Guest Blog:Best Friends Animal Society’s lighthearted awareness campaign highlights serious needs of kittens and animal shelters

An adorable photo of snuggly wrapped baby kittens (aka “purritos”) on Best Friends Animal Society’s Facebook page not only invokes an “aww” but helps to spread the word about kitten season.

“Sometimes you have to go cute to get serious information out there,” said Best Friends Animal Society’s Holly Sizemore, director of national programs, community programs and services. “We are glad that people are enjoying the ‘purritos’ and especially glad to see the offers by people to get involved in being part of the solution.”

A national problem, kitten season technically lasts from February through November when shelters become overwhelmed with these helpless pets. The majority of kittens land in shelters without their mothers and need to be bottle-fed every two hours. They are usually weeks away from weaning, spaying or neutering, and being able to be adopted into permanent homes.

The workload for a typical animal shelter almost immediately outweighs what staff can handle and results in many kittens being killed upon intake simply because of a lack of resources.

“Recent surveys indicate something like 91 percent of pet cats are sterilized, which suggests that the vast majority of unweaned kittens are born to free-roaming, unowned community cats,” Sizemore said. “That is why Best Friends Animal Society and like-minded organizations are working together so hard to spay and neuter these cats, we want to break this tragic cycle.”

Sizemore explained the spay/neuter efforts are known as trap/neuter/return or TNR. Unowned cats are humanely trapped, neutered and vaccinated, then released into the community to live out their natural lives.

What remains true is often the kindest thing you can do if you find a litter of kittens outdoors is to leave it alone, Sizemore said:

 “We want to people to understand that if they see a litter of kittens, especially tiny ones, please resist that urge to scoop them up because the mother cat is probably nearby and will return to care for them. Taking them away from her severely lessens the kittens’ chances of survival.”

If you find a litter of kittens:

1. Observe and leave the kittens alone - make sure they have been abandoned before you take action. Take note of the exact location. That way you can share the address, and description of where the kittens are located if you find that they have indeed been abandoned. 

2.    Contact your local animal shelter or TNR group to see what resources might be available in your local area to help kittens and/or mother cat. 

3    If the mother does not come back and you are willing to volunteer with your local group to care for the kittens, please first read Best Friends’ resource article “Feeding and Caring for Bottle Babies.”

4. If the mother does return, keep your eye on her and the kittens until they are old enough to be trapped, spayed or neutered and returned to the area they came from. TNR is not only the most humane method of preventing cats from entering the shelter system, it’s the most effective.

In addition to TNR programs for community cats, Best Friends has established lifesaving kitten nurseries in Los Angeles and Salt Lake City. Through its community cat initiatives, Best Friends supports kitten nurseries at shelters in other key municipalities as well that are staffed with teams of dedicated caregivers and supported by a cadre of devoted volunteers.

Carol Maul said she was totally overwhelmed when she started volunteering at Best Friends Animal Society’s kitten nursery in Salt Lake City: “To know there were so many stray kittens broke my heart. What Best Friends is doing is saving their lives.  Also, because the kittens will be spayed or neutered before they are adopted, that will keep them from making hundreds of new babies. I hope more people will volunteer at kitten nurseries but they need to know this is hard work. It is also rewarding when you see these tykes go from being bottle babies to a two-pounder with a personality of their own. It’s a great feeling.”

To find out more about how you can get involved during kitten season and year-round to help community cats visit bestfriends.org/communitycats.

About Best Friends Animal Society^®

Best Friends Animal Society is the only national animal welfare organization dedicated exclusively to ending the killing of dogs and cats in America's shelters. A leader in the no-kill movement, Best Friends runs the nation's largest no-kill sanctuary for companion animals, as well as lifesaving programs in partnership with rescue groups and shelters across the country. Since its founding in 1984, Best Friends has helped reduce the number of animals killed in American shelters from 17 million per year to about 4 million. By continuing to build effective initiatives that reduce the number of animals entering shelters and increase the number who find homes, Best Friends and its nationwide network of members and partners are working to Save Them All®.

