Over in our PawZaar store we’re kicking off the holiday fun with a big series of special daily promotions–each which will feature a free gift with purchase! And each day we’ll also be hosting a flash giveaway for PawZaar newsletter subscribers! Be sure you’ve subscribed to PawZaar then watch your inbox for each day’s PawZaar ... Read More about Flash Giveaways + Deal of the Day!
You may remember the sweet pup we featured last month who had been dumped at the shelter on Christmas Eve in 2015. Well with the help of those of you who shared his story, his future adopter read his feature on iHeartDogs and knew she could be the one to change his life.
After waiting patiently for his forever home, Bernard finally got his happily ever after! In what seemed like fate, Kathy Ahern came across an adorable face on her Pinterest feed that tugged at her heart. Once she read Bernard’s story, she had an overwhelming urge to help the poor pup who had spent most of his life in the shelter.
With recently losing her two beloved dogs, Chubsy and Fluffy to old age, her heart was beginning to open up to the thought of welcoming another dog into her life. Though Bernard’s story sparked a special interest, she took some time to simmer on the thought of actually adopting him.
Bernard was in a shelter in Texas that was about 1,500 miles away from her home in Florida, so this decision would consider some serious thought. Even with considering the logistics of this journey, she could not stop thinking about sweet Bernie.
At first the shelter was a bit hesitant to send Bernard to a home that was so far away. They had all grown to love Bernie like their own over the last 4 years, so they wanted to make sure he was always close enough to receive help if needed. After the shelter operator spoke with Kathy in length about her love of animals and dedication to her dogs, he knew Kathy was the perfect match.
Soon after that phone call, Kathy set out on a 4 day long adventure to bring Bernard home. Once she finally arrived at the shelter and met the dog of honor, every single mile and obstacle was worth it.
Below is a snippet of the last installment of Brainstorming with Bernard, which was a blog created in an effort to raise awareness of Bernard’s time at the shelter, written in “Bernards voice”:
“Today’s weather is warmer; or is that my heart that feels warmer? I’m a bit confused so I look around to see if I can figure out what is going on.
THERE!
There.
Right.
There.
That.
Lady.
My big, brown eyes spot her eyes and I see nothing else around me. She is like an angel and she is walking towards me! I can feel love radiating from her! Is she REALLY coming towards me?
SHE IS!
My heart is melting. I truly believe that this is my person. I can feel it! Okay, hang on, she really wants to see me!
I’ll be back to tell you how it goes.”
Bernard has now been in his home for a couple weeks and is finally starting to settle in. Bernard has definitely shown evidence of his life at the shelter, as he doesn’t quite understand play time with toys or the juicy steak treat his new mom offers him, but Kathy is giving him all the time and patience that he needs.
Photo via Kathy Ahern
Kathy even brought a dog trainer into her home to help her better understand Bernard and help him settle in well with his other furry siblings. There is no doubt that Bernard hit the jackpot with this loving home!
Photo via Kathy Ahern
We cannot wait to watch Bernard continue to blossom in his new home. Thank you to Kathy for going out of your way to change Bernard’s life, and to the staff at the Bulverde Area Humane Society for refusing to give up on this lovable pup!
If you’re an avid reader of iHeartDogs.com, you’ve probably read your fair share of stories about unthinkable animal cruelty. Dedicated people across the country have been fighting to impose harsher penalties for acts of animal cruelty. This week, they were rewarded with a historic new legislation.
Following its passage in the Senate, a bill making acts of animal cruelty a felony was just signed by President Trump. It’s official!
Senator Pat Toomey (R-PA) who co-sponsored the bill called the bill’s passage a “major victory.”
“Passing this legislation is a major victory in the effort to stop animal cruelty and make our communities safer. Evidence shows that the deranged individuals who harm animals often move on to committing acts of violence against people. It is appropriate that the federal government have strong animal cruelty laws and penalties.”
About The Bill
Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture (PACT) Act, as the bipartisan bill is called, criminalizes certain acts of animal cruelty. The House of Representatives approved the bill in late October 2019. The bill passed in the Senate unanimously on Nov 5, 2019.
The PACT Act will officially make it a federal crime for “any person to intentionally engage in animal crushing if the animals or animal crushing is in, substantially affects, or uses a means or facility of, interstate or foreign commerce.”
The Bill’s Reception
A lot of people are celebrating this momentous occasion! In a statement, President and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States, Kitty Block, offered praise about the new law.
“PACT makes a statement about American values. Animals are deserving of protection at the highest level. The approval of this measure by the Congress and the president marks a new era in the codification of kindness to animals within federal law. For decades, a national anti-cruelty law was a dream for animal protectionists. Today, it is a reality.”
