My daughter

A fun site from pastemagazine.com allows you to quickly take a photo and turn it into art in the style of the iconic Obama poster.

Iconic campaign poster of Barack Obama

Just go to Obamicon.me and follow the easy instructions.  The trick to make the poster look good is to play with the sliders that allow you to adjust how much dark blue, light blue, red and white is in the image.  As a Photoshop guru, I think this a neat little way for just about anyone to make a posterized image without having to know all about Photoshop.  You can then download, email or put the images into Facebook.  The site has more than a half million pics in the gallery now!

Most photos look great just doing it this way. If you want, you can go into Photoshop or another program first, and cut out the background so it has less detail. I did this with my puppy.  You can also edit the pic after you download it.  Make sure to change it from index color to rgb.  I also made the white whiter on mine. Have fun.

Very cool.  (Thanks, Rex, for showing me the site!) Try it.

My husband

If you just want to buy a Obama Hope campaign poster, check out this Aamzon link.

Amazon has a few other Obama items I like. Like this hat . . . .

And this company sells a cool little pins that looks like the front page of the newspaper for historic events. Check out the one about Obama making history. Would make a nifty little gift for an Obama supporter.

I love the superhero version of Obama on this t-shirt. There are tons of items at Amazon. These were my favorites.

Losing a pet is like losing a family member. One way to honor your companion animal is by donating his or her body to a veterinary school. Not only will your donation teach a student about anatomy, it will also encourage a commitment to humane treatment of animals.

We donated Molly's body to a veterinary school.

A growing number of veterinary school now offer willed body programs, similar to ones that medical schools have been using for decades.

Veterinary schools are turning to the willed body model of obtaining cadavers out of ethical concern about using bodies from other sources, such as: animal shelters; breeders who breed animals for research or teaching; the greyhound industry (retired dogs); or biological supply companies. Using animal bodies that have been willingly donated fits with a more humane philosophy.

Donated cadavers are stored in cold storage until needed and then dissected by veterinary students. Students learn about anatomy and gain technical skills of working with a real body. Most schools have a ceremony to honor the pets in the program. The remains are then cremated. Schools may offer the option of having the ashes returned to you. Otherwise the ashes are usually scattered at sea.

By donating your pet’s body, you are  supporting ethical treatment of animals and the training of future veterinarians. An added benefit is that you usually do not have to pay for any cremation services. More important is the lasting tribute you make to your pet through education that improves the health and well being of other animals. Read about our experience donating our dog’s body.

According to the Humane Society the following schools have programs

• University of California at Davis
• Texas A&M University
• Tufts University
• University of Florida (for large animals only)
• University of Pennsylvania
• University of Wisconsin at Madison
• Western University of Health Sciences

You may check other schools directly as well.

Molly's legacy lives on in the knowledge gained by a veterinary student.

Pet owners arrange for their animal’s body to be donated by talking to their veterinarian ahead of time and filling out some paperwork. The process is simple.

Obtain information from the school nearest you for the details of its program. The school will provide you with paperwork to fill out.

Let your veterinarian know of your plans. If you bring your pet in for euthanasia, bring the paperwork with you. Be sure to bring directions from the school about how the body will be picked up.

Tell your veterinarian to include the pet’s charts with the body. This will help the veterinary student to gain as much information as possible about the animal and will enhance the educational opportunity.

If you like, write a few short paragraphs about your pet to include with the chart as well as a photo. The student will gain not only scientific knowledge and technical skill, but also a deeper philosophical of the value of a pet’s life.  We did this.

Inquire if the school has any ceremony, publication or other tribute that you can participate in to help honor the pet. Finally, let others know about your experience.  I take great comfort in knowing that a veterinarian student’s knowledge was furthered by our donation of Molly’s body. Read about our experience.

Related posts on my site:

How to Cope with the Loss of a Pet

How to Help Kids Say Goodbye to a Pet

find my eHow How to Cope with the Loss of a Pet

If you found this information helpful, please pass on a link.

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Molly’s Legacy . . .
Our Experience with the Willed Body Program for Veterinary Education

When Western University of Health Sciences in Pomona decided to add a school of veterinary medicine, I was thrilled.  Not because I wanted to become a veterinarian.  But because as WesternU’s director of publications, I could use my own very photogenic dog as a model for promotional materials.

I had long used children of employees in photo shoots for PR materials about the WesternU’s other programs (osteopathy, physician assistant, physical therapy, and pharmacy).  But at that time I had no children, at least not human ones.  This would allow me to feature my beautiful Dalmatian, Molly Marie.

