Is coming home to Toto after a trip - he always greets me at the door and I just love the solid feel of him when I pick him up and cuddle him... and he PURRS like mad and it makes me feel so GOOD to be home! Then we cuddle together on the couch that evening while I catch up on all my recorded TV - and he PURRS LIKE MAD the whole time! Ahhh, everybody should enjoy the unconditional love of a pet!

Happy Thanksgiving everybody! I love this holiday because, regardless of your religion or politics, it's about thinking of all the GOOD things in your life that you can be grateful for - it reminds us all that there is always something good in our lives in spite of all the cruelty and darkness out there, and that is a blessing in and of itself.

Some of the things I'm giving thanks for this holiday include (but are definitely not limited to):

• The unconditional love and companionship Toto gives me every day
• My family and friends all around the world, who have loved, supported and stood by me through good times and tough - and for the opportunity to love them back, which makes the world a better place
• All the fabulous, compassionate people out there in the world fighting injustice and cruelty in all forms, and who give up their time to help others - with a special call-out to the people in animal rescue and welfare!
• The fact that I have a job in these tough times - and even more that my job gives me the opportunity to work with smart and good people every day
• Being able to make more of a difference because my employer matches donations and volunteer hours
• The opportunity to have loved someone special - even if just for a while
• My health (it might not be the best, but it's better than a lot of people's)
• Enough personal liberty to be who I am without too much hassle, and to have the freedom to share my opinions and ideas
• My new car Rufus who might not be flashy or high-end but who makes me feel safe and happy on the road
• Everyone who reads this blog and, by extension, is part of my community!

I won't go on and on - because I could - but you get the picture! Life has really thrown me some curve balls the last 18 months but overall there's a lot to give thanks for, and dwelling on that instead of the bad stuff helps me keep sight of the sun.

May you all find at least one ray of sunshine to hold onto, and to feel grateful for, this Thanksgiving - have a safe and happy holiday!

Visiting family for Thanksgiving gets a whole lot more fun when someone just adopted a new furry family member! My Dad's new kitten is adorable and smart (which is why Dad called him Sir Isaac, for Sir Isaac Newton - I just call him Isaac).

Just one more thing to give thanks for this Thursday - isn't he just the CUTEST thing?! His tail is completely black; it looks like he got someone else's order!

Last year I started this blog with a rather surprised endorsement of the merits of a vegan Thanksgiving, thanks to my Dad - you can read the whole story here. Basically, that weekend was a catalyst for me - a challenge to stop paying lip service to the well being of animals, and to start putting my money where my mouth is. Since then, I have adopted a vegetarian lifestyle, leaning vegan. I've steeled myself to learn some unpleasant truths and have become more active about trying to make this world a better place for animals overall. So thanks, Dad - I know you made the vegan choice for health reasons but by doing so you're also having a positive effect on the planet as well as saving approximately 100 animals this year!

Anyway, this year i wanted to share a Thanksgiving feast with some friends so I invited a few of my neighbors and a couple of other close friends over for a Turkey-friendly meal. None of them are vegetarians, so I truly appreciated that they kept an open mind about the whole thing, and came over ready for anything (a little early because we all had plans for Thanksgiving day)!!

And.... THEY LOVED IT!!! I cooked stuffed tomatoes and peppers to start (stuffing was couscous with tomato pulp, pine nuts, mushrooms, grated carrot and zucchini, onion with garlic, rosemary and oregano seasoning) and main course was roast veggies (butternut squash, yams, carrots, potato), steamed greens (baby zucchini and Brussels sprouts) with a Tofurky Feast (stuffed Tofurky with gravy and dumplings). For dessert, Judy brought over a vegan chocolate cake from Whole Foods while Stephanie made an apple pie. YUM, what a feast!!! We were all stuffed to the gills and everyone was as pleasantly surprised about how GOOD the whole lot tasted as I was last year! None of them had had Tofurky before and they all said they really enjoyed it - in fact (and this is the kicker), they ASKED TO TAKE THE LEFTOVERS HOME!!

Naturally we did talk about why I chose a vegetarian lifestyle, and how heinous factory farming practices are for animals - most of them expressed surprise and felt that if only more people knew the facts, there would be a greater demand for humane practices. I totally agree, and gladly talked about Prop 2 and the availability of Certified Humane, Animal Compassionate and other programs that can at least give them less awful meat and dairy options.

