About Me

My photo
Barbara Techel is the author of the multi-award winning Frankie, the Walk ‘N Roll Dog book series. When her dachshund, Frankie, suffered a spinal injury, Barbara had her custom-fitted for a wheelchair. Frankie persevered, and Barbara realized the beautiful opportunity she had to share Frankie and give others hope and inspiration to be the best they can be. Along with sharing Frankie’s story with children, Barbara and Frankie routinely volunteer as a therapy dog team at a local hospital, senior assisted facility, and hospice community, spreading joy wherever they go.

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

WriterViews: How Barbara Techel & Her Dog, Frankie turned a Paralyzing Accident into a Positive Message

Howtowrite
Lauren Barnes of WriterViews recently, my award winning author mom, Barbara Techel via Skype and I got to be on the call with them!  What is so great is not only can you hear the interview but you get to see us! Oh what fun we had!  We love technology and being able to be interviewed right in our studio was such fun. You can also get a sneak peek at me as Lauren talks to my mom about her writing process, what inspires her, and her advice to other writer's.


Share/Save/Bookmark

Monday, June 27, 2011

Special Fundraiser Event with Frankie the Walk 'N Roll Dog to Help Dodgerslist

We are celebrating the launch of our new coloring and paper doll book plus all the wonderful work Dodgerslist continues to do to help pets diagnosed with Intervertebral Disc Disease (IVDD).

To celebrate we are donating 30% of Frankie the Walk 'N Roll Dog Coloring and Paper Doll Activity Book sales to Dodgerslist so that they can continue to educate the public and veterinarians that IVDD is not a death sentence and that there are many options for pets to live quality lives.

This event runs from June 27th through July 11th, 2011. What a wonderful way to teach children in your lives about facing their own challenges in a positive way, as well as helping a fantastic cause.

Get your copy (or stock up on several copies as holiday gifts) today at Joyful Paws!
(see flyer below for more details)



Share/Save/Bookmark

Special Needs Pet Feature of the Week: Peanut

Peanut Chillin'
What is your pets name?
Peanut

How old is your pet?
11yrs old

Where did you get your pet?
Several years ago we got a call from Ann, a vet tech from Dr. Roy’s Palm Beach Veterinary Specialists Clinic about a dachshund needing rescue because his owners were unable to finish his rehab because of health problems of their own. We were already fairly experienced with IVDD dogs, having experience with our Dahti & Chickie and unlimited help from people on the Dodgerslist forums.

What is your pets physical challenge?
IVDD, a disc disease common to dachshunds.

What is your pets favorite thing to do?
Sleep & Eat. Peanut is retired here at our house along with our two other IVDD dachshunds Dahti & Chickie. He enjoys going outside and just sitting in his favorite spot and just watching the world go by.

What is your pets favorite thing to eat?
Peanut can be a little bit picky, but loves his little treats of pieces of pumpernickel bread.
Top O' The Mornin To Ya'
What do you love most about your pet?
He is a happy-go-lucky little guy who has worked his way into our hearts.

What has your pet most taught you?
How to persevere. He doesn’t let his handicap get in his way.

Anything else you’d like to share?
When we got Peanut he was overweight, a little over 24lbs, way too much for a ‘tweenie’ dachshund. He was only two weeks post-op and still not able to use his back legs. We kept him on crate rest for another eight weeks, only allowed out to pee & poo and to get massage on his hind legs and hips. After the crate rest he began water therapy to strengthen his muscles. We also got his weight down to 18lbs. One day while drinking water he just stood up on his own! Peanut is never going to be 100%,he walks a little wobbly but sure can run when he wants to, especially when dinner is being served! 

 ***If you care for a special needs pet and would like your pet featured, please email me through my website contact. Send a photo and I will forward the questionnaire for your pet to be featured in an upcoming post.***


Share/Save/Bookmark

Friday, June 24, 2011

Enter to Win Frankie the Walk 'N Roll Dog Coloring & Paper Doll Book! Ends June 28th!

To celebrate our new book we are giving away two copies through Goodreads!  No purchase necessary, just hop on over to Goodreads and enter for a chance to win. Hurry!  Ends June 28th, 2011.


A PAWSitive Coloring and Paper Doll Activity Book

THREE BOOKS IN ONE!
It's a story book based on the award-winning book, Frankie the Walk 'N Roll Dog (shorter, condensed version), pages to color along to the story, plus real photos of Frankie, and to top it off, a Frankie Paper "Dog" complete with her wheelchair to cut out, along with many of her favorite outfits you can dress her in. 52 pages of fun and inspiration!



