A Happy Life...living at its fullest

This blog is once again taken over by the original owner

2008-01-07T13:27:00.000+01:00

This blog is taken over by the owner and her dog Charlie.
In the past I have invited other bloggers to participate on this blog by writing about their pets, but it has been more than a year since I last heard from any of them.
So I am taking full control of this blog and now it's officially my blog again. Solo writer and no one else.
I think it's for the better since I made the mistake of allowing one writer to join this blog who turned out to be a plagiarist resulting for this blog taking heat and hate comments from other bloggers. But that's all in the past. Charlie and I ARE BACK!~Thess

soooo cuuutee

2006-10-19T04:31:00.000+02:00

I used to have a cat as a pet when I was really young...but when I got older I started to prefer dogs... :D

this video reminds me of my cat :D

It's been a long time!

2006-09-26T11:31:00.000+02:00

Work and hosting websites have taken my time off from posting in this page, I'm hoping to get the chance to post often.
My 2 ferrets: Jacob 6 years old, Gizmo who's 5 years old and Charlie my pug, 2, are all in good health, thank God. I've pictures of them to upload in the near future, I just need to transfer them from the other pc so for now, let's watch this video I found a while back at YouTube..so cute!!

Announcement!

2006-06-13T08:28:00.000+02:00

Hi Animal lovers!

Please visit EARTHtopia. We might stand a chance to voice out for those who cannot.

Thank you in advance for your time.

Creating Designer Dogs

2006-05-24T15:38:00.000+02:00

I have this entry over at my blog, Richardson Zoo, and I thought I would share it with you all as well.

I was catching up on my blogroll this morning, and I came across a great topic over at Pennie's. Let me tell you, this whole fad of designer dogs just hacks me off! These breeders that are making money by breeding two different breeds of dogs are unbelievable! Folks, let's just call these dogs what they are....M-U-T-T-S! Designer dog breeders are making money off of people that just want the "in" thing. They are selling for hundreds of dollars what you can do through a visit to the shelter and a small donation. There is also a free option. You can rescue a stray dog. If anyone out there doesn't know where a stray dog is living, please let me know. I'd like to experience that community for a while. I hate to sound so bitchy, but this type of thing really makes my blood boil. Nature has been creating designer dogs for years. There are so many wonderful mixed breeds waiting in shelters for homes of their own. For years, shelters and rescue groups have had to compete with breeders, and that's o.k. I don't see anything wrong with owning a pure bred dog. That's just some people's cup of tea. In fact, I have two of my own that I acquired through rescue. But now, we have to deal with people that run their businesses breeding mixed breeds too? It's too much for me to handle without a fight.

Labradoodle smchoodle, it's a mutt! These exotic names are just a joke. Anybody can do that. Here are my two designer dogs. Let me know if anyone has any better suggestions for their designer names.

Shiloh, my Jackshund (Jack Russell / Dachshund mix).

Fergie, my Heelshep (Red Heeler / Shepherd mix).

Wow, I'm trendy aren't I? Think you can spot a designer dog over a shelter dog? Take the Designer Dog Quiz. Oh, and something to consider. If combining two breeds is trendy, wouldn't multiple breeds be more exotic? Visit your local shelter today and start a new trend. Getting off my soapbox now.

For the love of animals

2006-04-10T12:05:00.000+02:00

In my short time here in Singapore, I have managed to get intouch with several not for profit organizations that are involved with saving animals. The SPCA and ASD are a few of those that I want to contact and do volunteer work for.

It has been 10 years since I started with doing work for animals. No, not physically, but financially. I have been actively donating to several organizations like the WWF, Greenpeace, Terra Mater, and others, and also making myself busy with signing some online petitions needed to voice out for animals and the environment.

With my dog, Jake coming from a shelter himself, my goal is to help those that I could not take home in some other way. While I'm still dreaming of my dogfarm's existence, this will be my temporary "time well spent" moments.

An Open Letter

2006-04-09T09:22:00.000+02:00

Dear Human Animals visitors/ commenters,

We would like to inform you that this site is composed of not just one but a handful of contributors (see sidebar, lower part.) One contributor was a certain MAMASANGRE, who joined this site August of 2004.

Early part of 2005, her entry : THE YOUTH IN ASIA has caught a commenter's attention {and ours too, thank you dear commenter} and we've asked MAMASANGE to explain about it. Clearly, MAMASANGRE passed the work of Mr. David Sedaris as her own. We do not tolerate such action.

We have given her ample time to explain but she chose to ignore us. And that did not leave us any choice but to BAN her from this site. WE DO NOT TOLERATE PLAGIARISM. She was immediately deleted as a contributor on APRIL of 2005.

Though MAMASANGRE was deleted , this free blog server (blogspot) did not automatically deleted all her entries and we would like to apologize for not thoroughly checking things out. Be rest assured that ALL the 'writings' of this person have been totally deleted.

We would also like to extend our sincere apology to Mr. David Sedaris, his friends and followers, for MAMASANGRE's bad action. Not only the administration of this site that she has fooled, but a number of serious bloggers around as well. On our part, our deepest regret was, we're not aware of Mr. David Sedaris' work.

We hope this letter clears the air. Truly we are but a bunch of animal lovers who share our pets' stories with each other.

sincerly,
Animals Are Humans team

PS.
We have found and included the blogspot- code that will show the contributor's name at the bottom of each entry.

Here with Me

2006-03-11T23:07:00.000+01:00

My female MS is home at last! (Platinum Eight's Archangel "Angel")

It was a cold cold thursday evening, and there was a big sandstorm across the dessert where we cut though just to get to Dammam Airport (King Fahd International Airport), one of the biggest and relaxed airports here in the Kingdom. Hubby and i were so glad that we were in our Jeep Cherokee, because if we had driven a sedan, we could have been swept away. It was the first time for me to go out in a sandstorm. Really it was like saying something to me. I would look everywhere and i could really see fountains of sand in all different directions. Ive seen the desert in night time, especially when we'd do cross country, but that one was really SOMETHING. i will not even dare describe it here. i just know that we arrived to the airport safe and well....too cold for my butt cheek to handle.
we arrived 2 hours before angel's scheduled arrival. we were just waiting for THE HOUR, and so hubby ate his KFC dinner box while i reclined and slept a bit. then we woke up at exactly 10:15 pm and hubby was a bit antsy in the car. he went straight inside..(women are not allowed inside, that's saudi arabia for you)and he texted me right away that the PLANE HASNT ARRIVED YET
he went to the vet's office and when the vet, noticed that he was always on the fone with me, he invited me in! (a first in saudi again hahaha)and when we were there i found out that he's a local and a guy who didnt speak english was very kind and helpful to us.even if they (in islamic tradition)do not encourage DOG importation, they were actually, genuinely nice. They informed us that the plane would arrive from DUBAI,UNITED ARAB EMIRATES at 3:30am the next day, and so hubby and i were so exasperated. 50kms from home is no joke to deal with especially when its winter and sandstorming. they said in broken english "go home, baby home muskilah"( you can go home, you have kids, you shouldnt leave them) and then they were able to convince us to go home and come back at 8am instead. one pinoy guy who works at the cargo department would just let us know. i was worried, Angel could be thirsty and hungry and tired, so i had asked them to feed her when she arrives, they obliged. i even got a text message that angel has arrived. and i was too happy in my bed, and waited for 7am.
when we got back to the airport, it was soooo windy and cold, there was no one 'cept for 3 personel, including the pinoy who helped us. NAG IISA SI ANGEL...since it was on a friday, PRAYER DAY HERE IN THE MIDDLE EAST. no one would clear angel from the CUSTOMS department. good thing..they allowed me to feed and play with angel, when i asked (of course in broken english, "can my dog go outside? she needs to..ahhh..to...go?")and then the guy said.."ok, i know bathroom?"..then angel and i in that bitter cold weather went out and for the first time she looked at me and whined for like 15 minutes.
she missed me.
then she was running and going back to me,,she barked at some stranger!...and then i realised...she's overprotective of me.
id never ever forget that experience. so lucky that i have my hubby who's been very supprotive of me. and loves my dogs like crazy. (he didnt like dogs then)
and now that ANGEL's here. still as outspoken as before. she still barks at strangers, or anything that moves strangely. maxie is of course the ALPHA dog...and Angel would be my guardian angel (in two tone fur clothing)

Fat Cats and Dumpy Dogs

2006-02-25T16:46:00.000+01:00

This was a post that I made over on my blog Richardson Zoo. I thought that I would post it here as well. Enjoy!!!

It seems that America not only has a problem with obese humans, but obese pets as well. I randomly googled a search on "fat cats", and the number of results were incredible. In under one minute, I read about the famous Russian fat cat, Katy.

Then I found a story about a fat cat in Berlin, Mikesch, that was turned into a shelter. He became fat, because his owner fed him a pound of mince meat a day! Cats are not the only fat pets either. Dogs are fast becoming dumpy in America as well.

Why are America's pet becoming obese? Experts say, it's because pet owners are "humanizing" their pets. We tend to treat them often, and much like our own workouts, become lax in walking and exercising routines. For a short list of calories per treat, click HERE. An overweight pet faces many of the same risks as overweight humans. Risks such as diabetes, hypertension, arthritis, and hip dysplasia are all common in obese pets. For a complete list of risks, click HERE. How do we conqueor this problem? Experts say, we can stop feeding table scraps, cut back on their regular food, and exercise, exercise, exercise!! For some good diet tips, click HERE. For a weight reduction program, click HERE.

I have a fat cat and a couple of dumpy dogs at my house. I'm hoping to start a new routine. Fergie is a larger dog prone to hip dysplasia. She weighs more than she should, especially at a young age. My goal is to teach her to walk in the neighborhood for exercise (she can sleep more than any dog I've ever seen for age 4!). She is trained to walk on lead, but is really frightened out in the neighborhood. Casey said that he'd work with me to help her. She tends to do better, when she buddies up with Bear. With Casey's help, we can take them both at the same time. I'm going to try to cut back the treats to once a week too. I think everybody could benefit from that, even my pocketbook. I'm going to TRY to cut out any yummies off of my plate as well. Remember don't confuse treating with love. I keep trying to say that over and over to myself.

Hopefully by following these tips, we all will have happier, healthier pets that stay with us for a long, long time. Everyone have a great day!

Need YOUR Help

2006-02-10T02:01:00.000+01:00

"Animals are Humans too"...as the title of this site goes. Now, we all need to work together to STOP yet another inhumane fad that is rising.

Please go and check EARTHtopia (Feb. 10 entry) and sign! Search for your country at the petition form.

2nd TIME MOM

2006-01-29T18:07:00.000+01:00

It has been a while since my last post. Been busy with my babies.. and I'm proud to announce that Kirei gave birth two nights ago! We have 6 new spitzlets. I dunno their genders yet, for Kirei won't allow us to see them closely.

Anyway, we also visited Ishie, Kirei's first born. And she has really grown! She still recognizes us, and just like her mom, she got so excited upon seeing us... never seemed to be tired playing.

Kirei during her "pregnant" state -- 1 month

Ishie.. at 6 months old now

Update: On Jake's Travel

2006-01-29T15:52:00.000+01:00

Check THIS out!

Ready for sunny Singapore

2006-01-25T01:40:00.000+01:00

After all the vaccinations, microchipping pains and check-up dramas, tomorrow IS the day that my furry baby would fly to Singapore. An almost 11 hour flight, and no "mommy" to be with, makes me a bit worried how he would fare. Jake is 7 yrs. old, and though most people have assured me that all will be fine...FINE isn't good enough for me until he has safely landed, been checked and has settled in his kennel.

