Merrick Pet Care Inc. of Amarillo Texas expanded the recall of its Beef Filet Squares to include Texas Hold’ems treats because they may be potentially contaminated with salmonella. This is the third recall issued by the company this year. At present no illnesses have been reported...
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********Click here for:Art Helping Animals Main Web Site

P & G dry Pet Foods recall is expanded to cat and dog food

Proctor and Gamble expands their recall on dry pet food to include both some Iams and Eukenuba brands for both cats and dogs. The voluntary recall includes about 800,000 to 950,000 of Iams veterinary formulas and some specialized dog food due to salmonella concerns. The products in question are veterinary clinics and pet specialty stores throughout the United States and Canada.... Read More

Search and Rescue Dog - A New Job For Pearl

A New Job For Pearl

As a writer some stories you write have a real impact on your life. In this case I was intrigued to find that not only was Pearl, a search and rescue dog, who herself was rescued from the shelter. Reading "A New Job For Pearl", I discovered a new prospective on how animals can help us.

Than I learned more about the dedication and determination of the 2nd grad chilldren of Rancho Romero School in Alamo, CA, their teacher and all those volunteers involved with raising money for the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation to train another search and rescue dog. I was so taken by it I too wanted to help these children raise the money and make people aware of how animals can impact our lives.

I wrote two articles about Pearl:

Shelter Dog becomes a search and rescue dog and heroine of a new book.

and

Search and Rescue Dog: Pearl's Story Continues

The class has now raised $6000 towards the $10,000 needed to cover the cost of training another search and rescue dog. They now need your help to raise the additional $4000 to realize their goal.

Click one of the links above to find out how you can help these 2nd grade children realize their goals.

********Click here for:Art Helping Animals Main Web Site

AHA Artist Writes For Examiner.com on Pets

Lexi and Gabi at a hotel in Lompoc. Photo by Jennifer Fox

Art Helping Animals member artist, Cori Solomon, has become an Examiner/writer for Examiner.com. Cori's area of expertise is West LA Pets where she will be writing about Rescues, animal art, products, vets and more. Her first article is about traveling with dogs and can be viewed at .

Check out her article at Examiner.com

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Click here for:

Art Helping Animals Main Web Site

Los Angeles - Four Legged Friends Foundation's O'Fluff Fundraiser Event for Dogs and Cats

For those of you located in the Los Angeles Area here is a fundraiser event in Culver City that will feature animal artists including myself, Cori Solomon.

Four Legged Friends Foundation's
O'Fluff's Lucky Charms
Block Party
Sat. March 13, 2009
7 PM - 10 PM
11818 - 11836 Teale St.
Culver City, CA

Dogs are Welcome

Activities include:

Fashion Show
Costume Contest

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Art Helping Animals Main Web Site

Behind the Scenes - ART THAT HELPS!

So much work goes on behind the scenes that it is almost too much to mention.

But I will.

Art Helping Animals is a very small fellowship...less than 20 artists at any given time that work their brushes off to help homeless animals in need.

We have contributed over 68,000.00 and counting to help shelter animals by donating a portion of our art sales to non-profit rescues coast-to-coast and around the world.

We do it "ONE ANIMAL AT A TIME, ONE BRUSH STROKE AT A TIME"

and many people say it must be "fun" to paint...to create art.

Yes....that is the easy part.

The rest of the time: we are working behind the scenes, each in our own way. We paint for our rescues as listed on our HOME PAGE http://www.arthelpinganimals.com/

We keep our own web venues going with updates and current work. (see the main site for ARTISTS list)

We work with our own favorite personal charities and rescues unaffiliated with AHA but "friends of AHA" as we have a network of loyal friends that support homeless animals with art and even more donations.

See the Social Networking sites here if you haven't joined with us!

FACE BOOK http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/artistshelpinganimals?ref=mf

MYSPACE http://www.myspace.com/arthelpinganimals

TWITTER http://twitter.com/ArtforAnimals

Some of the artists participate in exhibits around the country, galleries, art competitions.

