Lessons from Man's Best Friend

A year ago, we lost our faithful companion Bingo to cancer.  He managed to survive two shelter stays, luckily being saved by a rescue the second time, but he couldn't beat his illness.  We only had about two years with Bingo, but I know that I will never forget him.  Bingo didn't have the same zest for life that Jack has, and we didn't get to know him as a puppy. So sometimes he didn't seem like as much "fun" as Jack because his two favorite pastimes were eating and napping.  But Bingo loved to be around us, even just next to us doing absolutely nothing, as many dogs do.  Bingo's legacy, for me, is a reminder to value simplicity and just being, without taking anything for granted.

Bingo also inspired me to action in support of animal rescue.  I am grateful that, unlike the millions of pets who don't make it out of the shelters alive, Bingo was spared and lived long enough to have a warm, safe home with us for a time.  He gave us so much more in return. 

We will always love you, Bingo.

The Legend of the Rainbow Bridge 

Help Save Lives: Foster a Homeless Dog! (Calling All JRT Enthusiasts)

If you have never fostered before, please take some time to consider being the lifeline of rescue by temporarily housing a rescue dog. There are an infinite number of rescue groups out there needing help, and even more dogs facing euthanasia in kill shelters every day. When I fell in love with my precious boy Jack, my first Jack Russell Terrier, I had no idea that nearly 4 million pets are killed in shelters in the U.S. every year.  You can check with the Humane Society of the United States if you think this statistic sounds unbelievable...and you will see it put another way: about one pet every eight seconds is put to death!


Almost Home Dog Rescue, a Tampa Bay, Florida, area non-profit organization, is overwhelmed with beautiful, pure bred Jack Russells awaiting forever homes, and there are still many more to be saved. Unfortunately, at a time when more and more dogs are being abandoned, foster homes seem to be hard to find but they are needed more than ever. I have fostered several dogs for Almost Home, and it has been an amazingly rewarding experience. The rescue pays for all of the expenses...we just need host families for dogs awaiting forever homes...so that we can save more dogs who are on the shelter "death row."  


Check out the video I put together last year, The Lucky Ones, to see why I got involved with rescue.  If you have any experience with dogs, it may be a lot easier than you think. Please message me for more information, or contact Almost Home Dog Rescue at 941-704-4765. You can see some of the many dogs awaiting homes at the Almost Home Dog Rescue website.

Enzo, a super sweet playful JRT who just wants a human to call his own!