A Latte ~ A Life fundraiser for rescue!

(click the image to enlarge)

A $5.00 donation for a chance to own this original oil painting!

~~~~

I recently offered this painting for sale with the intention of giving a usual percentage to

help

DALMATIAN RESCUE OF TAMPA BAY

their dal-mix up for adoption was the inspiration for the painting.

~~~

On second thought and in celebration of their annual

DALLOWEEN FUNDRAISER FOR RESCUE

event

I have offered this painting at 100% donation

and you can find all the details right here!

http://www.carolchretien.blogspot.com

***

Donate just $5.00 to Dalmatian Rescue Tampa Bay

and you will have a chance to WIN this original oil painting and help save lives!

any questions?

email the artist at

carolchretien@aol.com

~~~

thanks for helping us help them!

Click here for:Art Helping Animals Main Web Site

Value the of the Hug

Yesterday there was a touching article in my local paper about a dog named Shannon who was adopted and became the most beloved family pet.

As I read this piece I realized it was an eulogy to this animal. The story was about how this, at first, unwanted pet turned into a life force that spanned 15 years of a family's journey along with all their ups and downs of family experiences.

It mentioned how the unconditional love was so valued as the steady constant in the family during some tough times.
In the end, it was time to let this dog go to her final rest with love and dignity...
that "Something" that none of us wants to face ...but that all of us who know the value of their true companionship, finds so heart wrenching to experience.

The great joys of true love have the great cost of letting them go when the time comes.

After I read the article I needed to hug my Lizzie who was laying beside me snoozing. Her 10th birthday is Sunday. I wish we could stop time but because we cannot it is better to consciously enjoy the time we are given ...and hugs and kisses should be liberally taken advantage of.

Shannon is at the Bridge, I am sure, enjoying her prime again. Perhaps when they are ready her family will embrace a new adoption with the love they still have to give a wonderful companion.
It becomes a nice tribute to the one that has gone ahead to wait at the Bridge.

Go hug your dog! Let them hug you back. We can't have too many hugs.

********
Click here for:

NEW STORE! Giftware and Prints for Sale to Help Animals

The Animal News Blog

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East Of Eden ....

EDEN

I received this news from Dalmatian Rescue of Tampa Bay

they have just saved this girl from certain death.

She has to be rehabbed but she is being fostered.

***

A painting just off the easel is listed on EBAY to help DRTB:

LIVER Dalmatian & Black & White stars CHRETIEN DRTB new - eBay (item 120265501867 end time May-31-08 11:24:47 PDT)

Please read her story...

Eden is about 6 years old from Collier County.

She is very thin, a high heartworm positive that needs treatment ASAP, and her nails were so long that a dewclaw had grown a 1/4" into her pad.

She also may be deaf since she sleeps like the dead... not even making coffee in the morning will stir her.

I think she may have once been a house pet since someone cared enough to get her spayed, but then was turned outside & became a stray.

She definitely prefers to be in the house.

She is a beautiful girl with intelligent eyes and interested in the world around her.

She has begun to play with stuffed toys.

She loves people and seems to behave well with other dogs (doesn't like mine & that might be that she has no status here).

She likes to see the outside kitties run, but is good on a leash.

She tries to tell you she needs to go out to potty, but I think being at the shelter taught her that might not happen.

She still hasn't fully settled into her new surroundings & is a bit nervous, but she would be great in a home of her own.

She leans against me when I'm with her to make sure she doesn't get left behind.

She loves going for a car ride & is so good in the car... I took her to McD's for a treat.

She will be a devoted dog for the right person who could love this beautiful girl.
***

Keeping the hope she gets adopted to a forever family when she is healthy and ready.

thanks for helping homeless animals with art!

carol chretien
********
Click here for:

Original Art for Sale to Help Animals

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Emmi the Radio Cat - hyperthyroid cat info.

EMMI today is the first day of the rest of her life!

(this painting above of Emmi "Pick Me Up" sold to help cat rescue)

by

Carol Chretien

(an Art Helping animals Artist)

