Harley pays homage to K-9 veterans. The Soldier Dog   by Joe Ferra  I was trained to use my eyes to watch  and protect you from harm. My ears to alert you  of impending danger like an alarm. My keen sense of smell  to detect an enemy close at bay. Yes I was a soldier who gave my life  so you could fight another day. So remember me as time goes by This soldier dog so true. For I had only one life to give  and I gave that life to you. Today is Veterans Day. On this date, 11-11-11, at the 11th hour...let's all pause for a moment to reflect upon the services and sacrifices our veterans - both human and canine - give, and have given in the past, so we all can have the everyday freedoms we all so enjoy. We thank you. Canine soldiers hold an important role in our history. According to the U.S. War Dogs Association ,  “Military Working Dogs have been used by the U.S. Military since World War I. American families donate...

Our Chloe loved the few inches of snow that we had in October and here she is sitting in the shadows of our front window on attentive snow watch...alas, the forecast only calls for sunny Autumn days for the next week. Sorry, Chloe...but, in the meantime, a Sibe can dream! Snow by Irving Berlin Snow It won't be long before we'll all be there with snow Snow I want to wash my hands, my face and hair with snow Snow I long to clear a path and lift a spade of snow Snow Oh, to see a great big man entirely made of snow Where it's snowing All winter through That's where I want to be... Those glist'ning houses that seem to be built of snow Snow Oh, to see a mountain covered with a quilt of snow... Go to sleep And dream Of snow Thanks to Hey Harriet for hosting the Shadow Shot Sundays! Be sure to stop over and visit her photography blog!

This Sunday, clocks in many parts of the United States back one hour to Standard Time at 2AM. So don't be surprised if your furbaby gets you up an hour early starting Monday! Although our mechanical clocks say it's one time, their internal clocks will say another until it all evens out after a few days! So much for an extra hour of sleep! Each year, I  like to recap some helpful safety tips we should do as pet parents, when we turn back the clocks: If your pets are on specifically timed medications, i.e. seizure meds (like our boy Gibson), at least for the first day of the new time change, stagger the dosage times. If your pet typically takes his medications at 7 AM and 7 PM, for the first day of DST, give the AM dosage at the new fall-back time of 6:30 (true time would be 7:30, a half hour later than usual), and give the 7 PM dosage at 6:30 (true time would be 7:30). That way, while their internal clock says it's a bit late, their system can adjust to the ...

With Black Friday only three weeks from today (can you believe it?), I thought I'd give the holiday season a jumpstart by talking about a really cool gift idea for your shopping list either for a friend or for yourself! I came across this website for custom Pet Night Lights , a company out of Arizona, USA, and thought, "What a great idea!" So, of course, I had to try it out! Many of you have seen my favorite FiveSibes™ Christmas card from two years ago. I decided it would make a great night light. So I contacted the company and went to their Pet Night Lights website and very easily was able to upload my photo. As fast as you can say "Up on the rooftop..." I had my night light!    And...I love it! It was quality made, carefully packaged, and it even included the night light bulb! Pictured here, our Bandit sits by the glow of our new night light featuring her and the rest of the FiveSibe™ family.  So, if you're stumped on what to get a pet lover (or y...

  Treat Time! Stuffed squeaky witches for all!!! Woooo!   Chloe's keeping hers close and staying up on the chair. Harley took the purple one...   Bandit and Wolf tug over a green one...   Bandit won...for now...   Wolf's eyeballing Gibson's green witch, apparently he doesn't like purple!   "This is MY witch." "I love you, little bro, but NO, you can not have my green witch!" Wolf got Bandit's green one and destroyed it in 0.5 seconds! Gib's protecting his. Gibson is safely keeping his witch very close by. Hope everyone's Halloween was a fun and safe one filled with lots of treats! Now we are in a new month with lots of fun things to do and look forward to. Happy November!!!

Wooo! and Booooo! Happy Halloween!!! All the entries into our very first "Let's All Scream for Howl-o-ween" Autumn photo contest were just, in a word, pawsome! Wow, the entries were so creative, funny, and beautiful! I'm glad I wasn't a judge - it would be way to hard to pick. Notes from the judges praised the entries for their creativeness, spirit, humor, and composition. You are all winners in my book! Wooos to you all from the FiveSibes™!  And let's give a big round of "a-paws" to our judges, too, for such a great job. Many thanks to: Jessica F. - licensed vet tech Kathleen B. - vet receptionist & pet sitter Barb S. - graphic designer & art director Cherie K. - graphic designer Judy H. - photographer & family farm owner Hendrick M. - photographer Val L. - graphic designer & pet parent This contest had seven overall winning photos Grand Prize to Sixth Place, with three Honorable Mention runner-ups, all who will receive certi...