To thank my friends for being so open-minded and as a reminder of how our choices impact others, I gave everyone a Humane Society "Be Kind" cause bracelet (for those of you with pooches, you can also get a "Be Kind" cause collar!), and was pleasantly surprised by their excitement.

This Thanksgiving, one thing I am definitely giving thanks for is my circle of amazing, open-minded, compassionate friends!!! Thanks to their willingness to try something new, we enjoyed a fabulous feast together without buying into the agribusiness-sponsored Turkey Day philosophy - and I can't give enough thanks for how my friends have been there for me through some very dark and trying times over the past 18 months.

THANKS TO MY WONDERFUL FRIENDS!!

Most people are aware that President-elect Obama promised his kids a dog, and he'd prefer to get a shelter dog but he has to consider his daughter's allergies. Well, did you know that you CAN get hypoallergenic dog breeds at the shelter, or through a breed rescue organization? Over a third of dogs in need of adoption are pure-bred, including the so-called hypoallergenic breeds!

By the way, let's be clear - hypoallergenic doesn't mean allergen-free. It means "less likely to induce an allergic response" - there really is no truly allergen-free pet; you're going to have to do some research and see what works for you. As they say, "your mileage may vary" :-)

So, regardless of whether you subscribe to partisan politics, let's all encourage Mr. Obama to adopt a shelter or rescue dog - sign the petition on www.presidential-pooch-pardon.com and help America's new President send a message of compassion!

http://www.presidential-pooch-pardon.com/

Some resources for allergy suffering pet owners (or would-be pet owners).

Note, I have reservations about linking to breed info pages, as I don't want to encourage people to go buy a pet from a breeder, pet store or web site - but it's good to see the breeds people consider hypoallergenic.

If you have to have a specific breed, there are plenty of breed rescue organizations to take your well researched requirements to!

• Allerpet allergy brochure
• Dog Breed Info
• Comprehensive hypoallergenic dog site 

One thing you learn living in a small space - EVERYTHING has to be dual purpose!! Like this handy vacuum-cum-kitty-toy - compact, multi-purpose and good for getting your cat on YouTube!

In the spirit of encouraging adoption rather than buying or breeding pets, I'd like to extend a warm welcome to STORM!

A couple of months ago, my friends Julie and Vincent in the Netherlands lost their beloved dog Rico. They were devastated, he was a wonderful and loving animal and the centerpiece of their lives. Since his passing, they've had a hole in their hearts and have been working through the natural grief that comes with losing a family member.

This weekend they made a decision to help another dog, and by doing so, bring a little bit of sunshine back into their lives. Storm is a 3 year old Collie whose owners decided they no longer had time to care for him, so Julie and Vincent adopted him. They picked him up yesterday and Julie spent the day with him at home today. He's adjusting as well as can be expected - he will need to make the transition from being left outside all day to being kept indoors and walked on a schedule.

I can't tell you how thrilled I am about this! I know Storm will never take Rico's place but Julie and Vincent are such wonderful, loving people that having a new animal to get to know and take care of will hopefully warm their hearts. And Storm is now in a home where he will be cared for and that surely has to warm his little doggie heart too! This is my favorite kind of Win-Win - one more pet kept out of the shelters, one less puppy bought from a pet store, and two people who once again have an animal to love! (and he's beautiful!)

<cue optimistic music; fade to black>

Maybe I’m over emotional because I’ve not been well this week but for the past hour or so I've been in.

I was trying to write this blog post for Puppy Mill Action Week and while looking for the Oprah puppy mill episode on you tube, I ended up watching the most horrific video (don’t watch it if you don’t want to lose your dinner - along with your faith in humanity). In my opinion it should be run on a loop in all pet stores and web sites that sell stock from back-yard breeders or puppy mills - after seeing it, any customer with half a heart would run screaming to the nearest shelter demanding to be allowed to adopt as many animals as they could carry out of there.

Dante couldn’t have come up with a circle of hell to describe the insanity of our world's rampant consumer ignorance and callousness; or the greed and pure criminal cruelty of those who fleece the uneducated and exploit the innocent for a profit!

OK so here's what I need you all to do - actually it's not me who needs it, it's all those dogs being bred to death in squalid conditions, and all the shelter animals who are euthanized because some schmuck thought a puppy in a store was cuter than getting one from a shelter.

