I can’t believe it’s been so long between posts. But gimme a few more days – I’ve been out of commission, but will fill you in on the horrendous details when I get back. In the meantime, plan on coming out for the Walton Animal Guild’s June 17 State of the Animals Report, 6:30 pm at the Monroe-Walton Library. Lots of important info, and our special guest is Walton Co. Commission Chairman Kevin Little.<br /><br />I’ll have to miss it, but you shouldn’t!<br /><br />’Til later,<br /><br />Buddy

The economy is in a funk, housing is down and jobs are scarce. So guess what company is reporting a 9.1% growth increase? Pet Smart.<br /><br />Yep, while other industries are watching water drain from their income tub, the pet industry continues to grow. Pet Smart’s revenues through May of 2008 are 9.1 percent higher than the same time last year. People clearly value their pets and continue to spend money on them, despite economic hard times. In fact, it’s been proven that people will skimp on food for themselves to provide for their pets. And we love being spoiled.<br /><br /><img id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5203660169245867938″ style=”DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center” alt=”” src=”http://bp2.blogger.com/_GGzq-xpWRuI/SDcdWo-_v6I/AAAAAAAAAGE/peofTIIL_54/s200/spoil.jpg” border=”0″ /><br /><br /><br />Here’s another interesting tidbit on the…

Enough about politics. Back to the important stuff – animals like me!<br /><br /><div></div><div>In May we’ve been able to rescue 21 dogs and cats from Walton County Animal Control and get them on the road to new homes. Here are just a couple:</div><div><br /></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><br /></div><div><a href=”http://bp2.blogger.com/_GGzq-xpWRuI/SDcQpo-_v1I/AAAAAAAAAFc/TCpCLIjQ_No/s1600-h/Min+Pin.jpg”><img id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5203646202012221266″ style=”FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand” alt=”” src=”http://bp2.blogger.com/_GGzq-xpWRuI/SDcQpo-_v1I/AAAAAAAAAFc/TCpCLIjQ_No/s200/Min+Pin.jpg” border=”0″ /></a></div><div></div><div><a href=”http://bp0.blogger.com/_GGzq-xpWRuI/SDcQqI-_v3I/AAAAAAAAAFs/avpAZ3cTjkw/s1600-h/Corgi.jpg”><img id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5203646210602155890″ style=”FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand” alt=”” src=”http://bp0.blogger.com/_GGzq-xpWRuI/SDcQqI-_v3I/AAAAAAAAAFs/avpAZ3cTjkw/s200/Corgi.jpg” border=”0″ /></a></div><div><br /></div><div></div><div><br /></div><div></div><div> </div><div><br /></div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div>We’ve also got kittens for adoption displayed at Boss Bros. Store and also West Walton Feed. Please adopt these detestful creatures. I do <strong>not</strong> want them coming back here! Nuisances.</div><div><br /></div><div></div><div>We’re sliding toward summer and WAG is keeping their event calendar light. The…

So, I’ve already told you the Walton County Commission Chairman is coming to our membership meeting on June 17. Let me tell you why that’s important.<br /><br />There has been no humane society in Walton County for a very long time. Unfortunately, our animal services have suffered because of the lack of attention. Here’s a few challenges we face:<br /><br /><ul><li>The shelter is old, outdated and very undersized.</li><li>We are the only shelter in the 19 county metro-Atlanta area that doesn’t offer evening or weekend hours.</li><li>The animals are available for viewing from 2-5 pm, 4 days a week. Most face euthanasia after about 2 weeks if not adopted. That means they have a mere 24 hours on public display in the shelter.</li><li>Nearly 80% of the animals…

On June 17, 2008, Walton County Commission Chairman Kevin Little will appear at our meeting to discuss plans for the new shelter, along with animal services in Walton County.<br /><br />We are very excited at this opportunity to raise the importance of animal services in the eyes of the local politicians, so please come out and support us. You don’t have to be a member to come, just show up at the Walton-Monroe Library on Spring Street at 6:30 pm on June 17. We’re also be giving our State of the Animals Report, so it will be a multi-fact-filled evening!<br /><br />For a Tuesday night, this will be some pretty exciting stuff!!<br /><br />’Til later,<br /><br /><br />Buddy

