May your holiday be bright and shiny,
and your ‘verse, filled with shindigs and thrilling heroics.
- Kaylee and Jayne
——————————

Happy holidays, y’all! As I said the other day, I’ve been dying to do some holiday cosplay with Kaylee and Jayne ever since we adopted them five years ago, and this year I finally got to it! I decorated the entire tree with pirates in their honor (The crew of Serenity? Space pirates! Totally relevant to Pastafarianism, since doctrine holds that the decline in pirates is correlated with global warming – and thus in order to avert the apocalypse, we have to bring back piracy. Check and mate.), which was no small feat seeing as I made most of the ornaments by hand over a two-month period. I also hired someone to custom-make Kaylee Frye and Jayne Cobb outfits way back in August. Oh, the planning that went into this holiday card!

Unfortunately, my seamstress totally flaked, leaving me to cobble together costumes from off-the-rack pieces at the last minute. Instead of a green mechanic’s jumpsuit and floral blouse, Kaylee is wearing her shindig dress – that is, a Cotton Candy Dog Dress by East Side Collection. And while Jayne isn’t sporting a trademark brown Jayne Cobb ringer tee, she does look pretty badass in a green army jacket – really an Army Green Utility Jacket by Zack & Zoey.

Of course, the Jayne hat is the star of the ensemble; I actually had three custom-made for me by two different etsians: Sam’s Crochet (that would be the adorably floppy, Rasta-style hat Jayne and Peedee are wearing) and Whitaker Knits (the smaller hats with the orange tie, as seen on Ralphie and O-Ren, below). Rounding out Jayne’s look is a Browncoats logo pin I scored on Amazon. (It’s on her chest and not clearly visible in all the photos.) I also picked up some cute ID badges on eBay, but couldn’t find a place for them in the final outfits. Instead, they became ornaments for the tree.

Here’s a little character collage I put together for my family, who are not Firefly fans (THE HORRA!) and thus didn’t get the reference. Side-by-side comparison time! How do you think I did?

All’s shiny that ends shiny, I say.

Outtakes and extras after the jump!

Here’s the message label for the back of the card; I figured out ages ago that this is way easier than writing a message by hand (BY HAND! INTERNETS, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY PENMANSHIP!?!) on the back of each card. Also: safer and less messy. No bloody bleeding ink!

I also print out my own address labels, with a new design each holiday. The “to” labels have a shiny Browncoats logo,

while the image on the return labels is from the “Can’t Stop the Serenity” charity screenings.

Last but not least, I decorated the festive red envelopes with Alliance Postal and Blue Sun stamps from Ma Cobbe’s Hat Shoppe. Yeah, I totally geeked out this year. How could I not? BEST. THEME. EVER!

Now for the “outtakes”: one per animal – including Kaylee and Jayne, ’cause their outfits were so damn nice I had to do them twice – including one in memoriam for dear Ozzy, who passed away in June. Each card features a quote from Firefly or Serenity and, where possible, the animals are wearing a Jayne hat. (Since they’re new and don’t yet know their sits and stays, it was all I could do to snap a quick pic of Mags and Finnick in front of the tree – let alone in front of the tree AND wearing silly hats. I had to hold Fin in place by the backside and crop my hand out later. That one would rather be shot in the face than have his picture taken, I tell you what!) As for the cat, he cannot be contained. I had to bribe him into place with bits of dried cranberry, which he licks until they’re good and sticky and then just bats around the house.

Also, he really can kill you with his brain.

“I aim to misbehave.”
- Mal Reynolds, Serenity
——————————

“Yes, sir, Cap’n Tightpants.”
- Kaylee Frye, episode 4, “Shindig”
——————————

“Big Damn Heroes, sir.”
- Zoe Washburne, episode five, “Safe”
——————————

“Goin’ on a year now I ain’t had nothin’ twixt my nethers weren’t run on batteries!”
- Kaylee Frye, Serenity
——————————

“She is starting to damage my calm.”
- Jayne Cobb, Serenity
——————————

“Curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal!”
- Hoban “Wash” Washburne, “Serenity” (pilot)
——————————

“This must be what going mad feels like.”
- Simon Tam, episode seven, “Jaynestown”
——————————

“I can kill you with my brain.”
- River Tam, episode eleven, “Trash”
——————————

“I am a leaf on the wind. Watch how I soar.”
- Hoban “Wash” Washburne, Serenity
——————————

* Shepherd Book, episode two, “The Train Job”

(Crossposted from.)

For this year’s criFSMas cards, we decided to go with a “pasta and peace” theme. (We aim to put the PASTA back in PASTAfarian here at the Garbato-Brady house, yo! That, and my “domestic terrorist” idea didn’t quite pan out.) Because he’s had a rough year, Ralphie was the obvious choice of cover model. Not to mention, one eye? Totally fits with the pirate side of flying spaghetti monsterism. As per usual, I couldn’t resist creating “outtakes” for each of the dogs. They’re all just so freaking cute, you know? (Rhetorical question; you best say yes!)

