In Memory of My Casey Jane

September 30th, 1995 ~ December 19th, 2011

I had to say good-bye to my sweet angel, Casey Jane, late Monday morning. It was the hardest decision I’ve ever made and, right now, I feel like my heart will never heal, but she was ready, even if I wasn’t.

She went so peacefully, I don’t for a second doubt that my decision was the right one. Even so, I’m a mess right now and it feels like a part of me is gone. Casey was my “Baby Girl” for nearly 14 years, she came into my life on June 10th, 1998, and she even made it past her 16th birthday this year on September 30th, which I know is a very good age for a dog to achieve. And while I feel lucky to have shared my life with her for so long, I find I can’t help but wish that it was longer still. I miss her soft, fluffy little Bichon body and the loving expression in her eyes more than I ever thought possible.

Enter to Win a Photo Session with Angie at Off-Leash!

Here’s a fun Christmas photo contest for metro Vancouver dog owners.

Angie at Off-Leash Photography writes: “Being submerged in Christmas spirit and bored with my own Xmas photos I invited people to send me their own photos of Xmas dogs… you can check it out on my FB page. You can send me your photo if you want the others to coo and ho ho over your dog. Whomever gets the most likes will win the session with me.”

Angie does specify that the contest is open to dogs in the Metro Vancouver area only.

You can see the full details on Angie’s blog or visit the gallery of submissions you’ll be competing against on Facebook here. The rules are also on Facebook, and they’re here. To learn more about Angie and her work, here’s a quick peek we took back in October.

Looking Back at Party with your Pooch

Party with your Pooch, held on Sept. 27th, 2011, was a fundraiser hosted by Love on a Leash Trusted Dog Care Services to help raise awareness and much needed funds for animal rescue organizations such as 1 at a Time Rescue.

Photos by Kiki, C&A Paws Photography, Off-Leash Photography and Charles Zuckerman who all generously donated their time for this great cause. Many, many thanks.

I’m including just a small sampling of photographic memories from the event. You can see the whole album (and it’s big!) on our Facebook page.

Christmas Cover Kids!

My darling Casey and Finnigan were honored to pose for the cover of B.C.’s Pet Connection Magazine’s Holiday Edition. Don’t they look great?

Special thanks to editor, Leslie Kennedy, for her eye for rising stars and to Angie at Off-Leash Photography for making them look so mahvelous!!!

Christmas for Critters

Christmas is the time for giving. It’s also a time when we see the greatest need. Something about holding our own abundance up to the light, I think. Something about thinking about all that we -- and our well-loved pets -- have and take for granted and wanting to spread that goodness around, if only a little bit.

If that is your spirit, there are no shortage of great causes to donate to come this time of year. North Delta-based Christmas for the Critters caught my eye because it seems very grassroots. I thought I’d give the organization’s Angela Chisholm the opportunity to tell you about their very special program:

Christmas for the Critters is a North Delta-based charity drive to raise much needed items and supplies for the homeless animals at the Delta Community Animal Shelter.

We will be accepting donations right up until December 24th. The holidays can be a very difficult time for animal shelters. Fewer available foster homes, fewer available volunteers, less donations, less adoptions. Many people buy puppies as Christmas gifts for their loved ones from pet stores or breeders, when they could just as easily adopt instead of shop!

By spreading the word about Christmas for the Critters, we are hoping to give some of these homeless animals homes this Christmas as well as raise supplies for the ones still waiting for their forever homes. We are hoping that, by bringing exposure to this charity drive, more people will realize the benefits of adopting vs. shopping. By doing so, we are hoping to reduce the rate of animal homelessness in not just our community, but the whole Lower Mainland.

One issue that we are also trying to convey to the public is that of spaying and neutering, and why it is the responsible and humane thing to do. Did you know that (theoretically) a female dog and her offspring can produce 67,000 puppies in a six year period, while a female cat and her offspring can produce 420,000 kittens in a seven year period? If everyone in BC spayed and neutered their dogs and cats, our country’s homeless animal and shelter euthanization statistics could be drastically lowered. Please help us spread the word about Christmas for the Critters, and help us help the animals!

ITEMS & SUPPLIES NEEDED FOR DONATION:
- Good quality wet foods for dogs and cats
- Good quality dry foods for dogs and cats (such as Innova or Natural Balance)
- Good quality wet & dry KITTEN FORMULA foods
- Bedding; old blankets, comforters, towels, and pet beds
- Dog chews; bullysticks, rawhides, cooked bones, and Nylabones (or similiar)
- Litterboxes and scoops
- Cat litter
- Cat toys
- Small animal bedding and litter; wood shavings, wood pellets, etc.
- Small animal food
- Small animal toys and 'hide-outs'
- Dog, cat, and small animal treats (such as dog biscuits, temptations, and timothy hay)
- Laundry soap
- Dish soap

ITEMS & SUPPLIES NOT ACCEPTED FOR DONATION:
- Clay cat litters
- Covered litterboxes
- Fitted sheets
- Towels with a large amount of rips and/or holes

DONATION BOX LOCATIONS:
- Hungry Hound Pet Food & Supply: #102 - 455 E. Columbia St, New Westminster
- Esquires Coffee House: 11146B 84 Ave, Delta
- Bosley's: 100-8047 120 Street, Delta
- Forcefed Performance: #202 - 30701 Simpson Rd, Abbotsford
- Annieville Elementary: 9240 - 112 St, Delta
- Pet Solutions Supermarket & Grooming: 6447 - 120 St, Delta

For more information, you can visit Christmas for the Critters on Facebook. And thank you for your support!