Holiday Happenings

The calendars are here! WAG's first Community Pet Calendar contest was a tough race to call. There were over 60 entries and most of them were pretty darn cute. But the judges picked 12 that grace the individual pages, plus a collage of all the entries on the back.

Everybody needs a 2009 calendar, why not make it one of ours? You can find them at Tractor Supply in Monroe, Boss Bros Country Store in Loganville, and many local veterinary clinics. If you can't find one, drop us an email at wagwalton@yahoo.com and we'll make sure you get one. These are part of our year-end fundraiser, so for $10 you'll get a great calendar and help animals at the same time!

Speaking of year-end, Santa Claws is only two days away. Saturday, December 6 is the big day, from 10 am to 2 pm at Boss Bros, so get your pets ready for their portraits. Get one photo, or a whole assortment of photo sizes.

As for me, I've put in my order with Santa for plenty of smoked pig ears. Let's hope he remembers!

'til later,

Buddy

Watch those holiday pet treats!

It's hard to believe the holidays are just around the corner. Pets are peeking at catalogs, making their wish lists. Soon the kitchen will be filled with all sorts of yummy smells.

With all that good food on the horizon, here's one bit of caution:

Watch your pet's food intake this time of year. It's awfully tempting to fix your pet their own Thanksgiving plate of turkey meat, crispy turkey skin, potatos and gravy, stuffing, and the works. But these treats can be deadly.

Vet clinics are overrun at the holidays with cases of pancreatitis, a stomach inflammation caused by, among other things, eating too much fatty foods. Well-meaning owners scraping table scraps into Fido's bowl are the main cause. These can be deadly treats. Pancreatitis is expensive to treat and painful to experience.

And while not every animal comes down with pancreatitis, gulping down fatty meals can still lead to upset stomach, vomiting, diarrhea, or bloat. Not exactly a recipe for happy holidays!

If you want to give us a special dinner experience, how about our own turkey dinner made by a pet food company? We get a special taste of the holidays, but won't have the digestive rumblings later.

And I gotta be honest here - this is not knowledge I feel good about passing on to you. Because nothing makes a dog (temporarily) happier than a big bowl of fat, greasy food!

Apologies to my fellow canines.

'til later,

Buddy

And now..

I'm about "festival-ed" out. Between Fest, Loganfest and Monroe Fall Fest, the last couple of months have been busy. But we had a lot of fun.

Now we're looking forward to a couple of other things - Home for the Holidays adoption event on December 6 at Boss Brothers Country Store in Loganville. It's scheduled the same day as Pet Portraits with Santa Claws, so bring your pets out and then find them a new friend to take home!

Our first Community Pet Calendar will be in stores soon - 12 great winners have their own page, everybody else is featured in a photo collage. Judges had a tough time deciding because everybody was cute and appealing in their own special way. Thanks to all the entries. Get those cameras going for next years calendar contest!

It's been a good year for the animals. So far we've given second chances to over 100 cats and dogs that were running out of time in the animal shelter. Nearly all of them have gone onto new homes. Those who are still waiting would love to get their own special place before the year is out. Check them out on www.Petfinder.com.


'til later,

Buddy

Fall-ing

Can you believe how fast fall is falling? We're already midway through October.

Loganfest is Saturday, October 18, and we'll be there with a pet show. You can also look for us at Monroe Fall Fest on October 25 in downtown Monroe. Bring your pets out for an afternoon of fun.

I'll Wear Your Fleas If You'll Wear Mine

This is doggy-devotion personified - an owner wearing a coat made of her pet's fur.

It's true - some owners have actually collected dog hair and made it into jackets or sweaters. Owners of Chihuahuas need not apply.

I'm not sure why this is appealing. Humans are strange creatures!

B.

Once More, For Effect

I should really read the previous posts, huh? Seems I told you twice in a row about the calendar contest and Boss Brothers Pet Fair. Oh well, it's just THAT good.

How about a happy story instead? Check out Trooper, a dog we got out of the Walton County shelter. His before photo is a mess.

Here's the after version.

Barbara, a groomer at the PetSmart in Conyers, worked on Trooper for THREE HOURS! He had severely matted hair, twisted and pinching his flesh. Some thorns embedded in the mats had even worked their way into his skin. But when Barbara was finished, Trooper was prancing around the room, thrilled to be rid of that ugly, heavy mess of fur. Way to go Barbara!

September news

Hey everybody!

Is summer done yet? The calendar says so, but the heat hasn't caught on yet. I'm looking forward to a few crisp fall days.

WAG has a few things going on this month.

First, the Community Pet Calendar contest is underway. Send in your cute pet photos and watch your pet become a Pet of the Month pin-up star! The deadline for entries is September 30, so get those pictures in!

On September 27 we'll be at Boss Brother's Country Store celebrating their Pet Health Fair. Paradox Spay Neuter Clinic will be doing a vaccination clinic, we'll have a pet show, games for kids, pets for adoption, and plenty of pet-related information from reps of companies like Purina and others.

Oh, a side note - TV fans, check out "Dogtown" Friday nights on the National Geographic Channel. It's an awesome place in Utah that rescues thousands of animals each year. An interesting and inspirational show.

That's it for now, my evening Milkbone awaits. But there will be more soon!

'Til later,

Buddy

In Between

The Between Centennial Festival is history and we had a great time! Check out some 0f the photos.

There was quite a variety of participants - a goat dressed like a fairy, a sheep with wings, a Georgia Bulldawg, a hedgehog, horse, and an assortment of really cute dogs. In fact, the Cutest Pet contest was tough to judge. Thank goodness someone else did it.

We met lots of nice people, got some great donations and new volunteers. Thanks to folks at the city of Between for inviting us.

Now we're moving into fall and things are gonna get busy. Look for news of a fun event at Boss Brothers Country Store coming up on September 27, with entertainment, pet contests, and an assortment of other things to do.

