SPIRITUAL TALENT

Several days ago, we told you about the pet portrait fundraiser we are doing for ALAiredale Rescue, and showed you a jpg of the portrait that Artist Linda S. Young did of My Jack so that you could see a sample of her work. It was beautiful. Mom put the jpg on her iphone so every time she picks up her phone, she can see Jack.

It’s hard to judge the quality of a painting by looking at a jpg, but Mom and daughter Amanda thought they could see an aura shining softly around Jack. They couldn’t bear having to wait to see the real artwork. But they did have to wait. Ms. Linda was sending it to us by Fedex. Because we live on a skinny road way deep in the woods where trucks can’t turn around, Mom told Ms. Linda to have Jack’s portrait delivered to Amanda’s house in town. It was supposed to arrive within 2 business days.

Day Two came and we missed the Fedex delivery lady. WAILS OF WOE and GGROWLY GNASHING OF TEETH ensued throughout the Hooligan nation.

We missed Fedex on Day Three too! What the heck?? Is that delivery lady waiting around the corner to see when Amanda has to run pick up the kids from skrewell???

The painting finally arrived, perfectly packaged and intact and Mom went speeding from her office to get it. She was panting with excitement. When she got home with it, we all crowded around for the great unveiling.

Okay, here’s where we let Mom describe it to you. She says to tell you that  Ms. Linda has a spiritual talent and that the painting expresses Jack’s noble, loving spirit perfectly. Mom says to tell you, she cried when she saw it.

For a $5.00 donation, you can register to win a portrait by Ms. Linda of your own pet. The proceeds all go to benefit ALAiredale Rescue (Alabama Airedale Rescue Coalition, www.alairedalerescue.blogspot.com has the details). The fundraiser goes through June 1^st, 2012. The winner will be announced on the website. You can purchase as many chances as you like. What are you waiting for?

CONTEST ANNOUNCEMENT!

"My Jack"

portrait by Linda S. Young

My Jack (aka Gentleman Jack aka Jack Daniels, aka The Jackman) came to live at Hooligan House in 2002. He was approximately 2 years old and was in rescue. We fostered him and the rest is history. A canine DNA test done a couple of years ago confirmed that Jack is an Airedale Terrier – German Shepherd mix. He has the amazing learning quickness and temperament of ADTs and the loyalty and steadfastness of German Shepherds. Jack is a most wonderful doG in all ways. He's a retired therapy dog and service dog. And he’s the one who turned us on to Airedale Terriers and got us into Airedale Terrier Rescue.

So, it’s only fitting that Jack is the poster doG for AlAiredale Rescue. As we go forward with our rescue efforts, we increasingly see the need for fundraising efforts. We have expenses like fuel for transportation, shelter fees when we pull a dog from a “pound” situation, health exams, heartworm treatment, vaccinations, and all that other behind-the-scenes stuff that is necessary to get a rescue doG ready for adoption. Most of it, we provide from our own funds. Occasionally, we receive donations from lovely people who deeply want to be part of a happy story like GG’s.

A friend of ours has graciously offered to donate her talent and time and energy to help us with a fundraiser. She is an Artist with a huge heart. And the winner of our fundraiser will receive a portrait of their own pet, done from a photograph they will provide. And for a donation of $5.00, your name will entered into a drawing to receive a portrait of your own pet, done from a photograph you will provide (and of course, you may enter more than once!). This painting is valued at $500.00.
All you have to do is send a check or money order for $5.00 to Muriel Donald,

P.O. Box 1121, Grand Bay, AL 36541

Or, you can go to www.alairedalerescue.blogspot.com and make a Paypal donation in the amount of $5.00. Be sure to send us an email with your name and email address when you use Paypal.

To see examples of Linda Young’s art, visit: www.lindasyoung.com

Linda S. Young is an award winning artist originally from Brookline, Massachusetts who now lives in Cape Cod and South Carolina. She works in Pastel, Oil Pastel and Oil. Her ability to capture the nuance of a scene has helped her win many awards including two Best in Shows. Linda is a signature member of the Pastel Painters Society of Cape Cod. She is a member of 21 in Truro, several Art Associations, and has been in numerous group, juried and solo shows and is in many national and international private collections. In 2012 she will be included in the book "100 Southern Artists".
   As an active member of the artistic community, she believes in helping others attain their artistic goals. Since 2002 she has been Artist Mentor through the School to Careers Partnership Art Internship program.

The winner of the ALAiredale Rescue fundraiser will be announced June 1^st, 2012 on this website.

