Your pup could be the modern day Owney the Postal Dog!

Last month, the US Postal Service debuted a new stamp honoring Owney the Postal Dog.

Owney was a real dog who rode the rails with railroad mail clerks in the late 1800s. Considered a good luck charm, Owney was welcomed everywhere he went – on the trains, in the post office, and anywhere the mail went (including in he mail bins!).

Now the Smithsonian National Postal Museum and Washington Humane Society are searching for the dog who could be Owney’s modern double. If your dog lends a helping paw, charms people everywhere, or resembles Owney (a bit of a terrier mutt), you could win an iPad2 pre-loaded with Owney’s e-book and an Owney prize pack. Second and third place winners get Owney postage stamps, an Owney toy, and a signed book about the famous dog. Best of all, the three winning dogs will have their own taste of canine celebrity when the museum displays their photos near Owney’s exhibit.

Entering Owney’s contest is quick and easy. Visit the Postal Museum’s Facebook page and upload a photo of your dog. Only 15 days remain to enter before it’s time to vote for the winner.

Learn more about Owney on the museum’s website or say hi on his Facebook page.

NBC’s ‘National Dog Show Presented By Purina’ Offers Online Coverage of All 160-Plus Breeds

I love Thanksgiving. The turkey, the pie, and the Purina National Dog Show! (I used to include the Macy’s Day Parade, but let’s face it; that’s become one long commercial for crappy movies and singing groups.)

What’s Thanksgiving without hosts John O’Hurley and expert commentator David Frei giving us the play by play on our favorite dogs?

 The NBC Thanksgiving Day TV special (Noon – 2 p.m. in all times zones) will be complemented by video of the group judging of all 160-plus breeds at www.NationalDogShow.com. The online video will include six new AKC-recognized breeds with expert commentary from veteran announcer and dog show expert Wayne Ferguson. The online coverage will also feature TV personality Mary Carillo, who will provide separate on-site features and interviews from the show.

Also on Thanksgiving Day, NBC and 4mm Games is introducing a social game for dog lovers on Facebook and other digital platforms. “Dog Show Friends” will be a virtual community in which participants can adopt, nurture and train puppies while interacting with other dogs and owners and being rewarded for responsible pet ownership. The game can be accessed via www.facebook.com/nationaldogshow and at  www.dogshowfriends.com.

And if you can’t catch the show on television today (I hear there’s football on or something like that), have no fear. It will also be available beginning Friday, Nov. 26, on Hulu.com.

Over here, we’re having our own dog show of sorts. Last night, while I was baking, Bandit licked all of the pie crust shells. This morning, he shredded a roll of paper towel. And while I was using the blender to chop cranberries and oranges, he sang me a lovely song I’ll call “Mommy! That’s A Big Scary Noise!”

Former Lollypop pup makes her way to the stage

Sandy (Molly MacDoodle Lyman) and Annie (Adriana Scalice) avoid the dog catcher. (Photo: Pittsford Musicals website)

Two paws up for Molly Macdoodle Lyman, a Goldendoodle adopted two years ago from Lollypop Farm by the Lyman family of Pittsford. WHEC reports that Molly has earned a part in the Pittsford Musicals production of “Annie.”

I guess it takes an orphan to know one!

“Annie” will be performed November 13, 14, 19 and 20 at Pittsford Mendon High School. You can get show times and ticket prices on the Pittsford Musicals website.

Chicago White Sox pitcher Mark Buehrle and wife Jamie launch Adopt-A-Pet campaign

White Sox pitcher Mark Buehrle and his wife Jamie launch a campaign today in Chicago to encourage people to adopt a pet.

In a press release, Mark Buehrle says, “Our dogs add so much to our lives, and our family wouldn’t be complete without them. The shelters are filled with great pets, both mixed-breed and purebred. We recently adopted a purebred Viszla. You can pretty much find any kind of pet you want in a shelter.”

Appearing in televised public service announcements, the couple romp with their dogs across U.S. Cellular Field. And billboards play on the baseball theme with the message ”Let ‘em steal home – Adopt A Pet!” Funding for the billboards was generously provided by Nestle Purina.

The Buehrles are extremely active in companion-animal welfare issues. Together they founded Sox for Strays, a monthly pre-game adoption event that brings pets from local shelters and rescue organizations to U.S. Cellular Field.  They are also funding a brand-new adoption and care center for Hope Animal Rescues, an Illinois-based rescue group.

You can learn more about Adopt-A-Pet on their website.