Mia and the Gang from Black Dog Ranch

Hi everyone. It's me Mia.

Boy has it been a beautiful day today! We have been playing in the yard with Ms. Charlene and she came up with a new game for us to play.

We are all trying to figure out why Ms. Charlene wants us to chase this round flat thing she keeps calling a "Frisbee"??? I told Teddie for him to go get it because I would rather sit on my bench on the front porch. He told Molly to go fetch it because he would rather chase the horses. Molly said she was afraid of that thing and she wasn't going near it so she told Mickey to go get it and he said if it wasn't a cookie or a treat he wasn't interested. So after all of that the Frisbee is laying in the yard somewhere and we are all sitting on the front porch with Ms. Charlene taking it easy this afternoon. Ms. Charlene gave us all some treats and said if we didn't want to fetch a Frisbee that was just fine with her because not all dogs have to do tricks to be special!

Well we are getting ready for our big Parade at Country Days in Farmington this next Saturday, June 6th. Ms. Charlene's sister, Gena E. Faulkner, she illustrated my book, "Stories from Black Dog Ranch", is doing an awesome job designing our float and I can't wait to ride on it with Ms. Charlene and my brothers and sisters. There will be lots of kids and grown-ups there to see all of us that day and we can't wait to see them too!

Remember everyone that I will be coming to Arnold, Missouri to the Fox Center's Paw Pals Festival on Jeffco Blvd. after my parade to meet all the great kids and teachers from the Fox School District. We will be there around noon so be sure and come by!!!!

Ms. Charlene is also very excited to go visit Seckman Elementary School tomorrow in Imperial Missouri and tell all those wonderful kids there about my book. Ms. Charlene said that is her favorite thing to do is share our stories with everyone.

One last thing, we have a new friend, Lola. Ms. Charlene and her sister rescued her last week and she is probably going to stay with Ms. Charlene's sister and her children. They have already fallen in love with her and I'm pretty sure that Lola feels the same about them too. I just wanted to show you a picture of how pretty she is and to remind everyone that we all deserve a second chance at happiness! Talk more soon, Mia

Mia and the Gang from Black Dog Ranch

Hi everyone. It's me Mia.

I'm sitting on the front porch with my brothers and sisters. We just got done playing chase the ball with Ms. Charlene so we needed to rest for a minute.

Maggie and Charlie got to come outside and play for awhile too, but Ms. Charlene keeps a close eye on them because they are a lot smaller than we are and she doesn't want anyone to accidently get hurt.

Well it's been a very busy week and Ms. Charlene and I had a great time visiting all the kids and staff members of the schools in Arnold, Fenton and South County Missouri. Ms. Charlene said she thought the kids were awesome at those schools and the teachers, librarians, and staff members were so nice. Ms. Charlene said the best thing about my book is getting to share our stories with so many wonderful kids and teachers!

Ms. Charlene has heard from a lot of the kids this week through our website and she loves all the emails and talking to everyone. Remember kids, make sure the email you give us on the contact page is a good one because some of them haven't worked and we don't want you to think we didn't want to write you back.

Ms. Charlene got to go trailriding this week too. It is one of her favorite things to do. We don't know why she thinks it is more fun to ride the horses than chase them, but I guess that's the difference between dogs and people.

Anyway, we have another festival coming up next week-end. The Paw Festival in Swansea, Illinois. It is to raise money for the B.A.R.K. Rescue Organization and we will have a booth there selling our book. Be sure and come by to say hello.

Also, we are gearing up for our big Country Days Parade here in Farmington Missouri on June 6th at 10:00am. You don't want to miss this event because we will have our very own float in the parade and Me along with my brothers, sisters and Ms. Charlene will be on that float.

Well I hope everyone had a great Holiday week-end, talk more soon,

Mia

Mia and the Black Dog Ranch Bunch

Hi everyone. It's me Mia.

Well this is me posing for a picture at the Bark in the Park this past week-end. Boy was there a lot of dogs there. I have never seen so many dogs ever! Ms. Charlene told me I was the most beautiful dog there in my new bandanna.

Ms. Charlene said it was wonderful how all of those great people came out to support the Humane Society of Missouri and how all the money we raised will go to help a lot of other animals that deserve a second chance and a loving forever home too!

