Our new Wholesale Website is now up

We now have a new wholesale website for retailers that would like to carry Bigwag Dog Bakery products. Our site is at www.wholesale.bigwag.com.

We're excited to have this up and running for all of our wholesale customers that would like to shop online. We do need a state sales tax ID or a retailer certificate to activate your account, which can be FAXed to 479-631-2927 or emailed to sales@bigwag.com. Questions about our wholesale program can also be emailed or you can call 1-866-931-2924 during regular business hours (Mon-Sat 10 AM - 7 PM CST). We also pay for half of the shipping on orders over $250, and we pay all of the shipping for orders over $500. We also have a great deal on a starter pack which will get you up and running with a great assortment of our treats.

Be sure you subscribe to our retailer newsletter for alerts on special deals, new and seasonal treats that you won't want to miss.

If your not a retailer, you can still view our online store at www.bigwag.com.

While this website marks a landmark milestone for us in our new wholesale program that we've been developing since June, we have not altered our recipes for these treats. They are still the high quality treats that you would find in our retail store located in Rogers, AR. Still 100% natural ingredients, made in the USA at our bakery. We don't outsource to large bakeries, and we don't use any foreign ingredients from overseas. These are fresh treats hand baked with human grade ingredients, no added salt, sugar, or preservatives.

While these are some of the healthiest treats on the planet, these treats taste awesome to dogs! More dogs go to herculean lengths to get more of these than I can recount here. Stolen bags off of counters, Christmas presents sniffed out of closets, jars plucked open with uncanny ingenuity. I've had customers call our treats "doggie crack". You just can't find treats this healthy that dogs go this crazy for anywhere else.

So, I apologize for our gratuitous treat blogging today. We try to keep our blog mostly related to community events or news, but we're so excited about our new site we couldn't help it. We've been dreaming of a wholesale website since we opened in 2006. It's taken us a long time to find the time (there is just so much to do to keep the store open and stocked) and we finally found some time to work on it this holiday.

Beware of Gift Certificates From These Stores

There is no law preventing them from doing this. On the contrary, it is referred to as 'Bankrupcy Planning). Below is a partial list of stores that you need to be cautious about.

Circuit City (filed Chapter 11)
Ann Taylor- 117 stores nationwide closing
Lane Bryant, Fashion Bug ,and Catherine's to close 150 stores nationwide
Eddie Bauer to close stores 27 stores and more after January
Cache will close all stores
Talbots closing down specialty stores
J. Jill closing all stores (owned by Talbots)
Pacific Sunwear (also owned by Talbots)
GAP closing 85 stores
Footlocker closing 140 stores more to close after January
Wickes Furniture closing down
Levitz closing down remaining stores
Bombay closing remaining stores
Zales closing down 82 stores and 105 after January
Whitehall closing all stores
Piercing Pagoda closing all stores
Disney closing 98 stores and will close more after January
Home Depot closing 15 stores 1 in NJ ( New Brunswick )
Macys to close 9 stores after January
Linens and Things closing all stores
Movie Galley Closing all stores
Pep Boys Closing 33 stores
Sprint/Nextel closing 133 stores
JC Penney closing a number of stores after January
Ethan Allen closing down 12 stores.
Wilson Leather closing down all stores
Sharper Image closing down all stores
K B Toys closing 356 stores
Lowes to close down some stores
Dillard's to close some stores

