Category: animals

animals, dogs, Olympics

Inspired: A Video Letter Asking Mr. Putin to Help Not Hurt Stray Dogs in Sochi

Christa Avampato

Yesterday, CNN reported that Russian authorities are poisoning stray dogs in Sochi, Russia leading up to the Olympics. My friend, Amanda Hirsch, sent me the link asking me to speak out about it and of course I did. As an animal lover and proud pet parent to Phin, I couldn’t let that story pass without saying something. There’s been a lot of coverage on the horrific human rights violations in Russia and now we know that same violence and injustice extends to innocent animals, too.

Phin and I decided to record an open letter to Mr. Putin asking him to help, not hurt, the stray dogs of Sochi and uploaded it to YouTube. Phin sat on my lap and is the narrator of the letter. He shares some of his personal background as a former stray dog and directly asks Mr. Putin to put an end to this heinous behavior. Here is the text of the letter and the video is below:

Dear Mr. Putin,
Mahatma Gandhi said, “The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.” If that’s true Mr. Putin, you and your nation are stuck in the moral dark ages and I want to help you evolve.

I love everyone. People, canines, felines, and just about every animal there is. But you’re making it really hard for me to love you. I heard about what you’re doing to stray dogs in Sochi. I was reading CNN.com and I saw that you’re rounding them up and poisoning them before the Olympics begin. This issue is personal for me because I used to be a stray dog. A policeman found me alone, scared, and starving in the woods. He rescued me, brought me to the local animal shelter, and that’s where my mom adopted me. We’ve been together for 3 and a half years. She rescued me, and I rescued her right back.

The Olympics is a sacred event, one you should be honored and humbled to host. It’s an event where the very best athletes driven only by talent, passion, and raw determination come together to compete and celebrate. This is a time to rally your people, to rally people all over the world in support of Russia, as a spotlight shines on your nation and its rich heritage.

It’s no secret that the Olympic games bring a wealth of funds to the host nation, especially to the host city. You’ve built beautiful new resorts. You’ve constructed incredible venues to host these games. This is a time to use that money and attention to fix things in the community that need fixing. You’re wasting it by putting a veneer on the stray dog issue in Sochi rather than using it to actually fix the problem.

You can do better than this. You have to do better than this. Establish shelters, educate people on how to treat and care for their animals, and create spay / neuter programs as well as affordable veterinary care. Pass laws that make animal abuse a crime.

We can’t speak up for ourselves. We need people, people like you, to stand up for us, to protect us, and to take care for us. Please, Mr. Putin. Poison’s not the answer. Love and compassion and concern. Those are the answers. Those are always the answers. We’re remarkably forgiving, grateful, and loyal creatures. I promise you, once you show a dog love, compassion, and care, he or she will give it all back to you, and then some. I know you’ll do the right thing and help all the dogs of Sochi so thanks in advance for your cooperation and your future efforts to give all of them a chance at a long, happy, and healthy life. This issue is worth your time and attention, and so are we. You’ll see. Just give us a chance. We won’t let you down.

Love,
Phineas

animals, dogs, social media

Beautiful: Why My Dog, Phineas, Has a Twitter Account

Christa Avampato
Phin at home in his domain - Central Park
Phin at home in his domain – Central Park

My pup, Phineas, has a Twitter account. You can check him out @PhineasNYC. Why is Phin on Twitter? Because he’s got a lot to say and a lot to teach others. He teaches me every day and quite frankly I feel selfish keeping all of that knowledge to myself. Phin deserves to have a platform to spread himself around to as many people as possible. The little guy needs a megaphone to be a broadcaster of goodness for animals everywhere and the people who love them. After much deliberation about which platform to use, we decided to start with Twitter. Messages are short and mighty, just like him.

