About a week ago my boyfriend & I were taking our dog, Riley, for a walk. We were about a block from our house when I spotted 2 Boxers hanging out in their yards. Of course we walked past, since I'm crazy about the Boxer breed! One of the Boxers was in a fenced yard. I saw her sweet, sad little face poke out of the fencing & my heart just melted. I talked to her Foster Mom briefly & realized I knew who this dog was. I had seen her on Pet Finder a few months ago. It turns out this was Tootie, a 2 year old white Boxer. She is not actively available for adoption due to an incident where a man was throwing rocks at her. After about 5 minutes we walked home. Once we were a few houses away my boyfriend said to me something to the effect of "If you want to look into adopting her, I'm all for it." I was shocked, since we really weren't looking. A few hours later I emailed the people in charge of Tootie's care. Next thing I knew, they had agreed to let us foster her for as long as we would like, to see if she would be a good fit for our family. I knew the most difficult thing would be convincing my daughter, however, she was on board immediately!
This past weekend we went out & bought a kennel for her & some other fun things. She is very skinny, so we researched higher calorie dog foods & picked up some canned food for her (super expensive). Today, while walking Riley, we bumped into Tootie & her Foster Mom taking a walk. Riley & Tootie were so cute together. They sniffed each other & Riley gave her kisses. Tootie is so sweet & calm. We get to bring her home on 5/04. It's going to be a very LONG 9 days!
Monday, April 25, 2011
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Toby's Visit
On 1/02/10 my family took in a foster dog named Toby from Arkansas. Toby left a pretty big impression on my family. He is a very sweet, loving dog. He was adopted to a wonderful family on 3/12/10. This weekend he came to visit & we were lucky enough to get to watch him for a few hours. We had a wonderful visit. Toby & my dog, Riley, played so well together. After they tired each other out, Toby even took a nap with me. I really do think he remembered us, even after a year. Here are a few pictures from his visit...
Toby shelled out lots & lots of kisses!
We love you Toby & hope to see you again soon!
My Silly Dog
While outside with my dog,Riley, today there were 3 people going door to door in my neighborhood from a local church spreading their word. Riley obviously thought they were suspicious & watched them like a hawk. He didn't even try to chase the bunny that ran past! And he loves bunnies! The 3 people came over to talk to me & Riley wasn't having it. He barked at them non stop, which is unusual for him. They tried to talk to him in calming voices & he just wouldn't give up! So, I wonder...was Riley protecting his neighborhood or is he anti-religion? What a silly boy!
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Fleas, Heartworms, Parasites & Ticks Awareness
Click on the map to view it bigger.
I am posting these because, if you don't already know, my passion is keeping my dog healthy & monthly prevention. This all begins with awareness. The warm weather is here...time to start flea & tick monthly prevention! For those dog parents that don't do monthly heartworm prevention all year round, it's time to start that too. As always, talk to your trusted Vet for the best ways to prevent & treat these issues.
I always do monthly prevention on the 1st of the month, however, 4/01/11 was cold & we still had snow. Today, as I write this blog entry, I realize it is warm outside & has been above freezing for over a week. It's not the 1st of the month but I am going to give my dog his first dose of flea & tick prevention of the season. I had a foster dog that had fleas once...once was enough! That was not a fun experience. I just remember giving her a flea bath & fleas crawling up my arms! I do not want to do that again! Nor do I want to see a dog suffer through that again.
If cost is a concern, check with your local pet stores. Many have clinics or Vets that come in to give shots, do lab tests, micro chip & sell monthly preventatives at a lower cost. Many Vets will run specials & offer rebates. Check around for the best deal. I did & I was amazed at the price variance I received!
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Missing Brian...RIP
Today I got an email from a local pet store wishing my cat a happy birthday. I was puzzled as my cats birthdays are in March, June & August. I then realized they were referring to my Brian. Brian passed away a year ago on 4/16. He would've been 9 this year. In honor of this being his birth month, here is his story...
