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See how Bark Busters changedthe life of an Airforce dog han-dler or, view the “Aspen’s Story”video on YouTube.com

ovember’s issue is dedicated to seniorpet health. Dr. Jim Amyx offers somegreat information on the importance

of senior blood testing on page 12. Early detec-tion is key to diagnosing, treating and preventingserious medical conditions.In this issue, we also revisit Barrio Dogs, a

community outreach organization that offerseducation to low income neighborhoods in theHouston area. To read about the various pro-grams that Barrio Dogs has to offer, turn topage 16.This month’s cover features Sadie, a beautifulFrench bulldog from Short Mugs Rescue Squad,a newly formed rescue group that is dedicated tohelping French and English Bulldogs, Pugs andBoston Terriers. To read about Sadie and otheravailable dogs for adoption, flip to page 24.

Editorial

N

Issue 10: Volume 5www.urbanpawsmagazine.com

After a brief vacation to the U.K., Lesley Youngis back with her sixth installment of the agilityseries. In this article, you will learn how to makeyour own tire jump and hurdles. We’d love to seephotos of your dogs using the agility equipmentthat you’ve made!There are few things more important to me

than animal welfare. Our annual event,Kingwood Barktoberfest is aimed at raisingawareness for rescue an adoption efforts. If youare looking to adopt a new dog, or just want tohave some tail-wagging fun, be sure to join uson November 12th!

Jennifer Kitchens

On the Cover

Photo by Shirley Pearce Photography

URBAN PAWSMAGAZINEP.O. Box 1556Spring, Texas 77383www.UrbanPawsMagazine.com

Design and layout by:ZOECOCREATIVE

© Copyright 2011. No part of this publication may bereprinted or otherwise reproduced without the publish-er’s written permission. Urban Paws magazine assumesno responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts, feature andidea submissions, or photographs, and such material willnot be returned. Urban Paws magazine assumes no lia-bility for the contents herein and has the right to refuseadvertising for any reason. Urban Paws magazine doesnot endorse any specific product or service containedherein; we do encourage you to support our advertiserswhenever possible.

Please tell our advertisers you heard about themin Urban Paws!

Urban Paws Magazine 5

Follow us on FACEBOOK & TWITTER for the mostup-to-date information, news and events!

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Calendar

November 2011 Events For a full listing of events, visit:www.urbanpawsmagazine.com/events

NOVEMBER 3Scout’s Honor Rescue’s 4th Annual MovieNight and Silent Auction at Rockefeller Hall,3620 Washington Avenue. 6:30 p.m. - 10:00p.m.. Suggestion donation of $30. For moreinformation or to order tickets, contact Lauraat [email protected].

NOVEMBER 5-11National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week

NOVEMBER 5Canine Massage workshop with Ken Bain atRummy’s Beach Club. 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.Class fee is $185 and includes a catered lunch.To register, visit www.rummysbeachclub.com.

NOVEMBER 6Houston SPCA’s first-ever iWalk for Animals.6:00 p.m. To register, visit www.hspca.org.

NOVEMBER 11Barrio Dogs for Better CommunitiesFundraiser at La Casa de Frida, 402 Main St.5:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. For more information,visit www.barriodogs.org.

NOVEMBER 12The 5th Annual Kingwood Barktoberfest atKingwood Town Center Park. Free to the pub-lic. For details, see ad on page 4.

NOVEMBER 14Join the Houston Humane Society for their

22nd annual golf tournament at Sugar CreekCountry Club. In addition to the tournament,there will be a putting contest, driving range,dinner, awards, and silent auction. Visitwww.houstonhumane.org for more details.

NOVEMBER 19Join Citizens for Animal

NOVEMBER 19Join Citizens for Animal Protection (CAP) fora Sterling Evening 25th Anniversary CelebrityPaws Gala at Hilton Americas - Houston.They will be honoring 25 years of CelebrityPaws chairpersons benefiting CAP. Raffle tick-ets can be purchased in advance for a chanceto win a 2012 Subaru Impreza donated by WestHouston Subaru. Event begins at 6:30 p.m. Formore information, visit www.cap4pets.org.

NOVEMBER 1-30Four Seasons Veterinary Hospital is offering10% off boarding and 10% off spays andneuters for the month of November. For moreinformation, visit www.fourseasonsvet.com.

