Welcome Oreo

Hello, My name is Oreo.

I am 5 yrs old and am a Scottie/Shih Tzu mix. I am very special because I have one ear up and one ear down. I was named Oreo because when I was a puppy I had a white stripe going down my chest in the front and it looked like the frosting in the center of a Oreo cookie, hence the name Oreo. I am from Chicago and in my family in Chicago there are 3 kids. 2 girls, 11 and 14 and a 10 mo old little guy. I have been with my family since I was about 10 weeks old.  Life is busy with 3 kids around but I love my family and I would sneak in the girls room to hang out with them.

My mom Cindy started a daycare in her home and so with that came lots more little kids. They are the types that pull my tail and my ears and I would end up having to be in the kitchen all day by myself for about 12 hrs and Mom Cindy didn't think that it was fair to me plus they all have very busy schedules to get too. So they decided to find me a new home where I could have more attention and would have room to play and run and stuffs like that. I am sure that it was very hard for them to decide this. Mom Cindy talked to 9 other people before finding me just the right home to go to. I got to my new home just a couple days ago and my new family has a BLOG for me already. So come on over and meet my new family ok?

Welcome to Riley and his Family

My name is Chelsea, and I live in small-town Iowa with my husband Jared and our dog Riley.  I blog over at Second Chances about animal rescue and all things dog.  When I'm not blogging, I work in rescue as well as a doggie hotel called Bark Break Hotel.  

Riley is an 8-year-old Pekingese/Poodle mix who loves belly rubs and nice, long naps.  We adopted Riley two years ago from the Humane Society of North Iowa.  His owner had passed away, so he lay shaking in the back of a cage in the shelter.  My husband fell in love with him immediately, and we took him home a few days later.  Since then, Riley has basically become the love of our life - he is a couch potato and loves to snuggle.  He also has an intense fear of the ice maker and a fierce love of squeaky toys.

I decided to start writing Second Chances after volunteering and working at an animal shelter.  I fell in love with rescue, and I wanted to show the world how important it is to adopt and volunteer.  I use the blog primarily to share animals in need and promote different shelters, but Riley definitely makes frequent appearances  - usually wearing an adorable sweater or bow tie. :)  I have had so much fun blogging so far, and I've really enjoyed meeting so many wonderfully kind people.  The pet blogging community really is amazing - so supportive and welcoming!

In addition to working at the Bark Break Hotel, I also am a substitute paraprofessional in special needs classrooms, and I am on the board of directors for an up-and-coming Iowa rescue called Wags to Riches.  Not to toot my own horn (okay, a little), but Riley and I recently had a short article published in the October issue of Dog Fancy magazine!  Just one of the many good things that have happened to us since adopting Riley.  He truly has changed our lives in the best way possible :)  We're so excited to be featured on the Blogville Welcome Wagon and look forward to "meeting" everyone soon!
Welcome Riley!! We're glad that you are in Blogville.
Head on over to Second Chances and Bark at Riley!!

Welcome Sadie, Thor and Allie

A little about my pets:

Our first two pets were our kitties, Thor and Allie.  They're siblings- I'd like to believe they're twins, because they look so much alike!  

Thor is our mischievous trouble-maker, eating everything that gets in his way.  He is also the snuggliest kitty I've met- he loves to crawl into peoples' laps and make new friends.  I'll never forget the day that a government worker came to our apartment to ask about my husbands' old roommate for a background check, and the moment the lady sat on the couch, Thor went and sat in her lap.  I was mortified!  Allie, his very mellow sister, counterbalances all Thor's crazy antics.  She is super cuddly, quiet, and is mellow.  She is so gentle and easy-going; Sadie (our dog) and our foster dogs can go right up to her and nibble on her, and she doesn't care.  I'm amazed by how much personality our feline friends have!  We found these two as tiny kittens on a free Craigslist ad- we met their "owner" at a parking lot, and brought them home; we've been loving them up for about 3 1/2 years now!

We adopted our 3rd pet, Sadie, in December of 2013.  She's a Golden Retriever, and is just over 1 year old.  We adopted her from RAGOM (Retrieve a Golden of Minnesota), who rescued her entire "puppy family" from a commercial breeder.  They made the trek to Minnesota, fostered by a wonderful woman who cared for the momma and all the pups.  We went over to meet the puppies, and Sadie (then JJ) went and sat in my husband's lap.  We took her home a week later, realizing we couldn't live without a little "Gold" in our lives. :)  Since then, I've been laughing and smiling while watching this crazy ball of fur grow up.  She is very spunky!  I decided to start blogging about her when I realized that these stories that I tell just couldn't be made up.  I told my co-workers at lunch all the crazy things she's been up to, and watching them laugh made me think "hmmm, I wonder if people would enjoy reading this as a blog?" Hence, here we are, blogging about the crazy and wonderful life of our wee little family!

Drop by their blog Sadie the Golden Pup and Welcome Sadie, Thor and Allie to Blogville!! We love having new animals here and hope that you will find a place to stay.