Jasper looking cute

The universe works in mysterious ways. By now, you might know we’ve adopted a dog named Jasper. But, the story of how he came into our lives is so serendipitous, I have to share it with you. Adopting a brother for Sophie has been filled with some twists and turns. I wrote about how we’d gone to the Mayor’s Alliance for NYC Animals’ Maddie’s Pet Adoption Days. While we saw adorable cats and beautiful dogs there, that weekend we didn’t find our man. Then, word came through the shelter Social Tees that a dog was available.

His name was Bentley and he was a cutie. My husband and I packed up Sophie’s water bottle, blanket, treats, put her in her carry bag and off we went on the subway to Queens. Bentley was being fostered by a lovely woman named Hiro. He was a Brussels Griffon mix; a serious but sweet boy who darted around like a dog who wasn’t sure what was coming next. Bentley was a stray on the street, taken in by Animal Care and Control, rescued by Social Tees, then fostered by one family, returned, and then Hiro got him. He’d been bounced around so much, we had to be really sure he was the right choice. We didn’t want to do that to him again.

When Sophie really likes a dog, she’s all waggy tush, ears back in a happy way and playful, trying to rev them up for some fun. With her being out of her comfort zone, we thought it wasn’t unusual that she didn’t acknowledge, and then avoided, Bentley at first, and we decided to give them time to warm up. But, after a couple of hours together, it never really gelled, and we went home feeling like this wasn’t the right match.

That night, I went onto the Animal Care and Control website to look around. I go on there regularly, mostly to write about available dogs for adoption on my Shelter Stars page. But, on that night, something compelled me to look into the At Risk dogs, who would be euthanized the next day. I entered my search, and up came Andy, a 14 year old, white Shih Tzu mix, missing one eye and almost blind in the other. He was found wandering on the street. He looked so forlorn, so in need, my heart went out to this old boy.  I get emails and Facebook posts everyday about dogs rescued from horrible situations who need our help and dogs on the kill list. I’ll share the post, sometimes I’ll write about it, but that’s usually the extent of it.  With Andy, again, something compelled me to feel like I had to rescue this guy. I talked to my husband and he was a supportive angel. He agreed we needed to help Andy and we decided to foster him. I “reserved” Andy on the site, paid my donation for him, and we planned to go up to the ACC on East 110th Street in Harlem the next morning.

On the way, I’m thinking about what we’ll need to take care of Andy and the challenges of a senior dog with health issues…high vet bills, pet insurance premiums through the roof…you know what I mean. When we arrived, we were ushered upstairs to the second floor, past a sign with an arrow saying “Your new pet awaits.” I was so nervous. I’d never been to ACC before, but had heard horror stories. I expected a dirty place with rows of occupied cages, dogs in terrible condition, howling. While I’m not saying the ACC is a good place for an animal, and we only saw a part of one floor, it was nothing like that. It looked clean and the staff were very friendly and caring. We filled out some paperwork and waited for a staff member to help us.

All of a sudden, my husband nudges me and points to a little dog rounding a corner, just back from a walk with a volunteer. “Who’s that?” he asks. We’re told it’s a dog that’s just come up for adoption that morning. We’re invited to check him out while we wait. We enter one of the four kennel rooms cautiously. Inside were a row of cages, but only four were occupied, all by small dogs. The one we’d seen was still being put back by the volunteer, so we started asking questions about him, while looking at his descriptive paperwork on the kennel door.

Jasper in his cage at ACC

The details said his name was Shadow, he was four years old, he was surrendered by a family, he was not good with kids and not good with strangers. We didn’t think a whole lot about it because we were there to rescue Andy. But, he was awfully cute, and sitting in his cage, he looked very sweet, with sad but hopeful big brown eyes.

Staff member Damien arrived to process our request for Andy. Something had happened. Damien asked if I would mind if someone wanted to adopt Andy. I said No! I was planning to foster him, so that would be great. Then, he asked, what if a shelter was interested in stepping in? Great, I said! If it’s a good shelter. I was going to reach out to a couple I know for help in placing Andy. Why? Do you have one? Actually, Damien said, there’s a great one we work with who wants to pick him up tomorrow. Wow, I thought. What was happening? My husband and I both agreed that that was a good idea, and we were relieved we’d gotten Andy off of the kill list and helped get him rescued by a good shelter. Then, we looked at each other, at Shadow, and at Damien and I said…What about this guy? He seemed to be many of the things we’d wanted in a brother for Sophie. He was the right age, looked to be the right size, had that scruffy look my husband loves. And those eyes…he had a sweetness. We took him with the volunteer into a visitation room and, 45 minutes later, we walked out the proud new parents of a little boy named Jasper! Yes, this was a bit of an impulse adoption. Sophie hadn’t even met him and she was supposed to choose her brother. But it also seemed like something magical had happened; like Jasper was supposed to enter our lives. The universe had so clearly intervened, compelling me to locate Andy, so we would be at the ACC (and at just the right time) to see Jasper rounding that corner. We saved two dogs that day, and I was over the moon.

