Greater Milwaukee Men

Glory is one of the two deaf dogs that I am honored to have had in my life.  I was pleasantly surprised to see a notice that this week, the last full week of September, is  Deaf Dog Awareness Week . I was not aware that this existed before today. So what, and why is this important? As a former companion to two deaf dogs and foster parent to others, I have a very personal connection to this awareness event. I know first hand that deafness has little impact on the dog and the joy and fulfillment they can bring to our lives. As it turns out National Dog Week and International Week of the Deaf coincide so the combination of the two makes sense. Why do we need an awareness event for this? Well, dog adoption in general needs all the help it can get but especially those with an 'issue' or disability need people to speak out for them. Hearing a dog is deaf may out pause in a possible adopter and they need assurance it won't be an issue, and can even be more fulfill...

I saw a post on social media saying the NFL should change their primary recipient of support and funding from that certain rose-hued campaign to supporting Domestic Violence awareness. I get what they are saying. First the pink campaign has little to do with its people - sure there are probably plenty of players impacted by a friend or family member with breast cancer - but with Ray Rice as the latest, there have been more than enough reports of players involved in DV. Add to that the questionable value of the pink campaign and looking for another cause where support could be better controlled becomes relevant. Not that DV specifically is a bad idea, but I have a better one. I think the NFL should create a sensitivity program not only for its players but for all athletic programs (and others as well) - or maybe I should spin it the other way - maybe they should support a cause not only to the public, but to their players as well. There are plenty of player- and team-related stories whe...