Brummet's Conscious Blog

Today marks a very special week-long event...  Animal Shelter Appreciation Week This is a great time for the community to recognize and celebrate local pet and wildlife rescue centres, animal shelters, pet adoption outlets, wildlife reserves and yes... even the by-law officer who has to deal with stray and abandoned animals too. All of the individuals who work and volunteer in these arenas should be celebrated, and thanked today! Send some flowers to the volunteers, to someone you know who is passionate about animal rescue and rehabilitation, to the workers in related industry. Send some donuts or home baked cookies instead. Drop in and deliver some supplies they may need. Donate to their fundraisers or visit their site to give a cash notation. Write a thank-you note to the various outlets in your area. Have your kids make up some cards for them. There are plenty of things we can all do... and often, their websites will have a list of things they desperately need that you m...

-- Health Benefits of Pets --   * Today's article was written by Genie Fletcher Pets are not just entertaining companions. They can also contribute to better health. Owning one involves a number of activities and natural processes that affect the physical, mental and social health in their human owners.  Here are just a few of the known health benefits: 1 - Lowers Blood Pressure Multiple studies indicate that petting an animal can lower blood pressure. This reaction can have significant implications for people with high blood pressure. Having a pet, along with appropriate medication, can provide sufficient blood pressure lowering effects to protect them from heart disease and stroke. 2 - Pets Are Social Magnets Pets are magnets for social interaction. They are natural conversation starters and can be a shared interest between animal lovers. This easy ability to make new friends can help both your mental and physical health. It can even i...

-- Quote of the Day --  “If cats could talk, they wouldn't.”  ~ Nan Porter  -- Pet Names --  *Part 1 of a  series of posts offering suggested pet names.  I came across these names while reading a book about ancient goddesses from around the world. I thought these names would work nicely for pets... you are welcome to use them if you like :) Which ones do you like the best?  Ayla (A-ee-lah) Adecina (add-ess-een-a) Sirona Aevel (aye-vell) Belisama (bell-iss-ah-mah) Saber (say-burr) Shibumi (shi-boom-ee) Halia  Kama  Hanai (hann-aye) Habia Lalita (lah-lee-tah) Daksha (dack-shaw) Chandra Nerthus (nerr-thus) Freyja (fray-ya) Find Dave and Lillian Brummet, excerpts from their books, their radio program, blog, and more at: http://brummet.ca * Support the Brummets by telling your friends, clicking those social networking buttons, or visiting the Brummet's Store - and help rais...

* Yesterday I posted an article written about a beloved dog we miss to this day - and I thought it would be interesting to share some brief articles here about the 3 dogs and 1 cat that have shared our home since that fateful day some 7 or 8 years ago. Onyx   * Written by Dave Brummet in 2009 Onyx, a two year old Border Collie/Chocolate Lab cross, rescued by the SPCA, had been abused most of his life and had a deep distrust of people. They had deemed him practically un-adoptable due to his aggressive behavior - towards men in particular. It turned out he was never what is termed an ‘aggressive’ dog, he is what is considered as ‘reactive’ in that when something reminds him of his abuse, he reacts by barking and fretting. When we first brought Onyx home he had skin rashes from extended kennel life and was very thin of hair and muscle. We discovered scars on his chin and three shattered teeth that might have been caused by a kick in the face. We could ima...

-- Quote of the Day --  “As a writer you can make a huge difference even if your readers are just your grandchildren. …With writing there are a lot of other people discouraging you along the way; everybody makes it sound so impossibly difficult – but it really is a matter of letting go of your inhibitions. …I take writing really seriously; I try to be entertaining and make you laugh - I think humor is really important. …You sit in the dark room and you think ‘Is this any good?’ …I’m a fan of technology I think it is a great tool, but I don’t think we want to be a slave to that tool. …Especially with magazines in particular, they are always looking for something new, some new trend, some new destination, so you have to be creative. …When you make a pitch you have to come up with a unique twist, and convey a real passion for the topic, and you have to get that across in less than 4 paragraphs. …You have to nail it quick and get their attention in the first paragraph. ...

-- Quote of the Day --  “I had the misfortune of a stroke and then cancer – one of the things that happened to me was that I couldn’t find a job, and I was quite discouraged. We found Max and adopted him, and he really ‘recycled’ me. …What I’ve come to realize that while maybe the things I did seemed important – I was totally replaceable. But when I walk in the door and Max looks at me – I know that I am not replaceable. …The human companion gets so much more back than what we can give to the dog. …We believe there is a connection between a person who litters or people who don’t think about their animals is that they leave their mess for someone else to clean up. …5000 dogs a day in the US alone are euthanized; the good news is that there is more awareness about this problem and more organizations and tools available. …The majority of dogs and cats that are put down is simply because there are not enough resources and they don’t have a home. …A puppy mill might breed a son and...

