Pet Memorial Peternity Blog

Peternity.com Supports WorldVets.com to Save Animals Around the World

For the month of September, Peternity.com will be donating a portion of profits to WorldVets.org. World Vets is a 501c3 nonprofit organization dedicated to providing global veterinary aid. Their tireless efforts span 24 countries and 6 continents and address not only veterinary issues, but also human health issues impacted by zoonotic diseases in developing countries.

And the fun part is, you can travel with them! You can volunteer your time and get right in the trenches assisting the veterinarians to make a difference for animals and people in interesting and exotic locations. How does that sound for your next vacation? 

WorldVets travels to Honduras, Romania, Belize, the Caribbean, Panama, Haiti, just to name few locales, and World Vets is the veterinary NGO represented on two US Navy humanitarian assistance missions on hospital ships each year.

You need no prior veterinary experience, just a love for animals, an adventurous spirit and a can-do attitude. Your generosity will help to make a difference for animals, people and communities around the world.

In love and respect for all creatures,

Colleen

Hey! Did You Know? It's Take Your Dog to Work Day!

Okay, if you aren't self-employed like me, which means I have my dog with me every day at work, my apologies. But if you are still working for "the man", or some fabulous woman, take your dog to work tomorrow!

Friday, June 25, is "Take Your Dog to Work Day," an annual day that encourages businesses to allow their employees to bring their dogs to work. The day was first launched in 1999 by Pet Sitters International in partnership with Dog Fancy magazine and the Association of Pet Dog Trainers to celebrate the love we share with our dogs as well as to promote local pet adoption.

And why wouldn't we want our dogs at work with us? Studies show that employees who bring their dogs to work tend to be more efficient workers and happier and healthier in the workplace. A win-win for everyone, right?

In love & respect for all creatures,

Colleen

Win a $20 Petco Giftcard Just for Sharing a Pet Story

Share a sweet or funny story with us about a pet and a child and win a $20 Petco Giftcard - either a memory of yourself with your pet from when you were young, or a story about a child you have in your life now and their pet.

This giveaway is sponsored by Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul, which wants to encourage everyone to celebrate pets and their importance to their owners, especially kids.

I can't wait to hear your stories! Here's a funny story about my daughter and our dog Romeo that I've been sharing lately.

"One day my daughter was playing in her room with our little 9 lb Malte-Poo. When things get quiet with little children, it's time to check and see what's going on. So I walked into her room and she had a peculiar look on her face and said "Hi Mommy." The dog was nowhere to be seen, but I could hear him scratching. I asked "where's Romeo?" She responded coyly "I don't know." The sound was coming from the corner of her room where her play kitchen is. I walked over, bent down and opened the oven door. There was Romeo! He is a VERY patient dog.

What's the Giveaway?

One Peternity Blog reader will win a $20.00 Petco gift card to help them stock up on goodies for their own pet(s). To enter, please comment on this post through 11:59 PM PST on Tues. May 4th. Let me know what your favorite pet means, or meant, to you, share a funny anecdote, or tell us a story of an animal doing something amazing. If you don’t have pets, comment on the pets belonging to whomever you’d give this gift card to!

What's the Fine Print?

This giveaway is sponsored by Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul which will be providing the gift card to the winner. The winner of this giveaway will be chosen by random number generation at random.org.

One entry per person, and U.S. residents only, please. If you are reading this via email, you need to click through to our blog and comment on the post via the Peternity blog. Emailed entries will not be honored.

In love & respect for all creatures,

Colleen

Pointer: A Beautiful Memorial to a Very Special Dog

We're creating a pet grave marker for this very special dog right now and we just loved her story so we thought we would share it with you.

Pointer was a thirteen year old border collie who lived across the street from our dam construction project. I first met Pointer in December 2008 when I arrived on site and was walking in the project area which would eventually be the lake after the dam was completed.

25 Ways that Pets Help to Keep Us Young at Heart

by Marianne Thomas

Whether they answer to Fido or Fluffy, pets aren't just companions, they become true members of our family. But unlike some relatives, our pets are natural stress-busters who help keep us young at heart by keeping us fully engaged in life.

