The Soul of Individuals

YOU have what it takes!

Meet DJ. She works at Elkhorn Ridge RV Resort & Cabins in Spearfish South Dakota. She knows all about the Emma Zen Foundation but never put two and two together until she started thinking about it. "I realized my pets couldn't be saved by our local fire department and then I started thinking about all those RVers who travel with their pets. What if, something happened at work?" So in August 2014 she set out to make a difference. She raised funds by putting up signs at work. She had a bake sale at the local Farmers Market and she called her local newspaper too. It's a lot work getting all those all those baked goods ready, including the shape appropriate piggies!

We had a goal of $1,200 for 16 Pet Oxygen Masks 8 for the Fire Department and 8 for the EMS, in both Spearfish and Whitewood. "You overshot your goal!," said our president when the final total came to $1,715.77!!! Or 23 Pet Oxygen Masks kits! (Kits are $75.00 a piece.) As soon as all the kits are established you will be able to return to this page and view their destinations. But for now we would just like to thank "Denise DJ Bahmuller for being part of the solution and always pets in their community to have a better chance of survival and for making sure that all those individuals that travel with their pets are safer too! YOU too can make it difference, like DJ you have what it takes!

For distribution information please visit here.

In Honor of Heidi

This is what we are all about! Meet Heidi. She was in a car accident and due to no restraints was thrown against the windshield and lost her eye. She is an example of why we support pet restraints systems. She then had an familiar experience of her own and ended up at a pet shelter at the age of 8. She could now be an example of Pet ID tags, proper yard fencing, keeping your pets on leash and/or many other pet safety protocols you can find us speaking of. Heidi was a true survivor! While that can make you smile she unfortunately lived the true definition of the word; to function or prosper in spite of opposition, hardship, or setbacks. I love a story with a happy ending. Heidi was adopted!! At age 8, with one eye missing by Human angels Anne & Frank. We are told they had a wonderful life for the last two years of her existence. I am as many so touched by those that adopt the elderly or those less fortunate, takes a special soul. Anne and I met last month and she was told about our foundation, she decided to donate a Pet Oxygen Masks in Honor of Heidi's name, how appropriate. The little dog that was saved, saving others! You go Heidi Girl! This is the story of an In Honor Card from the Emma Zen Foundation and how Heidi helped supply a Pet Oxygen Masks kit to Brick NJ EMS!!! Debra Jo / President

Damaged Fruits?

I have been successful at what I do because I have stuck to one thing, however there needs to be many to stick to a subject that is getting worse. It's no wonder we have so many hungry people just here in the US the laws and even habits of individuals have changed over the years. My husband was telling me tonight how 30 + years ago they use to go to the back of the grocery stores and get enough food to feed all the people at homeless place for free. "They laws have changed old man it hasn't been like that in years" I started to explain. You see these days corporations are afraid that if they leave food out or give food to one person and that person gets sick, the fallback and responsible lays on the corporation you are dealing with. To take it even further ever notice how every single piece of fruit and vegetables and every single can is perfect. They have to be to sell at premium prices, but what happens to all those beautiful apples that grown that may not be creme de le creme? Today I was at the market I purchase 6 flawless polished bright red apples (the only ones they carry) and proceeded to the checkout. When the cashier grabbed the bag the bottom ripped open and 5 of the apples went rolling down the check out but one little apple went bouncing along from the checkout, to the shelf and down the floor a time or too, until it landed under the foot of the grocery bagger. She immediately picked it up and lay it aside, then shuffled off as she exclaimed, "Sorry Ma'am, I'm getting you a new one!" I thanked them both and purchased my food and then asked him to ring up the broken little apple. "But Ma'am, it's damaged!" To you but I have a pet a home who will think otherwise needless to say after about a 6 minutes of me not giving up the manager came over and let me take the damn apple! (Not my words) I saved a perfectly good cracked apple from the depths of the land fills. Well I do not wish to get into a debate of the worlds hungry crisis, I do wish continue my thoughts for the day by remembering the things we forget to think about... Do you know the taste of a home grown apple? Those totally sweet beautiful sensations that don't always necessarily look pristine. When was the last time you had fresh hand picked lettuce? Doesn't even taste the same as the stuff you get in the store. Or how about a red grape that was a little sour at the same time it was sweet? Notice how in the store every grape in a cluster taste the same. I came here to B**** about how manufactured we have become. When we weren't looking what we produced was our very own hunger population. I'm sure, no I am hopeful that someONE or maybe even some organization is busy trying to undo the damage that we did. But instead of complaining I think I will just back to the farmers market where I can get home grown food that I can still take home even if I drop it.

