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Meet Gilah and Gil, two impossibly cute kittens that the family of one of our Roanoke Times staffers have adopted from Angels of Assisi.

There's plenty more where they came from.

As you know from following this blog, Angels of Assisi has opened its doors to more than 100 cats turned in by owners from all over the area; a single owner in Giles County surrendered almost 90 cats.

So, besides all the other felines that were waiting for homes at the no-kill shelter in downtown Roanoke, and besides all the kittens that eventually find their way into shelters this time of year, there are many, many more cats still looking for a forever family.

Angels of Assisi is running a two-for-one adoption special: Take home not one but two beautiful kitties, spayed or neutered and up-to-date on rabies vaccinations, for one low adoption fee.

They have every make and model you could ask for: Calicos, tabbies, torties, tuxedos, long-hairs, short-hairs, boys and girls. All are guaranteed adorable and loaded with cat-itude.

If you do take one of these purr-fectly wonderful felines home, please send us a picture and your story.

Today's Cornershot in The Roanoke Times made me smile and weep at the same time. Stories about good dogs will do that to me. For those of you who read the paper online, the Cornershot can be hard to find, and the picture did not come over. And this is a story you should not miss:

Everybody who loves dogs thinks they have the best one in the world. I suppose that's true -- and millions of dogs all share the title "Best." Let me tell you about one.

Coco (Baronesse Cocolette d'Hershey, if you want to be technical about it) came to our family as a tiny ball of chocolate fluff. She was a Labrador with a pink nose, a pink belly and liquid eyes that saw into your soul.

Coco could catch a Frisbee five feet off the ground and never even break stride. I have no doubt that she could out-swim Michael Phelps and out-eat any NFL linebacker you care to name. She was a gentle, loving shadow who once "inhaled" an entire apple pie -- then hid the plate under our sofa.

To those of you who hesitate to adopt a dog because one day it will be gone from your life, think otherwise. As long as you draw breath, it will never be gone ... just as Coco will never be gone.

Coco: 1994 2009. Unforgettable, unforgotten.

-- Beatrice Iceman, a reader in Wirtz

Thanks so much for all of the comments and well wishes for our greyhound, Coral. She spent a long quiet three days at home with medicine and easy-to-digest grub and, as of yesterday, she seems back to her old self.  She had to miss out on a couple of play dates over the weekend, but we felt she needed the rest.

Dexter had been battling a nasty ear infection, so we are medicating both of them right now. Between the prescriptions and the specially prepared bland diet, it's like we are running a greyhound nursing home.

I think both hounds were a little feisty yesterday; after days of laying low and feeling poorly, they resumed their daily fun of rolling Stormy all over the backyard. When he came trotting back into the house last night happily covered in greyhound slobber, we knew they were feeling better.

Speaking of the little pit bull, his new favorite toy is a Kong Wubba. We picked it up at PetsMart on Saturday and he's having a blast. He really wuvs his Wubba. (Sorry, I couldn't resist that one.)

The long-tailed toy sails far and deep when pitched off our second floor deck into the back yard. On one particularly ambitious toss, it sailed all the way into the neighbor's yard. Thanks for bringing it back to us, Greg.

Stormy runs to grab it and comes gleefully galloping back with it, but hesitates to turn it over to us. He has figured out that fetch is kind of a goofy game, at least as far as the dog is concerned. Why should he give us his valuable prize if we are just going to throw it away and make him run after it again and again?

Smart dog. Lazy, but smart.

We came home last night to an awful mess. Coral, our 4-year-old greyhound, had gotten very sick in crate. Very sick.

We sent her outside. She munched some grass. She continued to be sick. She got even sicker. The grass did not last long in her tummy.

Dogs are notorious at making bad calls on what is edible and what is not. If you have dogs, a little tummy trouble comes with the territory. This was bad, but I was not terribly alarmed until she became a little unsteady on her feet.

We made the decision to take her to Emergency Veterinary Services, the overnight hospital on Peters Creek Road. It's an expensive visit to make so we don't make a habit of running out there every time one of our pets is a little ill. But this time we made the right call.

By the time we made the 20-minute trek from our house up I-81 in the pouring rain, she was worse. While we waited in the lobby, she began to lose motor function, dragging one of her front legs and wobbling on the other three. They took her right in for treatment.

After a few hours of fluids through an IV, she was much better. Her impairment was apparently due to dehydration—greyhounds dehydrate quicker than other dogs— and had we waited much longer the consequences could have been dire. We might have lost our girl.

