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On Christmas Morning…
I wish,
For every dog
searching trash cans for breakfast,
a filled bowl with his name printed in bright letters.
For every dog
who slept fitfully last night, chained in a frozen yard, a soft, warm
bed with a person snoring gently nearby.
For every shelter dog,
spending Christmas morning in a soiled run, a forever home, filled with
sounds and smells of family.
For every “Christmas” puppy given today,
a tolerant, caring owner
who won’t abandon you
as you grow into a real dog.
For every ailing pet,
enough money for your owner
to pay the bills to make you well.
For every lost dog,
a clear, safe road, and well marked path,
to lead you home.
For every old and tired friend,
a warm fire, and a soft bed,
to ease your aches and pains.
and
For every Heart Dog at the Bridge,
a moment when you know that you
are remembered today,
missed again,
and loved forever.
- Author unknown
(Via.)
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Tagged: animals animal+rights poem rescue animal+rescue shelters animal+shelters adoption animal+adoption dogs canines cats felines christmas x-mas volunteer donate foster rainbow+bridge love companion+animals
A Rescue Pet’s Animal’s Christmas Poem
‘Tis the night before Christmas and all through the town,
every shelter is full - we are lost but not found.
Our numbers are hung on our kennels so bare,
we hope every minute that someone will care.
They’ll come to adopt us and give us the call,
“Come here, Max and Sparkie – come fetch your new ball!!”
But now we sit here and think of the days
we were treated so fondly - we had cute, baby ways.
Once we were little, then we grew and we grew,
now we’re no longer young and we’re no longer new.
So out the back door we were thrown like the trash,
they reacted so quickly - why were they so rash?
We “jump on the children:, “don’t come when they call”,
we “bark when they leave us”, climb over the wall.
We should have been neutered, we should have been spayed,
now we suffer the consequence of the errors THEY made.
If only they’d trained us, if only we knew,
we’d have done what they asked us and worshiped them, too.
We were left in the backyard, or worse - left to roam,
now we’re tired and lonely and out of a home.
They dropped us off here and they kissed us good-bye,
“Maybe someone else will give you a try.”
So now here we are, all confused and alone,
in a shelter with others who long for a home.
The kind workers come through with a meal and a pat,
with so many to care for, they can’t stay to chat.
They move to the next kennel, giving each of us cheer,
we know that they wonder how long we’ll be here.
We lay down to sleep and sweet dreams fill our heads,
of a home filled with love and our own cozy beds.
Then we wake to see sad eyes, brimming with tears,
our friends filled with emptiness, worry, and fear.
If you can’t adopt us and there’s no room at the Inn,
could you help with the bills and fill our food bin?
We count on your kindness each day of the year,
can you give more than hope to everyone here?
Please make a donation to pay for the heat
and help get us something special to eat.
The shelter that cares for us wants us to live,
and more of us will, if more people will give.
- Author Unknown
(Via.)
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Tagged: animals animal+rights poem rescue animal+rescue shelters animal+shelters adoption animal+adoption dogs canines cats felines christmas x-mas volunteer donate foster companion+animals
More free x-mas eCards after the jump. Again, just thinking of the procrastinators.
(more…)
Spotted in the KCAI’s Cryptozoology exhibit (which wrapped up yesterday):
Santa-with-man-boobies and Santa-dressed-as-Satan-as-dressed-as-the-Jolly-Green-Giant:
Weird shit…but no less believable than the Fiji Mermaid, I guess.
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Tagged: santa christmas x-mas cryptozoology satan jolly+green+giant
Since I last posted a list of holiday gift ideas and green gift guides, many more have found their way to my inbox. Here’s a quick roundup of those I thought to bookmark.
As always, leave your suggestions in the comments!
* United Animal Nations’ (UAN) online store offers a number of practical gifts for those with companion animals, including a disaster planning handbook and a “pet” emergency starter kit. Note to frugal readers: the supplies in the first aid kit are listed online, making it even easier for you to DIY!
