I was certain when I had kids that my motherhood chip would finally kick in, that I would finally start to react to babies the way I reacted to dogs and cats. Because surely that maternal instinct in my heart had merely been misdirected all these years, and was simply in need of a little oxytocin and fine-tuning to point it to the appropriate species upon which I should lavish my affection. Now my kids are 11 and 9 and I can say this with absolute certainty: not so much. Don't get me ... Read more »
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Thank you Veterans
Dogs have been members of the military for many, many years, but they weren't always seen as soldiers. At least to the leadership. During the Vietnam War, when the troops withdrew, the dogs were left behind as 'surplus equipment.' To this day, that fact haunts many of their handlers, who knew without a doubt that these loyal canines were nothing short of soldiers themselves. It is not an easy job. More than 500 dogs are deployed serving the military at any given time. They protect, serve, ... Read more »
Trick or Treat with Brody One Ear!
A special day calls for a special ear. And a poem, of course. Trick or treat! I lick feet. Give me something that has meat! If you don't, just beware- I'll eat up your underwear! Have a great day and be safe all! I get to go see Danny Elfman perform the Nightmare Before Christmas tonight at the Hollywood Bowl so I've got Jack Skellington on the mind :D ... Read more »
An Open Confession to Every Vet Tech I’ve Ever Worked With
Dear Amazing Veterinary Technicians of the World, It's sad that you only get one week to celebrate you and all that you do. The unsung heroes, the client counselors, absorbers of abuse, veterinary emotional support offerers, and in general people without whom these clinics would fall to pieces. I'd like to offer to you this week an open apology for the transgressions of my past years. I ate the last M&M. I'm sorry. I know now you probably hadn't eaten in 12 hours and really needed ... Read more »
California’s End of Life Option Act and How it Would have Changed Mom’s Death
In 2014, a young, vibrant woman named Brittany Maynard moved from the home in California she had known all her life so that she could die on her own terms in Oregon. Diagnosed with glioblastoma, arguably one of the most monstrous forms of cancer in this world, Maynard was willing to uproot her life, put her face out into the world, and share a most intimate decision with a universe of strangers in order to help people understand why someone might make the decision to hasten their death. With ... Read more »
Amidst the ashes and embers, a veterinarian saves the day
The fire came in the night, a storm without warning. At his home in Middletown, a small town of 1900 just north of California's idyllic wine country, veterinarian Jeff Smith ventured outside after the worst had passed to find only 8 of the 20 homes in his neighborhood survived the firestorm. With communication centers down, there was no way to determine when help was coming. He had no way of knowing what he was up against, or the fact that by this time only 40% of the structures in ... Read more »
Cat Lady Box: are you awesome enough?
When I say "Cat Lady," what do you picture? Or this? The old tropes die hard. And while those types of cat ladies are still out there, I'm sure, those of you who have been paying attention are probably realizing there is a new breed of cat lady out there. The Kate Benjamins and the Dorian Wagners and the Taylor Swifts, the crazy (and cool) cat ladies of the world. Though Jackson Galaxy may arguably be the most likely spokesperson for "Cat People Don't Look Like What You Thought ... Read more »
Heat Stroke is No Joke!
While a local news station was out at a park reporting on the death of a bulldog from heat stroke the day before, they came across another dog who was very close to heat exhaustion, if not stroke. This is despite the warning signs at the park entrance. Though you'd think people would get it by now, some people really don't. To make matters worse, the reporter spent time talking to the ranger about the dog's condition and showing them pouring water on him while neglecting to mention the number ... Read more »
Grief is a hot potato
Ever since I started this blog, and even moreso since writing All Dogs Go to Kevin, people write to tell me about their pets who are no longer with them. They used to apologize for writing, or say they weren't even sure why they were telling me about their pet, but most people don't do that anymore. I think they know that they don't need to explain. As followers of the blog know, I love birthdays. Birthdays are fun, and I love love love that my birthday coincides with National Dog Day. I ... Read more »
EOTW: Back to School for Brody One Ear!
Today we bring to you our second Ear of the Week: Yes, the kids are back to school this week, but why should they have all the fun? Just because a dog only has one ear doesn't mean he can't be fully functional. Really, in many ways this ear surpasses the original one. His old ear didn't have a pen holder, after all. He's already learned that the hat and the camera mean fun time and treats, so rest assured no one is more on board with this ear project that Brody himself. Now ... Read more »
