Brandy and Val

As we reflect on the 5th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina and what has and hasn’t transpired during this time of rebuilding and healing, here’s my thought: BE THE CHANGE YOU WANT TO SEE IN THE WORLD. Credit to Mahatma Ghandi.

Although in some respects it’s “never enough” to be reminded of all the work that needs to be done, there are plenty of stories at the local and national level about New Orleans and its’ environs, 5 years after the storm.  My thought, above, for the day sums it up for me and has helped to foster our mission at Brandy and Val, LLC to “do good where good is needed.”

Val’s story as a “Hurricane Katrina Dog” will be told on this evening’s NBC5 News Chicago 6 p.m. broadcast and I’ll post the link tomorrow so everyone can hear his tale.

It is through our pet therapy duties and sales of our books:  BRANDY AND VAL, BRANDY AND VAL’S FAVORITE THINGS and BRANDY AND VAL’S SPECIAL STORY and sales of our mini-Brandy and mini-Val toys that we hope to benefit the lives of children and animals.

Well, I never thought I’d be confronting this issue first-hand but I suppose most people don’t.  The other day my husband and I were walking Brandy and Val when a neighborhood dog who was a fair distance away from us, broke free from his leash and bolted to attack both Brandy and Val.  Luckily, my husband, who had Val, was able to break free of the situation with Val but I was not so lucky.  The dog, who I knew was rather unfriendly and on prior occasions made a point of walking away from him whenever I saw him in the distance. lunged at Brandy’s neck and the fight was on.

I was more concerned about Brandy getting injured and really didn’t know what to do.  I knew NOT to to get in the middle of the fight and there was nothing around as a distraction so I kept trying to pull Brandy closer and closer to me and away from the other dog.  My hope was that the other dog would stop as Brandy became next to me and maybe by that time, the owner, who was running towards us would be able to lasso his leash back on and pull him off.  That’s kind of what happened in the end but it really got me thinking what to do if it didn’t work out that way.  DISCLAIMER:  This is only a guide, based on what I discovered after I read several different articles after a search and what I would probably do if confronted with this again.  It is a general consensus of thoughts culled from the articles.  Here’s what I found:

1)  NEVER put yourself in the middle of the dogs or pull at the scruff of the neck in hopes of separation.  Dogs go for each others neck and become totally absorbed in the situation and fight.  The will not recognize your hand/arm/body even if you are their loving parent but there is an incredibly high change that you will be badly injured.  Just DON’T DO IT!

2) Hopefully, you will be in a situation where there are two people–you and the other pet’s owner.  In that case, the safest way to separate the pooches is for each person to grab hold of their pets’ hind legs and pick them up like a wheelbarrow.  Then the dogs can be safely pulled apart.  I don’t know if I would have the courage to go even that far, but I guess if it ever happens again, I’ll be put to the test.   Other alternatives to breaking up a fight require other diversions if you are luckily enough to have them at your disposal.  I did not.  These include:  shooting a water hose over the dogs (a bucket of water might work but is not preferable); the use of pepper spray; a loud jarring noise such as an air horn (but human screaming does not seem to work); or a barrier of some form to help separate–a net, large branch, board.  DO NOT clunk a dog on the head with a stick, especially a large breed dog as their skulls are thick and this will only make them more angry.  Across the nose or at the back base of the skull is an option.

3)  From that point, each party should slowly back away in a circular motion so that the dog remains unbalanced and will have to use the front paws to sidestep and walk.  By doing this, the dogs can no longer pose a threat to the other dog nor to you.  Make sure you are a safe distance away from each other and that the leases on the pups are secured before even considering walking away in a normal fashion.

4)  If you are, unfortunately, ALONE, the first thing to do is, “get a grip!”  You are now in a scary situation that you need to gain control of without getting hurt.  Get another leash or rope (yes, you will have to leave the dogs to fight while you do this unless you have any of the diversions listed in 2) and thread it around one of the dog’s back loin.  Slowly, drag the dog to a fence or tree that you can tie the leash to.  The other dog will probably still be fighting with the leashed dog but once the leashed dog is attached to something stable, you can now go to the other pooch and grab his hind legs and drag him off the other dog.  Circle and turn away while you do this, again, for the balancing issues stated in 3).

Hopefully, this won’t happened to you but, now that it’s happened to me I will feel a little less helpless should there ever be a next time.  I would love to hear any other comments and suggestions or experiences that others have had on this subject.