I have been talking to him the past few days, re-assuring him that we will see him again and that he should not be afraid, "mommy will always come back." These are words he usually hears when I go or leave him for awhile; I'm hoping that he'd bring these words with him tomorrow.

Let me end hear because I would rather ask for some well wishes for his safe flight HOME. Thanks in advance!

Isn't he cute?

Puppies galore!

2006-01-17T13:50:00.000+01:00

Chachi gave birth to 6 cutie little puppies earlier! WEEEEH!!! 2 of them, were born last night, and the rest, early this morning. Yay!!! They're oh so tiny and adorable! The first one's white with specks of dark brown (red) and black, second one's brown, 2 are black, and the last two are brown though the other one's darker. I missed the whole thing but Det kept me updated. She'd text me every so often to update me with Chachi's delivery. I even called her up and she let me hear the little puppies' cries. Awww.. Ultra adorable! Oh-so cooool!!!! Yay! Can't wait for them to grow a bit more. :) Poor Pao though, he can't even come near the pups, Chachi's always growling at him. hehehe

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL ANIMAL LOVERS!

2005-12-23T12:13:00.000+01:00

and a WONDERFUL 2006!

A Happy World with Animals Around

2005-11-13T05:34:00.000+01:00

When we read a book, when we read the news, when we watch a documentary or a show on TV or a movie, it is almost always that there are animal characters that inspire us. There is a never ending story about animals. Why so? Because through animals, we see our own values in life .Through them, we become children once more who have a happy concept of the world.

Yes, we are happy when animals are around us. That is why we like to read fables and animal books. We really like visiting the zoo in every place we go to. We like to keep pets and take care of them like our own. We treat them as someone and not something. For it is true, that animals are humans like us who have feelings. They need love and give love in return.

There are a lot of pets that came and go since I was a child. But then, all of them were ebbed in the deepest part of my heart. I would never ever forget them. The joys and companionship they gave me, especially during the lonely days of my childhood, were still fresh in my mind.

Take my mother’s dog Elfie. I really got no idea why my mother named him like that but it sounded so endearing to all of us. And especially for me. Elfie was the only one who stayed with me in that corner of our backyard when I isolated myself from the rest of my family after I got a painful scolding from my father. He showed me that he cared by wagging his tail and licking me. I stayed there the whole afternoon and he never left me in a single moment. I really appreciated that. With the silent whispers I heard from the pond and the crowing of the chickens and the silent movements of the pigs’ tails in our backyard, I learnt to appreciate the beauty of silence with animals around. And best with Elfie in the lowest moment of my childhood.

So how can one blame me if every time I tell a story to the children in my own school, or the stories I write for my grandkids are mostly about animals?

Hey, look at this chick of mine I took care there in Williamsburg. It was only 12 days as far as I remember. There was something she wanted to convey, she wanted freedom, and she wanted a bigger space. So then and there we decided to put her and the others inside the barn. What a wise chick! Sad to say, I left her with a heavy heart. And just a few weeks ago, my daughter informed me that she is a grown hen already and produced so many eggs.

Now, here in Singapore, I still have a pet with me. Just look at my goldfish. Isn’t she endearing? Do imagine the joys she and her friends give me and my family. And looking at them after a stressful day at work is relieving. Just looking at them is a therapy in itself.

So why not have a pet of your own too? For a pet is a joy to be with. They are humans and more humans most of the time.

Relocating with Jake-y

2005-10-14T22:19:00.000+02:00

Maybe most of you don't know that our family will be relocating soon to Singapore See October 7th post. I am overjoyed to the max, but also over-terrified of what's ahead for all of us. In this entry, obviously, I mean Jake.

The past few days, I have been intensively researching on HOW TO bring in dogs from Germany to Singapore. With that said, I am worried like h*ll for Jake. First, he's not that young anymore, though, not that old either. (around 7 yrs.), but the stress of the journey, the 30-day quarrantine, the heat and humidity there...will he be fine? Am I doing the right and best decision for him? How would the authorities treat him on his arrival? He will be terrified and will feel alone!!!

(Did you know that I was evil enough to consider leaving him because of the fear that something terrible might happen to him during the trip, that none of A's family can adopt him because he's too big, or that he won't be able to play in parks there because all big dogs must wear a muzzle and must be on a leash....blah blah blah---NONSENSE! That was the most stupid thought I ever did regarding my beloved dog.)

The truth is, knowing him and his experience in life before we took him (he came from a shelter in NY and we are his first and ONLY family), the worst thing we can do to him, is to leave him. I might as well put him to eternal sleep before we go, than kill him slowly witn emotional pain of being abandoned once again and missing us every single day of his life.---Honestly, God forbid something really bad happens to him, atleast he knows that we brought him with us.---til death do us part is what I vowed to asawa and my children, but that goes for him too.

Just for sharing my INIS experience:

Some dumb-dumb dared to tell me, "eh what if you bring him, tapos he dies during the trip? eh di nagsayang lang kayo ng pera?!"----lecheng 'to I thought.

Instead of slapping her stupidity out of her non-existent brain, I sharply replied with, "ha? do you mean that if someone you love is sick, and you know that he will die, eh you won't bother paying for a possible way to prolong his life anymore kasi SAYANG din naman?!"

Her answer? "eh iba naman yon kasi tao yon at minamahal mo."

I gave her a cynical smile and flatly answered, "hay nako, kung ikaw lang ang nasa posisyon niya, di ako mamomroblemang iwanan ka."

That said, I turned my back and chatted with someone else. grrr, people can be SO insensitive!

A Special Day!

2005-10-04T10:03:00.000+02:00

from us three, we wish you all brothers and sisters out there a stressfree, lots of treats, all day-long attention and great playtime W.A.D !

lots of hugs and kisses to: Matilda, Jake, Yuree, Kirei, Boo, PJ, Pao, Murphy, Gretchen, Milli, Collloquy, All Cheryl's babies at her mini zoo,Padme, Meg, Hermes and Jackie if we missed some names, our apologies...

WORLD ANIMAL DAY October 4

Pet owners throughout the world will be celebrating on October 4th - World Animal Day, the feast day of the Patron Saint of all animals - St. Francis of Assisi.

St Francis, born in 1182 in Assisi, Italy, was the wealthy son of a cloth merchant. In 1206 he rejected all his worldly goods and founded the order of the Franciscan Monks. He loved all God's creatures and called animals his brothers and sisters and it is this love and respect which is celebrated on his Feast Day.

In Rome on World Animal Day, stray dogs are temporarily spared from the city's dog catchers and offered free bones from the butcher!

In Australia, World Animal Day has been set aside to recognise the important role pets play in the everyday lives of millions of Australians.

Over 64% of Australian households have a companion animal which makes Australia one of the most animal-loving nations in the world.

Research has shown that owning a pet is beneficial to health with pet owners living happier less stressed lives than people who do not include a pet in their lifestyle.

The objectives of World Animal Day celebrations are to highlight the enjoyable aspects of pet ownership and to publicly recognise the important contribution animals make to society, yet at the same time enable groups associated with animals to unite in the promotion of responsible ownership.

Many schools throughout the country will be holding a Blessing of the Animals in conjunction with the Pet Week activities co-ordinated by the Australian Veterinary Association. Pet Week will run from 2nd 6th October in all States except W.A and Northern Territory when it will be held between 9th and 13th October.

Missing Cha-Cha

2005-09-24T21:51:00.000+02:00

Cha-Cha in February 2003. (JAYRED)

I don't have a dog in Switzerland right now, and I don't think I'll ever have one now or ever. First, my strict Hausmeisterin (caretaker) has made it clear to us that no dogs are allowed in our apartment building for "sanitary reasons." Second, I don't think that my pet dog Cha-Cha is replaceable.

Although it has already been more than two years now since Cha-Cha died due to complications after giving birth to her first litter, I still find myself in the grieving stage; the pain of losing her still pierces my heart to this day. So great is the loss that every time I discuss her with my husband or my friends, I still cry.

These days, every time I spot a black, hairy dog that closely resembles Cha-Cha in the neighborhood or in the town center, I get stirred beyond my expectations. I can't help but remember my happy days with Cha-Cha -- playing in my Mom's big garden, eating spaghetti and chocolate cake together during family parties, sleeping side by side in my bedroom, and yes, even joining me in our family Sunday Bible study meetings in the living room. These are priceless memories only true-blue dog lovers can understand.

Cha-Cha was an incidental gift to me given by a journalist-friend. Joining our household in November 1995 as a cute, little pup, she became our constant source of canine joy for many years. We nearly lost her when she suffered from a lung infection during her third month with us, but the local vet was able to revive her.

I will always love Cha-Cha for many reasons. She was there to keep me company in my workroom each time I burned the midnight oil, finishing a report or two for my graduate school. She was there to comfort me every time she "felt" I was in a depressed mode by sitting beside me or on my lap; almost always, her presence would immediately cheer me up. She was there to walk with my Dad -- who's now suffering from Parkinson's Disease -- around the garden and, later, to have afternoon nap sessions with him in our nipa hut. She was there, too, to get rid of the mice in our not-so-well-kept dirty kitchen (this made me think one time that, maybe, Cha-Cha was a cat trapped in a dog's body).

It was hard to leave Cha-Cha for good when I had to migrate to Switzerland in February 2003. The two of us never really had a proper farewell rite just because Cha-Cha refused to say good-bye the afternoon I had to hie off to the international airport. She stayed put under my Mom's car, refusing my incessant pleadings to hug me one last time before my next, indefinite return. That fateful day, she refused to acknowledge the fact that my departure was a start of something long-term or even permanent. She was clearly in denial. So there was no real closure between us, and an e-mail from my sister four months later devastated me completely. "Cha-Cha died," she wrote in her first line. A part of me died, too.

I miss Cha-Cha terribly so, and every time I see her slightly torn picture on my bedside table, my chest tightens again. It's something that my husband cannot fully understand sometimes, this latent grief. Probably because he's a cat person, and probably because in the general scheme of things, it really looks and sounds so trivial.

One can never explain, I guess, the depth and magnitude of losing a dog you have loved so much with all your heart and who (not which) has loved you back with the same intensity. Words are not enough, and there are really no apt words for a generic explanation. For this reason, I can only say: I can never own or love a dog again.

Possible Impossibilities

2005-09-18T14:22:00.000+02:00

I was inspired to write this after Jayred's "Ukraine's stray dogs" entry. You see, I have always been just a dog lover which in time transformed me to an almost any animal lover. My heart goes out to animals who have not the right home and companions. To the suffering of animals due to people's greed and invasion of their habitat. My belief is, there is always a middleground. I just hope we find it soon enough.

Let me share to all of you a dream of mine which I hope soon enough would be a reality.

I have always dreamt about having a dogfarm. Having had the experience of owning more than a dozen dogs when I was 10...repeating it with twice or thrice the number, wouldn't be a problem. Plus, having a supportive husband who understands my love for animals and a daughter who wants to help animals, too, then I have a more than stable footing. No, it's not to breed dogs, but rather a place where I would get-up in the mornings, get some fresh air and then play and cuddle with them. From the youngest to the oldest, the thinnest to the fattest, the smallest to the biggest, tamest to the wildest, weakest to the strongest....it doesn't matter. They're all welcome.

