Gem of the Day:
Never give in! Never give in! Never, never, never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty!
Never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense.
~Winston Churchill~

(By popular requests, we're going to be including the "How to Donate to Small Paws " links at the VERY beginning of our newsletters,
so you don't have to go hunting through them! Thanks, all, Robin)

If you have made a past donation using your credit card, you may e-mail Stephanie Hunter, at SPRFluff@aol.com and let her know the amount of your donation to help these Bichons.

You may also call your credit card donation in to Janet Byrn at 508-801-3106. She is on Eastern Standard Time!

Dear Small Pawsers,

Welcome to the newest members of our online mailing list, especially if you have seen us featured in one of our recently updated media articles , read about us in the best selling book "Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover's Soul", or if you saw Small Paws on the NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams!

Small Pawsers everywhere welcome you with open arms! We sincerely hope that you enjoy "Small Pawsing and reading Small Paws!"

If you are new to Small Pawsing, this may look as if it is coming only to you but really it is going out to fellow Small Pawsers all across our country and in 22 foreign countries as well!

Adoption information is posted below. Turn up your speakers!
We have music for you!

If you missed our last newsletter, here it is. http://www.smallpawsrescue.org/pup3/jan2607.html

Bayn Carlson just sent this to me, and I want to send it out to all of you. It will bless your hearts! I personally, guaranty it!

Date: 1/25/2007 10:57:26 PM Central Standard Time
From: carlsonb@friscoisd.org
To: pup3@aol.com

It has been one year ago today that my world was turned upside down by a little white dog. I had gone out after work to meet with a friend, who I hadn't seen since before Christmas. When I returned home around 6:30, I knew something was wrong as soon as I got out of the car. Instead of hearing the happy barks from my three Bichons, I could hear Dudley crying. Instead of seeing three little black noses poking through the baby gate, there was only Mile's nose. Dudley was running in and out of the dog door waiting for me to find that his brother was missing. My heart sank when I saw only two of my babies. I ran out in the backyard and began searching for Riley to no avail.

Next I headed out to the front of the house and down the street toward Riley's favorite area to walk. I crossed the busy street hoping I wouldn't find him lying in a heap on the side of the road, the whole while I was frantically calling his name. Knowing that our city's animal control was closed, I called 911 and spoke with an amazing dispatcher. She checked the animal control logs and told me Riley had not been picked up. I've never wanted my dogs to be picked up by the dog catcher, but this time I wish he had. My searching continued until well after midnight. I was finally too exhausted to continue searching. After returning home I made the first of what would later turn into over five hundred signs, and went out and hung signs around the neighborhood.

Of course there was little sleep that first night. The next morning I was out looking for my little guy before the sun came up. I stopped everyone I saw and asked if anyone had seen him. As soon as our local SPCA opened, I called to report Riley missing. The dispatcher from the night before had already contacted them and given them my contact information. She also had contacted Frisco Animal Control, and they were calling me while I was on the phone with the pound. They had not seen him, but would keep their eyes open. I continued searching and talking to people most of the morning. One gentleman that worked at our neighborhood 7-11 told me he had seen two little white dogs playing by the pool the afternoon before. This was the same area I figured Riley would have gone to. Once again my heart sank. I thought the two dogs the clerk had seen were Riley and Miles. If Miles had made it home, why didn't Riley? I ran back up to the corner of the busy road and started checking the road for blood. There wasn't any. Next I began checking all the bushes and landscaping thinking maybe he'd been hit and crawled of into the bushes. I remember wanting to throw up as I was calling him, and climbing through the manicured bushes. Thank God he wasn't there.

Once I was back home, I got on the Small Paws site. I emailed every volunteer in the North Texas area and told them about my missing dog. I asked if someone would please have Robin call me. Riley was a Small Paws dog, and even spent some time being fostered at Robin's house. Now, there's something you have to understand. For the past few years, I'd taken a bit of a sabbatical from Small Paws. After doing quite a bit of fostering and pound walking, I needed a break. I guess it didn't matter though. What happened next was the start of many miracles that continued throughout my search. Within a couple of hours, there were several messages from Small Paws volunteers wondering what they could do for help. Shortly, Robin was on the phone offering ideas and encouragement. I can still hear her voice telling me over and over again, "Don't worry, we'll find him." Never once did she tell me, "You'll find him." There was always a we in there.

