A friend of mine sent me this link to a site called 'A Letter To Your Dog'. Before y'all click on that link, I suggest you grab a box of kleenex. Maybe even clear your schedule, cause you MIGHT be bawling by the end of it.

How awesome would it be if we all wrote letters to our dogs. Heck, how awesome would it be if they could read them! I'm sure they'd appreciate our witty humor, rolling their eyes as they read over how much we love them. I know my dogs would probably blush saying "Jeeze Mom....why'd you have to be so gushy about us". Then I'd fix them a snack and we'd all cuddle up to watch Long Island Medium, cause that's how we roll in our house.
 
So, here's what I'd like to ask. If you have a dog blog (which by the way IS cool), write your own letter to your dog(s) and post it on your site. If you don't have a blog (which you might as well should), then post your letter under the comments section of this one. It's okay, we can share! (Cough...clearly directed at you Laura. Let's get some Loki stories up in hurrr). Let's face it- there's nothing better than getting a good laugh in the morning at a hilarious letter someone wrote their pet. And you know what- you don't have to be a current pet owner! Ya, that's right Kimmy. Heck- write a letter to your bunny, cat or fish! They will appreciate it, I'm sure :) And we can all benefit from a funny read during our morning coffee.

Here is my letter to my furry monsters, Bailey and Bonnie.

Dear Dogs Butts that take over the couch,

You’d think that when I wake up each morning, cold and shivering, that I’d be upset with the sheet stealing dogs lying comfortably beside me. You’d also think that I’d be mad when I leave the room and return to the remains of a once expensive dog toy all over the place, leaving tuffs of fake snow in its path. Sure, sometimes I wish that you wouldn’t eat the cat’s poop. Actually, I wish that all the time. But there have been times where I do things I’m not proud of, and seeing as how you don’t judge me, it seems only fair I return the favor.

Although I pretend it doesn’t, it makes me incredibly happy when you go crazy the second I walk through the door. The destruction of the blinds covering the windows and intensely high pitch dog scream seems like the right price to pay just to have something be so incredibly happy that I’ve come home. I love the craziness that ensues when I show you both your leashes and the realization on your faces when you figure out we’re going to the dog park. I know there are moments where I can simultaneously embarrass both of you around your dog friends by being too lovey, and I think it’s hilarious that I can do  this to dogs.  I know you don’t agree, but those sweaters I buy you are both adorable and very fashionable. I’d love it if you’d just please Mom just this once and wear them with no arguments.

I know you love me, because it’s written all over your faces. There’s never been a doubt in my mind that the two dogs that I call mine love me until the end of time. But I don’t know if you both know how immensely I love you. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do to protect or care for you both. I’d spend all the money I have keeping you healthy and happy. I spend hours telling friends and family all about you, whether they asked about you or not. Doesn’t matter because I’ve developed the amazing ability to relate any story to something funny you’ve both done. I don’t care when a strand of dog hair ends up in my baking; it’s my special ingredient, and makes everything taste better.

You’ll always have a home with us. It doesn’t matter where we live or move to, because we will always take you with us. You’re not just our pet, you’re a crucial part of our funny little family. I’ll always have a warm bed waiting for you. And maybe, just maybe, there might be some Dentabones waiting for you too. I know you don’t know this, but aside from being yummy, they’re good for your teeth. See? That’s how much I love you.

Thanks for being my dogs. In exchange for the awesome devotion you’ve given since day one, I’ll pretend that while you’re drooling on my foot at the sight of some delicious meal that it’s just lightly raining inside. You can do no wrong my two sweet dogs. Even when you eat my shoes I’ll forgive you. But touch my Christian Louisboutin and we might be in a pickle. Either way, it doesn’t matter because life with my dogs is better than anything I could have planned.

The adoption papers are misleading. They show our names clearly printed along the ‘adopters’ line, with your name scribbled on ‘pet’s name’ under the Adoptee section. They say we rescued you, which I suppose technically is correct. The truth however is that you rescued us from a boring, dog-less life. Where would we be having not known the love you can only receive from a pet? Thank you for making sure we never have to find out.

I love you both more than you can know.