The “official” 2010 Garbato-Brady criFSMas card.
- Ralphie -
Wishing you peace & pasta this holiday season!
——————————

Because years spent on the internets have forever ruined my penmanship,
I design and print message labels to affix to the back of each card.
This year’s greeting reads:
Happy Holidays! With love (& lasagna),
The Garbato-Bradys:
Kelly, Shane, Peedee, O-Ren, Kaylee, Jayne, Ozzy & Ralphie
“you’ll shoot your eye out, kid,” the one-eyed cover dog
——————————

Outtakes!
- Peedee -
May your plate overflow with compassion & campanelle.
——————————

- O-Ren -
May love & lasagna warm your belly on a cold winter’s night.
——————————

- Kaylee -
May your heart be filled with joy & gemelli, today and always.
——————————

- Jayne -
May you find friendship & fusilli this criFSMas season!
——————————

Whatever you celebrate, season’s greetings and wishes of peace from all of us to you and yours!

I’ll leave you with this Christmas Manger / Vegan Silent Night video from Bea Elliott. While I’m not exactly a religious person (in the understatement of the year), I find it a bittersweet description of the conflicting feelings I – and many vegans, no doubt – oftentimes experience around the holiday season.

Peace to all; and to all, a good life.

(Crossposted from.)

domestic terraist bear is one of teh kewl girls.
Left to right: Kaylee, Jayne, O-Ren and the pirate-polar-vegan-terrorist criFSMas bear.
——————————

Initially, I’d planned on doing a sort of “domestic terrorist” theme for this year’s holiday (read: criFSMas) cards, using the “domestic terrorist” apron from Green is the New Red as the centerpiece. (Product description: “‘Domestic.’ Terrorist. Get it? There’s nothing funny about the FBI labeling environmental and animal advocates the ‘number one domestic terrorism threat.’ But with the Feds attempting to infiltrate vegan potlucks, why not accessorize? [...] Happy ‘terrorizing’! But be careful in the kitchen. Did you know tofu makes you gay?” Vegan chefs are scary, yo! Also: my dog-kids consume a fair amount of tofu. Additionally, they are super-psyched about today’s repeal of DADT. Draw your own conclusions, mkay.)

While my idea was solid, its execution was not: the apron proved way too large for the dogs (which was to be expected, even though it looks super-tiny – not to mention satiny – on the model), so at first I tried putting it on our pirate polar bear.

I think you’ll agree that she looks super-snazzy in it

but she’s also, well, kind of a big girl. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, mind you; she’s vegan and totes in shape. But it proved next to impossible to fit both her and a dog in the camera frame. And so I re-staged the set, hanging the apron from the tree and surrounding it with fake fruits and veggies and a vase filled with pasta-related kitchen utensils.

(Ignore the white fur on the black apron. Living with four white dogs and a mostly-white cat, it cannot be helped.)

Better, but once I went back and examined the photos on my computer monitor, I realized that the paddles looked really odd and stupid. Tremendously so. Plus, there was still a lot of floor and wall showing. Dislike.

So on day #2 of shooting, I ditched the setup and instead opted for a sea of book piles, coupled with a vase filled with angel hair pasta, and complemented with a sparkly “peace” ornament and baby flying spaghetti monster. The new theme? Peace and pasta.

That taste? Perfection!

Not wanting the domestic terrorist photos to go to waste, I decided to make a series of (VEGAN!) lol dogs out of them. And so I give you: domestic terraist doggehs! (And one kitteh, who barely sat still long enough for me to take three pictures of him. His caption is most fitting.)

title: lol ozzy – is a terror allright
caption: “domestic terraist kitteh” is a redundancy
——————————

title: lol ralphie – thot u said petdown
caption: domestic terraist doggeh will take that patdown now, mkay
——————————

title: lol peedee – go boom
caption: domestic terraist doggeh be a walkin’ thyme bomb
(idea shameless borrowed from a blog of the same name)
——————————

title: lol rennie – be happy 2 show u her mitts
caption: domestic terraist doggeh be hostin a v-gun potluck next week
(u bring teh loaded taters kay?)
——————————

title: lol kaylee – kills wit spiceness
caption: domestic terraist doggeh is about 2 es’splode ur taste budz
——————————

title: lol jayne – is be busted
caption: domestic terraist doggeh pleads deh lish
(hint: if you don’t get it, sound it out loud!)
——————————

In many ways, I think I like this series better than the “real” card I ended up with (and the outtakes I made for each dog; yes, I’ve been a busy bee). But hey, there’s always next year. Well, not really. I’ve already got plans for 2011, and they involve Kaylee, Jayne and Joss Fucking Whedon. (One hint: SPACE PIRATES!) 2012, perhaps. I’m sure the theme will still be relevant then, unfortunately.

(Crossposted from V for Vegan.)

But seeing as I’ve already taken and uploaded a number of photos, it’d be a shame not to at least throw up a photo essay. So here’s a sampling of this year’s decorations. You can view the entire set on Flickr, along with those from years past. The dogs’ annual criFSMas humiliation is forthcoming – they deserve their own post, dontchathink?

