Book Review: A Second Chance: An Inspirational Journey Through the Eyes of an Animal Shelter Volunteer by Liz Miesnik

Liz Miesnik really pulls the heartstrings in her new book A Second Chance: An Inspirational Journey Through the Eyes of An Animal Shelter Volunteer. The book may be simple-photographs of beautiful shelter pets combined with inspiring quotes-but it is powerful.

Ms. Miesnik states in the introduction that she wants the book to inspire and motivate people to make a difference. Already a shelter volunteer myself, I was very moved by what I saw between the pages. The cats and dogs depicted were all adorable, but there were also photos of volunteers. It came through loud and clear that they were doing what they loved.

Every turn of the page brought a picture of a different pet and a new quote. Some quotes I had heard before, others I had not. My favorite was from Albert Schweitzer, "Until he extends the circle of compassion to all living things, man will not himself find peace." It accompanied a photograph of a differently abled dog named Hope. She had a wheelchair and was wearing a diaper, but the look on her face told you she didn't let any of that slow her down.

At the end of the book, Ms. Miesnik introduces us to the rescues she visited to get the photographs. She is donating part of the proceeds from the book to those rescues, so just in buying the book, you're giving to them.

The book does have some editing mistakes that to me were glaring, but I didn't let that overshadow the warm feeling I got from reading it. It brought so much joy to see the sweet faces of pets awaiting their forever homes and to know there were many volunteers out there giving them the love they need until they get there.

UPDATE: Liz contacted me personally and asked if I would point out the editing mistakes I found. I replied and Liz is going to make the necessary corrections so that future copies will be corrected. Now that's dedication!

This book was provided to me for free by the author in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts in this post are my own.

Valentino's Journey-Part 3

This is the third and final post in a series about Valentino, Mom's favorite kitty at the shelter. You can read part one here and part two here.

On Friday, Mom made brownies for Dr. Pickett and Danny to thank them for their kindness. She took them to the shelter that afternoon. After dropping off the brownies at the vet clinic, she headed back to memorial services with a couple other volunteers. When she got there, Danny wasn’t there and Valentino’s ashes weren’t ready to be picked up. However, since she was there, she decided to ask for a tour of the facility. She was impressed at the services they provide and their level of professionalism. Just as she stepped out of the chapel room, Ryker’s mom walked in. They spent some time chatting and trying not to cry-not just about Valentino, but about other pets of theirs that had gone over the Rainbow Bridge as well. The circumstances brought up a lot of memories for both of them.

Our moms talked about what to do with Valentino’s ashes. Mom had wanted him cremated by himself because she couldn’t bear to think about his ashes being buried with a bunch of other ashes. She suggested scattering his ashes somewhere. Ryker’s mom felt like Valentino’s ashes should go home with Mom if that was what she wanted. Mom didn’t want Ryker’s mom left out though and felt bad taking them herself. Since she had to wait until Monday to even pick them up, she knew she had time to think about the situation.

Monday morning, Mom drove over to the shelter. She picked up Valentino’s remains and went straight home. When she got home, she opened the box and found an envelope that said “Valentino Palmer.” She was stunned. She never expected them to give Valentino her last name. The certificate in the envelope also mentioned Valentino being part of the Palmer family. She thought his name should be Valentino Volunteer since so many volunteers and staff loved him. But there it was, in black and white. She felt like it was a sign that she should keep his ashes like Ryker’s mom had said.

Mom has decided to keep Valentino’s ashes in the office where she helps me blog and tweet. She plans on getting a special shelf to sit them on so he can be a constant source of inspiration to us. With Valentino so close by, we will be reminded of why we do the work we do for homeless pets. We want them all to have families of their own, somebody to wait for at the Rainbow Bridge.

Valentino's Journey-Part 2

This is the second post in a series about Valentino, Mom's favorite kitty at the shelter where she volunteers and his journey to the Rainbow Bridge. The first part is here.

When the time came on Thursday, Mom went to the shelter and went directly to Valentino's kennel. She spent about 20 minutes with him, cuddling and kissing him, telling him what a good kitty he was. She explained the Rainbow Bridge to him and told him that Ryker would be there to greet him, along with many other animals. She said he could run in fields of catnip, eat an endless supply of tuna and that he would never be sick again. Mom told him that since he didn't have a family of his own to wait for at the Rainbow Bridge, that he could wait for her and she would be his family. She said they would be together again when the time came.

