Happy Easter to ALL

PSA About Easter

Animal rescue groups and shelters will tell you they have nothing against the Easter Bunny, as long as it's not the real deal. Chocolate, marshmallow - something that didn't start with fur, feathers, or breath. Otherwise, the message heard is a chorus of "Don't buy those fuzzy bunnies, ducklings or chicks that start out inside Easter baskets or decorating Easter tables."

Why? Because these organizations know that once Easter is over, the animals invariably end up in shelters or worse are set free in the neighborhood. As an example, Linda Baley of Too Many Bunnies of Redondo Beach, Calif. http://www.toomanybunnies.com/ estimates that 50 percent of rabbits purchased at Easter will not see their next birthday and will not remain in their first home. A majority of the rabbits that end up in shelters are Easter Dumps. Once the novelty wears off - and rabbits are higher maintenance than most people realize –- out goes the Easter Bunny.

When that happens the problems really mount. Not only are domestic rabbits not capable of surviving in the wild, the potential population of bunnies can be explosive. Baley says if one fertile female rabbit is left in a a city park, within a year's time there could be a colony of 3,500 rabbits.

Time to intervene. Bunnies and chicks are not play toys. I expect many of share this view, so let's reach out to those who might not know the facts or feel "just this once" it's ok to do. Let's make "Friends Don't Let Friends Buy Pets for Easter" our motto. If you know someone who is thinking about such a purchase, immediately do an intervention.

Our hope is to make this a happy holiday for everyone - pets included. If you want to enjoy the Easter Rabbit - Make Mine Chocolate

Good Friday

Good morning all - or good afternoon or maybe good evening - depending on where you are in the world


I have a funny story to tell you about yesterday - Mom and I went to the bank yesterday afternoon as she pulled into the parking lot she said out loud "why are there so many people here? we'll never get through the drive thru" She parked the car decding it might be quicker to go inside - people were actually lined up all the way to the door...Mom was turning around to go back to the car and just come back later but she stopped to ask one of the people in line what was going on and the man said - " people got to get their money out...the sign says Bank Closed for GOOD Friday" - Mom smiled and giggled then whispered to me "why would I even try to explain to them the meaning of that!"

It turns out that I have the same shirt as Bijou -

I'm really NOT in the mood for photos this morning besides, Bijou looks much better in HER shirt than I!

Mom is pretty p'oed because the former daughter-in-law has taken the little Livy to Misery [missouri] for Easter. Livy was supposed to be with us for Easter but the "witch" took her. We'll just have to do Easter next week - There is a "Chalk The Walk" in downtown Knoxville next week-end so I think by daddy and Livy will be doing a square - so that will be fun -

I might blog more later but for now we're going for a walk.

True Colors Thursday - Black & White

Today's TRUE COLOR is Black & White [together] Be sure to visit BLUE where she is certain to have terrific photos to celebrate B&W

The most obvious Black & White - ME

One of my beds
My door to the outdoors

a pair of mommy's shoes

a vintage dress of
mommy's that she
recently had "altered"
which is a fancy word
for "made bigger"

For Suzuki

Tuff Times for Me

It's been a rough 36 hours or so for me here. I don't know if I am just upset over the departure of my beloved Suzuki or if I did indeed chew something that is disagreeing with me. After Suzi's departure mom and dad took me to a dog park over in Knoxville. It was a very long ride, about 30 miles away, but we went over anyway. Mom was a little disappointed in it and daddy didn't like it at all - but I played for a while. When we left the park we then went to Pet Smart in search of the dreaded milk thistle [they didn't have it]. I kept looking at the great chews they have but both mommy and daddy were saying "NO!" - Finally they gave in a bought some "Chicken Tender" chews - thinking they were NOT Beef and the package said "digestable". They also got me some chews that are supposed to be good for my teeth and are supposed to be digestable.

When we got home I was pretty tuckered out from the park and the shopping so I just chilled out. Mommy fixed me dinner - yep, she cooked - and then while they were watching TV mommy gave me one of the chicken tenders - As you can imagine I chewed it up fairly quickly and enjoyed every single chew I took.

On Monday morning I wasn't very hungry and refused to eat anything - even yogurt! Mommy noticed that I was just lying in my bed and not playing or irritating her or anything else so those "worry antennae" of hers shot right up. She started coaxing me to eat but I wouldn't have any of it. She went out to check on my poop but didn't find any so she called daddy to see if he had picked it up before leaving and to give her a consistency report. Daddy said "sorry, no poop this morning". Not a good answer for mommy.