The “pirate altar” in our front window features a mix of relevant books, framed flying spaghetti monster photos, pirate accessories, pasta decor, gold tinsel and doubloons, and sparkly flying spaghetti monsters.
——————————

A closer look at book collection #1, which consists of vegan/vegetarian/Italian cookbooks (including Cathe Olson’s Lick It!, which I snagged in a veganmofo contest) and – of course – a copy of The Gospel of the Flying Spaghetti Monster.
——————————

Adorned with an adorable skull, this pirate knife is perfect for breaking vegan bread! Red bows complement the color palette.
——————————

Displayed in a frame decorated with pasta (garden rotini and farfalle, to be exact), this photo of the Flying Spaghetti Monster depicts her Noodleyness spreading the saucy word. A skull-topped pirate’s chest, filled to overflowing with gold coins, sits off to the right.
——————————

The queen of the festivities, this burgundy criFSMas bear pirate rests on her perch of (mostly) vegan/vegetarian cookbooks. Note the pirate hat, dreadlocks and swanky golden pipe cleaner hook!
——————————

A closeup shot of the pirate altar’s main book pile. Most of the cookbooks are vegan or vegetarian, save for a few of the larger tomes at the bottom of the stack. These are from my pre-veg days and are included strictly for the added height they provide.
——————————

In another macaroni-lined photo, a flying spaghetti monster is shown visiting a crucified Jesus. Probably she comforted him with vegan mac & cheese in his time of need. Daiya is divine, is it not? A glass Christmas tree filled with garden rotini sits off to the side.
——————————

Book pile #3 is the pirate collection. On this too-small stack sits a portrait of our FSM as painted by Edvard Munch. A baby monster hovers above, admiring the portrait approvingly.
——————————

Two of the many festive, sparkly holiday flying spaghetti monsters that haunts my heathen home ’round the holidays. Learn how to summon your own monsters using nothing but pipe cleaners, poms and googly eyes here.
——————————

The mecha-mega-monster, which is made of pairs of regular-sized pipe cleaners twisted together at the ends. Craft stores such as Michaels do sell extra-large pipe cleaners, but I’ve yet to find any ginormous ones that SPARKLE. (Everyone knows that criFSMas monsters sparkle, like duh.) / Pirate altar.
——————————

Throwbacks from my childhood! A very old and tattered Santa Clause holds a stocking with my name on it. Cue the awwwws.
——————————

A baby spaghetti monster shown in her natural pirate hat habitat. So cute! And she’s even got an extra set of balls! Perhaps she’d be willing to loan a set to President Obama?
——————————

Eeyore the pirate is partying like it’s 1725!
——————————

The filing cabinet in our office is adorned with a number of (mostly) homemade magnets. These include photos of the flying spaghetti monster, Captain Jack Sparrow, and the crew of the Serenity (SPACE PIRATES!), all found ’round the internets, as well as past holiday cards. On top of the cabinet you can see the adorable-yet-pitiable Charlie Brown tree my mom gifted us last year; under it sits stuffed holiday Hello Kitty and Pochacco dolls. (Did you know that Pochacco is, in point o’ facts, A VEGETARIAN!? Neither did I, ’til about ten seconds ago.)
——————————

The fridge is also home to a number of DIY magnets.
You can find instructions for making your own here.
——————————

This year, our criFSMas tree features a mix of traditional and Pastafarian decorations: “garland” strands made of pasta (penne, to be exact); red and white lights; and ornaments both handmade and store-bought, including lots of pieces featuring nonhuman animals and pasta. Next to the tree sits our criFSMas terraist pirate, all decked out in a domestic terrorist apron (fresh from Green is the New Red), pirate hat and treasure pouch (perfect for plundering and looting!). At her feet sits a skull & bones goblet, matching dagger, and a massive treasure chest. (Unfortunately, the only treasure it contains is our hammock, retired for the year.)
——————————

A more natural-looking FSM made of raffia tops the 2010 tree. I’ve yet to streamline the creation of this type of monster – raffia can be frustrating to work with, yo!
——————————

Noodles on a cross! Sweet Jeebus, do I love this door hanger.
——————————

The tree, all lit up after dark. (The doubles you see in the first photo is due to the windowed wall in front of which the tree is positioned.) Peace and pasta were the working themes in 2010.
——————————

Last but not least, the staging of the tree for our annual canine criFSMas cards. The first day’s photo shoot, which sadly bombed (pun sooooo! intended!), featured the domestic terrorist apron as its centerpiece. The idea was solid; its execution, not so much – I tried to cram way too much into the frame and failed miserably. On day #2, we ditched the apron and weird spoon-paddle thingies in favor of pirate swag and book piles galore. Yeah, that’s the stuff!
——————————

Homemade peanut butter cups (top), along with peanut butter bites made using the leftover filling (bottom) – perfect for gift baskets and NOMING while decorating alike! Recipe via VegWeb.
——————————

Homemade rocky road chocolate bark (made with roasted almonds and Dandies marshmallows), also for gifting.
——————————

For the dogs in my life: a triple batch of Pumpkin Pie Biscuits. (These smell so good, y’all! You will seriously get a NOM high whilst baking them.) Rennie WANTS! Recipe courtesy It’s A Vegan Dog’s Life.
——————————

Holy kitchen disasters, Catwoman!
——————————

Meanwhile, Kaylee and Ralphie lurk in the background, waiting patiently for a dropped or neglected foodstuff to roll their way. They have three eyes between them, you know.
——————————

I did, however, get my FSMas cards done and out in a timely manner – so much so that I had plenty of time to make some outtakes, too.