Homer

My friend and I had a wonderful experienced in Home Depot on Katella in Orange, CA this week. You can read that heart touching story on our website! Today I printed up the article we wrote and took it into the store, so that the manager and associate Scott could have a copy. I know they are not our social media friends at the foundation so we told them about all the positive feedback and to be expecting many more people asking about Homer! The manager said he was running around the Christmas tree lot in his fancy new collar. Now that is about all you ever hear from me, the positive side. While I would't classify this as an opinion it is diffidently an observation with a conclusion I wouldn't choose that you can and have seen happen before. What am I talking about? When I enter today to deliver the article I saw a woman holding her dog in her arms. I saw a man walking the aisle with is dog too. Both these things made me smile but later it got me to thinking, you know this store under different management use to except dogs all the time, Emma Zen herself use to go her every week it seemed. But then one fight and corporate liability concerns later, there was a sign that said no more dogs allowed. So as a reminder as nicely as I can say, PLEASE keep your pet on a short leash when in a pet friendly establishment. Even if your dog is friendly, maybe the other dog isn't? There are so many reason to keep Fido aside you. You've heard the stories before one fight and we lose the very thing to which we as pet lovers are drawn to. The freedom for our pets to become mainstream.

Unexpect Appreaciation

Today we donated 13 Pet Oxygen Masks kits to the Palm Springs Fire Department. Then we went to the dog park for a little awhile and then we went town to go do some sniffing around. We found the local pet store and boy was it filled with great stuff. My Human told the store owner how their cities fire department was so welcoming to equipment for pets. There were many people in the store and they all had stories about how helpful and pet friendly their department was. They all also loved the idea of their city caring the equipment. After a little conversation my Human started shopping and she found this collar, it was green and had silver stars on it and there was only one large one and it was just my size. "Oh Emma this is so beautiful on you" she said as she looked at the price tag. Taking it off she told me, "Emma I cannot afford this collar but no worries you are my star even without it!" and she gave me a hug right there in front of everyone. As we left she offered me free biscuits that were available at the counter and out the door we went. They had a water dish on the sidewalk so there I stood for a minute or two while I took a nice long drink. Suddenly this lady appeared and put a large bag at my paws. "This is a "thank you" Emma, for a job well done." ? ? ? If my Human was a dog her head would have been titled sideways. Excuse me ? was all that she was able to say. And the stranger responded: "I can tell that your donation dollars don't put biscuits in your dog bowl and you should be reward yourself for what you do." She gave me a pat on the head and smiled and told us thank you again and walked off. I think my Human was on a stay command? Because she just stood there. In the bag was that beautiful green collar in large with silver stars on it and some fish sticks from some great stinky fish!!! We are really use to doing things for others, for giving credit to all those who help along the way. It is not to often and much harder to accept when someone does for you when your use to it being the other way around. We were the victim of someone who paid it forward and it has touched us so much today. It is a good thing to do for others and now we know how it feels... Thank you stranger. Lady with the long white and blue dress on and the yellow hair. The big smile, the kind heart and the giver of a wonderful gift! Emma Zen and her Human

Emergency Exit

This morning on KTLA 5 news in LA I heard a story about a woman in a building that was on fire. She took her Grandfather and her dog and went "looking" for the emergency exit. Looking for it! How many times have you seen this sign?

We walk by them, we sort of glance, we may even look in the direction of the arrow. But were all so busy assumping that 3 minutes it takes to actually follow the path my somehow interrupt our plans. When is the last time you studied the exit plan on the back of your hotel room door?

I stayed in a hotel last year with someone who was an flight attendance for years. We go into our jammies, watched tv, surfed our phone and said goodnight. 2 seconds later she was out the door? I must have had a strange look on my face because upon her return she said, "so you've never bunked with a flight attendant have you?" They are trained and her training kicks in everywhere she goes. She went outside to "feel" the doors. I never thought about this, if there was a fire could you get there with your eyes closed? She knew it was down the hall to the right and then down the stairs but she needed to know how many doorways she would feel before the stairway would appear!

