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The couple that laughs together stays together...for a very long time

Thank you to Jeku Arce photographer for above photos!

Now let's go back down memory lane shall we...this photo blog page will be great for our daughter to use to show her future boyfriend of what her parents are like before he decides if he should meet us or not...LOL Meet the Robbins! Kind of like Meet the Fockers only better! I'll add more pics as I find them in archived footage...most are before digital..shows our age eh? All photos are © Sophie Robbins property and may not be reproduced!

First dating...beach scene...this is like 20+ years ago...OMG!

Couple years later… the wedding cake kiss ...we made our living situation legal and we paid for our own little traditional wedding...words of wisdom to the younger generation...elope or just live together, skip this ceremonial madness and your money! LOL Two things I wish I had worn different for my wedding: a princess tiara and some high top hot pink sneakers and danced down the beach with sunglasses on! 

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HIGH FASHION DESIGNED CAT COLLARS

by SWEET PICKLES DESIGNS made in Portland, Oregon!

I had the opportunity to product review a lovely high quality handmade whimsical cat collar handmade in the USA in Portland, Oregon by a very talented artist Shana Freimark who is the founder & designer of Sweet Pickles Designs! Her cat is named Pickles and her number one model. However, my foster rescue kitten Evie, who's up for adoption got to help in further field research product testing of the Huckleberry design with a little promotional cat modeling of her own!

The Huckleberry cat collar is a lovely shade of purple with black polka dots and has a removable little tinkerbell that you see pictured here on Evie the kitten. I highly recommend this collar for your cats if you are seeking a breakaway buckle cat collar with lots of design choices to choose from! I support the high quality talented artists who create pet friendly products, this one passes my approval and my kittens approval! Also note that the 3/8" wide kitty collar also holds nicely the tiny Boomerang pet I.D. cat tag! which is the ONLY pet tag I reccommend on any pets collars!

Sweet Pickles Designs can be found on these social networking sites:

 SPD on Twitter and SPD on Facebook and Google+  

You can also find me on Facebook and Twitter and Google+ and Instagram

Visit Sweet pickles Designs and when placing your order use the code "ILOVEPICKLES" enter it at checkout to get FREE SHIPPING! Limited time offer! Or just click HERE TO ORDER YOUR SWEET PICKLES DESIGNS to redeem this code!

Interested in having me field research with my pets and then product review and blog and social network all about your pet friendly product? I prefer to help small companies, artists that create unique one of a kind high quaity items in the USA get noticed! Contact me today!

Email Sophie for product review inquires!

More information about product reviewing your product for a contest on my blog

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My husband asks me via TXT if I would volunter to play the part of Mrs. Santa Claus for his Troop Command military FRG holiday kids party at the WAMC Army hospital. Next thing I know he arrives home with two different costumes for me to choose from!

I got dressed at home....then continued my transformation at the hospital...

The Santa you see here is a retired Army nurse and still working as a civilian nurse at a military clinic. He also moonlights as ...you guessed it SANTA! I'll have his contact info posted here soon if you should need to hire him. Meantime, enjoy the photos some of which are with my iPhone 3Gs and others with my Nikon D40 courtesy of my husbands quick draw of cameras on hand! 

Frosty the Snowman and Mrs Santa...tweeting and instagraming! lol

See the full gallery on Posterous

Santa, me and one of our cute little helper elves...

Check out Rudolphs nose..it's oh so bright to guide the sleigh tonight!

A little boogie get down warm up excercise before making our grand appearance...

Here we go! Hospital escalator ...our loyal fans await! Rudolph leads the way of course!

After the Santa photo gig with the neverending line and my face hurting from smiling like Barbie in Toy Story...we get a big kid (my husband) to sit with me and my crew!

Have you ever seen Santa in an elevator? Well, here is your chance...we're going UP as in North

Elves with presents...

Santa making his rounds...this one was for a newborn baby!

Santa and I..candid shots in the elevator...

Now I go home...were cat meets Mrs. Santa for the first time...

and my dog meets Mrs. Santa for the first time too! It's my pets first Christmas holiday!

ALL PHOTOS ARE COPYRIGHT Sophie Robbins, do not use without my permission! If you are in these photos then you may use the photos for your own personal use but please make sure you let me know and that you link back to this particular blog post, thank you!

Some photos will be posted to a private photo album so if you were there and are seeking photos of yourself you do no see posted here simply contact me via all my links on the left of this blog and I will send you an email invite to view photos. Thank you to anyone who may have grabbed my iPhone at any given moment and offered to capture a photo! Much appreciated!

