ANIMAL TALK - HOLIDAY ISSUE 2022

pack leaders

KAREN KALUNIAN

Karen has spent the last ten years in animal rescue. Her love for animals started as a young girl, when she had all types of pets including birds, fish, rabbits, hamsters, cats and dogs! She got involved in animal rescue when her daughter, Kim, was looking for a dog to play the role of Sandy in a local youth theater production of the musical "Annie." The thought was to find a dog that was up for adoption and to showcase the dog with the hopes of finding it a home. Well, they found a dog named Buddy who was up for adoption at the East Greenwich Animal Protection League. Buddy played the part in the show and was adopted thereafter, and the rest is history! Both Karen and her daughter were hooked. So began the mission of wanting to help more shelter animals, something that has turned into a ten year career and is now known as "Animal Talk." The need for promoting shelter animals became apparent to Karen as she worked in the industry. She felt like if the right person saw a great photo and description of the right animal, then maybe a match would be made. She began to pair photos and bios of adoptable animals and promoted them on social media, in print media, on television and on the radio, and now with a brand new Animal Talk magazine. The mission of Animal Talk is to connect people with pets and to give every adoptable animal the same chance at finding a loving home. Karen is thrilled to collaborate with Meaghan Susi in creating the Animal Talk magazine, along with many amazing photographers who give their time to help save lives. Enjoy the magazine and maybe you will even find your new best friend!

ANIMAL TALK

TOP

Karen Kalunian CREATIVE

Rebecca Bernardo-Hartley

PHOTOGRAPHER

Rebecca & Ethan Hartley

EDITORIAL

Karen Kalunian Paige Monopoli

FEATURE PHOTOSHOOT LOCATION

Vintage Pet Rescue

SOCIAL MEDIA @animaltalk19 Animal Talk

Have a story you'd like to pitch, interested in volunteering, or having adoptable pets featured in our next issue? Email animaltalksubmissions@gmail.com

MEAGHAN SUSI

Meaghan Susi is a graphic designer and photographer. She has been volunteering with Rhode Island animal shelters and rescue organizations since 2015, the same year she adopted her dog, Paisley, from Friends of Homeless Animals. Although Meaghan has always been an avid animal lover and was raised with pets all her life, Paisley started it all. Meaghan started working with Karen in 2017 at Heart of RI Animal Rescue League photographing dogs and cats up for adoption, which lead to doing more volunteer work with Karen now through Animal Talk!

meet our

volunteers

REBECCA BERNARDO-HARTLEY

Along with being a devoted dog mama, Rebecca Bernardo-Hartley is a videographer, photographer, and digital marketer based out of Cranston. Growing up with dogs, Rebecca has had a lifelong love of animals and was thrilled to adopt a 6-year-old pitbull mix, Annie Frances, back in 2020. Rebecca currently works as the Marketing & Communications Manager for the Wolf School in East Providence. In her free time, she enjoys volunteering for Animal Talk, acting in community theater productions, walks with her husband and pup, and a good Netflix binge.

PAIGE MONOPOLI

Paige Monopoli is a New England based playwright and artist. She grew up with Sunny the Golden Retriever, Sally the Basset Hound, and Cookie the St. Bernard which forged her lifelong affinity for dogs. After earning her degree in Theater from Suffolk University in 2015, Paige became a dog walker and caretaker which only deepened her love of all breeds. She volunteers for the virtual rescue organization Animal Rescue Konnection that works with local shelters in Massachusetts and New Hampshire to network hard to home dogs. She currently lives in Providence with her fiancé, Brian, their cat Detective David Mills, and their puppy Penny Lane.

ETHAN HARTLEY

Ethan Hartley has been a journalist since graduating from Suffolk University in 2014, reporting for over 10 unique communities throughout Massachusetts and Rhode Island. He currently serves as the editor of the Bristol Phoenix and Warren Times-Gazette newspapers for East Bay Media Group, and has been a supporter of Animal Talk since its inception. In fact, Ethan was the very first person to collaborate with founder, Karen Kalunian, on Animal Talk! Outside of his writing, Ethan enjoys photography, video games, and going on adventures with his wife, Rebecca, and their rescue pitbull mix, Annie.

letter from the

pack leader

Happy holidays, animal lovers!

