Capone the Wonder Dog

31/10/2025

As if the daily humiliation I must endure isn’t enough, once a year we have this. Halloween. One of my least favorite holidays.

Why?

1. Madame makes me dress up in ridiculous costumes. This one was chosen for me by the nephews. Oh, happy day.
2. Once I’m in the costume, everyone makes fun of me. This is insult upon injury, and cruelty to animals.
3. The entire evening children knock on the door or ring the doorbell. It’s harassment. Plain and simple.
4. The solution (my humans sitting outside to hand out candy), is even worse than the doorbell ringing. I can hear them outside. I can hear the children. And yet I’m trapped inside. It’s torture.
5. No one gives me candy. That makes me even sadder.

Also, what am I? An alien? A demon? A cyclops?

Oh, wait. I know what I am. Pathetic. I’m very, very pathetic.

Halloween stinks. End of story.

But it doesn't have to stink quite as much this year.

I mentioned another contest, and here it is. For entertainment purposes, please share photos of your pets in costumes. If you don't have pets, share photos of yourselves or your kiddos. That works too.

We'll choose two winners who will get a copy of Madame's book, "The Hocus Pocus Magic Shop," in honor of the spooky month of October. The winners will be chosen next week.

Anyway, share your photos, and there is a chance you'll win this fabulous prize. Also, you'll probably make Madame guffaw with laughter, and that's enjoyable as well.

Happy Halloween everyone!

31/10/2025

30/10/2025

Good morning! It’s Thursday, which means we have another adorable adoptable from the fine folks at Judge's Park.

Meet Pumpkin! The perfect pet for October!

**She has been waiting for a forever home since October of 2025**

**She is in foster in Pittsburgh**

Here is more about her from the shelter:

*female young cat
*flame point
*About 6 months old as of 10/2025

-This little girl was found abandoned on someone’s porch. We took her into one of our fosters, got her fully vetted and now she’s ready to find a forever home!
-Pumpkin is literally the sweetest girl. She loves humans, loves laps and petting, and hates being alone!
-Per her foster: “Pumpkin is as sweet as Pumpkin pie. She lives for pets and loves to snuggle up with you. She’s chatty like her siamese genes and loves to tell you all about the current events, how she slept last night, and how breakfast wasnt served on time. Shes been around kids but hasn't met other cats yet.”
-She should be fine with other animals with slow introductions.
-She is spayed, FIV/Felv negative, FVRCP and rabies vaccinated, microchipped, dewormed, and on flea preventative.
-She will be adopted to an indoor only home and the adopter will sign a contract that she cannot be declawed.
-Interested adopters can fill out our adoption application here: https://www.judgespark.org/adoption-application.html.
-Adoption fee is $100 for a single and $150 for a pair which includes all the vetting above.

29/10/2025

29/10/2025

Good morning, everyone! I'm a day early, but I have an important announcement: Tomorrow is Madame and Monsieur's 33rd anniversary! Huzzah!

Holy wow. That is a lot of years.

They met 34 years ago while they were both working in Japan. They got engaged 4 months later, and married a year after that in Istanbul, Turkey. It was a whirlwind, and there were probably lots of people who thought it wouldn't last, but so far so good. I guess that's what happens when the person you marry is also your best friend.

Madame shared a quote recently. It comes from Julia Child, and was written for her husband, Paul. I love it because it mentions nearly all my favorite foods and yet is still super romantic.

"You are the cheese to my macaroni, You are the horizon to my sky, You are the bacon to my eggs, You are the laces to my sneakers, You are the jelly to my peanut butter, You are the smile to my face, You are the gravy to my mashed potatoes, You are the bubbles to my bath, You are the milk to my cookie, You are the ink to my pen, You are the ketchup to my French fries, You are the water to my ocean, You are the icing on my cupcake."

If Julia had only stuck butter in there, it would have been perfect. If you read "Mastering the Art of French Cooking," you'll know the woman did love butter. I, too, love butter, but I digress. This isn't about me. It's about it's about Madame and Monsieur and their 33rd anniversary.

Different anniversaries have different meanings. The 33rd is traditionally associated with amethyst, symbolizing the stability, peace, strength, and fidelity of a long-lasting relationship. A modern tradition also includes iron, which represents the strength and resilience of a marriage that has endured and grown together over time.

Since Monsieur's name means "iron" in Turkish, this feels significant. And, the fact that Madame (a woman from the Steel City) is married to her own Iron Man is kind of significant as well.

It feels like fate, doesn't it?

So happy 33rd anniversary, Madame and Monsieur! Let's break out the champagne (and the butter) and celebrate!

28/10/2025

Hello! I am Toby. I'm a male, brown brindle and black Staffordshire Bull Terrier mix. The shelter staff think I am about 5 years old. I weigh 53 lbs.

I am a very handsome man, ready for a forever home. If you enjoy going on nice long walks, I am your boy! I walk nicely on leash, know sit, and enjoy trying new treats.

I am hoping my new home has lots of toys and cozy blankets for me. I am housebroken and do a great job keeping my kennel clean. I will be happiest in a home where I am the only animal, so that I can soak up all the love I've been missing out on.

When I first meet someone, I can be shy, but I warm up with love and patience. I enjoy snuggles and wagging my tail, and I am very curious of the world around me.

