If ourwoofselves paw-wrote wills ...

by @winecountrydog Tilin Corgi and Jackie Nippers Corgi

Wot a lovely idea for beloved dogs like ourwoofselves, both lucky rescue dogs, to leave behind best wishes for other dogs and cats who need lovin' homes.

A Dog's Last Will & Testament

Before humans die, they write their last will and testament, give their home and all they have to those they leave behind.

If, with my paws, I could do the same, this is what I'd ask.

To a poor and lonely stray, I'd give my my happy home, my bowl and cozy bed, soft pillow, and all my toys; the lap that I have loved so much; the hand that stroked my fur; and the sweet voice that spoke my name.

I'd will to a sad, scared shelter dog the place I had in my human's loving heart, of which there seemed no bounds.

So, when I die, please do not say, 'I will never have a pet again, for the loss and pain is more than I can stand.'

Instead go find an unloved dog [or cat], one whose life has held no joy or hope, and give my place to him.

This is the only thing I can give . . . The love I left behind.

Written by Anonymous Dog and posted at RescuePledge.org

Ere is wot Mum sez, quotin' from a poem:

"We'll shelter him with tenderness and love him while we may,
and for the happiness we'll know, forever grateful stay.
And when the angels call for him, we'll brave the bitter grief,
but know that deep within our hearts he will only feel relief."


Sunset walkies on Sonoma Coast beach.

RIP Rita Miljo, wildlife conservationist of African baboon sanctuary C.A.R.E.

by winecountrydog Tilin Corgi

We would like to remember conservationist Rita Miljo, renowned for caring for orphaned and injured wildlife and for reintroducing baboons into the wilds of South Africa.

Ms Miljo was the founder of C.A.R.E. -- the Centre for Animal Rehabilitation and Education -- in the bush of Limpopo province, on the banks of the Olifants River near Phalaborwa in the Northern Province, about 250 miles northeast of Johannesburg.

On 27 July 2012, Ms Miljo died in a fire which destroyed much of the headquarters of C.A.R.E. Ms Miljo was 81 years old, and had been working in Africa since 1953. Three of her beloved baboons died with her in the tragic fire.

Here is Rita Miljo speaking in a 2007 video interview by wildlife-nannies.com:

"You can never over-spoil a baboon. The more love you give him, the more love he gives you back."

A lovely quote from a very caring human. Rest in peace.

RIP Lennox dog

by winecountrydog Tilin and family

Today, 11 July 2012, Lennox dog was destroyed by Belfast City Council.

Lennox was not a 'dangerous dog.' He was a victim of humans who had the power to apply BSL in the cruelest way possible.

We hope that Lennox's legacy will be to galvanize solidarity for BSL repeal. May there be a new era of dog laws that focus on curtailing 'dangerous owners' rather than on banning dog breeds.

We will remember Lennox always.

Condolences to Caroline and Brooke Barnes.
RIP Lennox.

Valentine's Day gift of health

by winecountrydog Tilin Corgi

As some of you doo know, my ancient woofself was suddenly poorly in early February 2012. Acutely poorly.

Myself could read what Mum was thinking when -- for the furst time in my long life -- I stopped eating: She feared mywoofself was so ill that I was not long for this world.

An investigative drama of grrreat pawportions took pawlace. Mum did many health researches, notes, cajoling of mywoofself, talks with vets, and veterinary tests. ... Tests on myself, they were, not on Mum. BOL

Poorly tho myself was, I did retain commonsense. I withdrew from food for a few days but pawtook of water from my bowl. I barked often at Mum to open the door, as I did feel urges to doo activities of the gastrointestinal kind. Furtunately there were no violent activities within my dogbody. There were, howlever, moments of expression from the nearer and farrther ends.

Ani Meezer was worrying about mywoofself. She did sleep next to me at night and give extra cuddles.

Long story shortened, tests and investigations revealed nothing.

