Brandy and Val

It’s that time of year again when we remind everyone that at Brandy and Val, LLC our mission is “to do good where good is needed.”  With that in mind, we reiterate that we hope to make a difference in the lives of animals and children through our volunteer work and charitable giving from the sales of our children’s books and toys.

Our list includes the following animal sanctuaries, rescues and aid dogs:

Pets Alive:   A family favorite for years.  Located in Middletown, New York, this sanctuary saves and cares for many in need.

Best Friends:  Instrumental in coordinating the rescue efforts of animals after many natural disasters, including Hurricane Katrina in 2005.  Val is a Hurricane Katrina survivor.

National Search Dog Foundation Deployed teams to help in the rescue efforts after 9/11.  Helped provide rescue and psychological support and love to the first responders.

Fortunate Pooch and Lab Rescue Our local favorite where Brandy and Val were both adopted from.  Located in Palatine, IL, a suburb outside Chicago.

Happy Holidays to All and Best Wishes for 2012.

Ilene, Brandy and Val

(photo credit: Ron Vesely Photpgraphy)

At Brandy and Val, LLC, we are always looking for organizations that do good deeds that benefit the lives of animals, especially those abandoned and abused.  I was watching Animal Planet’s Dogs 101 the other evening and learned about Pilots and Paws rescue services and thought I’d share/spread the word about them.  Essentially pilots and plane owners who wish to help rescues do so through the transporting of animals to new homes or shelters around the country.  The pilots volunteer their time and aircraft to make this possible and rescues can post their requests.  Pilots read the postings and, if they can accommodate, contact the rescue and make appropriate arrangements.

Read about the heartwarming story of Belle, an English Setter, to find out how these wonderful pilots make a difference to animals and families who are looking for that “perfect” canine addition to their home.

As for DOGS 101, I stumbled upon that show while channel surfing and enjoy it every time I stop to watch.  It’s a kind of video primer on all things dog and each week, a few breeds are looked at in depth, especially in terms of what kind of pets they would make.  The videos of the pups are adorable to watch and there’s always something interesting to learn.  Trainers, veterinarians and groomers are usually interviewed and at the end of each segment, a quick summary  of the pros/cons of the dog is posted.     For example, the Australian Dingo is a very controversial dog and doesn’t make a good pet.  Find out why! On the other hand, the Keeshond, a dog I didn’t even know,  makes a great pet, are good pet therapy dogs who even provided emotional support to the rescue workers in 9/11.    Definitely a show worth tuning into…..

Brandy and Val, LLC supports animal shelters throughout the country through the sales of their toys and books: BRANDY AND VAL: BRANDY AND VAL’S FAVORITE THINGS; BRANDY AND VAL’S SPECIAL STORY. Brandy and Val are two real dogs who went from being down on their luck to very fortunate pooches.  To learn more about them visit their website, Brandy and Val.

There are tons of cute dog videos around, this is one of the the cutest of late that Brandy and Val would like to share with you.

Now through the end of September, Brandy and Val will be making a special donation to National Disaster Search Dog Foundation with every sale of BRANDY AND VAL’S FAVORITE THINGS and mini-Brandy and mini-Vals. Visit our website.  Our mission at Brandy and Val is “to do good where good is needed” and it is through the sales of our books and toys that we hope to improve the lives of children and animals.

Summer is finally here, although, at times, it doesn’t much feel like it.  There’s been lots of rain throughout the country but we try to focus on the sunny, warm days that we can all be outside to play!

Brandy and Val wrapped up their pet therapy school year on a very positive high note.  The kids really responded this year and were much more comfortable and interactive in the pups’ presence.   The strides taken are a cumulative process and  we can’t stress how important we think our work is to the kids.  They have really warmed up to them and we can see how much they appear to enjoy having Brandy and Val around and interacting with them.

Our work on the top of pet therapy was featured in two articles this past spring.  One on the website Acting Balanced which is hosted by a mom with a child who has Autism Spectrum Disorder.  The other appeared in the Calgary Herald.  We are grateful for the opportunity to speak about what we do and spread the word about how pet therapy dogs enhance the lives of others.

Continuing on with that theme, Brandy and Val will be making another appearance at the Center For Independence camp the end of the month.  The campers are comprised mostly of children who have CP (Cerebral Palsy) and MD (muscular dystrophy).  We enjoy bringing added happiness to their day.