To like Best Friends Animal Society on Facebook go to: http://www.facebook.com/bestfriendsanimalsociety

Follow Best Friends on Twitter: http://twitter.com/bestfriends 

Winners!! The Case of the Cat Show Princess by Cindy Vincent

Thanks to all who entered our give-away for:

And now it is time to announce the

THREE LUCKY WINNERS!!

HUGE CONCATULATIONS!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Purrformance Review 2015 and Mom Drops the #BlogPaws Ball:Big Time!

Well hello my furiends! It's Cody and today I am joining my fellow members of the National Union of Cats, better known as NUCAT to present to you my Mom's Purrformance Review for 2015.

After readng the purrformance reviews of my fellow card carrying proud cat furiends, Austin and Spitty, and after events that have taken place over the past few days, I felt it was time to FINALLY voice my displeasure.

Below is the list of criteria my Mom is being judged on:

Here is my assessment of my loser Mom:

My Affiliate Typist’s

Annual PurrFurMance Review

May 2015

Review of: Caren Gittleman aka “Loser Mom”

Date: May 26^th 2015

Reviewed by: Cody

Quantity of Output:  Has your purrson posted to your blog daily to give you maximum exposure worldwide and make you famous?  DAILY???? ARE YOU KIDDING ME??? Oh you make me laugh! Mom adamantly REFUSES to allow me to post seven days a week (except for the less than a handful of times that come up that she actually comes to her senses and loses count of what she has done). An example of her poor purrformance on "Quantity of Output", this post was supposed to be live last Friday!! Oh and  “Make me famous?” as if THAT is ever gonna happen!!

Quality of Output:  Are you, as snoopervisor, satisfied with your purrson’s choice of photos, words, creativity, imagination, truth, fun and general interest in your postings? Well, this one I will have to cut her some slack on. Mom has worked hard on improving the quality of the photos on my blog. Yepper, instead of investing in decent photographic equipment (ever hear of a camera MOM!!?) Mom upgraded to the iPhone 6. Baby steps folks, baby steps. Mom has a digital camera but she says that “uploading photos is too time consuming and HARD.”

Mom DOES do a pawesome job on product reviews and book reviews. She has stuck to her guns and pretty much (but not always!!) will ONLY feature a product if we can have a give-away for it. We don’t like showing our readers things that they can’t have for themselves. She tries to have give-aways that are open world-wide, but that is often out of her paws.

She does speak the truth in her reviews and works hard at coming up with blog posts that will be of interest to our readers.

She could stand to be a little more creative though….You would think that after nearly SIX years of blogging she would get a clue.

Client Pawticipation:  Does your purrson provide sufficient ways for your fans to contact you and for you to contact them? Yep, this one she is fine!

Pawticipation (Part II):  Does your purrson allow you to take part in fun blog-world special events, pawties, contests, and more? When Mom isn’t being lazy, yes she does!!  I will say pertaining to this, she does her best!

Client Satisfaction:  Are your friends purringly contented with what they see and read on your blog? BWAHHHH!! Now THAT’S a good one….HELL NO!!  I have a lot I could say about that one but think I will quit while I am ahead!!! MOL! MOL! MOL!!

Overall rating and comments and suggestions for improvement (in your own words):

                                                                (  )  High                                Four paws

                                                                (x  )  Medium                     Two paws

                                                                (  )  Low                                                One paw

                                                                (  )  Worse than low         Claw swipe

                                                                (  )  Pawful                           0 (zero)

I guess after going through this list Mom isn’t QUITE as bad as I previously thought.

Where she DID drop the ball, BIG TIME, is she was supposed to be winging her way to the BlogPaws Conference 2015 in Nashville, Tennessee tomorrow with many of her furiends. Well, due to poor financial planning on her part (as in, she didn’t want to be kicked out of the hotel and find herself on the street like a kitty with no home), Mom had to cancel the trip. Mom DID have the airline ticket all paid for too...what a LOSER!!!

This would have been her fourth BlogPaws conference and the first that she wasn’t sponsored. The two companies that Mom and I blog for regularly are not attending the conference this year, hence no sponsor.