Finally, after pawssage of days, Mum got a big happy Valentine's Day gift: Myself was bouncing back. Mum could just tell. Then offurr course of a few more days, I bounced back so strongly that Mum said I showed the Chi of a dog half my age.

To what can one attribute vigorous recovery of my 14-plus-year-old woofsterness? Nobuddy does know. Surely, without paw shadow of a doubt, it does make a pawsitive diffurrence that my daily diet is healthful.

By healthful I doo mean that we eat fresh whole seasonal foods -- humanely and organically produced in our U.S. Pacific region. Ourselves also have some nutritional supplements, judiciously chosen and rotated.

Humans round ere think it good that myself and my furthren no longer eat commercially processed food such as kibble or canned UFOs (Unidentified Food Objects). We doo know eating well does not guarantee well-being or longevity ... but not eating well furrly much assures that health pawblems will be more furrequent or harder to offurrcome.

Dogs and wine tasting ... not always a good pairing

by winecountrydog Jackie Nippers

Back in his puppyhood, furbro Tilin repawts, he began visiting wineries in Sonoma and Napa, and on the Sonoma Coast and Mendocino County as well. Furbro turns 14 years old during harvest 2011, and is still an active traveler.

Nowadays, furbro is sometimes joined by mywoofself at tastings, where we doo make wine paw-notes while humans have wine sensory adventures.

Over the years, our regional wineries have become furry pawpular. Furbro observes that both the locals who love wine and the happy visitors now enjoy wine tastings all year round. Wine-loving locals, along with visitors from the greater SF Bay Area and around the world, spend many summer days involved in wine touring. Wineries are a grrreat "staycay" destination for locals. And the autumn harvest happenings are becoming wildly pawpular too.

The wine tasting rooms and wine roads have become busy places.

Inside the tasting rooms, furbro and myself, being rawther short in stature, sometimes feel lost amongst the humans, who can move about and wave unpredictably. Above our dogheads, we doo see towering wine bars and shelves full of wine bottles or winery gift shop items. Small items are quickly rearranged by dogs' tails and toddlers' errant hands. BOL! ... But this is not amusing to humans. And tis not amusing to ourwoofselves when things move suddenly toward us -- as when a wine glass or iphone crashes to the floor, or when an unattended human child reaches out a hand.

Ourwoofselves have learned an impawtant truth: We dogs and wine tasting rooms are not always a good pairing. ...

One might woof that "dog-friendly" wine tasting is not always so friendly. Socially, tasting can be a test for us dogs. And tis not always easy for humans, especially when they are trying to focus on serious wine tasting whilst we dogs (and errant youngsters) pull on them.

Add to the furst truth a second impawtant truth: When California wine country weather is hot -- which it can be any day from May through September -- we dogs cannot wait in cars in winery parking lots whilst humans have tastings. ... Dogs left inside motor vehicles on hot days suffer heat stroke and death from suffocation.

Winery visitors should not expect that there will be shady parking spots: Shade will not keep a car interior cool enough. Doo not think that leaving car windows open a few inches is sufficient: It does not keep dogs cool enough on a hot day. ... The ONLY way to get adequate ventilation is through fully open windows. And on the hottest days, not even fully open windows are adequate for us dogs. Still, in any case, humans cannot leave windows open all the way, as cars must be locked up securely.

Tho it does pain us dogs to be left out, we think furhaps winetasting itineraries should be based on seeking quality wines rather than dog-friendly wineries. Twould be a shame not to focus on finding the best wines -- unless humans simply want to enjoy a casual tour or family vacation.

We have heard it through the concierge grapevine that a number of dogs brought to wine country get left alone in rooms of hotels and inns. This abandonment happens more often in hot weather, when visitors learn it is too hot to take dogs out and leave them in parked cars while wine tasting. ...

Howl. Is this abandonment to be blamed on wineries not being universally uber-dog-friendly? Au contraire! It is the dog guardian's respawnsibility to prepare a dog-friendly itinerary and to always think carefully about a best furriend's well-being.

