Saving Hope: My Personal Dog Rescue Story

Stepping Out

I’ve been thinking this morning about my comfort zone and how I sometimes prefer not to move out of it. I reason with myself that I like the way things are and how changes often create chaos.

A few months ago, I was volunteering at an outreach in a neighborhood of very poor families. It always surprises me that many of these families have several pets. There isn’t enough money to feed the children, but they have four cats and two dogs. I like to carry a couple of cans of cat food and dog biscuits in my car for when I visit this area. Yep, I’m an animal lover!

On this particular day, a family I had bought groceries for in the past had a new puppy. A young puppy. This was their third dog. As I played with this sweet little pup, I realized he was not well. I won’t go into all the signs, but all of sudden the thought occurred to me that this pup was not going to make it if someone didn’t get her to the vet.

I spoke to the family, and they seemed unconcerned. That’s when it happened. Without thinking, I told them this puppy needed a new home, and asked if I could take it right then and find it one. At the time, I had an eighteen year old cat, a four year old cat, two gerbils, and a lovebird, all living in my house. As our family also travels quite a bit, I knew this pup was not going to be able live with us, but I knew it wasn’t going to stay there. The family seemed indifferent, not really caring one way or the other what happened to the dog. A friend dumped her kids toys out of a crate and we put the puppy in, slid it into my car, and away I drove.

This Little Dog Is Going to Die

I volunteer for the Humane Society, and I immediately called them to see what I should do. I left a message and waited to hear. I took the puppy to my house. Over the next 24 hours, it became clear to me that this little girl was going to die if I didn’t get her some help. Finally, the Humane Society called me back and said they would see us. They determined that the dog had either Parvo or hookworm.

If it was Parvo, she probably would not make it. They couldn’t take her, as Parvo was highly contagious, AND if the dog had “done” anything in my yard and had Parvo, I need to notify my neighbors not to walk their dog anywhere near my yard. OH MY WORD. What have I done? They tested her for Parvo and gave her medicine for hookworm, just in case.

Avoiding Bad to Worse

This situation could have gone from bad to worse, but, thankfully, it didn’t. “Hope,” the pup’s new name, did not have Parvo. Within 12 hours, she was a typical crazy puppy, chewing, barking, playing, and stealing the hearts of everyone in my family. But she still needed a home.

I took her back to the vet a few days later for a checkup, and they told me someone who volunteered at the Humane Society wanted to adopt her. Leaving her there, I cried, my kids cried, but we knew a family who stayed put would make a better home for her.

That day, I stepped out of my comfort zone. The vet said Hope would have died if she had stayed where I found her. It was a crazy week, but it was worth it, and I have pictures to prove it! You don’t have to go out and rescue puppies to make a difference.

Donate a Few Bucks to your LOCAL Humane Society

I heard from a pretty reliable source that you are better to go directly local than through a national organization. Give locally so you can see the results. Don’t take food. They need to be consistent with what they feed the animals, so they stick to one brand. Even five or ten dollars goes a long way. Be blessed!

-Kelly Stilwell

Kelly Stilwell is a blogger who is passionate about volunteering. Visit her at www.kellystilwell.com where she writes about parenting, education, traveling, cooking, serving others, and life in the fast lane.

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Brothers-All-Natural Fruit Crisp Coupons ~ Good for Families and Charities

Freeze-dried fruit retains real fruit flavor and valuable nutrients, Fruit Crisps from Brothers-All-Natural are a fun and healthy choice for kids’ lunch bags and snacks. Families can find new online coupons for the snacks on CommonKindness.com that will save money at the grocery store and help fund their favorite nonprofit organization.

Fruit Snack Coupons

Families are discovering great deals for Brothers-All-Natural Fruit Crisps—the happiest snacks on earth—at http://www.CommonKindness.com. The online coupon website that gives 20% of its revenues to the nonprofit organizations of the coupon redeemer’s choice now offers free printable grocery coupons for Fruit Crisps redeemable at Walmart stores.

“Disney-themed Fruit Crisps from Brothers-All-Natural are far more than a fun and convenient snack that is perfect for lunch boxes, snack bags and road trips,” said Sarah Schloemer, president of CommonKindness. “They are 100% real sliced fruit with all of the nutritional value of fresh fruit with nothing added.”

