THE DOG DIET NEWS

Patti Lawson has a brand new book filled with humor, bittersweet stories of pets loved and lost, and most of all hope that when human partners decide to part ways they could learn a lot from their pets.

Splitting Hairs of the Dog
What Happens to Rover When the Marriage is Over?

If there’s anything worse than a knock-down-drag-out divorce, it’s an even bitterer and often cruel custody battle. Divorce cases end, custody battles continue for what seems forever, with the parties dragged back to court endlessly and the attorney’s fees becoming astronomical. But even after the last billable hour is paid for, the emotional devastation from custody battles often last a lifetime.  Take for example the couple in San Francisco who despite their best efforts, could not agree on custody of Gigi.

Each parent prepared their case with precision and the total bill for the dispute tallied up to a whopping $150,000.00. The Judge eventually awarded custody to one parent, and his decision was made easier by a videotape of a “Day in the Life”…a standard litigation tool lawyers use…which showed Gigi going about her normal day at the home the tape purported she would prefer to live in. This tape and the testimony of a behaviorist clinched the custody victory for the lucky parent…an animal behaviorist that is…Gigi is a dog.

In courts across the country, judges in divorce cases are being asked to veer from the standard property designation of animals and award the contested pet to the best human parent.  More and more couples are waiting longer to have children or opting not to have them at all…thus the family pet becomes the “fur child” and is subject to the same custody battles that have raged over children for decades.  

Welcome to a new and rapidly expanding area of the law. Splitting Hairs of the Dog explores this gigantic frontier in divorce proceedings with humor and practical advice. Relationships between people and pets have taken on new and often confusing aspects in our litigious society. Matrimony often ends in acrimony, but Splitting Hairs of the Dig aims for a kinder gentler result—at least for the four-legged members of the dis-union. 

Patti and Sadie are represented by:
Robert Brown
THE WYLIE-MERRICK AGENCY www.wylie-merrick.com

Read the full announcement on Patti's Red Room Page

February 11, 2007
DOG WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA ANNOUNCES 2006 WINNERS

The Dog Diet Wins!

Sadie and Patti are THRILLED to win the Maxwell Award to the Dog Humor Book of the Year from the Dog Writer's Association of America! Patti received the medal in NYC on February 11 at a banquet the night before the start of the Westminster Show.

DOG WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA ANNOUNCES 2006 FINALISTS

The Dog Writers Association of America recently announced the finalists in their writing competition for 2006. Two Charleston women are nominees for awards in their respective categories. Patti Lawson's book The Dog Diet: a Memoir (Health Communications, Inc.) is nominated for the Dog Humor Book Award and Deborah Linz, a popular anchor at WCHS TV 8 is a nominee in the Broadcast Journalism Category for her news story on "Dangers of Dog Chaining."(Aired July 18, 2006) Ms. Lawson was also a nominee in 2005 for her column Dogs...Diets...Dating that appears in the Charleston Gazette.

Nominees are from all over the nation in many different venues including newspapers, magazines, videotape, graphic art, poetry, internet, club publications, and books. Additionally many special awards are given out by the American Kennel Club, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Humane Society of the United States, and many others.

The Dog Writers Association of America was established in 1935 during the Westminster Kennel Show. It has become an annual tradition for the organization and its members to meet the weekend prior to the Westminster Show. All nominees will be honored on Sunday night, February 11, 2007, in New York City and the winners will be announced at the banquet that evening.

Other News

Patti spoke at the TAILS OF JOY fundraiser in Coventry, CT in May 2005 and Sadie received a lovely gift basket. This organization is wonderful and provides services to people with their therapy dogs.