ON a Dog That Needs Your Help (& the rescue that's saving her life)

EDIT: If you want to keep up with Misty and how she is doing, please visit: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mistys-Journey/326106977514930

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**please note that my dogs are safe and sound and this is not about them**

If you know me, you know I love dogs. Fiercely. You would also know that my Henry is the love of my life, that there is nothing and no one I love more than him. And you would know that Lady is the latest addition to my heart, and is my foster girl from Los Angeles. If you know me, you know that I would do anything to protect these two, but that my love for pups extends far and wide to babies I don't know and will never meet. You'd also know I call them babies, shouting it down city streets when I spy one! "Look! A baby!" "Uh, Kerry.. that's a dog.."

These pictures show how dogs deserve to live. They are both tucked into warm beds at night, have stuffed animals to snuggle with, clothing to keep them warm and dry in bad weather, and someone who holds them and loves them. They both reach for my hands all the time, and hold them. Those hand pictures are not staged. They both still constantly tell me how grateful they are, and teach me things that I know humans can't teach me. They fill my heart up so much.

There is a little girl pup who - excuse the language - has had the living shit beaten out of her. By humans. Human beings. Luckily, an amazing rescue group took her out of the shelter she wound up in, with her week old gashes and cuts that have turned to infections. It's really bad. I'm not going to post a photo of her here but you can visit the Second Chance Rescue Facebook Page and see for yourself (do note that it's graphic). Second Chance takes in dogs that are in horrifying conditions all the time, and they really need your help. If you can donate even one dollar to them, you'll be helping to save this little girl. If you can skip Starbucks tomorrow, donate the three dollars that costs. If you can skip sponsoring a blog next month, donate the ten.. you get the idea.

Dogs need us to be their voices. Speak up, get educated on dog fighting and how to stop it. Learn what a bait dog is and then pray like hell for the ones who end up being one. Get informed on the living hellholes that are puppy mills (like the one Henry came from) and always, always spay and neuter your pets and never support buying a dog from a pet store or breeder. Blogs are fun, pretty clothes, giveaways, I know. But this post has to exist, too. And if you can't stand it, if you can't stomach it, that's okay, I get it. But hug your dog tonight and tell them they're safe with you. xoxo

ON woah, woah, woah, she's a LADY!

 

This is Lady.

She's my foster pup.

Lady is around 2 or 3 and hasn't had the easiest life thus far.

But now she's with me and I'll be dammed if her life is anything but comfortable from here on out.

To begin with: soft blankets! All day, every day. The girl loves to snuggle.

I've never seen a dog fully burrow into a blanket! She also sleeps under the blanket in bed.

She is feisty, funny, excellent on her leash, and an incredibly calm, easygoing dog.

The more of her personality that she lets out, the more I love her.

Lady needs a home in the Los Angeles area.

If you or anyone you know could provide her the loving, amazing, permanent family

that she needs, reach out to me or Dogs Without Borders.

p.s. fostering a dog is an amazing experience.

fostering a rescue dog in your home means that another one can be safely pulled from a local kill shelter and placed into a no-kill rescue group. it is selfless and takes responsibility and the ability to kiss them goodbye when they find their fur-ever family, but it is unbelievably rewarding, and a great way to try having a pup. and.. it's FREE. 

find out how you can foster a dog from your local rescue groups! or email me :)

On Marlon Brando

as you can see, he is one handsome fella.

he is quite well read (all of those books are his) and teaches a proper pounce position.

he has a tower to climb on that is quite higher than my head

and showed me where he likes to retreat for alone time (with Mr. Mouse as his bodyguard).

Marlon Brando is my sister and brother-in-law's three month old kitten.

they were not cat people. they weren't even animal people.

they mocked me endlessly for the fierce love and devotion i have for my Henry Bear.

and then my sister went to an animal shelter with a pal and left with an application,

for little MarleyBoo had stolen her heart, and just like that: they became cat people.

my sister is obsessed. past obsessed. she is also expanding her shopping obsession to him:

this tiny man has more possessions than i currently have.

welcome to the family, MarleyB.

i may sneeze a ton around you, and you may never meet your cousin Henry,

but i sure do think you're swell and am delighted to be your aunt.

p.s. adopt! adopt, adopt, adopt your pets :)

lots of other babies as amazing as MB are waiting for your love.

