Last Thursday I was privileged to be invited to be the guest speaker at the Tryon Rotary Club. Okay, well, maybe not exactly! But I was invited by my dear friend, animal advocate extraordinaire, Lennie Rizzo, to join him at the Rotary Club meeting. While I did not get the chance to speak, or eat (this is really not funny, folks!), I did get a great deal of attention, and isnt that what its all about, anyway? &bsp;

Uncle Lennie was the guest speaker and he brought tears to my eyes with his stories. Thank you for always speaking for the animals, Uncle Lennie! We do so appreciate all you do!

I was truly impressed by the Rotary Club folks. In case you dont know about Rotary, their motto is service above self. They do a tremendous amount of good in our community and really, all over the world, as Rotary is an international organization. So the next time you see a Rotary Club member, thank them for all they do!

I was thrilled and pleased by their positive and humorous take on everything, but their Happy Dollars idea was something new to me. The members stand up and give a happy dollar, or maybe even 20 happy dollars, for a cause that they want to support, or perhaps just for a happy reason. I even got some happy dollars for the Foothills Humane Society for allowing people the privilege of patting me! Ha! This is a Big Deal, and I would like to propose that the next time I am invited to Rotary, they add Happy Hamburgers.

It was a happy time for all, and I want to thank the wonderful Rotary members very much for allowing me to come to their partyer, meeting.

Now to get serious for a moment we need your help. The Gully Street cats have almost all been trapped and relocated as barn cats. Three were placed in the outbuildings behind Giardinis Trattoria, and many wonderful folks in the community stepped up and invited these free-roaming cats into their barns and sheds. Polk County Animal Control Officer Michael Herman (the PoKitties Cowboy) has been working with Foothills and PoKitties to trap these cats and help place them in new homes rather than having to euthanize them, which is how it was handled in the past. PoKitties really needs just a few more barns or shelters so they can relocate the remaining cats safely with a caretaker, whose only job is to give them food and water daily. These cats are all spayed and neutered and have been vaccinated against rabies. They are ready to go to a new home and a new life, so please, if you have room in your barn, and in your heart, call Dana at 894-5313.

A huge, slobbery thank you to all of you who have contributed to giving these cats their new lives!

Sooff to the races! A safe and happy Steeplechase to all!

NEIGH! (ho ho!) WOOF!

Champ2x5 Persimmons