A Big Thank You!

A big thank you goes out to Governor Rendell of Pennsylvania! On August 27th Gov Rendell passed H.B. 39 which establishes penalties for dog owners who engage in the following procedures on their own dogs: Cropping, trimming or cutting off an ear; Debarking by cutting or injuring the vocal cords; Docking or cutting off the tail of a dog over five days of age; Surgically birthing a dog; and Removing the dewclaws from a dog over five days of age. Most of these procedures were being done by the people who operate these horrific places called puppy mills. Personally I do not believe in any of these practices but if they must be done then they are required to have them done by a licensed veterinarian. One step at a time.

Unfortunately Pennsylvania has earned the reputation of being the puppy mill capital of the east coast, especially in the county of Lancaster. Last October this same Governor signed laws specifically targeting the puppy mills in his state. PA is not the only state with puppy mills but it is one of the few states that is finally taking a stand against this disgusting business.

Puppy mills are one of my passions in life. I am committed to helping to get the word out about them and getting shut them down. If you don't know what a puppy mill is or even if you do visit a few of these web sites to see where these "cute little puppies" are coming from.
http://stoppuppymills.org/ or www.puppymillrescue.com or www.prisonersofgreed.org. On You Tube you can watch an undercover video of a dog auction. These are mill dogs that are bought and sold like livestock.

Now I don't write about the puppy mills and tell people to educate themselves about them to depress them because bottom line is this suffering goes on day in and day out whether you acknowledge it or not. They exist every day until they either die or are given over to rescue to be put back together. Yes it is hard stuff to watch but it just may move you to donate to this cause that is very close to my heart. There is a great quote by Gandhi that says, "The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by how they treat their animals." So how are we doing as a nation, as a state, as a community? We're getting there, we're getting there....

Happy Trails,
Sherry

Messages in Blue

Over the past few weeks I have been receiving all sorts of messages in different ways about blue butterflies. Both blue butterflies and blue birds have a great significance for me as they are both related to my Dad who passed away 5 years ago this past July. Blue birds were my Dad's favorite birds. Living in upstate New York they were one of the first signs that spring was almost here when they would arrive to reclaim their house from the previous year. Dad had built blue bird houses for all of us kids and for a few other folks that appreciated the birds.

Birds always seem to hold great enjoyment for all of our family. I remember growing up and my Mom having her Peterson's Guide to Birds book always laying out in the kitchen. Especially during the winter months together we watch as the birds would gather at the feeders we had in the back yard. We would check off each bird we could identify and then put the date down that we saw it. I think we gave up writing the dates for the Cardinals and Blue Jays as they were so plentiful. We actually marked off a lot of birds spotted over the years.

I love the birds and all that they represent, but now the blue bird holds even more of a meaning to me. That last spring that my Dad was so sick from the cancer that riddled his body he still made a point to go sit out on the back porch so he could watch the blue birds going back and forth building the nest in the special bird houses he had made just for them. It was a stuggle for him to move about and get settled but this was his love. He waited patiently over the next few weeks until you could hear the babies squawking and calling out for food. Eventually they would pop their little furry blue heads out of the small wooden hole in the bird house and cry for more worms which Mom and Dad would come flying back to the house with. After the last baby was pushed out and on it's way he would always be a little sad becasue it would be a whole other year before they came back to nest again. The blue birds hung around that year a little longer and I swear they did it for my Dad. With his passing in July my Mom had his beloved blue birds put on his head stone in color. I don't think there is a more fitting way to remember my Dad than with his blue birds.

This past month the messages that my Dad is still around abounds. I have received several messages from a friend of mine and also through people talking about blue birds, or receiving messages via emails that might have a blue bird picture with it, or just opening up a magazine and that is the first thing that pops out is the blue birds.

Blue bitterflies also hold a similar meaning for me but that is a story for the next writing. My girls are hauling me off to bed and tonight they want me to read hem a story. So it is off I go....

Happy Trails,
Sherry

What an incredible day! The clouds are gone and the sun is shinning brightly. The air is cool and dry with a slight breeze. It is as if you can breathe again. The summers here in Maryland can be long, hot and humid. We have been fortunate this year however, there have been no days over 100 degrees. For that I am grateful and so are the girls! As you can imagine summer is not their favorite time of year. The past week had been that muggy wet air that makes you feel like a sponge when you stepped outside. Today is just stunning!

I know the animals are enjoying the weather too. When the girls and I did our morning walk the birds were singing louder than usual and the squirrels were running with a little more energy than normal. While out on our walk I got to thinking about how we measure the time in our lives. In celebrating my birthday today I reflected back on all that I had been through the past year and years of my life. It has been an interesting journey to say the least. Through all of this my girls have been by my side. We have all been through so much together over the years. Some years have been great and others not so much, but through it all they have gone along for the ride.

