“I’ve always had a great love for animals, and will never forget my first experience when I went to adopt one. It wasn’t easy to choose, and wished to give them all freedom from their cages. I wondered how many other people felt so helpless? I wondered how much more could be done for pets if there was more funding? How many more could be saved? How much more education could be given about caring for pets? These were the questions that helped start Jusani Culture. I want to make a great impact for pet centers in America. Give them the funding they need to significantly reduce euthanasia and bring so much more awareness and education about adopting. With the funding raised from every Jusani purchase and the realization the brand is creating I hope to help America become a no-kill nation one day. Let’s give them all freedom from their cages and happy homes! ” -M. Salinas founder of Jus Animalium Culture Apparel

Not often do we find a company that is so into helping America’s pet shelters, so when we do find one we want to share. JACA is indeed making a great impact to save pets that would otherwise be euthanized. Each month they donate 10 percent of all sales to various animal shelters across the country. Jusani Culture is raising funds for Missaukee Humane Society through March 31st. Check out the pet shelters they have helped so far!

The products they sell are mainly t-shirts that are made from 100% organic cotton that is grown with the intent to have as little environmental impact as possible. The production system they use is fully sustainable and helping to build a biologically diverse agriculture. What’s more, the t-shirts are decorated in the United States, so you know they are ethically produced.

They offer a unique opportunity to enter their design contest benefiting homeless pets and budding artists! Artists can submit a design through their entry page and their fans will vote on their favorite design, the winning design (with the most votes) will be printed and Jusani Culture will donate up to $10 of every sale of the product with the design on it to the pet or animal shelter of the artists choice. The winning artist will also be paid $500 for the design! The campaign begins the 1st of every month and ends on the last of every month and the winner is announced on their Facebook page. We encourage you to support them by following them on Twitter.

Jusani – a coined word for the law and legal term, Jus Animalium. “the idea that the most basic interests of non-human animals should be afforded the same consideration as the similar interests of human beings.” -US Legal

It would be a wonderful world if more companies would feel as strongly about making our country a no kill nation as Jus Animalium Culture Apparel does. Their desire to help animal centers educate Americans about pet care, pet responsibility and respect for companion animals is admirable.

by Brandi Fitzgerald

We are all born unafraid. We are all born without the desire to judge and we are all born innocent yet prewired for learning.

When I was young, I managed to acquire a very deep fear of dogs. This fear, at times, was paralyzing. I had vivid dreams of being chased – usually onto the top of a car where the dogs weren’t able to jump high enough to get to me. I wouldn’t go outside alone at night for fear of a dog wandering the neighborhood that would see me and chase me back into the house.

I lived in the epitome of suburbia on the East side of Boca Raton, FL. where there aren’t really wandering dogs. Lizards, maybe. Dogs, probably not. (If it were 2011 when I was growing up in Boca Raton, It would be a pooch in a pocketbook before a loose pooch on the street.) I even grew up in a house with two dogs – Hazel & Heide. “Haze” was a shephard mix that my uncle found on the road on his way home from leave from the Navy. Heide, well to this day, I am not sure where the little black dachshund, came from but I do know that my grandmother loved those dogs like they were her kids.

These dogs were like any mild mannered family pet one could have but there were even times when I would be afraid to look at them. Why? I am not really sure. I remember walking around the block with my grandparents, as they often did in the evening, when a man was walking his golden retriever. I became so afraid that I wanted my grandpa to pick me up and put me on his back because the dog wasn’t on a leash. Goodness – I was probably 7 years old and it was a Golden Retriever for the love of pete! These fears seem irrational now, but they were certainly very very real for me.

This even continued into my teens and early 20′s. My friends would tease me by rattling keys or telling me that there was a dog nearby. They would always get a good laugh at my expense and even to this day it still comes up in conversation. I am now almost 35.

I am not really sure where these fears stemmed from at such a young age. My mom did have a good friend whose dog jumped on me and snipped at my face when I was about 4 years old so maybe that was a trigger. That was also the same day I stuck my finger into an oscillating fan and still have the scar to this day to prove it. I certainly never developed a fear of oscillating fans. My dad had a very territorial Boxer named Gatlinburg who lunged & latched onto my elbow after only knowing my father for a few hours…I was 19. Meeting my dad for the first time at 19, well that is a story for another day!

So what happened to me into my late 20′s? I met someone in California who had an amazingly beautiful Brindle Boxer named Jessie. Patty and I became good friends and although Jessie had a VERY tough looking exterior that regurgitated my childhood fears, we also became good friends. I began to really delve into photography upon the digital age in the mid 2000′s and it truly made me realize, through looking at a captured image of Jessie, how innocent dogs (and most animals) are.

It is people that we should be afraid of. People are responsible for the outcome of most animals behavior and personalities, as they partly are for the personalities and beliefs of their children (should they have them). I realized that people that love animals possess a level of compassion deeper than I am able to understand. A level of passion deeper than I have even developed for my photography and art.

