(http://kristenking.com) —The dog owners among you have probably extrapolated that the garage smells like pee because the dogs are morons. It’s been raining for days, and rather than go outside in the yard like good dogs, like the well-mannered dogs they’re supposed to be, one or both of the big dogs has taken to peeing on boxes in the garage, where it is (was!) dry. And tools. And the garbage can. And Jesse’s motorcycles.

I don’t know if you’ve ever tried to get the smell of dog urine out of concrete, but it’s neither fun nor easy. Concrete, as you know, is porous. Urine, as you also know, is a liquid. Liquid is just excellent at seeping into pores and staying there until it dries, leaving its lovely, lovely aroma behind.

Scrubbing helps, but doesn’t do the job completely. I’ve tried soaking the affected areas with pools of soapy water, bleachy water, vinegary water, straight vinegar, and Nature’s Miracle. Yet, my garage still smells like dog pee, and I’m running out of ideas.

I guess I should be proud, in a way, that the dogs have such superior problem-solving skills. They don’t like getting wet, so they stay inside but not actual inside. It’s good logic, if you’re a dog. I wish I had comparable strategic skills.

Contents Copyright © 2009 Kristen King

(www.meowbarkblog.com)

Release of special edition Shepard Fairey ADOPT print will mark historic significance of the presidential dog adoption and help continue to raise awareness for pet adoption nationwide

LOS ANGELES – APRIL 10, 2009 – Adopt-a-Pet.com, North America’s largest non-profit pet adoption website, and Artist Shepard Fairey have hope and faith in the Obamas’ commitment to adopting a dog — so much so, that they have already created a special-edition ADOPT print to be released immediately after the adoption becomes official.

The only thing needed for Fairey to finalize the image is the presidential pooch adoption date, which will go on the dog’s tag, making the print a distinctive piece of pet adoption history.

“The day the Obamas adopt their new family member will no doubt be a historic moment for shelter animals everywhere,” said Adopt-a-Pet.com Spokesperson Dr. Pia Salk, who initiated the collaboration with Fairey. “It is monumental that the leader of our country will be setting an example by saving the life of a dog in need. This will send a strong message to today’s youth about the power that lies in our choices and the importance of giving back to those less fortunate. Their adoption will be a symbol of hope for not only shelter animals but for the country overall.”

In the same way the original Fairey ADOPT image was based on the red, white and blue Hope poster, this new edition is modeled after the Obama inauguration ‘history’ sticker that was released in regal shades of black and gold. The print will enable animal lovers to show their support and give back to the plight of shelter animals.

“Animal lovers of all political affiliations can join together and celebrate the historic date that the Obamas bring home the first adopted dog ever to inhabit the White House,” said Adopt-a-Pet.com Executive Director Abbie Moore. “This is truly a non-partisan issue, and we hope to see all Americans follow the Obamas’ wonderful example. The importance of this action simply cannot be overstated.”

For information on the print and to search for adoptable pets, go to http://www.adoptapet.com.

About Adopt-a-Pet.com

Adopt-a-Pet.com (formerly 1-800-Save-A-Pet.com) is North America’s largest non-profit pet adoption website, helping over 7,000 animal shelters, humane societies, SPCAs, pet rescue groups, and pet adoption agencies advertise their homeless pets to adopters for free. Adopt-a-Pet.com displays photos and descriptions of adoptable pets to over 1.5 million people seeking to adopt a pet each month, and is funded by the passionate pet lovers at Purina and North Shore Animal League America. Aside from being able to adopt a dog or adopt a cat, Adopt-a-Pet.com visitors may now also adopt a rabbit, horse, bird, reptile, amphibian, fish, farm-type animals and other small pets.

(www.meowbarkblog.com) — It caught me off guard when I looked outside and saw your broken body with perfect feathers rippling so slightly in the wind. I locked the dogs inside before I donned rubber gloves to investigate.

My breath stuck in my throat as I turned you over, bird, and saw the unfortunate angle of your neck. Snapped. Your eyes were still shining like the glass that misled you, but there was no flutter in your chest.

I don’t know how long you had lain there, bird, before I found you, but I’m glad it was me who discovered you on the cold concrete and not the dogs. I whispered an apology to your empty shell as I threw you over the fence, even though I knew you weren’t there.

Contents Copyright © 2009 Kristen King

(www.meowbarkblog.com) — It’s been a rough couple of weeks with the animals lately simply because we’re both very tired and busy right now. As the one who works exclusively from home, I’ve had the pleasure of bearing the brunt of the animal frustration these days.  

To get through it without selling anyone to the circus, I’ve managed to find humor in situations that would other wise probably make me cry in my current cranky condition.

You Know the Dogs Have Taken Over When…

… you find yourself vacuuming the comforter because you’re so sick of schlepping to the laundromat since it won’t fit in your own washer — and you wonder why you didn’t think of this sooner.

