Big Star Moment

Check out a little media coverage on WCIU for a show I'll be doing this fall - Life's Ruff. Yeah, that's me alright. And my delicate sweet petunia paw gently, yet confidently pressing the Staples Easy Button.

The Dog Saving Network

oh so brilliantly lovely, no? *snort*

Who's really being rescued?

Kara here - So I just got home from a long beautiful day down the street from Harpo Studios.

PAWS Chicago hosted another Angels with Tails event today and I got to volunteer as an Adoption Counselor. I just graduated to this position so today was a virgin voyage for me. Very nervous at first, but the day turned out brilliantly.

In my unemployment and relative poverty, my little world has gotten more little lately. This has resulted in a very narrow track of Facebook posts and Twitter updates. Some random videos and NYTimes articles shared on from friends. But mostly- almost entirely- info on animal welfare, rights and rescues.

I've been getting some flack from activist friends for this. Accusing me of caring more for dogs & cats than for their human counterparts. True, there are many MANY humans struggling in the USA right now. More than usual. Different than the usual - white, financially secure. Cuz we all know there are millions of starving, suffering poor in our country ALL THE TIME, but Americans seem to prefer to sweep them into dark corners of the south or build unlivable housing for them in the outskirts of our cities. But NOW- NOW there are white people struggling darnnit!

Anyway- back to the doggies and kitties. Well sort of...

I can safely claim to know quite a bit about suffering from the recession. I had my heat turned off, I starved, I cried at night huddled with my dog and 2 kittens all exchanging body heat to try to stay warm. I debated returning my precious furry family members to their rescue groups realizing I was being selfish and cruel to keep them with me at this time. I shuddered at the thought of re-homing them knowing they were the only positive part of my life anymore. What was the point of being alive if I was forced to give them back to their rescue groups? I finally had to move in with family in Chicago, but lucky my family embraced my little friends too. So here I am jobless, penniless, and technically homeless at an age where this status feels particularly shameful. But I still have my friends: Kennedy, Bouvier & Monroe. And there are other good things that came from this catastrophe.

One is I get to do all the groovy volunteer work I wanted to do while working. I always wanted to THIS with my life. Trouble is THIS doesn't pay anything so I, like the rest of us lacking trust funds, had to work for a living. Volunteering is definitely work- typically more so than paying work - but it makes one feel so alive is doesn't feel like work while you're doing it! Sitting in an office helping millionaires make more millions to buy things they don't need...is...well just not happy. Volunteering may sound selfless, but anyone who volunteers regularly will tell you they GET so much more than they give.

So back to the flack about helping dogs & cats more than humans. As I sat on my little folding chair chatting with humans about why they wanted to commit their lives to particular dogs, I saw something. I met an older woman from the Phillipines who's 2 daughters are now fully grown and living away from home. She's smitten with a little poodle mix. I warn her this poodle has a life-long condition which requires pills twice a day and he has a nasty habit of biting anyone who fusses with his mouth. She's not fazed - doesn't hesitate to smile and tell me she can't wait to bring him home, give him a nice loving bath, and cuddle up with him in bed tonight. One of her daughters is sitting here and looking on with a never-ending smile. She points out her mother has been nurse for 30 years and is quite adept with making sure surly patients get the care they need. I see an older woman who's probably a little lonely looking forward to shopping for her new family member, giving baths & cuddles, and enjoying the friendship.

Next is a seemingly uptight wealthy couple who just lost their lifelong canine friend to cancer last fall. I read her notes in our survey, but don't mention the loss. The woman mentions it...before she can say the words, her eyes fill up with tears and her husband, concerned and overwhelmed with love, reaches out to her. I'm not sure she wants to get emotional on a sidewalk down the street from Oprah's studios, so I look down at my notes and mention solemnly "I'm so sorry...I've been there...I know it's hard" then look up hoping she sees my compassion and say with a smile "so let's talk about Janet!" We discuss the challenges of puppies and breed-traits of Rottweillers and Shepherds. I repeat throughout our discussion a reminder that this 30lb puppy may soon be close to 80 pounds. The woman digs through her purse a bit frantically to show me a well-worn, much-cherished photos of her recently-passed friend. Again fighting the tears but smiling and reassuring me they are experienced with dogs larger than my warnings. I see a couple broken-hearted over losing a family member. I see a couple filled with hope and love to give in exchange for some new, happy memories.

