September 2, 2013

White Dog and the White Dog Army wishes everyone a Labor Day holiday filled with celebration honoring the end of summer, friends and family enjoying each other, the best delicacies of the season, and an appreciation for those who have advanced the rights and protections of the American labor force. Remember, too, to honor all of the working animals...Search and Rescue, Service Animals and of course our War Dogs, and many more!

We are still a bit nervous about the parvo outbreak here that has experts worrying because it is affecting vaccinated dogs who are well past the typical age of susceptibility. The White Dog Army's visits to the park have been restricted to minimize the potential risk, especially to our oldest members and those with existing health issues. Since Labor Day is a huge day for family celebrations that include the pups at our parks, we decided to stay away from them today.

The buggy converts with a hitch to follow behind bike carrier.

Instead, Steve hitched up the bright yellow WDA buggy to the back of his bike. Nuka and Puff went for the first ride. They had a blast but Steve came back after just two miles huffing, "wow! pulling that thing is hard work!" THEN he discovered the buggy tires were both nearly flat!

Round 2 with Oso and Nuka (who refused to yield her spot) went MUCH smoother. Steve reported that the two White Dogs settled in like royalty on their cushions and watched the kingdom pass as they rode.

The Queen, White Dog, insisted on a solo tour. She stood and barked greetings to her subjects as Steve pedaled her up and through the neighborhood!  WD shouted her blessing to those poor pups relegated to WALKING on the sidewalk as she drove by. And when she returned, she gracefully jumped from her carriage and pranced past the others to come into the office to tell me of her adventures.

YoYoMa decided he was too much a libertarian to be carted like on parade. Instead, he asked Steve for an old-fashioned trot on his leash about town. This allowed him to stop and sniff and enjoy the full sensory experience of our home base.

After, five exhausted ("I don't know why YOU are all so tired I did all of the work," said Steve) pups laid on the deck supervising the grilling of bratwurst and chicken sausages and anticipating the fine meal (apple pie AND juicy peach blueberry whipped cream parfaits) that the serving staff would serve them for dinner.

Hope you had a wonderful holiday.