Santa Claus is Coming to Town!

Santa Claus is coming to town and I am personally getting VERY excited! Worse than a child, some say.
Of course, there is always the chance that one can get a lump of coal if one has not been good over the past year, or worse, ashes and switches. It seems that I have been threatened with this at one time or another.
But I am a GOOD dog, and just like good children, I hope Santa will leave me something nice under the tree this year. Think FOOD, Santa! What would I do with a lump of coal? And for darn sure, I have no need for ashes or switches!
I have given it my best shot this month, knowing that Santa was checking his list. I have worked really hard and, thanks to my humans, I have even worn antlers that light up, a Santa hat (No, Santa, I was not mocking you!), a red garland, and other appalling articles of clothing. I even submitted, rather graciously I do believe, to having my picture taken while wearing the hat. Santa, are you listening?
I have really gotten into the holiday spirit and have been visiting several places around the county. At Tryon Estates, Miss Caroline tried to make off with my light-up antlers (run, Miss Caroline, run!); at Polk Middle School, three young ladies actually climbed on top of their desks because they were so afraid of me... ME... you know who you are... but now you can say you have petted me, and found me to be a real softie!
I also got to visit some of the students at Polk Central School, and I would like to repeat, I am NOT a horse, so no, you cannot ride me, first graders! I do enjoy beinng patted, though! I think everyone enjoyed these visits, but none more so than me.
We are really trying to get the point across at the schools that there are simply not enough homes for all the dogs and cats, and that it is a good thing to spay and neuter your pets. Ruth, one of my co-workers, asked the students to do the math to see how many animals can be born when they are not spayed or neutered. Even the first graders could do the math!
I won't belabor the details, but the bottom line is that if you start with an un-spayed female and an un-neutered male, with neither of them nor any of their puppies ever spayed or neutered, in six years you find yourself up to your neck in 67,000 dogs! It is worse with cats, because the number increases to 420,000 cats! Yikes! At least those are the numbers that the folks at Spay USA use. That's not just scary, that's unbelievable! No community in the world can take care of that many animals!
So please, spay and neuter your pets!
Ahem, back to the subject at hand, and thank you, Santa, for letting me digress, this is the time of year for believing in Santa and in the spirit of goodness in all of us. It is the time of year for giving, and even I can appreciate the joy that goes along with giving to others! (Except, maybe, my dinner... sorry Santa!) During this beautiful holiday season, we can all believe in our fellow beings, and the hope that one day we can all live in peace. And during this joyous and holy season, please remember those who are less fortunate, both two-legged and four-legged, even if all you can give is a kind word.
In closing, I want to say to Lenny, no apology necessary. Monty was, indeed, a champ! Oh, if only all owners would feel that their dog is a champ! I am grateful beyond words to know that Monty had such a good life with the folks who loved him so well.
Merry Christmas everyone!
Woof!
Champ

Thankful... I am!

Partially written by Champ on November 23, 2006...
Today is Thanksgiving and I have a lot to be thankful for... sometimes we need to take a step back and look at all the things we have in our lives to be grateful for...
Here is my list of things I am thankful for:
Food, well, that goes without saying, but there are other things I have put on my list as well so as not to look like such a big food-monger.
I am thankful for my home. Everyone deserves a home, and yet there are people and animals that don't have one.
I am thankful to all the folks who took the time and trouble to feed and care for me before I had a forever home of my own.
I am thankful for the folks that cared enough about me to get me off the highways of Mississippi and into the loving arms of MS Great Pyrenees Rescue and my foster Mom.
I am thankful that I have a job that allows me to help others by being a Therapy Dog. I can give back some of what has been given to me... yes... "paws it forward" or something like that...
I am thankful for long walks in the woods where I can smell the "call of the wild" even if I cannot join in. I am thankful for my neighbor, Anton, who asks every morning to hold my leash and then lets me go wherever I like. This is a good thing.
I am thankful for the full moon, and for the coyotes, vultures, and airplanes that fly over the house and give me the opportunity to bark wildly, as barking keeps them in line... well, except for the airplanes!
So on this day of giving thanks, I have a great deal to be thankful for But I am MOST thankful that I am not.... a TURKEY!!!
Please take a moment to stop and give thanks! And to each and every one... have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Oops, I almost forgot... if you are tired of eating leftovers after the Thanksgiving holiday, (or even if you aren’t), many area restaurants will be donating a percentage of their income on Tuesday, Nov. 27 (or Wednesday, the 28th if they are not open on Tuesdays) to the Foothills Humane Society. A list of participating restaurants will be published in the Tryon Daily Bulletin, so please plan to take your friends and family out to eat on one of those days. We really appreciate these kind restaurant owners, and you can get a great meal and help Foothills at the same time! (I have heard that some of the waitstaff are planning to donate a percentage of their tips -- they ROCK!) I must say that I wish I could find a restaurant that would let me participate. Yum.
Woof!
— Champ

‘Any and All Dogs,’ what a blast!

