“If I could live my life over again, I would have found you sooner so that I could have loved you longer.”
In This Issue: Annual PuppyUp Couch Potato Walk Is Back!; A Message From Our Executive Director; The New Book, Be More Dog; Two Stories of Devotion to Inspire Your Holidays; Foods You Should Never Feed Your Dog; Dog Treat Recipe — Gingerbread.
Our Annual PuppyUp Couch Potato Walk Is Upon Us!
Join us for the Annual PuppyUp Couch Potato Walk. Although not a “physical” walk, this VIRTUAL walk could be the highlight of the holiday for you and your family and friends!
Between Christmas Eve (12/24) and New Year’s Day (1/1/20), you can get up from the table and walk your dog around the block, or take a nap on the couch and just say you did.
Invite those spandex-wearing, 5k-running, cause-supporting friends of yours to join in the activities (or lack thereof).
Registration is open now. Click HERE to join the fun.
Be sure to take selfies, snuggle your pup and fight cancers in pets and people. Post your photos on our Facebook page with #PuppyUpCouchPotato and tag your friends so they’ll see your commitment for our cause.
Since we are extending the “walk” to cover a whole week, there’s plenty of time to get others to join you.
All participants get bragging rights and will earn a well-deserved nap. Registration is $25 to sign up. Raising at least $50 will earn you a PuppyUp backpack and bandana for your dog. Raise $100 or more and you will get a PuppyUp tee shirt of your choice.
What an easy way to pitch in and fundraise for cancer research to benefit both pets and people.
A Message From Our Executive Director
As we look back on the year, we are grateful for your support for our mission of funding education, awareness and research that benefits pets and people. It is because of your generosity that we can continue to fulfill our mission year after year.
Through research, you have directly impacted the lives of so many. The following dogs are just a few treated in our clinical trials this year: Keta, Sasha, Ares, Shelby, Jemma, Elsie, Fritz, Ranger and Taz. Dogs were treated in Wisconsin, Illinois, Missouri and Ohio. The trial participants represent the hope for cures to come for both pets and people.
We are so grateful for your generosity, and so are the participants in our clinical trials. People at the events we host and attend are so thankful to us for the information we share and the awareness we bring to cities throughout the country. We would not be able to make such an impact without the support of all of you who donate, sponsor, attend our events, and volunteer.
Thank you for your continued support.
Happy Holidays,
Ginger
Learn To Live In The Now With Be More Dog
Long-time friends and tripawds advocates Jim Nelson and Rene Agredano have just published a new book entitled Be More Dog, and we highly recommend it.
Be More Dog is the inspiring story of how one dog with terminal cancer led his people on a spiritual journey that turned their life around and opened their eyes to the importance of living in the Now.
From Amazon
Many people dream of a magic reset button. With one touch, it would instantly change their circumstances and create a more fulfilling life. What they don’t realize is that life provides plenty of opportunities to change direction, but few of us heed the signs showing us the way. For workaholic entrepreneurs Jim and Rene, their sign came as a cancer diagnosis. After growing their home-based business for ten years, their heart and soul dog, Jerry, had a front leg amputated because of bone cancer. Vets said their time together was running out. They decided to make the most of it. Acting quickly, they sold their home, their business, and nearly everything they owned. They bought a new RV and made Jerry a promise: “Stay with us long enough, and we’ll take you on the road trip of a lifetime!” By the time they hit the road to travel the country together as a pack, Jerry had already outlived his original prognosis. Their full-time RVing travels took them from northern California through the southwest desert, to the Atlantic coast in Maine, down to Florida and back to the top of the world in the Rocky Mountains. For two years they experienced many adventures, with Jerry leading the way and showing the world that it’s better to hop on three legs than to limp on four. Their nomadic lifestyle breathed new life into the happy dog, who generously shared important life lessons along the way. Once they opened their eyes to how he lived each day to the fullest, everything looked different. Their reset button was pressed. “Be More Dog” is more than a memoir about a three-legged dog on an epic road trip. It is a mantra to live by, and this book is the guide. This heartwarming tale is filled with deep meaning. Through his actions and attitude in the face of adversity, Jerry shows Jim and Rene how important it is to live in the now – to persevere when the going gets tough, to never give up, and that every day is a great day, no matter what life throws your way. Includes Foreword and original illustration by MUTTS creator Patrick McDonnell.