Brandy and Val, “doing good where good is needed.”  It is through the sales of our books, toys and appearances that we hope to benefit the lives of others, including animals!  Please support us at http://www.BrandyandVal.com

As far as I’m concerned, it’s ALWAYS Brandy and Val Day in our house.  On a national scale, August 26 is National Dog Day, where we publicly celebrate the love we have for our canine friends and recognize all the good they do for us and others–from the unconditional love and friendship they provide to the amazing skills some display n the workforce as search and rescue dogs, bomb sniffers, etc.  It’s also a time to help spread awareness on all the dogs that need to be rescued from abuse and abandonment (but we do that all the time around here).

Since Brandy and Val are pet therapy dogs, out and about helping children, we’d like to make mention that educational programs are available to help your community or local school promote fire and travel safety for both you and your pet.  Travel safety includes that while boating, camping, car and more so check out what’s available and make the world a safer place for all.

Know what’s REALLY cool?  The Crayola Crayon Company is participating in the Dog Day act and if you visit their site, there are LOTS and LOTS of downloadable stuff your kids can do and crafts you can make with them.  There are also ecards you can “color” customize and lesson plans.  It’s a site I’ll go back to again and again because it’s so fun.

Engage everyone you know who loves and appreciates the power of the dog to honor the dog on its’ day.

Brandy and Val, through the sales of their books and toys, honors all dogs by donating a portion of their sales to animal sanctuaries and rescues around the country.   Real Dogs with Real Tales doing good where good is needed!

We never know when life will throw us a curve ball.  Is your dog sitter/walker available at the 11th hour?  If not, what will you do?  Of course, stuff like this happens more often that we’d like and hopefully, you’re prepared to handle this.  But what if another Hurricane Katrina happens or you can’t get back to your home to retrieve your pet in case of an emergency like a flash flood, or wildfire or…..? Who could foretell that the the homeowners in the area around the World Trade Center would not be able to retrieve their pets immediately following 9/11?  Since Katrina, 5 years ago this August, laws have been passed and towns and local municipalities have been working on provisions to ensure that in a natural disaster emergency, pets and their families will have places to go together, that retrieval efforts will be made available should a separation occur or that there are local places that pets can be dropped off where your animals will remain safe and secure until you can safely return.

However, the onus is on US, the pet parent, to HAVE A PLAN and know, in advance, what options are available.  The plans should range from simply designating a friend in a nearby town as a “go to” person or having pet photos and tracking chip numbers on your phone or laptop to more elaborate plans like ensuring that pet carriers are at the ready along with some food and any medications that might be needed.  Know which shelters in your area will take pets if need be. I just discovered PetFriendly Travel.com which has links to great emergency preparedness sites along with listings  and numbers of pet friendly shelters, by state.   Ready.org offers a downloadable guide for pet owners to help us all plan for the unexpected. Another downloadable brochure is offered by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA)  and is quite extensive covering animals of all types–horses, livestock in addition to our run-of-the-mill pooches and kitties and birds.  They really mean it when they titled it, “Saving the Whole Family.”

Of course, I always think I would NEVER leave my pets behind and I don’t ever, ever think I would or even could, but sometimes, one has to think of the unthinkable.  Don’t wait until it’s too late.  Don’t let what happened to Val right after Hurricane Katrina happen to your beloved furry friend.

Val, upon adoption by us

A happy & healthy Val, 2010

Brandy and Val are two rescue dogs who are now very fortunate pooches.  Our mission at Brandy and Val, LLC is “to do good where good is needed” and it is through the sales of our children’s books, Brandy and Val, Real Dogs with Real Tales, and toys that we aim to improve the lives of sheltered, abused and abandoned animals.  It is through our pet therapy that we hope to benefit the lives of children and their families.

REAL DOGS WITH REAL TALES

Welcome to the Dog Days of Summer!  Brandy and Val are enjoying their ice cream to beat the heat and we hope you are having your own “fun in the sun.”  Our big news is that Brandy and Val, LLC just celebrated its’ first anniversary.  We are very proud of our accomplishments this year in “doing good where good is needed.”  To name a few, the following charities have benefited from the sales of our products: Best Friends Animal Sanctuary; Pets Alive Animal Sanctuary; Prader-Willi Association; Cabrini Connections Tutor-Mentor Connection and, of course, Fortunate Pooches and Lab Rescue, where Brandy and Val were adopted from!  So, a big thanks to all of you who have supported us throughout our first year and who helped make this possible.

