Does your dog have a smile that could light up a room? Maybe your pup has eyes that could melt hearts or a coat so silky that Hollywood actresses could only dream of having such lovely hair. Or perhaps he’s just got the biggest ears known to dog-kind. Whatever your pup’s claim to fame, there’s likely to be a category that fits him in Dog Channel.com’s Virtual Dog Show. Sponsored by Halo Pets, this is one dog show that your pooch doesn’t need to be a purebred to enter. With unique categories like “longest tongue” and “best ‘feed me’ look,” there’s sure to be a place for every dog. And the best part is the prizes: Winning dogs will receive a year’s worth of Halo natural dog food!

So, what are you waiting for? Head over to Dog Channel to submit your pup’s photo in the Virtual Dog Show. And if you don’t have a dog to enter, you can still check out all the adorable nominees and vote for your favorites.

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We know you love animals!  But did you know that this week (May 4-10) is Be Kind to Animals Week®?  Starting in 1915, The American Humane Association dedicated this week to the celebration of the unique bond between humans and animals.  At Halo Pets we’re always looking for things you can do to show kindness to animals! 

For those of you who aren’t in Maryland, this past weekend was the Maryland SPCA March for the Animals.    Over the last four years, I have been fortunate (and unrelenting) enough to have collected more than any other participant.  I am incredibly proud to say that this year alone I raised $8,500!!  

How do I do it? I am honest and straightforward about my passion for helping animals.

Okay, here’s the fun part!  Sunday in Baltimore started out a little cool and overcast.  It wasn’t great picnic or beach weather but it was perfect for thousands of people to come out and walk a mile and a half with their pets.   You know how people say, “go to your happy place” when you are feeing blue? This “blue day”, this event, all these people with their pets - all of whom  move me to tears of joy every year…this is “my happy place”.  It’s the free meal because you are the millionth customer.  It’s getting to the register and finding out that ALL of your stuff is 50% off.  It’s your team winning the Super Bowl AND beating the spread.   

My dog Phoebe loves the exercise and she loves the attention she gets at this event.  What she does NOT love is that there are almost as many dogs there as there are people.  She didn’t spend much of her youth with other dogs so she’s not very tolerant of many dog greeting rituals.  I, on the other hand, require the attention.  It is a fact that if a dog doesn’t lick my face I assume they don’t love me.  How could a dog not love me??  I try not to hold a grudge because they don’t know that I am one of their biggest advocates.  I was in my element holding puppies, shouting out the different dog breeds when spotted, and just loving life in general. Several of my good friends came out with their dogs in support even with the bad weather. 

Our “blue day” turned to torrential downpours. It was like a cartoon.  (This is the opportunity to make the obligatory “raining cats and dogs” joke but I’m not giving in) ….One of the volunteers was visibly dejected by the weather… fearing it would serve as a deterrent preventing potential contributors from coming out.  In my most positive motivational voice, I promised her that the storm was good luck and that the event was blessed by the rain.  She thanked me for my optimism, gave me my T-shirt and bandana for my dog, and quickly sent me on my way.   We ran back to where I was parked, rang out the 50 lb soaking wet sweatshirt I was wearing, got into my SUV and pulled away from the park. My dog got a wonderful healthy dog treat for her behavior and “weathering the storm” so to speak. She is not a big fan of thunder storms. 

Today I got the great news.  In spite of the weather, this year the March for the Animals raised an all-time record-breaking $375,000.  

I was never so happy to say, “I told you so” in my entire life.

March Madness is upon us, which means secretaries everywhere are more than likely printing out more NCAA Tournament brackets than invoices. If you want a shot at winning your office’s pool, the key is picking those nitty-gritty underdogs that always seem to ruin everyone’s bracket. Unfortunately for you, we here at Halo® can’t offer much help in selecting that kind of underdog, but here are some other kinds of dogs that will certainly be making their presence felt at the upcoming tournament.

Georgetown’s Jack the Bulldog

Jonathan VII from the University of Connecticut

Texas A&M University’s Reveille the Collie

Uga VI from the Univeristy of Georgia

Mississippi State University’s Bully the Bulldog

Last week proved to be a very exciting time for me. You know how much I love helping the animals. Each year, the Petco Foundation sponsors a major event in Southern California, in association with the “Make A Wish Foundation”. They call it Wags for Wishes and thousands of dog enthusiasts showed up from all over the country to participate in the contests, agility trials, and to be a part of an “over the top” top dog- doggie event. Halo® sponsored the adoption arena and successfully assisted a variety of shelter pets to find new, loving homes, and to spread the word about keeping pets healthy - using holistic methods.

I signed books, met some really wonderful people and helped introduce some of the shelter pets. We wound up sending about 35 dogs to their new homes, equipped with all kinds of great health products to support the transition process.

The agility trials were especially interesting to me. The Australian Shepherds and Border Collies took center stage in most of the events. (I’m crazy about Aussies, and as you know - my Bravo and my Jazzie are two of the greatest Aussies I’ve ever encountered. - O.K. - I’m just a little biased!) These dogs flew through the air, ran intense courses, jumped fences, slid down slides, leaped tall buildings in a single bound and rescued small children from running away! All kidding aside, they were awesome to watch and a great time was had by all.

I had the great pleasure of also meeting Lassie. The magnificent and legendary collie who probably started the iconic television dog/human bond. Well, it wasn’t Lassie per se, but it was Lassie number 9. A direct descendent of the Lassie from the 50’s T.V. show. And I also had the pleasure of meeting little Timmy. The boy who played Timmy on the show is all grown up, and what a really nice guy! Jon Provost (his real name) was there to sign autographs with Lassie, and to promote his new book entitled “Timmy’s in the Well”, which talks about his life in the limelight and what it was like to be a child star and the trials and tribulations of fame and fortune at such a young age. He is full of life, and lights up when he speaks about days gone by, and the fantastic story of living with Lassie in the days of Hollywood and its rich history. I can’t wait to read the book when its released in October 2007.

I did want to say how great it was to participate in this event to help shelter pets. If you aren’t already a part of a group that helps animals, I would like to suggest that once or twice a year you consider doing something that makes a difference to some unwanted pets. Perhaps you can volunteer some time at your local shelter, or foster some needy dogs or cats. It becomes a really feel-good thing to do that helps spread some happiness and good cheer. Isn’t that what life should be about?

Thanks for doing your part in helping the animals too! Why not let me know what you’ve done and post your own event on this site?