Pet Insurance?

After taking Bo to the vet with his THIRD broken fingernail this year (long story- what a spastic dog!), I am beginning to realize that perhaps I should look into pet insurance.  But after researching for an hour or so, I am utterly baffled.  There are so many different plans and options.  Some just cover a percentage of everything and others only cover certain illnesses/accidents.  And yet other articles/blogs I read suggested that it is a waste of money all together!

After a lot of reading, the best bit of advice I think I walked away with was to put away the money you would spend on a pet insurance plan each month into a special (high-interest, of course!) savings account for future dog needs.  That way you can slowly build up a cushion for any puppy emergencies, routine care, or even for a rare splurge you would never have spent otherwise.  Plus there are no restrictions on what is/isn’t covered since it is just cash.

Even if it is just a temporary solution until you decide if pet insurance (and which kind of plan) is for you, I thought it wasn’t a bad bit of advice.  I felt like I should pass it on… it never hurts to prepare for those ghastly vet bills! Thoughts?

Dog's Gotta Eat!

I don't know about your dogs, but mine is like an endless pit when it comes to chow!  So in order to save a little cash, head on over to Centinela today because it is the last day of their Food Frenzy Sales Event.  With locations all over LA, it makes it easy to save a few bucks!

Bow Wow Bungalow

What to do with the pup when you get invited to a fun weekend away?  For a while I didn’t think I would feel comfortable boarding Bo, especially in a place that was just rows of indoor kennels.  Then I found the Bow Wow Bungalow in Burbank and I couldn’t imagine a better puppy paradise if I tried!

The website says it best: “The BWB offers it all, from daycare and boarding to grooming and training… With names like the Bone Zone, Heartbreak Hotel, and Aint' Misbehaven, the accommodations are as fun and creative as the sunny colors that coat the walls.  When not sleeping peacefully, the lucky patrons can stretch their limbs by racing around the vast private dog park and swimming in the enormous raspberry-colored bone shaped pool, complete with a cascading waterfall and several fountains, tunnels, bridges, toys, and plenty of playful, energetic staff complete the picture, making recreation time at the BWB a canine fantasy come true!”

This place is amazing!  The dogs all play together in a giant open yard (or the indoor “Jungle” in poor weather), enjoying the pool, the sunshine, and the belly rubs from the staff.  The staff members are so fantastic- they are attentive, helpful, and so sweet to all of the dogs.  Not only do they share stories of your pup’s adventures when you come to pick them up, but they even email you pictures of your pooch during the stay!  It is such a treat to get a picture of my ecstatic swimming pup in my inbox when we are apart.  And if you really miss your dog, you can watch them on the website's webcam!!

While doggie daycare and boarding are never cheap, this place makes it WELL worth the $40 daycare fee or the $65 boarding fee (per day).  They even offer discounts when you buy a package of daycare visits.

Long story short, the Bow Wow Bungalow makes me so happy to know that my dog is enjoying puppy paradise while I enjoy some time of my own as well!

Strut Your Mutt- UPDATE!

Looks like the total for Sunday's Strut Your Mutt walk was $203,100 raised by over 1,100 participants!  Congrats pups and parents!

Click here to read an article about the event from the Best Friends Animal Society website.

Ready, Set... STRUT!

What a success! This morning was the Strut Your Mutt walk at the Santa Monica Pier and it was so fantastic to watch pups and parents walking to support "No More Homeless Pets."

 

Beginning with some yoga and stretching (for both humans and their canine companions!), the walk kicked off at 8am with participants grouped into over 20 dog packs. Sean, Bo, and I walked as a part of the Best Friends Dog Pack LA to raise money for the organization that hosted the event.

Well, let me rephrase that: Sean and I walked and Bo was carried because he hurt his foot on Thursday and it was all bandaged up!  Let me tell you- 15 lbs. of dog in your arms gets VERY tiring after a while…

Regardless, Bo was a trooper and we all enjoyed walking through the fog with many happy pups.  After the walk, there was a doggie festival with music, belly rubs, food & treats, contests, local vendors, free swag, and LOTS of fun!

