Holly Sizemore, Chief Mission Officer for Best Friends will join Jon & Talkin' Pets 1/16/21 at 5pm ET to discuss their animal sanctuary

Holly Sizemore, Chief Mission Officer

Holly Sizemore entered the animal welfare world in 1991 when she discovered a colony of community cats eating near a restaurant dumpster. The experience inspired her to co-found the first trap-neuter-return (TNR) organization in Utah (Community Animal Welfare Society, located in Salt Lake City) and she co-led that organization as a volunteer for more than 10 years.

In 2000, Holly joined No More Homeless Pets in Utah and served the organization in a variety of roles, ending with Executive Director from 2007 to 2010. While at No More Homeless Pets in Utah, she created and implemented some of the first comprehensive, targeted community cat public-private partnerships with Utah shelters. During her tenure, more than 100,000 lives were saved across the state in Utah shelters, thanks to the efforts of No More Homeless Pets in Utah and its many partners.

In 2010, Holly took a national role at Best Friends and has provided leadership support and stewarded growth in these areas: animal care at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, the Best Friends Network, community cat programs, and puppy mill, cat and pit bull initiatives. In her current role as Chief Mission Officer, Holly oversees the areas of national programs, national no-kill advancement, and legislative and advocacy efforts. A member of Best Friends’ senior leadership team, she feels very lucky to be able to work with the teams at Best Friends who are dedicated to scaling up and sustaining the programs that will help create a no-kill country by 2025.

Holly’s leadership has focused on growing and improving upon many of the early innovative no-kill programs and tactics implemented throughout Utah, including comprehensive shelter-focused community cat programs, large-scale adoption events, targeted spay/neuter, open adoption policies, community collaboration, data analysis efforts to steer lifesaving, legislative reform, widespread marketing and awareness efforts, effective change and conflict management strategies, and public-private partnerships that involve working side-by-side with shelter partners. The shelter-focused community cat programs have evolved into one of the most effective, efficient and transformational tools in a community’s journey toward no-kill, and Holly is most proud of seeing how use of this model is growing exponentially throughout the U.S.

Holly holds a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from the University of Utah and a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Washington. She and her husband share their home with a few former community cats and one adopted dog. Holly believes that we will achieve our common goal of achieving no-kill nationwide by 2025 through the right balance of warrior resolve, patient persistence and true collaboration.

The Best Cities for Pets from Rent.com

The Best Cities for Pets

As of 2020, 68 million people are living with pets. With more pet ownership happening across the country, finding the best cities for pets could help you live more comfortably. The best cities for pets provide pet-friendly apartments, as well as plenty of amenities, such as off-leash parks, hiking spots, veterinary hospitals, and doggie daycares.

Rent.com searched for the best cities for pets analyzing the percentage of apartments in their database that were pet-friendly and allowed dogs or cats. They also looked at the average cost of veterinarian services in large metro areas with populations above 100,000 and the number of pet-related businesses and parks per capita.

Here is their ranking of the best cities for pets in the U.S.:

10. Davie, FL

9. Vacaville, CA

8. Naperville, IL

7. Arvada, CO

6. Scottsdale, AZ

5. Tyler, TX

4. Boulder, CO

3. Ann Arbor, MI

2. Charleston, SC

1. Greeley, CO

Here's what you need to know to find the best find a pet-friendly apartment for your needs.

Search for pet-friendly amenities

Newer apartment buildings come with all sorts of amenities, beyond a pool and fitness center. Pet-friendly apartments will have on-site dog parks, washing stations and even pet daycare.

Get renters insurance

You may have heard why it's important to get renters insurance. Consider buying it for the year if you're ready to move to a new apartment with your pet. It could show your new landlord that you're responsible and are covered in case your pet causes any damage to the unit.

Get a recommendation

Ask your former landlord to write a letter of recommendation, highlighting your dog's behavior and the condition of your previous apartment. You may want to include other types of documentation such as obedience school documents, pet sitters who took care of your dog and/or a former neighbor.