Share a Card andHelp a Homeless Animal

The Iams Home 4 the Holidays, one of theworld’s largest pet adoption programs, kickedoff its annual adoption drive with the goal offinding homes for 1.5 million orphaned petson October 1st. Now in its 13th year, the pro-gram runs through January 3, 2012 and hasalready helped 5.8 million pets find lovinghomes across the globe.

New this year on Facebook.com/Iams areeasy ways to get involved and make a differ-ence in the lives of orphaned pets, such ascustomizing adoption announcement cards toshare with friends and family. To help an ani-mal in need, simply select a template, upload apicture and information about your pet andthen share on Facebook or with your friendsand family via email. For every card shared,Iams will donate a meal to participating ani-mal organizations through its Bags 4 Bowlsprogram.

For more information on the Home 4 theHolidays program, visit www.iams.com.

The Scoop

News &Happenings in the Community

and get a limited edition iWALK for ANI-MALS t-shirt! Register today and start collect-ing donations from your friends, family and co-workers.Every iWALK donation will make it possible

for the Houston SPCA to continue fulfilling itsvital mission of promoting commitment to andrespect for all animals and freeing them fromsuffering. For more information, visitwww.hspca.org.

TEXAS HEARING& SERVICE DOGSRECRUITS NEWCLASS OF DOGS FROMANIMAL SHELTERS ACROSS TEXASOn a five day road trip up and down the high-ways of Texas, trainers from Texas Hearingand Service Dogs (THSD) visited nearly twodozen animal shelters to find and rescue theirnext class of Hearing and Service Dogs.Director of Training Al Kordowski and

Manager of Training Becky McClintock evalu-ated over 2,000 dogs in their search. Theycame home with eight new recruits adoptedfrom six different animal shelters: Town LakeAnimal Center, Austin’s municipal shelter,Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter inRound Rock, the Humane Society of CentralTexas in Waco, New Braunfels Animal Servicesand San Antonio Animal Care Services.The new dogs will learn to assist Texans liv-

ing with deafness or mobility related disabili-ties. Hearing Dogs alert their deaf partners bytouch and lead them to important sounds likethe door knock, oven timer, baby’s cry andsmoke alarm. Service Dogs help people inwheelchairs by picking up dropped objects,turning lights on and off, opening and closingdoors, cabinets and refrigerators, nudging para-lyzed limbs into position and performing other

NEWRESOURCE BEINGDEVELOPEDFORNOKILL ADVOCATES ACROSSTEXASNo Kill Texas Advocates' website will providea wealth of information that will be helpful toanimal lovers and animal advocates who wantto stop the needless deaths of shelter pets intheir communities. When complete, the websitewill provide Save Rates for reporting shelters ineach Texas city and county. There will also be alink to all animal related city and county ordi-nances and as well as animal related Texas statestatutes.The No Kill Texas Advocates' website will

also provide information regarding upcomingcity, county and state elections so that citizenscan become informed about the candidates.www.nokilltexasadvocates.org.

HOUSTON SPCA ANNOUNCES FIRSTANNUAL IWALK FOR ANIMALS EVENTThe Houston SPCA invites animal loversaround the world to the first ever “walk whereyou are” event in support of animals of allkinds. Walk in your neighborhood, park, andanywhere else and raise funds to help theHouston SPCA free animals from suffering,abuse and exploitation. Join animal loverseverywhere and have fun while raising fundsfor a great cause. Raise or donate $100 or more


The Scoop

News &Happenings in the Community


customized tasks.“We are so excited to welcome these new

dogs to our training center,” says THSDFounder and President Sheri Soltes. “One ofthe best parts of the job is giving dogs some-one else threw away a second chance at a lifeof love and service.”Texas Hearing and Service Dogs, a non prof-

it founded in 1988, has adopted and trainednearly 600 abandoned dogs to become workingpartners for Texans living with disabilities.They invest one year and $18,000 in trainingeach dog. Donations allow them to provide thedogs free of charge. To learn more aboutTexas Hearing and Service Dogs, visitwww.servicedogs.org.

