Deborah Taylor-French's Blog: Dog Leader Mysteries Blog, page 3
May 15, 2019
Don’t Buy Dog Fur!
Even if you read clothing labels, you may be buying dog fur.
Much of the anti-fur movement grew from the horrible conditions of fur farms. The trouble with animals raised for fur? Fur farms like puppy mills often abuse animals. Often animals bred for fur are locked in filthy cages and must live in their waste. Most must pace, lie, and sleep on wire floors. Wire floors often cause injury to claws and paws. Also, animals kept in cages must live their entire lives without exercise. All in all, most fur farms do the same type of harm as puppy mills to the canines they raise.
Murmanski or Tanuki Mean DOG FUR
Labeled as Coyote, Wolf, or other Species May Be Dog
These labels often prove false under testing. Care about dogs and want to reduce animal suffering? Don’t buy clothing, which might be dog fur. Inspect all sweaters, jackets, or fur clothing before you buy.
“In 2010, Congress passed the Truth in Fur Labeling Act, which requires all animal fur to be labeled—but some retailers continue to sell animal fur products as faux. Raccoon dogs, who have been documented to be skinned alive, are the most misrepresented species often advertised as a different type of animal or faux.” Humane Society Going Fur-Free
[image error]Love dogs? Don’t buy dog fur.
Photo Credit: __ drz __ on Unsplash
Even Levi & Company Moved 99% Overseas
“Want a “Made in the USA” tag stitched inside your iconic Levi’s 501 jeans? In the outsourcing era, all Levi’s jeans are cut and stitched outside America with one exception: a single line of jeans produced at a factory called “White Oak” in Greensboro, NC.” Source: Google Location of Levi Manufacture. So how do we know they don’t use child labor or economic slaves? We don’t.
Say No to Cheap Clothing
Back 50 years ago, most clothing proved expensive. People worked for a few months to buy a warm coat. Many people bought sturdy clothing on layaway. Dresses came at high prices, too.
Care about not paying for child labor or locking workers into factories? Then by all means either make your own, buy clothing at thrift shops and garage sales. Or you could find and buy from ethical clothing producers. “According to a study that came out earlier this month, not only do most people choose to remain willfully ignorant of the conditions in which their clothing is made, they also look down on the type of consumers who do care.” Source: www.refinery29.com/en-us/why-i-dont-b...
[image error]A large white dog that could be used for dog fur farms.
Photo by Jacob Postuma on Unsplash
At One Time I Made Clothing
In high school, I asked for the gift of a sewing machine. I wanted to make my pants, skirts, and dresses. A sense of control came from poring over McCall’s and Simplicity Sewing Pattern catalogs. Eventually, I figured out how to make some of my designs too. Loved picking patterns and sewing dresses for my sister also. At nineteen, I even sewed my wedding dress. I’ve never forgotten that knee-length linen with a scooped neckline pattern I trimmed with white lace, decorated with a full satin ribbon waist that tied in a bow at the back of the waist.
Copyright© Deborah Taylor-French
Thanks for reading. Want to read more of my dog welfare posts?
Read: 3 Steps to Abolishing Puppy Mills
Stay tuned, May 16th for our special guest, Cindy Aldridge.
Aldridge proposed a piece on how to move with your dog. “Our dogs are like furry family members. We want them to be comfortable and happy as much if not more than we want those things for ourselves. So, when moving, we want to find a home and neighborhood where they can thrive while also keeping them anxiety-free and out of harm’s way throughout the actual moving process.”
“I’ve got some great ideas and advice I would like to share with dog owners on house hunting, moving, and how to make their dog feel comfortable in its new home.”
May 8, 2019
Fakebook Data Grabs
About Two Hundred Million People?
I care about an imbalance of power
“In each case, the point of the designation is to recognize an imbalance of power. Doctors know so much about medicine that patients can’t hope to keep up; the only option is to trust your doctor and put in place extra penalties for anyone who violates that trust.”
Notice the word – other – below in this last sentence?
“According to Balkin, we’re at the same disadvantage when we hand data over to Facebook and other tech companies.”
Meaning Google, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, governments, etc.
If you don’t like this, please do the following.