Guess we are staying put this year!

Mom waited til maybe two weeks before the conference to look for a new sponsor because she was confident that she didn’t need one and could pay for the entire trip herself. Once she realized that Dakota and I wouldn’t be able to eat if she went on this trip, she was forced to cancel.  I want to be mean about this because Mom should have planned better, but Mom is extremely sad and depressed so I am going to cut her some slack.

Mom was so excited to  be a finalist in the Nose-to-Nose Awards for the photo she took of me, and wanted to savor every moment because God knows it is highly unlikely Mom will ever in life be a finalist for a blogging award again. She also wanted to cheer everyone else on and wish them good luck in pawson.

Guess that wasn’t meant to be this time around.

Mom wants me to tell you that she will deeply miss everyone and will pick herself up, brush herself off and know in her heart that “life goes on.”

There will be two less faces around the table this year. This photo is from last year I believe? See The Cat On My Head mom in the background? To the right. wearing   pink is MOM!!! 

To say Mom is sad is an understatement.

Mom and I both hope that everyone has a pawtastic time in Nashville and we are certain that they will.

I WOULD HAVE ROCKED MY COWBOY HAT!!!!

Love,

Cody

National Union of Cats has approved this message

Memorial Day 2015

This post first appeared on Memorial Day 2014. This year, in honor of Bob Dylan's 74th birthday which was yesterday, we decided to add his iconic song that speaks volumes. Have a happy and safe Memorial Day all! Much love from Cody and Caren.

I long to return to a time when Memorial Day was celebrated on May 30th, a time when Memorial Day was NOT the "official kick-off to summer" in the U.S., a time when it wasn't a reason to consume copious amounts of beer and burgers and frolic with family and friends over the course of a three-day  weekend.

Don't get me wrong, I will be enjoying sunshine, family and the sumptuous taste of a char-grilled burger myself, but it is important that I, and all of us who are Americans, stop and REMEMBER what Memorial Day actually IS and why it is commemorated.

Somewhere through the years, many Americans have lost touch of WHAT significant holidays in our history MEAN.

There is nothing "happy" about Memorial Day. Memorial Day is the day in which we REMEMBER the men and women who DIED while serving our country.

Memorial Day has become lost in the ridiculousness that was created when Congress,  on June 28, 1968 signed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act which  officially took effect on January 1, 1971. This act moved holidays such as Memorial Day,  George Washington's birthday (remember him? The "father of our country" whose birthday REALLY IS FEBRUARY 22ND), Labor Day (now celebrated the first Monday in September), and Columbus Day (Columbus Day USED to be on Christopher Columbus's REAL BIRTHDAY, October 12th, but is now celebrated the second Monday of October). The act was officially designed to "increase the number of 3 day weekends for federal employees."

Well, "isn't THAT special?"

Thankfully, July 4, (Independence Day), has remained unscathed.........

So while I, and many of you, are enjoying this time with friends and family, take a moment, STOP and REMEMBER the reason this day exists.

#Ad Purina Cat Chow Announces the Winner of the Shelter Volunteer of the Year Contest!

This is a sponsored post, written by me on behalf of Purina.  Purina is not responsible for the content of this blog post.  All opinions are my own.

Back on March 5th I blogged about the Dearborn Animal Shelter being one of the finalists in the Purina Cat Chow Shelter Volunteer of the Year Contest!

About The Contest:

As part of its “Building Better Lives” program, Purina Cat Chow conducted a contest in early 2015 to honor the “Shelter Volunteer of the Year.”  The contest recognized and thanked the volunteers who tirelessly care for cats as they await their forever homes and work to make their temporary shelter homes gentler, less stressful places.  The winning shelter – as determined by consumer voting and a judging panel – received a $25,000 shelter makeover to improve the cat adoption areas. Purina Cat Chow donated nearly $100,000 among the 50 participating shelters in recognition of their volunteers in cash donations, cat food and cat care supplies.