Then today another twist as I listened to the segment being presented on the news channel this lady not only was having trouble finding the exit but once she got there she found out it was locked! I don't know about you but this now brings up a whole new line of questioning I plan on asking. It takes being present that is all. The time it takes to review an exit an honest look or walk down a corridor. I am not as obsess with safety as one may think, considering we run a pet safety organization but I am "aware and present!" I walk into a new room or hotel and look at my surrounds, where would I go in case of an earthquake, fire or other emergency? Then I proceed to enjoy my time just as you would. It doesn't take minutes away from my day if anything it adds to my enjoyment at that time. That's what safety is peace of mind!

To Swerve or not to swerve

To swerve or not to swerve that is the question we posted on facebook with an overwhelming response leaning towards swerve. Do anything to avoid hitting the dog was the theme heard over and over again. I know this song; it plays in my head every time I see a pet heading towards the street. But what rings as loud is my father’s voice teaching me that as much as I do not want to be the one to run over a pet, you are not supposed to swerve. Swerving can cause an accident, injure other human life and even if there was no one around swerving can cause your own vehicle to roll. I can hear my father’s voice telling me as I learned to drive, you kill the animal not yourself. Now before all of us pet lovers get in an uproar. I am not suggesting you go running over pets. And if you can stop remember that intermediate braking gives you more control as slamming on your breaks can lock your wheels and your ability to control your vehicle. See how easy it would be to lose control. It’s something to think about what to do in an emergency situation. So that when that time comes your response may be a little bit more automatic. Today I saw such an accident we were in the left lane on the Harley with the sidecar and a driver of the van was in the right. A little Benji type dog with a collar and bandana runs heading for the street. We saw it and then the next thing we saw was the van up in smoke slamming on its breaks and coming right towards US! Scared the piss out of me, I don’t mean to use language but I know my Human thought we were dying to. We were so lucky, the van straightened out and yes hit the dog and a human tragedy was avoided. The van did not pull over, but we did. We pulled the dog out of the street and over to the side of the road. We got a baby blanket out of our first aid kit and covered it up. We took the number off the collar and called the owners. She was hysterical. We told her it was really really bad and let her know if she couldn’t deal with it or didn’t have someone who could to call the animal control. By then there were others there and we left them in the hands of people they knew. OVER WHELMING this day was. But that is how it goes. Life is not always kind. It does not always make sense. But it is reason must be for a greater good than we can see. It made me want to come home and tell our story and bring up a very touchy topic, because today someone’s fuzzy baby is gone. But my Human and I are still alive. Don’t swerve. Emma Zen & Debra Jo

The lighter side of Sam

1.4.13 Today we laid Sam to rest. She is my kitty and my Human has had her in her life for over half of her adult existence. Her emotions so visible on the video she made the same day she was put to sleep. http://youtu.be/eqDcIoYlDLc But there is a lighter side to Sam and aspects I think my human is going to miss, 3 of them to be exact that I can think of. One, EVERY night our Human would get in bed and laid down on her back, head on the pillow and let out a big days sigh. Ready to relax and just wind down and maybe watch a little TV. EVERY night Sam would wake up upon her arrive to the sack and walk right on top of her and EVERY night for 18 + years she said the same thing, "DAMN IT SAM, GET OFF MY NIPPLE!" :-) Funny how that tiny 6 pound cat could find the same spot to stand on a nightly basis. Two, Sam has slept in the same spot for years, right between our Humans legs. For 18 years she had to retract her legs up to her waist and then turn over and then extend her legs again. You know how it goes, God forbid you disturb the cat! Some nights it seemed almost a workout for her if she needed to turn over more than once! Funny how you Humans work, she never once concerned moving the cat! :-) Three, Our Human sleeps flat on her face and EVERY morning there she was! Sam! In what our Human called "her personal space". Typically waking with a "ugh" or and "don’t" she couldn't stand the ONE TINY WHISKER that would BARELY touch her face each more. "It's horrible" I've heard her say before. She compared it to torcher! After a few years a hand jester began to immerge. It was the thumb placed between the side of her face and the pillow, the nose gently covered by the palm of the hand and the four fingers spread over the opposite side of her face. This became known as, "the great whisker barrier!" LOL Sam started at her EVERY morning. My Dad wakes up early to go to work and he said it was absolutely hysterical how Sam would be standing there just starting at her waiting for her to blink. I think if you ever want to know anything about my Human's face. The shade, the couture, the lines, the story you should ask Sam someday if you ever met her in Heaven. I am sure she knows more about her face than anyone else ever has. She stared at her that much! When you're in a relationship there will be things that drive you nuts! Things you absolutely cannot stand. Things you so wish the other person would just stop fricken doing. These are the things you’re going to miss. These are the times you will remember. Think of that next time someone drives you nuts. The next time a pet pisses you doing the same bad or unwanted behavior. The next time a human does something you just can't stand about them. Smile, for this is what you will miss. :-) Life is funny that way. Sam, we love you! Your Humans and Sister Emma Zen

