Do Pets Go To Heaven?

A very dear friend of mine sent me a note today,

that made me hold my little Yorkie in my arms and cry...

As many of you are well aware Molly has been struggling with cancer for the last 3 years. This past Friday she took a turn for the worst and now has no use of her hind legs. We took her to our regular vet who referred us to a veterinarian specializing in Neurology. The Neurologist determined a cyst on the spinal column is the reason Molly has no use/feeling of her hind quarters. Given Molly’s age the Vet recommended a noninvasive treatment of oral Prednisone hoping this may reduce inflammation and give her even some temporary use of her hind legs. Unfortunately this hasn’t helped at all.

Kelly and I have made a very difficult decision this morning. Kelly will be bringing Molly home from the hospital tomorrow so she may have one last Christmas with us. We will make Molly as comfortable as possible the next few days (AKA even more spoiling, if possible). On Friday we will say good-bye to our dear friend.

Honestly, the only reason I share this with you is because so many of you have been wonderful with asking about Molly this past year. We knew the inevitable would come. It just doesn’t seem we are ever truly ready to say good-bye to such

a loyal companion as a best friend.

I truly wish each and every one of you a Happy Holiday!

WOW - what a tough decision.

I started doing some research on pets and death,

and found this great book I wanted to share with you.

It covers things like

How to conduct a funeral for your pets-

How To Live With Your Pet FOREVER-

How to comfort children and console friends

over the loss of their pets-

How to make the hard decision and avoid guilt

when having to put an animal to "sleep".

ANAMIGO Photo Conest

Pets & pet lovers unite! Anamigo –

the online community for pets & the people who love them!

And right now, they have a photo contest!

Is your pet cute enough to win you $300?

Enter the Anamigo Pet Photo contest and find out.

Entries that get the most votes will win daily and

weekly cash prizes. You could win:- Daily prize of $25.

(You have 7 days to win!)-

Weekly prize of $125

Get your camera out and email your friends.

Your furry friend could bring you in cash!

Animal Planet Swoops in to Transform Ordinary Dogs in New Series UNDERDOG TO WONDERDOG

(image by Studio Pet)

Every day thousands of dogs are brought to shelters--unkempt, undernourished and unloved. But help is on the way for these poor pups as Animal Planet's doggie Wonder Team comes to the rescue in the new series UNDERDOG TO WONDERDOG. Each episode follows the transformation of one helpless pup as it undergoes a complete metamorphoses, becoming the dog it was always destined to be. Every shelter dog is rescued, groomed, trained and rehabilitated before finally being placed into a loving home - equipped with its very own custom-designed dog house. Watch as the show's host, trainer, groomer and carpenter use their canine expertise to revamp these down-on-their-luck pups beginning

Saturday, January 3, at 8 PM (ET/PT).

"Celebrity makeovers, home makeovers and now finally doggie makeovers," says Marjorie Kaplan, president and general manager of Animal Planet Media. Not only is UNDERDOG TO WONDERDOG the kind of transformational television audiences love, these surprising makeovers truly change the lives of the dogs and their new families."

The series begins with the rescue of a Yorkshire terrier, appropriately named Lucky. After being hit by a car, Lucky badly needed a surgery that her previous owners could not afford. When we first meet her, she is still in the care of a local shelter, shivering and traumatized. UNDERDOG TO WONDERDOG'S premiere episode follows Lucky's journey is followed from that shelter in Brooklyn through her transformation with the Wonder Team. Complete with background stories on these well-deserving families, UNDERDOG TO WONDERDOG shows that sometimes the families need the love of a dog just as much as the dogs need them.

WATCH FOR IT!

A Luxury Dog House With A Mortgage

Darla, Chelsea and Coco Puff share a quaint Victorian-style home.
Their dwelling has a cedar-shake roof, vaulted ceilings and hardwood floors, heating and air conditioning, moldings and casement windows, drapery with valances and fanciful wallpapers.
At this time of year, Christmas music from the RCA Victor radio carries outside to a grassy yard surrounded by a white picket fence.

A sign on the porch reads: "Three spoiled dogs live here."
For Yorkshire terriers Chelsea and Coco Puff and Pomeranian Darla, Mom is Tammy Kassis, 45, a former insurance agent who lives in the Riverside County community of Winchester, east of Los Angeles. To call her an animal lover is an understatement.

"I'm beyond that," she says, later adding with conviction, "My dogs are my life."