One would tell humans who want to leave dog furriends in strange lodgings instead to leave them at home or with a sitter! Not only is it unkind to leave a dog alone in a hotel room for hours, but also it is an abuse of lodging policies. What happens to the dog who is discovered?

Dog furriends, tis so much simpler for your humans to call wineries and lodgings before visiting and ask staff about the dog policy and dog care.

Visitors must respect the fact that not all lodging and winery owners, nor all winemakers and tasting room folk, are comfurtable with having dogs around the property. Still, pawleeze know that you will find so furry many winery folk who are happy to see us dogs. A lot of wonderfur wineries promote dog-friendliness and pawsitively adore all wine woofers.

One digression ere: Tis not an OK dog policy -- nor is it good public relations -- for a winery (or a hotel or inn) to welcome dogs under 50 pounds while prohibiting larger dogs. We know of a winery in the Russian River Valley (not one of our regular places) with this unfair dog policy. It means that we corgis -- who are not "small" dogs -- can go inside, but none of our big furriends can join us.

While tis any business owner's prerogative whether or not to run a dog-friendly place, we doo believe being "dog-friendly" means that every polite, clean dog is welcome, regardless of size or breed.

How to make dogs and wine tasting a successful pairing:

Dog furriends, tell your humans to

• Get wine maps and then call around to tasting rooms to verify dog-friendly policies. Ask for hours on intended visiting dates.
• Ask winery folks for recommendations of nice local lodgings and restaurants. Never rely solely on maps and apps for traveling.
• Ask winery folks and the lodging concierge for recommendations of doggie daycare places and in-room dog sitters.
• Always leave dogs at home on triple-digit temperature days. Doo not think about traveling with ill or elderly dogs on the hottest days.
• Never leave your dog alone in a hotel/inn room, or alone in the car for hours. Take turns being the dog's attendant, or hire a dog sitter.
• Teach your dog to be a good winery visitor. Offer Fideau the course in Canine Wine Sensory Evaluation or Pawmelier accreditation.

Whenever we can visit grrreat wineries in our region or beyond, we are happy. And whenever we can help our wine country visitors, human or canine, have a grrreat time, we are happy too.

Paw-script: Doo ave a look at this Wine Road listing of wineries round our home dogturf.

Daydreams of The Outermost House

by winecountrydog Tilin Corgi

Myself and Jackie Nippers are lying at mum's feet, listening to her recite a passage from The Outermost House by naturalist writer Henry Beston.

“We need another and a wiser and perhaps a more mystical concept of animals. Remote from universal nature, and living by a complicated artifice, man in civilization surveys the creature through the glass of his knowledge, seeing thereby a feather magnified, the whole image in distortion.

We patronize them for their incompleteness, for their tragic fate of having taken form so far below ourselves. And therein we err, and greatly err. For the animal shall not be measured by man.

In a world older and more complete than ours, they move finished and complete, gifted with extensions of the senses we have lost or never attained, living by voices we shall never hear.

They are not brethren. They are not underlings. They are other nations, caught with ourselves in the net of life and time, fellow prisoners of the splendour and travail of the earth.”

Paw-notes: The Outermost House by Henry Beston is a book chronicling a season the author spent living on the dunes of Cape Cod, Massachusetts. It was published in 1928 by Doubleday and Doran and is now published by Henry Holt and Company.

Animals in Fukushima 20-km zone: "Someone please feed them"

by Jackie Nippers

The animals in the Fukushima Prefecture 20-km exclusion zone are waiting. And starving.

Thousands were left behind when their humans had to evacuate after the earthquake and tsunami in March 2011.

None of the animals in the 20-km zone near the nuclear reactors are being fed or rescued because the Japanese government will not allow rescue groups back in.

Someone, please feed the animals! Please allow beloved pets and farm animals to be saved!