Mars Petcare expands their recall

Mars Petcare expands their recall

Franklin, Tennessee (November 25, 2008) —Today, Mars Petcare US announced an
extension of a previously announced voluntary recall of dry cat and dog food
products manufactured at its Allentown, Pennsylvania facility with “Best By”
dates between August 11, 2009 – October 3, 2009. The pet food is being
voluntarily recalled because of potential contamination with Salmonella. This
voluntary recall affects product sold at BJ’s Wholesale Club, ShopRite
Supermarkets, and Wal-mart locations in Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts,
Maryland, Maine, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio,
Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, Vermont, and West Virginia.
Salmonella
can cause serious infections in dogs and cats, and, if there is cross
contamination caused by handling of the pet food, in people as well, especially
children, the aged, and people with compromised immune systems. Healthy people
potentially infected with Salmonella should monitor themselves for some or all
of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea,
abdominal cramping and fever. On rare occasions, Salmonella can result in more
serious ailments, including arterial infections, endocarditis, arthritis, muscle
pain, eye irritation, and urinary tract symptoms. Consumers exhibiting these
signs after having contact with this product should contact their healthcare
providers.
Pets with Salmonella infections may be lethargic and have diarrhea
or bloody diarrhea, fever, and vomiting. Some pets will have only decreased
appetite, fever and abdominal pain. Animals can be carriers with no visible
symptoms and potentially infect other animals or humans. If your pet has
consumed the recalled product and has these symptoms, please contact your
veterinarian.
This action is an extension of the voluntary recall issued on
October 27, 2008 of all sizes of SPECIAL KITTY® Gourmet Blend dry cat food
produced at the Allentown facility on August 11, 2008. We recently learned that
an additional sample of SPECIAL KITTY® made on September 25, 2008 at the
Allentown facility tested positive for Salmonella. There have been no reported
cases of human or pet illness caused by Salmonella associated with products
produced at this facility. Mars Petcare US is taking an additional precautionary
action to protect pets and their owners by extending the October 27, 2008
voluntary recall to include all dry pet food product produced at the facility
with “Best By” dates between August 11, 2009 and October 3, 2009.
Salmonella
can cause serious infections in dogs and cats, and, if there is cross
contamination caused by handling of the pet food, in people as well, especially
children, the aged, and people with compromised immune systems. Healthy people
potentially infected with Salmonella should monitor themselves for some or all
of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea,
abdominal cramping and fever. On rare occasions, Salmonella can result in more
serious ailments, including arterial infections, endocarditis, arthritis, muscle
pain, eye irritation, and urinary tract symptoms. Consumers exhibiting these
signs after having contact with this product should contact their healthcare
providers.
Pets with Salmonella infections may be lethargic and have diarrhea
or bloody diarrhea, fever, and vomiting. Some pets will have only decreased
appetite, fever and abdominal pain. Animals can be carriers with no visible
symptoms and potentially infect other animals or humans. If your pet has
consumed the recalled product and has these symptoms, please contact your
veterinarian.
This action is an extension of the voluntary recall issued on
October 27, 2008 of all sizes of SPECIAL KITTY® Gourmet Blend dry cat food
produced at the Allentown facility on August 11, 2008. We recently learned that
an additional sample of SPECIAL KITTY® made on September 25, 2008 at the
Allentown facility tested positive for Salmonella. There have been no reported
cases of human or pet illness caused by Salmonella associated with products
produced at this facility. Mars Petcare US is taking an additional precautionary
action to protect pets and their owners by extending the October 27, 2008
voluntary recall to include all dry pet food product produced at the facility
with “Best By” dates between August 11, 2009 and October 3, 2009.
The
following products are being recalled. (The UPC code is listed below the
item.)
Berkley & Jensen Bistro Blend Premium Cat Food 21.6#00000
20052
Berkley & Jensen Small Bites & Bones Dog Food 52#00000
14958
Ol’ Roy Puppy Complete Premium Dog Food 4#81131 79078
Ol’ Roy Puppy
Complete Premium Dog Food 20#81131 79080
Ol’ Roy Complete Nutrition Premium
Dog Food 4#81131 17550
Ol’ Roy Complete Nutrition Premium Dog Food 4.4#81131
69377
Ol’ Roy Complete Nutrition Premium Dog Food 8#05388 67144
Ol’ Roy
Complete Nutrition Premium Dog Food 20#81131 17549
Ol’ Roy Complete Nutrition
Premium Dog Food 22#05388 60342
Ol’ Roy Complete Nutrition Premium Dog Food
44.1#81131 17551
Ol’ Roy Complete Nutrition Premium Dog Food 50#78742
01022
Ol’ Roy High Performance Premium Dog Food 20#05388 60345
Ol’ Roy
High Performance Premium Dog Food 50#78742 05815
Ol’ Roy Meaty Chunks &
Gravy Premium Dog Food 22#81131 69630
Ol’ Roy Meaty Chunks & Gravy
Premium Dog Food 50#81131 69631
ShopRite Crunchy Bites, Bones and Healthy
Squares Dog Food 20#41190 04521
Special Kitty Original Premium Cat Food
3.5#81131 17557
Special Kitty Original Premium Cat Food 7#81131
17562
Special Kitty Original Premium Cat Food 18#81131 17559
Special Kitty
Gourmet Blend Premium Cat Food 3.5#81131 17546
Special Kitty Gourmet Blend
Premium Cat Food 7#81131 17547
Special Kitty Gourmet Blend Premium Cat Food
18#81131 17548
Special Kitty Kitten Premium Cat Food 3.5#81131
17553
Special Kitty Kitten Premium Cat Food 7#81131 17554

