TEENY'S FRIENDS

Happy 2012 Everyone!

2012-01-10T10:52:00.000-06:00

Hello human and furry friends and happy 2012!

I hope you all had wonderful holidays and haven't broken ALL your New Year's resolutions yet! *wink wink* We had a great time on our vacation but we missed Teeny and Tootsie and Lo Mein. There's no place like home!

I will have some exciting news to announce soon. I've been busy busy making plans for the future. As a result, I don't have a January dog toy drive planned. I promise that when I tell you what I've been working on you will understand why. I can't wait to see what 2012 holds in store!

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-21T10:59:00.004-06:00

The McDougall family 2011 Christmas card.

I hope everyone out there has a SAFE and MERRY CHRISTMAS and a HAPPY NEW YEAR! We leave on Saturday for holiday vacation so I will see all of you in 2012! XOXO!

December Dog Toy Drive Still Going On!

2011-12-14T12:16:00.002-06:00

Just a quick reminder: our December dog toy drive is still going on at Woof Gang Bakery! Woof Gang is located at 1204 North Lamar here in Austin. I stopped in last Saturday to check on the toy drive progress, and the bin was already halfway full with a week to go! If you need to buy any stocking stuffers for your pooches, this is the place to do it. So stop in and pick up some goodies for your furbaby and donate some toys to a needy one at the same time! We will be picking the bins up the afternoon of Saturday, December 17th and I'm hoping for a full load!

World's Oldest Dog Dies - RIP Pusuke

2011-12-07T10:35:00.004-06:00

Pusuke, recognized by the Guiness Book of World Records as the world's oldest dog, passed away on Monday at the ripe old age of 26. Born in April 1985 in Japan, he died peacefully at home with his owner by his side. What an amazingly long life; both Pusuke and his owner were incredibly lucky to have so much time together. Rest in peace, sweet boy, and run free at the Rainbow Bridge!

December Dog Toy Drive

2011-12-01T11:55:00.000-06:00

Santa Paws is coming to town!

Our December dog toy drive will be held at Woof Gang Bakery [there is a map included in the link] here in Austin, located at 1204 North Lamar. Our bins will be there Saturday, December 3rd [sometime in the afternoon - I will be driving back from Houston earlier in the day] until Saturday, December 17th. Woof Gang has chosen the Austin Humane Society as the beneficiary for the month, so stop by and pick up a tasty treat for your furry friend and drop off a dog toy in our bin!

Teeny Enjoying His Thanksgiving Feast!

2011-11-28T14:20:00.001-06:00

Right before Thanksgiving I posted a dog-friendly Thanksgiving feast recipe. I tried it out and it was a hit! Below are some pictures of Marteeny chowing down. Om nom nom!

A feast fit for a king!

Hmmm this isn't my usual
kibble...

Licked the bowl clean!

Lo Mein Update

2011-11-23T10:54:00.003-06:00

Well as you can see from the video, Lo Mein is completely healthy and has [who knew!] a naughty streak! Here he is trying to get Teeny and Tootsie to play with him.

Dog Friendly Thanksgiving Dinner

2011-11-22T09:44:00.000-06:00

I can't wait to make this recipe for Teeny and Tootsie with our Thanksgiving leftovers!

Ingredients
1     sweet potato, peeled and coarsely chopped
1/2 cup leftover skinless roast turkey meat, shredded
1/2 cup leftover stuffing* or 1 piece toast, coarsely chopped
1     teaspoon finely chopped fresh sage
2     tablespoons prepared cranberry sauce

*Do not use stuffing that contains onions and/or garlic, which can both be toxic to cats and dogs.

Directions
1. In a small pot of boiling, salted water, cook the sweet potato until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and let cool.
2. In a mixing bowl, stir together the sweet potato, turkey, stuffing, and sage. Top with the cranberry sauce and serve.

New Addition to the Family!

2011-11-10T15:45:00.000-06:00

We have a new addition to our family! He is a 8 week old kitten named Lo Mein, adopted from the Austin Humane Society.

Lo Mein has had a rough start to his little life and especially his time with us. We picked him up from the shelter on Halloween afternoon; by Wednesday morning he still had not eaten anything. So on to the vet we went, only to find out he was in kidney failure. Neither my husband or I had ever had a cat and were completely overwhelmed and upset. Not wanting to give up on our new little buddy, we chose a treatment method and hoped for the best - even though it was a long shot. Lo Mein [or Lo, as we have been calling him] had to stay at the vet clinic during these treatments, so my husband and I took turns visiting him there at different times throughout the day. We brought him his bed, some toys, and sat and talked to him. The idea was that us being there would be a comfort to him, but in reality I think it was more for us than him - we felt so helpless, and only had him for about 36 hours before he was admitted so we weren't even sure if he knew who we were. Sitting with him made us feel as though we were doing something to help him. By Friday we had some great news - all of Lo's levels were normal and he was ready to come home! We couldn't believe it! So we picked him up and brought him back to our house, but by Saturday he was sneezing non-stop. Back to the vet we went. Lo now has a nasty upper respiratory infection. I think the saddest thing I have ever seen is an 8 month old kitty with red, watery eyes and a drippy nose. As of today [when he had a check-up] he seems to be on the mend. He gained 2 ounces since Tuesday, his eyes are clearing up, and he doesn't seem to be quite as sneezy or drippy. He's eating well, sleeping a lot, and setting in at home and getting used to Teeny and Tootsie. We're so happy our new little guy is slowly feeling better and I think I speak for all of us when I say that I can't wait for an opportunity to be bored!

Halloween Pet Safety Tips

2011-10-28T09:39:00.001-05:00

Halloween is only a few days away and I could not be more excited! My jack o' lanterns are carved, my house is decorated, and my costume is ready to go. It's my favorite holiday! We live on a busy street so I doubt we'll get many trick-or-treaters. Just in case our doorbell starts ringing I am prepared with plenty of candy and these Halloween pet safety tips!

*The bowl of candy is for trick-or-treaters! Chocolate in all forms is dangerous for dogs or cats.

*Seasonal fall plants, like pumpkin and corn, aren’t toxic to animals but can cause upset stomachs.

*Wires and cords for electric decorations should be kept out of reach so that your pet cannot chew on them.

*Keep an eye on your jack o’lantern when lit! If a pet knocks over the candle it could cause a fire.

*Don’t dress your put up in a costume [no matter how cute it is!] unless they honestly like wearing it so as to not cause undue stress.

*If you do dress your pet up in a costume, please make sure they can move, breath, and bark/meow properly.

*Look over your pets costume and make sure there aren’t any small or dangling pieces that could be chewed off and choked on.

*Unless your pet is very social, keep them in another room during peak trick-or-treat hours; too many strangers can be scary and stressful.

*When opening the door to pass out candy, make sure your dog or cat doesn’t dart outside into the street.

*Make sure your dog has an ID tag with identification and your phone number so that if they do get out they will be able to get in touch with you.

I included these tips in my November 2011 newsletter but figured they were worth repeating again. Hope everyone has a great Howloween!

November 2011 Teeny's Friends Tribune

2011-10-26T10:47:00.000-05:00

[Please click on the newsletter for a larger version]

September Wrap-Up & October News

2011-10-06T11:48:00.000-05:00

No one get in between me
and my bonies so you better
get outta my way!!!

September was an extremely busy [but fun!!!] month for Teeny's Friends. We participated in two events so we were able to raise twice the toys - and even a little dough for a worthy organization.

The Hound Hunt [a city-wide dog-centric scavenger hunt] was a total blast. A picture with Teeny and a toy donation were both on the passport, which was completed to win the hunt. We raised a ton of toys at the event, and all donations were sent to the Austin Humane Society - who took in quite a few of the animals displaced by the Central Texas wildfires earlier this month.

Uh, Mom? We've been pretty
busy lately. How do we put
in for some vacation time?

Our small dog playday at Southpaws Playschool was a ton of fun. The admission was either $5 or a dog toy and all proceeds went to Austin Pets Alive! At the end of the event we had $55 in cash donations and a big box full of toys to send off to APA. Teeny was so pooped from all the fun he could barely keep his eyes open on the ride home.

Our October toy drive will be held during our pals Party Animal's dog Rugby's Teen Woof barkday party on October 15th. Our bins will be there and we will be raising toys for Emancipet. If you are in the Austin area you should come to MetroDog [who also hosted Teeny's 7-Year Itch Barkday Party!] and check it out!

Small Dog Playday This Weekend!

2011-09-20T10:30:00.004-05:00

I've mentioned our upcoming small dog playday at Southpaws Playschool a few times, but now that it's only a few days away I am ready to reveal more details!

The playday will be indoors [from 1-5pm] and will be open to dogs 20 pounds and under. Thank dog for air conditioning! Bottled water will be provided. Admission is $5 OR one dog toy to be donated. All dog toy donations will benefit Austin Pets Alive, who have gone ABOVE and BEYOND to help the pets displaced by the recent Texas wildfires.

There will many activities for you and your pooch to enjoy: goody bags, door prizes, a treasure dig [Which sounds pawesome! Teeny is very excited about this.], a beauty pawlor provided by Dirty Dog, dog cookies, and even doggy yoga and massage demos provided by Austin Doga & Wright Vibes Animal Massage!

Who's coming? Hope to see you all there!

Texas Wildfires

2011-09-08T12:41:00.006-05:00

Bastrop State Park, about 30 miles
outside of Austin, on 09-05-2011.

This week I have been getting lots of emails/messages/tweets asking if we are being affected by the central Texas wildires. The fires are too close for comfort but far enough that we are safe. Bastrop is about 30 miles away from us, and the fire in the Steiner Ranch neighborhood is about 12 miles away. My boss lives in Steiner Ranch and his house burned to the ground on Sunday night. He and his wife were out of town for the day and did not even have a chance to save any of their belongings. Thank goodness they don't have any pets...

Outside the air is thick with smoke and it smells like someone is barbequing about five feet away. The TCEQ is recommending that everyone stay indoors, windows and doors shut, and limit their exposure to the smoke. For an active city that loves to be outdoors, especially running Town Lake, this is a big deal. Still, we all know it could be worse. In Bastrop [see picture above] 35,000 acres have burned and 1,386 homes were destroyed. It hurts to see Austin, my city that I love so much, so wrecked. Still, I feel good about the people I am surrounded by: we have contacted various shelters to see if fosters are needed for animals evacuated from Bastrop shelters, and SO many people have volunteered none were needed at the time of my call. Amazing!