To order Be More Dog, available in many formats, please follow this link.
HINT– Be More Dog would make an excellent holiday gift.
Want help and support for living with a tripawed dog or cat? Look no farther than Tripawds, The best help center for your three legged dog or cat. This is a user-supported community for sharing your story and learning about amputation and bone cancer care for pets.
Two Stories of Devotion to Inspire Your Holidays
There have been many dogs throughout history that have fought in wars and crossed continents, been explorers and shown bravery that would be impressive if it had been demonstrated by a human hero.
For the holidays, we’re bringing you two such canine heroes.
Barry der Menschenretter ―The Saint Bernard is a dog specifically bred for a single purpose—to search and rescue. Monks at the Saint Bernard Pass, a dangerous, snowy divide between Switzerland and Italy, bred them for hundreds of years—perhaps even as far back as 1695—to rescue travelers who got lost and buried in the snow. They traveled in pairs so that when they found a victim, one dog could dig them out and sit on them for warmth while the other headed back to the monastery for help. Which brings us to the second Saint Bernard on our list—Barry, who saved 40 people’s lives over the course of 12 years in the early 1800s.
Barry’s most famous rescue was of a small child who’d become lost and trapped on a treacherous ice shelf. Barry managed to reach the boy, revive him, and keep him warm until rescue arrived. But even then, nobody could get to them. So Barry allowed the child to climb onto his back and pulled him to safety, inch by inch. Barry was so effective as a rescue dog that after his departure there was always one dog at the monastery named Barry—a tradition that persists to this day.
Bobbie the Wonder Dog ― In August 1923, Frank and Elizabeth Brazier, with their daughters Leona and Nova, were visiting relatives in Wolcott, Indiana. Their two-year-old Scotch Collie/English Shepherd mix dog Bobbie was attacked by three other dogs and ran away. After an exhaustive search, the heartbroken Brazier family were unable to find Bobbie and continued their trip before returning home to Oregon, expecting never to see their dog again. But in February 1924, six months later, Bobbie returned to Silverton, mangy, dirty, and scrawny, with his toenails worn down to nothing. He showed all the signs of having walked the entire distance, including swimming rivers and crossing the Continental Divide during the coldest part of winter.
During his ordeal, he crossed at least 2,551 miles of plains, desert, and mountains in the winter to return home, an average of approximately 14 miles per day. After his return to Silverton, he experienced a meteoric rise to fame. His story drew national attention and was featured in numerous newspapers.
He was the subject of newspaper articles including Ripley’s Believe It or Not!, books, and film. Bobbie played himself in the 1924 silent film The Call of the West. He received hundreds of letters from people around the world and was honored with a jewel-studded harness and collar, ribbons, and keys to cities.
People who had fed and sheltered Bobbie on his journey wrote the family to tell about their time with Bobbie. The Humane Society of Portland was able to use these stories to assemble a relatively precise description of the route Bobbie took.
The humane society concluded that after returning to Wolcott and unable to find his owners, Bobbie initially followed their further travels into northeast Indiana. He then struck out in several directions, apparently seeking their scent. He eventually headed west.
During their original trip, the Braziers had parked their car in a service station each night. Their dog visited each of these stops on his journey, along with a number of homes, and a homeless camp.
In Portland, an Irish woman took care of him for a period of time, helping him recover from serious injuries to his legs and paws.[
Upon his death in 1927, he was buried with honors at the Oregon Humane Society’s pet cemetery in Portland. A week later, German Shepherd film star Rin Tin Tin laid a wreath at his grave.
Bobbie’s demonstration of loyalty is celebrated during Silverton’s annual children’s pet parade that serves as a reminder of the special place animals and pets have in people’s lives. The event was started several years after Bobbie’s death and the first parade was led by his son, Pal.
Foods You Should Never Feed Your Dogs
We’re coming up to Christmas and the temptation is to treat our pets too.
And that often stretches to give the dog titbits from what we’ve been eating – but there are some foods that are very harmful to dogs. There are things that we love but can make our pets very ill indeed. Be strong, don’t fall for those puppy-dog eyes as you may live to regret it if your pet falls ill. Things like nuts, cheese and onions are among the potentially harmful human foods that should never be fed to our pets. Many people know not to give their pet dog chocolate, but there are other foods to avoid include tea, garlic and grapes. “To help dog lovers avoid causing harm to pups and canines, we’ve revealed 11 things they shouldn’t be allowed to eat and why.” If your dog starts to display symptoms of eating something they shouldn’t have, contact your vet immediately.
