Give a Little Bit

"It's time to "Do Something".

    

My name is Ava Aston and I love animals. I know put on your surprise face, no shocking information here considering my furkids are plastered all over the internet. Most people know me as an Independent Recording Artist and yes my first love is music, my second is animals. I have five dogs (three of which are rescues) and to be honest if I were not careful I could possibly end up on an episode of hoarders. Only in my episode the animals would be living in the lap of luxury. The only hard thing they would have to endure would be which orthopedic doggie bed to sleep on, or which organic food they want for the day. Who doesn't love animals? I mean really... can we even trust people who don't?

So last spring I started a little something to help bring awareness to the epidemic of animal neglect and cruelty. To shine the spotlight on the heroes who work day in and day out in animal rescue, also as a way to help encourage people to get involved. Not everyone can rescue, adopt, or foster an animal, but everyone can give. A midweek reminder to think about those on the front lines giving second chances to animals whom without their efforts would suffer and often not make it. Donating on a regular basis even as little as $5.00 can make a huge impact. So "Waggin Tail Wednesday" was born #WagginTailWednesday or #WTW.

There are so many amazing rescue organizations utilizing Social Media, Facebook in particular to help save animals. Neglected, dumped, abused and just when I think I have seen the worst thing I can possibly imagine, another horrific case pops up.

So I post one rescue, news story or video every Wednesday. The idea is for people to visit their pages, websites, give, and share. Animals are Gods creatures, are innocent and do not deserve to be tortured. They are not cupcakes to be sold for profits, should not be bred in puppy mills, sold in stores and most certainly do not belong in ads given away for free or sold on craigslist.

Animal abuse and neglect is an epidemic in this country that many turn a blind eye to. People think they can't help, afford to help, don't have time, etc. Sharing a link of a dog up for adoption is free, pledging $1 or $5 I'm pretty sure will not cause anyone to go hungry. When large numbers of people take a minute out of their day to "Do Something" it can and has literally saved and completely changed the lives of animals who have suffered beyond your worst nightmare. All it takes is for one to care and act.

Think I'm exaggerating? Google "Puppy Doe" or read about it here Unfortunately things like this happen every day. I believe that most people are inherently good, loving and would not do such evil things, but there is also an epidemic of ignorance that at times blows my mind. Having an animal is a lifetime commitment, not a toy to give away when one grows tired of it or it gets a little "inconvenient". Having a baby or moving is not a reason to dump a pet, sorry but it's just not! Rescues and kill shelters all over the country are bursting at the seams to the point where thousands of innocent creatures are killed every day simply because there is no one to adopt them, and the shelter is out of room.

It has to stop and the only way it will ever stop is if enough people "Do Something". Puppy mills, and selling dogs in pet stores has to end!

I'm not for more laws but to stop the viscious cycle it needs to be done. A simple solution is: In order to be a "Breeder" one must be "Licensed". In order to be licensed, one must pass a test (similar to a Dr., Real Estate Agent or any other licensed professional) and pay a high yearly fee. This will keep out the "backyard or kitchen" breeders who are selling to their friends or on craigslist. In order to breed one needs to know the history, potential medical issues being passed on, do the proper testing i.e.: (OFA X-rays for hips) etc. Pet stores should not be allowed to sell dogs or cats. An alternative would be a station to see animals from local shelters or rescues. It would stop "impulse" buying and all together these types of changes could help stop the problem. However the whole cycle is a money making machine so there are people who do not want it to stop or care about the innocent animals hurt in the process. Puppy mills, dog fighting, neglect, abuse, it's all happeneing everyday right under our noses. If people would be on alert, and start to call attention to cases when they see them we can save more lives. Call lawmakers, it all starts with "doing something".

A rescue I give to on a regular basis is Animal Rescue Corps. Check out this video about what they encounter on a regular basis Watch Here.

Something that has always made me smile is the word DOG spelled backwards is GOD. Just like him all they want is our love... think about it. It's in the bible, he gave us charge over the animals to care for, and the lion will lie down with the lamb. You can tell a lot about a person by how they treat animals. So don't forget to tune in every Wednesday on Facebook, and be on alert for ways in which you can make a difference in the lives of animals. Have a beautiful day!

Blessings, Love & Music
Ava xo
www.avaaston.com

No Excuse

I've blogged about animals on many occasions, and well what can I say? I love furkids, deal with it. Besides it's been said ones true character is revealed in how they treat animals. So you know what that means... yes that means Greek Girl is a Good Person ;o)

Seriously though besides having four furkids of my own (used to be five until our ten and a half year old Maltese "Itty Bitty" passed unexpecedly of congestive heart failure back in September of last year) I am involved with rescue. Sometimes fostering, and often do home visits for potential adopters for a few different rescue groups. A home visit is necessary to make sure the animal does not end up back in a dangerous situation. Because as you might have guessed not everyone out there is what they appear to be. Or for whatever reason their wires get crossed in their noggins and decide it would be OK to dump their pet in a shelter. So home visits are necessary and vital to make sure rescued furkids truly do go into forever homes.