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DOG HARNESS CONTEST via @WalkInSync post.ly/4FSPt post a VIDEO -> facebook.com/WalkInSync Tell them u heard about it via me!

— Sophie Robbins (@thedogsdish) January 28, 2012

**CONTEST**

Pictured here is what you recieve once you order your Walk in Sync, it arrives in a lovely tie travel storage bag! Classy!

My big orange dog and I, have personally spent numerous hours/days field researching and throughly testing out a new dog walking leash & harness combination set and here are my findings on this particular brand new pet product.

Product name, more info & how to order it: Walk In Sync

Does product do what it claims to be able to do: YES, it really does!

Do I use this on my own dog? YES, see all my field research photos as proof!

Would I reccommend this product to others: YES, I would because it works immediately, it is high quality workmanship, it is machine washable and includes an impressive 100% guarantee if not completely satisfied with this product!

Product description: Just look at the photos as they speak for me! Basically what this harness does is teach leash manners effectively and quickly to both the handler and canine! There is no strain on the dogs neck if dog pulls or lunges forward, instead if the dog pulls or lunges then the pressure is along the chest/shoulder to cause dog to want to not pull but rather go at a nice comfortable pace, read more on their website about the technique and watch the Walk in Sync founders video!

My personal findings on teaching leash manners:

Most dogs instinctly want to pull and/or lunge forward during walks on a leash and many want to lead the pack so to speak when going out for a walk. What we humans would like is a well behaved dog by our side loose leash walking with no tugging, no lunging, no pulling! We all want a stress free dog walk. This sporty harness leash set creates a winnning game! The problem with your average dog harness most people are familiar with but have no clue about are the ones with the d-ring on the dog's back. However, the problem with those type harnesses is that when you leash up this way it creates a pull and tug in which only enforces bad behavior of leash pulling! So unless you are practicing for sled dog races you probably should stay away from those type harnesses. Instead spend your money wisely and purchase a Walk in Sync harness that attaches the leash in the front of dogs chest, therefore effectively teaching dog NOT TO PULL but instead to have leash manners! What a relief! This is a must have item as much as taking your dog for a daily walk is! There are so many colors to choose from to!

What my dog thinks of this product:

He had to tell his friends about it!

He says it is comfortable and lightweight. He says it was very strange the first time I was placing it on his body because he had never worn a harness of any type before and was not familiar with anything other then a collar and regular leash. He of course was very curious but then caught on to the concept very fast that this was a fun item that led to going on a walk and now sits nicely while I harness him up within less then a minute...just over the head and then 2 snaps on the back and attach leash to front d-ring and off we go to enjoy our walk. Good boy!

MY PERSONAL DOG WALKING TIPS/INFO: Make sure to remember your poopy bags, hand sanitzer, treats, your DoodyDangler (which works just fine on the Walk in Sync leash) and of course your Boomerang pet I.D. tag which can still remain on your dogs neck collar and/or it can also fit nicely onto the Walk in Sync harness!

If you are having a playdate with friends then remove your dogs harness from his body to allow no restictions when he is playing nor to allow other dogs to pull on his harness, etc. as the harness is a training tool to be used only when out walking. Once indoors also remove the harness from your dog. Basically, keep in mind that the harness is like an extention of the leash. It should only be used on your dog when out walking, otherwise for when your dog is swimming, playing or hanging out around the house then remove the harness from the dogs body. 

See the full gallery on Posterous

See the full gallery on Posterous

Click here to order your Walk In Sync NOW!

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More places to connect with Sophie online

Contact Sophie to product review your pet friendly products!

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Some products just do not require many words and honestly these camera phone pictures are self explanatory...let's just say it's a good thing it is not stratch and sniff here but luckily I have my spray bottle of Odor Neutral handy!

Smelly cat butt & Odor Neutral. Any questions?

Potties & Odor Neutral. Any questions?

Wet dog & Odor Neutral. Any questions?

See the full gallery on Posterous

10 days worth of dog poopy bags in this poop bucket & Odor Neutral. Any questions?

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CLICK HERE TO ORDER YOUR DOODYDANGLER

Doody: Something every single dog does daily.

Dangler: A little magic rope string thingamabob that attaches to your dog leash and it holds the doody bag so you don't have to!

Concept: Hands free poopybag holding! Brilliant!

Let me walk you through my product review where I truly had to go out into the field to conduct my research pooperly!

First you will need a dog...

that poops!