Another Pet Food Warning / Homemade Dog Food Recipes

ThEY PuT WHAT iN ouR FooD???

Dog Owners are Demanding Action from the FDA. One consumer reported they fed their dogs a product called Waggin' Train treats, which is produced by Nestle Purina. Nestle Purina also produces Canyon Creek Ranch treats, which some other complainants have also publicly blamed for dog illnesses and deaths. The Canyon Creek packaging has a picture of a rancher and his dog roaming a farm on the front of the bag and the company's address in South Carolina is displayed on the back of the bag. Beneath that are the words “Made in China”. You can read the entire article at http://news.yahoo.com/toxic-treats-china-killing-us-dogs-pet-owners-151514587--abc-news.html

From Mom-of-Hooligans:  This happens every couple of years. It certainly seems the US FDA is falling short of making sure the pet food entering our country is safe enough for our pets to eat. So --- here are some recipes for you to make for your dogs. They come from one of my favorite websites: http://www.dogtreatrecipes.org/

Remember, YOU are the best judge of what is safe for your dog.

HOMEMADE DOG FOOD

Ingredients:

6 c. Water (or low-sodium broth)

1 lb. Ground beef, turkey or chicken (you don’t have to use ground meat)

2 c. Brown rice

1/2 tsp Garlic powder

1/2 tsp Dried rosemary

16 oz. Bag of assorted frozen veggies (or preferably, 2 cups fresh), thawed and/or finely chopped.  NOTE:  NO Onions!

Directions:

1.  Add everything but the veggies to a large pot or dutch oven and cook on the stove on medium heat.

2.  Stir mixture until the ground meat is broken up and distributed evenly throughout the pot.

3.  Bring to a boil.

4.  Once boiling, cover and bring the heat down to low.  Simmer for 20 minutes.

5.  After 20 minutes, add veggies and cook for an additional 5 minutes or so.  The time will depend on how long it takes for the veggies to get tender.

Done!

Serve warm, not hot and make sure to let the homemade dog food cool completely before storing it in the fridge.

This dog food recipe makes about 10 cups or 5-2 cup servings depending on the size of your pooch.

It should keep in the fridge for about a week.

VEGGIE BAGELS FOR DOGS

Ingredients:

3/4 cup water

2 1/2 cups white flour

1/2 cup wheat flour

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 egg

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup chopped spinach

1/2 cup chopped carrots

Directions:

To start, combine all dry items in a mixing bowl. Combine the wet ingredients in a different bowl. Mix together the dry and wet ingredients and knead them to form dough. Next, shape small round balls of dough and poke holes in the middle of each ball to create a bagel shape. When finished making bagel balls, place them on a baking sheet and put them in an oven that has been preheated to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake them for forty-five minutes.

UPDATE ON CAMMIE

We know you all are looking forward to an update on Cammie (GG) and her adoption. It is with great joy that we report to you that Cammie is happy in her new home near Dallas, Texas. Her new sister, Lillie, is happy. Her new mom and day and human kids are happy, too. They have been sending us updates and photos all weekend.


Saturday morning began with Cammie inspecting her appearance to be sure she was ready to meet her new family. She'd had an oatmeal scented bath the night before and her fur coat was glossy and soft.

She hopped into the car happily and we started our trip to Baton Rouge. Cammie is a great traveler and she enjoys looking out the window to see the traffic passing by .

We were meeting the adoptive family at the Petsmart in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. It was a long ride but Cammie cuddled close to me in the back seat all the way over. She snuggled as close as she could get, and chewed on my garnet ring. And for much of the time, she held my hand.

We got to Baton Rouge about thirty minutes before her new mom and dad did, so we walked around Petsmart and gave Cammie time to sniff dog food and dog treats and look at other dogs. New Mom sent me a text message when they were close to the store, and we said our goodbyes before they arrived. I kissed Cammie several times and she licked me reassuringly. She gave Steve a farewell hug.



We all decided to handle things as quickly as possible. They signed the placement contract that says if things don't work out for some reason or if their circumstances should ever change, that Cammie will be returned to us. I handed the leash over to Stef and Wes. Steve took off in one direction. Wes & Stef gave me a beautiful pink potted camellia bush to plant for Cammie. I left FAST as they began walking Cammie in the opposite direction.