Continuing to make news with our fabulously fun books and toys for tots, we appeared this past month in PET PRODUCT NEWS and NATURAL DOG.  If a child you know doesn’t have one of our books or toys yet, order one now as they make great diversions for the kids while on car rides, at the beach or anywhere toddlers become restless, in other words, EVERYWHERE!

We would LOVE for you to comment and suggest stories for our blog, “What We are Barking About” and don’t forget you can follow us on Facebook and Twitter, too. Also, look out for our article in the September edition of Women’s World magazine. I hear it will be on newsstands in mid-August.

In closing out the month, Brandy and Val also want to say thanks to the Center for Independence Camp for allowing us to read to and work with your special children.  We hope that through our pet therapy duties, we can enhance the lives of children in some positive way!  Please contact us at info@BrandyandVal.com if you would like Brandy and Val to visit a school, library or children’s program in the Chicago area.

Enjoy the rest of the summer.  As always, thanks for your support,

Ilene Fine, Author,

Brandy and Val, Brandy and Val’s Favorite Things, Brandy and Val’s Special Story

Now that the Dog Days of Summer are upon us, did you ever wonder where some of the most widely used dog expressions come from?   Well, I decided to check a few out and thought I’d like to share my findings with you….

THE DOG DAYS OF SUMMER  finds its’ origins in the stars, specifically the constellation Canis Major or big dog.  The brightest star in this cluster that resembles the outline of a dog is called Sirius.   Sirius is 20 times as bright as the sun and twice it’s size and it was believed that  the period between July 3 and August 11 (approximately) represented “extra summer warmth,” hence, the “dog days of summer.”    In actuality, the timeframe represents the 20 days before and the 20 days after when Sirius and the sun are perfectly in line.

DOG TIRED  Seems to date back to the 1800s when Alfred the Great’s two sons would go out hunting with the dogs; whoever would catch more at the end of the day would have the honor of sitting next to their father at the evening’s supper.  The exhausting competition left the sons “dog tired.”

RAINING CATS AND DOGS  This is a puzzler.  In my findings there seems to be no consensus of where the term exactly comes from.  Several theories abound ranging from Norse mythology where sailors likened violent storms to be caused by cats (bringing the rain) and dogs (the wind).   Another says that, during the 1500s, dogs and cats would sleep on or hide in the thatched roofs of houses in England and during storms, they would washed out of the thatch.  It it also theorized that perhaps Jonathan Swift penned the term in his 1710 poem, A Description of  a City Shower.

SICK AS A DOG Ok, this one’s relatively simple.  Dogs eat anything and everything, right?  And sometimes it doesn’t work out for them, right?  In other words, you’re left cleaning up a big mess on the floor.  So, back in England in the 1700’s the phrase was coined.

What doggie expressions are your favorites?  Brandy and Val, Real Dogs with Real Tales, would love to hear your comments!  We love to “do good where good is needed” and it is through this blog, our sales of our books and toys and our pet therapy appearances that we want to spread the word and benefit the lives of animals and children.

We are so excited to have guest blogger, Jane Davis, share the story of her rescue dogs Hogan and Magic with us!  At Brandy and Val, our mission is “to do good where good is needed” and for months, we have been extolling the virtues of adopting abandoned/sheltered animals and the virtues of pet therapy.   Jane and Hogan make a special team…..

HOGAN & ME
by Jane Davis

As I was waiting for a ride from a friend down her “off the grid” road,  a flash of energy came bounding toward me. I knelt quickly on the ground  while a spotted white, brown and black dog leapt upon me. He was  emaciated, dirty and determined. I played with him for a few minutes until  suddenly he sat still, smashed his right paw on my left shoulder and  stared into my eyes, his icicle blue eyes piercing my soul.

“Ghost eyes,” I thought.

“You get it?!” he seemed to say. “You are mine. I am yours.”

As soon as I acknowledged, “Yes, I hear you,” he started jumping all  around.

But he would not get into my friend’s car. I communicated to him that  he had to come on his own. He refused, so I said goodbye.

Two miles later, glancing out the window, I saw him running alongside  the car, a slight grin parting his mouth. He jumped into the car.

But my landlord said, “No dogs.”

We moved.

Two months later the new landlord said, “Dog can’t stay.”

We moved twice more before we found our final home, where we have been  for the past three years.

