via UPI.com

 A weekly movie night event in Cincinnati had shaggier guests than usual as dogs were given a one-time free pass to the event, dog owners say.  Jessica Sargent of Milford, Ohio, said her shepherd/Rhodesian ridgeback mix Tod was among the canine guests to the Procter & Gamble Movie Night on Saturday, the Cincinnati Enquirer said. Typically dogs are not welcome at the weekly outdoor events.

The Enquirer said specialty dog biscuits were up for sale at the outdoor screening thanks to the restaurant Bouchard's Anything's Pastable.


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by Ellen Silverberg

Several years ago, a young woman from Massachusetts contacted me regarding a portrait she wanted me to do of her two dogs who had passed away in a fire. Very few photos remained of her babies but I knew this was a job I had to do. I wanted to bring them back to her in the only way I could. While I was painting, I asked the animal’s spirits for guidance as I had very little to go on from the photos she had sent. When the portrait was finished I emailed her a photo for final approval. She didn’t call me back for three days and, in those three days, I worried that I hadn’t really captured them in the way she wanted and that she was unhappy with the painting. Them I received the following letter which she posted in my guest book:

"Ellen is AMAZING. I would like to share this story with everyone to let you know what an incredible artist AND person that Ellen is. A couple of months ago we lost our home to a fire. Due to our rural location the fire was not found until it had been going for hours. Tragically our 2 dogs, Cassidy and Sega, and 2 cats, Oreo and Matty, were lost in the fire.

Cassidy and Sega were like our children. Cassidy was a 7 year old Husky/Border Collie mix that I had rescued from the pound when she was 4 months old. Sega was a 14 year old Rottweiler that my boyfriend brought home as a puppy.

When I met my boyfriend 3 years ago Sega got arthritis. We would have to make him get up to go outside. When Sega was introduced to Cassidy he somehow found his reason to get up in the morning. Cassidy was so full of vim and vigor - it was all Sega could do to get up and chase her around. Slowly but surely Sega got up on his own every day and became more and more active. At the end of a 3 month period Sega was moving better than he had in years.

The bond the 2 of the developed was a sight to be seen. People used to laugh when we would make the statement that they were like a couple until they saw it for themselves. Sega would "grunt" and Cassidy would come running to his side. They would sit next to one another and lick each others faces over and over and over again.... to the point we would tell them to stop and get a room!! Sega always knew where Cassidy was - he never let her out of his site - his way of protecting her.

After the fire I wanted to find a way that we could have something that would remind us of all the wonderful memories we had with our 2 best friends. I thought a painting would be the best way to do this and I desperately wanted to have this done. I began searching the web for artists that specialized in portraits of animals. One of my biggest limitations was the pictures I had presented. We had lost all of our photographs in the fire and I only had one of Sega and 2 of Cassidy. The pictures were dark and I was afraid it would be difficult for an artist to see the expressions and personality that I so wanted to capture.

When I contacted Ellen, her response was phenomenal. After explaining to her the lack of photos I was able to provide she stated she could work with what she had and began immediately working on the painting. She displayed no hesitation when I let her know the time frame in which I was looking to have this done - I had little control over the timing of the fire. and period of time until his birthday.

A day later she sent me a photo of her rough sketch on the canvas. I was floored. Those were my babies and there was no doubt it was them. You could see them beginning to take form. I was so anxious to see the finished painting... it could only get better from here. The day came when I opened the package that had arrived which contained the framed painting. I literally shook with excitement as I carefully opened the box. All I can say is the painting is the MOST INCREDIBLE thing I have ever seen. I could never have imagined that someone could capture every little piece of Cassidy and Sega - especially if they never saw the dogs themselves. Right down to the little scar on Sega's nose - to the ice blue color of Cassidy's eye. You can feel the bond between them just by looking at it.... Absolutely amazing.

I could never have asked for a more precious memory of Cassidy and Sega. Every time I look at it I see the light in their eyes and I remember how special they were to us and to each other. I would like to thank Ellen with all my heart for giving this memory to us. She went out of her way for us - I truly believe she connected with both of them while she was creating this painting. There is no other way she could have captured their spirit like she did."