The only thing left to do is to help our friends & family with the rebuilding process. This weekend's Hount Hunt benefits the Austin Humane Society, which has taken in a lot of displaced animals from Bastrop shelters. Our small dog playday at Southpaws Playschool on 9/24 will now benefit Austin Pets Alive!, who have gone out of their way to help shelter and care for the dogs transferred to them.

Thank you to everyone who has contacted me to make sure we are ok and out of harms way. I'll post more updates as I get them.

September 2011 Teeny's Friends Tribune

2011-09-01T12:03:00.000-05:00

More Info About The Hount Hunt

2011-08-26T12:51:00.001-05:00

September is shaping up to be a busy month for us! On September 24th we have our small dog playday at Southpaws Playschool and I'm excited to announce that on September 10th we will participate in The Hound Hunt! We mentioned this pawsome event before, but we have more details now. I've been sworn to secrecy, but Teeny will be a V*I*P part of the hunt.

If you need a refresher of what The Hound Hunt is, here is the description on the official website:

"Party Animals and It's Pawsitively Irresistible are proud to bring you The Hound Hunt, a city wide, dog-centric scavenger hunt benefiting the Austin Human Society!

Teams may have up to 4 Humans and up to 4 Dogs. You're not required to have a Hound during the hunt, but we think it will add for a FANTASTIC time! Plus, there are a few extra points for doggy activities...

Sniffin' Registration for the hunt begins at 2pm at Jo's Coffee on South Congress, and Pawsports will be handed out at 3pm on a first-in-line-bases. You will visit several Hydrant Stops throughout the city, where your team will need to sniff out the clues & participate in barktivities included in your Pawsport. You can hunt in any order, and not all clues must be solved. There will be a mix of clues, activites and photos to be taken - so make sure to bring a camera!

At 6pm, teams will check-in at the Hound Round Up at metrodog and join the after PAWTY! Points will be tallied, winners will be announced and prizes handed out. Your entire team must be present to win. After pawty will be from 6-8pm and is free & open to the public!"

Teeny and I will be involved in the hunt ~ not as participants, but as part of the clues. We hope to see all your smiling and drooling faces there. After all, it's for a good cause; the Austin Humane Society! So put on your detective caps and head on over to the website to register. See ya on the 10th!

September Small Dog Playday & Dog Toy Drive

2011-08-18T11:42:00.000-05:00

It looks like we won't be having a toy drive for the month of August. I contacted several local organizations and have yet to hear back from anyone. After 2+ years of having monthly toy drives we may be starting to run out of hosts. I knew this would happen eventually! I'll keep working on it, but in the meantime I wanted to tell you what we have planned for September.

On September 24, 2011 from 1-5pm we will be co-hosting a small dog playday [small dog in this case means 20 pounds and under] with our friends at Southpaws Playschool. Southpaws is a free range doggy daycare here in Austin, Texas. They also offer a range of products and training/obedience services. Bring your little furbaby for an afternoon of fun and we will have a few other fun things to announce as the event gets closer.

Teeny and Tootsie are really excited about the playday and hope to see you there!

Don't Leave Your Pets in Hot Cars!

2011-08-09T12:04:00.000-05:00

I'm sure everyone has heard of the heat wave we're having here in the South. Several months of 100+ degree days in a row with very little rain. And by very little, I basically mean NONE - we had a few minutes of sprinkles two weeks ago but I don't think that even counts. One of my coworkers heard about an experiment where a woman used her car as an oven to bake chocolate chip cookies. With daily temperatures at around 105 degrees we decided to give it a shot.

On Friday, August 5th at noon [CST] we took a metal pan [lined with wax paper] and set it on my car dashboard. I bought pre-made cookie dough at the store. We put small chunks of the dough about two inches apart on the wax paper and closed up the car [see pic 1 below]. Temperatures were around 107 that day according to my car thermometer. After about two hours in the car we checked on the cookies, and they were expanding and rising quicker than we expected [see pic 2 below]. We decided to leave them in the car another few hours to see if they would harden. Three hours and 45 minutes later [at 3:45pm CST] the cookies were done [see pic 3 below].

The moral of the story is PLEASE DON'T LEAVE YOUR PETS IN CARS THAT GET SO HOT THEY CAN BE USED AS OVENS!

Pic 1: The cookie dough is in
"the oven!"

Pic 2: After two hours in the
hot car...

Pic 3: Three hours and 45
mins later & they are done!

August 2011 Teeny's Friends Tribune

2011-08-05T12:42:00.000-05:00

[Please click on the newsletter for a larger version]

The Hound Hunt

2011-08-04T12:00:00.001-05:00

I am writing you today to tell you about a pawsome upcoming event in the Austin, Texas area. It's called The Hound Hunt.

The Hound Hunt is a city-wide pet-centric scavenger hunt organized by our friends Party Animals and It's Pawsitively Irresistible [who were both involved with Teeny's recent "seven year itch" themed birthday party]. It will take place from 3-5pm on September 10th, 2011. Teams of 2-4 people [you can also have up to 4 dogs on your team!] can participate.

In the words of the organizers: "Sniffin' Registration begins at 2pm at Jo’s Coffee and Pawsports will be handed out at 3pm on a first-in-line basis. You will visit several Hydrant stops, where your team will need to sniff out the clues and participate in bartivities included in your Pawsport. You can hunt in any order, and not all clues must be solved. There will be a mix of clues, activities and photos to be taken - so make sure to wear comfy shoes and bring a camera!

At 6pm, teams will check into the Hound Round Up at metrodog, and join the after-pawty (which is free & open to the public)! Points will be tallied, winners will be announced and prizes handed out. Your entire team must be present to win! "

Teeny and I will be involved in the event and cannot wait. For more information and to register, please visit the official Hound Hunt website!

Caption That Contest Winner!

2011-08-03T10:58:00.000-05:00

"Bobbing for bones - a great way
to beat the heat!"

Our summertime Caption That! contest is officially over and a winner has been chosen! The winning caption was written by Rob Easley [who runs an Australian Cattle Dog rescue website] and I will be shipping off his prize - a box of Hartz puppy goodies - this afternoon. The winning caption is below the photo located to the left. So cute!

The top box is full of the toys
for Emancipet and the
bottom box is the prize for
our "Caption That!" contest.

Also this afternoon I will be shipping off the remaining toys raised for Emancipet at Teeny's "Seven Year Itch" party in June. There were 40 additional toys that still needed to be sent. I really hope the pooches at Emancipet enjoy their new goodies!

I am currently working on setting up a toy drive for the month of August, so please stay tuned - I should be posting that info soon!

Virtual Petwork and Austin are Helping Homeless Pets!

2011-07-21T16:32:00.000-05:00

Have you ever heard of Adopt a Pet? It's a pawsome website that harnesses the power of the internet [and TV and phone lines] to help find forever homes for animals. One way they do is by offering profiles of animals in shelters. [For an example, please click here to see a profile for Izzy, an adorable bull terrier / bulldog mix in the Austin area.] They are such a great website and I am so impressed to see what a difference they are making in the lives of adoptable pets.

Yesterday the folks at Adopt a Pet posted about Virtual Petwork [the pets only social network we launched earlier this year] in a blog about Austin, Texas organizations who are working to dogs and cats find forever homes. So cool! CLICK HERE TO READ THE ARTICLE.

Caption That Contest Time!

2011-07-14T11:36:00.000-05:00

Photo of goodies you could
win in our Caption That
contest!

It's time for another "CAPTION THAT" contest! I have a box that contains a whole bunch of great puppy goodies, including:

* A package of Hartz Home Protection puppy training pads,
* a PediPaws pet nail trimmer,
* a bag of Hartz Crunch n Clean bacon flavored Mini Bites,
* a Hartz Dura Play Football dog toy,
* a box of Hartz Crunch n Clean dog biscuits, and
* a Hartz Groomer's Best Slicker dog brush.

As usual, to win all you have to do is write a clever caption for the funny animal photo below. Leave your caption in the comments below this post, but make sure you also leave an email address so I will be able to get in touch with you if you win!

The contest begins today [07/14/2011] and will end in two weeks on Friday, July 29th. The photo you will be writing a caption for is below. I chose it in honor of the ridiculously hot weather we have been having here in Austin this summer.

Good luck and happy captioning!

For Those Using Frontline

2011-07-13T10:10:00.001-05:00

As some of you know we have recently been having some issues with fleas. NO FUN! I tried everything: shampoos, sprays, collars, drops, even some homeopathic methods - but nothing seemed to work. Teeny and Tootsie were beginning to scratch themselves raw in some places. Finally I threw in the towel and called our vet for advice.

At our appointment, I asked the vet why our Frontline had failed us and asked how the problem gotten so out of control so fast. Our vet said that MANY people are coming in saying that they have noticed Frontline either isn't working as well as it used to, or isn't working at all. She told us the makers of Frontline swear the fleas are not working up a resistance to it, but she is not sure if she believes them because of so many cases similar to ours. All you have to do is Google "Frontline Stopped Working" and you will see how many people are saying the same thing.

We took our dogs off Frontline and have put them on Trifexis, a monthly pill that contains both flea/tick and heartworm preventative. We also had pest control company come out and bomb our house and yard, which meant all of us - both dogs and both humans - had to find a way to be out of the house for 6 hours. Not an easy task! So far it has been working well and we seem to be flea free. Paws crossed!

If your pooches are on Frontline to help protect them for fleas, just be aware that in many cases it is no longer working. Just wanted to pass along the information so you can all make informed decisions! :)

July 2011 Teeny's Friends Tribune

2011-07-01T15:54:00.000-05:00

[Please click on the newsletter for a larger version]

I hope all of our USA friends have a safe and happy 4th of July holiday!

Teeny's Birthday Party

2011-06-30T12:03:00.007-05:00

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO SEE THE PICS FROM TEENY'S PAWTY ON HIS VIRTUAL PETWORK PROFILE.

Teeny's annual birthday bash was this past Saturday, and I think it's safe to say it was our best ever!!! The "Seven Year Itch" themed party was old Hollywood glam, and lots of pooches dressed to kill. Our pals Party Animals planned the party and they did a great job.