After all the things I have seen in rescue nothing really surprises me. However, I was particularly upset this past week when I saw a story in the news about an outrageously horrific situation involving craigslist. I would hope that most people understand why it's never OK to put an ad on craigslist for an animal, especially for Free. It's sad but stories like the one I'm about to share happen often these days. The following link is about a story of a man who was recently arrested for having been found in a motel room with multiple animals he had dismembered. Animals he had obtained from craigslist.
Don't believe me... here ya go:  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/07/16/jason-brown-adopted-dogs-dismember-motel_n_5592267.html

I know life can be chaotic, especially in the times we are living. The economy is rough and people have life changes, I get it. However I'm not sure why when some people start to cut back they jump to something as severe as dumping a family pet in a kill shelter. There are always options, there is always a way, it's just a matter of if someone is willing to make the effort to make adjustments that will allow them to keep their pet. Some people just don't want to be bothered.

We have an epidemic of puppy mills producing millions of puppies that are shipped to pet stores. Backyard or kitchen breeding dogs to make an extra few bucks. Then add to that the ones who refuse to spay and neuter either for financial reasons, or even worse they don't want to make their pet an "it", are just a few of the absurd justifications I have heard. When you add it all up it equates to five to seven million animals and growing being euthanized in shelters across the country every single year. The only way this is ever going to change is to change the law. Make Puppy Mills illegal, and not allow backyard breeding. Have mandatory spay/neuter and for anyone who is interested in betterment of the breed and who wants to breed, make them have to be licensed. The license would be a very hard test like a Dr. and include a high yearly fee which would keep the backyard breeders out. Believe me I'm for LESS Government control not more. The government wants to control almost every aspect of our lives i.e.: health care, cap and trade to regulate how much energy we consume, food, medicine, etc. Yet they allow the rampant torture of Gods creatures in Puppy Mills. It boggles my mind, that however is a blog for another day.

My point here more than anything is why is it that at the first sign of trouble or inconvenience, people's first instinct is to throw up their hands and "dump" the family pet? They wouldn't ever do it to you, you wouldn't do it to a child, so why on earth do it to a helpless creature who only wants your love? I'm really beginning to think that God must be rethinking the whole part where he gave man charge over the animals. I can just imagine with all the evil things that go on every day, he must be sitting up there thinking maybe it should have been the other way around. It'd probably be a lot less cruel of a world.

As you can imagine there is no circumstance where I would ever give up an animal, period. Trust me and it's not like I'm rolling in the dough either... I'm an Independent Recording Artist. That means there's no label or big machine pushing my music all over TV, radio & social media. I do the best I can with what I have and work my pants off. I built my following brick by brick, fan by fan, and work social media like mad. Like everyone else out there working for their dreams I do what I have to do and try to live my life according to my moral compass. That for me means even if I were homeless on the street, I'd be in my cardboard box with my four furkids. That's just how I roll. Animals are family, there is never a reason to "get rid" of them, period. That may sound extreme to some people, but a living creature that can not survive without you that you made a commitment to is not something to be taken lightly, or to be forgotten when life changes. It's called making adjustments. I thought it would be interesting to post a few meme's that quite bluntly demonstrate some of the illogical thinking regarding dumping pets. Some also that dispel some of the misconceptions about what happens to your pet after you dump it at a the "shelter".

The Truth

How do these people sleep at night?

There is No Excuse.

Can you imagine?

Every day they die waiting...

More ridiculous excuses.

You can make a difference.

Pets Do not Belong on Craigslist - Ever!

Trust, Love. Unconditional that never ends... Don't fail them.

You can make a difference. Not only be being vigilant to furkids in need around you, but also with social media. Sharing helps place dogs. Giving even the smallest amount, even $1.00 to a rescue who has just taken in an animal with obscene medical bills makes a difference. There is strength in numbers... if everyone who cares and has liked a page gives even the small amounts when a rescue asks instead of scrolling past, just think of the number of animals that would be saved.

Blessings, Love & Music ~
Ava xo
www.avaaston.com

Second Chances

Unconditional love... requires so little yet gives so much.

I'm an animal nut, I admit it. This has already been throughly established in my over two years of blogging. Currently we have four fur kids in the Aston abode (it was five until our ten and a half year old Maltese "Itty Bitty" died of congestive heart failure back in September). I do not hesitate to rescue, rehome and have been angrily referred to as a "Doggie Rescue Ambulance" by "Punkin" our talking fur kid, the one with her own channel on my your tube page. (see Punkin videos here)  She can be a jealous little Pekingese and does not like to share her momma with other fur kids.

