Muttscomics NewsWire

July 2008 Newsletter

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Muttscomics Newsletter v2.0


July 2008

don't miss

July 4th
Independence Day

July 14th
Patrick's new children's book, South, goes to press

July 19th-21st
Taking Action For Animals Conference, Arlington, VA

July 24th-27th
Comic-Con,
San Diego, CA

in this issue

	Building a Future For Wild Tigers
	Shtinky's Call To Action
	Julia, our Youth Correspondent, Travels to India
	South is the Way to Go!
	A Unique Fundraising Opportunity and More Interviews!
	Shelter Stories Pet of the Month
	ZooToo Interviews Patrick and Berkley Breathed
	Keeping Your Pets Safe This Summer
	The MUTTS Daily Strip is Back!

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Building a Future For Wild Tigers

On June 9, the World Bank launched the Tiger Conservation Initiative, a global effort to save the world’s remaining wild tigers from extinction. Co-hosting the event was the International Tiger Coalition, an alliance of 35 organizations around the world working together to save tigers. The tiger population is rapidly declining due to many factors including habitat destruction and poaching. Population estimates show that only 4,000 wild tigers may remain in the world today.

Patrick, a long-time tiger advocate and board member of The Humane Society of the United States, attended the event in Washington DC. Actor Harrison Ford (pictured with Patrick) is Vice Chair of the Board of Directors of the non-profit Conservation International and spoke at the event.

Robert Duvall, Bo Derek, and the Tiger Kids were also on hand to lend their support. You can watch a video about the Tiger Conservation Initiative which includes Patrick being interviewed.

For more information on this magnificent, endangered animal, please read our Muttscomics Tiger Fact Sheet. Please note: this fact sheet was created several years ago when there were a lot more tigers!

Shtinky's Call To Action

Want to help Shtinky's tiger friends?

Watch Wild Aid's Harrison Ford Public Service Announcements
Take the Don't Buy Wild Pledge today!

Julia, our Youth Correspondent, Travels to India

Julia W. is Muttscomics.com’s youth correspondent, and a long-time friend to animals around the world.

Dear Fellow MUTTS fans,

In March I took my fourth trip to India. Where to begin? It was absolutely incredible, as always! This time, as we (my mom and I) have in previous trips, we went to Ranthambhore National Park, as well as visiting our friends in Mumbai. (Click for more)

South is the Way to Go!

In September, Patrick's fifth children's book will be released by Little Brown and Company. South is the heartwarming story of an unlikely friendship between a cat and a lost bird. MUTTS fans may recognize the inspiration for the book from a MUTTS strip featuring Mooch and his little feathered friend.

Although, not available until September, South is available for pre-order if you MUST be the first to have it!

A Unique Fundraising Opportunity and More Interviews!

Attention shelters and rescue groups! Want to use Shelter Stories: Love. Guaranteed. to increase awareness of the joy of shelter adoption while also fundraising at your next event?

Andrews McMeel Publishing, the publisher of the latest MUTTS book, is offering a special discount to animal welfare organizations. If you are a 501c3 certified organization, you could receive up to 65% off the retail price and free shipping when you order in bulk quantities. For more information, please contact: JMarshall@amuniversal.com for the required forms and additional details.

Read Patrick's interviews with the Courier Post, The Boston Herald, and the Anchorage Daily News. Find out more about Shelter Stories: Love. Guaranteed. and how it encourages shelter adoptions!

Shelter Stories Pet of the Month

Meet Rusty!

At one and a half years of age, Rusty had already been returned to Noah's Ark Animal Welfare Association FIVE times, but his lucky number turned out to be SIX! In the midst of many barking dogs, a silent glance was all it took to seal the deal and his forever home was found. "Irresistible, goofy, and vivacious" Rusty now has a toy box FULL of toys, treats galore, and all the loving he can handle!

Another shelter success story! YESH!

If you haven’t checked out the Shelter Stories Gallery yet, take a peek to see other pets who found their forever homes! New pets are added every Friday, so don’t forget to check back for updates.