I believe that Best Friends raised over $200,000 in pre-registration alone, so I really look forward to hearing the grand total.  There were also some dogs there looking for a new family so I hope there were a few adoptions as well!

 

Who's Your Daddy?

I was on a plane today and decided to entertain myself by flipping through the SkyMall Magazine.  On one of the first pages this caught my eye and I was oh so tempted...

Canine Geneology Kit

While it is only $60, I know that if I were ACTUALLY to try and find out what makes up my adorable bundle of love, I probably wouldn't buy the kit from SkyMall Magazine (no offence, SkyMall- I love you).  Also, I have heard an urban legend about a friend-of-a-friend sending in a DNA test for her dog through a reputable company and receiving a response that essentially said "your mutt is too mixed to tell."  Despite my skepticism, I am genuinely curious to know if these tests work.  Any experience or insight?

Camping at Castaic

Happy Labor Day!  I hope you are all out enjoying the sunshine.  I spent the long weekend camping on Castaic Lake with Sean and Bo.  So here’s the scoop...

If you are looking for a quiet, remote, secluded camping trip, this is NOT the place to go.  However, if you are just looking for fun, pet-friendly lakeside get away that's not too far from home then this fits the bill!  Perhaps our experience was a bit rowdier than usual, as it was Labor Day weekend and everyone was out celebrating.

 

The campground is pet-friendly, as long as you have your dog on leash.  However, we just used a 10ft rope to keep Bo within the confines of our campsite and he was perfectly content. The one issue with our campsite was that there was no shade so we had to create some with what we brought.  In hindsight, it would have been really smart to bring a shade canopy.  However, despite the lack of shade, make sure you get a campsite on the water (not in second row because it feels like you are camping in a parking lot) and on the outskirts of the campground.  The main campsites are on top of each other and it looks like a tailgate party, whereas we had no one behind us (we were at C15, but C17 might have been the nicest).  Definitely bring LOTS of water for you and your dog also… it is so dry out there and it’s easy to get dehydrated.

We spent most of the trip enjoying the lake.  The first day we discovered that dogs couldn’t go to the swimming beach, but humans couldn’t swim anywhere but the designated swim area.  So even though we could not swim with Bo, we realized that we could let him swim on leash by our campsite while we lounged in the shade.  The campground also allows dogs on the grassy area just behind the swimming beach, so you could spend the day on the grass in the shade and go swimming with an eye on your pup.

Another fun way to take advantage of the lake was to rent a kayak for the day and bring the dog with us.  It was a simple two person kayak that was perfect for Bo’s first boating adventure.  One important tip: bring a puppy life jacket with you!  A dog life preserver is required if you want to bring the dog on the boat, but (unlike human life jackets) they do not provide them.  In fact, the guys who rented us the kayak said that Bo was the first dog they had ever let onto a boat because we were the only ones to ever bring a life jacket.  We are such pioneers!

I got Bo the Paws Aboard yellow life jacket and it was perfect!  It had a handy leash hook so the jacket doubled as a harness on the way down to the beach.  Most importantly, it had a study handle on the top of the jacket so if your pup took a swim, you could just lift him out by his handle!  I assume this would be more difficult with a large dog, but it was perfect for my 15 lb. furry friend.

Bo absolutely LOVED kayaking… especially jumping off the boat to swim and torment the ducks.

The second day, we took Bo on a hike down an old entrance road to an abandon 1970s campground back from when the dam was constructed.  It was shaded by giant pine trees and looked out over the dam, the main lake, and the old campground ruins. 

It was only about 1.5 or 2 miles down and back, so it was a short, easy hike for a hot day.  The trail head is at A (and there is a loop at B to head back):

View Larger Map

We spent the rest of the trip sitting by the lake in our camping chairs reading, eating, and chatting while Bo swam in the lake and napped in the shade.  It was wonderfully relaxing!

