The Road to BarkWorld Expo: Yappy Hour Prize and Pals!

Got an exciting box delivered by a man in a big truck today!
Any treats in here for me??

A few weeks ago we had a great time at the BarkWorld Expo Social Media Yappy Hour on Twitter. There were lots of games and prizes -- check out the photos to see what Cosmo won from Sugar Chic Couture -- and we got all fired up about seeing all our pals at BarkWorld Expo in Atlanta, August 20-22!

At BarkWorld Expo, pet owners and businesses will learn all about the power of social media and hear it straight from the horse's mouth! ... and chat with some dogs, ferrets and ducks who will be attending too!

The impressive speaker list includes our pal Natalie Malaszenko at PETCO, Caroline Golon who is staffperson for the remarkable fundraising cat Romeo the Cat, and Lynn Haigh, founder of PawPawty Twitter fundraising events and mum to our great pal Frugal Dougal.

We also can't wait to see one of our first social media pals, Johann the Dog, and his mom Leslie May, the founder of Pawsible Marketing. There will be so many amazing speakers, be sure to check out the whole list here!

In addition, there will be lots of fun events at Atlantic Station, site of the event, and incredible swag, Cosmo's favorite part!  So what are you waiting for??? Register here and we'll see you at BarkWorld in just a few weeks! You know you want to!

I won this pawmazing Bark-tini treat jar from Sugar Chic at the BarkWorld Yappy Hour!
What's in it for me?!

Looks great on the counter too, still waiting for the
treats to appear, tap, tap, tap...

Noms for a Cause: Easy as 1-2-3!

I helped organize our neighborhood donation

of 230 pounds of pet food to Save Our Pets Food Bank!

Never one to part with a morsel of food, even Cosmo knows when it's the right thing to do.  So when we read about the Be the Change for Pets Dog Days of Summer Pet Food Drive, we told a few of our neighbors and everyone wanted to help.

Today we made our donation of 230 pounds of pet food to Save Our Pets Food Bank in Atlanta!

Save Our Pets, founded by our neighbor Ann King, has helped more than 1,500 families, 500 pet rescue groups and more than 3,000 pets since July 2008.

Ann also has compiled a national pet food bank directory. To get your pet food assistance program listed, send an email with your organization's contact info and details to bloomeyceo@aol.com.

It's not too late to pawticipate in the Be the Change for Pets pet food drive. From now through July 31, here's all you need to do:

1. Go to the Be the Change for Pets Facebook page

2. Print a flyer and take a picture of it with you and your food donation for the Dog Days of Summer Pet Food Drive

3. Donate to a local shelter or pet food bank

Thanks and Cosmo smooches to our BlogPaws pals for organizing Be the Change for Pets and this much-needed pet food drive!

Huge thanks to our friends and neighbors for the generous donations!
We love pet people!

It's easy as 1-2-3 to Be the Change for Pets! Play the vid, get inspired and help the anipals who need it most!

 

These Boots Are Made for Dog Walking

These boots are made for dog walking

MARC BY MARC JACOBS "Cartoon" Rain Boots

What does Bloomingdale's have to do with dogs? First, the retailer is known for its incredible pet-friendly policies. Whenever we shop there, the sales people are super friendly and greet Cosmo with appropriate squeals of delight.  They race around to find dog biscuits for him and comment on how well he matches the decor of the store. So when we saw these boots in today's Bloomingdale's email, we said to ourselves, "these boots are made for dog walking!" They're super cute with Marc Jacobs cartoon characters that look something like bunnies, kitties, owls and, if you squinch your eyes, little doggies, among the hearts, stars, spades and clovers.  And besides that, Cosmo in all his back and white furry fabulousness, would look great next to these boots.

And while these boots may not be pink, like our favorites worn by our pal Frugal Dougal, they're still worthy of a song. Cue video below and start singing... "These boots are made for dog walking and that's just what they'll do... "

Love the Water? Love Your Dog!

                                Got my sea legs on and ready to go!

                                                                  

This time of year, thoughts turn to fun-in-the-sun summer activities which, if you’re lucky, may include a boating adventure on the high seas! We know that taking a few safety precautions can keep boaters and pets safe and happy on the water.

And that’s why Sea Ray Boats, in conjunction with Nestle Purina PetCare, created the Pet and Water Safety (PAWS) program. In a recent survey of its customers, Sea Ray found that more than 60 percent of Sea Ray boat owners had dogs and cats – primarily dogs – and nearly two-thirds of them take their pets on their boats between five and 15 times a season.