Some of us represent AHA on The DAILY PAINTER'S GALLERY week after week.

It is a labor of love that we do.

It takes dedication, real and true comittment and energy...the work BEHIND the easel is the elbow grease it takes to keep all the brushes in the air, to have something worthy to present to the public that will, ultimately, make a collector happy to hang fine art in their homes or work spaces and help save a life.

Continue our journey with us as ART HELPING ANIMALS goes forward to work to help the neediest get a second chance.

We are currently working to help our Focus Rescue Group SALUKI TREE OF LIFE ALLIANCE

with a collection of art from all the artists of Art Helping Animals...Please take a look at what is still available. All work sold will benefit the rescue! (link below)

http://arthelpinganimals.blogspot.com/search/label/Charity%3A%20Stola%20Saluki%20Rescue

BIG THANKS TO ALL OUR SUPPORTERS!

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NEW STORE! Giftware and Prints for Sale to Help Animals


Art Helping Animals Main Web Site

TBAR Happenings

Say "hello" to Blue. This sweet young hound was found wandering in the country, limping and very skinny. He was picked up, taken to the vet and it was found that he had a high break in one of his hind legs, most likely having been hit by a car. After weeks of mending, the cast is off and he can put on some weight to be ready for adoption. Blue's vet bill was$800, so if you are interested in donating to Blue's Fund, visit our website: www.t-bar.org, or call (936) 878-2349.

Spay/Neuter

Did you know that 80% of dogs hit by cars are unneutered males? It's sad, but true, and one of the many reasons that all pets should be spayed or neutered. This past spring (March - April), TBAR offered a Spay/Neuter Rebate and was very successful in getting many of the area pets spayed or neutered.

cat spay - 62

cat neuter - 37

dog spay - 64

dog neuter - 32

Total - 195 EXCELLENT!1

Now that our new Spay/Neuter Clinic (The Connie Clinic) is open, we hope to need to do this less often as a low cost option is now available here in Washington County.

SUCCESS STORIES

Recent Events ~

Over the past couple of months, TBAR has had some successful events and raised some much needed money to pay for the vet and feed bills of the TBAR animals.

Country Flavors Festival in Downtown Brenham - thanks to the many volunteers who showed up to help and to the nieces and nephews of Kathryn Turnbull who raised over $400 with their money jars, asking people in the crowd to help the animals.

July 4th at Fireman's Park - thanks to Ann, Teresa, Lauren, John, and Milly, Elizabeth, Melanie, Kathryn, and Laura Gomes for manning this event. It was a very successful fundraising day for TBAR. We also had a TBAR celebrity present - the recently adopted Popeye, who won the Best Dog contest.

Brenham Hospice - recently had a food drive for TBAR to keep our animals fed.

Thank You to all involved.

Adoptions ~

Dogs:

Popeye, Jack, Maya, Snoopy, Bandit, Boone, Paula, Bravo Blue

Horses:

Drifter, Scarlet, True Blue, Sable, Brooke

Next PetSmart Adoption Event - July 20th

Until next time -

Whitney

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NEW STORE! Giftware and Prints for Sale to Help Animals

The Animal News Blog

Art Helping Animals Main Web Site

Blue with a Broken Leg needs help at T-bar

Blue is a beautiful young Heeler who was abandoned and starving. Worse yet he had been hit by a car, and his leg was broken. Enter True Blue Animal Rescue. Now Blue is at T-bar (short for True Blue Animal Rescue). He's splinted and casted and healing well, but the vet bill to date is $600 to set the leg. Poor baby! Who could say no to Blue? Please help cover Blue's vet bill by mailing a donation, however large or small, to T-bar, P.O. Box 1107, Brenham, Texas 77834.

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Original Art for Sale to Help Animals

Giftware and Prints for Sale to Help Animals

Ebay Auctions to Help Animals

All About Art Helping Animals

BONES - The latest and the greatest BEAGLES!

BE THE FIRST TO SAY.... I LOVE LUCY!

