Spooky Pooch Was a Blast

Pooch Parade 2009

Sarah Scott and her team, Debbie, Stacy, Sarah, and, of course, Milo and Lulu had a great time talking with folks at the Botanic Gardens' first Spooky Pooch parade on Halloween.

The costumes were a riot and everyone had a smile on their face. I think we have a new Halloween tradition! Click on the photo to see the full album. You won't believe the creativity.

Guest Bartender Night a BIG Hit

As you can see, the Sit Stay Read crowd had a great time at Lizard's Lounge on Friday night. The electioneering for our new Sit Stay Read bookmark models was fierce but the winners are. . . Slugger and Brady!!

Of course, the real winners are the third-graders at Sumner Academy--$1,006 was raised to bring the SSR program to their class. Woo hoo! Add to that, the generous matching grant from the Kaplan Foundation and that's a whopping $2,012!! Many thanks to our pro bartender, Ruth, our guest bartenders, Elana and Jenn, and all you voters!

Build-A-Bear Cubs Winners!

Congratulations to young Sachin Jain and his canine pal, Arthur, for showing their Cubs spirit and winning the drawing for Build-A-Bear tickets to Saturday's Chicago Cubs game for mom, Cathy!

Lowell second-grader, Briana Lopez (shown here with her proud teacher, Nora Garcia) was thrilled to receive a Cubs uniformed Build-A-Bear when Sit Stay Read visited her classroom today to announce that she'll be throwing out the first pitch at Saturday's Cubs game.

See more contest entries and pictures of Briana. And look for photos from the game soon!

Have Some Photo Fun--and Share

That's Rocky, our Sit Stay Read Dog of the Year--we always knew he was a work of art!

Had a blast making these photos of some of our dogs. Try it yourself on this fun site! Send me your pix (not the racy ones, please) and I'll add them to the album.

Click on the photo to see the album.

Photofunia

Dog of the Year 2009

Congratulations to Rocky Tucker our new SIT STAY READ Dog of the Year 2009!

Rocky's mom, Bonnie, was the winning bidder at Best In Show's live auction on Tuesday and secured the title for her handsome boy.

We can't wait to see Rocky's official portrait by artist MK Czerwiec and have Rocky be included in the student-authored books this year.

Click here to learn more about Rocky.

Pet Dogs Rival Humans for Emotional Satisfaction

Wrigley and all his Sit Stay Read pals don't know they cause the "cuddle chemical" in people. But we see the joy they bring. It's right there on the faces of the children we serve.

Want scientific proof? At last, here it is! Read the New Scientist article.

How do You Get Your Message Out There?

For the first time ever I have a bumper sticker on my car--what can I say, the election was a heady time and I threw caution to the wind.

I was feeling pretty good about having my message out there, but then I saw this pick-up truck on my way to work the other day. Wow, how's that for being committed to communicating your message?! My favorite (just above the wheel well) is, "Pick up a book not a gun".

I was so inspired I ordered another bumper sticker. Check it out here. What's your message?

Howl-o-Ween Photos

Howl O Ween 2008

Check-out the doggy Howl-o-ween fun (just click on the photo)! A copy of the Chicken Soup for the Soul book, "Loving our Dogs", is going out to Lauren Johnson, Susan Kennedy, and Jenifer Flynn for sharing their festive pix. It's not too late to share your best shot. Email us your faves and we'll add them to the album!

Puppy Lucy--a Reincarnation?

This lovely pup is one year-old Lucy, latest addition to the family of Sit Stay Read volunteer, Gail Schwab.

As soon as I saw Lucy's photo I was struck by the resemblance to my Max (bottom photo). Certainly the markings are similar but it's those soulful eyes that really got me. Unfortunately, Max is gone but you can meet Lucy at the Sit Stay Read anniversary party at Dogone Fun on Sunday, Nov 16th. Hope to see you there!

Chicken Soup for Howl-o-ween

We want to see your dog all decked out for Halloween!

Thanks to the folks at Chicken Soup for the Soul, we have an incentive for you. Email us a photo of your dog dressed-up for Halloween, we'll post them online and draw three names to receive a free copy of their latest book, "Loving Our Dogs". As with all the "Chicken Soup" books, the stories are heartwarming and humorous.

Here's a photo of Shandy to get you in a festive mood. That's us at the first Sit Stay Read school program back in 2003 at Hendrick's Academy. All three dogs wore matching pumpkin costumes on Halloween (courtesy of volunteer, Pat Simpson). I couldn't find a photo of all the dogs together but I'll keep looking.

In the meantime, get out your camera and send us your photos!

School Programs Underway!

It was a busy time at the Sit Stay Read office as we prepared for the mid-October start of our school programs. But all the hard work was worth it when we saw the smiling faces of our students, so glad to have us back in the classroom.

