Planet Dog Blog

A Little Boy with a Gigantic Heart

Nolan is a 5 year old from Scarborough, ME who has been living at the Barbara Bush Children's Hospital since April while awaiting a heart transplant. While there, he gets lots of visits from the many therapy dog teams working at Maine Medical Center, and he loves them all, especially Deegan the Great Dane.

Deegan is a BIG dog!

 

The Planet Dog Foundation has awarded a $10,000 grant to the therapy dog program at Maine Med, so we are always thrilled to hear stories of patients who are soothed by their presence, and to learn firsthand what a difference they make.

 

 

A couple of weeks ago, Barbara Bush herself was coming to read to the kids in the unit, so Nolan decided to do what any kid does in the summertime, and hold a lemonade stand. Mrs. Bush and her Secret Service team all bought lemonade from Nolan!

Nolan raised more than $100 from his lemonade stand from patients, staff and visitors, and decided he wanted to use the money he raised to get presents for all of the therapy dogs who brighten his days, so he contacted Planet Dog.

Planet Dog donated an Orbee ball and a Woof sticker for every dog in the program for Nolan to give to them. Because the dog toys were donated, Nolan donated $50 to the Planet Dog Foundation, and $50 to therapy dog program at Maine Med.

Last week, Nolan had a party in the hospital lobby and all the therapy dogs came! He gave each dog their own Orbee ball, and their Woof sticker, and a thank you note.

Have an Orbee Ball!

Nolan is a sweet, smart and very thoughtful little boy.  Please join everyone at Planet Dog in sending our prayers that he gets a new heart as soon as possible.

Big Dogs or Little Dogs?

I grew up with big dogs. Newfoundlands. Labs. Standard Poodles. All my friends had big dogs and for a while, I confess I had a tiny disdain for small dogs and people who chose them.

My first dog was a female lab mix who topped out at a mere 48 pounds- not really a small dog, but nowhere near my idea of a big dog. We often referred to her as the “apartment-sized Lab” or the “urban lab.” I appreciated that she wasn’t too big, but I felt a little bit self-conscious – I was a big dog person, with a smaller than big dog.

And then, one by one, some small dogs came into my life and my prejudice started to change. My friends got 2 Jack Russell mixes that wiggled their way into my heart, and I started seeing how easy it was to get small dogs into the car, and how cute they were when sitting on a lap. And then, almost without thinking, I adopted Roxie, a terrier mix rescued from a shelter in Arkansas. Suddenly, I was mom to a 22 pound pup and I couldn’t believe I had ever been a doubter!

In an informal poll around the office, some folks still have strong feelings one way or another. Those who love big dogs feel that big dogs are more “dog-like,” are a better match to an outdoorsy lifestyle, and provide more in the way of security. The little dog lovers think they are more cuddly, fit better on the bed or on the couch, eat less food and are easier to travel with.

We have all known the Rottweiler who thinks he is a lapdog, and the Yorkie who would scare away any intruder. As I realize now, it is not the size of the dog that matters, but the love you feel when you look into its eyes, and the size of what’s in their hearts that makes us as loyal to them as they are to us.

Are you a big dog person or a small dog person? Have you changed your tune over the years based on dogs you have loved?  

 

Who Chooses Who?

By Alex Fisher, Company Founder and Chief Creative Officer

How does one "get" a dog? Is "get" even the right word? Does one "get" a dog? Or are we "gotten?" Do we adopt? Purchase? Choose? Rescue? Find? Or do they find us? Choose us? Rescue us?

As I head into the summer all wide-eyed, with an amazing daughter and a new home (with a fenced-in yard), I find it harder and harder to field my daughter's often-asked question, "Daddy? When can we get another dog?”

So now what? Do I look in the classifieds? Do I Google the last breed I saw in a movie? Do I go to the local shelter?

Well, to start my search, I reached out to Kristin Burgess, the Adoption Advocate at the Planet Dog Company Store in Portland to request the "Dog Adoption Days of Summer" schedule.  We invite rescue organizations from throughout New England to bring dogs in need of a home to our Company Store.

It is always a big event and a big deal to us. As you can imagine, the energy created from matching numerous dogs with humans is incredibly positive and always a thrill to witness. And this year, it looks like I just may be one of those humans. Ahhh, so excited for the Dog Adoption Days of Summer.

