I realized, as I shared this poster on Facebook this morning, that I had meant to blog about this issue and about Notes from a Dogwalker, the site that has done so much to publicize it, months ago, when I first discovered its existence. Dogs in Need of Space (DINOS) come in all forms. Frankie…
Pet Adoption Videos That Don’t Make Me Want to Kill Myself, 6/23
This video was made for No-Kill Los Angeles, an initiative of Best Friends Animal Society along with a coalition of animal organizations across Los Angeles. I like Kevin Nealon, and of course I like the message, but I thought a little too much time was spent on the lead in to the money shot: A…
Join the Internet Strike on 1/18 to Prevent Scary Web-Censoring Laws from Being Passed
A couple of (particularly) scary laws have been introduced in Congress that will affect all of us. The one in the House of Representatives is called the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA); the one in the Senate is called Protect IP Act (PIPA). Both are ostensibly designed to help copyright holders like musicians and filmmakers…
9/11: A Moment of Silence
Frankie’s Birthday & the Almost Bark-Mitzvah
One of the many advantages of rescuing a pet is that you’re not restricted to celebrating an actual birth date; you can choose any one you like. In a post that I wrote in the first year of my blog, 2009, I explained that I chose the Fourth of July for Frankie’s birthday because of…
Pet Adoption Videos That Don’t Make Me Want to Kill Myself, #10
This video, one in the generally awesome series by the Mayor’s Alliance for NYC’s Animals, doesn’t make me want to kill myself, but it makes me a bit sad. Is this couple only staying together for the sake of the cat? And who will get custody when they decide to call it quits? Here’s what…
Interview with Mary-Alice Pomputius of Dog Jaunt
I’ve known Mary-Alice Pomputius and her blog, Dog Jaunt, for quite a while…well, quite a while in blog years, which are similar to dog years for telescoping time. Looking back through my email files to see just how long, I saw that I asked her to write a guest post for me in November 2009,…
Pet adoption videos that won’t make you want to kill yourself, 1
If there’s a common theme to all the animal welfare pieces I’ve been posting recently, it’s the need to stay positive and not to rely on old stereotypes, whether of dogs or of models for shelters. I cited the ASPCA’s Sarah Mclachlan video not only as a waste of money but as a tear jerker…