Surfing the Internet, she happened upon Alan Mowrer's La Petite Maison, a builder of deluxe custom doghouses.

"I can do any style," says Mowrer, whose repertoire includes French châteaux, Tudor mansions, Swiss chalets and brick Colonial dog houses.

Kassis requested a replica of her own Victorian home. 8 foot by 11 foot.

Kassis guesstimates she has invested nearly $20,000 in construction, transport and equipment if she includes the painting, landscaping, screened doors and windows, mini-blinds and ceiling fans, as well as a yard with artificial turf.

For the holidays, Kassis plans to string white lights around the house and install an artificial tree. Large faux lollipops are staked in the flower bed around the doghouse.

Also, she confides, Santa is planning a big surprise for "the kids."
She has her eye on a small plasma-screen TV.

"They love to watch Animal Planet," Kassis says. "It's their favorite."

From the Los Angeles Times

Yorkies are Our little Babies

PETS OUR ARE CHILDREN

Most humans treat their animals just like

part of the family. In a new book by Stanley Coren,

The Modern Dog: A Joyful Exploration of How We Live with Dogs Today
he talks about how dogs especially have changed us.

Dogs, he writes, made human existence possible, aiding us as we

developed civilization. But dogs have

changed more than our lifestyle -

they've profoundly changed how we see the world. There's no better

example of this than Hurricane Katrina.

Before the disaster, Coren writes, the U.S. Federal Emergency

Management Agency head Michael Brown dismissed questions about

evacuating companion animals, saying, "They are not our concern."

But as New Orleans drowned, a new and different attitude emerged.

The nation watched, horrified, as people died with their pets or battled

the elements trying to save them.

One elderly lady's Yorkshire terrier was taken away by a

soldier as she boarded a rescue helicopter.

"I got nothing and no one," she said, crying.

"He's all I got left!" An officer from the medical corps intervened.
"That's not a dog," he told the soldier. "That's medicine.

Medicine for the mind."

They are our little babies!

How Many Dogs Die at Pet Smart - And What Do You Do If It Happens To You?

Who is afraid to leave their dog somewhere?

You hear horror stories about dogs who die while

in someone's care. A dog died at PetSmart this past summer.

Actually, over the last couple years, several dogs have died at

PetSmart. But I do believe this could happen anywhere.

At any groomer. Or any

kennel. It's scarey leaving your dog anywhere.

I got this note yesterday from a reader....

"I took my Yorkie to the groomer at Petsmart this weekend and returned to the news that my dog had died. The groomers had given him water after being told that they do not feed or water the dogs unless they are boarding overnight. I had only left Carson with the groomer for 1.5hours they were under the impression he was sleep. He was not sick and was in perfect health when I dropped him off.

Please email me with legal information if

anyone can help at bizzie500 @ yahoo.com" -

or feel free to leave comments here on this site.

Winter Clothes For Your Small Dog - Not Just Cute, But Also Practical

Regardless of the size or breed of dog, winters can

be challenging for all pets. Several factors determine how

dogs cope during the winter months.

Most small dogs should wear coats and/or some kind

of footgear, if you can get them to wear them.

We got our dog used to wearing clothes when she

was a baby. So now she doesn't mind a little jacket or sweater

now and then.

Boots, she is still not thrilled with!

She gets cold very easy. So it is for her own good.

If your dog appears to be having difficulty coping with the outdoors

during winter (e.g. shivering, reluctant to go outside, unable

to get around in the snow, wants to go indoors after a short period of

time, etc.), you may have to make some adjustments. For example,

you should make sure that your dog does not stay out too long

when temperatures hit the freezing mark.

Conversely, if your pet spends most of its time indoors during the

winter, it will tend to have a significantly reduced level of activity

and may put on extra weight.

In these cases, it is a good idea to reduce the food intake slightly in order

to compensate for their lowered energy requirements. Indoor pets should

also be encouraged to exercise more frequently.

Phoebe Price and her Yorkie

Who the heck is Phoebe Price, anyway?

This woman could be the new Paris Hilton.

She has become famous for doing nothing. Really. And walks

more red carpets than anyone in Hollywood.

After getting her start as an international actress and model

(in such cities as Capetown. S.A. Athens, Greece and Milan, Italy - allegedly)

Phoebe came to Los Angeles and continues to perfect her craft by studying

with some of the best coaches in acting. She has had a handful

of bit parts, but nothing great.

But she does have a great Yorkie named HENRY.

And her and Henry were seen picking out

pumpkins last week in Beverly Hills.

