Wagging Tales Newsletter






Volume 2 Issue 2
February 2009
Dear Friends and Family,

Photo Shoot HeadshotWelcome to February! January just flew by.  

I have some very exciting news about my book. I asked a few animal lovers to review the PDF version of the advance copy of my book and to provide favorable comments if they liked what they read. Well, thus far I have received favorable comments from Jack Hanna, Penelope Smith and Allen and Linda Anderson.
 
If you watch any of the late night talk shows (e.g. Jay Leno, David Letterman) or daytime talk shows (e.g. Ellen Degeneres, Oprah), you may have seen Jack Hanna. He appears regularly on these shows with several of the animals from the Columbus Zoo where he is the Director Emeritus. He also has his own TV show, Into the Wild, which recently won a Daytime Emmy award for Outstanding Children's Series. For more information on Jack Hanna, visit his web site by clicking here.


Penelope Smith is a long-time, well respected animal communicator and the author of Animal Talk, Animals in Spirit and When Animals Speak. She also is the editor of the Species Link magazine. For more information on Penelope Smith, visit her web site by clicking here.

Allen and Linda Anderson are pet experts, speakers and authors of Angel Cats, Angel Dogs, Angel Horses and several other books about the spiritual relationships between people and animals. They are also the founders of the Angel Animals Network which is dedicated to increasing love and respect for all life through the power of story. For more information about Allen and Linda Anderson, visit their web site by clicking here.
 
Please check my web site's '
Book Information' page for updates about my book including what my book's front cover is going to look like and to read the reviews I have received.
Birds As Part of the Family
Do you have an interest in owning a pet bird?
Cockatiel
Owning a pet bird can be a lot of fun. But, you may want to do some research before you bring one home. Like any other type of pet, you should find out the bird's life expectancy, dietary requirements, exercise needs, etc. 

There are many different types of birds to choose from: finches, canaries, cockatiels, parrots, cockatoos, love birds, parakeets, etc. In my opinion, the easiest birds to take care of are finches. I should know. We have 8 finches in our family right now.

Finches come in many different varieties and do not typically like to be held. They don't talk or whistle like some parrot species but, they each have their own 'songs'. They require a large enough cage so that they may fly around freely for exercise. We don't clip their wings because they are so small and they don't ever leave their cage. However, if you have a larger bird like a parrot, macaw or cockatiel, you may want to clip its wings if you let it out of its cage on a regular basis. This will help to ensure that it doesn't escape from an open door or window and fly away.

For an informative web site on how to choose the right pet birds for your family, please visit Kaytee's web site by clicking here. I liked this site because it gives you a lot of facts that are important to know before bringing a pet bird home.

February Promotion
Refer 2 and Get 1


DollarIn an effort for me to help even more animals, I wanted to offer all of you the chance to spread the word to two of your friends and/or family members about how I can help them with their pets. In return, you will receive a free consultation.
 
The details of this promotion are as follows:
* Promotion is effective February 1 - 28, 2009
* Refer 2 of your friends and/or family members (during the month of February) for any of the consultations I offer. After their consultations have been completed, you will receive a free consultation with me for yourself and your pets.
* The free consultation can be either a phone, e-mail or distance energy healing consultation.
* The free consultation must take place by the end of 2009.

Do You Know the Difference?
What are the differences between therapy dogs and service dogs?
Service Dog
Therapy dogs are taken into  nursing homes, hospitals, schools or any other type of institution by their handler to provide emotional support to persons benefiting from the human-animal interaction. For example, you may have seen on the news the story about children with reading disabilities improving upon their reading skills simply by being able to read out loud to a dog. Or, nursing home residents gathering in a central activities area to interact with a dog that is brought in on a regular basis. Most therapy dogs have a calm, gentle, loving nature that helps to draw people out of their shells.

By law, therapy dogs do not have the same rights of accessibility to public buildings or public transportation (buses, trains, planes) that service dogs have. Several local (e.g. Happy Tails in Atlanta) and national organizations (e.g. Therapy Dogs International) can train and certify dogs for use as therapy dogs. Some groups certify the dogs using the AKC Good Citizen Test. Other groups may use their own temperament tests to find suitable dogs for use as therapy dogs.
 
Service dogs are specially trained and primarily help people manage physical difficulties. Some of the needs that the dogs fulfill are simple (turning on a light switch) to more complex (helping an owner that is blind or hearing impaired). When someone with a handicap is paired with a service dog, it provides them with more independence. Most service dogs are trained by a professional organization (e.g. Tender Loving Canines, Assistance Dogs) to meet the needs of a specific person. 

These are the main differences between therapy dogs and service dogs. If you want to learn more, visit the web sites I have listed above or do an internet search for more information. There are many great sites to choose from about this topic. 

I look forward to hearing from you all soon. Until next time, please remember that "Every Animal Has A Tale�".

Namast�,

Tim Link

 
P.O. Box 2068
Cumming, Georgia 30028
Wagging Tales
404-422-6355
www.wagging-tales.com
 
In This Issue
Birds as Part of the Family
February Promotion
Therapy and Service Dogs
CBS Radio Show
Atlanta Magazine Article
New BLOG
Join Our Mailing List
Radio Show - CBS Radio

I am scheduled to appear as a regular guest on Rev. Linda Newman and Tom Force's Wakeup Call radio show on CBS Radio. My first appearance was January 30, 2009. I will be on this show from 1:00-2:00 PM Eastern every other Friday. 

For more information about this show and the others on which I am scheduled, please click here
Atlanta Magazine Article

If you live in the Atlanta metro-area, be sure and pick up your copy of the February edition of Atlanta Magazine.

I
was asked to communicate with Pepper, a golden retriever, for the article included in the magazine. Pepper's owners went on vacation and left him with a pet sitter.

Since Pepper wanted to go on vacation with them, he escaped from the pet sitter and proceeded on his journey to find his owners.

The story, written by Steve Fennessy, is listed on page 78 and is titled, "Dog Gone!" If you live outside of the Atlanta metro-area, you should be able to read the story online by clicking here once they post the February edition of the magazine online.

I will also have a link to the article on my web site once Atlanta Magazine posts the February edition to their site.
 
New BLOG

I now have an official BLOG accessible from my web site's Home page or by clicking here.
Please leave your comments on any of the topics that are posted.
Check back often as I intend on posting a new BLOG at least once per week.