Santa Photos at Lowell Humane Society

As most of you know, when Nicholas was 9 months he had his first visit with Santa. I have actually never taken him to the mall and never plan to. It's become a wonderful tradition to take Nicholas to Lowell Humane Society along with Dexter for photos to support a great cause. Lowell Humane is so important to me and it feels great to be able to give back to animals in need.

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Dexter Photo Shoot

Last weekend, my friend and fellow volunteer at Lowell Humane Society, Shannon, had a fundraiser that benefitted Lowell Humane Society. Shannon would like to do this again in the fall so if you live in the area and would like to be a part of it, please let me know! Here are the results of our awesome photo shoot :)

Foster Cat Update

I recently received the most wonderful update on a cat I fostered for most of last summer, named Bear. It brought tears to my eyes and made me so happy. I always say how lucky I am to be able to help out doing something I love so much. I wanted to share the message from Bear's adopter with all of you. The last picture cracks me up SO bad:


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I just wanted to update you and let you know how well Bear is doing. I don't know how in the world she ended up with that name, but so glad she did because it was the reason I adopted her. She is an absolute joy. Remember when you said she wasn't a lap cat? I am pleased to tell you that she is now a lap cat. One of her favorite things to do is sleep on my lap when I lay down. She is my best buddy and follows me around and comes when I call her, like a dog, haha.

She still doesn't like being picked up (but slowly getting better about that). She started clawing furniture so I got her a 6ft cat tree and she loved sitting on the top of it and looking out the window, and only claws the rugs now. Her favorite place to sit, when she is downstairs, is on a chair that my beloved deceased cat Baron (nicknamed Bear) loved to sit. I don't think her eyesight is so great because sometimes when I feed her dinner (she still eats like a champ) she follows me when I walk away. I just started picking her up and putting her in front of her dish. She loves to follow me around the house and she is never usually out of eyesight, except at night, she likes to sleep downstairs.

She broke my heart when I was bringing her to the vet when I thought she had a bladder infection (she didn't, turns out I was smelling the remnants of old Bear's markings). She cried in her carrier the whole way over. Actual cries that you could hear. I'm sure you remember that she normally can't make sound when she meows, and still doesn't. She also peed and pooped in the carrier, out of fear. I felt so bad because I figured out that she was afraid I was going to give her away! The not being able to cry has gotten her locked out on the front porch a couple times, so I put bells on her collar. I take her on trips with me and finally, on the last trip, she didn't pee and poop in the carrier from fear. Yay!

My big golden retriever, Billy, was terrified of her and couldn't stand to be in the same room with her, but she loves him! He's starting to come around and accept her. He was another rescue from Tennessee so who knows where that fear came from.

I wanted to thank you from the bottom of my heart for taking such good care of her. I was in a pretty bad depression when I got her but she really helped pull me out of it completely. Wonderful people like you help animals but you also, in turn, help people. I hope you are doing well.

Lowell Humane Society Upcoming Events

As many of you know, I've been volunteering at Lowell Humane for a little over a year now and it has changed my life. LHS does amazing things for so many animals in need.

In the past few months a few dogs have been surrendered and their bills have been astronomical. Denali needed heart worm treatment and will need double knee surgery, Baby Bella recently had knee surgery, Rex had cataract surgery, and we just out a new young guy named Ruck will need ball hip joint surgery. These surgeries for these dogs alone cost thousands and thousands of dollars.

Lowell Humane receives absolute zero government funding- they operate only on private donations and small grants throughout the year.

With all that being said, I know that we all have to pick and choose what we would like to donate to, and I know it's not often we've got just money lying around wondering "what can I do with this?"

I'm a member of the Dog Task Force which works specifically to promote the well being of the dogs while in the care of LHS and we came up with a few ideas that I wanted to share with you, and I also wanted to let you know about some fun summer events. :)

Have spare change?
Having a yard sale?
Have kids that want to have a lemonade stand/bake sale?

Considering donating a portion of these proceeds to LHS.

Upcoming/ Save the Date events:

Thursday June 25th: Garcia Brogan's in Lowell from 7-9pm Live Music, Raffle, Silent Auction, and kissing booth with Baby Bella- a $5 cover will be charged and all proceeds benefit the shelter.

Sunday June 28th: Shelter Me- movie viewing at The Luna Theater in Lowell. $5 and proceeds benefit the shelter.

Saturday July 11th: Pancake breakfast at Chelmsford Applebees $10 - we have to sell a minimum of 100 tickets so please please please, even if you cannot attend perhaps you could consider making a $10 donation?