Held at Metrodog in the Domain here in Austin, guests walked the red carpet and had their photos taken by the pawparazzi [aka Estevan Alfaro Photography]. Humans noshed on cupcakes from Lick It, Bite It, or Both and snacks from Silver Grill Cafe, washed down by a signature cocktail - a "Marteeny" - created in honor of the birthday boy. Four legged guests chowed down on treats and pupcake provided by It's Pawsitively Irresisitible and relaxed with canine massages from Skillful Paws.

At the end of the party everyone gathered around Teeny and sang him happy birthday. He couldn't wait to dig into his cake and as soon as I let him go he dove in headfirst! Video below:

Most importantly, we were able to raise a TON of toys for Emancipet. I can't wait to see the look on all their animals furry faces when we drop off all those boxes full of goodies!

I already can't wait until next year's birthday pawty!

Teeny's Party / Toy Drive Update

2011-06-21T11:35:00.000-05:00

Teeny at his birthday
party in 2009.

Teeny's birthday party is five days away! Are you ready?

We have decided that, in addition to the toys we are asking people to bring to the party to donate [more on that below], we will be donating 1 toy for each $10 spent at Metrodog, our pawsome host.

Not sure what to get the birthday boy? He doesn't want any gifts - all he wants is for everyone to bring a toy to donate to Emancipet, one of our favorite animal organizations.

Just as a reminder, the party is on Saturday, June 25th from 7-9 at Metrodog in the Domain. To RSVP and find out all the fun stuff we have planned, please visit the official invite by clicking HERE. Hope to see all our Austin friends there!

Summertime... And The Livin's Easy

2011-06-15T16:34:00.000-05:00

Tootsie enjoying a wading pool in the
"water park" at Snout by Snouthwest,
a dog festival in Austin on 6/5/11.

I just wanted to write a quick post, letting everyone know what we have been up to since our last entry. It's crazy hot in Austin right now - well over 100 degrees every day for nearly a month now. The humans and canines in our family are staying inside as much as possible! Hot weather + very little rain apparently = prime flea conditions. Both our dogs are very itchy right now so if anyone has any hints/tips/suggestions on how to make them more comfortable, I'd be forever grateful! Flea baths, flea spray, flea collars... nothing seems to be helping!

The main thing I have been working on this month is Teeny's upcoming "Seven Year Itch" themed birthday party. If you have not RSVP'd, please click here to do so. We are asking all guests to bring a new or gently used dog toy and we will be passing along all donated toys to our friends at Emancipet, one of our favorite local pet organizations. Teeny's "uncle Erik," who works for Sergeant's, sent Teeny two hugs boxes of toys for his birthday for us to hand out at the party or donate as we wish. What a cool uncle!

Teeny and Tootsie sitting on top of the
two big boxes of toys their Uncle Erik
sent for Teeny's upcoming party.

Teeny's party will count as our toy drive for June. I haven't begun to line up our toy drive for July, but I am discussing a fun "End of Summer" beach-themed play-day party at Southpaws Playschool, probably sometime in August. I will be sure and keep everyone informed about the details once I have more of them!

We have also been busy with the launch of our social network site for pets, Virtual Petwork. We are rockin' and rollin' and already have over 200 members! Our friends at Dog Tipper just reviewed the site; click here to read their review. If you haven't signed up for an account yet, try it out - why not, it's free!

Hope to see you all at Teeny's party!

Pictures from Huntley Animal House Shelter

2011-06-03T12:46:00.000-05:00

Remember our online toy drive last month? The one where all dog toy donations generated by the purchase of our one-for-one toy were sent to our friends at Huntley Animal House Shelter? We raised 67 toys for their animals. Can you believe that? Thank you so much to everyone who helped us support this pawsome organization. They were kind enough to take some photos of two of their pooches exploring the massive boxes of dog toys that arrived at the shelter. Click here to see them - but have some tissues ready! :)

Teeny's 7th Birthday Bash Details

2011-06-03T12:25:00.010-05:00

Last week I teased you all with an invite to Teeny's upcoming 7th birthday party without giving you any details. Well, the details are here - are they are spectacular!

The party will be at MetroDog in the Domain, as I mentioned previously, from 7-9pm on Saturday, June 25th. MetroDog is a new pet boutique who has a generous nature every bit as pawsome as their products [they hosted our May dog toy drive as well]. Our friends at Party Animals are helping plan this soiree and they are doing a fantastic job! If you are in the Austin area and planning to have a birthday party [or other event] for your pooch, I highly recommend giving them a call.

Since Teeny is turning 7 [and I have a love of all black and white movies, especially those starring Marilyn Monroe], the theme for his party is "Seven Year Itch." The deco will be old Hollywood glam and will include a red carpet for you and your pooch to strut down. Watch out for the "pawparazzi" who will be trying to take your picture [click here to visit the photographers Facebook page to "like" it]! We will be providing a doggie dessert buffet for your four legged friends as well as a dog friendly birthday cake [start warming up your pipes to sing Happy Birthday!]. The treats and cake will be provided by It's Pawsitively Irressistable [click here to "like" them on Facebook]. A dog masseuse will also be on hand thanks to Skillful Paws [click here to "like" them on Facebook] to rub away your pooches stresses. For the 21+ humans, we have a special drink created in Teeny's honor called a [what else?] Marteeny. We will also provide appetizers [thanks to Silver Grill Cafe] and CUPCAKES [thanks to Like It, Bite It, or Both].

It wouldn't be a Teeny birthday party without a toy drive, so we will be collecting new and gently used dog toys during the event. All toys raised will benefit Emancipet, one of our favorite local animal organizations.

This party is to help thank our fantastic supporters, so everyone is invited! If you are in the Austin area, please check out the official event invite and click on that "I'm Attending" button!

150 Dogs Rescued From Hoarders in Bastrop, Tx

2011-05-26T14:42:00.001-05:00

This week Bastrop County Animal Control and rescuers from the Austin Humane Society [who we have worked with several times in the past] siezed 150 dogs from hoarders living in Bastrop, Tx. For those of you who aren't familiary with central Texas, Bastrop is about an hour outside of Austin - where we live. The dogs were found in a home infested with trash, feces, and urine. Many of the dogs were malnourished and had not been receiving medical care. One dog, Smokey, was thought to be a pile of rugs until he started moving around. Smokey was an 11 pound dog carrying around an extra 10 pounds of feces matted fur. All of the pooches are safe now, thank goodness, but the influx has DOUBLED the population of the Austin Humane Society. They are in serious need of donations of equipment, materials, and money to help take care of the new dogs.

Here is a list of specific things they are asking for:

Medium, large, and extra large crates.
Medium and large animal crates.
Towels.
Monetary donations.

Material donations can be dropped off at the shelter, located at 124 W. Anderson Lane. Monetary donations can be made on the "donations" link of their website.

Teeny's 7th Birthday Bash

2011-05-20T16:57:00.001-05:00

Mark your calendars!!!

Help us celebrate Teeny's 7th birthday with a Seven Year Itch themed bash! His party will be on Saturday, June 25th at MetroDog [who is currently hosting our May dog toy drive].

Our friends at Party Animals are helping us plan the party, so Teeny is sure to have the best birthday ever.

It will be a public party, so you are ALL invited! More details to come as the planning commences, so stay tuned!

Pictures from Huntley Animal House Shelter

2011-05-11T09:44:00.001-05:00

May Toy Drive Kick-Off!

2011-05-10T09:25:00.000-05:00

Our May dog toy drive at MetroDog has officially kicked off! I set the bin up on Friday and by Saturday morning I received notice that the first donation had already been made. I have a feeling this is going to be another very successful toy drive.

Don't forget - we take new or gently used toys and MetroDog has generously offered to give 15% off to anyone who buys a toy to be donated to our bin! The chosen beneficiary is the Austin Humane Society and the toy drive ends Friday, May 20th so don't miss your change to help out a great organization!

May Dog Toy Drive Info

2011-05-03T11:40:00.001-05:00

Ever since I attended the birthday party for MetroDog's mascot, Jack the Pug, I have wanted an opportunity to work with those guys. Now my chance has arrived! MetroDog has not only offered to host our May dog toy drive, but they have also offered to give 15% off to anyone who buys a toy to be donated to our bin! *high paw* Our bins will be at MetroDog [located in the Domain] from Friday, May 6th until Friday, May 20th and the Austin Humane Society has been chosen as the beneficiary. Please stop by and support both a GREAT new store [MetroDog has been open since 11-2010] and a great animal organization!

April Toy Drive Pictures

2011-04-28T16:51:00.003-05:00

Our April dog toy drive at Mud Puppies was quite possibly our biggest ever. I knew from the pictures they were sending me that it was going to be huge, but I wasn't prepared for the mountain of toys waiting to be picked up. The pooches at Austin Dog Rescue [the chosen beneficiary for April] have hit the jackpot! :)

May dog toy drive information coming soon... I'm very excited to tell you guys about it...

Royal Wedding 2011

2011-04-26T12:01:00.000-05:00

Did you know that Teeny and Tootsie will be attending the royal wedding as guests of the groom? Below are some pictures I took of them in their wedding attire. I will be watching it on TV at 6am with the other "commoners." I know I could Tivo it and watch it later, but there is something very exciting about watching it all happen live. I wasn't born when Diana and Charles wed, so this is my first big royal wedding! I am sure that Teeny will be tweeting live as the events unfold [assuming palace security doesn't confiscate his Barkberry] so follow him on Twitter if you do not already.

Are you guys planning on watching the wedding? If so, are you doing something special for it?

Teeny looking very dashing

in his Georgio Dogmani tux.

Tootsie looking every inch a
lady in her Ruffdarte dress
and Chewy Vuitton feathered hat.

I can't be upstaged by my dogs!

Here is my royal engagement ring

replica - $9.99 on Ebay!

April Toy Drive Update

2011-04-21T09:24:00.001-05:00

Our April dog toy drive at Mud Puppies seems to going great!!! The folks there have been pawsome about keeping me updated on the progress; below are two pictures they have sent me at different times throughout the past week and a half. The top picture was sent about 4 days into the drive - impressive, right? The bottom picture is from yesterday. We still have two and a half days left in the drive... I wonder how full the basket will be by the time I pick it up?

Virtual Petwork Donating $1 To Japan Aid Per New Account

2011-04-12T11:38:00.000-05:00

Our new pets-only social network, Virtual Petwork, is donating $1 per new Virtual Petwork account - from now until the end of April. Sign your pet up for a free profile page [we already have 50+ members!] and invite your pet pals! New features include a live Twitter feed on profile pages, a link that emails your friends and invites them to join, and larger photo upload capacity! Click here to check it out today, and remember: for each new account we will be donating $1 to the Red Cross for Japan aid!

