10 Benefits of Living with Pets
1. Love
2. Happiness
3. Snuggle Buddies
4. Alarm Clock
5. Home Security System
6. Great Listeners
7. Best Friends
8. Instant Laughs
9. Bed Warmers
10. Family

“The key to being happy is knowing you have the power to choose what to accept and what to let go”— Dodinsky

These 2 rescue cuties motivate us every day to do our best for shelter animals. We’re proud supporters of Forsyth Humane
helping them work towards their goal of achieving a 90% save rate of shelter pets by 2023. If you’d like to help reach the goal or learn more about all their lifesaving programs please visit forsythhumane.org #savefursyth

Love starting the week sharing new art from Todd. This completed portrait of Macy and Millie was great fun to paint. Don’t they look sweet and cozy snuggled in their favorite chair?

Gov. Roy Cooper and First Lady Kristin Cooper,

Hi! My name is Jimmy and I’m a dog who crossed the Rainbow Bridge many years ago. Like the two of you, I have a very important job: I am an ambassador for the Rainbow Bridge Newcomers Club, which brings me to my reason for writing to you.

I wanted you to know how well Benjamin is doing. Part of my job is helping new arrivals get settled here. When we got word that Ben would be crossing the Rainbow Bridge, I asked his dog pal Chloe to join me so he would see a familiar face. Ben bounded across, looking very handsome in a jaunty red, white and blue bandana, all this ailments and aches left behind. He ran straight for Chloe and they played until they both plopped down in the grass, which gave me a chance to introduce myself.

“Hi!” I woofed. “I’m Jimmy, and I’m here to help you get settled in your new life.”

“Nice to meet you,” Ben said, jumping up to extend a paw in my direction. (Such a well-mannered boy!) He glanced around at all the cheerful arrivals and happy reunions taking place around us. “I’ve heard of the Rainbow Bridge. It seems like a fun place — and I’m so glad to see Chloe,” he said, giving her a big lick on her cheek.

“Are you hungry?” I asked. “We can grab a bite to eat before I give you the tour.”

“Now that you mention it, I am hungry,” Ben said. I woofed for a LegLyft and we piled in, both Chloe and Ben hanging their heads out the windows. I could see Ben’s nose begin to twitch and his lips smack as we neared the food court.

“A lot of new arrivals want to stop first at Forbidden Edibles to sample all the things we could never eat before,” I explained as we jumped out of the car. “Underpants, socks, cellphones, chocolate, table legs — Forbidden Edibles has it all. The Legs! Legs! Legs! stand is popular, too. I enjoy the turkey drumstick and chicken thigh platter, but we have a new place I think you’ll like: Bark-B-Q!”

Ben and Chloe ordered combination plates of eastern-style and western-style North Carolina Bark-B-Que (“We shouldn’t play favorites,” Ben explained, diplomatically.) And we got a huge basket of hushpuppies to share.

Our tummies full, I promised to show Ben some of the parks I knew he’d love, and we woofed for another LegLyft. First stop was the Flowers & Floaties Botanical Gardens. The flowers in the gardens are always at their peak, but the highlight for most dogs and cats are the floaties — butterflies, bees, dragonflies — that they can chase to their hearts’ content. Next up: Don’t Fence Me In Dog Park & Recreation Area, a big, grassy field lined with rows and rows of chain-link and white picket fences, stone walls, and wrought iron rails of all lengths and heights that dogs can jump over and dig under. Finally, we stopped by Lake Everybody in the Water! It’s a big lake with glass-bottomed boats so we can watch the fish, and plenty of sandy beaches for sunbathing.

“Those are just some of the fun places,” I said. “There’s so much to do and new parks are always opening. We also have mountains and beaches for daytrips and vacations.”

“You can check DoggyDoings for a calendar of Rainbow Bridge events at the parks, and Snoutbook has meet-up groups,” Chloe added. “I’ll get you set up on those, Ben. Oh, and here’s our house.”

