Hello, My Name Is......

When Yosuke the parrot flew out of his cage and got lost, he did exactly what he had been taught -- recite his name and address to a stranger willing to help.

Police rescued the African grey parrot two weeks ago from a neighbor's roof in the city of Nagareyama, near Tokyo. After spending a night at the station, he was transferred to a nearby veterinary hospital while police searched for clues, local policeman Shinjiro Uemura said. He kept mum with the cops, but began chatting after a few days with the vet.

"I'm Mr. Yosuke Nakamura," the bird told the veterinarian, according to Uemura. The parrot also provided his full home address, down to the street number, and even entertained the hospital staff by singing songs.

"We checked the address, and what do you know, a Nakamura family really lived there. So we told them we've found Yosuke," Uemura said.

The Nakamura family told police they had been teaching the bird its name and address for about two years. But Yosuke apparently wasn't keen on opening up to police officials. "I tried to be friendly and talked to him, but he completely ignored me," Uemura said.

Love is Blind.......Literally!

Chance and Louis may be blind, but that doesn’t stop them from having the time of their lives with each other. Chance, a ten-week-old Alsatian puppy, had a hard start in life because he was born completely blind and was then neglected by his owners. But after reading a story about Chance, Glenn Crossman and his wife adopted this blind puppy. And Chance already has a new friend, a ten-year-old blind cat named Louis.

The Crossmans already provided a home for Louis and another dog named Bella. They previously had another blind dog. Since the couple has extensive experience with blind animals, Chance settled in quite comfortably. Crossman said, “He’s truly a lovely puppy and a bundle of fun. It only took him an hour to figure out the layout of the house. He’s a very bright boy. The big advantage with being born blind like Chance is that he doesn’t have to adapt to his condition - as he doesn’t know any better. He just gets to know his way around and gets on with it.”

He added that it does take extra work raising a blind pet because you have to be more aware of what they are doing, but “people should rescue disabled animals, as they are just as rewarding.”

How Pets' Love Helps You Live Longer

It’s interesting that the word ‘pet’ -which means ‘to touch’- is used to refer to a domesticated animal who lives in our home. Especially since one of the benefits of pet ownership, that is mentioned in numerous studies, are those obtained through the touching of our pets and the closeness of the relationship with them.

The American Association of Human-Animal Bond Veterinarians (AAH-ABV) defines the bond that people have with their pets in part as, “The human-animal bond is a mutually beneficial and dynamic relationship between people and other animals.” Although this relationship has probably existed for as long as mankind has domesticated animals, it has been brought to more people’s attention during several recent disasters.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and the California wildfires, numerous news reports showed pet owners taking considerable risks to try and save their pets. Mary Moore, of Fallbrook, CA evacuated her home during the October 2007 San Diego wildfires with four dogs, a couple of cats and several reptiles. She said simply, “These pets are all a part of our family and I wasn’t going to leave them behind.”

Research Agrees

Numerous research studies and polls in the United States, Great Britain and Australia have all shown that pet owners believe their pets are good for them physically, mentally and emotionally, and scientific research has shown the pet owners to be correct.

The British Market Research Bureau (BMRB) conducted research in October 2002 for the Pet Care Trust, an organization that promotes responsible pet ownership, and found there were multiple reasons why pet owners felt their pets were good for them.

75 percent said their pets made them laugh and thereby contributed to better mental health
67 percent said their pets offered unconditional love
66 percent said their pets provided companionship and alleviated loneliness
64 percent said their pets reduced stress and made them feel more relaxed.

Another study looked at the health benefits provided by pets. The Baker Medical Research Institute in Australia conducted a large-scale study of over 5,000 people and found that in general, pet owners had lower blood pressure levels than people who did not own pets. Other studies have shown that pet owners heal better and more quickly after surgery and have reduced risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

The bond pet owners have with their pets is a strong one. The American Pet Products Manufacturers Association (APPMA) found:

21 percent of pet owners encouraged their pet to sleep in their bed
44 percent said their pet sleeps in their bed and probably gets more of the bed than themselves
66 percent said they would not date someone who dislikes their pet
Pets are Good for Kids, Too

The benefits are not just for adults; children benefit from pet ownership and from exposure to pet animals. In the BMRB study, pet owning parents felt that owning a pet taught their children kindness and responsibility.

