FiveSibes #Flashback ~ Gibson says, "Show me the donation money!" ~ 2012   What a fun and proud memory! With this being November Epilepsy Awareness Month (#NEAM), I thought I'd highlight a flashback of my beloved Gibson, who was diagnosed with idiopathic epilepsy shortly after his third birthday and is the beautiful face behind my #FiveSibes #LiveGibStrong and #Paws4Purple initiatives. This photo was Gibson "helping" me count donations from a box we had placed in our vet's office for folks to purchase our #LiveGibStrong K-9 Epilepsy Awareness bracelets! This cash, plus donations from sales of my then new children's book,  What's Wrong With Gibson? Learning About K-9 Epilepsy , were donated to the Epil-K9 Foundation/Canine Epilepsy Resouces "Emma's Fund" at the North Carolina State University-College of Veterinary Medicine (NCSU-CVM) Neurology Department (now the Companion Animal  Epilepsy Research Lab).   Holding my boy's paw wit...

  Epi-Star, "Bjorn"     by Dorothy Wills-Raftery    W elcome to National Epilepsy Awareness Month , also known as #NEAM! N ovember is a spe cial month here, as it is where I highlight not only information on Canine Epilepsy, but also share amazing stories about Epi-dogs (dogs who have epilepsy).    Inspired by my own Epi-dog Gibson’s story, I wrote the book multi-award winning EPIc Dog Tales: Heartfelt Stories About Amazing Dogs Living & Life With Canine Epilepsy , where I share stories of amazing Epi-dogs across the world. This all launched my Epi-Star series here on my blog that is now in its fifth year, where I continue to feature stories about these amazing dogs who have Canine Epilepsy, but never let that stop them from loving life. Through this, and in my Gibson's name, we have formed a unique and caring community where we connect with with other Epi-dog caregivers, rescues, and veterinarians who care for them. We have become a won...

Today is Veterans Day. On this 11th day of the 11th month at the 11th hour, we take the time to reflect upon all of our veterans—past and present, two-legged and four-legged, all who have bravely served, and those who are currently serving our country and our freedoms, both here and on foreign soil. Since this blog is about northern breed dogs, primarily Siberian Huskies and their “cousins,” Alaskan Malamutes, today I will be highlighting these amazing dogs who served as military war dogs. “Throughout history, dogs have accompanied man at work and play. Even in the midst of men’s wars, dogs have been found serving in functions ranging from mascots to weapons of war,” states the The Army Historical Foundation .  Therefore, it was not without precedence that in 1942, following the attack on Pearl Harbor and the entrance of the United States into World War II, a small group of civilian dog enthusiasts approached the Army about creating a program that would utilize the speci...