The greatest thing about life is learning and accepting that we are never too old to learn. I feel more passionate about my own life by learning about the lives and passions of others. Especially pet lovers. I have been taking pictures of peoples pets for a few years now and turning pictures of their pets into artwork for a little over 2 years.

I had a successful career in the accounting field for many years and it wasn’t until quitting my corporate job and doing my first Paintographic Pet Art piece that I felt like my passions really came to fruition. Photography & Art have sincerely helped me overcome my fears and become more passionate about animals. For that, I am grateful.

Jessie recently passed away at age 13 due to incurable cancer. Here he is memorialized as a piece of art!

Fusion Pet Art make sense, let me explain! This type of art is a several step process. First, I paint a picture – an abstract picture. Colorful and free for constraints. Once the painting is dry – I then scan my paintings using an every day high res photo scanner and turn them into digital files. I then “fuse” using a process I call Selective Image Layering whatever painting I see fit for the picture of the pet that I am working with and create a piece of high resolution mixed media art. The final medium can be anything from paper to fabric with any type of canvas having the most intense texture. All of my art is 100% one of a kind and cannot be exactly recreated. Seeing your pet in this artistic light makes everyone smile and certainly a great way to remember your loved one. This is also a great conversation piece for your home.

Brandi Fitzgerald is a Philadelphia based Photographer & Artist. She successfully overcame her fear of dogs by meeting a very special Jessie and learning how innocent dogs are. She started a Pet of the Week contest on her blog where you can win your own piece of Paintographic Fusion Art of your pet. She is looking forward to meeting your pets!

The 17th annual Spay Day is Feb. 22, 2011.

Spay Day an annual event of The Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society International to inspire people to save animals’ lives by spaying or neutering pets and feral cats. Spay Day officially takes place on the last Tuesday of February—but events will be running all through the month!

In celebration of Spay Day, Zazzle will present the Spay Day Online Pet Photo Contest this year. The Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society International will again be the host of the contest. This is a great opportunity to celebrate our pets, raise funds for spaying and neutering, and win great prizes!

There are two categories you can enter, the judged category and the fundraiser category. Both categories have prizes worth winning. Get your photos entered before the contest ends at 5:00 p.m. EST on February 25, 2011. You can however vote in the fundraisers category until 10:00 p.m. EST on March 3, 2011.

Entering the contest is easy and free—simply upload a digital photo of your pet and tell us a little about him or her. You can also enter as a memorial tribute to a pet who is no longer with us.

A panel of Photographer Judges will select the grand prize winner, 10 runners up and 25 finalists based on the quality of your photos and how well you answer a few simple questions to reveal your pet’s personality—no donations or votes are necessary to win the Judged Category.

In the fundraiser category there are one grand prize winner, 10 second prize winners, 100 third prize winners and 500 fourth prize winners.

Contest entrants may collect votes to win prizes in the Fundraisers Category. Your friends and family can get one vote credit for every $1 they donate to support spaying and neutering programs. Voters must purchase a minimum of 5 vote credits—a $5 donation—each time a donation is made. Every dollar donated in your pet’s name will give your pet another vote. If your pet finishes in the top 611 in votes, you’ll win great prizes!

Visit the voting instructions page to get more information for the fundraising category to pass along to your friends and family.

Valentines Day is right around the corner. True love in our world involves our beloved pets. We go out and purchase a new Valentine toy and maybe prepare a special treat. All to let them know it is their special day. Here is a chance for you to write your love story and tell the world just how much you love your companion.

ASPCA is thrilled to announce the launch of the 2011 “My Furry Valentine” Photo Contest in honor of all of your puppy (kitty, fish, bird) loves. In 100 words or less share your love story about the first time you laid eyes on each other, or how they are and always will be the love of your life, or how they melt your heart. Send the story along with your best photo of that special furry, finned or feathered someone—the one who opens your heart not just on February 14, but every single day of the year.

Submit your photo and story

The top five winners—selected by ASPCA staff members—will receive an ASPCA Prize Pack, and winning photos will be featured on their blog. But hurry—the deadline for submissions is midnight EST on February 12, 2011.

Rules:
* No purchase necessary
* Must be 18 or older to enter. This contest is void where prohibited and is limited to legal U. S. residents; ASPCA
employees and their families are not eligible to enter.
* Entries are subject to the ASPCA’s
privacy policy.
* Submission deadline is midnight Eastern Time on February 12, 2011.
* Five winners will be chosen by a panel of ASPCA judges based on the aesthetic quality of their photo submission and
how compellingly their story is. All judgments are in the sole discretion of the ASPCA.
* Your entry must include your name, mailing address, daytime telephone number, a valid email address, animal name,
1 jpg photo file. Incomplete entries will not be considered. Entries become the property of the ASPCA and will not be
returned.
* Photo submissions should include only images of you and pets owned by you.
* By submitting your text/photo in this contest, you give the ASPCA an irrevocable, perpetual royalty-free right to use
your name/text/photo for any purposes to promote the ASPCA’s mission of providing effective means for the
prevention of cruelty to animals throughout the United States.
* By entering this contest, you are confirming that you are at least 18 years of age, the sole owner of the photograph
submitted, and author of the text contained in your entry.

