Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Oh, DEAR!

I was so excited to be asked to write a story for our local most wonderful community events website. It is a wonderful wonderful wonderful site, the brainchild of two great gals who send out a weekly email directing everyone to the site to see what is going on in Western Kentucky, attracting folks from all over the region, including eastern Missouri, southern Illinois and Indiana, and western Tennessee. They have over 4000 subscribers and even more viewers. So I was beyond thrilled to get the chance to educate folks on the bad idea of puppies as Christmas presents, and the horrors of puppy mills.

In this endeavor, I asked you, dear readers, to supply me with photographic documentation of doggy disasters, and you, dear readers came through! I had chosen this shot ("Welcome Home!") for the feature image, as I'm sure you'll agree it is just wonderful:



And here are the rest of the "winners":


(Such helpful dogs to charm us with their collective creativity.)


Imagine my dismay when I jumped on my computer this morning, full of such excitement I could hardly stand myself, only to find my nightmare come to life. Instead of my photo of canine catastrophe, there, big as life was a photo of a darling little maltipoo, sitting vacantly under a Christmas tree, sporting a Santa hat and coat.

The very, exact image I was striving to erase from the puppy-buying public's consciousness.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

My eyeballs flew out of their bloody sockets and landed on my keyboard. My heart just stopped beating entirely, exploded out of my chest, and plopped into my oatmeal with a thud. Great chunks of my hair fell out in my fists. I fainted. I wailed. I imagined iList readers, clicking on the headline, seeing the maltipoo and thinking, "Oh yeah! Great idea! I can get the kids a puppy for Christmas! Maybe I can find one on the Internet."

AAAARRRRGHHHHHH!!!!!

I had to do something.

Did I mention that the iList owners/creators are just the most wonderful, smart, kind, fantastic saints on the whole of the Earth? I fired off an email thanking them for running the story and begging them to please, please, please change that image! And within seconds, not only was the Christmas tree puppy gone, it was indeed replaced by the Definition of Doggy Destruction. And they even took down the adorable photo of the doodle puppies they had put at the end of the article.

Saints, they are absolute Saints, I tell you.

Oh, if you want to read the article, it is HERE. I am going to walk my dogs in the rain and pick up poop.

18 comments:

  1. Great article, Patience! Love your blog and your writing style...I'm with you every step of the way, seeing and feeling it all!

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  2. Wonderfully written and full of excellent information. I think the photo opener tells it all!

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  3. I am not a destructive girl but sure is fun to see those pictures! I just can imagine the owners face!
    Have a good night
    Lorenza

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  4. Hi, its me again!
    I started with my med last saturday. For some reason it makes me more active, I guess this is good! Maybe with the med and the new food I will lost more pounds soon!
    Thanks for asking about it!
    Have a good night
    Lorenza

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  5. Whippet Waggle...Thanks for the kind words, we are glad you enjoy your carol, we have such a good time writing them!

    gussie

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  6. What a great article, Patience! You write so well!

    Love ya lots,
    Maggie and Mitch

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  7. Patience, I enjoyed your article & your blog. It's odd to be proud of my "Lic666" for his 15 minutes of fame by being naughty, but I do thank you for selecting his picture!
    It's my hope your article will have gotten through to some folks, and saved some puppies from ending up in the pound.
    Keep up the good info!

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  8. Great article, as always, Patience! But wait! Where is the darling new replacement photo??!!
    laurie

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  9. What a great and timely article. I wish it could be published on the front page, above the fold, in the Miami Herald, the Sun Sentinel, the St. Petersburg Times, the Tampa Tribune, etc., etc., etc.

    I laughed when I saw the "destruction" photos. A few days after we brought Just Harry home -- he was about 9 months, a very skittish and nervous rescue --I heard a lot of barking upstairs in our bedroom. I went up and found not only had he pulled off one of our levelor slats on the front sliding glass doors, but he had also chewed off two more slats at doggie height, the better to see out, and, as a finishing touch, gnawed off a Rohrshach pattern of film from the window. Only recently did we replace the blinds with curtains; but the film is still there to remind us of those first days. And we learned to always close the bedroom door when we're downstairs!!

    Jake and Just Harry's Mom, Joan

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  10. Patience
    I loved those photos and how great that the Saints fixed things...we don't need more abandoned pups for sure!!!

    Sweet Sam I Am..I suwe wish it was you who visited me to wun and play...Petey didn't want to do anything..I was sad
    smoochie kisses fwom a icywainy NY
    Asta

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  11. Congrats to the winner, I agree this picture is absolutely fantastic! He probably wasn't too happy when he found this mess LOL
    Love, B&X

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  12. Oh Patience! You have out done yourself with this one!

    What a talented person you are!

    And what a great photo you chose!

    Hugs,

    Margaret

    p.s. You've been TAGGED

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  13. I'm glad they changed the photos, durr! We're off to read your article!

    Toodle pip,
    Harry x

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  14. I wish I had a picture of the kitchen floor that Prince 'removed' many years ago!

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  15. Haha! I did that to the blinds at our old house. Woo!

    wally.

    ps. I can't believe you guys know New-Ark. It is indeed a small world!

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  16. Great photos and article!

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  17. Deaw dawling snoozing whippets,
    I know it's a sad poem ,but i think hoomans should keep it in mind ..and Sam I Am how could you think me so shallow that I would evew fowget you..it's me ASTA I'm only pwetending to be a staw,hehehe
    with love and smoochie kisses wishing you sweet dweams
    Asta

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  18. Sam I am
    I got to the pawty and was sooo disappointed that you didn't come..awe you still gwounded??
    I missed you..I bet you could have dazzled us with the most gwaceful moves
    smoochie kisses hope you'we nice and wawm
    Asta

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