I figure this is a great place to start – and, we would love to hear your story of exactly “who chose who” when you and your 4-legged best friend found each other.

With wags,

Alex

Please see below for our Summer schedule and keep your eyes peeled on this blog to follow the evolution. I hope to see you there.

 

“Dog Adoption Days of Summer" at
the Planet Dog Company Store 2012 

Greyhound Rescue June 9th from 11:30-1:30

New England Lab Rescue June 23rd from 12-2

Lucky Pup Rescue July 14th from 12-2

Great Pyrenees Rescue July 21st from 11:30-1:30

Collie Rescue August 18th from 12-2

A Circle of Support

Sometimes we get the perfect opportunity to see the whole AND its many parts, to see the forest AND the trees, and to appreciate the value of the whole circle.

On Saturday, April 28, Planet Dog visited Guiding Eyes for the Blind in Yorktown Heights, NY for their graduation ceremony - celebrating the completed team training between a visually impaired person and their new guide dog. The Planet Dog Foundation (PDF) has supported Guiding Eyes for the Blind since 2009, providing nearly $50,000 in grant funding and product donations to support their training programs. 

We had the Executive Director of PDF at the ceremony, accompanied by one of our Account Executives. We were also joined by the owner of Bark & Meow in Tarrytown, NY, who has carried Planet Dog products for years. It was a perfect way to see the whole cycle of Planet Dog's philanthropy in action - the Planet Dog retailer who sells our products, enabling Planet Dog to donate a percentage of those sales to PDF, enabling PDF to award a grant to Guiding Eyes for the Blind.

The ceremony itself exemplified the Guiding Eyes circle - thanking Planet Dog for its support, and celebrating the puppy raisers who train and care for the dogs from 8 weeks old until they reach 18 months, the trainers who then provide intensive, highly specialized training to prepare the dogs for a career as a guide dog, and the guide dog users who spend several weeks in Yorktown Heights with their 4-legged partners learning how to navigate independently through the world with their canine guide. 

The graduates themselves represented a broad circle of the Guiding Eyes family. The gentleman receiving his first guide dog after spending his childhood helping his mother with her 6 Guiding Eyes for the Blind dogs. The woman who came in for a retrain in her second visit to the Guiding Eyes campus. The musician who sang a beautiful song written from the Guide Dog's perspective called "Can't You See I'm Working." Or perhaps the gentleman who was deaf and blind, communicating with the help of an interpreter signing directly into his hand.

The people in the graduation room on Saturday represented an amazing community - every facet of the inspirational work being done by Guiding Eyes represented. Friends, family, staff, volunteers, donors, supporters, trainers, clients, and of course, the dogs. They even had some puppies there so all of us could appreciate the beginnings of another cycle in the magical ways that dogs are helping people in need, with a little help from everyone else in that circle.

Many thanks to the entire Guiding Eyes for the Blind family for welcoming us to their lovely campus, and letting us shed a few tears of joy and wonder at their inspirational graduation. And in the spirit of the circle, we are humbled to know they will have another graduation in May, and another, and another, and another. We can only hope that our circle of Planet Dog friends, retailers, customers and staff can continue to provide our modest support to make that amazing work continue.

 

What Earth Day means to me

What Earth Day means to me
By Alex Fisher
Founder of Planet Dog

As a Dog person, Earth Day reminds me to reevaluate annually how my dog & I impact the Earth.  What does it mean to be a good dog steward to the Earth? How are the foods made? How do I clean-up and dispose? What shampoos do I use? What dog ball do I throw? What bed do they nest in? What are my collars and leashes made from? What treats do we share? These are the questions I'm reminded to ask myself each Earth Day.

As an entrepreneur, Earth Day serves as a reminder that every day should be an Earth Day. At Planet Dog, every decision made and every obstacle encountered is considered from an eco-conscious perspective. Fortunately for us all, there are always alternatives.  Consider for a moment our role models: Ben & Jerry's, Patagonia, Tom's of Maine, and Stonyfield Farms. Four very different companies selling four very different product lines and yet, sharing a very similar corporate foundation.

Gary Hirshberg once said, "Values=value" – a formula we all try to apply to our success.  Just as we understand how eco-conscious and values-based companies should operate, you, our customer, appreciate how eco-companies make a difference: thus the value.  Earth Day, and every day, we ask ourselves if we are doing our best by the planet and if we are doing our best by our values. We ask it as a company, as the individuals that make up the company, and as the Dog people that we are.