The Any & All Dog Show sponsored by the Tryon Riding & Hunt Club was a big hit this year. There were so many dogs and their humans there that it was difficult to even see what was going on!
I think it helped that we all were blessed before the show by Father Doty. I really should have gone and gotten a private blessing afterward but in the mayhem, I dropped it out... trust me, Father... it was not intentional!
I did take a ribbon though – a BLUE ribbon in the child's class for Most Interesting Tail! Imagine that! The Tryon Daily Bulletin actually got it a little wrong (just this once guys, really!) as they said I was owned by Brock Mayer and the truth is, he is my nephew... and I am pretty sure that I own him.
There were quite a few "interesting tails" for me to check out, and Brock is quite obedient, so we went wherever I pleased... I really enjoyed this while it lasted. Brock followed me right through the judges' tent, which probably did not hurt our chances at a ribbon. Our win made his day, which made me very happy.
The only other class I entered was the Best Costume Class and as most of you know, I am not terribly fond of being dressed up. My humans placed a black wig, a witch's hat, and a black feather boa on me. I could shake the hat off very quickly, but the boa was tricky... when I finally pawed at the boa and got it off, just in case no one got the picture, I lifted my leg on it. Think they got it this time?
There were so many nice dogs and nice folks there, and the weather was almost perfect although it could have been a bit cooler. It was just a nice relaxing day for us to have fun and enjoy our humans...
I would like to personally invite EVERYONE to the Open House this Saturday, Nov. 3 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Foothills Shelter on Little Mountain Road. Just think... FREE hotdogs (probably just for humans though) and FREE cake, FREE pony rides, a FREE goody bag for each family from Little Mountain Feed Store -- and that's not all! From noon until 2 p.m., SANTA will be there, ready to pose with your pet for photos! Music will be provided courtesy of Dana Bergman who, along with his dog Barney, is a personal friend of mine. It will be a lot of fun, and for a good cause -- to show support for our terrific shelter!
The staff and volunteers are rightfully proud of the shelter -- how it looks, the way it is run, and the kindness and care given to the animals there. Many times folks who visit say that it looks more like an upscale boarding facility than a shelter! I have seen animals actually come to the shelter of their own accord... and sad but true, for some animals, it is the best "home" they will ever know!
So please drop by between 11 and 3 on Saturday and see this fine shelter, and what a difference these wonderful humans make for the homeless animals in Polk County! I'll be there listening to the music and eyeing Santa's sleigh (don't ask), so make sure to come over and say hello.
See you Saturday! Woof!
Champ