1. Call your Congressperson and Representatives
2. Use Brave and DuckDuckGo
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If you want to visit one of my posts on dogs, here is a place to start.
April 27, 2019
Saturday Handsome Dogs
[image error]Our Sydney with a dog pal
He has turned the corner from fourteen years old to going toward fifteen. We sure hope he keeps going strong. He still likes to go for walks, especially on lawns and in parks. Whatever he snuffles on our trips their must be some interesting pee-mails.
Due to his age, we have begun having him tested for heartworms each winter. Yesterday, he passed again. Zero heartworms. Sure, we gave him a bunch of treats on the way home. He goes to the vet easily. Yet always looks for a way out in the waiting room.
Yesterday at Montecito Veterinarian Clinic in Santa Rosa, CA, Sydney walked gently on his leash for the Vet Tech. What a super quick in an out. One blood test and we had the results! Five minutes later we had his medicine for the next six months.
Have you had your dog tested for heartworms?
One infected mosquito can make your dog terribly sick. Here is a quote from a Google page on this topic of heartworm in dogs.
“Heartworm disease or dirofilariasisis a serious and potentially fatal disease. It is caused by a blood-borne parasite known as Dirofilaria immitis. Adult heartworms are found in the heart, pulmonary artery, and adjacent large blood vessels of infected dogs. … One dog may have as many as 300 worms present when diagnosed.”
We love our readers.
Thanks for reading and sharing.
[image error]After years of ear infections, our boy lets us touch near his ears.
March 2, 2019
Meet Deborah Taylor-French, Author
A long time coming since Red Sky at Night: Dog Leader Mysteries published. Book release day was May 28, 2018. Due to several health issues, we never held a launch party. Beginning this week and from here on I plan to make up for not organizing a social event.
Meet & Greet at Copperfield’s Books, Santa Rosa
Sunday, March 3rd I will be at a Meet and Greet event at Copperfield’s Books in Santa Rosa, CA. Looking forward to meeting new readers, taking questions, and giving away some Copperfield’s Book gift cards. We also plan to giveaway dog treats, prizes, and an ebook version of Red Sky at Night: Dog Leader Mysteries. So, if you live in Sonoma County, please come.
[image error]Copperfield’s Books in Santa Rosa, California, has copies on their bookshelf.
Author, Deborah Taylor-French writes Dog Leader Mysteries, a series of novels, featuring dogs, positive dog leadership, and animal rescue.
She blogs to save dogs’ lives and dog lovers’ sanity.
You can also buy her cozy mystery on Amazon in paperback and ebook formats.
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Since 2011, Deborah has served as Author Support Facilitator for Redwood Writers, the largest branch of the California Writers Club. Having raised five adopted dogs, two rabbits, and one daughter, Deborah lives with her family, and an adopted house rabbit, Tokyo Tuxedo. For more about her visit our Author Bio page.
[image error]Our Tuxedo house rabbit is after food that hit the kitchen floor.
Meet Author Deborah Taylor-French
A long time coming since Red Sky at Night: Dog Leader Mysteries published. Book release day was May 28, 2018. Due to several health issues, we never held a launch party. Beginning this week and from here on I plan to make up for not organizing a social event.
Meet & Greet at Copperfield’s Books, Santa Rosa
Sunday, March 3rd I will be at a Meet and Greet event at Copperfield’s Books in Santa Rosa, CA. Looking forward to meeting new readers, taking questions, and giving away some Copperfield’s Book gift cards. We also plan to giveaway dog treats, prizes, and an ebook version of Red Sky at Night: Dog Leader Mysteries. So, if you live in Sonoma County, please come.
[image error]Copperfield’s Bookshop shelf
Author, Deborah Taylor-French writes Dog Leader Mysteries a series of novels, featuring dogs, positive dog leadership, and animal rescue. She blogs to save dogs’ lives and dog lovers’ sanity.
[image error]
Since 2011, Deborah has served as Author Support Facilitator for Redwood Writers, the largest branch of the California Writers Club. Having raised five adopted dogs, two rabbits, and one daughter, Deborah lives with her family, and an adopted house rabbit, Tokyo Tuxedo. For more about her visit our Author Bio page.
[image error]Our Tuxedo after any food that hit the kitchen floor.
