A dog named mini-Cooper

I may be mistaken, but I am pretty sure this is the first time since “the” 9/11 that the anniversary has been on a Tuesday.   Eleven years ago today, it was a Tuesday morning, warmer than today, but similar weather-wise other than the temperature.  I remember there was hardly a cloud in the blue, blue sky as I set out on my daily dog walk with Hobie, then just under two years of age.
We had said goodbye to the elderly Timba in May of 2001, on Memorial Day, when she died not-so-peacefully under the Christmas tree in our back yard.  After that, we named our yard Timba Memorial Park, in her honor.  So, this was, and would be, my only few months alone with Hobie — from May 2001 to November 2001 when we adopted Hector and ten years of fun ensued.

Hector, as I’ve repeated ad nauseum, was born on September 4, 2001, just a week before 9/11.  On that awful day, I knew there was a litter of puppies and one would belong to us, but I hadn’t seen them yet, and wouldn’t know which one was ours until several days after 9/11.

That beautiful Tuesday was the same as any other day for me and Hobie.  Gil slept in, and Hobie and I went for our 2-mile walk.  I had been on Weight Watchers for a while and had lost around 25 pounds.  I felt good.  I loved walking with my dog, all over town.  I was in great shape and felt fantastic most of the time.  I had some chronic aches and pains (mostly migraines), but didn’t have full-out fibromyalgia yet.  When we got back from our walk, I made coffee and headed up to my desk in my office room to do my email and watch “Live With Regis and Kelly” — having been a huge fan of Kelly Ripa since her days on “All My Children”.

When I turned on the TV, at 8:45, a plane had just hit one of the World Trade Center towers, and it wasn’t yet clear that it was deliberate.  In fact, at first glance, I thought it was a small, single engine plane that had gone off-course and hit the building.  Looking back, I now think, well that was dumb, dummy!  Who the heck flies a small plane in the middle of downtown Manhattan?  But I guess that’s what denial does to you.

After watching for a few minutes, I realized this was something much more. I immediately called Michael at our office at the student travel company.  “Turn on the TV!” I said, “It looks like a plane hit the World Trade Center.”  Michael replied, somberly, “Terrorists.”

I went downstairs and turned on the big TV in the living room.  That woke up Gil, asleep next door in our bedroom.  He came out, groggily rubbing his eyes, “What’s going on?”  I pointed at the TV, “I don’t know.  A plane hit the World Trade Center.”  I still didn’t want to believe what Michael said, but I remember the look on Gil’s face; he knew it was bad, too.

We rushed in to the office, tearing ourselves away from the TV at home, to which we were glued.  The entire day was spent at work, gathered around the various televisions we have in the building, a lot of us crying, way too much speculation (we only heard details as they unfolded).

I remember, it was a Tuesday.  We had recently made the important decision to open up a west coast office for the travel company, and had brought six young men and women to Massachusetts for training.  They arrived here on September 8th and 9th, the weekend before 9/11.  Their first day of training was Monday, September 10th.  By Tuesday afternoon, September 11th, it was clear  that this event had changed the travel industry, at least temporarily, enough for us to abandon the idea of staffing a full office in California.  However, nobody would be flying home for many days.  We had a traveling group stranded in France because planes were grounded.

While I did not personally know anyone who died on 9/11 (the closest person would be a man who lived in our small town whom I knew of but did not know personally) this day impacted the travel industry in ways which we are still feeling today.  Parents stopped putting their kids on airplanes, at first because of the acts of 9/11 itself, then because of the wars, then, the economy.  I refer back to this day often, hearing myself begin sentences with “Since 9/11….”   Yes, I will never forget, for my own selfish business reasons, but mainly  for the thousands of people who died such horrible deaths that day, and the thousands of others who rescued, cleaned up, and put back to together our fine neighboring city of New York.  I still cry every time I think about them and what they had to go through.  The rescuers and responders are now, if still alive, suffering from health problems.  We have not nearly stopped seeing the long-term effects of this event that is marred into our brains.

