No Explanation Needed.......

What a FANTASTIC Idea!!

PAMPER A POOCH

A holiday in the Cayman Islands really can be a walk in the park, thanks to a new scheme called “Doggie’s Day Out” started by the Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman in association with the Human Society.

Twice a week, on Wednesdays and Fridays, the five star resort, located on Seven Mile Beach, takes on two dogs from the Humane Society and offers its guests the chance to walk them in return for a US$25 donation to the Society. The scheme isn’t only open to resort guests however, and visitors from all over the island are queuing up for their turn.

The programme was started by the Housekeeping Manager who happens to own a veteran from the Humane Society, named Charlie. Together with the engineering team, she designed a walk around the resort’s Blue Tip Golf Course and the North Sound Club which provides plenty of shady locations for resting between walks.

The scheme is also helping to find homes for the dogs, as people become attached to their dogs and choose to adopt them. The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman is investing in ‘Adopt Me’ leads and offers free grooming for any dog that gets adopted to ensure they are in good shape for their new home – or possibly for their flight back to Canada.

For information on the Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman visit www.ritzcarlton.com and for more information about The Humane Society of the Cayman Islands see www.caymanhumanesociety.com

As you remember, my parents and I visited the Cayman Island Humane Society last June while staying on the island. We had so much fun meeting all of the staff and very cute dogs and cats available for adoption! Here are some pictures from last year:

Kudos to the the Ritz-Carlton organization for helping out these innocent and super cute doggies find their forever homes and of course encourage their guests to adopt rather than purchase. This program will encourage hundreds to re-think the type of dogs that are currently at animal shelters either on the island or back in their home countries! This is a happy story that makes me feel much more positive after the previous post today!

xoxox

nicole

Just Not Fair

All the cats and kittens who are shown in this video died this morning at my local shelter due to lack of space. This video needs to be shown to ALL individuals who refuse to spay or neuter their pets and/or think it would be beneficial for their female to get pregnant to educate their children on birth! COMPLETE IGNORANCE!

I am sorry I am ranting but I am just so sick of the same thing over and over again. It really doesn't ever end!

xoxxo to all the pets sleeping in a shelter tonight

Nicole

My Gardens Are Complete!

Yay!! I wanted to share with you some brand new pictures of my gardens in my backyard. Last year I started a butterfly garden in hopes of attracting some rare and beautiful monarchs that frequent Southern Ontario in the summer months. In April all of the perennials I planted last year started coming back and now they are HUGE and flowering! I was so proud of "Bambi's Butterfly Garden" (hahaha) that I decided to extend it and plant some additional native flowers/plants. In addition to the sneezeweed, butterfly milkweed and snakeroot that I planted last summer, I have also now added some black eyed susans and other various "butterfly plants" that will hopefully attract them to my garden!

*Bambi's Butterfly Garden*

For the first time ever I have also completed my very own Organic Vegetable Garden!! Yay I am sooooo proud of it! Yesterday I headed over to Toronto's sustainable Evergreen Brick Works organization and picked up some organic cucumber, bell pepper and tomato plants which I planted this morning! Here's to hoping that all my little veggies grow nice and big and I can enjoy some beautiful organic salads on the deck this summer! Not only am I so proud of my little gardens but it is also very sustainable and helpful to the environment. Growing my own organic veggies will prevent unwanted trips to the grocery store and not to mention all of the polluting miles it takes for one tomato to make it from the farm to the fork! Also, my butterfly garden has enabled me to plant native species which will benefit the local environment and provide a home and food for other little bee's, animals and insects.

*Gizmo's Organic Vegetable Garden*

xoxoxox

nicole

A Happy Story Amongst Tragedy

We have all been dealing with so much sadness and frustration lately with the devastating Gulf Oil Spill. For those of you like myself who feel helpless in that situation I wanted to share an uplifting and heartwarming story about two lions that have been rescued from a Bolivian circus and brought to live out their golden years at an anima sanctuary in California. The rescue was funded by animal lover Bob Barker and organized by Animal Defenders International. Please enjoy the video, I know I did!




xoxox
nicole

GARAGE SALE SUCCESS!!!

*Starving puppy in Kingston Jamaica*

I wanted to do something to help one of my favourite charities - "Animal Kind International" but I knew I had to change things up a bit as there have been too many fundraisers in and around my area lately. Rather than asking people for money I decided to host a garage sale at my house with all proceeds going to AKI! Not only were my parents and I able to get rid of so much stuff from our basement, our family and friends also came forward to donate items they no longer needed or wanted. Apart from small trinkets I was able to sell an exercise machine, lots of toys, kitchen items, bicycles and even a jumping castle!!! By the end of the two day sale we had raised $320 CND!!!!

*Every Penny Counted!!*

*Looking At All The Deals!*

I was so thrilled and even more excited to share the great news with the AKI president Karen Menczer. I told Karen that I would like my money to be split the money raised between "Helping Hands For Hounds" in Honduras (run by an extremely dedicated angel named Pilar) and Deborah who has dedicated her life to helping the strays of Jamaica!