Pay a pet deposit

This topic will inevitably come up in your apartment search. Most apartment buildings will require a pet deposit, which is generally a few hundred dollars.

Take photos of your apartment before you move in

Be sure to take photos of your apartment before you move in. This could serve to prove that your pet didn't ruin the unit but can also be shown to future landlords to state your case that your dog is well behaved and get your security deposit back.

AKC MUSEUM OF THE DOG TO HOST VIRTUAL NIGHT WITH THE MUSEUM

New York, NY - The AKC Museum of the Dog is excited to announce “Virtual Night with the Museum,” a livestream virtual gala honoring the Museum’s longtime friend, supporter and board member Ronald H. Menaker on Friday, February 12 between 8pm -9pm.

For almost three decades, the Theatre Benefit for the Museum has been Menaker’s passion project and the Museum hopes to continue the tradition virtually with a night of celebrating and showcasing our love of dogs and the Museum’s impact on the community.

Mr. Menaker first served on the AKC Board from 1996 to 1998. Elected again in 2000, he became Vice Chairman in 2001 and served as Chairman since March 2002 until April 2019. He has been actively involved in the sport of purebred dogs for more than 40 years and has contributed to it greatly through his work with fundraising, particularly hosting the annual Theater Benefit.

The Theater Benefit has fundraised thousands of dollars for AKC affiliates such as the Humane Fund and now more recently, the AKC Museum of the Dog. In addition to hosting the Theater Benefit, Ron has also donated several pieces of artwork to the Museum, including At the Garden Gate by Matilda Lotz, Portrait of Bea Godsol by John Dwight and The Intruder by Arthur Wardle.

Open to the general public, the virtual gala will include remarks from Museum Executive Director Alan Fausel, testimonials from community members on the Museum’s impact and a silent auction. Individuals also can become an Event Sponsor. With a gift of $1,000 or more, participants can become a Bronze, Silver, Gold, or Platinum Level Sponsor. Sponsors at levels Silver and above will receive a medallion on our Capital Campaign Wall. Supporters at all sponsor levels will receive recognition on the MOD Donor Wall in the Museum, in pre- and post- show content, and a dedicated space on our giving center within the sponsor level and mentions throughout the live event.

In addition to sponsorship, guests will also be able to bid in a live auction during the event for a chance to take home fabulous prizes in support of the Museum. Those who prefer to give directly can do so through the Museumofthedog.org website on the Night with the Museum Fundraising page.

Parent club members are encouraged to participate in the livestream event through Champions for Our Cause, a competition open to AKC clubs encouraging giving together as a team. The highest total amongst club teams will earn recognition on our AKC Clubs Wall of Fame. This dedicated space in the Museum will feature a plaque with the club’s name on it, to honor the club’s legacy and lasting support of the Museum.

“At the Museum of the Dog, we want to take this opportunity to honor Ron Menaker as being an integral part of the museum’s development and sustained success,” said Alan Fausel, Executive Director of the Museum. “He has been the glue that has held our institution together, and we wish to follow his example as we work towards a brighter and stronger 2021 for all museum visitors.”

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About the AKC Museum of the Dog

Founded in 1982, The AKC Museum of the Dog is dedicated to the collection, preservation, exhibition, and interpretation of the art, artifacts and literature of the dog for the purposes of education, historical perspective, aesthetic enjoyment and to enhance the appreciation for and knowledge of the significance of the dog and the human/canine relationship. The museum is home to over 700 original paintings, drawings, watercolors, prints, sculptures, bronzes, and porcelain figurines, a variety of decorative arts objects and interactive displays depicting man's best friend throughout the ages. The AKC Museum of the Dog is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization funded mainly by private and corporate gift donations.

For more information on the AKC Museum of the Dog visit www.Museumofthedog.org

Get social! Follow the AKC Museum of the Dog on Facebook at @akcmuseumofthedog, Twitter at @akcMOD and Instagram at @museumofthedog.

