And "Dog" spelled backward is...

...as I sit here at my desk, fingers drumming over keys, Prince, my trusted Weimaraner, rests at my feet. Using the monotonous drone of a ticking keyboard as white noise, the occasional snort escapes through a set of dangling lips that only a mother could love...or his best pal ;)

When my fingers hover over the keys, thoughts wandering, an eye the color of a diamond studies me from the floor, one loppy ear lifted in question. And if he could talk, I can only assume that he'd be asking, "Hey, think you can keep writing so I can finish my siesta down here?"

Prince, now six years young, was rescued from a Weimaraner puppy mill in North Carolina while barely old enough to amble along on four over sized paws. His fur the color of smoke, gifted with the demeanor of an old friend, we've remained attached through thick and thin since the day we met. Birthed from a set of malnourished and beaten parents, whose sole purpose was to generate offspring, Prince is not without his issues. But we work through them together, and we struggle onward as best we can.

I unfortunately failed to check in until after Pedigree's mid-night deadline, but will nonetheless spread the news of their quest, a spirited march toward canine longevity.

Please read below and if possible, donate to Pedigree's effort. Afterall, as we all know, in this day and age, friends and loved ones may come and go, but that pup trotting along at your side, its nails clicking over concrete like fingers over a keyboard, will remain loyal throughout its life.

Treat them well ;)

Pedigree is resurrecting its insanely successful Write a Post, Help a Dog program. In 2010, 391 bloggers wrote about the program and with each post, Pedigree donated 20 pounds of its Healthy Longevity dog food to shelter animals. In all, 7,820 pounds of food was donated to two shelters renowned for their care of senior dogs: Muttville Senior Dog Rescue in San Francisco and Castaway Critters in Harrisburg, Pa.

How you can help in 2011

Simply spread the word about Write a Post, Help a Dog 2011 and once again Pedigree will donate 20 pounds of food for each blogger's post. Here's all you need to include in your post:

The Write a Post, Help a Dog program is aimed at raising awareness and food for the more than four million dogs that wind up in shelters and breed rescues each year.
For each blog post mentioning the Pedigree Foundation from now until midnight ET on September 3, Pedigree will donate 20 pounds of its new dry Pedigree recipe food for dogs -- its best recipe ever -- to a shelter, because every dog deserves leading nutrition.

The Pedigree Foundation -- a 501 (C)(3) nonprofit organization is committed to helping dogs by providing grants to shelters and rescues and encouraging dog adoption. This year the Foundation has already raised more than $376,570 against its goal of $1.5 million to carry out its work to fund grants that not only help shelters operate, but to further shelter innovations.
The Pedigree Foundation depends on charitable contributions from individuals to carry out its mission to help dogs find loving homes. In addition to writing a blog post, here's how you can help:

Donate online at http://pedigreefoundation.org/donate.aspx
Apply for a shelter grant from the Pedigree Foundation by completing a form at www.pedigreefoundation.org
Purchase Dogs Rule Gear at www.dogsrulegear.com where the proceeds go to the Pedigree Foundation to help loving dogs find a home. SPECIAL OFFER: Get 10 percent off Dogs Rule Gear by using the promo code BlogPaws10 from August 22 - September 30.