First up - ALL y'all! Check out the HSUS Puppy Mill Action Week site - it has all this info and more. The ASPCA also lists 10 easy ways to fight puppy mills on their site.

For the outgoing and extroverted - Here's your mission: Go talk to your local pet store and try to encourage them to go "Puppy Friendly" and promote shelter adoptions instead of selling mass-bred dogs and cats.

A bit shy? That's OK, you can still start a revolution:  Write to your elected officials asking them to co-sponsor the Puppy Uniform Protection Statute (PUPS), HR 6949, to require broader federal oversight of puppy mills. While you're at the keyboard, why not send a letter to your local newspaper editor about the pet store/Internet puppy mill connection? It just takes a couple of keystrokes - download this letter to sign and send to your local paper.  How easy is that? You didn't even need to talk to anyone!

Online Advocates: Spread the word by adding a banner to your web page (see, I did!) and while you're at it, post a link to the Puppy Mill Action Week site on your Facebook or MySpace page!

Got kids? Teach kids? You know the drill... Check out the new Mission: Humane project, “A Cause for Paws,” to guide students in learning about dog care, promoting improved conditions for dogs in puppy mills, and raising awareness about how to get a dog without supporting cruelty. There's a project for both elementary school students and teens. Use your powers as an authority figure for good!

I know you all have friends! So why not educate them too? No need to be a raving fanatic about it, but giving people your informed opinion can make a bigger difference than you might think.  Know the facts about why puppy mills are bad juju. Help friends and family understand why buying pets online or at a pet store is a bad idea and how to identify a responsible breeder (if they really HAVE to go that route although I don't see why, with so many breed rescues and pure bred animals in shelters).

They say silence implies consent. So don't be silent! Speak out, do something to let the world know you're NOT OK with puppy mills!

I AM NOT OK WITH PUPPY MILLS!!!

ARE YOU?

HSUS MySpace Page | Stop Puppy Mills Website

I've been in bed sick the past two days with some mystery bug. Toto and I have been doing a lot of this:

I think he's beating me in the sleep Olympics but not by much!

Icanhascheezburger.com - you're totally psychic!

LOL sometimes we have to sit back and not take it all so seriously - thanks Icanhashotdog.com!

Last night, over 60% of voting Californians approved a bill that will, according to the HSUS, provide 20 million farm animals across the state the most basic freedom: the ability to stand, lie down and extend their limbs.

Specifically, "The purpose of this Act is to prohibit the cruel confinement of farm animals in a manner
that does not allow them to tum around freely, lie down, stand up, and fully extend their
limbs." It is designed to eventually eliminate confinement practices already either banned or being phased out in the EU: Veal crates for calves, Gestation crates for breeding sows and Battery cages for egg-laying hens.

If you're confused about why this is such a big deal, check out some of these FAQ's from the Yes on Prop2 site.

• What will this measure do?
• What are veal crates?
• What are battery cages?
• How will egg-laying hens be housed if they must be able to turn around and fully extend their limbs?
• What are gestation crates?
• How will female breeding pigs be raised if they must be able to turn around and fully extend their limbs?
• Why focus on veal crates, battery cages, and gestation crates?
• Why launch this initiative in California?
• How are these factory farms cruel to animals?
• How are these factory farms affect food safety and public health?
  How do these factory farms impact the environment?
  

Sounds like a really modest request, doesn't it? I think it's an appalling indictment on our ignorant society that Agribusiness is allowed to get away with such heinous practices - treating livestock in ways that would make most reasonable consumers gag on their overpriced meat and eggs, so that they can continue to increase their record profit margins even in lean economic times. People who can't feel compassion for another being are lacking some critical element of humanity, and I worry that the general public's ignorance of factory farming practices is helping perpetuate this cancerous behavior.

Finally, I find it tragically ironic that the same people who would cry at Oprah's coverage of puppy mills can happily chow down on veal, pork and eggs that have been produced in EXACTLY THE SAME inhumane conditions!!

My challenge to you: If you choose to continue to eat meat (and that includes seafood, chicken, pork and veal), eggs and dairy, PLEASE at least get informed!

Learn about how your food is produced and demand higher standards by only buying meat and eggs that have one or more of the following designations:

• “cage free” (eggs only),
• “grass fed,”
• “free range,”
• “pasture raised,”
• "Certified Organic,” (note this doesn't necessarily mean the animal was raised humanely, just that it wasn't fed antibiotics, food additives or genetically modified)
• “Certified Humane,”
• “American Humane Certified,”
• “Animal Welfare Approved” and
• “Animal Compassionate” (at Whole Foods).