While every dog-kid got his or her due in 2009, Ralphie & Rennie took center stage: they were our cover-doggies, complete with a fierce “Booty & The Beast” theme. I’ll let y’all figure out who is supposed to be “Booty” and who is “The Beast.”

Ignore the glaring age disparity, mkay? Normally I don’t like pairing a young little lassie with a much older gent – seeing as how it’s a reflection of our sexist societal norms – but there’s, like, zero chemistry between the two oldest dogs, Kaylee and Ralphie. Seriously, I could not get the two to sit next to one another for more than 30 seconds at a time. And yes, I might have bucked the hetero trend with a same-sex pairing, but I thought that might have come off as homophobic and/or mockingly emasculating, given the theme. (Yes, holidays are political for me; what of it?)

Each dog also got his or her own card; whereas everyone on our holiday card list received a copy of “Booty & The Beast,” these extras only went out to a few people. (The cost of printing adds up, yo!) Mainly, they were for my amusement.

Because I had so many cute photos of Ralphie – and with different themes, to boot! – he got two outtake cards:

He’s actually wearing a baby’s pizza slice outfit in that second shot. It kind of looks like a Snuggie, dontchathink? Either way, he hated it; all he could do while wearing it was drag himself around like a baby seal. Don’t worry, though; all the dogs were paid handsomely for their modeling work. Dried cranberries, yum!

Next up is Peedee. His was my favorite shot this year, but seeing as he was last FSMas’s coverdog, I didn’t think it fair to feature him two years in a row.

I think Peedee was a model in a previous life; he loves having his picture taken. Work it, Peedee, work it!

Rennie was probably the hardest to photograph this year. She totally wasn’t feeling it; all she wanted to do was chase her tennis ball. Hence the back-to-the-camera pose, which was completely unintentional (but made for great pirate copy, nevertheless).

“Savvy,” by the way, is pirate slang for “understand.”

Kaylee’s card is another favorite, awesome in its simplicity: WENCH.

Wench is the new bitch which is the new black, you know.

And then there was Jayne; Jayne, whose loathing of the camera only multiples with each passing year.

I wonder if the lil’ girl will ever make the cover of our holiday card? Nah, probably not.

Not that she cares.

CHRIST in CHRISTmas, Jayne no want. (Me, either.)

Anyhow, now that I’ve dispensed with the festivities, allow me to send you to Animal Rights & AntiOppression, where I’m now blogging (in addition to easyVegan.info, not instead of, mind you). Stephanie Ernst, formerly of the Animal Rights blog at changedotorg, set up shop at challengeoppression.com and kindly invited me (along with several other awesome vegan bloggers) to join her. Primarily I’ll be covering issues of intersectionality – feminism and animal rights, misogyny and speciesism, you know, the usual – which is right at home on a blog about challenging oppression in all its forms.

As for the fate of smiteme.net, I know not. I’d hoped to do some FSMas blogging this year, but the season was so hectic that it never materialized. Perhaps I’ll leave up the holiday stuff and/or migrate the posts to a Pastafarian-themed URL. Wev. I’m not in a hurry. Or motivated, obviously.

Until next year, Merry FSMas, and a happy 2010. And remember: peace starts on your plate, wenches.

It was a year ago today that Shadow, my adopted canine sister and sweet pit bull friend, passed away. I cried for her – for me – often in those first weeks, and even now, it’s hard to type (delete, retype, rinse, repeat) through the tears. The pain has eased considerably with the passage of time, but will never completely disappear. Rather, Shadow has taken her place besides Bucky and Cap, Shannon and Shana, Pokey, Woody, Henry, Hooks I-III, Moe, Larry and Curly, and all the other nonhuman animals I befriended – and whose losses I grieved – during my youth. You may be one year buried, dear Shadow, but I will always carry you in my heart.

One day you’ll be joined by your friend Ralphie, as well as all your other canine cousins: those who you’ve met, and those you’ve yet to meet. When that day comes – and whenever it comes, it will be much, much too soon – please greet him with lots of sloppy kisses. Because as difficult as your passing has been, I’m afraid it’s only been a practice run; the real pain is yet to come. When Ralphie leaves me, he’s going rip my heart in two. Whatever pieces he leaves behind, will be Peedee’s, O-Ren’s, Kaylee’s and (yes, even) Jayne’s to consume. And yet, my heart will forever be a dog’s – some dog’s – to tear.

I miss you something awful, girl. Stay sweet.

Postscript

Last year, I submitted a photo of Shadow to Bark, hoping to land her (posthumously) in the magazine’s Smiling Dogs spread. Turns out they were working on a Smiling Dogs book – now called DogJoy – at the time. Long story short, my sweet baby girl makes a brief appearance on page 87, under “Grinners.” (You can preview the page on Amazon with an active account.)

I ordered a copy each for my mother and sister, hoping they’d have received them by today – but unfortunately they haven’t shipped yet. Ah, well, soon. Close enough.

