Colorado State University-Global Campus (CSUGlobal.edu) is proud to announce it has donated $ 10,000 to non-profit organizations in the communities of its dedicated employees as part of its Community Relations Grant program.

In addition to the incredible contributions our staff members make to our university and its students, they are actively involved in a wide variety of activities that make a big difference to their families, neighbors, and communities at large, stated CSU-Global President, Dr. Becky Takeda-Tinker. We created the Community Relations Grant program to give them the opportunity to accomplish even more, and truly recognize their hard work and efforts.

CSU-Global staff memberslocated in Colorado and across the U.S.nominated local charity events and organizations for the grants, and the universitys Community Relations Committee selected 12 deserving non-profits to receive funds in support of their causes. This years recipients were:

The Gathering Place – a daytime drop-in center for women, children, and transgender individuals who are experiencing homelessness and poverty. First Tee of Denver – provides the opportunity to children to have a fun, engaging sport alternative. Sprout City Farms – works with communities to create sustainable farms that meet the food access and educational needs of surrounding residents. Larry Silver Memorial Golf Tournament – raises money to support children and families dealing with cancer. Commanders Youth Sports – provides athletic opportunities to kids that promote sportsmanship, leadership, community, team effort, and life skills. Literacy Coalition of Colorado – promotes and fosters adult literacy in Colorado through professional development, volunteer training and referrals, and other projects. Westernaires – encourages self-respect, responsibility, and leadership in children through horsemanship and family participation. Judis House – helps children and families who are grieving the death of a loved one find hope and healing. Big Brother Big Sister Colorado – provides children facing adversity with strong and enduring one-to-one relationships that will change their lives for the better. Colorado Pug Rescue – works to improve the welfare and quality of life of homeless pug dogs. Elevation Blueprint – provides affordable English, financial education, computer literacy, and technology advancement classes to people in need. Life is Better Rescue – creates a better life for animals facing euthanasia.

As a state university dedicated to making a positive impact, we look forward to continuing to expand our involvement in the communities and lives of our students, faculty, and staff in Colorado and beyond, continued Dr. Takeda-Tinker. Congratulations to all of this years grant recipients.

Email Outreach(at)CSUGlobal(dot)edu for more information about this years Community Relations Grant program or recipient organizations. More information about Colorado State University-Global Campus 100 percent online bachelors degree and masters degree programs is available at CSUGlobal.edu, or by calling 800-920-6723. Class start every four weeks.

About Colorado State University-Global Campus Colorado State University-Global Campus (CSU-Global) was created by the Colorado State University System Board of Governors in 2007 as the first 100 percent online state university in the United States. CSU-Global is focused on facilitating adult success in a global marketplace through career-relevant education including bachelors degree completion and masters degree programs. Embracing the land grant heritage as part of the Colorado State University System, CSU-Global sets the standard for quality and innovation in higher education through its expert faculty trained in working with adults in an online learning environment, and through its dedication to student retention, graduation and workplace success. Visit CSUGlobal.edu or call 1-800-920-6723 for more information.

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Vintage $ 1000 Bill

Sheila Hornsby has worked in the Uptown area of Dallas for Park Cities Pet Sitter for nearly five years. Many of the pets she cares for reside in the high rises that dot the Oak Lawn, Turtle Creek, and McKinney Avenue streets. On the evening of Monday, July 28th, she was taking a dog from the 1900 McKinney Avenue building outside for a walk, cutting through the parking garage in the back of the building to get outside. Ms. Hornsby noticed something on the ground at the edge of the parking garage where she was walking, and initially stepped over it. As she glanced back at the item on the ground, she looked more closely and saw that what she stepped over looked like a $ 1000 bill, enclosed in a plastic sleeve. Ms. Hornsby picked up the plastic sleeve and examined it, feeling pretty certain it had to be a fake since she had never heard of a $ 1000 bill being circulated. She put the item in her back pocket with the intention of doing a little bit more investigation about it later that evening.

When Ms. Hornsby arrived home, she looked online to see if a $ 1000 bill had ever been issued by the federal government. She found that, indeed, there was. She learned that the U.S. government had last issued the $ 1000 bill back in 1945. Ms. Hornsby then took a photograph of her find and sent it to her mother, who had worked in a bank for 26 years, to see if her mother could determine if it was authentic. After her mother looked at the photo, she told Sheila that it was likely a real $ 1000 bill.