Maybe impossible given that I have 3 kids, a household to run, and a part-time job. But well, the willingness in me to do this will cover-up all those "impossibilities" when the time comes.

Ukraine's Stray Dogs

2005-09-06T14:30:00.000+02:00

Hungry together.

The hearts of genuine dog lovers will break -- and bleed -- in Ukraine.

The former Soviet republic is home to thousands of stray dogs which feed on spoiled food craps in public trash bins. These skinny, smelly mongrels are a common sight in the country where a number of their human counterparts (i.e. the homeless beggars) are just as hungry.

However, it is not uncommon to see struggling pensioners (getting as little as USD60.00 a month or even less) plying their small trade on busy sidewalks with their new-found canine companions.

The irony is, a number of kind-hearted babushkas (grannies), who need personal care themselves, have their own dog-related advocacy: they do their best to feed the poor creatures with the meager 'earnings' they get from selling a few vegetables, flowers or sunflower seeds.

And almost always, it's tough to share one's blessings when business is not good. Food for both master and adopted dogs can be really scarce.

One thing that might comfort animal lovers is the fact that Ukrainians, in general, don't feast on askals (street dogs) the way some barbaric Filipinos do.

'Dog orphanage' in Kyiv. (Photos by Sarita Ladios)

My Boo

2005-08-29T15:40:00.000+02:00

Here are a couple of pictures of my Boo...

*Sniff*sniff*

Gotta keep myself pest free

++++++++++++++++++++

This was PJ's second day with me, when I got home from work and class. I had a long day so I dozed off...she crawled up on my neck and fell asleep with me. See how small she was?

Here are a few shots of PJ when she first arrived at my apartment. She's a menace as you can see. Well, she's a puppy anyway...she's excused...for now...:P

Now lemme see if I can drag this thing around....

Uh oh I think she can see me....

BUSTED!

2005-08-25T20:12:00.000+02:00

Wow! It's been a while since my last post. I'm out of the country right now.. away from our babies.. :( My sister sent me a recent photo of Pao though. :) He's already 8months old. Isn't he adorable? Miss him soo much!

hello from seoul, south korea!

2005-08-22T17:44:00.000+02:00

yup, we are still alive and kicking!

i know it has been quite some time since our last post here, blame it on forgotten usernames and passwords, i would have been posting every week, had i a better functioning brain! teehehhee

anywhoo, matilda and i are okay. we are all geared up for her upcoming september 3rd birthday party. i would have invited other ferrets and ferret humans, but sad to say, we know nobody who falls in that category except our own jacob, gizmo and mommy thess, who happen to live several thousands of miles away from us!

matilda has already received some of her birthday presents.

she got a ferret freeway from us (mom and dad), several tubes of ferretvite and nutri-cal (vitamin supplements!) from her vet and the nurses, five new hammocks and winter dresses from my mama, and a brand new carrying bag from one of my good friends. i am thinking if i should get her a playpad or a piano, but hubby told me to grab a hold of my senses, and think about christmas and new year, and other birthdays!

geez..i think i DO get carried away!

here are some of her latest pictures. i hope you enjoy them. :D

now, if we trim it a little here and tuck a bit here...i'm sure i can fit into these...!

the ferret freeway...i wasn't even able to gift wrap it!

let go, mommy! this is MY chocolate cookie!

and this is my banana, too!

and, oh, before we forget, YOU are invited to the party, too!

so be there, or be square!

YuRee's makeover!

2005-08-22T06:55:00.000+02:00

it's been a while since he had his last haircut. the last time, i had them shave it all off...and i don't think he liked it. he's not used to it, he'd rather have his spaniel cut. YuRee is hyperactive as expected, but i'm proud to say he's well behaved when being groomed professionally and when i actually give him a bath. he has all the patience when i have to blowdry his hair, that takes forever. his appointment usually last at least for three hours. do i like his new haircut? i do...but if i'll have the chance to have hiroko-san to groom him again, i wouldn't think twice, heehee!

two days before his makeover, he had his vet appointment too for his annual check-up. he had his rabies and booster shots as well. he's healthy and everything looks great as per his vet (teeth, gums, ears...). although the vet had to emphasize more on his ears, since cocker spaniel are prone to ear infection. and he gained 5 lbs. since we got here, he's now 33 lbs. my oh my! when we were in japan, he maintained his 28 lbs. fugure, as in everytime they weigh him it stayed the same. he's still on his ideal weight though and his waist is still prominent, hahaha.

so, this is YuRee's much needed makeover =)

more of YuRee's pictures!

What I'll always remember

2005-08-21T10:34:00.000+02:00

This is the first time I've written here since she's left. I can't find the strength in me to write each and every account or to even remember the whole ordeal. Some people would think that I've completely lost my mind to be feeling the way I feel, even until now. The truth is, the memories burn like fire through me and I can't breathe. It hurts. I try to look at the beauty of it all, the beauty in those wonderful memories but they are soon clouded by the vivid pictures of her life slipping away before me.

In my life, never have I seen such a painful sight of losing someone I love most dearly. I have never seen the ones I love slowly slip away from me, in a hospital, where there was nothing I could do. I have never seen so much pain...til that very night. It was a moment I experienced that would make me suffer for a lifetime.

She sneezed out blood. We had long known that she has not been in good health. She was given to my family that way. It was surprising how she lasted for 14 years. I received a phone call from my girlfriend. I was at work. She left me a voice message and asked me to call right away. I was frantic by the sound of her voice. I called as soon as I got the message. She had given me the news that my dog has been sneezing out blood and she refuses to eat. I broke down and said: "We have to bring her to the vets." At the time, my family was on a business trip. I made a long distance call to my Mother and I ran all the way home after. I took my bagpack from work and the only thing I said was: "I gotta go." I ran past every traffic light and I didn't stop running til I got home. My hands shook and I tried so hard to steady it with the other for my key to slip into the lock of my door. I was so scared and I didn't know what to expect.

I opened the door and there she was. She stood up and barked for me like she always did when I got home. I fell on my knees, broke down in tears and picked her up and hugged her so tightly and said to her: "Hang in there...please...for me...promise me, you'll be okay...you'll be okay." My girlfriend, Cris, was suprised that my little munchkin got up for me. She said that the dog had been lifeless since I had left for work in the morning. I was gasping for air and I couldn't breathe properly but I was relieved that she was in my arms. I crushed some pellets and fed the food to her with my hand. She ate from my palm. Then I gave her some water...Cris said that she refused to eat while I was out working.

While Cris was getting ready, I made a phonecall the the vets' and made an appointment. Soon, I dressed my dog up in her jacket, the jacket she wore in the picture I had previously posted in this site. I stuffed some food and towels in my bagpack and we were on our way. We took a cab there. When we reached the place, I filled up some forms and they took some information about her. They needed to get some blood from her. I almost died when they poked the needle through her neck. They did it repeatedly because they couldn't draw out the blood they needed. I turned and faced the wall as I cried my heart out. I couldn't stand to see her in so much pain. Finally, the nurse decided to take her into the other room. When she got back, a patch of fur was shaved off of my little dog's neck and I could see a number of needle marks on the shaved area of her skin.

The doctor could not identify what was the main cause of her nosebleed. He did however, said that she had a liver infection and he gave her a shot and prescriptions. I also bought some food recommended by the doctor. He suggested that we could have her stay in the hospital but after speaking with my Mom over the phone, we decided to take her home for the night and go back 2 days later to have another check up. On our way home, we passed by a pet store. I wanted to cheer her up, so we went in and I asked her to pick out the goodies that she wanted to eat. She chose a pack of doggy cheese cubes and some sausages. In the cab, on our way home, I fed them to her and she ate like there was no tomorrow. I thought she'd be okay...but sadly, I was wrong. She didn't last that long...she couldn't...

The next day, while at work, Cris called again. I took off from work and once again I found myself running past every traffic light, bumping into people and things as I kept running. I told Cris to arrange an emergency appointment but the only available slot was 2 hours later. There wasn't much else we could do because other clinics close at around 4-5pm. It was already about 5pm that time. We had to wait. They said that they would arrange us for the first appointment of the evening. When we got there, they didn't entertain us right away. It was at least 830pm when we got our turn. They said that they would give us the 8 o'clock schedule. I could feel her in my arms growing weak. Her ears were red and the breath that dampened my arm was so warm. I looked into her eyes and I could see that she was having a hard time. They were bloodshot. I began to lose myself. I was screaming at the receptionist and swearing at the top of my lungs.

When the doctor had a look at her. He didn't seem to be optimistic himself. He just said..."She appears to be very ill but we'll do what we can to help her. She has to stay here tonight and we have to run further tests." Then, a man took her away. It took hours until I saw her again. This time, when I saw her, she was in an incubator. She seemed alright. She seemed lively. The doctor said he was surprised she got up. I think she was just trying to be strong for me. She probably knew that my heart couldn't stand seeing her in such a weak state. She was standing up and trying to get out of her incubator. She wanted to come to me. The only thing I could do was watch and put my hand on the glass. I stuck my forehead on the glass and whispered: "I love you." Then, I put my hand on the cold glass and she kept licking it. She wanted me to hold her but I couldn't. It was already 1 am. The doctor said that the tests weren't done yet. We could go home and rest first and they'd call us. We decided to go home. The last thing I said to her was: "Hang in there, I'll see you soon and I'll take you home. Everything will be okay."

On our way home, we picked up some food for dinner. When we got home, our other dog, Boo, was looking for her. She sniffed our clothes, ran round the apartment and she kept staying by the door. It was as if she was waiting for her friend to come in. We took Boo downstairs for her nightly walk. I felt empty...so empty. I couldn't eat much. I didn't have the appetite even though I had eaten only 1 meal that day. I tried to get some sleep but when I had finally fallen asleep. We received a phone call from the vet. It was 3am.

My little angel had had a heartattack and she went into seizure and passed out. Her heart stopped beating for a while but they brought her back and she was in a coma. The doctor said that I shouldn't come for my own sake and that she's stable. While running some tests, her heart gave out. I lay in bed, crying my eyes out and I couldn't help myself. I buried my face in my pillow, curled up and cried so hard. I couldn't breathe. I just kept crying. I cried myself to sleep that night.

At 940am, while we were on the way to the vets, we received another phone call. This time, it got worse. The lady on the phone said my dog passed away 5 minutes ago. I couldn't believe it. I screamed:"WHAT?????" Then I hung up and fell on the floor, on my knees with my forehead to the cold, wooden floors and my hands over my head, screaming: "She's dead, she's gone...she's dead..." I called my Mom and told her the news. I couldn't say anything else but "she's dead." My Mom kept telling me to pull myself together but I kept crying.

As the cab made it's way to the street where I'd find my little dog, tears continued to stream down my cheeks. My knees were weak and I couldn't walk straight. I went to the receptionist and said, "I have a black pomeranian, I got a call..." The lady cut me off and told me that I may go inside. She lead me to the room. I walked up to the incubator. The machines were turned off and as I moved closer, there she was, wrapped in a white towel with her eyes open. I could see the light from her eyes was gone. She was gone. Her eyes, once so full of love, were dead still and empty. I fell against the incubator and held myself up with my arms against the metal railing. I kept repeating to myself: "No...no...I'm so sorry...I'm so sorry..." I kissed her on the head. I tried to close her eyes but they wouldn't shut. I think she was waiting for me but she couldn't fight it anymore. She had to give in. It's hard to remember, I'm choking back tears right now as I continue to type this. I kissed her head and I said: "I love you...I'll miss you...thank you for everything...I'm so sorry..." I took away all the tubes strapped to her. I pulled them away. I took off the bright pink bandage they'd wrap around her arm, where they put in the dextrose tube. I put it in my pocket...something to remember her by. I took a moment and wrapped her in that white towel and took her out of the incubator. I held on to her lifeless body as I kissed her on her head.

