heartwarming journey through Buttons? cancer, healing, passing, and, lastly, your continued, spiritual connection to her.
Thank you, Debbie, it?s great to talk with you, thanks for having me!

Buttons reminds me of Opal in so many ways! I don?t think I have to tell you how much I cried as I watched the video; not only tears of sadness, mind you, but tears of joy for the love and happiness that Buttons brought to your life, reminding me of the love and happiness that Opal and Dixie bring to mine.

How was Buttons' cancer discovered?
One day I found a hideously ugly, red, horn-rimmed tumor at the base of her tail. It was terrifying. I rushed her to the vet and had him do a biopsy.

What were the symptoms that alerted you to the fact that there might be something wrong?
I was caught completely by surprise. However, in retrospect I saw that there were some telling signs like loss of energy and lethargy. One of the reasons I wrote the book was to document ALL my 20/20 hindsight in the hopes of helping other pet parents avoid the same mistakes and oversights I made.

When Buttons was diagnosed with cancer, what gave you both the determination and the confidence to bypass the traditional, prescribed ?medical? treatments in favor of holistic care?
I had the advantage of having been raised in a family that practiced some alternative health care methods. I was already well-versed in the difference between Western/allopathic medicine?s way of focusing, squelching and treating the symptom versus the holistic method of removing all toxins from the body and environment, cleansing the body of all residual toxins, and strengthening the body nutritionally so it could heal itself. The EMOTIONAL turmoil I faced and overcame prior to my choice of treatment is described in detail in the story (it?s a good one- don?t want to ruin it for anyone here :).

Did you put her through any of the prescribed protocols at all, or did you stick to holistic-only?
The vet was insistent that without amputation, chemotherapy, and radiation within 48 hours of receiving the (twice done) lab results, Buttons would be dead in 6 weeks. However, I knew that wasn?t the route for us, and instead, I enlisted the help of several alternative practitioners. Combined with my own knowledge and experience of treating the cause (emotional and physical toxicity placing an unmanageable burden on the immune system) rather than the symptom (cancer), proceeded to implement a purely holistic, cleansing regimen.

Did you consult with a holistic vet prior to embarking on your treatment plan for Buttons? Or did you create your own treatment plan based upon your extensive knowledge of alternative and holistic healing?
Buttons? diagnosis was in 1992. At that time there were no holistic vets in Tucson where we were living.

What did Button?s diet consist of prior to her becoming ill?
A dry kibble prescribed by her vet.

What changes did you make to her diet after she was diagnosed?   
I immediately began home cooking organic food and treats. Eventually what in my opinion became the best diet for her was home cooked organic ground turkey, organic millet, grated raw veggies and sea meal.

What were some of the things you did to clear her environment of toxins?
I stopped using commercial flea products, air fresheners, and any cleaning products other than vinegar or lemon juice. I switched to an all-natural laundry detergent and stopped using all fabric softener and dryer sheets. I made sure her bowls were nowhere near an electrical outlet and gave away my microwave.

How and when did you realize that Buttons was suddenly thriving, and that her cancer seemed to have ?reversed??
For 4 months after her initial diagnosis, Buttons was getting different combinations of cleansing herbs, tinctures, and homeopathic remedies every few hours throughout the day. It was at that 4-month mark that I realized from her shiny coat and boundless energy, that I now had a healthy, 9-year old puppy on my hands! She thrived for an additional 11 years and the cancer never returned. She died peacefully, at home in my arms, of old age exactly 1 week prior to her 19th birthday.

I can?t even imagine how I will go on when my Opal and Dixie leave this earth. Yet, you survived losing Buttons, who was as much the center of your universe as my girls are to mine. How did you survive, day-to-day, without her by your side? What helped you through your healing process? And, do you ever really heal?
Wow, Debbie, it would take an entire book to answer that question...oh, wait! :) <chuckle>  The last third of The Healing Art of Pet Parenthood is everything I went through after Buttons passed. Since I could find no pet loss books that fully addressed the depth of my pain, I decided to write one. Many things helped me through the healing process as I describe in the book: music, journaling, movement, meditation and mostly, communing with Buttons? spirit. Even Einstein said that you cannot get rid of energy- that it can only change form.

So I figured out ways to tune into that finer vibration: physical energy is dense and observable with our 5 physical senses. Spiritual or soul energy, if you will, is accessible through our hearts when our minds are quiet enough. Who hasn?t had a ?feeling? from time to time that could not be ?explained?? I believe that what we as human beings know compared to what there is available to know, could fit on the head of a pin. That said, physically, I miss Buttons everyday and always will, but I have found a peaceful place for that pain and seldom focus on it. Instead, I am focusing on getting the word spread about this book in the hopes of it helping as many other dogs and pet parents as possible.

What would you like readers to take away from your book?
Even though the book is in narrative form and reads like a novel, it has a 3-fold mission:

• Helping pet parents realize we may be unconsciously contributing to the skyrocketing increase of cancer in our pets by unknowingly creating highly toxic environments in our homes.
• Providing comfort, camaraderie, and validation for pet parents experiencing the devastating loss of a beloved pet
• Helping to remove the words, ?It?s just a dog/cat? from the lips of non pet parents everywhere

In addition, I want pet parents to feel proud and open about the deep bonds they have with their pets.