My day continued much the same way as it had the night before, searching and hanging posters. The new thing that was added was the first of what would become my daily trek to the SPCA. I remember walking to the back of the shelter where the cages were, I just began crying while talking to the shelter attendant. She put her hand on my shoulder and tried to comfort me. As I walked through the rows of cages, I thought, "How can all these beautiful dogs end up here unwanted, and all I want is to Riley back home."

During the drive home I received a call from a young girl who said, "I think I have your dog! Your sign is right outside my house." She told me how she had found two stray dogs and tried to get them. While trying to put them in the car, one jumped and got away. She chased him for about an hour, but couldn't catch him. She had the other one though. The one she had wasn't Riley.

After talking with the girl and the neighborhood children, the story was now starting to come together. Riley had dug out of the fence. The other little white dog the girl had was on one side of the fence digging, and Riley was on the other side. According to the neighborhood kids the dogs were running around in my front yard until about 4:00. The dogs the 7-11 man saw were Riley and his new friend. All I could think was, "If I'd have just come straight home from work, I wouldn't be going through this."

After another sleepless night, I was back out searching. It was now Saturday morning and lightly raining. Riley hates the rain. I was driving around looking in turned over trash cans, open garages, and new construction sights. Our city is under heavy development. There are quite a few fields around, but I always believed Riley would stay in the residential areas. Once again I was asking everyone on the street if they had any information about my dog. One lady told me she was already out looking for him because she had read about a missing dog in Frisco on DFW Cares. I didn't even know what it was, but the woman told me it was a website that deals with multiple dog breeds. She also told me there was a post on Frisco Online, our city web blog. Again, another miracle, other people were out looking for my little Riley. I found out later in the day, our Small Paws team leader Vicki had made the post on DFW Cares. Local Small Paws volunteers were out searching too.

For me the remainder of the day was spent the same as the two before, praying, crying, a trip to the SPCA, hanging posters, and searching. There was one change though, this was the day I almost got arrested. I was hanging a sign on one of the light poles at a busy intersection. I saw the police officer sitting at the light. As soon as the light changed his red lights came on. He was nice, but told me it's illegal in Frisco to hang signs that were not approved by the City Council and meet code. I could be fined for each sign I had up.

The following day an Angel came into my life. Andrea, a volunteer from Small Paws called and asked what she could do. She wanted to come over and help search. I told her she couldn't because my house was a mess. She wasn't taking no for an answer. Within an hour, she and her husband were at my home. They left armed with fliers, posters, along with Dudley and Miles. They walked the neighborhood, handed out fliers, and hung posters. They cried with me, and Andrea said she'd be back to help, but needed to get home for dinner with their family.

I don't think she'd been gone more than a couple of hours when my phone rang. Someone had spotted my dog a few miles from my house. I jumped in the car and headed to the area where Riley had been seen. I called Andrea on the way, and she told me she would meet me there. It was already dark when we both arrived at a field outside of a new sub-development. Andrea and I searched for hours. We were stopped by several people who told us they had seen a little white dog in the field earlier. They also warned us to be careful because there were coyotes living in the field. While we were searching the field we found dog footprints in the mud. They were also flanked by coyote tracks. The coyotes were actively tracking my dog.

Andrea even rang the doorbell on the gate of a mansion located across from the field, where we were warmly greeted by a family that opened up their property to us and helped us search. The mother of the family said that something had been eating their dog food and didn't think it was raccoon. After no luck, the woman let us leave Riley's crate on their patio in hopes that he would bed down there.

The next morning, I was out before the sun came up. Andrea met me shortly after I arrived. She met the family that lived in the mansion, and nothing had been in Riley's crate. Andrea and I searched the field again. She went down to check the creek bed. If the coyotes had gotten Riley, more than likely there would have been fur by the creek. Coyotes never eat the fur. On her way back, Andrea ran into a barbed wire fence and needed a Tetanus shot later in the day.

