Check it out!

Here is the link to the Po'Kitties All Pet Photo Contest!

Photo Contest Link

All monies from this will go to help our feral TNR program with spay-neuter costs!

My New Award from Addie!

Check out this cute girl's site! Raising Addie

My Official Vest!

These last few weeks have been pretty hot -- no -- too darn hot! Like most of you, I have been working in spite of the heat. I have been to FENCE Day Camp three times with the Foothills Humane Society. This photo was taken at the camp with the children, and I would like you to notice my new and, I think, extremely handsome Official Therapy Dog Vest.


As most of you know, I have routinely been dressed up in all kinds of garbage......er, I mean garb, for the various seasons......the hats, the sunglasses, the light-up antlers, the ties, the bandanas, the abominable black feather boa (and you remember what I did to that), and, of course, the ridiculous orange fright wig I wore for Halloween. I do try to be a good sport about it, but sometimes I have been downright embarrassed by some of my outfits. The children and the folks at the assisted living homes seem to enjoy the "Champ-Wear" though, so I do my best to keep from looking as disgusted as I feel. If the truth were known, however....



Now, for the first time, I finally have something that I am proud to wear. It is a (very) bright red vest with an emblem that says: "I Am a Therapy Dog" and underneath that it says, "Sharing Smiles and Joy". I believe it is obvious by the expression on my face that my relief at having an official uniform (as opposed to an "outfit") is great. I do try to bring joy and smiles to all the folks I visit, but would prefer to do so in a vest rather than a rhinestone tiara, thank you very much.


I wore my new vest to FENCE Day Camp and I am happy to report that everyone there made quite a fuss over it, and me. It was highly satisfying and hopefully my humans are taking note of this. The children at the FENCE Day Camp were a lot of fun and they were also very well behaved (which matters a great deal to me) during all three visits!

I went to check out the Columbus Farmers' Market this past Saturday, and it is a really neat "down home" market. They have lots of local produce, some is even organic. They have everything from okra and blueberries to tomatoes and honey and plants and potatoes and cucumbers, and even some beautiful embroidered towels and crocheted hot pads. And there is a man who sells fresh bread and delicious goat cheese made from goats who are guarded by..........YEP.....a Great Pyrenees livestock guardian dog! (Simply the best!) They have fresh baked doggie cookies there (and the lovely lady gave me one so I can attest to the fact that they are absolutely delicious). They also have some human baked goods that I could only drool over. I think I could really get into those sticky buns....and I believe the nice lady who sells them might be charmed into giving me one if my humans weren't around!

I thoroughly enjoyed making the rounds of delicious smells, meeting people and greeting old friends. I met two very well behaved boys whom I really liked and tried to follow around, and I met a very, very small, very, very yappy thing that I am told was actually a dog....hmm....and lots of other folks who all admired me and said what a great dog I was. I believe I need to become a regular.

Stay cool. Woof.


CHAMP

P.S. Please start taking some great photos of your pets....(any and all pets, yep, even the horsey ones!) for the Po'Kitties All Pet Photo Contest. Details at www.pokitties.com , click on the link to the contest!

NO Excuse!

"Spay and neuter, spay and neuter" yada, yada, yada.......

Are you bored yet? Everyone knows, or should by now, that spaying and neutering cats and dogs is the only answer to the pet overpopulation problem, the problem that causes shelters all over the country to have to euthanize healthy, adoptable pets because there are not enough homes for them.
I guess what I don't understand is WHY people still don't spay and neuter their pets! What part of spay and neuter don't they understand??? There is just no excuse for it!


"It costs too much money."
WRONG. Foothills Humane Society has the Humane Alliance Program which costs $8.00 to spay or neuter a dog or cat. That’s what lunch costs these days. And if you truly cannot afford that, the Shelter will still help spay or neuter your pet! Call them at 828-863-4444.

"I want my dog/cat to have the experience of having a litter."
WRONG. I've never had a litter and trust me, I don't miss it. And for you big, macho guys, guess what? I don’t miss running in front of cars or going without eating because I am so obsessed with the scent of a female in heat! And by the way, I’m still as macho as they come!

"I'm afraid Fluffy will die going under the knife."
WRONG. Fluffy is a whole lot more likely to die having a litter than when she is having surgery, as long as she is healthy.

"I work all day and don't have time to take my dog/cat to the clinic."
WRONG. Bet you make time to go to the store, or eat lunch and dinner, don't you? You can drop your pet off at the Shelter on Humane Alliance day as early as 6:30 am and if you make arrangements ahead of time with the Shelter, the staff and volunteers will work with you about the timing of picking up your pet. You can also get a coupon from the shelter to help with the cost of spaying or neutering and you can then use the vet of your choice.

