Comedians Elayne Boosler and Dennis Blair Come Together for a

Comedy Show Fundraiser to Benefit Indigo Rescue

Saturday, June 20 at the Roseland Theater

Laugh Away Recession Depression Includes a Live and Silent Auction

Sponsors include KPTV, KINK and The Westin Portland

WHEN: Roseland Theater, 8 NW Sixth Ave. Portland

WHERE: Saturday, June 20th, 2009. Pre-show Silent Auction starts at 6pm

TICKETS: $40 Reserved and $25 General Admission tickets will go on sale Friday, May 8th through Tickets West – visit: www.ticketswest.com or 1-800-992-8499.

VIP Tickets: VIP tickets are $100 and include front three rows seating (center stage), private, post event soiree with Elayne Boosler and Dennis Blair, photo opportunities with the celebrities, and late night fare. Starting May 4, VIP tickets can be purchased by visiting: http://indigorescue.org/.

WHAT: Indigo Rescue, a non-profit animal rescue organization with a goal to end pet overpopulation and abandonment in the greater Portland community, kicks off the summer with the Laugh Away Recession Depression fundraiser. Two national comedians, Elayne Boosler and Dennis Blair, will perform a benefit show for Indigo Rescue on Saturday, June 20.

Come and join us in June – it’s going to be  a great show.

Rubi’s class is really comprehensive and based on Swedish massage techniques. I’m going to list the strokes below but you have to take the class for the details…

We learned the following strokes:

• Passive touch
• Effleuarge
• Wringing
• We also learned some ear work

Rubi recommended the following book: Canine Massage, A Complete Reference Manual by Jean-Pierre Hourdebaigt, LMT

I talked to a girlfriend about how cool the Northwest Animal Massage School is recently AND if I had more time in my schedule (one day) I’d love to take the distance learning program. Check out: http://www.nwsam.com/ – I get excited from just reviewing the site!! This is a great clip on KING5 in Seattle.

http://www.king5.com/video/eveningmagazine-index.html?nvid=341823

The major benefits of massage for animals includes: reduces stress (great before trips to the vet), relieves pain, increases range of motion, strengthens a weak immune system, enhances the health and nourishment of the skin and coat.

Rick Woodford is the chef and brilliant mind behind Dog Stew.

I want everyone to try this recipe as it’s fabulous and Bruiser ate his dinner in seconds… since I’m cooking for one of the dogs I’m very concerned about nutrition and what’s great about Rick’s recipes is he has done extensive research on  the nutritional needs of canines.  Bruiser is well — very finicky about his food and has been for years. He isn’t at all interested in the California Natural I give the other two dogs (with lots of stuff mixed in) and even the turkey meal I mention in the first sentence he’ll pick at so I try to mix things up for the little guy! It’s super easy to prepare and takes 20 minutes. Try it and let me know what you think!

• 5 cups of water – bring water to a simmer

• 2 lbs of ground turkey and 1/4 lb of chicken liver, chopped – add ground turkey and liver to simmering water and simmer for ten minutes

• 1 lb frozen green beans, 1 tsp fresh sage, 5 tsp bonemeal powder, 5 tbs nutritional yeast – add all these ingredients and simmer for 5 minutes

• 2 1/2 cups of oatmeal, 2 tbs safflower oil – add oatmeal and oil, remove from heat and allow oatmeal to absorb water!

It will take on a consistency of porridge — this makes 3600 calories and Bruiser gets about 600 a day so I made six portions for the next three days!  Please refer to nutrition books on how many calories are appropriate for your dog each day.

More later this week as I’m taking a dog massage class with Rubi from Heal NW!

Mystery game - my favorite Nina Ottosson game

There are a lot of cool things about these games but I’ve read many articles over the past year that say these interactive games are great for senior dogs… you really should only play for about 15 minutes but the challenge in finding the treats is a great way for them to interact with you if a walk or exercise just isn’t an option. Nina calls her games *brain gymnastics* which I would totally agree with. It’s SO fun to watch your dog try and find the treats and then remove the plastic bones. IF they get frustrated you can move the plastic bone horizontally over the hole to help them out at first. Our Beagle/Bassett mix Shermie needed a little help at first   but the other two nailed it.  It was a great way to spend an hour  last night with the furry kids while the rain started up again.

http://www.thebark.com/content/puzzles-dogs – this is the article I’m referring to if you haven’t seen it. Enjoy!