Jasper with his Daddy on the way home from the ACC

At this point, you might be thinking,  aw, that’s a sweet story! But, this story is far from over. Who we thought we were adopting, turned out to be another animal, altogether. Tune in to Part Two to find out what we started suspecting about Jasper, and later, confirmed; what happened when Sophie met her brother for the first time, and the big challenge we face with Jasper and how we’re trying to help him.

Jasper playing with his new toy

Do you have a shelter story to share? Tell me about it in the Comments below.

If you liked this story, you can read Part Two here.

Yorkie911 Rescue is a wonderful group, founded by Heidi Walker, dedicated to rescuing and finding homes for Yorkies and other small breeds. The (501(c)3) organization utilizes its volunteers own homes to foster the rescued pups until a great forever home is found. I was excited to cover its 5th Annual Pet Fashion Show, knowing some of the designers and people participating, but the universe had other plans. With little Jasper, our brand new rescue, having come into our lives the night before, traveling to Long Island from NYC for a full day on his very first day was not the best idea. But, fashion show coordinator, Mary Goodrow, was kind enough to give me an insider’s view of the event, the designers creations and something very special and different they did this year. So, come with me and experience the creative genius of couture dog fashion!

Raffle Baskets

A little background on this impressive rescue group: in just four years, they’ve housed over 600 dogs! That’s over 600 lives saved. They consist of volunteers only and, in someone like Mary’s case, full time volunteers. So, all of the money raised from Sunday’s event goes to vet care, transport and home care of the dogs they save. That’s it.

This year they outdid themselves. There were 70 raffle baskets and 12 grand prizes. I’m told that each raffle basket is enormous, with a minimum value of $150. The Grand Prize can be valued at $500 and up.  This year a couple of the prizes included the luxury brand Tumi luggage and gift certificates from Zales, ladies. The event took place in the ballroom of the Upsky Hotel in Hauppauge, Long Island; a full lunch was served,  doggies were allowed and vendors were present with some interesting wares.

This show is a huge project and Heidi and Mary start working on it in the fall. Each of the three designers chosen this year were asked to create a collection to debut at the event, not before. Outfits began arriving one month in advance, so Mary could fit the Yorkie911 rescues and see who was going to model. This year, 20 were used in the show. The models are adopted rescues, so their new families attend and Heidi and Mary get the opportunity to see how their former charges are doing. And happily, at the end of the event, one of the available rescues, Gucci, was adopted!

The Designers

Valerie Curren of Tuck and Tula: Valerie’s milieu is heirloom harnesses that feature antique lace, linen and embellishments.  Her theme this year was nursery rhymes and holidays, and these pieces were as intricate and ornate as you can imagine. Whole rhymes were told on the backs of harnesses, including English rhyme “Hey Diddle Diddle” and “Custard the Dragon.” A winter wonderland was displayed on another. Mary’s little cutie boy, Philly, who she adopted at last year’s event, has a Frosty harness created by Curran. As Mary describes, “Valerie’s pieces are like keepsakes. You hold on to them forever.” You can see more of Tuck and Tula’s designs on Valerie’s Facebook page.

Valerie Curran’s Tuck and Tula harness collection, based on nursery rhymes

Janice Craig of Belle Diva Couture: Janice presented a variety of items this year, from her wonderful Fishy Fish harnesses in rich purples and cherry reds. Each one features an aquatic scene or water-themed embellishment. The purple harnesses have embroidered bright, cheerful fish and the red harness is sporting a gorgeous, big sterling silver starfish. I understand Craig also included a black Fishy Fish harness, with a beautiful shell.

Janice also included clever pieces paying homage to Shirley Temple. One, inspired by Temple’s famed red and white polka dot dress and hat, was really delightful, with a red and white under layer that gave a buoyancy to the look. That it was worn by the most adorable little Yorkie didn’t hurt, either! Philly modeled the Good Ship Lollipop Sailor outfit, another Shirley Temple favorite. A Peruvian Party-themed boy and girl set, featured bold, beautiful colors and great detail. Janice closed her show with a very special and meaningful piece for her; the wedding dress her little Yorkie, Sophie, now deceased, had originally worn in a special North Carolina event to benefit a local rescue organization. This hand-crafted satin bridal gown featured lace overlay, pearls and satin flowers. You can learn more about Janice’s designs and purchase on her Belle Diva Couture site.

Belle Diva Couture’s Homage to Shirley Temple

Good Ship Lollipop Sailor by Janice Craig/Belle Diva Couture

Yvette Ruta of Yvette Ruta Luxury Design: Yvette is one of the most prolific of the designers, expanding her collection to include beautiful beds, bedding, even human baby clothes. On Sunday, she didn’t disappoint, creating her entire collection in a very chic black and white. Ruta partnered for the show with Susan Howard-designed Hayley’s Hats, and many of the outfits included a specially created topper to finish the look. I understand Pebbles, Philly’s sister and Mary’s other Yorkie, was wearing a special piece Yvette made for her. Ruta closed the show with a gorgeous white day bed, completely dressed in black and white bedding. You can see more of Yvette’s designs and purchase here.