"A number of boating groups and websites encourage the use of dog lifejackets, but not a lot of other practical advice exists," said Rob Noyes, vice president of marketing of Sea Ray.  "Since a lot of our owners have pets and take them boating, we saw this as an opportunity to step up and create a primary resource on the subject.  And Nestle Purina, with its long-standing dedication to responsible pet care and safety, is a great partner."

Sea Ray worked with Nestle Purina – the official pet food sponsor of PAWS – to launch a PAWS website at www.petandwatersafety.com.  The site includes safety tips, feature articles, guidelines, contests, gear, and special offers from PAWS sponsors.

"It's crucial for pet owners to be aware of the special considerations for pets when they're around the water," said Chris Padgett, vice president of marketing for the Purina brand.  "We're proud to take a lead role in the PAWS program.  Pets and pet owners love the water and boats, and PAWS is a great way to deliver important messages about pet safety."

Some PAWS safety tips:

Don’t assume your pet will automatically take to boating. Dogs and cats like firm, stable surfaces, and a boat can be anything but stable.

Take short trips at first to let your pet get acclimated to the pitch and roll of boating. Remember, if you can get seasick, so can your pets.

Make sure there are no hazardous or dangerous materials within your pet’s reach. Nosy pets in the fishing tackle can spell disaster!


For more safety tips check out www.petandwatersafety.com.

And don't forget your safety vest!

Blog the Change Day: Taking the Plunge

We can’t think of a better day than today to take the plunge with our very first blog post. We’ve been inspired by so many of our anipals to “Be the Change,” helping anipals who need it most while having loads of fun and sharing great tips and stories along the way. 

So in honor of Blog the Change Day  we sniffed out some great causes we want to share with our anipals. We also had an interesting event happen this afternoon that couldn’t have happened on a better day.

We were driving through the neighborhood with our pal Jenny who owns Canine Academy and Playschool when we spotted a young man bent over his dog. We stopped the car and asked if everything was ok. He answered that he was concerned the dog was too hot so they stopped in the shade to rest. This was a friend’s dog he was taking care of, he said, so he wasn’t aware how the heat can affect a dog very quickly... even while doing something that seems harmless like a nice, afternoon walk.    

Only it was 90-plus degrees outside and the pair had already been walking for about 20 minutes. 

So the happy ending is... Jenny sprung into action, getting the young man and dog inside her nice, air conditioned vehicle. Then we took them the few blocks back to Canine Academy -- which also conveniently has a grooming tub. We cooled the dog down with cool water and placed cool wet cloths on her feet and around her head. 

Luckily, our new friend had done the right thing to start with by stopping to rest in the shade.  And the activity wasn’t extremely rigorous. But it still provided a useful, potentially life-saving lesson about how quickly our fluffy friends can overheat. For more about having a fun, safe summer with your four-leggers, About.com shares these useful tips. 

These ducks know how to stay cool

Upcoming events and causes

Since we’re in Atlanta, here are a couple of great ways to help in our own backyard and one global one too!

Mostly Mutts Animal Adoption

Check out some new pals at Mostly Mutts Animal Rescue 

dog adoptions this Sunday, July 18 at Pet Supermarket at Ansley Mall. 11:30 a.m. - 4 pm., 1544 Piedmont Ave., Atlanta.  Mostly Mutts also has dog adoptions every Saturday at PetSmart on Barrett Pkwy just west of I-75, from 11:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Pawsta for a Purrpose dinner and silent auction

Spay/Neuter SOS (Society of the South), is hosting a three course dinner and silent auction, in a gorgeous venue of Historic Acworth, Ga., on Friday, August 13. Tickets are only $45 per person in advance (or $40 per person, when 2 or more tickets purchased at once). Price includes a full dinner, dessert, and the first glass of wine or beer. Checks can be sent to: 2774 N. Cobb Pkwy. Suite #109, Box #189 Kennesaw, GA 30152 (payable to Spay/Neuter Campaign). To donate silent auction items please email spayneutersos@gmail.com. 

Dog Days of Summer Pet Food Drive

Our BlogPaws pals are the brains and brawn behind the next Be the Change for Pets challenge! Go to the Be the Change for Pets Facebook page, print a flyer and take a picture of it with you and your food donation for the Dog Days of Summer Pet Food Drive. Then donate to a local shelter or pet food bank. The challenge runs July 19 - July 31.