Autumn and all that implies

Today is the first day of Autumn. Seems that we have an endless supply of fun holidays to look forward to this time of year, beginning with Halloween. While kids are the focus for this fun day, the pupsters in your life don't want to be left out either! Anyone who has been to a pet Halloween costume contest has probably heard the sighs of those with dogs who refuse to wear clothes. There are lots of ways to bring some lighthearted fun into letting your dog enter those contests, though, as the true focus should be the socializing that goes along with it. How about a big puff of cotton taped on their rear end and entering as a bunny, or tape that same puff on their sweet little heads, showing that they have 'their heads in the clouds'!

Of course, the well dressed pup will definitely want a reversible Halloween bandana. We have a nice selection in our Astrid Nicole Etcetera Etsy shop for all sizes. Think of flipping down the edge, and you'll have four looks in one for your dog! Best of all....our bandanas all benefit the Santa Cruz Co Humane Society in Nogales, AZ where Astrid made her home for an undetermined length of time, coming to live in her forever home with us on December, 28, 2006.

Tyler...writing a new story now

This little boy's name is Tyler...smart, very cute, loving. Tyler is also a rescue. He wandered into a yard on a Thanksgiving Day and found himself a loving home. We'll never know the story behind Tyler, or any of the other pups waiting in shelters across the country but we do know one thing. In this case, one person's carelessness, cold heartedness or possibly even an unavoidable accident of life became another person's very bright spot in life!


We appreciate Tyler's mom's generosity in letting us use his picture. It helps spread the word behind the mission of Astrid's Etsy bandana boutique. Doesn't he look proud modeling his Astrid Nicole Etcetera bandana? The proceeds from it's purchase go to aiding other shelter pets who find themselves in the same straits as he once was in. At Astrid's former shelter, the Santa Cruz Co Humane Society in Nogales, AZ, all of the friends she left behind are welcome in the shelter for as long as need to be there, whether it is a day, a week or a lifetime. Hopefully they too can go from this to a happy, loved and loving boy like Tyler. If you are thinking of getting a new companion, remember Tyler, Astrid and all the wonderful pets in shelters and consider adopting.

(Later picture is Astrid, December 2006 just before coming to live in her forever home with her mom and dad.)

Such A Pretty Girl

When it comes to dogs, what is a girlie girl dog? Nope...it is not a derogatory term as many would think. A girlie girl dog can be one or all of the following: beautiful, smart, loyal, loving and ALL DOG! Above, Harbor proves it all to be true as she models a very girlie bandana from the Astrid Nicole Etcetera Etsy boutique collection. She feels especially good wearing this bandana because she knows that the proceeds from all sales at the shop benefit the Santa Cruz Co Humane Society in Nogales, AZ where her friend, Astrid, made her home for an undetermined length of time.

Get Your Sparkle On! It's Almost The 4th of July

It's almost that time of year when spirits run high, noise is good and we especially want to strut the red, white and blue showing our pride in the USA. As a companion animal advocate, I take pride in the fact that we value our pets so very much and the special contributions they make to our lives. Our newspapers are carrying articles about how the vast majority of us don't consider our furry friends just as 'pets', but as members of our families. Below we have Sasha and Maizy, two members of one of those loving families modeling their patriotic neckwear in anticipation of the upcoming holiday.

Their mom supported the Santa Cruz Humane Society in Nogales, AZ with her purchase. All sales at the Astrid Nicole Etcetera's Etsy shop benefit this shelter where Astrid also made her home for an undetermined length of time, coming to live in her forever home December, 28, 2006.


When adding to your family, remember the many homeless pets just waiting for that special person to walk through the door making 'happily every after' a reality for them too. Adopt, don't shop!

Dog Days of Summer

The dog days of summer are almost here. During this parching period Sirius, the "Dog Star," rises and sets with the sun from mid-July until September. This period is typified by the hot, sultry weather of July and August. You have probably observed how animals instinctively deal with the heat associated with dog days. Driving by country farms, you'll notice cows and other farm animals all gathered under the shade of a tree, not moving, sharing each other's company, much the same as people used to enjoy their front porches long before air conditioning.


This time of year is also a time for picnics, strolling through street fairs and just lounging with the family in the air conditioned comfort of home. Shown are Tucker, Sasha and Sugar doing exactly that in their Astrid Nicole Etcetera original bandana designs.

Giving Back Feels Good

Sunday's visitation to the Alzheimer's Center was a lot of fun. This is a beautiful center that reminds one of a luxury hotel. It consists of two buildings, with one being a locked door center requiring a code to enter and leave each wing.