In a video made by the coalition called Japan Earthquake Animal Rescue and Support, rescuers ask humans round the world to appeal to the Japanese government.



We will never furget Fukushima furriends' sad faces or their desolate landscape of destruction.

Exotic birds as pets: "a tug between love and exasperation"

by winecountrydog Tilin

This video is about parrot personalities and needs. It does show you humans howl hard it is to have a parrot as a pet.

If this video does not convey to you humans the impawtance of understanding the commitment and patience it takes to care for an exotic bird, nothing ever will.

Enough woofed.



We hope that you doo tell anybuddy who is thinking of adopting a parrot or other big exotic bird to watch this video first.

We herd, we work ... or we get bored and sad

by pawlitico

Look at our furriend Emma Corgi herding! She knows how to communicate to give each individual sheep safe directions. It's in her body language and her special Corgi communication ability.


Herding and droving is what we Welsh Corgis do well and have always done well. Like other working dogs who herd, and like cutting horses, we see the world in terms of keeping individual animals and flocks organized and safe.

Emma is a happy Corgi. She gets to do what she loves.


We Corgis are not lap dogs. We are not toy dogs. Not a play thing or a puppet or a toy.

We don't want to be kept in little crates in apartments and brought out just for show and cuddles.

As Emma paw-elegantly stated, "Working/herding/water dog breeds are great, just as long as they can live the lifestyle they were bred for (by humans). Otherwise, they are frustrated, develop behavioral problems, and end up in shelters being destroyed."

There's been so much controversy lately over dog breeding. I feel that I must bark about maintaining the strength and vitality and health of traditional breeds, especially working and herding breeds.

My Corgi feelings are hurt that humans mix up overbreeding with breeding, as if it's bad or elitist to be a working dog.

We want us dogs to be healthy and happy. What we don't want is to reduce the dog population at the expense of breed integrity.

Pawleeze reduce dog overpopulation: Reduce breeding as a source of human income!

And pawleeze help humans understand us better. If they did, very few of us would end up abandoned in shelters!

Paw-note: You can rescue a wonderful Pembroke or Cardigan Welsh Corgi through CorgiAid and Golden Gate PWCF and other organizations.

So many animals injured & homeless in Victoria bushfires

by pawlitico

"Think occasionally of the suffering of which you spare yourself the sight." – Albert Schweitzer

How many animals lost their lives in the Victoria, Australia, bushfires? How many survived? The overall impact on pets, wildlife, and farm animals is not yet fully known. Many of the traumatized and injured animals out in the blackened landscape haven't yet emerged to seek water and food.

In and around all the fire-affected areas are many animals who are burned, injured, homeless, ownerless, or lost, and animal welfare authorities are trying to rescue and medically treat them all.


RSPCA Victoria captioned the above photo by Russell Vickery/Herald Sun: "Koala found in Vic fires . . . bless its beautiful heart."

RSCPA posted these comments on Facebook:

For all those wanting to donate to the RSPCA, we have a team on the ground around KingLake helping feed and treat animals as well as (hopefully) helping to reunite displaced stock and domestic animals with owners.

Go to www.rspcavic.org.au and click on the bushfire link.

There is an area you can donate money AS WELL as an area to explain how/what you can help. For instance a lady called here before saying she has a horse float that she will donate etc. If the RSPCA/victims DO need what you can offer (once everyone knows what they do and don't need), then the VIC RSPCA will then contact you and arrange how to make it happen.

Things they might need:

• Horse floats/all horse equipment
• Shearing gear for Sheep
• Hay for horses, sheep, goats etc. - there's obviously no grass to feed on... just charcoal
• Dog leads, collars
• Rabbit/guinea pig/bird food (some may have managed to grab their smaller animals)
• Cat and dog cages (portable transportation type cages)
• Cat and dog beds/toys

The Lost Dogs' Home, Australia's largest pet shelter, has also been in the field. They've delivered pet food and supplies for owned and lost pets, and have offered their Animal Ambulance fleet, as well as veterinary staff, portable cages, free animal boarding, and veterinary treatment — free of charge to injured dogs and cats affected by the fires.

