Bark for Peace!

Well, I have to admit that my cynicism can get the best of me on this “holiday” like so many others.  We’ve been saying EVERY day is Earth Day for years and years, I mean afterall isn’t that the point?  It really would be funny, if it weren’t so very tragic, that everyone and their mothers and grandmothers’ dog were greenwashing like there’s no tomorrow.  Hmmmm… maybe there’s something to that!

Two brief offerings:

B4P! Toss-n-Tug™ toy making demonstrations @ Whole Foods Market                           (flagship store, 6th & Lamar) noon-4pm

Join Bark for Peace!, G.A.G.A. (Greater Austin Garbage Arts) and others for demonstrations on how to make cool, groovy, fun, and functional art from reclaimed materials (this is landfill diversion, baby!:))  I’ll have Toss-n-Tug™ kits available for donations to the Bark for Peace! massage fund, so we can get our hands on more dogs like Ariel who wouldn’t otherwise have access to therapeutic touch!

Another great collaboration is happening today btw our beloved Wheatsville Co-op (Texas ONLY full time grocery co-operative, shame on Texas!), Austin Green Art, and the Sustainable Food Center @ the Triangle Farmer’s Market. Wheatsville and Resooultion Gardens are offering membership in a  “Gro-op”- a local food growing and distribution co-operative.  Cool, huh??  Additionally, the (sounds very scary, but informative) film “King Corn” will be screened. Come on out to get some delicious, fresh, local, organic veggies, eggs, cheese, bison, lamb, etc. andlearn more ways to get involved with local food production and distribution.  As Carol Ann always says, “THAT’s Homeland Security!”

King Corn Film & Resolution Gardens

Well, if you’ve never been to Jo’s Pet Parade, there’s just no way to describe it!  Below, a few photos. Not pictured: Leslie in Easter thong. (you’re welcome!)

Enjoy, we did! (and we’re thrilled to have been able to help raise funds for Animal Trustees.)

Frida Kahlo & Salvatore Dogi (we thought it was Diego, but no!!!!)

Banjo & B4P! Wonder Woman Becky practiced nice sits for treats!

Great guy Keith came up and helped Banjo socialized! It was wonderful!

An Easter Unicorn and her egg bearing puppy (only in Austin, yeah?)

Elvis & Priscilla

This was the only dog with a trick- and it was a good one

Bark for Peace! 100% recycled wool make your own Toss-n-Tug™ kits

A whole mess'o Toss-n-Tugs™!! Dogs love 'em! So does the landfill that doesn't get 'em!

B4P fan Claudia brought her darling babes out! (Bill brought Ariel by too!)

anonymous foursome

Hound Dog Drools for Peace!

Pug Easter Lily (impressive, huh?)

Jimmy tells a story about Moses

What a joy it is to reconnect with old friends!  I met Jimmy back in 2000- I was in grad school and FORD wouldn’t stop barking at our apartment door one Friday night around midnight.  After repeatedly checking the peephole, I opened the door to SHOW her that no one was there and what to my wondering eyes did appear… Moses! The biggest, blackest, sweetest lab I’ve ever seen!  Several hours later, Maya, FORD, and I walked Moses 3 blocks home and fell in love with Jimmy too!  Moses stories are legendary and Jimmy is talking about the time Moses climbed into a pizza dumpster (behind the UT Double Dave’s) and ate so much pizza that he couldn’t get back out!  It makes me smile to think that Moses and FORD are romping together on the heavenly hiking trails!

Banjo flirting with Lahti (Jimmy's girl)

Jimmy sporting his Bark for Peace! gear (t-shirt in bag) Isn't he ever so color coordinated?

and the band played on....

Jo's Coffee Pet Parade

If you’re not already booked for Saturday, this is ridiculously fun!  And it all benefits Animal Trustees of Austin.

FORD entered the very first one – I borrowed a hat w/price tag, silk scarf, and pink pearls from Flashback Vintage and she went as (drum roll, please!) Minnie Pearl!  Where IS that photo?

