Let me start by saying, he is fine. But I am very upset by the whole thing. OK, I will start from the beginning. Today was just one of those days that went from bad to worse. I am not going to get into all the human stuff that created a really bad day, but there is one piece that I will tell you. Friday, the Pest Control guy was suppose to come to do his yearly termite inspection but he never showed up. Today he was suppose to come at 3 pm and he showed up at 9 am. I hate when people do that, and if I did not have to have this inspection as part of my contract, I would have told him to go away until another day. Anyway, the same guy has been coming for years. He is a strange older dude and rambles on and on, and does not watch what he is doing (or where he tries to put his hands – but that is for a different blog). To do this inspection he mainly checks the garage and the outside of the house. When we went from the house to the garage, I told him to shut the door behind him, but I saw that he did not, so I came back and closed it. Around 9:30 am he finished his inspection after much to much chatter, yada yada yada, and then he went. I went back to work and at 11:00 am I got the dogs ready for their walk with Mojo. When I opened the front door, who is on the front steps but Nine! I never knew he was out and I never saw him exit. It was really hot out and he was panting terribly. On top of that, Mojo hates cats, so I was really worried that they were going to be rounding the corner any minute and all 90 lbs of Lab would see 9 lb Nine and go after him. I approached Nine cautiously but he ran (which I did not expect). Nine jumped the fence (it was a really nice jump actually) and scrambled into my back yard. I called Peanut and together we were finally able to wrangle him and get him in the house (before Mojo arrived or any other disasters befell him (like meeting a fox)). All the other animals in the zoo were very concerned about him and gathered around; they even let him eat a snack without trying to steal it from him (which is unheard of with this group). Panting cats are a very bad sign and he had me very scared for a few minutes. Ice cubes and paw washing cooled him down pretty quick and then he slept for the afternoon. You would think that taught him a lesson but noooooooo!!!! Not Nine the Adventurer. Whenever I am at the door now, guess who is trying to have another adventure.
Just another DogDaz morning at the zoo ❤ 
Tags: Animal, animal awareness, animals, Cat, Cat People, cats, DogDaz, Pet, pets, postaday
I stumbled upon this great animal pop artist, Dean Russo, on Facebook. Not only is his work incredible but the messages that he adds are just so on the mark. This piece, ” In a perfect world every dog has a home,” is such a wonderful battle cry. When I contacted DeanRussoArt, Megan told me that “amongst other ways he contributes to animal charities, Dean has a program of Affiliate Rescues that he closely works with and contributes to on a monthly basis since he has way too many requests to take on all of them.” Check out his colorful creativity and brilliant imagination.
Did you know that according to Angie’s List (Baltimore Edition August 2012), “5 million companion animals enter animal control facilities nationwide every year, and more than 60 percent die there.” At times, it seems like such an overwhelming problem, but I know that so many people and organizations are doing such good work to try and stop the tidal wave.
What do we do about the homeless, the abandoned, the abused? What can we do about the millions of dogs that are not properly taken care of, both pure breed and inter breed, that end up without someone loving them? This breaks my heart.
I guess you can see why the DogDaz zoo has 5 cats and 2 dogs currently (down from our high of 11 animals). I want to thank all the animal rescue organizations out there, all you tireless protectors, and voices for the voiceless. Thank you MJ’s Sanctuary for Louise, Lucky Dog Animal Rescue for Sofie, Last Chance Animals Rescue through the PetSmart Charities for Noel, Constance Kitty, Nine, and Stella, and thank you to the Anne Arundel County SPCA for The Muffin Man.
I wish I could snap my fingers and give every animal a home (actually I wish I could do that for humans too) Please remember that even $1 makes a difference. Really, it does. Ok, I will get off my soup box now. See what a picture like that can do to me.
Just another DogDaz morning at the zoo ❤
Tags: adoption, Animal, animal awareness, Animal rights, Animal welfare, Dean Russo Art, dog, DogDaz, Pet, pets, postaday, Rescues and Shelters, shelter dog
It has been so hot here in the Mid-Atlantic. The truth is it is not so much the heat as the humidity. The dogs and I try to go for a walk early in the day so as not to be out in the worst part of the heat, but that is not always possible because of my work schedule. 