Yvette Ruta Luxury Design’s netting overlay on satin two-tiered look

Yvette Ruta Luxury Design’s Tulle Confection

Yvette Ruta Luxury Brand’s Completely Dressed White Daybed

The participants challenge…

Every year the Yorkie911 Pet Fashion Show has three contests. But this year, Heidi and Mary went beyond beyond to create one big contest. Participants were required to design something for their dogs with one, ironclad stipulation: it must be made from construction paper. You could embellish the piece with anything you’d like – fabric, plastic, crystals, whatever. I thought that was very creative. It reminded me of a friend who’s a human fashion designer, who entered a Charmin national contest and had to create a complete outfit out of toilet paper. I saw some real stand out pieces in the photos, and Mary said they received the most entrants they’ve ever had.  The winner was “The Peacock,” created by Teresa Costanzo and worn by her Chihuahua pup, Lollipop. It was an intricate, colorful and wonderful design, made entirely of layers of construction paper. Windows were cut out of the crystal-embellished bodice to expose the green peacock-colored tissue paper underneath. The skirt also featured several layers of construction paper, with tissue paper ruffles and handmade florets arranged to form a design of spirals, with a touch of sparkle. The hem was trimmed in genuine peacock feathers for just the right finish. She’d even designed a matching paper hat with a peacock feather sitting atop. Amazing!

The Peacock Construction Paper Design by Teresa Costanzo

At the end of the day, after the couture creations were peeled off of the pups and they got to play like doggies, Yorkie911 Rescue raised netted over $11,000. Yes, this money will go towards transporting the rescued dogs, getting them proper veterinary care and the expense of fostering them. But the organization had a special goal this year; to be able to buy a new transport van, so they could rescue even more dogs. And, with the help of everyone who donated, they reach it!  “We’re very fortunate,” Goodrow shares. “We have very dedicated volunteers and supporters, and we’re really grateful to everybody.”

Do you have a favorite animal charity you support? Tell me about it in the Comments below.

All photos by Teresa Puntervold

(Disclosure: affiliate links included)

Bideawee means “stay a while” in Scottish and the 360° pet care they offer, unusual for a not-for-profit animal rescue organization, makes you want to do just that. I covered their big annual fundraiser last night – the Bideawee Ball – capturing some glitz, some glam dahlink!, and some angels for animals.

Bideawee President, Nancy Taylor, on the carpet

Bideawee is one of the nation’s oldest animal welfare and pet adoption organizations, clocking in at an impressive 111 years old. It was founded in 1903 by Mrs. Flora D’Auby Jenkins Kibbe. While on a trip abroad, she was touched by the, at that time, unique work of the Barrone d’Herpents Dog Refuge in Paris. This organization would send an ambulance all over the city to pick up stray and unwanted animals. Instead of being destroyed, this dog refuge would care for them until they could find them loving homes. Upon returning to her home in New York City, she promptly decided to set up her own animal refuge organization, calling it the Bide-A-Wee Home Association. In 1906, Bideawee was incorporated as a (501(c)3). Since the beginning, it has been Bideawee’s policy never to euthanize an animal unless it is incurably ill or suffering. Today, Bideawee has facilities in New York City, and two on Long Island, in Wantagh and in Westhampton, and has more than 700 employees and 96 employees. And, it still remains true to Flora Kibbe’s vision as a safe haven for animals.

I arrived at the Ball, which had a masquerade theme, at the perfect time. Bideawee President, Nancy Taylor, was on the carpet. I wanted to talk with her about a new program they recently launched, called Loving Legacy. I was especially interested in this because my husband and I struggle to decide who to name as Sophie’s caregiver, in the event that something happens to us. My daughter works long hours and has her own big dog, Mackey. My husband’s children both live overseas and have very busy lives. What Loving Legacy does for people like me and maybe like you, is takes the fear and worry out of making sure your pets are properly cared and provided for in that circumstance.

“We know it’s becoming standard for people to do advanced planning for themselves, but many people who have pets, who may or may not have children or extended family, worry what will become of their pet if they become incapacitated and no longer take care for them,” Taylor explained. “So, we created this program which we hope will give people peace of mind. If you can no longer care for their pet, Bideawee will step in, take on all the arrangements, retain legal ownership of the pet throughout the pet’s entire life and pre-select a home for that pet to live, where we can be assured it will gets lots of love, lots of socialization. We’ll provide medical care throughout its life, check on them periodically and, at the end of its life, we’ll memorialize the pet as the owner would have hoped we would do.” Bideawee has the owner fill out a very extensive questionnaire, so they know everything about your pet, including what they like to eat. It’s also updated annually. I think this program is amazing and, because it’s expensive to care for a pet throughout its life, as we know, Bideawee

London Jeweler’s President and Rescue Paws Founder, Candy Udell, with The Hope Collar

appreciates donations. You can donate to Bideawee here.

Being honored this year were London Jewelers’ and Rescue Paw Foundation founder, Candy Udell, and Royal Pet Club and Animal AID USA founder, Prince Lorenzo Borghese, whose amazing work I’ve covered before on Bark and Swagger. You can read more about what Lorenzo and his partner, Karen Talbot do for animals here. The evening was emceed by the very cool Cat Greenleaf, host of NBC’s three time Emmy Award-winning series, “Talk Stoop,” which she does with her co-host, the very adorable Gracie the Bulldog.