She spent the night under the care of the professionals at EVS, and we picked her up this morning, tired but much improved from what we saw 12 hours earlier. We took her to our vet to continue her treatment and hopefully she will be home with us tonight. We don't know what she ate, but something almost took her from us, and we are grateful to EVS for saving her.

We were also touched by how sensitive they are to the needs of the families that visit there, physically, emotionally and financially. Another family came in while we waited for Coral; their dog was having an allergic reaction and they had given him a Benedryl en route to the hospital. His improvement was visible during the 10 minutes they spent filling out paperwork. 

They were gently advised that if they wanted to wait just a little bit longer for the Benedryl to keep working its magic, he may not need to see the doctor at all, thus saving a $70 fee.

They left and, three hours later when we finally went home, they had not returned.

While I think most of us would spend whatever we had to spend to keep our pets healthy, we all want to invest the money as wisely as possible. In Coral's case, there was no choice, she had to be seen by a doctor. The other family also made the right choice; their pooch could wait to see his vet during normal hours.

When it comes to emergency care for your dog, the decisions have to be based on your heart and your head.

I am just glad to have options.

I would never bring my dogs to work with me. It's hard enough to watch TV at night with those three critters. Someone always has to potty or wants some water or steals another's dog's coveted spot on the pillow/couch/chair/Dad's lap. I'd never get any work done.

And I know I am saying that like it's a bad thing.

But maybe your boss would let you invite your agreeable pooch to accompany you to the office on Friday, June 26, officially known as "Take Your Dog to Work Day."

If your dog is chill, and your boss isn't paying attention will allow you bring him/her to work, here are a few common-sense tips from Banfield, the Pet Hospital, on how to prepare for the big day (the paranthetical nonsense is from me):

• Provide your dog with a break outside every couple of hours (these are good for you, too; take lots of them and read newspaper blogs!)
• Make sure your dog can attend any meetings scheduled during the day (but don't rely on the dog to take notes; dogs are notoriously bad at this)
• Bring plastic bags for cleaning up (there are a few desks in this newsroom I'd like to clean up with plastic bags- and a blow torch)
• A bed, blanket or towel for your dog to lie on will make them more comfortable (bring one for yourself too, it's very European)
• Pack food and snacks, if appropriate (put a few out in the break room and see who nibbles the kibble; always good for a chuckle)
• Favorite toys are fun for dogs as long as they don’t have squeakers (I'd rather hear a squeak toy than listen to someone droning on about work, but that's just how I roll)
• Bring a sturdy leash for walking and, if necessary, for confining your dog to a desk area (do not try this with co-workers, trust me, they always get loose)
• Pack bite-size treats to reward good behavior (maybe your boss will get the same idea with loose change)
• Always have a water bowl with fresh water available (after 5 p.m., feel free to add whatever you like to your own water)

If you have ever taken your dog to work, post a comment and let us know how it worked out.

The back of a box van parked on Campbell Avenue opened, loaded with pet crates and boxes. Inside each carrier was at least one cat, in most there were multiple cats. The passengers let out a few loud yowls and a few quiet meows, but were mostly quiet.

Inside the caravan of carriers you could see the faces of the felines. Some of them were happy and eager to see what was going on, some of them were confused and apprehensive. 

Sixty-seven cats and kittens arrived at the next stop on their journey that began last month when they were taken from a single home. There were too many to transport in a single trip; more will arrive today.

It was a little overwhelming to watch Tiffany Overton, Lisa O'Neill, Rachel Brown and other staff and volunteers at Angels of Assisi carry all those cats into the no-kill shelter in downtown Roanoke. There were already more than 50 cats waiting for homes at Angels. Two other owners, one in Montgomery County and one in Bedford, had already sent more than 30 cats to the shelter last week.

All of the new arrivals were placed in clean crates, with food, water and fresh litter pans, and all of them were allowed a little time to chill, to get settled to their new surroundings.

Today, 18 more cats will make the same journey from the New River Valley to Angels, bringing the total number of cats surrendered by a Giles County woman to 87. Most are adult cats, a few are kittens, and a few nursing mothers with tiny babies, eyes just opening to the world.

Later today the staff at Angels will begin assessing the kitties' medical conditions and, after they have all had time to acclimate to their new setting, they will begin sorting out which cats will make the best pets and which will make the best barn cats.

All will be brought up-to-date on their vaccinations, be treated for any infections or other health issues, and all will be spayed or neutered.