Lots of embarassing kisses and cuddles,

Mum xoxo

A French bear.
Just kidding!
This post is about Bonnie, and her new forever home. Well, I suppose this home isn't new since she's been living there for the past month. It's our house. And Bonnie is now our French bear.
I had postponed posting on here that we were officially adopting her. I was incredibly happy when the hubby said the words "She can stay" that I think I thought I would jinx anything by announcing to the world that she was going to be with us until the end of her days. This weekend was her maiden voyage up to Scott's hunting camp, where she and Bailey ran around like crazy donkeys all weekend long. Some times I wish I could sit the dogs down and explain certain aspects of life to them. What wouldn't anyone give to be able to calmly have a conversation with their dog about not pooping in the house. I admit, I do worry that pointing at a mound of fresh poop on my carpet and getting upset isn't accomplishing a whole hell of a lot. It would be nice to be able to say "Bailey, when you poo in here it makes everything smell like your poop, and it's really hard to clean up. Please don't do it again", to which she'd reply "I'm so sorry Mom. I will never poo inside again". Perfection!
This weekend though was one of those times I was thankful that I can't simply explain things to the dogs. Over the last month, Bonnie has inherited a home of her own, other furry family members, two people that love her to death and four grandparents that spoil her rotten. She's got a bed with her name of it, countless of things to chew and a bunch of people rooting for her. I'm sure for her, she thought she hit the jackpot. But.......she had NO idea what else was waiting. You see, between Scott and I we've got a cottage on a lake during the summer months, and a hunting camp on a mountain for the remainder of the seasons. These dogs literally have TWO playgrounds to run around and be dogs. My little Bonita probably thought that our backyard was an oasis. Well, let me tell you- this dog had a HUGE doopy dog smile on her face the entire weekend. She woke Scott and I up one morning by licking our faces like mad. I swear, she was saying "OMG THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU".
So instead of sitting her down and explaining that we have a cottage and camp, I got to watch her realize it. I couldn't help but think about how far this dog has come in the past month.

This is Bonnie when we picked her up in Toronto.

And this is the picture that made me fall in love over the internet. This is Bonnie in Cozumel.

And this is my Bonnie now.

I love my pets more than anything. Our family is officially complete, and I couldn't be more content. I had a sneaking suspicion that something was always missing....I guess all we needed was our french bear. I've never been so happy about failing at something. Yes, I am officially a foster failure. And I gotta say, failure has never felt so good.

Welcome to the family my little Bonnie. I promise to take care of you for the rest of your life. You will never ever again experience loneliness, abandonment or sadness. We don't know what the first two years of your life was like, but that's okay. It's the life you have now that matters. Enjoy your world, and know that you will always have two owners that love you more than anything.
-Love
your Mum xoxo

You know what’s stupid? Heart worms.

You know what’s even stupider? How long it takes to get rid of them.

Bonnie was tested in Mexico and was found to be heart worm positive. That’s how this whole shebang happened really. I saw she needed a sponsor for her medication, so I pulled out the good old Visa and paid for her first round of medication. Funny how this stupid health problem that is driving me crazy is actually the culprit behind Bonnie being here in Canada, with me. I’ll give you that one Heart Worms- but that’s all you’re getting from me!

The last few days I’ve noticed Bonnie coughing. Typically, I wouldn’t worry too much about it. But let me tell you, when your dog has heart worms, you take every single cough, sneeze and sleepy afternoon seriously. Monday night we zipped down to the lovely people at the Bells Corners Animal Hospital to get things checked out. Let me just say, these people are basically angels in scrubs. They are SO patient with Bonnie (and me). They have spent close to 40 minutes trying to cut Bonnie’s nails. And when there’s white fur everywhere, crumbled up dog treats all over the floor, and me sitting on the floor desperately holding on my dog, they simply say “Well that was MUCH better than the last time. Good job Bonnie!”. I mean, holy crap! I know I take the victories as they come, but seeing someone else do it makes your heart melt.

The HW medication Bonnie was started on in Mexico is on back order. Which basically means there’s nothing the vets, Hopeful Hearts or I can do. Our hands and paws are tied. In my head, this is what heart worms look like. I imagine them attacking Bonnie on purpose, with the sole intent of bursting her poor sweet heart.