Naturally, I sprung for custom covers. Neither Shadow nor Ralphie are smiling in this picture, but it’s one of my favorites nonetheless.

It’s hard to think of Shadow without thinking of Ralphie, too.

I hope you get a kick out of this, Shadow. I sure did.

 
 
(Crossposted from.)

——————-

Tagged: my furkids shadow dog canine animal companion friend in memoriam anniversary dogjoy pit bull pit bull mix mutt candle memorial flickr photos

Kaylee & Jayne, x-mas 2006

So. When last we talked of my furkids, I told you how my husband and I came to adopt Ralphie, Peedee and O-Ren – none of whom were considered “less adoptable,” or at least not at the time of their adoption. In fact, I doubt that each dog’s respective rescue group would have had much trouble placing them, had Shane and I not come along. We both recognized this, and felt rather guilty about it. So when we decided to adopt dog number four (and possibly five!), we resolved to find a “special” dog – a senior, someone with medical or behavioral issues, maybe even a bonded pair of dogs.

Our first choice was a pair of teeny lil’ rat terrier sisters, Bella and…I forget the other dog’s name. They were older adults with behavior issues, namely, anxious temperaments and a fear of men. They also needed to be adopted together – strike three. Ultimately, the adoption didn’t pan out; we were never able to meet the girls, in fact, because their fear of men was so great that their foster mom had more or less decided to adopt them herself. When we inquired about them, they’d already spent a few years in their foster home and were still fearful in the foster dad’s presence. I can see why mom gave up any hope of rehoming them, dog bless her heart.

So we hit Petfinder again, specifically in search of a pair of dog-friends who had to be adopted together. Unfortunately, Petfinder’s search parameters don’t easily allow for such a search (or even easy browsing), so when looking for a pair, you really just have to hope that they share a single listing. (Or else be prepared to pour over every single profile!) There really weren’t many bonded pairs of dogs listed at the time; besides Bella and her sister, Kaylee and Jayne were the only smallish dog-friends up for adoption. So, three years ago this September, we went out to Lexington, MO – about an hour’s drive from where we lived – to visit them.

From Kaylee’s Petfinder listing

Kaylee and Jayne originally came to Friends of the Friendless with a third dog, Paige, roughly six months before we met them. The three had been abandoned in a home when the tenants moved out; the landlord found them, several weeks later, starving and in rough shape. Jayne had heartworm, while Kaylee suffered from some serious dental problems, the result of both bad genes and a lifetime’s worth of neglect.

Curiously, Jayne had already been spayed by her previous owners, while Kaylee had not. From the looks of her sagging belly and, shall we say “well used” nipples, Kaylee had obviously birthed a few litters during her eight years. Jayne, in contrast, doesn’t appear to have ever had pups – odd because Jayne is a classically handsome terrier, while Kaylee is…not. (I joke that she’s so ugly, she’s back to being cute, much like a rhinoceros or ground mole. I totally mean that in a nice way, though.)

From Jayne’s Petfinder listing

Paige had since been adopted, while Kaylee and Jayne languished in the shelter/rescue. Supposedly, an older women had committed to adopting them, but died while on a cruise she’d already booked and had to take before she could bring them home. (Shane is convinced that this is the most elaborate cop-out, ever.) So I can only imagine what their foster mom, Gina, thought when we committed to adopting them, but said we’d be unable to bring them home until after we got back from an already-scheduled trip to New York! Unlike their would-be fairy dogmother, Shane and I kept our word; we welcomed Kaylee and Jayne into our home several weeks later, on September 30, 2006.

One of the few photos in which all five dogs appear.

For the most part, everything has worked out beautifully. They each have their “issues,” but that’s precisely why we adopted them!:

* As I mentioned, each has dealt with medical problems. Jayne was just finishing up heartworm treatment when we brought her home; while her bout with heartworm may have shortened her lifespan, Gina her vet able to treat it successfully. Don’t let a heartworm diagnosis deter you from adopting a dog – the treatment can be difficult (especially for the patient), but it is a treatable disease.

At least she has a sense of humor about it.

Kaylee, on the other paw, has had ongoing dental issues. She’s been under for dental surgery at least twice, in order to have ten or so teeth removed. Friends of the Friendless also spent a small fortune in dental work prior to the adoption. I know it can be a chore, but it’s important to brush your dog-kid’s teeth every day. (Cats, too, though I’m hardly one to lecture – Ozzy won’t let us anywhere near his mouth!)

* Both girls are terrified of rain, thunder and loud noises – much more so than Ralphie, Peedee and O-Ren combined. A heavy rainfall is enough to send them each to their respective hiding places: Jayne, under the bed, and Kaylee, in the bathroom or closet. The July 4th fireworks display is like Armageddon to them. We’re fairly certain that they were kept outdoors, irregardless of the weather, which would explain their sometimes irrational fears.

Jayne is afraid of the camera, too; each flash is like a stab to the heart!

* Jayne is especially nervous and aloof, probably owing to poor (or no!) early socialization. While she was mostly afraid of human contact in those early days, she’s gradually gotten used to our affections. When you pet her, she freezes up, as if terrified; but pull away, and she looks at once puzzled and annoyed: Why’dya stop!?

