My Fire Hydrant

The last week of October we had a celebration at the office for Iams Home 4 the Holidays. And omidog did I have a great time!

It started as I was walking from my car to the building. Just outside the door I recognized my first celebrity of the day: Munch! Yes, Munch, that gorgeous Bulldog featured in Iams commercials was just returning from a walk on his way inside to the party. Unfortunately, I didn’t have Tyler with me. However, I had the next best thing—Flat Tyler!

Munch is such a character, and seemed to enjoy meeting Flat Tyler!

Moving into the celebration area, I ran into one of my most favorite people (also my hero), Mike Arms! Mike came to us from his home base at the Helen Woodward Animal Center in San Diego.

I’ve been very lucky these past 2 months to be able to spend some quality time with Mike—first at BlogPaws West, and now at our celebration.

In case you’ve never heard of him, Mike Arms is the founder of Home 4 the Holidays, and a major force in pet adoption. In some respects, he’s turned the traditional shelter upside down by re-thinking how a shelter should be organized and funded. Be sure to check out:

• The ACES workshops where shelter workers and volunteers can learn how to apply business techniques to pet adoptions—for free.
• Club Pet Boarding a great hotel destination for San Diego’s canine, feline and exotic family members.
• The Pet Grooming Salon, for the pampered pet needing a day at the spa!
• AniMeals bringing pet food to the homes of the elderly or disabled.
• Educational programs that teach children and families about animal welfare, and nurture the human-animal bond
• A beautiful Equine Hospital
• And so much more!

But back to our celebration……

Nearly everyone was seated as Munch strutted his stuff down the audience aisle. He got loads of applause!

Everybody wanted to get their photos taken with Munch. But first, Munch had to show his support of pet adoption by putting on an Iams Home 4 the Holidays Adoption Advocate hat.

Munch was first on the list of celebrities at our celebration because he had an appointment at a Bulldog Specialty Show being held to the south of us in Kentucky. He spent quality time with everybody—and lots of photos were taken.

Just before Munch had to leave, Krissie and Ryan Newman arrived! Are you a NASCAR fan? If you’ve never heard of NASCAR all you need to know is that Ryan drives the #39 Chevy for Stewart-Haas Racing and he is awesome on the track! Krissie is vice president of the Ryan Newman Foundation, and one of the Foundation’s interests is animal welfare.

So with all of our celebrities present, it was time to take some photos. Munch seemed to be having a little trouble focusing until we realized that he was looking at Flat Tyler, who was on the seat next to me in the front row. Once we put Flat Tyler behind the photographer’s head, Munch was eager to look at the camera!

After the photos we all settled down to listen to what our visiting friends had to say. First, Michel Brousset said a few words of welcome to our guests, and then introduced Mike Arms.

When Mike was finished, we heard from the Newmans–they have SIX dogs! All of them are shelter/rescue pooches. Ryan and Krissie have been vocal advocates for animal welfare for the past few years. Krissie told us about a recent Foundation fundraiser for spay/neuter, a book titled “Pit Road Pets: NASCAR Stars and Their Pets.” This book is way beyond cute! It’s got all kinds of photos and stories about your favorite NASCAR driver and the pets who share their lives. A second book has also been published titled “The Second Lap” which expands into the pets of the fans, and the behind the scenes folks involved with NASCAR. The second book is also a fund raiser for animal welfare.

Their passion for pets and pet adoptions makes the Newman Foundation a natural fit with Iams Home 4 the Holidays. Krissie told us how Mike Arms had been an inspiration for her and her work with the Foundation. In fact, she told us that Mike has been advising her on her visions and goals for their Foundation.

After the Newmans spoke, our guy Michel got back up and asked Mike Arms to join him.

Mike had no idea that he was about to receive the “Iams Lifetime Hero Achievement Award” in recognition of his commitment and extraordinary contributions to enhancing the lives of homeless animals for more than 30 years. In addition, Michel announced the creation of the annual “Mike Arms/Iams Hero Award.”

Every year, the Mike Arms/Iams Hero Award will be presented to a person or animal organization that exemplifies the commitment and passion for the lives of orphaned animals similar to what Arms has been doing for so many years.

Next, Michel presented a contribution of $50,000 to the Ryan Newman Foundation and announced a partnership between Iams and the Foundation to further animal welfare issues on and off the race track—how cool is that!!!

After the presentations were over we had time for photos and some “meet and greet.” What a perfect way to celebrate Iams Home 4 the Holidays 2010!

My best buddy Karen is doing something incredible this weekend. Something I really admire. She’s going to walk 60 miles in 3 days!