Ben and Chloe share a beautiful house — a brick Victorian with a wrought iron fence. The inside is filled with cozy dog beds and stuffed toy boxes. “Here’s your bedroom,” Chloe said, leading Ben down a hallway to a door marked “First Dog Benjamin.” Inside was a monogrammed bed, more toys and a dresser filled with collars, sweaters and coats for special occasions. “Very nice,” Ben said. “I will be super comfortable here!”

“Our kitchen is always stocked with our favorites foods, treats and bones,” Chloe said, leading Ben and me through the breakfast nook. “But we also can call Pupper Eats and they’ll deliver anything we want. I’ve got a crush on one of their delivery ponies,” Chloe confessed. We grabbed pieces of dried sweet potato and turkey jerky from canisters and headed into the living room.

I picked the remote for the large TV hanging on the wall and started scrolling through the channels to show Ben that he can watch the Panthers, Hornets and Hurricanes play whenever he wants. “And there’s another important channel,” I said, pushing 200 on the remote.

“My family!” Ben said, dropping his jerky and running to press his nose against the screen. “There’s my dad, my mom, my human sisters, and all of my dog and cat siblings! I love them so much. They gave me the best life!”

“You can watch them anytime you want,” I explained. “It’s considered must-see TV around here.”

I wanted to give Ben plenty of time to explore his new house and to catch up with you via channel 200, but before I left, I asked, “Ben, I know that on the other side of the bridge, you helped greet visitors to the Executive Mansion. We could use someone with your charm and social skills as a Rainbow Bridge Newcomers Club ambassador. Would you be interested?”

To my surprise, Ben teared up a little. “I would be honored,” he said, shaking my paw. “My family taught me many things, including the importance of being kind to all animals and the value of public service. If I could make other animals feel welcome and comfortable after they cross the bridge, I would love to be an ambassador.”

“Thanks, Ben,” I said. “I think you’ll be great.”

As I said my goodbyes, I turned to see Ben settle in front of the TV, a smile on this face, his tail gently wagging as he watched your family on the screen. “You always told me I was a good boy” he said, softly. “I will make you proud — even across the Rainbow Bridge.”

Tail wags and doggy kisses!

Jimmy

Dear Cindy,

Hi! My name is Jimmy and I’m a dog who crossed the Rainbow Bridge many years ago. I live here with my best dog pals Joey, Freddie and Luna, and I have a very important job as an ambassador for the Rainbow Bridge Newcomers Club, which brings me to my reason for writing to you.

I wanted to let you know that Bailey safely crossed the bridge and is doing great. On the day she arrived, Bailey bounded across the bridge, leaving all her aches and ailments behind, but bringing her cute white markings with her. So much character in her beautiful face! Bailey and Daisy ran and played, until they plopped down in the dewy grass, tongues hanging out. That gave me my chance to make introductions.

“Hi Bailey,” I woofed. “I’m Jimmy. Welcome!”

“Thanks,” Bailey said, looking around at all the cheerful arrivals and happy reunions happening around us. “Seems like a fun place! And I’m so glad to see Daisy.”

“Usually, we’d show you to your house but it’s so warm and sunny, we thought we might take a daytrip to the beach first,” I said. “Would you like that?”

“I would loooove that!” Bailey woofed. “Back on the other side of the bridge, I was known as an Oak Island Beach Dawg!”

So, off we went, woofing for a LegLyft to take us to the Rainbow Bridge Beach and stopping along the way to pick up our dog pal Otis. Bailey rode the entire way with her head out the sunroof, feeling the wind blowing across her whiskers and cheeks. Her nose went crazy as soon as she smelled the salt water and the shore birds. She was the first to jump out of the LegLyft, run through the dunes and splash into the water.

Oh, how we played! We ran up and down the beach, dipping our paws in the surf and chasing crabs.

