Pet Blog By Bocci @ Bocci's Beefs: Adopt Don't Shop

Showing posts with label Adopt Don't Shop. Show all posts

Saturday, February 27, 2016

Dog Is Joyous When He's Finally Adopted!

This sweet video just might have you jumping with joy like this pooch is—it's almost like he's telling the other dogs: "Hey, look, I'm going to have a home!"

We know it's a big commitment, but if you're otherwise looking for a new four legged family member, why not make a shelter dog's day?

Pet Adoption=Instant Gratification!

Cute photo of me by our good friend and neighbor, John Clark

One of Parental Unit's favorite lines from Hollywood's witty royalty, Carrie Fisher, is "Instant gratification takes too long." And let me tell ya, impatient Parental Unit jibes with that sentiment.

So if you'd like to get some instant gratification of your own, why not adopt a pet during the remaining days of beautiful October, officially dubbed "Adopt A Shelter Dog Month" by the ASPCA?

if you're still on the fence, here's one immediate reward: You can save a ton of money by choosing to adopt rather than shop.

This handy chart points out the savings by adopting from the ASPCA, but most, if not all shelters also send you home with your new best friend with the same cost and time-saving benefits—all for one typically low, adoption fee. Oh yeah, the lifetime of love that's included: Priceless.

#Shelterpetlove Support The Shelter Pet Project Today!

We've written before about The Shelter Pet Project, a collaborative, nonprofit effort among The Humane Society of the United States, Maddies Fund®, and the Ad Council that aims to make shelters and rescue groups the first place people turn when looking to get a new pet. Did you know that on The Shelter Pet Project's website you can “meet” shelter pets through an interactive experience, search for a dog or cat from a local shelter or rescue group, read adoption success stories, and learn valuable information about pet adoption?

The Shelter Pet Project's latest campaign lets you get involved to help spread the good word about shelter pets and the unconditional love they'll bring to your home—if you choose to take them home.

Yes, Parental Unit found me in the local shelter...and neither of us has ever looked back! Oh yeah, the kitty I live with was "adopted" from the street. We've both come a long way!

You can help by sharing a photo or video of your shelter pet in a blog post or social media site like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or Instagram, tagged with #shelterpetlove to encourage people to visit The Shelter Pet Project website. And don't forget to highlight how your shelter pet enhances your life and how rewarding it is to adopt a pet from a shelter or rescue.

To get you psyched to add your personal touch to this campaign, check out this video featuring actor Bellamy Young, who plays First Lady Mellie Grant on ABC's "Scandal", and learn how her adopted dog, Bean, and adopted cat, Sadie, enrich her life beyond measure.

Then let us know how you've supported The Shelter Pet Project—we'd love to know!

"TheLucyBowl: The Super Bowl Commercial That Beats Them All!

Actually, the Lucy Bowl commercial will be shown several times during the "Kitten Bowl" airing as we speak on the Hallmark Channel, but probably not during the Super Bowl. But we still think it ranks right up there with the best of the best, Super Bowl commercials. Why? Because it sends a substantive message: Shelter pets need our help. And it doesn't exploit cute animals to sell products unrelated to pets. Parental Unit admits that she enjoys those Budweiser commercials with the pups and Clydesdales, but...you'll see.

Enjoy!

Meanwhile, back at the Ohio ranch... Where "deflate gate" actually started.

BlogPaws Wordless Wednesday Pet Blogger Hop: Celebrating Adopted Pets!

The good folks at BlogPaws are celebrating Adopt A Shelter Met Month all through glorious October. Why not give your adopted pet an extra big hug and consider adopting another...hint, hint!

Yes, we're adopted/rescued and proud of it!

Now on to the BlogPaws Wordless WednesdayPet Blogger Hop to meet some new friends...and away we go!

It's National "Mutt" Day!

Fabulous photo of me (a Mutt) by Rachel Lauren Photography

Today's the day, I've been waiting for all year...it's National Mutt Day! A day to celebrate all the wonderful doggie blends out there and to call attention to adoption. Why adoption? Because just about 75% of all dogs in shelters are mutts, mixed breeds or blends, whatever you prefer to call us, and these sweet pooches are all in need of a loving home. The goal of National Mutt Day is to get 10,000 dogs adopted nationwide, both today and on December 2. The number will put a nice dent in the shelter populations, while those humans adopting will gain a loyal, loving family member—a win-win situation if I've ever heard one!