Birthdays are a time of celebrating us for who we are and marking that passage of time. Our pets are no different. I know many of us have birthday parties or celebrations for our beloved pets. We celebrate them for who they are and what they bring to our lives. Their time with us is always so short. There is a great quote by Irving Townsend that says “We who choose to surround ourselves with lives even more temporary than our own, live within a fragile circle, easily and often breached. Unable to accept its awful gaps, we still would live no other way. We cherish memory as the only certain immortality, never fully understanding the necessary plan.” How true! I can't imagine my life with out my pets or without an animal in it.

So celebrate them today and everyday as we all are just visitors here on Mother Earth for a brief moment in time. I have my birthday cake and the girls will have theirs on this day too as we all just enjoy the sweetness of life and all the cakes and cookies it has to offer!

Happy Trails,
Sherry

A Purposeful Life

What is a life without purpose? The word purpose is defined in the dictionary as the reason for which something exists or is done, made, used, etc. We all seek our purpose here on Mother Earth. We all exist for a reason. Each and everything ever created has a purpose. Whether it is a plant, insect, animal, crystal, rock, air, water or even humans, were all created with purpose. It is by lifting those veils away that we are able to see our true reason for being here. When we find our passion we find our purpose.

Some are destined to do what others consider "great things" with their lives for the betterment of all. Others may be here to work in a more limited yet just as important reason. Some find their life's work early on and some of us find it much later in life. I remember years ago (1984 to be exact) when a woman named Clara Peller did the Wendy's commercial and was made famous by saying "Where's the beef"? At the age of 82 Clara became a cult figure by starring in the commercials. Not that this was Clara's passion in life but it is an example as to never giving up on life and what it may have to offer you. Clara's appearance in the commercial boosted Wendy's sales 35% in less than a year. Now that is having an affect on people.

As I said there are others who are here who affect change on a small yet important scale. Now remember I said it can be plant, mineral or animal and being who I am I'm talking about the animal aspect. Animals have purpose to, all animals, cats, dogs, horses, iguana's, elephants, etc. It comes in all different ways like people. There are the animals who bring us light and laughter, there are ones who find purpose in doing what they were bred like the herding dogs or hunting dogs. The ones I want to talk about are the healer animals. Again they can literally be any animal on the planet. These are very special beings who help us as humans heal. They help us see the true healing in unconditional love.

What is your animal's purpose? It can be in your life or in others. I have had the privilege of meeting and actually living with one of these healer animals. They are different on all levels. Their light shines bright as they know their true purpose for being here. Yes I do believe they know their purpose and their passion. How many times have you heard a caretaker of one of these healer animals say, "They just love doing their therapy work, they light up every time we visit the seniors at the senior center"! It is in their purpose that they heal others.

Look at all that animals with purpose do for us, they are all around us if we just look. If your animal doesn't have a purpose then help them find it. I have had many an animal tell me they have a purpose but they are having a hard time getting their caretaker to recognize it. A lot of times when we come to the realization of what it is and the caretaker understands what it is things shift within the household. It can be as simple as you are to greet people in a friendly manner when they come into our home. Think of it, almost every time you meet someone new, what is the first thing they ask? "So what do you do"? The same with animals, they all have a purpose in our lives and in the world. We are more at peace when we know our purpose.

Sometimes it is the animals around us that help us find our passion and in finding the passion we find the peace. I am grateful for all the beings on the planet and for all they bring to life. They helped me find not only my passion but my purpose and myself.

Happy Trails,
Sherry

What is in your food bowl?

Once again I have to thank my furry children for showing me the way! When I first had my two girls, Addie and Maggie, I started them off on what I thought was really good food, Science Diet. The vet had recommended it and I would say for the first 7 or 8 years of their life they were on nothing but that. They did fine on the food for the longest time.

I then began working at a natural pet food store and began to learn about animal nutrition. I looked at what should and should not be in their food. I found the stuff in Science Diet really wasn't giving them the nutrition they needed so I switched to a higher quality dry food. I did one of the Grain free kibbles that is out there. They did really good on the food and as I continued to learn more and more I continued to upgrade their food until I began feeding nothing but a canned and raw diet. I can't tell you what a difference it has made for them. Now would I feed all raw if I could, yes, but it can be a little expensive for those on a limited budget that is why I split between the two. If you were too look at my girls they do not look their age.