Friday August 14th: Come. Sip. Stay Beer Tasting at Onyx Room at Western Ave Studios, $25 pp.


Thank you for all of your love and support folks, it means so much to me and to the animals in need. <3

If you have any questions or think you might attend some of these events, please let me know. Would love to see you guys there :)

Foster Cat Rudy

I haven't fostered any cats for awhile. My last foster was over the summer, and into the fall, and her name was Bear. She was very fearful and it took a really long time for her to be comfortable. I had her almost 4 months and I'm happy to say she ended up going to a wonderful home.

My most recent foster was named Spaz, and he was another fearful guy. The shelter manager always ends up giving me black cats, and now it's a joke because pretty much every black cat that comes in that needs a foster, I think she pretty much just picks me :)

Spaz was a small guy of only 6 months and he was a hisser. He would hiss out of fear, and was never aggressive. But, he really loved "rough" (strong) petting up around his head, neck and ears. And no joke, the first time I got him to purr, I shed a tear. He was with me for about a week when I wrote a bio for him that we put up on the website:


Meet RUDY! Rudy is a 6 month old guy who is quite shy. Don't be deterred by the nervous hiss he may give you at first, as he is incredibly loving and sweet. While not a lap cat, once he is comfortable with you he enjoys hard scratches and petting up around his head and ears, and he'll eat treats right out of your hand! He has the deepest purr and will lean in for more while kneading his paws into the ground, and when he really trusts you, he'll give you that oh so rewarding head boop (a sign of love in the cat community!). He let's you know when he's had enough by scooting away to a quiet corner. Rudy would do well in a quiet home and would be fine with other cats and calm dogs as long as he is given time to adjust. He'll do fine with older, quiet kids who will go slow around him and let him get comfortable. Rudy is in a foster home getting some extra lovin' and getting acclimated to family life. Email us at info@lowellhumanesociety.org if you'd like to schedule a time to meet this fella at the shelter (and take him home!)

Also, the shelter manager was kind enough to let me rename him (let's be honest, Spaz is a pretty crummy name!). Rudy is the name I have picked out if we ever find a male Boston Terrier to add to our family.

Well, a few days after the bio was posted the shelter got a call that someone wanted to meet him! I brought Rudy to the shelter and talked with the girl who was interested. It was going to be her first pet so she had a lot of general questions, and I helped her as best as I could. I explained how I would sit and talk to him in a quiet voice and explained about his hiss, that it was fear based and not aggression based. She told me she is a rape counselor so she knew a lot about talking softly and giving someone (in this case an animal) time. I thought it was a really good fit and then she told me that what drew her to Rudy was the bio on the website! I have to be honest, it felt so good to know that what I wrote was what made her to decide to call.

I'm happy to report that Rudy (who she will probably rename Freud, but that's ok, it's still better than Spaz) was adopted and is now living the good life in his forever home :)

xoxo

Christmas 2014

We had a really great and relaxing Christmas this year. We went to Nick's parents house on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Minimal fighting, lots of laughs, lots of eating, and lots of wonderful gifts. It's nice to not have to jump from house to house like many of our friends do. Although I missed my family, it was a bit much to go home this year so I'm excited that my brother and Joe will be coming this weekend and the rest of my family is going to try and visit at some point in January.

Christmas Eve morning Nick stayed with Nicholas so I could go to Lowell Humane Society for a few hours and spend some time with the dogs. I'm so thankful that Nick supports me and gave me the time to do that because it really is the most rewarding experience. Here's a few pics from the rainy morning:

Bennett was ADOPTED TODAY! I couldn't be happier, he is the coolest dude.

These adorable guys are Alfredo, Chulo, and Saint - all are looking for their forever home.

Nicholas still doesn't "get" Santa Claus, but we put out milk and cookies and carrots and spread "reindeer food" on the front porch, it was a cute little craft that Nicholas made in day care and he really liked doing that. I ran out of time so we didn't get to bake the cookies, we just left out good old Oreos- who doesn't love those? I certainly did when I played Santa Claus and ate them.

Christmas morning I video'd Nicholas and he was excited to see everything under the tree. We don't buy him a lot, and no real "big" toys, but he loved his big fire truck and his dinosaur backpack the best (I knew he would). I bought him lots of arts and craft supplies, little trucks, bath toys, books, etc. He's a happy boy:)

Nick's parents were incredibly generous as always but did a GREAT job of buying no toys. He got wonderful clothes, a Cars blanket, Mickey's A Christmas Carol (which I looked everywhere for), and some other wonderful things. He also got awesome gifts from his Aunt's and Uncle's. He's one lucky little dude.