“Observations of her own and other dogs and reading scientific investigations into canine cognitive behavior helped Ottosson identify the benefits of toys that require the dog to use his or her capacity to solve problems.”

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/29/AR2007082900491.html – this is unreal if you haven’t read about it…

My three dogs are all adopted and come from three separate rescue groups.  One is from Indigo Rescue which actually has a  similar mission to A Place to Bark.  The other is from Animal Aid, another rescue group and the third sweet four legged friend is from the Oregon Humane Society – a no kill shelter. I want to spend some time talking about organizations like Indigo Rescue and  A Place to Bark because they are unique when it comes to rescue groups… they are truly saving the unnecessary killing of dogs.

Bruiser, the doxie I’m so lucky to share my life with – he was at the Washington County shelter before Indigo rescued him from euthanasia… he was difficult with other dogs and supposedly hated women so on the short list. He has a scar on his forehead from we think a frying pan. He trembles when around children and guards his toys. So – I’m so lucky an organization like Indigo picked him up, found a foster and months later we adopted him. He needed a forever home and a family that would help him work through his issues.

Have you ever watched Dog Town on Animal Planet? Another GREAT rescue organization in Utah profiled – they took in all of Michael Vick’s dogs after he was arrested. This is yet another example and the list is really growing.

All dogs should have a second chance.  The chances the dogs will find new homes is very very likely. We need more of all of these organizations!

I will start talking a lot about Indigo Rescue’s upcoming benefit concert – the Laugh Away Recession Depression with comedians Elayne Boosler and Dennis Blair June 20 at the Roseland Theater in Portland. There will be a silent auction and we’re in need of sponsors as well.  If you’re interested in getting tickets to the show or would like to contribute an item for the auction please post a comment or send me an email at: christycaplan@gmail.com.

FYI: I just ordered the Nina Ottosson puzzle toys for our dogs so will give a full review in a later post… I have three and they look like a lot of fun…

Game reviews later this week!!

Every lump and bump and I’m off to the vet to make sure Sandola is ok and every time she has been – this and that has been benign and a fatty cell. I’ve been really lucky – wouldn’t it be fabulous to live with your four legged friend until old age? I know this will be the case with Sandy.

The only thing that has truly changed is her early osteoarthritis which I’ve blogged about. She receives massage and underwater hydro-therapy which seems to help a lot. But what about other things my friends have noticed with their dogs: loss of eye sight, circling awkwardly in an effort to lie down in a circle, and so on. These are the things I’m on the look out for in the coming years. I know they need just as much mental stimulation even if physically they’re slowing down. I’m planning to order one of those puzzle toys this week. Do you know about these? If no – please check them out.

I already have pet ramps and pet stairs throughout the house for the doxie and sometimes Sandy will use them — so I feel good about that… AND I must say that Sandola plays with the two year old Shermie often and nuzzles with the doxie too so the pack is a really positive thing when Sandy may otherwise just be laying around. I encourage the play whenever it’s initiated.

Ok  — now that I’ve painted a picture about my *almost* senior dog: I’m referencing all the resources I found in one of their articles:

• T-Touch Massage: LindaTellingtonJones.com
• SeniorPetProducts.com
• srdogs.com – super cool, The Senior Dogs Project
• imom.org – gives grants to those having financial difficulty with their aging pets

Ever heard of Old Dog Haven outside of Seattle? – read Lisa Wogan’s article about this home for senior dogs! olddoghaven.org is where you can find more information about someone that truly matters in the animal world. Enjoy the entire current issue -I’m continuing to find nuggets and ripping many of the pages out as I write this!!

My sister lives in Denver where a Pit Bull Ban was passed in the last five years. Her hairdresser has two Pit Bull mixes and had to move outside of Denver. This is really horrifying – especially when the housing market is at an all time low and jobs are threatened. If I own this specific breed do I have to move? Am I supposed to give up my family member?

There are so many more implications that the Exec Director of Indigo Rescue posted in a note to her volunteers. Here’s some of the implications:

• Breed Bans are dangerous because they cause people to go underground with their dogs so they will become less socialized and more dangerous in public.
• Breed Bans cause undue suffering or death because people will stop going to vets with injured or sick dogs, who will then be considered illegal “contraband”.
• Breed Bans are virtually impossible to enforce and the expense of euthanasia and disposal of the dogs will be a staggering cost to taxpayers.
• The community members who are most likely to comply are the responsible owners of well trained and socialized Pit bulls who would lose their family pets, leaving only the irresponsible owners who are more likely to have untrained, unsocialized, potentially “dangerous” dogs.