Happy Birthday to Miss Trixie Lee Deluxe

A couple weeks ago was my first BIRTHDAY!

( I know - I was a little slow getting the photos up!)

The first photo is my baby photo.

The second photo I was 3 months old when I arrived

in Chicago to my new home.

The thrid photo was at my Birthday Party

a couple weeks ago.

I had a big cake cookie

(and like most kids, licked off all the frosting!)

and a little dish of organic puppy ice cream...

which was very cold and very frozen.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!

More Halloween Dog Costumes

What will your dog be this year?

Batman? Superman? Cinderella! A Rabbit?

MUSHROOMS CAN KILL YOUR DOG

Many pet owners do not realize that some of the mushrooms that grow in their yard are toxic to dogs. Symptoms of mushroom poisoning can range from mild vomiting and diarrhea to severe digestive problems to complete liver failure.

Dogs who like to "graze" will sometimes eat wild mushrooms along with lawn grasses, leading to mushroom poisoning. Dogs can sometimes become ill by just licking a poisonous mushroom. Also, some dogs, like some people, are allergic to even edible, normally safe mushrooms.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Toxic mushrooms have killed at least one dog in the Charlotte area and have made several others ill, according to local veterinarians, they said this week.

Always watch for mushrooms in areas where you walk your dogs or where they run and play. Be especially cautious of parasol-shaped mushrooms and all small brown mushrooms. Check your yard each morning, especially in damp weather, for new growth before letting your dog outside. Remember that new mushrooms can appear overnight. Whenever you find mushrooms in your yard, dig them up. Smashing or kicking them

spreads the spores and even more will grow.

**MUSHROOM FOLLOW UP **

from a reader...

Last week my 10 month old puppy was neutered after he came home he seemed fine. The next day after we played in the yard for an hour or so, we came in and he had some loose stool. About an hour later he was vomiting what to me looked like mucus and he had major diarrhea, when I called the vet office the receptionist said"just clean him up a bit but to not touch the neutered area or get it wet. He will be fine in the morning.".

The next morning with my children upstairs, I came down to what I would never in a million year thought could have happen. My 12lb puppy laid lifeless with not blood but a foul smelling fluid all over the kitchen, floor and walls. I called the vets office again not knowing what to do but it was too late. I wanted to share this story with you, because the vet is telling me that he this was caused by a lawn mushroom in my yard.

I am not really convinced but after your story realized it may be possible. I am on a mission to resolve what really did this to him. I know I do have mushrooms in my yard,

however never realized how toxic they can be for dogs.

Annie

United Yorkie Rescue

United Yorkie Rescue, Inc. was founded on August 5, 2002,

by a group of loyal and hard-working rescue friends.

"We consolidated our efforts and talents to form a family dedicated to the rescue and well-being of the Yorkshire Terrier. We have pledged to rescue as many Yorkies and Yorkie mixes in need as is logistically and physically possible. In addition, we are devoted to providing love, nourishment, rehabilitation, socialization, and "pawsome" forever homes!!"

Halloween Dog Costumes

HALLOWEEN is just a few weeks away!

Have you chosen that perfect costume

for your dog??

Dancing Yorkie Greeting Card @ Dog Time

I found this neat site today

called DOG TIME.

And you can create a clever little dancing dog card

using your dogs head! And send it to friends.

But beyond that, Dog Time is the #1 pet-specified vertical network

of the world, DogTime Media is launching the greatest

pet-specified Blog Network of the world.

They provide lots of useful information for people

considering a dog and lots of health and nutrition info as well.

And if you have a dog blog, you can also join their network.

So we did!

Stop by and check out what they have to offer!

DOG TIME

Puppy Pool Party in Indiana

Kleine, a Yorkshire terrier owned by

Katrina Thielman of Indianapolis, emerges

wet but happy from the pool at Castaway Bay at

the Splash Island Family Waterpark at the Plainfield

Recreation and Aquatic Center .

Dogs were allowed in the pool for the last event

of the year before the pools are drained for the winter.

What a great idea!

BAD YORKIE!

Does your Yorkie mind you?

People think my name is "NO!"

Because I get told that a lot!

Yorkie and dog expert Sharda Baker has a

little Yorkshire Terrier dogtraining surprise for you...

"I have a FREE mini dog training e-book and audio that's available now for you.
In this short 19 page informative dog training guide, we are going to explore some dog training tips as well as looking at how to understand your dog's psychology

in order to obtain better training results!"