To read more about National Mutt Day and what you can do to help this worthy cause, check out DogTime Media's article on today's big day, or visit the National Mutt Day website. Thanks for all you do to help animals in need!

Setting A Good Example: Talking With Your Kids About Pet Store Puppies

How do we talk with human kids about the connection between pet stores and puppy mills?

This is certainly not an easy topic to discuss, even among adults, but we're guessing it's much more difficult to attempt to explain to your children or your friends' children where those adorable puppies in the window really come from. It might even be more difficult than the universally dreaded conversation about where human babies come from! Enter these thoughtful tips from the ASPCA, that provide excellent "talking points" for this possibly touchy conversation.

Parental Unit swears that if she had been fortunate enough to have human kids, she'd just come right out and tell them the truth and not dance around the subject, even if it were temporarily startling or a bit scary.. But that's the way she was raised, she claims—she pretty much got the unvarnished truth about issues she questioned, even early on. But she realizes that not every parent feels the same, and she believes these "explanations" and "conversation starters" provided by the ASPCA do a great job of combining honesty with, well, tact, to help young children understand why it's not appropriate to buy a pet store puppy.

As you know, the ASPCA created and supports the "No Pet Store Puppies" Campaign that does a great job of calling out the puppy mill trade, and explaining what you can do to finally break this chain of cruelty. Check it out and don't forget: "Adopt Don't Shop"!

Busting Through Shelter Dog Myths—#2

Shelter pooch looking lonely...Photo courtesy of DogTime Media

W've been remiss in posting in our series about the myths surrounding shelter dogs, and the best ways to counter these myths in our conversations with friends and family. But our friends at DogTime Media have not—they've just posted their fourth and last shelter dog myth: "Animal Shelters Are Too Depressing", along with wonderful tips to both dispell and avoid the problems that can be associated with some shelters. This one really hits home with Parental Unit because she, too, thought shelters were just too darn depressing to even visit. In her search for my predecessor, the Wire Fox terrier, Carson, she first went to her local shelter. At the time, the Franklin County Shelter was pretty dank: she remembers rolling up her jeans so the bottoms wouldn't get coated with the urine that was running out of the floor units that housed the larger dogs-and talk about the smell!

Even when she adopted yours truly, our county shelter was still in the same facility, and not exactly clean, although better supervised. Now, our county shelter is a brand new, multi-million dollar facility, and while it's far from perfect regarding numbers of adoptions, it is indeed a very pleasant place to visit.

DogTime media has put together some tips for navigating a shelter and a few ideas for finding your new pet at other adoption locations, like fairs, foster homes and websites like Petfinder.com. We have something called "Mingle with our Mutts" that takes place every other Sunday on the shelter grounds, where many local rescues and foster parents bring their pooches for adoption-it's a great idea and a fun time, even if you're not looking for a new furry family member.

We hope you find these pet shelter "myth busters" helpful, and pass them along to your friends and family.

Blue Buffalo Home 4 The Holidays: There's Still Time To Spread The Good Word!

This is the first year that Blue Buffalo has teamed with the Helen Woodward Animal Center to help orphaned animals find loving homes for the 14th annual Home 4 the Holidays Campaign. Mike Arms, President of the Helen Woodward Animal Center started the Home 4 the Holidays Campaign in 1999, and since that time, thousands of shelter partners around the world have helped over 8 million pets find loving forever homes. The campaign also encourages those wanting to add a new furry family member to adopt from their local animal organization rather than purchasing a pet from a backyard breeder, puppy mill or pet store. And perhaps even more importantly, this campaign provides animal organizations with vital marketing information and guidance to encourage pet adoption.

The campaign typically runs from the beginning of October through January 3 of the following year, timed to coincide with the holiday season—when people are most likely to add a pet to their household. It's also timed to directly compete with the largest sales period for pet stores. So if more people "adopt don't shop" during the holidays, the market for puppies produced by unscrupulous breeders and puppy mills is greatly reduced.

There's still time to spread the good word about this worthy campaign, so please share this post or any of the linked information with your readers, friends and family. And while you're at it, check out Helen Woodward Animal Center's "Most Heartwarming Story Contest" and enjoy reading these adoption success stories from participating shelters.

Here's our hero in the pet rescue world, Mike Arms, talking about this years Home 4 the Holidays Campaign.

Be The Change For Shelter Pets:They're Counting On You!