Online postings of pet photos or stories does not indicate that a pet has been selected for inclusion in an upcoming MUTTS book or project

ZooToo Interviews Patrick and Berkley Breathed

ZooToo is an online community bringing pet lovers together to help pets and each other. Last month at the Animal Care Expo, ZooToo selected the winners in their 1st Shelter Makeover Contest. See how your community can help your local shelter just by your ZooToo participation.

ZooToo recently interviewed Patrick, along with cartoonist Berkeley Breathed, about their art and passion for animals. Patrick discusses his inspiration for Shelter Stories: Love. Guaranteed. in this video clip.

Be the first to write a review of Shelter Stories: Love. Guaranteed. on ZooToo's product review page to let other animal lovers know about this book!

Keeping Your Pets Safe This Summer

The summer can be a lot of fun for you and your companion animal, but it is important to take certain safety precautions. To keep your furry friends safe this summer, we suggest that you:

read these helpful tips about keeping your pet cool, travelling with your pet, and curtailing exercise.
follow these simple precautions to ensure that the Fourth of July holiday is not a frightening one for your pets.
avoid leaving your pet in the car! Even with the car windows partially rolled down, and left in the shade, cars can heat up MUCH quicker than you think. Visit My Dog Is Cool to find out the scientific facts, educate fellow dog-loving motorists, and even download a sign that you can distribute to local merchants.

Enjoy the summer with your pets by keeping them safe!

The MUTTS Daily Strip is Back!

Thank you to all the fans who contacted us last week about the MUTTS daily strip. Due to a technical glitch, many fans did not receive their daily MUTTS strip. You'll be happy to know that we have since resolved this issue, and you should be receiving your daily dose of Earl & Mooch in your Inbox every morning!

Judging from the influx of e-mails, we can assure you that people REALLY enjoy receiving the daily strip and can't go a day without it:

How will I go on without a daily dose of Mooch and Earl! Don't tell me to get a life - what is life without the gentle souls of Earl and Mooch- and Guard Dog - and Woofie and Crabby?!
Help! I need my MUTTS fix. I am having withdrawal symptoms.
I need the strip every day to stay healthy!
I miss my little friends, Earl and Moochie!
It's very hard to start the day without MUTTS wisdom.
This is my favorite comic and I love getting the strip to my e-mail.

Thanks for your patience and for the kind words about the daily strip while it was on hiatus!

If you haven't signed up to receive the daily strip yet, you can do so here.

MUTTS Gets Roasted by Mother Goose and Grimm Creator

Pulitzer Prize winning cartoonist Mike Peters emceed the National Cartoonists Society's annual Reuben Award dinner last month. Mike delighted the crowd with his zany, kind-hearted humor, his frenetic energy, and his Superman costume. He also roasted the 'humanitarian' aspect of MUTTS by drawing Earl and Mooch negotiating with terrorists for peace, dressing as little Mother Teresas, and rescuing dogs from burning buildings. Mike, we think you're the greatest!

Shelter Stories Pet of the Month - Meet Rusty!

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

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Building a Future For Wild Tigers

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Robert Duvall, Bo Derek, and the Tiger Kids were also on hand to lend their support. You can watch a video about the Tiger Conservation Initiative which includes Patrick being interviewed.

Want to help Shtinky's tiger friends?

Watch Wild Aid's Harrison Ford Public Service Announcements
Take the Don't Buy Wild Pledge today!

Click here to read the latest update from Julia W., Muttscomics.com’s youth correspondent, and a long-time friend to animals around the world.

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South is the Way to Go!

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Although, not available until September, South is available for pre-order if you MUST be the first to have it!

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Keeping Your Pets Safe This Summer

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

The summer can be a lot of fun for you and your companion animal, but it is important to take certain safety precautions. To keep your furry friends safe this summer, we suggest that you:

read these helpful tips about keeping your pet cool, travelling with your pet, and curtailing exercise.
follow these simple precautions to ensure that the Fourth of July holiday is not a frightening one for your pets.
avoid leaving your pet in the car! Even with the car windows partially rolled down, and left in the shade, cars can heat up MUCH quicker than you think. Visit My Dog Is Cool to find out the scientific facts, educate fellow dog-loving motorists, and even download a sign that you can distribute to local merchants.

