On Sunday I took Teddy to Jack Darling Memorial Park. The huge park by the lake also had a huge off-leash dog park. Teddy was pretty overwhelmed by all the other dogs but he did manage to make a friend.
Pets
A Concert For Dogs
The same day as Woofstock, IAMS SOGOOD hosted a concert for dogs. 45 piece Toronto Concert Orchestra played dog themed songs like “Who Let The Dogs Out” and “How Much is That Doggie in the Window”. They also performed a selection of popular classics including themes from Phantom of the Opera and Westside Story.
Surprisingly, most of the dogs were well behaved and nobody was howling at live music. I expected Teddy to be a fuss because he usually howls at the piano.
There was free goodies and a photobooth adding to a lovely afternoon by the beach.
Woofstock 2013
Yesterday I took Teddy to Woofstock for the second time. His birthday (which also happened to be yesterday) always falls close to the festival so it doubles as a celebration, complete with all the goodies!
There’s a dog version of everything you can imagine out there somewhere, including ice cream. Me and my sister actually tried some dog ice-cream ourselves (not pictured). Don’t worry, it was just a sugar-free vanilla, so perfectly human edible. Honestly, it was one of the best vanilla ice-creams I have ever had.
Dog cookies never cease to look delicious.
It’s Batman and Robin!
These pups are all blinged out.
More random photos from the festival:
In Response To The Toronto Star.. My Best Friend Is Worth The Price
Today I saw this editorial, Dog’s Surgery Not Worth The Money”, on the Toronto Star and it enraged me. Basically in a nutshell, Ken Gallinger gives a reader an answer on whether he should put his dog down because he swallowed a ball or shell up $6000 for surgery. Oh yeah, and the dog is only four years old. The answer also goes on to say that even if you were made of money, there would be better things to use your money on like charities and starving people. As a dog owner this really bothered me. I wasn’t so much enraged with the question (maybe the dude didn’t have or know the proper means to help the dog), as I was with the answer.
Teddy injured his leg one time and we took him to the vet. Before the x-rays, they told us that there was potential he might need surgery (which was around $2000). We didn’t hesitate for a second. Thankfully the X-rays came back and it was heal-able on its own. Am I a sadist for not donating this money to charity instead? No, I just wanted to help my best friend.
Pets are as unpredictable as people at times. We both get sick and hurt but that doesn’t mean that we can value one over the other. The choice should not be between money and death. There were other alternatives to the situation such as seeking help from the Humane Society or similar organizations. Maybe even crowdfunding the 6k. I truly hope the owner of this dog makes the right decision for his young dog and ignores Gallinger.
Gallinger mentions having a cat, but I bet he’s never had a dog. He’s never had a dog welcome him every time he came back, even if it’s been five minutes. He’s never had a dog’s smile instantly lift his mood. He’s never had a dog defend him in an argument. He’s never had a dog hug him to sleep after he cried or made him feel like everything’s going to be okay. He’s never had a dog love him unconditionally.
Photos: Teddy Enjoying the Sun
This weekend the weather was beautiful, so I let Teddy out in the yard and snapped some photos.
Crochet Dog Bone
My practise ball of white yarn never seems to disappear so I made Teddy this crochet bone with a pattern I found on Pinterest. I didn’t make it quite as long because of my dog’s small size.
I added a ribbon made out of an old T-shirt to hide the seams.
I think he approves.
Crochet Ball
I learnt how to crochet a ball for Teddy from this Youtube Video via Crochet Geek. It wasn’t too round because I didn’t have stuffing so I used a plastic bag. It added a little extra noise for Teddy to enjoy.
Balls are the basis for a lot of Amigurumi projects so I hope to make him so cuter toys in the future.
Someone’s Spying On Me
I was trying to read over the weekend. However every time I retreat to the couch in the other room this happens:
I Don’t Have A Cat But…
I have a new found appreciation for cats. As you know, I am a proud dog owner. Previously, I was not very fond of cats. I always thought they were rather frightening, unkind and boring.
By some strange coincidence yesterday, I read I Could Pee on This: And Other Poems by Cats
I read How To Tell If Your Cat is Plotting to Kill You first. To be honest I wasn’t a big fan of The Bobcats mini-series that focused on these cat characters being jerks in the workplace. The majority of the book was devoted to this “mini-series”. For something by The Oatmeal creator, it was somewhat of a let-down.
My favourite illustrations were the other sections such as if humans and cats changed roles and the comic strips illustrating the much more realistic behaviour of cats. Of course there was also classics like Cats vs. The Internet and How to Pet a Kitty.
Marciuliano’s book explored the mind of a cat through a series of hilarious free verse poems. There are four categories of poems: family, work, play and existence.
If I had to buy a book for a cat lover it would be this one. The poems illustrate why cats do certain devious things and that perhaps we are misunderstanding them as human beings. Most of the poems start off in a vague manner and it is not until the end that you understand what the cat is doing; whether it be knocking down a vase or scratching itself in the mirror. In between poems there are also adorable cat photos related to the writing.
I don’t plan on getting a cat any time soon (or ever), but in reading these books I definitely don’t think they are boring anymore. On a random note, if you do like cats I found this random site called Catmoji which is like a Pinterest for cats.
[Photoset] Teddy In The Snow
We finally had some snow fall this week in Mississauga. We let Teddy out in the backyard to play in the snow. Here are some photos!
Tiana Feng 