*Deborah with an abandoned puppy in Kingston*

A couple of days after Karen informed Pilar and Deborah I received this in my inbox:

Holy moly! HOW COOL IS THAT??? That is THE most I have ever received! Thanks so much. And I know Pilar will appreciate it too! Just this morning I was driving to work and lamenting (to myself of course) that I just can't keep up with the cost of dog food anymore.Now I have taken on some cute cute cute little pups that live in a big drum lying on it's side by my bank. I was going to take them home but they seem so comfortable and happy I decided to feed them and care for them right there, until I can get a home.I see the mama dog too she is always close by but they are almost 7 weeks now so she is starting to leave them. Soon she will leave for good.But they are fine.

Oh, I have the cat photos with lots of kittens ( 6) that were thrown over the walls of a prison near my bank.One of the boys who help me with the dogs picked them up! he says they throw them all the time! I didn't know! So I snapped some photos on saturday and will scan them to you now.I am worried cause I don't have a lot of homes for cats, and those kittens will be big soon!

PLEASE TELL NICOLE THAT I AM VERY VERY GRATEFUL FOR HER HELP AND I TRULY THANK HER FOR HER EFFORTS TO HELP ANIMALS

*AKI Website Snapshot*

Karen informed me that with the money raised will pay for 2 weeks of food for the stray dogs and cats in Kingston and spay 5 females in Honduras. I am so happy I was able to help and plan on doing another garage sale in August depending on the donations I receive!

xoxox

Nicole

New Trees and New Hope In Rwanda!

Each year students spend a class session planting tree seedlings at the Art Of Conservation project’s designated wood lots. They ask the school directors to set aside a secure place to plant a selection of indigenous and agroforestry tree species. In the past, their seedlings have been trampled by grazing cattle, stolen, and dug up to make way for potatoes, so this year they wanted to be extra careful.

*Eric talks with the children on why trees are so important*

*Reused plastic water bottles act as a seedling holder*

To learn more about Art Of Conservation please click HERE

15 Chihuahuas Escape CA Shelters & FInd A New Life In NYC

I came across this wonderful story of 15 chihuahuas who escaped death at a San Francisco shelter and are now being re-homed in NYC. Due to the extreme popularity following Legally Blonde, Paris Hilton and Taco Bell thousands of chihuahuas were finding themselves homeless. The smallest dog breed in the world was finding itself being dumped in shelters, on the side of the road and even garbages due to the fact that idiots didn't realize they are REAL dogs and require food, shelter, training and of course love. Unfortunately for some reason California was the hardest hit in terms of abandonment and still to this day thousands of young, healthy and ultra-cute chihuahuas are being euthanized each year. Thankfully the SPCA in NYC opened up their hearts and shelter to rescue and re-home 15 beautiful angels. This past Thursday, the lucky 15 flew from San Fran all the way to JFK airport on Virgin Airways starting their new leash on life. According to volunteers and fellow passengers, all the dogs completely behaved themselves and slept for most of the flight!! How cute! I hope this opens up a channel for more dogs, especially chihuahuas, to be rescued and re-located to various states that don't have as high a euthanasia rate as California does!

oxoxoxo

nicole

Green Living Show 2010

*Kristina and I with the WWF Panda Bear!*

I apologize........... I know I am two weeks late however I did want to share my Green Living Show experience with you for this year. I went again with Kristina (my best eco buddy & friend) during the weekend of April 23rd to enjoy our favourite day of the year!! (Yes we admit we get more excited about the show than Christmas)!

It was really good this year (as always) and we thoroughly enjoyed spending our time and money on environmentally things that will help us and out planet. This year was a bit different for Kristina as she will be moving into her first house next year so she had her eye on particulars such as sustainable hardwood flooring, hemp shower curtains and recycled pillows.

Again I spent tons of money on things such as organic chocolate milk, Green Beaver health products, a new Kenana Kritter made in Kenya, tons of organic t-shirts and a new HUGE stainless steel bottle from fillyourown.ca

One of my favourite things at the show was meeting Karen who runs a company that sells eco-friendly products that can have advertising on it such as biodegradable pens, stainless water bottles and a clean air tree kit. It was a coincidence meeting Karen at the show as my cousin had purchased over 20 tree kits for her daughters birthday party to give out as a loot bag present. The tree kits are completely biodegradable, provides all the necessary things you need for your sapling AND just in case the person does not take advantage of growing it the WCAFI will plant a tree somewhere in the world to offset more carbon dioxide!

*The WCFI Stand*

I was even able to view an electric Tesla car in person!! How cool is that!?!?!

*Tesla Roadster*

*The Kenana Kritter Stand*

As usual we had a great time at the show and spent way too much money. We were also very happy to see many young people out at the show which tells me that hopefully the younger generation will be more eco-friendly than our parents!

xoxox

n

UGANDA HERE I COME!!!!!

I am so excited to be able to officially announce that I will be traveling with my dad to Uganda in July 2010!! Tree climbing lions, orphanages, schools, shoebill stork, chimpanzees AND OF COURSE MOUNTAIN GORILLAS will all be a part of my itinerary. I will be traveling with African Jungle Safaris , a local and very friendly travel adventure company located in the heart of Kampala. I feel so privileged to be able to travel back to Africa again with my dad as we had travelled together to Kenya almost three years ago and absolutely fell in love with the continent and its people! More updates soon!!

xoxox

nicole