Daisy and Otis tried their hand at fishing. They weren’t big successes but it didn’t matter because we ordered seafood platters at a little beach stand, sitting down to eat around a sandcastle shaped like a fire hydrant that Freddie and Joey had built.

“Oh, this is delicious,” Bailey said, butter from a lobster tail dripping off her chin. Otis darted in to lick the butter up before it hit the sand.

“I’ll tell you a Rainbow Bridge secret,” I said. “You can eat anything you want here and never get sick or gain too much weight. We even have a food stand called Forbidden Edibles, where you can eat all the stuff that was off limits before: underpants, socks, chocolate, table legs. It’s very popular!”

After lunch, we spread out big blankets, taking long naps in the sunshine. As the sun began to set, we woofed for another LegLyft and headed to Bailey’s new house.

“It’s so nice,” Bailey said, as Daisy opened the front door of the little bungalow. The living room was full of comfy beds and overflowing toy boxes. “And here’s your room,” Daisy said, as we trotted down the hallway. A sign on the bedroom door said, “Good Dog.” Inside, Bailey found her own cozy bed embroidered with her name and a dresser full of monogrammed collars, coats and sweaters for special occasions. Daisy helped tie a cherry red bandana around Bailey’s neck. “You look perfect,” I said. “If you ever need more outfits, The Dapper Dog has great clothes. And we’ve added you to Daisy’s Toy of the Week subscription, so that you’ll always have something new and fun to play with.”

We gave Bailey a quick tour of the kitchen, pointing out the stocked refrigerator and canisters full of bones and treats. “And we can always order from Pupper Eats if you’re in the mood for takeout,” Daisy said. “Their delivery ponies are so cute. We just have to make sure to have carrots or peppermints on paw so we can give them a tip.”

Finally, we made our way back to the living room, settling down with bones we’d grabbed from the kitchen. I motioned to Otis to grab the remote for the big TV hanging on one wall. “You probably know all about TV,” I said to Bailey.

“Oh, yes,” Bailey said. “My mom is a very, very famous TV person!”

At that moment, Otis pressed 8 on the remote and a beautiful woman with blond hair appeared on the screen. “My mom! My mom!” Bailey dropped her bone and ran to the screen, pressing her nose against it.

“You can watch your mom — and your whole family — whenever you want. Watching our families on the other side of the bridge is considered must-see TV around here,” I said.

“And look,” Daisy said, handing Bailey a smartphone. “We have the TV app on our phones so we can check in on our family even when we’re on the go!” Bailey took the phone gently in her mouth and then laid her head on the small screen.

As we said our goodbyes, Bailey was drifting off to sleep, your voice coming through the phone into her ear. “Even though I’ve crossed the bridge, I’ll never be far away from my mom,” she said, a smile curving along her face and her tail gently wagging. “Just like Velcro, I will stick with her forever.”

Tail wags and doggy kisses!
Jimmy

Please welcome Miss Betty to the Jimmydog family! After an exhaustive interview process, we have offered her the position of Junior Executive. Being a solo Chief Canine Officer has kept Miss Sally extremely busy and she’s thrilled to have some help. We know you’ll all give her a big Jimmydog welcome.

1. Thank you for your bark.
2. Thank you for welcoming me home with a smile and wagging tail.
3. Thank you for kisses and paws without asking.
4. Thank you for your silly antics.
5. Thank you for lying close to me.
6. Thank you for a cold, wet nose.
7. Thank you for accepting me.
8. Thank you for adopting me.
9. Thank you for your patience.
10. Thank you for letting me be part of your life.
Love FOREVER, your human

True friends understand how heartbreaking it is to lose a beloved pet and a gift of a memorial portrait is a wonderful way to honor their love and loss. Crossing the bridge last fall, we hope this beautiful pencil portrait of Dagney helps keep him close to his owner’s heart forever.

Happy 2021! We love starting the new year sharing all the holiday gift portraits. This handsome fellow is Justin, a beautiful gift from one horse lover to another.