This Party's Going to the Dogs!

This time last year, Scott and I knew we were going to lose our "Princess Autumn Bell" to a rare form of cancer: bile-ductular carcinoma, diagnosed in less than 2 percent of dogs. To this day I can't speak Autumn's name in a sentence without wanting to cry. Watching a beloved dog, a family member, wasting away and dying from cancer, knowing there's absolutely nothing you can do, is one of the worst experiences any dog parent can ever experience.

Three years ago I decided to get on board with Morris Animal Foundation's Canine Cancer Campaign. I thought it would be a "fun" and "good" thing to do. Well, now I'm on a personal mission to help fund research to find a cure for canine cancer. There is nothing "fun" and "good" about cancer, in ourselves as humans, and in our pets.

One in four dogs will die from cancer, the No.1 killer in dogs over the age of 2. If you share your life with dogs, you WILL lose one dog, if not many more, from cancer. Ten years ago my dog Niki was diagnosed with hemangiosarcoma, so Autumn's death was not the first time canine cancer has touched my life.

My friend Kelly Smith is a Scentsy Independent Consultant. Kelly has a huge heart and began her Scentsy business in memory of her mother, Anne, who died suddenly last year from pancreatic cancer. I'm so proud to know Kelly and so excited that Kelly's generously offered to donate 40% of her commissions to help me raise funds for research to find a cure for canine cancer. So not only are you helping the dogs, you're helping to find a cure for pancreatic cancer!

Now through July 31st, purchase Scentsy candle products through our online Angels for Autumn party, and have a portion of the sales proceeds donated to Morris Animal Foundation's Canine Cancer Campaign.

Please cross-post to all your dog-loving friends and family members and be an angel for all the dogs! Thank you all so much for your love and support! ♥

Animal Abuse: Let's Get A Plan In Place To Stop It

I feel abuse of animals is a learned behavior. Children grow up to be animal abusers because of what they're taught by peers, by their parents, or what they are NOT taught at home or in school. They're taught by seeing on TV that a pro football player like Michael Vick can serve a jail sentence for abuse but then get rewarded by a multimillion-dollar contract to play football again.

I feel since education at home may be lacking, the already underpaid and overworked teachers need to take on some of the task of educating their students, and parents need to contribute to the task of teaching their children that abusing animals is NOT okay.

How do teachers and parents begin to even find humane education resources and tools? A good start is by visiting The Humane Society Web site.

Here parents and teachers can learn how to educate kids, engage teenagers, inspire teens, receive Humane Educator training, receive lesson plans, and more.

Humane Educators are sometimes part of your local county's government. You can make an appointment with the humane education department of the county to pay a visit to an elementary school at no, or very little, cost.

Meanwhile, for the home, find some very inexpensive ways of engaging and teaching children how to care for and be kind to dogs, cats, and wildlife with these Humane Education Activity and Coloring Books, which will help teach humane values, create empathy, and can even inspire compassionate action.

Microchipping Your Pet and Cancer Risks?

ChipMeNot.org is one of several Web sites these days to warn pet owners and the general public about the possible associated dangers of microchip implants in pets.

Learn the possible risks of microchipping your pets, facts, scientific evidence, case studies, legislation regarding microchipping, how to report a suspected or known cancer case associated with microchipping, and more at this
Animal Adverse Microchip Reactions site.

Also read a most excellent article by The Dog Place.org on the medical reasons not to microchip your pet and why you should please consider NOT doing so.

Sure, microchips can sometimes help recover your lost pet, but you need to be aware of the possible medical implications involved.

Please know what you're dealing with BEFORE agreeing to let anyone microchip your pet! Nothing in this world is 100% safe. You should always know all possible adverse risks and reactions of anything you expose yourself and your pets to. Be safe, not sorry!