While we were discussing what to do next, a little white dog came running across traffic, nearly getting hit by a truck. I screamed Riley, and the dog tore off with Andrea in hot pursuit. She returned empty handed. I was already late for work, and had to conduct a training seminar that day. Andrea told me to go and she stayed. Once at work, I was immediately told to go back and get my dog, they had it under control. I called Andrea. She was searching and had met the local firefighters who were now helping with the search. She had to leave, but told me to get a live trap. We knew where the dog was living and could hopefully catch him.

While in route back to the field, my cell phone began ringing. Calls were coming in upon calls. People thought they had found my dog in a field. Not the same field though. This field was less than a mile from my house. I had just stopped at home to get Miles and Dudley, so I went. There were cars parked all down the street with people standing outside their cars watching this little dog. No one could get close to him without him running off. I climbed the barbed wire fence and went after him. Once I got closer, I could tell it wasn't Riley. However, I couldn't leave him out there. It was actually the little dog that had helped Riley dig out of the fence. Unfortunately, I couldn't get close to the dog either. There was no way I was going to catch him, and he was a lot faster than me, and in an open field. I headed back to where I had seen Riley an hour before.

While on my way, the phone rang again. This time it was the firemen. They had spotted the dog and were watching him in their binoculars. When I got there, I could see Riley in a field by the mansion walking along the fence line. I got Dudley and Miles out of the car and started walking over to him. He looked at us. Started to walk toward us and turned and ran the other way. I couldn't believe it. Even if he had gotten scared of people in a few short days, why wouldn't he come to his brothers. I called Robin. She asked me if I was sure it was Riley. Why wouldn't it be. My dog was lost, and here was a little lost Bichon. It had to be my dog.

For hours I tracked this dog. Every time I got close enough to really see him, he took off. Finally, I knew he had gone under a fence into a back yard. It wasn't long when I heard, "Are you looking for a dog? He's over here." When I got to the house and found the dog, my heart stopped. This wasn't my dog! Why had God brought me all this way only to not give me what I had prayed for? I called Robin again. Through my tears I had to ask her, what did she want me to do? Not only was this not my dog, the dog wouldn't let me catch him. I know now why God had brought me to this dog. Between the coyotes and the traffic, this dog was not safe. The lessons we, Small Paws, learned because of this dog were many.

For the next three weeks there were a lot of tears, constant prayers, many calls with possible sightings, and a lot of support. Volunteers from Small Paws continued to search on foot and in their cars. DFW shelters were walked daily. People who I had never met handed out fliers door to door and at area school car pool lines. And there were the e-mails. I received hundreds of e-mails from Small Paws members. They were all praying for me and Riley's safe return. By the way, I still have each one of them. There were also numerous strays that I found and returned to their owners. As I said earlier, there were many miracles.

The biggest miracle however came at about 7:00 the night before Riley would have been missing for three weeks. I can still hear the voice of the man on the other end of the phone. "The dog, the dog is in the hole," said a voice in broken English on the other end of the phone. He had seen the lost dog sign in my car earlier in the day. I could barely understand what he was telling me, and I had already had quite a bit of heartache with dead end leads. The man wanted me to meet him by a fence off of a busy street. When I got there, I was told to drive my car inside the gate, and the man locked it behind me. As I followed him up a field road, I called one of my friends to tell them where I was, in case I was never found again. Once we got closer to the man's house, I saw his family standing outside with a flashlight pointed at the ground. I got out and walked over to a wash out hole with a small "step" inside partially covered with a rock. Inside was the most beautiful sight I had ever seen. Cowering against the wall of the hole was a scared, skinny, dirty, little white dog, with a cataract in his left eye. It was my little Riley.

After being gone for three weeks, weathering the winter elements, crossing two separate highways, one at least three times, avoiding coyotes and other predators, he was alive and had only lost a couple of pounds. Instead of staying residential like I thought he would, he was bunkered down on a 5,000 acre ranch about a mile from my home. If it wasn't for this family, help from Small Paws, co-workers, friends, SPCA employees, and a wonderful city, I would have never found him.

