Blogs for Dogs (and Cats...)

Hi all,

Things have been a little nuts (as usual) in my life and also somewhat lacking for inspiration.  The school year is over (thank GOODNESS!) and I have taken a much needed break from all things school related.  I'm getting back into the swing of things this week, with papers to revise and preparations to be made for the Bangladesh trip coming up in August.  I wanted to take a quick minute, though, and tell you all about something near to my heart over the last few days.

You have all no doubt heard about the tornadoes that have been ripping across the midwest over the last few days and the devastation they have caused, particularly in Joplin, Missouri.  While I am lucky to be safe and sound at home in Nebraska right now, Joplin is only about 4 hours southwest of Columbia and I have a few friends at school who grew up there.  The entire state of Missouri has reached out to help the people of Joplin and I heard from a friend on Twitter yesterday that there are actually too many volunteers at the moment (what an amazing problem to have!).  While I worry about the people, I know they will be well taken care of and not soon forgotten by the state and the country.  However, the humane societies and animal shelters are currently overflowing with pets who have lost or been separated from their owners.  A fellow Missouri blogger (Brie Fit) has set up a registry on Amazon.com to help the Joplin Humane Society care for these animals.  (I encourage you to read her blog post here:  http://www.brie-fit.com/2011/05/blogs-for-dogs/)

The pictures the Humane Society has posted of some of the lost animals are absolutely heartbreaking.  I feel for the animals, who must be scared and stressed, as well as some injured, I'm sure, and also for the owners who can do nothing more than hope and pray that their beloved pets are being cared for.  I can only imagine that if I were in their shoes, I would be beside myself with worry about Nellie.  

If you want to help, you can find the registry here:  http://tinyurl.com/blogs4dogs  Any little bit helps.  I forked over $30 of my own to send some cat food.  

You can also make a cash donation here:  http://www.hsmo.org/news/disaster-response-team-2.html  The Humane Society of Missouri has sent in disaster relief teams and needs continued monetary support.

Thanks for indulging me and reading this entire post (assuming you're still reading...).  Now, go and give your pet some extra love and attention.