… instead of getting annoyed that the dogs knocked over the trash can when you went out to get the mail, you’re just relieved they didn’t eat the remote control you forgot to put on top of the piano for safekeeping.

… it begins to seem normal to squeeze yourself into 4 square inches of couch space because you can’t get a sleeping mastiff to move to the floor.

… the moment you see a dog on TV, you immediately lunge for the mute button while saying loudly “It’s TV, it’s TV” to reassure your animals that their inevitable frantic barking at the television dog’s first sound is completely unnecessary.

… you’ve stopped fighting against letting them in through the back door even though there’s a perfectly good dog door if they would just walk the extra 50 feet to get to it.

How can you tell the dogs have taken over at your house?

Contents Copyright © 2009 Kristen King

(image)

(www.meowbarkblog.com) — If you think we have a lot of pets at our house, prepare to have your mind blown. This isn’t quite as bad as the 800+ small dogs and parrots found in an Arizona home early last year, but it’s still pretty bad.

Police in Chester Township, New Jersey (just about 30 minutes from my hometown), found 80 cats and 1 dog in a million-dollar home that was full of animal feces up to 2 feet deep in some parts of the house. And in a similar story, police in Plano, Texas, found 21 cats holed up in a motel room with a man who faced previous animal cruelty charges and had stored dead cats in his fridge and freezer.

Animal hoarding is a serious problem, and AnimalHoarding.com reports that about 1,500 new cases are discovered each year in the US. If you suspect a case of animal hoarding, contact your local police, animal control, or SPCA.

Contents Copyright © 2009 Kristen King

(www.meowbarkblog.com) — Hat tip to Kim Woodbridge for finding this hilarious video, with a great song to boot.

Contents Copyright © 2009 Kristen King

(www.meowbarkblog.com) — I received the message below from friend and colleague Beth J. Bates, who’s raising money to help families keep their pets in their homes. (Read more about how the recession is affecting pets in my post about 46 homeless cats and animal food banks.)

It’s that time of year again! Time to have some fun and help homeless dogs! GoodDogz.org is hosting the 2009 “Tails on Trails” dog walk as part of the Reston Pet Fiesta on May 2, 2009. This dog walk is our primary fundraiser of the year and this year we need your help more than ever. With pet surrenders at an all-time high and giving at an all-time low, GoodDogz.org is doing what we can to help bridge the gap by working with families to help keep dogs in homes and finding placement when it’s just not possible.

Our fundraising goal for this year is $10,000. This money will help us:

- Develop new resources for dog adopters
- Support the efforts of rescue groups through online resources and individual assistance
- Create online educational programs for kids
- Continue to help rescues find homes for dogs in need

Every donation, no matter how small, helps us do what we do.

Please help me reach my goal by making a secure donation at https://www.firstgiving.com/bethbates.

My personal goal is $1,500 – pretty aggressive but I think I can do it with your help! Here are all the ways you can support us:

- Make a donation to my campaign at https://www.firstgiving.com/bethbates
- Set-up your own pledge page and start collecting donations from folks who want to help at http://www.firstgiving.com/GoodDogz
- Participate in the dog walk – http://tinyurl.com/dzct2x
- Be a dog walk sponsor – http://www.petfiesta.org/dogwalk.html

Here is the event information:
Reston Pet Fiesta “Tails on Trails” Dog Walk
May 2nd, 2009 | 10AM
Reston Town Center, Reston, VA
Click here to register for the dog walk!
Click here to get a page and start collecting pledges!

(www.meowbarkblog.com) — I’m either a glutton for punishment or just slow on the uptake, because I thought I could run out to the post office for a few minutes the other day without worrying about the dogs making some kind of mess. We don’t let them loose in the house when we leave anymore because they’re so darn creative and brilliant at getting to things the shouldn’t have, and I figured there was nothing that would appeal to them in the mudroom or garage in the 15 minutes I was gone.

I was wrong.

I managed to pick up most of the dog food before I thought to take a picture, and about half of the paper towels were somewhat salvageable, however slobbery. None of them can go on a paper towel holder, though because the dogs ripped through so many layers that the individual sheets are no longer connected in most cases.

Sigh. When will I ever learn?

Contents Copyright © 2009 Kristen King

(www.meowbarkblog.com) — This story is so unbelievably sweet it made my teeth ache and my eyes fill with tears. Evidently four puppies were orphaned in Amman when their mother was killed in an accident. Momma cat Smaigel, owned by Mohammad Al-Hamoury, has adopted the puppies as her own. The pictures are amazing.

Contents Copyright © 2009 Kristen King

(www.meowbarkblog.com) — More than 50 whales and dolphins recently stranded themselves on a beach in Tasmania. Rescuers believe these whales were part of a larger group of 192 that had stranded the day before on nearby King Island.

Australia is a whale-stranding hotspot, and 90%+ of the strandings happen in Tasmania.

Read more at CNN/asia.

Contents Copyright © 2009 Kristen King