So many of the residents share stories of their own pets while enjoying Astrid's visit. Astrid was showing off her repetoire of tricks and one lady remarked 'girls don't shake hands, they give wet sloppy kisses'. She then leaned forward for a few smoochies from Astrid who, when invited, will give little gentle kisses. Another lady would have liked Astrid to sit in her lap which, of course she couldn't due to size and safety.






Many of us want to 'give back' something to the world. Therapy Pet work is a wonderful way!

Therapy Pet Visits...therapy for all involved

Last Saturday, we had the pleasure of another therapy pet visit to a local Charlotte living center. While all are special, this particular living center has recently become our responsibility to organize. Formerly known as Greyhound Therapy Group, our mentor and therapy dog 'tester' is growing our local program and while concentrating her efforts on a living center newly added to our Pet Therapy list of centers, has entrusted this one to our team for its organization.




Another individual that was in on the ground floor of the development of Pet Therapy, Inc. visitations in our area, Barb, just recently had forwarded a discussion on building better skills during our visitations and helping us make more of a difference to those that we share time with. Two techniques noted in this briefing that I've added to individual visits were 1) shaking hands during initial greetings and 2) a new, more effective way of talking with the residents. Shaking hands seems like a no brainer, but somehow, the value of it escaped me until reading this and working with it. Granted, there are those in these centers that may be too weak or have lost interest in physical human contact, but to those that were receptive, it improved our human connection as two individuals and a dog that would like to share a few moments together.




In this 'Building Better Skills' pamplet, it was suggested that when confronted with a situation where a resident wants to discuss their condition, share their fears, or simply ask for help, that we build on what they are saying to us. If a resident is distressed, share their concern and use the words they are using. One special lady we met kept repeating her name, several times repeating my name is Florence ****er. Florence looked into my eyes and said "can you help me". My first thoughts were that she was going to ask me to do something I could never do for her such as help her leave the center. Remember what I had just read, I simply said "what can I do to help you"? Florence, in her very weak voice, told me she would like to sit up better. What a simply request that I would have never even known of if I had followed m old ways. Of course, having no knowledge of her medical condition, I couldn't do that myself but a quick trip to the 'nursing central' brought a friendly face that DID have knowledge and had Florence sitting up and happy in a matter of minutes. Florence could have lay there uncomfortable all day. I could have felt I had done a good job as a pet therapy team, but have really missed an opportunity to make a very small difference in someone's life that day.




Deciding to become a pet therapy team through Therapy Dogs, Inc. has been a more rewarding experience then I ever thought. It is therapy for Astrid, a big, black and often object of discrimination and fear Rottweiler, as she walks the halls and enters the rooms of the residents. She is changing minds and hearts about her breed. It is therapy for the residents of these living centers who so often miss their pets of yesteryear that they could hold and pet. It is therapy for me and Astrid's dad in that every time we leave, we feel just a little more in touch with humanity and what it really means to be interconnected with our fellow humans.




There are lots of therapy pet organizations out there, each with their own special mission. We found a perfect match between our big, black former shelter dog and the Therapy Dogs, Inc. visiting group in our area.

 




Joining online photography groups sometimes open up opportunities. Having recently joined a group called Dogs with Flowers, Astrid is discovering flowers everywhere in our neighborhood. While we once walked past them with barely a notice, we know assess the best angle, most beneficial lighting...and we are both pretty proud of what we come up with at times!

The Colors of Summer

We took our inspiration from the colors of Summer, namely the colors of found in a beach ball when we created Astrid's Summer line of bandanas and collar covers. Blue, orange (our favorite), yellows....they are all there. Each is reversible to a co-ordinating color that might feature swirls or twirls of the featured color.






Originally designing only for the big dog...50# and over...requests that we include the smaller pooch were quickly obliged.






Astrid lived at the Santa Cruz Co Humane Society before coming to live with us in her forever home on Dec 28, '06. In gratitude for her care during her stay, we donate the entire amount above cost to the Society. We are currently involved in the cement slab project, which will eventually pour cement slabs in every kennel at the shelter, providing a cleaner, healthier environment for the guests of the shelter.

Astrid keeps a busy visitation schedule as a therapy pet at local senior living centers here in Charlotte, NC.

Just waiting around .

Just waiting around .
Originally uploaded by astridnicoleetcetera

Sometimes you just have to wait around until someone opens the door.