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On Thursday, April 14, American Stage presents the outdoor production of RENT. The evening’s extra special touches include a Pay What You Can admission price, Parkshore Grill Catering and (we think the most important touch) the ability to bring your dogs to enjoy the show.

Each year, American Stage in the Park features an outdoor performance on the waterfront at Demens Landing Park (corner of 1st Avenue South and Bayshore Boulevard SE in downtown St. Petersburg). In 2010, The New Barker hosted HAIR on opening night (unofficially called HAIR of the Dog for the evening’s performance). It was the first time American Stage had opened their production to allow dogs in the audience. So successful was the evening’s attendance, they agreed to do it again for this year’s performance of RENT.

Commenting on last year’s performance, Andy Orrell, Director of Marketing for American Stage said, “Once everyone settled in, the dogs mostly enjoyed the outdoors, taking in the Bay breeze and then cuddling up with their humans.” Orrell added, “When Anna Cooke, editor of The New Barker first proposed the idea to us in 2009 it was as if a collective lightbulb went off in our heads. Of course, what a doggone great idea.”

RENT is the hit rock musical based loosely on Puccini’s La Boheme and is known to have changed the face of theatre forever. The story follows a year in the lives of a community of young artists, all struggling to live and celebrate life in New York’s East Village.

Demens Landing is one of the most beautiful parks in Florida. What better way to catch a performance under the stars than with your dog, lounging by your side? Bring your blankets or low lawn chairs for your comfort. And you may bring a picnic basket, but adding more pleasure to this year’s outdoor production is the addition of Parkshore Grill Catering. They will be cooking up some fabulous food – cheese boxes, salads and sandwiches for sale at the park. A portion of the proceeds will benefit American Stage.

The evening’s performance begins at 8pm. Come out a little earlier to mingle with other dog lovers, some of the performers and to simply enjoy a beautiful venue. There truly is No Day But Today. Share it with your dog.

It’s the University of Connecticut (UConn) Huskies versus the Butler University Bulldogs tonight in the men’s final four basketball tournament. And unless some miracle occurs, like dog bones raining down from the sky, it looks as though only one of the two real dog mascots will be on the sidelines tonight. And The New Barker dog magazine is calling a furry foul on game day.

Blue II, the seven-year-old English Bulldog and mascot for Butler University was granted a waiver by the NCAA that allows him on the court for the game. UConn’s mascot, Jonathan XIII, a white Siberian Husky, apparently has not been granted the same waiver. While Blue II was flying first class to Texas last week, Jonathan XIII had to read about his rival’s travels via the newspapers lining the floor of his kennel.

Maybe Blue II has a better publicist. He is definitely getting major face time on television. On Saturday evening (pre-game against Virginia Commonwealth) after posing with cheerleaders, he sat next to Charles “I am not a role model” BARKley. The jury is still out on who barked louder – BARKley or Blue II.

The dog’s handler, Michael Kaltenmark said that Blue II knows when to put his game face on, and is ferocious on the court, yapping at the opposing team’s players.

UConn has used Jonathan the Husky as a mascot since 1935. The Alpha Phi Omega fraternity has been in charge of the Jonathans since 1970. A spokesperson for Jonathan commented about tonight’s game, “Just wait and see. While the players are dribbling on the court, that stupid Bulldog is going to be dribbling all over the floor. They’re gonna have to put on a couple more of those mop kids just to clean up after him.”

The game tonight for the national championship is a showdown between two of the hottest teams in the country. It’s being billed as a dog fight with Butler as the underdog against UConn, who has 10 straight tournament game wins under their dog collars.

Two questions remain to be answered: How much camera time will Blue II receive tonight during the game? And will APO fraternity figure out a way to sneak Jonathan XIII onto the court? We double dog dare you.

To dog lovers in Dade City, come out & play at Agnes Lamb Park today from 2p-5p during the 2nd Annual Dogs’ Day in Dade City. A contest celebrating beautifully-decorated wagons with dogs, Canine Got Talent contest, food, vendors, entertainment. FREE copy of THE NEW BARKER to the first 50 guests.

Come see us today at the 19th Annual Mutt Strut, a fun-raising event for the Humane Society of Pinellas. Bring your dog, get some exercise during a beautiful walk @ Honeymoon Island State Park/Dunedin, all while helping to raise money for HSP. There is still time to register for the walk today at the park. A goody wag bag valued at more than $25 to the first 300 registered walkers. Photos by Laura Allen Studios. A big Woof to Twila, the staff & volunteers at HSP.

Coachman Park in Clearwater, Florida will be rockin out with live entertainment and adorable dogs (big and small) this Sunday, March 13 between 11a and 5p. Leashed dogs will be allowed, so bring a blanket and plan on chilling and grooving to some great live music in what’s being described as “a dream line up.”

