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Showing posts from October, 2012

Dear Aunt Foley: Rueful Romey

Dear Aunt Foley:  I love my Mom, and when she met my Dad I was very excited.  He’s a great guy and makes her happy.  Then Mom told me that I was her most trusted confidant, and there was no else she trusted planning her wedding.  The plans were coming together and we have worked together perfectly.  But then came the wedding dress.  I picked out one I thought was magnificent.  Mom agreed, but now she’s not sure.   Planning the wedding is my responsibility and I want her to wear the dress I picked out.  But, on the other paw, I think maybe I let Mom down by picking the wrong dress.  Please tell me what I should do. - Rueful Romey Dear Rueful Romey:  I have been studying humans for a dozen years and nothing gets them more worked up than a wedding.  When humans are planning a wedding they take their brains out and put them on a shelf for a little time each day, and, as the wedding date grows closer they spend less time visiting their brains.  You can make lots of suggestions, and

Charlie and Lady are our October 28, 2012 Pups of the Week

Last night when I was taking Pocket and Daddy Lackey outside for their final walk of the night, I looked up to the sky, to see two of the newest stars, Charlie and Lady.  I gave them a tip of the tail and they twinkled at me.  Then I led Daddy and Pocket home.  When we were inside I began to think that this is one of the many things us pups do, we lead our parents home. We lead them home, and we are home.  When humans come to our house, unless we are out with one of our parents, we are home.  We are the constant.  Spouses may leave for a time, children grow up and leave, but not us, we are there, at the door, tails wagging, mouth smiling, the constant force of love that leads them home. It is true of our cyber homes too.  We expect to see smiling faces and tails wagging on our pages.  Instead of a few dogs greeting us there are hundreds, but when we lose one smiling face, it hurts like we lost a member of the family. This week we lost two treasured friends:  The first is Charlie from

Foley Monster Finds There is Such a Thing As Too Much Dog Human Personal Displays of Affection

I, Foley Monster, am a well known believer in the rights of dogs and their owners to share a close relationship, including kissing, snuggling together in bed at night, and being inseparable.  I recently became aware of a 44 year old California woman, Teri Graham, who shares my beliefs.  I am now going to let you read my live text chat with her and her bulldog Spider. Foley Monster:  Hello Mrs. Graham and welcome to you and Spider.  I would like to say, as an advocate of public displays of affection between dogs and humans I fully support your interactions with Spider. Mrs Graham:  Thank you Foley I wish more people shared your perspective.  There have been a lot of people judging us and I don’t think that’s fair. Foley Monster:  Neither do I.  Now why don’t you explain to everyone how you publicly display your affection for Spider. Mrs Graham:  First let me give you a little background.  Spider was the runt of her litter.  She couldn’t get to her Mother’s teats.  Then I noticed that

Jasper and Gypsy Dawn are our October 21, 2012 Pups of the Week (With a Special Mention for a Little Bird)

Today we bark about two dogs who went from homeless to forever homes, two sets of packs very lucky to have special additions, and one special friend whose house has become a little less lively without the sweet tweets of a beloved friend. The first is a white pup named Jasper.  Jasper was a pup of the streets.  Someone had placed him in the night drop box at the Salinas Animal Shelter.  Oh how frightening that must have been for this poor baby.  It is possible that whoever found him had seen him struck by a car.  He was not using his front right leg.  But the dogtors checked him out and luckily found no broken bones.  They did find that he had stickers in his paws, infections in his ears, and poor Jasper was womiting.  The dogtors fixed him up real nice and he was sent to the   Animal Friends Rescue Program. Jasper had a hard time finding a foster family and was placed in a pet boarding facility near the adoption center.  After six months Jasper still had not decided on a forever hom

Foley Monster Asks What's Up With All The Links?

Have you noticed, on both pup sites that I blog, Tanner Brigade and DoggySpace, that recently in our posts or comments there are words underlined, and, when you click on these words, they take you to advertisements? I understand that humans live in a capitalistic society, and that they need to generate cash, but I want it understood that I Foley Monster, do not endorse any of these products, unless they are willing to slip a few extra kibbles into my bowl at night. I don’t know which words ignite the links and which don’t so I would like to test it by using as many words that I think will activate these links in one blog.  The subject of the blog will be my speaking to Pocket about one day taking over my law practice.  Let us begin. I am getting older and even though I have a very lucrative law practice I have been thinking about taking more time off, maybe a vacation.  Things are hard in the job market, and Mommy needs a lot of money to support her online dating service, so I brought

Does Kissing Daddy Make Him Sick? And Do I Care?