February 18, 2019
Love this Working Dog Rescue
AMK9 Coming Home Documentary
AMK9 pairs former working dogs & retired soldiers
AMK9 has a SEVEN-page adoption agreement contract. I read it and found that a great deal of thought went into writing it. I felt especially pleased to see a relinquishment clause. So often, people become ill or need to take in a family member that might not get along with dogs. These events and more leave perfecting wonderful dogs without a home.
Their clause looks similar to the ethical breeder contract clause. Anyone adopting an AMK9 dog must notify the adoption agency 90 days in advance of relinquishment! Also, no adopter may rehome or give away the dog they adopted.
If you would like to read more, visit this link. 92 Military Dogs Coming Home from Afghanistan After a Job Well Done
Thanks to Mike Snow who shared with canine video story with me.
Please visit other posts on dog adoption like Muttopia Hatha Yoga plus Rescue Dogs
[image error]A dog available for adoption at a county fair
February 10, 2019
2 FAB Book Reviews on Goodreads
It’s never too late to be what you might have been. George Eliot
[image error]Copperfield’s Bookshop shelf
Jane Firebaugh rated it 5 stars
It was amazing I absolutely loved this book!
Nevada is a quirky, strong and courageous twelve-year-old girl who loves all things animal, especially dogs.
Not one to stand by and let any animals suffer, she finds herself in some extremely dangerous situations, much to the chagrin of her father and rather a flighty mother.
I highly recommend Red Sky at Night to readers of all ages, especially animal lovers.
Sandy J
Feb 07, 2019 Sandy J rated it 5 Stars
A fine read for any age group
Although this tale of detection by 12-year-olds is clearly in the young adult genre, it is well developed and interesting for much older folk as well. I started it because I can’t resist a mystery with dogs, and it did not disappoint. The plot is a bit twisty, (a good thing), the writing is concise, and the grammar is great. I only noticed one typo, which is excellent for a Kindle edition. I recommend this one!
Thank you, Sandy J and Jane Firebaugh for reading and reviewing my first Dog Leader Mystery.
Click the title to order Red Sky at Night: Dog Leader Mysteries from Amazon Books.
Click this link to learn more about the book and me, Deborah Taylor-French.
February 4, 2019
Under Pressure? Always as a Writer
Pressure: pushing down on me,
Pressing down on you.
Written by Queen and David Bowie
Pressure Raining Down on Me
Overthinking
Yes, OVERTHINKING was what I was doing last night. As I struggled to complete notes for my first presentation on Sappho for Monday Poets, my head sunk, my shoulders rounded, and I began feeling so small. How could I have the courage to present such a workshop to seasoned and well-published poets? A few of our Monday group happen to be former professors of literature!
Yep, I did a good job scaring myself. All at the last minute, too. Mostly due to fear. Fear of not being good enough, fear of making a stupid mistake, fear of leaving essential parts out, fear of putting too much in, etc.
So glad it went a whole lot better than I imagined. My overworked mind found ways to state overviews on Greek history, to set the scene for Sappho’s life and songs in the archaic Greek language. We read aloud two versions of Sappho’s Hymn to Aphrodite and even a few verses that mentioned the forests and the gardens of the island of Lesbos.
Music to my ears was when Abby said, “You’ve got everything right.”
WOW. Abby teaches English, poetry, and literature at our local college.
But man, that overthinking thing had my mind divided and deep in CRAZY for long hours.
[image error]The ever-present challenge to write better.
On the Other Hand, I’m Feeling Grateful
I am grateful for the workshop that I prepared an introduction, historical background, and selected various poem translations to read. The last few wrapped my head in the wealth of song fragments we have from the Greek poet Sappho.
The result of any given workshop so often comes as odd. But this day finished on a high note. It came off so well. Plus 90% of the poets in attendance wrote poems inspired by Sappho’s songs and poetry.
It Does Not Get Much Better Than That
Being Well Is a Gift
This weekend I suffered a migraine in the wee hours of Sunday morning I could not get back to sleep. I wondered if a headache had started. But did not take any medicine until 8:30 am when I got hit with nausea.
So I had to bow out of leading Youth Services at the Center for Spiritual Living and lie still.