What a great way to start the month of MAY!...and the bonus is that you can go right through JUNE to see all the new art unfold as the artists of ART HELPING ANIMALS shine the RESCUE SPOTLIGHT on BEAGLES OF NEW ENGLAND STATES (BONES)...an all volunteer rescue that rehabs and rehomes beagles rescued all over the region.



We have a UTUBE video created by artist Tanya Amberson and we hope you will visit our site along with the BONES site to see ALL the beagles in need of adoption and all the good work they do to help dogs find forever families.



All the beagles in the care of BONES are rehabbed and spend time in foster care with families and other dogs and cats to find the educational needs of each individual animal, teaching home skills, socialization, and helping them become the best family pet they can be!



This org has rehomed hundreds and hundreds of beagles and mixes. There is a companion dog waiting for you at their rescue.

Please visit their site for adoptable beagles or to SPONSOR a beagle in rescue: www.bonesbeagles.org



For wonderful beagle art and ongoing additions to this body of work: Art Helping Animals: Charity: BONES Beagle Rescue




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Original Art for Sale to Help Animals

Giftware and Prints for Sale to Help Animals

Ebay Auctions to Help Animals

All About Art Helping Animals

TBAR Happenings

Puppies found, 10 little lives saved ~

A couple of weeks ago, a good samaritan was driving down a Washington Co. road when she found 2 boxes, taped closed, on the side of the road. She stopped, opened them up and found a total of 10 adorable puppies inside. She put them in her car, took them home, and contacted TBAR. Two of our officers agreed to foster these cuties and now they are all safe, vaccinated, and well cared for. You can see these cuties on TBAR's puppy page. GREAT news, we have already placed 2 of them, and there is an adoption pending on another.

Texas A&M is looking for a new Reveille ~
As you may have already read, in an email that I sent out a few days ago, Reveille is retiring and Texas A&M is looking for a new dog. They would like to go back to their roots of having a rescue or shelter dog as the next Reveille. TBAR has corresponded with the University and has offered a couple of our "box puppies" (see above) for their consideration. Butter is a cutie that looks a lot like a collie, and Creampuff is one of her adorable sisters. We are keeping our fingers crossed that they accept TBAR's donation for this honor.

Phaser gets a new foster home ~
Long time TBAR dog and shy-guy, Phaser, went to a new foster home recently to get some special one-on-one attention. Kathy Frazier, a new TBAR member, contacted Melanie to let her know that she would love to foster one of our shy dogs to help socialize them to be more adoptable. What a blessing! It's baby steps, but Phaser seems to be doing well. Thank you Kathy!!

Upcoming TBAR Events ~

Saturday, April 12th - Adoption Day at Parcel Plus in Brenham
More details to follow...

Saturday, June 1st - Horse Day at TBAR
A day of horse fun - bathing, brushing and horse interaction. Time and other details to follow...


Whitney Twiss
TBAR Communications Officer

True Blue Animal Rescue -- www.tbar.org
********
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Original Art for Sale to Help Animals

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... and Popeye

When a Dog is Dumped (continued)
by Melanie DeAeth



If you think Darling's story is a harsh reality, let me tell you about Popeye. Poor Popeye was lost and searching for an owner when he met the worst human possible. This person decided that rather than take Popeye to a humane shelter, he would kill Popeye himself so he shot him in the head. Poor Popeye didn't die because the bullet simply shattered his sinus cavity and lodged in his jaw area. Popeye ran away, but the man got him back and this time he tied him to a tree and beat him about the head with a golf club. This caused more damage to Popeye's sinus cavity but spared his brain and so, he lived. Lucky for Popeye a kind neighbor witnessed this and called the police who then called True Blue Animal Rescue to come and help him.

When we picked up Popeye that day he was still wagging his tail in search of that human who was nice to him before dumping him. After several days at the vet, IV fluids, anti-inflammatory medicine and antibiotics, Popeye is now on the road to recovery. He's eating and drinking on his own and his personality is back full force. This friendly fellow is housebroken, playful and very loving. He adores stuffed toys and carries them around in his mouth with his damaged head held high. He lost the vision in one eye, and he worries when he's not with one of us, but we are optimistic that Popeye will heal and have a good life now.

