Bonnie-Jane, Canine Consultant & Adventurer

To my fellow canines...

WOW! What a great summer. The weather was hot and dry which meant lots of walks, swimming and boating. But now that the weather is cooling off I get to have even more fun travelling with Rock. During really hot weather he leaves me at home or at the office with Cyndy. When the dog days of summer have passed he brings me along. In our travels we visit many towns throughout Central Ontario. Some of these towns go out of their way to make me and my fellow four legged friends welcome.

Last week we visited a great little town called Meaford. Why is it so great? Well I’ll tell you. It is the most dog friendly town that I have ever found. You can always find a bowls of cool water on the sidewalk and many of the shops allow us inside (if we’re on leash & well behaved) and some even have cookies. YUM! Now if your humans find that you have too much energy for a friendly visit inside they can always take you to one of the two off leash parks in town. One for large dogs and one for small ones. Also, if you are on leash you can visit any of the other parks in Meaford including Beautiful Joe Park. One reason why Meaford has become such a dog friendly town may be because it is here, more than 100 years ago that Margaret Marshall Saunders wrote the novel Beautiful Joe which is on the reading curriculum of many schools, both in Canada and though out the world.

In Meaford in 1892 the author was introduced to Beautiful Joe – a mongrel dog that had been cruelly abused by its owner. She was inspired to write this TRUE STORY to emphasize the plight of domestic animals everywhere. Upon publication, Beautiful Joe quickly became a Canadian classic, enchanting readers of all ages. It has been translated and published in 18 languages. Although Margaret Marshall Saunders relocated Beautiful Joe to a fictional town in Maine, readers know the story is actually based in Meaford. A statue dedicated to his memory stands in in the park that bears his name. So until next time, enjoy the day trips with your humans. Encourage them to read the story of Beautiful Joe - and to bring you for a visit to Beautiful Joe Park in Meaford.

Don’t forget to send me pictures of your social distancing, with or without your humans, so I can post them on my blog. My email is bonniejane@curiousguide.ca.

Well, bye for now.

Check out my videos on you-tube. Visit our website at www.curiousguide.ca to view these fun little vids.

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