Who’s my pretty girl?

Lucy is, of course! Naturally, she’s gorgeous, but when the time came for us to buy her a new collar, we wanted one that was as sassy as she is. The collar that she came to us with is still serviceable, but it’s plain and at 1” wide, a little skinny for her big, blocky pittie head and thick neck. Thanks to rave reviews from It’s a Vegan Dog’s Life, I had been longingly browsing K9 Closet for some time. Recently, Red and I finally decided on a collar. Lucy is now the proud owner of a sparkly red Hot Rod collar, which, as you can see, looks fabulous on her. At 2” wide, it fits her better too. It’s a martingale combo, which means it has both a martingale loop (in case we ever need to clip her leash on immediately and don’t have time for her harness) and a side-release buckle for easy removal. The best of both worlds! I was a little concerned that a collar made of vinyl might be on the stiff side, but Lucy is pleased to report that after a day or two, the vinyl softened right up and is very flexible. It’s lined in satin for extra comfort.

Then, to make things even snazzier in the collar department, It’s a Vegan Dog’s Life offered a collar flower giveaway! Now, my girl is not exactly the dainty floral type, but these flowers were so adorable I had to ask Molly to send us one. I chose rainbow, because really, what is better than rainbows?

Good dog, bad photo.

The giveaway also included this cute sticker, which will soon grace the bumper of my car.

You have no idea how much I need this reminder.

From nom-worthy recipes to fashionable accoutrements, It’s a Vegan Dog’s Life has ensured that Lucy will be well fed and glamorous. Thanks again, Molly!

Ed Block Foundation issues statement, says nothing.

I know we’ve all been busy with the holidays and all, but sadly, animal cruelty and the support of same by the status quo never take a holiday. Recently I told you about Michael Vick’s controversial selection for the Ed Block Courage Award; then, I shared the letter I wrote to the Ed Block Courage Award Foundation expressing my consternation and the hope that they would question the decision of Vick’s team to reward his behavior. I know I’m not the only one who’s been waiting to see what the Foundation’s response would be.

I wanted to be happy when they finally issued a statement. Then, I read it. It’s short, so I’ll reproduce it for you here:

Since its inception in 1978, the Ed Block Courage Award has been presented to NFL players that were selected solely by their teammates. The Ed Block Courage Award Foundation cherishes its relationships with the NFL and each NFL Team. This year the Philadelphia Eagles selected Michael Vick as their 2009 Recipient. Our Foundation has a great deal of respect for the Philadelphia Eagles organization, Head Coach Andy Reid and the Eagles Players. Michael Vick is just one of 32 NFL players that will receive an Ed Block Courage Award for 2009. The focus of the Foundation is and always has been to raise awareness and prevention of child abuse and we are proud to add 32 new Ambassadors of Courage along side of us in our journey to break the cycle of child abuse and reach our goal of a Courage House in every NFL City.

FOR REAL. That’s the best you can do, Ed Block Courage Award Foundation? Did you let an intern write that? Was your PR person on vacation? After all the calls and letters and emails I know you’ve received, this half-assed “But we’re doing it for the chiiiiiiilllldren” is all you can muster?

Whatever I was expecting—and I try not to expect too much in situations like these—clearly I set the bar too high. Thanks for encouraging Baltimore’s downward spiral, Ed Block Courage Award Foundation.

Baltimore gets Rescue Inked!

So, um, apparently this weekend was all about climate change actions. I had no idea, because my weekend was filled with burly men, tattoos, and pit bulls. In short, my weekend rocked.