I met our puppy, Hector, on Friday, the 14th of September.  My co-worker and I were so upset that week and we needed to get out of the doom and gloom of the office for a while.  We went to see the puppies.  There were only a couple left who were not already spoken for.  I chose Hector because of his beautiful markings.  I had wanted a female, having heard that to have two male dogs together was a no-no.  It wasn’t true.  I spent the best 10 years of my life with Hector.  I associate 9/11 with my dog.  He was not only born right before 9/11, he also died, ten years later right before 9/11.  His life was sort of book-ended by the terrible day, and it’s 10-year anniversary.

Here we are, a year later, and it is hard to believe 11 years has passed.  Hobie is still going strong.  We now have two more dogs.  The travel industry has changed, but we are slowly seeing small improvements and we’re going strong, too.

This is just a regular American, remembering 9/11.  We will never, ever forget.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

“Paw It Forward” to Give Jobs to Individuals with Special Needs

The Barkers Dozen seeks crowdsourced funding to hire three special needs individuals.

Aug. 9, 2012 — CHICOPEE, Mass. — The Barkers Dozen, an organic and eco-friendly dog treat company based here, launched “Paw It Forward”, a 30-day campaign to raise $10,000 in crowdsourced funding, in efforts to give a steady paycheck and vital career skills to three special needs individuals.

If the goal is reached, the pet treat company will use the investment to hire three individuals through its partner, Aditus, Inc., an organization that provides community-based employment and other services to Intellectually Disabled Individuals.

Social responsibility and giving back to its community is central to The Barkers Dozen’s mission. It has partnered with Aditus to bake and package its treats since 2011, and currently, all treats made by The Barkers Dozen are handmade by Aditus participants.

“Seeing the joy on one employee’s face when he got to open his first bank account, or another’s excitement when she bought her favorite recliner to watch television, are experiences that I can’t even begin to explain,” said President/CEO and Founder of The Barkers Dozen, Shawn Sherry. “Now it’s up to everyone to help me make this happen for more individuals in our community who want to be out there working, if they could only be given a chance!”

With the new employees’ help, the company will also be able to create three new flavors of organic dog treats. After the Paw It Forward campaign closes, The Barkers Dozen will collaborate with Paw It Forward investors to determine the three future varieties.

In addition, those who make a pledge to support the Paw It Forward project will receive a gift based on their level of support – from 50% off any order, to a year of free organic dog treats from The Barkers Dozen.

The Barkers Dozen is managing the Paw It Forward project through Indiegogo.com, a social crowdsourcing website. The campaign runs through Sept. 9, 2012, and is accessible here: http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/201673?a=1021062.

Available in select pet boutiques, upscale retailers and grocery stores — as well as online through The Barkers Dozen Virtual Bakery and Online Store — the current lineup of organic pet treats includes: Barkers Family Chicken Treats, Barkers Carrot Treats, Barkers Dozen Barkscotti, Peanut Butter Cups, Peanut Butter Treats, Cookie Cakes and The Big Dipper. Also available are a variety of Sampler and Seasonal Gift Boxes, and custom-made cookie jars and gift baskets.

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About The Barkers Dozen:

With the goal of providing Homemade Organic Pet Treats that everyone could afford, The Barkers Dozen was founded in 2009. In the midst of the 2008 pet food scare, company founders Shawn Sherry and Anthony Newman saw an opportunity to start an organic dog treat business where customers could feel safe and secure about what they fed to that loyal member of their family.

The Barkers Dozen treats use the highest-quality, human-grade organic ingredients and are made in a variety of shapes and sizes to satisfy any furry friend. The gourmet dog treats are made on demand and in small batches to ensure the freshest product possible for customers, without artificial preservatives. Feeling a responsibility to the world in which we all live, its packaging is renewable or recyclable.

In 2011, Sherry assumed sole ownership of The Barkers Dozen, following a year of historic growth. Later that year, continuing its belief in social responsibility, The Barkers Dozen began utilizing staff from the Aditus group, a non-profit which helps those with special needs to be able to enter the work force. In addition, The Barkers Dozen donates a portion of its profits from every sale to two animal shelters in its local market.

