Tag: cats

Photo Friday, No. 445

Current Photo Friday theme: Moving

Last week on the day of the rescue’s ribbon cutting for their new clinic, we received an early visit from Clutch the bear, the Houston Rockets’ mascot. He was SO MUCH FUN! Along with his other antics, he danced with Tim. I love this organization, my job, Clutch, and the Rockets. More than 6600 dogs’ and cats’ lives have been saved thanks to the efforts of so many supporters–that is mind-boggling. This movement is helping rewrite the story for Houston’s homeless pet population.

100 Happy Days: 76

Today I caught up on even more stuff, ran a bunch of errands, and ended up not doing something I really wanted to do because sometimes things just don’t work out. And that’s okay.

In the midst of it all, I opened an email from our rescue group sharing their decision, inspired in part by the 100 Happy Days meme, to do a 100 Thankful Days project expressing what they’re grateful for. On this day, they said they are grateful for my transport photos! They shared photos from the first officially documented transport on October 19 of last year. Since they’ve transported more than 3400 dogs and cats, I believe I’ve shot a few photos with my trusty old Nikon.

I began last September taking some shots of the first few transports at BARC. In fact, here is the very first photo I took–of Bernie and Bailee as they waited to get on board the van.

After those initial transports, two things struck me. Every single animal deserves for his or her face and name to be recognized and celebrated. And every single foster who unselfishly provides love and care to a dog or cat who is promised to someone else should have a photo to remember them by. That’s when I began doing the photo collages that the group posts to their blog.

I know that I’ve missed a photo here and there–it is NOT easy to photograph cats, by the way!–but often the drivers (especially Cowboy Jon) will help me out by taking photos en route or in Colorado and sending them to add to the collages. Sometimes fosters have shared their personal photos or I’ve been able to take pictures prior to transport day and include them. And when I missed a transport while I was out of the state for my nephew’s wedding, Tim stepped in and took the photos–and didn’t miss a single little traveler.

While the rescue group and the fosters think I’m doing a good thing for them, they return it many, many times over. Every transport day I am awed again by all the time, energy, and passion so many people put into making the difference between life and death to these dogs and cats. In the few seconds I point my camera at them, I’m laughing with them, sometimes crying with them, and mostly I’m having my faith in all good things restored by them.

I eagerly look forward to the next 3400-plus dogs and cats to photograph–and I’m grateful to everyone who’s part of our group for giving me the opportunity to document this.

100 Happy Days: 54

There are some days full of such disturbing or sad news that an attempt to post about something happy seems like folly, or at the very least, insensitive. News stories from the Middle East, and closer to home, from St. Louis–and then to hear that someone else lost an argument with the lying bastard that is depression and ended his life…

I remind myself that yes, bad things, terrible things happen every day–and so do wondrous things. There’s a line from the musical Rent that always rang true for me: “The opposite of war isn’t peace. It’s creation!”

So today, what made me happy is this. Murder By The Book put together an event for mystery writer Spencer Quinn’s new book Paw and Order, making the rescue I volunteer with the beneficiary of a percentage of the night’s sales. Quinn’s series features PI Bernie Little and his partner, Chet, who happens to be a dog. It’s the dog angle that makes the matchup between Spencer Quinn and the rescue group a good one. And as I talked with some of our volunteers and met new book fans and a new-to-me author, I was reminded that these are ways we affirm ourselves: gathering, sharing, talking, creating, laughing with one another. Turning to community. We’re all in this together, and I’m glad I share the planet with so many people who create–a true act of hope–and who do for and give to others, including our voiceless friends: homeless, neglected, and abused dogs and cats.

Spencer Quinn entertains a full house.

100 Happy Days: 40

Something that makes me happy on most Mondays is when the photos I took of the previous week’s transport are posted to the rescue’s blog. Today I was standing in line at the grocery store when I spotted a marked-down toy in a bin. Purchased, painted, enhanced with logos cut from a letter I’d received, and–presto! My own little rescue van.


Now I need tiny Cowboy Jon, Alain, and Ed as drivers and some wee dogs and cats. I’m on a mission!

I’m dazzled by you

Thanks to the people who responded to ours rescue group’s push this week, they now have 126 new committed monthly donors! This is what every dog and cat saved would like to do to all of you–lots of hugs and kisses and licks–featuring a few of the pets who got their second chance at a good life thanks to your generosity.


As upset as I get sometimes by those who’d discard, neglect, or abuse these amazing souls, I love being reminded that there are even more people who are willing to save their lives. THANK YOU AGAIN.