Exciting News! Introducing "Gibbie Snacks!" A Recipe for Canine Epilepsy Awareness...and a Treat Giveaway for Epi-Dogs!

It's been very exciting around here! It's been hard to keep it quiet! But, we can now announce another big step in our "Live Gib Strong" K-9 Epilepsy Awareness campaign - treats!

Woo? Woof? Ruff? Aroooo?

That's right, all our canine furpals...treats! A dog's favorite word! We know your ears are perked and we have some cute head tips just waiting to hear the rest of our news!

So, I am so thrilled to present...

Here's our official announcement:

And here's a little video introduction:

 

"Gibbie Snacks" are made by House Wolf K-9 Dog Biscuits, a part of the Edelweiss Bakery & Cafe in Vermont, good ol' USA! Yes, these treats are freshly made with all healthy and wholesome ingredients. The fabulous baking and creative team of Ralf and Ken of House Wolf were inspired by our Epi-Husky Gibson and researched healthy diets for Epi-dogs. They specially formulated "Gibbie Snacks" with the Epi-dog in mind! 

At first glance, we fell in love with the House Wolf "Gibbie Treats" label as they included Gibson's cartoon version from our What's Wrong With Gibson? Learning About K-9 Epilepsy illustratred children's book!

"Gibbe Snacks" Label

And then, "Gibbie Treats" have all of Gibson's favorite foods in them: lean beef (they make their own puree´), sweet potatoes, green beans, carrots, and oatmeal, plus zucchini and some fresh parsley! Yum! NO salt (which is very important for Epi-dogs on Potassium Bromide), NO rosemary (which can be a seizure trigger for some Epi-dogs), and NO preservatives. They are baked fresh in their Vermont bakery and lovingly hand-packed and shipped. And with all the concerns about commercial dog treats being tainted, I stopped purchasing dog treats and started making homemade when time permits. Then I discovered House Wolf...I feel good about feeding these to my furkids. And an added bonus...with no fillers or artificial ingredients, Gibson has also lost some additional weight! (Epi-dogs can gain weight from the medications. I've been working with Gibson for the past two-and-a-half years to get him down from his gain to 116 lbs to 90 lbs! The last four just fell off him over the past few weeks, and I attribute that to healthy treats that include House Wolf).

Are you ready??? For every bag of "Gibbie Snacks" ordered, House Wolf will donate $1.00 to The Wally Foundation for Canine Epilepsy! 

The Wally Foundation's mission is:

"To assist owners of idiopathic epileptic dogs, dog rescue groups and animal shelters to afford medications and treatments related to Canine Epilepsy. The Wally Foundation will strive to be a resource for canine epilepsy, and support research into more effective treatments and a possible cure in canines and humans alike."

"The Wally Foundation hopes and believes that no owner should have to choose between food on the table or needed medications for their beloved dog, nor should any adult or child have to say 'Good-bye' to their furry loved one for lack of support, education, or resources."

"The treatment of Canine Epilepsy can be burdensome and expensive. It requires a self-less commitment to a willingness to treat an epileptic dog. Some dogs are well controlled and live a full life while others have their lives cut short. The treatment of epilepsy begins to take over your life, and requires constant vigilance and a strict adherence to medication schedules and protocols. This is the reality of living with an epileptic dog. It is also the reason The Wally Foundation operates, to offer support, assistance, and to raise awareness of this horrible disease."  

We here at the FiveSibes are so honored and pleased that House Wolf is not only supporting Canine Epilepsy Awareness by developing a treat specially formulated with the Epi-dog in mind, naming it after our beautiful Epi-Husky Gibson, but also for jumping right in to assist other Epi-dogs through donating to The Wally Foundation! 

Through wonderful, thoughtful, caring, and selfless actions such as these...maybe one day no dog will ever go without the treatment it needs...no dog will ever face being euthanized because a parent can't afford medications...and we all pray that one day...Canine Epilepsy will no longer exist. Until then, the more we bring awareness to Canine Epilepsy and seizure disorders and how dogs can, and do, live full lives...the better those lives will be! It really takes a community to make this happen...and I'm so proud to be part of such a wonderful, caring pet community! Together...we DO make a difference in the lives of these amazing warrior dogs.

"Gibbie Snacks" will be available to order online (with a $1 per bag being donated to 

The Wally Foundation) 

from the House Wolf K-9 Dog Biscuits website HERE. First shipments start on 

Monday, July 29, 2013! 