Press contact:Mehgan Recker
732-853-7056
mrecker@thebarkersdozen.com
www.thebarkersdozen.com

We are having a howling good time here at our house since last Thursday when Cooper joined our pack.

In January, we adopted Charlie Brown, the last puppy in a litter of eight that was rescued in Tennessee with their mama.  The brood was nicknamed “Kate Plus Eight” by the rescue agency,  and a wonderful foster mom took in all nine dogs just three days before Christmas, 2011.  The puppies were born on 11/11/11 which makes them special already.  Charlie Brown was the last to go, we can’t figure out why nobody chose him before we came along, except that he was meant to be ours, thank Dog.

After many months of puppy-ness (we dubbed Charlie with the nickname “Devil Dog”!), I received an email on July 2nd from the foster mom, who I had remained in touch with, along with the other 8 adoptive families.  [I should mention that even Kate, the puppies’ mother, was adopted before Charlie was!].  The email said that the runt of the litter, “mini-Cooper” was being returned to rescue because the family who adopted him originally was moving overseas and was unable to take Cooper with them, and did any of us want a second dog from the same litter?  If not, would we help spread the word, maybe a close friend or family member would want to adopt him.  And “oh by the way” he has an injured leg.

To this day, we do not know how he injured his leg, and it has become painfully clear that we will not ever know.  But dogs live in the moment, and the concern about what happened in the first place is only a human concern.  Take a look at any dog, and you’ll see that they don’t dwell on, or try to figure out, what happened in the past.  We should learn from them.

On top of their moving overseas, the family was unable to afford treatment for the leg which had multiple fractures and separation at the shoulder.  Cooper had been confined to a crate in lieu of treatment, we do not know for how long.

It was at this point that I began to become embroiled in the situation, and was on the phone and email with the foster mom and adoption coordinator from that day on, and throughout the rest of July and August.  At least ten of my friends, when I both emailed and posted on Facebook “anyone interested in adopting Cooper?”, replied “YOU have to adopt him!  He belongs with you.”  These were separate, distinct replies, with no one person talking to the other, conspiring to convince us to adopt him!  I tentatively told rescue we were interested.

The foster mom drove three hours to retrieve Cooper from his original adoptive family, and then spent several weeks running back and forth to multiple vet appointments at various locations.  It was eventually determined that the leg was useless, and any restorative surgery would be “experimental” at best.  To use the words of the senior surgeon who operated on the dog, “I wouldn’t put my own dog through that.”  And so, it was decided that Cooper would become a Tripawd.

A couple friends and I visited Cooper at the foster home, before the operation.  He was so relaxed, for a 9-month-old pup, it was hard to believe.

We brought Charlie Brown and Cooper together for one last play date, and to get reacquainted before he turned up with only three legs.  They had a blast.  I found out that the two of them had been the last two puppies, along with their mama, to be adopted out — so, they had gotten the unique opportunity, of all the littermates, to play one-on-one together as little puppies.

In mid-August, Cooper’s right front leg was amputated.  The hospital set up a post-op web cam and the foster mom was able to look in on him throughout most of the night while he was in recovery.  He was sent home with her two days later, and began a two-week recovery and readjustment period.  From the moment he got home, he seemed relieved that the dangling leg was gone, and did not miss a beat.  People began to say we humans should all take a lesson from him.  The word “special” was over-used, and substituted with the word “inspirational”.

About 14 days later, the staples came out, and we were given the go-ahead to sign the papers, pay the adoption fee, and come pick up Cooper.  Admittedly, we were nervous.  We’ve never had 3 dogs before.  After raising Hector and Hobie, who were just a year apart in age, I said “never again” would I have two dogs so close in age.  Hector passed away very suddenly exactly a year ago, August 28, 2011.  Hobie, nearly 13 years old, is slow and arthritic, and sleeps 23 hours a day.  Charlie Brown is the devil dog!  We feared Hobie would be “mad” at us.  My husband feared it would be too much stress on me, the primary caregiver.  But I said no, the animals are my stress-buster, they make me feel better.  I have fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome, so I have to be very careful not to overdo “it” — whatever “it” might be.  We were concerned that our house is all stairways, and would he be able to manage stairs?  Where would he sleep?  Our house is tiny.