Cindy -Lou Thompson author of A Masterclass in Needle Felting Dogs will join Jon & Talkin' Pets 11/14/20 at 5pm ET to discuss and give away her book

ABOUT THE BOOK

The art of needle felting dogs can produce amazingly hyper-realistic – almost taxidermic – results, and with a little know-how, some needles and wool, and a few inexpensive accessories, you, too, can needle felt like a professional.

If you have ever wanted to improve your needle felting and take it to a whole new level to create lifelike dogs, this book, by world class needle felting master Cindy-Lou Thompson of Chicktin Creations, will show you how.

Covering four different breeds of dog (Dachshund, Chihuahua, Yorkshire Terrier and Poodle), with step-by-step instructions and photos, Cindy takes you through the processes of creating different body shapes, proportions, armatures, coats, and blending, as well as realistic accessories such as eyes, noses, mouths, ears, and nails.

Learn how to achieve a professional finish with different textured coats, clipping and shaping, and finishing off, using a variety of mediums and methods, some of which Cindy has designed and developed herself, and never revealed ... until now.

A Masterclass in needle felting dogs by Cindy-Lou Thompson

ISBN: 9781787113831

UPC: 6-36847-01383-7

AVAILABLE NOW!

£14.99(UK), $17.99(US), 23.99(CAN)

BULLET POINTS

• Step-by-step instructions showing how to create your own needle felted masterpiece

• Includes never before seen techniques from a master of needle felting

• Make your own hyper-realistic needle felted dog

• Create a lasting tribute to your own beloved dog

• Focusing on four breeds of dog and different methods of creation

• Learn Chicktin Creations’ own secrets of needle felting

• An essential book for any needle felter of animals

• Create four different highly realistic dogs, from start to finish

• A needle felting master class in the comfort of your own home

• Now you can learn the secrets of needle felting realistic dogs

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Cindy was raised by her grandmother, who had a very successful business boarding, training & breeding dogs. Cindy drew on this experience during her working life, training security dogs in Barbados, and later as a dog warden in the UK.

Her childhood hobby of making pipe-cleaner dogs, and her talent for art and crafts, became the basis of her creative work today. Serious illness and sepsis prompted the start of Cindy's needle felting journey: needing something to occupy her during a slow recovery, self-taught Cindy has become world class in this addictive craft, naturally specialising in breeds of dog.

Place of birth: St Neots, HUNTINGDON • Hometown: EAST KIRKBY • Nearest city: Lincoln

SPECIFICATION

HH5383 • Paperback • 25x17.6cm • £14.99 • 128 pages • 339 colour pictures • ISBN: 978-1-787113-83-1 • UPC: 6-36847-01383-7

Talkin' Pets News

November 7, 2020

Host - Jon Patch

Co-Host - Jasmine the Dog Trainer - Tampa Bay, Florida

Producer - Kayla Cavanaugh

Network Producer - Darian Sims

Social Media - Bob Page

Special Guest - Robert Duffy compiled and edited An Essential guide to Britain's 20 most popular breeds, Which Dog? and he will join Jon and Talkin' Pets to discuss and give away the book

Talkin' Pets will be giving away 2021 calendars for the next 2 months compliments of our friends at Workman Publishing Listen, Laugh, Learn and Win on Talkin' Pets

About Workman Publishing

Workman is a fiercely independent publisher of nonfiction books as well as a significant line of calendars. Our books for adults and children are quirky, definitive, unexpected, useful, funny, handsome, well-crafted, and commercial. Our books are written by authors who are knowledgeable and passionate about their subjects. Our books improve lives.

Founded by Peter Workman in 1968, with the publication of Yoga 28 Day Exercise Plan –a book that is still in print nearly 50 years later—Workman has earned a reputation as a creator of brands: What to Expect® When You’re Expecting, Brain Quest®, Barbecue! Bible®, Younger Next Year®, Boynton on Board, and, more recently, 1,000 Places to See Before You Die®, Unlikely Friendships®, Indestructibles®, Scanimation®, Photicular®, the Big Fat Notebook™ series, and Paint by Sticker™, to name a few. Workman also launched an industry: It is no exaggeration to say that there was no calendar business before Workman invented the Page-A-Day® format.