Just look for this label on House Wolf ordering page:

* * * 

As a special treat...we will be giving away one (1) bag of the new 

House Wolf "Gibbie Treats" to one of our Epi-pals! You must be an Epi-dog to enter (Canine Epilepsy or seizure disorder). We will announce the lucky winner next Saturday! Enter here:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

***August Updates*** 

*WE HAVE A WINNER!*

Woos and Congrats to SUE S. & her Epi-dog, "THE MIGHTY QUINN" of the White Dog Army for winning our random Rafflecopter drawing for a complimentary bag of 
"Gibbie Snacks!"


*August Special on Gibbie Snacks*

 *Calendar Alert*

Mark your calendars! Both House Wolf and The Wally Foundation will be on upcoming episodes of The Sibe Vibe!

House Wolf will be our guest on the August 11th episode of The Sibe Vibe where we will be discussing healthy baking for your canine companions and House Wolf's love of baking and Siberian Huskies!

 

And in November...we will be featuring Rick Selwood of 

The Wally Foundation for National Canine Epilepsy Awareness Month.

 

We hope you are excited about our news as we are! Until next time, stay safe, healthy, and happy!

"Gibson" of the FiveSibes

Merry Christmas in July!

Woooo! In exactly five months it will be Christmas! To celebrate Christmas in July, we're re-sharing our Christmas Canines and Friends Sleigh Ride video slideshow to get everyone in the mood!

And remember...it's never to early to be sure you're on Santa Paws' "Nice" list! Ho! Ho! Ho!

"We love Santa Paws! Woooo!"

Merry Christmas in July to 

all our furpals and families!

Saving Lily Girl ❤ A Rescue Story

"I'm free!" woos Lily Girl. Photo by Holly Stoddard

 I am feeling on top of the World! Why? Because of wonderful, caring friends and strangers who in an instant in time all worked together from various parts of the country to save a Siberian Husky headed for death.


A pretty Husky girl a shelter called "Girl" was scheduled to be euthanized in Upstate, New York today. It all started with a forwarded group Email from a wonderful friend of mine and fellow Husky Mom, Holly of Rochester, NY, (of the Holly and the Huskies blog) that arrived two days ago with the subject: "URGENT RESCUE NEEDED" asking if anyone could help network her and maybe get her saved. 

There were only two days for this girl to live, before the shelter would euthanize her. 

The face that launched thousands of shares!

Of course I shared the two photos on our FiveSibes: Siberian Husky K9 News & Reviews Facebook page and Twitter of this pretty Siberian Husky. The thought that this girl faced death...for what reason? troubled me to the core. I know there are hundreds of cases each and every day, and that's just one breed of dog...but she just had to be saved...
 
Then...a village came alive to help her...folks shared, a Husky Mom named Melissa stepped forward from Maine to comment on our page that she would foster. She needed someone to pull the Husky and also needed some help with transporting her. I contacted Ron DeMauro (at a very early hour!) from Trooper Husky Rescue in Oneida, NY and he immediately stepped up to contact the shelter and make arrangements to pull this girl. 

Then Holly went and picked her up from the shelter and is keeping her safe in her home until she transports "Lily Girl" (she even gave her a name!) to Trooper Husky Rescue this weekend, where she will receive immediate vet care and then be turned over to her new foster hu-mom Melissa... and then beautiful Lily Girl will embark upon her new life! All thanks to networking! 

Just waiting in the shelter waiting for love....

And if anyone ever thinks they are not helping by sharing a Facebook post, a Twitter tweet, or an Email about a homeless dog or a one in urgent need...please share Lily Girl's story with them because sharing really is caring...and thanks to everyone's care, a Husky has been saved almost at the midnight hour! Miracles can happen...and they did for Lily Girl in the matter of two days and the power of social networking.

You can also check out Lily Girl's story and "Thank You" over on Holly's blog HERE. I hope you'll pop over and also welcome Holly and her Huskies - Boo, Timber, Ariel, Nala, pup Chip, and FurAngel Oreo to our wonderful, special world her at Blogville! They are new to blogging, and I'm so glad she and her beautiful furkids are part of our great community! Be sure to let her know we asked you to stop by...and give her a howl! She's an amazing person...she literally dropped everything to be sure Lily Girl was picked up and safe with her today!

This was a an update I was so pleased to post:

Here's some wonderful photos taken by Holly of Lily Girl's first moments of freedom!