Thanks for checking out the fifth issue of Animal Talk! This is a 100% volunteer-run project.

Every photoshoot, design, and story within this issue were put together by dedicated animal-loving volunteers hoping to make a difference. Animal Talk magazine started out as a photoshoot idea, and that idea evolved into what you are looking at right now. We have poured hours of our heart and soul into this project and we hope you find joy and happiness when looking at it! And maybe even find your next furry best friend! We really hope Animal Talk serves as a resource for adopting, fostering, or maybe even helping someone you know who is looking to adopt or foster. We encourage you to reach out with any ideas for the next issue, animals looking for homes, or just to say hi!

Thank you for loving animals as much as we do.

Karen Kalunian ANIMALTALKSUBMISSIONS@GMAIL.COM

VINTAGE

Photograph by Rebecca Bernardo-Hartley

Named after our creative directors dog, Paisley, this section is dedicated to showing your local pets having a blast and enjoying life! Here are some of our favorites from the holiday season.

Coconut in her holiday best!

Bubba ready to rock around the Christmas tree. enjoy the year old Rico! Star sharing her wish list with Santa!

I'm Trace, and even when I'm training, I stay in the

Foxy looking festive!

Looking for a friend for the holidays? I'm Hollis and I'm available for adoption from Montgomery County Animal Shelter!

Stevie enjoying a holiday nap by the tree!

Pet VintageRescue

By Paige Monopoli

Photography by Rebecca & Ethan Hartley

Oldies, but the Best of Goodies

BLOO LOOKED EXCEEDINGLY COZY IN HIS CHRISTMAS SWEATER WHILE the other dogs tiptoed around the room and blinked up (some with only one eye) at me for attention. A friend of the organization saw him posted at a shelter San Antonio, Texas; likely due to his age, Bloo was placed on the euthanasia list. Kristen moved quickly. She made a couple of phone calls and he was on his way to Vintage Pet Rescue with a warm bed waiting for his arrival. Bloo was in seemingly rough shape though, and by the time he made it to Rhode Island, the vet expressed his pessimism about Bloo’s odds.

“He was basically septic,” Kristen, owner and founder of Vintage Pet Rescue, explained. “The vet said he could crash at any time and maybe had a week to live.” As Kristen and Marc, her husband and co-

founder, prepared to make Bloo’s last week the best of his life, something unexpected happened. Turns out, Bloo had a bit more than a week!

One year later, he’s doing phenomenal. “He went to the vet a few months ago for lumps in his throat, but he was so impressed that he was still around and stronger. Technically, we could find him a home, but we don’t want to upset anything that’s keeping him alive.” So, Vintage Pet Rescue is where he will stay.

This enormous act of kindness is just a glimpse into the incredible work done by this organization. Vintage Pet Rescue was born from Kristen and Marc’s mutual love for senior dogs and their commitment to rescuing “vintage” (aka senior) pets from shelters and assisting owners who can no longer care for their pets.

It all started in LA when the couple met at Best Friends Animal Shelter in 2013. The organization hosted a successful adoption event, with one senior dog who did not find her forever home that day. Kristen and Marc couldn’t leave her behind, so they took her home, named her Rue McClanahan (naturally), and provided a safe loving home for the remaining year and half of her life.

After Rue passed away, Kristen and Marc went back to the shelter to adopt another senior dog in her memory. What started with a senior maltese who needed a home quickly snowballed into something much bigger than Kristen or Marc had anticipated. After about a year, the couple had leveled up to 10 senior dogs that they both took care of while working full-time jobs. As senior pet care slowly became the center of their lives, more space was required and Kristen’s Rhode Island roots were calling her home. With that, the couple packed up and headed east.

