Ahnung ... Rescued Dog to Therapy Dog

Rez Dog Play

2011-11-28T05:04:00.000-06:00

Rez dog pile:
Zuzu, Nung-nung and Legacy pile!

After Zuzu came for an overnight mom was then asked if she would consider fostering him till he got adopted ... hmmm, I could've told her that was coming!!! :) Well, Zuzu needed to spend some time in our home so that she could learn some dog rules and boundaries and mom was told that I would be a good teacher and role model for her and that she really needed socialization and play time with Legacy. If there's a pup that can teach another pup about the art of playing it's my brother Legacy!! He taught me how much fun it is to play ... every morning we play. I just have to share him with our foster sister Zuzu and that's okay. Zuzu has been with us for a couple weeks now in what mom is now calling the Pack Style Puppy Rehabilitation program. Zuzu had to learn not to be protective of her food and that when mom puts her hand in her food bowl it's a good thing; she also had to learn that she can't make a mad dash for the food bowl at dinner time ... like the rest of us, she has to sit and wait till mom tells her it's okay to eat. She's a smart little girl and she's learned quickly. Mom has also been taking her for lots of puppy outings (like she did with Legacy and the other two pups she fostered) ... she's no longer scared or skittish and is much more confident. She loves going to Chuck & Don's Pet Food Outlet and over the weekend she even got a bath at Bubbly Paws! She got a great application in from a young couple and tomorrow night they are going to meet her ... so, it's possible the sweet little pup is going to be adopted soon and will have her own forever home! :)

For now, we keep teaching her and I keep playing ... well, I LOVE LOVE LOVE my brother Legacy and we play so hard together and we snuggle up and sleep together a lot. Here's a video of us playing chase. Mom is amazed that I can run so fast ... and the little squirt, well ... he still can't catch me!!

and here's one of the 3 of us playing ..

Zuzu comes for a visit ...

2011-11-13T07:30:00.000-06:00

Halloween --- Zuzu style!

A few days ago mom tells me that we are having an overnight visitor ... this little puppy, Zuzu, who was rescued also from Red Lake reservation. She's up for adoption through Act V Rescue & Rehabilitation. Mom was asked to keep her for the night. Yes, this little pup needs some needed socialization and to learn how to interact and play with other dogs and to not be afraid. Hmmm .... there isn't a better place than our home with our pack of 4! Mom is told ... she's a little snarly and protective of her food (no problem, nung and mom can work with her on that!); she runs around like a nervous puppy and doesn't stop (we can fix that too!); and she's afraid of big dogs, especially big black dogs (ahh ... nung-nung can fix that too! We have lots of big black dogs here and nung-nung can be the first to show her that we're very nice dogs and won't hurt her).

We loved having her stay and she was like a new puppy after just 24 hours. When she first met me she just came right up to me and sniffed me. Mom tells me all the time that I am such a calm dog and that I have such an influence on other animals and also people. What do i think??? Well, i'm just nung-nung :) Legacy and Zuzu loved each other and played so hard. It was good for both of them. Zuzu also got to meet Mister who is so good with puppies. You should've seen Mister when mom was crazy and brought 13 puppies to the house to foster!!! Mister just knows to take things slowly with Zuzu. Zuzu got to watch Legacy and Mister playing and also saw how Legacy and I play. Mom says it's important for her to have good role models. Zuzu didn't get to meet Missy yet ... but something tells me Zuzu will be coming back. I think our home is a perfect home for rehabilitation and socialization for the puppies.

Here's a video 12 hours after Zuzu arrived!!!

Zuzu arrives ... the Rez Dogs!

Legacy and Zuzu .. a kiss???

On WCCO Morning News!

2011-10-22T09:38:00.000-05:00

With Matt Brickman of WCCO
oh .. the cute girl is Gigi, and she's up for adoption
through Pet Haven!

So mom made me get up really early this morning because we had to be down at the WCCO studio by 7:30. She told me I had to wear a cute outfit provided by Lulu & Luigi to help promote the Pet Haven Fall Benefit which is on Saturday, 10/29 (it's their big fundraiser to raise money so more of my friends can be helped!).

On the way into the studio this morning mom was a party pooper ... I took a dive into the bushes on the walkway in and yanked out a dead possum --- okay, it was just the skin of the possum!!! Mom yelled at me to 'drop it'. I looked at her, debated on whether i should listen ... she looked at me with 'those' eyes so I dropped the possum. Hmmm ... for being on TV I think I should get a prize but mom didn't think so ... anyway, off we went into the studio and I got to put out my cute coat from Lulu & Luigi and wear a purple hemp collar and leash. It was so nice and soft. At first I wasn't sure about it but then I decided I really liked it ... and my pal Gigi got to wear a cute outfit too :)

In the 'green room' getting ready for the show

Checking out the studio landscape
in nung-nung style

Waiting patiently

Our two minutes of fame! :)

Mom tells me that everyone at the studio kept asking her 'is she always this calm??' ... she said I was such a good girl and I did a great job laying perfectly still and facing the camera :) I hope mom told everyone that I have to be calm and conserve my energy so that I can chase rabbits, squirrels and even dead possums (just wish she'd let me keep them when I catch them or find them!). I also need to conserve my energy so I can play with little brother Legacy. He's now almost 12 weeks old and is 15 pounds!!!

Ahnung and Legacy ... best of friends!

Welcome Legacy to our family!

2011-10-12T09:07:00.000-05:00

With my new brother Legacy!

At the end of August mom fostered 13 puppies (yes, that's THIRTEEN puppies) for 5 days. All the puppies came from Leech Lake Indian Reservation (three hours north of here ... the same place my buddy Jake came from). There were quite a few of them that were pretty sick and weak. After 5 days she was able to take 10 of them to the Animal Humane Society where they were placed into foster homes then later placed up for adoption. Well, 3 of the puppies were not doing so well: Legacy, Lenny and Lazarus ... so mom decided to hang onto them and fostered them through Act V Rescue.

I know this shouldn't come as a surprise .... she fell in love with one of them (actually, she fell in love with all 3 of them) and I also fell in love with one special boy ... his name is Legacy. You can read more about Legacy and how he came to be a part of our family on mom's blog: http://mariloureflects.blogspot.com/2011/10/legacy.html.

Lenny and Lazarus (now Rez) have found new homes. Mom took them to their new adoptive homes about a week ago and they are both doing great! And Legacy, well ... this sweet boy has become quite my buddy (and my shadow ... he's follows me all around the back yard). He's also been teaching me how to really play. Here's just one of a million videos mom has of us playing :)

and here's a video of the 13 puppies mom took in for a short time ... I was very glad they left!!! :)

Jake .. fellow rez dog rescued in the nick of time!

2011-08-31T09:06:00.000-05:00

On August 20th my fellow rez buddy Jake (he's the cute dog with me in the photo on the left) was scheduled to be euthanized ... in the nick of time mom came up with a creative solution and was able to rescue him. You can read his story on the Pet Haven dog blog: http://pethavendogs.blogspot.com/2011/08/working-together-to-save-another-dogs.html

Many thanks to Lucky Dog Pet Lodge in Bloomington, Minnesota for fostering Jake and saving his life .... he's truly a lucky dog!! :)

Jake came to our house for an overnight ... and I had so much fun playing with him ... check out the video ... and best news of all, Jake has a home visit scheduled for Friday evening so he may be in his own home for the holiday weekend!!!

In cahoots today ... and scored a cool new collar!

2011-08-15T13:36:00.000-05:00

My new peace/love/rescue
collar that mom bought me today!

Mom's been gone so much this past week. She was in Indiana for a few days last week then turned around came home for one day, then left again for Atlanta for the weekend ... now don't get me wrong ... we love auntie Jenny (who stayed with us when mom was in Indiana) then auntie Paula who came and stayed with us this past weekend, but enough is enough ... she was supposed to go to St. Cloud today for some meeting and was going to be gone ALL day again! Well ... Missy, Mister and I decided she needed to stay home!! So guess what ... we wished and we wished and we wished ... and our wish came true. She got in her car this morning to leave and guess what .. she couldn't!!! :) She had a FLAT tire! Hmmm ... she thinks she ran over a nail .... we'll let her think whatever she wants but all I have to say is that Missy and Mister were up to no good this weekend and kept trying to get in the garage when auntie Paula wasn't looking!! :)

So mom cancelled her plans for today and instead is working from home. She got her tires fixed then went to my favorite store Chuck & Don's Pet Food Outlet and bought me a new Peace/Love/Rescue collar!!! :) Guess mom is stuck with us today .... here's what we're going to be doing all day while she's busy working from home ....

Missy

Mister

nung-nung

Walking our path ... together

2011-07-27T07:57:00.001-05:00

"No one saves us but ourselves. No one can and no one may. We ourselves must walk our path."

~ Buddha

I've been called the 'Zen Dog' by many ... among many other sweet, sweet names :) No matter what life throws our way, I tell mom it will all be okay. The results of my lumpectomy from July 11th confirm that I have breast cancer ..... ""atypia is moderate to marked. The mitotic rate is high, ranging up to seven per high power field. Infiltrative growth is noted. Extensive zones of tumor necrosis are present ...." Mom took me to see a vet oncologist and because the tumor was taken out so quickly, was 2.0 cm, and was considered a low grade cancer (grade I) .... ("60% of dogs with grade I disease had local recurrence or metastasis within two years of initial excision") then mom was told that she could just monitor me closely for the next year. We have to go in and see a vet every 6 - 8 weeks to check for tumors and lumps along my mammary glands.

Now it's mom's turn to go in for surgery on Monday. She also has a lump in her breast ... there's a new lump in her left breast and she is scheduled for a lumpectomy. Just as she was right by my side, I am going to be right by her side. No matter what the doctors and pathologists say .... I tell mom, it will be okay.

We are in this together. We are on this path together. And when there is no path then together we can blaze through and create a new path .... and oh, I tell mom there should be lots of doggie burgers along the path for me ;-)

On a 5K9 walk with mom!

Having surgery on Monday!

2011-07-09T15:27:00.000-05:00

Mom discovered a couple lumps near one of my nipples late Thursday night. I saw Dr. Vicki yesterday and she thinks I may have breast cancer (I keep telling mom not to worry though and that everything will be alright .. it's not working too well!!). I am having a lumpectomy done early Monday morning and Dr. Vicki says the results on whether it is or isn't cancer should come in next Friday or Saturday.

So this weekend mom is taking me everywhere with her. She also cancelled her business trip! She's super worried and i'm trying to tell her not to worry. Hmmm ... but maybe I should work this whole thing and get myself lots and lots of ice cream!! :)

Anyway, send some good thoughts my way (and mom's) on Monday!

Having fun running around
with mom today!!

Pride Fest

2011-06-27T07:00:00.001-05:00

Volunteering at Pride Fest for
Pet Haven

I got to volunteer for my alma mater Pet Haven (www.pethavenMN.org) on Sunday at Pride Fest. Mom signed us up for a shift with JD (this really cool St. Bernard who just came into Pet Haven's foster program). I thought my job was going to be to woo the crowd to our booth, but it was JD who did the job so well .... of course, I was okay with it because JD is such a big handsome boy who deserves to have his own forever home just like me.

We had lots and lots of people coming to say hi. I sure hope JD gets a home soon. He's such a sweet boy ... and yes, a BIG boy ... all 130 pounds of St. Bernard love! Hmmm, that's about two and a half times how much nung-nung weighs :)

If you want to learn more about JD you can check out his bio. At the beginning of my shift we also had Kirby, a senior pom, hanging out with us. He's also looking for his forever home. He's not yet up on the Pet Haven website but you can email dogs@pethavenMN.org if you want more info!

Kirby

Tired!! :)
Sleeping in the middle
of the pathway

Getting some loving :)

Painting with Puppies ...

2011-06-09T09:53:00.000-05:00

The photo on the left was taken in October, 2008 when mom first met me. I was originally rescued by Karen Good of Red Lake Rosie's Rescue in northern Minnesota ... yes, dumped with a litter of 8 puppies. Don't get me wrong, i loved my puppies but I am SOOO glad I will no longer have any puppies. It's just not right ... there are too many of us that suffer and are euthanized (yes, that's a big word even for nung-nung ;-) simply because there aren't enough homes. So mom tells me she's working hard to get the word out about the importance of spaying and neutering dogs and cats.

She shared with me this really cool video that a local artist made that highlights the work of Minnesota Spay Neuter Assistance Program (MNSNAP) ... Check out the video and help spread the word about MNSNAP and also about spaying and neutering!

Meet Gigi!

2011-05-05T08:00:00.000-05:00

Yesterday mom had to meet auntie Laura, auntie Rachel and auntie Lara at Bloomington Vet (Pet Haven's partner cliic). The other night Gigi, a 10 year old pitbull was returned to Pet Haven. She was adopted out as a puppy and due to unforseen life circumstances her owner had to give her up. Mom reached out to her friends from another rescue, A Rotta Love - they work a lot with pitties and mom and auntie Laura wanted to make sure she passed the A Rotta Love 'eval' .... and oh, auntie Rachel and auntie Lara of A Rotta Love are soooooo cool and do great work!! It makes me happy when rescues work together!

Part of the eval is to see how Gigi does with another dog. Mom brought all 3 of us (Missy, Mister and yes ME!!). Guess who got to work last night ... yes, nung-nung did!!! Missy and Mister had to wait in the car and i'm not so sure they were too happy about that, but oh well :)

Auntie Rachel and auntie Lara said I did such a good job and was sending all the right signals and telling Gigi, 'i'm not a threat'.... well, don't get me wrong, i'm no pushover but i don't want to get into a fight with anyone :) Well, Gigi passed the eval with flying colors and is the sweetest 10 year old pittie. She sniffed me, I sniffed her and it wasn't long before I could tell she wanted to play but then I discovered that auntie Rachel had a big bag full of yummy treats, so I decided to bury my head in her bag and see what goodies I could find!! Not only did Gigi get lots of loving, but I also got lots of loving.

This is the first time mom has taken me on one of these evals ... I kinda like the job of doggie eval assistant. Hmmm ... maybe that can be my official Pet Haven volunteer title.

Anyway, just wanted to introduce you to sweet Gigi. She's going to move into a foster home soon and then will get to hang out for a little while and adjust before she's up for adoption. But if you're interested in learning more about this sweet girl (she's only 35 pounds!) email dogs@pethavenMN.org.

Rain Rain Go Away!!!

2011-04-30T08:52:00.000-05:00

Here I am basking in the sun :) I am hoping that if I post this photo that maybe it will stop raining! Love you rain, but I think it's the Sun's turn for a little while, okay???? nung-nung says "please???"

Here in this house

2011-04-14T08:01:00.001-05:00

Mom said someone on facebook posted this poem "Here in this House" ... we don't know who actually wrote the poem but it's a beautiful poem. I share this poem for all my four legged furry friends who have been as lucky as me (and Mister and Missy) to be rescued and taken into a home, and loved, and cared for ... I also share this to my friends who are still out there waiting and hoping to be rescued.

May you be blessed to some day have the joy of experiencing what it's like to wake up feeling safe and loved, and to go to bed at night snuggled up on a comfy dog bed (or next to your human mom/dad), and to never have to worry about your next meal ... because yes, it magically appears every morning and every evening in a nice doggie bowl! :) Nung-nung's wish for the day: may the day come when all suffering comes to an end.

Here in this house...

I will never know the loneliness I hear in the barks of the other dogs 'out there'.

I can sleep soundly, assured that when I wake my world will not have changed.

I will never know hunger, or the fear of not knowing if I'll eat.

I will not shiver in the cold, or grow weary from the heat.

I will feel the sun's heat, and the rain's coolness,

and be allowed to smell all that can reach my nose.

My fur will shine, and never be dirty or matted.

Here in this house...

There will be an effort to communicate with me on my level.

I will be talked to and, even if I don't understand,

I can enjoy the warmth of the words.

I will be given a name so that I may know who I am among many.

My name will be used in joy, and I will love the sound of it!

Here in this house...

I will never be a substitute for anything I am not.

