This week's adoptable...

What a busy week it has been! We have let time get away from us and have not been keeping up with our blog! There as been some great things going on and later today we will post the picture of our "Pay it Forward" donation to the Gulf Coast Humane Society.

After much consideration, we have decided to feature two cats in this week's adoptable section...it has been really hard to agree to do this since they are not our favorite creatures, but we think everyone deserves a home.

Knight is only 1 ½ years old, but has already gone through a lot.  He was originally found as a kitten with a very badly deformed leg.  Unfortunately it could not be saved so it had to be amputated.  He does quite well, but not as well as we would hope for a cat as young as Knight.  He is not very good with other cats and absolutely hates being in the cat socializing room, so sadly he does not get as much exercise as to benefit his remaining hind leg.  Knight is a little on the shy side and is a “love at first sight” cat.  He will either love you or stay away from you.  A person with cat experience and respect for their little quirks would be wonderful for Knight.  He is only little, about 7 pounds, but he has the energy of a tiger!

Kitty is a beautiful senior of nearly 11 years.  She started off as the original crabby cat, but she is melting a little more every day.  Once Kitty decides that she likes you (and eventually she loves every person who knows about a good ear rub) she will head butt you, give you Kitty kisses, and if like turns into love, she will even roll on her back for you and gently let you tickle her not inconsiderable tummy.  She is a wonderful wonderful cat and really deserves to have a loving home in her autumn years.  

All information is from GCHS...take some time to go visit these cats or other animals that catch your attention at the GCHS!

Bode

Happy 4th Birthday, Bode!

Happy, Happy Birthday to my little brother, Bode! (Can I still call him little even though he is bigger than me but I am older? hmmmm).

Anyhow....Bode turns 4 today! We love birthday's at our house, we get spoiled and get to have more freedom than normal! Bode got to sleep in and stay under the covers (one of his favorite things) after Tara and Geoff left for work! I heard Tara say she was going to the dog bakery and Geoff said something about doggie ice cream...yum! I am so excited I can't wait to see what we get since it is always a family event to celebrate a birthday!!

What do you do for your birthdays? Do you have traditions?

Nap time for me...I think I will dream about some of those yogurt covered cookies Tara gets from the dog bakery and when I wake up, maybe she will be home for lunch with them!!

Playfully,

Abbey

This week's adoptable dog...

It's that time again to feature another dog from the Gulf Coast Humane Society...we picked "Tuesday" this week as she sort of resembles Bode! She wasn't there when Blackey was, so we had to ask the shelter for more information about her!

Tuesday is a 6 –year old Boxer mix who came in with her brother Junior. They did however decide that they would prefer to go their separate ways and stopped liking each other.


Tuesday is house-trained and seems to get along with some dogs, a meet and greet is definitely necessary. We do not know if she has lived with children, so we recommend her for families with children 8 years or older. She walks on the leash very nicely.

Don't forget it is also the last week of Delta Family Counseling's "Pay it Forward" in 2010 campaign where we are collecting wish list items for the Gulf Coast Humane Society. If you aren't ready to adopt and provide a forever home, consider donating your old blankets and towels, a bag of dog food, or even a roll of papertowels to help these pets in need!

Taking time to breathe....

Do you remember to take time to breathe? We remind Tara of this when we are feeling frustrated! A deep sigh can make you feel better or focusing on breathing with something like Yoga can help even more. We have learned that taking time for us makes for a better time for our clients!


Every day we have good and not so good things happen. If we can know how to handle these situations by taking a breath and acting, instead of reacting, a sense of calm is sure to follow! The challenge is catching this happening within us and learning to act! Tara teaches these skills to many of our clients and we often demonstrate deep breaths and relaxing with them! One example is for our clients that are asked to go to court. We ask that the client take a breath and breathe out before answering questions that cause them discomfort or for any question if they are anxious.

Won't you take a minute to do a breathing activity with us? Sit tall and close your eyes (after you finish reading this). We lay down and roll on our backs when we do this! Breathe in deep and count to five while you breathe in. Blow out for a count of five. Do this several times to calm your mind. As you practice and grow more comfortable, you will learn that you can increase the time from 5-10 seconds.


Keep breathing...

Abbey and Bode

Bode to the Rescue!

Yes, that is me...Bode...I am back at work! Today I was able to work with two clients before I got tired. Tara thought it was funny that I was a landing pad for helicopters and took this picture! I was the rescuer to help everyone get to where they were going. The people in the helicopter still had trouble getting to the ground once they landed on me and my tail became a slide.

Sometimes we seek someone bigger to help us feel safe. Many times our clients have Abbey and I fill a safey/rescuing role as they process their trauma. We love to to be able to help and if it means being a rescuer, then there we are!!

The good news is at the end of the session, the helicopter was able to safely fly to it's destination with everyone safely arriving! That's a sneak peek at play therapy in our office....

Until next time--
Bode

We are still "Paying it Forward"

This is the last week of our "Pay it Forward" campaign. Just a reminder that we chose the Gulf Coast Hutmane Society to collect donations from. If you are in our area and can bring by some dog treats, dog food, old blankets and towels, or anything else on the list...it would really help us help the shelter that we foster Blackey from.

Donations can be brought to our office this week and we will bring to the shelter next week!

Thanks for all your help...remember to "Pay it forward" and in March we will announce our next non-profit that we will pay it forward to!

Onward through the week....

Abbey and Bode

Ten Commandments of our fellow dogs....

We didn't create this, but sure want to share it!

Ten Commandments for a Responsible Pet Owner


WebSleuths.com ^ Paul Harvey [?]

Posted on Sunday, January 24, 2010 3:29:06 PM by Slings and Arrows

1. My life is likely to last 10-15 years. Any separation from you is likely to be painful.
2. Give me time to understand what you want of me.
3. Place your trust in me. It is crucial for my well-being.
4. Don’t be angry with me for long and don’t lock me up as punishment. You have your work, your friends, your entertainments. But I have only you.
5. Talk to me. Even if I don’t understand your words, I do understand your voice when speaking to me.
6. Be aware that however you treat me, I will never forget it.
7. Before you hit me, before you strike me, remember that I have teeth that could easily crush the bones in your hand, and yet I choose not to bite you.
8. Before you scold me for being lazy or uncooperative, ask yourself if something might be bothering me. Perhaps I’m not getting the right food, I have been in the sun too long or my heart might be getting old or weak.
9. Please take care of me when I grow old. You too will grow old.
10. On the difficult journey, on the ultimate difficult journey, go with me please. Never say you can’t bear to watch. Don’t make me face this alone. Everything is easier for me if you are there. Because I love you so.

Take a moment today to thank God for your pets. Enjoy and take good care of them.

Life would be a much duller, less joyful thing without God’s critters. Please pass this on to other pet owners.


We could add to this, but would love to hear what you would add to it!

Abbey and Bode