To add to that, as luck would have it, along the way, we are having fun. Ben & Jerry like to say," if it's not fun, why do it?" We  believe that working eco-consciously and following our values is fun, so let's do it!

Thanks for joining us in "Thinking Globally and Acting Doggedly!"

Woof,

Alex

US War Dogs: 4-Legged Soldiers

For the last several years, the Planet Dog Foundation has sponsored an award for the Dog Writers Association of America annual Writing Competition. The Planet Dog Foundation Sit. Speak. Act. Canine Service Award recognizes the best story promoting and celebrating a program in which dogs serve and support their best friends, by highlighting service dogs, therapy dogs, K-9 search and rescue, police, fire or military dogs.

We are thrilled to highlight this year's winning writer, Sharon Pflaumer, who received the award for her story, "U.S. War Dogs: Courage. . . Intelligence. . . Loyalty."  The story, which ran in Dog News: Volume 27, Issue 32, August 12, 2011, gives the reader insight into the exciting and dangerous work being done by highly specialized War Dogs.

Many of us have read that a Belgian Malinois named Cairo participated in the SEAL Team raid in Abbottabad, Pakistan last year that killed Osama bin Laden.

But did you know that many War Dogs actually jump from low-flying helicopters to a mission site? Or, in some cases, these dogs actually parachute from high altitude crafts strapped to their handlers with oxygen masks?    

According to Pflaumer's article, Cairo most likely assisted the SEAL Team with advanced explosive detection - moving with his handler through the compound to locate any IEDs hidden on the grounds or within the buildings.

Dogs like Cairo are outfitted with night vision cameras that transmit what the dog can see to the handler on a special monitor, allowing the handler to help visually scan a room for danger before moving in. The dog would be wearing ear buds connected to the handler's microphone, allowing him to respond to even whispered commands to help insure the safety of the dog and the handler, as well as the rest of the team behind them.

The Planet Dog Foundation proudly supports a wide range of dogs that work to help people in need- guide dogs, assistance dogs, therapy dogs, K-9 Search and Rescue dogs, all of which provide amazing services to their human partners.

But we have to admit that we are especially amazed by the careers of these 4-legged soldiers, the War Dogs, that are helping to keep our service men and women safe in the course of their military duties.

And we offer thanks and congratulations to Sharon Pflaumer for helping to educate all of us about these heroic hounds. Click here to read her article in full: Download DWAA- War Dogs Article

How Much is Too Much?

A few months ago, my 4-year old terrier mix, Roxie, began showing signs of back pain. She became limpy, lethargic, and lazy. We tried steroids. We tried muscle relaxants. We tried acupuncture. Nothing helped.

Within a few weeks, she appeared to shrink- her back half withered and atrophied. She could barely walk, she cried out when she was touched, and she stopped eating. She could not lift her head and she trembled non-stop.

She was clearly suffering, and it would not be healing itself. Finally, the vet told me I had a choice- spend $3,500 for surgery to repair her severly herniated disk, or spend $150 to put her to sleep.

He gave a very optimistic long term prognosis, but was clear that there was no guarantee that this wouldn't happen again on a different vertebrae at some point in the future.

It was just before Christmas. I had gifts to buy, and a nearly empty heating oil tank. I had already spent several hundred dollars on her diagnosis and treatment. I didn't have any money saved. I couldn't justify spending so much on a pet, right?

But, she's only 4 years old, I thought. I have a lot of blankets, I thought. I had just enough room on my credit card.  I thought about how lucky I was to even have credit, and the option of charging it and paying for it later. I thought, it's only money! I work at Planet Dog!

But mostly I thought about how much I loved her and wanted her to feel better. I thought how unfair it would be to rescue her from death row at an Arkansas shelter, give her a short taste of a really good life, and then let her die in so much pain.

I explained to my family that I didn't want any gifts for Christmas, and would only be giving to the children. I maxed out my credit card. I turned down the heat. She had the surgery. I don't eat out much these days.

If she had been 14 years old, I would have likely made a different decision, but I am very hopeful that I will enjoy another decade with this dog. That's only $350/year - it's practically a bargain! I hope that karma will appreciate the investment I have made in her and keep the rest of her spine healthy.

