Jillian with Harley (left) and Seven. Photo courtesy of PeoplePets.com, credit: Alison Dyer

Too many stars fall short in this area and go out and get a cute new pure bred puppy, thus influencing countless fans to go out and do the same, thus perpetuating the puppy mill problem. Honestly, my opinion of celebrities who do this goes down substantially. And I can say that because it’s MY blog. So there.

Jillian and her rescue horse, Buzz. Photo courtesy of PeoplePets.com, credit: Alison Dyer

Today’s PeoplePets.com has a gallery of Jillian with Harley, a Shih Tzu mix, Seven, an Italian Greyhound mix and a beautiful five-year-old rescue horse named Buzz.

Here's my new friend, Dr. Plotnick. He's very nice and likes kittehs a lot!

Preparing for my big interview

Thanks to FURminator for helping facilitate the interview and for helping raise awareness about hairballs! You can read some prevention tips from FURminator here.

Have a great weekend every-buddy!

Gus is a voracious reader!

Each winner receives a $300 cash, plus generous food donation to the animal shelter or rescue of their choice, courtesy of Wellness. The winner also receives a gift basket as a great incentive for the winning pet to keep his or her resolution!

Today’s winner is Gus, a sweet orange tabby who lives in Easton, WA. Gus’s staff, Barbara Ludt, found him when he was just a teeny tiny stray kitten.

Gus's staff, Barbara, and adopted (and rescued!) brofur, Herman

Gus is a bit of an intellectual and his New Year’s resolution is:

“To take time between catnip and catnaps to explore and “purr-ruse” more books….”

Gus and Barbara have chosen Kittitas County Friends of Animals (“KCFOA”) in Ellensburg, WA to receive the Wellness donations.

Congratulations, Gus. Keep us posted on the best reading for 2010! Maybe we could start a book club?

What a fun week this has been! I love sharing the daily winner of our “If Pets Had New Years Resolutions” contest, sponsored by RomeotheCat.com, Wellness Natural Food for Pets and Peoplepets.com! We received an overwhelming amount of wonderful submissions so it was hard to choose but we were finally able to narrow it down to five terrific winners, who we’ll be featuring each day this week.

Each winner receives a $300 cash, plus generous food donation to the animal shelter or rescue of their choice, courtesy of our wonderful friends at Wellness. The winner also receives a cat or dog gift basket as an extra boost to help each pet keep his or her resolution.

Today’s lucky winner is EZ Luvin, an adorable, totally bulldoggy 10-1/2-year old French Bulldog. EZ Luvin lives with Stacy Kitchen in Yardley, PA.

EZ’s resolution is very practical and one that we all should heed:

“Never go outside again without sun-block for my tongue!”

Hee, hee! EZ, you are very funny and WE LOVE YOUR NAME. The staff says she can understand how you got it.

EZ and Stacy have requested that their prize goes to: French Bulldog Rescue Network in Glen Allen, VA . OMG can you imagine a whole rescue full of French Bulldogs? That would be a sight to see. We’re so happy to help them.

Trouble is a good name for this big boy!

We received an overwhelming amount of wonderful submissions so it was hard to choose but we were finally able to narrow it down to five terrific winners, who we’ll be featuring each day this week.

We loved reading everyone’s funny, creative, touching and earnest resolutions but what I love MOST is that each winner receives a $300 cash, plus generous food donation to the animal shelter or rescue of their choice, courtesy of Wellness. The winner also receives a gift basket as a great incentive for the winning pet to keep his or her resolution!

Today’s winner is Trouble, a gorgeous 18-pound striped kitty who lives with his owner, Duke Scofield, in Plover, Wisconsin.

Trouble's staff, Duke

Trouble sounds like his name suits him! His New Year’s resolution is this:

“I resolve to stop teasing the fish and beating up Mickey the dog.”

He he, Trouble, you little stinker. I bet Mickey and the fish will be glad to hear that you are going to leave them alone!

Trouble and Duke have designated The Portage County Humane Society in Plover, WI to receive the donation.

Well you may be trouble but you are still a pretty kitty!

I am so so so so SO excited to announce a wonderful way you can help your local rescue or shelter.

I’ve teamed up with Wellness Natural Food for Pets and Peoplepets.com to launch our “If Pets Made New Year’s Resolutions” contest.

Send me your pet’s New Year’s resolutions, along with a photo of you, a photo of your pet or a photo of you with your pet. We’ll select FIVE (count ‘em, one-two-three-four-five!) winners and feature one each day on Wellnesspetfood.com, Peoplepets.com and Romeothecat.com during the week of January 4 – January 8, 2010.

This will be so fun! But the best part? If you win, Wellness will donate $300 AND a generous food donation to the animal shelter or rescue of your choice. Yes, you heard me! And you, my friends, will receive a fun Wellness Natural Food for Pets gift basket for either a cat or dog.

To enter, simply send an email to romeo@romeothecat.com with the following information:

• Pet Name
• Owner’s name, contact information, city and state
• Pet’s New Year’s resolution(s)
• Animal Rescue/Shelter (U.S. only please) and city and state
• Animal Rescue/Shelter Web site
• Photo of you and a photo of your pet and/or a photo of you and your pet!

Deadline for entries: December 31, 2009 at 6 p.m. EST. We’ll announce one winner each day on our Web sites from January 4 – January 8, 2010.

OMG how fun is this going to be?! Can’t wait to see all of your fantastic entries. Tell all your friends!

xo

The Knitter Extraordinaire

As you all know, I’ve teamed up with Big Paw Designs and Peoplepets.com to encourage everyone to find ways to celebrate our local rescues and shelters and to let them know how much we love and appreciate all they do! So do anything you can – no matter how big or small – to show them you care.

Hmmm...feels cozy.

Jessi Sensabaugh of Lynchburg, VA is hand-knitting soft comfy pet beds for A Place to Bark in Portland, TN. Jessi, who is cat staff to Kitty and Tripsie, says she is going to send along food and other supplies as well.

What a wonderful way to give! I am sure those sweet animals will appreciate cozy little hand knit beds and they are sure to be very popular nap spots! Pugsley and I would definitely fight over who would get the knitted bed!

What are YOU doing this week to appreciate your shelter? Send your story to me at romeo@romeothecat.com, along with a photo, and you might be featured too! Every day, we’re selecting a winner to win a Rescue Mom or Rescue Dad car magnet or sticker, courtesy of Big Paw Designs.

Bubba naps (left) while Pinkerton takes a rest from playing with shoestrings!

I’ve teamed up with Big Paw Designs and Peoplepets.com to encourage everyone to celebrate our local rescues and shelters and let them know how much we love and appreciate all they do! So do anything you can – no matter how big or small – to show them you care.

Artist Patrice De Avila of Portland, Oregon, mom to Bubba, Pinkerton and Loki, is donating artwork to the Harlequin Haven Great Dane Rescue to sell or auction as a fundraiser.

She is also donating the design and printing costs of business cards to Persian and Himalayan Cat Rescue, the organization that rescued Bubba and Pinkerton.

Patrice has pledged to spend the week educating friends and family about shelters and rescues and everything they do for the animals – and for us all!

Finally, Patrice is extremely generous and donates to animal rescue on the 5th and 20th of every month. This month she said she’ll donate double on the 5th in honor of this special week.

Wow! Those are some wonderful things to do and great ideas for everyone to consider.

What are YOU doing this week to appreciate your shelter? Send your story to me at romeo@romeothecat.com, along with a photo, and you might be featured too! Every day, we’re selecting a winner to win a Rescue Mom or Rescue Dad car magnet or sticker, courtesy of Big Paw Designs.