I put her back down and we went to the reception area. The receptionist said that if we'd like to speak with the doctor, she'd be available soon. The doctor who took care of my dog had already gotten off shift. Her case was passed onto a female vet. I walked into her office with Cris and I asked what happened. She said: "Well, everything that could possibly go wrong, went wrong." They couldn't identify the main cause of her breakdown because she was seriously ill. The vet said she was surprised that the dog lasted for 14 years. The problems that she had should have been there for years. I had only had her for months. I kept crying and I had to take a while to breathe and calm down so I could speak. The vet was almost in tears because she could see how hard it was for me. She said: "You have a good heart to take in such a sick dog. I'm sure she knows you love her. You gave her a chance." We agreed that the hospital could dispose of the body. We live in a city, where else could I have her buried?

On our way home, I tried to keep the tears from falling. I wasn't talking and I was just thinking to myself...thinking about all the pain she'd been through. Cris couldn't stand seeing me like that. She said we'd go walk around the area. She wanted to buy me another dog. We went into each pet store we passed by. We finally saw this one dog that we both thought was cute. She was a pomeranian, too. Cris wanted to find the closest ATM machine to get cash. When we went back to the pet store, we asked if we could see the dog...touch her. The lady opened the cage and gave the dog to me. The dog was immediately all over me and the first thing she did was grab my nose. We thought: "She's the one." So, we bought her.

Jaja passed away on the 29th March, 2005. On that same day, we took PJ home. On the cab ride home, we were deciding what to name her. As usual, Cris thought of all these cutesy-horrible names to give a dog. I think the dog didn't like the names either. She wasn't responding to the names anyway. We used to call jaja "potskie" so I gave it a go. While the new dog was walking around the cab seat, I called her "Potskie" then she looked at me. So then, we named her PJ. P junior that is. Strange name for a female dog but oh well, it works. When we got home, we put PJ down so she could see her new home. She immediately chased our Boo around. I took the bright pink band of Jaja out of my pocket and wrote: "Potskie 29/3/2005" on it. Then I put it in my desk drawer and until now, I still keep it there. I still keep her clothes here and I carry her picture in my wallet. I'll always remember the joy she brought in my life and I know I'll never forget the sight of her laying there in that incubator for the rest of my life. I still miss her. I know I always will.

sweet face

2005-08-18T02:22:00.000+02:00

she'd already been fed, so she just wanted a bit of caressing and stroking. i love when she comes up to us just to cuddle and give us a ticklish lick.

ON LETTING GO...

2005-08-13T18:26:00.000+02:00

One LittLe two LittLe three LittLe four LittLe babies

One of kirei's first pictures when she was given to us

See the resembLance?

After one month, one week and six days, four LittLe spitzlets, as I fondly call them, who used to wake me up in the morning with their simultaneous and sometimes chaotic high-pitched cries, are no longer complete. We're now left with two little babies, who will, in the next few days be given to my nephews and niece. Missing them will also mean crying for their absence.

The feeling was like that of a parent whose child will get marry and settle to another place. Taking care of them will be temporary only...for sooner or later they will leave you and will be too far from your sight. But you know you can see them again, either by visiting them or the other way around. And when you see them grow up gracefully, you'll know the vision you have for them was achieved. You will smile then...

MEET GRETCHEN

2005-08-09T01:48:00.000+02:00

While Kirei is busy nursing her little ones, I'd like you to meet the big baby of our family...

Don't be deceived by her Looks, she's one playfuL doggie!

green eyed beauty

2005-08-05T19:11:00.000+02:00

murphy cooling off in front of the fan.

she's now 13 years old and still in good health, enjoying her catdom: patrolling upstairs and downstairs at night, finding cool places to "chill" during these hot summer days. almost every summer i'd been trimming the top layer of fur on her body only but this year decided just to keep her as well combed as possible. we don't want her to look like a lemur again.

My kitten

2005-08-02T09:35:00.000+02:00

Her name is Milli (from Milli Vanilli :p)
She's just 2 months old and has been in my house since last Saturday.
She's so cute and adorable :)

Puss in Boots

2005-07-31T13:07:00.000+02:00

a long over due post :)

just wanted to share a pic of my cat.

she has this thing for flowers. i dunno why *lol*

--++--
note fr. admin 1: dearest joei, image was resized to fit our theme

Right to live??

2005-07-21T09:24:00.000+02:00

My first posting in this blog. Thank you for Thess for letting me join this blog .

One of the TV channels that amuses me is Animal Planet. Maybe it sounds weird for you guys who live in America, but for me, an Indonesian animal lover, it's just too good to be true.

From the Animal Cops show, I just found out that when a dog is recovered from the injury, he will have a test which will improve whether he's suitable for an adoption or not. The dog will be given food, the tester will "approach" the dog by a hand-like stick. When the dog becomes agressive by that, he is not approved for adoption. I watched one dog that failed the test and had to be "killed" afterward. What do you think of this? Maybe it costs a fortune to run an animal nursery, but if an animal is not suitable for adoption, shouldn't they have been given a chance to live?

World's Ugliest (only on the outside!) Dog

2005-07-08T12:12:00.000+02:00

post moved fr. my personal site

on today's dutch newspaper, I've read a short article about the world's ugliest dog, then I searched for the english version and here's what I've found

source

The owners of the other contestants in this year's World's Ugliest Dog Contest may have thought their pooches had a chance - until they saw Sam.

The 14-year-old pedigreed Chinese crested recently won the Sonoma-Marin Fair contest in Petaluma for the third consecutive time, and it's no surprise.

The tiny dog has no hair, if you don't count the yellowish-white tuft erupting from his head. His wrinkled brown skin is covered with splotches, a line of warts marches down his snout, his blind eyes are an alien, milky white and a fleshy flap of skin hangs from his withered neck. And then there's the Austin Powers teeth that jut at odd angles from his mouth.

He's so ugly even the judges recoiled when he was placed on the judging table, said his proud owner, Susie Lockheed of Santa Barbara.

"People are always horrified when I kiss him. He may turn into a prince yet. He's definitely a toad," she said. "I always thought he'd be great on greeting cards or on a commercial for Rogaine."

Sam, who's
pushing 15, has something of a cult following after winning the contest - and fans' hearts - for three years running. Last year, huge crowds gathered around Sam and Lockheed at a local parade, and Lockheed said she received letters and calls about her pup for weeks.

"So many people have told me they've got his picture on their refrigerator. He certainly has a little cult following," she said. "I did years of professional musical theater and never achieved the fame Sam has."

Sam will appear in this weekend's Fourth of July parade in Santa Barbara, but the recent events may be the cap on a long, ugly career. Lockheed says Sam's now suffering from congestive heart failure, lung and kidney problems and has slowed down in his twilight years.

and here's SAM

poor Sam, I hope he lives longer but if suffering from pain then I don't want it for him. If somebody would ask me if I could love, kiss, cuddle or even walk on the street with Sam, my answer is YES OF COURSE! with pride! Dogs are one of God's creatures that give love unconditionally. I can honestly say that dogs are far more loving and humane than some people I came across with.

Charlie's 1st Birthday!

2005-06-29T21:27:00.000+02:00

My little Charlie celebrated his first birthday last June 10!

- my excuses for not posting about it on time..or should I say ~~for not posting for many weeks now?~~, bad bad mama, I know-
A nice doggy like Charlie sure deserved a little celebration to mark his first birthday, so my husband and I decided to give him a small party, with his friend Sjimmie (a bouvier des flandres) as special guest.
Charlie had a lot of fun that day, played for hours with Shimmie that we had to separate them a couple of times whenever Charlie would start to pant so hard that we were afraid he'd collapse, the little puggy's really relentless when it comes to playing!

Shimmie's gift for Charlie were two packages of doggy bacon treats while from us, he's got a new 'sofa' (that he totally ignores or use) and a basket so that he could go biking with us, positioned just on my bike's tail...( Charlie by the way, finds biking a 'hohum, an utter bore' that he actually fell asleep the first time we took him for a round. )

Charlie and Sjimmie

These two are just crazy about each other!

and for Charlie's party, I baked him two treats, both recipes I found on the internet...I first baked LIVER BROWNIES that's w/ liver, corn meal, flour, fresh garlic and water- they both liked the brownies and then I followed it with...
DOGGY CAKE and that's with chicken fillet, yellow rice, carrots, green beans, parsley, eggs, garlic, oil, wheat flour and vanilla

Charlie's Doggy Cake

Sjimmie gulped half of the cake in less than a minute and was even 'carrying' a doggy bag when he went home. I was told that he had the piece of cake for breakfast the following morning and was fully satisfied, also had a garlicy breath the entire morning.
While Charlie spent the following day sleeping, he was happy but tired.

2005-06-23T14:46:00.000+02:00

flower power!

YuRee

2005-06-22T17:44:00.000+02:00

my apology for not posting right away when i got my invitation. first, i would like to thank you guys for the invitation to be part of this wonderful site. YuRee was delighted, heehee.

let me start with his bio...he's a cocker spaniel and was born on 23 september 2002. let me do the math...that makes him 2 years and 9 months old. we had him in may of 2003 while we were in japan. i rejected the idea of having a pet when my husband (james) told me about Yuree (still hario at that time). YuRee was originally with the rivers' family and paid fortune when they got him. unfortunately, they have three kids and both of them are working and they don't have extra set of hands to take care of him. they don't want to neglect him and just give it to somebody they don't know. james and mrs. rivers worked together and started talking about YuRee's case. james told me about it and i said no, because during my younger years we had a family dog (iking) and eventually died because of sickness. but despite my rejection, james brought YuRee home. it was love at first sight and i felt bad for rejecting him at first. we paid a tenth of the portion only or i can say, it was almost a give away. we just love YuRee so much. adjusting to him was hard at first. it was like having a baby...literally. james would wake up at 5am because YuRee needs to go p**p! when james loses his patience, he would always say he would give YuRee away, but would take it back once YuRee goes back to his well-behaved mood. i'm always the middle man between them. YuRee listens to me more than to james, heehee.

what's with the name YuRee? everything fell into places with his name. my mom was visiting us when we had YuRee. when james brought him home, my mom was watching a TFC soap opera. one of the main casts name was atty. yuri orbida. although yuri is a girl's name in japan, we still named him YuRee since we got him in japan (do i make sense here?). but everybody who knew we came from japan, would understand why we named him YuRee, they said because it sounded like a japanese name (sans the soap opera story behind) heehee.

when we had to moved back to the states (california) last year, no questions asked... he's coming with us! he is now a permanent residence of united states and he's loving it, hahaha. although he miss hiroko-san, his groomer and sitter back in japan, he's adjusting really well.

this is it for now and we should be back for more adventures. again thank you guys for welcoming us.

KIREI'S "LOVELIFE"

2005-05-11T00:09:00.000+02:00

Kirei...with her so-called "boyfriend" Ice

My baby had her menarche (the term for the first menstruation) last month. And since she was being chased by our neighbors' dogs whenever she would escape when our gate opens, we decided to set her on vacation to find her lovelife, and that is ICE, a fellow spitz which is owned by my dear bestfriend.