Strut Your Mutt Videos!

2011-04-12T10:43:00.003-05:00

I found some videos taken at Strut Your Mutt on Sunday and wanted to share them with you guys! Watch for cameos by Teeny and I in both of them! :)

Strut Your Mutt & April Dog Toy Drive

2011-04-11T12:33:00.000-05:00

This weekend marked both the beginning of our April dog toy drive and the Strut Your Mutt Dog Show & Spring Rescue Bazaar. It also marked the beginning of 95 degree and up weekends here in Austin, which was terrible timing as the dog show was outdoors. Thank goodness for sunscreen!

Our April dog toy drive at Mud Puppies officially kicked off on Saturday morning. The store was even cuter than I imagined! Our bin will be there until Saturday, April 23rd and the donated toys will benefit Austin Dog Rescue, so if you are in the area and are able please stop by & donate to this great cause!

On Sunday we had a booth at Strut Your Mutt. The event was at the Humane Society of Williamson County - a previous toy drive host AND beneficiary - who we love and were happy to help support. There were tons of pet related vendors there, some great food, training demonstrations, and even a dog show. We were there selling our toys, promoting Virtual Petwork, and raising awareness in general. It was really fun, but 6+ hours in the hot sun makes for a LONG day and we all crashed when we got home! Below are some pics of our booth as well as some of the kind people who bought our one-for-one toy. Thank you so much to everyone who came out and supported us!

Easy Canvas Prints

2011-04-05T10:59:00.001-05:00

I recently received a canvas print of one of my favorite photos of Teeny and Tootsie from the folks at Easy Canvas Prints and I am thrilled with it! Quite a few people have asked me where they could get this sort of thing for a reasonable price [the places my hubby and I found were so pricy they would require the sale of a kidney] so I thought I would do a post on here and let everyone know at the same time. Full disclosure - they sent me the print for free in exchange for a link on my site, but I'm doing this post because I want to and am genuinly excited about the product.

[The picture of the canvas on the left was taken with my Blackberry camera so it's not the best quality. The actual print is very high quality.]

Easy Canvas Prints lets you customize your whole project from start to finish. The first step is to choose your size [they even have a diagram that will show you how large it will be in relation to a 7 foot couch, which is very helpful] and wrap [thickness of the canvas]. Then you upload your image. Next you can choose your wrap; mirror [the image mirrors around the edge of the print], image [the image wraps around the edge of the print], or border color [select a color for the border]. Last come the finishing touches - you can opt for black and white, sepia, and image retouching.

Our print is now hanging in our bedroom, but something like this would also make a great gift!

April Toy Drive Info

2011-04-04T10:16:00.000-05:00

Our April dog toy drive will be held at Mud Puppies, an adorable self-service dog wash / grooming / play care / boarding facility. They are a one-stop pampering shop for your pooch!

Mud Puppies is located at 12233 N. FM 620 [at 620 N. & Lake Creek Pkwy.] in Austin, Texas. Our bins will be at their shop from Saturday, April 9th through Saturday, April 23rd. If you have a pooch who gets smelly [I know mine do....] then stop by between those dates! They provide: natural hypo-allergenic tearless shampoos & conditioners, flea shampoos, commercial grade sprayers, high velocity blowers, high waist tubs, brushes, towels, ear/dental/eye wipes, and nail trimmers! And they only charge $10-$15 per dog! Skip the mess at home and bathe your dog at Mud Puppies ~ don't forget to bring a new or gently used dog toy to drop in our bins!

Mud Puppies has chosen Austin Dog Rescue as the beneficiary for this month. ADR is an all-volunteer mixed breed rescue. They assist homeless dogs by rescuing them from a local shelter and by reaching out to less visible shelters in the Central Texas area. Help up support this great organization!

Partnering With Animal House Shelter

2011-04-01T12:40:00.000-05:00

During the month of April, all dog toy donations generated from the purchase of our one-for-one toy will benefit our friends at Animal House Shelter [AHS] in Huntley, Il. This is the first time we've partnered exclusively with an organization for an entire month's worth of donations, and I hope to raise a lot of toys for their furbabies. [They are also our animal organization of the month!] We will be at the Strut Your Mutt Dog Show & Spring Rescue Bazaar next weekend [more info on that to come] so *paws crossed* we sell a lot of toys so that we have a lot of donations to make!

AHS is a non-profit, 501(c)(3), No-Kill shelter for all breeds of dogs and cats. Open since June 2002, they have rescued, rehabilitated and placed over 15,000 dogs and cats, to date, into loving forever homes! They rescue abused/neglected dogs and cats and rehabilitates them mentally & physically in order to place them with the best new family. 98% of our dogs are rescued from high 'kill' shelters, pounds and various animal control facilities in which they are usually listed as strays, and almost always scheduled to be euthanized.

For each one-for-one toy bought between now and April 30th, we will be donating to AHS. The toy is $4.99 and is available for purchase via PayPal in the right hand column of this website. Help us help the pooches of Animal House Shelter - I think they have earned a little fun, don't you?

April 2011 Teeny's Friends Tribune

2011-04-01T10:39:00.000-05:00

[Please click on the newsletter for a larger version.]

My Weekend Went to the Dogs!

2011-03-28T12:20:00.000-05:00

Literally.

I spent all weekend playing soccer mom to my dogs, driving them back and forth to various activities. By Sunday I wondered if I should consider trading my Mini Cooper in for a mini van. I'm not complaining - it was a very busy couple of days, but SO much fun.

Event #1: Schnauzer Meetup

On Saturday at 2pm I took Tootsie to a schnauzer meetup. Teeny's Twitter friend Wrigley invited us. It seemed like a great opportunity to begin resocializing Tootsie, since she has recovered from her cataract surgery and can see again. 27 schnauzers RSVP'd to the meetup so I knew it would fun chaos. Tootsie actually did a little better than I expected [although she did get a little understandably overwhelmed at times] and we will for sure be going to the meetup next month. And next time I will know to bring sunscreen and bottled water! I forgot how early it gets hot in Texas. Below are a couple of pics of the meetup. Schnauzers everywhere!!!

Event #2: Jack the Pug's Birthday Party

Then on Saturday night, I took Teeny to a dog birthday party. Jack the Pug, whose pet parents own Metrodog in the Domain, had a bash cool enough to make any human envious. Dog cake, human cake, peticures, swag bags, and a drink created in his honor [a Jackarita] - this pawty had it all. Teeny had a great time and so did I! Below is a video of Jack digging into his dog friendly birthday cake.

*YAWN* Who says kids are more work than dogs?

March Toy Drive Pic!

2011-03-22T16:46:00.000-05:00

Thought you guys might enjoy seeing a picture of the toys we raised in our March dog toy drive at Just For Pets. Hope the pooches at Lucky Mutts Rescue enjoy them, and thanks to everyone who donated! I hope to have some information about our April toy drive for you guys soon! XoXo

日本の日に足

2011-03-17T10:50:00.002-05:00

The above Japanese translates to "Paws for Japan Day," which is what the online animal community has chosen to honor today as.

Every day the situation in Japan grows a bit more perilious. Our hearts go out to everyone there, of both the two and four-legged variety.

Often times in situations like these, the animal welfare is overlooked at the beginning of the crisis in favor of trying to find and aid human survivors. I have first-hand experience with this; when the earthquake struck Haiti in January 2010 I tried to send a box of toys for the rescued street dogs to play with. My thinking was that cuddling a plushie might make them less scared, and also I figured they certainly deserved a bit of fun. I got the same response, over and over again: we're focused on the humans at this time. [Someone eventually took the toys, and were very thankful for them.]

World Vets is an United States based organization that provides "veterinary aid around the globe in collaboration with animal advocacy groups, foreign governments, US and foreign military groups and veterinary professionals abroad." They have already mobilized, gathered supplies, and have a team on the ground in Japan [you can read their updates here] and are working with local rescues there. They are organized, hard-working, and 100% legitimate. They also need funds, as this work is not cheap.

I read that many animals were found with plastic bags containing money tied to their collars - people knew they might get seperated from their pets and did the best they could to ensure future care. These animals were someone's pets; I know if I were in their shoes I would want someone to take care of my beloved Teeny and Tootsie. So that's why I am asking you to join me in supporting World Vets. You can donate here. If you aren't able to donate, help spread the world. Write a blog post and join the blog hop [links below]. Post a "chip-in" on your site. Every little bit helps, and the animals are worth it.

Virtual Petwork

2011-03-15T10:15:00.001-05:00

Today marks a very exciting day for us: the soft launch of Virtual Petwork, a six-month labor of love.

We found out that many of our animal friends on Twitter were having their Facebook accounts deleted [a non-human account violates their rules]. So Todd and I decided to take matters into our own hands and create a place just for animals.

Virtual Petwork is a free social network site open to all species of animals. Dogs, cats, horses, fish, birds, lizards, even pot bellied pigs - any and all pets are welcome! Here are some of the things your "pet" can do on Virtual Petwork:

Make new pet pals and reconnect with old ones.
Fill out their profile and showcase their unique personality.
Leave messages for their pet pals on their profiles.
Share their current status [what they are currently doing, etc.]
Upload pictures and share them with others.
Communicate with other pets on our message boards.
Designate their "siblings," "cousins," etc.
Support their favorite pet charities or organizations.
And much more!

Teeny will be serving as the CDO [chief doggie officer] and Tootsie will be serving as the DVP [doggie vice president]. If you have any questions, please feel free to email us at teenys_friends@yahoo.com. This is only a soft launch, so we are depending on you guys to give us your feedback. Together we can make this a pawsome place for all our pets to hang out together!

Happy Mardi Gras from Teeny & I!

2011-03-14T09:44:00.000-05:00

In the South we take our Mardi Gras pretty seriously. So when I saw our friend Cokie's Anipal Photo Hunt was back (yay!) and the topic was Mardi Gras (double yay!) I knew we had to pawticipate. Below are two pictures; the first is Teeny wishing YOU a happy Mardi Gras, and the second is of me in New Orleans last month! Laissez les bons temps rouler!