I will never be used to improve peoples' images of themselves.

I will be loved because I am who I am, not someone's idea of who I should be.

I will never suffer for someone's anger, impatience, or stupidity.

I will be taught all the things I need to know to be loved by all.

If I do not learn my lessons well, they will look to my teacher for blame.

Here in this house...

I can trust arms that hold, hands that touch...

knowing that, no matter what they do, they do it for the good of me.

If I am ill, I will be doctored.

If scared, I will be calmed.

If sad, I will be cheered.

No matter what I look like, I will be considered beautiful and thought to be of value.

I will never be cast out because I am too old, too ill, too unruly, or not cute enough.

My life is a responsibility, and not an afterthought.

I will learn that humans can almost, sometimes, be as kind and as fair as dogs.

Here in this house...

I will belong.

I will be home.

~Author Unknown

yes me nung-nung .. basking in the sun :)

Thank you to those who help rescue us!

2011-04-02T19:41:00.002-05:00

This was me when mom first met me
back in October of 2008 up at Red Lake

Mom was reminded today of how important it is for her and others to continue the work they do of helping abused and abandoned animals ... of being a voice for us because we have no voice.

Today, I want to thank all the volunteers and Humans who work tirelessly to help us and who pull together to give us a second chance. I want to thank my rescuer Karen Good of Red Lake Rosie's and my siblings Mister and Missy want to thank People for Pets in Spencer, Iowa for saving their lives. And then of course, Pet Haven for taking all of us into their foster program ..... well, actually, I guess it wasn't really 'fostering' since mom 'failed' so quickly and adopted us all!!

I found the following poem on the internet and wanted to share it, and tonight nung-nung, Missy and Mister want to say thanks to all you who give up so much of their time, heart and resources to rescuing abandoned and abused animals! Of course, mom always tells me that in the end it's the Humans that get rescued ... I think the reality is that we rescue each other :)

The Reason (to you from all your rescue dogs)

~ author unknown

I would've died that day if not for you.

I would've given up on life if not for your kind eyes.

I would've used my teeth in fear if not for your gentle hands.

I would have left this life believing that all humans don't care

Believing there is no such thing as fur that isn't matted,

skin that isn't flea bitten,

good food and enough of it,

beds to sleep on,

someone to love me,

to show me I deserve love just because I exist.

Your kind eyes, your loving smile, your gentle hands

Your big heart saved me...

You saved me from the terror of the pound,

Soothing away the memories of my old life.

You have taught me what it means to be loved.

I have seen you do the same for other dogs like me.

I have heard you ask yourself in times of despair

Why you do it-

When there is no more money, no more room, no more homes

You open your heart a little bigger, stretch the money a

little tighter

Make just a little more room...to save one more like me.

I tell you with the gratitude and love that shines in my eyes

In the best way I know how

Reminding you why you go on trying.

I am the reason

The dogs before me are the reason

As are the ones who come after.

Our lives would've been wasted, our love never given

We would die if not for you.

Please help my friends up at Red Lake Rez!

2011-03-31T09:32:00.000-05:00

I've decided to take matters into my own paws and raise money for my friends up at the Red Lake rez! My rescuer Karen Good of Red Lake Rosie's Rescue saved my life (and my 8 puppies!) back at the end of 2008 ... then she hooked me up with my mom who was with Pet Haven ... and now I have the best life possible! I want all my friends up at the rez to have the same chance as I have had and it's not going to happen without your help and to be honest, your donations!!! :) My rescuer takes in so many of us who have been abused horribly and have lots of medical problems ... when she found me, I had mange, malnourished, heartworm positive, lymes disease, coccidia and then later mom learns I also have a gunshot pellet in one of my nipples. She also rescued my friend Ode whose ears had been intentionally burned and whom she found in July of 2008. Btw, Ode (pronounced O-day and means 'heart' in ojibway) is doing great in her new home!!

So here's the deal .... I've told mom I will give up $250 of my doggie food allowance and will match all donations up to $250. I've even created my own fundraising page. Click here to make an online donation.

On top of this, I've asked my Uncle Keith who owns this really cool new dog spa and self service wash in St. Louis Park, Bubbly Paws, if he would join me in a fundraising effort. For the month of April if you make a donation to Red Lake Rosie's Rescue you get $5 off any service at Bubbly Paws and my uncle Keith is going match donations up to $1,000!! Yes, that's $1000!! You should try out the self service wash. I hear it's pretty cool. They got me ready for my big Kare11 TV debut with Karen ... I opted for the full service grooming option :)

If you want to learn more about the absolutely incredible work that my rescuer Karen does up at the reservation you should watch the Kare11 video below..... oh, and that was my big TV debut too!!! :) I had so much fun at the studio that day ... I even got to hang out with Karen and my mom in the makeover room ....

So please help spread the word about this fundraiser for Red Lake Rosie's Rescue. If Uncle Keith of Bubbly Paws is matching donations up to $1000 and I (yes, sweet little nung-nung) is matching it up to $250 then we could raise $2500 for my friends up north.

Here's a video mom made a couple years ago to document the story of Ode a 14 week old puppy whose ears were burned ... originally rescued by Karen of Red Lake then taken into Pet Haven's foster program. Ode and I got to hang out when I first arrived into the cities ... we were quite the pair ... Ode, which means heart in ojibway and Ahnung which means star in ojibway .... The Heart and Star of Red Lake!! Please, please make a donation (any amount helps!) ... either donate online HERE or stop by Bubbly Paws to make a donation!!

Nung-nung's TV Debut on Kare11!!

2011-03-29T16:00:00.000-05:00

Getting some lovin'
from anchor Pat Evans of Kare11

So I had my big TV debut yesterday on the Kare11 Today show with my rescuer Karen Good of Red Lake Rosie's Rescue and mom. We arrived at the studio at around 9:30 to meet up with Karen and a couple other Red Lake Rescue friends ... mom thought it would be a good idea for me to hang out and check out the joint and meet all the nice people, so we did. I was especially fascinated when I found this mirror in the makeover room and I couldn't stop staring at myself!! :) Check out the photos below ... but first, here's the video from yesterday ...

Mom was really proud of me. She said I did a fine job representing the dogs of Red Lake. Of course, what I say to her is, "would you expect anything less from me ... aka nung-nung ... aka Queenie??" :)

It was so much fun being on TV and I hope that I get another chance to be on TV ... and thanks again to Bubbly Paws for getting me all ready for my big TV debut!!! My next blog posting is going to be about the big fundraiser that I'm doing with Bubbly Paws to raisse donations for Red Lake Rosie's Rescue and my friends up north!

More photos:

YES, i'm quite intrigued by myself :)

With my rescuer Karen Good!!

Spa Day at Bubbly Paws - Big TV Debut tomorrow!!

2011-03-27T15:28:00.002-05:00

Smelling pretty and feeling soft!! :)

Today is a big day for me ... I have to get ready for my big Kare11 TV debut tomorrow. I'm going to be on TV with my rescuer Karen Good of Red Lake Rosie's Rescue. My rescuer Karen is one of the Kare11 Eleven Who Care volunteer winners. [Check my previous blog for more info]. She asked my mom if I could be an ambassador for the Red Lake rez dogs ... of course mom said YES!!! The show is going to be live and it starts at 11 AM tomorrow, Monday, 3/28 and I think we're going to be on at around 11:30 AM so be sure to have your TV on to Kare11 if you live in Minnesota. If you're not home i'm hoping it will be taped and I can post the link on my facebook fan page. Be sure to also check out the Red Lake Rosie's blog. They'll have more info, plus they have really cool stories about all the great rez dogs and cats!!

So my Uncle Keith who owns this really, really cool business called Bubbly Paws (self-service dog wash AND spa!) invited me to come in for a special spa treatment today so that I would look my best, feel soft and smell yummy ;-) The self-service dog wash is cool and mom is going to bring my brother Mister in soon and do the self-service dog wash with him ... but me, nung-nung (aka queenie) does not want the self service dog wash. Nung-nung wants the full-service spa treatment!!! :) and boy did I get it!! Mom took a ton of pictures so she made a video (check the video out below!)

And you know what else, because I LOVE my rescuer Karen Good and thinks she's the coolest person in the world (okay, she's a close second to mom!) I told mom that we need to organize a fundraiser for Red Lake Rosie's so I can help my friends up north looking for homes. I'll post more about our fundraiser in the next couple of days but just know that Bubbly Paws, Nung-Nung (and mom!) are teaming up to raise donations for Red Lake Rosie's Rescue and it's going to be happening in April!! Stayed tuned for more details!!

My rescuer Karen: Eleven Who Care Winner!

2011-03-20T08:22:00.000-05:00

My rescuer Karen Good has been picked as one of the winners for the Kare11 Eleven Who Care Award.

"Eleven Who Care honorees are volunteers who exemplify the belief that one person can make a difference. They go above and beyond to help those in need, to improve the environment around them and to make our community better."

This was me when I was first rescued by Karen
in October 2008

I'm so happy to see my rescuer Karen getting the recognition she deserves. Of course, she's such a humble person and she works so hard for us because she loves us so much and not because she wants any recognition. I believe she's the Mother Theresa of animals and I owe her my life. If it wasn't for her I wouldn't be alive, or I'd still be suffering out in the cold .... and because of her she brought me and mom together. Now I get to sleep on the couch or one of the many, many dog beds that we have in every room of our house!!

So dear Karen ... congratulations on being selected as one of the Eleven Who Care winners!!

To watch the Kare11 video where they interview Karen and share more about the incredible work she does click the following link.

Back to work ... hospice volunteer work

2011-02-23T11:08:00.000-06:00

After a short leave from my volunteer work with mom I'm back at it again!! Mom had some health issues herself that she had to deal (along with a bunch of other stuff!!) so my job was to take care of her for a few months. She tells me I get an A+++!! :) But now it's time for me to get back to work!

We are back volunteering as a Pet Partner team in hospice and we got our latest 'assignment'. My new friend 'M' has breast cancer and mom says she's getting weaker and weaker so we need to go visit her as soon as possible. She hears that 'M' loves chocolate and pies so guess what ... we're going to bring her some yummy chocolate when we go visit with her. Mom tells me we can go on Saturday so i'm resting up right now for my big day back to work.

Big hugs to all of you from nung-nung.

Happy Valentine's Day!!

2011-02-14T07:39:00.000-06:00

Mom tells me it's Valentine's Day today ... I tell mom it should be Valentine's Day every day, why just today? Shouldn't we always love each other? Shouldn't we always be nice to each other? Shouldn't we always give lots of hugs and kisses to each other (and for you humans, yes you can give each other chocolate too!! Hey, I like chocolate too but mom tells me it's not good for me and my tummy or my body so I guess i'll take her word on it) ...

So today, like every other day of the year ..... do what we should be doing every day of the year ...

LOVE, LAUGH, PLAY, SLEEP and HAVE FUN!!!

Photo from Flickr

Unconditional Love ...

2011-02-10T06:52:00.000-06:00

Mom and a Pet Haven fellow volunteer/friend have been going to the Pet Haven adoption events and taking photos. This past weekend they got photos of my friends (yes both dogs and cats!!).

Valentine's Day is around the corner and mom wanted to create a video to highlight my sweet friends who are still waiting for that special person(s) who will open up their heart and their home. In case you don't know, we (and I speak on behalf of all dogs and cats .... yes, I have been given the authority to do so!!!) love unconditionally. We love our humans no matter what. We don't care if you've taken a shower, if you stink (if fact, we like that better!), if you haven't brushed your hair or your teeth, if you're feeling sad (in fact, we'll come snuggle up next to you). We can also be your best teachers --- teaching you to live in the moment, to play, to rest and get LOTS of sleep.

If you have a few minutes, watch this video that mom created ... and help us spread the word about all my homeless friends who are still waiting to find a home of their very own ....

oh ... and for Valentine's Day don't forget to give your furkids an extra treat!!! :) But NO chocolate even if we ask for it!!! :)

From tabletop to transcendental levitation

2011-02-03T12:27:00.000-06:00

There's no stopping by brother Mister ...

From tabletop ... his new perch at home ...

to transcendental levitation ....

and then there's us ... sweet precious girls :)

My crazy brother Mister!!

2011-01-28T16:12:00.000-06:00

Mom came home from work wondering how my crazy brother Mister was going to be after being left with us for 6 hours! Guess what ... he was perfect and did not chew or tear anything up in the house!! He's growing up ... yes, my brother Mister is growing up ... i'm so proud of him and so is mom. So then mom let us out into the backyard .... here's Mister looking at mom and acting cool, calm and collected ... for just a moment :)

then here's Mister seconds after the picture above is taken:

he's possessed!!!

and he can't help himself!!

and his craziness is rubbing off on my sister Missy!!

But you know what??? I love 'em both sooooo sooooo much!!!

Where's Waldo?? oh no .... where's nung-nung??

2011-01-26T06:52:00.000-06:00

and now i'm drooling thinking about all that snow I can eat

digging for my snow frosties!!!

while Mister and Missy play chase!

Home ... together ... finally ...

2011-01-21T16:45:00.000-06:00

We are finally settled in our new home ... together again with my siblings and mom. Mom took this photo of us the other night. She gave up the couch so that the 3 of us could snuggle up together again like we used to. Later that night though she squeezed in between Mister and Missy :)

Our big day has arrived!!!

2011-01-15T05:22:00.001-06:00

Missy in auntie Carol's car!
Ready for her sleepover!

Yesterday was our big day!! Mom closed on our house. Mom's been literally living out of a gym bag for the past 2 months ... and i've been tagging along with her giving her LOTS of love. We just love auntie Laura for letting us crash at her house with La Buddy!! These past few days when mom had to travel for work I stayed at my old house with my sister Missy, while Mister went to stay with auntie Laura at Rescue Buddy Boarding. He just loves it there!! anyway, mom came and picked us up at the old house early yesterday morning so we could go with her to the "final walkthrough" of our new home and to also meet our auntie Carol there ... you see that sweet photo of Missy on the left ... it's a big day for her too. She packed her bag so she could spend a couple nights with auntie Carol through this crazy moving and packing. That's Missy in auntie Carol's car ... apparently she's having such a good time auntie Carol says she may not want to come back!! ummm ... don't think that's happening!! :) Thanks auntie Carol for taking my sweet sister for a couple days and pampering her.

Then I went with mom and our friend/realtor Regina to the house closing. Mom had to sign a bunch of papers. I asked her if she needed my paw print on anything but she told me she had it covered :) Then it was back to the old house to load up some stuff then back to our new home ... I was so excited when mom showed me the house key for our new digs!!

The new furniture (leather couch and recliner and mom's new bedroom set) got delivered yesterday. Our new home is so much bigger than where we used to live that mom had a hard time finding me. She checked all the rooms upstairs then finally realized that my favorite place is the den area where the new furniture is! Oh and you should see the back yard!! It's HUGE!! Can't wait till Missy and Mister get to see it too!!

Well, i'm exhausted from yesterday so today mom said that I get to hang out and relax with auntie Laura and Mister and La Buddy while she meets with the movers at the old house early this morning. Oh ... and guess what today is ... it's a special day because it's Buddy's birthday! He's 6 years old today and after mom is done getting all of our stuff moved into our new house she's coming back to auntie Laura's and we are going to celebrate La Buddy's birthday!!

Buddy dreaming about his birthday present!

So yesterday was a big day for our family! We have a fresh start to the new year, and I think it's pretty cool that my mom bought us a house so we could all be together again!! I'm not sure if we'll all sleep at our new digs tonight but by tomorrow night we will all be together again!

Oh .. and mom found out from the previous owners that there's a lot of wildlife around her house ... a hawk visits, an owl, coyote (thank goodness we're not small dogs!), fox, raccoon, deer and of course squirrels, bunnies and chipmunks. She told them that I once ate a baby bunny live once ... well, if the bunny is silly enough to have their nest in MY backyard and mom isn't quick enough to catch me ... well, i'm a hunter and scavenger and a former rez dog so what are you gonna do??? :)

Okay ... time to go back to sleep. love you guys!!

nung-nung

My new hobby .... ahh.... and getting into trouble!!

