Animals Need You!

Today my special guest is my biodographer Fiona Ingram and she has a big favour to ask all my fans and supporters. We need your help for a worthy cause. Now that I am better from my horrible ordeal, I want to help save other animals all over the world.

Fiona says: “This post has nothing to do with writing and everything to do with animals. People who know me have realised by now that I have a passion for causes, especially related to animals. I am busy with my animal rescue book on Poppy, the famous Fijian dog saved by AnimalsFiji. Poppy went on to make a full recovery after surgery, and now has a happy Fur-Ever Home with a loving family in Australia. However, there are many animals in Fiji still in need of help; and their need is dire. The lease is up on the land that Animals Fiji’s Clinic occupies. Animals Fiji needs your help to build a new home. Please read on and help in any way – again, no donation too small! You can donate directly to Animals Fiji’s donation page, or donate to my campaign on gofundme.”

Animals Fiji says: “Just US$16.00 will buy a brick for our new home! We need 10,000 bricks! Can you help us? Any amount will be an enormous help.

 

The Animals Fiji Nadi Clinic (operated by the West Charity Trust Society), which provides emergency care for sick animals and plays a vital role in the management and control of Fiji’s feral cat and dog populations has 3 months to find new land and premises to operate from or it will be forced to close. Since its doors opened 2 years ago, the Nadi Clinic has treated approximately 6,500 sick and injured animals, rehomed 960 abandoned pets and has de-sexed around 2,300 cats and dogs. Over this time it has established several outreach programs, where teams of volunteers are funded to travel to remote communities to control animal populations and to assist injured animals. These programs alone have reached over 20 communities and have led to 600 animals being de-sexed, meaning that over 7 million fewer puppies and kittens will be born.



Just one of the many animals that heed help!

The clinic plays a vital role in ensuring the health of Fijians and their animals. We have until 12 June 2014 to find new land and premises and are fundraising to find the FJ$30,000 we need to do this. (This comes to around US$16,000) If the Clinic closes then the valuable out-reach programs will cease and there will be no pet doctor in the Western Division of Fiji, putting the lives of animals and the health of people at risk.

Animals Fiji needs your support. All contributions gratefully accepted. No donation is too small - our animals depend on your kindness and goodwill!”

 

I want to cry when I think about these poor animals not having a place to get well. So please help if you can. Here’s a picture of me saying a special prayer to the Anjil for Aminals to spread the word and raise funds for Animals Fiji.

As I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord Animals Fiji will keep...

 

Champ Interviews Pawthor Ted Terrier

Ted's first book!

Today I am so happy to welcome Pawthor Ted Terrier to my blog. As readers will know, I recently reviewed Ted’s Journal; it was an eye-opener to me – and I’m a dog. So, without further ado, let’s get the real meat off the bone by finding out how Ted gets his inspiration.

Champ, thank you woofly much for your wonderful review of my book and for asking me to do this interview. It’s a meatylicious pleasure and if we get the meat off that bone we can share it and then play tug with the bone, and that’ll be a lot of fun. Unless I steal the bone and bury it, so you better keep your ‘opened’ eyes open for me doing that :) XOX

1. Ted, your Journal was a total revelation. How do you notice all these amazing and fascinating things about your family and humans? Is it a gift? Or do you spend hours observing them?

Thank you, Champ and very happy to have opened your eyes more to the behaviour of humans. Humans are my passion so I think that’s the main reason I notice all these things about them. I love them ever so much and more than any other species that I have met, even more than dogs. It’s easy and so much fun to work on your passions, isn’t it? I do spend hours just being with humans and also I am highly empathic – which most dogs are with their humans, too, actually – so that means I pick up on how they are thinking and feeling. Some humans call that psychic. I like to think about their thoughts and feelings and their behaviour. Humans are very clever and they also have very complicated feelings. Dogs are also clever but with just the right amount of cleverness so they don’t get muddled like humans, and also dogs are clear on their feelings. I hope in writing my observations I can help humans think not so muddled and simply love and not get too upset.

2. A quick question before we press on with even more philosophical Q&A: how did you come to live with Emma and her family?

Ted thinking!

Emma’s mummy Jane decided she wanted a dog and so she came to see me and my puppy siblings when I was still living with my mummy and daddy dog, and I was the first one to go and greet her. I was laughing and wagging my tail and so she said she would take me home when I was ready to go. And then when I was, I did, and then I met Emma and we bonded straight away. I know I am a very fortunate dog cos I was never abandoned or mistreated. I went straight to some lovely humans. All dogs deserve wonderful humans to make their Fur-Ever Homes with.

