November 2018 Newsletter

This is Hobbes, relaxing by the fire.

Many thanks to Cecilia Hirko of Boerne, TX for this nice pic!

And this is Keira, posing nicely for a photo while on a walk in the Falkland Islands.

Thank you to Sharon Zuvic of Stanley, Falkland Islands for posting this great pic on our facebook page!

Thank you to everyone who has submitted pictures of their pets! If you have a great picture of your pet (showing off our tag would be nice!), you can submit it here.

If you haven't seen your picture submission in our newsletter, check out our facebook page. Once there, you can see lots of pet pics, submit more and chat with us or other pet fans!

OUR BIGGEST SALE CONTINUES...

Everything is 15% off, all tags, all collars, all gift items, all seasonal toys! Use the code 1518 when checking out on our site or call and mention the code to get the discount.

Last month, surgeons at the University of Wisconsin performed a very rare kidney transplant on a dog. Less than two days after the surgery, blood tests on both mom and daughter showed that both dogs were doing well and that the transplant was a complete success. But there's so much more to the story. And it all started a bit over three years ago.

Shannon Flegle is a veterinarian in High Ridge, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis. On a hot, summer day in 2015, someone found a dog and her 9 puppies in a plywood box. With no food or water, the mother, Star, was in bad shape when they all arrived at Flegle's hospital. Star was severely malnourished, dehydrated and having seizures. Her kidneys were shutting down. And yet amazingly, her pups were healthy and thriving. Star had nearly given her own life to sustain her pups. Flegle did everything she could to save Star and, when it worked, Flegle adopted her. Soon after, all of Star's pups found their forever homes as well. And that could have been the end of the story.

Three years later, this summer, Star got very sick again. After testing, they found what they'd feared, Star's kidneys were failing once again, likely as a result of the damage done to them three years before. Again Flegle did what she could to save Star, but this time, she was fighting to save a member of her own family. Nothing worked, her kidneys were barely functioning. While kidney transplants are not uncommon for humans, they are for dogs. But that's what Star needed. Eventually, Flegle found a surgeon nearly 400 miles away who was willing to do a transplant. But to increase the odds of success, the surgeon required the donated kidney to come from a dog related to Star.

Flegle knew she had no other option to save Star's life. She called Jenny Murray.

The Murray family was one of the 9 that adopted Star's pups three years earlier. The Murrays adopted Elsa. Flegle and Murray had stayed in contact, and it seemed obvious to reach out to her. Flegle also knew that Murray had kept in touch with several of the other adoptive families.

Flegle tearfully explained the situation and concluded, asking if Murray would help by reaching out to the families to see if anyone was willing to consider donating. It never went any further. Murray knew that they needed to save Star but, she also knew it was a family decision. She carefully explained everything, including the risks, to her young children, ending with: "This is Elsa's chance to save her mom."

On October 10th, the surgeons, and Elsa saved Star's life. You can see a video of the story on the Fox2Now website.

Toby is a toy poodle who lives with Shirley Krause. They have been constant companions since Toby was a pup, 14 years ago. They live in an apartment building in Plymouth, Minnesota, near Minneapolis. The apartment building they live in has a greenbelt behind it, thick with trees and ponds. A paved pathway along the edge makes for a convenient place to take a walk for Krause and Toby.

Earlier this month, Krause and Toby went on such a walk. With the aid of her walker and Toby's leash in her hand, they went off in the cold. Only Toby knows what happened next. All Krause knows is that she had somehow fallen down and lost consciousness. When she woke, she was unable to get up. She became concerned when she realized that she hadn't taken her phone with her. And where was Toby?

Toby had gone to get help. Dragging his leash, he made his way around the apartment complex and waited by the closed front door. Knowing that Toby would never be outside alone, neighbors immediately scoured the grounds until they found Krause laying beside the path.

Krause doesn't know how long it would have taken for people to look for her without Toby's help.

"I owe my life to Toby. He saved his mama," she said.

"I love him with my whole heart, my mind, and soul," Krause said.

See the video on the KARE11 website.

"Dinner Dance"- This is one of the funniest clips I've seen. Note the cat brother at the bottom. (10 sec)
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Here's a quick video of a firefighter (Ryan Coleman) and a cat he found after the devastating fires in Paradise, CA. A reminder of all the good people that help pets when disaster strikes.
(17 sec)
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Use the code 1518 when you check out on our website or you may call 1-800-543-TAGS and mention the coupon code; one of our happy, helpful customer service representatives will gladly give you the discount.