NEWDOG PARKNOWOPEN FOR RESI-DENTS OFHOCKLEYThe new facility is located in Katy at Paul D.Rushing Park, 9114 Katy Hockley Road. It fea-tures two separate sections – a 2.5-acre area fordogs 20 pounds and under and a 5.5-acre areafor larger dogs. The sections are in two differ-ent parts of the park complex. Large dogs arenot allowed in the section for smaller canines,but patrons with smaller dogs can take theirpets into the big dog section.Construction on the new dog park began

April 26th and was completed this summer.The handicapped-accessible facility featuresshade canopies, dog cooling stations, benchesand drinking fountains.The innovative Precinct Three dog parks

were among the first built in the nation andhave quickly become one of the more popularamenities in parks and recreational facilities.The other three dog parks are the Millie Bush

Director of training, Al Kordowski with Truffle

Dog Park, located in George Bush Park at16756 Westheimer Parkway; the Danny JacksonFamily Dog Park near U.S. 59 at the intersec-tion of Loop 610 and Westpark Drive and thedog park in Congressman Bill Archer Park,3201 State Highway 6 North.

STUDENTS OF JOHNCOOPER SCHOOLHELP ANIMALS IN NEEDThe John Cooper School SPAM (StudentsPreventing Animal Mistreatment) Club held itsannual pet food drive in The Woodlands.The students were able to raise 4,416 pounds

of pet food for the Montgomery CountyAnimal Shelter. The food donations, picked upby MCAS shelter employees, filled two pick-uptrucks.


wholesome + delectable = WHOLECTABLE

n 2007, a massiverecall involving

commercial pet foodbrands created wide-spread panic amongstdog and cat owners. -The economic impacton the pet food marketwas extensive, as wasthe impact on thosewhose pets become illor died as a result ofeating the contaminat-ed food. The recallprompted many con-cerned pet owners toreevaluate what theywere feeding their pets.And for some, likeAnn Holdsworth, thiswould mean preparing a homemade diet fortheir beloved pets.

Ann’s fears and con-cerns over the recallresulted in extensiveresearch of the ingredi-ents found in commer-cial pet foods. To Ann,her dogs, Zoey andLizzie, were an impor-tant part of her familyand she wanted to pro-vide them with the bestcare possible. In herresearch, Ann foundthat even the “premi-um” brands did notcontain ingredients thatshe deemed to be pre-mium. Armed with this

new found knowledge, andafter consulting with a veterinarian, Ann beganmaking food for her dogs. Four years later, shedecided to make her homemade dog food avail-able to other pet owners.

Wholectable was officially launched in May of2011 and currently offers one adult dog foodformula. The Chicken, Vegetables and Rice for-mula was formulated to meet the standardsestablished by the Association of AmericanFeed Control Officials (AAFCO), a voluntarymembership association of local, state and fed-eral agencies charged by law to regulate the sale

I

Local Spotlight

Wholectable Pet Food

Ann Holdsworth, owner of Wholectable Pet Food

and distribution of animal feeds and animaldrug remedies. Wholectable Pet Food productsdo not contain any cheap meat fillers. Theunique combination of real chicken thighs,brown rice, peas and carrots allow you to seeexactly what you are feeding your best friend.Additionally, the vitamins and supplementsincluded in each bag have been specifically bal-anced by veterinary nutritionist Dr. Susan Wynnto ensure a ‘complete and balanced’ diet fordogs as outlined by AAFCO.

Wholectable dog food is available in two sizes:2.5 and 5 pound bags, to accommodate dogswith both large and small appetites. This all nat-ural product is delivered frozen and is preservedwithout the use of chemicals. Food can bestored in the freezer and simply thawed in therefrigerator overnight, or in the microwave ondefrost. It can be served hot or cold and com-pletely on its own.

Although Wholectable’s current offering is lim-ited to dogs, future plans include expansion oftheir recipes to add veterinarian approved for-mulas for cats.

If you are looking for a wholesome, homemadediet for your dog, Wholectable offers delivery tothe greater Houston area. For more informa-tion, please visit the company’s web site atwww.wholectable.com.

5% of Wholectable’s proceeds aredonated to Lone Star Boxer Rescue!


GUARANTEED ANALYSISof Wholectable Pet

Food

Crude Fat (min.) 2.06%Crude Fiber (max) 1.16%Crude Protein (min.) 10.56%Moisture (max) 71.11%


Healthy Tails

Senior Blood Testing By Dr. Jim Amyx,Four Seasons Veterinary Hospital

"Now, Doc, that's an expensive blood test. Dowe have to do that test today? Taylor [his seven-year-old yellow lab] is healthy. We're just heretoday for her vaccinations," said Mr. Jones.