These are only two sad stories about two of the lucky ones: Darling and Popeye. They were lucky because they came to rescue and recovered. If they hadn't they would have died alone and scared with people around them that would rather harm an animal than take the time to help them.

If you can't keep your dog anymore or you find a stray dog, please bring them to a rescue or shelter where they will be safe and at least have a chance to find a new home. If you would rather not take the dog to a shelter and all the rescues are full, then find a home for him yourself. Put an ad in the paper, put up fliers and ask the people who call questions to find out if they will take care of their pet. Get a vet reference from them and ask where the dog will be living. You will be able to tell them about the dog to make sure that this new home will be a good match for this dog. If we all do our part, then together we can make a difference and stop animal abuse, neglect and overpopulation.

To see pictures of Darling and Popeye go to www.t-bar.org

Darling

When a Dog is Dumped (continued)
by Melanie DeAeth



Let me tell you about what Darling encountered when left to fend for herself in the country. Darling is much too friendly to have been a lifelong stray and because of this she trusted the wrong people.

I found Darling at a gas station. She was skinny, had an abscess and infection around her head and neck and she has a scar along the top of her back that is typically seen on dogs when someone squirts lighter fluid on an animal and lights it. Darling had nearly given up hope and was sitting to the side looking sad and forlorn when I called her over. She decided to try and find help one more time and slowly walked over.

After a trip to the vet to clean her wounds and get her started on antibiotics Darling started to come out of her shell. With plenty of good food Darling quickly put on weight and became the energetic, happy, lab mix that she had been before. The scar on her back will be a reminder that not all people are nice and that bad things can happen when you're left out alone.

To see pictures of Darling, go to www.t-bar.org.

When a Dog is Dumped

When a Dog is Dumped
by Melanie DeAeth


In True Blue Animal Rescue we take in dogs for a variety of reasons but the biggest problem that contributes to overpopulation and homelessness in dogs is DUMPING.

There is a great misconception by people who believe that those of us that live in the country want another dog. Just because we have large yards doesn't mean we can properly care for an endless number of dogs. So, what happens to the dumped dog? At best he will be taken to a no kill animal rescue but rescues are often full and cannot take in every animal that needs a home.

The next thing that might happen to a dumped dog is that a kind person might find him a home and if they cannot they would take him to the safety of an animal shelter. In this case the dog might be euthanized, which makes us all sad, but until people stop indiscriminate breeding and dumping their unspayed dogs in the country there will continue to be more dogs than we, as a society, can absorb. Euthanasia is still more humane than dumping and the two most recent dogs we have taken in illustrate that point.

The story of Darling and Popeye will continue. Please bookmark the Art Helping Animals News and come back to read about Darling and Popeye.

TBAR's MaKayla, Shepherd-Labrador, Needs a Home

MaKayla wears a smile that only freedom and happiness can bring. One can only imagine the dangers MaKayla escaped -- she was found running loose with a chain hanging from her neck. Did she break free from a backyard 'prison' where she was chained and forgotten? Did she desperately free herself from an abusive situation? We only know that she found her way to True Blue Animal Rescue (TBAR) where she was pulled off the streets and kept safe from getting hit by a car.

When no one claimed her after running a found ad, MaKayla was spayed, vaccinated and is now available for adoption. This beautiful, year old, light orange and black shepherd / labrador mix loves life and seems to really enjoy her new-found freedom. (see her color picture at www.tbar.org)

If you love life and want someone to share it with, then MaKayla might be just the right dog for you!

GHOST DOG...help CASPER find a home!

NEW TO OUR SITE?

WE CREATE ART TO HELP HOMELESS ANIMALS

THROUGH OUR SALES... A PORTION OF EACH SALE IS DONATED DIRECTLY TO THE RESCUES!