You will also need poop bags...to pick up the poop (see above pictured scenario)...

You WILL pick up the poop (cause there is no poop fairy)...and then you will use the DoodyDangler as shown in this photo where I was hands free to take a photo and hold a leash! Yippie!

DoodyDangler is such a simple concept and yet a must have item for anyone with a dog! I immediately was thrilled when trying out the DoodyDangler and wondered how did I ever live without it? I am such a handsfree type girl afterall... When I drive, if I get a phone call I only talk on my phone hands free, I even like to walk my dog hands free (I love waist leashes) and I like to keep my hands free of poop! I love animals but I do not like poop!

Once you try out the DoodyDangler, you'll soon realize you need more then one like I did!

CLICK HERE TO ORDER YOUR DOODYDANGLER

I have 5 leashes I keep stashed in different areas such as the entryway, the backporch, the garage and in my car so I soon realized (after forgetting my DoodyDangler) I needed more then just one! Trust me, you will want to order one DoodyDangler for each leash and dog you walk cause after you forget the DoodyDangler once you will miss it so much!

This will make a great anytime gift for:

Yourself - get one for each dog, each leash, each car doggie bag, mud room, entryway, etc.

Dog lovers in your life

Dog Walkers|Pet Sitters

Dog owners

Dog people with a sense of humor

Dog people with no sense of humor

People who need to get the hint to pick up their dogs poop, so give one to your dog neighbor along with a roll of poop bags

People who loath carrying poop bags

Dog lovers who have cars with a glovebox and dog goodie bag|dog travel bag

People who travel with their dogs

People who harness walk their cats|ferrets outside (hey they all poop too!)

Dog gift basket item

Shelter promotions

Veterinarians offices welcome bag to new clients

CLICK HERE TO ORDER YOUR DOODYDANGLER

DoodyDangler on Twitter

DoodyDangler on Facebook

Phone orders 913-481-5065

CLICK HERE TO MAKE A PERSONALIZED PET CONSULTATION APPOINTMENT WITH SOPHIE

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As a volunteer in the realm of animal rescue I was fortunate to be able to meet a special dog loving volunteer recently who happens to own a plane. Probably the smallest plane I have ever seen a man fly without a remote control! Meet Pete the landscaping dog loving rescue pilot!

I got to network with and briefly meet-thank-hug both foster moms of both puppies that handed over pups to me, then I transported those little furbabies in my Land Rover for  Saveadogaday Rescue where I then met up at a rural airport to greet Pete & his UK co-pilot Graham of PilotsNPaws who then took over to fly these babies up to NY to begin their new chapters in life. Guess you could say these puppies were being escorted in style!

So you are probably wondering, how did these little beings end up in rescue right? Well, the little Black Lab pup was abandoned in the woods but luckily found by a K9 unit then placed into foster care before her transport day. The little tan pup was dumped at a high kill NC shelter and pulled by the rescue Pete & I both volunteer with then put into foster care before her transport day.

Here is a glimpse into what we do...with our spare time and resources...and our hearts.

meeting foster moms and puppies... getting info for transport...

loading up puppies for transport...

get to airport, stretch legs, go potty...play a bit...

The plane, the plane! 

Pete with Ally pup & Sophie with Lula pup...

Time to load up the precious cargo...

Puppy transporter...

Thank goodness I didn't have Newfoundlands or Great Danes to deliver to Pete! lol

Pilots...being pilots

My shadow being itself...

Good luck puppies & bon voyage!

Handful of compassionate people, two lives saved, mission accomplished...but our work is never done.

Be the voice for animals...they depend on you to help them so how about using your resouces to help animals in need in your area. It's called networking and you can make lots of like minded friends, four legged & human alike!

This concludes my interview with Pete. Network with Pete and I to help animals:

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Adopt a Golden Retriever

PilotsNPaws

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Once upon a time, just outside Paris lived three French cats....

Wait a minute...this is not a fairy tale! Here is how it went down. I rented a French villa where I could park my Land Rover right outside the front door and have a gated security guard 24/7 and a free shuttle to Disney cause my mother-in-law from Florida was visiting France for her first time and she was a fan of the mouse. It was also an affordable and central location to get to Normandy coast sightseeing (or so I thought) as well as into the city of Paris. In all fairness, I must admit that it was an American Marriott my American neighbor also stationed in Germany told me about but hey it was still in France and designed with French attributes but with the American tourist in mind! Besides villa sounds nice and we were in France so I am not calling it a townhouse although that is exactly what it was...to an American anyway.