Share/Save/Bookmark

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Sparkles the Fire Safety Dog Memorial will Stream Live June 29th at 10:00am CST

One week from today, Sparkles' memorial service will be held at the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation Walk of Honor on the National Emergency Training in Emmitsburg, Maryland. The memorial service has taken over 7 months of planning and live streaming will begin at 11:00am ET, 10:00am CST, June 29th, http://www.sparklesthefiresafetydog.com/sparklesmemorialservice.html










Share/Save/Bookmark

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

WJ Niederkorn Library to Host Frankie the Walk 'N Roll Dog & Children's Author Barbara Techel


Legacystudioprof photofrankieandbarb

WHEN:  Thursday, June 23rd, 2011

WHERE:  WJ Niederkorn Library, 316 West Grand Avenue, Port Washington, WI

TIME:  1:30pm

WHAT:  Frankie was diagnosed with Intervertebral Disc Disease in 2006 after rupturing a disk in her back which caused paralysis. Hear her inspirational story of triumph and living life to the fullest in her doggie wheelchair. Interactive with participants helping demonstrate how Frankie gets out of her wheelchair and helping to do exercises with Frankie's back legs. Many giggles with slide presentation of fun photos of Frankie. Come meet the little dog dubbed as the "Ambassador of Inspiration" and star of her own award winning book series.  Half hour presentation will be followed by Q & A.  

Books will be avaialble for sale after presentation.

We hope to see you there!
Share/Save/Bookmark

Monday, June 20, 2011

Special Needs Pet Feature of the Week: Chickie

Chickie & FireHat Funny! (2)
What is your pets name?
Chickie

How old is your pet?
Approximately 13yrs old

Where did you get your pet?
We took her out of a bad situation after a friend called us about her needing rescue.


What is your pets physical challenge?
IVDD. Her back legs are paralyzed and she requires a cart to be mobile. Chickie does have bowel control but requires her bladder to be expressed several times a day and is diagnosed with chronic UTI which we monitor daily. Chickie did not always have IVDD, it came on her one day and even though she had surgery she never got the use of her hind legs again.

What is your pets favorite thing to do?
She loves to ‘boogie’, that is the code word we ask her if she wants to get in her cart and join the others.

What is your pets favorite thing to eat?
Anything & everything! We are talking about a dachshund!

What do you love most about your pet?
I can get her all set up in the chair with me and she starts to look around the room for one of her toys and I have to get them all one at a time until she decides which one she wants. It’s usually one of the last ones I bring. I often tell her she is ‘a ghra mo chroi’, which is Irish for ‘love of my heart’
Chickie the Rescue Dog. (2)
What has your pet most taught you?
Commitment. We knew we were going to do whatever we had to do to give Chickie a decent quality of life. We have also learned how intelligent they can be when worked with. Oh, also how to clean up poop.

Anything else you’d like to share?
Chickie actually named herself. When we first got her she would follow my wife around always wanting to be picked up and held. So one day BJ picked up Pepper and asked her if she was ‘my little chick-a-dee’? Well, she got all excited so BJ asked her again and the same reaction! So that name stuck and she has been Chickie ever since that day. Chickie is also one of many little ambassadors for Dodgerslist, a website and support group for people with pets that suffer from IVDD. We incorporate her cart into her costumes to bring attention to her disability and show that many handicapped pets can have a decent quality of life. Many people remember her and tell us they look forward to what costume she will be wearing each Halloween.
Chickie out for a Walk. (2)
Keep on rollin' Chickie!!
 ***If you care for a special needs pet and would like your pet featured, please email me through my website contact. Send a photo and I will forward the questionnaire for your pet to be featured in an upcoming post.***


Share/Save/Bookmark

Thursday, June 16, 2011

For the Love of Dachshunds

Thank you to our friend, Vicki, for sending me this very touching article, Dachshund not short on love in the San Francisco Chronicle about a dachshund named Frank.
Dd-pet15_ph_0503590137_part6 


