Twyla says: Adopt me!

Dog Daze of Summer
Friday, July 20 – 5 to 9 p.m.
All pets are welcome at Plaza Colonial where there will be food, entertainment, a DJ and fashion show plus merchant special. Proceeds benefit the Humane Society of Southern Arizona
Location: SW corner of Skyline/Campbell directly across the street from La Encantada Shopping Center

Cool Treats & Treasures
Saturday, July 21 – 2 to 4 p.m.
HOPE Animal Shelter is hosting a fundraiser at Kismet, a great locally owned resale boutique which supports animals in our community. (I bought a table at Kismet!) Buy some raffle tickets and Tucson’s favorite cool treats from Eegees will be for sale.
Location: 2627 E. Broadway (in the same plaza as Benarda Animal Hospital, Pet Designs, and Tucson Tamale Co.)

Due to HOPE’s monetary crisis they were forced to make changes to daily schedules. They are no longer able to take cats and dogs to offsite adoption centers such as PetsMart. Adoptions will now take place at the shelter only on Friday and Saturdays – 1 to 4 p.m. and Sundays noon to 4 p.m. The Shelter is located at 2011 E. 12th Street (85719)  – near Campbell east of/behind Safeway @ Broadway/Campbell/Kino

Dine for the Cats/Feast Restaurant
Wednesday, August 1 – 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Tucson’s fabulous Feast Restaurant is generously donating 20% of your check back to cats in need.
Benefits: PAWSitively Cats (formerly Casa de los Gatos)
Feast Restaurant changes its creative menu every month and keeps some favorites (grilled halloumi cheese sandwich is my favorite) on the menu. Gluten-free fare too. In order to take advantage of this extraordinary benefit for the cats, you have to give your server a flyer which you can download here. Help the cats while supporting a wonderful locally-owned restaurant.  Donations of canned cat food and cat litter will also be accepted.
Location: 3917 E. Speedway Blvd;

Dine for Sanctuary/Feast Restaurant
Wednesday, August 8 – 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Once again Tucson’s fabulous Feast Restaurant is generously donating 20% of your check back to the dogs.
Benefits: The SanctuaryProject – Tucson Tails hasn’t learned anything about them yet and right now doesn’t see the flyer posted but hope to update that soon.

Location: 3917 E. Speedway Blvd;

Ice Cream Social and Craft Fair
Sunday August 12 – 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Benefits: Hermitage Cat Shelter
The event is to honor Sister Seraphim’s birthday. Ice cream will be for sale from locally-made Isabella’s Ice Cream.
10×10 vendor spaces are available for $20 donation. Please supply your own tables, chairs, and tent. Contact info@hermitagecatshelter.org for more info.
Location: 5278 E 21st St, Tucson, Arizona 85711

Bark For Life of Pima County
Saturday, August 18 – 6:45 to 9:30 a.m.
Bark For Life is a community event to celebrate cancer survivors and their canine companions — and remember people and dogs lost to cancer. Doggie games, contest, team walks/fundraising, demos, and vendors
Location: Reid Park

Dolls for Paws Fashion Event
Saturday August 25 – 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Benefits Angels for Animals, featuring the AZ Desert Dolls
Lots of stuff going on — fashion show, face painting, pinups & pitbulls, refreshments,  continuous raffles & silent auction, art.
Donations accepted the day of the event: dry dog food, dog beds, crates, dog runs, dog treats, leashes & collars
Location:  4648 E. Speedway (near Swan) in A/C studio
Later: Dinner with the Dolls: 5:30 to 7:30 pm
Event is presented by Saguaro Sunset Photography & Weekend Warrior Construction LLC

Greyt Tales
Sunday August 26 – 4 p.m.
Fundraiser for Southern Arizona Greyhound Adoption
Enjoy an afternoon of greyt stories, appetizers, desserts, and wine tasting. Experience first hand greyt-encounters as members of our greyhound community share their personal adoption and rescue stories.
Location: FLUXX Studios 414 E. 9th St. /4th Avenue
Cost: $20
Advance ticket sales may be purchased here