Thanks to those who came out to the McDaniel-Tichenor House pet show, and also our adoption this weekend at Boss Bros. Gorgeous weather both days, so maybe we’ve shrugged off the run of rain clouds we were under for awhile.<br /><br />Here some news – WAG will be compiling a “Walton Co. State of the Animals ” report, giving some local stats on animal services, ownership, costs and expenditures. We’re also gathering information on local groomers, boarding, training, and other pet services, so if you have a business that falls into those categories, drop us an email and let us know.<br /><br />B.

Ahhh, digging in the fresh spring dirt! Is there anything more relaxing?<br /><br />I’ve been kinda preoccupied lately with things (see above) but wanted to offer a few WAG updates.<br /><br />Stop by the McDaniel-Tichenor House in Monroe this weekend, Sunday, May 4, to check out the fun pet show. There are always good crowds and lots of cute animals to look at. Sorry I can’t be there, but I’d already planned on cleaning out my doghouse this weekend. Been putting it off way too long.<br /><br />Gotta mention a huge WAG Thank-You to Joan and Wayne McMillan of Social Circle. These pet-loving folks recently downsized their home and donated lots of great furniture and items to WAG for fundraising purposes. We’re talking truckloads of…

<a href=”http://bp0.blogger.com/_GGzq-xpWRuI/SBARsmNoUuI/AAAAAAAAAFU/HELuQYThO80/s1600-h/car.jpg”><img id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192669828227814114″ style=”FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand” alt=”” src=”http://bp0.blogger.com/_GGzq-xpWRuI/SBARsmNoUuI/AAAAAAAAAFU/HELuQYThO80/s200/car.jpg” border=”0″ /></a><br />What’s more dangerous to fiddle with while driving – Fido or Nextel?<br /><br />Apparently California officials think dogs are. They’ve introduced a bill that fines people for driving with pets in their lap. Police officers spotting Fluffy in the drivers seat would issue a citation to the owner. Then, after unceremoniously dumping Fluffy into the back seat, the owner could pick up their cell phone, call their best friend and swerve on down the road uninterrupted while yakking endlessly about the unfairness of it all.<br /><br />Human logic – always makes perfect sense to me. (?????)<br /><br />B.

<div><div>Well, the fleas were hopping at our market this weekend! WAG early-risers got things cranked up at 8:30 am. Crowds were steady despite the morning drizzle, but the afternoon really perked up. Here’s a few shots:</div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div><img id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5191569802990342802″ style=”DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center” alt=”” src=”http://bp2.blogger.com/_GGzq-xpWRuI/SAwpOs3iUpI/AAAAAAAAAFE/ZzJ3BEr_nSQ/s200/carry.jpg” border=”0″ /></div><div><a href=”http://bp1.blogger.com/_GGzq-xpWRuI/SAwpCc3iUoI/AAAAAAAAAE8/HiTL7HkpVBQ/s1600-h/shop.jpg”><img id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5191569592536945282″ style=”FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand” alt=”” src=”http://bp1.blogger.com/_GGzq-xpWRuI/SAwpCc3iUoI/AAAAAAAAAE8/HiTL7HkpVBQ/s200/shop.jpg” border=”0″ /></a><br /><br /><br /></div><div></div></div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div>We raffled off this great handmade quilt. Congratulations to Debbie Jones who took it home with her!</div><div><br /><a href=”http://bp3.blogger.com/_GGzq-xpWRuI/SAwpf83iUqI/AAAAAAAAAFM/HecBwNr916Y/s1600-h/quilt.jpg”><img id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5191570099343086242″ style=”FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand” alt=”” src=”http://bp3.blogger.com/_GGzq-xpWRuI/SAwpf83iUqI/AAAAAAAAAFM/HecBwNr916Y/s200/quilt.jpg” border=”0″ /></a><br /><br /></div><div></div><div><br /><br /></div><p></p><div> </div><div> </div><div><br /> </div><div> </div><div>Avery, the Labrador Retriever, and a kitten both…