Alan M. Beck, Sc.D., of the School of Veterinary Medicine at Purdue University, a long-time researcher in the field of the human-animal bond, and Anthony Rud Jr., of the College of Education at Purdue University, conducted a survey of elementary school teachers about pets in the classroom.

They discovered that more than a quarter of the classrooms had animals in the classroom and that the teachers felt that the animals served to motivate the students to work well and behave in ways that would be better for the animals. This in general resulted in better behavior in the classroom. Caring for the animals also provided opportunities for the children to be caregivers and a chance to learn responsibility.

Unlikely Friends...

My friend Brad passed along this amazing video that his mom found and thought you'd all enjoy. It is really unbelievable..... I don't know who's funnier - the cat and the crow, the owners or the little doctor. They all made me laugh!

Endless Love.....

This story comes to us from the UK.....

Oscar the dog and Arthur the cat were best of friends. They were inseparable. When 17-year-old Arthur died Oscar didn't know what to do with himself. Arthur's owners buried Arthur in their garden.

Oscar must have been watching or his sixth sense kicked in, because in the dead of night he went out into the garden and dug Arthur up. He carried Arthur to the basket they shared and gently cleaned him up. The owners found Oscar curled up next to Arthur's dead body the next morning. Poor Oscar.......

Now the owners have securely and secretly buried Arthur and they got Oscar a new kitten playmate named Limpet. Hopefully Oscar will learn to love Limpet as much as he loved Arthur.

If a Dog was the Teacher......

We would learn things like.....

When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.
Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.
Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be
pure ecstasy.
Take naps.
Stretch before rising.
Run, romp, and play daily.
Thrive on attention and let people touch you.
Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.
On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass.
On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.
When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body.
Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.
Be loyal.
Never pretend to be something you're not.
If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.
When someone is having a bad day , be silent, sit close by and
nuzzle them gently.

(Thanks, Nana B.)

BEST ADVICE EVER

A DOG'S PURPOSE

FROM A SIX YEAR OLD

Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish Wolfhound named Belker. The dog's owners, Ron, his wife, Lisa, and their little boy, Shane, were all very attached to Belker and they were hoping for a miracle. I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer. I told the family we couldn't do anything for Belker, and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home. As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for six-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as though Shane might learn something from the experience.

The next day I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker's family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time. I wondered if he understood what was going on. Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away. The little boy seemed to accept Belker's transition without any difficulty or confusion.

We sat together for a while after Belker's death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives. Shane, who had been listening quietly piped up "I know why." Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me. I'd never heard a more comforting explanation. He said, "People are born so that they can learn how to live a good life -- like loving everybody all the time and being nice,right?" The six-year-old continued, "Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don't have to stay as long."

(Thanks, Nana B)

Thought For The Day.....

Handle every stressful situation like a dog.

If you can't eat it or hump it.

Piss on it and walk away.


(Thanks, Karen)

Poopsie

Every summer my friend Karen and I look forward to our European getaway. We put our pets in the trusted hands of our loved ones and off we go. We always meet so many cute animals along the way while we are secretly pining for our own. In the past Karen has been known to shout out to other people's Yorkies "Bentley!!!".

We had the craziest experience two years ago when we were in Santorini, Greece. We were in the village of Oia (pictured above) and we came across this sweet dog. We stopped and gave him love and as we walked away he started to follow us. As we made our way thru all of the winding alleyways, there he was right at our side. We shopped. He followed us in. We had dinner. He waited outside. We went to a little outdoor wine bar. He came with and laid at our feet. We stopped in a little store and bought a few packs of lunch meat and fed him and about six other dogs that promptly showed up. We walked for what seemed like miles and our friend, who Karen nicknamed "Poopsie", walked with us. As we got to our car at the end of a long day and night to drive back to the other side of the island we had to leave Poopsie behind in the dust barking at us as we drove away.

We were so taken with this dog and his instant bonding to us. We thought it must mean something. We starting trying to hatch a plan to bring him home. He stayed on all of our minds.