We think this is a pretty nifty infographic, created by our friends at BlogPaws as part of their month-long celebration of "Adopt-A-Pet" Month. Perhaps "celebration" isn't quite the right word, but BlogPaws and its community of "Be the Change" pet bloggers, and other members of the animal welfare community have worked mighty hard during the month of October, as they do year-round, to call attention to the millions of pets entering shelters each year. And unfortunately, most of those perfectly healthy and loving creatures are euthanized because they simply can't find a forever home. Although there are lots of reasons for this embarrassingly high euthanasia rate, we all need to call attention to the facts outlined in the infographic below, and urge our friends and family to "Adopt, Don't Shop"! And please take the next step and share as much information as you can about adoptable shelter pets through your social media channels. Remember: We are their voice!

BlogPaws

BlogPaws Wordless Wednesday Pet Blogger Hop!

Today's "theme" over at BlogPaws is "Adopted Pets Rock" in honor of Adopt A Pet Month-cool!
And if I do say so myself, I certainly Rock!

I look like I rock, don't I?

And Bella "rocks" too...

O.K., this is more like it!

P.S. Before we send you off to join the BlogPaws pet Blogger Hop, we want to remind you to check back tomorrow, when we'll be posting our review of Chaser, Unlocking the Genius of the Dog Who Knows 1000 Words

Now on to the BlogPaws Wordless Wednesday Pet Blogger Hop!

Adopt A Less Adoptable Pet Week!

Although orange may be the new black, at least on TV, all black dogs and cats still have a more difficult time with adoption than their counter-parts with lighter colors or different markings. And according to the latest shelter research, although dogs and cats with special needs rank high on the less adoptable list, the absolute hardest pets to place are seniors. What about all that wisdom they've accumulated and are eager to share?

These scary statistics are what gave our friends at Petfinder.com a call to action, and in 2009, they launched the first-ever "Adopt a Less Adoptable Pet Week", now an annual event held during the last full week of September. And you guessed it, that's this week, September 23- September 29, 2013!

Dog Time Media and Cat Time Media are also adding their heft to this week's festivities and will be featuring less adoptable pets from around the country all this week on their Save A Dog and Save ACat Facebook pages.

Won't you join in and encourage your friends and family to adopt a "less adoptable" dog or cat this week? And if you're on social media, why not take a second and give a few of these less adoptables a shout-out-they'll certainly appreciate your efforts!

Take The "NO Pet Store Puppies" Pledge: And Win An ASPCA Gift Pack!

Introducing Molly and her faithful dog, Joey: Helping us understand why puppy mills are bad...and why we should not patronize stores that sell dogs from puppy mills.

Note: See directions at the end of this post to enter to win a special "No Pet Store Puppies" Gift Pack from the ASPCA!

Today, Sunday July 21, 2013, is "No Pet Store Puppies Day", and in fact, it's the third year of ASPCA's national campaign to fight puppy mills. This year's new video campaign, featuring adorable Molly and her equally adorable dog, Joey, highlights ASPCA's effort to let as many people as possible understand the direct link between puppy mills and the pet stores who sell their factory-produced puppies. Why not take the ASPCA "NO Pet Store Puppies" Pledge today, and then do what you can to spread the word among your friends and family-it really is all about knowledge.

We all realize that stores that sell products are in business to make money-and there's nothing wrong with that. And you also know that as pet parents, we love to shop for our furry companions. But stores that sell pet products and also sell those adorable puppies and kittens are working as one with puppy mills, because that's where those puppies come from.

But here's the great part: When the voice of the people is heard, change is made. When you, the people, take away their business-when there is no market for what they're selling-those stores will no longer do business with puppy mills, and in turn, there will eventually be no more puppies produced by dog factories. It's one thing to simply not buy a puppy or kitten from a pet store, but that impact is amplified many times over when you refuse to purchase anything from a brick and mortar or online store that also sells pets. Boycotts get peoples' attention. So please remember: "Don't shop till they stop!"

Now let's get to the ASPCA's Gift Pack Giveaway! Take a gander at what you can win, courtesy of the ASPCA:

- I Love My Shelter Dog Jumbo Tote

- ASPCA Orange Wrist Band

- ASPCA Keychain Flashlight

- ASPCA.ORG Logo Magnet

- Rachel Ray Naturally Delish Dog Treats

- Walkers Shortbread Scottish Dog Cookies

- Popchips

Please note: If the rules are not clear to you, feel free to ask at: jdemarti@columbus.rr.com. Likewise, if you've chosen to enter, please check back at the appointed day to see if you're a winner. And if you're one of the lucky ones, please provide your mailing address to Parental Unit at the above e-mail address. Thanks!