She has healed beautifully. She still has a funny looking patch on her back where the hair hasn't grown back in, but she is more agile, more energetic and more adorable than ever before.

Every time she lifts her head to look at me, I just know that she is saying thank you. And that she'll keep me warm when the heating oil is gone.

How much have you spent on a pet's health? What do you consider too much? How do you decide?

Thanks to the Therapy Dogs at Maine Med

As we closed out 2011, we awarded nearly $70,000 in grants to 10 organizations that utilize dogs in some capacity to help people in need. One of those grantees is the Therapy Dog Program at Maine Medical Center, based right here with us in Portland, ME.

Over our holiday break, a good friend of Planet Dog found herself on the receiving end of one of our grants, and she wrote us this note to share her story.

We are grateful to the amazing volunteers involved in the program and thank them for the furry love given to our friend Rachel, and to all of the patients and staff at the hospital.

"Let me set the scene. It's Christmas Eve, around 10 pm, and my stomach is starting to hurt.  Four hours later, the pain is worse, and I go to the Emergency Room.  Well, turns out my gall bladder has taken all the gall it can handle from me and has to come out. I have to wait in the hospital until after the holiday for the surgery. They send me home, but I have to return just days later- you guessed it - on New Year's Eve.  Again, I have to wait until after the holiday for the next surgery. It's the holidays, I am in pain, rest doesn't come easily, and as I'm sure you can imagine, my self pity meter is off the charts.

Imagine now, it's my 8th day in the hospital, and suddenly a big, lumbering black lab comes into my room.  An older dog, he has grey around his mouth and he's sporting an adorable bandana.  As a lifelong dog-lover, it's always a fun surprise to see a dog when you're not expecting to. To see a dog that day, after being in so much pain for so long, was emotionally overwhelming.  

Amos the black lab leans into me and I scratch his rear while soaking in all the love and energy he had to give. I am crying with gratitude- a gentle face, a soft coat, a loving friend.  In the hall I see a French Bulldog, and as a Boston Terrier lover, I have a soft spot for those pushed in faces.  I don't want to be selfish, because Amos was being fantastic, but I was so happy when ANOTHER volunteer came into my room. Eloise Violet jumped right onto the bed, and all of the trauma of the previous week melted away while she snorted away in my lap.

I have spent many years working with dogs, and never thought I would be on the receiving end of a therapy dog. The love of those dogs and the kindness of their handlers literally gave me the strength I needed to get through the next few days in the hospital, and on the road to healing."

A huge thank you to Rachel for sharing her story, and to Amos and Eloise Violet for brightening her day during an extremely unpleasant time. We are incredibly honored to support their work. Have you had a therapy dog visit that changed your outlook? Brightened your day? Got you on the mend?

 

The Dogs that Sit With Santa

Santa Claus made his way to the Planet Dog Company Store on Sunday for our 6th annual Sit with Santa fundraiser.

All the money raised helps to fund the grant program of the Planet Dog Foundation, supporting non profits that train, place and support dogs helping people in need. 

Santa works overtime on Sit with Santa day, doing his best to snuggle with 95 dogs.  Small dogs, huge dogs, terrified dogs, multiple dogs . . . .  our Santa loves them all.

Of course, then there are the crying babies, the 7-person families with 2 dogs, the camera crews from the local stations . . .  Santa limps back to his workshop every year. 

And while Santa is exhausted when the day is done, we know that the PDOG pups have a great holiday card to share with all of their friends!

In Honor of Senior Dogs

Greetings, friends! November is Senior Dog Month- a wonderful time to celebrate and appreciate our grizzled and wise companions.

If you are considering a new dog for your family, there are so many reasons to bypass the puppies and head to the aged aisle. Senior dogs have already been down the teething and housebreaking and shoe chewing path and have reached a state of low maintenance contentment. A couple of short walks, a cozy bed, a nutritious diet and a loving hand- that is all it takes for an older dog to find true bliss.

If you are not able to adopt a senior dog, there are other ways to support them - there are often lots of older dogs in shelters, being overlooked because of some gray hairs on the muzzle, or some old dog lumps . . .  volunteer to walk the elder dogs, donate special treats and toys designed especially for old souls, or fund a veterinary service that might make adopting the dog more affordable for someone else.

A senior friend of mine said it best- "Gracie doesn't mind how old and gray I am, so I cut her the same slack!"