March Toy Drive Info

2011-03-04T10:14:00.001-06:00

It seems like our February toy drive just ended, and our March toy drive is already beginning! Busy, busy... but it's a ~~good~~ great thing!

Our bins will be at Just For Pets on Far West Boulevard from today [March 4th] until Friday, March 18th. The toys raised will benefit the local rescue Lucky Mutts.

If Just For Pets sounds familiar to you, it's because they have hosted our drive before - in September 2009!!! I love Just For Pets - especially their dog treat display case. So if you are in the area please stop by, pick up a tasty treat for your pooch, and drop off a new or used dog toy in our bins!

February Toy Drive Update

2011-03-03T10:29:00.001-06:00

We're bursting at the seams with toys raised during our online February toy drive benefitting Miniature Schnauzer Rescue of Houston! The beneficiary was chosen in honor of our own Miniature Schnauzer Tootsie, who celebrated her Gotcha Day last month.

By my count so far, we have raised almost 50 toys for MSRH and 2 sweaters, generously donated by my friend Christopher. It's doesn't get cold very often here in Texas, but when it does they will come in handy! The 50 toys come from new "fans" and "follows" [of our Twitter, Facebook, and this blog] as well as donations generated from the purchase of our one-for-one-toy. We're still counting up the final number of toys that people mailed in to us. It was a good month!

Thank you SO much to everyone who puchased our one-for-one toy and mailed us boxes of toy donations. We hope the pooches at MSRH enjoy their new goodies!

March 2011 Teeny's Friends Tribune

2011-03-01T12:12:00.001-06:00

[Please click on the newsletter for a larger version!]

Eddie Enjoying His One-For-One Toy

2011-02-24T13:01:00.002-06:00

I absolutely LOVE getting photos of furbabies playing with our one-for-one toy. Here is one of our Twitter friend @Eddiechiwowwow and his VERY big brother enjoying the toys we sent them earlier this month. SO CUTE!!! Thank you to Eddie's humans!

February Toy Drive Update

2011-02-14T12:02:00.000-06:00

Our February toy drive has really kicked off in a big way! Today is only the 14th, and we have already raise A TON of toys for the pooches at Miniature Schnauzer Rescue of Houston. 22 toys have been raised through new Twitter followers (we're donating 1 toy for each 50 new follows), new Facebook fans and new blog followers (we're donating 1 toy for each new fan and follow).

On top of that, we have also received two big boxes of toy donations. One from our Twitter friend @BorisKitty. The box from Boris included the adorable angel/devil toy below. I just loved that one! We also received a box from the pawsome folks at www.FurryNFabulous.com. They sent the spaceship, chicken, moon, and lion toys you see below. I haven't counted up the total number of toys in these two boxes (I've been nursing a bottle of NyQuil since last Thursday -when will this cold go away?) so I don't have a total count on donations yet. I will soon though, I promise! In the meantime, keep spreading the word and helping us help needy dogs!

P.S. HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY TO YOU AND YOUR FURBABIES! XOXO

February 2011 Teeny's Friends Tribune

2011-02-02T11:20:00.003-06:00

[Please click on the newsletter for a larger version!]

February Toy Drive Info

2011-02-01T12:19:00.002-06:00

The month of February marks our miniature schnauzer Tootsie's 5th Gotcha Day anniversary. As many of you know, she is also recovering from cataract removal surgery - and recovering nicely, I might add! In any case, this seemed like the perfect time to do something special for her.

And so we shall! Our toy drive this month will benefit Miniature Schnauzer Rescue of Houston [MSRH] in Tootsie's honor. It will be an online nationwide drive, and we will raise toys in the following ways:

The sale of our one-for-one toy: All toy donations generated from the sale of our one-for-one toy will benefit MSRH. When you buy one for your pooch we will donate one to MSRH. When you buy one as a gift we will donate one to MSRH. If you buy 5 we will donate 5! The only time this will NOT be the case is if our one-for-one toy is purchased for a specific organization; when this happens, we send the organization the purchased toy/s as well as the generated toy donation/s.
Used toy mail-in campaign: We are encouraging readers to box up the used dog toys their pooches no longer play with and mail them to us! Dogs don't care if toys are new or used - in fact, used toys can be more interesting because of all the new smells they come with! All toy donations we receive in the mail this month will be added to the box [or boxes!] headed to MSRH. If you'd like to do this, shoot us an email at teenys_friends@yahoo.com and we'll send you our address.
New fans and followers: This month I will donate 1 toy for each 50 new followers on Twitter, and 1 toy for each new "Fan" on Facebook and each new follower of this blog.

So spread the word and help us help needy dogs!

Tootsie's Eye Surgery A Success!

2011-01-25T15:22:00.000-06:00

I'm happy to report that Teeny's little sister Tootsie had her cataract surgery last Wednesday, and so far all is well!

She's still wearing the CONE OF SHAME while home alone and will be taking pills and having eye drops put in [two different drops, four times a day!] for the foreseeable future. But her quality of life has already drastically improved. Cataract removal surgery in dogs is 95% effective, and Tootsie is able to see clearly for the first time in two years. Even just looking at her you can tell a difference!

At her doctor's suggestion, we're trying to keep her as still-ish and calm-ish as possible. This is proving to be more difficult than you would think - you'd never guess she recently had surgery. Between zooming around the yard, playing up her "condition" for treats or attention, and annoying her big brother she has been pretty active. Her one week check-up is on Friday, so paws crossed that all is as well as it seems!

On a related note, I have been spending a lot of time thinking about our February toy drive. It will benefit Miniature Schnauzer Rescue of Houston in honor of Tootsie's 5th gotcha day. The drive will be an online one, but I am still working out all the finer details. I'll let you guys know as soon as I get it all worked out!

Chicken and Rice Cake Dog Treats

2011-01-18T11:59:00.000-06:00

Yesterday afternoon I made my dogs Season's Eatings and Peas on Earth Cakes from last months edition of Everyday with Rachael Ray. Teeny's little sister Tootsie is having her cataract surgery tomorrow, so I wanted to spoil her a little bit beforehand. The cakes were a big hit, especially with Teeny - as you can see in the picture below, he just held it in his mouth for a few minutes before he dug in. I think he was savoring the flavor! Want to make them for your own furry friend? The recipe is below.

Season's Eatings and Peas on Earth Cakes

1/2 cup cooked brown rice

1/4 cup frozen peas [thawed]

1/4 cup rotisserie chicken [skin & bones discarded and meat shredded]

1 egg

2 tbsps plain breadcrumbs

2 tbsps chopped fresh parsley

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1. In a medium bowl stir together rice, peas, chicken, egg, breadcrumbs and parsley. Form into 4 patties.

2. In a medium skillet heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken patties and cook, turning once, until golden brown - around 6 to 7 minutes. Remove from the pan and let cool.

3. Prepare to feel like the best dog owner in the world as you watch your pooch dig in!

Raising Toys For Australia

2011-01-17T20:27:00.003-06:00

Our sweet dog friend Phabulous Phoebe is having an emergency drive benefitting two different rescue organizations in Queensland, Australia. Click here to visit her website and see the "wish list" of needs they have put together. She is also accepting donations via PayPal.

We got to know Phoebe's human Tammy through her dog Coco, who is one of our friends on Twitter! I really want to help support this worthy cause, so all toy donations generated from the sale of our one-for-one toy will be sent to Phoebe and included in with the goodies sent to Australia

Happy Birthday Aunt Karly! Love, Teeny & Tootsie

2011-01-17T13:41:00.001-06:00

Teeny and Tootsie wanted to wish their Auntie Karly a furry happy 19th birthday!!! We love you Karly!

More Pepsi Refresh Project Information

2011-01-12T12:33:00.000-06:00

My animal organization, Teeny's Friends, is in the running to win a $5k grant in the Pepsi Refresh Project. In case you are not familiar with the project, Pepsi gives away $1,300,000 each month to fund "great ideas" that will help make the world a better place. There are 4 categories: $5000, $25,000, $50,000 and $250,000. The public votes on their favorite ideas and the top 10 ideas in each category win the grant money.

It occured to me that I should not ask you to vote for Teeny's Friends in the Pepsi Refresh contest without telling you WHY you should vote for us:

Reason #1 you should vote for us - Lots of studies have shown that socialized dogs are many times more likely to be adopted from shelters. Many people do not realize what valuable aids toys are in this socialization process. Shelters, often under-staffed and running on tight budgets, do the best they can but many animals are not given the one-on-one attention they need. Having access to toys can make a big difference, and we do our best to provide these toys to as many local organizations as possible [through our monthly toy drives and the sale of our official "one-for-one" toy].

Reason #2 you should vote for us - Many times we raise toys for organizations other than shelters, such as animal sanctuaries. These sanctuaries often house animals with disabilities, disfigurements, or facing end of life issues. These guys certainly deserve a little fun, don't you think?

Reason #3 you should vote for us - The majority of toys we are able to donate are raised via monthly toy drives at local Austin organizations. We estimate we raised around 400 toys in 2010 alone. The organization is self-funded and run on a volunteer basis part-time. If we won the Pepsi grant money, it would enable us to broaden our reach and provide even more needy dogs with toys.

Reason #4 you should vote for us - This face!

Voting in the contest ends on January 31st. You can vote on their website [click here] once a day. You can also vote by text messaging 104976 to Pepsi (73774). Teeny and I truly appreciate your support! We're up against some "big dogs" who have more resources than us, so every vote counts!

If you have any questions or would like more information, please don't hesitate to contact us by email at teenys_friends@yahoo.com!

IAMS Home 4 The Holidays Final Numbers

2011-01-10T13:43:00.000-06:00

*appaws* *appaws* *appaws*

I received a lovely email this morning from my friend Chad with IAMS, letting us know the Home 4 the Holidays final results ~ and oh my dog they were impressive. Forever homes were found for:

593,146 dogs
509,470 cats
23,051 other animals [such as rabbits, reptiles, horses, birds, etc.]

Can you believe that! Such fantastic news. Congratulations to the hard-working animal-loving folks at IAMS, and congrats to the adopted animals who are now in loving forever homes.

IAMS will also be donating 5,000,000 meals to all of the Iams Home 4 the Holidays participating animal organizations! This was all made possible through retail purchases and online engagement from animal lovers like you!

It's a "Ruff" Life

2011-01-06T11:57:00.006-06:00

Rough (ruff) adjective : lacking refinements, comforts, and conveniences.