Once Ms. Hornsby realized that she had found an incredibly valuable, vintage $ 1000 bill, she said that her first thoughts were about how she would locate its rightful owner(s). I know many people probably think that I legitimately found the $ 1000 bill, so I should keep it. But I know that if I ever lost something of great value that I would hope whoever found it would be kind enough to try to locate me. So my instinct was not to keep it; instead I immediately felt this huge responsibility to find the person who had lost it.

Ms. Hornsby searched the internet to determine what options she might have to find the owner of the $ 1000 bill. Contacting the police, posting in Lost & Found areas of community websites, and posting flyers around the neighborhood where the item was found were all things she considered. After sleeping on it, she decided to first create a brief flyer and give it to the concierges at the 1900 McKinney Ave building. The flyer said, FOUND POSSIBLE COLLECTIBLE ITEM. Found near building while walking dog on Monday night, 7/28/14. If someone is missing a collectible item, please have them call me and describe it, in order to ensure that it is returned to the rightful owner. Thank you, Sheila.

On the morning of Tuesday, July 29th, Ms. Hornsby went to the 1900 McKinney building and spoke to Concierge Susan Gutierrez. Ms. Hornsby told Ms. Gutierrez that she had found a collectible item the previous evening, and wondered if anyone had reported the loss of any valuable items in the last 24 hours? Ms. Gutierrez told her that, yes, in fact a resident of the building had reported losing a vintage $ 1000 bill, and had contacted the buildings management about the loss on the off-chance that the item was turned in. Realizing that the owner of the lost $ 1000 bill had been located, Sheila made arrangements to meet the owner later that evening when she could come back with the item.

On the evening of Tuesday, July 29th, Ms. Hornsby met the rightful owner of the vintage $ 1000 bill in the lobby of the high rise building, with a number of concierges and passersby in attendance. When she returned the bill in its sleeve to the resident who had lost it, she was overwhelmed by the positive response of its owner and of those witnessing its return. It was so gratifying to see how surprised, thankful and happy the owner of the bill was to have it returned, said Ms. Hornsby. He kept saying how upset he had been at himself that he had lost the sleeve with the bill, and was certain no one would ever turn it in upon finding it. I really felt like I restored some of his faith in humanity by doing the right thing and returning what I had found. The people that were in the lobby that night when I returned the bill said it really inspired them to want to do similar good deeds, because doing so clearly created a lot of happiness. I did not realize how simply doing the right thing could be so inspiring.

Park Cities Pet Sitters President, Joette White, learned about Ms. Hornsbys find and her attempts to locate the owner of the valuable item from the sitter herself. Ms. White said that upon hearing Sheilas story she simply felt a lot of pride in her sitter and in her company. My business is built on the credibility and trust of my staff. We ask our clients to entrust us with the care of their beloved pets, and are given access to peoples homes when they are away. Having dependable, honest and trustworthy staff is a requirement for what we do. But it is also part of our company mission to be thoughtful to the people around you and think how you can impact them in a positive way, said Ms. White. The actions that Sheila took to do the right thing, of her own volition, is exactly what I would want her or any of my staff to do in that type of scenario. I cannot help but feel proud and inspired by the thoughtful actions of one of my staff.

Park Cities Pet Sitter, Inc. has served the Dallas area 7 days a week, 365 days a year since 1992. Pet sitting, daily dog walks, pet taxis, overnight sitting, pet supply shopping, litter box cleaning and dog training are all part of the services PCPSI offers. Park Cities Pet Sitter is bonded and insured, and all sitters are employees–not independent contractors. A manager is on-call 24 hours a day to handle any emergencies. Additional information about Park Cities Pet Sitter can be found on their website at http://www.pcpsi.com.

This past week in Arizona, seventeen dogs were killed at a kennel from heat distress after one dog chewed through dry wall and the electrical cord to the air conditioner. But is this really a freak accident that could not have been prevented as claimed by the business owner? The Dog Gurus, Robin Bennett and Susan Briggs will tell you this type of incident is a known risk. Professional pet care facilities invest in materials designed to safely house dogs and follow pet care safety protocols to avoid these kinds of incidents.