Freeze-dried for Freshness

Each snack bag contains two servings of nutritious fruit with no added sugars, preservatives, or flavor enhancers. Brothers-All-Natural makes the snack by freeze-drying premium fruit until they are crispy and crunchy.

“Our freeze-drying process locks the natural goodness of the fruit into crunchy crisps that are convenient any time, mess-free, and stay fresh on the pantry shelf for months,” said Rob Larsen, Director of Sales for Brothers-All-Natural.

Unlike many dried fruit products that use a high-temperature evaporation process that can shrink, toughen, and alter the taste and smell of the fruit, the Brothers-All-Natural method gently removes the water through sublimation.

The process, which involves freezing fruit and converting it directly into a gas in a low pressure chamber, retains the fruit’s basic cell structure, natural enzymes, nutrients, aroma, and flavor.

How to Use Coupons

To start using printable grocery coupons for Disney-themed Brothers-All-Natural, shoppers simply go to CommonKindness.com, select the coupons they want, print them out, and head to the store. Twenty percent of the coupon distribution fee will be donated to the nonprofit group of the shopper’s choice for each CommonKindness coupon redeemed at the cash register.

For each Brothers-All-Natural coupon redeemed, CommonKindness will donate 20% of its distribution fee to the 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations of the shopper’s choice.

New Coupons for Beanfields Healthy Chips Empower Shoppers to Save Money and Help Others

Healthy Snack Foods

Healthy snack foods maker Beanfields, a family-owned company, has teamed up with online coupon website CommonKindness.com to increase awareness and sales of Beanfields Bean and Rice Chips and help support their customers’ favorite nonprofit organizations.

“We need to increase consumer awareness of our all-natural chips, and we picked CommonKindness for its innovative, performance-based coupon distribution model to help us reach our goals,” said Roy Glidden, Beanfields’ cofounder and vice president. “It was a natural fit.”

Healthy Chips

Beanfields Bean and Rice Chips contain twice the protein and fiber of most tortilla chips, and 29 percent less fat. Beanfields Bean and Rice Chips are free of the FDA’s eight most common ingredients that trigger food allergies, including dairy and gluten, so they can be enjoyed by everyone. They are also cholesterol-free, trans-fat-free, and preservative-free.

Supporting American Farmers and the Economy

Roy and his brother Reed founded Beanfields with the goal of producing great-tasting chips using the best USA-farmed beans, rice, and non-GMO ingredients available. The Glidden’s purchase from American farmers to help support the U.S. economy and to ensure that Beanfields’ products are made using the highest quality ingredients.

Kinder Prosperity

Reed Glidden, Beanfields’ president, says his family-owned company practices what he calls “kinder prosperity” to affect positive change in the country’s food and business practices. He believes that joining CommonKindness.com to help build a new source of sustainable funds for America’s nonprofit organizations is consistent with Beanfields’ social and environmental values.

“I absolutely love Beanfields Beans and Rice Chips, and I have the highest respect for the way the company conducts business,” said CommonKindness president Sarah Schloemer. “Buying Beanfields chips using CommonKindness.com coupons empowers shoppers to support American farmers, the environment, their favorite nonprofit, and a healthy lifestyle. Everybody wins.”

VegNews “Best of Show Award” Winner

In 2012, Beanfields Bean and Rice Nacho Chips were awarded “Best of Show” by VegNews, America’s premier vegan lifestyle magazine. VegNews awards “Best of Show” to the best of the best vegan products that are changing the meaning and taste of eating vegan.

“We are obsessed (no, really) with Beanfields’ new Nacho Bean & Rice Chips, the vegan answer to Doritos,” said Lyndsay Orwig, VegNews’ new products manager. Beanfields Nacho Chips are the first snack chips to deliver all the cheesy flavor of nachos, while being free of dairy, MSG, and artificial ingredients.

How to Get Your CommonKindness Coupons

To use printable grocery coupons for Beanfields Bean and Rice Chip, shoppers simply go to http://www.CommonKindness.com, select the coupons they want, print them out, and head to the store. Twenty percent of the coupon distribution fee will be donated to the nonprofit group of the shopper’s choice for each CommonKindness coupon redeemed at the cash register.

