In last week’s Thought for the Weekend, I introduced you to Shelly, the newest member of the Matchmaker Logistics team. You also got to meet a few Matchmaker dogs. Everyone in our office enjoys a little friendly competition (read about our ongoing interoffice sports rivalry here), so it didn’t take long for the rest of our team to decide they also wanted an opportunity to show off their pampered pooches. In fact, even Steve, one of our faithful Thought for the Weekend readers, emailed us a great shot of his two best friends.
Since every dog must have his day, we decided to start a friendly little contest that will run through August 31st: Post a picture of your pup on our Facebook or Twitter page. (Not into social media, just email your pic to us, and we’ll post it for you.) The cutest photo will win a prize–either a Matchmaker mug filled with a $20 Starbucks card or a collectible Matchmaker Logistics 18-wheeler. Best of all, you’ll get bragging rights!
Matchmaker employees are not eligible to win, so we’re showing off our four-legged family members here:
Carrier Sales Representative Mary Nicholas belongs to Shasta, a 4-year-old Pomeagle (half Pomeranian, half Beagle). A loveable and funny little dog, Shasta used to constantly fight with Mary’s 20-pound cat, Sir Sir. One time Sir Sir pawed him so hard across the face that Shasta squealed and came running to Mary. As she took a closer look, Mary discovered one of Sir Sir’s claws stuck in Shasta’s nose. Shasta has since learned to keep a safe distance from the cat!
Sales Rep Pam Carrier belongs to two pitbulls, Marley (left) and Ziggy (right). Marley’s nickname is Moo Moo because she looks like a dairy cow. Pam had to do a lot of convincing to get her fiancé, Chuck, to agree to having another dog in the house. Pam promised to do all of the dog-rearing, and now Marley is ‘Momma’s big baby’. She will be 2 years old in October and weighs around 75lbs. Pam says: “Marley is the goofiest dog I 
have ever owned! I am a huge advocate for pitbulls and my goal was to make her into the biggest baby I could. With Moo Moo’s gentle personality, I’m trying to change people’s negative perceptions about pitbulls, and I think I am succeeding!”
Ziggy (or Zig for short) is a 46-pound pitbull mix who will turn 5 in January. Pam describes Ziggy as a ‘chill’ dog, who never barks unless he is outside. Ziggy loves to be with people, but tries to ignore his ‘little sister’ Marley at all costs.
Ellie Mae Johnson (gotta love that name!) belongs to Carrier Development Representative, Robbie Johnson. Robbie says: “Ellie Mae (left), a Lab/Chow mix, arrived on our doorstep 11 years ago and refused to leave. She had chosen us to be her family. She is the best dog and continues to be a joy in our lives.”
Administrative Assistant Shelly Stoddart belongs to Honey, a 3-year-old Lab/Vizsla mix, and Sparr, a 13-month-old Coker/Hound/Lab mix. Adopting Honey was another Craig’s List success story for Shelly who says Honey’s name perfectly describes her dog’s sweet disposition. Sparr is Honey’s spunky sidekick. On Valentine’s Day, Shelly’s boyfriend finally gave in to Shelly’s pleas for another puppy. They went to the local animal shelter, picked out Sparr, and introduced him to Honey. Honey gave her approval, and Sparr has ‘terrorized’ her every day since. Yet she still loves her younger ‘brother’. As Shelly says: “How can you be mad at that face?”
And finally, here’s Rosie, a two-year-old Golden Retriever who does double duty as our family dog and office mascot. She used to be a digger, which almost prevented her from making it to the age of two! I have several large flower beds in my yard, and I spent a week last year raking, installing weed guard and spreading mulch. Rosie tore them up in about 10 minutes! Otherwise, she is a sweet dog. Rosie is great with my kids, especially the youngest, Chloe, who likes to use her as a sofa/lounger!
We look forward to meeting your best friends, four-legged children, faithful companions, and cute canines. Meanwhile, here is a little (dog) food for thought:
The reason a dog has so many friends is that he wags his tail instead of his tongue. ~Anonymous
There is no psychiarist in the world like a puppy licking your face. ~Ben Williams
In order to keep a true perspective of one’s importance, everyone should have a dog that will worship him and a cat that will ignore him. ~Dereke Bruce
No matter how little money and how few possessions you own, having a dog makes you rich. ~Louis Sabin
Enjoy your favorite pets (and your favorite people) this weekend,
~Bob