So they lived together in the same house (that of Ice's) and since Kirei is not used to being locked inside, she struggled to escape one time, and won't let Anne or her Uncle catch her. She really waited for me and Tatay to come and fetch her. I saw her wating for us outside and jumped to the car at the sight of her mommy. That was Day2.

A week has passed and Kirei seemed to be acclimatized with her new environment, though there seemed to be no signs still that she and Ice have mated successfully. I haven't visited her for a while and when I had the chance...that was the 10th day, she was really eager to go escape again, not mnding if her whole body would be trapped in between the rails of ice's house. And when Ice had the chance to force himself into Kirei, I heard my baby cried. No! I will take her home. She's not yet ready for her mizuage (it's the Japanese term i think, which i read in a novel for the defloration).

So now, Kirei stays with us. A bit weird that she's not that lively anymore. I miss her kakulitan, the hyper aspect of her, which is slowly coming back. I know my baby has really returned. I will have to set her free at another time when she is more prepared.

Right now, I will concentrate in taking care of her and be ready for her upcoming birthday!

Baby's Day Out!

2005-04-26T02:12:00.000+02:00

enjoying the sun and her "freedom"

Two Saturdays ago, I have decided to take Matilda to the mini park in front of the museum near our house. (It used to house the Belgian embassy) Since the weather started getting warmer, Matilda has been growing restless, and stays awake longer than what is considered "normal". I dont know if ferrets have this kind of cycle (hibernating in the winter and waking up in spring,etc..), but Matilda is a lot more hyper nowadays. I think she needs a little excursion, to save my house from going to pieces!

Since, darling hubby is dying to stay at home to have some peace and quiet, Matilda and I took this opportunity to do some "mom-daughter" bonding. I packed my bag with our necessities (food, treats, water, squeaky toys, camera, towel, baby wipes, first aid kit and a picnic blanket) and strapped the little one to her harness, and made her walk the normally 7 minute stroll to the museum (took us 20 minutes to get there! she is one very curious crittter!).

I was going to take the opportunity to take lotsa pictures, and make the little fuzzbutt spend her over abundant supply of energy, frolicking in the grass. I was thinking that I will be going home with matilda comfortably snoring, and cuddled in my arms.

I was soooo wrong!

Her tail was bottle brushed the whole time, an indication that she is sooo excited, and she was jumping and doing all sorts of tumbling and funny movements that only ferrets can manage to pull. She refused to pose for pictures, and wouldn't even come near me even with the aid of a squeaky toy plus a treat!

She was pretty oblivious to the crowd of gawking kids, and would chase every falling petal of the cherry blossoms, running and diving, alligator rolling, and just exibiting pure unadulterated bliss! I was so happy watching her have so much fun. I wish I could get another ferret (an impossible thing! hubby is allergic to fur, and suffers a lot with Matilda around, our house is too small to accomodate another furricane, and raising another pet will take a toll on my minimal income household! haaaay...) and double the fun that she and I are experiencing.

It was truly a fun day, and I had to drag her hissing and screaming home!

meet matilda "poopoo" park!

2005-04-13T14:51:00.000+02:00

cutie pie!,
originally uploaded by annabanana1.

hello animal lovers!
i have been visiting this site for quite sometime before i was able to summon enough courage to ask to be a contributor.
you see, i'm an animal lover, too! i have spent most of my childhood in the company of feathered, furrie, and scaly friends.
this time, i'm sharing my living quarters with my hubby and our beautiful darling "daughter", matilda.
she came to our life last december, and has since dominated it.
she is a 7 month old sable ferret, full of energy and always on the lookout for a chance to do mischief.
in south korea, where we live, there aren't very many ferrets and ferret owners. one of my motivating factor in blogging about ferts (and joining an animal lovers' group), is to let others know more about this wonderful furry specie, and hopefully get to know more ferret parents and afficionados.

this is all for now, matilda and i will be back --- soon!

dooks to all!

Dog Behavior Study

2005-03-26T20:23:00.000+01:00

The University of Texas at Austin is doing a research project on dog behavior. They are looking for dog owners like us to participate in the study by answering a questionaire. Here's a short summary of the project:

"Currently, we are designing a questionnaire for the assessment of personality in dogs. Once this questionnaire is completed, we aim to use it to answer a variety of research questions, from what characterizes the best explosives detection dogs and guide dogs, to what types of breed-specific personality traits truly exist, to whether there are specific "types" of dogs who often end up in rescues and shelters. However, to create a reliable and valid dog personality questionnaire, we need thousands of dog owners to fill out the initial version of our on-line questionnaire, which is quite lengthy, and to give us feedback."

If you are interested in participating, just click on the link.

Our BUDDY-guard, JAKE

2005-03-17T22:34:00.000+01:00

It is of great honor to be part of this site where animal lovers meet!

Having a 17 month old toddler and a 7-yr. old wolf-dog, Trust counts! You see, even before C2 and C3 were born, we already had Jake. We adopted him when we were still living in New York on 1998, and brought him all the way here (Germany) on 2000. And since the time we had him, there is no way I could even imagine NOT having him around.

He loves our family above all. He opens the front door for me when I accidentally leave my keys. He once protected me from 3 psychos bad people in New Jersey. He blocked a rottweiler who was on the loose and was aiming for my daughter. He once helped my sister from robbers who wanted to enter our home. He is my bunso C3's sled puller in the snow. He is, he is, he is....PRICELESS!

this is just an introduction of our many escapades.

Rest my little angel.

2005-03-11T09:01:00.000+01:00

Danielle June 1999- March 10, 2005

Dear familyand friends, yesterday at 1:50 in the afternoon my Danielle has finally gone home...home where pain does not exist.
Maybe in the near future I can share with you her last moments...moments that made me and my husband more proud of her.
We love you so much Danielle, that not having you with us really hurts... but we know that you're in a better place now...that gives us comfort. Rest our little angel.

no one dares...

2005-03-01T12:57:00.000+01:00

just wanted to share with you, my 6-month-old Tibetan Terrier "YUKI". this pretty girl is the best guard dog underneath that snow white fluff.

Happy Valentine's Day Everyone!

2005-02-12T17:51:00.000+01:00

Kitty Valentines wishes to everyone from Nala and Shamus!

If you would like to send warm, fuzzy, and furry Valentines e-greetings this year, visit the website of the American Humane Association. They have great e-cards that you can send for free!

JAJA

2005-02-09T21:24:00.000+01:00

I got bored and thought of posting her pics here. The last post was a little too dark. I hope this looks better now. That's her in one her favorite outfits.

Jaja

Jaja again

Ever Want to Help a Chained Dog?

2005-01-27T15:18:00.000+01:00

This morning I received a wonderful e-mail from the folks at Best Friends Animal Society. They operate out of Kenab, Utah and run a wonderful "forever" animal sanctuary. They are assisting a group with a special Valentine's Day project for chained dogs and are asking everyone to participate. I thought I would share the information with those of you here as well. Together we can make a difference. Read on for details below:

Dogs Deserve Better Announces its Third Have a Heart for Chained Dogs Week, February 7-14.

Dogs Deserve Better, a nonprofit working to bring dogs into the home and family, has designated Valentine's Week, February 7-14th, "Have a Heart for Chained Dogs Week."

The group is striving to raise awareness for chained and penned dogs in a positive way...by delivering a Valentine, a brochure and a treat to dogs living outside all over the U.S. as well as in other countries where they have representation, such as Canada and Australia.

Dogs Deserve Better seeks to mail and/or hand deliver more than 3000 Valentines, in this, its third season. In 2004 the group delivered over 2400 Valentines to chained or penned dogs.

Tammy S. Grimes, founder of Dogs Deserve Better, states, “Last year, elementary students made 500 of our valentines, which were a touchingly successful addition to our campaign. This year we’d like all 3000 valentines to be hand-made, and we're seeking interested elementary teachers and students nationwide, as well as groups such as girl and boy scouts, to create Valentines for the chained dogs. The students and groups gain a sense of accomplishment from creating for the dogs, and our hope is that more and more dog caretakers are educated as a result of the children's efforts.”

All Valentines are needed at the Dogs Deserve Better headquarters in Tipton, PA by February 7th, and must fit into an A10 envelope when folded. Any group who would like to participate should e-mail info@dogsdeservebetter.org or call 814.941.7447 for further details.

Dogs Deserve Better invites any interested volunteers nationwide to deliver Valentines to local chained dogs. Volunteers can also provide the group with addresses of dogs in need of a Valentine and treat.

Those interested in sponsoring Valentines for the chained dogs may go to www.dogsdeservebetter.com to help one or more of the many wonderful dogs living alone outside in our country.

Please spread the word about this special week!

Thank you for being a part of our Network and for any help you can provide.

Sincerely,

Deborah Delgado-Hand
No More Homeless Pets
Best Friends Animal Society
5001 Angel Canyon
Kanab, Utah 84741
(435) 644-3965 ext. 4401
deborahd@bestfriends.org
www.bestfriends.org

Fresh Poster

2005-01-22T16:15:00.000+01:00

First off, I'd like to say "thank you" to Thess for the invite to contribute to this great blog! My name is Cheryl, and I love animals. Now when I say I love animals, that should actually read I LOVE ANIMALS!! In fact, I love them so much, that I've managed to create what I jokingly refer to as my own private "zoo". Here's the quick listing of the pets that live in my home with my husband, Casey, and me. Four dogs (1 Schipperke, 1 Chihuahua, 1 Cocker Spaniel, and 1 Jack Russell mix, all of which were rescues), seven cats (all rescues), and eighteen lizards (9 Leopard Geckos, 3 Bearded Dragons, 5 Crested Geckos, and 1 Madagascan Gecko). I admit it's quite a houseful, but I truly ENJOY every minute of it. I've volunteered for my local shelter and humane association, since I was in high school. I help as many animals as I can, and it is my dream to one day win the lottery and open my own animal sanctuary. I always keep up with animal legislation across the US and other countries, and I'm a sucker for an animal story with a happy ending. I have my own blog dedicated to my home life with my pets and my husband called Richardson Zoo. I'll more than likely be posting pet related articles and tips, along with pictures of my zoo at home. Here are a few of my fur kids:

Bear, the Schipperke

Rose, the Bearded Dragon

Phoebe, One of the seven cats.

MY BOO

2005-01-19T17:00:00.000+01:00

Here are some more pics of baby boo...

I've had my boo for about 5 years. How I got her...mm, I was walking down the street right after school with my high school buddies. It was the same old routine. We were walking down the street on our way to the express trains to get home. As we were walking, I saw an old man at the side of the pavement with a cardboard box. A lotta students from my school were surrounding him. My friends and I wondered what the whole fuss was about so we walked by. As we got closer, we saw 2 lil puppy dogs. A male and a female. I asked how much they were and the old man was selling em for a mere 80 bucks. - THAT'S DAMN CHEAP. They looked so cute, I just had to get one.

I picked a female pup cuz if she pees in the house, at least her urine won't squirt on the walls cuz we live in an apartment. 4 of us chipped in cash for the dog...and she stayed with me. First they said that we'd take turns in keeping her but then later, their folks didn't want them having dogs. So then, she was all mine. MINE MINE MINE! Call me selfish but I'm relieved! I don't have to share her with anyone.