After a few treats and lots of petting, Mom went to tell Dr. Pickett that she was there. She went back to Valentino and the vet came in shortly after to give him a sedative to relax him, then left the two of them alone again. He rested on his bed and was soon snoring away, Mom still petting him and talking to him, giving him kisses on his cheek. After a few more minutes, Dr. Pickett came back with another vet. They brought Valentino out of his kennel to give him the final injection. Before Dr. Pickett started, Mom bent down close to Valentino's ear when the vet told her "He can still hear you. You can keep talking to him." Mom couldn't hold back the tears as she stroked Valentino and told him what a good kitty he was. She continued to talk to him about the wonderful things at the Rainbow Bridge until he left this world and his earthly body behind. Dr. Pickett moved him back to his kennel on his soft bed and covered him up. Mom spoke with him about what would happen with Valentino's body. Among several options, Dr. Pickett told her that he could be cremated by himself and she could get the ashes. Mom liked this option, but had to consider Ryker and Allie's mom's wishes as well as the financial side of it. They agreed to speak the next day about her decision, then Dr. Pickett told her she could have as much time with Valentino as she wanted.

She only stayed with him for a few minutes, feeling relieved that it was over and Valentino would never be sick again. She wanted to speak with the adoption counselor, Sharon, who is so loving and caring (she took great care of me while I was there!). Sharon immediately called the memorial services section of the shelter and worked it out with Danny to have Valentino cremated by himself at no cost! Mom was very touched that they would do that. She gave Sharon a big hug and told her that she would check back the next day.

On her way home, she stopped and bought a white candle and some white spider mums. Once home, she lit the candle, laid the flowers beside it and placed a magnet with Valentino’s likeness with them. We had a little memorial service for Valentino, thinking about how he was surely enjoying his new life at the Rainbow Bridge. It wasn’t much, but we knew we needed to honor the memory of this kitty who never had a home.

Tomorrow I will post the last part of this series about Valentino.

Valentino's Journey to the Rainbow Bridge

Many of you were aware of the sad news I shared on Twitter last week. Valentino, Mom's favorite kitty where she volunteers-her shelter love-was quite sick and had to be euthanized. We had such an outpouring of thoughts and pawprayers that I thought I would fill everyone in on the details. This will be the first post in a series about Valentino.

Mom visits the shelter every Wednesday. Last Wednesday she knew that Valentino was not on the adoption floor as he had been moved to a back area the week prior for what was believed to be a case of ringworm. Valentino had been dealing with some fur loss so they decided to quarantine him while he was being treated for the sake of the health of the other cats in the adoption area. She was saving him for last to go and visit so she wouldn't cross-contaminate the healthy kitties. Before she could visit him, though, she was paged over the intercom to go to the lobby. When she got there, the vet (Dr. Pickett, who I've mentioned before) was waiting for her. He verified that she was close to Valentino and took her back to see him.

When they got to Valentino's kennel, Dr, Pickett explained that Valentino was a very sick kitty. Mom was aware of his recurring upper respiratory infections, his bouts of lethargy and the fact that he had a herpes virus. Dr. Pickett went on to explain that he felt Valentino had feline leukemia, but that it was in his bone marrow and not showing up in the two blood tests they performed. Because Valentino had been picked up as a stray in an area known for a high number of cases of feline leukemia, Dr. Pickett was certain this was another one of his issues. He told Mom that he felt Valentino wasn't adoptable. He even spoke of a family who wanted to adopt him, but chose to go with another cat when his health issues were disclosed.

Mom understood the situation and knew that Dr. Pickett felt that euthanizing him was the most humane option. Mom looked at Valentino's eyes and could see how sick they looked. He had never been the most handsome kitty; his coat always seemed dirty and he felt grimy to the touch. He was a lover though and she couldn't resist petting him, no matter what his fur felt like. She agreed with the vet that Valentino didn't have a good quality of life; always sick and feeling poorly. Dr. Pickett said he would perform the procedure the next afternoon and Mom agreed to go in to be with Valentino as he made his way to the Rainbow Bridge.

Mom was miserable all Wednesday evening. She knew it was the right thing, but her heart still ached. She called her friend who volunteered at the shelter and also found Valentino to be a special kitty, @Ryker_Tyker and @Allie_Kitti's mom. She was out of town, but Mom felt she should know since the vet had wanted to speak to her as well. They discussed the situation and both tried to hold back the tears that continued anyway. Their shared love for this shelter kitty was obvious and the sadness was very real. They both knew how hard the next day was going to be.

Tomorrow I will continue the story of Valentino's Journey to the Rainbow Bridge with a recounting of Thursday's events.

