Wednesday, December 22, 2010

For Paws Hospice Thanks to our partners PetCo and their customers, For Paws made our first delivery of pet meals to Meals on Wheels Monday for Pinellas County.





Over 100 lbs of individually packaged pet meals will go out to clients who request them and just in time for Christmas.

This is an ongoing project as part of For Paws' Community Outreach to feed hungry pets. If you would like to donate and help continue the deliveries contact For Paws @ 727.639.9285 or PetCo: call John in Palm Harbor at 727.797.7722 or Eric in Pinellas Park at 727.527.8460 and say, "I'd like to help For Paws All Pets Kitchen." Thank you

You found us!

Thanks for coming to visit us at our new home as part of The Sacramento Bee's blog and community news network, Sacramento Connect.; they'll be along in a few days with their tool bar.

In the mean time we're here setting up house keeping, blogging and feeling really quite at home, because if you haven't already looked, some of us have been here on Blogger before, in fact for quite sometime.

Anyway, this is just a friendly little note on the door to let you know you've found the new home of A Journey Not Taken Alone the west coast home of For Paws Hospice.

Thanks for stopping in, the team at FPH.

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Heska Corp. awards $25,000 to Pets Forever

Charity fosters the human animal bond for vulnerable pet owners

LOVELAND, Colo., Dec. 16, 2010 -- Heska Corporation announced today that based on total votes received, the Colorado-based organization, Pets Forever, has been awarded $25,000 as the grand prize winner in the 2010 Inspiration in Action contest.

Helping low-income elderly, ill or disabled people to maintain ownership of their pets for as long as possible, Pets Forever provides direct services and pet care for owners who particularly benefit from the human/animal bond (http://csuvets.colostate.edu/petsforever.html). Heska also awarded a second place prize of $5,000 to World Vets - a non-profit that provides free veterinary aid worldwide (http://worldvets.org/).

"This contest recognizes the contributions of some truly inspiring professionals," said Robert Grieve, Heska's Chairman and CEO. "With nearly 11,000 votes counted, all four finalists received strong support from animal lovers across the country. We encourage the public to continue their support of veterinary professionals who dedicate their lives to promote healthy outcomes for both people and pets."

Heska plans to celebrate with this year's winner sometime in January. For more details on how to support the winning organizations, as well as the runners up, please visit http://.heska.com/action.

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Hospice, home and a knight's story

In the seventh century Knight Crusaders established safe houses for Christian pilgrims to the Holy Land; these knights were the Order of Hospitallers and their keeps were known as Hospice



Hospice:
A lodging for travelers (especially one kept by a monastic order)
Alternatively, a program of medical and emotional care for the terminally ill ...Wordnet.princeton.edu

Hospice has held a variety of meanings to different people and cultures throughout history. By its simplest definition hospice today means an organized medical intervention on behalf of a patient nearing the end of life; but there are other meanings worth considering.
 
It seems clear in this century that as medical science and associated technologies evolve so to will the meaning of ‘end of life’ and therefore by simple association, the definition of hospice.
 
JAMA the Journal of the American Medical Association as recently as 2006 defined hospice care as, “Focused on the dying process and helping individuals who are terminally ill (and their family and friends) pass through this process more comfortably.”  (Vol. 295 No. 6, February 8, 2006)
 
Still hospice can and often does mean much more than that. Hospice care frequently transcends palliative care for the patient at end of life by extending the human bond to the family of the patient, friends and acquaintances and even animals may be incorporated into the care of hospice. Sometimes for months after the death of the patient, hospice professionals provide assistance for the survivors with grieving, loss of social support and a host of alternative services not traditionally associated with hospice. In this way hospice becomes part of the larger community and, like any other organization with a focused societal mission, hospice holds the potential to serve the community in a growing number of ways.
 
Similar organizations originally based on a narrowly defined service mission and volunteerism such as Red Cross, S.P.C.A. and M.A.D.D have found that their organizations, once activated, may, often as not, assume a variety of roles reaching well beyond their initial concept.
 
In March 2008 the first International Symposium on Veterinary Hospice Care was held on the campus at UC Davis; the meeting’s stated goal was to begin to, “Explore veterinary hospice care, based on human hospice models.”
 
As those hospice models evolve more families including pet families will find themselves considering these questions and the principles that define the whole family and ultimately, care under hospice.
 
Like the emerging field of Animal Law, Animal Hospice may begin to evolve in some spectacular and unexpected ways; homeless advocacy, care and shelter from domestic violence and working animal protections including retirement and minimum wage guarantees may be the sea change markers applied to the human-animal bond this century.
 
In 2008 American Humane announced its PAWS Program designed to encourage women's shelters to take in family pets along with the other victims of domestic abuse; PAWS stands for Pets and Women’s Shelters. Certainly that commitment should be acknowledged as care of the whole family.
 
While some of these prospects may seem pie in the sky, in general equal rights and treatment under law must by extension of definition apply to all creatures not just man. As our society matures and we strive to improve our environment then clearly that effort must include a recognition that there is much more to the human-animal bond; that some sense of caring for one another is not limited to one species any more than it is limited to one race or one nationality.