One lucky winner (continental U.S. only) will receive one ASPCA gift pack with the items pictured and listed above.

Here are the requirements to enter: No anonymous comments, please!

1. "Like" our Facebook page: See top of right sidebar or click here: www.facebook.com/pages/Boccis-Beefs/190090017696328?ref=stream

2. You must give this giveaway a shout-out on your Twitter or Facebook page by using the buttons below this post-easy!

3. Comment on this post and indicate in your ONE comment that you'd like to enter this giveaway.

This contest will run from today, Sunday July 21, 2013 through Tuesday, July 30, 2013 at 8:00 EST.

Good Luck!

Take The Dog Rescue Pledge!

We're thrilled to promote this great online initiative from P. L. A.Y., Pet Lifestyles and You, and Nebo, an interactive marketing company, in conjunction with Petfinder.com, that together with you, me and hopefully hundreds of thousands of pet lovers will help spread the good word about pet adoption. And you know, this is only possible if we help to educate people about shelter pets: there remains an overwhelming negative public perception of these beautiful orphaned animals-that they're somehow broken, or "unclean" and/or more difficult to train. And although none of these stereotypes is true, they persist. In fact, only a small percentage of people in the United States will ever walk into a pet shelter.

So we're asking you to Take the Pledge to help enhance the perception of rescue animals and encourage people to adopt their next pet from a shelter. Won't you join us by taking The Pledge and prominently displaying this lovely badge on your blog? And while you're at it, check out The Pledge's Facebook page, give it a "Like' and keep up with this powerful movement!

ASPCA's Rachel Ray $100K Challenge And Gift Pack Giveaway!

We're giving away this ASPCA gift pack! See details at the end of this post to enter!

We're thrilled to help promote this year's $100K Rachel Ray challenge, where 49 pet shelters across the country will compete to save lives. During the months of June, July and August, these shelters will work with their communities to save more orphaned animal's lives than they did during the same three-month period the year before. The ASPCA and Rachel Ray will award a $100,000 grand prize to the shelter that achieves the greatest increase in lives saved during this three-month time frame. Ready, set
go! A combined total of 2,047 pet lives have already been saved during the Challenge's kickoff weekend starting June 1-2, 2013!

But wait, there's more. The shelter contestant that does the best job engaging it's community members to help save more animals will win $25,000. And those organizations that do the best in their divisions will be eligible for between $10,000 and $25,000 in additional grants. They'll be a whopping total of $600,000 in grant funding awarded for increases in animals saved and well as for various other participatory events.

Why not check to see if one of your local shelters is participating and ask what you can do to help them save more precious lives and come out a winner. And while you're there, you just might want to add a new family member... As always, thanks so much for your support!

And now, on to our giveaway!

But first, a word about entering...please, do follow all of the rules! We've made it particularly easy to enter: We're asking for you to "Like" or Facebook page (prominently displayed on our right sidebar), and to give the contest a shout-out on either your Facebook page or your Twitter account. We're also requiring you to leave a short comment saying specifically that you'd like to enter-easy peasy!

Please note: If you don't have a Facebook or Twitter account, or are otherwise unwilling to follow these three requirements, please don't enter the contest. If the rules are not clear to you, feel free to ask at: jdemarti@columbus.rr.com. Likewise, if you've chosen to enter, please check back at the appointed day and check to see if you're a winner. And if you're one of the lucky ones, please provide your mailing address to Parental Unit at the above e-mail address. Thanks!

One lucky winner will receive a very special ASPCA gift pack containing these fabulous prizes:

· Oval ASPCA Logo Bumper Sticker

· ASPCA Pet Frisbee

· ASPCA Orange Wrist Band

· ASPCA We Are Their Voice T-Shirt

· ASPCA.ORG Logo Magnet

· Fight Cruelty Tote

· Rachael Ray 30 Minute Meals Cookbook

· Rachael Ray Nutrish^® Soup Bones^™ Real Chicken & Veggies Flavor

· Walker’s Shortbread Cookies in Chocolate

· ASPCA Action Booklet

Here are the requirements to enter: No anonymous comments, please!

