Congratulations to our winner of last week’s “My Halo Story” Twitter contest — @Suzanne! Fellow Halo followers were asked to tell us about their Halo experience for a chance to win a $50 gift certificate to our web store. The winner was picked at random and announce Friday, 2/26/10.

@Suzanne’s winning tweet was, “We call Halo frz-dried chicken ‘cookies’. When my cat Montague escaped the way we got him back was to yell ‘cookies’ #MyHaloStory.”

Montague is a 3rd generation Savannah cat, bred from American Shorthair and African Servile. He has giant ears and a triangle shaped face long legs and skinny tail. Suzanne taught him how to shake hands so he sits and shake hands for his reward — Halo freeze dried chicken treats! She says,” when we whisper the word ‘cookie’ he howls and paces till we get the container from the fridge. One cannot go near the fridge without him following and howling.” Then Suzanne’s other three cats come to see if the Savannah cat gets his treat.

On top of that, she mentions a friend who’s cat, Walter, plays the piano for his Halo chicken treats. We’d sure like to see a video of that!

Here is a guest blog from one of our Facebook Fans, Wendy Shekell Dosch. She wanted to share Codi’s story with Halo and our blog readers.

Thank You Halo!!! OUR STORY:

You literally saved my Golden’s life!!

My precious 13 year old Golden is a different dog since eating Halo. In the past she has been diagnosed with chronic UTI, thyroid problems, hip displasia, had her spleen removed, was told she had liver cancer and lymphoma… The list just goes on.

She had been on prescription Science Diet for about 8-10 years. She has been on so many different antibiotics there were few left the vet had not tried. In October of last year she was so weak she could not walk and had to be feed soft food by spoon. My husband and I carried her out to potty.

She started chattering and shaking and was sicker than I’ve ever seen her. She was taking two very strong antibiotics one of which was Batril she was put on Valium and pain meds. Also still giving wet Rx Science Diet. Late October my vet suggested it was time to let her go!!! I was sick, scared and just wasn’t sure I had done everything I could.

SO, that’s when I read about Halo!!! I made the decision the last week of October to take her off all meds except Rimadyl and try feeding her Halo wet food. This is not an exaggeration… I am serious, within four days of feeding her Halo along with Halo supplements she got up for the first time in a month on her own, walked into the kitchen where I was cooking dinner and literally bumped me on the leg and dropped her ball at my feet!!!!!!!

All I could do was get on the floor with her and cry tears of JOY! I am convinced Halo was the main reason she is still with us today. She has not been to the vet since late September of 2009, and is so healthy her hair stopped falling out, her skin isn’t flaking off and she is so happy and absolutely LOVES her Halo Food!!!

Thank You doesn’t even come close to how I feel.
Wendy and Codi

Earlier this year, Melissa Utech felt completely overwhelmed. This founder of Safe Haven Animal Shelter was out of money and out of food for the multitude of abandoned dogs and cats under her care in Scottsboro, Alabama. “I didn’t know what I was going to do,” says Utech. “I just started praying, I said, ‘God, you know I am trying to take care of these animals, I am putting it in your hands.’”

Soon after, Utech received an email from Freekibble.com with the news that Halo, Purely for Pets would be sending her a few rather large donations, 5,300 pounds in all, of dry Spot’s Stew. “As soon as I read it I put my head down and started crying,” says the 41-year-old Utech. “It was a prayer that was answered.”

For many months before the donation, Utech and a friend frequently emailed Freekibble.com founder Mimi Ausland, 13, after reading about Mimi last year in People magazine (authored by me, the author of this story).

Scores of rescues email freekibble.com seeking food, yet Safe Haven stuck out, and not only for persistence. “We realized that Melissa works very hard and does some amazing work,” says Mimi. “Also, she is in an area that is very hard hit with the bad economy and we knew that the food would really be helping her out.”

One of the beneficiaries is Chopper, a boxer mix who was in bad shape when a local vet gave him to Utech. “When he came in he was skin and bones,” says Utech. “He had been running free getting food wherever he could find it.” Utech nursed him from near-starvation to a healthy, vibrant pup by feeding him Halo. Utech shared the donation with her local shelter, and families struggling financially.

The dogs gleefully gobbled it up. “Wouldn’t you rather go to a really nice restaurant and have a nice steak and a real salad versus Burger King?” says Utech. “Wouldn’t you like to give your animals the best? It makes them feel better, it makes their skin and coat better.”

A lifelong animal lover, Utech — owner of eight dogs, and a former limo driver — entered the business of taking care of dogs with her own pet-sitting business. “I hate to see people go on vacation and have a good time while their dogs were in a kennel,” says Utech.

In 2006, she founded Safe Haven after learning of two dogs left at the local shelter and facing imminent euthanasia. Utech borrowed $500 from friends to rescue the dogs; she ended up fostering them for seven months.

The experience forever changed this mom of 16-year-old twins. “Once I went to the shelter and saw how desperate people’s situations are and how desperate the animals are…haven is like heaven, and they’re heaven to me,” she says. “They have unconditional love, like God does. I have seen some animals in horrible situations, no matter how abused there are, how much they are starved, they turn around.”

Utech created a network of foster homes for the many strays so prevalent in her area. She has an agreement with the local shelter that they not euthanize any dog or cat, allowing her to instead find homes for all of the animals.

And there are multitudes: from November 5th to December 8th, for example, she found homes for 78 strays. “I always dread going to the shelter, I know there’s more there and it makes me sick to my stomach seeing beautiful animals thrown away like trash,” she says. “And then when you see they go to a loving family, the dogs go from rags from riches. That keeps me going, that dog becomes a treasure.”

In 2008 alone, Utech found homes for some 2000 cats and dogs while in 2009, over 800 strays found forever families. She speaks to school children about the importance of spaying and neutering, and is working on legislation to limit the outdoor chaining of dogs. And, Utech is working on funding the construction of a shelter of her own on 4.5 acres of donated land. “It’s big now,” says Utech of Safe Haven. “It’s more than I could have ever imagined.”

To donate to Safe Haven via Pay Pal, log on to www.safehavenadoption.com and click on the donate tab at the top of the page. Or, donations can be sent to Safe Haven, P.O. Box 962,Scottsboro, AL 35768.

Well, it’s almost time for PetMD Haute or Not celebrity Labrador Gordi’s charity cruise. And she sure sounds ready! Here’s what she’s saying in week seven of her Halo transition:

“The Doga, the meditation, the vitamins, the Dreamcoat, the everything — they all have me feeling so good inside that I feel like a young pup again … wow, was it only seven weeks ago since I started the Halo change? Who knew a simple meal change and some supplements would have so much of a domino effect on my entire life? Now, that I feel more comfortable in my own skin, I am able to relax and be myself rather than trying to pretend that I am beautiful. And let me tell you, darling, pretense is such a waste of energy. I just feel beautiful.”

Can’t wait to read week 8!

Gordi, the real-life Labrador of Haute or Not columnist Rick Tamargo, continues on her fanciful journey. In week six of her transition to Halo, she’s become a Halo evangelist! From Rick’s column:

Then, upon closer inspection, his eyes widened. “Why, Gordi, you do look fabulous! Between the Halo and the exercise routines you’ve transformed. You’re absolutely brilliant.”

I filled him in on the details of the meal and exercise plan I have been on the last several weeks…