On August 23rd, 2012, almost exactly a year since we lost our beloved hound dog, Hector, I took the afternoon off from work and went to pick up Cooper.   The introduction to Hobie went off without a hitch.  What, exactly, were we worried about?  Cooper joining our pack was like someone waving a magic wand and pronouncing, “Abra cadabra!  Your home will now be quiet, peaceful and tranquil.”  It was as if Cooper said to us, “I’m here now.  Everyone can calm down.”  His presence restored order to chaos.  He balanced out the pack, instead of adding to it.  He takes up hardly any room, despite the fact that both he and Charlie (and Hobie) are big dogs.   He found his place to sleep, on the couch, thank you very much.  He zooms up the stairs three steps at a time… it’s easier for him that way.  If I throw a ball for Charlie, Cooper runs just as fast after it as Charlie does.  Hobie said “Thank Dog!”  Charlie doesn’t beat up on him anymore!  The first day or two, going DOWN the stairs was a bit scary, and a couple times Cooper simply did not come down.  I had to fashion a sling and use cookies to assist and coax him.  Now he goes down the stairs quite well.  I think he took a cue from arthritic Hobie, who sidles up to the wall and leans on it to guide himself down.  Who knew that Hobie’s new-found fear of stairs (which began about four years ago) would be the precursor to us having a three-legged dog?  There are no coincidences.

While none of us are thrilled with what happened (mysteriously) to Cooper’s leg, we are so grateful that he has come into our lives.  In less than a week, he has changed everything, for the good.

In honor of Black Cat Appreciation Day, here are just a few of the black cats we’ve known and loved.  Especially Mr. Kitty, our “favorite” if there can be such a thing.

Black cats are often overlooked in shelters and rescues (so are black dogs), and have been given a bad rap with all that “crossing your path” baloney.

Give a black cat a chance!  If you’re thinking of adopting, don’t skip over them at the shelter.  If you see a black cat cross YOUR path, maybe, just maybe it’s a sign of good luck.

Here are our black beauties:

Teaser/spoiler!  Here are some of the cool documents and keepsakes my parents kept from 1944.  These scans will be part of Volume 2 of their journal “More Than Anything In The World” which should be available soon on Amazon, B&N and for Kindle and Nook shortly thereafter.  The journal/memoir is being self-published by yours truly via amazon.com’s “createspace” self-publishing module.  Volume 2 will consist of letters written by my parents during 1944 and the beginning of 1945.

Volume 1 is already available on amazon.com, B&N and for Kindle and Nook if you haven’t read it yet.
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=more+than+anything+in+the+world+k.s.+mueller

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/more-than-anything-in-the-world-k-s–mueller?keyword=more+than+anything+in+the+world+k.s.+mueller&store=allproducts

Where Volume 1 was romantic and heart-rending, Volume 2 deals more with WWII and some very cool stuff happens such as my parents getting the chance to live together in San Antonio, Texas after many months of separation. Unbeknownst to them at the time, my dad would be deployed to Europe at the very end of 1944, so those months in San Antonio turned out to be precious time spent together which would be followed by over a year of separation.

My father was fortunate to not be in a combat position; he worked in an intelligence outfit instead and was a stenographer and typist.  The outfit moves through England, France, Belgium, and finally Germany, where they ended up staying for several months after the war ended.  In fact, they were the only outfit to have that assignment in Germany, much to my parents’ disappointment — everyone else got to go home, except for the 15th Army.

On the way to France from England, the ship carrying the men was torpedoed, and sank.  Everyone on the ship survived except for a couple of men.  I have had the fantastic experience of “meeting” one of my father’s comrades (now 89 years old) who was one of the very last soldiers to jump ship as the hull disappeared beneath the waters of the English Channel.  This guy searched for my dad for nearly 70 years, and finally “found him” (me) thanks to the internet.  We’ve struck up a great pen-pal relationship and have enjoyed getting to know each other and reminiscing about my dad and other things.  How cool is that?  We have not talked by phone because he lost over 60% of his hearing when the ship was torpedoed and has a very hard time talking on the phone.  Which is all right with me, because I am “so not a phone person”.  It works out great for both of us!

