On the home page: Dodi and Vikings cheerleaders

Harlequin Great Dane with two Vikings cheerleaders

Minnesota Vikings cheerleaders Lo (left) and Bailey find a kindred spirit in Dodi.

Dodi, an epileptic Harlequin Great Dane from Wisconsin, is always a hit at parties. So, it was no surprise that the Vikings cheerleaders took a shine to Dodi when they visited our Art of the Dog holiday village at Mall of America. For more photos of the visit, see Three Cheers for Home for Life at left.

Catching Up with Hans and Franz

Once Mall of America visitors get over the breathtaking size of Dodi (see above), the red Dachshund brothers Hans and Franz often catch their eyes (see photo album at left).

The brothers enjoy going to the Mall during the holiday season, and they cause quite a sensation as they parade two abreast along the corridor on their way to the Home for Life^® holiday display.

Although more gray in the face, brothers Hans and Franz still approach life with gusto. They are still never far apart and their bond has grown even stronger as the years have passed.

Franz has occasional back pain, an eventuality faced by many long-backed breeds such as Dachshunds. A little arthritis medicine, Rimadyl, helps take the edge off his stiffness.

Hans enjoys sleeping under his bed and blanket rather than on top. This requires a search of the small dog facility in order to locate him.

The brothers still enjoy running in the fields and walking side-by-side on their leashes. Amazingly, they can still keep up with even a long-strided person.

Hans, the more serious and sturdy of the two, still looks out for his outgoing yet smaller brother Franz.

Happy Holidays from Home for Life^®

Holiday mailing cover, featuring animal caricatures

Home for Life's 2009 holiday mailer features whimsical caricatures of seven beloved sanctuary residents, illustrated by Ismael Roldan. Ismael is best known for his illustrations for the Editorial and Leisure & Arts pages of the Wall Street Journal.

Pictured on the cover are:

Download the mailer and enjoy the full-sized illustration!

Note: Ismael Roldan passed away suddenly this September at age 45. We extend our sympathy to Ismael's family and friends, and we are honored to count ourselves among the subjects of his considerable talent.

Previous Animal Updates: December 13, 2009

Three cheers for Home for Life^®!

Home for Life's Art of the Dog event at Mall of America is in full swing! One Saturday, the Minnesota Vikings cheerleaders joined the fun, and photographer Mark Luinenberg was there to record the day in pictures.

There is still time to visit us at the mall and meet animals from the sanctuary. Other celebrity visits are planned — you never know who you might meet if you stop by.

The Art of the Dog is open daily through January 4, 2010, in front of Nordstrom's at Mall of America. See the event website for details.

Dogs Rule for One Doggone Early Morning at Nickelodeon Park

Photos for this story provided by Jessie Marianiello of Stray Dog Arts. Jessie is one of the artists whose work is on display at The Art of the Dog.

sleepy dog Home for Life's First Annual Doggone Early Dogwalk —and the first ever indoor dog walk —took place at Nickelodeon Park at the Mall of America on Sunday, November 22. The event was a rousing success despite how doggone early it started —7 a.m. sharp!

The walk kicked off our six-week engagement at the Mall of America for the Art of the Dog display.

The event sold out and attracted an overflow of dogs and owners ready to promenade on behalf of Home for Life^®. Dogs of every variety, size, and shape turned out to walk, and all were amazingly well-behaved. Maybe it was just too early for trouble, but it seemed like the dogs and their people just wanted to enjoy the experience of a nice walk indoors.

Munter The morning began with mingling, coffee, and browsing vendor tables, and posing with Santa for photos. Then, the walkers set off around the park, accompanied by music celebrating both the holidays and dogs.

Afterwards, emcee M.A. Rosko, feature reporter on Fox9 Morning News, handed out prizes for the best dressed, oldest, youngest, smallest and largest dogs.

Animal communicator Lena Swanson recruited M.A.'s two dogs Munter (pictured at left) and Red for a demonstration, showing us all how to find out what your dog is really thinking.

The event concluded with a group photo and doggie bags for everyone!

Our thanks go out to our hosts at the Mall of America, to our vendors, to Ali Jarvis of Sidewalk Dog, Home for Life^® volunteer Deb Peterfeso, and all of the volunteers who got up at the crack of dawn to help with this event.

Special thanks to all of the dogs, their walkers, and those who supported them with pledges. Let's do it again next year!

For more reporting on the day's festivities, watch the video below, courtesy of Sun-Current Today TV News.