Of course, nearest and dearest to my heart are the ones that help animals, including my series of Brandy and Val books and toys. Since most of the gifts given out during the Holidays go to kids, these books fit the bill as they help animal sanctuaries throughout the U.S.  with 100% of  profits from Brandy and Val’s Special Story being donated to the rescue Brandy and Val were adopted from, Fortunate Pooches and Lab Rescue.  While we’re on the subject of books, Happy Tails Books aims to donate 20-25% of their net proceeds to animal welfare groups through the sale of books about adopted/rescued dogs.  What’s cool about their books is that they’re breed specific and they’re comprised of stories submitted by the guardians of the pets that were saved.  Help Save A Stray’s Shop offers t-shirts, tote bags, doggie bandannas and more and YOU get to select  where your donation goes from over the two dozen animal shelters they have listed on their site.

In no particular order, here are a few other unique gift ideas and sites that I’ve come across that help support our furry friends: Laughing Dog Art Studio creates pet portraits with a donation made to the animal shelter of your choice; The Dog Lover’s Wine Club of Carivintas Winery support a variety of animal rescues.  Wine selections can be chosen that support dogs, cats and horses!  Silver Bean Coffee sells a special blend that supports one of our favorite animal sanctuaries, Best Friends

I was even surprised to see how many Yahoo Groups there were that held discussions about gifts that give back to charity and My Shopping Connection has a section on gifts that give back to charities.  Brandy and Val made that list!  Finally, most rescue organizations have a myriad of gifts bearing their own logos, books etc. that support their causes and there are several companies such as Giftback.com contribute a back to a variety of charitable organizations with every purchase.

HAPPY SHOPPING!

There is always something to be thankful for in our lives, even on the bad days.  Every day, I take a moment to reflect on how thankful I am for so many things, taking “the glass is half full” versus “the glass is half empty” approach.  For most of us, Thursday will bring an over-abundance of food to our tables as we share it with friends and/or family. However, heartache abounds–Afghanistan, Iraq, the flailing economy, I could go on an on. Hurricane Katrina ravaged the Gulf coast in 2005 and every day I am reminded that New Orleans has still not recovered as a city and wonder how many families are still in a state of flux.  Val is a Hurricane Katrina dog and there’s not a day that goes by that I don’t look into his eyes and wonder what his story is or under what circumstances his family decided to leave him behind. He was obviously destined to be with us (and we’re all very lucky) but what happened to all the other pets that were abandoned?

Following is a reprint of an article I wrote that is currently available on eZines:

August 28 marked the 4th anniversary of one of the most devastating hurricanes this country has ever seen. What became of these beloved animals?

Estimates vary, but over 50,000 furry companions were abandoned in the Gulf region by their guardians as they fled to higher, safer ground. Without a doubt, almost all residents anticipated returning to their homes and pets. Dozens of animal rescue organizations and individual volunteers from around the United States converged on New Orleans to assist in the local animal rescue and recovery and to fill the void left by the government who was ill-prepared to handle and in many ways thwarted these efforts. While most animals succumbed to the trauma and effects of the storm, approximately 10,000 were rescued and transported to other parts of the country where they found new homes or remain in shelters and animal sanctuarys waiting to be adopted. Despite their heroic attempts, these rescues were only able to reunite about 3,000 pets with their original families.

Animal welfare organizations from most major cities were represented in the area, including several from Chicago. All participated in helping to find new homes for some these homeless dogs and cats or to help find their families. Val, a Labrador retriever who was found barely alive, was one of the lucky ones, having found his way into a new loving home in suburban Chicago. “He was a disaster when we first saw him with his soulful, lonely eyes and emaciated body,” recounts Val’s new best friend, Jay Pomerance. “By the time he got to us in March, he was still only 40 pounds, had a malunited broken leg and was recovering from heartworm and numerous skin maladies.” Val now weighs in at a healthy 72 pounds and bounds about the house with his sister, Brandy, who was also a shelter dog. Both were adopted from the same shelter in suburban Chicago. These former “down-on-their-luck pooches” now participate in pet therapy programs and shelter awareness appearances in their community

As for what will be the fate of pets when disaster strikes in the future? The PETS (Pet Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act) was signed in October, 2006, mandating that local and state emergency management plans “include preparation for evacuating family pets and service animals along with their owners.” This federal law also “allows FEMA to provide funding to create pet-friendly shelters and assist with the development of localized emergency manage plans.”

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ilene_Fine

HELP SAVE A STRAY Rather than my editorialize, I’ll just quote from Jennifer, the

organization’s founder and then you can check out the site on your own!

“The mission of helpsaveastray.com is to increase the amount of donations and adoptions made through animal shelters and rescue foundations and decrease the amount of stray animals in the United States, by promoting animal shelters and rescue foundations as well as educating pet owners on proper pet care, so that every animal will have a safe place to call home……No animal deserves to be without a loving, caring, forever home.  Help me through this journey of education and promotion.  I’m convinced that if we all work together we can and will make a change!”