I am beyond grateful to my mother for never throwing anything away!  Here are some scans of  some treasured memorabilia from 1944 that will be viewable in Volume 2 of MTAITW:

August 1st has special meaning in our little five-mile world.  We opened the doors of Passports, the student travel company on August 1st, 1992 — 20 years ago today.  It is still hard to believe, I was only 32 years old at the time and now I’m in my 50s.  What?!  I had Timba the dog, who went to work with me every day, long before “Take Your Dog To Work Day”, the internet, and Dog Whisperer.  Hobie and Hector were not even a twinkle in their daddy’s eyes yet, and I never would have guessed what significance DOGS would have in my future.

We had 6 cats at the time, having just left Long View with however many feline friends (out of the 20+ who lived there) we could stuff into a large crate in the back of my Subaru station wagon (which believe me, is NOT easy).  My three cats Love Kitty, Filkin and Charlie made the trek all the way BACK to our rented house in Spencer, along with three Long View cats: our beloved Mr. Kitty, Louise (who was a feral cat and should never have come with us!), and dear, sweet Maggie. We now own that house, but don’t live in it anymore.  So much has changed… things I never dreamed of have happened, some good, some not so good.  Life.

The anniversary continues! Three years ago today, I brought home two cats (by this time we had been living two years with NO cats, the last of the above-mentioned, Maggie, had died in the summer of 2007).  On August 1, 2009, I brought home Cali (aka Lady Kitty) and Tux (aka Bullet).  They are not from the same litter, but both were motherless, abandoned kittens that a friend raised but could not keep.  A third kitten, Newman (aka Hairball) would come three weeks later after a flea infestation was brought under control — he also was from a separate mother.  So, three kittens joined our family, all at once, basically, and guess what?  There were no problems at all.  Everyone got along just fine.

We find ourselves here, on the 20th anniversary of Passports, and the third anniversary of the cats joining our pack, contemplating adopting a third dog.  This would be something we’ve never done before.  Cooper (that’s his name) is Charlie Brown’s brother and littermate.  Cooper’s leg has something wrong with it, and may need to be either operated on, or amputated.  We await that news today, on this important anniversary. It will not make any difference if he has 3 legs, or 4 — that will not enter into our decision to adopt.  I must admit, I’m already getting a tad attached to the little bugger.

Doggyloot – Discover new dog toys, treats & chews at up to 75% off

Shutterfly, the photo-printing web site, is in the midst of a 5-week-long photo contest called the Long Live Summer Photo Contest.  The program launched on July 9th and runs for 5 weeks until the week of August 6th, so there’s still time for you to enter and potentially win!  Check out the link below for more info.

http://bit.ly/sweepS

This week’s photo theme is Water Fun.  Just upload your favorite photo and caption for this week’s theme (and the next, and the next!), and you’ll get a gift from Shutterfly just for entering.  You can enter at any point during the 5-week sweepstakes period., and you win a prize just for submitting a photo.  Prizes are as follows:

• Instant win prize for submitting a photo
• Weekly prizes (contestants can enter one time per week)
• Weekly featured photos:  up to 5 weekly entries will be selected from the gallery and featured on Shutterfly’s Facebook fan page.  Each will be awarded a $500 gift card on Shutterfly and a copy of the new Lonely Planet travel photography book.
• Grand prize is a trip for 4 to the Bahamas for 4 nights, and a family photo shoot

So, enter your photo today!!  Here are the official sweepstakes rules:

https://rc.socialpromotionexpert.com/2012/fb/shutterfly/official-rules/SF-9590dfda51db3a402b32393f354f394a/FB.html

Photo themes as follows:
Week 3 (July 23) Water Fun
Week 4 (July 30)  Sports & Activities
Week 5 (Aug 6) Parties & Celebrations