Yes, of course I cried. We stopped at Bass Pro Shop for lunch and I think I ordered everything on the menu. Including a beer. We got back in the car and I cried some more. Then Stef sent me a text message to tell me that she was sitting in the back seat with Cammie and that Cammie was snuggled up tight against her, chewing on one of Stef's rings. That made me laugh, which felt good. We had bought some fudge at Bass Pro Shop so I decided it was time to try that. We did, and it was delicious.

Cammie arrived at her new home around 7 pm Saturday night. She met her sister Lillie and the human kids. She and Lillie have shared treats and toys, and have eaten their meals in the same room without any problem. Yesterday morning they ran ran ran through the house together and played bitey-face like fiends. I think it's going to work out beautifully. What do you think?

Cammie claiming Lillie's bed

HOMEWARD BOUND!

"GG", soon to be "Cammie"



We are so happy, and so sad too. Have you ever felt that way? When something so wonderful and lovely and exciting was about to happen... but there was a little corner of your heart that was aching because it was about to happen? Hooligan House is feeling that way tonight. Our GG is leaving Alabama tomorrow morning to go to her new home in Texas. We know it's the most perfect outcome that could have manifested for her and we know her new family will love her as much as we do. We know she will love them and enjoy playing with her new sister and learning new things. But we can't help it, we already miss her just a little bit. To help get past the sadness, we are going to concentrate on making the trip as comfortable and pleasant for GG as it possibly can be, and then when things have re-adjusted here at HH, we will start getting ready for the next rescue dog. Because there's always another one. And we love them all.

A HAPPY EVER AFTER "AIRE-Y TAIL"

Once upon a time there was a Aire-grrrl named Lillie who lived in Texas with her hooman mom and dad and their two kids. They had a very happy family. But Lillie wanted a four-legged sister too, and preferably, a Hooligan. So Lillie's hoomans talked to Airedale Terrier Rescue and pretty soon they found out there was a beeyouteefull Hooligan grrl waaay over there in Alabama. Her name was GG and she was looking for a family of her own.

So, the people at Texas Airedale Rescue went to meet Lillie's family and they told GG's foster family that they thought GG would be very happy in Texas. Tee shirts were picked out for both grrls to wear so that they could permeate the cotton with their own personal perfumes. The shirts will be exchanged through the mail and Alabama Airedale Rescue Coalition has tentatively scheduled GG's trip to Texas for Saturday, March 10th. GG will be lying on Lillie's tee shirt during her ride west, and Lillie will be lying on GG's tee shirt while she waits for her new sister.

And none of this, NONE OF THIS, could have been done without your help.We thank you all who read GG's story, who forwarded her information around the internet, who held happy thoughts, and who were instrumental in helping find just the right forever family for GG. We also want to thank some Airey-Godmothers who donated the much needed funds for GG to have her health exam and her spay surgery.

This isn't the end of GG's story, by a long shot. It's a happy, smiley, laughing, tail wagging, dancey chapter in the very middle. We'll keep you all updated as her story progresses. THANK YOU, AGAIN!

Lillie, with a bag of GG's favorite treats AND

a new red collar for GG.

"Hurry up, Sis!"

WHO IS THIS HOOLIGAN?

and why is she wearing a tee-shirt????

TO BE CONTINUED....

ANAVENTURE!

TODAY we are going on ANAVENTURE! 


Me and Mom and Dad and GG are going to the pet supply store. It will be GG's first time there. She is going to get her toenails dremeled down. That ought to be fun! I can't wait to see what GG thinks about the dremel!

 AAARRROOOOOOOOO!!!!

GG contemplates the definition of "dremel"

WE LOVE YOU, DAD!

Jack and GG playing with Dad last night.

Hooligan kisses are the best!

HAPPINESS IS....

ADOPTION APPLICATIONS!

On Feb 16^th, the Howling Hooligan sent out an announcement that GG was ready for adoption. Less than 12 hours later, we received this response:

My husband and I have been loving the stories on GG’s fast progress and patiently waiting for her to be ready for adoption. We would love to adopt Miss GG. We live in Texas and have a female Airedale and two children ages 12 and 10. Please let me know what steps we need to take in order to get this ball rollin’ so Miss GG can come live in her forever home with us.

Since then, Hooligan House has been in a frenzy of excitement. Phone calls and emails and digital photos have flown back and forth across the miles. Airedale Rescue in Texas is helping coordinate the adoption application. The veterinarian references and personal references have checked out as GREAT.