3. Comment on this post and indicate in your ONE comment that you'd like to enter this giveaway.

This contest will run from today, Thursday June 13, 2013 through Tuesday, June 25, 2013 at 8:00 EST.

Note: if you choose to enter, please promptly check back to see if you won. If you're the lucky one, please send us your home address ASAP.

Good Luck!

BlogPaws Wordless Wednesday Pet Blogger Hop!

Today's theme over at BlogPaws is "Kitty Love"...and appropriately so. Did you know that June is "Adopt-a-Cat Month"? We're pleased to spread the word, because so many beautiful kitties are euthanized in shelters each year awaiting their forever homes. So if you're interested in adding a feline to your home, please head to your nearest shelter or rescue!

And speaking of kitty love...

Ms. Bella, shortly after we found her at about two months young.

Her extensive reading list...

And with her best friend...

Now let's all join the BlogPaws Wordless Wednesday Hop and see what everyone's up to!

North Shore Animal League's 2013 Pet Adoptathon Starts Tomorrow!

Tomorrow, June 1, is the kick-off weekend for the North Shore Animal League's annual Pet Adoptathon-tomorrow they'll open their doors for 36 straight hours of non-stop pet adoption! There will also be lots of fun activities for the entire family, so if you live in that tri-state area (New York, New Jersey, Connecticut) drop on by. Or if you prefer to visit from afar, check out the Adoptathon's Facebook page to see the pictures of adorable dogs and cats just waiting for their forever home, along with the Adoptathon's latest updates.

Did you know that to date, North Shore Animal League America, the world's largest no-kill animal adoption and rescue organization, has saved over 500,000 animals through its annual adoptathon? And this year, there are over 2500 participating shelters and rescues around the country that will be holding adoptathon activities throughout the entire month of June. Why not find a participating shelter near you and get involved!

The Shelter Pet Project

We think this new pet adoption campaign is the coolest thing going! It's called The Shelter Pet Project, and it's the result of the collaborative efforts of The Humane Society of the United States, the nation's largest animal protection organization, the incredible Maddie's Fund, whose goal is a "no-kill nation", and the Ad Council, the leading producer of public service advertising (PSA) campaigns. The laudable goal of the Shelter Pet Project is "to make shelters the first place potential adopters turn when looking to get a new pet."

Although there has been some progress in recent years: pet adoption from shelters and rescue groups has increased by two percent in the last two years, and euthanasia rates for otherwise healthy adoptable pets has dropped 10% since 2009, the aim of this campaign is to ramp up adoption rates and bring the kill rate of shelter animals to zero. To that end, these illustrious organizations together have launched a massive public service campaign on television, radio, the web and print-encouraging the nearly 17 million Americans who will add a pet to their household this year, to adopt not buy their new family member.

Just go to: www.theshelterpetproject.org where you can search for your new dog or cat from a local shelter or rescue group, read adoption success stories and get great information on pet adoption. Don't forget to watch all of their PSA's produced so far-they're fabulous!

We've brought you a few of our favorites, which are yours?

This fella looks a lot like me, don't ya think? (And according to my shelter records, I was dumped on a road, too!)

And this cat and the Beagle below know more than their humans just like I do-we shelter pets have a lot in common!

A Wonderful Post On Our Direct Link To Puppy Mills

When Parental Unit and I see a well written post, you know how we like to pass it on to our readers...:-)
Well, our good friend (and my personal photographer), Rachel, from www.rachellaurenphotography.com, wrote a fabulous piece eloquently explaining the connection between our "buying habits" and keeping those dastardly puppy mills in business, that she aptly titled: Before You Buy That Christmas Puppy.

Please take the time to read that post right here: rachellaurenphotography.blogspot.com/2010/11/before-you-buy-that-christmas-puppy.html

You all might recall that we are part of I am's Home 4 The Holidays program that promotes adoption from shelters at this time of year. Mike Arms, the founder of this program, and the President of the Helen Woodward Animal Shelter, has made a point of saying (and we're paraphrasing here) that puppy mills make enough money during the holiday season to sustain their businesses for the rest of the year. His goal, through the Iams Home 4 The Holidays program, is to take away that seasonal business and hopefully put puppy mills out of business for good!

So, if you really want to give a dog or cat for the holidays, remember: Adopt, don't shop!

As always, thanks so much for your support-it means a lot to us:-)!

Really, it does...I'm just a little tired today, so I don't look very enthusiastic...