2011-01-09T08:08:00.001-06:00

For the past 6 weeks mom and I have been living with auntie Laura and La Buddy ... and we've been so lucky because auntie Laura's mom has also been visiting from Nebraska and she is one cool person!! We also had my pal Tug (Mr. barky beagle with such a sweet personality) with us but yesterday he went off of his hopefully new forever home ... paws crossed for Tugster!

Mom tells people how "perfect" I am and how I don't get into trouble. Well, I thought it was high time for her to learn that it's good to get into trouble some times. I've also been trying to teach her that it's important to play and have fun ... you should've seen me tearing around with Tug and also playing tug with the boy ... he is one strong boy even though he's small!! On her last business trip I decided to steal the knitting yarn and take it to my bed ... No, I didn't chew it, I just snuggled with it. I also stole some chapstick AND in the picture above I decided that I was going to help auntie Janice with knitting doggie sweaters. Ummm.... she looks like a little surprised with "perfect" nung-nung trying to steal her yarn .. oh, and the other day, auntie Janice left her hot chocolate out and I got to stick my head in it and finish it up for her!!! :)

Tug with his blankie

Oh ... this is going to be a great year! Mom got some great news about her health and her pancreas and I'm going to teach mom (with the help of my siblings Mister and Missy) all about playing, having fun, speaking out for what you want, and even breaking the rules!!! We close on our new home this coming Friday and we'll get to be a family again and have a big back yard to play in.

Here's to what is going to be the best year ever!!!

And hugs and high fives to auntie Laura and auntie Janice and La Buddy for letting us hang out with them for so long ... and paws crossed again for my buddy Tug who if he does get adopted by this wonderful couple he won't be too far from our new home. Maybe we can get together for play dates?? :)

and to my four legged furry friends .... if your mom or dad ever need to go away for vacation (or whatever crazy reasons they come up with to leave us!) you should tell them to check out Rescue Buddy Boarding. .... this is where Mister stays when mom goes out of town for business because he gets barky and anxious when he's left (my mom calls is 'separation anxiety'). If you stay here I can guarantee you will have your own doggie bed, you will gets LOTS of love and attention and you can even sleep on the couch if you want ... Nung-nung gives Rescue Buddy Boarding a 6 star rating!!!! :)

My two year anniversary!!

2011-01-03T07:56:00.000-06:00

Today is my 2 year anniversary of when I was officially adopted by my mom!!!

This is me two years ago .....

and this is me .... now (with my siblings Mister and Missy!!! :)

and me, snuggled up on my orange blanket before Mister shredded it!!! :)

Personalized mosaic dog (or kitty) leash hooks

2011-01-02T09:02:00.000-06:00

Yes, I know the holidays are over and soon everyone is going back to work! For the record, my work never ends. I am always working hard!! :) Sometimes working for me means sleeping and snoring which is just as important!! :)

Well ... I've shared this once before but I have to share it again in case you are wondering what to give your special pooch or kitty for the New Year. Mom got us our own personalized mosaic dog leash hooks last year. We even got to pick our own colors! Of course, mine is orange ... my sister Missy is purple and crazy boy Mister is red!!! When we move to our new house in a couple of weeks I may need to convince mom to place another order for me ... hmmm, not sure what mine will say this time ... "Queenie" .... "nung-nung" ... "North Star" ... "Star of the night skies" ... oh, the possibilities are limitless!!! :)

On behalf of my furry friends, I'm sending out this information so you can place an order for them too!! :) You can reach my auntie Cindy of Velvet Bear Mosaics who makes this awesome mosaic leash holders at caverin@comcast.net.

and last night, mom bought me a Christmas fleece blanket and covered me up!!! She knows I need my beauty sleep so that I can keep doing my work as a therapy dog!!! :)

Happy New Year!!

2010-12-31T07:48:00.000-06:00

It's the last day of 2010 .... a lot has gone this year for my mom and my siblings. We're going through some major changes and transitions right now ... of course, I tell mom these changes are all good even though there are times when she can't see that ... but hey, that's why i'm here!!! I tell her to just hug me as tightly as she wants till she feels better :)

Mom and I are living with my auntie Laura right now (who is one cool cool person!!). On January 14th (that's only 2 weeks away!) we are closing on our new house and I am SO excited. We will finally get to be a family again and my siblings Missy and Mister will get to come live with us again. They're in the old house right now (but you know what ... they keep telling me when I visit that that they can't wait to come be with us again!!). Our new home is going to be much much bigger! The backyard is HUGE so my energetic brother Mister can run around like a crazy boy to get his energy out. And mom bought a brand new leather couch and recliner. Oh yeah, we'll still have the purple couch you see in the photo but now we will also have a new couch for us to lounge on. Of course, we'll be fighting for the recliner.

So here's to new beginnings and to 2011 which I know is going to be an exciting year! The best part of it all, is that I believe with all my doggie heart that mom's health issues are going to get better now that we are going to have our own place and she can focus on taking care of herself.

Happy New Year!!!

Love,

nung-nung

p.s. And if you haven't become my fan on facebook, I would love for you become my fan :) You can join by clicking here.

The Best Place to Bury a Dog

2010-12-17T11:10:00.000-06:00

THE BEST PLACE TO BURY A DOG

by Ben Hur Lampman

There is one best place to bury a dog.

If you bury him in this spot, he will

come to you when you call - come to you

over the grim, dim frontier of death,

and down the well-remembered path,

and to your side again.

And though you call a dozen living

dogs to heel, they shall not growl at

him, nor resent his coming,

for he belongs there.

People may scoff at you, who see

no lightest blade of grass bent by his

footfall, who hear no whimper, people

who may never really have had a dog.

Smile at them, for you shall know

something that is hidden from them,

and which is well worth the knowing.

The one best place to bury a good

dog is in the heart of his master.

Heartwarming email from one of my friends

2010-12-05T12:57:00.000-06:00

The other day I received the most heartwarming email from one of my friends ... she's been following my blog and is a fan of my facebook fan page (http://www.facebook.com/AhnungNorthStar). I've been working hard helping my mom get through a really rough time and I think I must be doing a pretty good job because she seems to be doing better and smiling more :)

But I just had to share the most beautiful email I got with you ... and dear friend, thank you for thinking of us and praying for us:

"I was listening to the radio this morning (actually HD radio on my computer) and heard a song called Northern Star. Of course, and especially with your Mom’s struggles, I thought of you.

If I knew where to find you, I’d have bought the song in iTunes and sent it to you. As it is, I’ll send you the lyrics. It’s written and sung by Ann Reed.

You're my east my south and west

You're the one who gives me rest

And I know no matter near or far

You will be my northern star

You're the one when I'm at sea

You are there the land for me

When I've lost my way and day goes dark

You are still my northern star

You're the one I want to be holding

When the sun has wandered along

And the sky begins it's unfolding

There's no where else we belong, oh

Like the cardinal in the snow

When the trees are bare and low

The reward of spring is slow to start

You are still my northern star

Hang in there and know that there are Friends our there holding you both in the Light."

I always love hearing from friends. So feel free to email me at ahnung.star@gmail.com.

My work begins at home

2010-12-01T05:39:00.000-06:00

sorry for the long silence and lack of blogging lately ... and no, I have not been snoozing and napping this whole time, although that does sound like a great idea now that I think about it!

I haven't had time to volunteer lately (at least outside of home) ... my mom's been having some significant health and emotional challenges thrown her way so my work as a therapy dog begins at home! I keep telling her it will be okay and that she can hold onto me as tightly as she needs to as I'm not leaving her side. I tell her what I have told the kids I visited at school ... that I can be their north star. Mom has these bad cells spreading in her body and about a week ago got some additional not so good news which means a bunch more tests and procedures (on top of all her existing ones!) to try to figure out what's going on.

Please keep mom in your prayers ... I tell her that love is the best medicine and that love can heal everything! It did for me!!

Love and big hugs to all of you!

nung-nung

My virtual run with Mom ... we completed a half marathon!!

2010-11-10T08:56:00.001-06:00

Mom ran the San Francisco US Half marathon on Sunday, 11/7 ... the weather was gorgeous when she arrived there on Thursday. And it was also gorgeous on Friday ... but guess what, on Saturday, it rained and rained all day!!! She had prepared herself to run in beautiful California weather ... the hills were going to be enough of a challenge for her and when she heard it was supposed to rain she got kinda nervous ... but no worries ... nung-nung to the rescue!!! :) I told her that running in the rain is so much fun. It's like being a kid all over again and playing in the rain and jumping in puddles!!

And do you notice her running bib??? :) She got to put whatever she wanted to put on her running bib and she chose 'AHNUNG'!! She told me that I'm her northstar and that she was going to carry me with her on this run and in her heart ... well, she may think i'm her north star but she's mine too. She also ran on behalf of St. Jude Children's hospital for children with cancer.

So on Sunday morning she ran 13.1 miles in rain ... and it was pouring. I told her that when she runs over the Golden Gate bridge to look up into the skies and to just take in the beauty of the moment ... and to know that the rain is a spiritual cleansing for her :) She ended up doing a great job on her run and loving it. She said she felt like a kid again and stopped caring about her shoes getting muddy and filthy ... way to go mom!!!

And don't you also just love the # we got ... 959!! The number '9' represents accomplishment and the number '5' represents unpredictability. Well, she got unpredictability with the rain on Saturday when it wasn't supposed to rain ... and I am proud of how she handled the rain, the hills and the mud!!! If she decides to run this race again next year, maybe it will be a sunny day, but if not, looks like mom can handle anything!!!

And this virtual running thing where I can be with mom in spirit and not leave the comfort of my couch .. well ... that's the way to do it!!!

January model for the Pet Haven 2011 Calendar!

2010-11-05T08:28:00.001-05:00

Guess what??!!! My alma mater, Pet Haven of Minnesota, has created their first ever calendar for 2011 AND the best part of it, is that I get to be a part of it!! :) I had my photo shoot at The Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis where mom would take me in November and December of 2008 when I first got to the cities and was living at Bloomington Veterinary because I had to recover from heartworm. She'd pick me up every day so we could go on outings and hang out for a few hours while she worked. And my auntie Lisa took these awesome photos ... actually, she took all the awesome dog photos in the calendar (my auntie Agnes took all the great cat photos!). My auntie Lisa volunteers with Pet Haven and is amazing ... you should check out her website lmj Originals.

These incredible calendars are only $15 and would make great gifts for the holidays ... don't you think?? :) And at the same time you will be supporting homeless dogs and cats and Pet Haven so that they can continue doing the great work they are doing. I literally owe my life to Karen Good who first rescued me up at the Red Lake reservation but then to Pet Haven for taking me into their foster program and nursing me back to health. There's only a limited quantity that's been printed for the first year, so you'd better hurry up and buy your calendar! So .... where can you buy them???

You can buy these calendars at Twice the Gift in downtown Minneapolis (the IDS tower) or at Pet Haven's Fall Benefit on Saturday, November 13th. And some time soon I understand they will be for sale at Pampered Pooch Playground in St. Louis Park.

So if you buy a 2011 Pet Haven calendar you will get to see my cute little face for the entire month of January!! Mom sponsored a month which means she gets to put a small ad in the calendar (it's at the bottom of the page ... she's promoting my blog and fan page on facebook and the work i'm doing as a therapy dog) ... as a sponsor she also got to pick the month and she picked January because I was officially adopted by her on January 3, 2009!!!

And I have to give a bark out to my auntie Jaime who designed and created this entire calendar from scratch. She's an incredible Pet Haven volunteer (not to mention talented!) and she gives, gives and gives!!!

Running a half marathon in spirit

2010-11-03T20:23:00.000-05:00

Mom is leaving for San Francisco tomorrow morning ... yes, it's for work but also for what she says is pleasure ... hmmm, she thinks running a half marathon is fun ... nung-nung disagrees!! But what's really cool about all of this is that this time last year mom was not feeling good ... losing a lot of weight and extremely tired all the time and could barely do much of anything. Okay, okay ... so she was sleeping alot like me!! :) So this is a big deal to her because she's been feeling much better and has been able to train for this half marathon. She's running the US Half Marathon and gets to cross the Golden Gate bridge twice! It starts at 7 am on Sunday ....

But guess what the best part of all of this is ..... she got to request for a customized running bib when she signed up for the race AND [drum roll ......] guess what she requested ... her bib is going to read "AHNUNG"!!! So even though I won't be there with her physically I will definitely be there with her in spirit and we'll be running the half marathon together!!!

I don't EVER want to run a half marathon (maybe my brother Mister might be able to do that some day) but I am very happy to run it with mom in spirit .... the weather is supposed to beautiful on Sunday so I hope she has a great run! Run Mom Run!!! And remember, have fun and enjoy the gorgeous sights!!

... Sleep Nung-Nung Sleep!!

Volunteering at The Lab!

2010-10-30T07:48:00.000-05:00

I got to volunteer at The Lab (of St. Paul Public Schools) yesterday with mom, Uncle Keith and my buddy Roxy, an 85 pound Bernese mountain dog!! Mom says I look like a tiny girl next to Roxy ... well, i'm only 56 pounds so no wonder I look small!! :)

Yesterday was Roxy and Uncle Keith's first time to volunteer at The Lab and I was there to 'mentor' them ... (mom tells me they really didn't need much mentoring and I agree!! They rocked!). We were asked to present to Miss M's class. Mom and I have visited them before and shared my story. At the beginning of the class Mom asked them how many remembered my story ... wow, they remember the details of my story better than I remember it! They even remembered that my name means 'star' in Ojibway!! This one student said she remembers my name has something to do with the night sky and the stars!! :) When we were there last time, mom told them how i'm her north star and asked them who their north star was and to remember that even when it's dark outside and we feel sad and alone that we can hold on tightly to our north star.

But yesterday was Roxy and Uncle Keith's day to shine!! Uncle Keith got to share about how he followed his heart and his passion and love for dogs and started his business, Pampered Pooch Playground, a doggie daycare. Roxy was so cute and did great on her first day of work!! Good job Roxy!! We've been asked to come back and meet with another class ... i'm excited to volunteer with Uncle Keith and Roxy again!

I love my job!!!

When I was walking through the hallways yesterday I got lots of love and pets from the kids. It's so cool how they all remember me ... they even remember my name and Ahnung isn't the easiest name to remember!! I had an extra special treat yesterday .... I got to see 'R' who is the first kid I got to meet at The Lab over a year ago, and it's because of him that I am volunteering at The Lab. He came out of his classroom when he saw me walk down the hall (mom says his teacher was teasing her about how we were disrupting his class!) ... he came up to me and gave me a big hug!! And you know what he said to me and his classmates, "this is my favorite dog!" Then right behind him was another student 'A' whom I met last school year during one of the dog groups ... he said "do you remember me?" I said, "of course, I remember you!" When I knew him last year he was afraid, yet intrigued, with dogs and never really came close to me to pet me or give me hugs. Well, guess what? Yesterday, he came right up to me with a big smile and gave me a gentle pat on my head and my back!! Wow!!!

I just love these kids so much!! I love how they get so excited to see me! I can't wait to go back to see them ... here are some photos mom took from yesterday ...

Here I am arriving at The Lab!

Relaxing for a minute before going upstairs to the classroom

and here are a few more photos!! :)

Hanging out with my buddy Roxy!

Roxy and I hard at work!! Being a therapy
dog is hard work!! :) I demand a pay raise ...
more doggie treats please!!!

Giving and receiving love from a special kid!

Spa Day today at Pampered Pooch

2010-10-23T08:04:00.000-05:00

Guess what today day??? Today is a special day because it's spa day and pamper nung-nung day at my favorite place, Pampered Pooch Playground!!! I have to work next Friday at The Lab, which is where I've been volunteering with at-risk youth in this super awesome program of St. Paul Public Schools. Next Friday is an extra special day .... next Friday I get to volunteer with my buddy Roxy (and yes!! she's an absolutely adorable Bernese mountain dog!!). Roxy recently became a registered Delta Society therapy dog ... she went through class with auntie Danielle of Canine Coach. Roxy and my uncle Keith (who owns Pampered Pooch Playground) will be joining my mom and I next Friday to give a presentation to a group of really cool kids at The Lab! Roxy may even come in costume ... she's getting ready for a big Halloween Party at Pampered Pooch!! Mom has been telling me that she might put a tutu on me .... I have told her NO!!! Absolutely NO!!! No tutu for nung-nung!!!