Also, our Pet Calendar contest is officially launched! Get your photos in. We're gonna have 12 winners gracing their very own month - if you don't enter your pet, he/she won't be one of them. Plus, everybodys photo will be on display in a collage, whether they are chosen as the top 12 or not. These calendars will be available at retailers throughout the county starting in November. Entries are $10 - the proceeds go to fund our programs.

I'm prohibited from entering - a bummer, but that's the way it goes when you're an official spokesdog.

But good luck to everyone else!

'Til later,

Buddy

Between Centennial Festival Pet Show

A reminder about our Between Centennial Festival Pet Show on August 16, 2008. There are 10 classes - Cutest Pet, Best Trick, Most Glamorous, Best Dressed Pet, Most Original Costume, Most Obedient, and a few more. We've had so much fun with these shows in the past. Competition can be tough!

The show starts at 12:45 pm and all entries get a ribbon. It's gonna be fun, so bring your pet out and enjoy the afternoon. The city has a great festival planned, with lots of vendors and musical entertainment.

Check out website at www.wagwalton.com for an entry form, or you can register the day of the festival.

B.

Why We're Here

Do you love animals? Are you wanting to make a difference? You've come to the right place.

We stay busy, but it's important to remember - WAG is a community-supported organization. The reason we can rescue animals, offer programs like subsidized spay/neuter, Ani-Meals on Wheels or others helping pets and their owners, is because animal lovers like you care enough to give us donations. It doesn't matter whether it's $10, $25, or $100 - every amount is incredibly important.

The cost of rescuing an animal from the shelter and ensuring they are healthy, vaccinated, spayed or neutered is about $100. We can do that because YOU care enough to give that animal a chance at a better life.

Harley got that chance. So did Brandy.








Every penny you give WAG stays in our community and helps the animals and people in our hometown.

We'll keep working to help these animals and more like them. Thanks for what you've done, and please keep doing it. We go nowhere without your support!

'Til later,

Buddy

More Stuff

Boy, this heat makes me sluggish. But it's time to update a few things.

On August 16 WAG will be at Between Fest, or whatever they're calling the city's anniversary celebration. We're having a pet Fun Show, so get your pet's best duds out and dress them for the event.*

(* Note -I was told to say that. No self-respecting dog in their right mind wants to play dress up!)

We'll also be having events like Fastest Tail Wagger, and other highly competitive events. The entry form will be up on our website soon, so mark your calendars.

Our next meeting will be Tuesday, August 12. Once again, we had to change the date because the library wasn't available on our usual date. So we'll be meeting the second Tuesday in August. After that it's back to our normal schedule.

Adoption time!

Gotta remind everybody about our adoption this Saturday, July 12, at Boss Brothers Country Store on Highway 78 in Loganville. Come see the dogs and kitties rescued from the shelter, spayed and neutered, and all needing loving homes. The fun starts at 11 am.


'Til later,

Buddy

Tail Waggin' Thanks

Where have my manners gone? I've been lax in publicly thanking our most recent contributors. A big Tail Wag to Jayne Rogers, Teresa Pruitt, Robert and Nell Mitchell, Steve and Susan Brown, Alex and Diane Kliros, John and Sue Ruckdeschel, Edwin and Carolee McKay, Julie Petty and Mark Mobley, Jane Pannell and Gary Coker. Without folks like these, our programs would never get off the ground. Many thanks for your generous support!

Want to help animals like me, or the people who love animals like me? Heck, we even help cats! (though I'm not sure why.) Just send your tax-deductible contribution to Walton Animal Guild, PO Box 169, Monroe, GA 30655. Or print out the form on our website and mail it in.

It will make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside, guaranteed!

'Til Later,

Buddy

Bad Dog

We love snacks, but not everything humans eat is safe for dogs. We’ve heard about chocolate, but here’s a little known dangerous product.

Xylitol is a common sugar substitute contained in products like gum, candy, breath mints, toothpaste, mouthwash and other products. It’s harmless to humans, but very toxic to dogs. Dogs ingesting products with Xylitol experience a rapid drop in blood sugar and often experience liver damage. As few as 2 sticks of gum can be fatal to a small dog – 5 can be toxic to a large dog. Here's the ASPCA press release. http://tinyurl.com/5wnwu8

We dogs are pretty smart, but sometimes our nose will leads us where our mouth shouldn’t go. Be extra careful what you leave around the house!


'Til later,

Buddy

Uncle Sam Speaks...finally!

This little tidbit may not be appreciated by anyone lacking the experience of having called, written, waited, called again, cursed a little, waited and called many many more times to the IRS. Although our experience is limited, it does seem that the IRS is significantly more responsive when they want something from YOU, instead of vice versa.

But here's the news -at long last the IRS determination letter has come. We are hereby officially designated as a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation in the beady eyes of the US government tax officials.

Wow - this calls for a Milk Bone!!

Meeting Date Change

Heads up on our meeting date change. In July we will be meeting on WEDNESDAY, July 16, same time and place. We changed it because the primary voting is Tuesday (our usual meeting night) and we wanted to make sure everybody gets their ballot cast. So if you don't exercise your civic duty that night, you can't blame us!

B.

Tossing Pennies

Today we have another episode of our popular series "1000 Ways to Waste Hard-Earned Money on Your Pet."

How about this handy talking bowl? Called the Chatterbowl, it records your voice so everytime your pet comes to the bowl to eat or drink, they'll hear your soothing ten second recording. Only $13.

My professional dog opinion? It's like those oinking pigs people put in their refrigerator. Pleez - we just want to eat or drink. No dialogue is necessary. Two paws down.

How about the Yuppy Puppy Treat Dispenser? It's like a gumball machine, but with treats inside and designed so dogs can work it themselves. Only $34. My opinion? One paw down. Just leave an open box of Milk Bones on the floor.