Candy Udell is a very warm lady doing wonderful things for animals. And, as the President of the prestigious London Jewelers, her Long Island-based, family run business, she’s been able to create some wonderful pieces to raise much-needed funds for both her rescue organization and others. For the Bideawee Ball’s auction, she donated a seriously stunning diamond-encrusted dog collar called The Hope Collar, which took 130 hours to make by hand, features 205 diamonds equaling 15.20cts, and would retail for $55,000! The center is removable, becoming a brooch for humans. The bidding began last night at $30,000. Who knows what this incredible, one-of-a-kind piece will fetch.

One of Rescue Paw’s  newest initiatives, in conjunction with HEART, an organization focused on humane education,  is a program for children that is becoming part of their school curriculum. Beginning with grades 4-6, the program will focus on shelters, spay/neuter programs, animal fighting, kindness, compassion, care and safety. It was launched this year in Lawrence County, Alabama. Alabama doesn’t have spay and neuter laws, and is a high at risk area for animal abuse and abandonment. So far, it’s off to a great start, so much so, that the program will be launched this month in schools in Nassau County, New York. I asked Udell about it. “I’ve been rescuing animals in Lawrence County for five years, and I’ve seen the effects of neglect, of not having spay and neuter programs,” she emphasized. “We’ve been working with the poorest county in Alabama. I believe you have to get to the root of the

Royal Pet Club founder and Animal AID USA co-founder, Prince Lorenzo Borghese & Georgina Bloomberg, board member and animal activist

problem, and that is education in the importance of spaying and neutering, and that’s exactly what I’m doing. We’ve been through hurricanes, floods, you name it. And, we’re able to get dogs out to safety, transport them and find homes for them. But, my goal now is not only to save their lives, but to teach people, as well, about the importance of humanity. What better way to do that then through our children.” Candy, via London Jewelers, has created beautiful paw and dog tag jewelry specifically for the purpose of raising money. “Every piece sold saves a life. And, because Rescue Paws is my organization, I know where every penny is going.”  I asked Candy if she’s ever designed matching dog and human jewelry. “I’ll do anything anyone asks me to do,” she said. “We designed tonight’s Hope Collar, we’ve done two Victoria Secret Fantasy Bras. After you’ve done that, you can do anything,”  she responds, with a smile. ‘Nuff said!

Prince Lorenzo Borghese, founder of the Royal Pet Club brand, which makes gorgeous shampoos and conditioners under the Royal Treatment name, is a committed animal activist, educator and co-founder, with Karen Talbot, of Animal AID USA. Animal AID rescues about 200 dogs from kill shelters in Georgia every month, transports them north, makes sure they have the proper medical care and finds them homes. Borghese, like Candy Udell, believes that educating people, especially children, is paramount to slowly ridding the planet of animal abandonment and abuse. In a partnership with the American Humane Association, Animal AID provides a curriculum for school children to teach them about compassion for animals and about the importance of adopting. I asked him about how the program, called Animal AID Club, was going. “It’s going great!,”  he enthused.  “If you just think about how children are the next generation of leaders,  and how they are more passionate than adults, you can see the power in getting both engaged to help animals. Animals as pets teach children how to care for and love something. We believe that if children want to find a home for a dog, it will happen. If you have 20 children going home with a picture of a dog up for adoption and it becomes a project, the chances are increased even more. And, the parents will want to become involved. Our program does just that – it teaches the children responsibility and gets parents involved, too.

“We also have a play one of our board members wrote called Animal AID, which encourages people to choose adoption. The children portray dogs in the play.  There’s a Bully breed,  and the Pitbull can’t find any love. Then, all the other dogs end up loving him, so it teaches that not all Pitbulls are bad; not all Bully breeds are bad.” Two schools currently have the pilot program, prior to a national roll out, but already the results are impressive. Both schools have a 100%  adoption rate for the dogs.

Karen Biehl, fiance Joseph Lento & Eli the Celebrity Chihuahua

A great evening and cause and I’m so happy Bark and Swagger could be there to share it with you!

Do you have a favorite animal charity or cause? Tell me about it in the Comments below.

Stacy McCosky & Sadie in an Anthony Rubio creation

Today’s National Best Friends Day and I would’ve gotten this post up earlier, but we have a new baby boy in the house. Yesterday, we adopted Jasper from Animal Care & Control in New York City. I’m not going to go into the really cool story of how Jasper came into our lives or even much about him, because I’m writing an entire post about it all. But, I will say that while Sophie and Jasper are working out the kinks in their relationship including boundaries and some power struggles, my husband and I can see a budding best friendship in the making. Sophie knows when to tell him no, and he listens. Who could ask for a better man! Ladies, are you with me on that? 🙂

Sophie & Jasper
working it out…

There’s a sweetness about this boy. Don’t get me wrong; he’s a little bull in a china shop, but underneath a complete lack of training (yes, even housebreaking), there’s this great dog. So, on National Best Friends Day, I’m honoring Sophie and Jasper’s new friendship, and hoping over time, it blossoms into truly best friends.

Sophie & Jasper tussling…

Do you have a best friends day story? Please share it with me in the Comments below.

