Bloggers helps Paws with a Cause with author Teresa Gabelman

When I found about this event I couldn’t pass up the chance to join! I love animals, yeah even my son’s snake Steve Irwin. No, I haven’t touched it, held it or even fed it, but I make sure he’s okay by glancing in the huge glass case Steve calls home. Okay, I admit I’m also making sure he is still in his home. Anyway, I love animals, but dogs are my true love. I have had dogs ever since I was little. Actually, I cannot ever remember not having a dog.

Rennie, a white poodle, was given to us when the elderly couple next door couldn’t keep him anymore. I remember having to rescue him once when he ran away. I found him ten houses down cornered in the dog house of a very large female Rottweiler. To this day I’m not sure he wanted rescuing.

Corky, a mix breed of what we don’t know, was the next dog I got after my mom refused to get me another dog after Rennie passed away. Yeah, mom was a sucker for puppy eyes, mine and the dogs. Corky was a good dog, but liked to nip people on the butt when they passed by. Never vicious….just a little goose to get them moving. Right before I got married, my mom cried, not because I was leaving home, but because she thought I was taking Corky with me. Corky stayed with my mom
until he was the ripe old age of 16.

Then there was Axel, a long haired Chihuahua that my husband got me for my birthday after we moved into our first house. Axel had it going as my favorite dog until we came home one night and I saw black scattered across our living room floor. Yes, my leather jacket had been viciously ripped apart by my tiny little long hair bundle of Chihuahua, but I quickly forgave him. He was too darn cute not to.

Next was Sable, our solid black German Shepard. Still a little hard for me to talk about her. We moved to the country and I had always wanted a German Shepard, but never had a place big enough. We still had Axel, but I found someone an hour away who had German Shepard pups. After a lot of begging, my husband took me to see them. We sat on a picnic table at a farm watching all these German Shepard pups run around playing, but one came over and sat by me. When the lady who own them ask my husband which one we might want he laughed because he knew the black pup sitting next to me was the one we were taking home. Okay now I say puppy, but Sable was a huge puppy and already bigger than any dog I’d ever had. She rode home on my lap in my husband’s GT Mustang throwing up the whole hour ride home. When we finally got home my son, who was six at the time, was on his way home from his grandparents. After he got out of the car we opened the garage door and let Sable loose. My son freaked excitedly and took off running and screaming. Sable was so excited and took off after him, tackled him gently and licked him like crazy. It was love at first sight. Now when Axel and Sable met it was not love at first sight for Axel, but Sable adored the little Chihuahua and Axel used that to his advantage. An example of this is Stable would knock over the garbage can so Axel could get the prize. Sable would stand guard while Axel reaped the rewards. The funniest thing about the pair was when they were outside and Sable would want to play and would run past Axel rolling him, then Axel being the grumpy older dog would chase the huge German Shepard across the yard nipping at her butt. When Axel passed Sable mourned as much, if not more, than we did.

After Sable passed unexpectedly I didn’t think I could do it again. My dogs are such a big part of our family. I quickly realized that my heart couldn’t mend without having another dog. I had never been to an animal pound to get a dog, but with a friends urging I went and it nearly broke my already broken heart. I wanted to take every dog I seen in the place back home with me. I actually had to go outside for a minute because it was so heartbreaking. My son came out to find me and said he found one. He and my friend took me in to where the younger dogs were kept. A sad looking golden puppy sat with its nose sticking out between the cage begging to be petted. A woman came in, but stopped at another cage where a little black puppy lay huddled in the corner and yelled at the poor thing for pooping in the cage that she had just cleaned. I, not so kindly, told the woman to get both dogs out so we could see them and found out they were sisters. So to make a long story short I took home two puppies that day. Cinnamon and BB are now a major part of our family. One thing I learned from that experience is that I will always go and rescue a dog from the pound. There is nothing sweeter than saving an animal whose future is unsure.

I was going to post a picture, but decided against it because I cannot post any if I can’t post them all. They all hold a special place in my heart with their selfless and unconditional love. Just know that Rennie, Corky, Axel, Sable, Cinnamon and BB are beautiful animals who touched the lives of many. There is nothing like walking the door after a hard long day to a excited friend who acts like you walking back in that door is the best thing that has ever happened to them. Or when you’re sad they sit by your side and lick your tears away. Save an animal and rescue!!! Pets are family!

Pets ROCK!

Teresa Gabelman

Paws With A Cause® enhances the independence and quality of life for people with disabilities nationally through custom-trained Assistance Dogs.

PAWS® increases awareness of the rights and roles of Assistance Dog teams through education and advocacy.  Founded in 1979, Paws With A Cause is dedicated to helping its clients who are challenged by many disabilities, such as Cerebral Palsy, Muscular Dystrophy, Seizure Disorders, and Hearing Disorders to name just some.  Each of our dogs are trained to meet the specific needs of our clients. Tasks may include opening and closing doors, picking up objects, pulling a wheelchair, turning lights on and off, and alerting a person to particular sounds like a telephone, doorbell, smoke detector and many others. Our dogs change lives by enhancing the independence of our clients. By just opening a door, a dog opens up the world for a person with a disability and your donations will go to making that happen.  PAWS thanks you so much for your donation and allowing us to open more doors.

Paws With A Cause

4646 South Division

Wayland, MI 49348

How to donate:

1. Go to https://www.everribbon.com/PawswithaCause

2. Click on "Make a Donation"

3. Enter a amount you wish to donate. Everibbon will add a small fee to your donation for processing. My fee for donating $5.00 was .49 cents. So keep this in mind when deciding your donation amount. You will receive 1 entry into the giveaway for every $1 you donate. 

4. In the box that says "on the behalf of" please put your name. This is the name that will be listed on the everibbon website so put a name you do not mind being visible to everyone. Do not check the box to make a anonymous donation because I will not be able to track your donation to enter you into the giveaways.

5. Next it will ask you for your credit or debit card information.

6. Then it will ask for your email address to send you a receipt. This is so that you can submit it for tax purposes.

7. Ta Da! Your all done making your donation. Now you need to contact Danielle to enter the giveaway.

8. Please email Danielle at RomanceBookJunkiesDanielle@Yahoo.com with the name you used to donate your money. For example the name I used to donate on behalf of was Romance Book Junkies. Do not send me your name off your credit or debit card because I will not be able to see this. Along with the name you used please tell me how much you donated and if you live in the US or are International.

9. Your all done. Thank you for donating!

Warning: Do not try to email Danielle the name and donation amount of another person that is not yourself. If Danielle recieves more than one email with the same persons name and donation amount she will have to ask for your copy of the receipt from everibbon to verify that you are the correct winner. Thank you.

We will have 4 winners for the main giveaway.

We have 2 $65 gift certificates to any online book store.

Also we have two huge boxes of books and swag from Romance Book Junkies and Bitten by Paranormal Romance for US residents only.

Good luck to all and thank you for helping make this fundraiser a success.