Called Marc, my editor and teaching partner, to discuss my illness. He was a complete dear, and insisted I not go out until I was well. Then I took the medicines.
Unfortunately, it takes more than medication to kill my migraines.
It is a good thing that these days I don’t suffer from four-day migraines. To clear the thing taking over my brain, and gut, I have learned to lie, eyes closed with the base of my neck on an ice pack, and a robust cooling fan aimed at my head. This often gives me a chill, so I keep my legs, and feet covered by a blanket.
My Reward? Besides a new poem?
Listening to Queen sing Pressure.
So take the PRESSURE off and do some listening.
January 28, 2019
Little Dogs make Good Family
[image error] Fearless Little Dogs
Maybe all dogs under twenty-fivepounds want to be big?
After raising five adopted dogs, I should know. My first dog weighed six to eight pounds, and led a boring inside life. Plus Buttons sat down when we tried to attach a leash to her collar.
Yep. Ever single time. No amount of coaxing or pulling would change her mind.
At last, we took her out to an off leash park. Wow. A completely new animal, she couldn’t get enough walking and snuffling wilderness trails. Buttons adored our long strolls on the beachs of Santa Cruz, too.
Of course, we took her to safe areas, away from big dogs, crowds, and auto traffic. Buttons wowed us and turned into a hike lover. Walked all day. We only carried to protect her from injuries.
A Bored Dog No More
Buttons became a Tiny Enthusiastic Hiker.
One rare day, we hiked into a meadow, only to find a couple of big dogs also off-leash. Now Buttons could handle one big dog by herself, Buttons would rise on hind legs, bare her sharp canine teeth and growl.
Most other dogs did an instant one-eighty degrees and ran.
Not that day.
Our tiny Pomeranian and Chihuahua dog did not get the chance to be fierce. One dog knocked her onto her back as the other moved in too fast. That came as a surprise. We both ran for her top speed, but an alarming sound came from my husband, Mark. He ROARED!
Before we could get to Buttons both dogs turned tail and raced away.
A lion of a sound from my slender boyish husband saved our dog.
Parents of Small Dogs Beware
Keep you small dog safe (under forty pounds). Do not let him or her get too far ahead on a walk. Also never take your petite canine to a dog park with bigger dogs. I know too many sad stories. Injured and worse. A friend’s Pomeranian suffered an attack by a rabbit hunting hound, luckily she lived. But five hundred dollars in Vet bills hurt too.
Thanks for reading.
Deborah Taylor-French
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January 25, 2019
Writer vs. the Page
“Being a writer is a very peculiar sort of a job: it’s always you versus a blank sheet of paper (or a blank screen) and quite often the blank piece of paper wins.” Neil Gaiman
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Photo credit: Dariusz Sankowski on Unsplash.
I tried to put my thoughts on paper and then-
my mind ran out of INK.
Tried a Few Writing Strategies
I took myself to a local branch of my county library, which often helps me get my words and sentences flowing, yet nothing new has stuck me in the two hours I have faced the opened notebook.
Well, of course, I saw dozens of new books I want to read. Thought of other things that I need to be doing.
Did not surf the Internet. Did find a title in the online catalogue to reserve. Spoke to a friend and typed a few of his ideas into this blog post.
As much as I joke around and love humor, I must fight to get funny scenes or absurd conversations into my fiction.
Just One of those Days?
Have you ever been defeated by a paper cut?
Been driven to hunger as you face the page?
Imagined you would go crazy staring at a blank screen?
What Habits Help You Start?
At home, I often lock my office door in hopes that I will keep my feet to the creative fire long enough to generate a draft.
[image error]Prive sign I found in France.
Has your mind ever been so blank you couldn’t fill in the blanks?
“No matter how many years I’ve been writing, I still need to remind myself that this is only my first draft and that it’s okay to make mistakes… For now, all that matters is surrendering to the idea and getting those initial words on the page.”
David Morrell
Today, I may not have conquered the empty page but I found several books on writing from the Sonoma County Library. One how to write manual surprised me.
How to Write Like Tolstoy: A Journey into the Minds of Our Greatest Writers. By Richard Cohen, Random House, New York, 2016.
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[image error]How to Write Like Tolstoy
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