June Volunteer of the Month

Wow - I really admire this lady!

May Volunteer of the Month

It's Been Awhile!!!

Although I haven't blogged in awhile - it's been on my mind. I guess blogging is going to be a lot like exercising for me. Once I get started - I'm off and running - the hard part is that getting started part!!!!

Matt & I have continued our volunteer work at the animal pound. It is kitten and puppy season and the pound is overflowing!! They are running a really wonderful and incredible promotion - because there are so many older cats & dogs available - they're on sale!!!! Can you imagine it - love truly is for sale!!! Cats older than six months - only $25 with shots, vet check, spay or neuter included, Dogs over 40 pounds - only $60

Last night, we were really happy to see so many of the older dogs & cats had on adoption collars.

So - You CAN buy love!!!

Made A Difference

to this one! Many people have asked us how we can handle volunteering at the pound. The tale of Toby is a great example of the joy that this project brings us. Toby is an eight year old border collie that was fading fast in the shelter. He is a large (overweight) older dog that had a slim chance for survival. He was very sad - depression leads to a lowered immune system which leads to kennel cough which leads to ....euthanasia. Time was critical, so we posted stories about him on http://dogsindanger.com/ and http://phoenix.craigslist.org/pet

Someone saw him on craigslist - here is part of her post: "After seeing this adorable freckle-faced fur baby posted on here numerous times in addition to dogs in danger: Despite the fact our house is "full" and we already have three dogs...I couldn't bare the thought of him sitting there any longer. This boy had been there for over a week and I just knew that his time was running out. I trucked over there today to meet him and let me tell you.. what a doll. He's so mellow, good with my kids. He just wants to be loved. " Aaahhhh - I love a happy ending.

So that's why we do it - it makes a difference - one at a time!!!!

This is One Amazing Lady

Here is the Maricopa Animal Care & Control Volunteer of the Month. I had the pleasure of meeting Mary Beth on my first training day at the pound. Please click on the picture and read of her dedication to helping animals. Thanks so much for all you do Mary Beth - You are a hero!

To see the many wonderful animals available for adoption in Maricopa County - http://maricopa.gov/pets For a search in your area - http://dogsindanger.com

Hard Night at the Pound

Last night was truly one of the hardest nights that Matt & I have
experienced at the pound.



It was our regular night to go in and take photos of the adoptable animals to post on the shelter website.

Just look at some of these faces.

Everything from little puppies, kittens to 15 year old dogs and cats - plus everything in between.

Each one reached out for love and affection. They know that time is short and they need every chance to connect with someone who will rescue them.

Our county shelters take in an average of 150 animals per day! They say that you can measure a society by how it takes care of its animals. We are falling short of the mark.

Please spread the word to spay or neuter pets. Please microchip them to increase their odds of being returned if they get loose.

And if you're looking for a new pet - please rescue a dog or cat from the pound - they know you've saved them and love you all the more for it.

Something New to Learn

The last few months have been a whirlwind of activity - learning new things, juggling projects but it is finally all starting to come together. This new blog in another piece of the puzzle and I hope that it will be a good way to help spread the word about our project.

My husband, Matt & I have been volunteering at our local animal shelter - it is the second largest animal shelter in the country. They take in over 50,000 homeless dogs & cats each year. The work is endless, the need for help is tremendous and we applaud the employees there for their dedication and commitment to these animals.

We have been helping by taking pictures of the adoptable cats and dogs. The pictures are then posted on the county website http://maricopa.gov/pets in the hopes of finding homes for them. And yes, it is hard to not take them all home - some of them really touch your heart. Like the little yellow cat that stood up and wrapped his paws around my neck and didn't want to let go. Please take a look - you may just find a special friend there.

These animal portraits were amazing and I began to work with them to turn them into artwork. I use my digital paintbrush to create pop art prints of these shelter animals. In January, Matt & I opened up a shop on http://pawprintsproject.etsy.com/ offering limited edition prints. Etsy is a wonderful website offering artwork and handmade items from artists and craftspeople all over the world. Please take a look at all the incredible work at http://etsy.com/

We named our shop - The Paw Prints Project and are donating 10% of all sales to the Maricopa County Animal Shelter to help provide comfort and support to the homeless animals.

We'd like to share our tales from the pound and hope that you'll check back often. We'll be posting new stories and offering new artwork every week.