Here’s what he plans to do with his Twitter account:
1.) Daily observations on a dog’s life in the big city with pictures and videos
2.) Spreading the word about good causes related to helping animals, especially, though not exclusively, dogs
3.) Promoting products he loves – from treats to squeaky toys and everything in-between
4.) Tips for pet parents on topics like pet health, separation anxiety, adopting a pet, and special deals on pet products and services
5.) Indulge his many funny bones

Phin and I are excited for his new online adventure. The world needs more goodness, more levity, and more dachshunds.

animals, decision-making, dogs, integrity

Beautiful: Lessons from My Dog – Check Out Every Open Door, Be Bold, Stay Focused

Christa Avampato
Phineas in one of his more pensive moments
Phineas in one of his more pensive moments

A couple of days ago, it was 60 degrees in New York. Phineas didn’t even need a sweater on his walks. All of the businesses and apartment buildings flung open their doors to let in the warm sunshine. Phin didn’t hesitate; he wanted to take advantage of the situation and check out every single one, mostly because a lot of them have treats for the local dogs. As the saying goes, “His mama didn’t raise no fools.” Here’s what little Phin taught me by his actions:

1.) Don’t count yourself out of the running.
Too often we talk ourselves out of opportunities that are right in front of us. Thoughts like “Why me? I bet there’s a lot of competition. I shouldn’t even bother trying. I’ll just be disappointed when it doesn’t work out.” We self-sabotage before we even give ourselves a chance. Not Phineas. If that door is open, he’s going through it. Others may try to stop him (me included!), but he’s not discounting his own actions. He leaves that to someone else.

2.) Be bold.
Hold your head up high and never underestimate your own capabilities. Phin is a whopping 16 pounds and 6 inches at the shoulder. He’s a little dude but you’ve never know it from his attitude. I wonder where he learned that from…

3.) Have a mission and stay focused. 
Phin’s looking for two things when he walks through open doors – treats and attention. He also has a an insatiable sense of curiosity, often to my dismay because he checks out every square inch of the ground he traverses. We need to do the same: Know why we’re doing what we’re doing and why we’re going where we’re going. And always learn. Every circumstance has something to teach us.

These lessons are a reminder that Phineas is one of the best teachers I’ve ever had. I continue to be amazed by everything he shows me just by being who he is in every moment. That level of integrity, strength of character, and unwavering commitment to authenticity inspires me.

What lessons has your pup taught you?

animals, dogs

Beautiful: Happy 4th Birthday to My Dog, Phineas

Christa Avampato

Happy 4th birthday to the best fuzzy friend a girl could ask for. Love you, buddy!

Phin posing with Duffy, one of his local canine pals, and Duffy’s mom on the steps of a church in our neighborhood. (Phin is the black and tan dachshund!)
animals, creativity, dogs

Beautiful: And Then, God Made a Dog

Christa Avampato

I received the link to this YouTube video from the first trainer Phin and I had when I first adopted him. It’s a short clip about the incredible aspects of dogs that make them amazing teachers and companions for all of us.

adventure, animals, creativity, dogs, travel

Beautiful: Roll The Dice of Life Like a Dog

Christa Avampato

When I get out Phineas’s travel carrier, he never knows where we’re going. Sometimes, we get on a plane. Sometimes, we head for a car or the subway. We’ll go over to Brooklyn and visit two of our favorite friends, Amanda and Jordan. Sometimes, we’re going to the vet.

No matter. Without fail, Phin enthusiastically jumps around at the site of his carrier because he knows we’re going somewhere to do something out of the ordinary. He doesn’t need to know where he’s going; he’s just prepared to enjoy the ride. We, and by we I mean me, should live more like Phin.

Thanks to my friend, Alex, for this beautiful photo – and the reminder to enjoy every adventure.

animals, love, story

Beautiful: Animals Heal, Another Tale of Phineas and the Story of Vietnam’s Point Dogs

Christa Avampato
The U.S. Army’s point dogs with their handlers during the Vietnam War

On Sunday, Phin and I took a long walk over to the Third Street Promenade, essentially an outdoor mall with shops and restaurants in downtown Santa Monica. Phin loves going down there, mostly because every 5 feet someone stops to pet him and tell him how cute he is. I like to go down there because it gives me the chance to interact with random people whom I probably wouldn’t meet otherwise.

One man in particular had a real impact on Phin and I. He was born in New York and he’s been in LA since the 1980’s. Phin went right up to him and had a seat at his feet. He was more than happy to pet Phin. I thanked him for it, and he said, “Oh no. The pleasure is mine. It’s actually an honor to have an animal take such a liking to you.”