3. Back to the writing. In your Journal you said you started writing to help Emma get over her writer’s block with creativity. But is that strictly true? Were you actually dying to get started writing anyway?

Ha ha, clever Champ! Yes I was dying to get started but it took a little while for Emma to ‘hear’ me telling her all I had to say. She gets distracted very easily and goes off away in her head and in fantasy lands sometimes and I had to get her back to the bones of things. She had to get stuck and blocked so she’d be ready to be unblocked, if that makes sense. But then once she did hear me there was no stopping her. Most humans have trouble understanding Dog, but she usually gets me really well. Sometimes we argue, but that’s normal with siblings and those creating things together.

4. You said some really philosophical things about life in your Journal. Do you read about that in books, or does it just come to you?

A good idea coming back to Ted...

It just comes to me. Or it comes to Emma. In all honesty, sometimes we’re not totally sure which. Well, I am sure it all comes to me. But Emma says she has more input than just a scribe and as she is scribing for me right now, I think we’d better say it just comes to both of us.

5. You mentioned some pretty personal things in your Journal about the family. Did they mind when you mentioned how their feet smell? Although I must say, Emma sounds as if she smells yummy. Candy-floss. I’ve never tasted it but it sounds delicious.

They know I am a dog and I like smells so they were fine about it and found it funny. They think I’m very funny, in fact. I think that’s why I can get away with saying all these things about them. Some of the things in the Journal are personal truths about them and some are fiction. We did that just to make sure nobody reading it would know for sure which is which and my humans wouldn’t be upset about it. But it could all be true and probably is for some humans somewhere. Candy-floss is delicious, yes – very sweet and also airy like Emma.

6. Now that their secrets are out, do you find members of the family kind of being careful what they do in case you write it down?

No, the opposite! They make sure I am watching before they do anything J

7. You write a blog as well, so writing is an everyday thing for you. Do you have to have a special place to write? Or nice music? Or total silence?

Ted dictating to Emma.

I can only write when Emma is ready to help me so it’s not always every day cos she has other things to do. Then I have to try to remember what I was going to write and my memories don’t last very long. I also Facebook and Tweet (@TedTerrier) J My special place to write is sitting next to Emma on the sofa at our mummy’s home. Usually I have my head and front paws on her lap and we look into each other’s eyes and then she takes my thoughts and puts them on paper or computer. For background ambiance, we might have the TV or music or even other people talking. It doesn’t matter. All sorts can be going on and still my ideas flow out. Emma says I make her concentrate and be more in tune with herself than any other time she tries to write or be creative.

8. What’s your favourite food in the whole world? Any special treats?

Darn! Who forgot the cheese?

Cheese, cheese, more cheese, and ‘Can I have some cheese, please?’! My absolute favourite is Babybel cheese, which my human mummy calls ‘bombels’ so that’s what we’ve called them in our writings cos we’re not sure if we’re allowed to say product names; or maybe we could and then say ‘there are other cheeses available.’

9. What’s next on the writing horizon for you? You know that a Pawthor can never have just one book. Any little hints for my eager readers?

Sneak preview of Ted's next book!

Yes a Pawthor never can and I won’t cos towards the end of this month, March 2014 (we hope), – which also happens to be my 14^th birthday – The Second Journal of Ted Terrier will be ready and out J Woofyay! And we are already working on the third one J

10. What advice would you give to Pawthors out there contemplating publishing their mewahs or their Observations on Life?

Easy – get yourself a lovely human cos they are good at looking after the practicalities of it so you can just focus on your observations and creativity and philosophising and what really matters. Just bark it out there!

11. Is there anything that you’d like to share with readers, or anything special you’d like to tell the world? (Like who is really your favourite person in the family…)

Okay, well, cos she was the star of the show and my primary inspiration, my journal says my favourite person is my mummy Jane, but actually, she’s not. I’m not saying this cos her fingers are typing it, but honestly my favourite person is Emma and I really couldn’t do this without her cos we have a wooftastic connection and my favourite place to be is by her side J

Thanks for sharing all this wonderful insight with me and my readers, Ted. I’ll be first in line to review your next book.

PS: Are you a Pawthor? Have you written a memwah or just your Observations on Life? Let me know for a book review and interview. Cats also welcome!

Muttbombing!

