Uncategorized Archives - Show Your Soft Side

A Soft Side Christmas Story

His eyes were constantly sore and irritated, because his fur scratched his corneas each time he blinked. His eyelids curved unnaturally inward and he needed surgery to correct the condition. There is little hope for injured street cats and those with …

Prison Cats

The brochure caught our attention. “Help! Rescued Cats Sent to Prison. What are you in for?” We immediately set out to learn what the cats needed at the Maryland Correctional Institution for Women (MCIW) in Jessup. As it turns out, th …

How Much Is That Doggy In The Window?

More puppies are sold in pet stores during the holiday season than any other time of year. Oftentimes these animals are born in large-scale commercial breeding operations known as puppy mills, where dogs are bred for profit at overcrowded and unsanitar …

From Russia With Love

If there is such thing as a universal language, we’re fairly certain it contains the words “bark” and “meow.” How else do you explain someone in Moscow reaching out to an anti-animal abuse campaign based in Baltimore on behalf of a 10-year old mixed-br …

Why We Bleed Purple

Four years ago when we started Show Your Soft Side ®, two of the three of us had never seen a football game in our lives. One of us (not me) was into ballet and the other (okay I confess) viewed Sundays as that fabulous day when her husband headed to M …

Some Angels Carry Guns

The rendezvous was planned for mid-morning at an undisclosed parking lot just off 83. The two participants had texted each other so they’d know what model car the other was driving, but it turned out to be unnecessary. On this particular morning, they …

Neither Trophies Nor Trinkets

The world has condemned the recent killing of a lion named Cecil that lived in Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe and American dentist and trophy hunter Walter Palmer faces extradition charges for illegal poaching. The Wildlife Conservation Research Unit …

How I Was Shanghaied By SYSS

It must’ve been fate. I can’t think of any other reasonable explanation for how I crossed paths with SYSS. It started at a crowded Starbucks, crammed next to Caroline and Sande on three barstools. If you ask them, I was shanghaied onto the team. If yo …

When Animal Planet Comes To Town

Anytime I see a text from Torrey or Chanel Smith, I know it’s going to be good. It could be a video of TJ with his pibble sister, Mama, or a photo of a young Soft Side fan whose battle with cancer included a special invite to a Ravens practice. As pred …

Soft Side Goes Hollywood

The word came via a text from Rebecca Corry – “Kaley Cuoco wants to be a Softie.” Shut up. THE Kaley Cucoco? As in America’s sweetheart, star of The Big Bang Theory, recently inducted into Hollywood’s Walk of Fame and high profile “mom” to three resc …