February 2019 Newsletter

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This is Baxter, AKA Boyfriend, showing off his Skull & Crossbones Tag.

Many thanks to Laura of Massachusetts for posting this cute pic on our facebook page.

And this is Bella, looking sweet and wearing her Heart Jewelry Tag. She is a boxer-ridgeback mix who loves chasing lizards and sunning herself by the pool when she's not in her owner's lap.

Thank you to Richard Albury of Melbourne, FL for this cute pic!

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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Maureen Hatcher of St. Augustine, Florida lives with her two Labrador retrievers, Bella and Sadie. A couple of months ago, Hatcher found out just how smart her girls are.

In early December, Hatcher was at the start of her morning routine when everything suddenly went wrong. As she was showering, she began to feel strange, and within seconds she found herself lying on the floor, disoriented and unable to move. She had suffered a stroke; a blood clot had lodged in an artery in her neck and was depriving her brain of oxygen. The clock was running until permanent brain damage occurred. The events that followed are not only remarkable but also, recorded by Hatcher's Ring doorbell video camera.

After the fall, Bella and Sadie came to check on her in the shower. All she could say to them was, "Momma needs help." With half of her body now paralyzed by the stroke, they needed to figure the rest out themselves.

Hatcher's front door has a lever handle. At some point, Bella had learned how to paw at it to open it. And it was for that reason that Hatcher was in the habit of also dead bolting the door. But somehow, that day, either she forgot, or something more amazing happened. Either way, the dogs were able to get out the front door. The doorbell video shows both dogs run out the front door, barking, getting help.

Across the street, Alexandra Naspolini happened to be sitting by her window which was unusual for her. All the barking immediately got her attention. She noticed Sadie running towards her, and she could hear Bella, who had gone back into Hatcher's home, still barking. She knew something must be wrong with her friend.

“I was asking the dog, ‘Where’s mom? Where’s mom?’” she said.

She hurried across the street to Hatcher's house. The doorbell video shows her arrive and peer inside the front door, still partially opened. It was unusually dark inside, and she was a bit scared, her mind racing, not knowing what she was about to find. She rang the doorbell and called out for Maureen, but there was no answer. She followed Sadie into the house.

It is worth pausing here for a moment; consider what would have happened if the dogs had not opened the front door. This one detail likely prevented several hours of delay in getting treatment for Hatcher.

Instead, the dogs led Naspolini straight to Hatcher. Medics arrived in 10 minutes, and fortunately immediately recognized Hatcher's symptoms as the signs of a stroke. Instead of taking her to the nearest emergency room, they went directly to Baptist Medical Comprehensive Stroke Center in Jacksonville. There, a team of experts immediately went to work. In a miraculous procedure taking only 20 minutes, the neurologists were able to remove the clot in her neck through an artery in her leg. With blood flow to her brain restored, it only took a few hours until Hatcher was awake and Facetiming with her family. After only three days, she was fully recovered and back home with her dogs with no after effects from the stroke.

Maureen Hatcher knows that her remarkable recovery was only possible because so many things fell into place that day. She is eternally grateful to all the people that helped her that day.

But she also knows that none of that could have happened if her girls, Bella and Sadie, hadn't figured out how to get the front door open and get help. Thankfully, somehow, they did. Maureen knows that without her dogs, the outcome of her stroke would have been drastically worse. They are forever her angels.

You can watch coverage of the story, including Hatch's doorbell video recordings, on the First Coast News website.

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The Chombueng Marathon began in 1985 as an informal race organized by some teachers at the local college who simply enjoyed running. Located in a rural section of Thailand, west of Bangkok in the province of Rajabhat, the race has become very popular, attracting well over ten thousand runners a year.

The 2019 edition of the race occurred on January 4. Ask any runner who participated, and they'll likely have a story to tell about the event. But one runner's surprising story has touched the hearts of readers around the world.

Khemjira Klongsanun was one of the few locals participating in the race. She's a local shop keeper who enjoys running, and was not out to set any records that day. The first 7 miles were uneventful for Klongsanun. The race began near the University, but soon the mass of runners found themselves funneling into a small road with vast fields on both sides. Ahead of her, Klongsanun noticed a disturbance in the orderly flow of runners streaming along the edge of the street. As she got close enough to see, she was shocked to find that the runners were dodging a small puppy! He was hunkered down, cowering as this unexpected hoard of stomping feet passed over and around him. Without thinking twice, she ran to him and bent over him to protect him.

"It seemed to me that this little guy was lost. There were no houses, no other dogs, or no people around. So, I picked up the puppy, if only to take him out of the unsafe environment." Klongsanun said.

She wasn't about to put him back down on the ground and risk him getting trampled. There was only one thing to do. She tucked him in her arm and ran. And she ran the rest of the course, nineteen miles, holding the puppy! Completing any marathon is quite an accomplishment, but carrying a puppy for three-quarters of it adds a degree of difficulty not likely ever attempted before.

Klongsanun tried to find if the pup had an owner but was unsuccessful. As you might have guessed, Klongsanun adopted him. She named him Chombueng (the name of the race). He has had all his vet checkups and is now enjoying life with his new pack- Klongsanun and her two older dogs. He's one lucky little guy. And Khemjira Klongsanun has one of the best running stories ever! Lots of pictures on the DailyMail site.

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Instagram Famous Pets

In a recent blog post, we found the 10 most famous pets, based on the number of followers. See them here and check out their pages. Does your pet have what it takes to be famous?

 

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New At The Factory: Leash Holders

We're almost ready to offer these personalized leash holders. Mount it by your door and have everything you need for "Walkies!" neatly organized and ready to go. Works for keys, coats and hats too. They'll be on the website soon and we'll announce it on our Facebook page.

Silly and fun messages in a silly font. Engraved on our round plastic tags with your 5 lines of information engraved on the back. Choose from six messages, 5 colors in three sizes. Funny Tags!

Have a great idea for a new Funny Tag? Let us know and if we decide to use it, we'll make it for you for free!

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Watch this amazing timelapse created by Warren Photographic as their cat, Freya, grows from a newborn to a full sized cat before your eyes.
(26 sec)
imgur

It wouldn't be winter without a Corgi in the snow clip- the struggle is real.
(22 sec)
imgur

And speaking of struggle, watch this Golden try to get his way.
(25 sec)
gyfycat

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Just cute and funny pet pics found online:

 

 

 

 

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Use the code above when you check out on our website or you may call 1-800-543-TAGS and mention the coupon code; one of our happy, helpful customer service representatives will gladly give you the discount.