Amy's dog Stormy is a vegetarian. Yes, dogs can enjoy a
healthier meat free lifestyle too! Click
here to visit Nature’s
Recipe, the brand that makes Stormy’s favorite vegetarian
dog food.
Our dog, Casey James (Casey), was a Chesapeake Bay Retriever who died just a couple months before his 16th birthday in January 1998. The average age for this breed is ten years.
We found him when he was three months old in 1982. He was one of a large liter of Chesapeakes on my husband's mail route in Petaluma, California.
The first day we took him home he became a vegetarian, just as we were/are. He immediately loved "people food" and took to macaroni and cheese and peanut butter sandwiches, carrots, apples, raisins and watermelon. He then moved on to rice and vegetables, tofu, cheese, good quality oils, etc., still enjoying his organic peanut butter and whole grain bread. Anything we ate, he also loved. In those days vegetarian kibble was not an option (that we knew of anyway) and besides we felt whole grains and organic vegetables and fruit, tofu and cheeses, nut butters, etc., were the best for him anyway. So Casey continued his whole life to eat what we did.
When Amy's Kitchen food came along in 1987, and we could get the foods in our rural upstate New York area, Casey loved the pot pies and grew with the company to enjoy the other entrees on occasion, for treats, especially the vegetarian lasagne which was his favorite and which we used to send to the kennel for his dinners if he ever had to go away from home. It turned out that that lasagne was the last meal he ever had before he died peacefully in his sleep, in 1998.
In 1991, Casey was nine years old and became sick. He was not eating properly. We took him for an x-ray at the Vet's. Because of something they saw on the x-ray, the doctor thought they should open him up. He was given surgery and his belly was cut open and the doctor went in and examined all his organs. It turns out that the x-ray was wrong, apparently it often is with large dogs (Casey was 95 pounds.) There was absolutely nothing wrong with him at all.
When the doctor, around age 35, who was educated at Cornell Veterinary School, talked to me about the situation when I went to pick up Casey, he could hardly look me in the eye. First of all, he was sorry to have operated on him in the first place, and said they should have taken a second x-ray. Secondly, he had been very critical of our feeding Casey a vegetarian diet. After talking awhile, a bit sheepishly, the doctor finally looked at me and said, "You know, I was very sceptical of the vegetarian diet for Casey, but I have to tell you, I have operated on thousands of animals of all types, many of them his age, and I have never seen one with insides like his ... they are immaculate ... every organ is in fabulous shape and there is absolutely no junk floating around inside of him. Whatever you are feeding him, keep it up!"
I had to stay up with Casey for many nights (and days) after that to keep him from scratching out the stiches on his belly, and Casey had to do some major healing from that incision, but I have always felt the operation happened for a reason. I have been able to share the story of "Casey's insides" with people who were wondering about whether to make their dog a vegetarian and it has swayed many a pet owner.
We have our second vegetarian Chesapeake named Billy. He will be eight in March. He is 100 pounds and doing great. Unlike Casey, he prefers (instead of people food) vegetarian/vegan kibble (made by Natural Life with the same protein, fat and carb ratios as Purina Dog Chow.) He has a piece of whole grain bread with butter every day; he loves raw vegetables -- carrots, green peppers, apples, sweet potatoes, etc. He has a mozarella cheese stick each day; whole grain corn flakes; slivered almonds; and my peanut butter cookies made with local maple syrup (instead of sugar) and walnut oil and organic peanut butter. One of the most unusual things he loves is Nori Seaweed, the type of seaweed that you use for sushi. He has two to three sheets of it a day. He also loves twig tea (also called Kukicha) and has a big bowl of that a day. He has a well-rounded diet and is very happy and excercises alot by walking, running and swimming.
A great story about Billy happened when he was about two. We were concerned about some aggressive behaviors and were advised to take him to Cornell Veteranary School for an evaluation. At one point in the process, the trainer excused herself and then came back with a dish of cooked beef from the kichen and put it down on the floor in front of Billy, waiting from him to move in and gobble it up. Instead, Billy gave it a sniff and came over to me and put his paw on my lap and looked at me as if to say, "Mom, what is that?" By that time, I told the trainer Billy was a vegetarian and asked her to remove the meat. Needless to say, I was very proud of my vegetarian dog.
We have absolutely loved having our two vegetarian Chesapeake Bay Retrievers. The stories of their lives and tastes in food are endless. Casey was an unbelievable friend who helped us through so much "life," -- raising our boy, getting through my mother's death, etc. Billy is also just such a companion and friend, doing wonderful things for us every day.
Do you believe in canine guardian angels and the kindness of strangers? You just might after reading this story.