Help us in this fantastic campaign to feed animals in shelters... This morning we received a very inspiring email from Michele Hollow, an online friend of ours and former guest on our radio show: "I am hosting my annual Comments for Pet Food drive. All you have to do is leave a comment here:   http://petnewsandviews.com/2012/11/your-comment-equals-50-bowls-of-pet-food / and your comment will feed 50 shelter cats and dogs. That's it. Nothing else."  How inspiring is that?  So of course I went over to the URL this morning and left a comment. Such a small thing, took only one minute, and I was able to help feed 50 meals to animals. Rediculously easy! - Be sure to scroll down the page when you get to that URL to find that comment form. Not having pets when in my childhood, I embraced having cats as companions (despite allergies) right up to just a few years ago when the older cats passed on. As a couple, Dave and I have had rescue and adopted (from shelters) animals...

 -- Quote of the Day -- "Until justice is blind to color,  until education is unaware of race,  until opportunity is unconcerned with the color of men's skins,  emancipation will be a proclamation but not a fact."  ~ Lyndon Baines Johnson -- Conscious Discussions Talk Radio -- Our guest today is Glo Rod; the Executive Producer of the award winning organization: A Variety Of Pets Media (Texas, USA), which focuses on celebrating animal heroes including volunteers for rescue groups, foster pet parents, feral cat trappers, feral cat feeders and responsible pet parents.  Join us live @ 10AM-11 (pacific) / 11AM-12 (Mountain) ...or access the archived episode at your convenience. http://www.blogtalkradio.com/consciousdiscussions/2012/01/26/animal-rescue-heroes Find Dave and Lillian Brummet, excerpts from their books, information a...

-- Quote of the Day -- "Happiness grows at our own firesides, and is not to be picked in stranger's gardens." ~ Douglas Jerrod -- Brummets in the Media -- Check out the prerecorded interview (recorded back in June) published yesterday: about starting a business for less than $1,000. The Brian and Lee show helps listeners think smarter, minimize risk, and learn the basics of business start-up.  Via: http://BrianandLeeShow.com   - check out the prerecorded interview published on July 25th, with Lillian Brummet:  http://brianandleeshow.com/the-brian-and-lee-show-episode-14/   -- Listener Feedback -- A member of our audience wrote to share some more tips for green business and green transportation in particular - they suggested the possibility of a business using an electric or hybrid car fleet, or the possibility of using old oil from local fast food outlets, cafes and restaurants for vehicle fleet fuel. Great ideas ! Thanks for sharing, An...

-- Quote of the Day -- " When written in Chinese, the word 'crisis' is composed of two characters - one represents danger, and the other represents opportunity. " ~ Saul Alinsky -- Conscious Living with Pets -- When we have decided to adopt a new family member (a.k.a. “pet”) from a shelter, we often go online and look up the breed so that we will have a better understanding of their subconscious, breed-related behaviors. From this research, we can approach the training and handling of the animal in a more effective way. After the initial introduction phase that we go through (for the house and its contents, each member of the family and for the outdoor area) we can then begin the training. Training is a lot of fun; it stimulates the animal’s mind and makes them more interested in spending time with you. Humans laugh and find peace in an otherwise hectic, stressful life… and the animal is more relaxed overall because they’ve gotten the attention they n...

-- Quote of the Day -- " Fear less, hope more; Eat less, chew more; Whine less, breath more; Talk less, say more;  Love more; And all good things will be yours ." ~ Swedish Proverb -- Conscious Discussions Talk Radio -- Today Live at 10 AM (pacific): Healthy life, fresh water and good food, along with shelter from the elements and the freedom to explore a piece of ground… This is the life a domestic cat should have – but doesn’t always. Drop by your local animal rescue center to see lines of cat cages, cats who have been in homes but were abused or neglected, or the owners just were not able to care for them anymore. And worse – there are animals on the streets, being punished by the elements, poor nutrition, and reproduction. Today we have a very special guest lined up for you… Rosie Sorenson is passionate about helping homeless cats and has written an award-winning book about her fifteen years of caring for a colony.  Join us live at 10 AM (pacific) this ...