On the Dog Days of Summer

once, maybe twice a week, three times if i'm super lucky

i sneak off to Brooklyn and fall in love:

these babies are some of the dogs i've had the privilege of walking this summer.

each has given me a gift not only with their company but with a lesson:

Bella, with her long body and puppy-style walking, still figuring out how that tricky leash thing works,

plopped herself down next to the words you see above in the picture:

"A mini Tribe. Look it up. Thank you. - God"

and she gave me the gift of realizing i had stumbled into my very own mini tribe. a place that is bursting with love and welcomes you every time, no matter how long it's been since you've visited, no matter if you've never met each other before. the very definition of open hearts and open arms. at a time when i very much needed these things, i was lucky enough to find them. the gift of acceptance.

Dolores, with her giant puppy paws, and her love for chewing along the hemline of my skirt, had dodged death multiple times as she weaved in and out of traffic. eventually, some of the humans who stood by watching her, found some common sense and came to her aid. she was adopted then returned after a few days. but this little girl was flopping around on the floor, having the time of her life. she exudes joy and can't seem to figure out how to stop without skidding across the floor. you'd never know she's had a rough start. the gift of letting go of the past.

Colleen, a massive bundle of fur with a bright smile that spreads across her face when she recognizes me. colleen was the first pup i walked at the shelter and we've gotten several times to catch up. i tell her she's beautiful and she looks back at me and smiles, a thank you. she exudes the confidence of a woman who knows what she wants: each time she decides she's done with our walk, she. is. done. yanking me, she leads me back to the shelter, firmly and gently. almost to say "enough". the gift of knowing what you need, the gift of refusing anything except that.

and Staples. well, Staples and i fell in love, with his paws tucked under him, his eyes bright.

we met on a particularly achy day for me and there is not a trace, not an ounce, of sarcasm when i tell you he healed me up in a matter of 45 minutes. he gave me too many gifts to mention.

you can read about the lessons that he taught me here.

visiting these dogs reminds me of the beautiful truth that we really may only have this very moment together (as they might be adopted before i'm back) and so it's important to just enjoy every second. there is no need to hold on or worry they'll be gone - it's just how it is. imagine if we were that way with all of our humans: enjoying them, trusting if they're supposed to be in our lives then they will be, loving the time we're given without getting angry we didn't get more. can you imagine the peace?

i hope with my whole heart that i am able to give these incredible animals some sort of gift back. one of the great mystery's of the world, to me, is how anyone can be cruel to animals. just because they don't speak with words does not make them any less than us. they feel, they think, they love just the same.

and since they don't share in our words, it is up to us to speak up for them. if you see an animal being mistreated, holler yell scream at the top of your lungs make a fucking scene. think of the way they would come to your rescue and please do the same for them. okay - speech over :)

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donate or learn more about BARC 

if you're thinking about getting a pet, please adopt

or volunteer at your local shelter first.

your mini tribe is waiting for you, too. xo

Tuesday's Thoughts: Staples

I immediately wanted whiskey. I have no idea where this came from - if you know me in real life then you know I barely drink at all, definitely never anything past a beer. Then, shortly after that thought: dogs. Whiskey and dogs would be my chosen medicine. So naturally, it was off to Brooklyn with me.

He brought him out from the back where the cages are and I just about melted into a puddle of love. "His name is Staples." We walked together, he and I, for awhile. Up and around a building that houses a bed I used to sleep in. Down to the area by the water where one of my favorite weekend activities is held. He slid snout-first into the grass as though he had never experienced such bliss. It was one of those moments where you feel your heart break and fill up with even more love at the same time. I eased down next to him, careful not to startle the little guy. As I touched ground, he moved closer to me, slowly but surely letting me scratch behind his ears, slide my hands along his back, give him a good long belly rub.