Lily Girl is so happy to be free!

 

Lily Girl meets her first friend, Boo Stoddard!

First dip in a pool as a free Husky!

 Stopping to sniff the flowers!

A very happy Husky!

On behalf of Lily Girl...a huge and heartfelt thanks to Ron of Trooper Husky Rescue, Holly of Holly and the Huskies, foster hu-mom Melissa, and each and every person who shared Lily Girl's photo and request for help! It did indeed take a village...but a beautiful Husky was saved!

Trooper Husky Rescue is asking for donations to help with Lily Girl's vetting...donations can be called in directly to Chittenango Animal Hospital, 1319 W. Genessee Street, Chittenango, NY 13037 at: (315) 687-6131 and please tell them your donation is for "Lily Girl" under Ron DeMauro of Trooper Husky Rescue's account. 

It's been a great day...hope yours has been too! 

Lily Girl...beautiful and free!

Hear Ye! Hear Ye! Another Update on the Upcoming Epi-Dog Book!

 
Greetings, howls, and barks to all! Here is another Epi-dog book update, this time brought to you by our Canine Epilepsy SpokesHusky, Gibson!

 If you submitted a story and photos of your Epi-dog for my upcoming book, please be sure to check the list (in alpha order according to your dog's name) below to be sure we have your dog on it in order for him/her to be in it! And also it's a good time to be sure we have your dog's name spelled correctly! Future updates and info on the book will also be periodically added to our FiveSibes: Siberian Husky K9 News & Reviews Facebook "Events" page at this link HERE.  It is a public community page, so even if you don't do Facebook,  you'll be able to read the postings. 

A test Email has also gone out today (July 22) to all who have submitted a story, so please keep an eye out. If you had submitted a story and photos, but don't see your dog's name on this list, didn't receive an Email, or if your dog's name  is misspelled, please contact us at ArcticHousePublishing(at)gmail(dot)com. 

Tentative publication date is for either November 2013 for Epilepsy Awareness Month OR March 2014 for Epilepsy Awareness Purple Day.

We are currently in the first round of editing stage, and I've met with the printer to review various books sizes and layout styles. The title is in brainstorming, and I hope to announce it soon. I'm busy currently working on the cover design, in between taking stock out in tissues as these are such heartfelt, heartbreaking, loving, and wonderful stories about some amazing Epi-dogs.

I will continue to update everyone as we mush along the publishing trail!

Here is the list of Epi-dogs (in alpha order according to your dog's name) to be featured in my book to date:

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1.  April Colon of the DaWeenies

2.  Barkley Brown

3.  Blu McGuckin

4.  Caesar Linder

5.  Cheyenne Kelley

6.  Cooter LaRouge Mitchell

7.  Darwin Walther

8.  Daytona Ray

9.  Drake Allen

10. Emma Mitchell

11. Fifi Lion

12. Gabby Specketer

13. Gandalf Marques

14. Ghost Ross

15. Gibson of the FiveSibes

16. Gjoya Klane

17. Happy Laughlin

18. Herik McNutt

19. Hero of Alley’s Rescued Siberian Husky Angels

20. Isis Yoder

21. Jaddah Dickerson-Kauffman

22. Jaro Canisneus

23. Jasper Spoddig 
24. Jaxson Brown

25. Jed Underwood

26. Jhett Maxwell

27. Juno Ramirez

28. Kaybee Fortenbaugh

29. Kelly Frezon

30. Kelsey Bloemker

31. Kiah Consolo
32. Koda Ting

33. Kona Clinesmith

34. Kyra St. Clair

35. Lil Ms Startlitt Dreams

36. Lily Arnoff

37. Lola Winstone

38. Malachi Suthard

39. Mango Blair

40. Manilow Drury

41. Mattie Lanzl

42. Max Dansby

43. Max Jameson

44. Meeko Hill

45. Megan Wilkinson

46. Mighty Quinn Smith

47. Montana Mercer

48. Mya Corey

49. Nala & Boo Stoddard

50. Nitro Massolle

51. Nukka Maksin
52. Peanut Lopez
53. Pursuit McLean

54. Peedie Idzakovic

55. Precious Townsend

56. Pudge Zoerman

57. Reilly & Zeke Brennan

58. Riley Halverson

59. Riona & Fearghas Robinson

60. Rocco Banat

61. Rosco Jenkins McDougall

62. Rylee Hulett Widaman

63. Shyla Broga

64. Sky Grobmann

65. Squig Lagerlow

66. Tilly Bearman

67. Toby Dirkson

68. Topaz Ponagai

69. Trixie Walters

70. Trump Critelli

71. Tucker Boileau

72. Tundra Templeman

73. Wally Selwood

74. Wanbli Herrmann

75. Willis Hopple

Sibe Snuggling on a Shadow Shot Sunday!