"I realize that. However, Taylor just turnedseven years old. In dog years, that is equivalentto a human who is 50 years old. And 50 is notthe new 30 for pets! "

"Taylor is edging into her senior years and weneed the blood test to establish how her internalorgans normally function - i.e.: her baseline.Then, as she ages, we can easily detect changesin that baseline and treat the reasons for thosechanges accordingly, hopefully before she devel-ops a serious medical condition, " explainsTaylor's veterinarian.

Does that conversation sound familiar to you?Possibly, if you are a parent to a senior pet. Oursenior pets are special. They have been our com-panion for many years and, all of a sudden, werealize they may not be with us forever. They areaging much faster than we are. So we can easilyenvision future years without our belovedfriend.

We cannot slow down our pet's aging processnor their natural, expected longevity of life. But,we can ensure our pets have the opportunity toachieve their projected life expectancy. How canwe ensure this for our pets? Proper medical careand early detection testing!

Early detection testing for both cats and dogscan include a complete blood count (CBC), a

chemistry panel, a thyroid function test, urinaly-sis, and parasite exams. The CBC can detect ane-mia, leukemia, infection, and inflammation. Thechemistry panel can help detect disorders in theliver, kidneys, pancreas, muscle and bone, while,the thyroid function test can detect thyroid dis-orders such as hypothyroidism and hyperthy-roidism.

Even though we think we know what our petsare thinking, how they feel, we don't. They can'ttalk to us. They can't tell us they are sore. Theycan't tell us they are thirstier than usual or hun-grier than usual. They can't tell us their headhurts or it is painful to go to the bathroom. Sowe have to watch for behavioral changes in ourpets to determine if there are any problems.This simply is not good enough.

In almost all cases, when a pet owner notices aproblem in their pet that "problem" is wellestablished. It is not an infection or disorderthat just began. It is one that has been ongoingin their pet for some time, possibly damaginginternal organs in the process.

What can we do to prevent this? How can webetter care for our pet? Senior Wellness Bloodtests. These tests do talk for our pets. Thesetests can tell us more than our pets would if theycould actually talk. These tests are our pet'svoice. We need to perform these tests and listento them.

Are they expensive? They can be....but it is anexpense that is always well worth the cost! If

cost is an issue, ask your veterinarian if theyhave a senior wellness program where the cost isspread out over a period of time. Or, ask yourveterinarian if they have a senior wellness sav-ings account - one where you can pay monthlyfor your pet's anticipated senior care. Or simplyset up a savings account yourself for your pet.

When your pet is five years old, begin settingaside money monthly for senior pet expenses.Investigate pet insurance plans - there are manyavailable - all with different benefits and options.Ask your veterinarian which pet insurance plansthey recommend.

Plan. Research. Prepare in Advance! Your petscannot do this for themselves. They depend andrely on you - their beloved companion - to do

this for them. As humans age we develop aches,pains, and disorders we did not have as teens ormiddle-aged adults. In preparation for ourfutures, we have annual medical exams, takeblood tests, and know the disorders we face andour physician's medical plan to treat these disor-ders.

Senior wellness blood tests can accomplish thisfor your senior pet as well. Antech Diagnosticsrecommends "Detect and Protect." I'll add onemore: Expect. Expect. Detect. Protect your petwith senior wellness blood testing. It's some-thing you can't afford to neglect!

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Building a Better CommunityThrough Education

hen Gloria Zenteno, founder and presi-dent of Barrio Dogs of Houston, first

started the organization her hope was to edu-cate, empower and transform her neighbor-hood. Beginning just over a year ago, she start-ed on her street and the surrounding blocks witha goal to reach out to other nearby neighbor-hoods to spread a culture of change block byblock.

Although most people think that Barrio Dogs isa rescue group, they are in fact much more. Theyhope to get to the root of the problem—mis-treated and abandoned animals—by increasingawareness and intolerance of animal abuseacross generations and

cultures. They do this byeducating the youth about the ideal relationshipwith a canine companion and the responsibilitythat comes with owning pet, empowering local

residences to take action in their neighborhoods,and transforming communities from indiffer-ence or hopelessness about mistreated or home-less animals to powerful advocates for animalwelfare. Zenteno says that she knows there aremany neighborhoods like this in Houston andthat poor conditions for animals are somewhatof an open secret in inner city neighborhoods.