Purina Cat Chow asked its 50 shelter partners – one in every state, (I am proud to say that a shelter volunteer from a shelter that I feature frequently on both Dakota and Cody's blogs, The Dearborn Animal Shelter, was one of the finalists),  – to nominate a volunteer who spends countless hours providing additional support to lessen the stress on the cats and kittens in the shelters’ care while they await forever homes.  From Feb. 23 to March 15, Purina Cat Chow invited people nationwide to vote for their favorite volunteer story.  Individual votes and a judging panel determined the top shelter volunteer and four runners-up volunteers.  More than 272,000 votes were cast in support of the 50 shelter volunteers.


 Sue Barna, featured  on March 5th on our blog, a dedicated volunteer at The Dearborn Animal Shelter was one of the finalists. I reached out and asked for votes to help her win,  (A HUGE THANK YOU to those of you who voted!!), because to say that The Dearborn Animal Shelter is in dire need of a "make-over" and increased space, is an understatement. I visited them last November, so I know this, all too well.

As you can tell by the wording above, sadly, Sue and the Dearborn Animal Shelter did not win. That being said, it was an honor for the Dearborn Animal Shelter to be one of 50 cat-focused shelters nationwide that was recognized during the contest.

Photo courtesy of the Dearborn Animal Shelter.
  Sue Barna, pictured with one of her own cat family members
did not win the contest, but she is a proud volunteer!
The winner is announced below!

Every participating shelter will receive $1,000 donation, plus Purina Cat Chow Gentle Formula brand food and cat care supplies. The four runners-up shelters each receive an additional $5,000 donation.

Photo Courtesy Of  Purina Cat Chow

 The runners-up volunteers are:

Bob Anderson, Cat Adoption Team (Portland, Ore.)

Lauren Godail, Animal Rescue New Orleans (New Orleans)

Barrett Henderson, Atlanta Humane Society (Atlanta)

Desiree Muench, Hillside S.P.C.A. (Pottsville, Pa.)

 

AND NOW....

Meet the Winner!!

 Liz Taranda

who volunteers at

 the Friends of Clifton (N.J.) Animal Shelter

  .

Liz Taranda, Photo Courtesy of Purina Cat Chow

For more than 10 years, Liz has volunteered thousands of hours toward helping cats at the Clifton Animal Shelter feel comfortable while staying at the shelter and find forever homes. 

The improvements they will receive  include: front office renovations to improve guests’ and adopters’ experiences at the shelter; improvements to cat visitation areas; new windows for better insulation and ventilation; and fresh paint, furniture and epoxy coating on the floors.

 A team of Purina Cat Chow volunteers

 visited the shelter on May 19 to help with the renovation.

Photo Credit Purina Cat Chow

Photo Credit Purina Cat Chow

The final photo is of the newly finished lobby

 at The Clifton Animal Shelter. They did a great job!!

Photo Credit Purina Cat Chow

You can read more about Liz
 and the four-runners-up
 by visiting the Purina Cat Chow website/Building Better Lives.

Tee Pee Trysting:Wordless Wednesday

CLICK HERE
TO FIND OUT
WHAT THIS
WAS ALL ABOUT!!

$50 Gift Card Give-Away Winner!!!

Thanks to all who entered our give-away for the $50 gift card from  Jodi Jarvis-Therrian, the author of Furry Philosophy and Memoirs Set In Stone.

There were a number of you that I KNOW would cherish a piece by Jodi, and it breaks my heart not to be able to have all of you win who wanted this so desperately, but sadly we can only have one winner.  The entries were all put in at random.org....and the lucky number that popped up belonged to:

PLEASE VISIT THEIR BLOG HERE

HUGE CONCATULATIONS!!!

and thank you to Jodi

for this wonderful give-away!