We had only known each other less than an hour but already had something major in common: we each recently lost our person. My best guess is that his was a touch more traumatic as I hadn't been left in a box somewhere in the Bronx, unable to speak the same word language as anyone around me. Yet despite that, within the hour, he slowly opened up, scooting closer to me each time we took a break, breaking into a smile when I looked down at him. He took my presence in and assessed the situation, knowing it would be okay, that he was safe. He learned to trust me in less time than it takes to bake a cake, to wash a car. Easily (and correctly) believing I would walk him back to his current home, that he would not be left again. He had a love in his eyes that I don't see in very many humans - he was freely expressing a deep desire to belong, to be held and touched and to be loved back.


How many of us could ask for those things from another so quickly? How many could do it after having just been abandoned? Let down and mislead by the person you thought loved you best. The person you thought you were safe with. Furthermore, how many of us could do this while we weren't totally sure what was going on or why we were where we were? I sure couldn't. But this tiny, furry baby did these things with ease.

And there, with the wag of a tail, was the very reminder I needed: we may not get to choose what happens to us but we absolutely get to choose how to handle it. We can hold on to painful feelings, create stories for ourselves to live by, refuse to trust again after having it broken. OR we can let it go, roll around with joy and immediately open up our hearts to more love. We can panic and let our fear run the show OR we can see that where we are is for a reason, even if it isn't very clear yet, and trust that it will be okay. We can think we aren't good enough or worthy enough to be loved OR we can see that we are enough, we are deserving of being loved and giving love. We can analyze for months OR we can shake it off in minutes.

It made me sad to finish my walk with Staples (who seriously needs not only a new family but a new name!) but I left our time together with more wisdom and peace than I had started it with. The incredible wisdom and love that comes from dogs - all animals - never ceases to amaze me.

Next up on the list: whiskey. But that, dear ones, is a story for another time.

FULLlife: Birthday Baby

A lovely birthday weekend!

My birthday was May 20th and I've been celebrating for the past few days...

with family & my baby pup:

with beautiful flowers:

with delicious vegan food (even the non-vegans loved it!):

by visiting BARC shelter & raising $620 for them:

with my best friends (& kale juice, naturally):

with mani/pedi's with my mom & wine:

I love my birthday!

my favorite part of the celebrating was definitely visiting BARC

& being surrounded by people that I love!

looking forward to a few more celebrations this week :)

what do you do for your birthday?

GrateFULL: visiting BARC!

For my birthday this year, I asked friends and family to not buy me any gifts and instead, to donate to the Brooklyn Animal Resource Coalition - better known as BARC!

Yesterday, I visited BARC for the very first time! I got to walk this beautiful girl, Colleen!

Colleen, who is available for adoption, was so good on our walk!

She is a total sweetheart and has so much Love to give to her future lucky family.

She also put up with our mini-photo shoot & dealt with me leaning down to talk to her nonstop :)

While I was there, I also got to visit with the other dogs including Yankee, who is the main reason I fell in love with BARC. Pre-shelter, Yankee had both sets of paws tied up so long that he can't use the front ones. He has a rad wheelchair and can pick his head up pretty well. While I don't have any pictures (I was way too absorbed in loving him) I can tell you that little guy is the coolest. 

He let me pet him, wagged his tail and looked up every time I moved away from him, making little noises that I took to mean 'come back, come back!'. Pups like this (& every animal) deserve the best care in the world and I'm so proud to have raised some money for them this year. 

To those who've donated: thank you, thank you, thank you.

You have made this birthday the best one I've ever had.

My birthday is on Sunday, May 20th and I'm currently at 93% to my goal.

If you want to donate to my birthday wish, you can join in here.

You can learn more about BARC or donate directly to them here.

If you're a New Yorker, you can volunteer to walk a dog almost any day of the week!

(check the website for exact days and times)

Please, please, please: when it comes to pets, ADOPT and don't shop.

There are thousands of shelter animals waiting for their forever home.

Get educated, get informed & get active to help animals in need in your community.

It would be the best birthday gift in the world.

Big love & thanks to Rop, who runs BARC, for his gigantic heart,

for the tour of the facility and for answering my endless questions.

Many thanks also to Kaitlin for coming with me.