Fun Friday News- April 29, 2011

Two spcaLA shout-outs on this beautiful Friday evening!

The Wagging Wishes event at the Long Beach Recreation Dog Park takes place tomorrow from 1-4pm.  The event, intended to raise money and awareness for the spcaLA, is a day of fun and games for you and the pup! There is a local dog show with many prizes, local vendors, and of course tons of doggies to enjoy.  Tickets are $10 (or $15 for 2, $20 for 3) so bring your friends and enjoy the sunshine for a good cause!

The spcaLA is also hosting the second annual Bark in the Park at Dodgers Stadium on May 28th.  The fun begins with a "Pup Rally" at 5:10pm with prizes and a skateboarding demo by Tillman, followed by a puppy parade on the field!  The game against the Florida Marlins begins at 7:10pm and the entire bark in the park will have great seats in the all-you-can-eat pavillion. Tickets for dogs and humans are each $30 and they are going fast.  Dodger dogs + real dogs = paradise! :)

Happy Friday and have a great weekend!

  

Vintage Enoteca

I just met a girlfriend for dinner and drinks at a very cute wine bar in Hollywood called Vintage Enoteca.  After a delicious meal that involved wine, a burrata panini, and sausage flatbread (yum, yum, yum.), I noticed they had dog treats at the cash register.  I asked if they were dog-friendly and they answered with an emphatic yes, followed of course by cell phone pictures of each of the employees' dogs!  They have a patio out front where you can come and enjoy a delicious meal and bring the pup.  Hooray for good food, good wine, and good dogs! :)


Location: 7554 West Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90046
 

Wine Vacation in Solvang

After a wonderful weekend free of internet and all things non-alcoholic, I finally made it back to my computer to post about the amazing trip I took to Solvang, CA, for Easter weekend!  I have been on a wine kick lately and wanted to spend a little time à la Sideways. :)  Of course I wanted to have the dog with me while I indulged myself so I did a bunch of research pre-trip to ensure dog-friendly fun.

I checked into the Wine Valley Inn with W (names shall remain anonymous until I get around to asking them if they mind admitting to travelling with Bo and I... haha) and were immediately greeted with a complimentary glass of wine! THAT is my kind of place.  Our room, located right outside an old bell tower, was gorgeous and unique... not to mention pet-friendly (as are all of the rooms here for an additional $25 a night)!  We didn't realize that most places close by 9pm off-season, so we ended up having a hilarious Mexican food feast in Danish country because it was the only place we could find that was still open (we found a few other places the next night though so not to worry).

Saturday began with a breakfast at the hotel followed by a trip to one of my favorite vineyards in Solvang, Shoestring Winery. The owners are super dog-friendly and even have their own dog, Scooter, in a Wine Dogs book!  If you want some of the best wine in the Santa Ynez Valley paired with a beautiful atmosphere and amazing owners, you have to check this place out! I dare you to not join the wine club after you visit the first time! :)

We spent the afternoon outside at the Wandering Dog Wine Bar enjoying many glasses of wine and some delicious cheese!  They were even happy to have Bo inside but it was too sunny to pass up an outdoor table (complete with doggie water bowls).  A bunch of their wine was dog-themed, such as Chien Tarchete (Spotted Dog) and the house wine Wandering Dog "Leila."  I would go back to this place in a heartbeat!

Later (after a danish and a nap), we spent the evening at Carvintas Winery, a dog-friendly tasting room in Solvang. As we entered, we saw a big drawing of Bandit the dog who highly recommended wine consumption!  The bartender Beth was so sweet to us, explaining all of the wines and suggesting breakfast options for the hangover cure.  The best part of this place?  A portion of their profits goes to local shelters to support rescue pups (a lucky few even end up on their labels!).  Bo was not only welcome inside the tasting room... they even offered him his choice of doggie beds!

We finished off the trip with a Danish breakfast Sunday morning at the Greenhouse Cafe and a stroll around the town.  Needless to say, this was a wonderful dog-friendly trip!  Bo was absolutely exhausted when I got home and I couldn't wait to drink a bottle of water!  If you are looking for an excuse to get out of the city for a weekend, this paradise is only a couple hours away.
  

Beach Day at Leo Carrillo

In order to celebrate the BEAUTIFUL 90+ degree day in LA yesterday, I decided to go to Leo Carrillo State Beach in Malibu with Bo.  The beach allows dogs on-leash anywhere on their beach north of Tower 3.

I parked in the general day-use parking ($12 so you may want to try and find a spot on the PCH) and walked up to the dog-friendly part of the beach. Once I got there, I realized that many people disobey the on-leash only rule with their well-behaved pups (but that rebellion is up to you!).  There were tons of dogs but also plenty of places for humans to relax and have a proper beach day.

