June 2, 2006 was my last day with 8 State Hurricane Kate. You may have read her story in the book 8 State Hurricane Kate: The Journey and Legacy of a Katrina Cattle Dog. It was with great sadness that I spent that last beautiful early summer day with her, a perfect day to sit together on the hill and say our goodbyes. I wanted to remember everything about her, forever.
A year to the day later, on June 2nd, 2007, a striking bright orange poppy bloomed in my backyard, near where Kate had rested on that last afternoon. It leapt out of the dark foliage, announcing its presence. The seed was probably planted by a bird, if you know what I mean. But poppies don’t grow here naturally. I had a strong feeling that this beautiful flower was a gift from Kate.
In 2007, I declared June 2nd “Kindness for Kate Day”. In Kate’s honor, I asked people to perform an act of kindness to make the world a better place… plant a flower, say a prayer, help somebody, give hope to a homeless animal or a homeless person, collect spare change and donate it to an animal rescue group or a food shelf, appreciate someone’s efforts, volunteer, or come up with another idea and share it. I challenged people to do something new that they hadn’t done before. I wanted to make June 2nd an awesome day.
In the past few years, a poppy has bloomed in my backyard every year around June 2nd. But now that first poppy has multiplied into a beautiful poppy garden that blooms briefly, reminding me of that June 2nd in 2006.
Why am I talking about June in the middle of winter? Because I’m thinking about planting seeds. I’m thinking about the seeds I planted during the past year, and the seeds that I want to plant this year. Some of our seeds grow and bloom, yet others don’t seem to germinate. Over time, however, some will grow into a beautiful perennial garden that we and others can enjoy.
That one orange poppy that spread into a beautiful garden was like the caring people who came together to help the lost Katrina animals, then returned to their homes all over the country and stayed in contact, forming a powerful network. It was like how telling Kate’s story connected me with so many caring people all over the country, end even the world. It was like how that one single decision to go to Louisiana to help lost animals completely changed my life. I have grown too.
Many of us started out thinking, “What can I, just one person, do?” and decided to do that little bit anyway. We came away knowing that, along with others, we could often do much more than we had expected.
Sometimes the seeds that we plant and water and nurture don’t grow into the flowers we envisioned. Yet other seeds that we didn’t even know we had sown yield beautiful and amazing gardens. What seeds have you planted in the past year? What seeds do you want to plant next? What small actions can you take every day to make the world a better place?
I’m reminded of a local story that just concluded with a happy ending. While on a walk with her foster mom, a rescued Sheltie named Lady broke loose and was running free in a St. Paul suburb. Lady was spooked easily and was running scared. People had spotted her, but days went by as the rescue group and local volunteers searched. Winter was coming and the weather was getting colder. Efforts to find and even live trap Lady were in vain.
One afternoon, a man driving home from work spotted a dog in an industrial area, miles from where Lady had last been seen. He recognized Lady and drove to the grocery store to find the phone number on a flyer he had seen. He called the number, then drove back to the industrial area and found Lady again. But he couldn’t approach her; she was too scared. He followed instructions given to him on the phone and kept an eye on Lady from a distance while Sheltie rescue called volunteers. The foster mom, Mel, and others arrived and sat in a ring around the empty lot, encircling Lady from a distance. Eventually, Mel entered the circle. Each time Lady tried to find an escape route, the person on that side of the circle stood up to keep her from bolting away. Eventually, with much patience, Mel got close enough for Lady to recognize her scent. Mel spoke, touched Lady, and both relaxed, relieved. With tears in her eyes, Mel fastened Lady’s harness and carried her safely to the car.
If the man, Brad, a complete stranger, had not noticed Lady, interrupted his routine and acted right away, Lady might still be running scared. If volunteers had not immediately dropped what they were doing in the middle of a work day and gone to help form the circle… if people had not listened to the instructions to NOT approach Lady… she might still be out there, or might not have survived.
But that’s not the whole story. Mel realized how much Lady meant to her and decided she didn’t want to be separated again. So now Lady is home with Mel forever. And get this: In an interview on local TV, Mel said that she didn’t even know who had posted that flyer at the grocery store, but she was certainly grateful.
Who posted the flyer at the grocery store?
Think about it. One seemingly small action: a person putting up a flyer about a lost dog at a grocery store. One tired man on his way home from work who remembered seeing the flyer at the grocery store and acted immediately. One patient group of people who each came right away to form a circle around the scared dog. And, of course, the rescue group and foster mom. They all made a difference. But the happy ending began with the person who posted the flyer at the grocery store.
“What can I, just one person, do?”
