She was adopted from our local animal control office, and I know that if I hadn’t adopted her, she would have been put down.  The place we adopted from was very affordable, and they even provided her spay surgery as well as her first round of shots!

I am a huge fan of adopting - it took Maggie a couple of months to settle down and be comfortable with the whole family, but her personality has really been able to shine, and she is the brightest spot in my day!

Do you have a story about the furry friend in your life?  Please share your comments below!

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Did you know??  Mr. Ed, the talking equine star of the 1960s television series, was a golden palomino.  He learned an enormous amount of tricks for his rol, including answering a telephone, opening doors, writing notes with a pencil, and unplugging a light.  Apparently, Mr. Ed would occasionally have a fit of temper (as befitting his star status), and ywould stand stock still, wheezing and refusing to move.

Did you know??  A US Customs Labrador named “Snag” has made 118 drug seizures worth a canine record $810 million. The greatest number of drug seizures by dogs is 969 in 1988. IN ONE YEAR! The team of “Rocky” and “Barco” patrolled the Texas and Mexico border, alias “Cocaine Alley.” They were so good that Mexican drug lords put a price of $30,000 dollars on their heads.

Maggie has become so much more than our pet - she is so loving and playful that we just love spending time with her.  She has developed into a well-behaved dog (although it took some time), and I know that she will continue to grow and learn new things.

She is always an uplifting dog to be around - she loves to chase after things, and she also likes to run around our basement weaving in and out of the legs of our pool table, and jumping onto the couch.  She gets going in her circle so fast you’d think she was a herding dog!  She picks her toys up and will shake them from side to side - in fact, she has one toy that is just about as large as she is, and she loves carrying it around and shaking it!

What weird quirks do your pets have?  Please leave your comments below!

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Did you know?  Cats have 5 toes on each front paw, but only 4 toes on each back paw!

To control costs, more pet owners than ever are signing up for pet health insurance plans.  Pet insurance industry experts say the offering has become so popular they expect pet premiums to top $328 million by year’s end.

Kroger Personal Finance® (KPF), a Kroger joint venture that brings together a wide array of quality financial products and services from preferred providers for Kroger customers, is making pet health insurance information available in the check lanes of more than 2,400 supermarkets operated by Kroger, the nation’s largest traditional grocery store operator.

“Kroger shoppers include pet owners and non-pet owners alike,” Kathy Kelly, president of Kroger Personal Finance said.  “With 62 percent of U.S. households owning a pet – and 70 percent of those with multiple pets, affordable pet insurance can help pet owners manage their expenses.  It can cover everything from routine costs associated with veterinary expenses like annual check-ups and vaccinations all the way to surgeries, x-rays and hospitalization.”

The newest product offered by KPF is its lowest priced – an “accident only” policy for $9.95 per month per pet.

Today, pet health insurance can cover accidents and illnesses, as well as routine care for dogs and/or cats.  Depending on the coverage level and the number of pets insured, prices can range from $9.95 to $79.00 per month.  The range of service covered by the premiums, as Kelly describes it, is nearly as broad as procedures covered by human insurance.

To pet owners, the appeal of insurance comes down to peace of mind, and hopefully not having to explore the limits of unconditional love.

“By paying monthly premiums there is no need to worry about suddenly struggling to come up with unbudgeted veterinary expenses down the road,” Kelly added.  “It allows pets to receive expert care and helps their human families manage costs, now for less than 40¢ a day.”

More information about pet insurance is available on the Kroger Personal Finance Web site at www.krogerpets.com.