Merry Murphy Pet Sitters

One Woman's Effort to Help the Abandoned Pets of the Recession

Image via Wikipedia

from the Washington Post

FALCONER, N.Y.--A cat with a shattered voice that sounded more like a dove's coo than a purr kept her distance as eight or so dogs charged out of Dawn Thompson’s house and into her backyard.

"The cat had been thrown from a car. And in their own ways, many of the dogs, too, had been broken.

There was Duke, a small mutt that was brought to Thompson after his owner moved into an apartment that didn't allow pets. Duke walked slowly through the yard, trailing the other dogs. Then there was Ringo, a chihuahua and rat terrier mix that survived an illness that felled his siblings. He jumped high for attention. Diesel, a black lab and rottweiler mix, ran wildly through the yard as if he knew he didn't need to beg to be noticed. The only large dog among a pack of small ones, he usually plays the role of peacekeeper, breaking up spats among the other dogs. He was the only pup from a litter of 10 to survive after Thompson found his mother wandering in the streets so emaciated, she didn’t look pregnant...."read more

Half A Tank is a summer-long quest to find images and stories of people whose lives have been altered by a flattened economy. Starting from home in the D.C. suburbs, Theresa Vargas and Michael Williamson are traveling around the country to experience how people are coping, struggling, even flourishing as we all reconsider how we live. Please share your reactions and experiences in the comment sections that follow each post.

via voices.washingtonpost.com

Call Merry Murphy Pet Sitters at 704-246-4148 for pet sitting and dog walking in Charlotte, N.C.

Replacements Ltd in N.C. listed in Top Pet- Friendly Companies

Give a round of applause to Replacements,Ltd for being back-up to the brag North Carolina has for many of her cities being well-known for pet friendliness. In this case Greensboro, N.C.  is mentioned thanks to the Pet-friendliness Replacements,Ltd. shows towards its workers pets.

from The Baltimore Sun:

Replacements, Ltd. in Greensboro, N.C., the world's largest supplier of old and new china, crystal, and silver, sponsored the first Take Your Dog to Work Day 10 years ago. The owner, Bob Page, has been bringing his two dachshunds to work everyday for years and encourages his 560 employees to do the same. Replacements, Ltd. invites customers to bring their pets along when they are visiting the showroom.

Dogs and Cats Get No Breaks In Saudi Arabia

This would not be a good country to engage in pet care,pet sitting, or even to set up veterinary practice.

Read what MSNBC reported from the AP

JIDDAH, Saudi Arabia - Saudi Arabia’s religious police, normally tasked with chiding women to cover themselves and ensuring men attend mosque prayers, are turning to a new target: cats and dogs.

The police have issued a decree banning the sale of the pets, seen as a sign of Western influence.

The prohibition on dogs may be less of a surprise, since conservative Muslims despise dogs as unclean. But the cat ban befuddled many, since Islamic tradition holds that the Prophet Muhammad loved cats — and even let a cat drink from his ablutions water before washing himself for prayers. CONTINUED