I shall continue my story....I am upstairs getting myself together in the bathroom for the day's sightseeing when I sense a message being sent my way through a small porthole type window...I look out and sure enough I see an orange and white cat starting up at me! The message was "Bonjour, madam, spare some food s'il vous plait? Of course I run down the wooden villa stairs in delight waking everyone else up in the villa (they needed to get up anyway & get ready!) exclaiming out loud in my best broken childlike French "Oh lala mon amie les chats sont ici" and grab my camera off the stand in the downstairs entry and go to the French doors to my villas backpatio and peer out through the safety of the glass doors because this is not a pet friendly unit and I do not know these cats...what I see is not only the orange cat but apparrently he had quickly summoned 2 of his friends! Now I not only have two eyes staring at me but six!  Of course I fetch all I had that might even slightly interest a cat's tastebuds. I figured if they were hungry they would appreciate anything I had on hand. I found coffee creamers and cheese flavored goldfish crackers. They enjoyed their little meal but I kept my distance because they seemed a tad wild if you will and asked I not touch them! I think I heard them say Merci just as they were leaving....

Here are some pics of the villa

See the full gallery on Posterous

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I first began to see haybales turned into art while residing in southern rural Germany. Ironically upon returning to USA I soon began to see more straw art in NC where we got stationed next!  So this shall be my revised straw art blog page where I will post all creatively decorated haybales I find along my travels that I capture with whatever camera I happen to have on hand!

Sighting location: Sand, Germany (near Landstuhl/Ramstein)

My first ever haybale straw art sighting...

This might be the worlds largest straw teddy bear!

a straw pig selling potatoes

Sighting location: Pinehurst, NC

Sports...a straw basketball

Halloween...a vampire straw spider

Thanksgiving...a mad straw turkey

Christmas..a snowman strawman with tophat 

another Christmas season...strawman being attacked by a birdhouse? ouch!

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Photographing cats is different then working with dogs. I have learned this since adopting/fostering a kitten. I've also learned cats are not big fans of costumes although I might keep trying...for now these were just test shots with my foster kitten, my camera and my patience and a lot of LOL moments!

See the full gallery on Posterous

More pics of my foster kitty cat and her story

I tweet instagram photos almost daily of my cat!

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Felines are very curious creatures. However, their naturally inquisitiveness can get them into trouble. There is even a saying that sums it all up, "Curiosity killed the cat."

I have officially declared a NO CAT ZONE for safety measures and you should too!

Zone 1 - The Laundry Room

Cats are little ninjas, they can sneak right past you without you knowing it! I caught my curious kitten exploring the wash machine as you can see in these photos and so therfore declared the laundry room a NO CAT ZONE! Washing machines, dryers and of course cleaning products are NOT SAFE for your pets. Best to just not allow pets into those rooms. I keep the door closed and check to make sure where cat is before turning on either the washer or dryer and I also keep the laundry room door closed when I am not in there. When I am in there I keep the door shut while I do the wash as kitty likes to follow me everywhere! When I leave the laundry room she is usually waiting for me crouched low waiting patiently for me on the other side!

See the full gallery on Posterous

Another interesting article on cat safety regarding the laundry room dryer written by a veterinarian on her scarey laundry room experience with her cat!

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Missing a pet? Lost a pet? Stolen pet? Found pet?

What to do?

ACT FAST!

Email Sophie ASAP to work on your missing pet case!

Time is crucial when you have lost or found a pet, waste no time.

• Canvass the neighborhood immediately! Walk area of where pet was last seen (if driving pet may not be able to smell you or hear you & vice versa). If you have found a pet, always keep a leash & snacks in your car with you. If animal is approachable, leash it and ask pet to lead you to it's home. Walk around area asking others if they know who pet belongs to. Watch for clues from said pet. Follow your intuition as well as the dogs!

• Call your local police dept. Let them know you have lost or found a pet. Some police depts have pet holding facilities BEFORE animal goes to POUND. Some people when loosing a pet tend to call their police dept just like if it were a missing persons report. Apparently you can even contact the FBI National Crime Center (NCIC) if your pet is microchipped & was stolen to file a report. 