Picture This!

Today I went to wall mart and as usual I parked way out in left field as I like further parking spaces it helps me get more walking in. The parking lot is on a downward slope towards the store. It is one cold and slightly windy day and in front of me is a man pushing his cart back to the store. He is dressed in long pants and long sleeve Pendleton and he is wearing one of the kid’s hats that look like animals with long ears or tassels to cover your ears. When all of a sudden he jumped on the cart! The cart picked up speed as he rode it down the parking lot aisle back to the store. You could see him using his body to try and manipulate the directions it was taking. When he got to the sidewalk he lifted up the shopping cart and left it there and turning around I noticed something I didn't expect! He must have been 45 years old! I smiled. As I approached I said, "Nice Ride!" then laughing I continued "how long has it been since you've done that?" I haven't done that in years the man replied with the best expression on his face I have seen in a while and as he passed me he through both of his arms into the air and shout, "I highly recommend it!" I smiled, again! I know this story has nothing to do with dogs. But it's a good story, a really good story!

A Letter to Emma Zen

I don't even know how to write you a letter? A novel, now that I could easily do. Every moment of your story is so incredible, from the 5 days I spent guarding your kennel at the shelter while you were on fire hold so that no one else would adopt you. To all the miles we put together on our Harley and Sidecar to the foundation I started in your name because your presents simple moved everyone you met. I couldn't write you a letter but a movie, I could make that. Emma Zen, you and I have been together every moment of your life with me. I wonder how many people really know what that's like? I took you to work and then you became my job. I don't think you ever been alone for more than an hour since we lived with each other. I touch you every hour, kiss you every hour, and tell you I love you every hour. We see the day together, the road together the wind together our lives together. I know you will probably leave this world before me and when you do I hope I am strong. Never will I have this experience again; everything fell in place when I met you. I am so happy to be your human. I am so in love with you and I am so changed to have lived in your life.

You make us who we are

You see my Human is the President of a foundation that is named after me, a foundation that in its year and a half has made great strides in establishing safety equipment for pets in emergency situations. Great strides! There are those that tell her, Debra Jo you need to take the credit you work so hard behind the scenes doing so way more than people would ever know and while that may be true, it is not this that makes us what this organization has become. What does? Our reputation. Our ability to be where we say we’re going to be when we’re going to be there, our hard work and our honest to do the right thing and our best job. Our compassion for others and for the animals and pets they love. In other words, Our VOLUNTEERS! It is you, each and every one of you who make this foundation what it is. Well I, Debra Jo, am so proud to finally do something in my life I feel is worthy and to have that credit in my life of leaving something good behind. I have to stop and tell you that without you not only could we have not achieved all we have but neither could I have achieved what I have in my own life. We each have standards; mine are to show my best side, to be honest, to try, to put forth effort, to succeed. If we I started this foundation I realized that those attributes on this foundation would have been up to others? I would have never started it. It wasn't until time had passed that I realize how how fortunate not only this organization is but I am, to have each and every one of you represent us with the kind of quality and respect I would wish. How did we ever get so lucky? So here here!!! To the volunteers of the Emma Zen Foundation: I sit with tears in my eyes as I write so grateful for all that has been accomplished, so fortunate to be a part of it and so enriched by those that are involved with us. I love to hear the words when I deserve them, "Thank you" but when I say them to you I hope you understand why they just don’t feel enough. My forever gratefulness for your help and for having the opportunity to work with you and have you in my life as well. Debra Jo Chiapuzio / President The Emma Zen Foundation

Seatbelt Check!!!