The Tick-Tock Teaser will excite the predator in your cat, the catalog says. For only $17 you can put this thing on the floor, then watch your cat play with an empty grocery sack. Three paws down.

The Furcedes Plush Dog Bed lets us sleep in style. Only $260 for a good night's snooze. Class all the way. Three paws up.

The Ultrasonic CatStop. A built-in motion sensor sends a high-decible alarm (inaudible to humans) when cats approach, frightening them away and keeping them out of gardens or other areas. Only $49. I've got 4 around my bed - best money I ever spent! Four paws up.

Want more? Check out http://www.petgadgets.com/.

Dog Days are coming

We're heading toward the Dog Days of Summer - my favorite time of year. I'm not thrilled with the heat or outcropping of fleas that comes along with it, but at least us canines have a season in recognition of our superiority. You don't see any Cat Days on the calendar, do you?

WAG's got some stuff coming up, too. In August we'll be at the city of Between's anniversary on August 16 with some fun events for pet owners to participate in.

We're also working out details on several community assistance programs. For example, coming up for seniors we've got Animeals on Wheels, helping the pets of seniors in the Meals on Wheels program; our Golden Pairs program, a subsidized assistance program making adoptions and follow-up pet care more affordable for seniors. Our education committee will be creating a pet care program to help our local Boy/Girl Scouts earn animal care badges. And, of course, the spay/neuter program is still going strong. Soon we'll be outlining an application process to make it available to more people who need it.

Just a reminder - Kittens can still be adopted at Boss Brothers Country Store and also at West Walton Feed. They're vaccinated, spayed/neutered and waiting for new homes. Thanks to both BB and WWF for fostering these guys, rather than having them creep all around my house each night!


B.

Paw Power

Before outlining my personal woes, I have to comment on WAG's State of the Animals Report and meeting on June 17. Wow! A packed house of nearly 100 people came to hear some of the details about dogs and cats in Walton County. The enthusiastic, engaged group also had the opportunity to hear from commission chairman Kevin Little about future plans for the shelter and issues of concern like feral cats, dogfighting, etc. We are grateful to him for spending the evening with us during a busy election season.

The turnout was a great surprise, but not really. Over 63% of households in Walton County own pets, and that's over 17,000 homes. So those 100 or so folks that came are a drop in the bucket of people interested in animal issues. The fact that these people took the time to drive their cars to the library shows how deep their concern goes. And for every person that came there are probably 10 more who would have liked to been there but had other commitments. So there you go - Power of the Paw-Lovers will take us far!

Here's a few interesting tidbits we learned. We have about 16,932 cats and 15,919 dogs living with their families in Walton County. There are probably more than 9,800 feral cats roaming around our area. In most communities, an estimated 12% of the population feeds an average of 4 stray cats. So if you're feeding a few unowned kitties, you're not alone.

Animal Control handled nearly 3,700 animals last year. Unfortunately 81% of them never found homes and were euthanized, so clearly we have some work ahead. But we're already moving down the river of change, so the view will get better soon.

So - I hate to complain, particuarly after detailing the plight of homeless animals. But I have to explain my lack of attention to this blog.

I made the huge mistake of going for a group ride in the family van, but guess where we ended up? The kennel!

Normally, going for a ride is a lot of fun. Sometimes we stop for hamburgers, chips or cookies. So when we all piled in the van early one morning, it seemed like good times were ahead.

OK, I should have suspected something, because the weiner dogs were in a crate. That's usually a bad sign, but frankly I was too wrapped up thinking about our upcoming treats.

We were seriously misled.

It was a long two weeks in the kennel, but we're finally back home. It's gonna take time to feel normal again, particularly because the kennel people gave me a bath and blowdry before I left. Geez!! I smell like a perfumed Poodle. I've been rolling in the dirt like crazy since getting home, trying to get rid of that awful "pleasant" aroma. Humans and their poorly evolved sniffers. Blech!!

'Til later



Buddy

And now a pause for this brief message

I can't believe it's been so long between posts. But gimme a few more days - I've been out of commission, but will fill you in on the horrendous details when I get back. In the meantime, plan on coming out for the Walton Animal Guild's June 17 State of the Animals Report, 6:30 pm at the Monroe-Walton Library. Lots of important info, and our special guest is Walton Co. Commission Chairman Kevin Little.

I'll have to miss it, but you shouldn't!

'Til later,

Buddy

Pet Smarts

The economy is in a funk, housing is down and jobs are scarce. So guess what company is reporting a 9.1% growth increase? Pet Smart.

Yep, while other industries are watching water drain from their income tub, the pet industry continues to grow. Pet Smart's revenues through May of 2008 are 9.1 percent higher than the same time last year. People clearly value their pets and continue to spend money on them, despite economic hard times. In fact, it's been proven that people will skimp on food for themselves to provide for their pets. And we love being spoiled.




Here's another interesting tidbit on the news front: Menu Foods, one of the leading manufacturers of pet foods, along with other food producers have agreed to a $24 million dollar settlement fund to compensate owners of pets affected by tainted pet food in 2007. The food contained chemicals from China introduced to the food during the multi-level manufacturing process.

Here's more from a USA Today report:

The vast majority of the fund will go to pet owners whose pets were injured or died as a result of kidney failure, which was linked to the contaminant discovered in some of the recalled pet food.

Damages supported by documentation, such as veterinary receipts, may be paid in full.

Claimants also could get $900 per claim for undocumented losses, according to the agreement filed in U.S. District Court in New Jersey.

The settlement requires that eligible claimants' dogs or cats ate a pet food recalled between March 16, 2007, and now. Coverable expenses include veterinary bills, pet food costs, burial costs, replacement pet costs, property damage and lost wages to care for sick animals.

The fund includes only $250,000 to compensate pet owners for food purchases, because most people have already been reimbursed for recalled pet food. Another $400,000 is allocated for people who had pets screened that were found to be healthy.