Understanding the environment where you leave your dog is key to safety, but you also must realize that a dogs behavior in an unfamiliar environment may differ from their behavior at home, stated Bennett. Professional pet care providers first ensure the safety of the physical environment, but more importantly train staff to observe dog behavior for signs of stress. Chewing is normally a result of stress and boredom. Extra safety precautions should be available for dogs who are anxious when they are left in a boarding facility.

So how do you recognize a safe environment and professional pet care center? Tour the facility prior to making your reservation and confirm that all areas that house dogs are constructed with dog management and safety in mind. Drywall is not an acceptable material when providing professional pet care. Those facilities that have drywall, which is common in homes, usually use material to safely cover the walls to prevent damage and injury or the dogs are property supervised to prevent chewing incidents. Electrical cords, plants and other items that can be chewed or ingested should not be accessible to dogs when left alone. Most importantly, professional pet care providers understand canine body language and behavior. They monitor all pets for signs of stress and take steps to alleviate the cause of stress so that they can keep your dog safe and healthy.

Bennett and Briggs wrote an article on Identifying Great Pet Care Centers and are in the process of creating a directory of pet care professionals that offer off-leash play services to assist the public in making good pet care choices. It is heartbreaking to hear of tragedies in professional pet care, states Bennett. Briggs added, When this type of situation happens, it is frustrating as we know it could have been prevented if the public understood what to look for in selecting quality pet care. We created our website with that goal in mind. Our directory will include members of The Dog Gurus community that are invested in ongoing education and providing excellence in pet care services they provide.

Before you make a reservation for your dog online, be sure to visit the pet center and see for yourself the environment where your dog will be kept. These types of accidents are avoidable! A home environment may seem like a happier place for your dog, but safety protocols must be your first priority in pet care selection. If you are using a home-based provider, be sure they are following those safety protocols and are a reputable, licensed business. To your dog having a professional that understands their emotions and offers activities they enjoy will make them happy. Members of The Dog Guru community provide safe and fun pet care every day.

About The Dog Gurus: Co-creators Robin Bennett and Susan Briggs have over 30 years experience as operators and consultants in the dog daycare and boarding industry. Their staff training program, Knowing Dogs, has quickly become the best off-leash dog play training program available and is based on their best selling book: Off-Leash Dog Play: A Complete Guide to Safety and Fun. They continue to create resources for the professional pet care industry with the goal of keeping all dogs safe. For more information, visit their website: http://www.TheDogGurus.com or join their Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/TheDogGurus. Susan and Robin are available for interview at the following numbers: Susan (713) 582-8520 or Robin (571) 336-2078.

On August 1st, 2014, the Fresh Patch Company will offer all-wood, optional outer sleeves, which are designed to hold its 16×24 inch real-grass, fully disposable dog potty units. The reusable sleeves are intended to ward off the chewing behavior of some high-energy puppies and dogs.

According to a Company spokesperson, Fresh Patch disposable, real-grass dog potties–which are intended for dogs up to 25 pounds–are made from very sturdy material. However, we know that some dogs, and especially puppies, like to chew everything in sight. Many of our clients need our disposable dog potties for house-training young dogs, and we want to offer them a product that is virtually puppy-proof.

The Company says it has received very positive feedback from customers about the hydroponic grass it sells. The grass is light-weight, dirt-free, highly absorbent, and its scent naturally attracts dogs. The only suggestion some customers have made is that we should find a way to reinforce the sides of our disposable potty units for chew-loving pups. We decided to act on that feedback, and we developed the new protective sleeves for those customers who want them.

In addition to its 16×24 inch disposable, real-grass potty unit and optional sleeve for small-to-medium size dogs, the Fresh Patch Company is now offering products for larger dogs. The Company recently announced that, starting June 1, it will sell 2×4 foot hydroponic grass pads for dogs over 25 pounds. A stainless-steel tray designed specifically to hold these larger grass pads is also available separately, as an optional purchase. Alternatively, dog owners may decide to use the grass with or without their own containers.

With nation-wide shipping capabilities via Fedex, the Fresh Patch Companys website (http://www.freshpatch.com) offers a continuous delivery service for both its 16×24 inch real-grass disposable dog potty units and its new 2×4 foot real-grass pads. Both products feature hydroponic grass. The Companys products are also available on Amazon.com.