I learned a new word today: Muttbombing. It's when the dog gets into the photo and I learned how to do it on Saturday when S.A.F.E. Rescue attended the Petco Adoption Day. What a fantastic time we all had. S.A.F.E. Rescue had HUGE posters done of my book and put them everywhere. I felt like a movie star!!! Hey, maybe I'll soon be a movie star. Anyway, they say a picture is worth a thousand words so here's a few photos to tell you everything!

Champ Muttbombing!!!!

Then I made new friends and everyone wanted their photos taken with me. What a nice feeling it is to be loved!

Me and my new friends!



If you have any Muttbombing pics you'd like to share with me, please send and I'll post them on my blog. Don't forget to tell me your name!!!

Book Review: The Journal of Ted Terrier

The Journal of Ted Terrier by Pawthor Ted Terrier and his scribe (also a Pawthor) Emma Knight just has to be one of the funniest books I have read on humans and their behaviour, from a dog’s point of view.  People often say, “If only the dog could talk…” but maybe they wouldn’t be happy with what the dog might say!  Ted Terrier, who is such a clever (and handsome) Jack Russell, tells us all about his family and the many silly human things that silly humans do. His journal spares no one and from six-foot-something head of the family Peter, to depressed mum Jane, to sibling Emma (who struggles to hold onto her creativity, hence this book to help her get it back), to the various visitors (so few…), Ted gives readers the benefit of his observations. He is honest, fair, and if you are a human reading this book, you will recognise some of your (ahem) failings as a member of the two-pawed species.

Pawthor Ted Terrier

Ted starts right off by confessing his obsession with feet, and gives us a description of his family’s feet. The smells of his family’s feet, to be exact. Interesting. That gives readers an idea of how dogs see humans: as smells, not as looks and height. Anyone taller than a human child is very big to a small dog—of course. Well, I wish I had thought of explaining it that way. In fact, let me say right off, I love the way Ted explains things about humans and dogs. It just makes such perfect sense. On the philosophical side, Ted says even cleverer things as he explains the difference between human and dog thinking. Humans’ problem is they think too much and they end up confusing themselves and making their own lives difficult. From there he touches on the benefits of Sunday walks (and everyone knows every day should be Sunday); the problem with religion; how bad it is to get upset; what exactly is black comedy (something I have always wondered); and what really matters in life (a nice warm bed, yummy treats, fresh water, lots of toys, and lots of cuddles in my humble opinion). On a practical side, he observes that dogs have it much easier because they wear their clothes (fur) all the time, and how communication with humans can be difficult (i.e. what not to do to visitors’ legs).

The absolutely fantastic illustrations give readers a very clear picture of what happens in Ted’s household and I had many laugh-out-loud moments. I could just see all those people and all the funny things they did. The Journal of Ted Terrier will make you see your dog in a very different light. Have you ever said or thought, “If only the dog could talk…” Don’t think that. The dog might surprise you! Five Stars!

Keep up with Ted’s observations on life by visiting his Facebook page and his blog.

Champ says, "Adopt First!"

Has it really been two whole weeks since I last blogged? That’s awful. My only excuse is that I have been busy Tweeting (especially to help other animals) and making new friends on Twitter; I’ve been conducting Pawthor interviews; and I’ve been trying to catch up with my To Be Read pile. Added to that, don’t forget I’m the Ambassadog for S.A.F.E. Rescue and in a few days I’ll be going to Petco with my guardians to help spread the word about saving animals and adopting rescues.

 

I'll be showing off all my book merchandise as well!

 

ADOPT FIRST

Although many people love an exotic ‘special’ breed of pet, consider adopting a little friend before you buy. Many animals no longer have homes for a variety of reasons. These animals usually make the most loving, lovable, friendly additions to any family. Petco is a large pet store in the US. They sell pet supplies of all types. They allow rescue groups to hold adoptions at their stores to promote adopting rescues. S.A.F.E. Rescue has been with Petco for seven years. I have made so many friends and gained so many fans at these adoption days. If you are interested in adopting a really cute, wonderful pet, visit S.A.F.E. Rescue's adoption link. There are some loving and adorable dogs just waiting for a happy Fur-Ever Home!

CONSIDER A SENIOR PET

Many older people might want a pet, but are reluctant to take on a rambunctious puppy that needs lots of energetic walks and play time. A senior pet (anything from 7/8+) is ideal. These animals are generally mature, settled, house-trained, and calm. They would keep their owner’s pace, with gentle walks/strolls, a sociable temperament, and can offer several more years of loving companionship. Give an older animal a chance at happy twilight years.