Originally, Vintage Pet found its home in North Kingstown due to its relatively forgiving laws around the number of pets allowed in one home. Within the first 8 months, Kristen and Marc collected 2025 dogs and unfortunately, reached the legal limit. With no intention of shutting down the organization, Kristen began to look for a home with more space and few limitations. She eventually came across a listing in Foster, Rhode Island (VPR’s current home) that caught her eye, not only for location, but the design.

On the first floor of Vintage Pet Rescue, the space instantly evokes a 50’s style diner, equipped with maroon stools and aqua blue paint. The home also could accommodate a kitchen, laundry, and a bathroom all for the benefit of the dogs waiting to be adopted. The space is not only functional, but feels nothing like a shelter one may imagine. The room is bright with natural light, there are no crates to be seen, oodles of soft beds and blankets strewn around the room, toys, and lots of volunteers to snuggle with. The love and attention these animals receive at this rescue organization is truly aweinspiring, regardless of whether a dog gets adopted or not before the end of life.

Kristen and I chatted at the diner “counter” with a little 10 year old chihuahua mix that gently tapped my leg to lift her up to join the conversation.

I asked, “Why senior dogs?”

“Senior dogs are like potato chips,” Kristen quipped as Yona’s little tongue flecked my nose. “Once you start you can’t stop.”

Vintage Pet Rescue Founder, Kristen, poses with some of the senior residents

Callie

is just one of the many vintage pups available for adoption!

She went on to explain that senior dog adoption resonates with a very niche community, as it’s not for everyone. People who have minimal experience with senior dogs may expect them to be a bit easier to manage than a younger adoption option. In some ways this is true; you definitely will not have to take a 3 mile hike to burn that puppy energy. However, they can come with their own challenges such as current or developing health issues. For example, a 14 year old dog who is housebroken may have an accident due to eventual incontinence.

It undoubtedly takes a specific kind of person who can take care of senior medical needs along with the emotional toll it can take. When the right families are found (Kristen is an excellent match maker and will always put the dog’s needs first), it can open doors for so many more senior dogs in need. According to Kristen, “We’ll have someone come and adopt a dog, and then 3 months later, they have 4 senior dogs at once!”

Spending time at Vintage Pet Rescue, it’s not too hard to imagine how easy it is to accumulate multiple senior dogs in your own home. On the week of my visit, a friend of Kristen’s who worked at Best Friends Rescue in LA helped usher a new crew of 12 senior dogs who arrived from Houston, Texas - all of which are ready for new homes. Many were found on the streets, while others were rescued from kill shelters. Within seconds my heart belonged to Parsley, whose tongue perpetually sticks out in one direction while her “chicken wing” (coined by Kristen) juts out in the other.

Hosting adoption events can be tricky for senior dogs, but that didn’t stop Kristen and Marc from cooking up a plan for a day focused around the wonder of these geriatric beauties. This past fall, they planned a “Special day for special dogs” that included a wheelchair race and a three-legged race at Chase Farm. With a turnout of 150 dogs this year, much higher than the 10 they were anticipating, the event is expected to happen again in the fall of 2023.

“It was such a happy day,” Kristen recalls. “People were so happy to be around other people with special needs dogs.”

Vintage Pet clearly is not your average rescue. The care and attention they give these dogs when the rest of society has given up hope on them is palpable and contagious. To keep this vital organization alive, monetary donations and word-of-mouth recommendations are always needed. A little can go a long way whether it’s a series of vet visits and MRI’s stacking up to a $10k bill, or the program in which the Vintage Pet crew brings dog food to 40 low-income seniors with dogs per month.

Reflecting on the costs and amount of time needed to care for these dogs, Kristen said, “Some people would think it's absolutely crazy to spend that much on a dog, but it’s hard when you know it’s a little life. They deserve to live their best life.”

Frankly, I can’t disagree.

If

Furever

seeking homes

Here at Animal Talk HQ, we can't wait to see these dogs and cats go from forgotten to spoiled rotten! Let's get the word out and get them to their furever homes in time for the holidays!

