Sit. Stay… Read!

Mr. November 2013
Mr. November 2013

Independent bookstores are a dying breed, even in Cambridge, where I wouldn’t be surprised if some of the dogs have PhD’s or at least master’s. So I am pleased to see Porter Square Books thriving and paying it forward by supporting Last Hope K-9 Rescue with its “Sit. Stay… Read!” 2013 benefit calendar. I am also proud to see Eddie among the local dogs featured on the calendar; he’s Mr. November in honor of the Barack’s Best Friend leash he was wearing when he posed for his photo in front of a stack of political books. Let’s hope that in November of 2013, Bo still has the run of the White House lawn.

The “Sit. Stay… Read!” calendar sells for $15, and all proceeds will go to support Last Hope’s mission to keep dogs out of kill shelters through foster and rescue programs. Stop by Porter Square Books and get your calendar while the supply lasts.

Also check out their program of author talks and events. One that caught my eye: Cambridge author, Boston Globe columnist and friend Joan Wickersham will be discussing her forthcoming collection of stories, The News From Spain: Seven Variations on a Love Story (Knopf, 2012) on Thursday, October 18 at 7 PM.

 

An Angel(l) to Animals

George Angell's grave in Mount Auburn Cemetery
George Angell's grave in Mount Auburn Cemetery

Years ago, the first time one of my pets became violently ill on a weekend, I listened to the recording on my regular vet’s voice mail instructing me “to seek after hours emergency care at Angel Memorial Animal Hospital” and assumed the hospital had a religious affiliation. Once I’d bundled my sick cat into the car and found my way to South Huntington Avenue in Jamaica Plain, I wondered why “Angell” had two l’s, but was too worried about my cat to give the unusual spelling more than a passing thought. Continue reading “An Angel(l) to Animals”

Epilogue: Farewell to the Ash Street Dog

Bon voyage!
Bon voyage!

Last fall I sleuthed into the provenance of an antique dog sculpture that has stood sentry in the front garden of a home near Harvard Square for well over half a century, possibly longer. (The Unsolved Mystery of the Ash Street Dog) The elderly owner of the house died this spring, and when I saw a For Sale sign go up recently in the yard, my first thought was, of course, what will happen to the dog? Continue reading “Epilogue: Farewell to the Ash Street Dog”

What’s Wrong With This Picture?

Cambridge Recycles, Artfully
Cambridge Recycles, Artfully

That’s what I’d like to know! You’ll have to ask Eddie, though, and he’s not talking – only barking at the recycling bin sculpture my neighbor created on the curb this morning. Trash day is the highpoint of every Cantabrigian canine’s week, but usually it’s the trashy fragrance that attracts them, turning a short walk around the block into a marathon of tugging and sniffing. In this instance, the unusual sight of two recycling bins stacked atop a large wheeled barrel aroused Eddie’s deep suspicion, triggering a bout of alarmed barking. Try as I might, I couldn’t cajole him into coming close enough to sniff down this grave threat to homeland security. Go figure. Continue reading “What’s Wrong With This Picture?”

Dog Days Of Summer Pose Dangers to Dogs

Eddie likes to stay well-hydrated in the heat.
Eddie likes to stay well-hydrated in the heat.

An incident today reminded me that many well-intentioned people do not realize that dogs are far more susceptible to heat stroke and dehydration than we are. I’m sharing this cautionary tale not to single out the dog owner involved, but to raise awareness that the dog days of summer pose serious health risks to our canine companions. Continue reading “Dog Days Of Summer Pose Dangers to Dogs”

Corgi Cam Hits the Spot

Mama Brinkley is Corgi Cam's star
Mama Brinkley is Corgi Cam's star

When a pair of cardinals nested in an azalea bush directly outside our dining room window this spring, I joked that I should set up a webcam to record and share the process online in real time, like the Hawk Cam in New York City. Of course, as a spectator sport, a pair of songbirds nesting rates about as poorly as watching dogs sleep, which, as I write, 1,454 people are doing via The Pet Collective’s Corgi Cam, a 24/7 live stream of a corgi bitch named Brinkley and her litter of four puppies. Continue reading “Corgi Cam Hits the Spot”

Who Does Your Dog Think You Are?

The expression is on mugs...
The expression is on mugs...

“I aspire to be the person my dog thinks I am.”

I don’t recall when I first heard this expression, and no one seems to know where it originated, but it’s spreading like kudzu through the dog world. Lately, I can’t seem to go a day without seeing it. Granted, I may be spending too much time browsing dog blogs and sites like Life with Dogs. But after coming across the expression for the umpteenth time yesterday, I stopped to think about what it really means. What kind of person does my dog think I am, and should his opinion guide my life goals? Continue reading “Who Does Your Dog Think You Are?”

Danger Dogs Visit from Nepal

One of the Nepali Danger Dogs at Nomad
One of the Nepali Danger Dogs at Nomad

Have no fear, the Danger Dogs at Nomad will not bite. Hand-painted in Nepal, the Danger Dogs are a fair trade art project to benefit traditional Nepali signboard artists whose livelihood is endangered by digital technology.  Continue reading “Danger Dogs Visit from Nepal”

The Dog Particle

A simple dog is all I can handle. (image: hypberboleandahalf.blogspot.com)
A simple dog is all I can handle. (image: hypberboleandahalf.blogspot.com)

It’s universally agreed that the discovery this week of the Higgs boson particle is a really, really big deal, though only a really, really small number of people can explain why. I am not one of those people. Far from it. In fact, when I first heard the term “Higgs boson,” I thought it sounded more like the name of a new breed of designer dog.

Continue reading “The Dog Particle”