Countdown to the Fleas Market – one day and counting. Please, Mother Nature, be kind in your weather decisions.<br /><br />We’ve done a great job of collecting cool stuff. In fact, WAG members keep circling the goodies like vultures eyeing roadkill. But there’s no buying ahead of time – they’ll just have to get in there and wrestle for the prizes with everybody else!<br /><br />Look for members wearing our new WAG t-shirts at the sale. Yes, they’re all dressing up like clones now. But it could be worse. They could be wearing those giant sparkly velvet tassled Conehead- looking hats! Trust me, if that happens I’m outta here. Let ’em find some tacky cat to be their spokesanimal.<br /><br />Anyway, there’s life after the…

<a href=”http://bp2.blogger.com/_GGzq-xpWRuI/SAOvicAQoBI/AAAAAAAAAE0/A7ZUKV8HwhI/s1600-h/wet.jpg”><img id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5189184201828638738″ style=”FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand” alt=”” src=”http://bp2.blogger.com/_GGzq-xpWRuI/SAOvicAQoBI/AAAAAAAAAE0/A7ZUKV8HwhI/s200/wet.jpg” border=”0″ /></a><br /><div></div><br /><div>”Through rain, sleet or snow” might be the postal workers creed, but it doesn’t seem to apply to potential adopters. Another bout of gray drizzly weather on Saturday doomed our April adoption day. Unfortunately, all the animals who came in the van left in the van – no new homes. </div><div></div><br /><div>But every day is a new opportunity, right?</div><div></div><br /><div>Our hardy volunteers didn’t disappoint, though. Thanks to Lynn Turner, Cheryl and Joe Reynolds, Jessie Romer and Nancy Holdren, Laura Templeton, Lee Ann Wilkinson and a few more perhaps unmentioned. I wasn’t there and my spies haven’t reported all their sightings. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>So we’ve made it through a…

I haven’t been very good about keeping up with the new members coming on board. But here’s a list of some who joined us over the last month or so: Maureen Lee, Diane Allen, Barbara Postlewaite, Bob and Shirley Guhl, Allison Cremeno, The Kevin Kerpics family, Donald Osborne, Samantha Craig, Joanna Cory, and Wayne and Carol Bond.<br /><br />A pet-loving community – my favorite place to be.<br /><br /><br />B.

Check out Oprah’s show today – an expose of puppy mills. 4 pm on WSB-TV, Atlanta.<br /><br />Not pretty, but a valuable story. We forget where those adorable $600 pet store puppies come from.<br /><br />B.

Don’t forget to bring your donations for the April 19 Dogs and Fleas Market to Loganville this Saturday, April 5, from 12 – 4 pm. The address is 6050 Ga. Hwy 20 – take Hwy 20 from Loganville toward Conyers. The house is a few miles down on the left, look for the WAG signs. Folks will be there to help you unload.<br /><br />So dig in and clean out those closets!

<a href=”http://bp0.blogger.com/_GGzq-xpWRuI/R_Wt_tO3N0I/AAAAAAAAAEs/6prLIzfZwc0/s1600-h/PetraSwan2.jpg”><img id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5185241855972292418″ style=”FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand” alt=”” src=”http://bp0.blogger.com/_GGzq-xpWRuI/R_Wt_tO3N0I/AAAAAAAAAEs/6prLIzfZwc0/s200/PetraSwan2.jpg” border=”0″ /></a> When swans fall for a mate, it is for life. So imagine the predicament of a swan who fell in love with a peddle boat.<br /><p>That is what happened to a rare Black Austrian swan in Germany named Petra when she caught sight of a peddle boat designed to look like a swan. That first look was all it took last year. Never mind her lover towered over her, never mind it was white, never mind it was made of plastic or that humans sat inside of it riding along the lake. </p><p>So lovestruck was Petra that she refused to abandon her mate and fly south for the winter,…