   

• Call your local shelters. Let them know you have lost or missing pet. If your pet is missing not ony call local shelters but VISIT THEM DAILY TO LOOK FOR YOUR PET! Descriptions can vary in communication, mistakes happen, miscommunication happens, shelters are busy the front desk person sometimes has NO CLUE about the pets brought in by animal control officers and do not keep track of it, you must use your own eyeballs or enlistment of friends/family to help you LOOK in person! HOWEVER, if it's a found pet you must also take found pet there (or vet clinic) to check for a microchip by having shelter use a scanner over pets body to see if anything shows up on pets owner. The animal shelter I volunteer at advised me they once had a chip scan from overseas, the dog was registered in Belguim! They were able to reunite the pet and human! Vet offices also have chip scanners. It DOES NOT cost you anything but your time to have a pet scanned for a microchip, it is a FREE SERVICE. If someone wants to charge you then RUN! Then tweet about it and call local officials and raise a stink!

   

• Call your local vet let them know you have lost or found a pet.

   

• If you can foster pet that is great which is the better alternative to the shelter aka pound. Truth is shelter are full & time is limited for that animal. Chance of them being adopted are very slim. They have a great chance of being put to sleep. Even if they have a chip, sometimes mistakes happen and the wrong pet gets PTS before owner has a chance to arrive or figure out

   

• Post flyers around town. DO NOT list your home address, only a contact phone or email is fine. Picture of animal is crucial. Create a FREE blog, post info on there then post it everywhere online, emails, Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Instagram, etc. DAILY!

• Google your local free pet posting ads online & add info to their data base. Your newspaper, your Craigslist, etc.

• Contact the media, get them involved to help you relocate your missing pet or the found pet! Radio Stations, News Stations, Newspapers!

• Hire a Pet Detective | Pet Psychic | Animal Communicator for additional resources.

PREVENTION TIPS

• Don't leave your dog unattended in your fenced in yard. Dogs jump fences, dig under fences, people steal dogs from fenced in yards, evil people slip toxic posion foods to dogs over the fences, someone like a child or lawnscaper or maintenance person may leave your fence gate open & your dog will slip away! Don't let your cats wonder outside, keep them inside where they are safe! Don't let your dogs wonder the neighborhood either! I don't care if you live in a rural area, cars, tractors, dognappers & dog fighters, hunters, sick minded individuals are lurking everywhere! City, suburbs and countryside. No animals is safe wondering loose without YOU! End of story! Why take a chance of loosing your beloved pet? THINK!

• Be cautious with strangers asking about your dog & where you live when out on walks! 

• Never leave your dog unattended in a car.

• Don't tie your dog outside the store.

• Have your pet microchipped.

• Have recent photos of your pet.

photos copyright Sophie Robbins photography & blog 2011

Email me to work on your missing pet case!

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You will notice that is me bending down to the ground on one knee to be face to face with my new friend who is about to give me another big wet sloppy kiss! This Newfoundland puppy I instantly felt connected to...yes I said puppy, has a really cool name. Hakuna Matata. Now you are probably thinking Lion King about now. Yes, I too was subjected to playing that VHS movie along with the music CD in the minivan for hours on end over and over and over. I will admit, that song never got old to me, I loved it and it's meaning which the warthog & meerkat pals clearly sang out loud: "Hakuna Matata ... it means no worries, for the rest of your days...it's our problem-free philosphy...Hakuna Matata!" So that little Swahili phrase is quite catchy and uplifting. It reminds me of the "Don't Worry Be Happy" song, which I also love singing along to.

On with the story...this Newfie pups name was not only unusually cute but it was a very profound message for me that very day that I so desperately needed to hear. You see, I was an expat residing in Germany at the time. This photo was taken outside my European veterinarians office in the parking lot. My beloved Golden Retriever had been diagnosed with terminal cancer and I was trying to figure out how we were going to battle this disease that was attacking my best friend of eight years.

So that day, that very moment...that message was caught on camera by the very lucky pet parent of Hakuna Matata with my camera. I felt a strong connection with this Newfie, it was so intense I asked if I could keep him but he was already spoken for. I really think it was love at first sight and HM knew how I was feeling so he was drawn to me as I was to him. Dogs are such wonderful clairsentient beings and HM knew how I was feeling at that very moment and knew he had to get a message to me with his name! He also knew my heart needed a littel boost of love right about that time and that is exactly why we met that very moment that very day and why he stays on my mind as a very special dog messenger angel.

There is more to this story! Not only did I meet HM to recieve a message but I also met another new human and dog friend right after this photo was taken who ended up being a petsitting client and friend. Hi Stephanie & Maya!

So the next time you get bad news and you are feeling down...remember Hakuna Matata and your spirits will lift back up! Make the most of every day, be happy, don't let worries get you down because that won't help your situation. Instead focus on the happy things you have, live in the moment just like our animal friends do and cherish it!