So well, she's been my adopted sister since I got her. When I called my mom over my cellphone and told her what I had gotten...she thought I was joking. She was like "Uh...WHAT?..You're crazy." Lil baby boo spent her first few days locked up in the bathroom when no one was home. I KNOW ITS MEAN! Don't worry though cuz our bathroom is huge. I even had an arguement with my mom. Her excuse was that baby boo wasn't house broke yet. Eventually she did get "potty trained" so then she could roam freely around the apartment. She had always slept with me when she was a pup so now I guess she's accustomed to that and she does fight for bed space. Sometimes she'd sit on me while I sleep just so I'd move over.

Well, those are just some pics I said I would post. Enjoy.

FIGHTING the battle of her life

2005-01-15T23:00:00.000+01:00

We are in vigilance due to our oldest ferret, Danielle who's turning 6 yrs old this year being sick ...we found out that she's got a tumor and sugar in her blood is deadly low. We planned to have a birthday celebration for my husband this week but due to Danielle's condition, we opted not to. Other people might say, all because of a pet plans have changed? You see, we consider all animals in our house as little people who love us unconditionally and we love them dearly. The day we took each and one of them home, we promised them we'll do the best we can as 'parents' and Danielle is really papa's girl. I tell you that we even considered euthanasia few days ago....both husband and I were hurt even just thinking about it but we've decided to fight for her because Danielle is also showing such determination and trying her best not to succumb to her condition.

Before the visit to the vet, she would suffer disorientation, hyperventilation, screaming in her sleep, banging her head while sleeping- she's totally unaware of her surroundings that we had to take turn to wake her up when this happens, and she had no muscle control. If only she could stand an operation to remove the tumor, we are more than willing for her to go under the knife but ferret her size (less than a kilo) usually reacts badly to sedation, the vet even warned us for a chance of a heart attack. So her vet just injected help for her blood and issued pills for her to take each day. We will all take it slowly, one day at a time.

Danielle in 2001 ...bubbly, curious, naughty and playful

Danielle January 10, 2005 ......sad and weary eyes

Remembering Peedy

2005-01-05T21:38:00.000+01:00

It was the morning of January 5 last year, when I came downstairs and started my morning rituals...one was to uncover Peedy's cage ( we would cover him with a thin cloth everynight so that he could sleep better) when I saw him lying beautifully, but stiff on his floor. Prior to that, the night of Jan. 4, everything seemed alright... he was eating his cookie and apple portion like always. And on the floor was a leaf of lettuce, his favorite.

Peedy was two years old when my husband's friend handed him to us because his mother was too old to take care of the bird. Peedy and I had our share of 'fights' , either I would tease him or when I needed to trim his curly nails, boy! he could fight! Opening his wings and like he's saying: C'mon girl, bring it on. See how big I am?!' I would always call him Bruce Lee whenever he'd do that, ha ha ha!

But we also had our 'moments' . He was my favorite singing partner! He loved to sing, and would sing harder than the stereo. Many times when I had to practise singing or recording, he'd sing along. He loved Tina Turner, Frank Sinatra and Whitney Houston. But there was one number that he'd sing along w/ me on top of his small lungs...Barbra Streisand's 'Songbird'
How ironic is that?

I still have that recorded duet of ours. My only memory of Peedy's voice.

Thank you for the wonderful times, you have brought us pure joy, my little yellow friend. I and papa still talk about you, and will always love you. Though we may never know the cause of your untimely demise.

Peedy in his 'coffin' before we buried him in the backyard.

2005-01-05T06:18:00.000+01:00

Hey guys! Thanks for the invite. :D

Say hi to Chachi!

This was taken when she was first brought to us by my cousin.

Pero baby pa din sha.. she's only 6months old.

She's a lhasa apso with a tinge of poodle genes.. (Maybe that's why her hair's a bit fine and frizzy.. hehe)

I've got more pictures of her here.

She's got her own dogster page too! Check out her profile here.

Thanks ulit!

'til my next post. :)

I DARE YOU!

2004-12-20T22:02:00.000+01:00

So who do you think would dare jump off the chair?

Danielle and Charlie

Danielle, the ferret of course! Fearless li'l lady!
While we place Charlie on the chair whenever he's playing too wild and needs some cooling down, he would not dare jump.

My Meg

2004-12-09T16:04:00.000+01:00

Meg's my favorite name, sprung out of my admiration for Meg Ryan. So when my cousin brought a cute little 5 week old pup, day after my birthday, found out it was a she... i named her MEG! :)

She was cute and a bit jumpy whenever people come near her. After a week, she got used to us and i couldn't stop cuddling her. She was one sweet dog.

I've always had pets, i had some pairs of lovebirds that have come and gone.. i have an aquarium, which is now mainly for ornamental purposes at home.. i've even had chicks! Of course i had dogs, yep, we have and have had LOTS of dogs. we never were "out of" dogs. We always had at least 2 of them at home. Most of them, were "askals" as we call it.. or mutts i believe is the english term.

We did have some dogs of breed. we had a poodle, long time ago, who died of old age when i was only about five. then when i was around 12 or something, we had a German Shepherd, a beautiful faithful and sweet german shepherd we called Bugsy -- she was more than faithful to my cousin who owns him. He died of old age as well, when i was 21 i think (just about a year or two ago..). Meg came about 4-5 years ago, she still met Bugsy and they got along just fine :)

When meg was still a pup and i could still carry her, i always spend after school (i was in college) with her at our garden.. i'd put her on top of the garden table, and i'd talk to her, tell her everything i did the whole day.. how i felt -- if i was sad, lonely, happy, excited... in love :) She knew me a lot, KNOWS inside and out.. if she was a person, she'd be my keeper of secrets. I did that until he was too big to be put on top of the table, and i had to just sit beside him or walk with him outside, although he usually tires me too early trying to catch anything moving!

When my thesis days in college came, i had less and less time spent with him. And although i wanted to spend more time with him... i couldn't. Just a few days ago, i was at the living room, by the window with Ziggy (my 5 month old son) when Meg suddenly popped his head right in front of us. It was the cutest.. He was like introducing himself to Ziggy :) and ziggy was talking to him too!

We have another dog like meg, name's Sam, but he's more rowdy... and we weren't THAT close :p he'd usually start barking when he sees me or anybody carrying ziggy outside or strolling by the garden. So do the other dogs (we have 3 more, 1 mutt, 1 half mutt and half retriever, and one golden retriever -- Just like Meg and Sam.)

I realized that day, that although i spent less and less time with Meg, he still knows and recognizes me as somebody who used to spend time with him.. somebody who treated him with much importance before and he sorta knows that Ziggy is somebody whole lot important to me :)

I just loved the feeling...

here's her royal highness... Meg (original name was, believe it or not -- Ziggy of (something something.. Dog of Flanders? hahah basta.. that's what was written on his papers)

and his sidekick sam hahah royal highnesses have sidekicks in the dog world :p

kirei's latest..

2004-11-08T03:44:00.000+01:00

this was kirei's picture taken last month. look at her, she looked so tame here huh, actually, she was sleepy here, notice the eyes? i found this pose of her funny, since she's a japanese spitz leaning on my japanese slippers. hehe.

i find it so hard to take a picture of kirei these days since she is one hyper baby, or she doesn't feel like posing in front of the camera. i almost thought that my baby is becoming camera-shy. oh no! then i was able to catch her in a sober mood.

last november 1, i brought kirei to the memorial park when we visited the grave of our grandparents. my nephews, don-don and simon would want to take her for a walk and argued as to who will take kirei first. hehe, my baby is in-demand! as we were strolling along the park, we saw this cute little girl who said, "Ay, ang cute ng aso...mayaman kayo?" haha, haha, bibong bata ah! kirei looked like a superstar in the park that time, people would notice her when we pass by. oh, my baby really loves sooo much attention.

anyway, she is getting bigger now, still teething and hyper as ever, just wait for her to become sleepy so she will mellow down. BUT she gets pissed off when she is left alone, no baby talk could teach her to get used to being alone sometimes. she would really cry when i leave. tsk tsk!

my youngest nephew, mig-mig was so fond of kirei that he would really giggle when kirei licks his hand. while my niece coleen was so afraid of her. hmm, i would teach her to love my pets for gretchen (a german shepherd) is now pregnant --finally! so our house will have more babies soon!

Let me share my experience with kirei last weekend:
I left her upstairs and Tatay asked me why I didn't bring her with me downstairs for he heard kirei crying. So I went upstairs and I found it strange that she was crying in a different manner. As I was opening the little gate, I noticed that her right foreleg was trapped on one of the curves of the gate, which explained why she was really crying. I tried to release her leg, but to no avail...I can't do it for she would cry. I could feel her pain as she bit the handle of the gate -- I guess that was her way to release tension, and she was really crying. I got scared so I called Tatay, and he got a "long nose" to loosen the curve where kirei's leg was trapped, hence she was released. And I heaved a sigh of relief. My baby is okei.

sigh, i wish i could bring kirei to this shop, a resto type, where animals are free to roam around and mingle with other pets, they are required to pee first before they enter the shop premises. i forgot the name of the place, i will search for it.

so much for that, hello to your babies! MAMA SANGRE, the doggie bed is not yet done, actually, i haven't started on it yet.

2004-10-28T17:08:00.000+02:00

close-up of Padme... isn't she lovely? ;)

here's padme again with me (holding her) and my chilhood friend beside me. Look at Padme, absolutely wary of strangers!!! i wonder why when there's so many people coming in and out of the house. she just disappears when there's people around. ;)

can you see th cat with all the giftwrappers? this wasn't a planned "shot"... my cat Padme likes to nose her way around papers, plastics, ribbons and the like... i guess you know what i mean! ;) she's makulit, but i love her dearly... more pictures and stories to come!

BABY NO MORE

2004-10-25T22:16:00.000+02:00

That's how Charlie my PUGngit is nowadays, a baby no more! Today is his second month with us and we just love him too much, sometimes it's too much...but it feels fantastic! I still remember the day we got him, less than a foot long and weighing over a kilo. He probably weighs 6-8 kilos now.

I've checked his front teeth tonight, yep! he's lost his 4 front teeth 2 up and 2 down. THEYIE, if you can read this, MAMASANGRE is correct to say that KIREI is teething that why she's a bit 'abnoxious' right now, and it's true too that she'll sink her teeth in to any available object around her. Please let me share with you what we do with Charlie's teething and potty training.

- We do not get mad and start yelling at the puppy when he starts to munch on the furniture, slippers, chairs, edges of the stairway, our pants or anything. Instead with a firm voice, we say 'BAD' and move him AWAY. It's really up to us to do that since pugs can be stubborn and at times will not listen. Then we give him something to munch on like dried pig's skin stick which is available at any pets shop. This skin is also good for his itchy gums.

the reason why Charlie's always have something in his mouth, dawgie is teething!

The Mafia boss!

- Play with him. That's important to keep him from being bored and starts to munch on things just to get our attention. Playing is also important for him to spend his energy.

- Puppies are so energetic! I've read a pugsy article that pugs do not need to be walked frequently and they do not bark a lot. Charlie is just the opposite. He is so alive and enjoys the walks. He'll begin it by barking out loud as if telling everyone: " Here I am, here I am! Come on out you guys!" That's why he's pretty muscular, thanks to the movements and he eats well but not turning fat.

- We walk him out several times a day, 5 times averagely for his potty training. This will lessen when he becomes older. We reward him for doing his potty outside and give him a bit of scolding when he does it inside. Puppies can't control it yet so it's important for Charlie to have a regulated time for eating and then potty. And this is also important for him to learn the neighborhood, see other people and other dogs. He is crazy about kids especially and kids are to him.