Pesto

If you look up the word beautiful in the dictionary, we are sure you will find a picture of Pesto there too! She is an incredible Torti who's heart is filled with love and she can't wait to share it with you! Pesto is under a year old so very much a kitten waiting to explore and learn. She is slightly shy so slow and steady with her and you will win her over. If you've fallen in love with her photo, be sure to go see her in person at Scruffy Paws Animal Rescue. Contact them via their website at www.scruffypawsanimalrescue.org or email them at scruffypawsanaimalrescue@gmail.com

Karen Kalunian

Joey's light green eyes will melt your heart! Joey loves the ladies so ladies if you've been looking for a loyal, loving companion...Joey is your guy! He is young, handsome, smart and eager to please. Joey is a three-year-old mixed breed with long supermodel legs and weighs about 60lbs. He is in search of a home with a fenced in yard where he can run and play, he also loves the water! For more information about Joey, you can reach out to Shelter to Sofa via email: sheltertosofari@gmail.com or contact Hotel for Homeless Dogs via email: contact@hotelforhomelessdogs.com. Joey is hoping that you will be the one to change his life, he has been patiently waiting, maybe he is waiting for you?

JoeyHotel for Homeless Dogs

JennyJenny is just one of three special needs kitties currently available at the Warwick Animal Shelter. They all came in together needing medical attention and unfortunately Jenny had to have one of her eyes removed. That hasn't stopped her though, she's sweet, happy, a little shy, but playful! She is a gorgeous young Calico with the most stunning coat! Jenny is looking for a loving home where she gets all of the love and attention she so deserves. Please contact the Warwick Animal Shelter at 401-468-4377 and tell them you'd love to meet Jenny!

Karen Kalunian

Big dog lovers, Harley is waiting for you! This stunning three year old Great Dane mix loves everyone she meets. Her long super model legs and her bright smile will capture your heart! Harley makes friends wherever she goes! She enjoys car rides, walks on the leash and would love an adult home with a fenced in yard. She also wants to be your one and only princess. If you'd like to meet this beauty please contact Save One Soul Animal Rescue League via their website at www.sosarl.org or email info@sosarl.org If you think you have the perfect home for Harley then contact the folks at Save One Soul today!

Suzuki

Miss Suzuki is ready to zoom right into your arms! She loves people and just enjoys being around you. She will even greet you with a gentle chirp/meow when you come home. She recently had a litter of kittens and now it's her turn to enjoy all the wonderful things that life has to offer! Her purr-fect home would be one where she can bask in a sunny window and enjoy life. No doggies for her. Suzuki is a petite girl with a majestic coat and a tiny pink nose! She is currently waiting for you at Heart of RI Animal Rescue League. You can call them at 401-467-3670 or email heartofriadoption@ gmail.com for more details about how you can adopt Suzuki.

Eggs

This fun-loving, sweet girl is hoping to make her holiday wish of a forever family come true this holiday season! Eggs is her name and belly rubs are her game! She is a young mixed breed with a gorgeous black coat and dark dreamy eyes that will steal your heart! Her best home would be one with a fenced in yard so that she can run around and play! She also might like to have a playful doggie friend to show her the ropes as she is a little shy. If you'd like more information about Eggs, please contact Heart of RI Animal Rescue League at 401-467-3670 or visit their website at www.heartofri.org. You can also visit the shelter in person. They are located at 44 Worthington Road, Cranston, RI. Their hours of operation are as follows: Wednesday-Friday 12-2 and Saturday 10-2. No appointment is necessary. Eggs will be waiting to meet you, so stop by soon!