Paw-prayers fur everybuddy.

Escape The Meatrix!

by pawlitico

Factory farming is a horrible thing!

As Moopheus, the star of The Meatrix, points out, "In the mid-twentieth century, greedy agriculture corporations began modifying sustainable family farming to maximize their profits at great cost to humans and animals."



Remember what Moopheus says: "It's you, the consumer, who has the real power. Don't support the factory-farming machine."

Paw-leeze, if you eat meat and dairy, shop for humanely-farmed food!

Ask California Governor not to tax veterinary care!

by pawlitico

Read it and howl: The State of California wants to impose a 9% sales tax on veterinary care!

Remember when my buddy Tilin "winecountrydog" Corgi had major emergency veterinary surgery and looked like he did in this photo?


Do you think we corgis had lotsa cash to pay for all that wonderful surgery and after-care? . . . Imagine what adding an extra 9% to our vet bills would've done to us!

We're not the only ones who can't afford a tax on vet care.

I want to bark to Governor Schwarzenegger on behalf of humane "food animal" farmers and California consumers: A 9% increase in the cost of farm animal vet care will not only cause food prices to rise but also cause some farmers to go under.

The cost of biz for farmers has gone up, as feed costs and other prices have soared. The implementation of State Proposition 2 to set standards for confining farm animals will also increase the cost of doing business for "food animal" farmers, albeit it for the right reason. Howl, we're trying to suppawt humane farmers who raise free-range "food animals" and produce cage-free eggs, and here the State comes along with an idea that'll hurt these good guys.

All farm animals require veterinary care — and deserve good healthcare — just as we dogs do, but farmers can't afford higher medical costs.

This is the California Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) Action Alert:

Governor Schwarzenegger recently announced his plans to add a sales tax on veterinary services as part of his budget plan to stimulate the California economy. This was part of a larger combination of program cuts and revenue increases to solve the multi-billion dollar budget shortfall. It is particularly disturbing that veterinary services were included with "appliance and furniture repair, vehicle repair and golf." All of the other healing arts professions were excluded from the sales tax proposal.

A special session of the Legislature must be convened to approve the Governor’s plan. The proposal would need to be approved by the Legislature with a two-thirds majority of both the Assembly and the Senate.
The CVMA is strongly opposed to this proposal.

Our legislative team has been working hard to get sales tax on veterinary services removed from the Governor’s proposal. We know you are concerned for the welfare of your patients, the difficult choices your clients may need to make if the cost of veterinary care increases, more animals being abandoned to shelters, increased euthanasia, and the overall strain placed on small businesses.

It is imperative that the voice of the veterinary profession is heard with respect to this important issue. We urge you to write personal letters to the Governor, your state representatives and their leadership expressing your concerns. We also encourage you to get your clients involved and ask them to write letters as well. It is easy to do. View the CVMA Fact Sheet and contact information. Visit the Legislative Action Center for contact information for your state representatives.

Your letter should be mailed directly to the Governor with copies forwarded to key members of the Legislature, including your local representatives. The letter should be on your practice letterhead, and if possible we would appreciate it if you would fax the CVMA a copy of your letter as well at (916) 646-9156.
If you have any questions, please call the CVMA office at 1(800) 655-2862.

Thank you for your assistance,
William Grant II, DVM
CVMA President

Paw-leeze, veterinarians and everybuddy everywhere, growl to the Governor and State pawliticans to stop this doggone crazy tax proposal — even if you don't live in California!

Tell the State to spread out a sales tax increase across the board, or add it to some high-demand consumer items like electronics and booze. Human medical care isn't taxed. Veterinary care should NOT be taxed either!