Sure enough, we did a photo shoot featuring Molly and a few other employees’ dogs with the new dean,  Shirley Johnston.  My spotted sweetheart appeared in magazine articles and brochures about the school.  I was so proud.

Our puppy in the WesternU View magazine

Molly also enjoyed a taste of fame when she because the first dog featured on the “Friends of the Claremont POOCH Park”  t-shirt and stationery.  Molly’s dad and I were among those who first lobbied the city and helped raised money for a dog park.  I did the graphic design for the group’s stationery and t-shirts.  John served as first POOCH Park “president.”  We still have the “golden” poop scooper presented to the group by then-mayor Al Liega when the park was dedicated.  Many shirts with Molly’s image were sold to raise money for the park’s fencing.

T-shirt design for Claremont POOCH Park group

Molly even appeared in the LA Times. When the film  “101 Dalmatians” came out, I wrote an article  about Disney’s unwillingness to do public service about the responsibilities of owning this particular breed.  It ran with a photo of us in the Calendar section.

So Molly has had a bit of fame.  She is 13 and half now, and no longer the beauty she once was. The ridges of her spine stand out on her back. Her hind legs collapse. Her ears, once so soft and perfectly spotted, now feel crinkled and stiff, the result of hematomas that did not heal despite surgery. Her brown eyes are still outlined with gorgeous black “eyeliner” spots, but they have lost their brightness. Her fur is thinning.  At least her nose is still wonderfully heart-shaped, the result of serendipitously placed spots.

There are hundreds of miles on Molly’s paws. We took her everywhere: Pomona’s College’s quad; the big field at Scripps; Vista Elementary school; the Claremont and Upland dog parks; Thompson Creek Trail; the Claremont Wilderness Park; June Vail Park (at night, of course, because technically dogs are not allowed); the trails in Mt. Baldy; and dog beach in Huntington Beach (her favorite spot).

Molly at Huntington Beach

Our dear Molly suffers from a number of geriatric problems. We have made the tough decision to have her put down so she will suffer the ravages of old age no longer.  We have also decided to will her body to  WesternU’s College of Veterinary Medicine, the school she helped promote a few years ago.

Because the college emphasizes a humanistic approach, it does not accept cadavers from shelters.  Instead it has a willed body program similar to that of medical schools.  Now Molly’s legacy will live on in a new way: in knowledge gained by a veterinary student who will read her chart and dissect her body to learn how to mend other dogs. Eventually, her remains will be cremated and spread at sea.

Of course, Molly’s most important legacy of all will be to our family.   We loved her.  And she gave love and loyalty back the way I think only canines can.

Written by Kim Peasley.  This article was published in our local newspaper, the Claremont Courier.

Click here for more information on WesternU’s Willed Deceased Animals for Veterinary Education (WAVE) program. Other veterinary schools may have programs as well.

Related posts:

How to Cope with the Loss of a Pet

How to Donate a Pet’s Body to a Veterinary School

How to Help Kids Say Goodbye to a Pet

When you donate a body you are asked to give the pet’s medical charts as well.  I included this article and a photo collage (below) so that the veterinary student who learned from her body could gain an understanding of her life as well. Click on any image to see a larger version.

This collage was included with her charts

Our Dalmatian, Molly, growing up with our daughter. Molly is ages 4, 10, and 13.

Pets are part of the family. Yet pets live shorter lives than the humans. We watch them age and die sooner than other family members.

The bond between human and animal companions is forged by love, joy, trust and loyalty. Real grief is to be expected when death breaks the connection.  How does one cope?

People in mourning after the death of a dog, cat or other pet experience conflicting feelings. You will likely go through stages of grief when any loved one dies.

• Denial
• Anger
• Bargaining
• Depression
• Acceptance

The whole family will be under stress. Some may be able to move to acceptance faster than others. Be patient with those who need time. Do not belittle them or ask them to “just get over it.”

Paying tribute to your companion can help the family gain closure. Have a memorial ceremony. Share memories. Say a toast. Light a candle. Assemble a scrapbook. Write an essay and share it. Frame a photo and put it in a place of honor. You may want to treasure a keepsake, such a collar or tag. (I keep these in my jewelry box.)  Plant a plant, tree or flower. (We planted a bulb that flowers in the spring in remembrance of our Dalmatian.)

Take positive action in your pet’s name. Make a contribution to a shelter, dog park, veterinary school or other animal-related cause.