Teeny's Friends Tribune January 2011

2011-01-05T16:25:00.007-06:00

[Click on the newsletter for a larger version]

Pepsi Refresh Grant

2011-01-03T14:07:00.000-06:00

What a way to kick off the new year!

Teeny's Friends is in the running to win a $5,000 Pepsi Refresh grant. That kind of money would buy a lot of toys for needy dogs!

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO VOTE!

You can vote once a day. There are also ways to vote on Facebook and by text message. I will be posting daily reminders on our Facebook page and on Teeny's Twitter account.

Please go vote and help support Teeny's Friends!

Happy Holidays from Teeny & Tootsie!

2010-12-23T15:35:00.002-06:00

Teeny's Friends Featured In...

2010-12-21T10:52:00.003-06:00

Teeny's Friends has been featured in the current issue of the pawsome local publication Austin Pets Directory! Page 28 includes a photo of Teeny and I as well as an essay I wrote for the magazine. So exciting ~ check it out! You can either click on the photos to the left for a bigger version, or click here for a virtual magazine you can actually leaf through! A huge THANK YOU to APD for including us in your pawsome publication!

It's been a big week for us: We are also the featured blog today on MyPetSavings.com! They are a great blog that posts links to pet deals, freebies, etc. If you have a pet I highly recomment you checking them out!

Winner of Caption That! Contest

2010-12-21T09:26:00.000-06:00

Time to announce the winner of our holiday "Caption That!" contest! All of the entries were SO good, it was hard to choose one. After hours reading through them, eenie-meenie-miny-mo, and intense debate with Tootsie I finally decided on...

Our friend @BucksterBear with "I told you we're Persians and neither outfit is right."

Congrats Buckster! We'll be mailing off your box of IAMS dog goodies shortly!

Rescued From A Puppy Mill

2010-12-20T12:07:00.001-06:00

"I am only one; but still I am one. I cannot do everything; but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do the something that I can do." - Edward Everett Hale

The above quote was one I had read before but after reading an email I received this weekend, I felt as though I had a much better understanding of what it truly meant.

My new friend Jessica, who read about us in Modern Dog magazine, emailed me this weekend and told me the story of her furbaby Elle. She had seen Elle, the adorable Papillon in the photo above, and was trying to track her down and give her a forever home. Jessica finally found Elle and went to pick her up, but she quickly realized the woman was running a puppy mill. The dogs [7 of them!] did not have names, had never experienced either grass or toys, and looked very rough. Jessica and her husband convinced the woman to sell them the mom and her three babies and began making plans to rescue the other two females and one male. The woman encouraged them to set up outdoor kennels because "the dogs were breeding stock, not pets." That literally makes me sick to my stomach to imagine someone saying those words, and kudos to Jessica for keeping her cool and having a level head about the situation. Keep in mind ~ Jessica and her hubby already had three dogs at home!

It has been 8 months since the dogs came home with Jessica, and they are very different animals now. As Jessica put it "they now know what affection is." They are now crate trained, house trained, play in their huge grassy backyard, and have more toys than they know what to do with.

Jessica bought four of our one-for-one toys this weekend. In honor of Elle, our four donated toys will be send to Papillon Haven Rescue in Benbrook, Texas.

I love stories with happy endings, don't you? Never forget: to the world you may be just one person ~ but to one person [or animal!] you may be the world!

Dec Toy Drive / Caption That! Contest Ending

2010-12-17T10:40:00.002-06:00

Hey guys! Happy Friday!

Just wanted to give you all a heads up that both our December toy drive and our Caption That! contest will be ending soon.

In fact, today is the last day for the Caption That! contest. Write a caption for THIS cute pet picture. The contest ends tonight at 11:59 CST. This weekend Teeny & I will review the captions [AKA I will read through them all while he naps in my lap]. The funniest will win a box of pawsome IAMS dog gear, just in time for the holidays. Dogs like presents too!

This weekend also marks the end of our December toy drive with Christina's Critters Mobile Grooming and Pet Sitting. Christina has been great to partner with; I hope that we have the opportunity to work together again soon! She's actually grooming Tootsie next week, so stay tuned for those pictures. Don't miss your last chance to donate ~ all toys raised go to Austin Boxer Rescue. If you are currently a client of Christina's, just let her know you'd like to contribute. If you are not a client of hers, contact us at teenys_friends@yahoo.com and we will let you know how you can help.

IAMS Home 4 the Holidays Update

2010-12-14T16:01:00.002-06:00

I just received an email from my friends at IAMS with another update on their Home 4 the Holidays program, and I wanted to share the results with you.

Since the launch of the campaign on October 1st, IAMS has helped find loving homes for 657,752 animals. That includes 351,688 dogs, 291,808 cats, and 14,256 other animals.

The campaign lasts until January 4, 2011, and their goal is to find forever homes for 1.5 million pets AND provide 5 million bowls of food to shelters in need. Support them today by visiting their Facebook page or their website! A big High Paw to IAMS! OR you can support them by posting the below widgit [click here to get the code] on your own blog. For each person who posts the widgit, IAMS will donate 500 bowls of food to needy dogs!!! Wow! Post the widgit on your blog, then email my contact Chad Darwin at chad.darwin@painepr.com. He will verify your post and IAMS will donate the 500 bowls of food! It couldn't be any easier!

And remember... if you are considering adding a furry friend to your family this holiday season... ADOPT! Don't SHOP!

Holiday "Caption That" Contest

2010-12-07T20:25:00.001-06:00

I have a box of IAMS goodies that I am dying to give away, and with the holidays coming up now seems to be as good a time as any! I had so much fun reading all your comments for the Halloween "Caption That" contest that I thought I'd do another one.

This box is full of pawsome stuff that your dog would LOVE to find under the tree. Below is a description of the goodie box contents as well as a photo. It contains:

- 2 cans of IAMS Proactive Health food, Turkey & Rice flavor.
- An Amazon Cares 2011 calendar.
- An IAMS mousepad with a space for your own dogs photo.
- A Dog's Life IAMS record keeper and photo album.
- A large breed green IAMS bandana.
- A 1.9 fl. oz. IAMS hand sanitizer.
- A green IAMS large breed collar.
- A rope tug toy.
- A pet pedometer [clips to your pet's collar].

- A blue bone-shaped doggie bag holder.

All you have to do to win is write a caption for the below photo. On Friday, December 17th I will close the contest and choose the funniest caption. Then I'll mail the box to the winner, hopefully getting it there in plenty of time for Christmas morning - dogs like gifts too! [US residents only, please! I shudder to think what the rush charges would be like for overseas shipping. Cha ching!] Here is the photo you'll be writing a caption for:

Leave your caption in the comment section below. Now go grab your tackiest Christmas sweater, throw on a Santa cap, and get in the holiday spirit! Can't wait to read all your captions!

Teeny's Friends Tribune December 2010

2010-12-06T12:31:00.000-06:00

Whoops! I was so excited/caught up in the Modern Dog magazine article hoopla I forgot to post this months newsletter! Can you guys find it in your hearts to forgive me? :) As always, click on the newsletter for a larger version.

Teeny's Friends in Modern Dog Magazine!

2010-12-01T11:57:00.000-06:00

Teeny's Friends has been featured in this month's edition of Modern Dog magazine! Click on the photo above to see the picture and read what they said about us! So cool!!!!!

*Teeny's note: I told ewe guys dat I'd be famous one day! Want mai pawtograph?*

December Toy Drive News

2010-11-30T10:57:00.002-06:00

Our December toy drive plans have been finalized! We will be partnering with Christina's Critters, a local pet sitting and mobile grooming business.

Between Wednesday, December 1st and Saturday, December 18th Christina will be collecting toys from her clients. If you are one of Christina's clients and would like to participate, here is what you need to do: when she is at your home for a visit between the above dates, give her a new or gently used dog toy and let her know it's for the toy drive. It's that easy! If you are not Christina's client but would like to be, contact her by email at christinascritters@gmail.com or by phone at 512.584.0987. She's fantastic! I can tell you from experience that our dogs are much happier with in-home pet sitting than they ever were being boarded. And if you have a dog that needs grooming there is nothing more convenient than a groomer who will come to you!

Christina has chosen Austin Boxer Rescue as the beneficiary organization. After the toy drive ends, the poochies at ABR will [hopefully!] have a big load of new toys just in time for Christmas!

If you are not Christina's client but would like to donate, please email us at teenys_friends@yahoo.com and we will happily work with you to make other arrangements!

Back in Texas & Cyber Monday Sale

2010-11-29T10:27:00.001-06:00

It's Cyber Monday! You know what that means- people pushing elderly women out of the way for the last Tickle Me Elmo. Wait, that's Black Friday, the less civilized cousin of Cyber Monday. Anyway, I am putting our official one-for-one toy on sale FOR TODAY ONLY for $3.99. Don't forget I have recently added new options so that you may buy one as a gift for someone else [we add the donated toy to our monthly toy drive bins] OR to have one sent directly to your favorite shelter or other animal organization [we send BOTH toys to your chosen beneficiary].

In other news, we are back in Texas and slowly thawing out after spending 3 days up North with my family. After all that time in the snow and temperatures averaging about 15 degrees it feels great to be back in Austin. I was sad to leave my mom, stepdad, and little sister but SO happy to see my dogs! Below I have posted a few photos from our trip.

If you find yourself doing any online shopping today, please consider buying our one-for-one toy as a Christmas gift for a pet lover in your life or for your own furbaby. You'll be helping a needy dog at the same time, so it's a win-win situation!

The snow covered driveway at my

parents house on Thanksgiving A.M.

My little sister's dog Caesar all
wrapped up in his dog snuggie.

Teeny obviously threw a pawty
while we were out of town.

Happiest Thanksgiving to YOU!

2010-11-24T10:24:00.008-06:00

I just wanted to take a minute to thank all of you a furry Happy Thanksgiving! We will be in Minnesota [BRRR!] with my family until Sunday. It's still 80 degrees here in Austin, so traveling to a place where the HIGH is 19 will be seasonal shock. We will be back [and all thawed out *paws crossed*] by Sunday. Until then, we won't be online as much as usual. Teeny, Todd, Tootsie, and I hope you all have a fabulous Turkey Day and much to be thankful for! In the meantime, click here for even more pics of adorable dogs all ready for Thanksgiving!

Don't Mess With Texas [Animals]!!!