Tampa Bay’s “play 98.7,” a CBS Radio station, is hosting the event along with sponsors, Verizon and The New Barker dog magazine.

In addition to vendors and food, about 30 rescue groups with adoptable dogs will be on hand throughout the day.

Headlining the entertainment will be Kris Allen, winner of the popular television series, American Idol, Season 8. Kris says his passion for music began when he taught himself to play the guitar at age 13. He also plays the piano, viola and ukulele. His music is influenced by his travels to Spain, Morocco, Thailand, Burma and South Africa. His debut album, Brand New Shoes, was released in 2007.

Ryan Star is a singer/songwriter, pianist, guitarist and a finalist on the CBS reality show Rock Star, season two (2006). The talent show was looking for a lead singer to front the band Supernova, whose drummer is Tommy Lee. Ryan was just 14 when he formed his own first band, Stage. His song, “Brand New Day” is the theme song for the Fox television drama, Lie to Me.

Matt Hires is a 22 year-old Florida native and is described as the epitome of the Sunshine State: barefooted, artistic, easy-going. Matt uses the same acoustic guitar that his father gave him when he was sixteen years old, handmade in 1977.
During high school, Matt gravitated towards punk. Today, his acoustic music is more introspective.

Coachman Park, by the way, is on a beautiful bluff overlooking the waterfront. It’s a great venue with plenty of green space for dogs. The New Barker dog magazine does advise to Dog Responsibly by bringing plenty of water for you and your dog, sunscreen (yes, for you and your dog), and poop bags. Please, no retractable leashes. Tickets are only $10 and $1 of each ticket sold will benefit Animal Based Charities.

Party with the Rescue Ink Cast, all afternoon today@Honeymoon Island State Park in Dunedin. The weather is nice, I wish you were bootyful. Come on out to benefit Florida Boxer Rescue. We’ll be there with lots of vendors, food and of course, the requisite contingent of canines. ‘Til fiveish.

The Humane Highway Tour rolls through Tampa Bay this weekend with the cast of New York-based Rescue Ink. Definitely not your mother’s rescue group, there will be three opportunities to meet this army of nine tattooed, motorcycle-riding street guys who have zero tolerance for animal abuse. Rescue Ink was featured in the current issue of THE NEW BARKER, Florida’s top dog lifestyle magazine.

They’re in town to raise money for Florida Boxer Rescue and the Humane Society of Tampa Bay. They also want to raise awareness that animal abuse and neglect are not cool. “We think abusers are losers, and we have no problem “educating” them about the error of their ways,” says Joe Panz, a founding member of Rescue Ink. He adds, “Hey, we’re no angels, and we’ve made plenty of mistakes ourselves. But we’ve been given a second chance, and we think neglected and abused animals deserve one too.”

Friday, March 4, Quaker Steak and Lube in Clearwater will host a meet and greet with the guys from 6pm until 9pm. There will be plenty of raffles and discounted food with the proceeds benefiting the Humane Society of Tampa Bay.

Saturday, March 5, Rescue Ink will make an appearance at Bark in the Park, the Humane Society of Tampa Bay’s Annual fundraising walk. The event takes place at Al Lopez Park in Tampa and starts at 8:30am. There will be photo opps with the guys, a dog talent contest, pet-related vendors, and demonstrations. For more information on Bark in the Park visit the Humane Society Tampa Bay.

On Sunday, March 6, Rescue Ink will lead a Ride for Rescue Poker Run that starts at Fletcher’s Harley-Davidson in Clearwater at 9am, and ends up at dog-friendly Honeymoon Island State Park in Dunedin for a Beach Bash. There will be live entertainment, dog-related vendors, free dog food samples from Natura, delicious food (including a vegetarian plate) for humans, raffle items (including a 2010 Harley-Davidson XL883N Sportster Iron in Silver Denim) and a Costume Contest for Dogs, sponsored by Fluffy Puppies/Clearwater. There are three categories in the Fluffy Puppies Costume Contest: Best Biker Dog, Best Tacky Tourist Dog and Best Dog/Owner Look-Alike.

Bill Gray, president of Florida Boxer Rescue said, “We’ve heard from biker fans from all over the country who will be making the Humane Highway Tour in Tampa Bay their first stop prior to Bike Week 2011 in Daytona Beach.” Each one of the nine members of Rescue Ink will lead a team of bikers on the Ride for Rescue Poker Run. “A couple of devoted Rescue Ink fans have pre-registered and even donated some extra money to Florida Boxer Rescue for an opportunity to ride with a couple of the guys during the Poker Run,” added Bill. For more information on the Ride for Rescue Poker Run and Beach Bash, visit Humane Highway Tour

It started out innocently enough. Well sort of. Nine real-life tattooed tough guys from various New York neighborhoods – Brooklyn, Queens, Ozone Park and Howard Beach. Witnessing acts of cowardice going down against animals, they began to take matters into their own hands. Don’t pick on the little guy. Don’t try to assert your supposed toughness on a weaker creature like a defenseless dog. And, don’t be a bully.