* World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) has a store on Cafe Press, where you’ll find lotsa fuzzy wuzzies gracing the standard Cafe Press merchandise.
* PETA’s 2007 Shopping Guide for Caring Consumers would make a great gift for the veg*n on your list. Or, buy it for yourself, and use it to make wise gift choices year-round!
* In Defense of Animals (IDA) compiled their own list of cool, animal-friendly holiday gifts. Bonus: it’s got ideas for guardians and companions alike!
* Grist Magazine advice maven Umbra weighs in with her picks for green gifts for the yung’uns. More here.
* Via the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), a list of geek-tested, geek-approved green gadgets for the holidays.
* Green gossip blog Ecorazzi shares their 2006 Ecorazzi Green Celebrity Gift List.
* Defenders of Wildlife offers some “trash-busting steps” to help you have a green(er), less wasteful holiday.
* Finally, check out this special, free (!) issue of Greenlight Magazine. Cover story: 50 Great Gifts With a Conscience.
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Tagged: animals animal+rights action+alerts environment environmental environmentalism environmentalist x-mas christmas holiday holiday+season happy+holidays gifts presents gift+ideas green
I haven’t been keeping abreast of the news like I should lately, but I still check my email like an obsessive fiend. Via People for the American Way’s Right Wing Watch, I see that windbag Prager isn’t the only godidiot who endorses a religious litmus test for elected Congresspeople.
Here’s Kevin at PFAW:
After Keith Ellison was elected the first Muslim member of Congress last month, talk show host Dennis Prager, among others, attacked the Representative-elect for indicating that he would swear his oath of office with his hand placed on a copy of the Qur’an. Now, former Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice and regular WorldNetDaily columnist Roy Moore has decided that regardless of how they are sworn in faithful Muslims are not fit to serve in Congress.
Citing the recent actions of the rebel government of Somalia and the public statements of the founder of a “radical Islamic school,” Moore argues that the Islamic faith “rejects our God” and is “simply incompatible with our law.”
Whereas evangelical xian calls for greater government invasion of citizens’ privacy and state-financed proselytizing to captive audiences would have been been met with barely contained enthusiasm by our founding fathers. Riiiiight.
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Tagged: prager dennis+prager moore roy+moore ellison keith+ellison constitution church-state+separation freedom+from+religion godidiots godbags evangelical christians
Last week I shared some individual pics of Santa’s Little Monsters. This week, the “group” shots we managed to coax out of them the next day. I say “group” because we actually had to separate them into two groups; 3 and 2 dogs was workable, whereas 5 clearly was not. Maybe next year.
Here’s Rennie, Ralphie & Peedee:
And Kaylee & Jayne:
Now for those carnivals:
* Carnival Against Sexual Violence 13
* Carnival of Hurricane Relief 66
* Carnival of Satire 59
* Carnival of Education 97
* Carnival of Bent Attractions 13
* Carnival of Feminist Science Fiction and Fantasy 8
* Carnival of the Godless 55
* Carnival of the Green 57
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Tagged: carnivals my+furbabies link+dump dog canine dachshund wiener+dog hot+dog rat+terrier Jack+Russell+terrier
A little holiday ditty via the ACLU.
An Overdue Visit
‘Twas the night before Christmas and all through the nation
Friends of Freedom knew it was a special occasion.
Lady Liberty stood taller just off the shore
Her torch shining brighter than a few weeks before
But it wasn’t the flame turning her cheeks all rosy
It was thoughts of Snowe, Feingold and Nancy Pelosi
And leaders from every side of the aisle
Who would soon bring the Bill of Rights back into style.
The Amendments had all hurried out of their beds -
Which was no easy task, they were nearly in shreds -
And they rushed to the window on papery feet
As a jolly old man flew right over their street.
“Could it be!?” they inquired as
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