2010-11-22T11:21:00.000-06:00

Here in Austin there have recently been discussions about a Texas Animal Abuse Registry. Everyone has heard of the Sex Offender Registry; this is similar in concept, only this list is for those convicted for crimes against animals. It would list their name, address, and details of their crime. A photo of the offender would also be posted.

Here is how the proposed database would work: after a felony conviction of animal abuse, offenders 17 and up would be required to register. Much like a probation or parole officer, they would report to local law enforcement each year. If they are convicted more than once, they would be required to report to local law enforcement every 3 months.

Sounds good, right? But here's the catch - not all offenders would qualify to be on the registry. The registry would only apply to felony cases; in some counties, animal abuse is considered a class C misdemeanor.

It's not perfect, but I think it's a great idea. Who wouldn't want to know if they were living next door to someone who had been convicted of animal abuse? I've said it before and I will say it again: they cannot speak for themselves; it's up to us to be advocates for the animals. The deserve the right to protection as much as any human [and certainly more than any of the humans who are convicted of crimes against animals]. The horrors of animal abuse aside, it's common knowledge that many people who abuse animals later move on to crimes against humans. A list like this could possibly help us catch some of these offenders before they take the life of another human being.

I want to know what YOU think about this bill! Great idea, or waste of taxpayer dollars? Let us know what you think and why in the comments below.

Click here for more information about the bill, if you are interested.

April Enjoying Her One-For-One Toy

2010-11-15T11:40:00.001-06:00

Last week one of our Facebook fans, the lovely Jen, bought two of our one-for-one toys. She was kind enough to take pictures of her dog April (a rescued Boston Terrier ~ 3 cheers for rescue animals!!!) enjoying her toy. I think April is gorgeous, don't you? Thank you to Jen for sending in these photos- I love 'em!

Five Days Left in November Toy Drive

2010-11-15T09:52:00.002-06:00

Just a friendly reminder: there are only five days left in our November toy drive at Austin Java!

If you are in the Austin, Texas area please stop by any of Austin Java's 3 central locations ~ City Hall (301 West 2nd Street), Barton Springs (1608 Barton Springs Road), or 12th/Lamar (1206 Parkway). Don't forget to bring a new or gently used dog toy to drop in our donation bins! All toys raised will go to the needy pups at Blue Dog Rescue.

Thank you for all your pawsome support!

IAMS Home 4 the Holidays October Results

2010-11-12T20:10:00.001-06:00

I just received an email from the great folks at Iams who helped us with our successful #TeenyIH4TH campaign last month. They released the Home 4 the Holidays results for October, and I had to share them with you guys!

In the month of October, they found forever homes for:

150,037 dogs and puppies;
131,956 cats and kittens; and
6,191 other animals.

They also raised a total of 439,746 meals for dogs in shelters participating in the Home 4 the Holidays campaign.

A big *high paw* to everyone who participated and a HUGE THANK YOU to everyone at IAMS for making all this possible.

Teeny's Little Sister is Having Eye Surgery

2010-11-10T10:38:00.000-06:00

Many of you are familiar with Tootsie, Teeny's miniature schnauzer little sister, who makes fairly regular appearances on this site (such as here and here). What you probably don't know is that Tootsie has been steadily going blind because of congenital cataracts in both of her little eyes. This has been going on for about a year now.

Our girl is only 5, but cataracts are apparently common amongst schnauzers- even at such an early age. Tootsie lives in a controlled environment, so this hasn't affected her quality of life much. She's mostly an inside dog, with a doggie door giving her access to our backyard as little or as much as she wishes. There aren't many surprises or new things she encounters on a day-to-day basis. But for those of us who know her well, we can tell slight differences. What others might write off as clumsiness (her running into the coffee table), we know better (she misjudged the distance between it and the couch). When I drop something (which happens often!) she gets more scared than she used to. It's been hard on us to watch. We've cried, talked about how unfair it is, wondered why we weren't able to protect her from this, been to specialists (dog opthamologists are a special breed of people... NoOffenseToAnyOutThere), and agonized over what to do. But we love her so much, and there was really only ever the one option for us: cataract surgery.

Every day I am so grateful we are able to afford to have the surgery done; many families cannot. Cataract surgery is 95% effective, according to our doctor. Tootsie will be having her surgery on Wednesday, January 19th. After the recovery period, she will be able to see again - and we couldn't be more excited for her!

Is anyone else out there going through this? If so, please know you are not alone. It sucks. Sorry, but there's no better way to put it. If anyone has any advice for pre and/or post surgery, I'd love to hear it. Likewise, if anyone is going through the beginning stages of this please don't hesitate to ask me for hints or tips - limited as though it may be, I am more than happy any advice I might have to give.

Introducing Justin Beaver

2010-11-09T12:47:00.001-06:00

Allow me to intoduce to you Teeny's new favorite toy: Justin Beaver (haha)!

Sent to Teeny by one of his best furry friends, Yoda the Dog (whose blog you can read here), Justin Beaver is quickly becoming toy numero uno.

Thank you Yoda!!! XoXo

A Funny Thing Happened Today

2010-11-08T11:59:00.000-06:00

By "funny" I do not mean "haha" ... I mean funny as in weird, as in sad, as in odd, as in "whatthehelliswrongwithyoupeople?!?!"

Yesterday I stopped by the grocery store on the way home from the gym. As I pulled in, I noticed a black dog running around the lot, darting in and out of cars [both parked and moving]. I assumed she [it turned out to be a she] had hopped out of a vehicle and her owner would be in pursuit. By the time I found a parking space, it became clear this was not the case. It also became clear that NO ONE was going to try and catch the dog to help find it's owner. Every person in the lot would either stand and watch her for a second before going about their merry way or pretend not to notice- store employees included. The dog was obviously scared, and wouldn't come to me when I called her. It took me 20 minutes of following her around before anyone even tried to help me catch her. I was shocked at how many people walked right on by, assuming SOMEONE ELSE would help. Why are people so hesitant to step up to the plate and so content to let others take care of things? For each person that ignored the problem, the dog was that much more likely to get hit by a car or run away and never be found.

Some sweet man finally helped me catch her, and it turns out her name was Elvis. I walked Elvis to my car, turned on the A/C, and gave her some water. After a few minutes she realized I was there to help her and she began to trust me. Elvis had three numbers on her tag; no one answered at the first two. At the 3rd, a man answered. He was the father of the woman whose family owned Elvis. He also left messages for his daughter and son-in-law [the first two numbers on the tag] and advised me to look for a large red diesel truck in the lot, as that is what Elvis's family drove. As luck would have it, the truck was parked near me. I waited until the family came out to unload groceries and walked Elvis over to them. It turns out they had left Elvis in the bed of the truck unattended [with no water] while they shopped inside. At this point, it had been about an hour since I pulled into the store parking lot. I also had not received a call back from either of the two owners. When I approached Elvis's father, he barely looked at me, did NOT thank me, called Elvis a "bad dog," and made her hop back up in bed of the truck. [Although her owner did not thank me, I did receive two very sweet and grateful phone calls later; one from the father, and one from Elvis's "aunt" (as she referred to herself) who was the kind soul that originally found Elvis in a ditch and nursed her back to health as a gift for her sister.] It was much less about the lack of "thanking" than about the attitude of the owner in general.

My husband later pointed out to me that Elvis's dad might have been embarassed by the situation and that could explain why he acted the way he did. Maybe he was embarassed, and was unsure how to act when I approached him with his hot, tired, and thirsty dog who had been on the loose for an hour. I hope this is the case, and they provide a great home for Elvis- because she deserves it.

Next time you see a loose dog, I hope you think of this story. If everyone thinks "someone else will help" then NO ONE will ever help. As Ghandi said, "be the change you want to see in the world." In my case, the change was getting a scared dog back to her owners [although the jury is still out on whether or not they deserve her].

Bulldog Puppy Can't Roll Over

2010-11-02T10:00:00.000-05:00

I ran across this adorable video yesterday and had to share it with you guys. Please keep in mind that this is NOT cruelty on the part of the puppy's owner. This puppy must learn to roll over on its own, as there may be times that its owner/s are not home to help. If they owner helps him or her, it will never learn to do it on its own and might lie on its back until someone comes home. With that in mind, enjoy the cuteness!

And the conclusion: bulldog puppy rolls over. I just love a happy ending!

Teeny's Friends Tribune November 2010

2010-11-01T11:32:00.004-05:00

(Click the newsletter for a larger version!)

Tootsie's Howloween Costume

2010-10-28T16:11:00.002-05:00

Presented without comment.

Ok, one comment: she has been at home stewing about this all day and I have a feeling we might come home to a nasty surprise or two...

November Toy Drive Info

2010-10-27T11:29:00.014-05:00

Our November toy drive will be hosted by the popular local coffee shop Austin Java. I love supporting local business, and I love Austin Java (especially their buttermilk pie... yum!) so this is a perfect set-up. They are a dog-friendly establishment, so feel free to stop by with your furry friend.

The drive will run from Saturday, November 6th until Saturday, November 20th. Austin Java (click here to follow them on Twitter) has decided they want the drive to benefit Blue Dog Rescue.

So to all you Austin-ites out there: please held to Austin Java for your coffee fix these next few weeks! And don't forget to bring a dog toy to drop in our bins.

Update 10/27/2010: I just got off the phone with Austin Java, and they want to have the toy drive at all THREE of their central locations! WOW! The toys raised at all the drives will benefit Blue Dog Rescue.

Austin Java's 3 central locations are located at:

301 West 2nd Street
1608 Barton Springs Road
1206 Parkway (12th and Lamar)

#TeenyIH4TH Iams Campaign Results!

2010-10-25T11:52:00.000-05:00

Our Iams Home 4 the Holidays campaign & giveaway officially ended last night at 11:59pm CST.

Between Monday, Oct 18th and Sunday, Oct 24th our AMAZING Twitter followers used the #TeenyIH4TH hashtag 2,345 times. Iams will donate 10 bowls of food per use (to shelters participating in their Home 4 the Holidays program) so in total we raised...

(DRUM ROLL PLEASE!)

23,450 bowls of food for shelter dogs!

I am so proud of and grateful for all of you this morning. None of this would be possible with YOU GUYS! Together we have accomplished something pretty amazing.

The other part of the contest what that whoever used the hashtag the most would win some pawsome Iams gear. I'm happy to announce the winner is our furry friend @ShaynaCat with almost 400 uses! We'll be sending her a box full of goodies very soon!

