I will remember 2014 as an incredible year for so many reasons. First and possibly foremost, it was the year I published my first book. “Loyalty Unleashed: Pit Bulls and the People Who Love Them” was successful in many wonderful and unexpected ways.

Imagine my shock when I saw my book on the Amazon best seller list - #1 in the category of Dog Breeds, ahead of Cesar Millan and John Grogan – for a while anyway.

My greatest joy, however was not actually seeing my books sell, but the unexpected benefits that came along with it. Not only did I get to meet the most amazing people, but I also got to meet the real celebrities, 

And lots of incredible dogs like Stella, Fausto, Rosie, Diesel and others that just happen to be pit bulls and prove every day that pit bulls are really just dogs.


When I wrote the book, I knew I would reach the pit bull lovers but my greater hope was that I would reach non-pit bull lovers and change some minds and I am happy to say that I did. I cannot describe the feeling I had when several people sought me out to tell me that reading my book had completely changed their perceptions about pit bulls. It was the best feeling in the world.

My other goal in writing the book was to be able to give something back by donating a portion of proceeds from my book sales to shelters, rescues and animal charities, particularly those involved with promoting the adoption of pit bulls. I am happy to say that in the seven months since the book became available, I have been able to donate $2179.00 in cash, gifts and supplies to different rescues, shelters and animal charities in eight states.

I am hoping to continue the trend in 2015 but I could not have accomplished any of this on my own. The wonderful pit bull owners, rescuers and shelter volunteers who contributed stories to my book, and my readers and supporters are the ones who made it all possible.

Thank you all for your encouragement and support. Let’s make 2015 an even better one for pit bulls and the people who love them.

Happy New Year!!

Sue and Mickey

Well tomorrow is Christmas Eve - already. It is hard to believe.

Regardless of whether or not you celebrate the holidays, or which holidays you celebrate, it is a busy time of the year for everyone and I am sure the last thing on people’s minds right now is reading this blog so I will keep it short.

It is said that Christmas is the season of miracles, so I would be remiss if I did not mention all of the animals in shelters across the country who are waiting for their own miracles. They are where they are through no fault of their own.

It is a well-known fact that pets can enrich our lives in many ways and it has been my experience that the love you receive from a shelter pet is quite unlike anything you have ever known. They give us so much and ask for so little in return.

If you are considering adding a pet to your family, I ask that you please visit your local shelter and when you do, please go in with an open heart and an open mind. You may be surprised at who you fall in love with.

If it is not the right time to adopt but you would like to make a difference in the life of a homeless animal, consider fostering. Contact rescues in your area and ask them to match you with a dog or cat that suits your lifestyle.

And, even if you cannot adopt or foster a pet there are still many things you can do to make the lives of the animals waiting for homes just a little brighter and less stressful.

                                                         Bring toys or treats to your local shelter. 

                                            Offer to volunteer an hour or two a week to walk the dogs or pet the cats. 

                                     Clean out your linen closet and donate your unwanted towels and blankets. 

                                                Organize a pet collection drive at your school or church. 

Use your imagination. The possibilities are endless, the cost is minimal and the rewards are immense. And, if we all do just a little bit, collectively we can accomplish a lot!

Finally, I want to wish all of my readers of all faiths and persuasions a very happy holiday season. I feel very blessed to be able to follow my own passion to help homeless animals. Your support just makes it all the better. My heartfelt thanks to each and every one of you!

Peace and happiness to all, 

                                      Sue and Mickey

What could be more festive than a stylish new holiday bandana for your pet?

Inspired by her dog, Boo, Kendall Vandenberg began making bandanas, and about two months ago decided to start her own business on Etsy. Kendall says. “My dog had so many followers on Instagram that I figured I might as well use it for something useful!”

Kendall has always had a love for animals and has always taken in strays or adopted pets from shelters. She decided to give something back by donating a portion of bandana sales to her local shelter near her home in Medford, OR. She donates food, toys, pet carriers and, of course, bandanas to the Southern Oregon Humane Society.