For the first year, Hogan thought it was fun to play his favorite game  throughout the night: head butting. He would take a running leap onto the  bed and smash his forehead into mine. He remained unsocialized despite the  training he was receiving. Finally, a friend suggested that I spray him in  the face with water. Two sprays later, the head butting ceased. I worked  closely with him, attempting to train him while keeping his wild spirit  intact. We went to puppy training and the dog park. He became increasingly  accustomed to everything in his new life. (more…)

For those of you who follow us, you are already aware that Brandy and Val works with autistic children in some of our pet therapy programs and working with special needs children is a project that is near and dear to us.   Recently, one of our staff members brought the Hiram Farms agricultural program to our attention since his brother is afflicted with the disorder and the farm is competing for much needed grant money that will help it expand its’ day program targeted at providing inspiration and meaningful work for individuals growth with Autism Spectrum Disorders.   The grant money will provide the Farm  with funding to build an activity center and farm office.

Farm work is therapeutic for people with autism.  Working with animals is calming and helps to develop skills related to respect, trust, contribution, commitment, self-confidence and responsibility.  Physical labor improves aerobic health, coordination and balance.  Since children and adults on the autism spectrum typically show difficulties in verbal and non-verbal communications, social interactions and leisure or play activities, programs aimed at developing these skills enhance the lives and families of those involved as they benefit the overall community.

Speaking of community, as an added benefit, the farm’s 120 acres produces organically grown vegetables, meat and eggs for Hiram, Ohio!

PLEASE help Hiram Farms win this grant by voting on the Pepsi Refresh Everything website. The grant only goes to the top ten ideas so every vote counts. Learn more about the farm and how to vote for the grant on the Hiram Farm Facebook Page. ACT NOW!  VOTING ENDS JUNE 30!

Those of us at Brandy and Val, LLC have voted.  Brandy and Val, “Doing good where good is needed.”  Spread the word.

Take Your Dog to Work Day is a great opportunity to share with your office how adorable your REALLY best friend is.  Also, it’s a great way to help promote the idea of pet adoption from animal shelters, humane societies, breed shelters and the like.  There are some great animals out there looking for loving new homes.  Both Brandy and Val were shelter dogs and now they’re out in the community helping others as pet therapy pooches.  That’s pretty good.    Take Your Dog To Work day has been around since 2009 and did you know that companies like Google, Amazon.com, Dartmouth College and Sur La Table will be participating? Get involved.  Visit Take Your Dog to Work Day.com for ideas on how to get started.

Our mission at Brandy and Val, LLC is “to do good where good is needed.”  It is through the sales of our books and toys, along with our pet therapy duties that we hope to benefit the lives of children and animals.

Sunday’s NEW YORK TIMES revealing article, THE ANTI-CRUELTY SYNDROME finally correlated what many animal rights supporters, animal lovers and the like, have believed all along:  there is a definitive link between animal abuse and other forms of violence. DUH!  There is enough convincing scientific evidence out there that now local government agencies are willing to put resources to work that  help track down these violent offenders of animals and also help rehabilitate them, too.  The article points out that animal cruelty awareness is getting its’ just due in this country and that 46 states have laws on the books making various forms of animal abuse a felony.     Perhaps this is great opportunity to revisit the implications of the recent Supreme Court ruling which overturned a federal law that made it a crime to create or sell dogfight videos and other depictions of animal cruelty.

The whole article is certainly worth reading, chock full of facts and programs that are being tested and used in communities.   As participants in pet therapy programs, we have always endorsed and mentioned organizations that use animals in helping to teach empathy and responsibility to people.   We’ve also talked about the healing and rehabilitative effects of being near or having an animal in one’s life.   In a twist of irony, the article goes on to say that those who are animal abusers benefit from prolonged exposure working with animals and that equine-therapy programs are especially good at this.  We already know that victims of abuse and emotionally withdrawn individuals benefit from the many pet therapy programs out there, too.

Whether it be the abused,  the abuser or the rest of us, it’s time to acknowledge, respect and benefit from  the power of animals.  Brandy and Val have known this all along!

Brandy and Val are my two rescue dogs that are out and about in the community working with children.  It is through their pet therapy work and the sales of their books:  BRANDY AND VAL; BRANDY AND VAL’S FAVORITE THINGS and BRANDY AND VAL’S SPECIAL STORY that the goal of “doing good where good is needed”  can be realized.  Animal sanctuaries and rescues throughout the country benefit from every purchase!