Think about the seeds you want to sow in 2012, the “flyers” you want to post. If changing the whole world for the better seems like an overwhelming goal, think about the small things that you can do every day to make a difference, about each bright orange poppy you can plant. Think about the seemingly small decisions you make and actions you take each day. By the end of the year, you might just have an amazing poppy garden… or an amazing “puppy” garden. 🙂
Best wishes for a poppy new year!
Posted on December 31st, 2011
Filed under: Adopted, General, News | No Comments »
----------------------------------------------------------------
by Jenny Pavlovic
Excerpted from the book, A Book of Miracles.
Copyright © 2011 by Bernie Siegel.
Reprinted with permission from New World Library. www.NewWorldLibrary.com.
In January, I took my very old dog Rusty to the vet for the last time. Rusty had been a stray, found in a neighboring state. I had adopted him from the local animal shelter and we had been together for over seven years. Now his liver was failing and he was very ill and in pain. Sadly, it was time to let him go.
Once the vet gave the injection and Rusty peacefully passed on, I went back out to my truck for Rainbow. She was Rusty’s pal, a much younger and higher energy dog. I led Rainbow in to see Rusty, so she wouldn’t wonder what had happened to him, then took her back out to the truck. Read more…
Posted on October 18th, 2011
Filed under: General | No Comments »
----------------------------------------------------------------
In mid-July I was on my way to a meeting in the city. It was the first meeting since the interview for my part-time summer job and I didn’t want to be late. I was driving on a country road, on my way to the interstate. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a light flash, and then disappear. It flashed again, insisting that I “Check Gages”! Now! Uh oh. The oil pressure gage read “0”, like a flat-lined heart monitor. This couldn’t be good. Briefly I thought about driving home, and considered going back. But my engineer brain told me that, like a body without blood, a truck without oil won’t live long. Read more…
Posted on October 16th, 2011
Filed under: General | No Comments »
----------------------------------------------------------------
On this day in 2011
My dog brought me his rubber chicken
Before I even got out of bed
Because he knew I was sad.
On this day in 2001, I packed for a flight to Washington, DC. Read more…
Posted on September 11th, 2011
Filed under: General, News | No Comments »
----------------------------------------------------------------
With Hurricane Irene bearing down on the east coast of the U.S., this is a good time to make sure your pet has proper ID, review ways to keep your pet safe, and focuse on disaster preparedness for your family and pets. Click on the link below for an informative article with steps you can take today.
Emergency Preparedness for Your Pet
Posted on August 26th, 2011
Filed under: General | No Comments »
----------------------------------------------------------------
You may have read my earlier blog posts about the puppy “Zulu” (now known as Cayenne), who joined our family in 2008. Cayenne turned four years old on June 17th, at least that’s our best guess. The youngest dog here, she occupies the bottom of our small pack. She’s the blond dog in the middle in the photo.
Jenny, Chase, Cayenne, and Bandit (Photo by L.S. Originals of Fridley, Minnesota)
Cay has come a very long way since I first heard about her litter four years ago. When I checked the Australian Cattle Dog Rescue, Inc. (ACDRI) hotline messages in July of 2007, I heard a message from a woman in Tennessee. Debbie Foster (an appropriate name!) of the Henderson County Humane Society was caring for a litter of seven very young puppies that had been rescued from the wilderness. They had apparently been dumped, with no mama dog around, and had been found by a local man, a recluse who had taken them to Debbie. She nursed the pups through an almost fatal bout of coccidia and contacted ACDRI for help finding them homes because she thought they were Australian Cattle Dog mixes.
I learned that Debbie and her family were the Henderson County Humane Society, doing as much as they could with very little. When ACDRI was unwilling to help, I worked with Debbie to find safe places for the puppies. One pup was adopted in Tennessee. In the fall of 2007, three went to Sue Cameron-Day of Meet the Pack ACD Rescue in Ontario and three of them came to Homeward Bound Rescue here in Minnesota. I thought my job was done. Little did I know that one of those puppies was going to choose me!
I followed the pups’ progress from afar. Months later, Katie of Homeward Bound asked me if I would foster “Zulu”. She was being fostered with a group of other dogs and was so intimidated at adoption events that it was hard to find her a home. She needed more human interaction and one-on-one time with a person. I had two dogs already and was very hesitant about bringing home another dog. I eventually agreed to foster Zulu if she got along with my other dogs. My schedule wouldn’t allow me to take her to all the adoption events, but Katie wasn’t concerned about that.