No catch! FREE.

Visit her today.

Feelings of Depression? Don't Worry, Be Happy

Was having sort of a blue monday

and needed cheering up....

I found this little Video on YOU TUBE...

Hopefully it will brighten your day up!

Give your dog a big too!

How Well Do You Know Man's Best Friend??

DOGS have been man's best friend for more than

10,000 years, but how the relationship evolved has never been clear.
Our canine friends might be descended from wolves,

but they don't have too much in common with the wild beasts.

But how well do you know our four-legged friends?

Here are some fun facts about our canine companions...

All but two breeds of dogs have pink tongues.

The chow chow and the shar-pei, both have black tongues.

Dalmatian puppies are born pure white,

with their spots developing as they mature.

Basset hounds cannot swim. Their legs are too short

to keep their heavy, long bodies afloat.

Dogs can sniff out cancer by recognising its

signature smell, according to a 2006 study.

The smallest dog in history was a Yorkshire terrier.

At two years of age, fully grown, he was 2.5 inches tall

and 3.75 inches long. He weighed only four ounces.

Dog owners live longer, happier lives,

with less stress and fewer heart attacks.

The average city dog lives three years longer than a country dog.

A dog's sense of smell is about 1000 times stronger than a human.

The world's smartest dogs are thought to be

the border collie, the poodle and the golden retriever.

a recent poll found that 33 per cent of dog owners

admit to talking to their dogs on the phone and

leaving answering machine messages for them while away.

More fun facts at Daily Record!

Yorkie Sues PetSmart for Bad Grooming

I just hate taking my little Trixie to the groomer or the vet and leaving for any length of time. You just don't know what kind of care they are getting, Luckily, we have someone near us who now comes to the house to groom her and I am there to help.

In Virginia , a man has filed a lawsuit against PetSmart, claiming one of its groomers nearly killed his terrier puppy.

Jeff Dalton, who is an investigator with the Floyd County Sheriff's Office, filed the civil suit in County Circuit Court 2 weeks ago, naming PetSmart and groomer Chris Roop as defendants. Dalton is seeking $175,000 in damages.

According to the suit, Dalton took his Yorkshire terrier puppy, Chester, to the Christiansburg PetSmart to be groomed on Jan. 26. He was asked to return at 9 p.m. to pick up the dog.
He returned instead at 7 p.m. and was told that because of difficulties in grooming Chester, the grooming was incomplete. He was offered a discount.

An employee went to a back room to get Chester for Dalton. "At that time," the lawsuit states, "Chester appeared lifeless and was struggling to breath ."

When Dalton asked for information about Chester's difficulty breathing, he was told that Chester had been very "wiggly" during the grooming and had "finally given up," according to the lawsuit.
Dalton paid for the grooming and carried Chester to his car. Chester immediately began throwing up blood, he said.

Dalton went back inside the store and demanded to see a manager. A manager agreed to call Town & Country Veterinary Clinic, a 24-hour veterinary service. Dalton took Chester there.
According to the lawsuit, Dr. Kelly Burdette at Town & Country told Dalton she wasn't sure Chester would survive.

She found that Chester had received severe pulmonary contusions and significant bruising "which could have only been inflicted by cruel and deliberate force during the grooming," the lawsuit says.

Chester underwent surgeries and survived, "but will continue to suffer stress, anxiety, and a weakened pulmonary function," it reads.
Dalton later questioned the store manager about Chester's treatment. The manager, who is not named in the suit, "stated that its groomers were not adequately trained in the recognition of signs of stress in a dog" and told Dalton that PetSmart would retrain its groomers, according to the lawsuit. ( Remember the case last month, where an untrained groomer left the dog unattended and ended up drowning? )

A spokeswoman for PetSmart said the company doesn't comment on pending litigation.
Dalton said that Chester was 4 months old when the incident happened. Now, the puppy is nearly full-grown at 4 pounds, 7 ounces.

Dalton believes Chester would have died at PetSmart if he hadn't shown up two hours earlier than he was scheduled.
"His eyes were open but he was just lifeless," he said. "It was all he could do to get his breath."
Dalton said the veterinarian had to turn Chester upside down to drain the blood from his lungs.
Chester was kept at the clinic for four days, he said. The dog is doing better now, Dalton said, but coughs a lot and must be sedated to be groomed.

At a well-known and well-respected company such as PetSmart, he said, "they should be trained enough to know that, hey, this is a lot of stress on this little dog."