After a consultation with the vet and the God sent people with Hopeful Hearts, we’ve decided on a new course of action.  Until Bonnie’s regular HW medication comes in, she’s going to go on the ‘slow kill’ meds. We’re also going to have an X-ray to see what’s going on inside my little Bonita. Until then, I suppose I’ll have to wait and see what the results are before I react.

But worms, consider this your official eviction notice. If I have it my way, you’re going to get out of my dog A.S.A.P.!

While taking some pictures at the house, my parents and I decided to try and get one of us with Sophie. 
For those who haven't read about Sophie before- she's quite the character. She's a senior dog, so basically she does what she feels like doing, when she feels like it....
This is us trying to get her to turn around for the shot.....

And here's Sophie's reaction.

Seriously dog?

Tehehehehehehehehehe

Yesterday Bonnie and I whizzed down to the always lovely Liz Bradley for Bonnie's official Hopeful Hearts pictures. Here's a peek at what I was sent this morning :)

Here's what I love. Liz is our 'go to' for pet pictures (and also some family shots. More to come about that later). When Bailey first joined us, we had some shots taken of her. Bailey and Bonnie are almost the same dog, just different colour. Take a look at these two pictures. Maybe they're long lost cousins!

Super jealous of these pictures? Well, guess what? You don't need to be! You too can have some amazing pictures of your pets taken by Liz and elizabeth&jane photography :)
Happy Tuesday y'all!

Why- hello there! I'm Kimmy and as Chelsea's best friend I've been asked to write a guest blog post about Abbey. I am taking care of my brother’s gorgeous puppy Abbey for three weeks! This little cutie-pa-tootie is a 5 month old golden retriever, with beautifully dark red coat. She has giant paws (which means someone won't be staying so small), and big floppy ears that just make me melt. Quick heads up- my photos were taken with my iPhone, so the quality isn't the greatest But hey- the cute puppy in the picture makes up for it ;)

Abbey has recently learned how to play fetch, and now it’s her absolute FAVORITE game. There’s just one problem… she doesn’t understand that in order for me to throw the ball for her, she first has to drop it. So, the command “drop it” has been my little project for my brother’s return. I’m hoping that “drop it” will also be useful for, say, garbage on the street, or someone’s sock that they’re trying to put on (oh, didn't I mention- she’s obsessed with socks!).

Another fun 'Abbey trait' is that when we play fetch, she insists on dropping it under the couch where she can't reach it.  I’m starting to think she does this on purpose for attention......

After a vigirous training schedule, which included lots of praise and oodles of treats, Abbey has mastered a new trick which we like to call 'Leave It'. She waits patiently for her food until you say “ok, Abbey”. She’ll wait for 10 minutes or more. Not too shabby for a 5 month old puppy.

One of the great things about being a dog aunt is I get to spoil Abbey rotten......so naturally I took this girl to PetSmart and shopped till we dropped. She was pretty pumped about Halloween too, so we opted to go for some holiday themed toys.

It tough work, being this cute. After a long day running like crazy at the dog park, this dog is ready for her nap.
And with that, Abbey and I would like to say (*yawn*) Good Night!

I’ve been doing a lot of reading lately into what it means to be a foster, and all the emotions that go along with. Bonnie has been with us for nine days or so and it’s safe to say she is finally arriving at a point where we can seriously begin to look at forever families. It’s a bitter sweet moment. While I’m beyond thrilled that this girl has reached a point where is a happy and loving animal, it means my time with her is coming to an end.

I would be lying if I said I didn’t consider adopting her. I wanted to keep her the minute we brought her home. She and I bonded quickly- and for me it made the mere thought of sending her away unbearable. What if she thought we were abandoning her? What if she thought our home was hers too, and was the light at the end the tunnel? What if it broke her heart?

The reality is, we’ve given this girl exactly what she needed. A roof over her head, a warm bed to sleep in and to see what it felt like to have humans care for her. Yes, I want to keep her all to myself. But that is selfish, and I refuse to let the one selfless thing I’ve tried to do be tainted with the need to keep Bonnie. We brought her to Canada with the intention of helping her find her forever family, and I’m determined to do this.