Which brings me to what I learned. In doing the research about the nutritional affects on the mind and body of animals I took a look at what I was feeding myself. I began reading labels like I read the labels on the canned and raw foods I was feeding the girls. I was floored to see some of the same really bad ingredients that are often found in the lower brand pet foods were in mine.

Some yummy things like BHT - Butylated Hydroxytoluene - a crystalline phenolic antioxidant, C15H24O, used to preserve fats and oils, especially in foods. Banned from human use in many countries but still permitted in the US. A possible human carcinogen, apparently carcinogenic in animal experiments also. The oxidative characteristics and/or metabolites of BHA and BHT may contribute to carcinogenicity or tumorigenicity. (Cancer)

BHA - Butylated Hydroxysanisole - a white, waxy phenolic antioxidant, C11H16O2, used to preserve fats and oils, especially in foods. It is banned from human use in many countries but still permitted in the US. A possible human carcinogen, apparently carcinogenic in animal experiments also. The oxidative characteristics and/or metabolites of BHA and BHT may contribute to carcinogenicity or tumorigenicity. (Cancer)

And my personal favorite Propylene Glycol. It is a colorless viscous hygroscopic liquid used in antifreeze solutions, in hydraulic fluids, and as a solvent. It is used as humectant in semi-moist kibble to keep it from drying out. Probably tastes good too!

I continue to thank my babies everyday for making me a better person in spite of myself. I hope they never stop teaching and I hope I never stop learning from them and all the animals of the animal kingdom.

Happy Trails,
Sherry

The Energy of Things

Happy Morning to all animal lovers out there! I talk often a lot about energy when I talk about animals. The two just go together. It's kind of like peas and carrots or chocolate and peanut butter, they go together. After all that's all we are and that is all they are. Energy packed in a body.

We are surrounded by all kinds of energies every day. Some good some not so good. We live in a very chaotic world these days and animals on a whole are really feeling it. Just like us some of them are having a harder time with it than other. The more sensitive ones are really having a tough go of it since they are easily affected by the energy they are living in. It seems like every week we are hearing more and more about animals attacking people or villages. They are having a hard time with the energy. Look at the people you are around everyday. Are tempers getting shorter? Is there more road rage than ever? It's all about the energy.

Animals are energy sponges. They do not have the shut off switches like we do. We can walk away or get away from energy that is negative or destructive. Animals can't. They are connected. They are connected to Mother Earth and to us. How well do you think animals would do if humans were not on the planet? I think just fine. Now what if they were not here. Somehow I think we would probably cease to exist. So we are all one when it comes to the energy that is being put out there.

So where is your energy going right now. I think of it in this context. I have a very huge issue with puppy mills. Lancaster County, Pennsylvania is one of the largest areas that supports puppy mills. Now I could throw a whole lot of negative energy that way, rant and rave about how bad they really are but what in fact would that really be doing? If I however come from a more positive aspect I can not only help to effect a change but it would all be done in a way as to not add more fuel to an already horrific event.

If there is something negative you want to change let's all try and do it in a positive way, one that is more loving and caring for both us and the animals we share the planet with. Animals have such great hope for us. Let's help be the positive change for them by shifting our energies.

Happy Tails,
Sherry

Good Things from Bad Things

Good things do come from bad things. We may not be able to see it all the time, especially when bad things happen and that's all we focus on, but the good does eventually come. There are several examples of this with the Michael Vick dog fighting ring on the top of everyone's list these days. Passion runs high on the subject of animals and because people know how much I love animals they ask me where I stand on it.

Personally I think Michael Vick should play in the NFL again. What he did was a felony offense. To me it is also a moral offense. However, he paid his debt to society, now he has to pay his debt to the animal kingdom. He did a lot of damage not only to these poor animals but also to himself. I don't feel bad for him because he created this environment and funded it to take place. I do feel bad for the animals that went through what they went through though.

Michael Vick brought the horrible world of dog fighting to the national and international arena. Many folks who deal with animals in rescues, shelters, police or even veterinarians that had treated fight dogs knew about dog fighting rings on a local level but now it is known on a much grander scale. It was common knowledge that drug dealers had been known to have dog fighting rings as another way to get money. I think there was even a magazine at one time that was all about dog fighting. With revealing the truth about the dog fighting also came the revelations about cock fights and even a canary fighting ring.

So now Michael has the opportunity to really do a lot of good here, that is if he really gets it about what he has done. I have yet to see what I consider true emotion from him. Maybe it is true that he came to peace with what he has done and is now ready to help young kids realize this is no way to treat animals. I hope he succeeds in his new mission because if he succeeds then so do the animals. So we will see.

Happy Trails,
Sherry