National Feral Cat Day

Po'Kitties (www.pokitties.com) is a new program at the Foothills Humane Society where, as you may know, I have the privilege of being the SpokesDog. At any rate, they asked me to speak on behalf of the feral cats in our community.
OK.... OK.... I was rope-dragged into writing this by the Po' Kitties committee! But, truth be known, this world could stand to be a little kinder to the cats! I know I often make comments about cats.... such as "blech", etc.... but I live with cats and while I may not always agree with them, they deserve to be treated with kindness and respect, just like all creatures.
National Feral Cat Day is this Tuesday, October 16th, and on this date Po' Kitties will be kicking off their feral cat trap-neuter-release program which is designed to help the feral cats in our community by sterilizing them. That way they will not be able to reproduce litter after litter of.....more cats!
As I understand it, the program has volunteers to help and advise with the process of humanely trapping feral cats, getting them spayed or neutered, vaccinating them, ear-tipping them, and releasing them back into managed colonies. Now, I don't mind admitting that some of this is a bit over my head, and I had to ask, "Exactly what are 'ear-tipping' and 'managed colonies'?"
It turns out that ear-tipping is done while the cat is already under anesthesia to be sterilized, and the vet cuts off the tip of one ear. That way, anyone who sees the cat knows that the cat is sterile, vaccinated, and a part of a managed colony. The picture you see is of a cat that has been ear-tipped. A managed colony is a small group of cats who have permission to live in a certain place. Along with that permission, there is a person or a group of people who commits to providing food and water to the colony. The Po'Kitties committee will monitor these colonies and help where and as needed.
I was surprised and pleased to know that so many people in our community are already providing food and water to these cats. It makes me feel good to know that my neighbors are being so kind. If you or someone you know is feeding one or more feral cats, the Po'Kitties folks would like to hear from you so they can help get the cats spayed or neutered.
I guess I hadn't realized the extent of this problem until it was brought to my attention by Po'Kitties. I was distressed to learn that some people treat these cats cruelly. I think it is time to take matters into our own paws (er....or hands) and deal with this problem instead of sweeping it under the rug (or shooting it).
My contribution will mostly be through my blog, but there are lots of ways you can help. You can volunteer your time helping with the Po'Kitties program. You can drive a trapped cat to and from the vet's office. You can donate money so more cats can be spayed, neutered, vaccinated and ear-tipped. You can offer to provide food and water to a managed colony, either on your property or somewhere else, and you can do it every day, or once a week, or when the caretaker takes a vacation. Most importantly, you can be kind to these creatures when you see them.
Po'Kitties will have a booth at this Sunday's ANY AND ALL DOG SHOW. This super cool event for humans and dogs is sponsored by the Tryon Riding & Hunt Club, and proceeds go to benefit the Foothills Humane Society. It's at Harmon Field from 1-3. They will have the awesome Po'Kitties tee-shirts for sale (get 'em while you can)! I will be there with some kind of stupid costume my humans will make me wear, and would be happy to say "Hello!" if you come over to see me.
I did want to mention that I have read lately in the Tryon Daily Bulletin that some folks are losing animals to predators like the coyote. Might I remind you that we Livestock Guardian Dogs not only make your life richer in every way (just by having us around), but for thousands of years we have been bred to protect livestock from predation. No coyote will ever get past ME or any other Livestock Guardian Dog. You can read more about it in the latest Progressive Farmer magazine (yes, the same magazine that touted Polk County as such a terrific place to live) in the article titled, "On Guard". And there is a place in Winston-Salem that specializes in training us rescue dogs to be the best Livestock Guardian Dogs around, so you can help save one of us and - - save your livestock too!
If you would like to know more about Livestock Guardian Dogs, please drop me a line!
See you at the Any and All Dog Show Sunday!
Woof!
— Champ

Pet Pals… we have jobs!

Pet Pals is a group of folks and their dogs (Dogs Rock!) from this area who have undergone testing and training so they can go to nursing homes, retirement centers, schools, hospitals, camps, festivals, Special Olympics... pretty much anywhere there are people who would enjoy a visit. We are organized and insured by Therapy Dogs International, a national group which provides support, guidelines, and insurance for Pet Pals and other groups like us.

We visit many places in the community, and most of the folks seem to enjoy seeing us. Of course, there is always a party pooper somewhere! And I am OK with the fact that not everyone can appreciate us for who we are and what we do. But most faces light up when they see us, and I think I can vouch for the other dogs when I say that we have a job to do and we take it seriously!
Katie Malone is responsible for starting the Pet Pals here in the area and she is a Certified Trainer. She has really done a fine job of organizing and looking after all the picky little details... and her dog, Ziggy, is very cool and is a good friend of mine!

We dogs, and our handlers, go through an initial temperment test. Anyone who bites or growls or acts like a loony-tune will fail! We have to be calm enough, and nice enough, to be around young children, fragile folks, and those who are bedridden or who don't understand us. We are trained how to behave around crutches and walkers, wheelchairs and oxygen tubes, and lots of other equipment that we might find in various facilities. Rowdy dogs could knock someone down and hurt them, even if they didn't mean to, or get tangled in someone's tubes, so being calm matters. Some of the smaller dogs can sit in peoples' laps to be petted. Many people (and dogs) enjoy this very much. Needless to say, my butt is too big to sit in anyone's lap!

One time at White Oak Estates, there was a lady who was bedridden and she wanted so very badly to touch me, so I tried, very carefully, to get up into her bed and lay down. I was stopped from doing this, even though I think I could have done it. I guess some of us just will never make it as lap dogs! (I was able stretch up high so she could pat me. I would have enjoyed lying on the bed though!)

We are also tested around other dogs to make sure there are no "incidents" while visiting. We are not even allowed to sniff noses (or the other end) of the other animals during a visit. Trust me, I have tried it all! We are tested around strangers to make sure we react kindly and calmly to them all settings. Laurelwoods here in Columbus has been very helpful in letting us use their facility to train. We love their staff and enjoy visiting the residents there very much!