Her shop also has a “donation basket” where people can purchase a larger quantity of bandanas (25 or 50) at a deeply discounted price and have them shipped to the pet rescue or shelter of their choice. She has sold one to date and sent it to SCRAPS in the Spokane Valley.  

The philosophy behind the donation basket is that bandanas are a way for animal-welfare organizations to help find homes for the animals they rescue. Potential doggy parents love seeing something that plays up a pet’s personality. This is especially true of animals that may be harder to adopt, such as solid-black dogs or breeds that tend to have a lesser chance of being adopted because of their breed. Organizations can also give free bandanas to new doggy parents upon adoption. 

You can follow Bandana Bootique on Facebook here, and you can find Kendall and Boo on Instagram as lady_boodog.

Don’t have a dog….don’t worry, Bandana Bootique can make your cat look super stylish too!

Better yet, order the set of four – one for each season – in a beautiful nature theme, or a yearly subscription of one bandana per month. Yearly subscriptions offer a choice of bandanas each month. The seasonal and yearly subscriptions offer a special discount of 20% off the single bandana price.

Don’t see what you want? Just ask and Kendall will work with you to design exactly what you are looking for!

Kendall says, “the business is a fun way to make some money and be able to donate to our shelter on a regular basis.”

There is still time to order your holiday bandana so don’t delay. Your pet will be the life of the party!  You will find instructions for sizing and measuring on the Bandana Bootique Etsy shop yearly subscription page here.

Thank you Kendall, Boo (who you see modeling some of the designs) and Bandana Bootique for all you do to make a difference in the lives of shelter pets!

Jennifer Clarkson Killin of JKillin Jewelry has certainly found a way to combine her talent for making jewelry with her passion for animal rescue. 

Her current foster dog, Lili has had ongoing medical issues which resulted in one of her legs being amputated. She is still receiving ongoing treatment for lesions on her paws that just don’t seem to want to heal. In spite of the extensive testing she has received, the cause of Lili’s condition remains unknown. The full story can be found here.

I met Jennifer and her foster pit bull Lili at CT Pit Bull Awareness Day and learned of Lili’s story. Jennifer has since created a Facebook page for Lili (Lili Belle the Tripod Pit Bull). The hope is that giving Lili a page of her own will help raise some funds for her medical costs which have already exceeded $20,000 (and which Jennifer has paid for out of her own pocket). Jennifer would love to be able to raise enough money to cover half of Lili’s treatment. 

Jennifer began making friendship bracelets as a child, but only got into making jewelry as an adult when she moved to Newtown, CT and started frequenting a local shop called "A Bead of Roses.” She took a few classes  and really enjoyed making pieces for herself, her family and her friends. When the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School occurred, jewelry-making became her outlet. She found it very therapeutic. The pieces started piling up; more than she could wear or give away, and it was beginning to get expensive. So, Jennifer decided to open an Etsy shop to help support her "therapy".

Jennifer has been involved in dog rescue for far longer than she has been making jewelry. She worked as an Adoption Counselor at Animal Humane New Mexico for a year, and continued volunteering for many years after she stopped working there. During this time she was also fostering for Aussie Rescue and Placement Helpline, and pulling dogs from a high kill shelter, taking them to obedience classes, and adopting them out on her own. 

She also drove the occasional leg of a dog transport, and sometimes over-nighted dogs that were being transported long distances to their new homes. When she and her family moved to Newtown 4 years ago, she started fostering for The Animal Center, and continued driving transport legs on some weekends. 

About nine months ago Jennifer and her family took in Lili, a pit bull they had previously fostered. Lili was having medical issues and her owners needed some temporary help. It was only supposed to be for a couple of months, but Lili's medical problems worsened, as did her owners' personal and financial troubles. So Jennifer kept Lili, and paid for all her medical expenses out of pocket. Thousands of dollars later, Jennifer decided to see if she could raise some money for Lili by selling jewelry at CT Pit Bull Awareness Day. It was very successful, and she hopes to continue to sell jewelry to support Lili, who still visits the vet weekly. Her Etsy shop is at https://www.etsy.com/shop/JKillinJewelry and she is happy to take orders for custom pieces!