The first easter I celebrated with my mom (2009) my auntie Laura put these bunny ears on me! As you can see from the photo on the right ... I am not a very happy nung-nung girl!!! :)

So please join me in telling mom that I will support my pal Roxy as she gets all dressed up for Halloween, but NO costumes for me.

Here I am with my buddy
Roxy who is calmly waiting for
a treat from Uncle Keith!

So back to what's important .... Roxy and I will be bringing smiles and joy to these kids at The Lab next Friday. All the kids there know me ... it's pretty funny because when we walk the hallways they all say hi to me and they even know my name - Ahnung! I get lots of hugs and kisses and mom says that they don't even know her name :)

I have to go and get my spa treatment today because mom is leaving town again for work tomorrow and won't get home till Thursday night. If you ever need to get a spa treatment and want to get pampered (and we all should be pampered!) .... I highly, highly recommend my favorite place of all ..... Pampered Pooch Playground. My brother Mister goes there for doggie daycare too when mom has a long day at the office.

Enjoy your Saturday my friends!!! Hope you enjoyed the beautiful full moon last night!!

Volunteering with cancer patients

2010-10-20T14:21:00.000-05:00

This was supposed to happen about a month ago but due to some health issues mom is having we had to delay our interview and orientation at Regions Hospital!! Well, as of an hour ago we are now both officially volunteers at Regions Hospital and we are going to be volunteering with cancer patients ... my job is to make them smile and make them feel better as they are going through chemo.

I really didn't want to have my picture taken today so I decided I was going to be uncooperative during the picture taking for my badge ... so all you see is this big black (CUTE!) blob on my badge with my name. But if you look closely at my badge (which mom says it's pointless to even show you the badge!) you'll see that it's me!! :)

Anyway, we won't actually start till the second week of November because mom is so busy traveling for work right now ... with her health stuff we also had to take a step back from volunteering at hospice but i'm trying to tell her i'm ready to get started. But next Friday .... guess what .... I get to volunteer at The Lab (of St. Paul Public School) with my buddy Roxy and Uncle Keith. I'll write more about that on another blog post.

Let's play "Follow the Sun!"

2010-10-13T19:28:00.000-05:00

This morning we got to play "Follow the Sun!!" There's this one spot in our living room that gets a beam of sunlight ... I hogged it this morning. My brother Mister was pouting and was ready to grab my spot if I got up for a second ... well, I claimed it for a little while .... I actually had to move and follow the sun beam. When I got tired then Mister hogged it ... mom says it's funny to watch us because after Mister got up then my sister Missy moved to lay in the sun beam, then my feline brother Henry did the same thing .... I don't know why mom thinks it's so funny. The sun feels so nice and warm.

The best part of it all is when mom lets me hang outside in the backyard ... then I just throw myself onto a pile of crunchy leaves and take a nice long nap in the sun! Now, that's the way to live my friends!!! :)

For those of you that have to work ... Happy Hump Day!!

Mom's made it through surgery with flying colors!!

2010-10-05T09:44:00.000-05:00

Mom had surgery yesterday (her third surgery in a year and a half) to remove some crazy lump that keeps growing in her breast ... don't you worry though ... i'm continue to work on making these crazy lumps go away!!

I heard she did great at the hospital yesterday. I heard that she was talking away to everyone even as they were wheeling her away into surgery ... she was asking the nurse anesthesist if he was going to school to become an anesthesiologist, and then she was asking her surgeon when she woke up in the operating room if she was planning on getting started!! :) Her surgeon told her, "We're done!" Mom doesn't take drugs and if anything gets in her system she gets kinda loopy ... okay, not kinda loopy, VERY loopy!!!

We'll hopefully get the results of the pathology report tomorrow afternoon or Thursday at the latest. With all of mom's health stuff and her having to travel for work I haven't had a chance to do much work ... I keep telling her I'm ready to get back to work, so hopefully soon.

For today though, she's taking the day off to rest and hang out with us ... and it's a beautiful spring-like day here in St. Paul so we're going to do a lot of lounging around in the back yard!! A tough day for all of us.

Thanks everyone for your thoughts and prayers for mom.

View from my backyard!!

2010-09-21T18:57:00.000-05:00

It was such a beautiful afternoon here in St. Paul! I hope you got to enjoy it because I sure did!! Every time mom would let us out into the backyard we would make a mad dash to the fence ... because guess what, there's this bunny in our neighbor and friend's yard that just loves, loves, loves to taunt us!!! The bunny just drives my siblings Mister and Missy crazy! Me?? Well, sure i'm interested and my ears perk up a little bit but nothing like crazy boy Mister and my sister Missy ..... after all this time and as much as that bunny hangs out in the our neighbor's yard you would think they would get used to it and learn to share.

Our neighbor has the most beautiful backyard .... we're so lucky that we have neighbors who have such beautiful gardens. Thank you J and M!! :) And thanks for being such terrific neighbors!! :)

My new job: visiting with cancer patients!

2010-09-14T14:50:00.000-05:00

So tomorrow my mom and I have to go through orientation training so we can start volunteering at the Riverside Cancer Clinic here in Minneapolis. We'll get to visit with cancer patients who are going through chemotherapy. My job ... to get lots of hugs and kisses and to put a smile on their face and help them forget about their chemo treatment ... even if it's just for a moment!

So today, I got to go to one of my favorite places in the world -- I went to Pampered Pooch for my spa treatment!! Oh, they are so cool there. The owner, my Uncle Keith is just one cool dude!! I didn't get to see him today though because he's vacationing in Seattle this week. What I want to know is why he didn't bring me with him!! Oh well .... I got to go to Pampered Pooch and now i'm looking all spiffy and i'm smelling so pretty that i'm going to get extra hugs and kisses tomorrow at training. I'm also going to get my picture taken for my new volunteer badge with Regions Hospital.

I'm not sure exactly when mom and I will start visiting the cancer patients, but I can't wait. I'll be sure to blog about it after our first visit!! Oh, and i'm getting ready to start volunteering at The Lab (which is this really cool program of St. Paul Public schools serving at-risk youth) ... more to come on that soon!

And one last exciting news for the day ... when mom brought me home from my spa treatment she let me into the backyard, and the gate was unlatched, so guess what ... I decided to take a tour of the neighborhood. I roamed around for about 15 minutes. Mom was not very happy with me. She was running around the neighborhood like a crazy woman screaming my name out loud. Hasn't she learned that I always come back!!

Okay, later friends ... back to napping!!

Start seeing everything as God!

2010-09-04T05:59:00.000-05:00

Mom has been reading a lot of poetry lately ... she especially loves these mystic poets, Rufi and Hafiz. She tells me their poems are so powerful. This morning she read to me this really cool poem by Hafiz. It's titled "I am So Glad", but you'll soon see that Hafiz is writing about me ... yes, Nung-Nung!! :) Okay, not just me but all my friends.

He starts by saying, "Start seeing everything as God!". Hmmmmm ...what happens when you spell God backwards??!!

I told mom she could post the poem on my blog. I've been a little lazy writing on my blog (I'm too busy resting and napping!) so I thought having my mom as a guest contributer would be nice ... so enjoy Hafiz' poem my friends ... and remember to start seeing everything as God!!

I keep telling mom that there's a bright light that shines inside all of us ... it's my job as a therapy dog to help people see that light that shines inside of them. Mom saw it me when she rescued me in October, 2008. Now I'm helping her see her own light.

I am So Glad

~ Hafiz

Start seeing everything as God,

But keep it a secret.

Become like a man who is Awestruck.

And Nourished.

Listening to a Golden Nightingale

Sing in a beautiful foreign language

While God invisibly nests

Upon its tongue.

Hafiz,

Who can you tell in this world

That when a dog runs up to you

Wagging its ecstatic tail,

You lean down and whisper in its ear,

"Beloved,

I am so glad You are happy to see me.

Beloved,

I am so glad,

So very glad You have come."

Nung-nung Principle #1: Rest

2010-08-28T05:17:00.000-05:00

You've probably been wondering where i've been and why i've been so quiet ... okay, maybe not! But don't tell me ... I'd like to think that you've missed my blogging :)

For those of you that don't know, I have lots of nicknames. My official name is Ahnung (Ah-NUNG) and yes, it's a beautiful name and means star in ojibway ... and mom's last name means moon rays from her home country of Thailand .. so I believe we will always be connected! But mom likes to call me nung-nung. Now when I hear Ahnung I feel like I'm in trouble! My auntie Danielle calls me Queenie, also Queenie Nung-Nung :) She tells me i'm so regal. I tell her she's so right!! :)

Anyway, I've been doing a lot of resting lately and so have my siblings Mister and Missy. This photo was actually taken a couple months ago when mom was feeling tired a lot .. she calls it fatigue as she would fall asleep on the couch with Mister by 7 pm at night. But since she's come back from her vacation swimming with wild dolphins (if you'd like to read more about her magical experience, check out her blog) she's had this burst of energy! She's back running like a crazy women (and dragging poor Mister with her!) and training for the San Francisco half marathon. Yesterday, according to the training schedule she is following, was a REST day for her. Can you believe it?? She actually wanted to run or do bikram yoga ... I told her she better REST because resting is as important for her as running. She only gets a rest day once a week ... ME??? Nung-nung, queenie nung-nung ... well, since it's the guiding principle for my life I get to rest every single day, and I love it. So sweet dreams everyone.

Hospice volunteer work: Saying Goodbye

2010-08-13T17:35:00.001-05:00

On Thursday mom and I had the chance to meet with our friend "S" in hospice. Mom wrote about our visit on Thursday:

"My therapy dog, Ahnung, and I volunteer at hospice. The picture on the left was taken earlier this morning as we arrived for a care conference scheduled for our hospice 'friend' (as Ahnung likes to call our assigned patient). We walked in after the hospice nurse who was also there for the care conference. I sign us in at the front desk and the receptionist calls a staff member who comes out to talk to us. Unfortunately our friend has a 'significant change' and the care conference has been cancelled. Our friend "S" has begun the active dying process. We've been volunteering now for several months with Allina hospice ... we've had 3 friends so far. The first was actually released from hospice because she was doing so well! The second passed on but it was actually before Ahnung and I actually had a chance to visit with her and we were notified by email by the Allina volunteer coordinator. This is the first time we are actually there when one of our friends has begun the active dying process.

Ahnung and I decide we want to see our friend and we head downstairs to the first floor. She knows this facility well now and walks around like she owns the place! She has friends there now who are on staff and they always give her lots of hugs. She walks into the elevator with confidence and stands perfectly still, calm, as the elevator shaft drops down just one level. As we exit we walk to the right and it takes us 5 minutes to get to the S's room as everyone wants to say "hi". We walk into S's room and the Allina hospice nurse is already there. "It won't be long" she tells me. She leaves the room to talk to the facility nurse and Ahnung and I are able to spend some alone time with our friend. She will stop breathing (apnea) for about 45 seconds or so, then when she starts breathing again, it's labored. As I reach to touch "S" Ahnung walks over to the bed and places her head on S's leg. I pull a chair over to the side of her bed and sit next to her. Silently, I pray and I talk to her while Ahnung lays quietly next to both of us. She is having a hard time breathing, almost gasping for air. I place my hand on her arm and stroke her arm. Quietly I tell her "it's okay. You're not alone." As my hand touches her body her breathing calms down. I continue to lay my hand on her so she knows that we are there. Ahnung comes up to the side of the bed so that she can see her friend. She then plops down on the floor again and takes a deep breath.

I had planned for a care conference this morning and emotionally wasn't really prepared to hear that our friend was actively dying. Somehow Ahnung seems to be much more okay with all of it. There's so much to learn from my sweet therapy dog ... she loves and lives with all she has, and when it's time to go, I think she will go with no regrets, no attachments, and with a big smile on her face ... I don't know exactly when "S" will cross over to the other side. It could be later today ... it could be tomorrow or the day after. If by chance, she's still around on Saturday, Ahnung and I will be there to visit with her again, to hold her hand and to let her know that we are there with her. I feel blessed and honored that we have been able to be there for "S" .... sweet friend, know that you are loved and know that you have touched the hearts of one human being and one canine.

Namaste."

Mom was busy teaching a class all day today so we couldn't go visit "S" today. This morning she got a message on her cell phone about spending more time with her if we could. Mom called back to let the volunteer coordinator that we were planning on going tomorrow morning. Late this afternoon mom got another message on her cell phone ... our friend "S" has passed away.

I'm so glad mom and I had a chance to see her yesterday and to say goodbye. I just know my friend is up in heaven now just dancing away and probably eating all the best ice cream there is!! When I saw her yesterday I told her to be sure to keep a spot warm for me .... and that we would all be together again ...

I am so grateful to be an Allina hospice volunteer with mom ... it has been a gift for us. In training they shared the following:

"hospice is about living up to the time of death ... hospice embraces the good of dying"

On the radio!! ... Pets as Ambassadors!

2010-08-11T07:20:00.003-05:00

Mom is going to be on the radio again ... this time though guess who the focus of the show is going to be?? Yes, ME! ME! ME!! :) Well, actually, I guess it's not really me ... it's really to talk about my job as a therapy dog and how I'm an ambassador for rescued dogs. And to talk about the incredible new friends I make in schools and in hospice. Of course, I also personally think rescued dogs make the best dogs .... and will be giving a shout out to my rescuer Karen of Red Lake Rosie's Rescue and Pet Haven of Minnesota. Thanks to those awesome rescues I am still alive and now get to sleep on a couch, eat lots of food and have the best job in the world!

So i'm trying to coach mom today so she doesn't embarrass my good name and reputation :) [just kidding!]. She's going to talk about the work we do at The Lab of St. Paul Public School where I get to work with these awesome, awesome kids. Mom tells me they're at-risk youth ... i tell her blah, blah, blah ... there's nothing at-risk about them. I think they are the best kids. I've had the summer off from working there because they're also off ... but mom and I are gearing up to go back and volunteer. Mom better start working on some new lesson plans, activities and presentations!! Go Mom!!

So if you're available tomorrow at 1 PM tune in to Talk2TheAnimals Radio show. The title of the show is Pets as Ambassadors. And here's the description from their website:

Join Janet and guests Marilou Chanrasmi and Ingrid King as we talk about pets being ambassadors, spreading peace and joy to all they meet. Marilou's dog, Ahnung, was adopted from Red Lake Rosie's Rescue and is now a volunteer in the schools and volunteers with a hospice team. Ingrid is the author of Buckley’s Story – Lessons from a Feline Master Teacher. Her online magazine “News for You and Your Pet” goes out to subscribers around the world. Her blog, “The Conscious Cat,” has been called “educational cat nip for the cat lover” and is a comprehensive resource for conscious living, health and happiness for pets and their people.

Just so you know ... I was technically adopted from Pet Haven of Minnesota but it was Red Lake Rosie's Rescue that originally rescued me ... so I guess you can they BOTH rescued me!! :)

Mom is home!

2010-08-03T10:10:00.000-05:00

Mom finally came home from her vacation in Bimini, Bahamas where she went swimming with wild, free dolphins ... she said she swam with bottlenose dolphins and spotted dolphins! How cool is that??!! On her trip (which was through WildQuest) she couldn't even escape the magic of dogs!! Mandy is a mixed breed pup who ended up hanging out at the WildQuest home earlier this summer and adopted the WildQuest family :) Smart girl ... Mom tells me that she's a really cool dog. When they would leave every morning at 11:30 to go swim with the dolphins Mandy would be at the dock saying goodbye, and at 7 pm when they would come back in she was the welcoming committee .... she also would escort the humans as they walked around the island or went to the beach .... she LOVED to have her belly rub ... yes, smart girl.

