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Soft Side Goes International
We all have a love/hate relationship with social media, but it has made the world smaller for people and better for animals. In fact, animals may just be benefiting more than any other sector in the non-profit world. Take, for example, Lainey Charter, a Canadian graphic artist who helps several animal organizations in Ottowa, where
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This Cat’s Legacy: Helping Others
We all know that Sande Riesett, co-founder of Show Your Soft Side, is the first person to cheer on others’ good and generous works — especially when those people are good and generous to animals. Sande is a little quieter when it comes to tooting her own horn — but that horn deserves a whole
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Riding The Rescue Railroad
I’ve seen the posts a few gazillion times. “Can anybody transport a dog from here to there?” “Who can pick up a kitty at such and such an address?” I’ve seen them, I’ve even shared them, but it wasn’t until this past week, I had any clue about the breadth and depth of the
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Justice For Those With No Name
There are moments that both define and change the trajectory of our lives. For Martha Smith-Blackmore, DVM, it was the moment she laid eyes on Puppy Doe. As a shelter veterinarian, Smith-Blackmore had seen her share of neglect and abuse, but nothing prepared her for the cruelty she witnessed in 2013, when she was asked
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The World Needs More Cat Guys
An urgent email came in from Melissa, my husband’s co-worker of nearly 3 decades. Her son Zac had rescued yet another kitten from her husband’s job site and the employees at the company needed help stat. “I can’t stand the thought of so many cats there that keep reproducing and the risks associated with that.
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The Visionary
Few people are visionaries. And even fewer succeed in turning their vision into reality. Megan Moon is one of those rare people. As the founder and President of the Humane Education Coalition, Megan and her organization are literally changing the way we think about humane education. In less than a year, this global alliance has
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When The Threat is Real
Like many, I cringe every time I hear about someone surrendering a pet and think to myself, that would never be me. If I had to move, Bugs and Buster would come with me. If I got sick, I’d find a way to care for them. And if a family member suddenly became allergic, well
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A Marriage Made In Heaven
With a provocative slogan and a roster of 175 Softies, some might doubt we have an inferiority complex. But we’re insecure when it comes to humane education. Each of us brought a different skill set when we created Show Your Soft Side seven years ago, but neither Sande, Lori nor I had a background in
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My Love Affair With 40 Models
Some people might be riding high after closing out an event that attracted a record number of guests and raised $190K for Baltimore’s homeless animals, but I’m afraid I’m not one of them. Instead of an adrenalin rush, I woke up the next morning feeling sad, deflated and down. Because when Pawject Runway comes to
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The Protector
Spy. World Heavyweight Karate Champion. Actor. Producer. Writer. Counter-Terrorism Expert. Counter-Human Trafficking Expert. Deputy Sheriff. Consultant. Diplomat. Humanitarian. Is there anything Tony Schiena can’t do? Probably not. He’s been called the world’s most highly trained covert operative and travels the globe in the fight against terrorism and human trafficking. When John Thompson of the National
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