photo by Maggie Fan

Gladys will eat anything.

Here she sits pining for a homemade bread & butter pickle.

What’s the strangest thing your dog has eaten?  Was it yucky?  Was it even food?

Oh, really?

You’re trying to one-up us, now!  We smell a contest.

Post your dog’s photo & a brief description of the strangest thing he/she has eaten on our Facebook page.   Get your friends to like your post.

The entry with the most likes wins a Fetching Tag.   We will also give tags in Tagmaker’s Choice & Hazel’s Choice* categories.

True stories only, folks.

*hint for Hazel’s Choice:  Hazel loves anything with a flavor – it doesn’t even have to be remotely food-related!

contest expires Tuesday, 8-30-11 @ midnight, winners announced Wednesday, 8-31

that was hung by two toes in the bush:

I heard a little fluttering each time I walked past a certain bush this morning & finally peered inside on the third trip. Good thing I did, as this little thrasher was seriously hung up by some beige thread tightly looped around his toes & two branches.  I cut the branches away & brought him inside to remove the remaining thread.

I thought Gladys would be pleased to meet our fine feathered state representative, as they share being somewhat famous & brownish.

Instead, Gladys was horrified by him & suggested that Georgia should have a State Rabbit instead of a super scary Brown Thrasher bird.

The thrasher was successfully released from the offending thread back into the wilds of the backyard.  Gladys is still upset.

Today the horses were abominable, they sent the brown one in to nab me, while the rest waited, licking their big lips.   I cleverly tucked my tail in so that it could not use it as a handle to grab me.

She drove me over to check the goats, which were fine.  Plenty of green stuff & water.  Waited on vehicle.

This pile of chips is mine.  

Have you seen me spring across the spring?

Thought you’d like that.

Once upon a time (all dragon stories start this way), Molly Monkeypants , Supermodel & Dog Park Diva, sent  a present to Gladys in the mail.

It was a blue dragon.  Gladys had always wanted a dragon of her very own, so she was quite pleased with the gift.

She & the dragon took many pleasant naps together

and they were never far apart.  Then, the one they call ‘X-Dog‘ came for a visit from the wilds of Cali-Fornia.

Ever the Southern hostess, Gladys shared her pillow & her delicious Chicken dinner & Liver treats.

She even showed her little visitor  how to milk a goat.

But then, the one they call ‘X-dog’ took the whole sharing thing a little too far. . .

Watching the X-Dog play with her dragon made Gladys’ eyes blaze with fury,

but the laws of hospitality prevented any retaliatory action.

If Gladys the Polite was the only dog of the house, our story would end here.

But she’s not.

And thankfully the other dog is bound by no laws of hospitality,

(or any other laws for that matter.)

The dragon was recaptured

and peace was restored.

The End.  (for now)

All the celebrities are doing it.

One is actually doing it on a plank.

Once upon a time, we thought we rescued a young, skinny Boston Terrier.  Little did we know that this “second” dog would steal our very hearts, guard them fiercely & carry them so proudly. . .

We are so grateful to the rescue organization that not only took little “Patty” in when she was most in need, but in doing so,  gave her the chance to become our beloved (& world famous!) Hazel.

This contest gives you a chance to share more than your gratitude with your favorite rescue – you could win a spectacular prize for them!

Post a photo of your rescue dog (or cat, or horse!) & a brief description on our Fetching Tags Facebook page.  Did you save him from the mean streets?  Did you almost walk away?  Get a different dog? Just when you needed it most, did she come to your rescue?

Then spread the word – the entry with the most “likes” wins.

Wins what, you ask?

Why, the Grand Prize, of course.

Grand Prize:  15 custom tags* for the non-profit rescue of your choice + a tag for your own rescued pet

Semi-grand Prize (2nd place):  5 custom tags* for the non-profit rescue of your choice + a tag for your own rescued pet

And just to keep the competition lively,

Tagmaker’s choice:  You may not get the most likes, but something about your story captures the Tagmaker’s heart. . . do this, & you’ll win a Double Agent Collar – lovingly handmade for your rescued pet by Fetching Tags & Paco Collars.

Deadline for entry:  midnight, June 15th.  Winner announced Friday, June 17th

*This is the prize that keeps on giving!  Because our tags are so extremely durable, these foster tags may be handed down to the next available dog as each is adopted.  As you know, our  taglines are engaging & fun and can add that little “pick me!” spark to a dog awaiting adoption, as well as provide important contact info should they escape custody!

We made some standard issue “progress” at the farm in the last couple of weeks.  The kind that replaces trees & rich green spaces (& mud) with different shaped spaces covered in gravel (& mud).

We had to use these.

And if you’re thinking, wow, those are not so easy to use,

just try training your dog to do it.

Gladys, who just about has thumbs, caught on pretty quickly, but hated the noise that her digger made.  (She called it the digger – I know that’s not the real name!)

Hazel didn’t mind the noise from her pusher, but did have some trouble with her grading on her blind side.

Of course, we didn’t tell her that!  We just stayed out of her way. . .

Gladys has been wondering about something:

Let’s say you’re a She-Wolf, with a beautiful name (like Gladys), and an extra kind disposition, who has taken two members of a not so fortunate species, um,

under your wing,

and given them, well, milk, and loving & nurturing them like your very own kids.  In fact, your seemingly random act of kindness inspires all who learn about it and becomes the stuff of legends, immortalized on “Practice Random Acts of Kindness” bumper stickers, and in bronze

and on YouTube

for all of the future generations to see.

So what Gladys is confused about is this:  these kids grew up and named the great place that they founded, not after the Kind She-Wolf with a beautiful name like Gladys, who saved them from a sure death and nurtured them, but after themselves.   What gives?

I guess the name choice came back to bite them in the end though – imagine the potential income from tourism over the years since 735 BC that they’ve totally missed out on, just by calling the place Rome instead of Gladys.

If this photo had a chirping soundtrack,

it would be a video of Gladys’ favorite thing to do.  It would be titled:

Silently Watch Baby Chicks in Brooder (For Hours).