As National Pet Appreciation Week 2015 Draws To A Close...

We were wondering how you "celebrated" your beautiful pets this week? Or do you just care for them and enjoy one another every day of the year, like we do? And while we're doing all this celebrating this month, did you also know that June is National Pet Preparedness Month? Not exactly a cause for celebration, but you know how we feel about preparation and planning for you and your pets!

Here's a fun video clip from a TV Station in LA that showcases both of these important topics with Chief Veterinary Officer of the American Humane Association, Dr. Kuane Stewart. And don't miss  "Happy" the adorable scruffy dog who's the official canine ambassador of Hallmark's "Pet Project", that highlights the joy pets bring to our lives.  We hope you enjoy!

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Celebrate Our Military: Two And Four-Legged!

                                                                                                  Photo Courtesy of AP Wire Service

On this Veterans Day, we thought we'd bring you a salute to war dogs and other hero dogs courtesy of the American Humane Association's first annual "Hero Dog Awards" which saluted military as well as law enforcement/arson, service, therapy, search and rescue and other categories of service dogs in a star-studded event being broadcast this evening on the Hallmark Channel-check your local listings for the time, or for a repeat performance.

Oh, what will we do with our celebrities...


According to this article published a few days ago in the Huffington Post, the U.S. military first investigated the use of dogs in the military after the attack on Pearl Harbor, although Germany and France had used military dogs since WWI - and these highly trained canines have proved invaluable ever since. According to Bill Childress, the manager of the Marine Corp working dog program, "Electronic equipment is great in the laboratory, but on the battlefield, you can't beat the dogs." And to ensure that the skills of these four-legged soldiers are maximized,"they are outfitted with protective eye wear, body armor, gas masks and even vests that allow them to jump from helicopters." But giving these canine heroes the recognition they deserve is unfortunately, a fairly new phenomenon. So let's make sure to include them in our salute on this special day.

And while we're on the subject of war dogs...have you heard about the newly published book of photographs, "The Dogs of War: The Courage, Love, and Loyalty of Military Working Dogs", by journalist Lisa Rogak, whose own son is currently serving in Afghanistan. Check out a slide show of some of the book's photos here: www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/11/dogs-of-war-book_n_1079604.html.

So here's to our human and canine veterans-we salute you!

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"Hatchi: A Dog's Tale"

This film, which has gotten rave reviews, will make its United States debut on Sunday, September 26 (that's tomorrow, folks), on the Hallmark Channel-so push all those football fanatic family members off the couch and plop down with tissues clutched in paws and hands.

The film stars the still gorgeous Richard Gere (Parental Unit insisted I add that description of Mr. Gere) and three Akita's playing the famous Japanese dog, Hatchi, in "a contemporary retelling of the story of Hatchiko, an Akita who lived in Japan in the 1920's and '30's." Hachiko was the companion of a professor who died suddenly at work, and the faithful Hachiko continued to return to the train station where his owner traveled to and from work, for nine years after his death, awaiting the man's return. A statute of Hachiko still stands at that Tokyo train station-or so we've read.

Parental Unit had heard of  this film before, but didn't realize that it was making it's U.S. debut on cable until she read this article in today's New York Times: www.nytimes.com/2010/09/25/arts/television/25dogs.html?_r=1&ref=arts

So enjoy the article and the film, and ponder if you will, whether anyone will make a statute of your's truly...

Photo by www.rachellaurenphotography.com

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