Since then, I have done many paintings of pets who have passed over the rainbow bridge and the reaction is always the same, “how could you know about that little scare on his nose?”; “I can’t believe you knew he had a spot on his other side. That wasn’t in the photo!”; but most of all, “thank you for bringing our baby back to us!” This is why I do the work I do and I truly believe that the spirits of deceased animals remain with us always and can be summoned up when we need them most.

With love,

Ellen


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Beanie Babies modeled after Bo the Portuguese water dog are selling like hotcakes Last month, toy company Ty announced its plans to market a Beanie Baby in the image of the new Obama family dog, Bo. And the Bo dolls appear to be popular enough that they're hard to keep in stock.

Less than a dozen "Bo" Beanie Babies were sent to the educational toy shop Learning Express in the Chicago suburb of St. Charles, and they sold out quickly.

Capitalizing on the first family's popularity seems to come naturally to Ty, which came under fire early this year when it introduced two dolls, "Marvelous Malia" and "Sweet Sasha," apparently modeled after the president's daughters.  (A Ty spokesperson said the company had chosen the names simply because "they are beautiful names," but the dolls were quickly rebranded.  You can see "Marvelous Mariah" and "Sweet Sydney" above - and clearly they bear no resemblance to the Obama girls. Cough, cough.)

Beanie Bo's suggested retail price is $4.99, although the dolls are often selling for considerably more on eBay.  One online auctioner even offers the holy trinity of Obama-themed Ty memoribilia: original TyGirlz Malia and Sasha dolls (authenticated!) and Beanie Bo.  Asking price?  $2,299.95.


via http://www.bestfriendnyc.com/

Best Friend NYC celebrates dogs and introduces the “Artist Spotlight”- a non-for-profit online rotating showcase of
dog-themed art. Launching today “Artist Spotlight” features unique dog-inspired artwork in a variety of genres and media: from period portraits and countryside landscapes to digitally generated art and inspiring photography.

On April 1st  2009 “Artist Spotlight” will unveil its virtual doors and welcome visitors to browse through galleries of such diverse artists as Ann Hamilton (San Francisco, CA), Noel Hoffmann (Charleston, SC), Marie Mason (Kansas City, MO), Diane Mellendick (Orlando, FL), Shasta Molnar (Jackson Hole, WY), Daniela Ria (Atlanta, GA / Milan, Italy), Faye Rose (Eagleville, PA), Rebecca Rumbley (Bardstown, KY), Ellen Silverberg (East Hampton, NY), Debbie Stonebraker (Foley, MO), David Trowbridge (Brooklyn, NY), and Barbara Van Vliet (Weston, VT).

You now also able to order custom paintings and commission artists' artwork through our ever-growing shopping portal devoted to custom art. Best Friend NYC will donate 20% of all proceeds generated through the “Artist Spotlight” initiative to ASPCA.


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This Friday March 6th The Luxury Pet Pavilion, a red carpet-inspired luxury pet trade show in Los Angeles, will present an exclusive fundraising event: “Barking Boutique Bid-N-Buy Auction” to benefit newly-founded L.A.-based "Ruff Houzen No-Kill" animal rescue shelter. 

Best Friend NYC joins Ashely Paige, a celebrity swimsuit designer and a TLC show host in supporting the cause, and raising awareness and funding for the new shelter in Los Angeles.

The celebrity fundraising event “Barking Boutique Bid-N-Buy” will feature a silent auction, which in addition to Best Friend NYC Dog Grooming Products will also feature over 50 of the latest pet fashions, home accessories, art and other pet products on the market today. On the night of the event, Ashley Paige, who is the Honorary Chair and the founder of Ruff Houzen, will unveil a custom swimsuit for the live auction and give an overview of plans for the new shelter.

Guests will enjoy specialty cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, delectable desserts and posh pet-product swag bags as they raise money for a great cause. Best Friend NYC will be in attendance and will report live from Beverly Hills. Stay posted for photos and videos from the event.



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