As far as a pet-friendly travel destination for the weekend, Castaic certainly worked for us.  I would say that as long as you come prepared (sunscreen, some kind of shade, lots of water, doggie life jacket, and earplugs) and are creative with the way you spend your time, then you can have an enjoyable, inexpensive outdoor mini-vacation!

Looking to Adopt a New Friend?

For all of you wannabe pet parents (yay congrats!) who are not travelling this weekend, be sure to check out some local adoptions.  It is a great way to meet a bunch of potential pups from shelters and rescue groups in your area.  If you see a dog on the organization’s website that you are particularly excited to meet, be sure to contact them ahead of time to ensure they bring that little guy to the event!

If you are a Valley dweller like me, definitely stop by the Burbank Animal Shelter Adoptions on Saturday at Centinela on Olive.

If Burbank isn’t near you, don’t worry because there are adoptions all over town! Here are a just a few taking place this weekend in different parts of LA:

• Hearts for Hounds- Long Beach
  http://www.heartsforhounds.com/
  Special Adoption Event:
  Saturday September 4, 2010 at 11am
  1354 Obispo Ave, Long Beach, CA  
  Long Beach Alamitos Bay Marina's Farmers Market:
  Weekly Adoptions take place every Sunday at 10:30am at:
  E. Marina Dr. South of E. 2nd St. Long Beach, CA 90803  
  (adjacent to Marina Pacific Mall)
  

• Save A Live Rescue Shelter- West LA
  http://www.save-a-life.org/
  Weekly adoptions are Saturdays and Sundays from 1-6pm at:
  Petco, West Los Angeles
  1873 Westwood Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 20025
  

• Voice for the Animals Foundation- Pacific Palisades
  http://www.vftafoundation.org/
  Weekly Adoptions are Sundays from 10:00am-1:30pm at:
  Pacific Palisades Farmers Market
  15305 W. Sunset Blvd. Pacific Palisades, CA 90272
  (corner of Sunset and Swarthmore)

• Hounds of Hope Dog Rescue and The Mutt Movement- Larchmont Village, Mid-Wilshire
  http://houndsofhope.com/ and http://themuttmovement.com/
  Weekly Adoptions are Sundays from 11am-3pm at:
  Larchmont Village Farmers Market
  147 N Larchmont Boulevard,Los Angeles, CA 90004
  (between Beverly and 3rd- in front of Blockbuster video)

And remember that even if you don't find your new best friend at an adoption event, don't be too disappointed because you have taken one step forward in learning what dog will be right for you. The more dogs you meet, the better your understanding of the size, breed, and personality that suits you!

Strut Your Mutt- Sept 19th

Walk your dog with hundreds of other dogs on the scenic Pacific Ocean... and raise money to help protect and find families for homeless pets while you do it!  You certainly can't beat having fun for a great cause!

The Strut Your Mutt walk will be taking place on the Santa Monica Pier on Saturday, September 19th.  Remember to set your alarms because registration begins at 6:30am (yikes!) and the walk kicks off at 8:30am sharp!  Registration is only $30 to join the walk and your friends, family, coworkers, etc. can help sponsor you and your mutt as well.

Why walk?

1. MOST IMPORTANTLY- it is for an amazing cause!  Help raise money to support local rescue groups in their mission to find every four-legged friend a loving home.  Click here to find out more about the mission of the Best Friends Animal Society (and its local rescue groups).

2.  It's only $30!  That is less than you would pay for a tank of gas or a haircut!  Plus, you also get a free tee shirt with a cute dog on it.  Bonus! :)

3. Two words- Doggy Festival!  After the walk until 1pm, there will be a festival to celebrate everyone's efforts.  According to the website, the fun includes:

• Belly Rub Hub- free dog massages!
  
• Downward Dog- free yoga for you and your pup to unwind after your walk
  
• Canine Cafe- free canine treats from local vendors
• Doggie Boutique- shopping, shopping, shopping.
• There will also be games, contests, photo ops, music, food, and even a pet communicator and psychic!

 

*Get more info and register today!*