Book Review and Give-Away:The Case of the Cat Show Princess by Cindy Vincent

Now THIS review is a case for Buckley and Bogey to solve! Why in the world am I reviewing the FIRST book in the Buckley and Bogey Cat Detective Series, NOW, when I reviewed the two that followed, prior to this one? I have NO CLUE!! (Get it? "I have NO clue!!!" lol) . In all seriousness, it was planned this way, (well, sort of, I received the other two books FIRST, then I received:)

For those of you who missed my two previous reviews of the other books in the Buckley and Bogey Cat Detective Series, here are the links:

Black Cats Save Christmas in the case of the Crafty Christmas Crooks

The Case of the Jewel Covered Cat Statues

Buckley

Bogey

FROM AUTHOR CINDY VINCENT:

Buckley and Bogey are real, live cats who inspired the Buckley and Bogey Cat Detective Capers. And yes, those are their pictures you see on their book covers. Bogey was adopted from an animal shelter when he was just a kitten, and he came to live with us and three much older female cats. About a year after we adopted him, we noticed a real disconnect between him and the other cats. Not only was Bogey the only male cat at that time, but he was also much, much younger and far more energetic than his sisters. Bogey believed in playing all day, every day, and frequently during the night, too. And since he had no other young cats to play with, he continually tried to engage his older sisters. Unfortunately, they got sick of him quickly, and they would hiss and swat until he left them alone. Then Bogey would flop on the floor and sigh. He wanted someone young to play with so badly, and before long, it became very apparent that he needed a brother. And though we really hadn't intended to bring another cat into the fold right then, we realized we needed someone else to join our little cat family. 

At night, they often run around the house together and seem to be "investigating" and "running surveillance". And since cats are such imaginative creatures -- they can play with a stuffed mouse for hours, as though they're hunting big game in a dense jungle -- Buckley and Bogey seemed to be perfect characters for a cat detective series. Especially considering how well the two get along. Hence, the Buckley and Bogey Cat Detective Capers were born! You can read more about how this twosome came to be right here.

 Now, for something "completely different" Cindy had posted on her Facebook fan page, a most DARLING video review of this book that was done by a little girl named Oriana.  It is just precious and I thought you would enjoy it as much as I did:

I told you Oriana did an amazing job, didn't I? I loved her review because it was based on a young person's point of view.

What has been wonderful for me while reviewing all of the books in the Buckley and Bogey series, along with LOVING her witty, interesting and personable writing style, is that I have gotten a chance to get to know Cindy Vincent as a person. It comes as no surprise to me that Buckley and Bogey are as engaging as they are. Cindy Vincent is one of the most interesting, vivacious  and genuinely WARM people. Her personality shines through her email correspondence, so it is only natural that her magnetic personality is translated on to the pages of every book in this series. Cindy is loaded with charisma, and her star cat characters possess the same.

While I was reading The Case of the Cat Show Princess it dawned on me that through Cindy's descriptive, action-packed and engaging writing, Buckley and Bogey appear as if they REALLY ARE DETECTIVES.  The way in which Cindy depicts them makes me want to sit down and have conversations with them! Bogey possesses the qualities that we all love about his namesake (Humphrey Bogart, think Casablanca, "here's lookin' at YOU kid!!") and tosses cat treats to Buckley with abandon whenever they need to think deeply about how they will devise a plan for their current cases, or when Buckley becomes a tad nervous or uneasy. (Which is often, since he is considered the "rookie" of the duo with over-sized Maine Coon paws that keep poking himself in the eyes when he tries to "salute" Bogey, in an endearing show of respect. The treats are kind of like a human who chain-smokes when nervous, but "cat-style").

Author Vincent incorporates in her writing, and in the dialogue between the cats, all of the nuances that make up cats, their movements, facial expressions, what they would think if we knew what they were thinking, EVERYTHING  in such a convincing way, that to me, Buckley and Bogey aren't mere cats, they ARE "detectives!"

ON A SAD NOTE: "Mokie" aka "The Wise One" who Buckley is always afraid to approach for advice because of his extreme respect for her, crossed the Bridge approximately one month ago. Mokie (like Buckley, Bogey and "The Princess") are all cats that live with Cindy Vincent. It broke my heart when I learned of her passing. Cindy assured me that Mokie will still be appearing in ensuing books. Which leads me to:

Buckley and Bogey, cat detectives and stars of the Buckley and Bogey Cat Detective Capers, just wanted to let you know they're hard at work solving their next big case, and writing down in book format as they go! Plan on book number four coming out in Fall of 2015!