We brought a picnic lunch (this beach allows dogs AND food... yay!)  and socialized with all kinds of dogs and their owners. We were lucky enough to find a spot next to some rocks that provided some shade, but make sure you bring an umbrella for the pup just in case!

All-in-all, this was a perfect beach day!  Bo had an absolute blast and came home sandy/exhausted! He also came home with a tick though, so make sure to check your pup when you get home.  Meanwhile, unlike Long Beach (which is great but it feels like going to the dog park that happens to be on a beach rather than going to the beach with the dog), I felt like I had a really relaxing beach day on a gorgeous LA day.  This is going to be a staple in my summer weekend routine!  See you there :)

  

Reading at the Vet

While I was waiting at the vet for Bo to take a follow-up thyroid test yesterday, I sat down with the April issue of The Bark and The Pet Press.  A few fun things...

After yesterday's wine discovery, I saw another interesting dog/wine combo.  Kunde Family Estate Vineyard in Sonoma hosts an Eco-Tour hike of their vineyard for dogs and their humans!  The hike lasts for 4 hours, costs $50 (a portion goes to local shelters), and incluses a wine tasting (not for the dogs obviously). If you are in wine country durning the dates listed on the website, you might want to check this out!

The Sam Simon Foundation does FREE spay/neuter surgeries at their mobile clinic for low-income families (or poor 20-somethings like me)!  Check out their website for dates/locations.  It looks like April will have locations in North Hollywood, Studio City, Hollywood, and Lennox Park.

North Hollywood's Kulak's Woodshed hosts a monthly Animal Night where they invite people and their (potty-trained) pets to enjoy live music by local artists.  The event requests a $10 donation to help support shelter animals.  Animal Night, hosted by Julie Chadwick, takes place on the last Saturday of the month.  The next event is on April 30 from 5:00-7:00pm.  Maybe don't bring your dog if he likes to howl along with singing people... :)

Just wanted to let everyone know about these fun little findings!  Have a great weekend and enjoy the sunshine!
  

Mutt Lynch Winery

After a quiet couple of weeks for dogs in LA, I finally saw something today that made me so happy (ok and more than a little jealous!).  Let me preface this by saying that I have three true loves in this world: dogs, wine, and television.  I dream of owning a winery someday and I (obviously) love pups! I have been thinking in the past few months that it would be incredible to have a winery that donates a portion of their profit to pups in need.  And low and behold- what do I stumble across today?  Mutt Lynch Winery in Healdsburg, CA- just north of Sonoma.

This place seems amazing!  They have dog-inspired labels and a dog-friendly tasting room.  Not only that but they support many great rescues with every sip people take of their tail-wagging wine!  This is literally Erika's (and Bo's) paradise.

Ok, so I was a little bummed that I wasn't the brilliant pioneer behind this idea but I am SO SO SO excited that a place like this exists at all!  In fact, I have been trying to plan my first trip to Sonoma and this place may be the little push I needed to finally book it.  Who's with me?

At the very least, pick up a bottle at a store near you and drink wine for a good cause!  Cheers to that.


Location: 602 Limerick Lane, Healdsburg, CA 95448
 

Fun Friday News- April 1, 2011

Welcome to our first ever Fun Friday News!  Also happy April Fool's Day but I promise none of these stories are pranks. :)

The Wags Club in Santa Monica opens its doors today.  According to their website:

 

"The Wags Club is a premiere, cage-free indoor/outdoor dog daycare, boarding and grooming service in Santa Monica. We believe in providing every dog a home away from home... The only dog daycare in Santa Monica/West L.A. to offer a 4500 sq. ft grassy play area for dogs, The Wags Club is the ultimate destination for your pet's fun, comfort and relaxation."

For all of you on the Westside, this place sounds great!  And they have fantastic prices. So check it out and let me know how it is!

In other news...

Found Animals Foundation will be opening Adopt & Shop in April.  This adoption center in Lakewood will also contain retail items and supplies you will need for your newly adopted friend!  Similar to the convenience buying pups from a pet store (but without the puppy-mill doggies), this place will be a one-stop-shop for adopting a new family member.  This adoption center will be paired with Southeast Area Animal Control Authority to make sure there will plenty of potential new family members for you!

Found Animals’ Adopt & Shop
Where: Lakewood Center Mall, Lakewood, CA
Opens: Tuesday April 12
Hours: Tuesdays-Sundays 12-6pm
Grand Opening Pet Fair: Saturday April 30th from 10am – 4pm featuring $5 pet microchips, pet information, and fun activities for the whole family

And lastly...

Bo is looking super shiny and luxurious after a week or so on the new "fatty" diet.  Just an FYI. :)

Happy Friday!