Good Bye Sweet Lacey - We Miss You!
With sadness in our hearts, Lacey died on Thursday, 1/27/05 around 9:30 a.m. 

Lacey would have turned 17 years old (human years - 119 doggie years) on February 6th.  She has been part of our family from a puppy of 5 weeks.   She lived a long and loved life and we have many precious memories to ease our pain.
Bio:  Part Poodle and Chihuahua. 
 5" tall, 9" long, weighs 4.3 lbs.


Grave site where Lacey &
Tazz are buried.

Good Bye my Big Man Tazz!  Here's Tazz's story.  One spooky night in October in 1998, a large black cat showed up at our doorstep.  No one claimed him, so Tazz became part of our family nearly 7 years ago.  He's very manly, and loved to terrorize little Lacey when she was alive.   Bio:  Part long haired Persian.   12" tall, 22 inches long, weighs 13.5 lbs.

Tazz died on 12-04-2007. He died in my arms.    He was one of the family.  Handsome and mysterious. 
We'll miss him terribly, but enjoyed the many years we had with him. 
 
 
 
 


Prayer to St. Francis
For Our Pets

Good St. Francis, you loved all of God's creatures. 
To you they were your brothers and sisters.
Help us to follow your example of treating every living thing with kindness.
St. Francis, Patron Saint of animals, watch over our pets and keep my companion safe and healthy.  Amen


This is Zoe (Jeannie's Apricot Poodle - born 2-6-07)



 


Explain how I got Zelie's name
 


 


There's no doubt that Americans love their pets. A new survey by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) shows that more than 57 percent of U.S. households own one or more animals. But can having pets actually provide health benefits? Yes, say experts, as long as you're not allergic to animals or terrified of them.

First, there are considerable physical advantages to be had from looking after a pet. Obviously, the owner of a dog will benefit from the exercise that he or she is obliged to take while walking the dog and this is often evident in improved health. But this benefit is not confined to those individuals who own energetic dogs. Studies originally done in the USA have been confirmed by work carried out at the University of Swansea. This suggests that merely playing with a pet can help to lower your blood pressure – playing with the dog or cat at home after a hard day’s work can help you to relax and unwind.

One of the joys of dog ownership is simply that of being in charge of a healthy, handsome and energetic animal. This sort of pride is quite justified; taking proper care of a dog can be a time consuming business and a much admired animal is a fair reward.

Pets also provide good talking points and discussing them is usually safe, neutral territory where everybody can participate. Dog owners in particular love talking about their animals. There is evidence to suggest that dog owners are far more likely to talk to each other than are people without dogs. In some cases this shared bond has led to lasting friendships.

Another psychological advantage is that pets, especially dogs and cats, allow their owners to express their feelings in an open fashion which may not always be welcomed by humans. Dogs and cats are particularly clever at interpreting the moods of their owners and of acting to please them accordingly.

Research has shown that they can also help reduce stress and blood pressure in owners, increase longevity in those who've had heart attacks, and even relax and improve the appetites of Alzheimer's patients. "Any disease condition that has a stress-related component to it, we believe pets could improve stress and moderate the situation," says biologist Erika Friedmann, a professor at the University of Maryland School of Nursing. "It's providing a focus of attention that's outside of someone's self. They're actually letting you focus on them rather than focusing inward on yourself all the time."

 


Lacey and Tazz, getting all cleaned up - together as one.
Lation Family Website - 2008