We talked for about 10 minutes and he told me about his 16-year-old pitbull that he raised from a tiny puppy. He loved her so much, even spending his savings to replace her two knees. She passed a few years ago and he said he’s never felt right since. We went on to talk about a documentary he had just seen about point dogs, the 4,000 German Shepherds that went on patrols with soldiers during the Vietnam War. Point dogs literally saved their lives many times over. The documentary explained that after the war, the soldiers had to leave the dogs behind. They interviewed some of these soldiers who are now all senior citizens. Decades later, these vets still think of those dogs, miss them, and feel horrible that they couldn’t take them back home.

“It’s their innocence that gets to you. They never lose it. No matter how old they get, no matter what they go through. They trust and show up and love, over and over again. It’s really amazing how they wind their way into your heart with nothing other that sweetness.”

I couldn’t agree more. Without ever uttering a single English word, Phin’s taught me more about love, second chances, and healing than anyone else ever has. It’s such a blessing to have him here with me on this LA adventure. I would never have the conversations I’ve had here without him. Somehow he helps people open up without ever saying a word. Just by being who he is and taking a seat right next to someone (sometimes on them!), I get to hear someone’s life story. I’m the lucky one in this deal – to have the love of a remarkable animal like Phin, to have the chance to take him places where he can offer comfort and love to others, and to hear the stories of these people who are my neighbors for a little while.

animals, dogs, health

Beautiful: Counting on the Miracle of Modern Medicine and Ancient Wisdom for My Dog, Phin

Christa Avampato
From Pinterest

On Monday night my dog, Phineas, started showing signs of sickness. Just after midnight on Tuesday, he started getting sick to his stomach at least once per hour. Though his energy was still good in the morning for his walk, he wasn’t able to keep down food nor water. And he was getting sick even more regularly. Something was terribly wrong.

I rushed him down to the veterinary hospital and his x-rays showed extreme inflammation in his digestive track. Our doctor explained that it could be anything from an infection to a blockage of some kind. Rather than diving right into surgery, she wanted to try to treat him with constant fluids and meds for 24 hours. Young, strong, healthy dogs are often able to pass blockages on their own and bounce back from infections quickly. Phin falls into that category. I left him at the hospital overnight and the doctor will call me in the morning after they run another set of x-rays.

I came home to my empty apartment and tried to stay busy. I cleaned my entire home from top to bottom and attempted to get some work done. It worked moderately well as long as I didn’t look at Phin’s dog bed, his blanket still curled up the way he likes it when he makes a little sleeping nest for himself. One look at that blanket and I would fall apart.

Finally, I put my work aside, closed my eyes, and meditated. I said a lot of prayers. I summoned up as many healing vibes as I ever have and I sent them all over to Phin. I asked my friends to do the same and I know many of them did. I kept reminding myself that my meditation and yoga practice saves and serves. Right now, I really need it to do both.

animals, creativity, dogs, grateful, gratitude

Beautiful: Gratitude Walks With Phineas

Christa Avampato
Phineas taking in the sights and sounds on one of our morning gratitude walks.

Every morning, Phin and I take at least an hour-long gratitude walk. On our walks, I think about all of the blessings I have in my life. I worked for and live a magnificent life. I’m grateful for good work, good people, and freedom, for the sunshine and the blue sky and the trees. For the ability to feel such a wide range of emotions so fully and authentically. I’m most grateful for my inability to take any moment for granted; I know too well how swiftly it can all disappear without warning. I’m grateful to see opportunity everywhere and be able to action against those opportunities for my own benefit and the benefit of others.

Every once in a while, I ask Phin what he’s grateful for and he just looks at me and smiles. “Back at ya, buddy,” I tell him. He lives in the moment more than anyone I know. He loves fiercely and freely. I try to follow his example. If anyone knows the value of time and gratitude, it’s Phin. He’s an amazing teacher.

animals, Easter

Beautiful: Happy Easter from the Easter Dachshund

Christa Avampato

You’ve heard of the Easter Beagle? You’ve heard of an Easter Egg Roll? Around this house, we get an annual visit from the rolly polly Easter Dachshund. Happy Easter and Happy Spring from our pack to yours!