This dogs safety harness was approved by an officer of the Los Angeles County Sheriffs department My Human (knock on wood) hasn’t had a ticket or been pulled over in over 20 years, until today. The Officer expecting the worse was none too happy to see a dog flying down the freeway in a sidecar! That was until in examined my rig... He was impressed that I was strapped at three different points in the sidecar and that all three anchors were connected to metal that was connect to or was part of the sidecar and or motorcycle frame. He also noted that at the top of my harness where a plastic clip typically holds the harness together that mine had a metal clip on it so that the strength of the harness was based on the harness and it's anchors and not the strength of the plastic. A point we did not care to discuss with the Officer was that sidecars do not require any seat belts. However exposed dogs in beds of trucks in the state of California must be wearing a seat belt! My human has seen far too dog flying around the back seat of pickup trucks so she was happy that Officer Ferris pulled us over... If he has his eyes out for doggie seat belts than maybe he will get more of those dogs in the beds of trucks! He said his department was cracking down on that!!! (Finally) I find it funny, now that I have been pulled over. That this is the only time in 4 1/2 years of riding any law enforcement has ever stopped to check on me.. He gave me the thumbs up for safety! I hope he is as vigilant where other pet safety is concerned... Good Job Officer Ferris! We APAWS you!!!

Yesterday my Human spent all day cleaning. She cleaned all my blankets in the car. She cleaned the car. She cleaned my harness seatbelt too. Then she clean me up after a long dusty desert vacation. Then she cleaned herself.. You should have seen us this morning! All Spic n Span! I had on my pretty collar and my Human had on some nice summer pants and shoes, not flip flops. We were lookin' good. Off to start the days adventures, she had an appointment which she keep and at about 10AM as we left that building she said, "Hey Emma did you know the beach was only a couple miles away!" Well, that was all it took and there we were, me and my Human! Playing on the beach on a warm summer's day, it was perfect and I was as happy as my Human was too. A few hours later you wouldn't have recognized us when we pulled into the driveway... The newly washed blankets were crumbled and wet and I looked like I brought half the beach home with me because there weren't any towells in the car. And my Human,, BOL she was a wreck! Hair all stringy and wind blown her socks and shoe covered with sand and her good summer pants wet all the way up past her knees... We were a disaster! She took everything back out of the car and stuck most of it in the washing machine. She gave me another bath smiling the whole time talking to be about the wonderful unplanned morning we had. She vacuumed the car as I layed down on the tile with my wet clean body to rest from the mornings play... And I heard her taking anohter shower as I feel asleep to the sounds of the clothes drying machine... I love my human's way, where having to do everything twice isn't a chore, proof of a celebration!

OUCH!

My name is Emma Zen and I am pure temperament. You know one of those souls you Humans always hope you get in life, when choosing a canine for your family. I am loving. Slow moving. Gentle. Intuitive. Well behaved. And that's just all in my nature. On top of it I am well socialized, experienced and trained. I am a therapy and service dog. I have passed many test and many will attest to my nature.

Until this week April 2012 I have never been in a fight. I think I curled my lip up once about a year ago but that was a day when I was laying in the front yard after I hurt my knee and I wasn't' feeling good. But I didn't even growl. In fact I didn't even bark until I was almost four years old. I will be five this year.

Last week an extended families dog whose history we do not know decided the hall we were both in was to small for the two of us, and I found myself in my first fight. Don't kid yourselves folks, we are dogs and we turn to wolf the second we need to defend ourselves, even sweet little me... Within that sentences lies a reminder for you to tell yourselves this about your own pet too. Look into those sweet loving I'd never hurt a souls eyes and know, when push comes to shove, your powder puff is going to become a wolf! Know that in your soul, just so your mentally prepared if it ever happens.

Yes this is the point where the 'safety dog' in me tells your Human to take Pet First Aid and CPR. You well more than likely be the first person on the scene when your pet is injured so PLEASE know what to do BEFORE it happens. You do not want to be sitting there with a wounded pet and no idea on what to do or where to go... PLEASE take care of your pet, by being properly prepared.