We enjoyed ourselves so much in Oia that we went back the next day. As we were taking in the sites we walked to a lookout point and as we rounded a corner, there was Poopsie! We all shouted POOPSIE!!!!! And he jumped up so happy to see us. Poopsie followed us again all day and we left broken hearted again as we had to leave him behind.

We realized what a nice life he must have living on this beautiful island with all of these friendly people to play with. He surely had a home but he roams free all day. He lays in sun, gets lots of yummy food and gets to watch the most beautiful sunset in the world night after night. Talk about a lucky dog......

Dog Saves Baby From Freezing

Here's an amazing story that Luke's mommy Natalie read about.....

CANONSBURG, PA (USA) Mar 28, 2007

Here's a pooch who took the phrase "baby sitter" literally. When "RC", a German Shepherd/Husky mix, discovered 2-year-old Vincent Rhodey wandering around in the freezing cold wearing only a t-shirt, he sat on him.

Baby Vincent had strayed from his home in the early morning hours of Mar. 21 in Canonsburg, PA where temperatures dipped as low as 32°F (0°C). Not only was the child in danger of hypothermia, he was also ambling dangerously close to a 30' precipice overhanging a busy street.

RC curled up with the boy in his outdoor bed of straw until around 9am when Terry Bard, the dog's guardian, found them.

"He was laying on top of the baby," Mr. Bard describes. "The dog's definitely a hero." Canonsburg police arrived at around 8:30 and located Vincent's mother Angela Harps next door where she was sleeping. They found a door of her house open.

"I feel really guilty, and I regret all of it," she told reporters. I didn't mean for it to happen." Ms. Harps is now facing child endangerment charges. Her son, whom doctors determined to be ok, has been placed in the custody of his maternal grandparents.

RC was reportedly agitated to see Vincent go. Says Mr. Bard, "He was jumping around, wagging his tail. He kind of lost his little friend. He wanted to stick with him."

The Squirrel and The Giselle....

Frank's East Coast Nana B. sent me this heartwarming story.....

Debby Cantlon, who plans to release Finnegan, the young squirrel, back into the wild, bottle-fed the infant squirrel after it was brought to her house. When Cantlon took in the tiny creature and began caring for him, she found herself with an unlikely nurse's aide: her pregnant Papillion, Mademoiselle Giselle.

Finnegan was resting in a nest in a cage just days before Giselle was due to deliver her puppies. Cantlon and her husband watched as the dog dragged the squirrel's cage twice to her own bedside before she gave birth. Cantlon was concerned, yet ultimately decided to allow the squirrel out and the inter-species bonding began.

Finnegan rides a puppy mosh pit of sorts, burrowing in for warmth after feeding, eventually working his way beneath his new litter mates. Two days after giving birth, mama dog Giselle allowed Finnegan to nurse; family photos and a videotape show her encouraging him to suckle alongside her litter of five pups. Now, Finnegan mostly uses a bottle, but still snuggles with his "siblings" in a mosh pit of puppies, rolling atop their bodies and sinking in deeply for a nap. Finnegan and his new litter mates, five Papillion puppies, get along together as if they were meant to.

Hugs and Kisses...

Frank's East Coast Nana B. sent me this amazing video about a Colombian woman who found a wounded and hungry lion cub and nursed him back to health. When the cub got so big that she could not handle him, she gave him to the local zoo. Now she visits him on a daily basis.

Check out how he greets her. Truly amazing.....

My Point EXACTLY!!!

This is what I'm talking about people! Why are we all so angry and stressed out? What is so bad about our lives anyways? Ok - well some of you have some really bad crap going on right now but the rest of us……uhhhhh…..not so bad……

We can all take a lesson from this totally cute - if you are pms'ing it would make you tear up - video. This was sent to me by my friend Michael, proud owner of three adorable dogs - Eli, a Golden Retriever and Olive and Muriel, his sweet daschunds (I didn't realize that is how you spell it. I thought it was dachsund). This is not Eli in the video tho in case you wonder like I did. Michael promises to send all of their personal stories and pics later :)