"I want to breed my terrific hunting dog."
WRONG. Just because the parent dog is a good hunting dog does not mean the puppies will be any good. You have a better chance of finding the right dog for you by carefully choosing one at the Shelter. And trust me when I say that a lot of good hunting dogs wind up in the Shelter.

"I love Pumpkin and want her to have just one litter....."
WRONG. There are too many dogs and cats already! Sure, you say, you can always find homes for these animals – only sometimes you can’t, and when you do, you are taking one more home away from the homeless ones. And that means that one more pet will be euthanized!

"I want my kids to see the miracle of birth."
WRONG. You're definitely sending the wrong message on this one. I'm not much of a TV watcher but I know you can rent a DVD or watch the miracle of birth online and not contribute to this terrible overpopulation problem!

It's a guy thing."
WRONG! Oh, for goodness’ sake.......c'mon guys! Y’all are smarter than that! Be a part of the solution instead of being the problem! It has nothing to do with you and how macho you are. Even a big dog like me knows that!

"I just want to let Nature take its course."
WRONG, WRONG, WRONG! Isn't there enough suffering and death already without adding to it? This is a simple, inexpensive solution to a lot of different problems!

Between 5 and 10 million pets are euthanized -- that is, put to death -- every single year in this country. (Yep, I said between 5 and 10 MILLION.) Imagine the pain of the people who have to euthanize these precious animals....and the tax dollars that have to pay for it! That is almost incomprehensible to me. Closer to home, two weeks ago in the span of only one hour, 17 cats and kittens were brought to the Shelter. One hour! The Shelter only has room for about 45 cats at a time, so you do the math......and you'll know that this is definitely not a good thing.
Humans bring litter after litter of puppies and kittens to the Shelter. They are asked if they want help spaying and neutering the parents, but they often have some lame excuse as to why they aren't going to do it! Well, they might not mind that many of the puppies and kittens brought in have to be euthanized, but let me tell you, the Shelter staff minds! They desperately want to adopt out all of the animals but there are just not enough homes!
And yes, it is always better to take them to the Shelter than to dump them on the side of the road. At least they will be put to death humanely. When they are dumped somewhere, they can get run over, or suffer and die a slow death of starvation and disease. Some are picked up by good people and brought to the Shelter, but then the staff and volunteers don't know the dog or cat's history and that makes it harder for them. Often they don't get to the Shelter until they have been injured or have gone without food for awhile, or have gotten sick, which makes it harder to adopt them out.
I really hope someone out there has some grand idea for getting the word out about spaying and neutering to the folks that need to hear it. If you do, please write to me c/o my blog at the Tryon Daily Bulletin or email me at champtherapydog@gmail.com. Two heads, or in this case, maybe a few hundred heads, are better than one!

On a much happier note, I was at Polk Central for the after school program and several of the students formed a pyramid with me in the middle, as you can see in the photo! (Get it? Pyr-amid?) It was a fun time and it amazed me how quickly they managed to do this maneuver!

And have I mentioned that the Humane Society is having an auction? As the Official Spokesdog, I would like to say that if anyone has one or more items they would like to donate, please contact Steve King at 859-7054, and he will happily arrange for the items to be picked up.


Woof!

CHAMP
P.S. June is "Adopt a Shelter Cat" month! Please help us save their lives and adopt one today!

Everyone in the picture is approved to have their photos published. The students are, starting at the top and coming down the right hand side of Champ:

Calab Byers
Regina Dotts
Amber Miller
Martin Ewing-Macchietto
Larry Dyer
Chyanne Davis

Ears to Hear? Eyes to See?

First off, I would like to say that I, er, borrowed this title from Jeff Byrd's editorial, "Ears to Hear" in the Tryon Daily Bulletin (oops, that would be "Mr" Jeff Byrd to me!). I think his excellent commentary spoke to all of us. If not, it should have.

I am a very lucky dog. I have "ears to hear" and "eyes to see". And we do need to hear and see things that outrage us, or we will never see change occur. These past two weeks I have seen or heard of several incidents that disturbed me greatly. I find it difficult to comprehend how some folks have no respect for any living thing, be it two-legged or four-legged.

A small kitten was hit by a car. The lady (and I use that term advisedly) who was driving, got out, saw the kitten was injured, shrugged her shoulders, got back into the car and drove away. Fortunately for the kitten, there was a kind-hearted Good Samaritan behind her, who got the kitten the care it needed (and who also got a good description of the woman, the car, and the license plate. She will be remembered.)