And then they will wait for the final leg of their journey: a new home.

Here's a link  to today's Happy Wag column, where I lay down the law to Thai, my cat, once and for all, and tell him who is boss. Yeah, it went about as well as you would expect.

Speaking of cats, you may remember that June is Adopt-a-Cat-Month, as I mentioned it in Friday's blog entry. Please don't let my imaginary conversations with my tyrannical kitty sway you if you were thinking about adopting a feline. Cats are wonderful pets and true companions. 

And right now, there is a tremendous need for good homes for some rescued cats.

Besides the scores of litters that populate all the shelters this time of year anyway, today Angels of Assisi, the no-kill shelter in downtown Roanoke, is scheduled to take custody of as many as 80 cats surrendered by an owner in Giles County.

According to a news release sent to me from Lisa O'Neill, a volunteer at Angels, there are many nursing mothers in this colony of kitties.

If you are like me and just can't adopt another cat right now, Angels would gladly accept the following donations:

• Wire crates! (The type can fold down for easy storage)
• Purina Cat Food
• Purina Kitten Food
• Kitty Litter
• More wire crates!

Please visit the Web site or stop by the shelter on Campbell Avenue if you are able to help.

June is "Adopt a Cat" month. It's the beginning of summer, which means there are plenty of homeless kittens in shelters all over the country looking for forever homes.  And there is certainly no shortage here in the valley.

The Roanoke Valley SPCA is hosting a meet-and-greet at the Baldwin Avenue shelter from 5 to 7 p.m. tonight for people interested in adding a new feline to their family.

There will be drawings, prizes and refreshments.  Each person adopting a cat during the month of June will receive their very own "Chessie", the official bean bag mascot of the RVSPCA.

Even if you can't provide a permanent home for a cat, these little fluffies pictured here need foster care until they are old enough to find their own families.

Over at Angels of Assisi, there are a couple of creative programs intended to help place good cats in good homes. Click here to read a column I wrote that includes details about the Barncat Buddies and the MasCAT programs. If you have a commerical property that needs the feline touch, either as a rodent control technician or as a customer service specialist, e-mail Diane Novak at diane@reikipets.com.

And if you already share your home with a cat, look in Monday's Extra section for the next Happy Wag column, an open letter to my cat Thai where I explain to him who is boss.

Stop laughing.

If you and your pooch are hankering to hit the road this Sunday, heading either north on I81or south on Highway 220, you may want to check out a couple of dog-friendly fundraisers on your trip.

What goes better at the ballpark than a dog? Not much, in my opinion.

The Martinsville-Henry County SPCA will host Bark in the Park this Sunday at Hooker Field. Dogs will be admitted to the ballpark for $5 or two cans of Pedigree dog food so they can woof for the Martinsville Mustangs or the Catawba Valley Stars.

Admission for two-legged baseball fans is $5. First pitch is thrown at 7:20 p.m.

The M-HCSPCA will also have adoptable dogs at the park, and will be selling collars, Frontline Plus and doggy concessions.

If you are NoVa bound, stop by and get your pooch scrubbed and fluffed at a charity dog wash in Stafford. All proceeds will go toward the purchase of bullet-resistant vests for K9 police officers.

The event is hosted by DoodyCalls, a professional poop scooping service, and will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday at the Sittin’ Pretty Pet Salon located at 711 Garrisonville Road in Stafford. There will also be demonstrations by K9 officers and pet-related silent auction items for bidding. 

"Money raised at the charity dog wash is going toward the purchase of custom-fitted, stab and bullet-proof vests," volunteer Jayne Levey said in a news release. "These vests are costly and police departments have limited budgets. K9 unit dogs put their lives at risk; they need protection just as much as human officers do."

Costs for the dog wash are based on the size of your pooch. For dogs weighing 15 pounds or less- $10; 25 pounds or less - $15; 45 pounds or less - $20; 75 pounds or less - $25; and for dogs weighing more than 75 pounds, the cost is $30. 

Contact Shannon or Ron Cooper at (540) 424-4371 or email staffordva@doodycalls.com or go to the Sittin' Pretty Pet Salon to purchase dog wash tokens in advance.

I feel certain that if we all looked at today's photo together, there would be a collective "Awwwww" all over cyberspace.

This is Dora, a long haired dachshund. I am guessing that Dora is short for a-DORA-ble, because she's a cutie. Dora's pet parents are Ray and Lucille.