Avoid isolation. Friends who have been through this experience will understand your need to talk.  Avoid those who think of pets as “just animals.” Today people do send pet sympathy cards or flowers.

Do not feel guilty if you made the tough decision to have your pet euthanized. Do not let others judge you negatively. Helping your animal die is a loving action. Be proud of your courage in taking it.

Be honest and open with your kids. This may be a opportunity to teach them a healthy understanding about death. Get them an age-appropriate pet grief book. Be patient. Listen. They may be traumatized emotionally and even physically. They may lash out or be unable to concentrate. Inform their teacher about the death. Let children participate in any memorial.  An art project or a poem will help them express feelings.

Older people sometimes have the toughest time mourning the loss of a pet. Check in so they do not feel alone.

Be sensitive to remaining pets who may be confused or grieving as well. Try to keep to their routine as much as possible. Give them extra attention.

Do not adopt a new pet right away. Although you will always miss the deceased animal, you will eventually accept his or her death.  At that point you will be ready to consider getting another pet.  A kitten or puppy requires energy and emotional commitment. Wait until the whole family is ready.

Know that others have gone on to accept their pet’s death, and you will too in time. Your veterinarian may be able to direct you to grief counseling if you need it.

Our companion animals impart lessons about the most important things in life: patience, responsibility, commitment, communication, fun, loyalty, respect and love. Years from now, certain sights, sounds or smells may trigger a memory of your beloved dog or cat. But these moments will make you smile, not cry.  You will appreciate how much your pet enriched your life. And you will know that even in death, he or she was giving you a gift: the lesson of how to accept mortality and cope with loss of something that we hold dear.

Related post: How to Help Kids Say Goodbye to a Pet,

Related post: How to Donate Your Pet’s Body to a Veterinary School.

If you live in Southern California you may want to consider donating your pet’s body to the College of Veterinary Medicine at Western University of Health Sciences.  As part of its reverence-for-life philosophy it does not accept cadavers from shelters. Click here for more information on their Willed Deceased Animals for Veterinary Education (WAVE) program. Read about our experience donating Molly’s body to WesternU and Molly’s legacy.

For my birthday, my sister painted Molly and our cat Brownie as angels.

Here’s some links to books that may help you mourn a pet.

Rescuing Sprite: A Dog Lover’s Story of Joy and Anguish

My Dog, Chloe: Grieving the Loss of a Man’s Best Friend

The Memorial Service & The Grieving Guide (2 Disc Set)

Everything for a DogPaw Prints in Heaven?: Christians and Pet Loss

Honey the Rock Hound: A Puppy Dies A Family Mourns

you can find more links to books about pet death here

When our labradoodle puppy Ginger feels she is not getting enough attention, she steals whatever is most precious to you and runs like crazy. Fast. Won’t drop it . . . even for a cookie. If you open the car door to trick her into thinking it’s a trip to the dog park, she won’t buy it. Until you change your mind to actually go to the park. Then somehow she knows, and jumps right in. So smart.

Labradoodle Ginger as a puppy.

What does a labradoodle look like?

The fur can vary in color and texture. Depends on the fur of the lab mom and the poodle dad. Also on which generation the labradoodle is. First generation (lab and poodle parents) and second (2 labradoodle parents or labradoodle and poodle parent, for example). At one year Ginger’s fur is still silky soft. Fur can even vary within the same litter. Ginger recently celebrated her one-year birthday by having a playdate with two of her littermates. One sister is more curly and one is more lab-like.  party photos

The size can vary as well. Depends on the size of the poodle dad, standard to miniature. Our labradoodle Ginger has a 12 lb dad, and her mom was a regular lab.  At one year she is about 30 lbs. Perfect size for us.

Do a web search and come up with tons of images that show the wide variety of size and fur. People are often surprised that Ginger is a labradoodle as she does not have super curly fur. They also are surprised by her small size.

Ginger is good natured and great with kids. A watch dog: alert with a big-dog bark, not a yappy little-dog one. Her faults: she does tend to whine a bit. And contrary to reports that labradoodles do not shed, she does. But just a bit.  First generations tend to shed more. Oh, and like I said, she steals your stuff.

Obama wants to adopt from a shelter.  Labradoodles and goldendoodles are popular now and most breeders fetch a good price. He may not be able to find a “shelterdoodle.”

To see more labradoodle photos of Ginger as a puppy, check out my photo gallery: labradoodlephotos

Ginger with mom and dad