For those of us who are visual, here are the symbols to look for while you are shopping to ensure you choose the most humane option:

Have a heart, be HUMAN - reject factory farming with the same outrage we have for puppy mills!

So Live Search has this cool feature where you hover over parts of the page and it shows you searches related to the "skin" they have on the page that day. Today, we can't escape politics but we CAN still get our kitteh fix!

Go to http://live.com and find this search - or if you're REALLY lazy you can just click on the screenshot below. I followed the search and learned another really awesome thing about Live Search today - you can preview the videos that show in the search results just by hovering over them, instead of having to open every single one - YAY!!!

Now, Americans - go vote! And if you live in California, please consider voting YES for Prop2 and making a big difference in the lives of farm animals.

Who says you can't make a difference?! Tomorrow, your vote can improve the lives of 20 million farm animals in California and help this country take a step towards more humane farming practices. Bet you didn't even know that farm animals are not protected by animal cruelty laws - Prop 2 would at least give them SOME protection.

Factory farming is the reason I became vegetarian - once I learned about how our meat is treated, I could no longer stomach it. Yes, human beings are omnivores and at the top of the food chain - so I'm not going to get all religious about whether or not we should eat other animals. But I can make a decision about whether I buy into Big Agribusiness and the absolute inhumanity of it, and I choose to have no part of such a greed-driven, culpable business model. Not only is our insatiable appetite for meat and dairy the result of dubious science (brainwashing, if you prefer me to be blunt) but it perpetuates some of the most heinous cruelty to animals you can imagine.

If you got mad about puppy mills, you should get even madder about factory farming.

Please get informed on Prop 2 and VOTE YES to improve the lives of those animals who are sacrificed for our plates. Here is some information from the Humane Society of the US:

And this is still one of my favorite videos ever :-)

Happy Monday everyone!

A colleague of mine and his wife got Roxy and Rufus thinking they would soon buy a house with a yard for them to run around in. Unfortunately Brad and his family have been impacted by the current economic climate and their condo won't sell in this market.

Their loving owners feel that these smart, energetic dogs deserve better than being cooped up in a condo with two long-hour-working puppy parents - and so they are looking for a good home for Rufus and Roxy.

They are purebred 11 month old Boxer puppies from the same litter, and weigh a little over 40 lbs each (will bulk up after they turn a year old). The male is fawn, and the female is white (rare). They are potty and kennel trained and know basic tricks. Both are VERY good with kids (the family has a 2 year old), and they have been socialized with many other dogs.

They must stay together, and they need a large area to play in (very high energy!)

Brad and his wife are asking $1000 dollars, but are negotiable to some degree, as their main concern is finding a good home. In case you're experiencing a bit of sticker shock, I've seen adoption fees for rescued pure bred Boxer puppies up around $400 a dog - and that's for a dog whose history is often unknown and who has potentially been traumatized or abused, not one who's been with a loving family and a littler mate!

If you're interested (and serious - no "tire kickers" please), send me a message and I'll get you in touch with my colleague. Location: Puget Sound region, Washington.

A while ago, a colleague sent a funny picture to the cat lovers at work:

Our praise and laughter went to his head and he couldn't help himself... take a mis-spent lunch hour; cue bad 80's song, and...

Oh yeah, you know what's coming!

EVERYBODY SING!!!

Certainly gives Metallica a run for their money but I have to ask: Ian, what possessed you to let on that you knew the lyrics to "kung-fu fighting"?! Thanks for the pics though, I always get a giggle when I look at them!

(except now I can't get that song out of my head - argh!)

Man, I lived in Australia for 15 years and never celebrated Wombat Day!!

Now I feel like I missed out on a crucial experience - like going to Uluru! Guess I'll have to go back someday then, and catch up on all the things I didn't do when I lived there... :-)

In the meantime I'll have to content myself with fun activities like making a Wombat Day Cake and gorging on wine gums.

I'm so happy there's an official Wombat Day! Wombats are one of my favorite marsupials, after all :-)

I got this in one of those mass-distributed mails today. I thought it was pertinent to my previous post on the subject:

It's Almost Halloween...
And My Owner Is Demented!