A friend of a friend of mine was moving out of state with her boyfriend who is severely allergic to cats. She was looking for a good home for him. Our mutual friend approached me about this, but my family wasn't looking to add a second cat to our home. My friend emailed of picture of Brian (who was at that time named Bry Bry). Well, that was it for me. He was the most handsome cat I had ever seen!
One weekend my friend & her kids drove him from Green Bay to our home. At first he just hid under a table in the living room. He was my cat. He followed me everywhere. He had the coolest personality. Brian was a big boy when he arrived...21 pounds. He was a mainecoon cat, which are a larger breed, but still our vet thought he should be around 14 pounds. In time we got him down to 14.2 pounds & he was that size until he got sick.
One day my daughter said he wasn't eating very well. I monitored him but I didn't see any changes until 4/15/10. I was headed to bed when I saw Brian laying on the floor in the hallway, which was odd for him. I went to pick him up & he was limp. My boyfriend, Glen, & I tried to feed him & get him to drink water but Brian couldn't hold anything down. I laid on the living room floor with Brian wrapped in a blanket until the morning came & the vet's office was open. I called the vet & they were able to shuffle some things around to get him in. When I got there I knew deep down he was in trouble but I was so sleep deprived & in denial. The vet took an xray & found a huge mass in his belly. My beloved Brian had cancer. He weighed something like 9 pounds & his temp was 89 degrees. The vet said there was nothing they could do...he was too far gone. If I took him home he would suffer terribly & would most certainly pass that day. There was no decision to make. I had to say good bye to my buddy.
Glen & I went to my kids school & sat them down in the conference room & told them the news. They were devastated. I gave them the option to leave school for the rest of the day & come to the vet's office to say goodbye. My daughter was too upset to go. So my son, Glen & I went back to the vet. We said our goodbyes & Brian passed away in my arms. Everyone in the room cried. Brian's was a horrible, unexpected passing.
Next week my family will face the 1st anniversary of his passing & his birthday. I miss Brian so much. He was the best cat in the world & he brought so much happiness to our family.
We love you Brian!
A friend of a friend of mine was moving out of state with her boyfriend who is severely allergic to cats. She was looking for a good home for him. Our mutual friend approached me about this, but my family wasn't looking to add a second cat to our home. My friend emailed of picture of Brian (who was at that time named Bry Bry). Well, that was it for me. He was the most handsome cat I had ever seen!
One day my daughter said he wasn't eating very well. I monitored him but I didn't see any changes until 4/15/10. I was headed to bed when I saw Brian laying on the floor in the hallway, which was odd for him. I went to pick him up & he was limp. My boyfriend, Glen, & I tried to feed him & get him to drink water but Brian couldn't hold anything down. I laid on the living room floor with Brian wrapped in a blanket until the morning came & the vet's office was open. I called the vet & they were able to shuffle some things around to get him in. When I got there I knew deep down he was in trouble but I was so sleep deprived & in denial. The vet took an xray & found a huge mass in his belly. My beloved Brian had cancer. He weighed something like 9 pounds & his temp was 89 degrees. The vet said there was nothing they could do...he was too far gone. If I took him home he would suffer terribly & would most certainly pass that day. There was no decision to make. I had to say good bye to my buddy.
Glen & I went to my kids school & sat them down in the conference room & told them the news. They were devastated. I gave them the option to leave school for the rest of the day & come to the vet's office to say goodbye. My daughter was too upset to go. So my son, Glen & I went back to the vet. We said our goodbyes & Brian passed away in my arms. Everyone in the room cried. Brian's was a horrible, unexpected passing.
Next week my family will face the 1st anniversary of his passing & his birthday. I miss Brian so much. He was the best cat in the world & he brought so much happiness to our family.
We love you Brian!