She gets especially mad when she sees her momma cheating on her looking at homless doggies on the internet. I try to explain to her that sharing these little faces helps to get them jail broke from the kill shelter where they may end up being put to sleep, but she doesn't care. Like I said she is jealous. She has her warm bed, toys, organic food, and has her momma trained so well that she gets brocccli mixed into her little food mash every day. That along with plain kefir, glucosamine & chondroitin, and even a little wet food. I tell her she has no idea how good she has it, or what kind of horrors happen to doggies in the world every day. She super especially does not like her brother "Pepe" who was pulled from a kill shelter whom she thinks steals all of momma's attention.

So over the weekend I was enjoying a hot cup of happiness a la Dunkin's looking at one of the pages of the amazing rescue's that I subscribe to and I learned about a fundraiser were doing to raise emergency medical funds. When the shelter calls with an emergency case that they are unable to care for, this rescue steps up (as much as it can afford to and even beyond that many times) and gets that animal to an emergency vet to make sure they get the advanced care they need. Otherwise they would be euthanized at the shelter. I know, sad but true. It amazes me what human beings do to animals on a daily basis. Honestly I don't know how some people sleep at night.

Having just had our four furkids at the vet on Saturday and having spent a pretty penny for their yearly shots. It got me to thinking... I know vets have to make money and don't get me wrong, but I think they have gotten just a bit out of control. In the long run it ends up leading to animal neglect. The funny thing is this year we even did their rabies shots at the county clinic which was only a $5.00 donation per dog... total of $20 bucks. At the vet that would have added another $80 to our already near $500 total.

It's great that places like Petco do shot clinics, however to get advanced vaccines like Lyme if you live in an area where you need it like we do, the shot clinic vets charge $40 each just for that vaccine. So no matter how you slice it, it ends up being about $120 per dog to do the shots. Which if you have more than one dog, starts adding up very fast. I'm not complaining, don't get me wrong. I have four fur kids and pay for what they need no matter what. It just makes you think when a vet charges anywhere from $50-100 and up just for the office visit. Then anywhere from $20-40 for a vaccine that costs less than $3.00. I'm all for capitalism and profit, but doesn't a vet get into medicine because they love animals? Or did I miss something along the way?

Shelters all over the country are full of dogs and cats that are dumped because people can no longer afford to care for them. Or even worse people keep them and just let them go with no shots, and leaving medical conditions untreated for years on end. Then for one reason or another the animal ends up at the shelter with an advanced condition that in many cases ends up taking their little lives. This is so stupid and so preventable. I understand that a vet goes to medical school, they are a Dr. and just like Dr.'s they should be rewarded for their hard work. However there should be a line somewhere. A line between making a profit and being obscene to the point where people can not afford to care for their pets. A vet I love and used to go to in this area for example used to charge $40 for an office visit. It is now over $100 for a regular office call, and an emergency visit is $150.

I don't know it just seems to me that if you care for animals and love them so much that you go to school to be able to care for them for a living... when you get out and open a practice, that you will not become so greedy that you forget that the animals are the ones who suffer when you decide to start raising prices, and raising, and raising, and raising. Making it harder and harder for people with multiple dogs to have multiple dogs. Which leads to less dogs being adopted from shelters. Just my two cents.

I want to see more dogs who are sitting in shelters get a second chance at life, and vets continuing to charge into the stratosphere for care is not helping the situation at all. So when you see a rescue posting on Facebook or somewhere asking for donations, know they are the only chance for these creatures. Your taking a minute to share and give $1, $5, $10 or whatever you can afford to do can and will make a difference. If everyone who sees these posts takes the time to do it, the rescues can save more innocent animals.

Blessings, Love & Music ~
Ava :D xo
www.avaaston.com

Safe and Sound

Just after the "Ava Aston" Doggie Rescue Ambulance picked up little "Scotty"

So I'm minding my own business Saturday afternoon running around with my very favorite person in the whole wide world. We were hungry and decided to stop to grab a quick lunch somewhere that would be fast. Since we didn't want "fast food" we decided to stop at a place that was a little off the beaten path, right next to a grocery store that has healthy made to order grub.

We walked up to the door when at the same time a man tied a little dog to a cigarette pole outside the entrance to the grocery store and the place where we were about to eat. It was less than 20 degrees outside, the dog was under ten pounds, not wearing a sweater or collar, and had a beat up old leash tied around it's neck. It was shivering uncontrollably and looked like it was suffering. My husband looked at the dog, looked at me and I could literally see the words in a bubble over his head "oh no here we go again." Being that this was not my first time to the rescue rodeo, of course I walked right up and started petting and talking to the little guy trying to see what was going on. My gut told me this was a very irresponsible dog owner, and that this dog was not safe with the man who had just tied him to the pole.