BUT IN THE MEANTIME

All of the books are available for purchase in paperback, or Kindle or Nook versions at:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble 

• ISBN-10: 1932169253
• ISBN-13: 978-1932169256
• PAPERBACK 170 PAGES

VISIT:BuckleyandBogey.com

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Cindy Vincent was born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and has lived all around the US and Canada. She is the creator of the Mysteries by Vincent murder mystery party games and the Daisy Diamond Detective Series games for girls. She lives with her husband and an assortment of fantastic felines.

and...WE HAVE A GIVE-AWAY!!!! 

Cindy has generously offered THREE of my readers who live in the U.S and/or Canada the chance to win a copy of The Case of the Cat Show Princess (an approximate $10 value)! Entering is easy! Just enter on the Rafflecopter below and NOTE; THERE ARE TWO MANDATORY REQUIREMENTS FOR ENTRY...BOTH MUST BE COMPLETED OR YOUR ENTRY WILL BE DISQUALIFIED. GOOD LUCK!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I received no compensation for this review/give-away. I received a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

Farewell to a special dog....

We have loved Ande for quite some time,
 and our hearts are broken....
It takes a special dog to love cats the way that Ande did,
Ande loved ALL animals.
Dakota, Cody and I send our deepest sympathy
and much love.
(We are hoping Ann doesn't mind that we took the liberty of adding our photo and flowers to her artwork)
Much love to Marg,
You can visit her here

Winner!!!! Texts From Mittens by Angie Bailey

Thanks to ALL who entered our give-away for:

It is now time to announce the

 LUCKY WINNER!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sandee also has a blog:

You can visit it
by clicking here!

HUGE CONCATULATIONS
TO SANDEE!!

Straw Hat Day and a Special Birthday!!

Hi my furiends!

Today is a most special day! It is Straw Hat Day , the day when all felt and warm hats should be put away, and the hats of summer (Straw Hats!) should be brought out to not only help you keep cool in the sun, but to make you LOOK "cool!!"

I decided to incorporate my "cool" look while celebrating the birthday of an IMMENSELY SPECIAL LADY CAT that I have known for years and years!!!  In fact, we go waaaay back! I have made a number of appearances on her blog and she has done the same on mine!

I have watched her date countless mancats, but always, she would return to the "Codester" for some fun and the comfort of my reassuring paws.

Today, this special lady cat is turning 17, a truly special birthday indeed!

Happy, Happy Birthday to 

Nellie!!

Happy Happy Birthday my sweet furiend!!!

Wishing you many, many more!!

Much love from,

Cody

I'm heading over to Nellie's pawty and you should do the same! See ya all there!

Cat Fight? Wordless Wednesday

The cat on the window sill is "Josie" aka "Little Meow" because she is so talkative.
 Many of you have already met Willow!!!

Pet Adoption! Meet Your Best Friend at the Zoo!! #Michigan

The above video was from the 2014 Meet Your Best Friend at the Zoo event.

Friday & Saturday
May 15 & 16, 2015
Fri.: 1 p.m. to 7 p.m.  
Sat.: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Detroit Zoo, Royal Oak

The Detroit Zoo is located at 8450 W. 10 Mile Road in Royal Oak. There is no charge for admission or parking for the event, which takes place under large tents in the front parking lot. The event does not include admission to the zoo.

Adoption fees and policies are set by each participating group and not by event hosts or sponsors. Animals will be adopted only to qualified homes. Adopters must present a driver’s license or state ID card. All dogs and cats will have received a medical check-up and age-appropriate vaccinations. For health and safety reasons, please leave current pets at home.

The Michigan Humane Society is the largest and oldest animal welfare organization in the state. MHS works to end companion animal homelessness, provide the highest quality service and compassion to the animals entrusted to our care, and to be a leader in promoting humane values.

