The folks at MetaMorphix Inc. have developed the Canine Heritage Breed Test, a test to assist owners of mixed-breed dogs identify which breeds make up their canine companion.

Using a cheek-swab from your dog, Canine Heritage can identify which, of the 38 breeds they currently recognize, are primary, secondary or “in the mix” breeds that make up your dog.

Once your dog’s breeds are determined they are printed on a framable certificate, which can also include your dog’s photo.

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A couple of weeks ago I was checking in at the Citibank Rewards center --- you know, the place where you can use your rewards points to buy little gizmos and gadgets after you’ve hit your zillionth point (or at least it seems that way to me, since the stuff that looks interesting is always about 10,000 more points than I have). In their rewards area they have a section called, “Your wish fulfilled,” where you can request an item or service that you don’t see in their catalog, and it started me thinking.

Really, there just isn’t a huge need in my life for another small gizmo right now, nor do I think I’ll ever have enough points to visit some foreign country for free. But, what if I could use the points I’ve earned for a different purpose altogether?

I contacted the wish people and told them my wish would be to cash in my points in exchange for a check made out to the Bakersfield SPCA. I figured it was a win for everyone: They get to cash out my points; the redemption is for a nonprofit, so I’m sure they’ll find some way to write it off; the BSPCA gets some always-needed cash; and I get to give a donation much larger than if I had been left to writing a check. I wasn’t sure if this is what they meant by “wish-fulfillment,” but I figured it didn’t hurt to ask.

A few days later, I had my answer. They were happy to do it. They gave me the dollar amount the check would be, as well as my point balance after they wrote it. Everybody wins.

So, if you find yourself with some extra Citibank rewards points and are looking for a way to give a little to charity, you might want to give this a try. I’m not sure about other companies…but I’ll be looking.

Cheers! 

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So, I arrived bright and early last Sunday for the SPCA cat neuter/spay day. My intention for the day was to be there doing one of the easy peasy jobs, like watching the cats in the recovery area as they came out of their anesthesia to make sure all was well before they went home.

Instead, I ended up in the pre-op room, where we (me, another volunteer and two vet techs) took cats out of their carriers and got their weight, temperature, heart rate and respiration. After subjecting the cats to those indignities, we gave them an injection to help them while they were anesthetized and put lubricant into their eyes to keep them moist during surgery. Then we moved them to the surgery rooms (one for boys and one for girls).

This was not the easy peasy job I had planned for. Cats, as any cat owner knows, aren’t the calmest of souls when everything is going their way. Put them in a small carrier, in a strange environment, alongside other strange cats and it’s easy to see how very recently we removed them from their wild lifestyle. Things moved fast and the work was hot and tiring and it wasn’t long before I was a sweaty, fur-covered mess. But on the positive side, time did fly.

One of the most gratifying things to see during the day was the number of younger cats that were coming in for surgery. The first time I volunteered for one of these events, it seemed like we were getting older cat after older cat. Now, don’t get me wrong, any neuter is a good neuter, but it was great to see younger animals being neutered before they could contribute to the overpopulation problem.

At the end of the day, a total of 110 male cats and 17 female cats were neutered and spayed. Time for a huge thank you to the Bakersfield SPCA for fund raising and hosting the event, the veterinarians, vet techs and volunteers who were there to help, all donating time on their day off to do so.  It was a great effort by all who were involved, and I can’t wait to do it again.