IN TODAY's SPOTLIGHT....INTRODUCING

CASPER....READ ON!

T-Bar Name: Casper
T-Bar Number: D161
Weight: 30 lbs
Sex: Male puppy
Age on 9/2006: 6 months
Breed: Labrador Retriever / Shepherd
Color: White with Tan Highlights
Adoption Fee: $50
**Special Needs** Casper is SHY!
Location: Brenham, Texas
Description: Casper is a water baby! He loves to swim! If you're looking for a wonderful, family dog, then Casper could be your dog. Casper has a big heart, but since his mom and his siblings were fending for themselves before coming to True Blue Animal Rescue, he is still very shy with people. He doesn't come up to you; and leaves it up to you to approach him. Casper needs a loving, patient forever home and in the meantime, he would really benefit from a foster family who was willing to spend time with him and teach him to trust people. See a bigger picture of Casper
Do you have some extra love to spare?
Fostering one of our dogs, like Casper, for a month would make them more adoptable so they can find a forever home of their own. When you foster, all food and vet bills will be paid by True Blue Animal Rescue. We can also provide a crate for you to borrow if needed. If you are willing to foster Casper or one of the other shy TBar dogs please call for more information at 936/878-2349.

TBar's 6-Week Foster Care Program for Dogs

It's a fact: socialized and trained dogs find forever homes faster.

We love our foster homes! Not only do our foster homes maximize the number of animals TBAR can rescue, they provide a comfortable home setting that keeps the animals happy and healthy. Foster homes provide valuable socialization and one on one rehabilitation (when needed).

If you've got room in your heart and in your home, consider becoming a part of our six week foster care program.

Click here to read
THE DETAILS.

Spay / Neuter Rebate Program Continues

---

NEXT EVENT: SPAY / NEUTER **REBATE**

Click on the puppy below.

---

Find
Love at

Sunday,
February 25th, 12pm - 4pm

Brenham,
TX

Come to Lowes in Brenham the last Sunday in

February and meet the beautiful, adoptable dogs, puppies, kittens and
cats from


True Blue Animal Rescue.


You might just fall in love!

---

TBAR TALK - February

Adoptions, Adoptions, Adoptions!
In January only one of our rescue dogs went into an adoptive home but this week we have finally broken out of our winter adoption slump by watching several dogs go into their new homes. The January adoption was Toby, who went into a very special home with an adoptive family that really enjoys the high energy of this special breed. We were also lucky to place Bella into a foster home that has that same love for Staffordshire Terriers and also enjoys working with them. We are expecting them to adopt her just as soon as she's spayed and ready to adopt.

This week we sent some more of our rescue dogs and kitties into wonderful new homes! On Friday Max went home with a great family and their amazing young daughter who, at 8 years old, wanted nothing more than to adopt one of our rescue dogs. She knows every animal on our web page and cares very much about them and their stories.

After that great beginning, Sweet William met his new adoptive family at Petsmart after they were approved to adopt over the past few weeks. Cliff went home with his new family who had also been working through the adoption process for the past couple of weeks.

This trend seems to be continuing and one of our newest puppies found his forever home at Petsmart on Sunday. His application was approved and this sweet little pup went home to live with her new family today!

Thanks to the beautiful story that Lauren wrote for the Banner Press, Maverick found a wonderful forever family and went home with them today. Then to top the day off two of our rescue kitties went home with their wonderful new family today too!

In addition, someone saw the picture of Taz and read his story and fell in love with him too. She sent her application to me today and as soon as she's approved will be able to come pick up her new family member too.

One last blessing is that Pudding is going to be adopted by the same person who adopted Honey a couple of years ago. Pudding and Honey are sisters so this reunion will be a blessing for both of them.

Please pray for the rest of our sweet babies in hopes that they will all find that special someone who will give them the love and commitment that they deserve.