The guys who comprise this unorthodox rescue group called Rescue Ink, have zero tolerance for animal abuse. And it’s not an act, which becomes very apparent during a conversation with any one of them, which The New Barker did by phone on November 6, 2010.

“Oh, we had to clean up the language a bit for publication,” said The New Barker editor, Anna Cooke. “But they are who they are, and that came across loud and clear even over the phone,” she added. Cooke interviewed the guys just after they’d finished marching in a National Pit Bull Awareness Day Parade in Austin, Texas. “There were 500 Pit Bull mixes registered to march with them that day,” added Cooke.

Joe Panz, one of the founding members of Rescue Ink told Cooke, “Look, we were the toughest guys in the neighborhood, so anytime anyone had a problem, they’d come to us. Back in the day, rescue groups were mostly comprised of women, and they started coming to us for help. All I can tell you is, whenever we arrived on the scene, we were pretty convincing. Still are.”

Reports and word of mouth began circulating, comparing the group to Robin Hood. And not the men-in-tights Robin Hood. No, we’re talking cigar chomping, hot rod and motorcycle-loving dudes, several of whom also have a passion for maintaining their ‘big guns.’ Joe’s particular workout schedule clocks in at a minimum of three hours a day.

It didn’t take long for the media like The New York Times to hone in on the group.
“They asked if they could come spend a day with us. They ended up following us around for three days,” said Joe. And things really took off after that.

Now the group fields between 200 and 300 calls per day. Requests for help come from all around the world, reporting cases of abuse, neglect or animal torture. If the guys can’t get to a case themselves, they call on their vast network of friends they’ve amassed over the last six years.

Their television gig with National Geographic for a season was a blessing and a curse. It brought the group exposure, but the public’s misconception is that the guys are now wealthy as a result.

To say they have each other’s backsides is an understatement. Each of these guys knows what the other is capable of doing. But violence is the last thing on their minds. “Anyone can use violence, but that doesn’t do anyone any good. You gotta be tough enough not to be scared to talk your way out of any situation. We call it peace with superior firepower. We do whatever is necessary within the law,” said Joe.

When they appear on the scene of abuse or neglect, their objective is to fix the problem, not take the animal away. They know the person involved in the abuse or neglect case will just get another dog.

The guys, who have had their own run-ins with the law, realize they’re in no position to judge. “We’re not the authority. But everyone deserves a second chance. Hey, we got one.”

As a fully functioning rescue group, Rescue Ink has veterinarians on call 24 hours a day to help out as needed. Their 25-acre rehabilitation center is run by Mary Fayet. They call her their Den Mom. “We also call her home ‘the land of broken toys.’ She has all these small dogs in various stages of health and rehabilitation that she takes care of,” said Joe.

Their Junior Pet Detective Program is directed towards kids. “We talk to them, discourage them from getting involved in gangs. We talk about bullying and tell them to stick up for the little guy. We tell them to champion those who can’t defend themselves. We tell them it is better to be admired than to be feared,” Joe said.

Big Ant, another founding member, added, “We’re just doing what we do. People listen to us. One way or the other, we’re gonna be heard.”

The guys consider themselves the rescue group for the rescue groups. “A lot of these groups, they think and act with their hearts, not their heads. And please, leave your egos at the door. It’s not about your rescue group or you. It’s about the dogs needing help. How are we going to fix a situation? That’s what keeps me going.”

Emotions run high with this band of brothers, but they believe that with every change, it’s one step forward in the right direction.

“When you think you’ve seen the worst, along comes something else that’s even worse. The laws have to be changed,” said the third founding member, John O, whose significant other is involved with a rescue group herself. He takes comfort in being with his family and kids. “My parents, they’re 83 years old and they still make me laugh,” he said.

He adds, “We can’t help everyone. We can’t save every dog. We have to just take each case as it comes. There are a lot of whacked out people out there. But I look at it this way…I’m able to sleep at night. It’s all okay because what goes around, believe me, definitely comes around.”

Rescue Ink is coming to Tampa Bay, March 4-6 as guests of Florida Boxer Rescue, The New Barker dog magazine, Fletcher’s Harley-Davidson, Bon Appetit Restaurant, Humane Society of Tampa Bay and Hillsborough County Animal Services. Dubbed the Humane Highway Tour, Rescue Ink will be making special appearances at Al Lopez Park, Tampa and Honeymoon Island State Park, Dunedin.