Jennifer will ship items anywhere in the world. She has also donated portions of the proceeds of specific pieces to The Animal Center and the Newtown Action Alliance, two groups with which she is very involved.

While making the rounds at CT Pit Bull Awareness Day this past October, I purchased this bracelet from Jennifer in my favorite colors to help support Lili on her journey to recovery.

For more beautiful designs, please visit Jennifer’s Etsy shop and follow her on Faceboolk (JKillin Jewelry).  Also be sure to follow Lili on Facebook and send healing thoughts for a full recovery for this very sweet and very special girl.

I hope you will check out JKillin Jewelry for yourself and for gifts for the holidays or any time of the year. Remember, you will be helping Lili to have the happy and healthy life she deserves. 

Thank you Jennifer for all you do for Lili and for volunteering your time and talents to help animals in need. Lili is fortunate to have you on her side!

Continuing with the theme I began last week, I would like to spotlight another small business that offers gifts that keep on giving. In the spotlight this week is Bjeweledbylisa.

Several months ago I met Lisa Jameson, the brains and inspiration behind Bjeweledbylisa. I watched in amazement as she hand-crafted a necklace in the design of an American flag, using a board with strands of miniscule hand strung beads. I still have no idea how she does it or knows how many individual beads it takes to make a particular design, but it an experience to watch her work. I wanted to learn more and was pleased that Lisa agreed to sit down with me and tell me about herself and how her business began.

I learned that Lisa was making jewelry as a hobby for several years, mostly for herself and as gifts for family and friends. In May of 2010, Lisa retired from full time work and, based on the overwhelmingly positive feedback she had received, decided to go into business for herself, with the help and support of her husband, Scott.

Lisa now makes bracelets, necklaces, earrings, rings and accessories – individually and in sets – for women and men. She has a shop on Etsy and can be found at local craft shows. She designs her jewelry using Swarovski crystals, glass and crystal pearls, gemstones, sterling silver and other materials. Her pearl necklaces are individually knotted so, in the unlikely event that the piece should break, the pearls will not be lost. Pictures really do not do justice to the beauty and fine workmanship found in Lisa’s jewelry.

Her signature pieces, however are the Kumihimo American flag bracelets and necklaces. Lisa saw the Kumihimo technique, which is a Japanese style of bead weaving online and was fascinated. She decided to learn how to make this type of jewelry and invented the flag design herself. It is made with a board and eight strands of tiny glass beads. Each strand has to be restrung when changing colors. A necklace takes about six hours to make from start to finish. This past summer, Lisa received an order of seventy necklaces which were given as gifts for the women attending the Inner Circle of Trial Lawyers convention in Washington D.C.  Incredibly, she was able to complete the order and have it shipped to Washington with only about six weeks notice!

Lisa also makes jewelry for weddings and will work with customers to create custom designs.

I learned that Lisa, like myself, loves animals and her family includes a dog, a bunny and two sugar gliders. When I looked at Lisa’s Etsy shop, among the beautiful, unique pieces, I found this pretty charm bracelet that was right up my alley. It is hand-crafted in sterling silver. When it turned out that the bracelet was slightly too small for my wrist, Lisa was happy to resize it for me at no additional cost. If you love animals or know someone who does, Lisa is more than willing to work with you to create a pet-themed piece or set that you will love.

Best of all, Lisa uses her business to give something back to deserving organizations. Twenty-five percent of the sale price from all of her Kumihimo American flag jewelry is donated to the Wounded Warrior Project.  Lisa will also donate twenty-five percent of proceeds from custom orders for pet themed jewelry to local animal charities.

If you are looking for lovely and unique hand-made jewelry for family and friends on your holiday gift list, I hope you will check out Bjeweledbylisa. Check out her Etsy store here and, if you are planning a wedding, also keep her in mind for unique pieces for your bridal party.

If you don’t see what you want, please contact Lisa through Etsy and she will be more than happy to work with you to design exactly what you are looking for. For pricing and ordering information, please contact Lisa through her Etsy store.

I am happy to support Lisa Jameson and Bjeweledbylisa for beautiful custom jewelry that also helps people and animals in need.