Early one morning, Yolanda Segovia's neighbor, Stacey Savige, knocked on her door and asked her to temporarily take in a stray dog she had found. The scruffy terrier mix had no collar or microchip. Segovia eyed the pooch -- burrs sticking to his belly and mud caking his fur -- and reluctantly agreed to foster him for the day.
An erstwhile hairdresser, Segovia hasn't worked since 2006. At 47, she is a survivor of breast cancer and cervical cancer. A divorced single mother of two, Segovia shares her Port Tampa, Florida home with her 10 year-old son Azaiah and 21 year-old son Christian. Her elder son has Down Syndrome; he cannot speak or bathe himself, and he has had heart surgery and a kidney transplant, reports the St. Petersburg Times.
Azaiah immediately took to the dog, whom he named RaeLee (pronounced "Riley"). Segovia and her sons bought the dog a collar, leash, ball and brown bed from the dollar store, and all that day, Azaiah played with the dog, laughing gleefully whenever RaeLee licked his face. "Don't fall in love with him," Segovia warned.
Segovia and Savige made 4,000 FOUND flyers with the dog's picture, stuffed mailboxes and put an ad on Craigslist. When no one called, RaeLee stayed the night at the Segovias' house. His dog bed was placed in the living room, but when the boys climbed into their twin beds, RaeLee dragged his bed down the long hallway and bunked with the boys in their room.
By Saturday -- four days later -- no one had called to claim RaeLee, and he was still living with the Segovias. The honey-colored terrier had started responding to his new name. He almost never barked, loved playing rambunctiously with Azaiah, and was tender with Christian.
One afternoon, the dog settled himself on the floor near Christian as he watched a "Barney" video in his room. Segovia was outside watering the plants when the placid moment was shattered by the sound of RaeLee crashing into the screen door and barking crazily. Alarmed, Segovia opened the door, only to have the dog race back through the house towards the boys' room. Segovia followed, screaming when she caught sight of her son. Christian was "slumped over, his body writhing in a seizure, blood streaming from his nose and mouth." RaeLee stood next to him yelping, but suddenly went quiet when Yolanda reached down to hold her son.
"If he hadn't come to get me," Segovia said, "the neurologist said Christian would have choked on his own blood and died." The dog, she decided, was a keeper.
But the next day, Segovia and her sons were heartbroken when someone called to claim the dog they had come to love. Randy Cliff, 34, who lived six blocks away said he had been searching for his dog -- real name Odie -- for over a week. Odie had lived with Cliff, his wife, their four children and infant granddaughter. Savige cried, telling Cliff, "That dog saved my friend's son."
When Cliff came to collect his dog, RaeLee a.k.a. Odie, leapt off the Segovias' porch and into his arms. Christian watched from a window. Azaiah stood on the porch watching the man hug the dog he knew as RaeLee. "We're going to miss you," he said, tearfully.
Looking up, Cliff took in the scene -- Christian looking scared, Azaiah looking downtrodden -- and asked, "Is that your brother?" Azaiah nodded yes.
With a sudden change of heart, Cliff put the dog back down. "Maybe Odie was supposed to find you," Cliff told a stunned and delighted Azaiah. "Maybe you should keep him."
And that is how the kindness of strangers -- Savige for rescuing a lost dog, Segovia for taking him in, and Cliff for giving up his pet to a pair of brothers who needed the dog more -- brought RaeLee to live with Azaiah, Christian and their mother. -Chantel
Dear Amy
I've been enjoying your soups for a while. I have two African Grey parrots, and I make a "mash" for them that contains chopped up organic fruits, veggies, grains, etc. Sometimes they get tired of it, so for a while now I've been buying your soups for my birds! I add a tablespoon or so to their mash to give it a different flavor and texture. Their favorite is alphabet, which isn't always easy to find. The other day I was getting ready to mix up some food for the birds, and my Congo Grey 'Fawkes' decided to help herself to your soup right out of the can! I thought you'd enjoy these photos of her chowing down! Debbie
Pet Owners Relax With 'Doga'! In New York City, dog owners are enjoying yoga class with their best friend. Click here to see more!
Dear Amy,
As I sit her at work, just having finished an Amy's enchilada,
I decided
to go to the website. I recently decided to give up meat for
a month to see if I could do it. I'm only in my second week
but have found it to be quite easy thus far.
But anyway, I saw the picture of your dog, which looked a lot
like mine and as I read on, I can't believe the similarities. We
got out Tilly 10 years ago, at an adoption agency just like the
one you described. Tilly was rescued from the local pound.