The CVMA is asking its membership of more than 6,000 veterinarians to write letters to the Governor about the hardship this proposed vet sales tax would create. Read more at CVMA.net and at Veterinary Newsmagazine's DVM360.com.

I'm hoping you pets and people out there will write your own letters. Woof!

The Honorable Arnold Schwarzenegger
Governor of California
State Capitol Building Sacramento, CA 95814
916.558.3160 Fax
---
The Honorable Karen Bass
Speaker of the Assembly
State Capitol, Room 319 Sacramento, CA 95814
916.319.2147 Fax
---
The Honorable Don Perata, Senate President pro Tempore State Capitol, Room 205 Sacramento, CA 95814 916.327.1997 Fax
---
The Honorable Darrell Steinberg
Senate President pro Tempore
State Capitol, Room 4035 Sacramento, CA 95815
916.323.2263 Fax
---
The Honorable Mike Villines
Assembly Republican Leader
State Capitol, Room 3104 Sacramento, CA 95814
916.319.2129 Fax
---
The Honorable Dave Cogdill
Senate Republican Leader
State Capitol, Room 3048 Sacramento, CA 95814
916.327.3523 Fax

When you write to the Governor and legislative leaders, ask them to remove the proposed sales tax on veterinary services in the 2008-09 Special Session proposal.

California farm animal victory!

by winecountrydog

You've never seen more smilin' people in Sonoma County than there were on Election Night 2008 at the Flamingo ballroom after California polls closed.


People ordered drinks while they were waitin' fur ballots to be counted. Some folks checked the numbers on cell phones.


Then the big screen flashed the news that Barack Obama had won. Cheers went up. Tears fell. People hugged. Dogs howled woo woo woo.

Anxious Proposition 2 campaign volunteers continued to keep their eyes glued to the big screen, waiting fur confirmation of a YES vote.


Finally the Prop 2 results flashed on-screen. YES! A victory fur farm animal welfare! Cheers went up. Tears fell. People hugged. Dogs howled woo woo woo.

Woof, we won! 6.1 million voters said YES! The Farm Sanctuary folks said

"The YES! on Prop 2 campaign has been the greatest undertaking on behalf of farm animals in U.S. history, raising enough public awareness and support to end three of the cruelest confinement systems with one ballot measure. . . ."

People danced and drank and smiled. The Thugz Cosmic Americana band played on into the night. Dog-ma went around through the crowd passin' out Prop 2 stickers.

People kept smiling as they ate Obama cake.


But, oh howl, there wasn't any Prop 2 cake.

That's okay. My Ani Siamese, always creative, will whip up some vegan cookies and a sign: Hurray fur California farm animals!

Paw-note: Farm Sanctuary has a statement about the passage of California Proposition 2 at MarketWatch. "Monumental Victory for Farm Animals: Nation's Leading Farm Animal Protection Organization Celebrates Precedent-setting Phase-out of Factory Farming Confinement Systems in Largest Agricultural State."

Today's the day U.S. humans vote fur humane change!

by winecountrydog and pawlitico

Today's the day that U.S. humans elect a new president. California humans also vote on State Proposition 2 today.

A YES vote will create some humane farming standards that alleviate the suffering of pigs, calves, and laying hens.

A YES vote will also create the opportunity fur humane consumers like us to support strong growth of a humane farm economy.

The following video shows what some Bel Air celebrities had to say about farm animal welfare at a big gala benefits fur YES on Prop 2. Be fur-warned: Watch this video only if you can handle some disturbing images of animals on factory farms.



Did you know that our pro-Prop 2 pawsition isn't 'cuz we want to make everyone vegan or vegetarian? What we hope to see is California farmers becoming leaders of the HUMANE Future Farmers of America (FFA).

Woof thanks to all humane farmers! You're the humane change we need in the world.

And woof thanks to orgs like HSUS and Farm Sanctuary, and to consumers everywhere who vote YES every day with their forks for the humane treatment of farm animals.

