Pheel-Good Phriday: CHASE UTLEY

So, it's Feel-Good Friday, and Wiley, my hubs, and I are Philadelphia Phillies Phans. I've been waiting to share this since I started the blog.  My favorite player, Chase Utley, is a strong presence in the animal rescue world.

I'm not a PETA fan but the message in this image is one we can agree on.

 He and his wife Jen started The Utley Foundation in 2011, but they started raising money all the way back in 2008 through Utley All-Star Animals events, after Jen began volunteering at the Pennsylvania SPCA.

 At first she just wanted something to do, but as she saw the increasing numbers of victims of animal cruelty, she realized there was something to do. 

 

Not only have the Utleys raised millions for education about prevention, but they also are deeply and personally involved.

 Jen and Chase sponsored and personally attended an assembly at Anna B. Pratt Elementary School in West Philadelphia. 

 This school has a history of its own schoolyard turning into a place for late night dog fights. In fact, Philadelphia has some of the highest rates of dog-fighting in the country, and the number of reported cases of animal cruelty in Philadelphia has tripled over the past few years.  The Utleys worked with these young elementary school students to develop a mural that focuses on the positive ways to interact with animals.

 Jen Utley says, “We are reaching kids at the age when they still love animals.  They see that their best friends show nothing but love and loyalty and turn to them for protection.” 

 

Source: http://ejcamp.com/category/sports/

How inspiring to find people using their celebrity for something positive, but also getting personally involved. The school assembly is just one example of many events they host and attend throughout the year.  It's easy to write a check as a millionaire. The Utleys put themselves out there for those who are deeply in need of persuasive and powerful advocates. 

Now you can see why Wiley and I are such big fans!

Please get your rescue stories in to the blog! We need them; we are running low. I have enough for next week and that is it! If you like the content help me keep it going.  Email me at pabibliophile@gmail.com

Follow us on social media:  
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rescuedogblog
Twitter: @RescueDogBlog
Instagram: @rescuedogblog   

 

You can read more about the Ulteys and their charity work through these articles or by clicking the link to their foundation in the blog post.

http://www.suburbanlifemagazine.com/articles/?articleid=447

http://stubbydog.org/2011/11/homerun-for-animals/

PLAY BALL!

 

Yesterday we had the quintessential winter post during our Great Outdoors Photo Share. Today it's all about the boys of summer.  Wiley went to his first baseball game last week!  His dad is an assistant baseball coach at Division II Kutztown University. You can read about the Golden Bears here, if that's your cup of tea. Now, Wiley was never socialized as a puppy, and consequently is terrified of everything. Last season I didn't even contemplate taking him because I knew he wouldn't be ready. This year I decided to give it a try. As you can see from his face, below, he was thrilled.

He decided his best coping mechanism would be to sit with his back to the backstop the entire time and pretend the game wasn't going on. 

However, he didn't cry, he didn't bark, and he didn't pull away.  These are three major victories for him!  He was also very friendly to the people who approached him and didn't do any submissive peeing, also a major accomplishment! 

Given his lack of interest in the actual game play, imagine my surprise when he told me later on that week that he wanted to start playing baseball!

 Now I'm no expert or anything, but I thought to myself, "What position is just right for a lovable but neurotic headcase who needs a lot of reassuring and has a total wild side?"

Meet Wiley aka Nuke, the newest pitcher in the Canine League.

 I put Wiley through quite a workout to see if he had any good stuff. Here he is in his wind-up.

And I was surprised to see a lot of attitude and cocky confidence from him on the mound. For example, here he is looking a runner back to first. 

And when our black lab neighbor hit a home run off him, Wiley stared her down.

He was even clutch in a play at home plate.

However, he did shake me off a few times when I tried to get him to throw his off-speed stuff. 

By the end of our session I felt Wiley had come a long way, and was impressed with how comfortable he was even in the post-game media conference.

This probably won't be the last baseball-related post I share here. If Wiley gets famous feel free to say you knew him way back when.  And if you have any pictures of your pets playing their favorite sports, share them with the blog!  As always, we'd love to have your rescue stories as well!

Follow us on social media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rescuedogblog
Twitter: @RescueDogBlog
Instagram: @rescuedogblog