Sophie - Pet lifestyle consultant & freelance writer for hire

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In memory of Kobe - my 1st golden Retriever

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My rescue kitten just had her low cost spay surgery the other day so I shall share my our experience of it all, the good, the bad and the ugly! I adopted my kitten from the local animal shelter aka the pound in which the $65 bail I paid to get her out of jail and save her little life included: her 1st set of vaccines, deworming, microchiping and spaying. Since I also volunteer there I was able to give her a bath before we left the shelter cause she had fleas and ear mites whom I did not want to adopt!

With permission but with surprised techs that I was interested in seeing/photographing where my cat was being placed and where her surgery would be conducted...I had to explain I was a photoblogger and also wanted to see where they were going to keep my cat prior to her surgery whch would not be for another 6+ horus...so I was lucky enough to be able to quickly capture just a few pics of the spay neuter clinic where she was having her procedure conducted.

I arrived with my kitten right when the clinic opened at 7am. Keep in mind she did not get to have breakfast nor do her morning litter business. I was under the impression she would be operated on right away but I soon discovered she would have to stay in her little travel carrier with no litter box or food or water until 1pm when they said she would be 1st female cat surgery, then she would go into regular cage to recoup then sometime after that they would call me and I could pick her up. Well 2:30 came around and I called and asked if I could pick her up! Apparently she was just waking up I was told over the phone.

When I went to pick her up she was awake and when they handed her carrier over to me and I bent down to see her I noticed and excalimed out loud that her little carrier smelled stinky of poop! They advised the pet gets extracted before surgery. Well, I also wanted to ask if perhaps the vet tech is suppose to clean up the mess so no contamination to the surgical site and also because the pet clearly can not have a normal bath after going home for at least 10 days I was told! I was so shocked disgusted is more like it I said nothing (now there is a shocker!) but I am sure they must have sensed my dissapointment! Common sense here! People do not want their pets smelling like shit when they pick them up from surgery to take them home! So when I got home I spent nearly two hours cleaning up their mess with papertowel bathing my kitten's tail and hind legs and bottom area till I discovered a soft mushy cat turd stuck in her long hind end hair, in which I carefully cut it out and kept using a combination of paper towels and an old towel to clean her up, she was so good about it but it took a long time off and on with many breaks between cause cats do not like to be still and move around a lot and on top of that was the fact she just had surgery & was tressed out from the ordeal of the entire day!

This was my first experience with a low cost spay neuter clinic and the ONLY reason I was using it was because it was included in the shelter adoption fee. My pets in the past have all gone to a private vet clinics and never did I pick them up smelling of poo and I also always got to meet the vet and was taken care of by a friendly staff. However, on this occassion, I did not get to meet the vet who did the surgery and exam on my kitten and the office staff were perhaps not morning people or perhaps not happy to be there?  I might add the two vet techs I met were nice, thankfully. Also this clinic had several volunteer papers on their front desk table but when I inquired to fill out a volunteer paper they said they did not need volunteers at this time. Then why keep out all those volunteer brochures out I wondered? I am a little dissapointed to say the least about this unfriendly experience however I am glad my adopted kitty is spayed and I highly reccomend all pets be spayed neutered unless you are a professional breeder that keeps a detailed history lineage of that particular breed that lives in your home with you and not in a kennel. End of story.

Moral of the story: DO spay&  neuter your pets but be choosey where you have the procedure done cause not all clinics are the same.

Oh and I left my business cards right next to the volunteer sheets...

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I volunteered for my first time ever as a score runner & live tweeter at a horse park event! It was refreshing being able to spend the day outdoors in the crisp cool autumn air surrounded by many horses and some barn dogs too!

For those curious if I captured a candid or posed photo of them at the event on their horse you can email me directly at thebigorangedog@gmail.com to describe your horse & number. 

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Sometimes you gotta ask yourself "Is this a DIY project or should I hire someone project?" You must consider if you have the time, resources, know how, patience and funds for each project. Ultimately you want to seek happiness of where you spend time LIVING and you also want to be satisfied with the finished task at hand knowing you are improving your home's value with the remodeling project.