As I told you here, New York-based animal rescue group Rescue Ink responded to our call (via a tattoo pledge) to bring their brand of in-your-face activism to Baltimore. This weekend, it happened. On Saturday, the Baltimore Tattoo Museum donated their time and services to ink everyone who wanted a pawprint tattoo. For $100 (split between Rescue Ink and the Baltimore Humane Society), each person chose either a pre-drawn dog or cat print. Red and I got there early, expecting a crowd. We weren’t the first in line, but we definitely made a good call in not sleeping in that morning. Because I’m difficult and had been planning to get Lucy’s pawprint for a while, I made the donation, then paid for my artist, Laura Rachel, to tattoo me with the print I made of Lu’s foot. Laura is a crazy-talented tattoo artist with an amazing spirit. After she tattooed me last year, I knew I’d be going back to her again. She was a great sport, letting a camera crew from a local university film us while she worked. It was the most badass fundraiser ever, I tell you! My parents even came to support us!

And did I mention how beautiful my new tattoo is? It truly looks like Lucy stepped in ink and then jumped on me. Oh, my sweet girl. She’s with me forever now. I can’t explain how happy I am to have been a part of this amazing day. Who says activism can’t be fun?!

On Sunday, Red and I headed to the Baltimore Humane Society for Pit Bull Awareness Day. The incredible people behind B-More Dog, a newer pit bull-advocacy group, put on a great program filled with pittie agility and drug-sniffing demonstrations, information sessions, and plenty of wonderful adoptable dogs to meet. Oh, and Rescue Ink showed up, too. They’d taken the train down from New York the night before, and after bemoaning Baltimore’s lack of nightlife (sorry, fellas), they graciously talked with everyone and posed for pictures. They signed my copy of their book, too, and complimented both my new tattoo and Lucy’s photos. It was a little weird pulling up my shirt in public for a bunch of strange dudes, but what the hell, it was for the pitties. They told us how bummed they were that they couldn’t make it for the tattoo fest, but they’d had a prior commitment. Oh, well. Next time, guys! We had a great crowd, too—enough people to generate a lot of positive energy and raise plenty of money, but not so many as to make the whole thing feel like a circus. Today, the guys are going to stick around and help with active animal-abuse cases and do a presentation at a local school before heading back home. As always, Jill at Unleashed is on top of it.

Johnny O, Joe Panz, Red, me, Big Ant, Batso, and Junior. Eric and G are off to the left somewhere.

I’ve been so overwhelmed with love all weekend. A lot of positive momentum was created, and I’m hopeful that all the dog advocates and responsible pit bull owners in Baltimore will continue to show the rest of the world that our dogs aren’t snarling monsters waiting to maul your toddler or have your kitten for dinner. If anyone has any doubts about that, Lucy will lick them silly. And, to quote Mr. T, I pity the fool who crosses Rescue Ink!

Vegan dog love.

One of things that’s pleasantly surprised me about this whole blogging thing is how welcoming and supportive fellow bloggers have been. The Internet is a whacked-out place, sort of like Vegas on acid. Truly, weirdness abounds. And yet, I have been greeted with delicious vegan love.

< /end sappiness>

Have you experienced the canine awesomeness that is It’s a Vegan Dog’s Life? No, you say? Why not? You don’t have a dog? Who cares? Bop on over there anyway. There is witty writing, tasty dog-treat recipes (that are suitable for humans!), rad giveaways, and dog pictures. What else could you want? (Duh, there are cat pictures too.) I’ve been following Emma’s and Rowan’s exploits for a short while, and they’ve inspired me to try and veganize my own sweet pooch. I don’t know if I have the energy to bake for them as much as their mom does, though!

I’ve also been lucky enough to win a handful of animal-rights buttons! Yay! I love buttons! I’ve already started adding them to my purse. I’d tack them onto my work bag, too, but that’s getting a hole in it, so I think I’ll have to switch to a new bag soon. Everyone likes buttons. They’re portable and don’t have the scary commitment factor of, say, bumper stickers. They’re an easy way to broadcast your message without being too in-your-face about it. Of course, in-your-face buttons can certainly be had, but these are cute without being militant. For real, three have puppies on them!


Huge thanks to Molly (and Emma and Rowan!) for providing such a needed resource…and place to look at goofy dog photos. As soon as Lucy’s vegan, look for her on It’s a Vegan Dog’s World!