The head of the Humane Society Legislative Fund, Sara Amundson, also expressed joy and relief following a long fight for justice.
“After decades of work to protect animals and bearing witness to some of the worst cruelty, it’s so gratifying the Congress and president unanimously agreed that it was time to close the gap in the law and make malicious animal cruelty within federal jurisdiction a felony. We cannot change the horrors of what animals have endured in the past, but we can crack down on these crimes moving forward. This is a day to celebrate.”
Animal cruelty is a serious issue. If you witness any acts of abuse, report it. Learn more about what to do here.
A 4-month-old puppy was stolen just two days before Christmas in 2017. Schiele was a tiny Belgian Malinois rescue pup from Puerto Rico. He and his dad lived in South Florida but they had been staying in California when Schiele went missing. Schiele’s dad, Rian Maercks, had left the puppy locked inside his Tesla with the windows up and the air conditioning on. Maercks quickly ran inside a store to pick up a grill. He thought he was doing his best to keep Schiele comfortable for a few short minutes but their world quickly changed.
Shattered Glass And A Missing Puppy
Maercks’ rear driver’s side window had been shattered. Sadly, Schiele was nowhere to be found.
“I looked at my front seat, and I expected to see this beautiful puppy sleeping, and he wasn’t there,” Maercks toldwsvn.com.
Maercks described his lost pup as one of the most intelligent and loving dogs he had ever met. He offered a $2,000 reward but he began to lose hope as the days turned to months. Schiele’s desperate dad was doing everything he could to bring his furbaby home safe. He even offered money to anybody who shared Schiele’s wanted poster on Facebook if their sharing led to Schiele’s return. The post had been shared nearly 500 times.
“The whole energy of my house has changed without him. It’s not the same,” Schiele’s distraught dad told nbcmiami.com. “I feel the lack of his presence all the time. I haven’t really slept in three days – I just want my son back.”
Maercks told wsvn.com that he was “madly in love” with Schiele and he sincerely hoped he would find his way back to him. He reportedly has no family besides his dogs. The holidays were hard for Maercks ever since, but then a miracle happened.
Schiele’s dad received a phone call this past week from the local animal shelter. They called to let him know his precious baby had been found! Someone had dropped him off at the shelter and he was ready to be reunited. Schiele appeared to be well cared for despite the circumstances.
“I thought he was either dead or abused or all kinds of thoughts passed through my mind, so I’m really happy to find he’s a healthy and beautiful happy dog,” Maercks said. “I’m just really happy to see that he’s not dead. He doesn’t look malnourished or beaten.”
There’s no telling what Schiele’s life was like for the past two years. However, Maercks is taking time to get reacquainted with his boy. Surely there are lots of snuggles and treats involved!
No, our dogs don’t live as long as we do. And yes, we all know and understand this when we become dog parents. But it doesn’t make losing a dog at any age any easier. Saying goodbye to our babies is always tough.
Fox News personality Dana Perino received some uplifting words on the topic after her dog Henry died in 2012.
The person who provided the words of comfort was Charles Krauthammer, as she told his son Daniel Krauthammer when he appeared as a guest on her show “Dana Perino’s Book Club.” Daniel was there to discuss the book his father wrote, “The Point of It All: A Lifetime of Great Loves and Endeavors,” a collection of columns, speeches, and essays.
“When my dog Henry passed away, your dad happened to be up here in New York. I saw him and I told him or he had heard about it and he said, ‘We ask ourselves, why do we do this to ourselves?’ Because, you know, they’re not going to live as long. And he said, ‘Because dogs make us better people.’ Yeah, I’ll never forget that.”
I think we’d all take the way our dogs impact our lives in their short time over not having them at all.
Perino’s Late Dog Henry
Perino shared on Twitter the day Henry the 14-year-old Vizsla died. It was March 25, 2012.
“Said good-bye today to #HenryVizsla. He had a wonderful 14 yrs & gave twice as much love as he got. RIP, dear Henry.”
@DanaPerino/Twitter
Obviously, he was extremely important to her. An excerpt from Perino’s book, “Let Me Tell You About Jasper,” shows the huge impact Henry had on her life.
“Henry was a witness to my transition from the young woman of twenty-six to the more confident woman of nearly forty. So much in my life had changed in those fourteen years, but Henry was the constant for Peter and me. I didn’t know who I would have been without him.”
After Henry’s Death
Through sharing and honoring his memory, Perino was able to cope with the loss of her beloved pup.
She now lives with a beautiful brown Vizsla (breed preference, evidently) named Jasper. Perino frequently tweets photos of him. He’s also her muse and has inspired writing and even appeared on TV with her.