Karen (also known as “The Food Lady” on Skeezix’s Scratching Post) will be joining other walkers in San Francisco this weekend to do the the Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure™. She’s been in training for months, looks FABULOUS, and she’s ready to walk 60 miles in 3 days. Incredible!

Karen has been doing all kinds of things to raise contribution money for her walk. Including some wonderful art raffles on Skeezix’s blog. Finding a cure for breast cancer is a very worthy cause, and if you would like to help you can make a donation on Karen’s page on the Susan G. Komen Walk wedsite.

Karen, I wish you all the best on this adventure! And I have such admiration for your focus and for your many gifts. I’m so glad I know you!

To give you a flavor of the delight that is Karen, here is an interview she did a few weeks ago at BlogPaws West. Notice that Karen is wearing some charming pink cats-eye glasses. When I had the honor to introduce Mike Arms at the first morning keynote, the first thing I saw as I got to the podium was Karen (right up front as usual) looking very serious in those glasses. Totally blew my concentration, I wanted to laugh so hard! But I have to say, Karen looks fabulous in pink!

You go girl!!

Bailey was born on March 11, 1996.

We did this birthday video last year. I think, in my heart, I suspected it would be the last time we celebrated Bailey’s birthday. I have very fond memories of the day we shot this. It’s pretty silly.

In memory of Bailey, join our online Bichon Bash by clicking and donating to Small Paws Rescue. No donation is too small, and every donation will make a difference in a dog’s life.

Angela (Pet Care R&D) with Cheech, Asanya, and Samson (AKA Bubba). 

Jason leads our North American External Relations team. He’s been with Pet Care for 11 years.

1. What pets share your life?
Wow – there are several.  Since my wife and I raise and show Afghan Hounds, we share our lives with many of them!  Some of the notables are Woody, a 4 year old blue brindle male (and the man of the house), Bella, a 3 year old black-masked red female who’s as sweet as sugar pie, and Rush, our Italian import.  Black, lots of hair, handsome!

2. What is the funniest thing your pets have ever done?
These are too numerous to mention.  They make me laugh every day, and I love them for it.

3. What’s your favorite story about pets in the office?
My favorite story is about Vicki’s dog Rocky (Vicki is a coworker in External Relations).  Now mind you Rocky is the number 1 Boston Terrier in the country – but don’t be fooled.  We came back from a meeting, and Rocky had DESTROYED Vicki’s cube!!!  Her phone was in the floor, receiver over here and base over there.  The contents of her purse were EVERYWHERE.  The lipstick was open.  The pens had chewed caps.  Papers littered her desk, her chair, and all over the floor.  It was hilarious!  And who could get mad at a face like Rocky’s?

4. What is your favorite part of working at Pet Care?
I love being around people with a passion for cats and dogs.  For so many of us, what we do at work and how we live at home are pretty inseparable – pets are what we love.  So to do work where pets not only can have a place, but are featured and our sole reason for being is wonderful!

The folks at the Helen Woodward Animal Center are holding a “best adoption story” essay contest for the participating Iams Home 4 the Holidays organizations. The finalists have been narrowed down to 5. Between now and the end of February, we are all invited to vote for our favorite!

My buddy (and hero!) Mike Arms says:

“These stories all have happy endings but for some of them it was a long, hard battle. Some make you cry, others make you laugh, they all touch your heart. 

We need help from animal lovers worldwide to select the most heart-warming and most successful pet adoption story from this past holiday season. There are so many great stories about pets that were saved during the holiday season. Now they’re starting the new year with a new, “leash” on life.

We’ve narrowed this down to the top five. Between now and February 28 we’re asking people to vote on their favorite story. The animal shelter or rescue group that submitted the winning entry will receive a $500 donation from Helen Woodward Animal Center.

One vote per person. This isn’t about which organization can convince the most people to vote. It’s about which story touches your heart.”

If you love animals, then these stories will make you cry–but in a good way. I just cast my vote–you should too!!

New photos from my friend Daniel! He adopted an Iams Home 4 the Holidays dog in late December.

Truman is a 3-year old Cocker Spaniel mix. In his email to me, Daniel says:

“He’s a fantastic little stray rescue but clearly has a loving owner in his past – he is brave, smart and extremely well behaved and is settling in nicely to his new home. No surprise that our home is an Iams home, and he goes crazy for his Lamb & Rice meals. The shelter described him as ‘the perfect little cocker spaniel with a perfect little way about him’ and I couldn’t agree more!”  

I am so happy for Daniel to have such a wonderful new companion in his life! And I’m thrilled that Truman has found such a loving furever home!

Somewhere my little Bailey is giving a paws up to Daniel and Truman for their good fortune in finding each other.