As our mission is “to do good where good is needed” we hope you will continue to remember that with the continuing sagging economy, many pets are being neglected and abandoned.  It is through the sales of our toys and books -BRANDY AND VAL, BRANDY AND VAL’S FAVORITE THINGS and BRANDY AND VAL’S SPECIAL STORY — that we also help animal sanctuaries throughout the country such as Best Friends and Pets Alive.   In addition, 100% of the sales from BRANDY AND VAL’S SPECIAL STORY go to support Fortunate Pooches and Lab Rescue, the shelter that both Brandy and Val were adopted from.  SOOOOOO, feel good knowing that you are helping and animal in need with every item purchased from us!

As always, thank you for your continued support and enjoy the season!

Ilene Fine, Author

Brandy and Val, Real Dogs with Real Tales

April is Autism Awareness Month and, as many of you who follow this blog know, Brandy and Val are pet therapy dogs who work with children who have ASD, Autism Spectrum Disorder.  We blog from time to time about the activities we do with the kids and last year we provided a bunch of links about information on autism in our first Autism Awareness Month post.  Along the way, people have interviewed us about how we help and if we’ve seen progress;  I can categorically say we do.  I always wonder, though, if more couldn’t be done to socialize the kids, what goes through their minds  and how complex their thoughts are (or aren’t).

This past Wednesday, I was completely blown away by a lecture I went to sponsored by The New York Times.  Called “Changing the Face of Autism” the discussion revolved around two men, Tracy Thresher and Larry Bissonnette, who are the subjects of a new documentary by Academy Award winning producer-director Gerardine Wurzburg.   Tracy, an advocate for people with disabilities and his friend Larry, also an advocate in addition to being an artist, happen to have autism.  They see their mission as one of  ”mopping up audiences’ old beliefs about autism” (Larry’s words)  and they want to emphatically state that:

• Even though they are non-verbal, they HAVE THOUGHTS AND IDEAS just like those who speak.  They are just unable to express them through speaking
• They are very aware of the uninitiated’s views on autism and people with autism.  They are extremely frustrated and deeply affected by it.
• People should be defined by their passions not their disabililites

Larry and Tracy were lucky enough to have found programs that enabled them to learn to type, thereby allowing them to communicate freely with the rest of us.  With today’s technology, including voice activation software, the audience was able to see and hear their thoughts as they typed them.  Their eloquence and sense of humor is amazing and their thoughts on what needs to be done in terms of autism awareness, expansive.  They also made mention that the iPad is starting to revolutionize how non-verbal people communicate.   There’s an app for that!

The president of the Autism Society of America, Lee Grossman, was also on the panel and what really struck me after listening to Larry, Tracy and Lee was the realization there are a lot more people with autism that are not being given the opportunity to be productive citizens solely because they are non-verbal.  Lee elaborated that it is unknown how many non-verbal people can function at high levels because programs and opportunities like Larry and Tracy’s aren’t widespread. He believes that it is incumbent upon us as a society to find ways to recognize the talents of this population group so that they can obtain jobs and make meaningful contributions to their communities.

I was so saddened to think how many ASDers are shut out of having an active life, how aware and frustrated many of them are.  With so many programs, a grass-roots effort to change the way we look at remedying the circumstances is being glossed over due to lack of funding.  Tracy commented that, as a young boy he knew he was different and that “not being able to show people I understood what was going on around him was a jail sentence, so I would throw tantrums.”   How heartbraking.

Lucky for us that Tracy is free from  his jail and  in addition to promoting the movie (which is a MUST if it hits your city) he mentors students with autism at his old high school.  He and Larry have undertaken a truly worthy mission and we need to help them change the face of autism.  For more information, please visit the Autism Society website and absolutely check out the WRETCHES & JABBERERS website where you can also find links to Larry and Tracy’s blogs.

Do you have experience working with ASD children or adults?  Are you personally affected by someone with ASD?  We’d love to hear your story.  Please comment.  Our mission at Brandy and Val, LLC is “to do good where good is needed” and it is through our pet therapy participation and sales from our children’s board books and toys that we hope to benefit the lives of children and animals.

Last Saturday, we got re-evaluated so that we could continue our work as pet therapy dogs.  A lot of people ask our mom what we have to do during this process so we thought we’d tell you firsthand!

Well, the whole thing takes about 45 minutes.   I think Val and I were the only two dogs that day that weren’t collies except for a Burmese Mountain Dog.  Anyway, they make us go through a series of tests to make sure that “our dispositions” are still good that we won’t get irritated in a variety of circumstances.