Having published books in bottles and potato chip bags; books with wheels and with chalkboards attached; books with trains running through them; books that come with stickers, balls, washi tape, and more, Workman is recognized for its innovative packaging. Workman is also known for giving each of its authors full editorial, design, production, marketing, sales, and publicity support for the life of a book, and for bringing an intensive and creative sales and marketing focus to both its front list and its deep, active backlist.

The publisher of iconic books like B. Kliban’s Cat, The Official Preppy Handbook, The Silver Palate Cookbook, and Gallop!, Workman is proud of its history and always excited about its future.

Happy Halloween Talkin' Pets will be giving away copies of "How To Hold Animals" a book by Toshimitsu Matsuhashi on 10/31/20 from 5-8pm ET

On November 3, Scribner will publish a unique and irresistible guide to properly holding dozens of our favorite animals: HOW TO HOLD ANIMALS by Toshimitsu Matsuhashi.

Originally published in Japan, HOW TO HOLD ANIMALS presents advice from four wildlife experts—a veterinarian, a pet store owner, a nature photographer, and a reptile handler—about how to pick up and hold more than thirty species using techniques that are safe for both animals and humans.

How to Hold Animals

Chock full of fascinating animal facts, tips, and warnings, interviews with the experts, and color photos on every page, HOW TO HOLD ANIMALS will amuse and inform animal lovers of all stripes, while encouraging readers to connect with nature hands on (and responsibly). Learn how to hold animals great and small, furry, scaly, and feathery, including snails, chipmunks, chickens, chinchillas, lizards, beetles, owls, grasshoppers, mice, and many, many more (Yes, spiders and snakes, too). This book contains all the excitement and information of a nature documentary, and reading it is the perfect reminder of the wonders to be found in the wild world around us.

Monkey’s House a Dog Hospice & Sanctuary is truly Where Dogs Go To Live! Author Jeff Allen will join Jon and Talkin' Pets 10/24/20 at 5pm ET to discuss and give away his new book

Uplift Your Spirits with a Visit to a Unique and Inspiring Dog Rescue.

Monkey’s House a Dog Hospice & Sanctuary is truly Where Dogs Go To Live!

Southampton, NJ October 22 - How sad it would have been had Cole disappeared into that dark room in the back of the shelter, alone and frightened, as if he never existed. This is often the fate of dogs afflicted with medical issues. Cole, a senior dog with cancer, was discarded by his owner, much like throwing away an old pair of shoes. Michele and Jeff Allen said enough is enough and started a dog hospice and celebrate the beauty each dog has to offer. They have welcomed over 100 hospice dogs into their home, thankfully Cole was one of those dogs that experienced the final chapter of his life filled with dignity and love.

Their new book Where Dogs Go To Live!: Inspiring Stories of Hospice Dogs Living in the Moment highlights many of the dogs that have called Monkey’s House home. Share in their journeys, laugh at their crazy antics, and shed a few tears while witnessing miracles of transformation. Rejoice along with these dogs, knowing they experienced the greatest gift of all, the healing power of love.

The book is quickly becoming a dog lovers favorite, an Amazon Best Seller has compiled 5 Star reviews and endorsements.

“The stories in this book will deeply touch your heart…” - Jack Canfield, Coauthor of Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover’s Soul

“An inspiring and heart-warming book that needs to be read by every dog lover.” - Rodney Habib, Founder Planet Paws

“Monkey’s House captures the few remaining moments of terminal dogs’ lives and makes each day magical for them.” - Karen Shaw Becker, Wellness Veterinarian

A portion of the proceeds benefit their non-profit and can be purchased at all book store as well as on Amazon: https://lnkd.in/gah8j4M

Jeff Allen is the cofounder of Monkey’s House a Dog Hospice & Sanctuary, est. 2015. He leads a duel life helping people and dogs alike as a manager in Human Resources at a pharmaceutical company and by running Monkey’s House (www.monkeyshouse.org) with his wife, Michele Allen, member of the International Association for Animal Hospice and Palliative Care, and a 2017 CNN Hero recipient. Their sanctuary has been recognized for its outstanding work saving and caring for hospice dogs and was awarded Rescue of the Year in 2017 by World Dog Expo. Living a life among twenty-five hospice dogs has given them experience and hands-on knowledge you can’t find in a book. He and Michele live in Southern New Jersey with their pack of furry kids.