Enjoy the summer with your pets by keeping them safe!

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A Unique Fundraising Opportunity and More Interviews!

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Attention shelters and rescue groups! Want to use Shelter Stories: Love. Guaranteed. to increase awareness of the joy of shelter adoption while also fundraising at your next event?

Read Patrick's interviews with the Courier Post, The Boston Herald, and the Anchorage Daily News. Find out more about Shelter Stories: Love. Guaranteed. and how it encourages shelter adoptions!

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News from Julia, our Youth Correspondent

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Julia W. is Muttscomics.com’s youth correspondent, and a long-time friend to animals around the world

Dear Fellow MUTTS fans,

This was my third visit to Ranthambhore, and never have we been so lucky seeing tigers. Close to the entrance of the park (but not in the buffer zone), there is a family of a mother and three cubs. The mother’s name is Machli, and her three female cubs were about 20 months old when we were there. They were not shy of the many jeeps and canters full of tourists, but they kept their dignity and made many visitors to the park happy.

In just our first hour in the park, we saw all three of the cubs—one of them twice! It was pure magic. Getting away from the rest of the world, you’re able to just enjoy the amazing beauty of the park. After the stress of planning the trip; the long flight over; getting to Ranthambhore from Mumbai; and the chaos of traveling to a place as wonderful and crazy as India; the park is a wonderful refuge. It’s the reward of your hard work. And oh, was it an especially nice reward this time!

We fell into our regular routine of getting up at five in the morning, driving to the park, still half asleep in the pre-dawn light that cast long purple-pink shadows across the hills. In the park we saw lots of playful langurs in the trees and on the ground, mothers carrying their young on their bellies, even when mischievously chasing another langur. There were parakeets, pigeons, peacocks, treepies, flying foxes (giant, beautiful bats), painted storks, Brahminy ducks, and so much more. Over the course of our too-short trip we also saw a gorgeous leopard, a few mongooses, a chinkara, sambars, chital, and nilgai.
It was a breath-taking trip all around. I hope MUTTS fans like myself appreciate the beauty and importance of natural places like this, and know that protecting them is not only good for the environment, it’s good for us too.

Until next time,
Julia W.

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June 2008 Newsletter

Tue, 03 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Muttscomics Newsletter v2.0


June 2008

don't miss

JUNE is Adopt-A-Shelter Cat Month

June 7th & 8th
MOCCA Art Festival, NYC

June 15th
Father's Day

June 21st
Patrick's book signing at Browseabout Books, Rehoboth Beach, DE

July 19th-21st
Taking Action For Animals Conference, Arlington, VA

July 24th-27th
Comic-Con, San Diego, CA

in this issue

	Animal Care Expo
	Shelter Stories: Love. Guaranteed.
	Book Signing in Delaware!
	Shelter Stories in the News
	Patrick at NSALA Adoptathon
	Cartoonists Invade New Orleans!
	Oprah Goes Vegan
	Shelter Stories Pet of the Month

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Animal Care Expo

Over 1,700 attendees from all over the world attended the Animal Care Expo at the Walt Disney Resort. Training workshops and networking opportunities abounded... all with the goal of improving the lives of animals.

Patrick gave a "powerful and emotionally charged" presentation during the convention's Welcome Session. Afterwards, the Shelter Stories: Love. Guaranteed. book signings were a sold-out success! There was not a book left to be signed as many attendees bought several copies at a time. The best news... all the proceeds of the signings went to support the noble work of The Humane Society of the United States.

Animal Precinct's Annemarie Lucas (pictured with Patrick) was also on hand to meet and greet some of animal welfare's finest.

Shelter Stories: Love. Guaranteed.