I have my dog phone set to alert me if there is any new dog news.  The alert on the phone sometimes sounds like FFFFFYTTTTTTTTTT, or TOOOOOOOT, or POOOOOOOOP.   And sometimes it is Hammertime.  “ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew can’t touch this, ew ew ew ew ew ew can’t touch this.”   There are two truths about my phone alerts.  One is that often, as is the nature of dogs, if there is an alert, a pup has gone to the Bridge to be an angel.  The second is that my Mom insists that each alert, even the ones that sounds like Hammertime, are farts.  She swears that every time I fart an angel gets it’s wings. Today I passed gas, I meant got an alert, and it read:  “Why a smooch with your pooch could make your teeth fall out! Pet owners warned that dogs can pass on gum disease.”  I quickly deleted this from my phone.  I could not have my Daddy Lackey reading this.  Because my Daddy Lackey’s mouth is my safety zone. Whenever I am feeling upset, or blue, or he’s brushed his teeth with amazing minty toothp

Brody is our October 14, 2012 Pup of the Week

Every week I come to you and ask you to join me in either praying for, helping, or recognizing a friend.  This week I come in praise of our old pal Brody. I know what you are saying my little monsters.  Foley, we cannot praise a dog for eating a couch, or for running down and devouring a doe in one bite, but I do not come here today to praise our friend's ravenous appetite but to reward him for recognizing his endless eating habits are a poor lifestyle choice and to begin to exercise, and by exercising, to help other dogs in need. Brody went for a walk with his Mom Candice, who has no extra calories because her day is spent trying to corral an infant, a toddler, and a  Brody, for a good cause.  It was to benefit the Arizona Animal League and SPCA, the largest no kill shelter in Arizona. Brody and the fam live in Maricopa County which is the second worst county in the nation for euthanization of dogs.  Of the five million pups who are put to death in this country as many as 60,000

Foley, Pocket and the Hattie Mae LIne

Last week I got a message from Hattie Mae saying that she had a few dresses that she and Jackie had outgrown, and would Pocket like them.  I didn’t check with Pocket.  I said yes.  Now, I must admit, I did not intend to give them to Pocket.  I was going to turn around and put those suckers on EBay then watch the kibble fall into my bowl. The box arrived.  I waited anxiously as Mommy and Daddy used scissors, then a knife, then an industrial saw, on the box.  If you ever plan to mail plutonium across the country ask Hattie’s Mom to seal the box.  She is a marvel with tape.  Finally the box was opened. Pocket stuck her nose in the box looking for what new designs she would receive but I Yorkie butted her out of the way.  “None of these are for you,” I snapped at her.  “These are original designs from Hattie Mae’s closet, we are going to sell them and get rich.”  Pocket tried to tell me this wasn’t why Hattie sent them to us but I had visions of golden kibbles in my eyes

Clementine, Holly, and Lots of Other Dogs and Humans in Need of Prayers are Our October 7, 2012 Pups of the Week

I have been very pleased that, in the last few weeks, I have been able to write my Sunday blog about happy stories with healthy dogs.  But, as we all know, we are a delicate species with short life spans compared to our human friends, and it is only a matter of time before one, or more of us, is in need of prayers. Our first prayer request is for our good friend Clementine.  ,.  She is the leader of such a wonderful pack.  They, like Hattie Mae and her pack, and Sydney and her pack, are our fashion plates.  Clementine’s Mom is a groomer and she is always barking at us with grooming tips. Clementine,has lost the sight in her right eye.  The poor girl is suffering from inflammation in her eye, a retinal detachment, and has secondary glaucoma in both eyes.  The loss of her eyesight, and what has caused the inflammation, is a mystery.  She will have to go through several tests to determine what has caused her loss of sight.  She now is receiving medication in both eye drop a

Suzie's Wild Ride

I have grown quite accustomed to being the most famous dog in my city of Taunton Massachusetts.  Pocket is number two.  Orkie the Yorkie three and Neely four and that’s about it.  And let’s face it, I made the other three.  They are bupkus without me.   But then along came Suzie.  Many of you have heard her story.  She ran out onto a busy street, Route 44 headed towards Providence, called Winthrop Street by the yokels here.  She had to cross a golf course (big deal) and then a busy road (OK, bigger deal.)  This is the type of street where people drive about 60 mph and don’t look anywhere but ahead. 99 times of out 100 Suzie isn’t making it across the street.  And she didn’t.  But she didn’t get squished either.  What happened to her?  Well I have the exclusive interview with her right here: Foley Monster:  So Suzie, it was a normal day, you were in your yard,  take it from there. Suzie:  I WAS UNDER THE CAR!  UNDER THE CAR!  IT WAS MOVING!  I WAS UNDER THE CAR! Foley Monst