August 2017 Newsletter

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This cute little tortoiseshell kitten is Pookie Sue. She is the newest member of the Velzy family!

Thanks to Trish Velzy of Statesville, NC for the picture.

And here we have Dexter, showing off his brand new paw jewelry tag, and Candy, peeking from behind to see what the excitement is all about.

Thank you to Donna Wadel of Rich Hill, MO for this cute pic.

And just because we've never gotten a picture of a goat wearing one of our tags, we present Clover, the dwarf goat girl! 

Sara Schmidt of Almond, WI sent us a few pics of her goats wearing tags. Thanks Sara!

Thank you to everyone who has submitted pictures of their pets! If you have a great picture of your pet (showing off our tag would be nice!), you can submit it here!

If you haven't seen your picture submission in our newsletter, check out our facebook page. Once there, you can see lots of pet pics, submit more and chat with us or other pet fans!

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Pit bulls tend to be in the news quite frequently, but it's rarely good news. But today's story is one that really shows their true character; it's about two pit bull mixes from Brandon, FL who are definitely heroes.

Earlier this month, Melissa Butt was at her home with her two grandchildren, Zayden, 4, and Mallory, 1. They were playing out in the yard with her two dogs, Slayer and Paco. It was an ordinary, pleasant Sunday until Butt heard barking that got her attention; it wasn't normal barking like dogs playing. She immediately hurried out to check on the kids. She was relieved to see that they were fine. They were with the dogs, watching them bark at something in the grass near her front door. Her first thought was to get them inside.

With the two little ones safely inside, she ran back out to see what the dogs had found. It was a snake, a venomous southern copperhead, freshly killed by the dogs. Copperheads are known to wait in hiding for prey to come to them. Luckily, the dogs had found the snake before the kids did. It was then she noticed that both dogs were bleeding. Paco had bites on his leg and while it was swelling up, he seemed to be doing okay. Slayer however, had taken several bites to his face and neck and was not okay. Copperhead bites are not only venomous but also extremely painful.

They rushed both dogs to the veterinarian where it was decided that Slayer would need to be treated with antivenom. He was transferred to Blue Pearl of Brandon, an Emergency Veterinarian Hospital capable of administering antivenom and then treating the dog during the critical days after.

While willing to do whatever it took to save Slayer, this treatment was going to be expensive and the Butts began worrying about how they would pay the bill. This is where the second group of heroes joins the story.

Someone at the hospital contacted Frankie's Friends, a pet charity that, among other things, helps pets and their families in situations just like this. They very quickly committed to both the hospital and the Butts family, to cover the cost of Slayer's treatment. Through their website, they reached out to their supporters and raised more than enough money in a matter of a few days.

Paco and Slayer have both recovered nicely from the ordeal. The whole family is very thankful the dogs were there to protect the kids, fully aware of how close this story came to having a very different outcome. They are also very thankful that Frankie's Friends was there to help save their dogs!

Read more and watch video on the WTSP website.

Also, please take a minute to visit the Frankie's Friends website to read about the good work they do.

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Looking at the two huge smiles in the picture above belies the bittersweet story behind it.

Jake is a 12 year old dog who was dealt a tough hand in life. He arrived a few months ago at the Front Street Animal Shelter in Sacramento, CA. Picked up as a stray, he was not in good shape; he has a skin disease and many bad teeth that make eating and drinking painful. And if that wasn't bad enough, he was diagnosed with terminal cancer.

The workers at the shelter knew that Jake's future wasn't bright. Dogs like Jake are brought in to shelters, not adopted out. They live out their lives there or are sometimes euthanized when their care becomes too expensive or to make room for more adoptable dogs. It wasn't fair but it was the reality.

So you can imagine the shockwave that went through the shelter when Melani Andrews walked in and asked for: " the oldest dog you have, the one no one wants to adopt." It was as if she was asking for Jake. She saw him and minutes later, adopted him.

Andrews was rebounding from a tough year. Her husband died in January and then her dog died a month later. She was now ready to share her life again and wanted to give a shelter dog a second chance.

Andrews says that Jake has made himself comfortable in his new forever home. They go for short walks in the neighborhood and he likes to taunt the dog next door through the fence. When his skin condition flares up, she gives him a warm, soothing bath. She warms his drinking water and soaks his food in chicken broth to soften it, all to keep his sensitive teeth from hurting. And after he eats, he likes to roll himself up "like a little dog burrito" in a blanket on her bed. Jake's life now is full of care and love, a life that no one would have predicted just weeks ago.

The two have settled into a comfortable routine. And while no one knows how long they will have each other, it's clear that Melani Andrews has gotten what she walked into the shelter to find: a dog deserving a second chance -and a chance to share her life with a companion.

Read more on the Today show website.

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Ever had your pet sneeze while in your arms? Well I bet it wasn't like this! (8 sec)
YouTube

This dog is the definition of "focused". (24 sec)
YouTube

Two cats and a pool... what's gonna happen? (15 sec)
YouTube

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Just cute and funny pet pics found online:

 

 

 

 

 

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You may also call 1-800-543-TAGS and mention the coupon code; one of our happy, helpful customer service representatives will gladly give you the discount.

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