I understand she also likes to sleep a lot ... I think I would've gotten along really well with this girl.

Mom and momma MT had an incredible time swimming with wild free dolphins .... i'm posting a photo of mom hanging out with one of them. If you want to read more about their adventure check out her blog . She said it was magical.

Welcome home mom!! Now it's time for me to schedule a spa day as I have to get back to work and visit my friends in hospice ....

I had a great vacation at home while mom was in the Bahamas. I was doing what I do best --- yes, SLEEPING and SNORING!!

Vacation time for me too!

2010-07-23T20:59:00.000-05:00

Mom and momma MT are leaving early tomorrow morning for Bimini, Bahamas ... they're going on vacation and they're going to go swimming with wild, free dolphins! I'm gonna miss them ... but i'll get to hang out at home with the best doggie and kitty sitters. I'm going to get lots of napping and lounging in the backyard with my sister Missy. Henry the kitty will be with us as well ... my brother Mister is off hanging out with auntie Laura at Rescue Buddy Boarding and i'm sure he's going to have lots of fun there ...

so just wanted you all to know that I'm probably going to take a little break from blogging too while mom's on vacation.

Have a great vacation mom and momma MT!! And say hi to the dolphins for me :)

A day in the life of therapy dog nung-nung

2010-07-16T16:17:00.000-05:00

My day began with being pampered at Pampered Pooch Playground grooming. I always have to make sure I'm looking and smelling good when I work as a therapy dog ...yes, I get pampered and spoiled and treated like a queen by my Uncle Keith, the owner of Pampered Pooch! He gave me a bath and a good brushing ... he told mom that I was shedding like crazy ... heck, what's new?? :) After I got done being bathed I got to hang around and wait for mom wherever I wanted to!! Uncle Keith told mom that I like to open up doors ... ha! my new trick!! I'm a houdini dog and I can go wherever I want! My brother Mister got to spend the day at Pampered Pooch and get some of young crazy energy out ...

Then later in the day mom took me to meet my one new friend in hospice. Unfortunately she's taken a turn for the worse so she was sleeping when I went to see her so I just hung out by her bed while she slept ... she was breathing pretty heavily and on occasion she would stop breathing (my mom was warned about that ... she said it's something called apnea) but she would always start back up again. I got to say hi to lots of others who were there and the staff ... of course, the staff just loves me there! One young woman gave me this huge bear hug!! We hung out with our new friend for a little while to see if she would by chance wake up, but she didn't .... but that's okay. I believe she still knows that we were there visiting her and that she is cared for ....

Then mom and I headed out ... what a day!! When I got home to our backyard there was this squirrel running up the tree ... so now I'm busy fixating on the squirrel :) I love my job as a therapy dog but I do get tired ... so tonight, I'm doing nothing and I don't care what Mister, Missy or Henry say!! or even Mom!! I am not playing or doing anything other than sleeping, and waking up for dinner! That's it!!

Hey, and if you're free tomorrow, stop by the Pet Haven dog adoption event from 10 - Noon. Medium and large dogs will be at the Richfield Petco (66th and Lyndale) and the small dogs will be at the Lake Calhoun Chuck & Don's. Check out the Pet Haven dog blog for more info!

By your side

2010-07-13T12:19:00.000-05:00

My first friend I visited for my volunteer job as therapy dog in hospice got released from hospice!! My mom was told that that was kind of unusual ... I'm so happy for her .... it's been a couple weeks but we got our next assignment, and actually this time, we've been asked if we could become friends with two new patients! I convinced mom to say YES!! This weekend is going to be a busy one for me. On Saturday I'm going to meet one of my new friends, then on Sunday we're going to visit my other new friend. And as you know, as a Delta therapy dog we have to make sure we smell good and are all freshened up for working ... so guess what?? on Friday I get to see my Uncle Keith at Pampered Pooch Playground for my spa day, pampering and lots of hugs ... I always love going there because they treat me like a queen there ... I get to roam around and check out all the rooms, greet the guests and sleep wherever I want ...

I also wanted to congratulate the first six pet therapy teams at Rice Hospice ... I stole this from their website (you should check out the full story and their photos!):

"The newest Rice Hospice volunteers don't drink coffee or drive a car, but they can still decrease patient anxiety and stress, provide a diversion from physical discomfort, and make their patients laugh and smile. Visits from pet therapy dogs can also reduce incidences of depression, alleviate social and emotional isolation and boredom, and expand communication and comfort for the grieving. A visit from a calm, friendly dog might just be the best medicine for many patients....."

Mom always tell me that I'm her best medicine. I tell her that she's my best medicine. And we both believe that it is an honor that we are able to join in the circle of those approaching the final stages of their journey. There's something sacred about the moment of transition. I tell mom that if I go first that I want her by my side ... and she tells me that if she goes first that she wants me by her side ...

meanwhile, we hope that we can share the journey with many others as we volunteer as an animal therapy team in hospice ....

Street Survivor to Couch Hogger

2010-07-11T06:07:00.000-05:00

Here's a common story for those of us who are taken into animal rescues ... sometimes Humans call us 'Rescued Dogs' (but I do beg to differ on if it's really just us being rescued ...) --- many of us have been roaming the streets, scrounging around or hunting for our food, dodging bullets (I got shot and so did my "son" Julius, who is now Jackson) -- except, we didn't succeed in dodging all the bullets. I still have a pellet in one of my nipples and Jackson has a pellet on one of hie ears. We would sleep any place we could, and in the winters any warm place we could find. My brother Mister was found as puppy in a ditch in rural Iowa along with two of his siblings.

We're survivors. And we are grateful that an animal rescue took us in and helped us find a place we could call home. We're grateful that we don't have to hunt for our food anymore ... although, I do have to say that the hunting for food was kind fun. So a word of caution to the bunnies, bird and squirrels of the city .... our backyard is the bunny beware zone ... Enter at your Own Risk!

We're street survivors and we learn pretty quickly how comfortable human couches are!! Here's my brother on the couch .....

and here's Jackson (aka 'son of Ahnung') who only recently got adopted and his new mom sent my mom this picture ... looks like my boy learns really quickly! Good boy Jackson!!

Here's how we celebrate at our house!

2010-07-05T14:04:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was a holiday ... yeah, Independence Day ... lots of excitement, noise and commotion with all the fireworks!! At our household, we celebrated really hard ....

Momma MT took this photo of us .... she tells us this is a common scene at our household. Mom has been feeling fatigued lately ... heck, I just tell her she's gotten smart like us pups ... humans spend way too much time DOING or PLANNING or ACTING!! You humans have a lot to learn from us :) Sleeping, napping and just BEING is the way to go!!

Finally, mom is learning to relaxing like us!! My mantra: 'Sleep! Sleep! and Sleep some more!"
"

The Day you Came and Stayed

2010-07-03T08:56:00.001-05:00

My mom wrote this shortly after she adopted my sister Missy in September, 2006 (yes, gorgeous Missy with those beautiful eyes .... Missy was 2 years old when she ended up in mom's home .. she hit the jackpot, just like me :) Mom lost Shadow (who's mentioned in the poem below on July 2, 2007 to intestinal cancer ... but then Mister was adopted shortly after that, then of course, I came along a couple years later!! :)

I can relate to how Missy needed a little time to trust again ... ahhh, life is good.

From the voice of Missy:

The Day you Came and Stayed

- by Marilou Chanrasmi

September 23, 2006 –

You picked me up.

Some kind stranger, I thought.

Until today, I had spent six months behind bars,

as kind souls worked tirelessly to save me:

Changing faces, changing places,

Locked behind bars.

I’ve been moved around like cargo.

If I’m lucky, there’s a “handle with care” stamp.

But I’m just one of thousands, and I’m big and black, and part pit –

Nobody wants me.

Who are you?

Are you just another passing face? A shooting star giving light and hope,

only to fizzle out?

Is today different?

Am I just hopeful?

Do I dare hope, again?

Only to come crashing down, again.

I am cautious.

I am skeptical.

It’s November now.

I’m still here.

You’re still here.

I’m still counting – as days turn into night.

Each night you whisper gently

“I’m here to stay.”

Each night I learn to trust, just a little bit more.

I’m still counting,

but the beat of the drum is fading into the distance

as my days and heart fill

with walks, carrot treats, snuggle time, play time with Shadow, and car rides.

September 23, 2006 -

a day I’ll always remember.

Because it’s the day you came, and stayed.

Stars are the streetlights of eternity

2010-06-30T11:32:00.000-05:00

My mom's volunteer coordinator for Allina Hospice has this quote on her signature line:

"The stars are the streetlights of eternity." ~ Anonymous.

I love that quote. My mom named me Ahnung (Ah-NUNG) which means "star" in ojibway. She always tells me that I am her northstar. She also tells me as she goes through some health challenges how I am her best medicine. She tells me, I help guide her back to her true self and that she can just close her eyes and feel me there with her.

Everyone goes through rough times ..... when times get tough and you feel like you are all alone, just look up into the stars .... there are billions and billions of them up in the night skies. Every star is an angel and a spirit that will hold you up and carry you when you feel you can no longer stand. When I had to survive on my own for so many years up at the reservation, I had many angels protecting me ... and then I fell into the arms of my rescuer Karen of Red Lake Rosie's Rescue who then led me to my mom and Pet Haven. And now my work as a therapy dog volunteering with at-risk youth and in hospice has just begun ....

Dr. Edward Creagan is a cancer doctor at Mayo Clinic and talks about the healing power of animals with his cancer patients ... it's a short 2 minute video and well worth it!!!

I survived the 5K9 Run!

2010-06-24T08:39:00.000-05:00

A couple weeks ago I participated in my first ever 5K9 with mom (and it will also be my last one!) ... I would much rather just lounge on the patio or sleep on the couch than take long walks ... at least mom was really nice and she didn't make me run the 5K. We went on a leisurely Saturday morning stroll ... there was a photographer that was laying on the road towards the end of the 5K -- i think we were approaching mile 3. I was pretty exhausted by then but I have to say, I think I look pretty darn good in this photo for having walked almost 3 miles!! :) He snapped a couple photos of us and mom bought this one so that we could always remember the historic moment of my first, and last, 5K walk!

Mom was laughing at how I had to drink out of every water bowl at the water stops. They had 5 water bowls lined up for the pups ... I'd start with the first bowl then work my way down the line. What can I say, I like to sample all the bowls, plus I was hot and thirsty!

Today, though ... I'm going to do what I do and love best .... sleep and snore hard!! Have a great day everyone!!

Personalized mosaic dog (or kitty) leash hooks

2010-06-22T11:09:00.000-05:00

A few months ago my mom placed an order with my auntie Cindy (who makes these really, really cool mosaic dog leash hooks) ... i got to pick out my own color (of course, i picked orange!) and I also asked to add stars by my name ... after all, my name ahnung means star in ojibway :)

This past week mom and momma MT finally got around to cleaning out the back area and reorganizing so now we have our dog leash hooks hanging by the back door. Mister and Missy also got their personalized dog leash hook ... mom chose red for Mister and purple for Missy. Here are photos of them ... and if you want to place your own special order all you have to do is contact my auntie Cindy at caverin@comcast.net. My auntie Cindy volunteers with Pet Haven and she is going to donate 20% (yes, that's right ... 20%!) of any order you place with her to Pet Haven. Just be sure to mention 'Pet Haven.'

Our tough life!

2010-06-21T08:46:00.000-05:00

Mom is off to the office. Just thought i'd share with you what a typical day is for us when mom is working. I get to lounge on the couch. Most of the time Missy hangs out with me on the couch. And Mister boy ... well, Mister boy either sleeps on the dog bed or he claims the leather chair.

and here I am ....close up shot :)

and here's my sister Missy ... isn't she just pretty???

My boy Julius has a home visit tomorrow!!

2010-06-19T19:28:00.000-05:00

My boy Julius had quite the day today ... mom picked him up early this morning to bring him to the Pet Haven adoption event. I hope my boy appreciates my mom doing that because she was gone all week in North Carolina for work and just got home last night .. then turns around and leaves early this morning to pick him up!! Yes, he's probably saying "blah, blah, blah, blah, blah ...."

Anyway, there's this really cool young couple that put an application for my boy. The best part of it all is that they heard about him because mom told auntie Danielle about Julius (auntie Danielle is a dog trainer and therapy dog teacher at Canine Coach and a good friend of mom ... we volunteer together at The Lab with at-risk youth) Mom talked to the "dad" while she was in North Carolina and really liked him. He had to work today so he couldn't come and meet Julius but his soon to be mom (paws crossed) came to the adoption event today to meet Julius ... and yes, she LOVED him ... who wouldn't??? so tomorrow mom is picking Julius up again from his foster's home to take him for the home visit ... and guess what, I get to go too!! Julius' new mom and dad want to meet me ... and of course, I want to see my boy again :) And auntie Danielle is also coming and she's going to bring my buddy Sharpie (who is one of auntie Danielle's pups ... we're best buds -- he taught me how to play tug!).

After the adoption event today Julius got picked up by a Pet Haven volunteer Lisa who just loves, loves, loves my boy too!! He was quite the star today and very much in demand ...

Well ... i'll be with my boy tomorrow at the home visit. We just need to make sure that he gets along with the resident cat at his new home (which I am pretty sure will not be an issue). If it's anything like when I first came to live with mom, then it will be just fine :) Julius is like me ... being rez (i.e, reservation dogs) dogs, we've been through so much and have survived out in the wild for a while -- we've also been around all kinds of critters so nothing really phases us. I heard that Julius did great with a woman in a wheel chair at the adoption event today and also with the young kids ... he's definitely my son and will make a great therapy dog!!

I love my siblings!

2010-06-15T19:08:00.000-05:00

In honor of my incredible family, I wanted to post photos of my siblings!!

Here's a photo of Missy and Mister (when he was a puppy) napping with their friend, big bird ...

Mister .... cute little puppy! Look at that scrawny little tail .. what happened to it?? :)

Mister and Henry, napping ...

and here are stoic poses by Missy and Mister ... I love them all!!

My first ... and make that my LAST ... 5K!!

2010-06-13T07:31:00.000-05:00

So yesterday, I got to be a part of Pet Haven's The Fast and the Furballs team and participated in the Dog Days 5K9 run/walk. Don't get me wrong ... it was a great event with over 300 doggies of all sizes, breeds, colors ... best of all, I also got to see Julius (aka 'son of Ahnung'). He got teamed up with a Pet Haven volunteer and ran the entire 5K! I hear you ... don't think I don't hear you saying "why can't I run a 5K!" Excuse me friends ... i'm almost 6 years old and i have a bad back knee AND I am just not built for running, or even walking long distances for that matter!! Julius, however, did great ... the Pet Haven volunteer said he was a perfect running buddy.

I started off strong but then I got tired pretty quickly. The photo on the left is of me before race started. Scroll down and you'll see a photo of me after the race. By mile 2 I was saying words to my mom that I can't repeat. What I want to know is why they didn't have a rescue wagon waiting for me. Last year my bro Mister got to participate in the run/walk. I told mom that if she decides to do this again next year, that she should take Mister again. She's a little nervous running with my crazy brother because he tripped her last summer when they were out running and she took a pretty nasty fall ... after a year she still has a scar on her face from that fall.

Okay, so my momma MT says i'm no spring chicken ... well, she's right!! But at least I finished the 5K in less than an hour. We crossed the finish line just a few minutes before it hit one hour AND we were not the LAST ones to cross.

So here are photos of me and Julius after the 5K. As you can see, i'm exhausted and Julius looks like he just had a warm up and is ready to run another 5 miles. Maybe he'll get lucky and there will be a runner out there that is looking for a running buddy and will want to adopt by sweet boy.

When I got home after the 5K9 yesterday, guess what I did??? Yes, you are right ... I threw my body down on the floor and crashed for the rest of the day. Mom tells me that I was snoring loudly. It's a good thing she didn't wake me up. She only woke me up for dinner ... then right after dinner it was back to bed!

Today ... it's Sunday, and I am doing NOTHING!! I don't care what mom has in mind for me but I am going to just hang out in the backyard and do NOTHING!! Hope everyone has a wonderful Sunday!