Throughout our meeting, I'm intimidated by the husband. Feeling a bit judged perhaps. My own lack of confidence reading into his sighs, stares, and many questions I could not answer. 3 days later I check in on them. A standard protocol for PAWS. I'm on the phone with the husband, which unsettles me a bit. I mention to him in my effort to be compassionate to his grieving wife, I fear I came across as cold and uncaring. His voice warms as he explains it was HE who was a "wreck" during that adoption, but that I did a remarkable job reacting to his wife's tears and helping him feel better about the new addition. I realized what I read as judgement from a "snobby Gold-Coaster" was actually intense grief from a incredibly kind man with a beautiful soul.

I walked into that discussion intimidated but walked away feeling lucky to meet so much love.

When anyone adopts a dog or cat from PAWS, their photo is taken with their new family member. PAWS eventually posts these happy shots on their site to show off weekly adoptions. I began using this last winter when I had the flu and was curious if my favorite residents had gotten homes yet. But now I look at these photos to see the HUMANS. The smiles not only on their lips but in their eyes, their bodies, their hearts. Animal lovers will always preach about the unconditional love and light non-human animals give out to the world, especially to their human partners.

There's more to say on this, but...there's just too much and I've babbled on too long here. But I'll say to my critical friends, "if you don't think volunteering for an animal shelter helps all the struggling humans in this world, you've never witnessed the power and love animals bring to the humans most in need"

So I continue to volunteer as an adoption counselor for PAWS. And I continue to meet new people and hear their stories and watch their lives brighten up as they skip out of that building on Clybourn holding their new furry family member.

Chicago Native Helps Homeless Dogs, Victims Of The Recession

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The Huffington Post   |  Stephanie Harnett 
First Posted: 07-20-09 12:23 PM   |   Updated: 07-20-09 01:20 PM

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Read More: All For Good, Animal Shelter, Boxer, California, Chicago, Community Service, Dog, Dog Walking, Dogs, Foreclosure, Good For All, Kennel,Service, Sharpay, Unemployment, Volunteer, Volunteering, Walking Dogs, Living News

Kara Severson knows that victims of foreclosure come in all breeds. Breeds of dog, that is. Severson volunteers at a no-kill animal shelter in Chicago where she walks all types of canines who, like their owners, have suddenly found themselves without a home.

Severson's own Sharpay, Kennedy, has stayed by her side through unemployment and a cross-country journey to move back in with her mother. But the dogs she walks haven't been so lucky.

The shelter keeps a wing for dogs that wear the tag, "I'm here temporarily while my family gets their life on track." Severson told us she began volunteering there when she was in the depths of her own financial struggle.

"To combat my self-pity, I signed up to walk dogs...at PAWS, a no-kill shelter in Chicago. I have seen more and more dogs dropped off by teary-eyed owners who can no longer afford their care. The shelter offers temporary housing to help families keep their pets while suffering economic hardship. As I walk these temporarily homeless dogs, my eyes fill with tears for the dog who's suddenly living in a cage and doesn't know what he did to be ejected from the pack, for the mom who's dropping off her child's 6-month-old puppy because they just lost their home."

Severson lost her own home in California, and she remembers thinking, "Oh my god, I'm flat broke." She did everything she could just to feed her dog.

"I'd walk around the stores because I knew they'd give my dog a treat," she admits of perusing the pooch-friendly clothing boutiques in Santa Monica. The nearby pet store was particularly helpful.

"They would hand me a giant bag [of dog food] tied up and they would say, 'Don't react, don't say thank you, just take it. Just take it,'" she said. "That's really how we got by, just by the goodness of other peoples' hearts."

But late last year, even that was no longer enough and Severson was forced to move with her dog and two kittens back to her mother's home in Chicago, where she slept on the couch, often with Kennedy beside her.

That's when she found PAWS and began volunteering to walk dogs. The story of one dog, especially, touched her heart.

"There was this woman that was in the parking lot, she was holding a Boxer puppy and kind of looking at me with a frown on her face, and usually people are smiling at me because they recognize what I'm doing," she said. Later she saw the woman again, without the dog this time, and inside she saw the dog in a kennel:

I took that Boxer for a really long walk one day, and I was crying. She was six months old then and I was thinking she was probably a Christmas present," she said. "I think of all the happiness and joy that comes with having a puppy and I just cry. And for myself I have tears of gratitude for the loving mother who took me and my dog when I could no longer pay rent... 

I was in this position, so I feel like maybe I have a bigger obligation.