In addition to Menu, defendants include pet-food makers Del Monte, Hill's Pet Nutrition and Iams; retailers such as Wal-Mart and importers ChemNutra and Wilbur-Ellis.

The contaminated pet food ingredients, wheat gluten and rice protein concentrate, were adulterated in China with the industrial chemical melamine, which would make them appear to be richer in protein.

The recall was the largest of pet food in history, drawing Food and Drug Administration review, congressional inquiry and U.S. attorney investigations. Within days of the recall, the first lawsuits were filed against Menu and others.

The FDA never identified how many pets were affected, but it received more than 17,000 pet-owner complaints.

Wow - $24 Million dollars buys a lotta Alpo!

B.

And the band marches on..

Enough about politics. Back to the important stuff - animals like me!

In May we've been able to rescue 21 dogs and cats from Walton County Animal Control and get them on the road to new homes. Here are just a couple:

We've also got kittens for adoption displayed at Boss Bros. Store and also West Walton Feed. Please adopt these detestful creatures. I do not want them coming back here! Nuisances.

We're sliding toward summer and WAG is keeping their event calendar light. The heat seems to make people sluggish. We'll be appearing at the Between Festival in August, have our usual adoption events at Boss Bros. on the second Saturday, and of course, our membership meetings on the third Tuesday. But other than that, we're just chillin'!

But don't worry about me. I've found a cool spot under the porch and will be keeping you updated as usual.

'Til later.

Buddy

PS. Here's one more lucky rescue dog!

Fur Lovers Unite!

So, I've already told you the Walton County Commission Chairman is coming to our membership meeting on June 17. Let me tell you why that's important.

There has been no humane society in Walton County for a very long time. Unfortunately, our animal services have suffered because of the lack of attention. Here's a few challenges we face:

• The shelter is old, outdated and very undersized.
• We are the only shelter in the 19 county metro-Atlanta area that doesn't offer evening or weekend hours.
• The animals are available for viewing from 2-5 pm, 4 days a week. Most face euthanasia after about 2 weeks if not adopted. That means they have a mere 24 hours on public display in the shelter.
• Nearly 80% of the animals coming into the shelter are eventually euthanized.
• The shelter only takes money orders for adoption fees - no cash, checks or credit cards.
• Our county parks don't permit pets.
• Our cruelty ordinances need strengthening.

That's enough for starters.

This meeting is intended to talk about what services and changes are planned and discuss what other animal-related concerns. The attendance at this meeting will speak volumes to the politicians. So if you feel we can do better, please come out and support us. After all, us fur-lovers have gotta stick together!

Oh, we'll also be giving our "State of the Animals" report, with info on the impact of pets in Walton Co. Can the night get any more exciting? I think not.

Tuesday, June 17, 6:30 pm. Walton-Monroe Library, 2317 W. Spring St., Monroe. Be there!

'Til later, Buddy

Big News

On June 17, 2008, Walton County Commission Chairman Kevin Little will appear at our meeting to discuss plans for the new shelter, along with animal services in Walton County.

We are very excited at this opportunity to raise the importance of animal services in the eyes of the local politicians, so please come out and support us. You don't have to be a member to come, just show up at the Walton-Monroe Library on Spring Street at 6:30 pm on June 17. We're also be giving our State of the Animals Report, so it will be a multi-fact-filled evening!

For a Tuesday night, this will be some pretty exciting stuff!!

'Til later,


Buddy

An animal report

Thanks to those who came out to the McDaniel-Tichenor House pet show, and also our adoption this weekend at Boss Bros. Gorgeous weather both days, so maybe we've shrugged off the run of rain clouds we were under for awhile.

Here some news - WAG will be compiling a "Walton Co. State of the Animals " report, giving some local stats on animal services, ownership, costs and expenditures. We're also gathering information on local groomers, boarding, training, and other pet services, so if you have a business that falls into those categories, drop us an email and let us know.

B.

That Musky, Earthy Scent

Ahhh, digging in the fresh spring dirt! Is there anything more relaxing?

I've been kinda preoccupied lately with things (see above) but wanted to offer a few WAG updates.

Stop by the McDaniel-Tichenor House in Monroe this weekend, Sunday, May 4, to check out the fun pet show. There are always good crowds and lots of cute animals to look at. Sorry I can't be there, but I'd already planned on cleaning out my doghouse this weekend. Been putting it off way too long.

Gotta mention a huge WAG Thank-You to Joan and Wayne McMillan of Social Circle. These pet-loving folks recently downsized their home and donated lots of great furniture and items to WAG for fundraising purposes. We're talking truckloads of stuff! We greatly appreciate them thinking of us, particularly with all the worthy charities there are to choose from. We'll be making it available for sale - look for upcoming details on what/where/when coming soon.

In the meantime, relax and take a whiff of grass.

B.

Beagles on Wheels

What's more dangerous to fiddle with while driving - Fido or Nextel?

Apparently California officials think dogs are. They've introduced a bill that fines people for driving with pets in their lap. Police officers spotting Fluffy in the drivers seat would issue a citation to the owner. Then, after unceremoniously dumping Fluffy into the back seat, the owner could pick up their cell phone, call their best friend and swerve on down the road uninterrupted while yakking endlessly about the unfairness of it all.

Human logic - always makes perfect sense to me. (?????)

B.

Flea Report

Well, the fleas were hopping at our market this weekend! WAG early-risers got things cranked up at 8:30 am. Crowds were steady despite the morning drizzle, but the afternoon really perked up. Here's a few shots:

We raffled off this great handmade quilt. Congratulations to Debbie Jones who took it home with her!

Avery, the Labrador Retriever, and a kitten both left the adoption for new homes, so it was a great day for them. We sold a ton of stuff, made lots of money and are really happy with how things went. The WAG volunteers were am enthusiastic, hard-working bunch. In fact, plans are to hold another sale in fall, so stay tuned!