I'm sharing this story with you for many reasons. My dogs had gotten out from under the fence before, but I thought I had fixed the problem. They had free run of the back yard because of a dog door. Riley didn't have a collar on when he got out. If he had, the girl who had tried to catch him the first night would have had a handle to hold on to. Please get your pet microchipped and be sure the number is correct. Riley is microchipped, but there are some pounds that don't check the chip until they are ready to euthanize your pet. Also, most animal control agencies will not euthanize an animal that is microchipped, nor will animal testing facilities use animals that are microchipped. I never paid much attention to missing pet signs. Now I read each one, and have actually connected several lost pet owners with people who had posted found pet signs. And lastly, to say THANK YOU! You are part of one of the greatest group of people in the world. Even if you can't give money to Small Paws, you can become a Prayer Warrior, or send an e-mail of support to those who need it. Believe me, they help keep you going. Consider being a foster parent. I took in a pregnant foster who had seven beautiful Heart Healer puppies, and have since adopted Honey, the poor wayward girl. There's also another foster sitting at my feet as I write this. As for Riley, he's sacked out in his favorite chair, right next to my desk.

As many of you know my grandfather passed away this summer. I recorded a CD for my grandmother of songs that he and I sang while he was in the hospital, and songs that she and I like. When I first heard this arrangement, I knew I wanted to record it. I hope it touches your heart the way it touches mine.

Thanks Again!

If stories like the one above about Riley being found have touched your heart, and you would like to help us continue this important rescue work, this is how you may help, financially

If you are new to Small Paws Rescue and have any questions about who we are, they may be answered in the following links.

If you can't find a way to make your credit card work online, and we have your credit card on file already, please email Stephanie Hunter, at SPRFluff@aol.com and let her know the amount of your donation to help these Bichons. Please, at the same time, copy me at pup3@aol.com so we will know what is coming in.

You may also call your credit card donation in to Janet at 508-801-3106. She is on Eastern Standard Time.

Here's another way to help SPR, donate shares of stock! This is a win-win situation for everyone. No taxes on the donation (for either you or SPR) and no broker's fees. This is a great way to dispose of those miscellaneous shares of stock you've been holding on to and put them to good use!

And remember, we also have Small Paws Ebay!

You don't have to wait for newsletters to see what is offered on SPR's Ebay page.

Just follow these steps to add SPR to your Favorite Seller list. You will get email announcements once a week on new items.

3. On the next page enter - smallpawsrescue - where it says enter a user ID, then click on "find a member".

5. Next page look in the left column and you will see "add to favorite sellers", click on that.

6. The next page will show "Favorite Sellers Top Pick" and the box by it will have a checkmark. Press "SAVE".

Just do this one time and SPR will be on your Favorite Seller list and you will get email updates of new items.

Click the MissionFish Logo above to go to the Small Paws Rescue Mission Fish Page.
See some of those items below!

Now available in our Online Gift Shoppe!
"Trouble In Paradise"

The second Book in the Cassie Grimes Mystery Series with a special acknowledgement to Small Paws Rescue!

In the book, under "Author's Notes & Acknowledgements", this paragraph appears:

A special thanks to Small Paws Rescue for their tireless devotion to rescuing Bichons from the most unspeakable circumstances. Robin Pressnall and her army of foster parents, volunteers and supporters are amazingly generous with their time and money on behalf of some of the most loving and trusting creatures on earth. They are the embodiment of the idea of "walking the walk."

Her business is in a lull, her husband’s lost his job and her best friend is so depressed she’s talking about suicide. Cassie Grimes is sure that things can only get better as she loads her dogs in the car and heads for Florida to work things out.

Fat chance. Nothing’s ever that simple for this dog-loving woman who seems to be a crap magnet. Shortly after arriving at the condo she’ll soon be forced to sell in the name of solvency, her wealthy best friend is arrested for the disappearance of her much older husband.

What’s a woman to do? Jump into the middle of things, naturally. With the help of her Bichons, Maggie and A.J., her disgruntled hubby and a couple of gun-toting geriatric party girls, Cassie can’t resist being an amateur detective. She’s not making any friends in the local police department because she keeps turning up in the middle of crime scenes. While trying to help her trophy-wife friend, Cassie uncovers a web of fraud, murder and extortion that have the bad guys trying to beat her up or blow her up or just plain shoot her. It gets so bad that Gene even suggests she hire her former boyfriend as extra security. Yikes.