10 Reasons by you should adopt Julius, aka 'Son of Ahnung'

2010-06-10T07:59:00.001-05:00

If you've been following my blog, and maybe even my mom's blog you'll know about Julius, a rescued dog from up at the Red Lake reservation ... the same place from where I was rescued.... and YES, I believe he is my son, and NO, I can't prove it but mom thinks so and so do many, many other people. He has my same markings and temperament .... and if you saw our first meeting, you would just know too :)

Anyway, my sweet boy is up for adoption through Pet Haven. Mom has fallen head over heels in love with him, and so have I. Of course, I would LOVE for Julius to come live with us by mom tells me our house is kinda full ... I guess 3 big dogs and a cat in a small city house is a lot ... oh well, I'll just demand visitation rights.

1. He's so darn cute
2. He's playful with personality, yet mellow
3. He walks well on a leash - does NOT pull or drag you on walks, like some dogs!!
4. He has a calm, wise, loving spirit (it's hard to put this into words .. you just have to meet my boy!)
5. He's a Red Lake reservation dog and they are the coolest (okay, so i'm biased because i'm a rez dog too!)
6. He would make a GREAT therapy dog! He's a natural ....
7. After Julius becomes a therapy dog, we could volunteer together and become the Mama and Son therapy dog team ... and together, we can heal wounded spirits.
8. He gets along with everyone!!
9. Like me ... he's low maintenance. Mom often forgets i'm even around :)
10. He will touch and heal your soul in a way you could never even imagine!

Okay, I said 10 reasons but here's one more: You are saving a life and adopting a rescued dog. Mom tells me that in the end I really rescued her :)

On the right is a photo of my boy sleeping at auntie Laura's house. Now, how can you not just fall in love with him???

When I first got to meet the "son of Ahnung"it was right before I brought him over to his foster home. He's a pretty lucky boy ... he gets to hang out in a foster home with a mellow chocolate lab (Grizzly) and Alan, the pug AND a swimming pool! Boy, sure wish I had a swimming pool. You should've seen us prancing around the swimming pool ...

Mom took a bunch of photos from our first meeting and when we took my boy over to his foster home. She made a short video of it .... check it out!

And if you're interested in learning more about Julius or meeting him you should email dogs@pethavenmn.org. And you should put in your email that you want to learn more about Julius, aka 'Son of Ahnung'!! He's my boy and i'm very protective of him!!

All in a day's work!

2010-06-05T06:28:00.002-05:00

I'm sometimes asked .... "what's it like to be a therapy dog??" Well .... here's a typical work day for me ... only difference here is that this was my first time in hospice to visit my new friend "I" (now that mom and I are official Allina hospice volunteers!). All my other work days were to go to school and give presentations with mom and work with at-risk youth ... yesterday, was a special day ... mom was also having a rough day and when we go to "work" not only do I LOVE it because of all the cool people I get to meet, but because it also makes mom feel so much better :)

My day begins with lots of loving by Uncle Keith of Pampered Pooch Playground where I go to get my spa treatment. As a therapy dog I MUST look and smell my best! I love Uncle Keith (he owns this fancy joint in St. Louis Park!). He gives me lots of attention, treats, belly rubs and lets me be a greeter (his dog and my friend, Roxy, a bernese mountain dog is taking her therapy dog test on Friday! After she passes she's going to work with me at the schools ... YAY!!)

Here I am getting a bath!!

then I get to visit my new friend "I" in hospice, who has this friend "B" who hung out with us too! They were both so cool and gave me lots of pets. It took me a long time to make my way to I's room because everyone wanted us to stop. Sorry mom, they wanted to see me not you! :) All I heard was "Can your dog say hi to us? What's your dog's name? What kind of dog is she?" and on and on and on ... oh, we also got to ride in an elevator (so fun!). I also so saw more wheelchairs than i've ever seen before!

And then, this one staff person at hospice (handsome, cool dude!) ... fell to his knees when he first met me! He hugged on me and gave me lots of attention and asked my mom if he could take me home. Sorry Uncle Andy ... "I'm spoken for" but "yes, I'll tell mom that we have to come visit 'I' and 'B' on the days that you are working!"

[Thanks Uncle Andy for letting me post our photo! ... hope to see you next week!]

And then it's time to crash at home with Missy and Mister!

Be a voice for the voiceless

2010-06-02T08:16:00.000-05:00

A year and a half ago my life was horrible ... I was wandering around, suffering, starving and having litter after litter. If not for Karen Good of Red Lake Rosie's Rescue I would still be up at the reservation, suffering. Then thanks to Pet Haven and my mom my life took a turn. And now I sleep on the couch, or wherever I want to sleep :) I no longer have to scrounge for food, although i still like to eat berries and seeds that fall off of trees and twigs (mom keeps telling me not to though!).

The photo on the left was taken by a Pet Haven volunteer and professional photographer Lisa Jaster of LMJ Originals. She recently went up to the Red Lake reservation to assist with a spay/neuter clinic and took such incredible photos .... stayed tuned ... mom says that you'll be hearing more about the collaborative efforts with local groups in the Twin Cities working on behalf of abandoned, abused and neglected animals!! Woo hoo!! :)

Here are a couple quotes that I just love ... and hugs to all of you who are already doing so much for those of us who need for you to be a voice for those of us who have no voice!!

"Never be afraid to do what's right, especially if the well-being of a person or animal is at stake. Society's punishments are small compared to the wounds we inflict on our soul when we look the other way" - Martin Luther King, Jr.

"For to be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others." - Nelson Mandela

Julius - "Son of Ahnung"

2010-05-31T07:04:00.001-05:00

So the other day when mom went to pick up my brother Mister from Rescue Buddy Boarding she met Julius who just arrived from Red Lake Rosie's Rescue. Julius was one of Pet Haven's newest intake into their foster program.

Julius, like me, was rescued by Karen Good (my hero!). They were having a big spay/neuter clinic so that more puppies and kittens aren't being born! Karen told my mom that Julius came from the same area up at the reservation that I did ... a place called Redby. He has scabs and scars all over his body and they removed over 200 wood ticks from his body. They said he was so sweet when the volunteer was removing the ticks. When my auntie Laura took him to Bloomington Veterinary Hospital to get checked out even the vet there said Julius looked like me! [For those that don't know, when I first was rescued and arrived into Pet Haven's program I spent about 6 weeks at Bloomington Vet because I had heartworm ... the vets, vet techs and staff just loved me up when I was there, and of course, mom came to visit me every day and took me on outings].

Somehow, Julius got the nickname "son of Ahnung" :) I love it. He has the same markings as me with white paws and a white tip on his tail and little freckles on his nose. He's not as chunky and solid as me, but that's okay :) Mom says he also has the same temperament and my calm spirit :) One of the vet techs at Bloomington Vet is interested in adopting Julius ... in fact, it's one of the techs who took good care of me while I was healing from heartworm. I guess there's no way to confirm that he's my son, but if mom were a gambler she would bet on it, and so would I!!

Yesterday, she went to visit him at auntie Laura's (aka Rescue Buddy Boarding) and she took lots of photos of him and Chica (another gorgeous dog who is up for adoption through Pet Haven. Chica originally came from People for Pets in Spencer, Iowa where my siblings Missy and Mister came from). She made a cool video from all the photos she took. I hope I get to meet "my son" soon :)

New Video!!

2010-05-30T05:23:00.000-05:00

For some bizarre reason mom couldn't sleep last night ... so she got up really, really early. Of course, I just came downstairs with her and went right back to sleep. She decided to make a new video of me with a bunch of my photos .... of course, i'm okay with that!! :)

Hey ... I also hear that mom met this really cool dog yesterday. His name is Julius and he came from up north at Red Lake reservation (where i'm from). He was also rescued by Karen (my hero!) of Red Lake Rosie's Rescue. I hear Julius came from the same area where I originally came from ... Redby. And guess what, mom says that Julius looks like me and acts like me, and she has fallen in love with this boy. He has been nicknamed "Son of Ahnung!" Mom says he would make a great therapy dog too! She says she's going over to auntie Laura's house today to take photos of him ... yeah, right!! When she comes home i'm going to check her pockets to make sure she isn't sneaking him in .... she's threatening my brother Mister that she's going to trade him in for Julius. I've assured my brother Mister that she's all talk!! She loves Mister, crazy as he is ... i'm sure you'll be hearing more about the Son of Ahnung :)

Meanwhile, check out my new video:

Give your Dog a Treat Day!

2010-05-28T10:21:00.002-05:00

Today I proclaim it to be "Give Your Dog (or Cat) a Treat Day!"

Yesterday it was hug your dog (or cat) ... today, as we begin the Memorial Day weekend (and yes, I know there are going to be lots of parties and barbecues going on!) ... So, if all you Humans get to eat yummy food, then I think I, along with all my furry friends, deserve to get a least one special, scrumptuous, yummy treat!!

Oh, and if you need a taster for your party just give me a call! I am more than happy to help you out, and I won't even charge you. I love ALL kinds of food!

Give your Dog a Hug Day

2010-05-27T09:19:00.002-05:00

Today I proclaim it "Give your dog a hug day."

It will not only help your pup .... but it will help you too.

Mom says that I am her best medicine. Hugs and slobbery kisses to you all today!!

A Dog's Ten Commandments

2010-05-18T20:50:00.000-05:00

1. My life is likely to last 10 to 15 years. Any permanent separation from you will be very painful for me. Remember this before you adopt me.

2. Do not break my spirit with harsh treatment. Your patience and understanding will more quickly teach me the things you would have me learn. Give me time to understand what you want of me.

3. Place your trust in me -- it’s crucial to my well-being. Remember that I was bred for activity, both mental and physical and I enjoy playing games, taking walks and an occasional good run.

4. Don’t be angry with me for long, and don’t lock me up as punishment. You have your work, your friends, your entertainment. I have only you and I like being with you.

5. Talk to me. Even if I don’t understand your words, I understand the tone of your voice when you are speaking to me, especially when you use friendly tones.

6. Be aware that however you treat me, I will never forget it. I am normally a social animal, however I need to make positive associations at a young age to feel confident and well adjusted around other dogs and humans.

7. Before you hit me, remember that I have teeth that could easily crush bones but I choose not to bite you.

8. Before you scold me for being uncooperative, obstinate, or lazy, ask yourself if something may be bothering me. Perhaps I’ve been out in the sun too long or I'm not getting the right food. I may need medical attention or my heart may just be getting old. But keep in mind I respond very well to praise.

9. Take care of me when I get old. You, too, will grow old. I only want to love and to please you, so treat me kindly.

10. And most of all . . . Go with me on difficult journeys. Never say, “I can’t bear to watch it” or “Let it happen in my absence.” Everything is easier for me if you are there. Remember, I love you.

- Canine author unknown.

Hold On

2010-05-13T07:53:00.003-05:00

I've decided that this morning i'm going to let my mom be a guest writer on my blog:

Every morning I write. I have a desk that looks out to our backyard. It's not really a desk ... it used to be in my partner's kitchen in her old home ... a tall, light oak colored table that I transformed into my writing desk. I sit on a stool every morning looking out the window into our backyard. Years ago when we still had our precious Shadow (i'm guessing he was some kind of a lab/terrier mix ... a rescue from the streets of Owasso, Oklahoma many years ago -- starving, malnourished, ribs protruding and a major scab over his right ear where his body was healing over a gun shot wound -- a bullet that skimmed his ear, shattered and till the day he died left pieces of lead in his skull) ... sweet Shadow. Shadow used to sneak under the table and place his paws up on the window sill. While I would write he would look out into the back yard. A curiosity and fascination for the squirrels. Something he has passed on to our sweet Mister.

Shadow was a survivor. He was a love bug. He was street smart. And he was an escape artist. We lost our sweet boy to intestinal cancer on July 2, 2007. I was blessed to have 3 weeks with him to say goodbye and build more beautiful memories. We had 3 weeks of doggie hospice. He got to do whatever he wanted to do in those 3 weeks. We went to the parks with Missy ... he went swimming in the lakes. We ran errands together. And in those 3 weeks I slept downstairs on the couch with him, held him in my arms and let him out every hour or two as he struggled to hang on despite cancer cells spreading in his body. He had good moments and not so good moments. I prayed for him to let me know when it was time to let him go. I let him know that as much as I wanted him to stay with me, more than anything I did not want him to suffer and I wanted to do what was right for him.

In the early morning of July 2, 2007 he let me know. He burrowed himself in a shallow hole he dug up by the ashes of Splat (my first dog ... my sweet black cocker spaniel), Shen (whom we lost in September, 2006 to spleen cancer - Shen was Shadow's best friend), Cece and Scooter (my partner's dog and cat) ... and a stone that represented a memorial for our beloved animals. It's as if I could hear him say, "It's time."

This morning, i picked up a stone i have on my writing desk, where a native american blessing is engraved. And I found myself hearing Shadow ... I share it with all of you who have lost a loved one .... it's been almost 3 years since Shadow crossed the bridge. I miss you Shadow. I miss Splat, and I miss Shen. Some day we will meet again. For now, I imagine you frolicking up in heaven ... I know you were there welcoming Zappa, and most recently Lacy ... thanks for continuing to bless us with your presence and sprinkling us with your spirit ...

Hold On

To what is good

even if it is a handful of earth.

Hold on to what you believe

even if it is a tree which stands by itself.

Hold on to what you must do

even if it is a long way from here.

Hold on to life

even when it is easier letting go.

Hold on to my hand

even when I have gone away from you.

Sheep, Solar energy and Software ...

2010-05-11T18:02:00.002-05:00

So what do Dorper sheep, solar energy and software have in common? SAS!! and What is SAS, it's the software company my mom works for which is ranked the #1 company to work for by Fortune magazine! I've been trying to get her to quit her job so she can just focus on me ... yes ME, Nung Nung, animal assisted education/therapy and lounging on the couch with me, but she won't ... She actually really likes her job and says it's truly the best company. She gets to travel around the country teaching workshops in universities across the country ....

[Oh, if you want to read more about why SAS is the best company to work for check out the Fortune 100 article]

She tells me that they recently had a contest to name the new solar sheep. Her company built a solar farm on 5 of the 300 acres where the company headquarters is in Cary, North Carolina. Their newer buildings are all powered by solar energy! How cool is that???

The solar farm has Dorper sheep, which is a smaller breed of sheep that are perfect for walking beneath the solar panels to munch on the grass and help with landscaping. Over easter four baby lambs were born ... they reached out to the employees to name the sheep and the votes came in .. their names are Buttercup, Sassy, Miss Fleece and Lily!

Mom says her company has child daycare centers at their headquarters in North Carolina. I think they need a doggie daycare ... maybe when they get a doggie daycare then we can all move to Cary, North Carolina. Actually, i'll even move before they get a doggie daycare because I'm happy to hang out with Buttercup, Sassy, Miss Fleece and Lily and all the other dorper sheep. Mom will vouch for it ... but she knows I love to graze and munch on the grass in the backyard. I also eat anything that falls off of the tree!

I guess i'll get off mom's case .... she's got a great job and it also pays for all the yummy food and treats that I get!!

Invited to speak at a graduate level social work class!

2010-05-08T12:22:00.000-05:00

Mom had to travel this past week for work ... she's always traveling (which i don't like!! ... but she says she has to work so she can feed me so who am i to argue ... i want my food.

Ahnung + Food = Happy Nung Nung!)

Okay, i digress ... so mom was invited to speak at a graduate level social work class at the University of St. Thomas this morning! They wanted both of us to come and talk about animal assisted education and the work we are doing volunteering at The Lab working with special ed kids ... mom had to talk about group dynamics, facilitating groups, blah, blah, blah, blah :) Don't get me wrong ... it's all good. But me?? I just go where i'm needed ... AND best of all, when I go to "work" and give these presentations or help mom facilitate groups, I get lots and lots of love.