-----

As a counterpoint to the (justifiably) gloomy tone of much reporting about the economic crisis, HuffPost is highlighting stories of service, local heroes, and acts of kindness (random and otherwise). If you read or hear about uplifting stories or good deeds in your community (or do a good deed yourself), please let us know by emailing allforgood@huffingtonpost.com.

you're killing me

Spent pretty much all day inside. Looked like a pretty day.  Kara kept going out.  Shoot even the little furry one busted out one of the windows.

gotta say, when I did get out it was difficult to breathe.

Kara kept bringing up 105. 105. What's 105?

She left abruptly just about dinner time.  so I ate her Gucci sunglasses.

I left them on the master chair.

except for the part I swallowed.

She was ok when she got back and saw my message.  Maybe a little cold.  Kept bringing up dog house. and $300. and dog house.

my stomach hurts.

Hellooooo Chicago!

Hi there!

My name is Kennedy and my human likes to write.  I like to run.  And to snort.  And to chase Pointers on the beach when they chase inanimate objects thrown by other humans.  Eating is good.  Eating is great actually.  But enough about me...

Sometimes you'll hear stories from my point of view.  Sometimes they will be from Kara's point of view.  But hopefully together we'll give you an entertaining informative view of Chicago as I discover it.

Less than 2 years ago, I was living in south central LA.  I thought I was left for dead - abandoned, starving, blind and pregnant!  But several angels scooped me up and took me to Malibu, Oxnard, Santa Monica, and now Chicago.  Oh my good gravy it is COLD out here!  Kara keeps reassuring me it will get better and this cold white stuff is fun.  Hmmmm...

Dearborn & Adams is not that different from Flower & 5th.  But the dogs are very different here.  And the humans.  And really all that matters is my human, my kittens, my bed, my bone, and my food is here.

ssssssstrrrrrrecchhhh

yawwwwwnnnygrowlly lick lick

let's go-

Prologue (that stuff that makes you appreciate the happy ending)

I used to live the rough life. Guarded a drug den with my mate in Downtown LA. He knocked me up with 8, yes EIGHT baby shar-peis then he and the crew bailed, leaving me alone in this beaten down house.  I pooped out the pups, then tried to eat any human who attempted to help me until one by one my babies began to die off.  Lucky for me an illegal immigrant lived next door and felt sorry for me despite my killer personality.  Checking on me, he noticed my babies dying.  After the 5th one died, he got the courage (or I lost my strength), to scoop up my furless, scabby, blind 29lb body with the remaining pups.  He took us to the nearest shelter but wouldn't walk us in fearing he'd be reported and deported.

(there's a rap song in there I know it)

Thank goodness he didn't take us in because that low-income city shelter would have euthanized me on the spot! Lucky for all of us, a Much Love volunteer happened to come to the shelter that day for her usual rescue mission. Before she could come in, she saw me held by this man crying. She understood Spanish, so he told her our sad sad story, lifting his arm to show her my 3 babies sucking on what was left of me.

Next thing I know, I'm locked in a bathroom of some surfer vet in Malibu! He fed us, gave us medicine to help us feel better, bathed me and gave me lotion to heal the scabs and scars so eventually my fur grew back. When I was healthy enough, he spayed me and even gave me an eye lift (I'm pretty sure he does Goldie Hawn's too).

Suddenly, we're scooped up and driven to a huge beautiful house in Oxnard and locked up in a bathroom with a door that leads to an outdoor jacuzzi! I tried to eat the woman who lived there, but she insisted on being nice to me. When I was feeling better and gained some weight, she began making me work for food and affection- I had to work work work like a *cough* like a dog!  Dayum!

I found out when I did this, and stopped trying to kill people, they started being nice to me! My weakest baby, Carter, died. But Clinton and Byrd found homes quickly.  (Dr. Erenberg is holding them in his staff photo). I kept sitting at the Much Love Adoptions but nobody would take me home. One grey day in January a woman with red hair walked into the play pen just as that golden mutt was humping me. She oo'd and ahh'd over me, but walked away. Then she came back! But walked away again carrying some papers. 2 days later she showed up at the kennel where I was living and took me to her home in Santa Monica. It's not as big or fancy as the home in Oxnard, but I have a kitten I can chase + a sunny breezy patio with meditating wind chimes.  I'm also very close to the fancy Montana Avenue - we get gourmet treats from the stores.

I was very spoiled until the trainer came over and taught my leader to make me work for food and affection. This sucked. But I feel happier knowing I don't have to be the leader anymore. After 2-3 years of guarding a dangerous drug house in Downtown LA, I can now sit back and let Kara take care of everything and all I have to do is not pull her when we go for walks. And be nice to the dogs at the dog park. ok, now and then she makes me sit on command *rolling eyes* the things we do for snacks...