Emmi our little grey calico cat is home from a week at the OCEAN STATE VETERINARY SPECIALISTS in Rhode Island where she received top notch care from Amy, her day-to-day caregiver and Dr Susan Newell the vet specialist who treated her with radioactive iodine to cure her hyperthyroid disease.

Emmi has had a rough few months with trials of meds, labs, bolus' of fluids when dehydration and anorexia got the best of her from adverse med reactions.
Emmi is one of my in-house models who is the subject of many paintings and inspiration for paintings that help homeless animals. Her face is in collections around the globe and she really is one of the treasures of my life. At age 14 we are hoping this treatment will give her many more years with us while having a good life.

So today is a blessing to me to have her back home and being the little noodge she can be when she wants my attention. She has forgiven us for bringing her to the Vet for a week stay.

I would recommend RADIO ACIVE IODINE therapy as the FIRST choice in a HYPERTHYROID diagnosed cat...the cost of treatment is in the 1300.00 price range but you save many vet trips with your cat for meds and lab rechecks, possible adverse med reactions that cause your cat distress, take time from healing and money too!
I wish I had gone with it from the moment she was diagnosed and we would have made her comfortable months before. Now we know and want to share the info.

Signs of Hyperthyroid...excessive hunger, constant eating and very noticable weight loss....also dull coat, nausea, vomiting, dehydration. Age related...in senior cats...they are now suggesting Thyroid lab work with elder cat routine check ups...think 12 yrs old at least. The effects for the cat with hyperthyroid disease is rapid heart rate, rapid metabolism (the reaseon for increase weightloss) and hypertension, heart attack and/or stroke is possible.

Once they have had the treatment, a one injection procedure, and they have returned to safe levels of radiation to be discharged home...Follow-up for Radioactive Iodine Rx is labs at one month post treatment and then three months to check the thyroid levels. IF your cat becomes HYPO-thyroid after treatment they do not require treatment, according to Emmi's Vet at OSVS.

If you don't have Pet Health Insurance (we don't) as a pet owner the smart thing to do is set up a savings acct for pet health where you bank when pets are young and vital...save a little each week and set it aside for their Vet care. It helps when those times come...and they will...when you need to spend a little more on their vet visits.

Please feel free to pass this info on to others who have older cats in their houshold.

It is great when we learn these things to share and hopedfully save others prolonged discomfort if possible

Thanks for supporting rescue, adoption and care of homeless animals with purchases of fine art

from our Art Helping animals Artists!

********
Click here for:

Original Art for Sale to Help Animals

Giftware and Prints for Sale to Help Animals

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All About Art Helping Animals

REPERCUSSIONS...have a heart!

All over the news yesterday was the report of how pets are being effected by the financial losses and burdens of their owners.

I frankly did not think of this as being something to add to the worries of abandoned pets...but here it is.

These pets owners are losing their jobs and homes and moving on, leaving their pets behind in the foreclosed homes or lost apartments. These animals are being found in garages, basements and on the streets the news stories are reporting. This is putting extra burden on local shelters that are always full on a usual day.

We are heading into tough times for animals as the resources get tighter. It is a national. if not international, problem that will take everyone's efforts to manage.

I have noticed that pet food companies, such as Pedigree, are addressing homeless animal needs in their ads. They make the point that for every shelter animal that gets a home another is left behind. They promote adoption. Everyone's mantra should be "spay, neuter, adopt!"...

We have so many challenges ahead of us in this economy that effects us all. It makes us seriously rethink how we spend our hard earned money.

A few thoughts:

When you shop for sale items for the household, try to remember the local animal shelter near you and add a couple of food items or cleaning supplies that you can drop off to the shelter.

Do you have some towels or blankets that you might replace in your spring cleaning this year that you can donate to a shelter? They often can use these for the kennels. Sometimes when you can't make a monetary donation you can give some needed items that you may already have on hand.