Share/Save/Bookmark

Monday, June 13, 2011

Special Needs Pet Feature of the Week: Mira Bella

Mira 1
What is your pets name? 
Mira Bella

How old is your pet? 
6 years

Where did you get your pet? 
I had a friend on a dachshund site that posted that she has made contact with an old high school friend in the New Orleans area, and that person had a “piebald” dachshund that she was going to have put to sleep because she couldn’t walk.
After much thought I decided that I would take the dog and rehab her so she would not have to be destroyed.  When I finally saw pictures of her I realized immediately that she was a Double Dapple.  Then kind of as an afterthought her old owner mentioned that she was also deaf.  At that point it didn’t matter anyhow so I flew to New Orleans and brought her home to Montana with me. 
I took her to my vet and after X-rays found out she was paralyzed due to blunt trauma or some kind of crushing force to her spine.    Since I am a certified canine massage therapist I began a rigorous rehab program with her as she had been down for so long that she was way beyond the point that surgery could help. 
She now can walk albeit wobbly.  In the cold months she has some mobility issues and so we continue her rehab therapies as she needs them.

What is your pets physical challenge? 
Mira is incontinent, deaf, and partially blind on top of her back issues.

What is your pets favorite thing to do? 
Mira is a real cuddly snuggler, and she loves to run, romp and play with my other dogs.  My favorite thing Mira does is what we call going psycho dog, when I vacuum the house the sound doesn’t bother her at all of course but I think she can feel the vibration because she will race around as fast as she can and then grab the closest stuffy toy she can and give it the old doxie death shake.
Mira 2
What is your pets favorite thing to eat? 
Mira is a real cheese hound.  If I go anywhere near the fridge she is right there hoping for a slice.

What do you love most about your pet? 
I love Mira’s dedication, and her ability to love in spite of the abuse she suffered before she came to me.

What has your pet most taught you? 
You can’t keep a good dog down.  Her tenacity and determination to walk and be able to chase around and play with my dogs is amazing.  I think much like most dogs Mira has no idea she has any handicaps and is just as active and playful as the rest of my gang.

Anything else you’d like to share? 
Mira has been an inspiration to many in this area, and the funny thing is with the work I did with her I ended up becoming something of a downed doxie referral person with my vet.  Thanks to Mira and her story no less than 6 doxies have been spared euthanasia after the dogs parents met her and heard her story.
Mira1 (2)
***If you care for a special needs pet and would like your pet featured, please email me through my website contact. Send a photo and I will forward the questionnaire for your pet to be featured in an upcoming post.***


Share/Save/Bookmark

Friday, June 10, 2011

Last Chance to Order at INTRO PRICE: NEW Frankie the Walk 'N Roll Dog Coloring and Paper Doll Activity Book!


Be the first to order your copy!

Frankie the Walk 'N Roll Dog
A PAWSitive Coloring and Paper Doll Activity Book

THREE BOOKS IN ONE!
It's a story book based on the award-winning book, Frankie the Walk 'N Roll Dog (shorter, condensed version perfect for younger children), pages to color along to the story, plus real photos of Frankie, and to top it off, a Frankie Paper "Dog" complete with her wheelchair to cut out, along with many of her favorite outfits you can dress her in. 52 pages of fun and inspiration!

SPECIAL INTRODUCTORY PRICE $7.95 
(price good thru June 16th and will then go up to $9.95)

Will ship on or around June 17th, 2011.

As always, a portion of all Frankie product sales donated to various charities and organizations that care for animals with disabilities.


Share/Save/Bookmark

Monday, June 6, 2011

Special Needs Pet Feature of the Week: Truffles

07-20-08  Truffles
What is your pets name?  
Tresa-Dee  "Truffles"

How old is your pet?   
Will be 14 yrs. old  May 3rd

Where did you get your pet?  
Thru DRNA rescue, as 'Truffles' was being taken to the vet for euthanasia b/c of spinal issues, & the young boy in the family spoke up abt. this.   Fortunately woman knew abt. rescue & referred the family to DRNA.   She was my foster dog, but I 'failed'  fostering 101, & adopted her--- making her a member of my family!

What is your pets physical challenge? 
Disk problems, of which so severe surgery not recommended.

What is your pets favorite thing to do? 
Be w/ her mommy--me!!   LOVES people, All animals, SUNBATHING!!!  She is just a good all around dog!!  Loves to go w/ her mommy! 

What is your pets favorite thing to eat?  
Truffles loves her dog food, but human food--- beef & chicken, are always great!!

What do you love most about your pet? 
Her sweet, sweet personality!   And her total willingness to embrace all.. 

What has your pet most taught you?  
Not to 'judge' by the exterior.