I’m concerned for all the friends I have that own Pit Bulls and are great four legged parents. Their dogs are well behaved and are not a threat to anyone. This applies to everyone I know and I’m hoping everyone will write letters to their senator. The information is posted on the facebook group page I mentioned earlier. Back to wellness in my next post.

Theme for the week: I learned something else from my dogs today which came up during a call with Lynn Kindler, my life coach. Dogs keep each other in check, right? We’ve all seen this happen. I just watched it occur between by older girl and the 2+ year old Beagle/Basset. Playing got rough and Sandy showed her teeth and Shermie backed up and whimpered. Doesn’t this happen all the time? We *play* too rough – and someone quickly growls and we back down even if for a moment. That’s my observation for the day… except I think the dogs were smoother at this today then I was and they got over it as soon as it happened.

“Research has shown that animals help humans by acting as social bridges, reducing blood pressure, directing thoughts outward, and serving as strong motivators for accomplishing difficult tasks. An animal assisted therapy team might take a walk with an adolescent struggling with difficult issues. Another team might motivate a patient recovering from a stroke to reach farther, or calm a child during a dental procedure. Still others in the Read to the Dogs program might help young readers improve their skills by listening to them read aloud with a non-judgmental ear. By offering friendship and warm touch, animals help alleviate loneliness, lower blood pressure and reduce stress. Their presence brings a sense of normalcy to institutional settings.”

The Read to Dogs program is so simple… and it REALLY helps children gain the confidence they need. How many times have I presented to the dogs while they sit on the bed?!  Obtaining certification is by no means easy. I was talking to someone that just passed the exam so she can evaluate dogs for the program and you must do your homework before taking this on. There are so many health benefits to animals so consider sharing what you already know with those less fortunate.

More on Gracie the goat just for fun:

About Gracie the therapy goat

Gracie is a registered Mini-Nubian. She is a blend of Nubian and Nigerian Dwarf. Her owner was encouraged to see if Gracie would qualify for a therapy animal. Gracie went in for her visit with the DLAATE program organizer many years ago and the rest is history. She was immediately accepted into the therapy animal training for her laid back attitude and love of humans.

Her visits have included nursing homes, libraries, prisons and events at retailers like Barnes & Noble. Her purpose is to bring a smile to people and a furry body to pet. She often brings out stories from the elderly who remember goats that they have had! And there are so many stories… http://dovelewis.org/programs/DLAATE.aspx

A link to a great show that appeared on PBS about dogs and cats that I found really interesting:

Nature on PBS

Next week – I’m planning to interview a small animal massage therapist which I’ll post as well.

Salmon Oil is the trick – when I leave it out of their diets even for a few days it’s noticeable.

I think their coats are healthy largely due to the omega-3 fatty acids in the Salmon Oil which I include with every meal. Grizzly Salmon Oil is the brand I use – religiously.

“The skin and hair are both gateway and window to the embodiment of an animal’s inner health and well-being.” You can find a GREAT article posted in Whole Dog Journal about canine skin care. The article goes into a great level of detail on skin and coat care from may points of view.

On a side note -I used Calendula (Flower Essence) on a scrape this past weekend and the scrape I had literally disappeared in 2+ hours. It’s good stuff. I used it them on Shermie for a scrape on his belly – and it had the same effect. More this week!

She starts the section out on flower essences with… flowers bring joy to the senses. And for my three hounds there is nothing more true than this! I used them to help balance out fear, anxiety, jealousy and depression. Bruiser and Shermie will *argue* over who sits next to me and well Shermie is an anxious dog – period. That’s just how he’s wired.

You simply add them to your dog’s water dish – one drop is all that necessary. Or you can rub them into the ear flaps too.

I’m not joking when I tell you that all three dogs (Shermie and Bruiser especially) are *less* jealous and anxious when I use these… Bach makes many flower essences and I get them at Whole Foods but there is another online dealer called: Green Hope Essences and they have an animal wellness collection.

Of course — I use these in addition to seeing the vet if there is an issue or a problem but they seem to work. For example, it’s advised that you use the flower essence Mimulus and Walnut for acceptance of change. Check them out and please post comments and let me know what you think.

More about Cheryl Schwartz, D.V.M.: Cheryl has been a natural and holistic veterinarian for more than 20 years; extremely well known and respected in her field, she is on the Board of Advisors for Healthy Living magazine and is the regular columnist for holistic pet advice. She is a resident of San Diego, California.