Saturday, December 4, 2010

A season and reason for giving


As part pf For Paws twenty five days of Christmas we've started a collection of home cooked recipes for the Critters of Christmas, called, "One Dog's Kitchen". http://issuu.com/editorgrn/docs/one_dogs_kitchen

We've asked our readers to send their best home cooked specialties; we'll publish them here so every family can bring their pet to the table this season for a special meal.

For each recipe received For Paws Hospice will deliver a meal to a hungry pet in time for the holidays. So here's your chance to share a gift that will make a difference in someone's life and spread some good cheer in the process.

To get you in the mood here's a frosty treat that is sure to warm the heart of your best friend.



Yogurt Pupsicles

From Puppy Tuff



Technically speaking dogs don’t eat dessert, they love snacks, but desserts as humans prefer them are loaded with things dogs shouldn’t or can’t have: chocolate, lots of sugar, too much dairy or in the case of a Double Chocolate Fudge Nut Sunday with whipped cream... No!




So we created this dessert (treat) that is both satisfying and just a little decadent, if you’re a dog.

You will need:

Cup cake tins with liners
Peanut butter
Bananas
Vanilla yogurt
Honey

Prep:

Start with 1 cup of yogurt in a bowl.  Add a tablespoon of honey, a ripe banana and 2 tablespoons of peanut butter. Mash together thoroughly.

Spoon the mixture into cup cake tins then, using your fingers, insert a small ball of peanut butter into the middle of each cup as a surprise frozen center. Cover loosely with aluminum foil and place in freezer for several hours.

To serve, peel the cup liners away and hand the treat to your very patient dog.

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Vote for 2010 best idea to aid animals

Vote by Dec. 15, 2010 http://www.heska.com/About-Heska/Inspiration-in-Action-poll.aspx

LOVELAND, Colo., Dec. 1, 2010 -- Heska Corporation  announced today that animal lovers everywhere can support and honor veterinary medicine by voting for one of the top four ideas submitted in the 2010 Heska Corporation Inspiration In Action Contest.

Heska will award the winner $25,000 to help bring the inspired idea to life. After a careful review of over one hundred project ideas, a panel of judges from the veterinary industry narrowed the competition down to four finalists.

Robert Grieve, Heska's Chairman and CEO said, "The Inspiration In Action contest is the latest of our 'Smarter, Together' projects and demonstrates our belief that great ideas come to life when we work in partnership with our customers and colleagues - individuals who are very gifted and dedicated professionals"

The Finalists are:

Pets Forever

Pets Forever helps low-income elderly, ill or disabled Larimer County residents maintain ownership of their pets for as long as possible. Pets Forever provides direct services and resources related to pet care, supporting the population of pet owners who particularly benefit from the human/animal bond.

http://csuvets.colostate.edu/petsforever.html

Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation (PARC) Project

The PARC Project rescues Panamanian amphibian species that have been identified as critically threatened with extinction from an emerging disease caused by a fungal pathogen and takes them to established captive assurance colonies. The PARC Project is a model for amphibian crisis response.

http://amphibianrescue.org/about

The Prevent Unwanted Pets (PUP) Project

The PUP Project will create an educational program for school-aged children to address topics such as humane treatment and a commitment to spay and neuter. Another benefit of the project is inspiring children to enter the veterinary profession as technicians, veterinarians or volunteers.

http://www.petluv.org/index.htm

World Vets

World Vets, is a non-profit that provides free veterinary aid worldwide to animals that otherwise would never receive veterinary attention. Currently spanning 24 countries, World Vets addresses both animal and human health issues to develop sustainable veterinary aid programs. These programs improve the well-being of the animal and human populations and empowers local partners through collaboration, education and training.

http://www.worldvets.org/

Individuals may vote only once. Heska will also award $5,000 to the second place winner. For more details on the finalists and to vote, please visit, http://www.heska.com/About-Heska/Inspiration-in-Action-poll.aspx

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

American Humane honors animal assisted therapy

DENVER, Nov. 30, 2010 The American Humane Association, the nation's voice for the protection of children and animals, will honor its 200-plus animal-assisted therapy teams at a special volunteer appreciation gala in Denver this Friday, Dec. 3, 2010.

Along with their volunteer handlers, more than 60 therapy dogs, two therapy cats and one therapy guinea pig will be recognized for their work in bringing the healing power of the human-animal bond to those in need.

By bringing registered therapy animals to hospitals, child welfare facilities, homeless shelters, mental health centers, schools and many other locations, American Humane Association's animal-assisted therapy volunteers have helped to enhance the quality of life for hundreds of thousands of people.

Last year volunteer handlers and their therapy animals logged more than 30,000 hours of service, touching more than 120,000 lives at some 50 facilities.  Not only did these animal-assisted therapy teams help to soothe anxiety and promote healing, they also integrated the clinical treatment process to achieve specific goals in health care, physical therapy, counseling and education.

The Animal-Assisted Therapy Volunteer Appreciation gala takes place on Friday, Dec. 3, from 6:30-9 pm at the Westin Tabor Center, located at 1672 Lawrence Street in Denver. The volunteer recognition ceremony begins at 7:30 pm. The event will be hosted by renowned pet expert and journalist Steve Dale. The program includes American Humane Association President and Chief Executive Officer Robin R. Ganzert, Ph.D., as well as the founder of the Animal-Assisted Therapy Program, Diana McQuarrie. All proceeds from the event will benefit the Animal-Assisted Therapy Program in 2011.