That's right! May 3-10 is National Be Kind To Animals Week in America, and we're celebrating with our own little event right here in Bucks County, Pennsylvania!The birth of humane education as a national effort dates back to 1915. In that year, “Be Kind to Animals Week” was inspired Dr. William O’Stillman, leader of the American Humane Association. AHA’s primary goals were visiting local schools
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Lemon's on Tour!
Photo by Tim Jean, staff photographer, Andover TownsmanI've posted here about Lemon the duck before, but thought you might enjoy an update on her ramblings.Last week, Lemon visited the Professional Center for Child Development in Andover, Mass. He was accompanied by author Laura Backman, who wrote a children's book about him and read to the children there. PCCD teaches children of all abilities
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Part of the Plan...
Though our almost perfect pets bring so much joy into our lives, eventually we all must deal with the grief of losing our pet, as our very different lifespans mean most of us will outlive our furry, feathery or scaly companions.Helping us deal with this inevitable event is Moira Anderson Allen's Pet Loss Support Page. This information-packed blog covers everything from quality of life and
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Get a Dog!
I want to thank Khyra the Siberian Husky (and sometimes, her mom) for suggesting this wonderful snippet from last week's CBS Sunday Morning show.I saw this myself and -- for once -- actually agreed with Ben Stein (he and I are kind of polar opposites on the political spectrum, but apparently we're right there when it comes to critters). See? Even with politics, animals help us find the best of
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Who's Zoomin' Who?
Photo courtesy The Washington PostDr. Patricia Fitzgerald is a licensed acupuncturist, certified clinical nutritionist, and a homeopath. She has a Master’s Degree in Traditional Chinese Medicine and a Doctorate in Homeopathic Medicine. She is the founder and Medical Director of the Santa Monica Wellness Center and her mission is to inspire others to live their passion, while creating and enjoying
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Thanks, Roberta!
Well, bust my buttons! I'm holding my head up high this morning -- this blog has been given the Sisterhood Award by fellow author and blogger Roberta Beach Jacobson (also a contributor to Almost Perfect!).Roberta blogs over at the Seattle Post Intelligencer site, and had this to say:Almost Perfect PetsMary Shafer is a wonder who balances twenty projects at once. Her blog offers a pleasing
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Roll On Over...
...to Julie Cardinali's awesome blog, The Pet Dish, at the online home of the Syracuse (NY) Post-Standard newspaper.There, Julie dishes all the news that is news about pets, from puppy mills and rescue groups to our fave subject, disabled pets. Stop by and see what's being served in The Pet Dish!
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It's the Cat's Meow!
Craig Grant walks with some of the 500 cats who reside at the Caboodle Ranch in Lee, Fla. (Pet Pulse Photo by Joe Bonner)In Florida, one man has carved out 30 acres to provide a home to nearly 500 unwanted felines, including "almost perfect" ones. They travel from far and wide to settle into their elaborate sanctuary, Caboodle Ranch. The founder of the ranch fronts all of the facility's costs out
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Friends...Best Friends
My favorite movie is a sweet southern confection called "Fried Green Tomatoes," based on the intriguing book by Fannie Flagg.Starring Jessica Tandy and Kathy Bates, this movie is essentially about friendship in all its different guises and intensities. In fact, in the last line of the movie, Tandy's character, Ninny Threadgoode, tells Bates' character, Evelyn Couch: "You reminded me of what the
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Freedom and Jeff
Here's a story that was passed along to me, and I want to share it here because it's not only about a disabled animal, it's also about the same theme as Almost Perfect: how damaged animals can not only inspire, but also help heal humans who take the time -- take the risk -- to open their hearts to these magnificent creatures. If this isn't the ultimate illustration of how karma works, then I
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Tribute to an Almost Mom
Here's a beautiful and touching vid about Terry Albert. She wrote and narrates a poem, I Never Was a Mother, that expresses her love for animals and why she -- and so many others like her -- rescue homeless pets.It's clear from the photos in this vid that some of these animals are disabled, at least temporarily. Though Terry may never have been a mother, she certainly shows all the signs and
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Maggie and Mitch - Because I Need Some Sanity
Okay, I admit it: I'm posting this solely because I need to add some sanity to the world. In the last hour, I've read about the unexpectedly steep increase in the melting of the polar ice caps; another mass shooting by some guy who lost his job; a little girl who disappeared from her home neighborhood; and now North Korea has launched a rocket and no one knows exactly why or what's on it.You know
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