It's going to be Rocco's first holiday season with Michele & Mike!  I think he'll probably be spoiled rotten (just like our doggies are)! ;)

A lot has been going on behind the scenes here.  I thought it might be fun to give my blog readers a little teaser of what I have been up to recently.

First, a teaser photo from a wonderful dog photography session in Mechanicsburg from this past weekend. 

Meet Asia, the lovable, huggable, Pit Bull.  You'll see more of her later this week!

Welcome to a glimpse of my revamped office!  A lot of sweat and time went into making over this little room.  We had a very, very tiny budget which meant a lot of time looking for specials, yard sale finds, sales, and of course doing all of the labor ourselves.  Thanks Jeanette, Curt, and Dean for all of your efforts with the new floor!  I think the time and effort were worth it for my awesome clients!

Welcome!  Perhaps you'll have a chance to visit soon!

New floors, new paint, new furnishings, new displays! 

Here's Brian, painting away the baby blue!

Not quite finished, but a vast improvement!

Deciding on the displays was terribly difficult!  You'll have to visit in person to see what I decided upon for the walls and frames.

I could write on and on about how sweet these little foster puppies are, but I really think I should just show you some more photos.

Thanks so much to those that sponsored me (I raised over $400 in just 3 days) and those that continue to support and help homeless animals all over the world.  This particular fundraiser generated over $40,000!  Wow!  I did the run portion and Brian & Olive did the walk (and swim). ;) 

Olive & her buddy Jackson waiting for things to get started.

 Obviously, Olive did not see the NO SWIMMING sign. . .

A personal review of this event and race: While I think this is a neat event, and it undoubtedly generated a lot of revenue for the humane society, there are definitely some things I think could easily be done to create an even better (and safer) event.  I think a much shorter walk for the dogs for a 5K (which is typically an hour or more of walking) is too long for almost all dogs, and a better marked running course are among a few other changes that will make this a safer, and even more successful event.  This course is definitely not for those looking for their fastest 5K times.  We were told the course is a bit longer than a 5K and there are other hikers, bird watchers, and of course, dogs on the course. 

I see a lot of people bringing their dogs to events like this who are sadly, ill prepared.  I thought I would take the time to remind you that if you plan to do any walks or runs with your dogs, they need to be trained for this type of activity just like all humans do.  Some dogs, no matter what, should never walk this long nor run; add any heat or humidity and you should take some additional precautions.  Dogs don't have sneakers on protecting their paws from hot pavement or the shock of running.  They rely on you to make sure you aren't over exercising them.  Remember, as a human, when you sign up for something like this you are aware of the risks involved.  However, your dog (or even a human child for that matter) does not have the ability to sign themselves up, so you assume the risks for them.  It's up to you to keep their health and safety in mind.  Remember, this event is for the animals!  Woof!