MUTTS farm animals ask for compassion

by winecountrydog

Our friend and neighbor, Ms. Mutts Hen, has an impawtant question fur humans, and she's taking it to the streets.


Patrick McDonnell, the artist who draws the MUTTS comic strip, created this and other cartoons to raise awareness for farm animal protection. The cartoons carrying the anti-cruelty message are running this week in 700 newspapers where the strip appears.

If you live in California, you pawbably already know why Mr. McDonnell's on the farm: He suppawts State ballot initiative Proposition 2 to create humane standards for housing farm animals.

I hope you get to see the cartoons in this eight-day series that shows laying hens, calves, and pigs campaigning on the streets and going door-to-door.

To read about Patrick McDonnell's pawsition on the issues, see the interview by Michael Markarian, prez of the Humane Society Legislative Fund.

Hey, MUTTS is givin' new meaning to the term "chicken strip"!

Largest ever Magellanic penguin rescue!

by winecountrydog

A big parade of penguins marched back into the sea on October 4, 2008. This was a gigantic rescue effort by the International Federation of Animal Welfare (IFAW) Emergency Response Team.

The IFAW humans were assisted by colleagues from the Center for the Recovery of Marine Animals (CRAM), the Instituto Mamíferos Aquáticos (Institute for Aquatic Mammals, or IMA), and IBAMA, the environmental authority in Brazil.

Prior to their release, worried IFAW bloggers wrote the following blog (4 October). This is the kind of thing that makes me howl and put my paws together in a desperate plea for animal protection.

Every day that passes with these penguins in captivity is a huge disappointment at this point; we know the grave consequences that captivity has on wildlife. You see, penguins are sea creatures; they spend the great majority of their lives swimming and feeding at sea and consequently suffer after long periods of time ashore. They not only look awkward and innocent as they waddle from one place to the other but sure enough, land-locked life takes a physical toll on penguins, namely on their feet which quickly grow blisters, swell up and easily get infected.

There were 372 stranded Magellanic penguins who got to go home. Woof! Paws up! They made history as the largest group of Magellanic penguins ever to be released at one time in Brazil.

After their long journey from northern Brazil, where they'd been stranded, the penguins said hasta la huego at the world's longest beach: the beautiful 152-milelong (245-Km) Praia do Cassino (Cassino Beach) in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, on the southernmost coast of Brazil.

See our bird friends finding their way home in this video by IFAW's Michael Booth.

You can learn about how the penguins ended up needing rescue by going to the IFAW website and to their Animal Rescue blog.

Newman, Woodward, and dog . . . back in '58

by winecountrydog

Big love woofs out to you, Joanne Woodward. Thanks for being a lifelong dog lover!

Everybuddy in the world knows why I'm posting Paul Newman's photo here today.


We hope animal lovers will always remember that Paul Newman, along with daughter Nell Newman, chose to donate the charity money generated by sales of Newman's Own Organics pet food products to organizations that support animal well-being.

Sources this past year said that Paul Newman quietly turned over to charity the entire value of his ownership in Newman's Own. Over a two-year period in 2005 and 2006, the amount of his donations to Newman's Own Foundation Inc. is said to have been more than $100 million.

Imagine the pawsitive effect that Paul Leonard Newman (26 Jan. 1925 – 26 Sept. 2008) has had on our world.

Our sympathies to Ms. Nell, Ms. Joanne, and the entire Newman family.

'Uncaged' YouTube hit comedy fur 'Yes on Prop 2'

by pawlitico

It's hard to keep a sense of humor during a pawlitical campaign.

But yesterday somebuddy called us "libturds," and we're still giggling. You see, we're supporters of California Proposition 2 — the ballot initiative for Standards for Confining Farm Animals. The libturd name-caller mistakenly assumed that all humane-farming supporters are liberals. Oops! Not true.

But now we like to refer to each other as "libturd dogs"!

