DEAR HELOISE: I know you are a friend to all critters, and I'd like your readers to know about National Mill Dog Rescue (NMDR). They pick up and rescue hundreds of dogs and puppies from puppy mills all over the country. These dogs -- which are deemed no longer usable for breeding -- are too old, too sick or are still unsold, and would otherwise be killed. Many of these mills regularly call on the rescue agency to come and get these animals before they are put down. The rescue agency gives these dogs and pups any treatment they need to come back to health, help them overcome their fears until they are truly adoptable and gives them a new life. They have helped thousands of dogs and puppies that otherwise would have died in puppy mills. To learn more about this wonderful organization, you can reach them at https://nmdr.org.
-- Emily M, via email
DEAR READERS: New uses for old mailboxes:
• Paint a bright color and use at a wedding to hold wedding cards and money.
• Keep one in your garden or attached to a fence to hold garden tools such as gloves, shears, seed packets, etc.
• Drill a hole in it big enough for a bird to nest inside.
• Make a planter out of one.
DEAR HELOISE: A lot of people keep their medicine in the bathroom medicine cabinet. Don't do that. Any of your guests, friends of your children or relatives just need to open that door. Keep them in a safe place, such as in the bottom drawer of a piece of furniture. I do this and only sort my pills for the week in a small container that I keep in a private room.
-- Char, via email
DEAR HELOISE: Please remind your readers to never give their dogs corn cobs to chew on. They cannot digest them, and it could cause their death or a huge vet bill.
-- Dolly S.,
Tehachapi, Calif.
DEAR READER: You are so right. Ingesting corn cobs can lead to gastrointestinal obstruction in dogs, especially smaller breeds. Thank you for sharing this important point.
DEAR HELOISE: I have a tiny bathroom in my apartment. This made storing bath and shower products very challenging. I finally bought a see-through shoe bag with pockets to hold most of my personal items and hung it on the back of the bathroom door. It's made those items easy to find and made my bathroom look cleaner.
-- Tina in New York
Send a money- or time-saving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, Texas 78279-5000; fax to (210) 435-6473; or email
Heloise@Heloise.com