She spends much of her time alone, near but not in the action: when everyone’s in the living room, watching tv or eating, she’ll hang out across the hall, in the office; when we’re in the office, she’s in the living room, sleeping on the couch. Even at night, it’s hard to snuggle with her: everyone (save for the cat) sleeps in bed with us, but as always, Jayne stays back, claiming the guest bed as her own. She seems extremely conflicted about humans: are we friends or foes?

I suspect that some of Jayne’s issues might be due to something more insidious than a simple lack of socialization. For instance, the dogs jump at the chance to lick spoons and dishes, especially when covered in peanut butter. While Jayne will happily clean an unattended bowl, she cringes when I offer up a spoon; the larger the utensil, the more pained her expression. I don’t think it’s a stretch to assume that her previous owner used to hit her with similar objects. This would also explain her ambivalence in regards to human attention and kindness.

Kaylee spurns my advances.

Luckily, Kayle doesn’t share Jayne’s uncertainty. Though she’s hardly one for hardcore snuggling, Kaylee enjoys giving and receiving affection. A little too much, perhaps: Kaylee and O-Ren are my two little shadows, following me everywhere. And I do mean everywhere, including the bathroom. Kaylee’s struggles with anxiety are the polar opposite of Jayne’s: she has separation anxiety, and will mark up the house when left alone, particularly if she knows I’m around, but cannot get to me. Thus, we’re rarely apart: while I do yoga in the spare room, she naps in a cage behind me; when I shower, she relaxes in the corner of the bathroom; she’s even at my heels while I vacuum, scaryloudrobot be damned.

Thankfully, Kaylee’s separation anxiety is on the mild side, and can usually be prevented by crating her on the rare occasions when she’s left alone. More often than not, we try to accommodate her, for example, by taking her to the drive-in with us. (Hey, she’s quiet – which is more than I can say about our first three adoptees!)

Jayne & Kaylee

* Shane and I really, really wanted to adopt a bonded pair of dogs who couldn’t live without one another. We gave it our best shot, but even though Friends of the Friendless fought to keep them together, the two mostly seem indifferent towards one another. Perhaps they’ve simply grown apart in the three years they’ve been with us. It’s hard to remember exactly how they regarded one another in those early days.

The rescue group thought that Kaylee and Jayne might be mother and daughter, but I don’t see the resemblance; both are mostly white terriers, and that’s about it. Short of doing a DNA test, though, we’ll never know. Personally, I think Kaylee and O-Ren look more like mother and daughter than do Kaylee and Jayne. Both girls have decidedly porcine bodies: Kaylee is the momma sow to Rennie’s piglet.

Kaylee, lovin’ on O-Ren

* Eight years old at the time of adoption, Kaylee was considered a “senior” even then; now going on eleven, she’s practically ancient! She’s also smart, alert and athletic – and more active than her soon-to-be five-year-old daughter Jayne. Don’t write off an adult or senior animal based on age alone – it’s just a number, even for dogs.

To use another example, Ralphie the dachshund will be twelve this October, yet he’s more active, playful and fit than when we adopted him eight years ago. Having plenty of playmates, a large yard, a healthy diet and lots of exercise has kept him young. There’s plenty of life yet in each of our “old people”!

Kaylee can still keep up with Peedee!

Besides, old folks need love, too. There something especially heroic in adopting an animal who’s not long for this world; in loving someone whom you’re destined to lose much, much too soon; or in attempting to redress a life’s worth of neglect, abuse or loneliness in a few short months or weeks.

Even though Kaylee and Jayne faced some barriers to being adopted, I still think they’re on the “easy” end of the spectrum. Reading about Alec and his guardian Nicole, I wonder whether I could ever overcome such difficult obstacles. Anxious peeing? Cat trouble? Rotting teeth? Meh, these vegan cake when compared to sudden paralysis and incontinence! But I imagine that many people find unexpected resolve when faced with tragedy. Of course I’d continue to love and care for Ralphie if his back were to go, or Kaylee if she became incontinent in her old age. What other choice does one have?

Likewise, adopting a “less adoptable” animal can be an especially rewarding experience. You may not initially bring the benefit of a lifetime’s worth of love and bonding to the table when confronting the animal’s “special needs” – but these will develop in time (perhaps a surprisingly short time!). Until then, take comfort in the knowledge that you’ve saved a life – a life that so many others consider not worth saving. Beyond rescue. Undeserving. Unlovable. A throwaway.

But all animals deserve a safe, loving home. Every one.

From their Twitter profile (!);
Counterclockwise: Ralphie, Peedee, O-Ren, Ozzy, Jayne & Kaylee

(Crossposted from.)

———————-

Tagged: animals animal rights animal welfare holidays observances events adoption pet companion animal animal companion dog canine cat feline special needs senior petfinder my furkids furkids dogkids flickr photos Adopt-a-Less-Adoptable- Pet Day August 12 kaylee jayne rat terrier fox terrier jack russell terrier terrier mutt

As I mentioned a few weeks ago, today is the first (?) annual Adopt-a-Less-Adoptable-Pet Day! Petfinder created the holiday in order to raise awareness about animals who have an extra difficult time finding their forever homes, for a whole host of reasons.