Puppy “Zulu”, a.k.a. Cayenne (photo courtesy of Debbie Foster)
Read more…
Posted on August 7th, 2011
Filed under: Adopted, Cayenne/ Zulu, Donations, General, News | 1 Comment »
----------------------------------------------------------------
Here’s one of my favorite classic posts, originally posted on July 20,2009:
Although it’s past my bedtime, I can’t let this night go by without remembering July 20th, 1969. I was almost 8 years old, a tomboy and a daddy’s girl. My how the time flies! I remember sitting with my sister in our jammies in front of the TV, waiting for Neil Armstrong to take that first step on the moon. They didn’t show everything live as they do today, but skipped back and forth between graphics simulations, shots of mission control in Houston, and eventually a fuzzy live shot or two.
This was a very exciting time for my father. As an engineer for Bendix Corporation, he had designed instruments for many spacecraft that, over time, had led to this very important mission. Indeed, he had designed instruments for the Apollo spacecraft as well. He had a personal interest in seeing Mr. Armstrong step onto the lunar surface. At the same time, it was a bittersweet moment for my dad. His own dad, who had always proclaimed that we would walk on the moon one day, had passed on two years earlier and wasn’t there physically to share the moment. My dad was missing his own dad that evening, and no doubt silently cursing the cigarettes that had killed him without mercy at the young age of 57.
This evening I heard a former astronaut on the radio describe the earth as appearing like a blue and white jewel from out in space. He said that the earth really shines–actually sparkles– like a jewel and stands out in a dark sky. I was reminded of the song “From a Distance”, written by Julie Gold and sung so beautifully by Nanci Griffith. If you haven’t heard it, please make an effort to listen to it.
Remembering July 20th, 1969, I feel very fortunate to have descended from my wise grandfather and father, to have inherited their sense of wonder and inventiveness. I encourage you to explore new territory, to reach for the stars, and to stay away from tobacco, lest it take you from this earth too soon. I’d like to think, though, that my grandfather was up there somewhere, watching that first step on the moon along with the rest of us. You were right Grandpa Tony, you were right.
Posted on July 20th, 2011
Filed under: General | No Comments »
----------------------------------------------------------------
June 2nd is the 5th Annual “Kindness for Kate” Day! In 2007, June 2nd was first declared “Kindness for Kate” Day in honor of 8 State Hurricane Kate. This year, on Wednesday, June 2nd, in honor of Kate, please do something to make the world a better place. Plant a flower. Say a prayer. Help somebody. Give hope to a homeless animal, or a homeless person. Perform an act of kindness. Collect your spare change and donate it to an animal rescue group or a food shelf. Appreciate someone’s efforts. Volunteer. Or come up with your own idea and post it here. Stick your neck out and do something new that you haven’t done before. Tell us about it. Let’s make June 2nd an awesome day!
Posted on May 31st, 2011
Filed under: General | No Comments »
----------------------------------------------------------------
The Not Without My Dog Resource & Record Book by Jenny Pavlovic was just announced a 2011 Next Generation Indie Book Awards Finalist in the “Animals/Pets” category and was also recently named a 2010 Foreword Magazine Book of the Year Awards Finalist and a 2011 National Indie Excellence Book Awards Finalist. It was previously named a U.S.A. Book News “Best Books 2010” Award Winner. The Not Without My Dog Resource & Record Book is Pavlovic’s second book, created as a response to her post-Katrina animal rescue experiences in Louisiana (more info at www.8StateKate.net).
Pavlovic’s first award-winning book, 8 State Hurricane Kate: The Journey and Legacy of a Katrina Cattle Dog, is the true story of a cattle dog rescued from a rooftop and the woman who wouldn’t give up on her. Pavlovic is also a contributing author of Dogs & the Women Who Love Them: Extraordinary True Stories of Loyalty, Healing, and Inspiration by Allen and Linda Anderson and A Book of Miracles: Inspiring True Stories of Healing, Gratitude, and Love, by Bernie Siegel (with Foreword by Deepak Chopra).
Posted on May 19th, 2011
Filed under: General | No Comments »
----------------------------------------------------------------
Sunday, May 8th… 11:00 am to noon CST:
Jenny Pavlovic will join host Cathy Menard on the Pet Connections Radio Show.
Click here to listen online from anywhere, or tune in to AM 950 KTNF in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area.
Learn about disaster preparedness for your pets and the story behind 8 State Hurricane Kate.
Come, sit, stay!
CALL-IN NUMBER: 952-946-6205
Jenny is the author of the award-winning 8 State Hurricane Kate: The Journey and Legacy of a Katrina Cattle Dog and the Not Without My Dog Resource & Record Book. Both books were inspired by Jenny’s post-Katrina animal rescue experience in Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina.
Posted on May 6th, 2011
Filed under: Calendar of Events, Events, General, News, We Recommend | No Comments »
----------------------------------------------------------------