Some of the effects of trauma are the adjustment in attitude that "can" occur after a pet has been attacked. I use to always hear that old antage that if a dog kills one cat, it's probably going to kill another. So if a dog gets in one fight, is it more likely to get in another? I do not know the answer to this question though I venture to guess that the answer lies somewhere between your pets temperament, training and socialization and your physical and mental reaction to the situation. You know how are you going to act differently passing your next dog on the street, or at a dog park or wherever your situation happened?

Six weeks after this fight, Emma Zen was playing with a neighbor dog who has become friendly in the past few months. Almost just enough time to forget that she had a problem to begin with. She had a new toy in her mouth and Emma Zen to a look at it and SNAP before you could take a breath, dog fight! Good Lord, what is going on here?

This time my dog got a couple of puncture wounds, enter the confidence I have to do the right thing... (Take Pet First Aid & CPR! I have told you that already, right?!)
The wounds are small and only effect the nerve and muscle to the level of tenderness and well heal nicely with time. But now I am worried all over again about my dogs disposition.

Tuesday after fight one, I didn't take Emma anywhere for 4 days. Then on day 5 I took her to met another ZENfull soul. (By the way thank you Buddy) Day 6 another fight... I guess am going back to my friends house!

I choose to share this story because what I would like to give you are reminders that are "pets" are not us. They are animals with animalistic behaviors. I believe putting yourself in check may aid you in the event of a crisis. Also for you to hear again that a calm and collective demeanor may best give you that "clear head" you need in the case of emergency. And it never hurts again to told that you should take an emergency preparedness class (pet first aid & CPR..)I have said that already, correct?! :-)

life is, well life and anything can happen even to those who you don't think deserve it. And people change, so why not your pet? Make sure your medical attention includes after care damage control.

Emma Zen has already played nicely with both dogs that hit her. She has played with friends, and she has met a stranger. Next week were going to CANIDAE because their family includes a pack of friendly canines.

Ouch hurts. Ouch is not just skin deep. And Ouchs heal! Be well.

Debra Jo (aka Emma Zen's Human)

www.facebook.com/emmazenfoundation

If I were President by an 11 year old

Out of the mouth's of babes. Today I overheard a conversation with an eleven year old about what she would change if she were President. And she said,"Well first of all I would make all shelters, no kill. Then I would make some kind of rule where all the people that worked in shelters had to "like" animals instead of just having a job. That way you'd hear people say "good dog" instead of mumbling and looking down at a piece of paper when you asked about a dog in the cage. I think that the shelters should be first and pet stores should be second." When asked what she meant she explained, "Shelters should be in the mall where people could see them first and then if anyone wanted a pet store dog they would have to drive farther away. I don't understand why dogs that need a home the most are the ones that are somewhere other than were all the people are?" (Whoa) People who work in shelters should work with the breed they like, instead of one person working with all the dogs and then not giving them love because they are afraid of one kind of dog or something like that. And when you go to get a dog you should have to sit down with a lady and tell them how many people live in your house and how much you are home and then they should match you up with a dog. Instead of walking through and getting a cute dog that turns out to not be too good for you. That is what I would do if I were President." I asked if I could post this story if I keep her name out of it and she said yes but seriously I am voting for an eleven year old for President!

2011

I just added up a few of my therapy dog hours. With the PAWS program I do not keep track but I have to have a minimum of 12 plus reading class which was 18 so that was a total of 30 days of service. Probably higher but like I said I don’t have to keep a count, then with The Bright & Beautiful Therapy Dogs, Inc. I had a total of 59 days! This does not count for the days I spend in the public at events with the Emma Zen Foundation that added up to 27 days. (That did not include any online fundraisers.) Then there were all the days I went to work with My Human. (That was only 49 days) And.... the 21 days I was on vacation. (NEEDED!) So best to my canine addition this is how I spent 186 days of 2011. That's like half a year of specifics! Oh yeah and I spent 10 days on movie sets. The other half I service dogged, lazy dogged,hiker dogged and BIKER DOGGED it! Funny, looking at the numbers I am as well balanced as I feel!

