Lions Dog Guides

My posts have been a little heavy on the dogs lately. I have been making some cards and working on some other stuff but it's pretty much dark when I leave for work and darkish when I get home so maybe now with the time change, I will have some time to get the items photographed.

Last weekend, the Lions Dog Guides hosted their bi-annual Open House in Oakville to showcase their programs and to allow the public to view their facility and of course, meet the stars of the show, puppies and dogs in training.

Dog Guides offer 6 programs;Canine Vision, Hearing Ear, Seizure Response, Service,
Autism Assistance and Diabetic Alert. It was very interesting to hear how the dogs are trained for the different programs. Did you know that there are breath donors for the Diabetic Alert dogs? People donate their breath when they have a blood sugar low and these are frozen and used to train the dogs to "alert".

Look at the tail wag on this Lab. They really love to work!

 We were greeted by Bev who is completely blind and her Yellow Lab. She is on her 7th Canine Vision dog. The dog was not working so he could enjoy lots of pets and praise from his visitors.

The poodles were adorable. Most likely heading towards a career in Hearing Ear. They were about 12 weeks old.

This little girl was looking for a foster home. Tempting but I think 2 is plenty for right now.

The Farley Foundation

October is Farley month. Many vets across Ontario carry on fundraising events to raise money for The Farley Foundation. I took this opportunity to give a generous donation from the funds raised at our Scrapbooking Crop to this organization via Kingsdale Animal Hospital. Dr. Hinsberger has been a valued support for Lindor from 8 weeks of age, through 2 litters of puppies and so on. He is very thorough and their Clinic also helps to support clients with limited means.

 Now that I have adopted Lindor and am paying for 2 dogs, it is even more apparent how beneficial this Foundation is to support people on fixed incomes, senior citizens and disabled individuals who value the companionship of their pets.

Nicole, their receptionist was very happy to add our pawprint to their wall. And the mascot is pretty cute too.

Farm Fresh Vegetables

Like everyone else, I was in my local grocery store yesterday picking up supplies for Thanksgiving dinner. It was so busy. I needed some broccoli so I picked up 3 heads and put them in my basket.
I had my doubts about them but I didn't want to make another stop. They were so tired looking with brown spots, I just couldn't justify making the purchase so I changed my mind and  put them back. I long for the old days when you could eat the produce fresh from the garden.

I was lucky enough to get this work of art from an organic farmer last week. What a difference in quality and taste. It was so lovely, I just had to take a photo of it and post it on my blog.

This is an orange cauliflower. You should see it in person. Not a blemish on it and fresh from the garden. I will be getting a few more items in the near future. Off to prep for Thanksgiving dinner.

Fat Beagle

A lovely story from Kismutt Small Animal Rescue, one of the groups that we support. A puppy mill dog survives a life of misery and has a happy ending. The story is called An Unlikely Pair. For Dog Lovers everywhere.

Daneathon

In the spring and fall, Danes in Distress host Daneathons on a private property just outside of Breslau. It's a large acreage with some ponds, well set back from any road so these magnificent animals can stretch their great long legs and play with others their own size. I was able to sneak in a smaller doggie version (Maya) and we had a pleasant walk with the big guys.

Unfortunately, I couldn't get their photos to re-size so you'll have to go to their website to see these gentle giants cavorting. I was able to get a couple photos of the boys with Morgan, the world's tallest living female dog. She's in the Guiness Book of World Records. What a sweetheart!

Unfortunately. a lot of people get these adorable dogs as puppies without doing proper research into their medical issues and taking into account the high cost of vet care, not to mention dog chow. It's a good thing there are organizations like Danes in Distress that are knowledgeable and passionate about this breed and work diligently to educate and re-home these gentle giants.

Great Danes!

I made a bunch of Great Dane cards and some other animal cards to donate to the Danes In Distress Rescue Group along with some much needed funds to support their efforts. They had their bi-annual dogathon on Sunday and it ended up being such a beautiful day and such a sight to behold. Over a hundred Danes all running at large. Every colour imaginable.
Here's a sample of one of the cards that I put together... (I saw a similar idea on Pinterest).

It was a pretty neat card although not the best picture. I used my Silhouette and they had an awesome likeness of a Dane. I think the cards went over pretty well. More on the event when I get the rest of the photos downloaded.

Terry Fox

Today was the day, that I was able to realize my lifelong goal to participate in a Terry Fox Run. I was so glad I was able to coerce a few of my buddies into joining me. Terry was such a inspiration and continues to be after all these years. It was a beautiful day and an important cause. I hope a cure for cancer is found in my lifetime. Wouldn't that be awesome!!!

Here we are just starting off..

Half way there....

And we made it...

And Terry's beautiful words (July 11, 1980)

"I'm not doing my run to become rich or famous. To me, being famous is not the idea of the run. The only important part is finding a cure for cancer. Don't forget that. I'm no different from any of you- I'm no better, no worse. You are cheering and clapping for me but if you have given $1, then you are part of the Marathon of Hope. Even if I don't finish, we need others to continue. It's got to keep going without me."