Day 533

I came across one of my Paypal ads again today. I don't see these things all that often, but they're still floating around out there. I don't think the ads have changed my life much. Oddly, I am spending more on Paypal though. I find myself increasingly using Paypal instead of a credit card to pay for things, mostly out of a vague feeling of loyalty. Maybe that was the whole point of the ads. Go out and find some people who are wasteful spenders, feature them in ads, and then they'll spend even more. I'm still not sure why they picked me, but I do like the company. They're been really helpful to Dalmatian Rescue.

Scooby was neutered this morning and finished up his health checkup, so I picked him up at the vet this afternoon and took him over to The Velvet Snout. I initially thought that this was the most ridiculous name I'd ever heard of for a doggie day care/boarding facility. I'm starting to have second thoughts though. The name immediately rises straight to the top in Google searches. It's easy to remember too. Maybe in this age of Google, oddball names are the best. Before the Internet became ubiquitous, I was convinced that my own name was completely unique. According to Google, it is actually pretty common. There are Sealander architects, Sealander Environmental, Health & Safety companies, Sealander law firms, Sealander Real Estate agents and probably dozens of other companies that I'm not even aware of. Maybe Sealander & Company wasn't quite as original as I thought. Maybe if I called my own company The Velvet Snout twenty years ago, I'd be famous now.

One of the dogs in our training class is on Prozac now, just because he went after another dog about a month ago. I think that's sad. I've never been a big fan of mood altering drugs. Life isn't always pretty. Dogs bite. People get depressed. Life goes on. You've just got to learn to deal with it.

Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 532

I walked Dot and Dash early this morning, so I could be first in line at the City of Garland animal shelter when it opened. Ten minutes after the shelter opened its doors I walked away with Scooby, a nice looking young male Dalmatian who was living on borrowed time. Scooby was an owner surrender, but that wouldn't protect him very long. This friendly dog would be put down just like any other stray if nobody claimed him. I still find it hard to believe that so many people routinely dump their dogs at the pound like this. According to the animal control officer, Scooby's owners said he was tearing up the yard. That was it. Hardly seems like an offense worth putting a dog down for, does it? I'll bet you anything that Scooby never got daily walks or exercise. From the poor condition of his coat, he probably never got to come inside either.

Any dog will eventually tear up the yard if they are dumped outside and totally ignored. I tell people all the time that Dalmatians are very active dogs and need a long walk every day. They also have very sensitive skin and don't do well if left outside. People don't listen though. They continue to get a Dalmatian because they are so pretty and then dump them when having a dog is no longer convenient for them.

When I got home from rescuing Scooby, I took Dash to the vet for his bi-weekly antigen shot. For quite a few months I've been thinking that these shots were a miracle cure, because his coat had started looking so much better. For a short time Dash was actually looking whiter than Dot. Now, all the bronzing and skin discoloration had returned and I have no idea why. Dash's diet is the same. His routine is the same. I can't think of a single good reason why he has brownish spots on his coat again. I guess I shouldn't be surprised though. Similar things happen with my own health all the time. Six months ago, I was convinced that my doctors had finally cured my persistent coughing spells that were often accompanied with severe heartburn. The coughing spells have returned though, after being completely gone for at least six months. I don't know why the coughing has returned. I'm still taking my meds. My diet is actually much healthier than it was a year ago. I even gave up drinking. Sometimes taking better care of yourself just seems pointless.

It's beginning to seems like buying a new large format printer was pointless too. So far, the new printer seems to exhibit exactly the same flaws that eventually drove me crazy with the old printer. I've only had this printer a week and I've already had to unclog the lines. You'd think that I'd at least get a six month grace period or something. Instant clogging just isn't fair. It looks like I'm going to have to upgrade my expensive RIP software as well. I've already discovered that the old RIP won't work with the new printer.

Scooby is getting neutered today. Tomorrow afternoon, I'll go back to the vet and take him over to his temporary new home. Boarding kennels leave a lot to be desired, but I'm certain this dog will get a lot more attention at the kennel than he ever got at his first home. We'll make sure that when he does find his forever home, he'll finally get the second chance he deserves.

Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day