We're in seven schools this year and, as of yesterday, all 15 classes have had their first visit! Yeah teams!

It was great to see old and new friends. Here's our group of volunteers getting ready for their visit to Faraday (only one dog attends the first day dog safety session). That's Allison, our fabulous intern, holding the classroom sign, Jennifer Cristina, Carley and Calvin, Guy Franklin, and Melissa Kennedy, a special visitor from Australia.

Melissa, an English teacher at Scots College, is visiting reading programs in the US to research ways to engage more boys in reading. She was blown away by our program and felt that it equally engages boys and girls.

Lots to Learn at Old World Wisconsin

If you're looking for a fun, fall getaway in the midwest, consider a visit to Old World Wisconsin.

My friend, Betsy, and I made the two hour drive this weekend and it was well worth the trip.

You can stroll around and enjoy the countryside, check-out the animals (like the chickens and oxen), and learn about the history of Wisconsin from knowledgeable folks dressed in period costumes--like the school teacher pictured here. I think some dogs would definitely brighten-up that classroom.

A great time for big and little people.

Puppy Max Visits Chicago

Shandy and Bandit had a nice surprise when my niece Susan came to visit from Wisconsin last weekend. They got to meet her new puppy, Max!

Isn't he a cutie? He's sweet as can be but so quick that I couldn't get any photos of him with Shandy or Bandit--all I'd catch was a blur.

Bandit Visits the Office

Bandit usually spends his days at home with Richard but last week he dropped into the office for a visit.

He's used to several long walks and at least one play session with his dog friends, so lazing around the office wasn't really his cup of tea. He kept crawling under my desk to try to get Shandy to play, but she's used to her nap time and wasn't having any of it. They were both happy when Richard returned to take Bandit home.

Good Thoughts for Laverne

I am sad to report that our sweet Laverne (pictured here at "her" school with Bears player Josh Beekman) was viciously attacked by a dog outside her front door last week.

The good news is that both she and Jenifer are slowly recovering. We won't know for a while though if Laverne will be up for working with her kids at Lowell next month. Jenifer is hoping that we can ease her into it and that it will help her on the road to recovery, both physically and emotionally.

As you can imagine, this was a terrifying ordeal and I know your good thoughts and positive energy would be appreciated. You can leave a comment here or go to Laverne's page on the Sit Stay Read website and send her an email.

If all goes well, Jenifer will bring Laverne by the office next week to visit Shandy. I'll keep you posted.

Shandy and Friends at Home

Nothing nicer than sitting on the deck on a fine September evening and sharing it with friends. Of course, the photo here is from Thursday night, well ahead of the torrential rains we've been getting.

That's (from the foreground) Butkus, Tish, and Bandit all waiting for a treat, with Shandy getting edged out a bit. Aren't they a handsome group?!

Scooter Puppy

I'm not usually a puppy stalker but I've been unable to resist Scooter, the adorable guy seen here.

He's a 4-month old Jack Russell mix and is just sweet as can be. When driving home from the office I quite often see his owner walking him in Ravenswood Manor and I've been tempted to stop. However, in the interest of not looking like a crazy person, I've resisted. But this morning I was just sitting in my car waiting for Jenn's train to arrive and there he was. Yeah! Even Shandy wanted to get out to say hello. He's about to pounce on her and she's getting ready to tell him off--hey, at almost 15, I'm impressed that she still enjoys meeting puppies. Anyway, we got our puppy fix and headed into work.

Meet our Newest Dog Teams

Sit Stay Read Dog Team Tests

Twelve new Dog Teams were certified at Sit Stay Read tests at The Anti-Cruelty Society this month!

On June 4th Blue, Diamond, Hobbes, Nala, Oscar, Piper, Pudge Bear, and Saffie earned their bandannas. While June 10th it was Ginger, Mia, Petey, and Sugar's turn. Click on the photo above to view the whole album.

Littlest Doggie Reader

The adorable chihuahua in the box is Comisky and SSR program teacher, Nora Garcia, is his lucky owner.

Comisky was a big hit when he joined us for the teacher feedback meeting. Shandy was happy to welcome him to the office but it took some time for him to make friends. Treats were the secret to getting them together (BTW, he's much smaller than he appears in this photo--must be the angle).

Meet Our Newest Dog Teams!

Congratulations to our six new Dog Teams who were certified at the Sit Stay Read test at Call of the Wild on March 3rd.

In the full group photo, that's Julie with her mixed breed, Gracie; Marcia with Cavalier, Abbie; Sara and Ellie; Kathy and Maggie; Karen and Mystic; and Scott with Marley. (Click on a photo to enlarge.)

You're sure to be seeing these great teams in programs soon.