$50 Gift Card Give-Away from Guest Author of Furry Philosophy and Memoirs Set in Stone:Jodi Jarvis-Therrian

Today it is our most sincere pleasure and honor to have Jodi Jarvis-Therrian as our guest blogger.  Cody and I had the pleasure of connecting with Jodi through author Elizabeth Parker, (Dakota reviewed nearly ALL of her books), and Jodi has recently released HER first book:Furry Philosophy and Memoirs Set in Stone. Jodi also creates exquisite memory stones, which you can read about below. It is our pleasure to introduce you to Jodi Jarvis -Therrian, our new and dear, dear friend!!! Take it away Jodi!!!

I would like to thank Caren very much for asking me to guest  blog for her! It is quite an honor to be  her guest!

 I believe anyone who has ever loved a pet has felt this way! If only their life span was as long as ours.

I think I was put here on this earth to help others who love their pets as much as I do, cope with the loss of their pet and CELEBRATE their lives.

     With all my heart, I believe that our pets come to this earth to teach us our greatest lessons, and help us through the rough spots.I would like to share some of the wisdom passed on to me by the amazing animals that are present,  and from those that  have passed through my life,  in my book: Furry Philosphy and Memoirs Set in Stone.

The wisdom they have shared with me is a true gift I hope to share with you. This wisdom comes in many forms, some of the memories evoke  laughter, joy,  and yes, even heartbreak, but above all---they convey: unconditional love. I hope these stories will not only brighten your day, but also help those of you that have lost a furry friend. I hope these stories help you to heal, by knowing others  feel that same kind of unconditional love, and know that we all understand how hard it is to lose that love.

    These are stories of not only the lives of furry friends that have affected my life,  there are also stories of other precious furry lives from people far and wide. I have included each story in their original form, as they were submitted to me, each very different, special, and unique, like the precious lives they honor. 

Included are photos showing furry friends, and  memories made into loving art, portraying a special story or memory. Some of these animals are still with us in this world and their fur was added to the piece of art work, and some are in the next world, and may have ashes or fur lovingly added inside to honor their special lives with love.

  

      I am grateful that I am allowed to do what I love , write and create art to help others celebrate LIFE and honor it!. I think that is what life is all about, taking the gifts we are given, and honoring those gifts by sharing them with others.

I take pride in helping people by doing what I love, and creating unique art tailor-made to their specific memories. I love to hear  the various stories of the people who contact me, and I would love to hear YOUR stories, and work together one-on-one to create the perfect piece to portray the memories that resonate with you. I can incorporate some fur if your beloved pet is still with us , ashes if they are not. I can make a glass piece from a photo, as shown in some of the photos included above and below.

 It is so hard to lose a cherished pet,  but we have to CELEBRATE THAT LIFE NOW AND WHEN IT IS GONE , remember the wise words by that insightful 'ol bear Winnie the Pooh, How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard. Jodi Jarvis-Therrian

You can purchase Furry Philosophy and Memoirs Set in Stone  on  Amazon.com OR if  you purchase it by emailing me at cani7lupus@aol.com or messaging me thru my webpage:  I will give $5 to my animal charity of the week or you pick from a list of charities on my blog 

You can also see more photos of the memory stones on my webpage or Facebook :

Keep up on some furry fun on my book page on  Facebook: Furry Philosophy And Memoirs Set In Stone.

"Broken heart rainbow bridge pendant , the heart is to represent the love for our fur friends , the crack is obviously for how it breaks our heart when they go , the rainbow color is to represent the rainbow bridge where we know they will go and be happy and pain free until we see them again"

"The passing of a loved one or a pet can leave such an emptiness . I have unfortunately experienced this emptiness and wish to help others who have too. To help bring peace and keep the loved ones memories close to our heart in a beautiful way, I use a small portion of the loved ones' ashes, hair or fur and fuse them with fine quality glass." 

GIVE-AWAY!!!! Jodi has generously offered to give ONE READER located anywhere in the world a $50 gift card to be used towards a Basic Pendant on her website, (or to be used towards any other item.) The give-away is open to everyone and all you have to do to enter is leave a comment telling me you wish to be entered. That's it! The give-away is open now and will end on Monday, May 18th at 12 noon EST. The winner will be announced on May 19th. Good luck!