And now for the dog portion of our show!

I can't lie. I don't love every dog I come across. I have a natural love for all animals (well, I could do without anything that has more than 6 legs and furry things with rat-looking tails), live by the mantra "animals are people too" and believe they should be treated that way. I also feel that animal homelessness is just as big of a problem as human homelessness. Can you imagine if we euthanized people who didn't have homes? Yeah, I expected that reaction. So why is it ok to euthanize an animal who doesn't have a home?

Back to my not loving every dog thing. Please don't take that as I don't want the best for all animals and I only help the ones I like. Take that as I treat my animals as I would treat my children if I had them (down Mom-mom Micheli and Mom-mom Walton. We're getting there.), and I just can't let myself love them all, otherwise I'd be the cat/dog/completely broke/husband-less lady who spent all her money on pet food and couldn't afford quality vet care.

Bryan and I have been volunteering at adoption events with West Jersey Volunteers for Animals since Ribby came into our lives. Who are we to say we're too busy sitting on the couch to pick up a dog and get them out of a kennel for a day of meeting people and getting some fresh air? Had we not been doing that, we never would have known about Buster. While my bank account wouldn't have minded that, my heart, Buster's untreated allergies, and Ribby's boredom level would have. Now that Ribby and Buster have found a home, it's time to provide some face time for those who are still waiting. [I would like to provide the disclaimer that I will never post false information about a dog just to get him or her into a home. That's not fair to the humans offering their home or the animal looking for said home. The situation needs to be right, or the situation is not a solution to the problem. ("Problem" being 2 fold: animals that need homes and humans that have so much love, they need to share) I will provide information as accurately as I know it to be, however, some of our animals have never had the chance to be observed in a home and on a routine. With all animals, there are unknowns. (insert Ribby's Chewbacca-esque whining for treats while pointing eyes upward to the top of the refrigerator here)]

So, first up:

Shaggy

Shaggy was pulled by WJVA from the Philadelphia SPCA in February, 2009. His hair was matted and overgrown and obviously uncared for. To say he was scared would be stating the obvious, who wouldn't be when dropped off to strangers and placed in a wire cage with other dogs barking all around you? Anyway, he was dropped off with very little if any information. We believe he is about 2-3 years old and is a Cocker Spaniel mix if not purebred. His tail is not docked, and he's a bit larger than most Cockers (maybe 25-30 pounds?), so we think he may be a combo of Cocker and Cute :). He absolutely loves toys. He cleans our car out for us whenever we pick him up for adoption events. He'll find an empty water bottle that you thought disappeared months ago! He loves his toys so much though that he's not friendly when another dog or unknowing person tries to take them away. For this reason, he cannot live with other dogs or small children who may not know better than to take his toy away. He enjoys playing with other dogs, as long as toys or food are out of sight, so play dates are ok. Shaggy, like all Cocker Spaniels I've ever met, has a lot of energy. Remember, he's been living in a boarding kennel for almost a year now. The furthest he's been able to run is about 6 feet without hitting a fence or reaching the end of his leash. With regular exercise and a lifestyle routine, Shaggy will most likely be a great, well behaved dog. He's ok in the car, never car sick and never an accident. He does have bursts of energy that can take you by surprise, but again, he's probably so excited about his outing that he has trouble containing himself. With regular exercise and rides, that will most likely lessen and he'll be more "sleepy dog" and less "woooohoooo! A car ride!! dog." All we need is a foster or forever home for Shaggy to prove himself. The ideal home (foster or forever) for Shaggy will be a home with no children or only those older than 10 or so (mature enough to understand that you cannot snatch a toy away from Shaggy without him being angry), and one with a fenced yard in which he can run off some energy. He has been crated part of his time in the kennel, so he would probably be fine to be crated while his humans are away from home. As long as he has his own toys to keep him occupied, he would probably be fine roaming the house while you're away as well. While he will need grooming to keep his hair managed, Shaggy requires no medications as of right now and is fully vaccinated, neutered, and heartworm/lyme negative. Please contact me if you know of anyone who may be interested in fostering (even temporarily, or on a weekends or weekday only basis!) or loving Shaggy permanently. WJVA is hands on. We'll never let a dog go to a foster or forever home and then not support the humans who take our animals in with education, training tips, etc. If anything, we'll pester you for pictures of them in their new home.

 

Let's give this a whirl...

I've been reading a lot of blogs lately and while they may not physically improve my daily life [a la smittenkitchen.com; timandjean.blogspot.com (daily, as in, every day I eat pie crust!)], they usually make me smile (a la www.dailydibble.blogspot.com), and at the very least, they provide a moment of distraction from my workday (a la I'm not naming any names). So I've decided to start an "adventures in life" blog of my own. With facebook at my fingertips, I'm not really sure who I'll be informing of our daily adventures with this blog who doesn't already read my mishaps in my status line, but at least I won't be restricted by that silly character limit here!

So...who am I? I'm a 29 (and holding!) year old woman who married a wonderful guy Bryan, (to whom I must give credit for the name of this blog) last month. We live in a teeny house in the Art Museum Area of Philadelphia. We are servants to 2 rambunctious mutts and 1 Queen Calico. Boots the kitty found me easily through her previous owner who sadly passed away and left indications that I would take her when the time came. Ribby and Buster had to align the stars a bit more, but found us through West Jersey Volunteers for Animals (www.wjva.org Support them. They're awesome.). They provide daily entertainment, conversation (you're not normal unless you have several conversations daily with your furkids) and unconditional love. We continue to volunteer with WJVA as time allows and wish that we could give more.

I have a love of cooking which I believe dates back to making ravioli with my Granny and spilling flour with Lisa, but recently, my interest has grown and even expanded to baking (which means other things, i.e. hips, waist, will be expanding). I must add the disclaimer that I am an Independent Senior Consultant with The Pampered Chef (www.pamperedchef.biz/amymicheli), but that is not the reason for my love of cooking, or vice versa. They are, however, closely related as all of my new awesome Pampered Chef products make whipping up masterpieces so much easier.

So why mention furkids and food? Well, I'm planning for that to be the focus of my blog. Most of my daily thoughts revolve around eating food and loving animals, not just mine. So its not just animals and minerals (and proteins and fats and vitamins...), its daily life and they are a big part. I hope you'll stick with me and check back to see how we fare as we figure out married life and what else is to come.