A ride Around the World

Yesterday was the beginning of January 2012, the 2nd to be exact. I was on a motorcycle ride and was a the overlook above Palm Springs CA. My Human and I were sitting on the ground in a tiny piece of shade against a wall, just barely out of sight of the motorcycle and sidecar itself.

A young lady approached with a small child and started telling the child about her father who rode in a motorcycle with a sidecar just like this, except for her story was different, her Dad took with him his beloved pet!?!?!?

My Human and I got up and introduced herself and I followed. The lady begin her story. How her father in the 1940's set off from Italy with his dog at his side and traveled their part of the world together on their motorcycle. He eventually ended up in India, the dog had passed away somewhere on the road and the Dad buried the pet in the sand. It was her fathers most outstanding tale.

A biker dog man in the 1940's! Oh those that come before us! I thought my Human was going to tear up, she so totally understood his feelings here so many years later. There is always someone that came before us and instead of thinking you are the first and special it is more of a distinguished feeling to know you are part of something bigger.

It gives me and my Human great honor to be apart of something that even this lady's father understood so many years ago. We remind in a moment of silence to acknowledge who he was and what he did and a little bit of the why he did it too. And then ride on being proud to call myself, A BIKER DOG!

Emma Zen and her Human, Debra Jo

formspring.me

Questions for Emma http://formspring.me/EmmaZen

Fw: denise@sunnydogink.com wants to share a video from http://www.ktla.com

 

 

 www.debrajo.com & www.emmazen.com  

----- Forwarded Message -----
From: "denise@sunnydogink.com" <denise@sunnydogink.com>
To: debrajochiapuzio@yahoo.com; wolf25@charter.net; ekoelle@gmail.com; PF5@aol.com; casamilly@aol.com
Cc: denise@sunnydogink.com
Sent: Friday, June 3, 2011 12:11 PM
Subject: denise@sunnydogink.com wants to share a video from http://www.ktla.com



I just shared a video with you from http://www.ktla.com


Here is the Link: http://www.ktla.com/videobeta/8c8ab683-c678-48df-a316-ba2c2a57bdc4/News/KTLA-Eat-Beat

The Story of My SideCar!

My story and how I first jumped into a sidecar can be found online at http://www.emmazen.com/BikerDog1.htm but did you ever hear the story of the sidecar itself?

Dad started searching online, you know the typical things craiglist, newspapers and dealer advertisements. He found two he was interested in and showed them to Mom, who immediately feel in love with the Road King and SideCar combo I now call mine. It belonged to a woman who lived in Arizona. Everything sounded good so off we went as a family to check it out. The bike only had 2,000 miles on it and it had been sitting in a garage for two years. When we arrived we were greeted by a man who was overseeing the transaction and he gave us this disclaimer.

The owner of the bike was the woman's husband who had passed away of cancer. They had purchased the bike and sidecar new from the dealership and had one great long weekend run to California in it together before he became ill. At this point in time it was the last thing she owned that was his and the man gave us warning that she may get emotional. (Understandably So.)

The bike was beautiful exactly what my humans wanted and transactions started taking place. The man was right and owner soon began to show signs of emotions. Up until this point I had been sitting in the truck and as fate would have it right around this moment I had to go potty... So Mom let me out of the truck. It was perfect timing too because I also doubled as a distraction. But none of us could have ever guess what was going to happen next!

As soon as Susan found out the sidecar was for me all levels of emotions multiplied. She wasn't sad or discussed she was overcome with FATE! Yes Fate! The Bike and SideCar was now ours and with her blessings! She started talking about her husband and said he was standing up and clapping and just happy that his pride and joy was going for a Dog! She was as ecstatic to sell us the bike as we were to purchase it... A match made, in heaven? You see Susan and her husband are MAJOR supporters of Best Friends Animals Shelter in Utah! And nothing made her smile so big as the day I got my SideCar!!

Susan Risi is an artist and often shows in her hometown of Arizona. We receive flyer's to her events in the mail often and just thought we'd tell in as much detail as we knew the story of way we support a cause that may seam on the surface to not have to much to do with animals.. Another good reason not to judge a book by it's cover! Because these ceramic vases have more to do with Animal Awareness then most could ever imagine!!!



Susan I LOVE YOU!!!

You put the Biker in my Canine Ambassador!!!!

Emma Zen