"Our perfect companions never have fewer than four feet."

~Sidonie Gabrielle Colette

Shadow Shot Sunday 2 Hop

 

Splish! Splash! Bobbing and Wading on a Wordless Wednesday!

Blog the Change for Animals: Trooper Husky Rescue and National Pet Fire Safety Day

 

Today is ‪National Pet Fire Safety Day‬ sponsored by the American Kennel Club and ADT Security Systems. Our honorary firedog "Harley" is here to remind everyone that prevention and preparedness are key to your pet's safety. Check out our past blog post HERE for some tips, videos, and info on pet fire safety, pet oxygen masks, and how you can get your free pet window cling. And let's be safe out there. via FiveSibes: Siberian Husky K9 News & Reviews

It is also Blog the Change for Animals Day. 

Since last year we wrote about National Pet Fire Safety Day, we thought we'd share the link again this year above...and also use this day to talk about the Trooper Husky Rescue in Oneida, New York.

Trooper Husky Rescue is a no-kill Siberian Husky and Malamute special needs rescue operation, taking in those with medical problems or special needs, including being heartworm positive, having diabetes, seizures, being a tripawd, etc. "We also take in older dogs and those who are not perfect!" they state. Their mission is "to provide a safe haven for dogs that have been abused, neglected, abandoned and for those with special needs. Our goal is to provide them with the tender loving care that they deserve until we can find them a good home with the proper screening."

The also state on their website, "Our rescue is in our home and some of the dogs are in foster homes, so please call before coming out to see our dogs. Some are not used to being around people and will be very nervous at first. We take in surrenders from owners who want what is the best for their Husky or Malamute.  In some cases there has been a change in their home environment such as an owner being deployed or financial problems in addition to other unfortunate situations. We also have a selection of foster homes that will house the Huskies and Malamutes for as long as it takes to find a warm and loving home. While Trooper Husky Rescue tries its best to take in those in need, we do not always have room. If you have a Husky or Malamute that needs to be surrendered, a signed surrender form and all vet records are needed."  

Here is a video clip from when Trooper Husky Rescue, and handsome "Brutus," a special needs Husky with a digestive disorder, were guests on CNY Central News:

I think folks who rescue Huskies, and all pets, are amazing, thoughtful, angels on Earth. And to rescue those who have special needs or medical issues is so commendable. As a mom to a special needs Husky (as most of you know, my wooly Husky "Gibson" is an Epi-dog, a dog with Canine Epilepsy). I could not even imagine someone abandoning their dog simply because he has seizures, only three legs, or is not "perfect." I tip my hat to those, like Ron and his volunteer staff and foster parents who open up their hearts and homes to these wonderful animals. 

Trooper Husky Rescue is fairly new, organized in 2010, and they have applied for their non-profit status. Recently, in addition to the special needs Huskies they have, they took in dogs in need from the flooding that put the city of Oneida in a state of emergency. Here is a video from CNY Central News:

Trooper Husky Rescue relies heavily on donations

"Trooper"

of materials, dog food, and funding to help these special needs dogs and displaced dogs. According to director Ron DeMauro, who named the rescue after his Husky "Trooper," they are also hoping to start a pet food bank in the area. Currently, they are seeking donations of kennels, are a looking for property to set up an actual rescue location.

They are also running two drives, a Food Drive:

And "Operation Heartworm" drive where folks can purchase a ribbon for a $1.00 donation that will help Trooper Husky Rescue raise funds to receive heartworm testing, preventatives, and medications:

If you would like to donate dog food, kennels, funds, etc., or if you have a special needs Husky or Malamute you need help rehoming, please contact Trooper Husky Rescue by Email at: trooperhuskyrescue534(at)gmail(dot)com. And please tell them the FiveSibes sent you over!

* * * * * * 

There's still plenty of time to enter our "FiveSibes Summer Fun Canine Photo Contest!" Click HERE for post with full details and photos of the (p)awsome prizes!