Good luck to everyone!

If you could make a heartwarming difference this holiday season with just one vote, would you?

Of course our choice will be ASPCA for the prevention of cruelty to animals!

‘Tis the season for giving and ADT Security Services needs your help deciding what part of $10, 000 three charities will receive. Choose from the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV), Safe Kids Worldwide, or the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). All you have to do is vote; that’s it, just vote. The charity vote will run until Jan. 9th. Please visit ADT on Facebook and go to the Giving Back tab. Your vote is one little action that can make a big difference.

The brand new video for “White Knuckles” premiered Monday, September 20th on the Ellen Degeneres Show. It caught our eye because they are an awesome group and it features dogs with a request to support animal rescue.

A bio by Ira Glass on their website gives a wonderful description of the band. “OK Go is the polymath band who – with only five bucks and a camcorder – did what none of the giant record labels could, inventing a new way for a band to connect with fans and changing the way people think about music and the Internet. Great story, though it overlooks the most important thing about the band: its music. What makes OK Go great is that they write and perform great songs.”

The band includes Damian Kulash (vocals, guitar) Tim Nordwind (bass) Dan Konopka (drums) Andy Ross (guitar, keys).

Purchase the video on their website and they will donate a portion of net proceeds to the ASPCA, specifically for the support of animal rescue.

They launched a remix contest for ‘White Knuckles’ on the 7th of September. The contest will be curated by the infamous Dave Fridmann and the winner will have their track mixed for Rock Band plus win an entire Rock Band set up to play their track with their friends. The contest runs until October 14th, and every week until then a weekly winner will be picked. These weekly winners will be featured on their website and the mp3s will be available as free downloads on their digital database.

We recently received an email offering a scholarship to the Animal Behavioral College. At first I was going to delete but then thought what a great idea to post the contest. Perhaps some animal lover will see it on our site, enter and win. I love to imagine the absolute best at every opportunity. Look over the information below and sharpen your pencil and get writing! GOOD LUCK

The College Bound Network is working with the Animal Behavioral College in running a scholarship contest which they are very excited about. It is an essay based contest that would provide the winner with an opportunity for a full scholarship to the college. Further details are listed on the following link:
http://www.collegesurfing.com/blog/2010/08/25/scholarship-contest-alert-make-your-animal-career-dream-a-reality/

Please feel free to also check out the official press release link below.
http://www.prweb.com/releases/animal-behavior-school/collegeboundnetwork-abc/prweb4438354.htm

Editor’s Note: It should go without saying that we here at Petsblogs are always on board with supporting a worthy animal-related cause, and this one’s no different. If you have an account on Facebook, please visit their Facebook page and consider becoming a fan. You even have the option of voting for a rescue organization in your area!

Purina, Kroger, and animal lover Trista Sutter, from ABC’s The Bachelorette, have teamed up to launch the third-annual Tales for the Pet Lover’s Heart campaign, celebrating the unique bond between people and their pets, while donating funds to animal welfare organizations nationwide. Together Purina and the Kroger family of stores will donate $150,000 to animal welfare organizations in 2010 as part of this year’s campaign and will recognize the outstanding efforts of animal welfare organizations nationwide. The campaign will conclude with a television special showcasing the unique people-pet relationship.

Last year’s show spotlighted 6 amazing stories from around the country. Tales of love and compassion from individuals and their four-legged companions included:

• Champion surfing team of Scott Chandler and Zoey, his Jack Russell terrier
• Helen Johnson and her passion for rescuing retired greyhound racers
• The award winning arson detective team of Fred Andes and chocolate lab Sadie
• World champion juggler Gregory Popovich and his troupe of animal actors
• Dr. Gail Powell-Johnson and her sight-saving surgeries
• Photodographer J. Nichole Smith and the magic of the basset

See clips from the 2009 show.
See clips from the 2008 show.
Share your tale.
The 2010 Tales for the Pet Lover’s Heart will air this Fall!

Purina’s working to grow the Tales for the Pet Lover’s Heart their Facebook page, www.facebook.com/TalesForThePetLoversHeart. So if you’re on Facebook we encourage you to visit the page and click the “Like” button to show your support. Obtain useful, up-to-date information about the program, leave a note on their wall, upload a photo to share, and more.

This year, Purina and the Kroger family of stores are donating a total of $150,000 to 18 animal welfare organizations across the country. One lucky shelter has the opportunity to receive $50,000. You can help by voting for the shelter organization of your choice. 100% of the donation amount goes to participating organizations, which provide care and shelter to adoptable pets in communities like yours.

PetLoversVote.com

For more information, check out Purina’s TalesForThePetLoversHeart.com.