But really, the key here is spending time training the puppy. And that ensures success. My husband and I were so confident that he'll never wet our bed that as early as his second week with us ( he was almost 3 months then ) we allowed him to sleep with us. He did no accidents and now sleeping with us is normal, and Charlie even gets most of the space.

Charlie napping on husband's belly

Dear THEYIE, if you can't find the pigs skin sticks, may I suggest that you buy them fresh without fat, clean and boil it to reduce the remaining fat and slice them about half inch in thickness and 5 inches long ...let them dry in the sun. When it's totally dry, it's ready for your puppy to chew. Also if you can get Kirei some toys, like rubber balls or anything that is not dangerous for puppies. She'll appreciate that.

ps:

I've edited some parts, very very sleepy when I did the post last night..see the difference mamasangre? ^_^

Meet Gracie!

2004-10-13T19:14:00.000+02:00

I've been wanting to post about my pets in this blog, but I didn't had the chance to compose until today...

Gracie, or Grace, is not really my cat. She belongs to my fiance's sisters. She was first seen around a family friend's house until Ruby and Mae decided to adopt her. Since then, she became a part of the family (parang ako, hehe!)

I really didn't get to know her much until my fiance's family took a month-long vacation and Grace needs to stay with me so I can watch over her. At first, animals aren't really my thing. I grew up in a household that never had pets of any kind. I never knew how to handle furry friends. But, this cat made an animal lover out of me. I consider her to be sweet and intelligent... When I get home, she's waiting by the door, and once I approach her, she'll roll over the floor and waits for me to scratch her belly and shower her with attention. She never makes a mess in my apartment. She does her business in her litter box and never plays with any of my stuff. She meows and approaches when you call her name. She comes to you when she's interested in what you're doing. She follows me around the apartment, just sitting there and watch me cook, clean, etc... She lets me know when she wants to go to the porch, and when I let her out, she just sits on a corner watching the trees outside. When she's satisfied, she goes back inside and meows, and that's my cue to close the door. She never liked expensive cat toys. All you need is a crumpled piece of paper to keep her amused. She likes to curl up on my feet whenever I lay on the couch. When I go to bed, she sleeps behind my headboard, close to the window. She also wakes me up every morning by meowing aloud beside my bed until I get up. Once I step out of the bedroom, she runs to the kitchen and waits for me to give her breakfast. Almost human huh? The only time I see her wild side is when she likes to make her own little hunting game. When she wants to play with any object, she would at first keep her distance, crouches like a mini-panther, then wiggles her butt until she dashes for her prey.

Ever since her vacation in my apartment, I sometimes "borrow" her to keep me company. Except now that I had a new puppy, she became jealous of him and kept her distance from him. It's funny to see a big cat running away from a 6-inch high dog... Now, she's back home with her "parents". But, I still miss her sometimes! Everytime I visit their house, she still knows me. :)

hello from kirei

2004-09-22T04:04:00.000+02:00

di naman masyadong showbiz ang baby ko, di ba?
that's my baby..so malambing, ever ready to take a pose, granted that she's in a good mood.

she was born on the 1st of july 2004, and was given to me by my friend romel on the 7th of august. so she'd been with me for 2 months, 2 weeks and 1 day. how time flies!

kirei has made a difference in our house, for i've seen how fond tatay and nanay has become of her. our house, deprived of babies (my niece and nephews), is once again lively. funny how tatay would take sides with kirei if she screams for pain because nanay accidentally stepped on her toes. hehe..sometimes, i think tatay loves kirei more than i... hmm.. she would sleep on my room, it used to be on my bed, but she would bite my books so i trained her to sleep on the floor. then i will leave the lights on so i could check on her whenever i can. tatay would fetch her early morning for breakfast, and if i'm free, i would give her a nice bath.

she has definitely grown, i would excitedly weigh her everytime i see the weighing scale. oh well, tatay spoils her eh, and she's really "matakaw", ida-diet ko na nga sya. mukha na sya askal eh. hwehehe.

i am kirei's mommy. she would like to be friends with you.

2004-09-15T20:31:00.000+02:00

jaja
New Addition to the Familie

My little BOSS

2004-09-08T22:56:00.000+02:00

This is how I usually get things done these days, by letting my little boss sleep on top of my desk. Actually when I ask him to keep quiet, he would listen and just go to sleep. All he needs is to see me ( or his 'dad' ) and he's all good.

The puppy with his puppy...can you see 'them' ?

my cats

2004-08-30T05:08:00.000+02:00

for a while now i've been wanting to post some pics of my cats.. they're strays alright but i love them nonetheless...

the image is little bit fuzzy.. i was holding the camera on my other hand, but anyways.. this is my

kitten mhadz.. on his 3rd week of life

ain't he a cutie!

and here is his sister whom my sister named darkwing (don't ask why.. i don't know myself)

aaaaaaawwwwww.....

and here's another adorable shot of mhadz... poor kitty got tired from all the studying he did. fell

asleep right on top of his handouts...

my kittens.. all bunched up

time for a snack....

oh.. here is a picture of the last sibling among the brood.. catthroat!

baby mhadz.. when he was just a couple of days old....

sorry.. lots of stories to tell... but got no time at the moment... so the pics will have to do for now!

My CHARLIE

2004-08-27T07:56:00.000+02:00

My husband and I agreed not to make any hasty decisions before leaving the house that sunday (15th Aug.) That was the day we made an appointment to meet this dog owner turned breeder. He had 3 pugpupies.

Prior to that, I have sat long hours in front of my computer learning and gathering infos about pugs and other small dogs...their behaviours, needs, characters and all important informations we'll be needing should we find the right puppy. I really wanted a pug because of its' size, character and most important of all, it can live with other animals. My other choices were either a french bulldog or a pembroke corgi which were also small & friendly races.I have also e-mailed several breeders, asking for informations and prices. I must honestly say that I almost gave up finding a pup because I wasn't aware that they were quite expensive!

So I began to hunt somewhere else...I have tried a dutch bulldogs/pugs group for infos, kennels, local shelters where abandoned animals were/are abundant and needing new homes. Sadly, most offered small dogs were jack russels which were not really suitable for our home with 3 ferrets. What was heart breaking though, were the plights of these abandoned animals, how they were given up, or thrown away, literally sometimes, or even almost killed by their very owners wanting to get rid of them. Talk about the brutality and ignorance of many people! First they will acquire those 'cute' puppies or kitties , take them home....and once they grew up and no longer 'cute' they will discard them like garbage! These kind of people should be jailed! ( Oh ok, I'm drifting away from my main story...sorry)

Anyhow, since we weren't expecting much from that appointment with the breeder that sunday ( we were more fixated on our vacation the following morning ) we still went to see him....lo and behold...there he was! I first saw the pugdaddy then the pugmommy and then an older pugsister then came to view was him- Charlie.- The pugfamily's condition was ideal. They were sharing the house with other dogs, children and the puppies were already trained to poop only on newspapers spread on the floor.

Like mamasangre had with Noah, I also had a 'moment' with the puppy, took him closer to my nose ( I immediately sneezed - I've doggy allergy, yes ) and whispered to him ' would you like me to be your mommy?' He then looked at me and wham! that was one of the fastest decisions I've ever made in my life cos I just knew it, I have found him! My husband was caught off guard too, instantly fell in love that he wanted to buy the sister as well. No, I said, just one. So much for our ' no hasty decisions' huh? We then decided that we would pick him up once we're back from our vacation.

Charlie's already got his passport from the vet, has received two necessary injections and will receive another one next week, he is healthy and very very playful.

But we didn't pick him up, instead he was delivered to us by his breeder last tuesday (24th to be exact.) I guess they were also checking us out and that tells a lot about Charlie's breeder.

Here he is, meet Charlie

the bundle of joy who's making me lose sleep, mop the floor several times a day, makes me forget to eat, the reason why I do not go online that much these days, who will not sleep without me on his side, made me cut my vacation short and the main reason why I'm behind with my paperworks (darn! patay ako kay boss! ) But all these are worth it! We've been together for few days only but he's like my shadow, he is already showing his 'protective' side and always wanting to know where I am.

A smile for mommy...don't you love that smile?!

No that's not ET, just Charlie taking a nap

Charlie has been very very cool and nice towards my 3 ferrets, but I think it might take a while for my trio to get used to him. They just don't like the extra attention we're giving the pup right now, other than that, the trio never even tried to harm Charlie in any form. That's okay, they'll come around because they know that we love them too.

2004-08-13T12:08:00.000+02:00

This is HER! :D
This is Baybee Booskie when she was a pup. Thats her topak mode. Oh, by the way, this is the other boo. Not the one that died. This one's the doggie that lives with me.

Pets!!

2004-08-13T11:52:00.000+02:00

I just noticed that no one else was posting here the last few days...except me! lolz. I just read mama sangre's post earlier on about rescuing that poor lil creature.

I took the liberty in logging onto my local animal shelter's website and goshiez, the pets up for adoption are soooooooooo cute!! If I could only have them all, I'd definitely go for em. The dogs that look like mops, the ones that look like brooms...the ones that look like old men...hehehe. Well, theyre all cute.

A Poem By Request (Ahem...hehe)

2004-08-11T19:28:00.000+02:00

I have a friend
Who longs for a companion
(Like her husband isnt enough)

One with big droopy eyes
(full of mucus)

One with big fat cheeks
(that hang like water balloons)

One with a wrinkled face
(that looks like a wrinkled butt)

One with a cold nose
(cuz its always full of snot)

One with a big mouth and bad breath
(that drools like a water fountain)

One that she can cuddle
(i dunno why she couldnt settle for a pillow)

One that she can feed
(Ahem, HUSBAND?!?)

One that she can take care of
(mm, how about a plant?)

One that she longs for so much
(that she actually asked me to write something about,
what a waste of my time!)

One thats actually a DOG named TJ!

LOLZ!! okay the dogs actually cute.
I was just bein sarcastic..DUH

Remembering Her

2004-08-08T21:05:00.000+02:00

I have always loved animals; especially DOGS. Growing up, I had all sorts of pets; from Birds, Rabbits, Fishes to Dogs. Each were special in their own way. What I appreciated most from these animals is their ability to sense our feelings. They know when you're down, when you're happy...they know YOU.

Five years ago, when my brother went back to the Philippines to continue his education; we got a Dog...just to keep him company. A Dog named Boo. She was a sweet little thing, a sweet and beautiful Mongrel. As time went by, we all got attached to the Dog. Although the rest of my family and I were living overseas, each and everytime we'd go back, she was always there. She was a part of our family. As she grew, her primitive instincts developed and she became one of the most feared dogs in our neighbourhood. She protected our home. She protected us.

Apart from being the protector that she was; she was also a very good mother to her puppies. It was such a sweet sight whenever we'd give her little goodies then she'd call her babies one by one; feeding the youngest first. She had always put her kids first. Just like we humans do. She also offered us lil gifts at times. She once caught a fish and brought it to my dad. She also caught a bird and did the same thing. Everybody loved her.

Two Years Ago, we received a Phone Call from my Cousin. He lived with my brother and he too looked after Boo. He told us that the 15 year old son of our neighbour had shot our Boo in the heart - IN OUR FRONTYARD. She was 3 months pregnant...and she was shot right in the heart...right in the heart. She laid there, in our resthouse and bled to death. My Cousin phoned by brother shortly after and he rushed home.