When returning to her old neighborhood in theGreater East End over eight years ago, she wasshocked, both by all of the abandoned animalsand that few people seemed to be concerned.Zenteno has slowly built an army of part-timevolunteers by recruiting everyday people andshowing them that we can all make a difference.It’s a family affair, sister-in-law and localHouston musician, Norma Zenteno, who wrotethe theme song for the organization “Help theBarrio Dogs” has helped rally support fromarea musicians and artists as well.

Houston has shown great interest in thecharismatic Zenteno and Barrio Dogs, and theorganization clearly fills a void with its aim toeducate, transform, and empower inner cityneighborhoods. The organization is fortunateto receive many emails, some of them clear-ly a reflection of our current economic crisis

(Where is your shelter? Where can I drop offmy dog? Can you come rescue a dog?). WhileBarrio Dogs is not the answer for every short-term crisis, they are educating now to resolve

W


long-term problems of animal neglect.

Their core is education, which is centered onschool-based interventions like the Barrio DogsYouth and Paws (YAP) Program. This bilingualprogram visits children at local elementary, mid-dle and high schools and features educationalpresentations, guest speaker dis-cussions, and an occasional visit bya rescued and rehabilitated dog.Also, Barrio Dogs’ Tales to TailsReading Program helps childrenincrease their confidence and flu-ency in reading through one-on-one story telling sessions with aRescue Education AmbassadorDog (R.E.A.D).

The Barrio Dogs TherapyProgram involves healthy, gen-tle-natured rescue dogs givingback to communities by visit-ing local nursing homes, children’shomeless shelters, and hospitals to bring com-fort and encouragement to people inneed.

The Barrio Watch Dog Program will empowerresidents to recognize that animal neglect andabuse is a crime. The Barrio Watch Dog

Program is aimed at raising awareness ofabuse in these communities, educateregarding standard and lawful animalcare, and transform ignorance intoaction by reporting abuse. In particular,Barrio Dogs aims to create intoleranceof dogs chained to trees, animalslocked in kennels, breeding and raising

animals to sell, and dog-fighting culture.

The Barrio Dogs for Better Communities isdedicated to creating a new narrative for dogowners, by providing an opportunity for a betterquality of animal care in these low income areas.Fortunately, neglect is often unintentional asowners do love their companion animals, butoften do not have the economic means for idealanimal care. For example, many dogs are

chained due to

the lack of appropriate fences.Barrio Dogs seeks to identify these owners toprovide them with Freedom Fences, so they mayunchain their pet, creating better pets and bettercommunities.

Currently, the sad reality is that rescuework is unavoidable, because there are somany animals being neglected, abused orotherwise homeless in our communities.Due to the lack of a full-time staff orphysical location, Barrio Dogs cannotserve as “first responders” for emer-gency cases of animal cruelty or res-cue. They aim to provide informationand other resources to the communi-ty, through outreach and educationalinterventions, to encourage residentsto take charge and be their own hero. By work-ing together, everyday people can transformHouston’s inner city, low income communities.Sometimes it just takes one person, such asZenteno, to start a chain reaction and makethings happen.

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t’s easy, inexpensive and satisfying to make agility equipment for your best friend. Yourdog will love the excitement of training on your newly made hurdles too. In August weshowed you how to make your own agility weave set. This month we focus on hurdlesusing ¾ inch PVC piping available at DIY stores. Get ready! Next month we will start

our mini series on Games and Exercises you can practice with just three hurdles.

I


How to Make Your Own Agility EquipmentPart II: Hurdles

Supplies that you will need:• A length of foam pipe insulation(optional)• Long zip ties (at least 6” long)• Four 3-way tee pieces of PVC plumb-ing pipe• Two 90 degree PVC pipe connectors• Two 10’ lengths of PVC piping• A small sawApproximate cost: under $10

How to make it:Cut each 10’ pipe into lengths as follows:• 1 piece 2’ long (or about the outsidediameter of your hoop, making the top orbottom bar)

• 1 piece 4’ long (one side bar)• 2 pieces each 1’ long (the base supports,front and back)

• 1 piece ¼” long (to connect the tee pieces)

Assemble the piping and connectors based onthe layout of the connector pieces in the pictureabove. Use the insulation to ‘wrap’ the tire andsecure with zip ties. Use 2-3 zip ties on each sideto suspend the tire to the frame – tight enoughto hold it in place but loose enough to adjust theheight as your dog’s skill grows.