My husband sat down with the dog on the bench and the dog put his little paw on my husbands leg as if to say "please don't leave, help me". Then about 10 minutes later the guy comes strolling out with his $200 headphones on wearing Nike sneakers that cost upwards of $150. He proceeds to say "Oh you loving on him, you like him?... you want him? I gotta get rid of him - he cost me too much money. He broke a lava lamp and he's too much work." I tried and really wanted to have a rational conversation with the man but once he told me "cut his nuts off, no way I would never do that, take away his manhood - that is cruel" when I had asked him if the dog was neutered; meanwhile complaining the little dog was too "rambunctious" (which neutering would solve that issue he was complaining about calm him down - but that would be you know "cruel") I knew there was no rational conversation to be had. Best thing to do in my noggin, get the dog away from him, and to safety. The man literally gave him to us right there just like that. So even though we were visiting my mom out of town, have four dogs of our own that were visiting with us, and my mom has two dogs, making for a grand total of six dogs staying in her house already.... I scooped him up into my arms and away we went with little  Mr. Scottish Terrier/Dachshund mix.

Look at that little face... here he is after a bath,                           a good meal, and a warm bed.

Next thing, to text my mom a picture to make sure we didn't get lambasted when we walked in her house with a strange little doggie. The poor thing smelled like a giant cigarette, was dirty, starving, skinny as a rail and was so cold. I wrapped him in a blanket, then we got him a hamburger, a new red collar, matching step in harness and leash, some food and off to grandmothers house we went to give him a proper bath.

He met all the fur kids and well lets just say it was one great big fat muckery sandwich. None of our fur kids liked him. Probably the fact that he was not neutered and his constant humping might have had something to do with it. We were thinking to maybe keep him ourselves having lost a furbaby to congestive heart failure a few months back, but the fur kids not taking to him and in fact two of them trying to kill him made that an impossibility. We decided it would be best to re-home him to a safe loving forever home. So after a fun filled night of having him sleep in a crate, taking him out about a dozen times during the night to potty, several chaotic episodes including almost setting my moms power cord on fire when he dumped a can of soda onto it... a friend who runs a reputable rescue agreed to take little "Scotty" and make sure he gets a loving forever home, after he is fully vetted, gets all of his shots, and is neutered. They won't just let anyone adopt, they take applications, screen potential adopters, as well as do vet and home checks to ensure the adopters are going to be forever homes where the pet will be safe. Check em' out at HubbardsHounds.com

So after 24 hrs of muckery little "Scotty" is now safe and sound from a very unsafe situation. Who knows what kind of life that little guy might have had if we had not decided to go to lunch where we did that day. Turns out we never even ate there as we left as soon as the man said we could take him, and after all of that ended up eating "fast food" the very thing we were trying to avoid in the first place via Wendy's, and little "Scotty" had some too. Just before he went onto have his bath and organic, human grade fur dog food at grandmothers house of course.

The moral of the story... so many people just walk on by when they see something that seems a little off. They think in their mind things like: I'm too busy, it's not my problem, someone else will do something. You know what?... Sometimes that "someone else" is YOU. Don't ignore your gut and that little voice telling you to do something. You might just be the answer to someones prayer. I know we did the right thing that day by helping that little doggie. Yes it was time out of our plans, yes we spent money to buy him things and donate to the rescue who would pay for his vetting, but it was well worth it to change that little dogs life around. Think you can't afford to help like we did? Think again... even if he were taken directly to a local shelter (which would have been free), he would have still been a million times better off then with a man who would make an approximately six month old dog walk in freezing cold weather malnourished with no protection from the elements and then tie him unattended to a pole.

Yes we are dog savvy and knew things to look for and do before ever exposing him to our own pets for safety reasons, as well as de-worming him in case he had any worms, not allowing our dogs to be in contact with his poo, and all that stuff. At the very least even someone who isn't "dog savvy" can help a pet in peril by simply reporting the abuse or abandonment to the proper authorities, or just take it and instead take the pet to a shelter or rescue.

So many people think of pets as dispensable, or even worse as a cash cow, pets are not for making money. They are God's little creatures and we were given charge over them to care for them. Not to make a living from by backyard breeding the heck out of them. For the life of me I can't understand why people do not spay/neuter. There is just no excuse, low cost options are available almost everywhere. Not giving shots and flea/tick prevention is inexcusable as well. Almost every chain pet store holds low cost shot clinics monthly all over the country. If you can't afford to keep a pet up to date on shots and properly protected from fleas, ticks and heart worm, then you shouldn't have a pet.

I'm not for "more regulations" but there is a very simple solution to the epidemic animal abuse and overpopulation. Stop selling dogs/cats in pet stores, period! Stop breeding for profit, pets are not money making machines. For anyone who wants to show dogs and breed for betterment of the breed, showing, etc. they can take a test like a Dr. and get a "license" and pay a high yearly fee. This will keep out the people who overbreed for money, puppy mills and the "backyard or kitchen breeders".  Unless someone is dedicated to betterment of the breed and trying to get to the Westminster Dog show then they have no business breeding their dogs.