My whole family was outraged. Everyone cried. We loved that dog so much. People say that we are foolish to have such a strong attachment to just an ANIMAL. She wasn't just an ANIMAL to us; she was our FAMILY. Til this day, I still find it hard to talk about the incident. Writing this has made tears well up in my eyes. It still hurts. I still miss my Dog. Sometimes its hard to understand the things people do. Animals are still living beings...they breathe, they feel, they love just as we do.

My family has tried to take the case to court. However, since it is the Philippines, nothing much has been accomplished because according to them, it was just an ANIMAL. Since the incident occured, I havent returned to the Philippines. I do not know if I could control myself under the circumstances of seeing that family and remembering what they did to my Dog. It still hurts and I still miss her.

Chi-chi my love

2004-08-07T17:03:00.000+02:00

A new added attraction on our mini zoo... :D
she's a 3 monts old monkey and we call her Chi-chi.

At first medyo takot pa sya sa tao. Medyo aloof.. and mabaho. hehehe!!
Ano nga ba naman ang maaasahan mo sa pet shop to take care of this little soul.. siguro matagal na siyang walang ligo. Medyo manipis ang hair nya and payat talaga. Kawawa namang nilalang. Nabulunan pa nga nung first time naming pinakain ng saging... and we thought fruits lang ang puede nyang kainin.

As week pass, medyo nakakarelate na din siya sa environment nya. Nililiguan namin siya thrice a week and she slept with my sister. Of course, medyo takot kami kasi baka may sakit, may ebola, may aids, lahat-lahat na but then unresistable talaga ang charm ng little chi-chi na to sa amin.

Oh my.. kumakain din pala ng kanin ang unggoy. Minsan kasabay namin siyang kumain.. OO nga.. nang-aagaw sila ng pagkain minsan. hehehe! may pagkamaldita lang tong bata na to kasi pag nandyan na nanay nya (my sister).. ayaw ng sumama sa kin. Whenever her mom's at school, she's here with me at my shop... and she always fall asleep in my arms na parang baby talaga. As we know, maingay dito sa shop.. pag inaantok na ang bata at may biglang malakas na tunog.. sumisigaw siya... minsan bumubulong.. siguro sa loob-loob nya "ano ba naman tong lugar na to.. ang dilim dilim pero ang ingay" or kaya "ano ba kayo! inaantok ako! wag kayong maingay!" hahaha!!

Ah.. may isang beses lang pala siyang sumama sa kin na nasa tabi lang nya yung sister ko.. wala pang isang minute.. inihian ako. Bad Chi-chi! Even Bullit have an experience on her peeing habit... Ganon siguro sila, parang sinasabi na.. "this is my property" chuvabelles. :)

Her latest improvement.. Playful. At first, takot siya sa 3 aso namin... even with my little Schat. Minsan kasi tinatahulan or kinakagat siya (kagat na lambing) nung mga babies ko but not now.. palaban na din ang matsing. Not really palaban pero kaya na nyang makipagsabayan. One morning, nasa lapag lang siya at di nilalapitan ng mga aso.. Di siya pinapansin. Nilapitan si Achilles (which is so big na..) at kinurot near his pwet. Syempre, ang initial reaction ng aso.. kinahulan tapos kinakagat-kagat siya.. She also do that.. nakikagat din ang loka.. Nakita ni Schat na nilalaro ni Achilles si Chi-chi.. lumapit ang dalaga ko (si schat).. ang nakiharot na din. Contented ang 2 (Schat and achilles) kasi nakaganti and they left her. Ay naku.. she didn't even cry kahit pinagtulungan nung dalawa. Pero Chi-chi is not contented, nilapitan ang Schat at siya naman ang kinurot. Tawa na lang kami ng tawa sa kalokohan nya. hehehe! Don lang sa isang aso (na adult na talaga) siya di makaporma kasi baka iwasiwas siya non. Hahaha!

Ok na yung itsura nya ngayon... Makapal na yung balahibo nya, may buhok na unlike before na nakakalbo siya.. and syempre.. tumaba na din. :)

Sabi ko sa sister ko, ituring nya yan parang tao.. dapat laging yakapin, alagaan (as what Ate Thess told me) pero parang sobra ata tong kapatid ko kasi kahit pagtulog at pagkain.. magkasama na sila. Hehehe!

I really wanted to post a picture of my sister and chi... pero di maupload dito eh.. can somebody help me.

posted by: JOANNE

Random little something

2004-08-01T17:00:00.000+02:00

I thought of posting this photo of Danielle when one day I saw her, just her head, peeking outside when she heard the noises I was making in the kitchen. Curious as she's always been and with half eyes closed, there she was trying to find out what mama's been up to.

taken yesterday ( july 31st )...this was Gizmo sleeping on top of his shirt. It's a known fact that ferrets sleep in the dark but since we've been having warm weather the past days, the light didn't seemed to bother him ( Jacob and Danielle were sleeping under their other shirt )

Also taken yesterday, their dad and I decided to buy them a piano hoping to find out if we have a Mozart in the family ( that's not all together true, we got jealous because the other day, we saw a piano-playing-ferret on tv so we thought.. perhaps our kids can do better. ) Jacob played about 3 notes out of curiosity. Papa and mama actually clapped their hands when they heard what Jacob 've accomplished!

Unfortunately the piano didn't interest them at all, all they wanted to do was to destroy it. KIDS do the darnest thing!!

PAINFUL

2004-07-13T16:58:00.000+02:00

I just want to remember this day.Earlier my aunt living in Nevada gave me a call. I barely recognized her voice because of her hard sobbing, and I instantly knew what was wrong.You see yesterday evening when she called me up, she's told me that right at that moment, her baby - Raider, a 7 year old black labrador - will go under the knife and that she and her husband were frantic, worried sick. She's told me that there were bumps over Raider's body. I knew it didn't looked good and my aunt who is a nurse, seemed to refuse to face the possibility that her baby could die...but 'mothers' are like that, aren't they? But when the vet cut Raider open, instantly they knew that the cancer has spread all over his body and there's just no hope. So immediately they told my aunt and uncle and asked them if they would want them to close him up, wake him up so that they can say goodbye. They were also told that Raider was really suffering. They chose to let him rest in peace. He was cremated and today his remain will be delivered to my aunt.

I just want to remember this day when I wasn't able to console my aunt.....The day when I realized, that someday, I will experience the same thing when my babies decide to 'go away', for good.Raider, rest in peace....someday mom and dad will be just fine.

goLLum

2004-07-12T16:55:00.000+02:00

heRe's goLLum with the kittens. see the one at her back? i aLways thought that one Looks Like SAM, that girL who won the starstruck kids finaLs. hehe. I was actuaLLy surprided when i saw them this way, in peacefuL coexistence. Kasi, goLLum aLmost aLways pLays with the 3 cats... Karinyo BrutaL ang Laro niLa.

then, here's goLLum now... sus, kaLandi... hehe. Titingin pa e...

posted by: BEBELABS

da adbentyurs of Hermes and Jackie

2004-07-06T16:45:00.000+02:00

adbentyur #2

Meet Hermes (her-mee), born:june 7,2001 breed:shih tzu color: tri-color gender: female

Bigay lang sa akin si Hermes ng isa sa mga students ko. Medyo di na sha naa-alagaan dahil sobrang busy na nung bata (kyna)...nagkasakit na si Hermes. She had Heartworm and was confined at The Animal House vet for 3 weeks. Nung umuwi na sha...nakapag-decide na ang parents ni Kyna to give up Hermes. At shempre....sa aken nila ito ibinigay (fave teacher nya akowe!)Habang inia-abot sa akin si hermes ito ang last words ni Kyna at Aissa (magkapatid) Teacher Eloise...she'll be your dakilang alalay". Nung inuwi ko si Hermes sa bahay namin...ang payat-payat nya at kalbo...hindi sha mukhang aso...mukha shang pusa. Still...hit na hit si Hermes sa bahay at di lang dun pati na ren sa aking mga kaibigan. Totoo yung sinabi nilang "dakilang alalay" si Hermes kasi kahet saan ako pumunta...sunod den sha ng sunod. Inakyat ko sha sa taas sa kwarto namen para laruin. Dun muna sha para di mashado magselos si Jackie...bumaba akong sandali para ihanda yung kanyang pagkain...ng biglang...blag...blag...blag..."Si Hermes nahulog sa Hagdan!" sigaw ni Nanay.
Ay sus..sa sobrang pagiging "pala-sunod" nagpatihulog sa hagdan si Hermes to be with me.

Awww...ain't she the sweetest?

posted by: ELOISE

Da adbentyurs of Hermes and Jackie

2004-06-23T16:44:00.000+02:00

PAUNANG SALITA
HELLO!!! Halina at makisama sa mga adbentyurs ni Hermes at Jackie. Ang aking 2 alaga...punong-puno ng buhay at aksyon...na minsan ay may halong S.T. flick.
ETO...

DA ADBENTYURS OF HERMES AND JACKIE

ADBENTYUR #1
Uunahin ko yung mas matanda...si JACKIE
Ipinanganak sha noong March 14, 1997. Nung dumating sha sa bahay namin...napaka-amo at mahiyain nya. Palaging nakabuntot sa akin...di ko sha mashado napaglalakad sa bahay nuong una dahil...meron na rin kaming isa pang dalmatian sa bahay...si SLY! Si Sly ay hindi purong dalmatian...80% lang sha...isa sa mga characteristics ng dalamatian ay ang pagiging territorial nito. Kaya nung dumating si Jackie sa bahay...nagkaroon agad ng mortal na kaaway. Habang lumalaki si Jackie...unti-unti naman itong nagkakasungay (hehehe). Siya ang nagle-lead sa iba pa naming aso (may 2 pa nun...si Sly(dalmatian) at Hubbs(terrier))para magkalat at mag-ingay sa bahay.
May isang pagkakataon na binagsak ni Jackie yung salamin ng dining table namin.BASAG ANG SALAMIN!!! Hirap na hirap akong tanggalin sha dun...mabuti na lang at konting galos lang ang nakuha nya. Siguro kung kaya nya lang ibagsak ang piano matagal na nyang ginawa.
Sa bahay...si Jackie at Sly ang umuubos ng betadine kesa sa aming pamilya. Lagi silang masaya sa garden...binabasag ang mga paso, nagbubungkal ng lupa...atbp.
Maraming kuwento ng kakulitan itong si Jackie...tsaka ko na ibabahagi sa inyo! :D

Si Jackie ay isa sa mga pinaka-mabait naming aso...mabait na makulit. At eto ang isa pang natatangi nyang kakayahan...galit sha sa panget...no offense ha...pero minsan kumatok sa aming pintuan ayung isa naming kapitbahay na madaming inaaway...biglang tumahol si Jackie nang pagkalakas-lakas...at mistulang lalapain na iyong ale. Iyong aling iyon na maraming kaaway...at talagang masama ang ugali lang ang kinahulan ni Jackie ng ganung katindi.

Si Jackie rin ang aso naming marunong umarte...heto ang kanyang picture

sinasadya nyang pagandahin ang tenga nya ng mga panahong kinuhaan ko sha...kasi tangan ko sa kaliwa kong kamay ay isang biscuit.
Itong aso kong ito...lahat kinakain...kahit papel kakainin nya...ganon kalaki ang tiwala nya sa akin.

itutuloy...

NOTE: THIS WAS ELOISE'S ORIGINAL POST