'Til later,

Buddy

The Fleas Are Coming!

Countdown to the Fleas Market - one day and counting. Please, Mother Nature, be kind in your weather decisions.

We've done a great job of collecting cool stuff. In fact, WAG members keep circling the goodies like vultures eyeing roadkill. But there's no buying ahead of time - they'll just have to get in there and wrestle for the prizes with everybody else!

Look for members wearing our new WAG t-shirts at the sale. Yes, they're all dressing up like clones now. But it could be worse. They could be wearing those giant sparkly velvet tassled Conehead- looking hats! Trust me, if that happens I'm outta here. Let 'em find some tacky cat to be their spokesanimal.

Anyway, there's life after the flea market and more WAG stuff going on. But I'll wait until afterwards to tell you about it. Don't want to confuse you with so much fun stuff all at once!

'Til later,

Buddy

That Lovely Wet Dog Smell

"Through rain, sleet or snow" might be the postal workers creed, but it doesn't seem to apply to potential adopters. Another bout of gray drizzly weather on Saturday doomed our April adoption day. Unfortunately, all the animals who came in the van left in the van - no new homes.

But every day is a new opportunity, right?

Our hardy volunteers didn't disappoint, though. Thanks to Lynn Turner, Cheryl and Joe Reynolds, Jessie Romer and Nancy Holdren, Laura Templeton, Lee Ann Wilkinson and a few more perhaps unmentioned. I wasn't there and my spies haven't reported all their sightings.

So we've made it through a blustery March adoption and a rainy April adoption. Mark my words - May will be a great one!

Welcome

I haven't been very good about keeping up with the new members coming on board. But here's a list of some who joined us over the last month or so: Maureen Lee, Diane Allen, Barbara Postlewaite, Bob and Shirley Guhl, Allison Cremeno, The Kevin Kerpics family, Donald Osborne, Samantha Craig, Joanna Cory, and Wayne and Carol Bond.

A pet-loving community - my favorite place to be.


B.

Oprah

Check out Oprah's show today - an expose of puppy mills. 4 pm on WSB-TV, Atlanta.

Not pretty, but a valuable story. We forget where those adorable $600 pet store puppies come from.

B.

Doggie/Kitty Donations

Don't forget to bring your donations for the April 19 Dogs and Fleas Market to Loganville this Saturday, April 5, from 12 - 4 pm. The address is 6050 Ga. Hwy 20 - take Hwy 20 from Loganville toward Conyers. The house is a few miles down on the left, look for the WAG signs. Folks will be there to help you unload.

So dig in and clean out those closets!

Plastic Love

When swans fall for a mate, it is for life. So imagine the predicament of a swan who fell in love with a peddle boat.

That is what happened to a rare Black Austrian swan in Germany named Petra when she caught sight of a peddle boat designed to look like a swan. That first look was all it took last year. Never mind her lover towered over her, never mind it was white, never mind it was made of plastic or that humans sat inside of it riding along the lake.

So lovestruck was Petra that she refused to abandon her mate and fly south for the winter, placing her at risk of dying during the cold winter.

Officials at a local zoo took pity on her and gave both Petra and her "boyfriend" quarters to spend the winter. Petra would snuggle in the space under her boyfriend's neck to keep warm.

When early spring came, zoo officials tried to pair Petra with a more suitable suitor, namely one with feathers. For several weeks the new pair cruised the lake and humans patted each others backs in glee. But it was not to be.

Petra's new beau grew bored and soon flew off, leaving her behind. To soothe Petra's hurt feelings, she was reunited with her plastic boyfriend.

Once again they swim the lake together, Petra circling her true love, making crooning sounds and endlessly staring at "him." She is a swan incurably in love. Petra and her lover have become a tourist attraction on the lake. Of course, her lover still gets rented out to families who wish to picnic on the lake. Petra accompanies him during his work day and the two spend the evenings snuggling.

Excuse me while my paw wipes away a tear.

'Til later, Buddy

Say Cheez-It!

Paris Hilton, move over - you ain't got nothing on WAG!

We're in the paper again. Check out Sunday's Walton Tribune for a photo of Dr. Beth Perry, Lynn Turner, and the folks at Tractor Supply posing at our last adoption event.

OK, maybe not as headline-grabbing as Paris and her pink sparkle phone, but I bet the dogs in our picture are much happier than that poor Tinkerbell, the dinky dog PH's always carting around.

We had some great stuff dropped off this weekend in anticipation of the big Dogs and Fleas Market. Another drop-off opportunity will be Saturday, April 5 from 12 pm - 4. The address is 6050 Ga. Highway 20 in Loganville. Look for the WAG banner in front.

One thing to note - there is a rescue group operating a thrift store in Monroe. To answer a common question: No, we aren't affiliated with that organization, so make sure you're delivering things to the place you intended. But check out their stuff, and kudos to anyone who tries to help animals!

There's some other great news - our website at http://www.wagwalton.com/ will soon have a new appearance. I've always said our current site is kinda like a Yugo - not much to look at, but at least it gets the job done.

But the folks at http://www.elegantimagestudios.com/ will be giving us a much more professional look in the near future. Thanks, guys!

A Snockered Cocker?

If there's one thing that's been missing in a dogs life, it's the ability to knock back a few cool ones with our owners. But those days are over.

Thanks to creative minds, dogs can now imbibe along with the crowd, while still remaining sober enough to be the designated driver.

At http://www.beerfordogs.com/, Dog Star Brewing offers a hearty ale made from beef drippings and with just the right amount of foam head to make it macho. This alcohol-free product means no a fun night out without worrying about those pesky breathalyzers.

The more discriminating canine, however, might wish to peruse the choices at http://www.barkvineyards.com/, with varieties like Pinot Leasheo, Barkundy, or Meowlot.