We were lucky enough to be passing Louise’s bff Amy’s house around noon and she invited us to jump in her dog pool. Aren’t we lucky dogs! Sofie absolutely loves to lie in the water all the way to her head. She is like an alligator. Louise won’t lie down in it much but she sure likes to splash. They had a super time and it really helped them cool off.
My only trouble was when the three of them start to rough-house. I think I have told you before that Louise has been chewing on Amy’s ears since they were puppy’s together (they met when they were 5/6 months). I am not sure what that is about, but she always goes for her ears, like she is going to pierce them for her. Sofie tries to join in and it kind of seems like a gang up, but it is not. So the three of them come running to the pool at full speed and smash right into my knee, at which point, I hear it go….. ‘poop!’ I am Ok, but it knocked the wind out of me for a few minutes and I limped home. Nothing like 180 lbs of dog ( 70 lb (Amy) + 60 lb (Lulu) + 50 lb (Sofie)) sideswiping me at the same time. I wish Amy had a hot-tub instead of a dog pool. Wouldn’t that feel nice on a sore knee? (Well, maybe not in the summer heat.) Oh, and an added bonus was that Amy’s Mother rinsed them off with the hose before we left, so they were partially dry by the time we got home and didn’t smell terribly like ‘wet-dog.’ How wonderful is that!
A fun time was had by all – even me. They really do love when they see Amy. And I love when they spend 30 minutes in hard dog play and then sleep well for the rest of the hot day.
Just another DogDaz morning at the zoo ❤
Tags: Animal, animals, dog, dog pools, DogDaz, Pet, pets, postaday
Have you ever sat there and looked at your child, or your lover, and just had this kind of stare that is just made up of pure love. You know that look; the one that says, no matter what happens at any other point in time, this point is perfect, and you are just the being that I want to be near. This is the look that I have for my daughter when she is just looking a certain way or doing something, that makes me feel warm and fuzzy and mommyish inside. That unconditional, no matter what, love and adoration. Well, that is how Louise and Sofie have been looking at me since I got home. I can not go anywhere without them of course attached to my side. But the looks… the I must be in your presence, you are the center of my being, kind of looks. Now, I really do not feel that I deserve this undying devotion. Come on, dogs, I just left you for 10 days, why aren’t you mad at me or something? Instead, they just want to kiss me and snuggle, and rub deep against me. There is so much that is said in a look. I think that is why the virtual world craves pictures so much. People really want to ‘look’ at things. They want to see the form and the movement. Even though we may be disconnected in space and time, beings want to look at each other. Ok, I know that people that do not have sight may not have this concept, but I bet (I don’t have anyone I can ask so I am guessing), that they have, in their own unsighted way, ‘the look’ that I am talking about. Come to think of it, Squash E Bear, when totally blind, used to tilt his head to me in that kind of ‘I love you and will follow you anywhere forever’ look. Look back at this picture of me, Lulu, and Squash and see if you don’t agree? I find it incredible that the animals can sit and stare at me that way. Noel does it too, but not Muffy, Kitty, or the others. Is it love? Is it obedience? Do animals look at each other that way? Do they stare at their young the way that I do mine? Sometimes, I guess I stare at the animals that way too. Like when I took this picture of Louise yesterday. She is watching Sofie on the other side of the deck with a rope toy. I was struck by her musculature, her calmness, and her beauty. I probably had ‘the look’ in my eyes when I took the shot. I guess maybe next time I will turn the camera around and see.
Just another DogDaz morning at the zoo ❤
Tags: Animal, animal awareness, cute dogs, dog, Dog People, DogDaz, Dogs, looks, love, nature, Pet, pets, postaday
I interrupt the daily zoo to bring you Madelyn Dawn, my most incredible 22 month old grandniece and the Goat. Children and animals have this unspoken way of understanding each other. I find it really interesting how animals know that young humans are different than older humans. Do they smell of innocence? Wonder? Newness? I love how this goat has focused in on her and it is as if they are having a secret moment. I observed once as Squash played with a little toddler who was positioned behind him and kept wanting to play with his tail (and what a beautiful furry tail it was). We were at a birthday party of a 5 year old, outside in a park and Squash did not know anyone. He laid in a down position, as he tended to do, and swished his tail one way, and the baby would reach, and then the other way, just as the child would grab for it. This went on for a really long time. The child was laughing and laughing. Coincidence, or thoughtful play, who knows? I believe that animals know that children are for playing. Hope you had fun feeding the goats, Maddy girl, sure looks like Nanny enjoyed meeting you.