Animal shelters and rescues are beyond full. People do unthinkable things to animals daily, abuse, dumping senior pets at high kill shelters when they are done with them for a new puppy, dog fighting, leaving out in elements, etc. Every day thousands of pets are put to sleep in shelters all over the country simply because there are not enough people to adopt them all and too many ignorant people are still out there breeding making more. I'm beyond disgusted with how little regard people in our world give to Gods creatures.

BTW who gives a flying flip about what "breed" a dog is?... All dogs are beautiful! ~ Don't shop Adopt! ~ It's Super easy... just go to petfinder.com

OK stepping down off of my soapbox for now, I'm so happy that little "Scotty" has a new leash on life and it is my prayer that one day all animals will be safe, sound and loved.

Here is little "Scotty" at Hubbard's Hounds Rescue          meeting some new friends.

Blessings, Love & Music  ~
Ava xo
www.avaaston.com

Beauty for Ashes

Is it possible that anything good can come from something so horrible?

There are a lot of things readers of my blog know about me from reading over the past few years, one of which I hope is that Greek Girl loves & adores animals.  There are very few things that upset me more than a helpless animal hurting.  Some people argue that they are just animals and they don’t really matter.  I have to argue (I’m Greek remember we invented arguing along with acting, politics and the Windex) that God made them therefore they matter.  They are His creations and the decision to abuse or walk by and ignore one who is clearly in need of help is an expression of your character and God sees everything we do.

I’ll be the first to admit many of my animal rescuing episodes have led to muckery.  What kind of muckery you might be wondering, well let’s see: rescuing a dog tied to a parking meter on Houston St. in NYC, chasing down and rescuing a dog on Hollywood Blvd. in LA for over three hours, rescuing a dog while on vacation in FL, etc., is it any surprise that I ended up having five dogs?  Until recently of course when my beloved Maltese “Itty Bitty” passed away of Congestive Heart Failure, so now we only have four.  Even with all the joy and heartbreak, it’s a muckery I wouldn’t change for anything in the world.  To have an animal who was hurting either from neglect, or abuse to have them in your care to see the change, to see them safe and loved it is something that would never trade.

So like most people when I heard about the horrifying situation with NFL Star Michael Vick back when it came out I was not only sad but also angry.  It’s been some time now, he paid fines and you know I'm all about forgiving people but really? Michael Vick took not just one life, the innocent life in this photo is just one of many lives.

It’s so upsetting that a person could easily jump to thinking something like: “Not only is he "not rotting in a jail cell" but he gets to continue to do what he loves play football, make obscene money and to add insult to injury own a dog. This is so wrong!  If anyone buys his clothing line they need to have their head examined.  What moronic investor would put up good money to fund such a venture?”

Well that is exactly what I was thinking until I learned that he is actually a “Born Again” Christian who apparently got saved after being arrested and pleading guilty to the charges.  In fact he is being mentored by Tony Dungy a well-known and outspoken Christian retired NFL coach for the Indianapolis Colts.  So it makes sense that he would call his clothing line “Redemption - V7”.

Since his salvation he has written a book titled “Finally Free”, started the clothing line called “Redemption” and is giving proceeds from both the book and clothing line to the Humane Society’s “Pets For Life” Program, and also to programs for Youth at Risk as well.  How much of the proceeds I am unaware, my hope is that it is most of the proceeds.

My first thought when hearing about him being able to return to playing football was here we go again.  This is just another example where we are promoting and rewarding "Mediocrity" in this country.

Be vulgar and obscene sell a bazillion records, abuse and torture animals and no worries you get a slap on the wrist and are back playing in the NFL in no time. People wonder what is wrong with society today…. Take a good look. Sad… very sad.  Michael Vick has over One Million "Likes" on Facebook? What exactly is it that people "like" ?

Then I had to stop and ask myself if I had done something like that wouldn’t I too want a chance to be forgiven?  If his heart is truly changed and if he wants to try to stop animal abuse and raise money to help animals, why shouldn’t he be allowed to play again?  It’s definitely a situation that makes you stop and think.  As an animal lover I can be very quick to turn my heart off to anyone who has done such despicable things, yet as a Christian I am called by my creator to not only forgive him but also to hope he succeeds.  So that he may in turn be able to make a larger impact.  Not only to demonstrate the grace and goodness of God, but also to illustrate to people that it is wrong to do those things to animals.  God willing maybe even make a dent in the horrible Dog Fighting epidemic in this country.

Honestly I am torn because I see the photos, my heart breaks and I am enraged.  Then I think of the funds that can be raised by him being able to continue to play, selling clothes and books.  Which can enable helping abused and neglected animals and youth and then my heart softens.  One could also argue he is just using Christianity as a front to garner sympathy so he can sell a lot of merchandise and continue to live the lifestyle in which he was accustomed.  No one but Michael Vick knows what is in his heart.

