Monday, October 21, 2013

• Costumes and Compassion

FurryDanceCats.blogspot.com
In 2013, Americans are expected to spend $330 million on Halloween costumes for pets.

That is a lot of money.

Here's a crazy, crazy idea. Stick with me, OK? Imagine that for every dollar they spend on a costume, people donate a dollar to an animal shelter.

I'm going to say it again: Spend $10 for fairy wings for your bulldog, write a $10 check to a bulldog rescue.

Are you with me? That would be . . . $330 million dollars donated to animals!

You don't have enough to donate because you spent so much on a Superman cape for your hamster? Translation: You'd rather spend that money on groceries or Starbucks or Netflix or toilet paper. So would I. But if you can afford $10 for a pet costume, you can afford to help pets in shelters that need food or medication. You can save their lives.

I'm not a grinch. I love pets in costumes. But when I heard that we in the U.S. will spend $330 million dollars to accessorize our dachshunds with a hot dog bun, I was disturbed.

If you fashioned a costume from things you found around the house, you're excused from this challenge. But if you bought so much as a bow tie for your dog, would you challenge yourself? Make a real difference in an animal's life.

Who's with me?

Thursday, October 10, 2013

• This Girl Is On Fire—Kindle Fire, That Is

Lordy! I entered the BlogPaws "International Pet Blogger Month Essay Contest"—and I won! The contest asked participants to explain, in 150 words or less, how being a member of the BlogPaws Community has affected them or their blog.

I've attended the BlogPaws annual conference since 2011. The Community is an online tour de force that gives pet bloggers a virtual place to share tips, join special interest groups, chat, join blog hops: in short, a boatload of information that bloggers need. Here is my contest entry:

"My blog has benefited from being a member of the BlogPaws Community from the ideas and support of community members. #WW [Wordless Wednesday] blog hops and #BlogPawschats yield new followers. No matter how much (or little) I know about a topic, I can share expert tips via #BlogPawsChat. Genius!

"Microblogging (Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest) is even more important to my social media presence. When BlogPaws posts news, such as how to help pets during the Colorado flooding, I share so my followers know how to help. In turn, BlogPaws retweets when I send them pertinent news.

BlogPaws lays out the red carpet. Work it, Rocco!
"Personally, the BlogPaws Community means the world to me. Beginning with the 2011 conference, I've made friends and contacts. I'm constantly inspired to do my best. The BlogPaws Community connects me, informs me, and rewards me. They make me look good. They even lay out the red carpet for me! What's not to love?"

BlogPaws also asked me to mention my favorite blog post. If you know me well, you won't be surprised that it's 'H' is for Horse.

If you love pets and blog about them, check out BlogPaws and its online Community. Join #BlogPawsChat on Twitter, Tuesdays 8–10 p.m. EST (except  the third Tuesday of the month). Meanwhile, I can't wait to see what new possibilities my Kindle Fire opens. Thank you, BlogPaws!


Wednesday, October 9, 2013

• Wordless Wednesday: October 9, 2013

What do you call it the first time you see a breed in "pawson"?
These are my first Spinone Italiano!



Wednesday, October 2, 2013