Need A Donation Idea?

Mom was shopping at Target today (she didn't bring me anything, by the way) when she saw a great way to donate to your local shelter for just a little money.

In the "Dollar Spot" section there were fleece blankets for just $2.50! You could buy 4 of them for just $10 or 10 of them for $25.00. That would make a wonderful donation to your local shelter. Shelters are always needing warm blankets for their kitties and doggies waiting for their forever homes. It would mean a lot to a homeless pet to have something warm to snuggle on with the weather getting colder.

Just a little something to keep in mind when you're out doing your regular shopping: You can pick up an item or two on each trip and soon have a huge gift to give to your shelter. Always be on the lookout for specials like the blankets at Target or sales on things like paper towels, bleach, cat litter or treats. Shelters are always needing these items!

Blackie Is VERY Adoptable-Adopt A Less Adoptable Pet Week

My Wednesday selection for Adopt A Less Adoptable Pet Week is Blackie. Not only is he a black cat, but he's 8 years old.

Not long ago, Mom had a family come into Wayside Waifs looking to adopt a cat. The lady said "No black cats, they're bad luck." Well, Mom couldn't believe her ears! She let the family look around and one of the cats they looked at was a black kitten. Mom told the lady that black pets have a harder time finding homes because of superstitions. The lady seemed leery, but relented and the family adopted the little black kitten. Maybe if people realized that black pets are many times the last picked in shelters, they would adopt more of them!

If you're in the Kansas City area, come on by Wayside Waifs and take a look at Blackie. Maybe you could #BeTheChange for him. I'm sure he would appreciate it!

Day 3 of Adopt A Less Adoptable Pet Week: Capone

It's the third day of Adopt a Less Adoptable Pet Week and I'm writing about another doggy that I want to #BeTheChange for. His name is Capone and he's a 7 year old Rottweiler mix. He's available for adoption at Wayside Waifs in Kansas City and has been waiting for his forever home since early June. He's got a great video! Check him out in action!

Capone could be considered less adoptable because of his breed, his coat color or his age. But after watching his video, his age clearly isn't a problem! He's as active as a puppy! His former family had glowing things to say about him:


Doesn't Capone look like he would make a great pet? I think so and so does Mom. In fact, she said if we had a house, we would adopt him ourselves. *sigh* I guess he'll have to make a fun pal for someone else.

Adopt A Less Adoptable Pet Week: Jazzy

Today I'm featuring a very special dog for Adopt A Less Adoptable Pet Week! Jazzy is available for adoption from Wayside Waifs in Kansas City. She is a one and a half year old, white Pit Bull who is deaf. (By the way, it's also Deaf Dog Awareness Week!) Not only is she less adoptable because of her special needs, she may be a victim of breed discrimination. It is also noted on her paperwork that she needs to go to a home with older children (kids 12 and older only).

She's lovely, though! Did you notice her different colored eyes? What a beauty!

A dog like Jazzy will need special consideration while training. She may be a good candidate for obedience training through sign language. There are resources out there for owners of deaf dogs. Check out Deaf Dog Education Action Fund.

Who will #BeTheChange for Jazzy?

Anipal Photo Hunt #6: Adopt A Less Adoptable Pet Week Challenge

I'll be posting all week for the #BeTheChange challenge to spotlight less adoptable pets, but for this week's Anipal Photo Hunt I'll throw in an extra!



This is Sarah. She's considered less adoptable because she's 12 years old. Some people don't want to adopt pets of a certain age, but an older pet can have so many advantages! They are usually already litter/house trained, they have settled into their personalities and many times they come with background information.

Sarah is available for adoption at Wayside Waifs in Kansas City.

Lovely Luke

Today I am sending Mom off to Denver to attend Blog Paws 2010 West. She's going out there to learn how to improve my bloggie. I can't wait to see what she learns and how we will change things. I'm hoping to be able to tell more happy stories about kitties at Wayside Waifs that have found their forever homes like I did. This is one of those stories!


Luke is a special kitty who did find his forever home recently. When he first arrived at Wayside, his right eye was kind of messed up. The V-E-Ts at Wayside had to remove it, so now he only has one eye.


When Mom met him he wasn't feeling very good and had a yucky tummy. He seemed so grateful to her to have a lap to cuddle in, rather than laying in his kennel on his towel. Mom sat on the floor and he got right in her lap and napped there for the longest time. Soon, Mom had to go home, but she kept thinking about Luke. She worried about his upset tummy and if the right family would come along to give this one-eyed kitty a good home.