In no way shape or form do I condone what he did, or what happened to his animals.  To be honest if I ever ran into him I'm quite sure I would not be able to stop myself from giving him an unfiltered piece of my mind via my Big Fat Greek Yap trap.

However, I for one am hoping it is a true heart change and that in this horrible, awful situation there truly can be beauty for ashes.  That something good can come from so much bad.

Blessings, Love & Music ~
Ava :D xo
www.avaaston.com

Heat Wave

Looks like me after my workout ;o) lol

Is anyone surprised that I complained all winter about how I couldn't wait for summer to hurry up and get here so I could get back to nice long dates with my sneakers via my much loved runs outside, and now that it's finally here I'm complaining about how hot it is?  Well if you are you shouldn't be, HELLO I'm Greek people!  We invented drama along with the windex, politics, and believe it or not yes even - complaining.  What else would we do when we sit around a table for hours upon hours at all the diners we own if not complain? ;o)

Seriously though it's a scorcher and set to only get worse before it gets any better.  Time to batten down the hatches, draw the curtains, and hunker down with the air conditioning.  This goes for everyone including the fur-kids.  Speaking of fur-kids anyone in their right mind knows that you do not tie your dog out to a tree or a dog house, or bring your dog out to do errands or go shopping with you in extreme weather.   Further to never leave a dog in a hot car in the summertime, right?...  Wrong.  Yup I just ran into a brainchild who apparently didn't get that memo and this guy actually had the audacity to stand there and argue with me about it when I went into Schooling mode Greek Girl style.

Most everyone who knows anything about me (besides my music) knows this one thing, I Love Animals, dogs in particular!  I have five dogs (yes I said five 5 - I know, I know I'm a special kind of crazy) and I will not stand for animal abuse.  Part of how I ended up with five, two of them are rescues.  I have chased dogs down  all over the country from Los Angeles, to NYC and lots of places in between.  If an animal is in need, lost, hurt, whatever I'm on it.  I can't help it, I love them and can't stand to see them suffer, especially for things that are so preventable.  It never ceases to amaze me how ignorant people can be when it comes to the care of animals and how some can turn a blind eye when one needs human help.

Living in the Hudson Valley of New York State has some neat attractions and one of those is an outlet mall called Woodbury Commons not too far from where I reside.  So I'm sure it's no shock that I frequent it often, again the Greek genes take over.  Remember Greek is also another word for Thrifty ;D In other words if I can get it for less,  that's how I'm getting it.  So I was at Woodbury Commons over the weekend scoring lots of sale loot.  As was walking back to my car I saw in the car parked right next to mine a big old beagle in the back of a giant old station wagon.  The windows were rolled down, and he did have water, but that is irrelevant.  It was 99 Degrees outside.  About noon smack dab in the hottest part of the day, and this clown was walking around and about the outlet alone, then making trips back to the car to check on his dog.  Meanwhile the dog is sitting in the car panting, and basically cooking.

I waited about twenty minutes when I first spotted the dog for him to come back to the car and asked him about it.  He proceeded to tell me "well the windows are rolled down and he has water, mind your own business".  I then proceeded explain to him that in New York State there is a law against leaving animals in parked cars in extreme weather and then to hand him a "you could be cooking your dog card" that I carry in my glove box for just incase such an occasion ever occurs.  He was so angry he was getting grumpy and started to take it out on the dog.  So I did what any good Samaritan would do, yup I called security.

Well after fifteen more long hot minutes security finally arrived and I told them what I observed and they informed him of the law and took it from there.  After a bit more talking with the security officer he got in his car and left.  I was annoyed that they did not actually call the real police and site him with a ticket.  What upsets me even more is this dog is not the only one who will be sitting in a hot car while some yahoo for whatever reason is out galavanting.  Seriously... if you see a dog in a car in the hot weather, please do something.  It might take a few minutes out of your day, but you could be saving a life.  The life of an animal who can't speak for them self, who only wants one thing in life to be safe and loved.

Here's a link to some of the states with laws on the books about animals in parked cars: http://animallaw.info/articles/State%20Tables/tbusdogshotcars.htm   So heavens sake please keep your fur-kids inside, cool, safe and with plenty of water.  If not I'll have to send "Punkin" Aston out to find you and send you straight to jail without passing GO! ;)

Keep your fur-kids cool and safe or "Punkin" will come to lay down the law!

Blessings, Love & Music ~

Ava :D
www.avaaston.com 

Here We Go Again

"Pepe" Day one, just after I shaved him down... he was a matted mess.

Most people who have read my blog for any length of time at all, or who follow me on facebook know I am an animal nut.  I swear there is some secret code in animal language that goes something like this... "If you are lost, lonely or hurt, go find that Ava lady.  She'll take you in."

