Surprise!

Surprise! Bet you didn't count on seeing any more posts on here I bet.

The main reason we sold the business - this little guy,
who is not enjoying santa

Well, I was feeling a little nostalgic since the website is about to go away, and I battled whether or not to shut down the blog. It just seemed so wrong with all of the hard work we had poured into this blog, trying to create content that informed as well as educated our users on the pet food industry, where we were taking the store, research into the food science of pet food. 25,000 blog reads later and the store is gone. We really thought that Dena would carry the torch beyond 2011. I would be suing here right now for the money she skipped out on paying us if her grooming business was still open. Oh well - lesson I learned for being nice and allowing someone to pay me in installments. That wont happen again. What a piece of work.

I would also think twice about doing business with Sudden Values again. They were super nice right up until it came to pay us for all of those stupid half price gift certificates they sold and we had honored. I apologize to anyone that got bamboozled by them. It sounded like a great way to reach new customers when they pitched us the idea. But, I just couldn't let the Sudden Values article be the last article on the blog.

So much has changed in the last two years. I hear (I have not been there yet) that we have a puppy mill store in Rogers now. I see emails from Toni every now and again organizing a boycott or protest. Oh, the good ole days. NWAAR got their mobile clinic, and Shauna is now the director of the Washington Cty animal shelter. We keep telling ourselves that we are going to go to the next dog park event, and then it arrives and we are exhausted from keeping up with shortypants that we cannot muster the troupe into the car. I can say that I miss seeing all of the dogparkers, our customers and friends, and the pet community in large.

I'm not sure we would have made it much longer in the end. Trolling through the pet isles now, I see a lot more companies have gotten on the bandwagon of healthy baked treats for dogs, and when you mass produce them, it's hard to compete on their price points. It's too bad - Bigwag was a business I would have enjoyed owning for some time I think. The winds change and then it's gone. You can always count on the change, for it is the one thing that is constant.

Well, I have sufficiently pushed the Sudden Values post to no longer the first post any longer. Mission accomplished. I hope everyone is doing famously.

-- Cary

Sudden Blitz Redemption Instructions

Attention All Sudden Blitz Purchasers!

When redeeming your voucher, please be aware of the following:

• Please allow 48 hours after purchase to use your voucher online
• You may use your purchased Voucher at the store same day
• Enter the only the last 4 characters of your unique Gift Voucher number (located at the top left of Voucher) into the coupon code section at time of purchase
• You must print the voucher to use
• Vouchers gifted to friends and family must be in the recipient’s name

Lucy's Luau

The Guest of Honor!

Hey Everyone!

On Saturday, May 14th we were honored to host Lucy's Luau, a celebration of the life of Lucy the Rescue Pug.  This is the third year we've held a party celebrating the continually remarkable Lucy.  Last year we held a Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds party and the year before that it was an I Love Lucy party.  If you aren't familiar with Lucy's story, you can read it here.  The luau was great fun for both dogs and humans alike, complete with cake for the dogs and cupcakes and punch for people!

Lucy's Beach Ball Cake

Andrea and Maddy get in the Hawaiian spirit

The spirited refreshments

Lucy's mom, Jolene (right)

  And just a few of Lucy's guests...

Protecting Pets in Severe Weather

Hey Everyone!

As I'm sitting here, it's pouring down rain, we had tornadoes touch down last night and Hannah is wearing a path around my coffee table in a release of nervous energy.  Which makes me think that there are probably some precautions that pet owners should take during severe weather season.  I was able to find this list from the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters that I think warrants taking a few minutes to review.  Many of the items are pretty common sense, but a few of them may just make you think again about habits to get into!

TORNADOES AND THUNDERSTORMS

Severe thunderstorm watch
Conditions are right for:
• Lightning or damaging winds greater than 58 mph
• Hail that could reach a diameter of 0.75 inches
• Heavy rain
A thunderstorm watch indicates that you should take action to protect yourself and your pets.

Severe thunderstorm warning
Severe thunderstorms have been sighted in your area.
Animals, especially dogs, can often hear thunderstorms before humans and may show this by becoming anxious, hiding, and vocalizing. Horses will sometimes run frantically around their pasture.

Tornado watch
Conditions are right for a tornado to develop and the sky should be watched.

Tornado warning
A tornado has been sighted or is spotted on radar. Warnings will give the location of the tornado and the area immediately affected by the warning.

There are several steps that you can take to keep yourself, and your animals safe during thunderstorms and tornadoes. Preparedness actions are listed below.

• Designate a safe area in or near your home to shelter your family and animals in a severe thunderstorm. Teach family members what to do in a storm if they are at home, outside, or in a car, including how to relocate animals to safe locations.

• If you have animals that get nervous and pose a safety risk in thunderstorms, contact your veterinarian for advice on how to mitigate this situation.

• The best preparation for a tornado is to designate a tornado shelter for yourself and your animals. Tornado shelters are safest if they are underground — a storm cellar or basement away from windows offers the best protection.

• If your home has no basement, stay in the center of the house away from the windows or in a small room on the ground floor that is away from outside walls. Take cover under solid furniture or mattresses. Protect your head.

• Do not drive. If you are driving and spot a tornado, get out of your car and go into a nearby building or ditch and take your animals with you. Protect your head and stay low to the ground.

• Know the location of the designated shelter where you work or go to school. If you frequently travel with your dog in the car, keep a leash in the vehicle at all times in case you have to vacate the car during a tornado.

I would add to this list that it's important to have current identification on your animals at all times and that they be up to date on all vaccinations.  That way if they do become separated from you in case of severe weather it becomes much easier for them to be returned to you.  And while identification tags are great, microchipping is ideal, because microchips will be carried with your pet, even if they lose their collar.

 The National Association of Professional Pet Sitters also provides tips for keeping your animals safe during other types of disasters, ranging from hurricanes to tsunamis.  You can view their entire emergency preparedness document here.

Mardi Gras, Bigwag Style!

Yesterday we had our annual Mardi Gras Yappie Hour. We had a great time and gave away a $50 gift basket for finding the "baby" in the King Cake.

Cecil, King of Mardi Gras!

The gift basket to be given away

Winner - Matt Sims

The Power of One

Hey Everyone!

You always hear that one person can make a difference. It's said so often that it's become cliche. But every once in a while we get a glimpse at how true it really is.

We have a customer who recently has begun "paying it forward". I won't mention her name, because recognition isn't her intention. But I will tell you that the last few times she has come in to purchase food for her pups, she also purchases an extra bag for the next person who comes in for food. That in itself is remarkable and inspiring.

But, what is amazing is the reaction to her gift. The next customer is often floored, and speechless and thankful. Then, when they recover, they want to find a way to continue passing along the good will. For example, the last customer who got free food continued paying it forward by buying treat mix for the next customer and that customer bought an extra bag of treat mix and donated it to the Humane Society. And, it doesn't end there. Those of us who work here are equally inspired, as are people who hear about or witness these acts. And while these simple acts aren't curing cancer or eliminating homelessness they are brightening people's days and reassuring others that there is still hope and love in a world that sometimes seems to have run amok.

So, thank you to the remarkable customer who began this and to all who have participated in it. You all inspire us to be better human beings.

Just a Little Fun

Hey Everyone!

Here's a fun cake that I got to do for Bess today. Bess is turning ten and she's an agility champion!



We also got to do goody bags for the guests at Bess' party! Lucky dogs :D