Staff member Samuel has this to say about me:
"Toby quickly became one of my favorites at the shelter. At first, he was pretty aloof. I took him on walks daily, but honestly, for the first few weeks, he wasn't very interactive. However, one day I was sitting by the street petting his back, and out of nowhere he started wagging his tail. Since then, he's opened up a lot, and we've become besties. He's enthusiastic about his training, and I've noticed that he's a really smart boy. At the same time, he's also very sensitive. Last time he hung out, he was struggling with his scent-work training. I noticed that the poor buddy was starting to lower his ears as if he was getting frustrated about not understanding what I wanted him to do. I decided to have him work on something he's more confident in (sit), and he immediately raised his ears and got very enthusiastic again. He really needed that little bit of encouragement! Something else I've noticed is that his friends are his safe space. He always wags his tail when he sees me coming into his room and gets super excited whenever I sit down on his bed, immediately crawling into my lap for snuggles. In some ways, I feel like his personality is very cat-like."

I'm a sweet boy, looking for my person. Are you the one I've been waiting for? Come meet me today and find out.

Beaver County Humane Society
3394 Brodhead Road
Aliquippa, PA 15001
(724) 775-5801
https://beavercountyhumanesociety.org

27/10/2025

I've shared this before, but I feel like I need to share it again. I once heard that the words "May you live in interesting times." It's supposedly an ancient Chinese curse. If so, it's a good one, because the last few years have been very interesting and they've also been very hard.

But there is always hope. What a beautiful world we live in. It's so full of wonderful people and amazing places. Even during the darkest times the sun continues to rise, and so do we. That makes us fortunate indeed.

We might be scared and frustrated right now. We could be worried about the future. We may be disappointed and disgusted about many things, but the sun continues to rise, and so do we.

You can’t control what other people say or do, but you can control how you react to it. You can’t control what others post online, but you can control what you post. They might be wrong, but does that make them evil? Maybe, but maybe not. And no matter what they say or do, no matter how frustrated we feel, the sun continues to rise and so do we.

Our fear is turning us into hate volcanoes right now. It’s spewing out of us like lava. Do you know what lava does? It destroys everything in its path.

Take the high road. Stay out of that hate lava. We can do better. We can be better. We can make things better. Because the sun continues to rise, and so do we.

Scroll through your Facebook feed. What do you see there? Anger. Fear. Hate. Is that really what we're about? Don't get sucked into it. Find a positive outlet for all of those feelings.

Volunteer. Rally. March. Vote. Help others. Find a way to make a difference. If you disagree with something, look for a way to fix it.

I’m done with lecturing for the day, and I’m going to go back to licking myself in inappropriate places and making poor choices. There is only so much a doggie can do to make the world a better place. With humans, however, the possibilities are endless.

Change begins with you. Remember that. Make those changes now - before it’s too late.

Now I'll share a pretty photo of me in the meadow at sunrise. Because the sun really does continue to rise.

And so do we.

With love and hope for better days ahead,
Capone

26/10/2025

Holy wow, I missed Madame. I'm so glad she's home, but I'm keeping a watchful eye on her, though, just in case she disappears again.

There is something I need to say about all of this retreating nonsense. If you leave a doggie alone for a whole week, that doggie is not responsible for the consequences.
Hmmm. And what are the consequences? Let me see.

1. I am needy. Soooo needy. And I'm a little bossy, too. Madame realized this when I wanted to eat at 2 pm today. my normal dinner time is 4 pm. She attempted to ignore my requests for food, and do yoga instead. Ha. She'll never try that again. Have you ever done yoga next to a doggie doing zoomies? It's not possible.
2. I keep giving her indignant looks. I'm fantastic at indignant looks. There really is no reason for this. I just want to make her suffer. Even though I had a great time at Mistress Patti's, I want her to think I was miserable without her, and, therefore, she should be miserable, too.
3. I play the inside/outside game. I stand at the door and bark. She opens the door. I refuse to go out. She calls me a bad name, closes the door, and goes back to work. I start barking again more insistently. It's so annoying, and I can do it for hours. HOURS. You know how there are endurance runners? I'm like an endurance annoyer. It's a skill.

I'll stop punishing her soon. I'll be back to normal tomorrow. I promise.

Well, as normal as I actually get.

I don't set the bar too high, you know. I don't want it to come crashing down on my head. Low expectations are the key to happiness.

I just made that up, but it's pretty deep. I think that might be my new mantra.

Shoot low, people. If you aim for the mud and hit the mud, haven't you actually made it?

Have a great day, everyone!
xoxo
Capone

25/10/2025

Oh, Henry. He's such a silly boy.

When I stayed at Mistress Patti's Home for Wayward Dogs last week, there was a bit of a competition for the best seat in the house—aka the one right next to Mistress Patti on the couch. Fortunately, since I am older, wiser, and I take up more space, I usually got it. Henry did try, however, and these photos show how it usually went down.

Photo One: Henry is looking at me in disbelief and confusion since I have taken the coveted location.

Photo Two: He attempts to insert his smaller b***y between my b***y and Mistress Patti.

Photo Three: He realizes he is between a rock and a hard place and that there is no way to get comfortable in what is approximately twelve square inches.

Photo Four: Henry gives up, goes over to his doggie bed, and proceeds to pout.

Poor Henry. I bet he's glad I'm gone now. He still has to compete with April and Elliot for that seat, but he has a one in three chance now instead of one in four. Things are looking up.

Have a great day, friends! Enjoy every moment of it. :)

24/10/2025

I’m going back home this morning, but this is what life looks like with four dogs. Thank goodness Mistress Patti is so laid back. Only a truly special soul could deal with this chaos and just laugh about it.

As you can see, April gets along great with everyone. She’s a very good girl. A bit of a pizza hog, but that’s to be expected I guess. Aren’t we all?

Wishing you a wonderful Friday and a great start to your weekend. The Youngest Son is coming today, and the Oldest Son, the Lovely Daughter, Moonbeam, and Luke will visit Sunday.

I can’t wait. 🙂🙂