Since moving into our home almost 2 years ago, we have completed quite a bit! We went to work right away on replacing all interior home wall to wall carpeting with hardwood flooring and/or bamboo flooring. If it is not wood or bamboo it is tiled. I loath carpeting! Carpeting is full of nasty! Carpet is a breeding ground for bugs, like fleas. It harbors all kinds of dust, dander, dirt that cause allergies and if that is not enough to turn you off from carpeting, it also is full of toxic materials that are simply not safe for your family, including your pets that spend a lot of time on the floors! Carpet manufacturers and sellers must loath me! I am not even sure why they even make carpet, it is simply disgusting, I refuse to ever live with wall to wall carpeting again! To me, it is one of those evil creations right up there with tobacco!

So carpet was first big DIY project when we moved into house! I was so happy each time ripping it out and taking it to the waste recycling center! I was the carpet slayer and my amazing talented husand was the magical floor installer. It saved us LOTS of money DIY and the floors look awesome and we improved our homes value and appeal! I am the one that cleans the home so it is so much easier to clean wood or tile then carpets! Carpet is a waste of my valuable time on earth! I also threw away my vaccum! PRODUCT REVIEW PLUG: If a vaccum company that makes a light weight-quiet-upright-great-for-hadwood-floors-no-bag-easy-to-keep-clean-picks-up-pet-hair-and-crumbs type vaccum then please feel free to contact me to product review it! (I do not return items sent to me and I give HONEST reviews).

Other projects included: removing some popcorn ceilings, (belch what a mess), painting all walls modern neutral colors, replacing bottom white wood trim on all floors and adding celing trim on some. Replacing all outdated ugly cheap builder ceiling granny lighted fans with modern more energy efficient ones that look so much better. Think Hemmingway style ceiling Key West fans. Seven new total fans in this southern home! Replacing all gold tone things (every single door knob, door handles, lights) with stainless/brushed nickel. In the kitchen we replaced outdated white builder kitchen appliances with energey efficient black GE Profile appliances, replacing outdated builder seashell pink bumpy sandy gritty feeling formica ugly ass counter top with beautiful black granite modern countertop! Smoking hot! Replaced kitchen small double sink with one large stainless sink and nice swan neck faucet and removing stinky old garbage disposal and not replacing that awful machine that is bad for septic tanks etc. Tip: Best to not have a garbage disposal, no back wash into dishwasher and no damage to septic system, no smell. Eco friendly! I learned this from residing in Europe for 3 years! At first it was shocking to not have one but then I adjusted and realized life was much better without one! Oh and the guys that I hired to tile my master bathroom, I got them to also tile the backsplash in kitchen. I chose a very natural simple basic rustic stone look.

We also totally remodeled the master bathroom and walk in closet. My husband did the closet to what I described and it is amazing and honestly how every closet should be built! The bathroom was a bit more work, we gutted it ourselves and then knew it was best to hire professional plumbers and electricians and a tiler for this was major work. We removed a couple walls/doors, put in a french door where a door was originally missing from bedroom to bathroom, weird I know cause it makes me say "WTH, was the architect or builder on crack?" We removed the fiberglass bathtub shower combo to create a walk in large floor to ceiling tiled shower (another european thing) and removed the ugly short outdated ugly counter top/sink console and mirror and replaced it with something that replicas Pottery Barn style marble counter sink console combo but on a much more affordable scale. It took a few months but I finally found the pieces (mirror, sink console) I wanted at various furniture places in person, not online strangely enough!

We replaced 2 of the 4 toilets in the house (I know toliet overload, pardon the pun) with brand new units and all 4 toilets have new toilet seats/lids (3 of which are silent no slam lids, awesome!)

I painted the exterior shutters and front door from green to black. Looks so much better black.

Now we are left with two house renovation projects.

A staircase of which I removed carpeting (remember I loath carpet) that needs painted and then maybe natural sisal runners on it? Wait... is that considered carpet? I like this gals idea and probably what I am going to do...oh how ironic she has a Golden Retriever! Of course! I told my husband this is MY project and that he must allow me to do this one alone unless of course I realize I need his expertise like something needs cut or whatnot.

I also like these many ideas too this gal already put on her blog about stairs ...but of course just google image of painted stairs and there are tons of ideas hence why I have put off for a few months since ripping out carpet trying to decide which I should do! Also waiting for it to get cooler outside so not so hot in staircase sweating my ass off on this project! LOL I do not like to sweat and of course want to have a nice crisp cool breeze when working and painting to flow through staircase area in which that would mean windows need opened and so it must be fall/winter project in the humid muggy south for this project to continue for me...there is a method to my madness!

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Then there is the screened in back porch that has outdoor carpeting (did I mention I loath carpeting?) which I suppose the only option is to tile it...

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like these examples...I like this style.