So now she thinks she's a vet or something because she starts palpitatting my belly to see if I'd whine - I knew better and I didn't. Then she starts looking at my gums to see if they are pale...they weren't they were pink!!! Thank the lord! She is satisfied that I am not dehydrated so she's not running me to the Vet; but, she's not happy about the no poop thing. She keeps encouraging me to eat but it's not happening - so just keeps cooking different things. Finally she makes an egg smoothie with LACTULOSE and syringes me with it....the lactulose is supposed to make me poop. I just go back to sleep. This goes on for a couple of hours and still no poop. So I get a couple more doses of the lactulose.

Finally around 9:00 I began to feel better, my tummy was churning a bit, so I guess the lactulose was beginning to work. I ate a little kibble and did some running around. Mom and Dad watched the NCAA final [YEAH Carolina] and we all went to bed. When mommy got up this morning first thing was to go out on "poop watch" - and she didn't find anything!!! It's hard to see the watery stuff when it's rained on top of it...but she's determined to make me poop so she gets out the lactulose again. This time it worked!!! And, I didn't even make it outside - that'll teach her!!!!!!

After she and daddy finished breakfast she gathered up all the new chewy treats she had gotten for me and put them in a bag. She then threw away my new bully stick. Then she put on my jacket grabbed the bag of chewy treats and off we went.......to the shelter!!!!! She left all the treats at the shelter for the doggies there - THANK GOODNESS she didn't leave me at the shelter!

She said never, ever, ever again will I get to chew on anything that is good and tasty. I can only have rubber toys and nyla bones and she's not too sure about the nyla bone.

It's not easy being a little dog with an itty bitty, teeny tiny, liver!!!!

Here's a couple of pics from the dog park

A date with Suzuki

It has been a whirlwind of romance here. The totally magnificent SUZUKI arrived here in The Secret City for a little fun with none other than me! Mom got her friend Robert H to fly his WWII Stearman over to pick SUZI up. It was a rather long and windy flight for her - but she was absolutely stunning upon her arrival.

Our first stop was at Melton Lake where we popped in on one of the crews preparing for the next regatta. I took charge as the "cockspup" [I think I'm on the wrong end] - but nevertheless there I was with SUZI riding along with great joy. [you might need to click on the photo to see us]

Once we finished the tiring work of getting our boat to the finish line we headed off to Razzelberry's for an ice cream cone. We share a lot of licks and giggles.

As our time was nearing I had one more place that I wanted SUZI to see and that was the FRIENDSHIP BELL

The bell is an expression of the hope for everlasting peace, friendship, and understanding among all people of the world.

I don't seem to have a photo of us at the bell but SUZI might.

SUZI had to return to Australia because she is a very busy reporter as her alter ego Bark Kent, she needed to get back to work. I hope that she will make a return trip to Oak Ridge soon - or perhaps I can scoot off to Australia myself. I hope she had a great flight home!

Thanks Scooby for hooking me up with the totally pawsome SUZI - you are so lucky that you are with her every day.

Tagged by Bijou

The friendly Bijou sent me these awards a few days ago. Thanks BIJOU

Five reasons how/why my life is GRAND

1. 
   Life is grand because my pawparents love me no matter what I do or don't do
2. 
   Life is grand because I do NOT have a liver shunt and I did NOT have to have surgery - I'm in full recovery and feeling GRAND
3. Life is grand because my pawrents take me everywhere they go, even to restaurants where they eat on the patio even if it's cold just so I can be with them - AND, they sneak me into hotels if they aren't pet friendly!!!!
4. I have lots of toys and treats and a bed in every room just in case I tire out along the way
5. My mom will cook really good food for me like free range chicken, new potatoes, organic baby carrots and organic green beans and toss them in a dill sauce - especially if I hold out long enough from eating my doggie food

These pink roses are given to friends, bringing them a sweet and fruitful day. Those who receive these roses as a gift, need to pass it on to ten friends to show them you care. And to those who received the roses, it's to show you are never forgotten.

I would like to pass them on to Amber Mae, Chase, Cookie, Golden, Samantha, Maggie & Mitch, Mason Dixie, Suzuki, Tuffy, Tweedle