Here it is, my most humiliating picture of the year - in my Halloween costume. Lenny the Lobster. This is the one time of year that my mom gets to dress me up. (That and when Ohio State plays Michigan - I have a special Buckeye sweatshirt for the game.)
You have to admit, I make crustacean look GOOD! But it did take a lot of bribing before I would tolerate a photo session.
I think I would feel a little more dignified if the costume didn't have the googly eyes.
In other news, the nice people at National Geographic sent me a new book that is being released today, called "DogTown." There is a TV show on the National Geographic Channel with the same name, which I had seen and enjoyed before via the magic of Netflix. Dog Town is part of the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Utah, a very large and successful no-kill facility.
This book gets two big paws up from me! Each chapter introduces a dog that arrived at Dog Town, what help they received, and their story of what happened to them after they arrived. You learn the individual personalities and stories of the dogs, and you also get to know many of the people who work at Dog Town through their interactions. You get very connected in just a few pages!
While the book obviously is praising all of the good work that Dog Town does, it is not afraid to deal with controversial topics as well. Right off the bat, the first chapter is about Michael Vick's pit bulls and efforts to rehabilitate some of them. What impressed me was that when Best Friends disagreed with the Humane Society or PETA, or another group working for animals, they presented the other viewpoints very fairly, explaining both sides of the issue. I appreciated that.
There are a lot of successful adoption stories for dogs that probably wouldn't have had a chance anywhere else. The dogs that make it to Dog Town are very lucky for all of the care that they receive and it's too bad that they don't have room for everybody who needs a new home! It is evident that the people at Dog Town know that every dog is special and deserves a chance to heal. There are definitely some tear-jerker moments.
So I recommend this uplifting book, and the TV show as well if you have not seen it! I liked it so much that I would like to share it with someone. If you would like me to send you the book, leave me a comment by November 1 and I will pick one lucky pup at random. Or you can find it anywhere books are sold, and get more info at www.nationalgeographic.com. Thanks National Geographic!
Have a very happy Halloween, and remember - no chocolate!!