Spay / Neuter Rebate!
With the adoptions also comes the many, many pets that are born and dumped in the spring time. We have kicked off this season with our spay / neuter rebate for the months of February and March in hopes of stopping some of the unwanted pregnancies before they happen. Why wait? Get your pets spayed or neutered today. For more information on this rebate, go to www.t-bar.org

Animals That Need Our Help
The calls for us to take in animals has gone up too. We get from 5 - 10 calls every day to take in animals that need homes. Since we are full right now these pets have been lucky to be able to stay with the family that found them until they find a home. One such animal is Daisy who was found in Brenham and taken in by someone who is able to keep her and care for her until we can find her a forever home. When Daisy went to the vet to be spayed we found out that she is also heartworm positive with a heavy heartworm load. That means she will need the injection treatment to kill the worms in her heart. We are currently working on building Brooke's fund so Daisy will be able to receive this treatment in about a month.

Foster Program
We desperately need foster homes for our pets. Please consider being a foster home for a Tbar dog, cat or horse. If you can’t foster long term but would like to consider fostering temporarily, our six week foster program might be right for you. We are asking people to take in a dog that needs socialization for a period of six weeks. Giving a dog some attention and love will help the dog become more adoptable. We will support you with ideas and training tips throughout the process. We’ll be adding more details about this program to our web page very soon.

Adoption Days for February
Feb 4th – Petsmart in College Station
Feb 18th – Petsmart in College Station
Feb 25th – Lowe’s in Brenham

Other ways to help:
Send in annual membership fee if you haven’t done so already. Membership fees go directly toward helping the animals in our care.

Tbar Talk - Brooke's Fund

2007 marks the 3rd anniversary of True Blue Animal Rescue in Washington County, Texas! In the past year alone Tbar placed 84 dogs and puppies in forever homes while maintaining an average of 30-40 dogs in care at one time. They placed 29 horses in forever homes during the past year and have six horse adoptions pending final approval. Tbar helped more cats than ever and placed 43 cats and kittens into forever homes in 2006.

Two new funds have been added for 2007. You can donate at Tbar's web site.

Fund #1, Brooke’s Fund, will be used to give dogs with heavy heartworm loads the expensive heartworm treatment they need. This fund will be in memory of Blue Moon, Pal, Cinnamon, Little Caesar, Momma, Abby and Jack. Blue Moon died due to complications from her heartworms and the others were humanely euthanized because they were already showing severe symptoms from their heartworms and their bodies could not withstand the treatment.

In 2006 a dog named Brooke came into Tbar's care. Brooke had a heavy heartworm load but was not showing symptoms such as coughing and difficulty breathing so her vet felt she would be a good candidate for heartworm treatment. Thanks to the Art Helping Animals group and several Tbar members enough money was raised to pay for Brooke’s expensive treatment. Brooke was given the heartworm treatment while in the care of her foster mother and has recovered and is doing well. The fund to pay for Brooke’s treatment has some money left over to help future dogs that come to Tbar with heartworms. The hope is that Tbar will be able to build this fund so to offer treatment to every dog that comes in with a heavy heartworm load before they become too sick for help. Of course the ultimate goal will be to educate people about heartworms. In Texas every dog has 100% chance of getting heartworms if they are not given heartworm preventative. Please help us spread the word so we can decrease the number of dogs who become sick due to heartworms.

Fund #2, Spay/Neuter Fund, will offer rebates as incentive for people to get their dogs and cats spayed and neutered and to help spay and neuter pets whose owners cannot afford the cost of vet care at all.

In the past True Blue Animal Rescue could only afford to spay and neuter the animals that were in their care leaving more and more unwanted pets born to unaltered animals. Tbar would like to begin this new campaign to get out and fix as many pets as possible in 2007 in hopes of dramatically decreasing the number of unwanted pets. Specific details for this fund and the rebate to be offered will be announced very soon.

Donate to either of these worthwhile funds at "How you can help Tbar."
Visit Tbar's web site at www.tbar.org/

--Excerpted from the Tbar January newsletter, Tbar Talk. Brooke's story, First Things First, can be read at http://txsauce.typepad.com/