Interesting and Unusual Holiday Gifts for Animal Lovers.

I thought that since we are coming up on the holiday gift giving season, I would try to alert everyone to unique gift items that I come across that not only would be very appreciated by any animal lovers in your life, but would also give back to various charitable rescue organizations. Not only do you give a great gift, but you also support rescue work. It is a winning situation for everyone.

The first place I’d like to direct everyone to is the Dogs Deserve Better web site. They have a ton of cool and very uplifting items for sale that help them promote their work of getting dogs off of chains and into homes. I had a very nice email from Dawn Ashby who is the Illinois rep for the group. She had read the story I posted about Squanto, the chained deaf dog who was killed when he was run over by a grain semi. She thought many of us might be interested in Dogs Deserve Better’s new book, Unchain My Heart, Dogs Deserve Better Rescue Stories of Courage, Compassion, and Caring. The book is edited by DDB Founder Tamara Ci Thayne and Dawn. It is made up of happy endings–all the joyous rescue stories DDB has been able to help with. I have already ordered my copy, which I will pass along to our area library when I have finished reading it. And I also bought one for my friend who helped me try to save Squanto’s life.

To order your copy go to: http://www.dogsdeservebetter.org/unchainmyheart.html

Besides this wonderful book, the site also offers other lovely stuff for those involved in rescue work, such as the “Release Your Joy This Holiday Season” greeting cards (I used this image in the story about Squanto) and Rescue Angel Temporary Tattoos.

To order the tattoos: http://www.dogsdeservebetter.org/rescuetemptattoos.html

Or the greeting cards: http://www.dogsdeservebetter.org/rescuetemptattoos.html

There are lots of other great gift items in the Dogs Deserve Better store, including shirts, hats, and children’s books that we know the dog lovers (and cat lovers) in your life will enjoy. And your purchases will help this group continue their important work.

To see everything in the store, including one of my very favorite children’s books, Buddy Unchained, the story of a chained dog who finally gets to experience life in a home, go to: http://www.dogsdeservebetter.org/store.html