Anything else you’d like to share? 
Truffles is my 'heart & soul' dog.  We communicate (the 2 of us) without spoken words.  
-------------------------------
***If you care for a special needs pet and would like your pet featured, please email me through my website contact. Send a photo and I will forward the questionnaire for your pet to be featured in an upcoming post.***

Share/Save/Bookmark

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Frankie the Walk 'N Roll Dog Interviews Author Barbara Techel (Part 2)

This is part two of my interview with children's book author, Barbara Techel (hint: She is my mom!)
Click here if you missed part 1.
Interview frankie photo 2 
What is your favorite thing about being an author?
Very good question, Frankie!  I think you pay attention when we visit schools and children ask questions, because this is one that I get asked now and then.  Good dog, Frankie. Good dog.

There is so much I like about being an author. It is hard to pick just one thing.  But, one thing I really like is knowing that the stories I have written about you are out in the world, making a difference.  I may not always hear that they are, but I believe and feel in my heart that your story is helping others. 

Another thing I like is all the children you and I have met visiting schools and libraries, as well as when we do Skype visits.  I never get tired of telling your story and watching the smiles and curiosity on children’s faces, as well as their endless questions about you, and their accepting and sweet love for you.  We have met some pretty special children, and this makes me feel so very blessed.  I’m so excited for your story about Jackson, a little boy with a form of cerebral palsy, and your special friendship with him that will be coming out this fall in a book from New World Library, Animals and the Kids Who Love Them.  In that story, I grew as a writer and felt so good for it.  You see, my little one, I always felt so different and strange that I never had the urge to want children of my own.  I felt like something was very wrong with me.  But I realized in so many of the children we have met and what we do now sharing your story with them, that this was what God meant for my life.  Jackson is one of those special children that helped me to see that even if I don’t have children of my own, I can still nurture and mentor others.   Being able to share that I felt odd through the story I wrote about you and Jackson for Animals and the Kids Who Love Them and not being afraid to do so, opened me up even more, and helped me see that this was the path I was meant to take… writing your books, and all the visits we have done, and all the children we have met gave me the courage, as an author, to share something that was very personal for me.  But I believe by doing so, it will help others… and that is one of the best things about being an author… helping others see things in a new way, or not feel bad about who they are.

I remember a little boy at Brooklyn Elementary School asking you what you’d rather have, a Frankie that walked or one that did not- can you share with the readers your answer?
That was a powerful moment, wasn’t it, Frankie?  I told him that, of course, I wish you could walk normally on your own again.  But I also told him that I would not trade one moment with you as a dog in a wheelchair, and all that I have learned, and the many, many blessings that have come into my life because of you.  I also told him that someday when you are no longer here (which I pray is many years away!) that I would love another special needs dog.

Moments like those are so special as it reminds me of the power of sharing your story Frankie, and how glad I am that I wrote the books I have about you.  It is my hope that by educating our younger generation that more animals with special needs will be given a chance.

I know you think I am pretty special (flashing my fawn like eyes as I say that)… But what do you want most for people to know about special needs pets?

I think what I want them most to know is that they really are not any different than other animals.  Yes, they may require different or special care, but all they want is to love and be loved.  Just like humans do.  Too often I think others take pity on animals with disabilities and it’s not that they perhaps think they are “less than” it’s just that some perceive this as imperfect or sad.  But nothing in this world is perfect.  

I still recall vividly two months after your diagnoses and the fact your back legs showed no signs of improvement and how the reality set in that it was likely you would not walk on your own again- I began to feel sorry for you and me.  But I realized one day that this was not going to solve anything, but only make things worse and harder to bear.  I could feel sorry for you the rest of your life, but how would that have helped either of us thrive?  We have to find the good in each situation and work with that- because there is no perfect, no matter what your situation.
I think in our efforts to be perfect, and to have perfect pets and perfect children we miss out on the real value of life and all it has to teach us. 

Each morning when I get out your doggie stroller and we go for our walk, I find myself so in love with watching you see the world… you don’t care that you can’t physically do it yourself- you are still being you- being a dog- watching every bird, squirrel, butterfly, and bunny with intent, and curiosity.  Your ears fly in the wind, your nose lifts to the sky, and your eyes close half way as you soak in all the sweetness of a new day.  You may have “special needs” but it is not what I see when I observe you in moments like this… what I see is that animals really do get what life is about, and the more I see of it, the more I want of it too…. And how I would have likely missed out on all this, if it were not for you, Frankie, my little love dog on wheels.

Share/Save/Bookmark