Today is World Environment Day (WED), a United Nations initiative to encourage worldwide awareness and action for our environment. Every little thing we do continuously helps. For me, I started shutting off the water when I brush my teeth, and I stopped eating meat. In other words, we can become agents of change. I like that feeling. It’s empowering. I think we can all agree the weather has gotten pretty batty over the past couple of years. It’s disconcerting how violent and unpredictable our winters and summers can now be.  The 2013 WED initiative captured a massive amount of attention; the statistics are pretty impressive:  about 200,000 blog posts and more than 26,000 articles were published on WED between June 1 and 10, 2013 alone. Videos on WED were viewed by close to 120 million people on digital screens in Times Square in New York, Piccadilly in London, and at Live Windows (Benetton stores) in Milan, London, Munich, Barcelona and Almaty. On social media, among Twitter’s reported 200 million active users, WED was among the top 10 most talked about topics in at least 15 countries on June 5,  with an estimated 47.6 million impressions on the Day itself. Wow! So here, on Bark and Swagger, we’re going to look at eco-friendly goodies for our dogs, doing our small part to help our planet.

Gorgeous Orchid
Dog Bed Cover

The Orchid Dog Bed Cover

This is a cool concept in dog beds. The covers are a first of it’s kind, utilizing sublimation printing, a new eco-friendly line of fun! Sublimation printing is very lifelike because it’s done using a digital printer and dyes that become a part of the fabric itself. Therefore, they don’t fade or wear easily or have any weight. Pretty cool, right? This particular cover is an Asian orchid scene, at once stunning and serene. To create the bed, just stuff old clothes into the cover – our pups love our scent – fluff, and the bed is made. You can buy additional covers and change the look anytime you want.

Where to buy: Bitch New York

Sizing: Small: 20″ x 5″
Medium: 28″ x 5″
Large: 38″ x 5″

Price: $38.00

The Mondrian Collar & Leash Set

The Mondrian Collar & Leash

For anyone who doesn’t remember Le Mondrian, it was the uber cool L.A. hotel originally located on Sunset Boulevard back in the 80’s. It’s exterior featured a commissioned work by Israeli sculptor and experimental artist, Yaacov Agam – L’Hommage a Mondrian – which covered the hotel’s 9 story exterior. It looked like this, and was inspired by Dutch artist, Piet Mondrian, who founded an early 20th century art form called neoplasticism. The hotel is still around today, but isn’t the same go to spot it once was. The Mondrian collar and leash, on the other hand,  is still pure pop art cool. Made from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) recycled webbing, it is lighter weight and softer than standard nylon collars and leashes, yet just as strong and durable. They are printed with eco-friendly, non-toxic printing, so they’re safe for the mouthy dog.

Where to buy: Bitch New York

Sizing: Collar – Small (10-15″)
Medium (15-20″)
Large (20-25″)

Leash: 5′

Price: Collar – $17.00; Leash – $26.00

Organic cotton
bear overalls

Organic Pink Overalls

This sweet overall is made from 100% organic cotton, and comes with a removable stone lace skirt, for a simpler, unisex style. The softness and purity of the cotton make this a great choice for dogs with sensitive skin. The styles come in pink bear or blue bear, and the graphics are eco-friendly printing, as certified by the SGS Group, the Geneva-based company that provides inspection, verification, testing and certification services. For those who want style and sustainability.

Where to buy: Bitch New York

Sizing: XS – L

Price: $57.00

Pawticure Party Set

Dog Pawticure Party Gift Set

Fabulous Fifis, there’s a world of possibilities in one gift set. Yes! A girl’s pawticure party! Invite your bff’s (best friend fidos), serve little doggy cupcakes and, of course, something for us doggy moms, and have the time of your lives experimenting with these bold, beautiful, eco-friendly and non-toxic colors from Dog  Fashion Spa. You are limited only by your imagination. In true Bark and Swagger style, the colors are updated every season, based on what’s trending on the runway. Gotta love that, ladies!

Where to buy: Dog Fashion  Spa

Price: $100.00 for the set. Each item also sold separately.

Eco-friendly fashion is lots of fun, yet World Environment Day is a time to also reflect on what we, as individuals, can do to help sustain our planet. The smallest gestures, when performed by many, takes on gigantic proportions. My commitment is to be a better recycler and shut the lights when I leave a room. I do it, but sometimes I’m sloppy. I like to think we’re all one big family living in a reallyyyyy big house. So, as Ellen DeGeneres likes to say to close out her show, “Be kind to one another.” Let’s do something to be kind to Mother Earth, too.

What can you do for World Environment Day? Here are some tips. Tell us about it in the Comments below.

(Disclosure: affiliate links included)

The Rock Girl

Welcome back for Part Two of Sophie’s case study with Allison Hayes, The Rock Girl. Does the healing energy of stones really exist? And, can it help Sophie’s anxiety? We’re about to find out.

When we last left Sophie, she was on her back (like she often is…oh jeez, that sounded terrible!), and Allison was reading her energy to see if she found anything out of alignment that could be contributing to Sophie’s anxiety. Allison felt heat around Sophie’s heart chakra, and she determined that there was a block there; that Sophie was holding on to some unresolved grief or loss. My husband and I both placed our hands just above Sophie’s heart, and we could distinctly feel the heat coming off of one side, more than the other. Here’s where it got interesting for us. We were about to learn what our little girl was feeling. Who knew that socks could be such an important piece of the puzzle!