I really liked meeting all those new people, but meeting some of the other dogs made me a little bit nervous. They all wanted to smell of me. Ms. Charlene said they were just saying hello so I stuck close to Ms. Charlene's side and I guess it wasn't all that bad in the end. Ms. Charlene and Ms. Marie bought me and my friend Shawnee REAL Beef Jerkeys on the way home and that made us both feel pretty special.

You know even though I like going with Ms. Charlene to special events and meeting all those wonderful kids and grown-ups it sure does feel good to get back to the Black Dog Ranch and just hang out with my brothers and sisters. Ms. Charlene says that is why it's important for all of us to do what we can to help those who can't help themselves. There really is no place like home and being with family and don't all dogs deserve a home and a family of their own!

Well I better go for now, we have a busy week coming up again this week. Ms. Charlene is going to be at George Guffey Elementary in Fenton, Mo. and Fox Elementary in Arnold, Mo. tomorrow reading my book to all the kids there and then later in the week she is taking me with her to read my book for the kids at GreenPark Christian Academy in South County, (St. Louis).

Talk more soon,

Mia

Mia and the Black Dog Ranch Gang

Hi everyone. It's me Mia,

My brother Mickey is giving me a big kiss in this picture. Ms. Charlene says we are fine example for everyone everywhere. She says love is what makes a family a real family.

Well things have been kind of wet here at the ranch this past week. We have had a lot of rain and of course you all know what rain makes? That's right, MUD! My brothers, sisters and I have been spending a good deal of time this week getting as much mud on ourselves as possible. It just feels good!

Mickey and Teddie got in trouble though, they dug up a big muddy hole under the down spout in the backyard and they got a good talking to by Ms. Charlene. I don't think Mickey really understood the whole bad dog thing and he seemed to be pretty happy about it afterwards too.

Well we have a really big week-end coming up May 16th. That is when Ms. Charlene takes me to the "Bark in the Park" in St. Louis at Forest Park. Ms. Charlene and I will be walking in the parade with lots of other dogs from all over to support the Dr. Doolittle fund which is a really great foundation. It helps animal doctors give medical care to all sorts of animals out there who deserve a second chance at a good life!

My brothers and sisters are giving me some advice on walking in the parade next week. They told me to be sure and tell everyone about our booth that we will have at the park too. Ms. Charlene and I will be at our booth after the parade where everyone can stop by and buy our book "Stories from Black Dog Ranch". We will be helping the Farmington Pet adoption Center which is here in Mia's home town with sales from our book. So be sure and stop by because it is going to be a great day for helping all of those shelter animals and meeting some really great people!

Hope to see everyone next week-end. Talk more soon,

Mia

Mia and the Gang from Black Dog Ranch

Hi everyone. It's me Mia.

I'm acting silly for Ms. Charlene in this picture. Ms. Charlene told me I am such a blessing. I don't know for sure what that means, but it must be something good because she gave me a big hug!

Well this week has been kind of sad for all of us here at the ranch and especially for Ms. Marie, Baby Blaze's Mommy. Ms. Charlene and Ms. Marie took Baby Blaze to the Indiana Horse Rescue Ranch in Owensville, Indiana this past week-end. Ms. Charlene said it was a very hard choice for Ms. Marie to make, but she had to do what was best for Baby Blaze. As you all know from his story in my book Blaze had twisted legs and he needs to be at a wonderful facility like the Indiana Horse Rescue where they have the resources to take care of him and hopefully find a way to fix his legs so he won't have to be in pain from walking on them. They are doing wonderful things to help all sort of horses and all of us here at the Black Dog Ranch would really appreciate all of you nice people to give what you can to their ranch. http://www.indianahorserescue.com/ You can go to their website and make donations or sponsor your favorite horses and learn all about the ones that live there with Blaze. I will be donating part of my Book sales "Stories from Black Dog Ranch" in honor of Baby Blaze and all the other deserving horses at Indiana Horse Rescue.

Ms. Charlene said even though Blaze is living with the nice people at Indiana Horse Rescue right now he is still a part of our family and aren't we all in this together anyway? She said that together we can make a difference one animal and one story at a time. Let's do it for all those Blazes' out there everywhere!

Well I better go for now,

Talk more soon, Mia