I (heart) Dogs Blogfest - Week 1!

Welcome to Week 1 of the I <3 Dogs blogfest (AKA an awesome excuse to post pictures and info about totally adorable dogs *and the hot guys who love them, as demonstrated by the yummy Matthew Gray Gubler of Criminal Minds*). The blogfest is hosted by the awesome Small Town Rescue, and its' not too late to join in.

Unfortunately, my giveaway didn't quite pan out as I'd hoped, but that's okay. I'm still going to donate $25 to a shelter and pick a winner, and I'll try to have giveaways throughout the blogfest to encourage participation. I will do anything for puppies, as I have two of my own, and about 10 between my parents, my sister, and myself, most of them adopted (or born under my parents' bed, in Jasper, Max, and Skye's case).

In case you want to join the fun, here are the weekly themes:

Week 1 (2/20-2/26) – Favorite animal organization/rescue

Week 2 (2/27-3/4) – Favorite pet story (Tell us about your favorite pet! Doesn’t have to be a dog).

Week 3 (3/5-3/11) – Favorite animal-related book, movie, song, etc.

Week 4 (3/12-3/18) – What I know about dog rescues organizations?

Week 5 (3/19-3/25) – The gorgeous, the active, and the unique. Tell us your favorite dog breed.

Week 6 (3/26-4/1) – Favorite Dog/Pet Stores in your area.

Week 7 (4/2-4/8) – Favorite dog parks and dog-friendly attractions in your area.

Week 8 (4/9-4/15) – If I had a dream… What would you do for rescue dogs if you could?

For this week's theme, I have two choices, one local to my area and one not. 

First, I want to recognize SAAP, the Stray Animal Adoption Program. Located in Newport, Kentucky, SAAP works tirelessly to adopt out the animals under their care. They don't have a shelter, so all of the animals up for adoption are fostered in homes. The group is solely volunteer-run, and they've adopted out hundreds of animals since the program's founding in 1998.

I have a lot of respect for SAAP and the people who run it. Unfortunately, I haven't participated in a volunteer capacity yet, but I've met a lot of the people who run the adoptions at PetSmart, and they're some of the nicest, sweetest people who adore the animals they're trying to adopt out. Whenever I go out there on adoption weekends, I'm always astounded by how much care and attention they give to the animals. They're also incredibly knowledgeable about them and are more than willing to answer any questions and handle any concerns. I really, really love this group.

My second group is the Best Friends Animal Society located in Kanab, Utah. I've adored this organization since I first watched the show Dogtown on NatGeo. They take in all kinds of animals--dogs, cats, horses, lizards, parrots, wild animals (which they rehabilitate and re-release). What I love most about BFAS isn't that it's a no-kill refuge. It's that they hire people who take time to work with animals I've seen put to sleep on other animal shows (Animal Cops, especially). They'll work with aggressive animals, get to the root of the problem, and either help the animal become adoptable, or they keep it for the rest of its life. I've never seen a dog put down due to aggression--only terminal illness. If only every organization could do that...

Well, those are my picks. As our Wk 1 continues don’t forget to comment here or on any of our blog participants' posts to enter our drawing for the book PRINCIPLE DESTINY by David A. Cleinman or a chance to win a $15 Starbucks gift card! Thank you for your support and your time!