What Cassie goes through in the name of friendship will keep you on the edge of your seat. That is, of course, if you don’t fall off it while laughing out loud. Once again, Pearson proves that everyday life can be not only exciting, but hilarious.

Of course, they are signed from Maggie and A.J. to the buyer's pooch, so please put your fluff's name(s) in the Comments section of the order form!

$14.95 plus $4.05 Shipping and Handling

Add To Cart $14.95

As a special treat, we also offer a 6 1/2" Douglas Cuddle Toy stuffed bichon sporting an adorable red bow! Machine washable. Only $7.95 plus $3.50 shipping and handling or only $3.95 plus $3.50 shipping and handling with the purchase of a Family Ties or Trouble in Paradise book!

Add to Cart

Bichon Key Hook

Never loose your keys again!

Only $9.99 includes shipping to the USA and Canada Add To Cart

"I used to have money-now I rescue Bichons! Plaque 7x9 1/2

Don't we all know this feeling!

$29.99 Plus $4.05 shipping Add To Cart

Your photo.

Your picture turned into a pattern for you to cross stitch!
(Betsy Bunny, Annie (an SPR doggie), Ding-Ding and their Mom Debra have given me permission to use their picture.)

Do you or someone you know like to cross stitch? If so,this item might
be just the thing for you. Have your favorite photos converted into a
pattern that you can cross stitch. It can be a picture of your dog,
cat, child or anything you have a picture of that you would like to
cross stitch. You can support Small Paws Rescue and have fun at the
same time. 100% of the proceeds will go to SPR.
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This would make a great gift for someone you know that likes to cross
stitch. You can buy the pattern or the pattern and the floss and give
it to them as a gift, or you can stitch it yourself first then give it
as a gift. When you are done, it can be framed or made into a pillow.
You will get a computer generated cross stitch pattern (not a kit). All
patterns are printed out for 16 count, but can be done in any size you
wish. The design is coded for DMC floss and will come on several
sheets of paper. All patterns are done in whole cross stitches.
Included with the pattern is an easy to read symbol key guide and a
color picture of your item. The pattern is printed in black and white
on a laser printer.

Betsy Bunny, Annie (an SPR doggie), Ding-Ding and their Mom Debra have given me permission to use their picture. Above is the digital picture of them and then how it will look after it is stitched. This pattern uses 50
colors and the finished size using 16 count canvas is 8 inches tall by
12 inches wide.

Remember 100% of the sale will go to Small Paws Rescue!
This can be yours for $15.99 includes shipping.

Custom Cross Stitch Pattern

Add to Cart

Graciously donated by Lori Berlin

Small Paws Rescue Belly Bands
Two Great New Designs

Durable silk screen on cotton/poly blend navy fabric
Lined with a coordinating soft flannel

We recommend using only with an incontinence pad
Machine wash, either machine dry on low heat, or air dry

Sm. 12-14 inches
Med. 15-17 inches
Lg. 18-20 inches

Only $14.99 Includes Shipping to the USA or Canada

Diana can do custom orders for tiny doggies, or big guys!

Please click on Add to Cart for the design that you want and you will then be given a choice of sizes.
After you choose your size hit recalculate and the item will add to your cart

Small Paws Rescue Saved my Life Belly Band Add to Cart
Support Small Paws Rescue Belly Band Add to Cart

Come Visit Our Small Paws Rescue Store on CafePress!

From: dianamca@hughes.net

Hi Robin,
I've created a new section in our CafePress shop - The logo is different, lighter, and might appeal to more of our members.

You might want to mention it in the next newsletter you do - people getting ready for Summer events might enjoy some new logo wear.

Also, Buckwheat and Tina are featured on the first two SPR postage stamps, at just $19.99 a sheet.

Ok. That's all for now. Have a BICHONLY WONDERFUL weekend! All My Love, Robin

Prayer Requests

Baby Roxy is having surgery today at CSU! Please pray! She has an ectopic ureter.

Folks, the Volvo for Life contest is soon coming to an end on Feb 4, 2007.

Glory, the Volvo Station Wagon, now has no heat and needs to go back into the Volvo hospital, (where at night, she is forced to park next to strange, fast, foreign cars, and she has NO IDEA where those cars have been.)

