New Contest!

Now THIS is exciting! To generate excitement about Adopt a Shelter Dog Month, which is the entire month of October, I am hosting a contest called "Reading Rufus Rhymes to Rover." This contest basically asks you to record yourself reading a lullaby from Rufus Rhymes to your adopted dog and record it. Then, post it to You Tube and let me know! The winning video will be determined by a panel of dog lovers. But the best part is the prize... a COMMISSIONED PET PORTRAIT of your shelter dog! Can you believe it? I will actually paint your dog! That's a prize worth about $30,000!

For more info go here: http://ronburns.com/contest/

And good luck all!

Another Morning Smile Post

Saw this just the other day and wanted to share.

Check out these black bears having the time of their lives on an Alaskan swing set! Dangerous, but adorable.

Put a Smile on Your Face This Monday Morning!

I can't find where this originally came from, or I'd post a source. It just made me chuckle this morning, so I thought I'd share with everyone.

A while back an old, tired-looking dog wandered into the yard. I could tell from his collar (though no tags) and well-fed belly and the fact he was clean that he had a home. He followed me into the house, down the hall, and fell asleep on the couch.



My dogs didn't seem to mind and he seemed like a good dog and I was Ok with him, so I let him nap. An hour later, he went to the door, and I let him out.

The next day he was back, resumed his position on the couch, and slept for an hour.

This continued for several weeks. Curious, I pinned a note to his collar that I wrote: "Every afternoon your dog comes to my house for a nap. I don't mind but want to be sure it's ok with you."

The next day he arrived with a different note pinned to his collar:
"He lives in a home with ten children -- he's trying to catch up on his sleep. May I come with him tomorrow?"

Announcing the "I Love My Pet" Contest WINNER!

Congratulations to Abbie Fink and her dog Viva, a rescued lab/cocker spaniel mix.



Here's what Abbie had to say about her adorable pooch Viva, "Ron -- I love my Viva. A black cocker lab mix who has lived with me for a little over nine years. I adopted her as part of a fundraising event called Viva Las Vegas (hence the name) to benefit Florence Crittenton Services of Arizona. She gives great hugs and wonderful sloppy kisses. You couldn't ask for a better four-legged friend. And yes, that is her in my profile photo, too.”

Luv that she is a rescued dog and LUV that her adoption fees went to another great cause Florence Crittenton Service of Arizona. According to their website, "Every year, Florence Crittenton provides shelter, education, counseling and social support to nearly 1,500 girls and boys, ages 12 to 21. Many of the at-risk youth we serve are struggling with issues and challenges caused by poverty, abuse, neglect, crime and violence." To read more about them, visit them on-line at http://www.florencecrittentonofaz.org/.

Congrats again Viva and Abbie!!!

Fawn and Bobcat are Best Friends

Because I'm an animal lover, I get a lot of great stuff from my animal loving friends. Here is one of the latest... I think this story broke in May, so I may be a little behind, but the pictures are just adorable. So if you've already seen them, I'm sure you won't mind seeing them again!

The Jesusita Fire in Santa Barbara, CA caused these two to take shelter together. The fawn was 3 days old and the bobcat was about 3 weeks. The fawn came from somewhere in the fire and the bobcat from Carpentaria, apparently near Arnold Schwarzeneggers ranch. The poor bobcat was dehydrated and near death. They immediately bonded and snuggled together under a desk in the Santa Barbara County Dispatch Office for hours.



Although wild animals, especially of separate species, are never place together due to regulations, in the emergency situation, they had no choice. Rescuers were forced to put animals anywhere they could, since they had run out of crates large enough for the fawn. The bobcat cub ran to the fawn, it was instant bonding, and that's why we have these pics!

On Montel Across America Today!

I was so excited to be interviewed by Montel Williams today on his national radio show Montel Across America! Although we talked about Sirius, the only known canine casualty of 9/11, I loved that Montel wanted the interview to be on the upbeat side by talking about how the print of my painting of Sirius raises money to help train dogs to be just like Sirius. I want everyone to remember what a true American hero this dog was! To hear the interview go here... http://airamerica.com/content/montel-ron-burns.

Here's a picture of me, the Sirius painting and Emma.


Let's all take a moment to reflect and remember this day and all it means to the people of the great city of New York and our great country...

Win this Contest - I'll Sketch Your Pet!

Example of the sketch you could win of YOUR pet!

Today I launched a contest where all you have to do is interact with me on Facebook and/or Twitter to be entered into a contest with the grand prize of a sketch from ME of YOUR PET!

That's the short version, here's the long version:
The Artist-in-Residence for The Humane Society of the United States, Ron Burns, wants to know how much you love your pet. Why? Because Ron has dedicated his personal and professional life to helping lost, abandoned, and lonely animals find loving “furever” homes. He is no stranger to loving a pet as part of the family. Rufus, a canine companion for Ron and his wife for 20 years, was such a memorable dog that Ron was inspired to create a unique new book in his honor. “Rufus Rhymes, Modern Lullabies for Dog Lovers,” is available exclusively online.

Ron wants to help you honor the pet you love through a unique contest that is easy to enter. One lucky winner of the “Ron Burns, I Love My Pet!” contest will receive a personal pet sketch from America’s Favorite Animal Artist… that’s right, Ron will personally sketch your pet! The social media contest runs from September 8 – 18, 2009.

The pet-loving winner will receive an electronic, pre-sized copy of the sketch for use as your avatar on social media sites such Twitter and Facebook, as well as the signed original 8” x 8” sketch on paper worth $10,000*!

Entering the contest is easy using Facebook and Twitter. *See official rules for details. There are two simple ways you can enter (limit one entry per person on each website):

Twitter.com
You must be following RonBurns (http://twitter.com/ronburns) and submit a tweet via www.twitter.com that begins with “@RonBurns I love my pet” then provide your pet name and description. Limit one submission per person.

Facebook.com
You must become a “fan” of Ron Burns on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ron-Burns/50976005714) and post a message to the fan wall with a short message that says why you love your pet. Limit one submission per person.

*See official rules for more information and examples of how to enter. Good luck, pet lovers! Be sure to subscribe to Ron’s mailing list so you can find out about other contests, promotions, and exclusive offers from Burns Studio Publishing.