Stay Fit during Flu Season

As flu season kicks in early and more intensely this year than in recent years, there are a number of ways we can promote good, natural health to help avoid illness. These include eating healthy, exercising on a regular basis, maintaining a low stress lifestyle, and building and maintaining good digestive health.

CommonKindness is helping by powering the GoodBelly 12 Day Challenge, which includes Valuable COUPONS and a money-back satisfaction guarantee!

Digestive Health Facts

• Your intestines are home to over 100 trillion bacteria and other living microorganisms, what are called intestinal microflora.
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• Stress, the natural aging process, changes in diet, and antibiotics can significantly deplete levels of beneficial intestinal microflora.

GoodBelly  Highlights

GoodBelly probiotics are formulated for daily digestive health. They are:

• Dairy-free
• Soy-free
• Vegan

 Satisfaction Guaranteed

The GoodBelly 12 Day Challenge is satisfaction-guaranteed. If you are one of the very few people who don’t love GoodBelly by day 12, you can apply for a refund of the amount you paid.

Giveaway ~ Yes To Carrots Gift Collection

Giveaway ~ Yes To Carrots Natural Hair and Skin Products

From the garden to the home, Yes To™ products deliver exceptional results from antioxidant-rich organic fruits and vegetables. Yes To is a natural line of hair and skin products born out of a desire to make you look and feel your happiest and most radiant. Yes To combines high-quality organic fruits and vegetables with efficacious ingredients to nourish and hydrate naturally.

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Yes To Carrots Nourishing Makeup Remover Cleanser

A blend of antioxidant-rich, organic carrots, coconut, and pumpkin, Yes To Carrots Makeup Removing Cleanser gently removes all traces of your makeup, while refreshing, stimulating and revitalizing your skin.

Yes To Blueberries Age Fresh Brightening Eye Roller

Formulated with Horse Chestnut and Bearberry Extract, paraben-free Yes To Blueberries Age Fresh helps brighten the skin under and around your eyes.

Yes To Cucumbers and Aloe Vera Soothing Hypoallergenic Facial Towelettes

Each Yes To Cucumbers Hypoallergenic Facial Towelette cleanses and nourishes your skins as it removes makeup all in one swipe.

Yes To Carrots 100% Natural Pomegranate Lip Butter

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Yes To Baby Carrots Fragrances-Free Shampoo and Body Wash

Free of petrolatum, fragrance, parabens, and SLS, this 100% natural formulation for babies and toddlers is filled with carrots, melon, pumpkin, and Vitamin E for a gentle hypoallergenic, tear-free clean.

Yes To Baggu

PLUS!  A Yes To Baggu! Japanese for “bag,” a Baggu is a reusable bag that weighs less than 2 ounces and holds the same as 2-3 plastic grocery bags of stuff up to 50 pounds

Free Giveaway ~ CommonKindness Beauty Products Gift Basket

WIN THIS GIFT BASKET

A $90 Retail Value

From December 15 to midnight PST December 22, 2012, everyone who registers with CommonKindness to clip coupons will be entered into a random drawing to win this CommonKindness Giving Season Gift Basket.

The gift basket features Kiss My Face, Yes To Carrots, Yes to Tomatoes, Hugo Naturals, and Earth Science Natural Products.

Enter now here: http://www.commonkindness.com/user/signup/type/direct

Vegetable Soup for the Soul: Fig Food Soup Coupons on CommonKindness Generate Charitable Contributions

Soup lovers who buy organic, 100% plant-based Fig Food soups using CommonKindness coupons make a donation to their favorite nonprofit and save a dollar at the same time.

More of a movement than a company, Fig Food Co. (http://www.FigFood.com) is the manifestation of president and founder Joel Henry’s vision of a high quality food production system that gets people eating delicious food that’s good for them and is also gentle on the planet. All Fig Food is organic, kosher and made from vegetables, beans, lentils and grains grown in North America.