It's funny, I was talking to my doctor the other day and I mentioned that I sometimes do animal rescue.  He replied "Oh, so does that mean you wrangle them?"  I had to laugh... my reply: "Oh yeah I wrangle them all right."  Flashback about eight years ago in Los Angeles with my then boyfriend now husband got caught up in that very thing.  Now, picture this, we're driving down Laurel Canyon Blvd. in Hollywood and a little dog darts out in front of us.  He's not wearing a collar and this proceeds to go on for a bit.  Of course I pull over and do what else? Proceed to wrangle him.  Turns out, another couple had pulled over as well and had been trying to save the little guy for about an hour.  In comes Greek Girl (I'm like the dog whisperer Cezar Milan, only I do it in Greek.)

Long story short, after two hours and a lot of coaxing, we got him.  Wrapped him up in a blanket and took him to the vet.  He was a very cute little Chihuahua Mix.  I would have kept him, however he was twice the size of my #1 Pekingese Princess "Pookie" & my Maltese "Itty Bitty" who only weighs 4lbs soaking wet.  So I found the little guy a sanctuary in the valley, where they try to place the dogs.  However if they are not able, they can stay forever.

There have been a good number of dog wrangling episodes since then, most recently "Rufus" the Pug on a trip to Florida.  The fur-babies had just gotten over their torture of another dog coming into their home when their momma Ava aka "Dog Wrangler" hears about a little Pekingese in the kill shelter in NYC.  The lady who runs the local Pekingese Rescue where my fur-baby "BoBo" came from contacted me.  See she has an agreement with shelters, if they get a Pekingese in, they contact her.  Well she was all full, and wondered if I could go get him and foster him.  What could I say?  Well it's 3 hours before the first Presidential debate (ov vey) I say "Sure no problem".  So off to Harlem I go to Animal Care and Control to rescue "Prince", which has been changed to "Pepe".

Not really sure what his story is... because people are crazy.  You never really know if anything they say on the intake forms is true in a surrender case.  Supposedly they had him eight years...  moved someplace that didn't allow pets and had to give him away.  Greek Girl isn't buying it.  First off, that is just not an excuse.  I would live in a box on the street homeless if I had to in order to keep my dogs.  If I had to move, I would never move where they do not allow animals.

What most people don't realize is that when you make a comittment to an animal, it is for life.  Not for fun until you get bored.  Because then people like me have to come in and clean up the mess.  Dogs and cats give unconditional love.  All they want is a safe, quiet place to lay down and to love us.  They need us.

So this dog "Pepe" he is like a puppy... and not neutered.  Nothing makes me madder.  When he went to the vet the next day to be neutered, the vet said he is about 6 at most.  Anyway he was neutered, all checked over and back at the Aston house for just about a week now.  He has recovered from his trip to the vet.  Not sure how long it's going to take to get him to chill out.  If he starts to fit in with my little pack, he is welcome to stay.  However if he keeps acting like Kujo out of nowhere, he will have to be adopted out by the Rescue.  Plus my 4 fur-babies are really not cooperating.  It's like they have not decided yet if they are going to let him into the club.  They all keep giving me the "When is he leaving mom?" glare.

See... the other Pekingese will not even let him on the bed with them. Meanies.

It sure has been a fun filled week, although I have spent most of my time seeing what it's like to be a vet tech.  He is on antibiotics from getting Kennel Cough from the shelter, all my four are on different medicine from getting Kennel cough from him.  I have to give them all different medicine.  Pepe 2 times, and my other four fur-babies get their medicine 3 times a day, and they all get cough medicine 2 x's a day. Add that to the trips to potty, and special meals I whip up for them all, it is a wonder I have any time to do any music, or workout for that matter.  It's a good thing I like coffee...

After 10 Days in the Aston House...

Blessings, Love & Music ~
Ava :D xox
www.avaaston.com

A New Leash on Life

Meet "Rufus", how could anyone turn away this                      gorgeous little Pug Mug?....

Most of you know that I'm crazy about animals.  If there were anything else in the world I would ever want to do besides singing, working out and shopping at Kohl's with my hard earned Kohl's cash it would be an ASPCA Animal Cop of course. My little Greek Coconut might not be at genius level, but it sure doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out when a dog or any other animal for that matter is in need.  You may remember a few weeks ago I shared the viral video about "Fiona" and her rescue.  If you don't remember or may have missed it click here to read all about her and watch the heart warming video of her rescue.

Back to this week, let me introduce you to "Rufus".  "Rufus" is a Pug who wandered into a friends yard back in November... How do I know him? Well, I was in Miami last week for a meeting. The people we were meeting with had "Rufus" at their house.  He wandered into their yard, or shall I say got his little piggy body stuck in-between the fence and the bushes. You see their yard backs up to a golf course. So after getting him unstuck and doing everything humanly possible to track down the owner to no avail (including trying to scan his microchip which was never registered - can anyone say dumb owner?) they let him stay.  However because they already have four big dogs of their own, they really wanted to find him a forever home with his own mommy and daddy - so in comes the Greek Girl...