Dan Schachner - Pet Advocate and Puppy Bowl 'Ruff"-eree will Join Jon and Talkin' Pets to discuss Awareness For Adoption this National Make A Dog's Day presented by Subaru

HOW TO DO SOMETHING SPECIAL FOR YOUR DOG AND CREATE AWARENESS FOR ADOPTION THIS NATIONAL MAKE A DOG’S DAY

Pet Advocate on Bringing Awareness to the Last-to-Adopt Shelter Dogs

Dan Schachner, Pet Advocate and Puppy Bowl ‘Ruff’-eree

BACKGROUND:

National Make A Dog's Day is celebrated on October 22^nd and is a nationwide effort established by Subaru to help the last-to-adopt shelter dogs find loving homes. On this day, pet owners are encouraged to do something special for their pups and share their happy dog in social posts using #MakeADogsDay. How will you celebrate with your dog?

DAN’S TIPS FOR RECOGNIZING ‘MAKE A DOG’S DAY’ INCLUDE:

· CHAMPION SPECIAL NEEDS DOGS: Recognize special needs dogs, specifically senior dogs, amputees, visually and hearing-impaired dogs, and dogs with physical challenges, by adopting or fostering one of these special pets!

· VOLUNTEER LOCALLY: Spend the day donating your time at a local shelter and spreading the word about the joy of adopting a dog.

· SUPPORT AN ADOPTION-FRIENDLY RETAILER: Subaru and its participating retailers will hold socially distanced in-person and/or virtual adoption events, and donate $100 dollars for every pet adopted this month to 543 local partner shelters across the country.

· HAVE FUN WITH YOUR DOG: Don’t forget to spoil your pup by taking them to their favorite park, indulging them with a special treat or a puppy spa day!

For more information, please visit: www.subaru.com/pets

MORE ABOUT DAN SCHACHNER:

Dan Schachner has been the Puppybowl Referee and spokesperson for the past 10 years. Yes, the Ref has been pooped-on, jumped-on, and peed-on while on the job. While pups may not fully respect his authority on the field humans respect his authority as master of dog trivia. Dan’s appeared on the Today Show to quiz Hoda on her canine knowledge, and every week he produces and hosts “PUP QUIZ," a trivia + dog celebration event (in partnership NYC’s dog-friendly cafe “Boris and Horton”) with all proceeds going to animal rescue. A long-time advocate for dog rescue and fostering, Dan continues to provide a stop for pups who are crowded out of the shelters and in need of a forever home. Dan was named an ambassador for The Sato Project, which rescues abandoned dogs in Puerto Rico, and works with countless other rescue groups around the country and continues to raise money for their benefit. In 2018 Dan was awarded the prestigious “Animal Welfare Hero” award from the Baltimore Humane Society. An expert in pet safety, Dan has partnered in the past with numerous companies to promote pet adoption and safe pet travel.

Jocelyn Kessler of Being-Animal will join Jon and Talkin' Pets 10/17/20 at 5pm ET to discuss her mission and challenge to redefine the relationship between animals and humans

From an early age, Jocelyn became aware of a universal energy that flows between all living things. She sensed an emotional spectrum on par with humans in the dogs and horses she grew up with as an only child in Port Washington, New York. There was a channel of communication between animals and humans that was waiting to be unlocked. At a young age, she discovered that her gift of deciphering this energy was also the key to understanding who we are as human beings and the deep commonalities we share with our animal counterparts.

Now living in Denver, Colorado, Jocelyn works as an energetic counselor, strengthening the connection of individuals to their animal companions all over the country. Her book, The Secret Language of Dogs: Stories From a Dog Psychic, offers enlightenment on how to improve the flow of communication between you and your pet.

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