Great news for MUTTS fans and pet lovers everywhere! Shelter Stories: Love. Guaranteed., the latest MUTTS release, is available at your favorite book stores and online retailers.

Along with over a hundred Shelter Stories strips, the book also features over 70 adopted pets, and a comprehensive resource guide written by The Humane Society of the United States.

You can support your local shelters or rescue groups by purchasing the book from their online stores. Many charities are carrying the new Shelter Stories book, including The Humane Society of the Unites States, North Shore Animal League, The SPCA of Texas, MSPCA, Connecticut Humane Society, and St. Hubert's Animal Welfare Center.

Book Signing in Delaware!

On June 21st , Patrick will be at Browseabout Books in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, signing copies of Shelter Stories: Love. Guaranteed. If you live in the area, stop in to meet Patrick! In support of the theme of the book, Browseabout Books will be donating their proceeds to five local shelters and rescue groups. For the latest details on the signing, please visit the Browseabout Books website.

Also, if you live in the Rehoboth Beach area, stay tuned to WGMD 92.7 FM radio on the mornings of Thursday June 12th and 19th. Patrick will be interviewed live at approximately 7:30am!

Shelter Stories in the News

Shelter Stories: Love. Guaranteed. has been talked about quite a bit in the press lately. Here is some recent spotlights on the latest MUTTS book:

Winston-Salem Journal
Parade.com
The Star Ledger
HSUS President and CEO Wayne Pacelle's blog
HSUS Vice President Mike Makarian's blog features the story of "Misty" (Page 50)
PennLive.com features the story of "Allen" (Page 153)
Star Bulletin
The Oxford Press
Houston Chronicle
Dayton Daily News

Patrick at NSALA Adoptathon

On May 3rd, Patrick, Earl, and Mooch visited The North Shore Animal League to help kick-off their 36 hour Pet Adoptathon. While Patrick signed copies of Shelter Stories: Love. Guaranteed., Earl and Mooch did their best to inspire some attendees to adopt some of their new furry friends. Along with Mya and the cast of Chicago, the guys of Rescue Ink (Mike Tattoo is pictured with Earl) helped spread the joys of shelter adoption.

We are happy to hear that North Shore Animal League's Pet Adoptathon 2008 found loving families for 600 homeless animals: 392 canines and 208 felines!

In addition to seeing so many pets find loving guardians, and watching the costumed Mooch continually tease Earl, the highlight of the day was meeting Skye. Skye is one of the adopted pets featured in Shelter Stories: Love. Guaranteed. and appeared in the April 28th strip. Along with her guardians, Skye came to meet Patrick and offer an encouraging paw to all those awaiting adoption. As a deaf dog who was often overlooked, Skye knows firsthand about waiting for that right person to come along.

To learn more about Skye, pick up a copy of Shelter Stories: Love. Guaranteed. and turn to page 100.

To read more about the Pet Adoptathon and see a slideshow of the fun event, visit here.

Cartoonists Invade New Orleans!

Every year cartoonists from around the world get together for the National Cartoonists Society's annual Reuben's Awards weekend. This year's top honor went to Mad Magazine's Al Jaffee, and Sandra Boynton was given the Milton Caniff lifetime achievement award.

Many of the attendees participated in a Habitat for Humanity project - helping to build new homes for the people of New Orleans. There is still much work to do for those who were impacted by Katrina. Why not consider going there (and maybe spending a bit of your time volunteering) if you haven't yet decided where to vacation this year? New Orleans is a beautiful, unique city with lots of kind hearted, wonderful people.

Next month we'll tell you about Mike Peters' roast of Patrick and MUTTS!

Oprah Goes Vegan

On Oprah’s May 20 show, featuring Kathy Freston, author of Quantum Wellness, Oprah announced that she has embarked on a 21-day cleanse. Oprah will be removing all animal products from her diet in her quest to be a “conscious eater.” Oprah is blogging about her experience and sharing vegan recipes by chef Tal Ronnen throughout her journey.

Way to go Oprah!

Shelter Stories Pet of the Month

Meet Charli!

