Blog entry by Heather Froeschl, written in May of 2007.
Note to readers and Nona: Thanks for the fun! Hope I can offer some entries again in the future. Here's a final entry, not to outdo Nona's beautiful post about her Missy, but as an offering of love to my own cancer victim, Buddy.

When I was a kid I read all kinds of books. My very favorites were stories about having a dog. I so wanted a dog of my own. My grandma had several as I grew up and I adored them but they lived with her and not me. They slept by her bed and tagged along wherever she went. The dogs of my dreams would sleep on my bed, anxiously await me to take them on long walks, go exploring in the woods, fetch sticks I threw in the pond, lick my face and make me laugh, and listen patiently as I shared my fears, hopes, dreams and tears. As a kid, I never had that.

This is Mooch. He is a “new” breed: a snowshoe. It is a cross between Siamese and American shorthairs. Purebreds have typical Siamese markings but stark white feet. Mooch is not a high class purebred, but a mix of Snowshoe and Calico. He has distinct random markings, not quite symmetrical, yet reminiscent of the Siamese coloring. Snowshoes also have distinct behaviors. They typically will love to play fetch, are fascinated with water, and often behave like dogs, following their humans around the house. Mooch exhibits all of the above. He is fierce in his play and very interested in the world around him. The second picture shows what Mooch loves to do most, besides eating (his name is Mooch with good cause). When the shower or bath water starts running, so does he. And he will sit there for as long as the water is on or dripping, as if entranced.

The RVSPCA announced on Thursday of this week that they have hired Gael Dixson to act as a coordinator for the volunteer department and it seems this recent influx of cats will keep them all busy for a while. Foster care is not a new thing at RVSPCA; more than 600 animals have gone into temporary care in the last 8 months according to Ann Marie Sweeney (my own Charlie cat being one of them!).

Many of my grandmother’s cats liked to play fetch and all my life I remember her having her homemade cat toys around the house. All they consisted of was a knee high stocking, rolled up and tied off with a piece of string to make a little ball. She wore knee highs all the time and when one would get a run in it, she recycled way before it was the “green” thing to do. The cats loved it.

Mary Morris (left) and Bo Nichols of the Old Dominion Veterinary Clinic wash a dog rescued Tuesday in Alleghany County.

Blog entry by Heather Froeschl

In the light of a story in yesterday’s Roanoke Times, by Jorge Valencia, reporting the rescue of 15 dogs from an Alleghany County home where their owner had passed away, http://www.roanoke.com/news/roanoke/wb/175401, I thought it would be a good idea to pass on some links to articles that deal with planning your estate in regard to your pets. My grandmother had made such plans and while we berated her over being morbid, the fact of life is that, it ends. What will become of your pets? My grandmother’s cats and dog were adopted by family members and a neighbor who had a long relationship with the pup. We’re not all so lucky. Finding a person whom you trust to be the future caregiver of your pets should be part of the adoption thought process, but I’m guessing most people just don’t like to think that far ahead. I know I hadn’t.

Will this....

I’m a failed foster parent. I knew I would be. Last month I couldn’t get past an email from the Roanoke Valley SPCA in which they were looking for foster homes for a kitten and some puppies. All day, I kept going back to that email, looking at the eyes that were staring out at me. I told my boss, dear Nona, and she said, “Go get him.” Thanks Nona!

In Gilbert, Arizona, it seems one kitty just didn't want to say goodbye to her owner for the day. Bella somehow survived a 2 1/2 hour trip by hanging on to a spare tire under the man's truck. Did she use up one of her nine lives? Superstition aside, that cat must have some pretty sharp claws!

Here's the link to the whole story, thanks to Associated Press and FoxNews.com:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,414541,00.html

Blog entry by Heather Froeschl

The day our dog adopted us was a typical country living day. We were getting ready to have a bonfire, or rather, burn the abundance of brush we’d collected from the spring cleaning of the yard, and having fun doing it. Bonfires are entertainment at its cheapest. The goal of the day was to gather all the fallen branches and sticks and collect them for a night of staring into the flames. My son never much cared for the entrance to the woods and usually stayed away from there, but the swing and the bonfire pit are only 50 yards or so from the dark path to the forest. I was inside when I heard him yelling, “Get!”

Scientists seem to have looked into just about everything. I've sometimes wondered if there was a specific language to decipher in the wag of a dog's tail, but I've never really paid such close attention as to notice which way the sway originates from. "Dogs wag their tails to the left or right depending on how they're feeling," Italian researchers say. Hm. Isn't a wag a back and forth, side to side motion? Here is an interesting article on a study done to research the possible patterns: http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2007/03/29/1884414.htm

And whenever I wear it, I remember Missy.

Missy was our second greyhound and she crossed the Rainbow Bridge on August 30, 2007.

She captured our hearts on April 30, 2007, in front of the PetsMart where we had stopped to say hello to the Star City Greyhound Adoption folks.

She stood out among all the other dogs. She had a go-funny ear and a sly little smile that almost seemed to sparkle. She looked at us like she knew we were the ones she wanted to live with.

My husband was instantly smitten with her. “You know we’re going to take her home with us, right?” I said him.

A few minutes later, we were walking her through the store to pick out a crate and a pillow.

Click here to see a photo gallery of the pooch pool party held last Saturday at Frog Pond Pool in Montgomery County.

Enjoy your weekend!

You might remember a story not too long ago about a homeless cat in New Jersey, who turned out to be a male, not a female, and who topped the scales at a whopping 44 lbs. Here’s the video in case you missed it:
http://video.aol.com/video-detail/nj-fat-cat-princess-chunk-becomes-a-star/263197435

After the instant stardom this kitty achieved, appearing on talk shows (he didn’t have much to say for himself) and numerous places on the World Wide Web, the Camden County Animal Shelter received as many as 500 applications to adopt him. The honor was to go to a family in southern New Jersey.

Wine, Whiskers and Song, a fundraiser for the Roanoke Valley SPCA, is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 4 from noon to 5 p.m. at Blue Ridge Vineyards. Well-behaved people and their leased pooches can enjoy this festival featuring wine tasting, bluegrass music and adoptable pets. Admission is $10 for tasters, $8 for non-tasters and free for dogs. Do not, however, plan on letting your dog be the designated driver.

Spay-ghetti Supper, another SPCA fundraiser, is planned for Thursday, Oct. 16 from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m.. Order in bulk and save on delicious spaghetti suppers. Dinners are $6 per plate in advance, $7.50 at the door, and $5 per plate for orders of 25 or more dinners purchased in advance. All proceeds go to fund spay/neuter services at the RVSPCA.

The 16th annual Howl-O-Ween Walk for the Animals is Sunday, Oct. 16 in Elmwood Park. The event will also feature a microchip clinic and DNA testing for your pooch.

Click here and scroll down to the "donate now" button to pay in advance for the Spay-gehtti dinners, microchipping and the what's-your-daddy? test. (Maury Povich will not be present.)