The Rock Room

Sophie loves socks

She steals them right out of our closets and carries them around with her, finally depositing the slightly soggy singles in the living room. At the end of a day, the the space looks like a sock graveyard. She even sometimes cries mournfully, while she’s carrying them. We relayed this to Allison and here was her response:

“A lot of animals do that;  it’s usually a litter thing. Energetically, what I’m picking up here is the loss of a litter mate or family. How many siblings did Sophie have?”  I told her we didn’t know because she was the last one left. “Ah, I see,” she said, knowingly. “That’s why she does the sock thing. It feels to her like her litter mates. It’s comforting. Sophie was probably the alpha who looked after her brothers and sisters. As each one was taken away, she felt the loss of her clan. “She’s a sensitive soul. And, there’s a sense of responsibility there. Sophie is an empath.” How do you know she’s an empath, I asked?

“I can feel it in her energy,” Allison explained. “An empath’s energy has a certain feel; it’s kind of spongy.  There are triggers that set off old anxieties for her. It could be certain sounds, smells. A lot of her anxiety is exhibited by her being on guard all the time.  Her clan was plucked  away from her, one by one, so she couldn’t relax; she was always on guard.”

Hayes continued, “Anxiety comes from the solar plexus. If I think there’s an issue in the chakras, I always like to look at the chakra just below or above the one where the complaint comes from. Which chakra is just above the solar plexus? The heart.”

Sophie checking out the stones

All of a sudden, it all came together and made sense. Yes!, I told her, she’s definitely on guard, always watching and barking at any noise or person she sees outside our window. And, there’s a frantic quality to it, at times. Also, Sophie herds our cats. Even though they’ve been with us a lot longer than her, she came into our lives and took over the house. We always thought she was the runt of her litter, because she’s so scruffy-looking and splotchy skinned, and doesn’t look like the best example of her breed (even though we think she’s absolutely adorable and wouldn’t change a thing). But maybe we’d gotten it all wrong. Maybe Sophie was the one who took care of her siblings. I got teary at that point; so did my husband. To think of our little girl, always worried one of us was going to be taken from her must be an awful feeling.

Maybe getting a companion for her was the best thing we could do. It’s actually the cutest thing; anytime a dog comes down the street, she’ll sit down, stare at it with intent interest, her little ears turned back, her eyes shining and her tush vibrating. She’s so excited, sometimes she’ll actually start shaking, until she can run over and say hi. If she sees a dog from afar, there’s a definite longing there.

The Rock Girl Prescribes…

Now that we had an idea of what might be going on with Sophie, it was time for Allison to bring in the stones!  She suggested introducing selenite. “It’s a very gentle stone and many animals respond to it,” she explained. “Selenite carries the frequency of the moonlight, which is very soothing, nurturing and divinely feminine, so it has that Mother kind of energy.” The stone is named after Selene, the Greek goddess of the moon.

Allison explained how selenite was formed by sediment. She said sedimentary stones are really the best for anxious dogs. “If a dog was too lethargic or too heavy, we would be doing different stones, like jasper, something more activating,” she described. “But, we’re going to be working with the sedimentary, calcite family to bring a calming energy to her. Also, the calcite family is cleansing. So, we’re going to clean out from her auric field a lot of the old energy patterns of loss and grief.”

She brought over a slab of the selenite, which was a gorgeous, luminescent silvery white in color. Sophie immediately went over, sniffed it, licked it and laid down by it. As Hayes continued talking, my husband and I looked over at Sophie and, lo and behold, she was asleep. My husband commented that she was twitching like when she’s dreaming and how amazing that was.  Allison just smiled and said one word, “Moonlight!”

Sophie relaxing by
the selenite

[At this point, Allison got up, went to one of her drawers, and came back with more stones, including a green one.]

Allison’s activity awakened Sophie and she looked calm, but alert. Hayes placed the appropriate stones in a line, in the order of the chakras. Sophie starting checking them out, one by one. Dogs connect to the frequency of stones through the mouth and nose, Allison told us. And, she really got right in there. The green stone she was particularly drawn to was a smoky quartz, which draws out impurities in the auric field, and then composts them into Mother Earth. This stone is a heart stone and was, apparently, drawing out grief. Wow.  Sophie’s eyes were closing like a little zen baby. 🙂

Zoned by the stones…

“These stones are really great to have around the environment,” The Rock Girl explained. “You can put them around the outside of her bed or in an area she likes to lie in. Dogs attune to the energy of stones very quickly, and when they’re done, they’ll just walk away. That’s why I’m so not a big fan of strapping them on like in necklaces.” Interesting. Apparently, we were learning that the energy of stones is a very powerful thing.

After a couple of minutes, Sophie got up, walked over and curled up next to a small pile of rose quartz Hayes had laid out. Remember from Part One, quartz stones are activators, often preferred by cats. Once Sophie had cleared and calmed her system through the calcite stones, she was drawn to the activating stones. We learned never to use clear quartz on animals; it’s too harsh. Rose quartz is gentler and a good activator for them.

