So you want to go on vacation but don’t want to leave poor Fido in doggie-daycare and poor Fluffy at the kitty-inn… And who could blame you? Pets are part of the family so why shouldn’t they get to come on vacation, too?Whether you’re looking to take your pet on “vacay” or you’re moving and need to travel with pets, there are plenty of options out there for pet-friendly travel, transportation and pet-friendly hotels.

** First and foremost, before you leave make sure your pet is healthy enough to travel. Sometimes your vet may recommend he/she is not fit for travel based on age, temperament, health conditions, etc. Also be sure your pet has been properly vaccinated and is up-to-date on all other shots.**

Read the rest of this entry »

The contest that Saving Shelter Pets is taking part of ends soon. They need your help to get the most donations! SixDegrees (Kevin Bacon’s online charitable initiative) and Hanes, sponsor the contest, and the six charities who collect the highest NUMBER of donations will win a matching funds grant for up to $10,000. With just 9 days left in the contest (it ends 9/16), they are currently in 2nd, with a little over 300 donations) - but all the other charities in the contest are working VERY hard to collect donations for their causes. The competition is heating up!

Read the rest of this entry »

I got a press release about protecting pets from fleas and ticks. This is an important topic, so I thought I would repost the press release here if you are interested in learning more.

Potential for Lyme disease spreading at an alarming rate International researchers say spread of parasites could increase incidence of Lyme and other tick-borne diseases

SHAWNEE, Kan. (Nov. 1, 2007) — According to the world’s top veterinary researchers, the numbers of blood-feeding parasites, such as ticks, are growing at an epidemic rate. Not only are their numbers increasing, but they are spreading rapidly across the country.

Read the rest of this entry »

I got an interesting email recently from Ashley about protecting your pets from ticks. We live in the mountains, so it was good information for us, but ticks live in a lot of other places too!

As a fellow pet owner, I wanted to let you know about a growing issue that affects the health of your pets and your family. In these cold winter months, pet owners like us are taking comfort (and warmth) in snuggling up with our closest companions. But there’s something important to consider before we let our dogs too close, and it’s this: are our dogs tick free? Of course ticks are a nuisance — I mean, who of us would want them in our beds? But the problem is even greater now for two reasons: 1) there are a growing number of ticks in this country; which translates into 2) a growing threat of the diseases associated with them.

Read the rest of this entry »

There is a great website called Peternity.com that offers really nice ways to honor your pets. Although the site offers a lot of great products to honor a pet that has passed away, they also have some fun things to honor your pet while they are still with you.

I was lucky enough to get a sample of two of their items, the glass engraved cube, and the customized pet blanket. The memorial cube is really pretty, and has an engraving of the dog and then the name of the dog and dates, which was done in a way to make it look 3 dimensional. The photo blanket is really cute, nice and heavy which makes it warm, and very soft. Since you can make it from any photo you want, it would be a perfect gift for any occasion (I think it would be a fun Valentine present for a pet lover).

Read the rest of this entry »

It seems that our country’s leadership has, in the past and present, always relished the four-legged folk that we all love so much. 

In honor of Presidents’ Day today I thought I’d give a quick woof/meow out to some of our U.S. Presidents’ notable pets! There are quite a few pet-lovers in our past. Here goes…

George W. Bush: One English Springer Spaniel (Spot Fetcher) and two Scottish Terriers (Barney and Read the rest of this entry »

There is a great new social networking site for pet owners in the UK. It’s called All About Pets, a community website run by The Blue Cross, Britain’s pet charity. I loved what they said about the site’s purpose, and wanted to quote it here:

In creating this site we hope we have made the perfect website for animal lovers; a place to talk to like-minded people and make friends, discover events taking place near you around the country, learn more about your favourite furry friend and most importantly, have fun! Enjoy exploring the site and getting involved as much or as little as you wish. The surveys, listings groups and forums are only as helpful as the people who use them. Use the search tool at the top-right of the website if you are having trouble finding your way around. The orange panel of navigation across is your simplest route to each area, but also make use of the Popular keywords, latest posts and other cross-links to explore.

Read the rest of this entry »

When I received the following email it broke my heart. First for the women and men who are in violent situations at home, and then for the animals who have to witness it. Anyone who loves a pet knows what a hard choice it would be to leave your spouse if you knew you had to leave your pet behind. Ahimsa House is pioneering ways to help both women and pets who are victims of domestic violence. Please read this and pass it on if you can:

Women residing at domestic violence shelters were nearly 11 times more likely to report that their partner had hurt or killed pets than a comparison group of women who said they had not experienced intimate violence. As a result, many victims stay in abusive relationships out of concern for their pets.

Read the rest of this entry »

People aren’t the only ones who suffer when they lose their homes, pets often lose their homes too. This article made me really sad.

The wreckage of the subprime mortgage crisis has caused human pain far and wide, but its victims also include a band of seven gentle, woolly-coated huskies.
more stories like this

Their owner was a recent widow facing eviction from her foreclosed home. She had brought the dogs to the Animal Rescue League of Boston where she reluctantly signed paperwork surrendering them for adoption.

Read the rest of this entry »

Comb through the unseen healthy hair and get rid of the shedding hair; this is what most groomers do first before cutting your pets coat. A professional pet groomer will take their time when grooming each pet; they will make sure they do their best, because they understand that is what it takes to keep your business. You have to groom some animals all at once, while a lot of other animals have so much hair that it is easier to do a little at a time each day. Dog grooming seminars are usually advertised in dog grooming papers; these seminars are designed to help you get a feel for dog grooming.

Read the rest of this entry »