Teaching Guide to Expand on Valuable Life Lessons of Frankie the Walk 'N Roll Dog

We are very happy to announce the addition of our Teaching Guide to further expand on our Frankie the Walk 'N Roll Dog book series.

So how can Frankie help your students?

•successfully overcome challeges
•make positive choices
•be more compassionate
•understand the meaning and rewards of giving back

Our guide is designed for grades 2-5, though many of the activities can be tweaked to include younger or older students, as well.

To further enhance Frankie's lessons in a way that will have your students remembering Frankie for a long time to come, we suggest a visit with her in-person or via Skype. Frankie, our little Ambassador of Inspiration has proven in past visits to leave an everlasting, positive impact on students of all ages.

It is our hope and dream that Frankie's valuable life lessons will positively impact children around the world and instill in them that they can be the best they can be no matter what obstacles they face in life.

Get your copy of our free downloadable Teaching Guide now!

For more information on planning an in-person or Skype visit with Frankie please visit our website for free downlable e-books on planning a visit.

Oogy: The Dog Only a Family Could Love

I'm head over heels in love with Oogy and his inspirational spirit!  Oogy, I think you just ROCK!  My mom is going to read your book to me when it comes out in October.  Arf-a-roo!

Lemon the Duck Needs Our Help!

Thank you, Dr. Kim Bloomer of Animal Talk Naturally for posting Lemon and Laura's dire dilema. We have sent a letter off to Dr. Lusi with our thoughts and asking her to please reconsider. Now we ask that you, our readers help in the campaign and ask if you could please take a moment and send a letter to Dr. Lusi to ask that Lemon the Duck please remain in the classroom. He is truly doing a remarkable job and this would be such a shame if he was not allowed to continue his inspiring work.


From Laura, Mom to Lemon the Duck:

Dear Friends,

Recently I have been informed that Dr. Lusi, Superintendent of Portsmouth Schools, will no longer allow Lemon the Duck to be in my classroom. I am requesting your help in letting Dr. Lusi know how important Lemon has been to the children, the school, and their community. As you may already know, Lemon was hatched at Hathaway School in 2006 during a science project approved by the school department.

Because Lemon was born with a neurological disability I adopted her and she became a member of our class. She has also become a Professional Pet Assisted Therapy animal and has gone on to inspire many disabled children by her presence when visiting their classrooms and homes. Not only that she has helped children to understand handicapped individuals and how they can help them.

This year in my classroom, Lemon was awarded a Special Education Recognition Award from the Newport County Regional Special Education Advisory Committee. I think the Portsmouth School Department may not be aware of the value of Lemon’s full inclusion in the classroom and the school and I hope that you can apprise them of her contribution. Dr. Lusi is aware that Lemon’s message is valuable but may not be aware of the positive effects Lemon has had socially and emotionally to the students and may have in the future and for this reason I will be meeting with Dr. Lusi next week.

I encourage you to support me in this effort by writing a letter to Dr. Lusi. Her mailing address is: Dr. Lusi, Superintendent of Schools, Administration Building, 29 Middle Rd., Portsmouth, RI, 02871. She can also be reached by e-mail at lusis@portsmouthschoolsri.org. Your help will be greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,

Laura and Lemon

Happy Birthday to Frankie the Walk 'N Roll Dog!

Amazing Grace Equine Sanctuary Open House & Fundraising Event

My mom and I will be taking part in this wonderful fundraiser in our area.  If you can stop on by, we'd sure love to meet you!  Buggs the Painting Hourse will also be making a special appearance!

Saturday, August 21st, 2010

Noon-5:00pm

Food * Live Music * Pony Rides * Silent Auction * Jewelry * Arts & Crafts * Train Demonstrations

W4985 Cty. Road FF, Elkhart Lake, WI

http://www.amazinggraceequinesanctuary.com/

Top 10 Adoption Stories on Animal Planet

I want to give a big Woof to my friend Sparkles' for her story being chosen as one of the top 10 adoption stories by Animal Planet.  Sparkles' is quite special sharing the fire safety messagew ith her equally special mom and firefigther Dayna Hilton.