Curled up by the
rose quartz

Just like Allison had predicted, when Sophie had enough, she got up and walked away. Now was time for a test. We both laid our hands by her heart and, indeed, that area was cooler than before. And, amazingly, the stones had gotten darker, too, almost like they had absorbed some of her negative energy. Even the air in the room had gotten colder, like it was cleared of the bad stuff. Pretty weird, but also really interesting.

Allison generously gave us the stones Sophie had worked with that day to take home and use. She told us she was returning to New York in July and we should stop back in, give her an update and maybe, at that time, she’d give Sophie some stronger stones.

The cleansing, calming
Calcites we took home

And as we were talking, Sophie got up and walked toward the door, ready to leave. She was done. I know this might sound very woo woo, but we definitely felt it, too.  After hugs and thank you’s, and with our stones in tow, we went on our way, vowing to return in July.

We may have walked in as skeptics, especially my husband. But we definitely left amazed, acknowledging that there did seem to be a healing power in these stones. And with the right person guiding us, our pets can reap the benefits. Thank you, Rock Girl!

The Book of Stones

If you’re interested in learning more about stones, The Book of Stones: Who They Are and What  They Teach by Robert Simmons,  is a book highly recommended by Allison.

Remember, I did a story about Madelaine Saia’s Diamonds in the Ruff Ruff dog couture collections? One of the pieces I highlighted was a gorgeous pet bed with crystals. That bed, called the Tree of Life bed in her Elements Collection. Allison does the personal consultations with clients interested in purchasing that bed, so the crystals will be the correct ones for your dog and its energy or issues. Here’s a picture.

The Tree of Life Bed

Do you have a pet with issues that might be helped by a reading with stones? Tell me about it in the comments below.

(Disclosure: affiliate links included)

Allison Hayes;
The Rock Girl

“It is my belief that Life is a wondrous journey of living, loving, learning and spiritual evolution, and I am fiercely committed to honoring the Divine that dwells within us all.” Allison Hayes, “The Rock Girl”

Everything is made of energy.  The desk I’m writing on, the computer I’m using. You. Me. Our pets. I can actually feel it sometimes, when I hold my palm still, next to my body and feel it start to heat up. Has that happened to you, too? So it made sense to me that animals, who are such sensitive beings, would feel and respond to various forms of energy. When my new friend, Madelaine Saia, of Diamonds in the Ruff Ruff, introduced me to Allison Hayes, aka The Rock Girl, I knew I wanted to meet her in person. Allison is ordained as a High Priestess of Stones by the Knight’s Templar. I thought that was pretty cool. Having a highly sensitive, sometimes anxious little dog in Sophie, I was curious to explore whether the healing energy of stones really exists. So, how better to do that then with a trip to the Rock Room in New York’s Hell’s Kitchen for a reading with The Rock Girl. What follows is Sophie’s case study, Part One.

A little background on Allison

The Rock Girl has over 20 years experience, having apprenticed under Master Stone Teachers in both the USA and Europe. Allison is the only known female ordained as a High Priestess of Stones by the Knight’s Templar. Now, get this. Some of her training included sitting blindfolded in the woods with a bucket of muddy water filled with various stones. She had to identify the stones, simply by their vibration, as there was no other way to determine what they were. Allison learned the ancient ways of the Masons and Master Stone Teachers, an education only handed down by word of mouth throughout thousands of generations. In other words, when it comes to stones, Allison is the real deal.

The Rock Room

The Rock Room

My husband, Sophie and I headed off to The Rock Room on a crisp and sunny Saturday afternoon. After entering the building and going up in the manually operated elevator (you don’t see many of them around anymore), we arrived at Allison’s door. The best word I could use to describe what it was like entering this den of beautiful stones is otherworldly. Rows and rows of gorgeous, raw mineral stones lined the walls and table in the center of the small room. Ornate Middle Eastern rugs were strewn around the floor. It was at once calming and fascinating. I had to take a picture to show you a section of it.

The reading

Sophie entered the space with trepidation and curiosity. She promptly started checking out the room, sniffing around, but she was definitely wary. Allison moved to her slowly, and started stroking her back. What she was doing, which she explained later in the session, was getting an energy reading from Sophie. What does this mean? She explained:

“Pets and children are very much on the same frequency. They’re highly sensitive, and they’re very pure. Especially with pets that are anxious – dogs in particular – the important thing is to re-establish their connection to the Earth chakras.” In other words, when she held her hand just above Sophie’s body, she was able to feel the vibration or frequency of her energy or auric field. And, that it was important to ground  Sophie, give her that feeling we get when we feel solid inside and connected.

Allison explained some very cool connections between animals and our planet. The Earth chakras are in alignment with something called the solfeggio frequencies, which are the natural healing tones of the earth. When dolphins and whales speak, they apparently do so in these tones. In fact, the sound a whale makes is exactly the same tone as the Earth makes, spinning on its axis. I didn’t’ know that, did you? So, when you want to calm an animal down, it’s best to re establish that link to the Earth. Ok. So far, this sounded alright.