The first thing we had to do was greet the other dogs in a friendly, non-confrontational fashion and gently accept dog treats from the other handlers.  We were really good at that.  Then we had to sit and stay while mom and dad went away for a minute or so.  I guess this was to make sure that we were well behaved and didn’t wander away from our position when not directly supervised.  We were so happy when mom and dad came back and we were even allowed to run to greet them.   Since we work with a lot of children who are not mobile or who are disabled on one side, we were tested to make sure we could go over and sit by someone in a chair at arm’s length on the left and right sides as well as approach from the front.   The part of the exam that was most fun for us was when all these people came over to us and kept petting us.  We didn’t get why that was part of the test since it felt so good, but they wanted to make sure we didn’t get nervous around all those people coming at us.  Since Brandy and I also go on book appearances and story times, we were used to that and it was no problem at all.  Then someone came over to us and checked us out to make sure that we were being well taken care of and that we didn’t get upset when someone came to look at our teeth, pick up our paws, check our coats out.  I don’t really like when people pick up the foot that was broken but it didn’t really hurt.  I broke my foot when I was wandering the streets after Hurricane Katrina.   There was also another feeding test from the proctor of the exam and Brandy and I both got complimented on how gentle we are.    Mom and dad also had to submit a form with a list of all the tricks and games we can do.  We hope that impressed the testers!  Finally, there were a few commands of the ho-hum variety:  the “sits” the “stays” the “downs.”   That was it!

Good to go.  Happiness for all.

Do you have a positive experience to share with us about dog therapy?  Please tell us!  Our mission is “to do good where good is needed” and we’d love to share your stories with others to help benefit animals and children nationwide.  Visit our website http://www.BrandyandVal.com for more details on how we help.

BRANDY AND VAL, REAL DOGS WITH REAL TALES

December update

Brandy and Val packing away
To get the books shipped for Xmas Day
If your order’s not in, do not delay
Give us a click & we’ll ship it today.

Consider that a portion of sales from Brandy and Val, LLC are donated to help animal rescues throughout the country.  100% of the sales from BRANDY AND VAL’S SPECIAL STORY are donated to Fortunate Pooches and Lab Rescue, the shelter Brandy and Val were adopted from in Palatine, IL. Pet’s Alive in Middletown, NY, and Best Friends in Kenab, UT, are also recipients of funds.   The students in all of Brandy and Val’s pet therapy classes also received gifts this year of Brandy and Val books and toys.

Without everyone’s continued support, we would not have been in a position to make this happen.  Thank you!

We hope everyone has a wonderful, healthy and safe Holiday Season and Best Wishes for 2011.

Ilene Fine, Author,

Brandy and Val, the dogs!

*United Feature Syndicate, Inc.

It’s that time of year when everyone ramps up their charitable giving.  At Brandy and Val, LLC, our mission is “doing good where good is needed” and we practice that mantra year round as there is plenty of work to be done 24/7, 365 days a year!  With donating a portion of sales from our books to animal shelters and through our pet therapy duties, we hope to benefit the lives of animals, children and their families.  There are SO many good charities and causes out there do you ever wonder though, what a $100 donation can do?  Find a cause and MAKE IT HAPPEN for others this holiday season.

REAL SIMPLE magazine, in their December issue, had a really interesting page showcasing a few that I’ll share here:

BEST FRIENDS an animal sanctuary that Brandy and Val supports, can microchip 10 cats

READING IS FUNDAMENTAL can give away 50 children’s books in their effort to promote literacy (another cause Brandy and Val supports through Open Books in Chicago)

DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS provides 3 first-aid kits, 24 blankets and 10 surgical scissors to communities in medical need

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY an organization who helped re-build hard hit areas affected by Hurricane Katrina and helps create housing worldwide can purchase 1 toilet, 2 hard hats and 3 hammers with your $100 donation.  (Val is a Katrina dog which is why we mention the Katrina connection)

A few others not in the article include:

CITYMEALS ON WHEELS can provide 20 holiday meals for home-bound elderly ($128 donation)

PETS ALIVE Animal sanctuary (we support them, too!) can sponsor 2 senior dogs in need of additional medical treatment to improve their quality of life

Last week I talked about today being America Recycles Day.  Continuing the thread, since I made a pledge to increase my green awareness and urge others to do so, I got to thinking how this affects Brandy and Val and all our pets.   How green are their lives?  How green are your pets lives?  Things to think about going forward:

Q:  ARE BRANDY AND VAL’S TOYS MADE FROM RECYCLABLE MATERIALS?