Here are some pictures of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. More to follow once we see Erik and Joe this weekend.

Pretty awesome family picture- thanks Auntie! This was taken on Christmas Eve. Dexter gets overstimulated and even more excited than normal with so many people around, so we let him have a quiet Christmas at home by himself (he also got fed too many crackers and threw up a bunch when we got home- our boy has the most sensitive stomach)!

Dan and Kingsley being all cute

Aaron & Morgan, so glad we got to see him on Christmas Eve and they got Nicholas the coolest Patriots outfit!

Nicholas and Teddy, up to no good.

Let me tell you about Dexter's awesome bow tie- I "met" a girl named Nicole through Instagram. She has two adorable Boston Terrier's named Lucille Marie & Kumba. I've met quite a few Boston Terrier lovers through Instagram and last year there was a pay it forward message going around, where if a person commented on your image related to this, at some point in the next year you would randomly send them something, whether it be a card, a picture, etc. I sent Nicole a gift earlier this year and she reciprocated with a beyond thoughtful and wonderful package- that dapper bow tie, their beautiful family Christmas card, tons of treats for Dexter, BT socks and wine charms for me (how perfect is that??) a Mirabelle book for Nicholas (Mirabelle is a Boston Terrier), a copy of their local paper where her dog was the beautiful cover model, and I'm sure I'm forgetting a few other things. She is the sweetest and most thoughtful girl and I'm so glad she and I have connected. Even funnier, we both loved this sweater from White House Black Market and we both received it for Christmas - me from Tami and Nicole from her boyfriend Travis' Mom. We're soulmates for sure ;) Now if only she didn't live in Washington State!

Christmas morning- seriously Mom & Dad, all this stuff is for me? He actually figured out how to open presents this year, so that was fun to watch. He kept saying "more?" After one was done.

Playing with his new "phone" while wearing his dinosaur backpack. I kept calling him so he would look at me and I could take a picture, but he ignored me. I imagine I can easily recreate this image in about 10 years.

Kingsley and sweet Alice. She will be 1 in just a few weeks!

Looking sweet before the hissy fits started.

Love!

Ma, are we done with pictures yet? (not even close)

Took 40 pictures of these goobers, this was the best one. Quinton, Alice, Teddy, Nicholas

Alexis and Rich- let's get wedding planning you guys!

Papou and Quinton

An awesome dinosaur set from Auntie Kingsley & Uncle Dan

BECAUSE WE'RE NORMAL, OK?

What it's all about :)

Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday!

xoxo

Lowell Humane Society Updates

I had a great day today at LHS. We only have five dogs total so it was so nice to be able to walk all of them and spend a little time just hanging out. They also seemed a bit less stressed out than usual and only one guy was a little crazy.

After getting to walk each dog, I was walking around to see if there were any cats that needed their picture taken for the website. I saw Crystal, the shelter manager, and she asked if I had gotten her email. I did not, so she told me they were re-vamping their newsletter and decided to do a "volunteer spotlight" section and I was picked to be the very first one! I know I'm liked at the shelter (at least I like to think I am, haha), but I also know I take a lot of what we call "shelter selfies" and I know they wanted to feature one in the volunteer section. I present you with the picture we will use in the newsletter:

This is me and Keeno, probably around June or July. Keeno is still waiting for his forever home. Thankfully one of the volunteers is currently fostering him so he has gotten away from the sometimes stressful kennel life. When I first met Keeno he was rather intimidating (he's probably around 90 pounds?), he'd bark a lot and he's just a BIG dog. But, once I got to know him, he is just a big, clunky, goofball. He's a sweetheart, and if you sit down with him he'll kind of mouth your chin, just looking for attention and lovin'. He's just super awesome. Keeno and another dog, Rocky, really helped me get more comfortable with dogs in general, and especially at the shelter- they both made me nervous at first, but once I got to know them and realized I knew how to read dog body language and just took my time, it really helped a lot. Also, this picture shows how much I love being able to be with these dogs- I'm just being a dork and Keeno is pretending he doesn't know me because let's face it, I can be a bit embarrassing at times.

The fact that Crystal thought of me made me feel really, really good. It's been a long time since I felt like I belonged somewhere, and I feel so much at home at the shelter. The last 4 or so years at my former company I felt so out of place, never a part of a team, and honestly felt that no one cared about me. It's so wonderful to be in a place now where I feel that something I do matters.