Kalunian

MaggieMaggie also known as "Mags the Magnificent" loves other friendly felines so if you've been in search of a friend for your kitty, Maggie might be your girl! She's about two years old and is strikingly gorgeous! When you first meet her she may be a little shy but once she warms up and feels safe she loves to play! Maggie loves chasing toys, being brushed, and rolling in catnip! She will need a patient adult home who will give her time to blossom in her new environment. Please contact Ten Lives Cat Rescue for more information via their website at www.tenlivescatrescue.org

Roman's eyes tell a story...a story of longing for love! This handsome boy was found as a stray and unfortunately was never reclaimed. He now sits and waits to start his life all over again, in a new home with new people. All of this can be very confusing for shelter dogs and it's heartbreaking at the same time. Roman is in search of a home with experienced adults who will give him the time to adjust to his new home and surroundings. He's very smart, playful and so ready to find love! If you'd like to be Roman's hero, please contact the Pawtucket Animal Shelter at 401-722-4243. He sat like a perfect gentleman for his photos and loves yummy treats, go meet him and see if he's your perfect match!!

Kalunian

Angela Lindo

Karen

Photography by: Karen Kalunian, Hotel for Homeless Dogs, Save One Soul, Angela Lindo, Ten Lives Cat Rescue, Jodi Helger, Meaghan Susi, Rebecca Bernardo-Hartley, Scruffy Paws, and Rhode Home Rescue.

Ten Lives Cat Rescue

Karen

Home for the

Holidays

Despite being featured in the last edition of Animal Talk, these adorable pets have yet to find their homes. This holiday season, all they're wishing for is a home. Could you make their holiday wish come true?

Scout

The smile, the dreamy eyes and those amazing ears all belong to Scout! He is only ten months old so very much still a puppy, with a lovable temperament! His breed combination is Aussie/ Heeler with a striking coat of many colors. If you have an active lifestyle, Scout is your boy! He loves long walks, the beach, car rides and special treats, of course! Scout loves all people and dogs too with proper introductions. If you've fallen in love with his face, contact One Dog at a Time Rescue by calling 508-826-3073 to make an appointment to meet him. Scout will bring you a lot of laughs, love and fun times for sure!

Jodi Helger

Hercules

This big incredible smile belongs to Hercules! He is a stunning three year old Pitbull mixed breed with a gorgeous brindle coat and golden brown eyes that are full of love! Hercules has so much love to give and is described as smart, goofy and lovable. His best home would be one where he will be your one and only boy. An adult home or a home with older children would also be best for him. You can contact Paws New England for more information and to find out how you can meet him by emailing info@pawsnewengland.com or visit their website at www.pawsnewengland.com. You have to meet Hercules in person to appreciate how wonderful he truly is!

Meaghan Susi

At the time of publication, these animals are all still available for adoption. Although we try to keep it updated as often as possible, it is possible that we will not have updated our pages in time if some are already adopted. Please reach out to the shelter or rescue to make sure they are still available! If not, we are sure they all have plenty of other pets to consider looking for homes!

Attention Shelters, Rescues and Fosters!

Do you know pets up for adoption that you'd like featured in our next issue or next time we update our pages? Or maybe featured in the next issue's photoshoot? Please email us a photo, name and details about them to animaltalksubmissions@gmail.com!

Buttercup

Boxer lovers! This precious girl is like a flower just waiting to blossom! Buttercup is just like a delicate little flower, she is a shy, sweet Boxer mix who is just nine months old. She will need someone who is willing to give her the time, love and patience that she so deserves. In turn she will reward you with lots of kisses! Buttercup also has two sisters in search of homes as well. Please contact Heart of RI at 401-467-3670 or visit their website for more information www.heartofri.org. This beautiful flower will be waiting to blossom in your home!

Rebecca Bernardo-Hartley

Elvis totally has the looks and will swoon you too just like his namesake! He is a six year old boy who was found outside fending for himself but now has been getting lots of love and attention at Scruffy Paws. Elvis has a gorgeous gray and white coat accented by his shiny light green eyes. If you've been looking for a new best friend, please contact Scruffy Paws via their website at scruffypawsanimalrescue.org. There you can view more information and fill out an adoption application. Elvis will be waiting to win you over with his good looks and purr-fect purrs!