The home visit is scheduled for this weekend. And, while all this was going on, we got 3 more applications to adopt GG! One family is in Florida and one is in Louisiana and one is in Alabama. Those apps are also being followed up and home visits are being scheduled for them. We don't know for sure who will be approved to adopt GG yet, and although there can be only one forever home for her, the other applicants will have good things to look forward to. They will go on a waiting list for Airedales that come to us in the future, or they may be matched up with an Airedale who is waiting for love in a neighboring state.

The very most exciting thing is that all these applications are from people we have never met but who are following our blog. There’s no way for us to know how many followers we actually have, but we appreciate all and every one of you so much! You have forwarded the blog stories to your friends and families and you have made a joyful difference in GG’s life. THANK YOU!

Sissy is at THE VET today!

Sissy has an ouchie: an abcessed tooth. She is at the vet's office today and Dad will pick her up in a little while. The office closes at noon on Wednesdays and Dad doesn't get off work until 4:30 today, but it's okay.You know you live in a small town when the vet calls your Dad and says, "Sissy will be outside in a locked kennel. I will leave the key to the kennel and a bottle of antibiotics under the mop bucket at the back door."

DEVILTRY

THiS iss MAGGIE! I FyNULLy goT to comPOOTER all By Myseff aND noBuddy iss wATCHING!

Yesterday ouryard was soaken wet beecoss of rainrainrain alladale long. We cooddint play out there for long. Well DUKE and BUDDY ddnt want to play out there for long.

I wass liken that rain, me. But they wanted to get outta rain so we came bak inna houss and wass habben a borren ole morning until me and Duke got the grate idea to tteach Bud how to do the Airedance.

Only Mom says Airedances don’t beelong inna houss and she fusssd and made uss stoppit.

Then we deesided to snoop around in the dog den to see if there wass anny spilt food on the floor. There wassent so I went counter surfing and I got inta trubble for that too.

IN a few minnutts Buddy saw sumthen red on toppa da kitchen tabble. He dossent like red and he goess after it every time. Whitch he did again it wass a red dish towel and he pulled it down and it was sittingg under a pan and when Buddy yanked the red towell it made the pan come down too and it clanged and banged and Mom jumped and yelled and blamed ME for it becoss I had just been counter surfen a few sekunds before when she looked through the door. 

She put me in TIME out and DUKe hadda come too even thow he wassent even inna kitchen when it happenned. Dales get blamed for EVERYTHING around here.  I think Duke told yhall one time that the hoomans think Buddy issa little PRINCE!

Here iss a exsample. Buddy even went and foun one of Dad’s clean hankees in the laundry basket. He picked it up and rann inta the den with it and tried to get Dad to play tug. Dad just said, no Buddy, all my handkerchiefs have holes in them from your teeth and the people at the office make fun of me. He took the handkerchief away from Buddy and that was all that happened! Buddy laid down at Dad’s feet like a real good boy. GRRR.

After awhile the little prince got bored and wannedd us to play with him. He play bowed and wagged and finully began jumpping at us. He iss like a bowling ball when he jumps on us. I think Mom tole you that once, too.

Affter Buddy bowled into me a couple of time, and made me grrrowl he started in afta Duke. Duke doesn’t play bowling and he stood up and gave Buddy whut for which of course got us in trubble all over again. Then me and Duke looked at each other and got the best idea of all.

It wass still raining outside but you know when a dog hass to go, a dog hass to go. Me and Duke ran to the door and barked and of course here comess Buddy too. He ran right up between us and bowled us away from the door. But we didunt snap at hm this time. Dad came over and opened the door so the DOGS could go outside to take care of their bidness. When the door opened, Buddy almost broke a leg running outside into the storm ahead of me and DUKE. He just hass to be first, in everyTHING.

BUDDY ran out into the storm and me and DUKE just sat down. And grinned at each other. And stayed dry. GOTCHA!

The Dale who AAARRROOOs last, AAARRROOOOs best!

She's Ready for Adoption!

GG is ready to find her forever family!

Here's what you need to know about her: My best guess at her age is around 2 to 2 and a half. She is leash, crate and house trained. I have her on a feeding schedule which basically keeps her elimination times very routine. She is still nervous about sudden noises and movements, but she recovers quickly. She loves other dogs and she loves our grandchildren (boy and girl ages 9 and 11). I do not know how she is around cats. I recommend that she goes to an Airedale experienced home with one other dog. 

Please share this post with people who might be interested in adopting GG. To start the adoption process, read GG's story and/or donate to Alabama Airedale Rescue visit the following site:

http://alairedalerescue.blogspot.com/