The best thing to do, if you haven't done it yet, is to visit your local animal shelter in person, or on line if they have a site, and see if they have a needs list. Keep it with your shopping list and if you find a good sale while shopping at your local super-store grab a few of these extra items and make the donation!

If we all to a little together it adds up to really make a difference.

We have to be conscious of the suffering of these animals who bring so much to our lives.

Every time I look at my own happy and spoiled and much loved pets I think of how great they have it...it makes me want to help the ones who don't know this kind of life.

It is almost

VALENTINE's DAY....

HAVE A HEART...HELP A RESCUE!

(original artwork "Westie Valentines"... sold to help homeless animals by Carol Chretien)
********
Click here for:

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

GET INSPIRED!... Where's Waldo?

WHAT INSPIRES YOU?
Meet WALDO...this extremely handsome Dalmatian who is 13 yrs young and who was about to be turned into a kill-shelter by his people who could not care for him for their health reasons. Their neighbor intervened for WALDO and he
was bailed out by the ANGELS of DALMATIAN RESCUE of TAMPA BAY.

THAT is already a great story ...
BUT THEN he was adopted...by one of their supporters.
and....WHERE WAS WALDO when he was about to be adopted to live out his life in love, care and attention in Canada?
WALDO was....IN FLORIDA! The wanderings of Waldo were just beginning!

The picture above is WALDO on his ROAD TRIP. He was too much a senior to FLY to Canada. A wonderful Family came down to the DAL-O-WEEN Fest Fundraiser that DRTB hosted and WALDO and DRTB volunteer-ANGEL, Pat, drove him up with his new Mom to his new home. Carole came down to adopt him.

In the Picture below you see him in his new yard with his forever Mom, Carole.



So...What inspires you? These are the kind of people in life who inspire me .
Dalmatian Rescue of Tampa Bay is one of my personal favorites to create art for. They have huge hearts, do wonderful rescue of some of the neediest Dals in Florida.
(AHAA artist, Carol Chretien)
Their website link is: http://dalmatianrescuetampa.tripod.com/

***

"The WANDERINGS OF WALDO"

by

DRTB Volunteer, Pat

Carole, Waldo, & I took off on our journey to Waldo's new home with Carole, Jim, & Ben on November 1st. We needed a few days after Dal-loween to recover and tie up some loose ends.


We rented a nice Mazda 6 to fit all the stuff Carole & Waldo acquired at Dal-loween from their supporters (and a few things Carole thought of on her own). Waldo rode shotgun from the back seat which also served as his travel bed. 9see picture at top)

Are we there yet???

Once we left Florida the weather became very nice along the way with clear blue skies & pretty autumn leaves. Waldo was a good sport and made few complaints about being on such a long car ride. We several stops along the way, though I think he would have liked a few more stops for him to investigate.
Day #1 got us to Carowinds/Fort Mill SC or 2 mile short of the NC border.

Day #2 had us stopping to shop in Tamarack, WV at the center filled with local craft & we made a visit to the National Park at New River Gorge, WV before stopping in Waynesburg, PA to rest for the night.

Our third morning a heavy frost greeted us so we didn't linger, besides we had Niagara Falls yet to see. Passing through customs was quick... no one even questioned Waldo.

Waldo was a hit with the tourists and had his picture taken many times... maybe we should have charged? We finally got to Carole's home on the evening of Nov. 3rd where Waldo soon settled in to his new surroundings.

Waldo is very happy in his new surroundings & with his new family and they are happy with him. He will be loved for the rest of his life & will never have to go looking for a new home again. I am going to miss him, he was such a good boy to snuggle up in bed with.

I stayed a day or so longer to see some local sights and then caught the Amtrak home. US Customs couldn't find a reason to to detain me so I made it to my cousin's home in Massapequa on Long Island for an overnight rest & changed trains the next morning. It was then a 26 hour ride home which while long gave me a chance to catch up on some rest I badly needed so I can get back to volunteering for DRTB and planning another event.

Thanks to everyone who made Waldo's trip happen!!!!
Pat

CINDERELLA - Happily Ever After!

MEET CINDERELLA

On July 30th of this year I posted this Article:

Art Helping Animals News: KISMET! ...MEET ETHEL...new mom & heartworm patient.


"Ethel" was the dog confiscated along with her puppies, those that survived, and was rescued and given a new life.