Here are the questions I was asked and my answers as part of the "volunteer spotlight"


What motivated you to become a volunteer?

I worked in an office for 15 years and became increasingly unhappy. When I stopped to think about what I was passionate about and what would make me a happier person, I just knew it was animals. I left the corporate world and started going to school for Animal Care, and with my spare time I was so thrilled to be able to volunteer at the shelter- it's amazing hands on work and the feeling you get when you help an animal in need, in any capacity, is simply the best.

How long have you been a volunteer with Lowell Humane and what keeps you motivated to continue your work with the organization?

I started volunteering about a year ago but was unable to help much as I am a stay at home Mom of a young son, and also attend school. I would help with fundraising, special events, baking, whenever I could. When my schedule opened up a bit I was able to volunteer more and have come in just about every week starting in May of 2014. I am motivated to continue my work because the shelter staff is so much fun and it is obvious to see how much they care about animals. Also, I've gotten to work with so many wonderful dogs and when they find a home, it is just awesome (yes, I cry when an especially difficult dog to place goes home).

Do you have any pets at home?

Yes, I have a dog and a cat and I constantly remind them how lucky they are to have a forever home.

What has been your favorite experience so far with Lowell Humane?

When I started coming in weekly in May, we had this simply goofy Pitbull mix named Rocky. He would have good and bad weeks, and I worried that he wouldn't last in the shelter because he would get very stressed out. He ended up going to a Pitbull rescue and recently found his forever home- I cried like a baby when this happened because it was just so wonderful to see him in the home he has always deserved. He's happy, healthy, and living the life all thanks to great people who work tirelessly to support the welfare of animals.

What is your message to the community?

If you find a cause you are passionate about, whether it be animals or something else, please try to find or make the time to do something to help. There are so many wonderful organizations out there that could use it. It is so true that doing good makes you feel good too.

LHS Come.Sip.Stay

Last weekend I helped out at the LHS beer and wine tasting fundraiser, entitled Come.Sip.Stay. I feel so very fortunate to be a part of an awesome group of people. The event was a great success that raised several thousands to support animals in need. I cannot urge you all enough- if you have or find a cause that is important to you, and have the ability to help, go out and do something about it. xoxo

Lowell Humane Society Updates

I'm back to volunteering once a week at LHS and it's so awesome to have the time to help animals in need. We've got a couple of crazy dogs to work with so I'm looking forward to the challenge and hopefully we as a group can help make them better, more settled, and adoptable.

It's not something I like to mention, but unfortunately it's been a tough few weeks and two dogs I had the pleasure of meeting and working with had to be euthanized. One was a super sweet pug named Bruce that was in failing health when surrendered to LHS and unfortunately was not going to get better. The other was an elder guy, a 14 year old beagle named Homer, that suddenly went into kidney failure and the only right thing to do was to let him go peacefully. I knew this would be part of helping out, and while I shed some tears, I know that the people at LHS really love and care for every single animal that comes in to their home and they couldn't be in more wonderful and loving hands. One of the many things I've learned in school is that as much as you may like to, you really cannot save every animal.

The people I have had the pleasure of knowing and working with at LHS are absolutely amazing. I feel so fortunate to be a part of a good group of people that welcomed me with open arms and share the same thoughts and beliefs as I do when it comes to the care of animals.

We have an upcoming fundraiser next weekend that I'm really looking forward to. Life is even better when you've found your purpose.

This is Chloe and this is her badonkadonk. Currently adoptable through Lowell Humane Society. She is super sweet, loves to walk, but also loves to snuggle. Seriously, what are you waiting for? Adopt her now. Ok? Thanks.

This is Stewie. I don't know how much he likes me but I still made him take a selfie. He's only 4 months old, super bouncy, and super awesome. That is all.

Tacoma, a beautiful, gentle, awesome, smart, sweet, fantastic, awesome - did I already say awesome? dude- who I cannot believe is still in the shelter. Please come see this guy and adopt him.

Tyson, one of our newer guys who I mentioned above. He is an unbelievably beautiful dog who just needs to learn some manners, and will be ready for his forever home.

Rondo, another newer guy that I mentioned above. He is so derpy, spastic, bouncy, and excited. As soon as he learns to be more like a dog and less like a crazy person, he will find his perfect home. As you can tell by these two pictures, he even makes me derpy. :)


xoxo