In the spirit of the holiday season, Fig Food Co. has placed soup coupons on CommonKindness (http://www.CommonKindness.com) that enables everyone to make donations to their favorite charities while they save money on their purchase.

“Fig Food Co. gives us delicious plant-based food made with methods that have low environmental impact,” said Sarah Schloemer, president of CommonKindness. “The food industry is also labor-intensive, so the company is creating much-needed jobs in the US. Joel, in fact, maintains a list of the organic ingredients he needs on his website and encourages farmers to contact him directly.”

Eating Plant-Based Foods Reduces Greenhouse Gases

Henry built Fig Food Co. to encourage people to eat more plant-based foods to help reduce the proliferation of greenhouse gases and improve the environment. He points out that organic agriculture requires 19 percent less energy than conventional agriculture for comparable yields.

“Current animal-related agricultural practices are responsible for 18 percent of total greenhouse gas emissions,” said Henry, pointing out that this represents a higher share than the total greenhouse gas output of the entire transportation industry.

Indeed. The farm animal production sector is the single largest anthropogenic user of land, contributing to soil degradation, dwindling water supplies, and air pollution, according to a report by Humane Society International. Fig Food Co. provides leadership in the environmental movement and encourages people to augment their diets to include more plant-based foods instead of animal-based products.

“In addition to the environmental benefits, people feel good about eating plant-based foods for many other reasons—and they eat vegetarian items more when they taste great,” said Schloemer. “Fig Food Co. soups are vegan, yet so delicious that meat-eaters won’t miss the meat.”

Henry says Fig Food Co. is also about making connections. He believes that electronic devices can create barriers to communications, yet he is impressed with the way CommonKindness uses technology to bring people together.

“CommonKindness has created a real, tangible capability to touch other people’s lives,” said Henry. “There are a slew of ways to distribute coupons today, but CommonKindness presented Fig Food a way to both distribute coupons and give back to our community. What better way to celebrate the holiday season.”

FIG FOOD CO. SOUPS 

Fig Food Co. makes a number of ready-to-eat and condensed soups, including:

Chickpea, Tomato and Thyme Soup 
A classic from Italy’s Umbrian region, this soup combines the delicate sweetness of chickpeas with a broth of tomato, extra virgin olive oil and thyme.

Kabocha Squash Soup 
Kabocha (pronounced kah-BOH-chah) is an exceptionally sweet and buttery squash. Fig Food adds a zesty broth, nutmeg and a kiss of cinnamon to its kabocha soup to make any day a holiday.

Mexican Bean and Rice Soup 
Evocative of the Mexican countryside, this soup mixes smoky pinto beans with brown rice and spinach into a savory chitpolé broth.

Nonna’s Minestrone Soup
Invite the aroma of Nonna’s kitchen into the home with Nonna’s Minestrone Soup, which combines creamy borlottie beans, a potpourri of vegetables and Nonna’s special blend of herbs and spices.

Split Pea and Potato Soup 
Like a trip to your favorite local diner, this classic soup—guaranteed to warm the bones in the winter—contains flavorful green split peas, Yukon gold potatoes and a pinch of thyme.

Yucatan Black Bean Soup
Epazote—a Mexican herb—and pasilla chile echo the Mexican / Caribbean origins of this sumptuous soup. Black beans, tomatoes, unpeeled Yukon Gold potatoes, and diced onion make it a filling, gluten-free meal. Serve with a slice of lime, avocado or fresh cornbread.

Condensed Split Pea Soup
Just add water to this savory gluten-free classic made with organic split peas and veggies. Garnish with cayenne pepper, a drizzle of olive oil or crusty bread.

Condensed Wheatberry Soup 
Slow cooked to perfection, Fig Food’s Wheatberry Soup is the ultimate comfort food. Garnish with parsley or accompany with chopped Swiss chard or tofu.

Fig Food is available at Whole Foods Markets, Earth Fare and other natural food retailers.

How CommonKindness Coupons Work 

To use printable grocery coupons for Fig Food Company’s soups, shoppers simply go to CommonKindness.com, select the coupons they want, print them out, and head to the store. Twenty percent of the coupon distribution fee is given to the nonprofit group of the shopper’s choice for each CommonKindness coupon they redeem at the cash register.