Mom didn't have to worry for long though...she checked in with another volunteer a few days later and learned that Luke had been adopted! This makes me want to purr with joy! There are so many kitties in the shelter and some of them are a little different from other kitties or have special needs. I'm glad there are families out there willing to take in all kinds of kitties, even the one-eyed kitties like Luke!

Thumper the One-Eared Bunny

Mom usually cuddles the kitties when she volunteers as Wayside Waifs in Kansas City. She likes to spend time with them because they don't get as much attention as the doggies do-they have tons of volunteers and always get more volunteer hours than the cats.

Last week, as Mom was going to the back of the shelter to visit the cats not yet available for adoption, she did something a little different. There's a little room on the way where an adoptable bunny, Thumper, is staying. Mom usually walks by and says, "Hi Thumper" then keeps going on about her kitty business. This time was different, though. She decided to go in the little room and hang out with Thumper.


Thumper is a special girl. You see, she only has one ear. Rumor has it that a cat got a hold of her and hurt her ear. The hurt ear ended up having to be removed, but it doesn't seem to bother her. I think it makes her unique! For the record, I, as a cat, would NEVER hurt a little bunny like that.

Mom said Thumper really liked to be petted and sat in front of her enjoying all the stroking Mom would give. She nibbled a bit on Mom's shoes and jeans, but was very sweet. I really hope somebody gives her a good home soon, she would make a great addition to a family!

I think Mom would take her treats this week if she knew more about bunnies and what they like to eat. Do you have any ideas?

Dog Days of Summer Food Drive

Why would I be writing about dogs you ask? Well, this post isn't about just dogs. You see, the Dog Days of Summer Food Drive is a Be The Change For Pets (#BTC4Pets) challenge and that's what they call it. I told Mom that we absolutely had to participate and she agreed. She knew that Wayside Waifs was in need of canned cat food at the moment, so it was perfect timing!

This challenge actually came on the heels of some bad news in our family. My brofur cat, Rosie, had to be put down right before Mom left on her big trip to Boston. He lived in Wichita with my grandparents, so I had never actually met him, but I heard wonderful things about him. He was elderly, at least 17 years old, and had just come to the end of his life. Mom was very, very sad that she couldn't be there with him when he went to the Rainbow Bridge, but Grandma was there to comfort him.

When Rosie passed, he had a lot of food in his cabinet (I haven't bothered to ask Mom yet why he had wet food but I never get any). Mom knew that by donating the food to a shelter, it would help to ease her pain. She gathered everything up from Grandma's house including Rosie's bed, one of his blankets, his pillow, cans of wet food, a bag of dry food and tons of nommy treats. She put it all together and took it with her last week for her normal volunteer session.

Of course, I inspected it first to make sure it was good enough to send to the kitties waiting for their forever homes.

It looked pretty good, so I sent it off with Mom. She said the dry food would go home with a foster family. The wet food would be used at the shelter, they give each kitty a little bit every night! Mom got to pick who would get to use the blanket, pillow and bed. She put the blanket and pillow in the "storefront" where several kitties stay together. She put the bed in a "hug room" with a kitty named Ike. I think he appreciated it, don't you?

By the way, the dry food weighed in at 3.5 pounds and there was maybe another pound with all of the cans of wet food put together. That makes 4.5 pounds of food for the challenge! I'm so glad we were able to Be The Change For Pets once again. I know what it's like in a shelter and it can be lonely. Things like this make the wait a little easier.

Be The Change

This is my little part of Be The Change. If you're not familiar with Be The Change, check out either blogpaws.com, pawcuious.com, my Mom's blog, bosoxamy.blogspot.com or you can search #bethechange on Twitter. Go ahead, I'll wait.

Great, I'm glad you came back.

As you know, I was adopted from Wayside Waifs back in February. I felt so lucky to meet my Mom there. She was a volunteer who came to cuddle with me. I felt bad for all the other animals who had to stay behind while I got to go to my forever home. I am going to take this opportunity to introduce you to some of the animals who are still there. Mom went to volunteer on Wednesday and I asked her to take some pictures for me. Check out some of the cute critters who are waiting for their forever homes! The slideshow from my Picasa album is playing on the right hand side of the page. If you see somebody you want to adopt, go to waysidewaifs.org to see if the pet is still available.

If you aren't in the market for an addition to your family, maybe you can make a donation instead. Be The Change is supporting Pets Without Parents. You can donate from the widget on my page. It's right above the slideshow.

Thanks for stopping by and remember to be the change you want to see in the world!