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Insurance Call Centers
Ever get frustrated when calling a health insurance company? I called an insurance company today & was so irritated after the call I had to take a minute to regroup. First you have to figure out the automated line. Once you get through you most likely will be transfered or given a different # to call. Today I was transfered 3 times & given 2 different #s to call. Then during a transfer, I was hung up on. Now these things are not the fault of the person who helped me when I finally got to the right person. Do you take it out on that person? Are you so irritated at this point that you treat them badly? Once the right person to help you is on the phone, do you notice they feel the need to fill the silence with phrases like, one moment or step by step instructions on what they are doing?
All of these things are quite annoying, but have you ever taken into consideration all of the rules they are given for taking calls? Rules like, no more than 5 seconds of silence & then they must say things like one moment. Rules that will force them to put you on hold so they can type their call summary before hanging up with you because they will get another call immediately after they hang up with you. Did you know that most of the call center reps you encounter have to take call after call with no time in between calls? Most of these reps take 100 calls in an 8 hour shift. They have unrealistic goals/stats to meet every week or month. Quotas that are very difficult to reach. If they don't reach them corrective action is usually taken.
Can you imagine not being able to use the bathroom when you need to because calls are holding? So I ask you this...if you worked for one of these companies, what would your mood be like? Would you truly care about your customers' needs? So, when you are frustrated & want to scream, swear or be rude to these unfortunate souls, please think twice. I used to work for an insurance company. I had to follow the rules & meet quotas. It was horrible. I was depressed, crabby and had terrible headaches every day! I dreaded starting work just to get screamed at, swore at & personally threatened 100 times a day.
I wish people would think twice about how they treat others. Especially the ones answering your calls & listening to your complaints. They do this all day long. Think what that does to a person.
Thankfully I am no longer in this line of work. I haven't had a severe headache since my last day of work in a call center. Most importantly, I am happy. In my new line of work I have to occasionally call insurance companies. It is frustrating but I am always nice to those that answer the phone. 9 times out of 10 the rep I speak with thanks me for being so nice.
All of these things are quite annoying, but have you ever taken into consideration all of the rules they are given for taking calls? Rules like, no more than 5 seconds of silence & then they must say things like one moment. Rules that will force them to put you on hold so they can type their call summary before hanging up with you because they will get another call immediately after they hang up with you. Did you know that most of the call center reps you encounter have to take call after call with no time in between calls? Most of these reps take 100 calls in an 8 hour shift. They have unrealistic goals/stats to meet every week or month. Quotas that are very difficult to reach. If they don't reach them corrective action is usually taken.
Can you imagine not being able to use the bathroom when you need to because calls are holding? So I ask you this...if you worked for one of these companies, what would your mood be like? Would you truly care about your customers' needs? So, when you are frustrated & want to scream, swear or be rude to these unfortunate souls, please think twice. I used to work for an insurance company. I had to follow the rules & meet quotas. It was horrible. I was depressed, crabby and had terrible headaches every day! I dreaded starting work just to get screamed at, swore at & personally threatened 100 times a day.
I wish people would think twice about how they treat others. Especially the ones answering your calls & listening to your complaints. They do this all day long. Think what that does to a person.
Thankfully I am no longer in this line of work. I haven't had a severe headache since my last day of work in a call center. Most importantly, I am happy. In my new line of work I have to occasionally call insurance companies. It is frustrating but I am always nice to those that answer the phone. 9 times out of 10 the rep I speak with thanks me for being so nice.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Heartbreak & Rescue
While shopping at a local pet store today I ran into a very heartbreaking situation. In the back room there was a rescue visiting the store to show off their adoptable dogs. When I walked into the room the smell was over powering. It smelled like dirty dogs & mange. I tried to interact with & pet some of the dogs, but they were so dirty I almost didn't want to touch them. As I pet a few I noticed one of the puppies had crusty stuff all over an ear. Two of the puppies were so skinny it just tore at my heart. While I was petting the dogs, one of their volunteers was yelling at her kid, spanked her & put her in the corner. I am just shocked at how people represent themselves. So now I am left with this feeling of...just sadness...
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