Just another DogDaz morning at the zoo ❤
Tags: Animal, animal awareness, Children, DogDaz, Goat, nature, Pet, pets, postaday
Noel In Charge
The trouble with leaving Noel in charge of the zoo while I was gone, is that she actually took it very seriously. Here you see her taking over the dog bed in my office and forcing poor Louise to sleep on the floor. That is the trouble with animals of different species. They seem to boss each other around in funny ways. What I found really cute is that Louise actually listened to her and vacated the bed. Maybe it is an age before beauty thing; Lulu being the younger animal of course. I think that in my absence Noel was forced to deal with situations that she did not prefer; like having to be with people other than Mommy and actually being with the rest of the herd/pride. I noticed that she has been out more the last couple of days since I have been home. She was investigating ‘Syd,’ the platypus that I brought home from the Taronga Zoo in Sydney, Australia, for Peanut. Funny what happens to certain animals when you give then a sense of responsibility.
Maybe Noel will start being more social with the other animals now that she has been in the leadership role. I doubt it though. I do find it interesting that the dogs allowed Noel to be in their bed when they do not allow any other cats to even come close. They are really possessive about their spots usually. I have seen Sofie get extremely upset at Nine for trying to enter her kennel (she probably was protecting her lovey, Beaver, who was sleeping inside). The dynamics of my pack/pride are very interesting. When you change one thing, take out a member or add a member, even for a short time, the relationships seem to shift. Sometimes they come back to where they started, and sometimes, they don’t. I really hope the dogs don’t start standing on my desk and sleeping in Noel’s bed under the window. I don’t think I could deal with that.
Just another DogDaz morning at the zoo ❤
Tags: Animal, animal awareness, animals, australia, Cat, Cat People, cats, dog, Dog People, DogDaz, Dogs, nature, Pet, pets, postaday, Sydney, Taronga Zoo
Let me start by saying, he is fine. But I am very upset by the whole thing. OK, I will start from the beginning. Today was just one of those days that went from bad to worse. I am not going to get into all the human stuff that created a really bad day, but there is one piece that I will tell you. Friday, the Pest Control guy was suppose to come to do his yearly termite inspection but he never showed up. Today he was suppose to come at 3 pm and he showed up at 9 am. I hate when people do that, and if I did not have to have this inspection as part of my contract, I would have told him to go away until another day. Anyway, the same guy has been coming for years. He is a strange older dude and rambles on and on, and does not watch what he is doing (or where he tries to put his hands – but that is for a different blog). To do this inspection he mainly checks the garage and the outside of the house. When we went from the house to the garage, I told him to shut the door behind him, but I saw that he did not, so I came back and closed it. Around 9:30 am he finished his inspection after much to much chatter, yada yada yada, and then he went. I went back to work and at 11:00 am I got the dogs ready for their walk with Mojo. When I opened the front door, who is on the front steps but Nine! I never knew he was out and I never saw him exit. It was really hot out and he was panting terribly. On top of that, Mojo hates cats, so I was really worried that they were going to be rounding the corner any minute and all 90 lbs of Lab would see 9 lb Nine and go after him. I approached Nine cautiously but he ran (which I did not expect). Nine jumped the fence (it was a really nice jump actually) and scrambled into my back yard. I called Peanut and together we were finally able to wrangle him and get him in the house (before Mojo arrived or any other disasters befell him (like meeting a fox)). All the other animals in the zoo were very concerned about him and gathered around; they even let him eat a snack without trying to steal it from him (which is unheard of with this group). Panting cats are a very bad sign and he had me very scared for a few minutes. Ice cubes and paw washing cooled him down pretty quick and then he slept for the afternoon. You would think that taught him a lesson but noooooooo!!!! Not Nine the Adventurer. Whenever I am at the door now, guess who is trying to have another adventure.
DogDaz Zoo 