The Loaves and Fishes Miracle

She won't be available for a kennel rescue I need to do in Mo. next week, and we will need to rent a vehicle again. The temps will be in the low 30's and that's too cold for the 7 adults and four puppies that will be coming on home to Small Paws.

If ever we needed for you to go and vote, it is now!

I want to thank you, ALL of you, your churches, your offices, your relatives, and the
strangers you accosted on the streets, for having voted so many times, so far!

Now, this is in God's hands. One way or the other I KNOW He is going to provide reliable
and safe transportation for these Bichons!

The Volvo-for-Life Award!

Read how our nomination was chosen as a semifinalist and how this can benefit Small Paws Rescue!

VOTE HERE!
(Scroll down to "Oklahoma" and see Robin with her two Bichons, Chipper and Spunky Monkey!
They say you may vote as often as you like!)

Read the latest letter from Volvo about Small Paws and this award!

Subj: VOTING ENDS FEBRUARY 4!
Date: 1/16/2007 3:19:51 PM Central Standard Time
From: nominate@volvo4lifeawards.com
To: pup3@aol.com

Dear Robin,

The deadline for voting in the 5th Anniversary Volvo for life Awards is fast approaching -- so
now is the time to make your best effort to "get out the vote"!

If you haven't told family, friends and everyone else you know about their chance to vote for
you in the Awards at http://www.volvoforlifeawards.com, don't wait any longer. Remember, if you
get enough votes you could become a finalist -- and receive $25,000 in funding for your
organization. Finalists also become eligible for awards of up to a total of $50,000 in donations,
a trip to our 5th Anniversary Awards Gala in New York City -- and even a Volvo for life!

So don't forget to "get out the vote" -- and best of luck in the 5th Anniversary Volvo for life
Awards!

Sincerely,
Pearl August
Volvo for life Awards

Always remember.
No matter what you have done, or where you have been, God loves you more than anyone else ever has and more than anyone else ever will.

(All recipients of the Small Paws Rescue newsletter receive it voluntarily. Small Paws never gleans e-mail addresses from other e-mail lists. Small Paws never solicits e-mail addresses or shares them with other "lists" or organizations.)

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to:	pup3@aol.com
from:	SPR Ebay	100% positive feedback rating!
subject:	EBAY UPDATE
	Hi, Robin,	Happy Winter!

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	Bronze Ebay We are an Ebay Power Seller again, because we have maintained $1,000 a month in sales for a certain period. Thanks to everyone for getting us there both donators and buyers. We have many new items up for bid on the Small Paws Rescue Ebay site. Please see the great assortment below!
	We are also registered with Mission Fish. Ebay sellers can donate percentages of their sales to Small Paws at listing time and Ebay will keep track of the donations and payments for them. Look for this symbol.

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	Item Title	Seller ID	Start Price	Donation %	Time Left
	Young Dogs Note Card 11 x 14 H. Maas	giraffer	$7.00	100%	Good 'Til Cancelled

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	Bichon Frise Loom beaded purse, dog ORIGINAL Purr	dapurrfectgift	$500.00	50%	Good 'Til Cancelled

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	Chihuahua Loom beaded purse, dog ORIGINAL Purrr	dapurrfectgift	$500.00	50%	Good 'Til Cancelled

Orange & Black Handmade Scarf - New - Fashion Accessory

Multi-Color Handmade Scarf - New - Fashion Accessory

BICHON-Dog- Italian Charm NECKLACE - New

BICHON-Dog- Italian Charm WATCH - New

LONGABERGER- Italian Charm BRACELET - New

Book "Pilates for Dogs" - New

Book "It's Raining Cats and Dogs" - New

Dog Jacket :: Size Medium :: Pale Blue

Dog Jacket :: Size Small :: Pale Blue

Gray Cable Dog Sweater :: 15 - 24 #

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	We are always completely amazed at the generosity and kindness of Small Paws Supporters. The selection of items to sell we have had over the past months has been fabulous! We have many items in stock to list but are also always looking for new items for the next round. Email us if you have something to list.
	Look for our special Valentines Day Sale next week!
	THANKS!

	Debbie Corkindale and Patti Newlin, the Small Paws Rescue Ebay Team