We Are Thankful For Our Dogs And More!

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Happy Thanksgiving!  We are thankful for so many things we are truly a blessed family.

I, in particular am thankful for having wonderful family and friends, good health, and a super girlfriend.  The list could go on and on, but since this is a blog about puppies and dogs I’ll stick with being thankful for my 2 wonderful dogs: Linus and Stetson.

As I sit here writing about Thanksgiving Linus is lying down by my feet and Stetson in the living room keeping my girlfriend warm while they both watch television.  My dogs truly are wonderful and I’ll never forget the days I picked them both up.

Here are 4 quick facts about my two boys:

Linus

• We picked Linus up from the Carson Animal Shelter on January 7th, 2005.
• He was only about 2 months old when we rescued him.
• He was sick, covered in fleas and mites, anemic, had worms, and a stomach virus.
• We nursed him back to health and now he’s in wonderful condition as an 8 year old pup.

Stetson

• We picked up Stetson from Guide Dogs of America on February 9th, 2007.
• We raised Stetson to be a Guide Dog for the blind.
• June, 2008 Stetson was career changed and became my forever puppy.
• Stetson makes a great couch potato and loves to eat just like all Labs!

Be Thankful, But Keep Others In Mind Too

I am very thankful and feel truly lucky to have all that I do.  I’ve also been keeping others in my thoughts and prayers as well.

I recently attended the BarkWorld Expo in Atlanta, Georgia and met many wonderful people.  I contacted many of my new friends and recently heard from Nancy at LIPetPlace.com.  Unfortunately, others have not been as lucky as myself with Hurricane Sandy reeking havoc along the east coast.  Nancy informed me first hand some of the effects and after effects of this natural disaster.

Here’s a copy of the email she sent me:

Thanks for reaching out – it has been insane here to say the least.  Some areas completely devastated, pets displaced, homes wiped out, big time shortage on gas or gas stations couldn’t pump because they had no power for over a week, and people are still without power almost two weeks later.  I said insane right?  It’s quite unbelievable the destruction and it goes from town to town, meaning one town is fine the next is not – and I know not everyone across the country is seeing all that we are seeing.  I was very fortunate, no damage to home or office – although the day after Barkworld I had to put everything in my office on higher ground and just hope it didn’t flood, it didn’t so super lucky.  Cell service was really spotty the first week and internet was here and there.  So many people lost so much, I personally know people who’s houses were flooded (my aunt’s house was), who lost everything, including their cars. Just a really sad situation.  And then not to have gas for cars, waiting in lines up anywhere from 1 hour or 5 hours, they finally enlisted an odd/even plate number to get gas – and that has helped tremendously – why the powers that be didn’t do this last week is beyond me.

I went today to one of the county run pet emergency shelters (different than the regular pet shelters) who are caring for over 250 owned displaced dogs, cats and exotic pets and it will be a long term thing.  While we are getting a lot of pet food donations and everyone here is really stepping up – many pets displaced will need to eventually go into long term foster until their owners can rebuild their homes or find a new home. So needless to say I have been consumed with the pet needs and wrote two articles on it here and here.  I am finally getting to Barkworld stuff, my own networking events, etc this weekend.

This Thanksgiving I’d like to ask everyone to be thankful for all the wonderful things they have and also to keep others who aren’t as fortunate in their thoughts and prayers.

Again Happy Thanksgiving!  And I hope you, your family, and your pups have a wonderful day.

Top Picks For Our Puppies

1. BEST DOG CHEW
   We Like: Beef Collagen Sticks - All of our pups love to bite, nip, and chew. We love using Collagen Sticks to help divert these unwanted behaviors.
2. BEST PUPPY TOY
   We Like: Calmeroos Puppy Toy w/ Heartbeat and Heat Packs - Perfect for new puppies. Helps ease anxiety in their new home.
3. BEST DOG TREATS
   We Like: Crazy Dog Train-Me Treats - We use these as our high-value treats for our guide dog puppies.
4. BEST FRESH DOG FOOD
   We Like: The Farmer's Dog - A couple months ago we started feeding Raven fresh dog food and she loves it! Get 50% off your first order of The Farmer's Dog.

Check out more of our favorites on our New Puppy Checklist.