Abandoned with her littermates, Charli was lucky to be found and nurtured by Noah's Ark Pet Adoptions in Arizona. Upon meeting this wide eyed adolescent, Charli's pet guardian knew "she was simply ready to come home." Charli enjoys her life OFF the streets by scaling kitty condos, cuddling, and meowing as loud as possible when it's meal time!

Another shelter success story! YESH!

If you haven’t checked out the Shelter Stories Gallery yet, take a peek to see other pets who found their forever homes! New pets are added every Friday, so don’t forget to check back for updates.

Online postings of pet photos or stories does not indicate that a pet has been selected for inclusion in an upcoming MUTTS book or project

June is Adopt-A-Shelter-Cat (or Two!) Month

June is Adopt-a-Shelter-Cat Month. If you have it in your hearts (and room in your home!) please consider adopting a pair of cats at your local shelter. Tell them that Chickpea and Chickpea's brother sent ya!

Book Signing in Delaware!

Tue, 03 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Also, if you live in the Rehoboth Beach area, stay tuned to WGMD 92.7 FM radio on the mornings of Thursday June 12th and 19th. Patrick will be interviewed live at approximately 7:30am!

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Animal Care Expo

Tue, 03 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Animal Precinct's Annemarie Lucas (pictured with Patrick) was also on hand to meet and greet some of animal welfare's finest.

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Shelter Stories: Love. Guaranteed. in the News!

Tue, 03 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Great news for MUTTS fans and pet lovers everywhere! Shelter Stories: Love. Guaranteed., the latest MUTTS release, is available at your favorite book stores and online retailers.

Along with over a hundred Shelter Stories strips, the book also features over 70 adopted pets, and a comprehensive resource guide written by The Humane Society of the United States.

Shelter Stories: Love. Guaranteed. has been talked about quite a bit in the press lately. Here is some recent spotlights on the latest MUTTS book:

Winston-Salem Journal
Parade.com
The Star Ledger
HSUS President and CEO Wayne Pacelle's blog
HSUS Vice President Mike Makarian's blog features the story of "Misty" (Page 50)
PennLive.com features the story of "Allen" (Page 153)
Star Bulletin
The Oxford Press
Houston Chronicle
Dayton Daily News

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Shelter Stories Pet of the Month - Meet Charli!

Tue, 03 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Meet Charli!

Another shelter success story! YESH!

Online postings of pet photos or stories does not indicate that a pet has been selected for inclusion in an upcoming MUTTS book or project

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Cartoonists Invade New Orleans!

Tue, 03 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Next month we'll tell you about Mike Peters' roast of Patrick and MUTTS!

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Oprah Investigates Puppy Mills

Wed, 28 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT

On April 4th, Wayne Pacelle, President and CEO of The Humane Society of the United States joined Oprah Winfrey to discuss the horrors of puppy mills and the plight of shelter animals. If you didn’t catch the show you can read a recap of Oprah’s powerful expose. After the show aired, shelters around the country saw an increase in shelter adoptions. Thank you, Oprah, for educating us all, and making such a huge impact.

Do you want to help make a difference for our furry friends? We have some suggestions!

Encourage friends and relatives to adopt from their local shelter or rescue group
Check out these 10 ways you can help to stop puppy mills
Take the HSUS’ Stop Puppy Mills Pledge

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Cartoonists Get It Together for Earth Day

Wed, 07 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT

In honor of Earth Day, cartoonists syndicated by King Features Syndicate got together to come up with eco-awareness installments of their daily strips. Participants included familiar strips like “Beetle Bailey,” “Blondie,” “Dennis the Menace,” and “Zits,” as well as newer ones like “Arctic Circle,” “Retail” and “The Pajama Diaries.” And naturally, Patrick and MUTTS participated with a full week of cartoons honoring the Earth.

The New York Times highlighted the creative efforts of MUTTS in their celebration of Earth Day. Not to be out-done, USA Today also covered the story, featured Earl & Mooch on the cover of the paper, and created a gallery of all the Earth Day strips.

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