A:  I  have to admit that only in the past year have I been more conscious of purchasing toys made from recycled materials or, better yet, making up my own toys from things that I otherwise would have discarded (worn socks filled with tightly packed newspaper, for example or simply putting toys in the washing machine that I otherwise would have thought too dirty to keep.  A surprising number of these toys actually came through the wash EXTREMELY well.)    Actually,  I think I’m doing a pretty good job on this front.  Since I am not product endorsing here, I will say that a quick search of “green pet toys” brings up a huge assortment.  Happy hunting!  I know the local pet shops in my area are increasing their inventory of GREEN toys.  Since I am also a big fan of supporting local stores, if your local pet store doesn’t offer what you’re looking for, ask for it!

Q:  ARE BRANDY AND VAL’S FOOD MADE FROM ORGANIC AND/OR NATURAL INGREDIENTS THAT DON’T USE CHEMICALS THAT HARM THE ENVIRONMENT?

A:  Again, I think I am doing pretty well on this front although I kind of backed into it.  Brandy and Val, to be frank, were having “gas” issues post-dinner and we decided a food change needed to be in the works.  Since Val, the Katrina survivor, also has some tummy issues, dating from his days roaming the streets, we spent several months and several trial and errors until we found a food that worked.  Not only was the food organic and “all natural” with no preservatives, we received some extremely great added benefits.  Both Brandy and Val lost some weight since there were no fillers in the food and, because of that, the poop load also decreased.  Yippee, especially since we are good neighbors and diligent “picker uppers” if you get what I mean.  Again, a brief search brought up lots of organic and natural pet foods available on the market.

Q:  ARE BRANDY AND VAL’S FOODS OR OTHER PRODUCTS MADE FROM SUSTAINABLE OR LOCAL SOURCES THAT MINIMIZE THE DEPLETION OF OUR EARTH’S NATURAL RESOURCES?

A:  I must say that I really don’t know how sustainable the food is but I do know it’s not local.  I think that for most, finding locally sourced pet food would be extremely difficult although I do know that one of the meat vendors at my local farmer’s market (Chicago’s Green City Market which, by the way, is one of the BEST sustainable farmers’ markets in the Country) is now offering RAW pet food for purchase.  Sorry, I’m not there yet.  It was a bit gross looking although I can imagine Brandy and Val really finding it appealing.  As for the other stuff Brandy and Val uses, no, most of the toys, collars, etc. are not locally produced, unfortunately.  I’m a bit stumped on how to overcome that hurdle.  Since I am also a potter, I can contribute food and water bowls for them which would cut down on any plastic bowls used but I currently used metal ones for them.  SIGH.

Q: IF I CAN BUY ONE DURABLE TOY THAT LAST’S A MONTH, ISN’T IT BETTER TO BUY THAT RATHER THAN 30 LESS DURABLE TOYS?

A:  Well of course it is.  But, it’s much more fun to have 30 toys in the bin than 1.  Unless I can come up with 30 ingenious toys to make, I’ll continue to fail miserably on this front.  SUGGESTIONS???????

If you don’t know already, it is our mission at Brandy and Val, LLC to “do good where good is needed.”  It is through our blog, the books and toys we sell and the pet therapy programs that we participate in that we hope to benefit the lives of others, especially animals and children.  Please visit our website for more details on how we make a difference.

We welcome your comments and suggestions on how you and your pet lead GREEN lives.

Next Monday is America Recycles Day.  Normally, I talk about  causes specifically relating to children or animal welfare but if you think about it, what’s more important than trying to save the earth from ourselves so that future generations can benefit?  We are such a WASTEFUL society…..if it’s not disposable, many of us feel it’s not worth our effort to preserve and save.  SO SAD and definitely to the detriment of our collective futures.

So what’s this day all about?  For 11 years now, November 15 has been the only nationally recognized day where communities and individuals nationwide pledge to increase and promote the importance of recycling and using recycled products.  The America Recycles Day website has lots of ideas and ways for you to contribute.  Looking for recycling locations in your area?  Plug in your zip code and what it is you are looking to recycle and you’re all set!  Another great site for learning about recycling is earth911.com . Find an event in your area — whether it be a collection drive or rally.   For an exhaustive collection of recycling resources, the  ”Links and Resources” page on the America Recycles Day website is the place.

Help make the world a better place.  GET INVOLVED.  Are you up to the task?

Brandy and Val, the dogs, wholeheartedly support the cause through the continual efforts of their parents and co-workers.  At Brandy and Val, LLC, our mission is “to do good where good is needed.”   It is through the sales of our books and toys that we hope to benefit the lives of children.