I don't know if it's the invisible flashing neon sign above my head that only animals in need can see, or if it's just something askew in my coconut. Either way my animal chip is hyper sensitive. So it's no surprise that after meeting him, I just could not get his little Pug mug out of my mind. So I set out to find him a new momma. Believe me, if I didn't already have four spoiled rotten furkids of my own, I would be his new momma. However we have a word for that in the Greek language, it's also a show on Animal Planet called "Hoarders". Plus my mom told me that if I brought home another dog for her to watch when I travel there would be a holy Greek Jihad, so I figured it best to just find him a good home. ;D

After posting to my facebook page, I received an email from one of my good friends from high school's little sister. I had totally forgot, that the family had lost their beloved Pug two years ago to a very serious brain disorder called GME. She asked me how old "Rufus" was and if he was potty trained... A few emails, texts and a day later "Rufus" had a new momma. Introducing "Ava's Doggie Transport Service" offering free rides from south Florida to New York. So back down to Miami we went to pick up "Rufus" and start the long treck back to New York. It's a good thing the spoiled furkids did not come on this trip or bringing "Rufus" back might have been just a wee bit more difficult. Especially since he was covered in fleas and ticks. Apparently they say that south Florida is a nightmare for pet owners, even those who use Frontline Plus. Good grief, they sure weren't kidding. We made a pit stop to give him a flea bath, then apply more Frontline and bam we were off.

He did extremely well on the long trip, and even claimed his own co-pilot seat right on the console. By the time we arrived back to Grama's house where the four furkids were being babysat it was 1:30am. Let's just say that the excitement the furkids felt to see their mom & dad quickly turned to horror when they saw us with what - what - what?!?... another dog in tow.  We introduced them, explained to them what was going on, and tucked them all in the for the night.

The next morning "Rufus" was off to the Vet to get all checked out, neutered, heart worm test, shots, ears cleaned, nails trimmed, teeth cleaned, and all set up with more frontline & heart worm preventative. We picked him up that afternoon and he was very happy to see us and took a nice long nap.  He is recovering very well and actually seems to be having a fun time terrorizing the Pekingese's in the Aston house. It seems like the only one of my furkids who does like him is "Itty Bitty" the 4 lb Maltese, go figure.

So in about a week or so, "Rufus" will be going to his new forever home with a very good family and will have a spoiled life. The moral of the story... Well, this is not the first time I have stepped in to save the day for an animal, and I'm sure it will not be the last. I once found a doggie tied to a parking meter screaming in NYC, spent three hours chasing down a doggie running in the streets in Hollywood, and that's just the tip of the iceberg. As long as there are people who do not care for their animals like they should: ie: spay/neuter, register the microchip, give the necessary care/shots/heart worm/flea preventative, all the things that are necessary if you are going to have an animal... I'm sure my "animal in need chip" will continue to beep and I will be off to find them and do whatever is necessary to help.

So many people think "it's just a dog, it's just a cat, it doesn't really matter"... Well, for those people I have one thing to say to you: You are WRONG! Animals are domesticated, they can not survive without us. There are diseases, and danger in the world, they need us. I know times are tough and many people can not afford to care for their animals, but there is always an answer. Many Pet stores offer monthly shot clinics where you can get pets properly vaccinated at a very reduced rate and no office call fee. There are low cost veterinarians, and some Vets even offer reduced or free services to an animal that's a rescue. There are the hero's at organizations like the ASPCA, and the Humane Society who can offer help and information. They even have local offices in some cities around the country. There are also countless other animal rescue organizations in every town that can offer help to anyone in need or looking for information on how to properly care for their animal. There is really No Excuse Ever to not care for your animal.  And.. if you don't the Greek Girl with her super sensitive "animal in need" chip will find you will end up in Greek Girl Jail.

While I'm on my soapbox, I just have one question? Would you dump your kids off in a kill shelter because you had to move? Well petfinder.com is full of heartbreaking stories of animals who had exactly that done to them. One day they wake up in the home they've always known with their people, and the next a cold lonely steel cage on a euthanasia   list. There is No Excuse! When you get an animal you make a commitment to that animal. I don't care what happens in your life, you should honor it and do what is right to care for them. That is why I say "Adopt Don't Shop". Puppy mills are a horrible epidemic.  Shelters across the US are full of loving animals in need of homes. It's easy to find any breed, just go to www.petfinder.com and enter the info, zip code and wall-a - you have a new buddy.

The only thing animals ever ask in return is love. Animals are pure love.  BTW... did you ever notice that Dog, is GOD spelled backwards... just sayin.

Blessings, Love & Music ~
Ava :D xox
www.avaaston.com