The students this morning were so great! I told them I wanted to blog about it and post their photo up on my blog ... they were cool with it. Actually, i think they were more than cool with it ... they're smiling in the photo right??? And before I left I got lots of love from them. They gave me compliments and said I was pretty.... awwww .... A couple of the students kept saying I had such great markings .... i think one of them even wanted to kidnap me!! Maybe mom can make some extra money by starting a business: Rent a Nung Nung!

Well ... i'm so glad I got to visit with them this morning. They will all make great social workers one day. And hopefully a few of them will consider animal assisted therapy/education in their work ... according to mom, the work we do is pretty magical. For me, it's magical because I get lots of yummy treats :)

Happy Saturday everyone! Nap time for me :)

A Dog's Last Will

2010-05-05T06:48:00.000-05:00

In September 2006 mom lost her beloved collie shepherd mix Shen to spleen cancer. It came on suddenly and it hit her really hard. She tells me how she came to know Shen ... a scraggly 9 month old puppy, a rescue dog who was up for adoption through a rescue in St. Louis, Missouri. Mom happened to stop by a Petco in St. Louis one Sunday afternoon and there was this funny looking dog. No one wanted her. Well, until mom came along. She stopped by a health food store on her way back to her apartment ... Wild Oats. She opened up an eastern medicine veterinary book, and the page opened up to "Shen". She decided to name her new pup Shen ... which means spirit. What a great name.

Shen lived with mom till she was 12 years old. Mom tried desperately to save Shen, but in the end, after surgery and two blood tranfusions, realized it was time to let her go. She held Shen's paw as her spirit crossed over. I tell my mom that we will all go there some day. It's okay. Our time will come and it's a beautiful place.

Shen led mom to Pet Haven and to the work she is doing in animal welfare. Thanks Shen ... you did good!! :) And because of Shen ... mom adopted Missy, then Mister, then Henry ... and finally me!!

Mom doesn't want to think about the time when it will be my turn to go. She tells me that i'm going to live a long, long, long, long time. I smile. I tell her though, that when it's my time to go, there will be another beautiful star out there that will need her, and for whom I will want to have the hundreds of dog beds that mom has purchased for me!! :)

Celebrating Lacy's Life ...

2010-05-02T10:35:00.004-05:00

There's this really special dog, Lacy ... a 9 year old rottie mix, that was in Pet Haven's foster program for a long time. She spent time in quite a few foster homes and even at a couple of our doggie daycare partners, Pampered Pooch and Downtown Dogs ... every place she went she won the hearts of her fosters. We couldn't quite understand why no one was adopting this sweet girl ...

She was in Pet Haven's foster program at the time that I went into Pet Haven's foster program. I got adopted on January 3, 2009 ... well Lacy told me that she was waiting around for her special family, Jackie and Jerry! Smart girl ... well, Lacy was adopted by Jackie and Jerry on March 29, 2009 and had the best 13 months with them.

She got sick in February .... and this past Friday her mom and dad were right by her side as she went on to doggie heaven ... okay, it's doggie and human heaven. Lacy was one cool dog and she touched the hearts of so many people, even my mom. So this morning my mom made a movie to celebrate sweet Lacy's life.

Click on the link below to watch her tribute to Lacy.

Celebrating Lacy's life

And auntie Jackie and uncle Jerry ... thank you for loving Lacy and giving her the best home!

Official Allina hospice volunteer!

2010-04-30T17:06:00.004-05:00

Mom just completed 3 days of training through Allina Home and Community Services. She said it was the best training and she learned so much!! Way to go mom for making it through the training ... and today, on the last day, I got to go with her because they needed to take my picture for my own badge. How cool is that?? :) And on top of it all I got lots and lots of hugs from all the other volunteers and Allina staff.

Mom was really proud of me. She kept telling me how good I was ... not sure what the big deal is. Aren't I always good??? Anyway, I slept most of the time right by her side. Occasionally the other volunteers came by to say hi and gave me pats and hugs and I also got some belly rubs ... nice long belly rubs! I showed them that I know how to shake and "high five" ...

so mom graduated from the training today and we both got our badges!! We also got our first assignment and I'm really excited about it. Mom is going to call the family first thing next week and set up a time when we can start visiting ... i'm going to have a new friend now ... this is exciting!!

Here are some photos from today ... if you're a therapy dog or know someone who's a therapy dog i hope you'll also consider volunteering with hospice. Yes, you can email me at ahnung.star@gmail.com.

and if you want to learn more about the hospice training from mom's perspective, she wrote about it on her blog.

Brother?? I have a brother??

2010-04-24T10:11:00.000-05:00

My mom has been having to travel a lot recently ... for work and just recently because her mom just came back to the U.S. from the Philippines and unfortunately ended up in the hospital for a few days. Mom hopped on a plane pretty quickly! I know I talked about my crazy brother Mister before ... yes, I love him a lot especially since he's taught me how to play. He's been gone so much lately though because every time mom has to go out of town he gets "shipped off" (and I mean that in the most endearing way) to auntie Laura at Rescue Buddy Boarding. When he goes there he gets to hang out with La Buddy, a springer spaniel. I think Mister thinks that La Buddy is his brother now. I hope he doesn't forget that he has two sisters (Missy and me!) and a feline brother (Henry!) in St. Paul ... it's quiet around here without him.

Now don't feel sorry for my brother. He loves going to Rescue Buddy Boarding and hanging out with auntie Laura and La Buddy. He gets to go to the dog park, sleep on comfy dog beds, ride around in a Honda minivan with auntie Laura when she has to run around doing errands .... and I even heard that he was pretty sneaky and did some countersurfing last week and got to auntie Laura's banana cake! Way to go bro'!! :) Next time you need to be a little quicker so that you don't just get a corner of the cake and you get the whole cake!! And next time, save me some too!!

You see that photo of him on the right ... that's Mister after his big exciting day at the dog park with Buddy!! If you want to read more about his adventures at the dog park check out the Rescue Buddy Boarding blog.

So Mister .... as much as you have fun hanging out with auntie Laura and Buddy, don't forget about me, okay?? I miss you when you're gone ... although it is kinda nice and quiet :) I hear you're going back there again next week for an overnight and a few days of daycare ... lucky boy!!

Buddhist Dog

2010-04-09T09:54:00.000-05:00

Mom is trying to get me to become like Conan the chihuahua. I don't think it's going to work though but i'll let her keep trying.

Buddhists clasp their palms together to pray for enlightenment, but Conan, a chihuahua, appears to have more worldly motivations. The dog has become a popular attraction at a Japanese temple after learning to imitate the worshippers around him. “Conan started to pose in prayer like us whenever he wanted treats,” said Joei Yoshikuni, a priest at Jigenin temple on the southern island of Okinawa [from Pet Press]

Check out this photo of my brother Mister .... I think there's a better chance for mom to get Mister to become a Buddhist dog. Mom's been doing a lot of pondering about a lot of things, including Buddha, God, meaning of life, blah, blah, blah ... you should check out her blog.

Me?? No pondering for this girl ... lots of sleeping and basking in the sun for this buddha dog :)

Free animal therapy informational session

2010-04-05T20:56:00.000-05:00

My mom and I will be hosting a free animal therapy dog informational session at Pampered Pooch Playground again.
As you all know, i've been busy volunteering with mom over the past year.

Date: Saturday, April 17th, 2010
Location: Pampered Pooch Playground, St. Louis Park
Time: 10 am - 11 am

What you will learn:

What makes a great therapy dog?
What kind of training is involved and how long will it take?
What are the requirements for the dog? and for the handler?
How do I get started?

Yes, it's my dream to start a movement here in Minnesota of animal therapy teams and to inspire others to go through the necessary training. You might think it's a lot of work ... well, it kinda is a lot of work, but it's sure worth it! If you could see the smiles on the faces of the kids and the people I get to visit ... you would know it's worth it! They tell me I'm making a difference. Well, we're making a difference for each other.

To register for the event visit click here.

Or if you have questions you can email me too .. I love getting email :) My email address is ahnung.star@gmail.com.

I sure hope you're enjoying the beautiful spring weather. I had a wonderful time this weekend basking in the sun in our backyard. I have a few weeks off from "work" so am catching up on my beauty sleep :) My next gig isn't till the last week in April where I will have the chance to give a presentation to a class at Avalon school in Minneapolis with my mom. I'm pretty excited about that!! Then mom has to go through her volunteer training at Allina so we can start volunteering at hospice.

I do think it's almost time for me to schedule another spa day ... i always love seeing auntie Jenny at Pampered Pooch. My brother Mister got a bath when he was staying with auntie Laura at Rescue Buddy Boarding. Check out how cute he is on the Rescue Buddy blog. I really miss Mister when he's gone (so does Missy) ..... I love playing with him.

Okay ... time to call it a night. It's been a rough day ... all that beauty sleep will wear a girl out :)

Celebrating no bunny ears this year!

2010-04-03T07:27:00.000-05:00

For many families they will be celebrating Easter this weekend. For me what I am going to be celebrating is that I do NOT have to put those crazy bunny ears on ... (and auntie Laura, the answer to your question is NO!! NO, you can't come over for a photo shoot with those bunny ears! It's La Buddy's turn to try those ears on this year!) Instead, what i'm going to be doing is lounging on the couch with Mister and Missy or basking in the sun under our tree in the backyard. Yes, that's what this girl is going to do this Easter!

I'm not really sure I get this Easter thing that humans celebrate. Lots of chocolate in the shape of bunnies and lots of painted easter eggs. Mom won't let me eat any chocolate and she also doesn't give me any eggs to munch on ... okay, gum on, since I have no front teeth. We do have these two big bunnies that are taunting Missy and Mister. They've been hanging out in the backyard of our neighbor's house. There used to only be one bunny. I think Bunny 1 must've broadcast to the bunny community that there are these crazy dogs on the other side of the white picket fence and how fun it is to watch them go bonkers. I just sit there quietly and watch them. They're kinda hypnotic if you know what I mean. My siblings, on the other hand, lose their mind --- bark, bark, bark!!! Run up and down the fence. Mister even paws at the fence .... when will they learn that it won't make a difference and the more they do that the more the bunny has fun?

Well .... this girl needs to go eat breakfast now, then she needs to go back to sleep. Yes, my beauty sleep.

Whatever you celebrate, whatever your religion or faith is, whatever you believe in ..... I hope you have an Ahnung weekend ... in other words, hope you have the best weekend because my weekends are always the best!

From one rescue dog to another

2010-03-31T07:07:00.005-05:00

I got a plea from my pal Jaz last night. I actually had the chance to meet her a couple weeks ago at the Highland Chuck & Don's. It was that night that my mom said I got a little crazy and was having so much fun, breaking free from my collar and running around the store like a little kid ... oh what fun! Anyway, I received a plea from sweet Jaz and I told her I would help spread the word .... after all, that's what friends are for, right?? She's grateful to her rescuer, and i am to mine [Oh, and don't forget to become my fan on facebook ... My fun fundraiser for Red Lake Rosie's Rescue and The Lab continues till this Sunday! Click here to go to my fan page!]

----------------------------------
Hi Ahnung,

Just like you, my rescue group (Gemini Rottweiler and Pitbull Rescue in Madison, MN) saved me in 2008. I don’t even want to talk about my life before Gemini, but I do think people should know that I was skin and bones when I was found and someone had cropped my ears themselves. YET, I still love people…kids, adults, anyone who will pet me! I don’t hold any grudges because I know that I never have to see those mean people again. Mama Jen (I’ve learned that there are a lot of Jen’s in animal rescue!) who founded Gemini Rescue, became my special guardian. I lived with her for the past 2 years. Even though I loved living with her, I was getting worried that I would never find my forever home. Mama Jen told me to not worry, that I was meant for bigger and better things and that it might take some time for me and my forever home to find one another.

Mama Jen was right! My forever mom found me on March 7th of this year when I was at the Twin Cities Pet Expo. My new mom, Jennifer, (I told you that there were a lot of Jen’s involved in rescue!) was on the hunt for a potential therapy dog candidate and there I was, just waiting for her! I went home with her on a “trial” but I think we all knew that it was a done deal before we even left the Expo ☺

My new, very OWN mom, Jennifer, volunteers with your mom at Pet Haven. She told me all about your life and how you have overcome so many obstacles to find Marilou and now you both help so many people by being a therapy dog. I think that you are so cool! My mom and I want to be just like you and your mom someday.

I read your blog and follow you on Facebook and hope that, from one rescue dog to another, you can help me with something…

There are so many dogs, just like the two of us, who are waiting for someone to save them .Which is why I am so grateful to Mama Jen at Gemini Rescue. She took care of me for TWO YEARS and, between you and me, I am not an inexpensive girl to have around the house. I have food allergies, so I have to eat special food, the vet bills pile up and I’m not the only dog in the house… not even close!! Mama Jen tries to rescue as many dogs as she possibly can, as they are all special in their own way. She works so tirelessly and I want to help her as much as I can - so when I heard about the Petfinder.com Shelter challenge, I talked my new mom into voting every day and encouraging all her friends to do the same. The shelter or rescue group with the most votes in the nation wins a $10,000 grant!! They are currently #1 in Minnesota and 44 in the country. Do you know how many dogs Mama Jen could save with that type of money?! It’s a very easy contest - whichever shelter/rescue group has the most votes at midnight on April 18th wins. Easy, right?? The key is to get people to vote every day and on as many computers/smartphones as possible. My mom goes to the library and votes on all the computers there every weekend…it just takes her 15 minutes and she racks up another 20 votes for Gemini Rescue!

If you’re on Facebook, please become a fan of Gemini Rottweiler and Pitbull rescue. Mama Jen posts a reminder every day to vote. It’s so easy to click on the link and vote. Just takes less than 10 seconds a day!

OR

Vote here on every computer you have ( home,work, laptop, smartphone, etc)
type Gemini in the search box and MN under state:

http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/shelterchallenge.faces?siteId=3&link=ctg_ars_shelterchallenge_from_home_sidetabs

Thanks Ahnung…together we can make a difference.

Love,
Jazmin

Tie Day at The Lab

2010-03-26T19:30:00.017-05:00

Today was an awesome day at The Lab. I got to see my buddy "J" again ... our last class presentation. "J" is always so excited to see me. I was waiting for him with my auntie Paula and mom. Yes, I had a guest today. Auntie Paula came to watch me work and to hear mom and "J' give their presentation (thanks for coming auntie Paula!). We learned shortly after I got there that it was Spirit Week with the Rivereast kids at The Lab and today they were celebrating Tie Day --- so everyone had to wear a tie. I got a flashy tie with all kinds of fancy formulas on it. Mom and auntie Paula also had to wear a tie ... so did Momma MT, and we saved a special car tie for "J". He loved it!

For our class presentation the students were asked what's one thing they really like about a dog, an animal, or me?? :) One kid said "I love Ahnung's one white paw and one black paw" ... another said "I love Ahnung's face" and another said "I love how soft she is." Then my buddy "J' said I was an "awesome dog." "J" asked the class how many remembered my story from the last time we were there ... wow, they pretty much remembered my entire story: abandoned with a litter of puppies, had heartworm, gun shot wound where I still have a pellet in one of my nipples, and no front teeth because I ground my teeth down to my gums trying to find food. They even remembered that Ahnung means "star" and that it means star in ojibway!! The kids remembered more about me than the teachers!! :) We then talked about what the north star. Mom said I'm her north star ... awwww :) It was so cool to hear the kids share who their north star in life is ... dad, parents, grandpa ...

Before we left I had a chance to get lots of hugs and treats from the kids. Mom gave them a plastic spoon to put the treat on so that I wouldn't slobber all over them ... yes, I get really excited when I get treats. I also got to show them that I know how to "high five." "J' was so cool showing them how to get me to "high five." Then at the end "J" finally got me to a rollover -- that's kind of a new trick for me so it takes me a while. When I finally "rolled over" the entire class cheered in support of my pal. How cool is that?? :)

I got to give "J' a little present before he left ... a collage of photos that mom and I put together of him from the time we spent together. On the top of the collage I put a dedication to him. This is the last time we're scheduled to meet for the spring semester. I'm going to miss him. I hope I get to see him again next year. He's my pal. I love how he's always watching out for me and how kind, gentle and understanding he is with me. Thanks "J" for spending the past few months with me. You are one cool guy! :)

Remember ... i'm trying to raise money for The Lab and Red Lake Rosie's Rescue. Just become my fan on facebook and you will help raise money for my rescuer Karen at Red Lake Rosie's Rescue and the kids at The Lab. Click here to find me on facebook.