Pitbulooza
Saturday October 20 – 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Check out the food, live music, contests, family activities, doggie demos, adoptions, vendors, and more ear to ear pittie smiles than you can bare! Vendors and experts from canine behavior, training, nutrition, and wellness will be on hand to answer your questions. Raffle prize drawings and AKC Canine Good Citizen (CGC) testing will be held at the event and available to all dogs but testing will be FREE for bully breeds and mixes!
Pitbulooza! is hosted by Pit n’ Proud, In the Arms of Angels, and Adopt-a-Bull
Location: Brandi Fenton Park
Vendors & sponsors wanted

If you have an animal event in Southern Arizona that you want listed (no meet & greets please), send an email with the specifics plus a link to tucson.tails@yahoo.com – The events will be continually updated.

(Photo/Hope Animal Shelter: Twyla is very special as she doesn’t have paws on her hind legs. The reason is not known as to whether or not she was born that way or something happened. She gets around well, and at the shelter prefers to be up on a high shelf so it clearly doesn’t stop her from jumping. Like many cats, she enjoys life on her own terms.)

Greyhound Love

Three years ago on October 20, 2008 Lizzie Mead and her two greyhounds were on their way to the dog park when the vehicle she was driving plus four other vehicles were slammed by a hit-and-run driver. While injured she stumbled out of her vehicle and went to check on her dogs.

They were gone.

Her truck cab had popped open and the dogs escaped over the debris.

She was taken away in an ambulance while crying out, “Find my dogs!”

Fortunately two different good Samaritans did find her dogs and because they were wearing tags called Arizona Greyhound Rescue who advised that the dogs be taken to Pima Pet Clinic on Speedway.

Opal’s eye had popped out and Rider’s spleen was removed; he received more than 300 stitches. Lizzie Mead signed off on their care and a $14,300 vet bill.

Both dogs recovered.

Six greyhound adopters came together to help her raise money to pay the vet bill. Amazingly, the vet bill was paid off in six months! Funds were raised through the Greyhound Injury Fund blog with contributions from charitable organizations and dog lovers locally, nationally, and internationally (a donation came from India!), insurance money, and the selling of one-of-a- kind bracelets made from donated beads.

After the vet bill was paid off, Lizzie wanted to give back to the animal community that helped her. Luckily one of the women in the group (Glenda) was able to score 50 pounds of beads from a bead store going out of business.

Since then, the original seven women who have since taken the moniker Beading Divas to the Rescue, have raised more than $38,000 selling $20 bracelets. All funds raised go directly to various non-profit animal charities. So far money has been raised to help 22 different animal charities in five states.

The tagline is — helping animals one bracelet at a time.

For the month of October, the anniversary of Lizzie’s accident, the Beading Divas are selling bracelets for the Tucson-based Arizona Greyhound Rescue. All of us have adopted and volunteered for AGR.

Accessorize for a Greyt Cause

The original seven Beading Divas are Lizzie Mead, Glenda Taylor, Loren Dawn, Cynthia David, Michelle Caillet, Angy Shearer, and myself, Karyn Zoldan. There are a cast of hundreds who have donated beads and helped make bracelets. It’s an endeavor we are all extremely proud to be a part of.

In Tucson you can buy bracelets at:
–Silver Sea Jewelry & Gifts, 330 N. 4th Ave (next to Bison Witches Cafe), 624-5594

–Sissy’s Pet Grooming Salon, 7350 N. La Cholla Blvd (@ Ina/Albertsons Shopping Center), 520-229-9898

–Buy bracelets online via Etsy (add $4 S&H)

Lizzie will be on 4 at 4 with Martha Vasquez, KVOA on Monday, October 24 (4 pm).

(Photo is courtesy of David Grasse. Here is Lizzie Mead with Rider lying down, Opal in the middle, and the newest addition, Bird.)