Allison scanning
Sophie’s body

Allison taught us that cats resonate more towards quartz stones, and dogs resonate more towards calcites. The calcite family are sedentary stones, which means they  were formed by the sediments running off of the Earth and compacting, so they have a very soothing energy to them. Quartz, on the other hand,  comes from the belly of the earth and is explosive; it comes out as liquid and then it dries. Quartz is an activator stone. Dogs like the soothing, lower frequency stones.

An interesting factoid we learned from Allison: while we’ve heard how the ancient Egyptians revered cats and viewed them as sacred gods and goddesses, they also had sacred dogs. Dogs were looked upon as protectors of the earthbound people and earthbound spirits, because they had a lower frequency more connected to the Earth, where the cat’s frequency was more connected to above. Her lesson was: it’s important, when doing this work, to connect to the frequency of the species of animal you’re working with, as well as to the individual animal.

As Allison was scanning Sophie’s body, she felt something was out of alignment around Sophie’s heart chakra. “It feels like there’s a little bit of grief or loss in there,” she commented. “I know you mentioned getting a boy dog, and that may not be a bad idea.” I wanted to know more about this heart chakra thing. “Come feel her chest here (by her heart),” Allison suggested. “Can you feel it’s a bit hotter there than on the other side?” Yes, I could. Even hovering my hand over the area, without touching her, I could feel it. And, here’s where it got really interesting.

The Crystal Bible

Tomorrow, you’ll learn what Allison discovers about Sophie that’s making her so anxious. If you’re interested in finding out more about stones, this book comes highly recommended by Hayes. The Crystal Bible has sold over one million copies worldwide. It’s author, Judy Hall, is the leading authority on crystals and spiritual development; she has over 40 years’ experience in crystal healing, karmic astrology and past-life therapy. She is the author of over 40 books, including the bestselling Crystal Bible (2003) and The Crystal Bible 2 (2009), as well as Crystals to Empower You (2013).

Do you have  a dog with issues that an energy reading might help? Tell me in the Comments below.

(Disclosure: affiliate links included)

Saturday, May 31, 2014
11:30am

The Mayor’s Alliance Team, including President, Jane Hoffman (2nd from left) and Steve Gruber

It’s finally arrived! Sophie and I were excited and nervous about venturing over to the Mayor’s Alliance for NYC Animals‘ Maddie’s Pet Adoption Days event. I filled a ziploc with treats, took Sophie’s water thermos, her carry bag, my camera and a whole lot of courage, and off we went Saturday morning. When we arrived, a section of Broadway was lined with shelter after shelter and it was bedlam! Lots of people and their dogs milling about. The city hadn’t even shut the street down, so cars were still traveling down Broadway amidst the crate-filled makeshift tables and the adoption trucks across the street. But we were determined and there on a mission: we’re adopting a brother for Sophie and our hearts are set on finding Mr. Right.

We located the Mayor’s Alliance table; I wanted to meet Communications Director, Steve Gruber, who I’d been emailing with. He was lovely and introduced me to their President, Jane Hoffman, who was also wonderful. Probably the first thing I noticed was there were mostly cats at the event. I know there are far more cats in shelters than dogs; both statistics break the heart. And if we were looking for a Pitbull or another large dog, we’d have had an easier time of it. There were a lot more large than small dogs. But, at 11 lbs, and with a pre-disposition to gravitating to small dogs, we were looking for a dog around 12 lbs or less, and one between three and six years old (Sophie is four).

Out of 25 shelters present, there was only one dog who might have worked. We saw him just as we arrived, so we hadn’t yet visited any other shelter tables. And, Sophie was luke warm to him. We decided to move on. Disappointed after not finding a suitable companion for Soph, we found a place for lunch and went home, determined to try again tomorrow.

A Cutie up for adoption

I went on the computer when I got back to search the sites of shelters at the event that day.  It’s overwhelming how many dogs and cats need homes. It’s a good feeling knowing that adopting one dog  gives that dog a happy home, and also frees up a spot for one more dog to be rescued.

Sunday, June 1, 2014
12:30pm

We arrived at the Mayor’s Alliance Maddie’s Pet Adoption Days event and hit the ground running. My husband came with me this time and we visited table after table. Again, very few small dogs, and those who were there weren’t right for us. I think the little ones go very quickly, too. We heard that Tillman, the famous skateboarding dog had been there, but we couldn’t find him. We saw an adorable little guy who looked a lot like Sophie on a girl’s lap. He was her dog and we all agreed he must have some Portuguese Podengo in him; they looked that much alike. I stopped to talk to some of the shelter volunteers and took some pictures of dogs who were there waiting for their forever homes; lovely dogs with sweet faces.

Cuddling with an adoptable...

With no luck in finding our little guy, we headed off with Sophie for a late lunch at an outdoor cafe. It was really nice, sitting outside eating, Sophie on her blanket beside us, chewing on her bully stick, content. I imagined what it might be like with a second pup in that scenario. I’ve been doing that a lot these days, and I smile each time. Yes, it will probably be a lot more work, but it will be a lot more fun, too. More kisses, more cuddles, more play, more loving. I can’t wait, really. But, my husband and I made a promise we’d take our time until the right dog comes into our lives. And, he will.

I’ll keep you all posted on the journey. Wish us luck!

Do you have more than one dog? I would so appreciate hearing your stories of what it’s like, joys and challenges.

Another beauty up for adoption