She was 4 months old at the time of adoption. Honestly, we
think she is a gift from God. She is the sweetest, most soothing,
and most loyal dog I could ever imagine. No one other than
our family and a few people in her fan club know this because she
barks a lot, nips, and gives the evil eye to everyone outside of
her family and fan club. Others
are afraid of her and I don't blame them. So, she often has
to wait upstairs when we have visitors and need to be very careful
on walks.
She watches over us like it was her only job in life and follows
us everywhere we are in the house. She helped me stay grounded
while suffering from post partum depression and keeps us feeling
safe in our home.
We also came by her by accident. We already had a new greyhound
who was having terrible anxiety. We thought another dog would
calm him down. We never would have thought about having two dogs
but we had to either give the hound up or try another dog. So,
she came to live with us. She did calm the hound down and had a
two dog home for many years until the hound passed. Now, Tilly
is an only dog and I think she likes it. She has the cat to torment
(actually be tormented by) and us to watch over.
I heard that the oldest living dog on record was an Australian
Cattle
Dog and died at 29. May we both be blessed with our dogs for
many more years to come.
Sincerely, Kim from Rochester, NY
What does Stormy eat?
Hello All,
I am a huge fan of Amy's products and have passed on my
enthusiasm for your products to my family and coworkers. I am a vegetarian
myself-now for about 20 years and read on line that the family dog,
Stormy, is eating a veggie diet. I cook for my dogs every day, but
it's not the diet I'd like them to have. They are eating chicken
or turkey with brown rice and veggies. I would REALLY love to leave
the meat out as I know it's not healthy and I feel guilty buying
it. Could you please tell me what "Stormy's" diet consists
of? Thanks so much!
From Patricia Vaughn
------
Hi Patricia:
Thanks for writing to us. Stormy eats Nature's
Recipe vegetarian canned dog food and different vegetarian
dog snacks. Her favorite is Mr.
Barkeys. You can get them at Natural food stores like Whole Foods
and at pet stores. We also feed her people food. She likes peeled
broccoli stems. We call them broccoli bones! She gets veggie burgers
and quesadillas when we eat them. She likes potatoes, salad, carrots
and really all veggies, soup, beans and an occasional cookie. Her
breath is always sweet and her fur smells like we just gave her
a bath.
In fact people always say, " She looks great, you must have
just bathed her", which we never do, except when she gets
skunked or rolls in something rotten at the beach.
ORLANDO, Fla. A 17-pound beagle named Belle
is more than man's best friend. She's a lifesaver. Belle was in
Washington, D.C., on Monday to receive an award for biting onto
owner Kevin Weaver's cell phone to call 911 after the diabetic
Ocoee man had a seizure and collapsed.
"There is no doubt in my mind that I'd be dead if I didn't
have Belle," said Weaver, 34, whose blood sugar had dropped
dangerously low. Belle had been trained to summon help in just
those circumstances.
She was the first canine recipient to win the VITA Wireless Samaritan
Award, given to someone who used a cell phone to save a life, prevent
a crime or help in an emergency, the Orlando Sentinel reported
Monday.
Weaver first heard about service dogs while he was working as a
flight attendant after befriending a frequent passenger who taught
dogs to help diabetic patients. Using their keen sense of smell,
the animals can detect abnormalities in a person's blood-sugar
levels.
The dog periodically licks Weaver's nose to take her own reading
of his blood-sugar level. If something seems off to her, she will
paw and whine at him.
"Every time she paws at me like that I grab my meter and test
myself," Weaver said. "She's never been wrong."
Dear Amy,
I am the owner of Tykie's
Long Life - Homemade Vegetarian dog food. Please feel free
to check my website -
My dog lived to be 25 years old and I have fed him my homemade
food all of his life. It's very healthy,
simple and organic. I make it dry with grains, healing herbs
and veggies. Business is good and I wish to share the fact
that vegan dogs will live a very long and healthy life and have
minimal health problems!
Thank You,
Stephanie Burns, owner
Dear Amy,
I've checked and double-checked the ingredients on your lentil
soup,
but because my cat goes simply berserk for the stuff, I've got
to ask - are you sure there's no meat or fish in there?
Really, he doesn't act that crazy even for catnip. I'm lucky he
left the pattern on the bowl (yes, I let him lick it when I was
done).
From Sharon H
STORMY, Amy’s dog Getting a Second Chance at Life… Source:
Amy and Stormy
My
beloved dog, Stormy is an important part of our life. Stormy
is truly a member of our family and even has her own seat on
the family-room couch. However, Stormy traveled a long road before
we finally found each other. Here is what happened before I met
Stormy.
