Brandy and Val

Can you believe Thanksgiving is upon us?  Families will be coming, going, gathering and eating and we will all be giving “thanks” for the blessings we have in our lives.  Then the craziness known as the “Holiday Shopping Season” will be upon us fast and furious.  But, before we get to that, a few things:

Brandy and Val, the dogs, finally got to meet Zachary’s mom a few weeks ago.  See our Facebook page for photos!  It’s hard to believe that even though Zachary provided the inspiration for writing the Brandy and Val series, neither he nor his mom have been out to visit since the pups became a part of our family!  We hope that a visit from Zachary will now be in the making.  While we are on the subject of giving thanks and “doing good where good is needed” (our mission), did you know that sales of our books and toys benefit Prader Willi Syndrome Association, the disorder that Zachary is afflicted with and, which, to date, has no cure.

Since our sales also help several animal sanctuaries and rescues throughout the Country, I’d also like to mention Help Save A Stray, an organization that provides a nationwide network of connections betwen animal lovers and shelters.  Kudos to all the work they do–they also have an online store where profits go to shelters of your choosing!  Now through December 15, if you order from us and mention Help Save A Stray, we will send you a FREE mini-Brandy or mini-Val toy.

Our Blog, “What We Are Barking About” also talks about causes that we support in addition to giving pet therapy updates.  We work with children/young adults suffering from Autism Spectrum Disorder and we are very pleased that in the past week, one child who, for one entire year would not go near Brandy, has now brushed and pet her for two weeks in a row AND says Brandy is nice.  We’re also thrilled that two of our other non-verbal, non-emotive students “high-fived” us and smiled with us.  We can only hope that these positive developments can be extrapolated to greater happines in these kids’ lives and with their friends and family.

We hope that you will include our books – BRANDY AND VAL, BRANDY AND VAL’S FAVORITE THINGS and BRANDY AND VAL’S SPECIAL STORY - and toys on your gift lists for any pre-schoolers you have in your lives.  They’re affordably priced, heartwarming and gifts that give back.  Thank you for your support.

Ilene Fine, Author

Brandy and Val, Real Dogs with Real Tales

The Season For Giving rings even truer this year with so many people, pets, families and not-for-profit organizations in need.  Sure, we feel warm and fuzzy when people make donations in our names but, if you’re contemplating material gift purchases for loved ones this season, why not consider ones that give back to a cause that you believe in, as well?  Gifts such as these abound!

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!

It’s no secret that the number of stray animals and abandoned pets is on the rise and, sadly, is now reaching epidemic proportions.  First, there were all the abandoned pets resulting from Hurricane Katrina and now there are the “Foreclosure Dogs.”  We at Brandy and Val are very pleased to have recently formed alliances with Help Save a Stray and Happy Tails Books, two groups that address these issues in philanthropic ways:

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!”