Human ingenuity - you gotta love it!

B.

Spring Cleaning and Donating

Get ready to pack up your basement, closet or attic extras for donation to the WAG Fleas and Dogs Market in April. All the funds we make will help sponsor more great programs!

Here are the drop off days/times to bring your donated items:

Saturday, March 29 from 12 - 4 pm.

Saturday, April 5 from 12 -4 pm

The drop off site is at 6050 GA Highway 20 in Loganville. The nice folks at Alliance Fire Protection have offered some space to store our stuff until the sale.

Any questions? Email us at wagwalton@yahoo.com.

Our TS weekend

A Saturday at Tractor Supply - is there any better springtime activity?

It may not be the normal weekend hangout, but it was a good spot for our recent adoption event. Thanks to Gail at Tractor Supply for inviting us. The hardy crew of Lynn Turner, Cheryl Reynolds, Karen Dean, Roy Mallady, Beth Perry, Tanya and Jill and Samantha don't-know-their-last-names adopted out two dogs and a kitten in the 4-hour span. Not quite our usual one-per-hour quota, but we met some nice folks and helped create some new families.

This is Opie with his new pack, the Kerpics. Opie came from Walton Animal Control, but we promised him a new home and were glad to fulfill that promise. Thanks to the Kerpics for welcoming Opie into their brood.

Here's a shot of some of the vermin..er...um.., kittens that were waiting for homes. Too bad they're gonna end up as cats. Grrr.

All in all, things went well. Thanks to all who stuffed money in our donation jar - every little bit helps!

And the best news is that there are plenty more WAG events coming up, so stay tuned!

'Til later, Buddy

Oops

Seems I was wrong. The Fleas and Dogs sale is April 19, not the 22nd. Remember - Saturday, April 19, from 10 am - 4 pm at St. Alban's Episcopal Church, 206 N. Broad St., in Monroe.

So I goofed. Gimme a break - I'm a dog. We don't have calendars!

B.

We hit the road yet again.

Ready for another adoption event? Tractor Supply is having their anniverary celebration March 22 and WAG was invited to bring some animals down to showcase for potential adopters. Cross your paws that the weather is good. March in Georgia can be unpredictable.


Spring brings flowers and lots of puppies and kittens. Anticipating the upcoming baby crunch in the animal shelter, we've arranged for both Boss Bros. and Tractor Supply to showcase kittens for adoption this season. Fortunately, our local stores are run by great pet lovers! WAG will furnish multi-level cages, so shoppers will have a great opportunity to watch the babies tumble and play. Some say kittens are irresistible. I don't personally share that opinion. They're ill-mannered, pesky and tend to bite at wagging dog tails. Obnoxious!

Hope everyone is cleaning out their closets and basements in anticipation of our April 22 Fleas and Dogs event. It's a handy opportunity to get rid of stuff that you don't need but is too good to throw away, while helping animals at the same time. Proceeds will fund more WAG projects. It'll be a day of food, fantastic finds and lots of fun, so come on out!

'Til later, Buddy

Popsicle Pups

Temperatures in the mid 30’s. Cold, blustery winds. Rain mixed with snow flurries. Sounds like a great day for an outdoor adoption, right?

First, let’s set things straight. This event was conducted by humans – my species was just along for the ride. Because no canine in their right mind, homeless or not, would choose to sit outside for any length of time in that kind of weather.

All I can say in WAG member’s defense is that their hearts are sometimes bigger than their brains.

So the weather made today’s adoption event short and sweet. All the dogs were packed up and taken home at noon because it was just way too cold sitting on that concrete. Even so, we still adopted out 2 before going home.

Boss Bros. has good crowds on weekends, so we seem to have found a great spot for adoptions. Our continuing gratitude to everyone at BB for their hospitality. They even made WAG folks a fresh pot of coffee this morning to help thaw them out!

But I can’t wait for the mild April weather.

‘Til later,
Buddy

Spring is springing

We're into March Madness! There has been a lot going on, so let me see if I can remember all of it.

On February 18th WAG presented the Walton Co. Fire Department with 20 sets of pet oxygen masks, enough for each fire station in the county. The masks work much better for pets than human masks by offering a better stream of oxygen. Surprisingly, it's not uncommon for rescuers to find pets affected by fires. They're often the first to experience smoke inhalation symptoms. Fireman related stories of an emergency at an exotic petshop owners house. They rescued tons of snakes, lizards, cats, dogs and tarantulas. I gotta tell you - I could've easily excused them for conveniently "forgetting" the tarantulas.

Unfortunately, there's no photos of the presentation, since WAG Peeps forgot the camera. Quite a reliable publicity department we've got, huh? But we did manage to snag some Tribune coverage. And local MUN TV ran coverage as well, so at least some people were on the ball.

Walton County Commission chairman Kevin Little attended the presentation, something we greatly appreciated. Thanks also to Fire Chief Moore and Battalion Chief Marsh for their cooperation. While we hope they never need them, perhaps these masks will help in some way.



Meet one of WAG's newest friends - Christy Breedlove. She recently had a birthday and asked her friends to give her pet food instead of gifts. Then she called us and donated 125 lbs. of dog food! How cool is that? What a creative way to help animals. Many thanks to Christy.

Our last S/N "Walk-About" canvassing Monroe neighborhoods signed up 12 pets for free surgeries. That means we made our goal of 24 for the month. What a great way to end our first Spay/Neuter program!

Saturday, March 8 is our next adoption day at Boss Brothers General Store. Make sure to come out and find your new pal!

We're also planning a rummage sale for April, so stay tuned for more news on that.

But that'll wrap up my news for now. I see a cat creeping onto the back porch. Grrrr.

'Til later, Buddy

Westminster who?

So a beagle won Westminster - the biggest dog show in the country. Like I care. Bloodlines are waaaaaay overrated. When are those snotty breeders going to wise up and let us All-American types into the ring? We'd run those yappy little yodelers all over the arena.

