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About Jan Jan Rasmusen
is the tall half of the Dog/Rasmusen writing team.
After her dog Jiggy was diagnosed with immune-mediated
hepatitis, a life-threatening liver disease, Jan began
two years of research and interviews with
top veterinarians and other
experts. Interview subjects were selected for
expertise in various disciplines. For example, for her
vaccination chapters, she interviewed the Chairperson
and several respected members of the American Animal
Hospital Association Canine Vaccine Taskforce, plus the
country's most-quoted veterinarian vaccine researchers and
holistic medicine activists and her dogs' own vets. She
insisted on multiple points of view to help readers
reach their own conclusions. The research began as a way
to help her own dogs but grew into much more.
Early
on in the process, Jan decided to give all author
royalties--at minimum--to animal
causes. This includes
cash donations plus free or deeply discounted books to
non-profit shelters, spay/neuter groups and breed
rescues. She has recently begun an affiliate program to
give nonprofits commissions on any "click through" sales
from their websites.
Jan
graduated with honors with a B.S. degree in Business and spent two years as a flight attendant for Pan American World Airways. Pan Am went bankrupt shortly after
she left. She has always felt responsible.
Scared Poopless
is her fourth book. Her first was Outclassing the Competition, a book for people moving up in the world (published by St. Martin's Press in
hardcover 1985 and softcover 1986). St. Martin's
gave her a nationwide tour. She wrote
under the name Jan Darling. (It's a long story.)
St. Martin's Press
also bought her second book, a book about women living with difficult men.
Her third book was a mystery about scuba diving deaths in the Caymen Islands.
It remains hidden in her closet--for everyone's benefit.
Jan,
a lifelong animal lover, she has shared her life with three Springer Spaniels, a Pointer, a "found" Beagle
mix, two Yorkies, a neurotic
rescued Cockapoo who hated her mother, and now Jiggy and
Chiclet. Other animals in her life have included several Quarter horses, a Thoroughbred, four Quarter
Horse-Thoroughbred mixes, a
red-eyed Jack rabbit named Ruby, 8 box turtles, assorted horned toads, countless aquariums full of freshwater tropical fish and a fearless duck named Anastasia.
Her
business career consisted of numerous jobs in the
computer industry in San Diego, Boston and New York
City. Her final two positions were as National
Sales Manager and National Marketing Manager
for two computer companies.
She was also the only woman (at that
time) in commercial real estate in San Diego.
Jan
researched the information in Scared Poopless so
that her dogs Jiggy and Chiclet could live
long, healthy lives. She hopes it helps
other dogs do the same.
About Chiclet
Chiclet The Dog is a spayed seven-year-old Maltese
female tipping the scales (after eating) at a whopping four pounds. A real crowd pleaser, Chiclet loves
appearing on television and at book signings and other gatherings where people can tell her how cute she is. She adores performing tricks,
her best being her dead-on impression of Marilyn Monroe.
At home Chiclet enjoys barking at the bunnies that taunt her from outside our sliding glass door. She loves television commercials, particularly those with dogs, bears or horses. She
hates the sound hot air balloons make as they pass over our house.
Despite two knee surgeries, natural arthritis meds and on-going acupuncture, Chiclet's back legs hurt a little. As a consequence, she hops like a jackrabbit rather than runs. Her favorite sport is napping.
Chiclet loves posing for photos and will allow you to pose her like a pipe-cleaner figure. She also likes clowning around.
(See her here hiding amongst her toys and sticking out her tongue at the photographer.)
Chiclet was four when she took up writing and web surfing. She lives for tummy rubs.
When not too busy,
she will "pencil you in" for a hug.
About Jiggy
Jiggy is a seven-year-old neutered male Maltese weighing almost nine pounds. Born on St. Patrick's day, he is two months older than Chiclet. The dogs share the same grandfather and love each other dearly.
Sometimes when they play, Jiggy tries to make himself as small and low to the floor as possible so Chiclet won't feel overwhelmed by his size and quit playing. Other times, he drags her around by the tail, something (inexplicably) she doesn't seem to mind. She'll even taunt him until he does it.
Jiggy
is a consummate
jock, and like most jocks, watches a lot of TV. His
favorite movie star, other than the dog
superstar Benji, is the piglet Babe.
Jiggy, aka Jiggilious, is larger than Chiclet because his parents were larger than hers, not because he's a guy. He developed autoimmune hepatitis when he was one, but has never appeared sick a single day in his life.
The disease was detected by a blood test and he
continues to be tested quarterly.
Jiggy is Jan's constant
shadow and loves to be hugged. Jan usually, but not
always, wins their staring
contests.
ABOUT
THE PHOTOGRAPHS
This is Jiggy "flying."
No dog was harmed or even stressed during our photographic sessions, although they frequently appeared bored. Keeping them awake
and interested required tubs of steamed broccoli, green beans and carrots--and
promises were made. I won't divulge the specifics,
but suffice it to say that tummy tickles, longer
walks and TV-remote privileges were discussed.
The two
beautiful children in the book, Kai and Sophia, participated voluntarily, thinking the whole thing was a big game. Their mother, our friend Karyn, was always present.
People
often ask how the photographer got the terrific cover photo of Jiggy looking, well, scared poopless.
(Hence the title.) Jan will only say that contrary to what one TV host suggested,
she did not drop him from a two-story building. Nor from any height at all. No fan or glue was used.
The photograph was altered only to remove one weirdly placed foot that appeared to be growing out of his belly.
Someday
they'll have a contest and will reveal Our Big Secret. In the meantime, suffice it to say that Jiggy was having fun.
A few photos—like the one
opening the vaccination chapter--were indeed "faked" with Photo Shop. Chiclet wasn't even in the same city as the rest of the
vaccination picture. It's a tribute to our photographer
Scott Minor's genius.
The gator confronting Chiclet in our "Not-So-Great Outdoors" chapter had long ago gone off to
that happy golf course lake in the sky. All the cars in the chapter "Auto Anxiety" were parked;
action was faked by blurring the cars in Photoshop.
A large fan blew their hair.
The
black backgrounds in the photos of Chiclet and Jiggy
were achieved using a black velour blanket lifted from
the bed.
Scott Miner took most of the best shots of Chiclet and Jiggy, although
Jan took some, including the shots of the dogs recuperating from their surgeries and
the one of Chiclet "doing Karate." The ideas for some of the photos which might be best described as "out there"
were mostly the product of Jan's warped mind, although Scott had plenty of dark moments, too!
Learn more about our other terrific photographers on
Our Helpers page.
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