Paris Hilton, move over – you ain’t got nothing on WAG!<br /><br />We’re in the paper again. Check out Sunday’s Walton Tribune for a photo of Dr. Beth Perry, Lynn Turner, and the folks at Tractor Supply posing at our last adoption event.<br /><br />OK, maybe not as headline-grabbing as Paris and her pink sparkle phone, but I bet the dogs in our picture are much happier than that poor Tinkerbell, the dinky dog PH’s always carting around.<br /><br />We had some great stuff dropped off this weekend in anticipation of the big Dogs and Fleas Market. Another drop-off opportunity will be Saturday, April 5 from 12 pm – 4. The address is 6050 Ga. Highway 20 in Loganville. Look for the WAG banner in…

<a href=”http://bp3.blogger.com/_GGzq-xpWRuI/R-fWF9O3NyI/AAAAAAAAAEc/oGDfI5uVZgc/s1600-h/beer.jpg”><img id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5181345294137636642″ style=”FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand” alt=”” src=”http://bp3.blogger.com/_GGzq-xpWRuI/R-fWF9O3NyI/AAAAAAAAAEc/oGDfI5uVZgc/s200/beer.jpg” border=”0″ /></a><br /><div>If there’s one thing that’s been missing in a dogs life, it’s the ability to knock back a few cool ones with our owners. But those days are over.</div><div><br /></div><div>Thanks to creative minds, dogs can now imbibe along with the crowd, while still remaining sober enough to be the designated driver.</div><div></div><br /><p>At <a href=”http://www.beerfordogs.com/”>http://www.beerfordogs.com/</a>, Dog Star Brewing offers a hearty ale made from beef drippings and with just the right amount of foam head to make it macho. This alcohol-free product means no a fun night out without worrying about those pesky breathalyzers.</p><p>The more discriminating canine, however, might wish to peruse the choices at <a href=”http://www.barkvineyards.com/”>http://www.barkvineyards.com/</a>, with varieties like…

Get ready to pack up your basement, closet or attic extras for donation to the WAG Fleas and Dogs Market in April. All the funds we make will help sponsor more great programs!<br /><br />Here are the drop off days/times to bring your donated items:<br /><br />Saturday, March 29 from 12 – 4 pm.<br /><br />Saturday, April 5 from 12 -4 pm<br /><br />The drop off site is at 6050 GA Highway 20 in Loganville. The nice folks at Alliance Fire Protection have offered some space to store our stuff until the sale.<br /><br />Any questions? Email us at <a href=”mailto:wagwalton@yahoo.com”>wagwalton@yahoo.com</a>.

<a href=”http://bp1.blogger.com/_GGzq-xpWRuI/R-c_IdO3NuI/AAAAAAAAAD8/h3gj9inl0AM/s1600-h/Tractor+Sup.jpg”><img id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5181179310831515362″ style=”FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand” alt=”” src=”http://bp1.blogger.com/_GGzq-xpWRuI/R-c_IdO3NuI/AAAAAAAAAD8/h3gj9inl0AM/s200/Tractor+Sup.jpg” border=”0″ /></a><br /><div>A Saturday at Tractor Supply – is there any better springtime activity? </div><div><br /></div><div></div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div>It may not be the normal weekend hangout, but it was a good spot for our recent adoption event. Thanks to Gail at Tractor Supply for inviting us. The hardy crew of Lynn Turner, Cheryl Reynolds, Karen Dean, Roy Mallady, Beth Perry, Tanya and Jill and Samantha don’t-know-their-last-names adopted out two dogs and a kitten in the 4-hour span. Not quite our usual one-per-hour quota, but we met some nice folks and helped create some new families.</div><div> </div><div> </div><div><br /><a href=”http://bp3.blogger.com/_GGzq-xpWRuI/R-dAA9O3NwI/AAAAAAAAAEM/Y3ZdH9WiIog/s1600-h/Opie.jpg”><img id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5181180281494124290″ style=”FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand” alt=””…

Seems I was wrong. The Fleas and Dogs sale is April 19, not the 22nd. Remember – Saturday, April 19, from 10 am – 4 pm at St. Alban’s Episcopal Church, 206 N. Broad St., in Monroe.<br /><br />So I goofed. Gimme a break – I’m a dog. We don’t have calendars!<br /><br />B.