The Feast of St. Francis

“All things bright and beautiful, all creatures great and small; All things wise and wonderful, the Lord God made them all”

Toby being blessed

Today I brought my 14-year old Toby dog to church to attend a special mass dedicated to St. Francis of Assisi on his Feast Day.

Toby is a very special dog. He used to be a loyal companion of an elderly lady, living a peaceful and happy life in a beautiful country estate.  There they were, keeping each other company, spending many hours playing catch with a tennis ball, or just strolling along the grounds of their home.  One tragic day and their world was turned up-side-down.  The elderly lady suffered a severe stroke, and as soon as she was taken away, Toby was left alone, and was immediately sentenced to death by her relatives, who had not a care or concern about his welfare, nor the feeling of his loving owner.

St. Francis was there to watch over Toby… through caring people that spoke on his behalf, actions were taken and Toby was saved from the attempt of being senselessly put down.  He was taken away from the horrible situation. 

I am blessed to have met Toby.  It was love at first sight and I took him home.  It was almost 6 years ago.  Since then, Toby and I located his previous owner in a nursing home, and reassured her that he was safe and happy in his new home.

Also since then Toby has had some serious medical setback, but now declared a cancer-survivor.  He also has had a series of infection this summer, but everytime, slowly and surely, he recovered.  St. Francis watches over him everyday.

That’s why today is a very special day.  Toby receives a Certificate of Blessing.  It reads… “On October 5th, 2008, Toby, a Bulldog Cross, was blessed on the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi at St. James’ Church, Caledon East, by Reverend Wendy Moore.”

After the blessing, he received a Greenie treat, and he barked the Lord’s prayer.

Woof, woof!

 

Salute to Chesty!

The story of Chesty the Marine Mascot was broadcasted on CBS Sunday Morning today.

Sergeant Chesty XII officially retired last Friday from the U.S. Marine Corps after 7 years of service.  Despite his disciplinary record with three demerits, including sleeping during parade rehearsal and eating a fellow Marine’s hat, Chesty was given full Marine honor at his retirement ceremony, when he walked down the Marine barracks for the last time.

I wonder how a retired Marine usually spend his time?  Perhaps he would appear occasionally on CNN, giving commentary on war and defence;  or pen a book, an autobiography perhaps, if his paws are not too fat for the computer keys.  Whatever it is, I wish Chesty a well-deserved Happy Retirement!

Stumble Upon

As I was strolling down the streets of Montreal last week, I saw this in the window of a bookstore.  It was a moment of delight, when I stumbled upon something so witty and profound. 

“Outside of a dog, a book is man’s best friend.  Inside of a dog it’s too dark to read.”

- Groucho Marx

Dog Art Gallery

Artist Moira McLaughlin recently created a beautiful clip showcasing the metamorphosis of dogs in art through the centuries.  The sequence is mesmerizing, compelling and full of delightful surprises.  This video further confirms that dogs are indeed beautiful creatures, both in looks and in spirit.  From a different perspective, this video seems to illustrate the “making of a mutt” by combining dogs of all shapes and sizes together in a three-minute clip!

Well done, Moira!

A Tribute to War Dogs on Memorial Day

War dogs use their unique abilities to complement the skills of human soldiers in carrying out the difficult tasks involved in places all over the world.  To commemorate their courage and sacrifices, the National War Dogs Monument Organization is in the process of dedicating a national monument in Washington D.C. “to honor the service and sacrifices of all military working dog teams of all U.S. Armed Services of all Wars and Peacekeeping Missions since WWI.”

John Burnam,  Vietnam Veteran War Dog Handler, wrote with regards to War Dogs: “As a free nation, we own them this monument, mandated by Congress, and erected in our nation’s capitol of Washington D.C. for the entire world to know and see that they are NOT America’s forgotten heroes”.

On Memorial Day,  be sure to take a moment to remember our fallen heroes.

For more information on war dog memorials, click here.

 

Back to Back Mutts

Inspired by an ad which I came across recently, that of an image of a dog wagging its tail at the back of a London taxi cab, I proceeded to create my own version.  The result is a life size image of my beloved Tweedy, now rides smartly at the back of my car wherever I go.  However, it causes a bit of jealousy from Toby’s department.

 

 

The One-of-a-kind Lapdog Computer

This is the world’s first ever Mutt Nutt Lapdog Computer, designed for doglovers who often find themselves caught in territory dispute between their laptop and their lap dog.  In my case, Zeus the dog always wins as he persistently worms his way up on my lap and proceeds to lie across the keyboard. 

You can say that this laptop skin design is inspired by the red Dell computer and Zeus, my lap dog.  However, it is no remedy for the territory dispute over my lap, that’s why there is always a doggie lint brush nearby to wipe off the dog hair on the keyboard.

If you want to convert your laptop to a lapdog, send me an email.

Every dog has its play

“Sylvia” by A. R. Gurney is a howling commentary on mid-life angst and the role dogs play in our lives.  An empty-nester couple is faced with a jumbone of contention when the husband Greg brought home a stray dog named Sylvia.  Sylvia is cute, frisky, loyal yet outspoken.  She quickly establishes herself as Greg’s constant companion, which offers the escape he desperately needs but complicates the life of his wife Kate.

“Sylvia” is one of several plays produced by Blackhorse Village Players this season.  Director Lynn Kehrli and her cast and crew put together a hilarious and touching performance enhanced by the charm of a countryside playhouse in Caledon.

On the canine side of things, Kierston Drier, who plays Sylvia, is but a young pup packed with talent and energy.   In one of the scenes, her portrayal of a dog’s confrontation with a cat is outrageously convincing.

On the display board in the lobby of the theater, the cast readily credits their dogs as their inspiration, which I am sure, partially contributes to the howling success of this production.

 

Blitheness is the Word

At a recent art show, I stopped short at a series of larger-than-life paintings.  The subjects radiated the most sensational jumble of blitheness through the artist’s brush.

Each painting portrays a person and a dog captured in a moment in time.  They seem forlorn yet untroubled; whimsical yet despondent.  Regardless of all that, their disproportional awkwardness ultimately personifies a delightful mix of casual indifference.

The artist Moris Molino, who just started to paint again after a long hiatus, told me that the peculiar looking mutt in his paintings was from his imagination of an elongated Chihuahua.

 

Mod-Dogs

Shaggy Bill, PooLaLa and Crouching Tiger Hidden Labrador, along with dozens other highly decorated Eero Aarnio puppies, are to be auctioned off at the Mod Livin’ Charity Event on March 28, 2008 to raise funds for the Denver Animal Care Foundation.

You can participate by voting online for the Best of Show, further raising awareness while cheering on your favorite Mod-dog.