Please read the rest of the article here.
Now Here’s Something Your Dog CAN Enjoy – A Dog Treat Recipe — Gingerbread!
Nothing says Happy Holidays like an easy Christmas dog treat recipe! So if you and your pooch are feeling festive here’s how you make your own yummy Gingerbread Biscuits for Dogs.
You’ll Need
1 and 1/4 Cups Water
1/4 Cup Olive Oil
1/2 Cup Molasses
2 Tablespoons Honey
3 Cups Organic Whole Wheat Flour
1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon
1/2 Teaspoon Ground Cloves
1 Tablespoon finely chopped Fresh Ginger
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2 Large Bowls
Mixing and measuring utensils
Rolling Pin
Gingerbread Cookie Cutter
To Make
1. Get two large bowls. In one bowl combine the water, olive oil, molasses and honey. In the second bowl combine the flour, cinnamon, cloves and finely chopped ginger.
2. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet. Mix until all are combined.
3. Divide the dough into two, wrap and refrigerate for minimum 3.5 hours.
4. Once chilled, remove dough from fridge and roll out dough to 1/4 inch thickness (less than a centimetre).
5. Pre-heat oven to 350 F.
6. Use your Gingerbread Cookie Cutter to cut out the biscuits. Place on baking tray. Bake for 10-15 minutes.
Handy Hints
* Makes around 20 Large Treats.
* I actually found leaving 1/2 Cup of the Water aside made it easier to mix the wet and dry ingredients together. Then as they combined to form a dough, I added the remaining water to ensure the mixture didn’t become too wet and sticky.
* The dough needs to be chilled for a minimum 3.5 hours but can be chilled up to 5 hours.
* Once the biscuits are cooled you can decorate with drizzled carob or yoghurt drops if desired. I rolled the off-cuts into little buttons for the Gingerbread men!
** The above recipe is for treats only and should not replace your dog’s regular meal plans. Always check with your vet about any major changes to your dog’s diet.
Recipe is from Pretty Fluffy.
We hope if you’re doing any of your holiday shopping on Amazon that you’ll remember us and shop through Amazon Smile.
Here’s how to shop AmazonSmile:
1. Visit smile.amazon.com
2. Sign in with your Amazon.com credentials
3. Choose the Puppy Up Foundation as your charitable organization to receive donations.
4. Start shopping!
5. Add a bookmark for smile.amazon.com to make it even easier to return and start your shopping at AmazonSmile
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Kroger Community Rewards Program
Helping The Puppy Up Foundation
If you shop at Kroger for your holiday fixin’s and use your Rewards Plus Card you can help us earn money. All you have to do is log in to your Kroger account and click on Community Awards. Search for The Puppy Up Foundation either by name or IQ193 and click enroll. Don’t forget to use your card each time you shop at any Kroger.
Thank you for your support!
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How You Can Help
Just like there are many different breeds of dogs, The Puppy Up Foundation needs many different volunteers to help the organization. No matter where you live or how much time you have to offer, there is a role for you.
Are you detailed-oriented, creative and artistic, great at internet research or making phone calls? Would you like to volunteer at fun, educational events? Share your interests and talents and help raise awareness and funding for canine cancer and comparative oncology.
Donate to the Cause
It’s estimated that between 4 and 6 million dogs die from cancer each year and recently it was announced that 36 children a day are diagnosed with cancer. Our pets and our children are being attacked by this deadly disease. Your donation to The Puppy Up Foundation will help further our mission of discovering the causes of cancers and their common link in both pets and people.
Your gift is very much appreciated and fully deductible as a charitable contribution. The Puppy Up Foundation is a 501 C(3) organization and our tax ID number is 47-2319212. All transactions conducted on our Web site are encrypted using a secure server to protect your privacy. All donations are final. All transactions are happening in the United States.
We can always use your help. If you’re interested, send me an mail at ginger@puppyup.org.
Sincerely,
Ginger Morgan, Executive Director
The Puppy Up Foundation