Among cats and dogs, animals who face added obstacles to being rehomed include:

- Seniors and adults;
- Animals with medical issues, including disability and disease;
- Animals with emotional or behavioral issues, such as shyness or a nervous temperament;
- Animals who must be the only nonhuman in the home;
- Bonded animals who must be adopted as a pair – or, worse still, a trio, quartet, etc.;
- Cats with feline leukemia (a transmissible disease);
- Black dogs (for additional information, please see my post at Change.org on Black Dog Syndrome); and
- Dogs who belong to a so-called “dangerous” breed (pit bulls being the “dangerous” breed de jour).

If you plan on adopting an animal companion (or have adopted in the past), congratulations! With this one simple act, you become a hero to two animals – the one you rescued from a pound, shelter, rescue group or sanctuary, and also to the animal for whom you’re freed up a space in said pound, shelter, rescue group or sanctuary. According to the HSUS, between 3 and 4 million cats and dogs are killed (note: not “euthanized”) in U.S. shelters every year. While adopting one or two or even ten animals might seem a drop in the bucket, it makes a world of difference to the animals whose lives you’ve saved by adopting instead on buying.

But, as always, there’s more you can do! In regards to animal adoption, go out of your way to choose a cat or dog who meets the above criteria. Naturally, you may not be able to deal with all of these issues; for example, if you already live with one healthy cat, a FIV+ feline is out of the question. Instead of focusing on what you cannot do, however, concentrate on how you can help animals in need. For example, adopting a black dog doesn’t take any more effort than adopting a multi-colored one.

If your home is already filled to capacity, you can urge friends and family members to adopt – and to consider adopting a “less adoptable” animal, to boot. Or make a donation to any one of the hundreds+ animal rescue organizations across the country (and the globe) – many of which specifically focus on a population of “less adoptable” animals, be they companion, farmed, or “exotic”/wild animals.

Of course, you can also help by spreading the word. Make this Adopt-a-Less-Adoptable-Pet Day a success by linking to Petfinder on Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, etc., and by telling the world about your “special” kids!

Speaking of which, part two of my family’s own story is coming up next!

[Pictured above is a very young me, circa 1997 - note the leather purse, ugh! on each count - with two of my family's own "less adoptable" girls:

Shannon the black mutt, one half of a 6-year-old pair of sisters we adopted from the local humane society (her sister, Shana, had already passed when this photo was taken); and

Shadow the pit bull mix, who had been hit by a car and had a crushed leg when we found her.

As with all our kids, they were both pure awesomeness, and I miss them more than words can say.]

(Crossposted from.)

———————

Tagged: animals animal rights animal welfare holidays observances events adoption pet companion animal animal companion dog canine cat feline special needs senior petfinder my furkids furkids dogkids flickr photos Adopt-a-Less-Adoptable- Pet Day August 12

I’m usually one to roll my eyes at pseudo-holidays – National Hot Dog Day, anyone?; and, hell, even some of the “real” holidays like Easter and Thanksgiving – but I’m pleasantly surprised to see that Petfinder has designated August 12 Adopt-a-Less-Adoptable-Pet Day:

To help senior, special-needs and other often-overlooked pets find homes, We’ve named August 12 Adopt-a-Less-Adoptable- Pet Day. Visit our special section to:

* Get widgets to help pets find homes
* Find out which pets have it hardest
* Read touching adoption stories
* Learn why “less adoptable” pets rule!

And help us spread the word: Some pets are “less adoptable,” but they’re just as lovable!

Which animals have it hardest, you wonder?

Big black dogs. FIV+ cats. Senior pets. Special-needs pets. To help these and other often-overlooked pets find homes, Petfinder has named August 12 “Adopt-a-Less-Adoptable-Pet Day.”

We asked our shelter and rescue group members: Which pets are the hardest to place?

Here’s what they said:

* 30% senior/older pets
* 15% pets with medical problems
* 13% victims of breed prejudice
* 10% shy pets
* 10% those who need to be the only pet

“Pit Bulls are the No. 1 dog put down in our local shelters. There are too many of them, and there is never enough time to get them all adopted.”

“There’s also a ‘big black cat syndrome’! Hard to believe, but many people are still biased against black cats, especially if they’re big.”

“Once a dog is past 1-2 years old, people flat-out expect it to be housetrained. They consider the dog too old to be trained if they’re not housetrained by 2.”

(Links mine.)

Speciesist language aside (HIM! People expect HIM to be housetrained!), I love the idea of promoting not just adoption, but the adoption of “special needs” animals, who usually fare worse in shelters and rescues alike. (Though, happily, some rescues do specialize in hard-to-place animals, while others provide them permanent sanctuary; Old Dog Haven is a personal favorite!)

My own family is a mix of “normal” and “special needs” animals.

