The Million Petizen Rally

There are companies within our industry whose goals include helping companion animals in need. This will be the first in a series to recognize those companies with the heart of a dog.

The Million Petizen Rally is looking to raise one million dollars for four charities. This goal is the latest for Thom Somes "The Pet Safety Guy", who has dedicated himself to the care and well being of companion animals everywhere.

This is not a multi-billion dollar corporation, but rather a family run business. Thom, Cindy, son Parker and Rio are the First Family of Petizen. Their journey began in 1994, when a student of Thom's Human First Aid class posed a question. "Hey, this class was great, but what would I do if my pet was in trouble?"

Thus, Pet Tech was born. Pet Tech Pet First Aid, CPR and Care classes and Instructor Trainings have been taught throughout North America to over 15,000 adults, both pet professionals and pet owners. Pet Tech's mission statement is "Helping to improve the quality of pet's lives, one owner at a time." Their training and education has, over the years; helped to save thousands of pet's lives.

In 2001,while reading a Dear Abby letter from a grieving pet owner, who lost her beloved pet due to a preventable accident; Thom was inspired to write "Knowing Your Pet's Health". After receiving a copy of this book, Dear Abby wrote Thom. "I'm sure your booklet will save the lives of companion animals that might not survive. I commend you for providing such a readable and easy to understand guide."

The second edition has formed the base of the Million Petizen Rally. In addition to helping create and maintain a thriving lifestyle through more knowledgeable and capable owners, the First Family of Petizen will donate a portion of the sale of the book to each of four charities. To learn more about this wonderful book, go to www.doggiedoggieareyouok.com.

The first charity is Dogs for the Deaf, www.dogsforthedeaf.org ,541-826-9200. Through four programs,Hearing Dogs, Miracle Mutts, Harmony's Hounds and Career Change Dogs; they have placed over 3,000 dogs. all dogs are chosen from adoption shelters. They have been helping people and companion animals for over 30 years.

The second charity is Alley Cat Allies, www.alleycat.org ,240-482-1980. It is THE national non-profit clearinghouse for information on feral and stray cats. For more than 10 years, Alley Cat Allies has been dedicated to advocating non lethal methods to reduce the outdoor cat population.

The third charity is United Animal Nations, www.uan.org , 916-429-2457. Since 1987, they have focused on bringing animals out of crisis and into care through a variety of programs, including emergency animal sheltering and disaster relief services, financial assistance for urgent veterinary care and humane education. Their programs are the Emergency Animal Rescue Service, The Lifeline Grant Program, The Premarin Awareness Campaign and the Humane Education Ambassador Reader.

"As an organization committed to helping animals in crisis, United Animal Nations has promoted Pet Tech as an excellent source of pet first aid and training for years, particularly for our Emergency Animal Rescue Service volunteers," said Nicole Forsyth, president and CEO of UAN. "We commend Pet Tech for its' ongoing commitment to helping people care for the pet's they love, and we are thrilled to be chosen as a beneficiary of the Million Petizen Rally."

I encourage everyone to visit the above charities to learn more about their programs. The fourth charity is to be announced via the Petizen's Choice Award. You can help to choose this charity by visiting www.doggiedoggieareyouok.com for details on how to vote.

With both paws up and a heart woof woof, thank you to Thom, Cindy, Parker and Rio for creating something special that benefits pet owners, companion animals and the charities that look out for them both.