A very belated Happy New Year!

(This post has also been published on the Crossed Paws site!)

Hello everypawdy! We are very sorry that we haven't posted for ages and AGES but 2012 hasn't so much started with a bang for us but with a whimper!

Hello everyone!

Since Christmas we've had our Crossed Paws PayPal account hacked and money stolen - it is now all sorted and thanks to our insurance we've got all the money back but as you can imagine this took quite a lot of time - and we didn't really want to mention anything until it had all been sorted.

Linked to this we also had a virus wreck our Crossed Paws e-mail (AND our personal 'justdogandmax@gmail.com' e-mail) so we've lost all the mails we got after the auction - plus all our contacts! It's been a nightmare (and we feel so rude as we got some lovely pressies from pals overseas for Christmas but we don't know their e-mail to let them know just HOW much we loved them!) So if anyone has mailed us and was wondering why we haven't responded this is the reason. Our mail accounts are now secure so if you DO need to get in touch with us please do so via 'crossed-paws@gmx.com'.



We've also had a bit of palaver at home!! Some bad storms took out some trees and fencing in our garden and we're sure you realise how long these things take to clear up.

Also, poor Max has been very ill - it involved a mad dash to the emergency vet and him being kept in on a drip, having tests and generally being a very unwell boy. He's fine now thankfully but it was all very scary at the time. And then just after that JD needed some dental surgery - he's okay and did very well, but it's been a worrying time all round!

Max being brave with a drip in his leg!

And - probably as a result of the stress of all this - last week our FH came down with shingles - on her FACE (ouch!) She's feeling much better now but still looks a bit hideous, he he he! We're sorry FH, but you DO!!

So, all in all the start of 2012 has been a bit of a faff and this is the reason why we haven't had a chance to post until now. Anyway, things are getting back to normal so - even though it's about a month later than we intended - we want to announce a new auction!



Now, most of you know about the heartbreaking tragedy that our friends The Houston Pittie Pack endured just before Christmas. We were SO proud to be a part of Blogville as we witnessed how everyone came together to help.

So we want to run a new auction with 2 aims which means that the money that we raise will be split in two as follows - firstly, we want to raise some money to add to the donations that have already been pouring in for The Houston Pittie Pack.

And secondly, to honour the memory of sweet Shelby, who sadly lost her life in the tragic fire, we wanted to raise money for another bait dog who so desperately needs help, just as Shelby needed help all those months ago.

So we would like to introduce you to Ava - she was rescued in Chester, SC. This precious little girl, only about 18 months old, was rescued by the wonderful people at Noah's Arks Rescue.

Sweet Ava - victim of cruelty by the hand of man

Poor Ava's face has been shredded to the point that a large part of is completely missing. Her sinus cavities have punctures and her throat is torn. Her entire little body show the ravages of the attacks from the fighting dogs who were being trained to kill another dog. She is emaciated from starvation. Yet through it all, Ava only wants to be loved. She never stops wagging her tail and wanting to show that love, even in the face of the excruciating pain that she is in. This beautiful spirit reminds us so much of our beautiful Shelby. We could not think of a better way to honour her memory than to raise money for Ava. After all, if it wasn't for sweet Shelby, Crossed Paws would not even exist!

So, down to business! We would like to run an 'All In The Name Of Love' auction - because we love The Houston Pittie Pack, we've totally fallen for Ava and we love Blogville! The auction will open on 30th January and will close one week later on 6th February - that way we can also put some romantic items into the auction so that everyone can hopefully get their items in time for Valentines Day!

'All In The Name Of Love' Auction!

So - we need your help! Crossed Paws is only a success because of Blogville! Do you have something you can donate? Can you design a badge for the auction? Can you spread the word about the auction? Do you have any birthdays coming up that you need to buy for - why shop when you can bid?! Everyone can help - and your help makes such a difference!

Let's show The Houston Pittie Pack. how much they mean to us, let's give Ava a chance to live the life she deserves and let's all have some Blogville fun with an auction that is all about love!

If you have any items to donate please e-mail a short description plus a photo to 'crossed-paws@gmx.com' (we promise it is all secure now!) Please also let us know if you're able to design a badge - and can we please ask you to promote this auction as much as you can!

Many thanks everyone - with much love from JD and Max!