Story from Last Chance Highway, Animal Planet...

Sparkles was adopted by my family in 2003. She has been helping teach fire safety and has reached millions of children and their caregivers sharing the fire safety message. To date, Sparkles has helped save the lives of two children and their two families.  Click here to read the rest of her wonderful story!

The Dog Talk Show with Host Julie Forbes

Julie Forbes, Seattle's Dog behavior, training and nutrition specialist, as well as host of her own radio show, The Dog Talk Show will interview my mom, author Barbara Techel about life with me, a disabled dachshund. Hope you can join us! If you can't listen live, you can always check out the pawdcast at a later date!

When: Wednesday, August 18

Where: Your computer

Time: 4:00pm CST

Author Visit Via Skype or In-Person with Barbara Techel & Frankie the Walk 'N Roll Dog

Frankie the Walk 'N Roll Dog will uplift and inspire your students, teachers!

Frankie will instill in your students how to make positive choices, deal with adversity, give back to their community despite challenges and help them see differences in a positive way.


During our visit whether in person or via Skype Frankie will share her journey of how she could walk like a regular dog for the first six years of her life, how she became injured, was custom-fitted for a doggie wheelchair and persevered. Not once did Frankie feel sorry for herself and she will inspire your students to be the best and to never give up, no matter what.

Our typical half hour program includes:

•Introduction of Frankie the Walk 'N Roll Dog
•Frankie's story via Power Point
•Video (if via Skype) of Frankie rolling in her wheels, or demo in person
•Demo of how Frankie gets in and out of her doggie wheelchair with student participation
•Demo of physical therapy Frankie had with student participation
•Selected reading
•Q & A

Contact author, Barbara Techel and Frankie the Walk 'N Roll Dog for available dates and fees. For more information on our in-person visits, as well as Skype visits please visit our website and click on teacher tab.

There you will find a free down loadable ebook to help plan your visit whether via Skype or in-person.

We look forward to meeting you and your students soon!

Special note: If your school does not use Skype we are open to other types of video conferencing so don't hesitate to contact us.

Hundenruhe Haven-Sanctuary for Senior Dogs

Arf-a-roo everyone!  Today I share with you a post from my mom's blog.  I hope you will enjoy!

A few years ago I wrote an article about my friend Jodee and her husband. They run a wonderful sanctuary not too far from where I live.

Jodee and Tulip

I met Jodee when she used to sell home baked doggie treats at our local Farmer's Market to help raise money for their sanctuary. Always accompanying her were the two cutest terrier's, Olive and Baci. Frankie became fast friends with the dogs, and as dogs have a way of doing, it opened up a friendship between Jodee and me. I'll never forget visiting their sanctuary to interview her for her story. I was so impressed with the love and devotion she has for terrier's and senior dogs.

She no longer makes dog treats to sell at the market because of her job as a teacher, as well as running the sanctuary, so I'm always happy to see her when she visits the market. This past Saturday she came with a new friend. Let me introduce you to Ted E. Bear.

Sadly, Ted. E. Bear lived the first nine years of his life cooped up in a cage, only let out to breed. He also has no teeth and his little pink tongue hung out the side in the most endearing way. Jodee had him out to socialize him, so she asked if I would hold him. I thought she'd never ask!! As I held this sweet little bundle in my arms tears instantly sprang to my eyes. My heart was a whirl of emotions of immense sadness for what he had to endure, while at the same time such joy that he would now live out his life with Jodee, her husband Dan, and their loving brood of dogs.

I was also overwhelmed with gratitude for what Jodee and Dan do for these animals. They are quiet people, never looking for praise or attention, but just wanting to love these older dogs, who often times never get this love and are put to sleep if a home cannot be found for them.

