If you are looking for a new friend, TAS – North might just be the place where you find each other. Each of these lovely guys and girls will also be featured on the Posh Pets’ Facebook page in the coming days, so head on over there for more information such as age, breed and ID number.

And now, without any further delay, here is the first group of dogs to enjoy the new park with me!

Need a date with your dog?  Then look no further than the The Iams So Good Doggie Jam, debuting in Toronto on Saturday, June 8, 2013 at the Molson Amphitheatre.

Doggie Jam is a is a special classical music concert and event goes, rain or shine!  A live, 45 piece orchestra will play classical music that will celebrate the real love between man and his best bud.  It’s also a great way to foster the bonds between pet dogs from various family pet owners.  This event will be an all-in-one dog fair where an ‘Ask The Vet’ booth will be present, as well as consumer, pet-health related questions, sampling of Iams SO GOOD!, Iams SO GOOD! Doggie Jam swag bags and a dog-friendly photo booth.

Want tickets?  Well, we have a pair up for grabs!  All you have to do is sign up for the Posh Pets newsletter below.  A winner’s name will be drawn from all that do so and will be announced Wednesday evening.

If you would like to purchase additional tickets, you can do so here.

It seems like yesterday that the three of us made that last car ride together. In fact, we still tear up when we think about him, as the pain is yet just below the surface. But, in reality, a whole year has passed and I realize that so much has changed since then.

For one thing, there is no doubt that the sharp pain has eased for all of us. We no longer come through the front door expecting to have Ripley greet us, nor do I wake up in the night looking for the feel of his soft weight against my legs. Lady Jane, too, finally stopped grieving for her brother and began to be her old self again. And, as I always secretly knew, we were in time, ready for the biggest change of all. We welcomed 2 year old Baxter into our home and into our hearts. (One the unexpected results was that, as a result of the new playmate and the increased physical activity, Lady Jane has lost some weight. She now runs and just a few weeks ago, managed to jump on the dresser in our bedroom – a place she has not been up on in over 10 years. Talk about a change!)

Initially, my biggest fear was that I would forget about Ripley – his little habits and the stories we shared. I wanted so desperately to emblazon his memory in my mind. Consequently, right after his death, we took a notebook and through our tears, wrote down all of the things that had made him special. Every memory we could come up with, even the small, silly ones. And, as Dean and I would remember additional stories, we would continue to write. It helped in the healing process and allowed us to slowly let go, knowing Ripley’s life story was safe. However, we soon realized that we should do this for all of our kitties, keeping records as we go. So Lady Jane, and now Baxter, have their own special memory books. And we take photographs…so many photographs.

But, for all of the progress we have made, the truth is, I don’t think there will ever come a day when I don’t think about our Orange Boy. He was our very first pet together, and because he came into our lives just 3 months after Dean and I were married, Ripley had been there practically from the beginning. We loved him so much, and he, us. He will always be a part of our story.

Ripley, for all of our brave faces, how we still miss you! But, this I promise you: you will never be forgotten. Afterall, you never forget your first.

Some of these furry faces have already found their forever homes – most notably Cheyenne who is 18 years old! We wish her and her friends the warmest congratulations and a life filled with love and belly rubs. However, if you see one here that you would like to meet, please contact Toronto Animal Services – North directly. I also encourage you to “like” and follow the Posh Pets’ Photography Facebook page…there are always tons of updates there!

Until next week…!

So here are a few images from the first two weeks. I will be sharing more as this project progresses…

Week 1

The had just broken ground and the new “tunnel” was already taking shape! Lots of digging and levelling going on as the bulldozers did the heavy lifting.

Week 2

Gravel is laid and outlines where the new rubberized training track will be. New enclosed play areas for smaller furry faces and the tunnel/hill combo appears to be completed and has new grass laid for all the little paws that will run on it!

Stay tuned for more photos next week!

A bit smaller group this week, but lovely furry faces just the same. If you would like to inquire about any of them, please contact TAS – North directly.

Well, I took these early on Sunday morning. About 6:30 a.m., which is when normal people (those without pets or kids) get a day or rest and sleep in. Unfortunately, Baxter has not yet learned to use a calendar, nor does he understand the word “weekend”. So, he is sure to get us up every morning, rain or shine!

Lady Jane has lived with us for 16 years now, so she is pretty convinced that breakfast and dinner arrive at prescribed times every day. In between, there is ample amounts of dry kibble and water, so that no one starves. Baxter, on the other hand, is new and is therefore sure that we have forgotten, are currently in the process of forgetting, and/or will forget sometime in the future that he needs food. In any case, he makes it his aim to ensure that we understand that breakfast and dinner are necessary to his existence and that he would be really grateful if it was served quickly and efficiently. Thus, every feeding session begins the same way…

The troops gather in the kitchen as I get their bowls ready and prepare their food. Baxter is front and centre, but that is Lady Jane in the bottom left. She is no fool – she knows it is breakfast and she has no intention of missing out. However, she will will watch while Baxter goes into full i-am-so-starving mode.

As I am not getting it nearly quickly enough, Baxter climbs up for a better look. I think he is trying to figure out what he can do to help me, as i am quite obviously having trouble dishing it out in a timely manner.

Yes, that is his left paw resting easily on the knob of our top drawer. He can actually reach our counter top while keeping his back paws firmly planted on the ground – he is that tall!

And finally, when breakfast is served, the clouds part, the sun appears, and angels can be heard singing. All is good and wonderful and right in the world. Until supper time when we do it all over again.

This is a blog circle which means that a worldwide collection of pet photographers have all interpreted this same theme. To see the next photographer’s images, please check out Tracy Sutherland Photography in Squamish, BC, Canada. From there, you can follow the circle all the way around until you end up back here!

These are available from TAS – North, so please contact them directly to inquire about them. As always, there is some information such as ID number and other little details on the Posh Pets’ Facebook page. Enjoy and see you next week!

If there is someone you would like to meet, please contact Toronto Animal Services – North Region and they can set up a little “meet-and-greet” for you. And we’ll have these photos up on the Posh Pets’ Facebook page with some additional info.

So, this week I have this colourful little bird. I have really started to enjoy photographing birds, and have come to appreciate that each of them are individuals with their own personalities. Take this little guy for example…he simply ‘mugged’ for my camera, so proud of his piece of food!

Did you know that, as a Posh Pets‘ client, you have the option of having us custom design a triptych from your session? The cool thing about triptych is that the images can be arranged to show the many facets of your pet’s personality and therefore will be completely unique to your furry face. Even better, triptychs look fantastic hanging on a wall!

As usual, this is a blog circle. That means each photographer has a different interpretation on this week’s theme and you can visit them all! To begin with, please go over to Pet Photographer Melbourne, Ragamuffin Pet Photography, and then continue through all of the links until you end up back here…we’ll be waiting.