Since Isabella and I started this blog we have been fortunate enough to meet some great animal advocates and champions for canine causes! I have to say that two of our faves are James Oxford and Lance Marshall! Tireless leaders of Weekends at BARC and Houston Animal Partnership Initiative, there are few who could match their commitment to saving animals and providing these animals with an excellent life! They are at every animal related event in town and support so many individuals and organizations by promoting and attending events! Each weekend Lance and James can be found at BARC where they walk the dogs, socialize the cats and help to clean cages. They do this on top of working full time and taking care of their own pampered pooches! I encourage everyone to learn more about Weekends at BARC and HAPI by clicking on the links and getting involved! If ever there were two community leaders to get behind, it’s these guys! Read below to learn more about these crusaders for canines and friends to felines :-)! Special thanks to Brett Chisholm Photography for the great images!
J&L: Holly was found at the Houston SPCA on Christmas Eve of 2005. We had been looking for our first dog for awhile, and had wanted a corgi, but new the chances of finding one in a shelter was slim. When we arrived there to look at a bassett hound, they informed us the bassett hound was gone and they only had one small dog available, and out stepped Holly, our Welsh Corgi. She was named Holly, which is short for Holliday Belle, since we found her on Christmas Eve. We met Penny while living in Manhattan. Lance was on auditions a lot, and I was working everyday in Connecticut and not home a lot. We didn’t like Holly being alone all day. We contacted the local shelter, but they said they had no dogs available at that time, which was surprising to me. So one day while we were in either Chelsea or Greenwich Village, we came across a pet store. They had a 6 month old Imperial Shi Tzu who was considered too old be sold as a puppy and was deeply discounted. She was so sweet and definitely wanted out of there. We swore we would never buy a dog and will never buy one again, but everything happens for a reason. Her and Holly make the perfect pair and have no regrets about getting her. Her full name is Penelope Ann.
HDB: What is your favorite memory of your pups?
J&L: I can’t say we have one memory, but I do love all the traveling we’ve done together. They’ve spent many hours in motels and Uhauls as we’ve moved back and forth across the country. Holly’s will of course be the first time we saw her walk out of her cage at the HSPCA. Penny’s funniest moments are anytime you try to take her outside. She’s terrified of grass, and will just watch from the sidewalk. Or the time we tried to take her down to Pier 17 to watch the fireworks in NYC, she was not amused and we had to turn around and go back home.
HDB: What is your favorite thing to do with your dogs?
J&L: Favorite thing for us to do is lounge on the couch. All four of us have our spot on the couch. And when they get bored, they go and grab toys and bring them for us to throw. They also love bedtime. And they love to curl right up beside us in bed.
HDB: Do your dogs do any fun tricks or have a hidden talent?
J&L: Holly knew a lot of tricks when we got her, (sit, lay down, stay). Penny doesn’t really have any talents, other than no fear when it comes to jumping off furniture, no matter how high. Scares me.
HDB: If you had to describe your dogs in one word, what would that be?
J&L: Holly – Bossy, Penny – Mischievous
HDB: If your dogs could talk, what would they say?
J&L: Holly’s would be “throw the toy”, Penny’s would be “where’s my treat?”
HDB: If your dogs were celebrities, who would they be?
J&L: Holly would be someone like Jennifer Aniston, beautiful, talented. Penny is more of a Drew Barrymore, cute but a bit ditzy.
HDB: What song best represents your pooches?
J&L: Depends, Holly’s would probably be “Bossy”, or Lance’s version of Deck the Halls he wrote, which starts out “Deck the Halls with Bones for Holly” Penny’s would be some cutesy pop song. Miley Cyrus or something.
HDB: Do your dogs blog?
J&L: No, neither one of them blogs. Isabella has cornered the market on canine blogging. ;)
HDB: Is there an animal charity or group that you and your pooches are passionate about? If so, tell us more about the group!
J&L: For all of us, Weekends at BARC and HAPI are where we try to put all our extra time and energy. Because of how much our girls mean to us, its important that we try to help other dogs and cats find the same type of loving environment. Weekends at BARC is our volunteer group that meets one day every single weekend to walk all the adoptable dogs at BARC. We also have volunteers who spend time with the cats, bathe any dogs who have fleas or are just in need of a good cleaning. HAPI (Houston Animal Partnership Initiative) is our new startup non-profit that will focus on Adoption events as well as try to work closely with SNAP to increase the number of opportunities for people to receive discount or free Spay/Neutering. Less in and More out is our goal in regards to shelters. I would eventually hope to see us having a mobile SNAP unit at all of our adoption events, so that not only are we adopting dogs and cats out, but we are also providing people the opportunity who already have pets to get them spayed or neutered.
awesome, awesome photos!!!
Posted by: my | September 09, 2009 at 02:33 PM
love the fotos. great article. love you guys!!!! y'all are awesome!!
Posted by: lory | September 10, 2009 at 12:39 PM
WHY URBAN METAL ISN'T PRECIOUS -Blair Sorrel, Founder, www.StreetZaps. com
Of course, you want a worry-free walk year-round, so adopt this simple strategy:
EYEBALL THE BLOCK, AVOID A SHOCK.
Take just a few seconds to survey the immediate surroundings and make your trajectory toward a non-conductive surface, ie., plastic, wood, cardboard, rather than risking any metal or electrical fixture. The lowly, free-standing garbage bag, is you and your dog's best friend, most of the time, unless it's snowed and salted. Consider the safer, hardware-free RopeNGo leash and harness to help shield against a possible zapping and for greater peace of mind.
CONTACT VOLTAGE IS, INDEED, A BITCH.
Your pooch's sex is irrelevant. True, the most gruesome scenario is that of a male dog electrocuted by its ricocheting urine, but contact voltage is just that, mere interaction with an energized surface. Our poster girl sidled a fire hydrant and limped for five days. Intuit your dog's cues, if resistant to an area, choose an alternative route. Elude potentially live work areas or carry your canine, if necessary. Opt for indoor products such as The Pet Loo, Hammacher Schlemmer's Indoor Restroom, or Wee-Wee Pads, if external conditions are ominous. Dog booties can leak and make your pooch even more vulnerable.
ARE YOU PLAYING RUSSIAN ROULETTE WITH YOUR DOG?
Any of these fixtures might be dangerous, so again, choose non-conductive where and when possible. (link to home page fixtures listed below and/or the visuals page):
View All Home Page & Safety Images
– Street & Traffic Lights can leak if damaged internally, even if the compartment is fully closed and the light is not illuminated
– While wooden blocks anchor Scaffolding or Sidewalk Sheds, be aware that sloppy wiring by a contractor and/or the use of lighting equipment which is NOT WATER-PROOFED or even suitable for outdoor usage, may still shock a passerby.
– ATM Vestibules
– Decorative Lighting
– Dog Booties may increase
the risk of a shock
– Electrical Boxes
– Fire Hydrants
– Fire Police Call Boxes
– Manhole Covers
– Muni Meters
– Phone Booths
– Service Boxes
– Street Light Boxes
– Traffic Boxes
– Work Areas
After all, why chance it when there's a choice?
BETWEEN YOU, ME, AND THE LAMPPOST.
Tampered equipment can become pernicious so please map damaged fixtures and known hot spots to admonish other pedestrians and alert the utility and transportation department.
(Utilize StreetZaps' Report Form, thank you).
Posted by: Blair Sorrel | December 18, 2009 at 12:36 PM