Jodee and Dan do not run their sanctuary as a non-profit (as many know the paperwork and red tape can be too much to bear), but instead they pay out of their own pockets for food and medical care for at least 10 dogs at a time. They are always appreciative of any donations and have it set up on their blog that anyone can donate directly to their vet if that is more comfortable.

I know they would never want to be called hero's and I understand that- they are doing what they truly love and what they feel they were called here to do. Being with all these animals brings them more blessings than any title could provide. They do it because it is just who they are... so in my book I'm going to say they are very, very special people (I'd even say angels here on earth) and I just wanted to thank them publicly on my blog for all they do. God Bless You and all the animals of Hundenruhe!

Soup Kitchen for Pets

On behalf of Guideposts I share with you this wonderful story as a repost.

Germany has been one of Europe's strong economies, but things are changing for everyone. It began with the saddest story, as great ideas often do.


Claudia Hollm saw a TV show about a family who had to relinquish their dog because of economic hardship. The family simply did not have enough money to feed their beloved dog and with breaking hearts they relinquished him to a shelter where he died shortly thereafter of a broken heart after being so loved by this family for many years.

This pitiful story fired Claudia’s imagination and even though she holds down a full-time job, she managed to find the time to open a soup kitchen for pets including dogs, cats, rabbits and any other animals people had in their homes but were having trouble feeding. The organization, Tiertafel, (animal table), Berlin’s first soup kitchen for dogs, relies on donations and volunteers. "Making sure dogs don't gohungry is just as important as making sure that people don't starve," Claudia says.

In 2008, with 19 offices nationwide, Tiertafel has helped 4,028 customers to feed 6,291 pets on a regular basis. It’s quite a miracle when you think about this number of animals who will not wind up on the streets or in shelters. Not everyone is eligible for help. Claudia says, “People have to show us official documents to show they are on welfare or have very low wages before we help them. If we see someone who is already poor get a new pet we won’t support them. We’ve had situations where we had to refuse people because they took on new pets, despite having come to us for their original pets...we have one case of a woman in Frankfurt who is in her 80s. Her husband died years ago and she is in ill health. This lady is so happy to have the help. She says if her cats die then she too has no reason to live. The cats are her children and they are keeping her alive.”

Here's the link to read more of Tiertafel, the soup kitchen for pets:

http://www.guideposts.org/blogs/woof/tiertafel-soup-kitchen-animals?cid=SM_TW_GP
 

Talk 2 the Animals Radio Show- Join me and my Mom This Thursday!

Join me, and my mom, and guest Stan Kestrel on Talk 2 the Animals Radio Show with host Janet Roper, Animal Communicator this Thursday, August 5th at 1:00pm CST. Stan is host of the popular Blog Talk Radio show Messages From Our Animal Spirit Guides. He is also the owner of a gift shop in Northeastern Pennsylvania, Tilburys Knob Gifts. Barbara is an advocate for animals with disabilities, sharing the journey from her dachshund being diagnosed with Intervertebral Disc Disease to having her own custom-fitted doggie wheelchair.


Animal communicator, Janet Roper, is founder and President of Talk2theAnimals, a division of Harmonious LIfe, Inc., a Minnesota based company which provides online and offline services and information about animals and animal communication.

Janet Roper has communicated with animals all her life and in 2008 decided to make that her full time business. She is the founder and President of Talk2theAnimals, a division of Harmonious Life, Inc, based in Shorewood, Minnesota specializing in animal communication through individual sessions, TeleConferences and TeleParties.

In Case You Missed My Womans World Feature- Here it is!

So in case you missed reading about my story which was featured in issue #29 of Womans World in July here is a link to the story.  I hope you enjoy!  Arf!

August Pet Holidays to Celebrate

AUGUST


• Assistance Dog Week, Aug. 8-14

• International Homeless Animals Day, Aug. 20

• National Dog Day, Aug. 26