Anyway- c’mon out, stop by and say hi to me, flirt with Banjo, enjoy the parade, live music, good hangs and if you want to shop, proceeds go to to ATA. (Bark for Peace! will donate 10% of all sales at the event to ATA) Mention the Bark for Peace! blog and get a free gift with any purchase! woof!woof!

LaLa, the dog (my bro David called me this when he was little!)

Jingles, Gold Ribbon Rescue's "Poster Dog" of the Night

This regal 2 year old was dropped off with litter mates at 10 weeks old b/c they had all kinds of medical issues that made them “unsellable” by the backyard breeder.  Now, Jingles is healthy, happy, and turning all the girls’ heads! He was pretty dang fired up to get a fair-trade, boiled wool fuzzee!

Jingles shakes hands with a new friend

Ten Thousand Villages is a great store for fair-trade gifts (hint, hint!) including jewelry, bags, scarves, home furnishings, and instruments.  Tonight was enjoyed a 3 bowl sing- wow!

Singing Bowls

Keeko takes his Toss-n-Tug™

Keeko was in trouble for jumping a six foot fence and killing chickens (oops) in the country; thankfully a cool young couple read a Craigslist ad and Kiko got adopted into a family with better boundaries for him.  He’s a very handsome heeler, smart as a whip and quite the lover!

A funny thing happened on the way to a regular day- I got a call from a social worker friend about a man in the hospital ER who was pretty panicked about his dog at home.  She wasn’t sure what to do, so she called me!

Ariel- so sweet, but a little bit unsure

Lucky me, I got to meet Ariel- a sweet, soft, little mini Schnauzer, rescued by Bill about a year ago.  When I got to her house, I found her curled up in the backyard. She came running up and lept into my lap when I called her name!  I was happy to find her just a wee bit worried, but not in a full panic.  She had plenty of food, water, and had been managing just fine since she has a pretty nifty doggy door. Obviously, she’s crazy about Bill- she kissed the phone when she heard his voice!  And I got to give her a little massage which she absolutely adored.  I just love the way a dog melts into my hands!

Ariel- after massage (and yes, those are her real eyelashes)

This is Dog Week AND Holy Week and as one wise woman said to me over dinner last week: “Well, they’re the same thing!” Amen.

Come on out and help support our local non-profits working to support precious under-served dogs!  A different organization benefits every night! (see flyer for details) In addition to all our wonderful sustainable good for dogs (& their people) there’s lots of cool, fun, funky, fair-trade goods from the 60 year old fair-trade “trendsetter” Ten Thousand Villages. That’s right- they were doin’ fair-trade and sustainable crafting WAY before it was cool, just because they’d figured out it was the right thing to do!

We love doing Dog Week-  it’s a fun way to get Ten Thousand Villages’ regular customers some great dog stuff, and get some great dog people into Ten Thousand Villages and introduced to fair-trade, locally made, truly safe, non-toxic, fun and sustainable goods for their dogs!  10% of all sales are donated to a different non-profit every night!

(click on flyer to enlarge)

Oh, and VerySuperCool cards will be there too! Make your own Toss-n-Tug™ (100% recycled wool braided toys) demos every night.  Great activity to do with your kids and dogs! woof!woof!  And free B4P! treats for you and your dog!

Hey Friends & Fans in the Austin area~

Forgot to mention there’s a Best Mug Shot contest happening this DOG WEEK at Ten Thousand Villages.  The prize is a $50 gift certificate to the store AND a $50 gift box of Bark for Peace! goodies so grab your poocher and have ‘em pose for the polaroid!

Tonight’s sales benefited the Austin Humane Society and Ollie showed up as their mascot- charming! I think Ollie clearly has the lead in this week’s contest.  He’s a good looking rescue (mixed herding breeds?) originally from the Beaumont area.  Kathleen’s grandmother saved him after he’d been hit by a car and then sadly she died just three weeks later.  Ollie’s got looks, brains, personality, and a wonderful howl!  He went crazy over Sweet Potato Jerky Chews like Kathleen had never seen before!    Here he is- jumping for joy (and jerky chews!)

Ollie