Shane and I adopted our first dog-kid, Ralphie, a little over eight years ago. (His eight-year anniversary was July 14, and I missed it! Instead of a cake, I gave him a bath! I’m an awful mother. But I digress.) He was three at the time, and rather healthy and well-trained for a dachshund (who are known for their stubbornness and back problems). Lela, the DRNA rep who transported him from Ohio to Pennsylvania (Ralphie’s originally from Indiana), even commented wistfully on his pleasant temperament, which seemed all the sweeter next her own dog-kids’ rambunctiousness. (The day we picked Ralphie up, one of their charges had bit Lela’s husband on the lip a few hours previous! At first glance, I thought he had a cleft palate. Bad, it was.)

Our next two dog-kids, Peedee and O-Ren, were both pups at the time of their adoption (at 7 months and 1 year old, respectively). Peedee was kind of a “mistake”: we went to an adoption event to meet a middle-aged shih tzu, but the folks at LL Dog Rescue thrust Peedee onto my lap, and it was love at first lick. I couldn’t resist the lil’ bugger, even though I wanted nothing to do with house training a baby. It was all for the best, though; Peedee was meant as a playmate and friend for the then-fat and lazy Ralphie, and what better exercise than a puppy?

Rennie came a few years later; again, we set out with every intention of adopting an adult dog, but ended up with a pup in need of house training. In our defense, we thought O-Ren was four – that was the estimate Animal Haven gave, at least. Our vet placed her at a year old, tops. Another youngster, but I wouldn’t trade Rennie for the world. (If she looks a little scrappy and snotty in the above photo, it’s because she had caught kennel cough by the time we adopted her – all the more reason I fell for her!)

What’s all this got to do with Adopt-a-Less-Adoptable-Pet Day, you ask? Well, having adopted the “cream of the crop” – young, healthy, well-behaved, (mostly) purebred, small dogs – Shane and I felt rather guilty. Yes, we were doing a good thing by adopting homeless dogs, rather than buying from breeders or “pet” stores (truth be told, purchasing an animal as if she were a television has never so much as crossed my mind, not even in my younger omni days), but we felt like we should be doing more: opening our hearts and our home to dogs in even greater need, dogs who might – through no fault of their own – face extra obstacles, such as health or behavioral issues, advanced age, etc.

And so it was that we adopted dogs number four and five, i.e., Miss Kaylee and Jayne (formerly known as Gracie and Penelope). Between the two of them, they possess three of the five disadvantages listed by respondents to Petfinder’s poll (and several not mentioned at all); actually, they each fit in multiple categories. We were well aware of their “special needs” going in, and it’s precisely for these reasons that we decided to adopt the pair.

The three-year anniversary of their adoption is coming up in September. It’s weird; it feels at once like we’ve had them forever, and like it couldn’t possibly be three years since their adoption. I guess I feel that way about all our kids, though.

Anyhow, I’ll share their story on August 12, to celebrate the occasion – an occasion I hope will take off, so spread the word! Check out Petfinder’s website, grab a widget, blog about your “special needs” friends, and encourage others to do the same. If you can, please consider making a donation to a rescue group that specializes in hard-to-place dogs or cats (or, heck, farmed or “exotic” – read: wild – animals, who are by default “special needs”).

All animals deserve a loving family and a safe home. Every one.

(The top photo was taken on the day we brought Kaylee and Jayne home. They both stunk to high heaven and seriously needed a bath; both were terrified of water. So I climbed into the tub with ‘em, jeans and all – which explains the soaked clothing and frizzy ‘do. They still hate baths and fear the rain, but at least they’ll suffer a ten-minute scrub down in silence.)

(Crossposted from…and, with that, the Topsy Turvy Tomato Tree is finally bumped from the main page! You’re welcome.)

———————

Tagged: animals animal rights animal welfare holidays observances events adoption pet companion animal animal companion dog canine cat feline special needs senior petfinder my furkids furkids dogkids flickr photos Adopt-a-Less-Adoptable- Pet Day August 12

Today is Miss O-Ren’s birthday! She’s five years young today. (OK, who am I kidding?! My lil’ babies are all getting old!)

Not-so-coincidentally, today also marks the four-year anniversary of the day we adopted her from Animal Haven. All our girls are strays, so we’ve no clue when their true birthdays fall. Hence, we celebrate their birthdays and adoption days together; if you think about it, the day we adopted each of the dogs was the first day of the rest of their lives, a sort of rebirth, into a new home and better life, if you will. So it’s not very far off base, really.

On the flip side, Ralphie and Peedee were both owner surrenders; we know their dates of birth, so they get to celebrate two special days every year. As usual, the ladies get screwed. To add insult to injury, Kaylee and Jayne share their special day with one another, since they came as a package deal.

Which is why I try to pamper the girls and give them an extra-super-special day of celebration. It’s too cold to take Rennie walking today, but rest assured that she’s getting plenty of belly rubs and lots of playtime.

I also made her a batch of Pizzas for the Pupperonis (recipe via Yummy for Dogs).

These treats smell wonderful while baking – so much so that I was tempted to try one myself. I wouldn’t cheat Rennie like that, though.

Happy birthday, my sweet little piglet! I don’t care how old you are, you’ll always be my little lady.

(Crossposted from.)

————————

Tagged: my furbabies o-ren rennie rat terrier fox terrier dog canine pet companion animal vegan veganism vegetarian vegetarianism recipe yummy for dogs dog treats birthday dogs in clothes flickr photos