CINDERELLA became her new name and here she (above) is transformed in her new life! Thanks to the volunteers and advocates working with DALMATIAN RESCUE of TAMPA BAY..... Multiple orgs...it DOES take a village!

Her new family shared this wonderful picture of a gorgeous Dalmatian. She is a very fortunate survivor! (THANK YOU!)


The former "owner" is under arrest and "Ethel's " litter mate LUCY who has been confiscated and found to be PREGNANT is in the process of being rescued herself.
Thanks to Susan Weber of

http://dalmatianrescuetampa.tripod.com/ for sharing the news to post here!

It always feels good to share GOOD NEWS!

The GOOD NEWS / the BAD NEWS....

click this link! tampabays10.com - Tampa Bay's 10 News - WTSP

READ ALL ABOUT IT!

I just got an email from Susan, the Dalmatian Guardian Angel over at DALMATIAN RESCUE of TAMPA BAY...she has been helping wtih this case and told me that the GOOD NEWS is they will be helping find loving homes for the 2 Dalmatians who the police got to in time. The bad news is that the dalmatian Alex was near death and the kindest thing that could be done for him was euthansia.
I did email the channel that reported the story and voiced my comments.
My voice is little...but when we all shout together we make a mighty noise that can be heard all the way to heaven!

Please pass this link around and share your disgust for bad things that happen to good dogs for no good reason. Lets educate as many as we can that we won't stand for this meaness and waste of life.
thanks!
Save a life...rescue when you can and support those who do the hands on fostering and care!
Carol Chretien (permission to cross post granted)

UPDATE: "LouDog" ...

First...is that HSUS series not the best?!
Is that squirrel not the most adorable little guy?...ever life matters!
Artist Sandra Merwin is presenting this great series.

***

THIS JUST IN...

"LouDog" the dalmatian pulled from the Citrus County animal control shelter by the very kind hearted animal control officer, who recognized the wasteful dumping of a young and beautiful life into a kill shelter situation and called

DALMATIAN RESCUE OF TAMPA BAY's "foster dad" to help,

IS ADOPTED!

she will be going to her new family after her medical care is done.

***

Many thanks to caring hearts ...it is a happy day to report another life saved!

BEFORE & AFTER

BEFORE...

&

AFTER!

What a difference some care and love make.



Meet LouDog...

This 1.5 yr old girl was rescued from a FLORIDA shelter.

Her story is like so many.

STRIKE ONE!

She was turned into a shelter by her original family who just didn't want her any more.

STRIKE TWO!

She was adopted and then returned after one month because her 2nd family was moving.

And THEN...

Animal control personally went to beg our foster dad from DALMATIAN RESCUE OF TAMPA BAY to take her because she was so adorable and he did!

SAVED!



One very lucky girl. Just a baby really...already such a hard life and would have been put down if the agent for Animal Control had not intervened.



She is going to be spayed this week...she had kennel cough and like so many rescues in Florida, is heartworm positive. She will be treated.
She deserves a secure and loving home and life!



I will be painting her for charity. She will be a "star" and we will shine a little light on her and for others like her who have similar stories.



One animal at a time....every life matters!

Carol Chretien for ART HELPING ANIMALS.

"Under Dog" that is an UNDERSTATEMENT!

WE HAVE THE POWER...

To make the lives of discarded dogs and other animals have happy tales to tell!

***

visit http://bonesbeagles.org and meet DUKE!

With the release of the new movie "Under Dog"...

BEAGLES may now be the new "PRODUCT" of puppy millers.

Puppy Mills are breeders kennels who churn out the popular breeds to ship to pet shops.

Those shops that you see in malls and other places that sell puppies for high prices and usually in poor health...and if people knew where the pups started life...well lets just say they would be appalled by the circumstances of birth.

***

There are may rescues across the country to testify to the facts and they have MANY dogs discarded, afraid and lonely either waiting their turn to be "put down" for lack of funds and space, or if they are lucky enough to be in a progressive and compassionate NO KILL shelter ...waiting for a forever family in a forever home!

***

BOYCOTT PET SHOPS and SUPPORT ADOPTION FOR YOUR LOCAL RESCUE!

RAPTORS...

SPOTLIGHT ON

AN

ART HELPING ANIMALS CHARITY

visit their site!

see the wonderful work they do with raptor rehab and education!

http://www.eraptors.org/

Artwork: copyright 2006 Carol Chretien "In the Eye of the Falcon"