Help homeless animals and at-risk youth by becoming my fan!

2010-03-24T08:29:00.006-05:00

Okay ... mom, tells me that she's getting a nice tax refund back. She hasn't received it yet, but i proposed this idea to her and she agreed. She's also tired of my sad look because I'm always asking her, "Why don't I have more fans?" I know life shouldn't be a popularity contest ... well, i'm not as mature and sophisticated as you think .. I WANT MORE FANS!!! So here's the deal .... For every fan I get above my starting number of fans as of today (which is 161), I will get mom to donate 50 cents (25 cents will go to Red Lake Rosie's Rescue and 25 cents will go to The Lab). She said she will only do this until Easter Sunday, April 4th (by the way, do you like my photo?? Mom and auntie Laura made me wear those stupid bunny ears last easter. I tried to protest, but as you can see it didn't work!). Mom has agreed to donate a total of $300 (so that would be $150 for Red Lake Rosie's and $150 to The Lab). All I need to squeeze the most out of mom is an additional 600 fans .... WOW!!! That would just make my day ... and I could just bask in the glory of my fans :)

So if you're not already a fan, go to my facebook fan page by clicking here: www.facebook.com/ahnungnorthstar.

If you are already a fan, then what are you waiting for??? :) Click the Suggest to friends button on the left hand side of the page.

So why become my fan?? Well, here are some reasons:

- You would make me very happy, and wouldn't that make you happy to know that you make me happy?? :)
- You would help mom get a $300 tax deduction for 2010 where money will go to helping homeless dogs and cats and at-risk youth of St. Paul Public Schools
- Again ... you would make mom happy too because then she won't have to hear me complaining about why I don't have more fans!!

You only have till next Sunday, so please (pretty please???) become my fan or suggest to your friends to become my fan. Let's get mom to write a check for $150 to Red Lake Rosie's Rescue and another $150 check to The Lab!

Play! Play! Play!

2010-03-20T18:13:00.011-05:00

I had the greatest time this afternoon playing ... I'm learning how to play really, really hard! The kids at The Lab ask mom if I ever bark ... she tells them the only time I bark is when I'm wanting to play. She's right! That's when I have to tell Mister i'm ready to play ... he's such a goofy boy. Missy also wants to play but i'm not quite sure about her yet ... we're getting better at it. Most of the time it's Mister and Missy tearing around the yard but today I decided to join in on the fun! This afternoon mom let us tear around the backyard. They don't care .... momma MT said something about putting new grass in. I'm sure after that happens we won't be able to have these crazy afternoons tearing around the yard. Guess we'd better enjoy it while we can :)

Mom took a movie of the 3 of us playing. You should watch my quick moves :)

Getting ready for our big presentation

2010-03-19T07:59:00.015-05:00

Last night, mom and I were asked to give a talk (okay ... mom talked, and I got to roam around and get lots of belly rubs!) on what it takes to become an animal therapy team. It was at Pampered Pooch Playground where I go to get my spa treatments with auntie Jenny. Of course, I got to get my special spa treatment yesterday so that I would smell good and feel soft for our big presentation last night. Auntie Jenny is so much fun. After she's done giving me a bath, trimming my nails (and NO, mom would NOT let her paint my nails pink!) and blow drying my velvet coat :) then I get to roam around wherever I want. She lets me follow her around Pampered Pooch and say hi to everyone. I heard mom say to uncle Keith and auntie Jenny, "she acts like she owns this joint!" Well ... I do, don't i??

I also got to meet Gulliver who is up for adoption through Pet Haven and is being fostered at Pampered Pooch. He's definitely a bundle of love!! If you want to meet this sweet boy he'll be at the Pet Haven adoption event tomorrow (Saturday) from 10 am - Noon at the Richfield Petco.

Gulliver with uncle Keith (who owns Pampered Pooch).

Anyway, back to me!! :) I got lots and lots of loving yesterday. Uncle Keith even told me he would be willing to work with mom on making an "Ahnung documentary" ... now how cool is that?? A whole movie about my life as a therapy dog! Uncle Keith knows how to make movies ... you know, the fancy kind of movies. Mom only knows the basic stuff, but that's okay, i love her anyway. He's going to have to follow me around. He said he would bring his "high def video camera" the next time I go to Pampered Pooch for spa day. Yesterday, mom used her tiny little camera ... it's better than nothing.

So here's a short movie clip of auntie Jenny giving me a bath .... i just love, love, love auntie Jenny!!

and here's a movie clip of me with Heather (the trainer at Pampered Pooch). She was really impressed with how I didn't jump and said i was the perfect therapy dog!

Hospice is about living

2010-03-16T18:00:00.001-05:00

Soon, mom and I will begin volunteering in hospices. I have previously posted this (or maybe mom did ... i can't remember anymore! :) but with passing the interview yesterday at Allina and knowing that it won't be long before we can begin our work, I wanted to share Catherine Curran's story and the work of a fellow therapy dog, Sasha. Catherine's purpose was to create a video at the end of her life.

From the FoxTwins website: "Dying to me is not frightening at all," Curran said, nine months ago. "I'm kind of looking forward to what's coming." She had just entered hospice. She had pancreatic cancer. It was the beginning of what she called "the adventure of a lifetime."

"I just want to see what's happening," Curran said. We live in a society that likes to avoid the subject of you know what. But Catherine Curran hopes to change that, by allowing us to follow her journey to the end.

"I want to touch other peoples lives, let them realize, hey, it's just another part of living," she said.

She could try to fight the cancer with all her might and with every available means of medical technology. Instead, she'd rather focus on living her remaining days as comfortable as possible, at peace with the inevitable.

"I enjoy living and when I die I'm going to enjoy that too," Curran said. "I think there is a hereafter."

Catherine's adventure will include regular visits from Dave Kettering and therapy dog Sasha, who Curran calls a "big, fluffy angel."

Passed the hospice volunteer interview!

2010-03-15T20:15:00.005-05:00

Mom and I went in for our interview at Allina Hospice today -- mom had to fill out lots of paperwork and get reference forms sent in for us to volunteer as an animal therapy team at Allina hospice. Today was our interview with the volunteer coordinator, Judy. We passed! I think she really liked me, and I really liked her. After our interview Judy asked if we could go to the back and meet the rest of the team. They apparently wanted to meet me because they've been following my blog!! How cool is that??!!! Well, if you're reading this blog I just want you to know that i'm so happy I got to meet you today and i'm excited about volunteering at Allina!

Well, before we can start Mom has to complete a 3 day hospice volunteer training at the end of April. We can't start till after that ... I guess that's okay because i'm pretty busy anyway volunteering at The Lab! They told me at Allina that i'll have to have a picture taken so that I will have my own photo ID. I love it!! :) I'll put my pretty face forward for them :)

When we got back from the interview I got to hang out in the backyard. I love the sunshine. Mom lets me hang out in the back yard for as long as I want. Sometimes I like to stare up at the squirrel in our neighbor's tree, but most of the time I like to just sleep. Yes, I know ... it's not a surprise ... that's my favorite past time. I like to sleep. A girl's got to get her rest ... I'm not as young as my brother Mister and I don't have all his energy so I need my beauty sleep. Tomorrow I have to volunteer bright and early again at The Lab. I have to be there at 7:45 in the morning again. We have to volunteer before mom has to go into work (her paying job!) then over her lunch hour we have to go back again for another small group that mom is facilitating. I know i'm going to be tired but I think mom is going to be super tired too. I'm going to make sure that she gets to bed really, really early tomorrow night.

Then on Thursday night i'll be at Pampered Pooch Playground at 6 pm with my mom who will be offering a free therapy dog informational session. Click here for more info. I believe the Thursday session is full but there's going to be another session offered some time in April so you can put your name on the list to be contacted for the session in April. At this session you'll learn more about what it takes to become an animal therapy team so you can do the awesome kind of work I get to do!!

Okay ... time to go to bed.

Later friends ..

Love, Ahnung

Work day again!!

2010-03-08T19:53:00.007-06:00

I worked again at The Lab today. It was such an early class ... too early for me!!! But I made it. We met with two classes .... they are such great kids. Mom went over body language and how dogs communicate. We also got to practice breathing while they got to pet me ... it teaches them how to calm down and destress. This one kid just loves me so much and he's really smart ... he asked if he could be mom's assistant. At the end of the class they were given a writing/vocabulary exercise. The teacher gave them my name 'Ahnung' as the word to write about. And they learned that my name means star in ojibway so they learned that the synonym for Ahnung is star. One kid wrote the following sentence "Ahnung is an awesome dog and so is Marilou." Her teacher smiled, and asked, "do you mean Marilou is an awesome dog too?" I winked at the kid and said "I know what you mean" as he grinned.

In the next class they got to hear my story and learn about body language and communication. They got to practice coming up to me and meeting a new dog. They also got to practice using hand signals to get me to sit and to give them a high five. When I went around to say hi to each of them I got hugs from a few of them. This one kid said "I smelled like a noodle." I think he meant it in a nice way. Mom always makes sure I smell good and feel soft before I go to "work." I've just never had anyone say I smell like a noodle :) Maybe next time some one will say I smell like a rose ;-)

I'm working again tomorrow over mom's lunch hour. She's facilitating a small "dog group." Then i'll have a couple days off before I have to work again.

And I don't know if I've told you that mom and I are applying to volunteer as an animal therapy team at Allina hospice. Mom had to fill out a bunch of paperwork and ask a couple people to send in volunteer reference forms (hopefully they said nice things about us!!). We have an interview scheduled for Monday. If we pass the interview then mom will have to go through 3 full days of hospice training before we can start volunteering. I'm really looking forward to it.

Luxury living at its finest ...

2010-02-27T13:25:00.014-06:00

Today I got to visit my auntie Jenny at Pampered Pooch Playground again! YES!!! You got it .... it was spa day again for me :) I have to work on Monday at The Lab again. I've been meeting with the same group of kids now for the 7 weeks and this coming Monday will be our last session for this "dog group." Maybe Auntie Danielle and mom will let us have a relay race again. I always lose to Sharpie. He's way too quick for me. One week though my mom cheated and she told me to start running before it was time. I won ... but barely. The kids are so great. They don't care if I win or lose. They just love me. They know i'm older and i'm slower and i have a bad back right leg ... they hug and kiss on me no matter what.

We'll do something special for them on Monday. Maybe mom can take a picture of us so that they can have a souvenir to show their classmates?? Every time I work my mom tells me I have to look good and smell good ... says I have a reputation to maintain now that i'm a therapy dog ... thank goodness auntie Jenny at Pampered Pooch always makes time for me. I just love her so much and I love everyone at Pampered Pooch. They know I don't like to be put in those crazy cages so I never have to go in one. After auntie Jenny got done bathing me today (she told mom I was perfect as usual!) I got to hang out in the back with auntie Jenny and another staff, auntie Anna. She was preparing dinner for all the other dogs and I got to watch her ... okay, I was drooling hoping she would drop some kibbles or maybe feel sorry for me and give me some?? I got to hang out with this really cool german shepherd Hazel .... she reminds me of my friend back at Red Lake Rosie's Rescue. Her name was also Hazel and she was also a german shepherd. We used to share an igloo when I had to live outside in the cold.

Whenever I go to Pampered Pooch for spa day I feel like I am the queen. Then again, I'm sure all the other pups feel the same way too. Mister came with me this morning so that he could gets lots of play time in the daycare area. I'm home now with mom but Mister is still there. Mom decided he needed more exercise so she's going to pick him up later.

I've told mom what I want her to write on my blog so that she can type away while i'm basking in the sun. I need to get lots of rest because I have a busy day on Monday working again. Mom also tells me that we got signed up for another one on one with another kid. There are are actually two kids that want to meet with me. Mom said yes to one of them and we'll be meeting twice in March. The other kid will have to wait till April because my calendar is getting booked. Between groups, class presentations and one on one sessions I won't have time for my LONG naps.

Here's a short video clip of me "begging" for food from auntie Anna who was preparing dinner for the other dogs ... notice how I throw in a high five in hopes that that will work!! :)

and if you missed the video of me getting my head washed by auntie Jenny .. i'm reposting it just for you :)

Mentorship: Volunteering at The Lab

2010-02-23T07:00:00.011-06:00

In 2009 I began volunteering at The Lab and began working with "R" (that's us looking into each other's eyes ;-) The Lab is an arts & wellness-based program in St. Paul Schools. They serve youth in special education, grades 7-12 and are committed to providing creative and experiential learning opportunities that support long-term social & emotional health for urban youth.

Sometimes humans have been hurt so much that it's hard for them to trust -- that's what I've learned about all of these great kids. I share with them my story (mom does the talking!) of how it took me a while to learn to trust again. In 2009 my mom and I volunteered as "mentors" at The Lab. We spent time with this one really cool kid, "R." "R" and I got teamed up and I got to hang out with him every week. I remember the first time we met ... I could tell he liked me (and I liked him too!) but he really wasn't sure what to do with me. As weeks passed (and there were days when all we would do is hang out together while he played word games with my mom) I could feel his heart opening up ... I think my heart also started to open up to. Every Tuesday my mom and I would wait for "R" to arrive at The Lab. He would arrive in a St. Paul yellow cab with a couple other kids, escorted by an adult. As our bond grew, and weeks passed, "R" would dart out of the cab and run into the building to meet me. I would wait for him to walk through the door. I love to see the big smile on his face and how he would get down on his knees and give me a big bear hug. The first time the other kids met me, "R" said "This is my dog, AH-NUNG" and he hugged me for the tenth time. My pal "R" -- he can hug me a hundred times and that wouldn't even be enough.

I haven't seen "R" in a long time. I miss him. Today i'm volunteering at The Lab ... this time, it's for a "Dog Group". I hear my pal "R" may be coming. I really hope he does so I can see him again and tell him I miss him, and thank him for opening up my heart and my mom's heart to what's possible by volunteering at The Lab.

The Lab is a really cool place because they have programs where therapy dogs can participate. Me, i'm pretty mellow. I can do some of that dog obedience stuff (my pal Sharpie is much better at that though!) but I think my strength is in the 1:1 work I do with kids like "R" (in 2009) and this year my mom and I worked with "J" [i wrote about it here]. I connect with the kids at The Lab, and I think they really connect with me and my story. Like "R" i went through so much before I was rescued by Karen of Red Lake Rosie's Rescue (heartworm, lymes disease, gun shot, starvation - and I have no front teeth to prove it! You name it, i'm a survivor!). The Animal Assisted Education programs at The Lab is really taking off this year. I'm hoping mom will let me do more 1:1 mentorships with the kids. Don't get me wrong ... I love the groups, but there's something special about working with just one kid ... like "R", and now "J" ... there's something so powerful in the bond that gets created between us and the healing that takes place for all of us lucky enough to be a part of that circle.

Hugs from "R" and "J" and slobbery kisses from me (ahnung)

P.S. Check it out ... i'm on The Lab's website!! :)

P.P.S. You should also check out this really cool video/documentary of another volunteer Bill who has been working 1:1 with one of the kids to teach him how to play the guitar ... and in the process, so much more about life. You will also hear from the volunteer Bill how volunteering as mentor has helped him. Click here.

The proper way to live

2010-02-22T07:26:00.005-06:00

This is what I did a lot of this weekend ... and so did my sister Missy and brother Mister. So glad mom is home from traveling and that she doesn't have to go anywhere this week. She just got home from Fresno, California for work. Her next trip isn't till next week and she tells me she is going to Dallas, Texas. Maybe she'll bring me a surprise home ... some cowgirl paw boots?? :)

Today, I'm working at The Lab! So excited .... get to see my buddy Sharpie and my auntie Danielle and of course gets lots of yummy treats.