But I digress. On the WAG front, here's some great news. After the successful adoption event at Boss Brothers last weekend and one the following day at Pet Smart, there was enough space to rescue 12 dogs from Walton Animal Control. Yay!

Our future Boss Brothers adoption events will be held on the second Saturday of each month, so plan on stopping by. You never know where you'll find a new warm and cuddly friend.

On February 18th we'll be presenting Walton Co. Fire Rescue with pet resusitation masks for each fire station in the county. These hook up to oxygen tanks and give a better flow of air to pets who may suffer from smoke inhalation or carbon monoxide poisoning. It's just another way of trying to help as many pets as we can.

Don't forget the next WAG meeting on February 19 at 6:30 pm at Walton-Monroe library!

'Til later,
Buddy

Fixin' and Finding Homes

Just thought you'd be interested in an update of our February events.

"Operation Big Fix," our spay/neuter project, has been very successful. We've done 9 surgeries since the flyers were distributed on February 2. WAG promised free s/n for the first 24 residents signed up from areas we canvassed. We've transported a few, others were able to come on their own. The Walton Tribune will be penning a short story about our efforts, so keep an eye out for that.

Our first adoption event at Boss Bros. went off without a hitch this weekend. We brought 14 animals, 4 were adopted - which was about one for each hour we were there. Not bad for a start!

Here are a few photos:

Some happy adopters

Joe was a little chilly, so we wrapped him up!

Up front and in plain view.

Thanks so much to our member volunteers Susan Boss and the Boss Bros. staff, Lee Ann Wilkinson, Karen Dean, Robbie Thomas, Laura Templeton, Jessie Romer and Nancy Holdren, plus a few assorted friends who helped out. And good luck to all those who found new homes! It's a good feeling, isn't it?

Dressed for Success

Overall, I like humans. (Peeps, as I call them.) My Peeps are pretty good to me. We eat regularly, have occasional snacks, run in the field and roll in stinky stuff whenever we find it. Unfortunately, they’ve yet to figure out the benefits of those aromas and insist on bathing us afterwards. But still...

By some pet-owning standards, we have it pretty good. Guess it depends on your point of view.

Take ultra-spoiled pets, for example. They sleep in luxury, have seasonal clothing, dine on fine cuisine and seem to have every advantage.

If you want to spend big money on pets, it’s very easy to find places to take your cash. Try http://www.ritzyrover.com/ for example. For $1,800 your dog can sleep in this bed. It's chenille with crystal legs and comes with a throw pillow. This thing makes my blanket look pretty rank.

Does you dog cruise around the house barefoot? The shame of it. What about this stunning ruby slippers - only $59.

Then there's the dog who's not happy with their looks. Humans have the advantage of dressing up their image. Why should dogs be limited? So, FINALLY, someone has come up with dog wigs. Just take a look at these beauties. This is the Bo Derek line, with a simple gold necklace complimenting the elegant look of braids.

But even better is this look, called the J-Lo. This mass of cascading curls will make any dog look like a million, even a plain Chihuahua!

Of course, those are girly looks. Us guys need some help every now and then, too. So here you go.

All I can say is this - thank goodness there's finally something available to hide my bald spot!

'Til Later, Buddy

Maybe it was that persuasive AFLAC duck

Next time you start a new job, don't be surprised if your employer offers insurance for Fido and Fifi.

According to Veterinary Pet Insurance, the largest pet insurance co., their corporate accounts are skyrocketing and nearly 15 percent of their business is now large employers. Companies like Del Monte, Home Depot, Sprint and Walt Disney are making pet insurance part of their employment package. Probably not a bad thing, since pet owners spent $9.8 billion on vet care in 2007!

It's about time the rest of the world realizes what we pets already know - a family member with fur is just as important as one without!

I'm back, pen in paw

There's been a loud silence on this blog. Why? Because I was indisposed.

Incapacitated.

Incarcerated.

Imprisoned.

Or, as humans say, at the kennel.

Our peeps left town and deliberately left us behind. Packed up the Pedigree and carted us off in the family van. And there we sat for DAYS in a fenced enclosure with a concrete floor. Can you believe it? And these people dare to call themselves animal lovers!

We'll forgive them, of course. We always do - it's our nature. But in the meantime, we'll keep rolling our downcast eyes and sucking down those snacks they keep offering up. Ahhh, an owner's guilty conscience. A dog's delight.

Anyway, on to WAG news. February is an exciting month - if you call spay and neuter exciting. (yawn) The national Humane Society designates the last Tuesday of February as Spay Day. So get your bazookas and party hats ready!

Anyway, WAG is promoting Operation "Big Fix," a spay neuter event targeted to low-income neighborhoods. Volunteers will be going out into several selected neighborhoods this month to locate cats and dogs and, with owners permission, transport them to the vet for surgery then back home, all in one day. WAG will be covering the cost for at least two dozen of these surgeries, but we hope to do many more. This is our first such event, so we'll be fine-tuning as we go. And although it's a small band-aid on a big problem, it's a start.

More members keep rolling in and this should be a great year. We've got a small TV spot on MUN television starting in February, hosting an pet-related informational segment. Spring adoptions start soon and the fundraising is going well. The weather is getting better, vacations are over and that dreary kennel is in my rearview mirror. I got a feeling that something good is in the air.

'Til later,
Buddy

Meet Elvis

Just thought you'd like to meet Elvis, another happy story. He is now called Otis and has a great family with two kids to love. Otis was being photographed for the Sunday Tribune pet photo when his soon-to-be owners spotted him and fell in love.

He's a young guy and, we hear, a little rambunctious, but Otis is already a treasured family member. In fact, Otis's "boy" Garrett is one of WAG's first school Ambassadors. How's that for dedication?

Way to go Garrett!