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This page is where I will showcase pets that somehow through no fault of their own have ended up at an animal shelter and need a foster home and/or adopted or into a rescue. I shall be their voice to help them get noticed simply with my free time, a camera and the power of the internet social networking. Shelters are full and unfortunately not all animals get listed on Petfinder so the only way someone will find out about that lonely soul needing adopted is by walking into the shelter...I want to see that change, I want more animals noticed and adopted into loving homes!

As of Jan 1, 2012 

The animals pictured here are at the Animal Center of Moore County in NC. For more information about any of the animals up for adoption please call 910-947-2858 or email crogers@moorecountync.gov 

ADOPT ME!

Nothing to post at this time... please visit your nearest shelter and see how you can help the animals there. Thank you! The aimals thank you!

All photos ©Sophie Robbins photography

Please share this post far and wide, be another voice for these innocent animals. They want me to thank you for your act of kindness! Social network begins now! Retweet, Like, Share, Stumble, Google plus, Facebook...whatever you can do, just get them noticed NOW cause they are not listed anywhere else to be seen! 

Love animals? Seeking job experience to put on your resume? Want to give to your community? Want to be the voice for animals? Have free time? Got some love to spare? Contact your local animal shelter, they probably need you. I know for sure the animals need you!

Helpful links I reccomend reading about volunteering:

What to know BEFORE volunteering

Know when NOT to volunteer

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My rescue kitty Evie is a pet friendly promotional model who's job is to assist me in product reviewing pet related items and even taste testing them! She broadcasted her message across Instagram, Twitter and Googleplus and next thing you know she... 

©Sophie Robbins photography

...landed her first job! Within days she has a special package dellivered to her front door...

Oh boy, Dr. Harvey's all natural holistic cat treats! Meow!

Evie took a few days to properly taste test the goodies on a daily basis and then report to me her product reviews to write about...she says they are all very delicious...I even put all three different treats into a bowl into separate areas of the bowl to watch her responses...she seems to favor the beef and the fish Whisker Smackers followed by the tripe Power Patties ...of course the bowl is always emptied of all three healthy all natural treats! 

Thank you Dr. Harvey for giving us the opportunity to field test your healthy pet treats! We are honored to preview such a top quality product created by someone who knows and truly cares about pets health! 

Follow Dr. Harvey on Twitter

Product Disclosure:

Dr. Harvey sent me the cat treats for free. I was not otherwise compensated for my personal honest photo review. My cat was not paid nor forced to eat the treats either, she is however for hire as a taste tester and promotional model! Just contact her human about field research and product reviewing! 

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✔ this means I have accomplished that item on the list! Woohoo! It does not mean I am done though cause I might want to repeat it over and over again till I get it right  or because it is worthy to be repeated.  Items listed are in no particular order and of course some may never happen and I am OK with that but it's still fun to have them on my life list and reflect back from time to time and/or make changes/updates and of course be grateful for what I have been fortunate to have experienced in life thus far!

1. Appear in an M. Night Shyamalan movie w/a Golden Retriever as my co-star

2. Own a waterfront home w/land in the mountains & grow a self sustaining garden 

3. Meet an alien from another planet (that's friendly!)

4. Visit my birthplace (Paris, France) w/my husband & daughter ✔

5. Visit Loch Ness in Scotland ✔

6. Roadtrip the New England USA states (Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Conneticut, Massachusetts) w/my family in the Autumn season.

7. Find love ✔

8. Own a Land Rover ✔

9. Write for a living not just a hobby & self publish a book or two, have a pet advice column 

10. Spend a summer working on a horse ranch as a horse wrangler ✔ (best job ever!)

11. Be a whimsical folkartist illustrator when I grow up

12. Create a successful at home business that benefits others lives as well as my own in a positive way

13. Climb a dormant volcanic crater (Diamond Head, Hawaii) ✔ 

14. View Humpback Whales in their natural habitat ✔

15. Swim w/ friendly sea creatures in their natural habitat ✔ (giant sea turtles & various fish)

16. Live on a tropical island (Oahu, Hawaii) ✔

17. Rescue/adopt a horse ✔ (two so far)

18. Raise a Golden Retriever puppy ✔ (two so far)

19. Save a life ✔

20. Help shelter animals get noticed ✔

21. Be the voice for animals in need ✔

22. Educate others about compassion and peace, make a lasting impression ✔ (cont.repeat)

23. Talk less, write more. 

24. Remind the ones I love how special they are and how much I love them EVERYDAY! ✔ (cont. repeat)

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