In my fund raising speech for animal non profits, I often say that our animals are like furry Buddhas, embodying the best of our humanity and here teaching us that life is supposed to be enjoyed and in the moment, regardless of circumstances, other people?s opinion, or economic climate.

One of my favorite emails from a reader was from a lady who?d recently lost her 13-year old Bichon. In her 5th week of deep grief, her grown sons insisted she ?get over it already? and/or ?get another dog.? The woman?s reaction to her sons was to feel even more pain, anger and isolation. A few weeks later, she came across my book. Immediately after finishing it, she went onto Amazon.com and had a copy sent to each of her sons. She promised them that if they both read the book as soon as it was delivered, she would never again mention her grief around her beloved dog. Well, a week later, her sons came by with flowers and family photos the Bichon was in and apologized profusely to their mom saying that after reading The Healing Art of Pet Parenthood, they now understood what she was really going through. They said they would support her in any way they could for however long her grieving lasted.

My greatest hope is that the book goes on to help many, many pet parents and non pet parents, alike!

Thank you so much for sharing Buttons with us, as well as your beautiful relationship with her.
Thank YOU, Debbie, Opal, and Dixie!

For those of you who have not yet read Nadine?s book, ?The Healing Art of Pet Parenthood,? whether or not you have ever lost a pet, I encourage you to not only read the book, but to watch the video on the homepage of Nadine?s site.

Ok. When I first began to read this I felt so sorry for Banjo, the border collie. Of course, when Opal buries her face in mud and grass, acting as though she's never been fed in her entire life (a pretty standard Lab trait), I scold her too. But all she does is turn around and look at me, grass dangling out of her mouth, as if to say, "Yes? Did you call me?" And then turns back around to her grassy meal (aka, caviar), and I'M the one left humiliated. Anyway, I decided to read on, and then I remembered... ohhhhhh, wait... The Onion... Now tell me, is it just me, or is this story really funny?

I just read a blog on PetSugar which led me to Petfinder.com. It was about the characteristics that make pets less adoptable. Me, I'm the one who, if I could, would go out and purposefully pick out and adopt the less adoptable ones. We live in your a 2BR apartment, and one more doggie wouldn't be the best idea. Having just lost our little Nini, I'm *this* close to adopting not just one cat, but two. Why? Because two are typically less adoptable than one, and what winds up happening is that the bonded twosome are then separated. So sad. While one lucky kitty winds up in a lovely home (we hope), the one left behind... well... is left behind. Even if the left-behind-one eventually finds a home, the siblings or best buddies who've been together forever are still now separated. Sad, sad, SAD! So, I'd like to adopt a pair. If I could, I'd also adopt lots of old-timeys and special needs pets. I'm partial to old-timeys, as I call them, which is why I donate 5% of all my retail sales to Muttville.

I recently attended a wonderful event at the Hall Winery, sponsored by both The Woof Report and the winery in St. Helena, California. I had my little vendor table all set up and did quite nicely in sales, thank you very much. More important than the sales, however, was the sweet little girl I met. A Muttville girl up for adoption. I was (and remain) absolutely smitten. Tuki appears to be a long-lost relative of Opal (Opie) and Dixie, but several years older. She's about 10. She's being fostered by a terrific couple, and is still up for adoption. I can't stop thinking about her and let me tell you, if she doesn't find a forever home soon, there's no telling what I might do. Smitten I am, I tell you. SMITTEN! A lovebug if there ever was one.

There are good bloggers, and not-so-good bloggers out there. The good ones have time to write regularly. Even if they don?t blog daily, they manage to keep a steady 2-or-3-times-a-week schedule. Moi? I regretfully count myself among the not-so-good ones. I guarantee you that I am not at a loss for topics.  Not in the least! What I am at a huge loss for is time. And, so, I apologize. I do have good intentions ? honest, I do! Good intentions just don?t always add up to steady blogs.

One topic that I have been wanting to chat about is one that is always on my mind:  cancer. Mine, not so much; cancer in dogs, very much. I cannot seem to escape news of friends? or acquaintances? dogs either having cancer or having lost their battle with it. While there continue to be tremendous scientific breakthroughs in the study of cancer in humans, cancer in dogs trails far behind; or, perhaps, not so far at all.  A good friend of mine sent me an encouraging article that brings hope. I?d like to share it with you. Read on?

WASHINGTON, June 3, 2009 (AFP) - The US Food and Drug Administration announced Wednesday it has approved the first drug developed to treat cancer in dogs. The drug, which is sold under the brand name Palladia, is approved to treat canine skin-based mast cell tumors, which can be a very serious form of cancer in dogs.  The approval of Palladia marked "an important step forward for veterinary medicine," said Bernadette Dunham, director of the FDA for Veterinary Medicine.  Up until now, cancer drugs used in veterinary medicine were developed for use in humans and not approved for use in animals. "Prior to this approval, veterinarians had to rely on human oncology drugs, without knowledge of how safe or effective they would be for dogs," Dunham said.  Palladia, which is manufactured by Pfizer Animal Health Inc., works by killing tumor cells and by cutting off the blood supply to the tumor.  In a clinical trial, Palladia showed a statistically significant difference in tumor shrinkage when compared with a placebo.

May the breakthroughs continue, and may the survival rate of canine cancer patients rise as has the survival rate of women with breast cancer...