We got an even bigger laugh from viewing the howlingly funny YouTube called "Uncaged."


This comedy vlog was made for the 'YES! on Prop 2' campaign by Free Range Studios, whose vision is this.

We envision a world where transformative social messages rise to the top of the media marketplace. In this world, organizations and inspired individuals who seek to create lasting positive change and expose essential truths will massively influence culture. We believe this vision will lead, inevitably, to a more sustainable, just and tolerant society.

PAWS UP fur Free Range Studios!

Wondering where the big cats are

by winecountrydog

Sun's up, uh huh, looks okay
The world survives into another day
And I'm thinking about eternity
Some kind of ecstasy got a hold on me

I had another dream about lions at the door
They weren't half as frightening as they were before
But I'm thinking about eternity
Some kind of ecstasy got a hold on me . . .

Walls windows trees, waves coming through
You be in me and I'll be in you
Together in eternity
Some kind of ecstasy got a hold on me . . .

Freighters on the nod on the surface of the bay
One of these days we're going to sail away,
going to sail into eternity
Some kind of ecstasy got a hold on me

And I'm wondering where the lions are . . .
I'm wondering where the lions are. . . .

– Bruce Cockburn "Wondering Where The Lions Are" (1979)

Shackle, an 11-year-old African lioness, spent the night in a church with her human and others who couldn't make it off Bolivar Peninsula on the Texas coast, near Galveston, before Hurricane Ike struck.


AP News, 16 September 2008

Many years from now, a small group of Hurricane Ike survivors will probably still be telling the story of how, on the night the storm flattened their island, they took sanctuary in a church — with a lion.

The full-grown lion was from a local zoo, and the owner was trying to drive to safety with the animal when he saw cars and trucks stranded in the rising floodwaters. He knew he and the lion were in trouble.

He headed for the church and was met by a group of residents who helped the lion wade inside, where they locked it in a sanctuary as the storm raged. The water crept up to their waists, and two-by-fours came floating through broken windows. But the lion was as calm as a kitten.

When daylight came, everyone was still alive.
"They worked pretty well together, actually," said the lion's owner, Michael Ray Kujawa. "When you have to swim, the lion doesn't care about eating nobody."

Shackle the lion and her human friends escaped the wrath of Ike at First Baptist Church in Crystal Beach.


The towns of Crystal Beach and Gilchrist are on the Gulf of Mexico, along the 30-mile peninsula that stretches across the southern part of Galveston Bay. This is an area of seaside getaways, and of fishing and shrimping operations.

But not anymore.

Bobby Jobes, one of the many Texas Parks and Wildlife game wardens who've been deployed since Hurricane Ike, was quoted as saying, "There's nothing there. . . ."

"Nothing" except some animals — including stranded big cats!

According to Texas blogger Susan Evans, there's at least one tiger loose.

I'm wondering where and how the cats are. . . . I hope they get through this alive.

Pets in hurricane shelters

by winecountrydog

The scale of the pet evacuation and shelter efforts in the NOLA area before Hurricane Gustav dog-boggled my mind.

Lots of pets ended up in the state fairground shelter in the Shreveport area, about 340 miles northwest of New Orleans. (This is on Interstate 20, 150 miles east of Dallas – Fort Worth area in Texas.)

A local Shreveport human named Darrell Rebouche photographed the shelter pets on September 1st and uploaded the photos to flickr.com.

See all of Daddy D's great pet photos in the set "Hurricane Gustav Pet Shelter" at darebouche.

I'm glad that some of the kitties could sleep through the shelter noise and commotion.

Can you imagine the HSUS, the ASPCA, the LA SPCA, and all the other pet-helpin' organizations and individuals having to do all that movin' and shelterin' again!?

Hurricane Ike is expected to strengthen to Category 3 when it reaches the U.S. Gulf coast the end of this week. It could make landfall around east Texas, but it might hit Louisiana west of New Orleans, not far from where Gustav hit.