Howloween #PawPawty Last Weekend

2010-10-18T14:32:00.000-05:00

This past weekend was the October #PawPawty and the theme was, of course, Howloween. After a long debate, Teeny finally decided not to dress us as Teeny Gaga but as Teeny Winehouse instead. I think it was a good decision, don't you?

The pawty raised $1,240.00 Orphan Animal Rescue and Sanctuary. OARS is a no-kill, non-profit organization that provides a sanctuary for those who will never find other homes. They will always have a home at OARS.

Teeny took his monthly turn at the DJ booth, and the playlist was a hit! I have posted it below.

Thank you to all the anipals for another FUN and successful PawPawty and we're already looking forward to next month!!!

Howloween PawPawty Playlist

1. Ghostbusters Theme Song
2. She Blinded Me With Science ~ Thomas Dolby
3. Love Potion #9 ~ (cover)
4. The Devil Went Down to Georgia ~ Charlie Daniels Band
4. Men in Black ~ Will Smith
5. Don't Fear the Reaper ~ Blue Oyster Cult
6. This is Halloween ~ From the Movie "The Nightmare Before Christmas"
7. Bad Moon Rising ~ Credence Clearwater Revival
8. Thriller ~ Michael Jackson
9. Flying Purple People Eater
10. Tainted Love ~ Soft Cell
11. Forever ~ Chris Brown

IAMS Home 4 the Holidays Campaign & Giveaway

2010-10-17T21:04:00.001-05:00

This week we are teaming up with folks at IAMS Home 4 the Holidays for our second giveaway of the month.

Between Monday, October 18th and Sunday, October 24th, each time you Tweet and use the hashtag #TeenyIH4TH, IAMS will donate 10 bowls of dog food (via their Bags 4 Bowls program) to a needy shelter participating in Home 4 the Holidays. This offer is also good for re-tweets.

As if that weren't exciting enough, one lucky reader will get some awesome IAMS gear. The Twitterer (Tweeter???) who uses the #TeenyIH4TH hashtag the most during the contest period will win an IAMS goodie bag. If you don't already follow us on Twitter, we are at www.twitter.com/teenysfriends (disclaimer: "Teeny" assumed control of our Twitter some time ago, and his spelling and grammar are not always the best! I hope none of our readers are English professors...) Please follow us so that we will be able to get in touch with you if you win!

Bags 4 Bowls has a goal of providing 5 million bowls of food before the end of their Home 4 the Holidays program on January 4, 2011. Help us help them reach their goal!!! Now get out there and Tweet... we're watchin you! :)

The above giveaway on TeenysFriends.com running through Sunday, Oct. 24, 2010 are solely for TeenysFriends.com and have no affiliation with IAMS and/or Proctor and Gamble. All prizes are purchased and presented to winners by the Administrator, Katy McDougall, and all contests are sole proprietary of the blog TeenysFriends.com.

Blog The Change For Shelter Animals

2010-10-15T10:26:00.001-05:00

Today is "Blog the Change for Animals" day. This is a challenge for animal lovers to renew their committment to improve the lives of animals, a way for them to spread the word, and to support each other.

Did you know that 3-4 million animals are euthanized each year in US shelters?

Our mission has always been to help shelter animals and to promote the importance of animal rescue (Adopt! Don't Shop!). We also like to help the pets of low-income families - all dogs deserve toys!

Studies have shown that socialized dogs are far more likely to be adopted from a shelter. Many people are not aware of just how important toys are to the socialization process. Many times, shelters operate on a shoestring budget and toys are a luxury they cannot afford. So each month we have a toy drive at a local Austin business (restaurants, shelters, grooming salons, vet clinics, etc). At the end of each month, I get to drop off the basketfull of toys raised at the beneficiary organization. I love watching the reactions of the employees - they are truly grateful.

There are many ways you can help as well. If you are like me, you have tons of dog toys lying around the house - many of which your dog hardly ever plays with. Box 'em up and take them to your local shelter. Trust me, they will appreciate it. You can also help provide food for these needy dogs. Many pet companies, including Pedigree and IAMS, have Facebook pages. When you "like" them, they donate bowls of food.

"Giving of yourself isn't effortless. You have to make a conscious decision to be the change. You have a gift to give... do you know what it is?" -Be the Change for Pets

Winner of the "Caption That" Contest!

2010-10-12T11:01:00.000-05:00

Recently, we held our first ever contest to give away a Caesar Bistro prize pack. We received two, courtesy of their #lovethemback campaign, and decided to give away one of them to one of our supporters. We asked people to write a caption for a cute animal photo, and our favorite would win the prize. Well, the results are in and the winner is...

(drum roll please)

Our Twitter friend @blindmaximus with his caption "All we're missing is a weiner dog!"

Thank you SO MUCH to everyone who entered! ALL your captions had us cracking up! :)

Howloween Rap Video From Teeny's Friends

2010-10-07T22:00:00.005-05:00

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

Halloween is just around the corner! It's always been my favorite holiday- any excuse to dress up! Since we entered October I have started to get excited. Decorating the house, planning our annual pumpkin carving party with friends, and planning costumes. Not mine (I've had mine ready since mid-September!) but costumes for my husband and dogs. In the spirit of Halloween, here's a little video put together for you by the Teeny's Friends gang- Katy (me), Todd, Teeny, and Tootsie. Oh, and Barack Obama. Enjoy!

IAMS Home For The Holidays

2010-10-07T21:40:00.001-05:00

On October 1st, 2010 the Iams Home 4 the Holidays campaign officially kicked off!

Along with founding partner The Helen Woodward Animal Center, Home 4 the Holidays has a goal of finding forever homes for 1.5 million dogs by January 4, 2011. The folks at IAMS emphasize the importance of adoption, which we at Teeny's Friends are big advocates of. They also provide families who adopt through the program with an adoption kit, chock full of goodies like nutrition information, training, and proper care to ensure that the relationship with their new furry friends starts off on the right "paw."

IAMS also understands that not everyone is currently able to take in a new pet, so they will also be working to provide 5 million bowls of food through their Bags 4 Bowls program. For every specially marked package of Iams dog or cat food purchased during the campaign, IAMS will donate one bowl of food to a participating animal organization.

Home 4 the Holidays is one of the world's largest pet adoption programs, with 3,500 partnering organizations working together to help more than 4.6 million animals find homes over the last 11 years.

“Pet homelessness is an epidemic in our country and many animal organizations look to programs like Iams Home 4 the Holidays to help drive families to our centers to see these amazing animals,” said Mike Arms, founder of the adoption drive and president of Helen Woodward Animal Center. “We’ve been a part of the adoption drive for 12 years now and have really seen the benefit of what this program can do for animals, our employees and the families who adopt.”

Below are some photos of the wonderful IAMS adoption angels as well as some furbabies looking for homes. To follow their stories, "Like" their Facebook page. In return, Iams will donate up to 100 meals per “Like” or comment to feed orphaned animals.

To learn more about how to make a difference in the life of an orphaned pet, including how to get involved, details about pets available for adoption, fun ways to donate meals and quick access to informative content and tips, visit www.facebook.com/iams.

October Toy Drives Up & Running!

2010-10-04T11:54:00.000-05:00

This weekend we set up the October toy drive bins at both Changos locations. We also had breakfast at the Changos South Lamar and it was delicious! The toy drives benefit Austin Pets Alive! [South Austin location] and Emancipet [Guadalupe location].

Also, I wanted to point out that today is National Taco Day - what better way to celebrate than by stopping by Changos for tacos and dog toy donations?

"Caption That!" Caesar #LoveThemBack Giveaway

2010-10-01T09:56:00.008-05:00

Teeny and Tootsie ate like a king and queen last night.

That's because I came home to a box of goodies sent to us from the great folks at Caesar. The dog food company, not the Vegas hotel! :) Courtesy of their #lovethemback campaign, we received TWO gift bags full of great stuff; we kept one and I decided to hold a contest on here & give the other away to one of our awesome supporters. Each gift bag contains a pouch of filet mignon flavor treats [my husband said they smelled so good he was tempted to try one!] three containers of Caesar's Bistro Flavors dog food [flavors: Grilled Chicken Primavera in Sauce, Steak Tips Sonoma, and Tuscan Style Stew w/ Beef], an adorable purple serving plate, and a t-shirt with a cute dog slogan on it. As you can see in the photos below, mine says "Go small or go home!" Thank you so much to Caesar for sending us this great stuff ~ as you can tell, we had a blast with it! Now, about that contest... the information is below the photos.

We've never really had a contest here at Teeny's Friends, so I'm pretty excited about this. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, will be to write a caption for the photo below. The best caption wins the goods. To recap, that includes: a pouch of filet mignon flavored treats, 3 flavors of Caesar dog food, a purple serving plate, and a t-shirt (size small) that says "Give Small A Chance." Leave your captions in the comments below. The contest ends Friday, October 8th so put on your thinking caps! Good luck!!!

October Toy Drive Beneficiaries!

2010-09-30T21:24:00.000-05:00

I just learned that our October toy drive at Changos Taqueria will benefit Austin Pets Alive! and Emancipet.

Changos at 3005 South Lamar will benefit Austin Pets Alive! and Changos at 3023 Guadalupe will benefit Emancipet.

Want to support these great organizations but cannot make it out to the toy drives? Another way to help is to purchase our one-for-toy and use the "Purchase a Teeny's Friends one-for-one toy for your favorite shelter or animal organization" option and let us know who the toy is for. We'll send them the toy/s you purchased PLUS our matching toy donations!

Double the Fun - October Toy Drive News

2010-09-27T12:33:00.001-05:00

This month, for the first time ever, we will be having TWO simultaneous toy drives! Changos Taquerias, part of the Manuels restaurant family, will be hosting our bins at BOTH of their locations.

This also marks the first time we will have a restaurant for a host. Previously, we have always had pet-related businesses host our toy drives. It's my goal to reach a broader range of people and I believe a restaurant, with its heavy foot traffic and revolving customers, is just what we need to do so. I'm hoping that this increase in visibility will translate to even more toy donations! I know that together Changos & Teeny's Friends can do great things!

Between Saturday, October 2nd and Saturday, October 16th if you get a craving for tacos, please stop by one of Changos Taquerias locations [3023 Guadalupe and 3005 South Lamar] and drop a new or gently used toy in our bin.