Scruffy Paws

Tesla

ElvisTesla is a beauty; you might say her beauty is electric! Just look at her smile! Do you love the snow? Then Tesla is the girl for you! She's a big girl with a big heart, she loves people. Tesla is a five-year-old Great Pyrenees mix who would love a big fenced in yard to roll around in the snow when it comes! If you are a big dog lover contact Rhode Home Rescue via email: processors@rhodehomerescue.org or visit their website at www. rhodehomerescue.org for more information. Tesla wants to be your one and only princess, she promises to fill your heart and home!

Rhode Home Rescue

Old Dogs Teach Us

New Tricks

By Ethan Hartley

If there’s one thing I’ve learned from the past few years, it’s that life does not care about your best laid plans — and yet somehow, that can wind up leading you to exactly where you were meant to be.

It was July of 2020, and like every other couple during the locked down madness of that year, my wife and I were spending a lot more time inside the house. We had talked about getting a dog for a while — certainly prior to Covid. We both grew up with dogs that, thankfully, lived long, happy lives and imprinted the kind of wholly joyful memories that only loving animal companions can conjure. My wife and I consider ourselves very pragmatic people, and so this decision was never going to be a whimsical one. We agreed on a few ground rules if we were to go that route, which would become guiding principles when we ultimately agreed that it was time to go forward with the plan.

Rule number one: We would only adopt. There are far too many amazing dogs in need of homes, so this was non-negotiable.

Rule number two: We would only adopt once we felt we could spoil this dog rotten and afford anything it needed.

Rule number three — and I cannot stress enough how adamant we were about this — while we agreed that we were not in a position (both of us working full-time jobs) to adopt a demanding puppy, we also did not want to adopt a dog older than four years old.

Our reasoning for that final rule, I imagine, is pretty common. Because anyone who has ever loved a dog understands the agreement you sign up for when you bring one into your home. They will become a member of your family. They will cuddle and kiss their way into the very deepest corners of your heart and soul. They will provide you with unconditional comfort through the most difficult moments of your life.

And then they have to leave you.

They leave far before you’re ready, far before it’s fair, and that pain is one of the few things in life that time cannot truly heal. So my wife and I agreed that we did not want to sign a contractwhere we knew ahead of time that

the terms of the deal would be even shorter. It seemed too scary, and so an older or a senior dog was simply not part of the plan.

Well, life saw and understood our plans — and then sent us Annie.

Annie found her way to Heart of Rhode Island in Cranston after being found as a stray on the streets of Georgia. While you can never know for sure, their best guess was that she was around six years old. When we looked at her picture, we both saw a gentleness in her eyes that had persisted through whatever terrible trauma led her to a life in a shelter. At the same time, there was an apparent sense of sadness and loss in them. Although we were hesitant to risk breaking one of our three cardinal rules, we decided to set up a meeting. Within minutes of seeing her for the first time, Annie taught my wife and I that some rules truly were meant to be broken.

Annie is now approaching nine years old — at least by the metrics of her estimated birthday. She has spent the past two and a half years being smothered with the kind of love that only two sentimental millennials with no human children can provide. The tentative, cautiously-moving dog with saliva-stained fur from untreated allergies has been reborn into a thriving, energetic, playful and endlessly loyal companion. The kind but melancholic eyes that first drew us towards her now sparkle with love and endless appreciation for the simplest of things, whether it’s a handcrafted treat for her ‘Gotcha Day’ or just a long walk around the neighborhood. We can feel her gratitude with every wag of her tail (which, thinking about it, is constant with our Annie).

We thought that adopting an older dog would impact our ability to fully open our hearts due to the shorter amount of time we had to love them. What it has revealed, instead, is an entire other magnitude of love that comes from giving an overlooked dog who thought they were abandoned a second chance at what all dogs deserve — a life free of worry, and full of nothing but happiness.

So if you’re thinking about adopting a dog, but you’re hesitant that they might be a little older, let me offer some words of encouragement.

No dog can stay with us forever, but the ones who need us the most also appreciate us the most — and they will remind you every day to cherish each finite second together.

A new digital series by RIPBS exploring the realities of animal care and pet ownership with Karen Kalunian.