Another incident that I personally witnessed involved a big old turkey crossing Collinsville Road, not exactly a superhighway. It was in a clear stretch, easy to see and avoid. But the "lady" (ugh) driving never braked or swerved, she just obliterated that turkey. All she did after hitting the big bird was look in her rear view mirror and I'm not sure why. I am hoping it left a turkey-sized dent in her nice looking car. I won't go into detail about the other incidents, which include a cat being thrown from a moving car, but trust me, they are equally dreadful.

I realize that these incidents may seem petty to some, but the truth is, they are not. This complete disregard for life, be it four-legged, two-legged, or winged, is indicative of a sick society. Senseless, mindless, gratuitous violence against any living being is horrific. What are we teaching our children? How do these people look in the mirror? Would you want one of these people as a neighbor? As a friend? Is this the kind of folks we want in our community? On a personal level, I find them scary.....even though I am big !

Mr. Byrd was referring to the divisiveness that comes when people of one race distrust or fear people of a different race, and, to the understanding and respecting of the viewpoint of another. I firmly believe that respect for each other is a moral imperative to each of us. I may be "only a dog" but I know, and try to live by, the golden rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. This sentiment crosses all boundaries, be they racial, religious, national, or interspecies, and speaks to the universal society of which we are all a part. The humans in our community need to show respect for each other and the rest of us living beings, human or animal --
So once again, I am reminded of the two words that I chose to be my "words for the year". "Humane education". We really need to learn to be humane to everyone and everything!


I think NOW would be a good time for us to start!

Woof!

CHAMP

HIP-HIP HOORAY!

103 cats have now been spayed or neutered as of May 8!

Thanks to all the caretakers, volunteers, Po'Kitties' committee members and the Foothills Huamen Society!

THANK YOU!

We have kittens from a colony that will be up for adoption through the Foothills Shelter...Two are already there...they are DROP DEAD gorgeous...their names are Thor and Tara...check them out here.....www.foothillshumanesociety.org

Also..the Po Kittens in the photos above are in foster and will be available shortly! Please hurry as I am about over these cute little Po'kittens!

Woof!

CHAMP

As Special As it Gets!

Champ being kissed yet again!



Last week it was my privilege to attend the Greenville Regional Special Olympics, which were held at Furman University. This was my third year, and it was the best yet. The weather was PYR-fect -- not at all a "dog" day -- and my own nephew and niece were there, and they both won medals!


I love the Special Olympics, I love the athletes, I love the volunteers -- I guess you could say that I love the whole thing! Oops. -- except for the balloons --I forgot --I HATE balloons, especially when they pop -- and there were lots of balloons!

I got there just in time to see all 1400 of the special athletes parade around the stadium. I got to see their bright, happy faces and to hear everyone cheering. The most moving part was the singing of the national anthem by a special athlete from one of the elementary schools. He sang slowly and beautifully. It didn't matter to anyone that he could not pronounce "R" or "L", it just made it all the more special. (Think "wocket's wed gwawe" instead of "rocket's red glare!") This boy should be on Good Morning America, he was that good, and that awe-inspiring.

After the ceremony, I was stationed just outside the stadium as the athletes were leaving to go toward the venues for the actual games. Many of them remembered my name and ran to greet me. They were excited to see me, and I was very happy to see them! The ones who didn't know me came over to meet me. Some of the athletes were frightened of me, but once they looked in my eyes and touched my soft fur, they knew they were safe and their sweet faces lit up like the sun. Some of them hugged me and some of them even kissed me (which isn't my favorite thing, but with these folks I didn't mind at all). Some of them wanted to have their pictures taken with me and they wanted it taken with THEIR cameras. And some of them just wanted to show me their medals! I always try to pay special attention to everyone, even if it is just for a moment. Seeing all the smiles was just the best.

The athletes each had at least one volunteer who stayed with them throughout the Special Olympics. The volunteers did a great job, and they all seemed to be having a great time! Actually, everyone involved in the Special Olympics, whether as an athlete, a parent, a coach, a teacher, or a volunteer, has a terrific and positive attitude. Everyone was, and is, a true winner in many ways.

Polk County used to have a Special Olympics, and I was invited to the last one and enjoyed myself thoroughly. My question is, why don't we have a Special Olympics here anymore? There are so many folks in the community who would be happy to volunteer, (I'm just a dog.....don't get mad!) and most of the students I have met would volunteer to help, I'm certain. We have some truly awesome special athletes, and I myself would volunteer to be the Very Special Spokesdog. Is there someone out there who will step up to the plate to champion this very special cause?

If you ever get the chance to go to the Special Olympics, by all means, GO! It is a time of pure joy, and, if nothing else, it will make you stop and wonder how we could ever think we have something to complain about.

Woof!

Champ