Just ask Jeff Marginean, the author of “My Buddy Butch - Confessions of a New Dog Dad” and host of the My Buddy Butch Radio Show. When Marginean's mom passed away, a new puppy named Buttons helped improve his father's mood. “When my dad saw that puppy, he lit right up,” Marginean says. “They had been married almost 59 years. Buttons turned my dad around 180 degrees. He lived for taking care of that dog.”

Ever wonder about the different ways those furry friends can benefit your health? Here are 25 amazing ways pets keep us young at heart.

Unlikely Animal Friends

Can't we all just get along? I love seeing these animals, who we would never expect to be relating to each other at all, to not only bond, but to comfort and care for each other. May we learn to become comfortable with and comforting to, those who are so unlike ourselves. We need more of that in our crazy, crazy world right now.

FAWN & BOBCAT
The Jesusita Fire in Santa Barbara, CA this year caused these two to take shelter together.

The fawn is about 3 days old and the bobcat about 3 weeks.

They immediately bonded and snuggled together under a desk in the Santa Barbara County Dispatch Office for several hours.

I'm not sure which one is cuter!

ORANGUTAN & BLUETICK COONHOUND
Suryia the orangutan and Roscoe the Bluetick Coonhound met in a South Carolina sanctuary for endangered animals two years ago. Roscoe was an underfed stray who Suryia quickly took under his wing.

"As soon as he saw Roscoe, Suryia ran over to him and they started playing," Antle said "It was unusual because dogs are usually scared of primates; but they took to each other straight away."

Read more . . .

 

In love & respect for all creatures,

Colleen

There are All Kinds of Pets! Emus are Special Too

You would be surprised at the wide variety of animals for which we create pet memorials. One of the most interesting was Elmo the Emu.

Elmo would respond to his name and understood several voice commands. He loved to be held and petted. He particularly enjoyed summer baths in a large plastic pool, where he would splash and gurgle with joy while enjoying a rub down.

Read more about this most special bird . . .

In love & respect for all creatures,

Colleen

Happy Easter - Rescue or Adopt a Rabbit!

Have you ever considered rescuing or adopting a rabbit as a pet? In talking to many rabbit owners, I've learned a lot more than I knew when I had my blue-gray rabbit as a kid.

Rabbits make great pets for children and adults. They're very sweet,  very soft and are much less aggressive and more docile when they can run freely in your home. But who wants rabbit droppings all over the place?

Did you know that you can litter-box train a rabbit? They're quite smart. We created a pet grave marker last year for a rabbit named Amber who was in love with the man of the house and very jealous and not very fond of his wife! Amber roamed freely, did her business in the litter box and brought them many years of fond memories and laughs.

In love & respect for all creatures,

Colleen

From Making Benji Movies to Avid Horse Lover

Remember those emotion filled Benji movies all of us who are over 30 watched when we were kids? They were made by filmmaker Joe Camp, who is now living with the 4th Benji and his wife Kathleen.

Recently, while looking over their beautiful property watching the sun set in Southern California, they thought "wouldn't it be nice if there were some horses meandering around down there?"

3 weeks later they had horses on their property and found themselves on a very interesting journey, learning about the fascinating relationship between man and horse. Watch the video below to see the beginning of Joe and Kathleen's journey.

The rest of their journey is chronicled in Joe's compelling book "The Soul of a Horse", now in it's third printing.

You can meet their horses on their website thesoulofahorsecom.

In love & respect for all creatures,

Colleen

My Buddy Butch Interviews Colleen Mihelich of Peternity.com

September 5th launched the book release of "My Buddy Butch" a book by Author, Musician, and Producer Jeff Marginean. It's a funny heartwarming story of how a little Boston Terrier changed Jeff's outlook on life, unconditional love and caring.

Along with their new book, Jeff and Butch also host a radio show at blogtalkradio.com. Check out our interview together where they interview me and we talk about Peternity and Pet Loss.

In love and respect for all creatures,

Colleen