A Rousing Start

WAG’s first meeting of 2008 was an enthusiastic one! Some new members came out and the committees are rolling along. The Adoption committee will start off-site adoptions in February at Boss Brothers in Loganville – exact dates will be announced later.

The Spay/Neuter committee also has big plans for February, offering spay/neuter services to a number of animals. As we grow and more people and vets become involved, we hope to offer county-wide program. But this is a great start and we’re excited about it. (Well, THEY are. Not me.)

The Education committee is working up a program to teach animal care to 3rd graders. Also, Sunday, January 20, the Tribune will be running a newspaper article about our school Ambassador program that gets kids involved with WAG, helping us spread the humane message.

The Fundraising/PR committee has several plans going. We’ll be donating pet oxygen masks to the fire department for use at places where pets are involved in emergencies. Also, we’ll be handing out window stickers to homeowners that let safety personnel know an animal is inside if the home catches fire.

And, of course, we always need more supporters. We can’t offer community programs without your help. For the price of a pizza, you can join WAG and help us.

Won’t You be a WAG Supporter of a Homeless Dog Like Me? (sniff sniff)

OK, so maybe I’m no good at the maudlin stuff. It’s not as effective unless you can see my big, brown pleading eyes. But you gotta admit pizza money doesn’t sound like much, considering what it can do.

$20 neuters a pet, stopping overpopulation and keeping unwanted puppies or kittens from being dropped off at the shelter and euthanized.

$30 helps feed a rescue animal while in foster care, allowing them extra time to be adopted.

$50 spays a female cat or dog and keeps her healthy and happy.

$100 buys medicine and vaccination to treat needy animals.

And so on, and so on.

It’s a great way to show you care.

‘Til later, Buddy

Flea Free - Thanks to Hoover

Got fleas? Get a vacuum.

It seems that researchers at Ohio State University have determined that sucking fleas up a vacuum tube causes their demise, what matter what stage of growth they are in. This is good news for some, not much benefit for others.

Don't think it will be much help to the weenie dogs that live at my house. They make themselves scarce at the mere sight of vacuums, plus they would probably clog the machine.

But thank goodness someone finally saw fit to pay researchers large sums of money to sit around vacuuming fleas. I can't think of a more exciting way to spend a workday.

Hard to believe, but dogfighting is alive and well in Walton County. But, unlike 47 other states, owning a fighting dog or attending a dogfight isn't a serious crime in Georgia. We're joined in this dubious honor by the (non)progressive states of Wyoming and Idaho.

That means ALABAMA has stronger dogfighting legislation than we do. Yikes!

Senate Bill 16 is going up for votes again this year, compliments of Sen. Chip Rogers, and makes dogfighting activities a felony. Michael Vick might be a dogs best friend this year by helping to finally get that legislation passed.

For more info, go to http://www.georgiadogfightingbill.com/. They have ready-made letters to send to your legislator, info on the actual bill itself, and links to find out who your legislator is. Let's not let this one pass by. Take 5 minutes and help.

It's guys like me who are used as bait dogs. I don't really remember, but the heavy chain around my neck when I was found was a lot like dogfighters use. Thankfully I was lucky to avoid that fate.

But here's a mild version of what can happen.

So take a few minutes to click on the link and let your politicians know that you're watching.

And on behalf of canines everywhere, Thanks.

'Til later, Buddy

So much to do, so little time.

This blogging thing is tough. Lots of folks do it every day, but that’s just too much for me to keep up with. My schedule is too busy.

Take yesterday, for example. I got up, had my morning Mike Bone, went outside and patrolled the property fenceline. We’ve got 22 acres, so that took awhile. Everything seemed pretty secure, so I decided to lay down in the sun and take a nap.

The garbage truck came and I had to take care of that, ‘cuz if I don’t bark, they won’t leave. When that was finished it was almost lunchtime. Fortunately, I had a few minutes to aggravate Peaches, the grouchy old dachshund that lives at our house. She’s gotta be about 100 years old and gets annoyed when anybody gets within 25 yards of her. So I try to follow her as closely as possible.

Anyway, lunchtime came and then I had to take a nap. Eating makes me sleepy. When I woke up it was time to follow my people (Peeps for short) in the golf cart when they took hay out for the horses. While we were out I decided to check the woods and creek, since I didn’t check them in the morning. Lots of strange smells down there, so it took awhile.

Got back to the house, ran that pesky fat cat off the porch and took another nap in the sun. By then it was the afternoon, which is our organized playtime out in the riding arena – lots of jumps and stuff to climb. It’s pretty easy. I just do stuff like sit, stay, shake hands, roll over, jump over stuff and then my Peeps give me treats. Doesn’t take much to impress them.

Afterwards we hang out for awhile, then I gotta rest before dinner. Later we do the hay thing again and I usually make one more check of the fenceline. Then it’s time to get my Milk Bone and turn in for the night.

So I ask you, with a busy schedule like that, who has time to blog every day?

Happy New Year!

Hope yours is going well so far. As for me, today I polished off some leftover sirloin and took a long nap in the sun. Seems 2008 is looking pretty good.

Thought you'd like to see a few furry faces that found new homes during the holidays thanks to WAG newspaper ads.







This was Mitzi. She was about 4 months old and spent most of her time belly-up. Can you imagine that fur after about 3 months belly-up in the Georgia red clay? Yikes!




This was Rocky - one of those over-enthusiastic Labradors. Good guy, but a little pushy. See that poor guy behind him in the corner? Rocky hogged all the attention and wouldn't even let him come to the front of the cage to be petted. I've got one of those obnoxious types living at my house. A little too much ego, if you ask me.


This was Pansy - a feline. Fairly decent looking for a cat, if you like that sort of thing.






Seems getting newspaper exposure helps finding homes for plenty of pets. Let's hope our success rate continues all year long.



'Til later, Buddy