There are several Agility Competition organiza-tions and they each set the standards for equip-ment. The American Kennel Club (AKC) com-petition tire should measure: inner diameter +/-24 inches; the tire itself - 3 to 8 inches thick with

a gap between the tire and the frame. Still, youcan make a great back yard training set your dogcan enjoy and should transition very easily intoa standard AKC tire. In particular, this trainingformat avoids your dog learning the ‘bad habit’of jumping between the tire and the outerframe.

For each hurdle, you will need:• Four 3 way tee pieces of PVC plumbing pipe• Two 10’ lengths of PVC piping• Two jump cups (available online, for example,from www.justjumpcups.com)• A small sawApproximate cost: about $10 per hurdle

Tire Jump

Hurdles

Required supplies for the tire jump


How to make them:Cut each 10’ pipe into lengths as follows:• 1 piece 4’ long (for either bottom bar or poleto sit on the jump cups)

• 1 piece 3’ long (one side bar)• 2 pieces 1’ long (the base supports, front andback)• 1 piece ¼’ long (to connect the Tee pieces)

Assemble in the order shown, as with theTire Jump (without the top bar). Clip on thecups at the appropriate jump height and rest thehorizontal jump pole on the cups. Voila!

For official details of AKC jump heights, whichvary according to the height of your dog, seehttp://www.akc.org/pdfs/rulebooks/REAGIL.pdf. In any case, always start low and build yourdog’s muscles and skills until you reach the ulti-mate height for your dog.

If your dog has not jumped hurdles before, startlow. One option is to have someone hold yourdog while you go to the far side and recall themover the hurdle, rewarding them with a game ortreats. Ensure your dog has ample room to takeoff and land to achieve a neat and efficient jumparc. Progress to sending your dog over the hur-dle to a target (see archive article) and to yourunning at the side. When your dog is happilyjumping, add a consistent jump command orcue.

Lesley Young (MA Hons), has 17 years experienceDog Training - relocating to The Woodlands, Texas in2009. Lesley runs Pet Dog, Puppy and Agility classesand is an AKC Canine Good Citizen Evaluator.www.dogangels.us. For a guide to training your dog toweave, please visit our resources page.

How to Make Your Own Agility Equipment - Continued

Required supplies for the hurdle

Completed hurdle


It’s not something you see (or don’t see) everyday—pet lovers strolling down streets, chillingin chairs or parading in parks with invisible dogsat the ends of their leashes.

For some, this nifty new trend might seem toharness all the qualities of the perfect pet—transparent hair, undetectable doo doo andsilent barks. But for those seeking the bona fidebenefits of a real dog, these clear canines are ona mission to deliver a serious message.

The nostalgic, 70’s-style Invisible Dogs (leashesthat appear to have an invisible dog at its end)are beginning to appear in public places fromcoast to coast, calling attention to the hundredsof thousands of very real, but unseen dogs hop-ing to be adopted in U.S. animal shelters.

In every community, there are far too manydogs waiting in shelters, out of the sight of mostpeople who don’t even know they exist. Thesefrequently forgotten dogs want nothing morethan to be seen and given a second chance at lifein a loving home.

“Invisible Dogs is a movement to help peoplestart seeing the incredible number of homelessdogs in our nation,” said Claudia Perrone, mar-keting specialist for Best Friends Animal Society.“Our goal is to capture the public's attentionwith the iconic invisible dog leash--each leashrepresenting a homeless dog--in hopes of put-ting the odds in favor of that dog getting adopt-ed."

Shelter dogs often are overlooked when poten-tial pet parents begin searching for a new furryfriend. Many people prefer not to think aboutthe plight of shelter pets, so they inadvertentlyadd to the problem by choosing to buy from apet store or some other source, rather than sav-ing the life of a shelter dog living on borrowedtime.

Others simply don’t know how many amazing,adoptable dogs of every age, breed, mix, colorand size are available through their local animalwelfare organizations. In many shelters, as manyas one-third of the canine residents are pure-breds. Nationally, nearly 200,000 dogs are cur-

What Are Invisible Dogs?