We desperately need more dogs and handlers to volunteer! There are just not enough of us to go around, and it is such a rewarding job! There were a whole bunch of really terrific dogs in our last training session and I miss seeing them! So all you trained dogs out there, please have your handler bring you to one of our visiting sessions! We have so many places to visit that you can pick and choose your times and places... days, evenings, weekends, whatever you and your handler want, well... mostly. But we really need you to go on at least one visit each month.

And if you have a dog that you think might qualify as a Therapy Dog, please consider taking the test and training with us. I can say from experience that even though everyone tells us that seeing us just "makes their day" the truth is that they make MY day! We all get a whole lot more than we give. Our Katie is planning another training session in January, so if you think you have what it takes, please have your person call Katie at 864-415-5804.

The last time I was visiting, a lady called several of us back over and said that "she thanked us from the bottom of her heart for coming."

That made my week.

So you see... YOU can make a difference!

Woof!

— Champ

Michael Vick, what were you thinking?

There has been more than enough in the news and on TV lately about Michael Vick.
Now that he has plea bargained to dogfighting and other crimes, I would like to share my thoughts on this matter as several folks have asked me my feelings on this subject.
Michael Vick had everything, or so it seemed… he went from winner of the Heisman Trophy to being the highest paid NFL football player (and oh, he was so exciting to watch!). He had endorsements by several big companies which paid him quite a bit more than his NFL salary. He had fame, good looks, and had many fans, especially children, who thought he was "simply the best".

Boy, did all this disappear fast.....

Dogfighting, cockfighting, and any other sport that involves animals fighting to their deaths so that folks can watch is just downright cruel and inhumane. I do not see how anyone can even watch it. It is also against the law in all 50 states and a felony in 48 states. There have been many excuses made for Mr. Vick's behavior. The fact that he was from the South and that this was part of his heritage is horse-hooey, and immaturity means nothing -- everyone is immature at some point in their lives, but that certainly doesn't mean that they are cruel. And all the other excuses -- that his mom was only 13 when she had him, that he went from rags to riches, none of this amounts to a hill of beans. It is never anyone's right to cause pain and suffering to another being for pleasure. Nothing makes this right and nothing ever will. There is simply no excuse for it. NONE!

I am not sure that Michael Vick will ever be able to play football in the NFL again. It is possible that he has ruined his football career for good. It seems a high price to pay, but he made choices all along the way that led him down this path. He chose to treat animals as nothing more than players in his games. As they say, not all people who torture animals turn out to be serial killers, but ALL serial killers started out torturing animals. And everyone knows that the abuse of animals and the abuse of humans are closely linked. I hope that Michael Vick seeks and receives the help he needs.

In my very humble opinion, it is NEVER OK to be cruel to animals or ANY other living creature.

Be Kind!

— Champ

Too hot to trot!

These last couple of weeks have been so VERY hot and I know everyone is feeling the heat because personally, I have found them to be a little grumpy. I have become addicted to air conditioning and only venture out in the early morning and late evening when it is a little cooler.

I was going to go to Tryon Estates last week for a visit and because it was 106 degrees, my Mom nixed that plan. So instead, I stayed home and sulked... and found other ways to amuse myself... such as ripping up rolls of toilet paper... a bored dog can be a BAD dog!

That reminds me of the time we were visiting at Tryon Estates in the Special Care Unit and a lady came out of her room with a roll of toilet paper and was leaving a trail everywhere she went so there was toilet paper everywhere... down the hall, etc. She had a huge grin on her face and just seemed to be really enjoying the moment. I know I certainly enjoyed it and felt an immediate kinship to this sweet lady, something along the lines of "partners in crime!"

During this extremely hot time of the year pets need a little extra care to help them get through these last "DOG DAYS" of summer. Cats, dogs and ALL animals need fresh water at all times... they need some sort of shelter... even a tarp will work to provide some shade from the relentless sun. If you have them clipped, please leave a little hair to protect them from sunburn.... even if you leave a quarter inch or so of hair, this will help protect their skin.

The asphalt gets very hot during these days so please watch out for your doggie's pads if you take them for a walk in the heat. In this kind of weather, their pads can be very badly burned! Also, please remember that it only takes a few minutes in a hot car for an animal to die from the heat, so PLEASE do not leave your pets in a hot car!

And if you REALLY want to spoil your animals, you can invest in them a swimming pool, like the ones the children use. I think this would be the ultimate life for a dog, but then "how would I know?!"

Please send any comments to me at my blog at the Tryon Daily Bulletin website... www.tryondailybulletin.com or if you happen to get a swimming pool, please write to invite me over to use it as I do not have a swimming pool of my own.... WHINE!

Woof!

— Champ