The Rescue:
“Please won’t you take this one too? She really is a wonderful dog,” said
the woman from the animal shelter.
Jane Smith* from Second
Chance Rescue turned to the woman who
held in her arms a Blue Heeler/Australian Shepherd mix. Jane eyed
the puppy and considered whether or not to take her. It was a cold,
wet night and Jane already had a dozen or more dogs in her van
that she was taking. Jane had come to the Animal Control Center
to rescue dogs that were soon to be euthanized. Second
Chance Rescue is a Bay Area organization that rescues stray and abandoned dogs
and puppies from high-kill shelters, placing them in caring foster
homes and facilitating adoptions into loving, life-long homes.
**
This puppy was blind in one eye, and Jane had thought it might
be difficult to find her a home. She needed to choose dogs that
were easily adoptable.
“Please take this one last dog,” pleaded the woman.
“OK, sure,” Jane relented, giving the dog a second
chance at life. This was just the beginning of Stormy’s long
journey to find the perfect home.
The Meeting:
It was one of those lazy Saturdays with nothing to do and no place
to go. I was eleven years old, and in those days I didn’t
have homework on the weekends.
My
grandmother Nonny and I decided to take a walk with no particular
destination in mind. We ended up at the neighborhood park where
we spotted a little girl and her father playing fetch with their
two dogs. Suddenly one of the dogs brought a ball and dropped it
at my feet.
“Go ahead and throw it,” the man told me. I did and
the dog brought the ball back to me once again. After that the
dog kept returning the ball only to me, not to the other little
girl.
“What’s this dog’s name?” I asked
the girl’s father.
“Stormy…because she’s black and white and
gray like a stormy sky.”
“How come you have two dogs?”
“Oh these aren’t mine. We’re fostering them
until somebody adopts them.”
“Adopts them? Could I adopt Stormy?” I asked.
“You can if your parents want her, and if the people
at Second Chance Rescue believe
you can give her a good home.”
Stormy jumped up and licked my face, and I knew that she and I
were meant for each other. I had wanted a dog for years, but my
parents had been against it, partly because we already had three
cats, one of them almost 21 years old! This time, though, I was
determined. This dog had found me, after all.
The Adoption:
The first time Stormy came to our ranch, things did not go well.
Stormy immediately made herself at home and ran all over the
house and yard acting like a wild dog. Unfortunately for me,
my parents did not want to adopt such an ill-mannered dog.
I was still determined. I convinced my parents to meet Stormy
again. The next time Stormy visited, she was another dog altogether.
She didn’t act wild or hyper. It was almost as if she knew
that she had to charm my parents into falling in love with her.
And she did. It seemed Stormy had finally found her new home.
Then there was the matter of arranging for the adoption. Second
Chance Rescue requires that all prospective families go through
a rigorous screening process. In Stormy’s case, we also had
to convince Jane that we were the perfect family for Stormy because
Jane herself had fallen in love with Stormy. Jane had a hard time
giving her up, because Stormy had become her favorite of all the
dogs she had rescued. Finally, Stormy was officially adopted and
became a much-loved member of our family.
Stormy’s Second Chance: Stormy
very quickly took to her new home, our large ranch in Sonoma County.
She was 5 months old when we adopted her, and has become a vegetarian.
She eats canned vegetarian dog food, and “people food” whenever
she can get it. She loves “Broccoli bones” (the thick
stalks of raw broccoli). Amy’s Pizza is her favorite, of
course. She doesn’t get too much pizza, though, because no
one wants her to get too fat.
Stormy is very intelligent and loving, and an all-around great
pet. She is also extremely happy with her life at the Berliner
Ranch. She says so when she smiles at you.
*For privacy, her name has been changed for this story.
**For more information on Second Chance Rescue, visit their website
at www.secondchancerescue.com
Sick
of PB&J?
It's what you put in your sandwich that matters. Get some
health tips here.
Stormy's
Bowl
Here is Stormy with the whole family
Dear Amy,
My
beloved dog, Stormy is an important part of our life. Stormy
is truly a member of our family and even has her own seat on
the family-room couch. However, Stormy traveled a long road before
we finally found each other. Here is what happened before I met
Stormy. 
Stormy
very quickly took to her new home, our large ranch in Sonoma County.
She was 5 months old when we adopted her, and has become a vegetarian.
She eats canned vegetarian dog food, and “people food” whenever
she can get it. She loves “Broccoli bones” (the thick
stalks of raw broccoli). Amy’s Pizza is her favorite, of
course. She doesn’t get too much pizza, though, because no
one wants her to get too fat. 