PLEDGE to adopt a dog

PLEDGE to walk a dog at a shelter

PLEDGE to take a photo of a dog at a shelter & share

JOIN or START and ID walking event

Take Action

CONTINUED ON PAGE 26

Gimme ShelterJoin us in helping our four-legged friends find loving homes. Adopt a dog today!

Sadie is a wonderful frenchie! She likes toget belly rubs, chew Nylabones and justhang out. She will play tug with you orsometimes another dog. But mainly shejust wants to follow or be near you, not ontop of you, but definitely in the sameroom and preferably on the same couch.She is ecstatic to be included in familyactivities and just to be near her humans.Sadie loves children of all ages and isextremely gentle with them. She is not afan of cats, so we'll say no to cat homes.She has been great with the otherFrenchies in her foster. She can be a littleexcited at times, but is great with introduc-tions and doesn’t charge when she is on aleash. Sadie is truly a very easy going girland an ambassador for what a frenchieshould be. She is a special dog.

Please note that these dogs may have been adopted by the time you visit them; however,there are many more wonderful dogs in need of forever homes.

Ourcover dog,Sadie!

Short Mugs Rescue Squadwww.shortmugsrescuesquad.org

Short Mugs Rescue Squad is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to the health and well-beingof French Bulldogs. Based in Texas, Short Mugs Rescue Squad is run and managed solely by volunteers.Their main objective is to rescue, rehabilitate, and re-home French Bulldogs that come from manysources including local animal shelters, owner surrenders, strays, commercial breeding kennels, importbrokers and private rescue groups.


Abby and Chloe were found asstrays by a woman who contactedHouston Bulldog Rescue. At thetime they were full, so Short MugsRescue took the girls in and hadthem vetted. They were kept twoweeks in foster care until anotherEnglish Bulldog Rescue had open-ings and took them into their pro-gram.

Henry is a very sweet boy that wassurrendered for having issues witha new dog at the house. He is alover and just wants to be with hispeople. He is four years old and ingood health. He is neutered andmicro-chipped, heartworm nega-tive and up-to-date on vaccines.Henry seems to have grown upwithout learning how to play withtoys and his foster mom has beenunable to interest him in playingwith any type of toy. He reallyenjoys sitting quietly with his peo-ple and would be fine with a mid-day dog walker or a stay at homeperson. He loves people!

Moose, a French bulldog/pugmix, has a wonderful personality!He is a very healthy boy and ismicro-chipped, neutered, andheartworm negative. He was sur-rendered when his owner movedinto an apartment with other ani-mals that he did not get alongwith. He has a high prey drive, sothere should be no other animalsin his new forever home. Mooseloves to lay on the couch or in hisdog bed and just being mellow. Hewill chew his bones, play ball ortug. Moose would be okay withfirst-time Frenchie owners, butnot first time dog owners. Heneeds a leader that’s familiar withalpha dogs and knows how to han-dle them.


Henry

Moose

Abby & Chloe

rently available for adoption from shelters andrescue groups on http://www.petfinder.com.Adopting a dog from a shelter saves lives. Thosewho choose to buy a pet from breeders or petstores take homes away from shelter animals,while creating a demand in their community formore pets to be bred or trucked in from out-of-state puppy mills, large commercial breedingoperations where puppies and their parents livein terrible conditions.

Best Friends Animal Society has created theInvisible Dogs campaign to help spotlight shel-ter dogs. Along with shelters, rescue groups andcompassionate individuals, Best Friends worksto get shelter dogs into forever homes. Learnmore about the campaign, join the InvisibleDog movement, take a pledge to adopt or walka shelter dog, and find out how to organize an

Invisible Dog event at www.invisibledogs.org.

About Best Friends Animal Society®:Best Friends Animal Society(http://www.bestfriends.org) is a nonprofitorganization building no-kill programs and part-nerships that will bring about a day when thereare No More Homeless Pets®. The society'sleading initiatives in animal care and communityprograms are coordinated from its Kanab, Utah,headquarters, the country's largest no-kill sanc-tuary. This work is made possible by the person-al and financial support of a grassroots networkof supporters and community partners acrossthe nation.

What Are Invisible Dogs?CONTINUED FROM PAGE 23

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