Of course, I always add the disclaimer “If we don’t find the right family, then she stays with us”. But let’s be realistic- she’s an amazing dog. Her family is out there waiting. We just have to find them. Or- let them find her.

I have loved fostering, and hope that I will get to do it again someday. It’s been pretty cool- this whole experience. I didn’t realize how much I would have loved watching this dog become the dog she should have been from day one. All she needed was people to love her. Even if just for 9 days. It was all she needed.

Oh, did I mention she’s kid friendly? I know…just another awesome quality to add to her list. Her official bio has been sent into Hopeful Hearts & her official ‘pawtrait’ will be taken sometime in the near future. Basically, Bonnie is on her way to finding her home.

If you know of someone looking to add an AMAZING dog to their family, please mention Bonnie :)

Every once and a while you come across someone who doesn’t understand why you love dogs. Sure, when I see a dog, I see a little personality beaming out, an adventure and maybe the most incredibly story someone could ever experience. Others see dollar signs, an unwanted commitment and a waste of time. Typically I can put up with this, because clearly if that’s your outlook- you’ve never owned a dog.

My friends make fun of me- hardcore- for being as obsessed with dogs as I am. Bailey is my life, and I pay the price among friends. I even get asked how I can live in a zoo. Um…did you see a Zebra? This ain’t no zoo! It’s a house, with residents, and for me that includes pets. It's a home because a family lives in it. And yeah- family means pets too. Although- a Zebra would be pretty cool......

I’ve become accustomed to people judging my love for dogs and my need to be involved in rescues. I’ve been volunteering with Hopeful Hearts since January and have been loving every minute of it. Sure, sometimes it means dedicating my night to driving to someone’s home as a part of the adoption process. But for me- it’s the way I can help dogs get to their forever home. If spending some time in the car means a rescue gets a home for life, well I think some driving is the least I can do.

I had been keeping track of Bonnie on the Humane Society of Cozumel website for a long time. Each time I went back to the site I desperately hoped her face was no longer under the ‘adoptables’. It was obvious that if I wanted to see this girl get adopted, I was going to have to take action. Going into it, I braced for impact from family and friends. I KNEW people would immediately question why I was doing this. Why would I want another dog in the house? I don’t even KNOW this dog- what if she didn’t get along with our pets? With us? I barely knew anything about her. And this was before I told them that I was having her flown in from Cozumel! People just didn’t understand.

My contact with the Humane Society of Cozumel was awesome. I wanted to jump up and down for joy when she said she could get Bonnie on a plane to Toronto. THEN the lovely people with Hopeful Hearts told me Bonnie could go into the HH program. THEN a lovely volunteer with Loyal Rescue in Toronto offered to pick Bonnie up from the airport and take her overnight while I drove to T.O. to pick her up. All of these people, these wonderfully lovely people helping me get a dog from Cozumel; a dog I had never met. This whole sequence of events restored some faith in humanity, and gave me the reassurance that not only am I not crazy (thank goodness!), but there are other people out there who want to help others out of the complete goodness of their being. How amazing is that?

I’m a gut instinct person. If that little voice in my head (the good kind) is telling me to follow my instincts, I listen carefully and put my faith in it. I had no other reason for wanting to get Bonnie here other than I knew that I had to do it. I had this feeling that she was worth all this trouble. Worth a 10+ drive to pick her up. Worth all the criticism I got when I said I wanted to have a dog flown in from Cozumel so I could foster her. And you know what? I am so unbelievably happy I did it. As much as you want support from friends and family, sometimes you need to just support what you believe in.

We’ve been fostering for the last week and I’ve been enjoying every minute with Bonnie. I’d be lying if I said I was looking forward to her leaving, because the reality is this dog is one of a kind. I will miss her TERRIBLY when she goes. But for now I’ll focus on the transformation I’m witnessing on this pooch. I suppose I finally understand why people do this. Why people open up their homes to pets they’ve never met to give them the chance they’ve been desperate for. I’m thankful  for what dog rescues like Hopeful Hearts has taught me, and wish this lesson on anyone. If you’re considering adopting or fostering, know that  it might be one of the best decisions you’ll ever make. Don’t allow yourself to focus solely on puppies or breeders- open your mind to the idea of an older dog that is just as worthy of a home.

It is so worth it.