Read Mars' article here

Nigerian Puppy Scam Hits NWA

This was found on the 40/29 Hometown News website:

OARK, Ark. -- Oark resident Rosetta Darter saw an ad in the Clarksville paper offering two free Yorkshire puppies to a good home. Darter thought it was too good to be true."I thought man, I'm going to get a Yorkie," said Darter. The only contact the ad offered was an e-mail out of Nigeria, so Darter responded but soon found out what the catch was. "They said if I would go in half on the shipping they would send me the puppies to the Fort Smith Airport," said Darter. The shipping cost was $600. Darter's son-in-law found out what his mother-in-law was about to do and immediately told her it was a scam. He even wrote back to the e-mail address offering $150. The person agreed. That's when the family knew for sure it was a true scam.

Police say scams out of Nigeria are common and not much can be done.
"It's been around for years, since the '50s. The United States Secret Service and Federal Trade Service is working on trying to combat that and find ways to stop it," said Fort Smith Detective Ronald Scamardo. Police advise, the safest tactic is to
never give out your personal information or money to someone you don't
know.

Original Article is here

Springdale Animal Shelter Helps Out

Caught this interesting post from an email. Not sure which paper it was from. I think it's great to see this kind of community support!

Animal Shelter Helps Out
Reported by: Brad Reed
Wednesday, Nov 19, 2008 @10:15pm CST

For pet owners who are struggling to make ends meet -- help is on the
way. The Springdale Animal shelter is offering free dog food, cat food
and kitty litter to those who really need it.

"We're here for the animals, but we're also here for the people, too.,"
says Lindsey Droste, Manager of the Springdale Animal Shelter. "If
they're in a hard time, we want to help them out and we want to help
them keep their pet."

You can also get help from the Humane Society of the Ozarks. They offer
an Emergency Outreach Fund to those in need.

The Pink Poodle in Siloam Now Sells Bigwag Treats!

Hey Everyone!

For those of you who are in the Siloam Springs area, you now have a new place to get Bigwag treats. The Pink Poodle Grooming Salon is expanding to carry pet products and they are now THE place to get Bigwag treats in Siloam Springs. They are located at 4290 Highway 412, which for those of you familiar with Siloam, is on the left just after the first light going into Siloam if you are traveling towards Oklahoma. Randy and Donna, owners of the Pink Poodle, are great people who love dogs. Randy used to train and show dogs, and Donna is an accomplished groomer. I hope to get some pictures of their shop posted here soon, because they have a beautiful space. But in the meantime, if you live in the Siloam area or you need to pamper your pooch with your casino winnings, stop by and see Randy and Donna at The Pink Poodle.

Santa Paws Comes to Bigwag

Waiting For Santa is hard work!

Ho! Ho! Ho!

It may not be December yet, but Santa Paws visited Bigwag this past Saturday and Sunday to listen to the wishes of good puppies and dogs. While he was in town, he also sat for pictures, which were generously taken by Jackie and Chad Collie of Pets Rock Photography. A sitting fee of $5 per dog was donated to the Humane Society. And since more than 60 dogs came to visit Santa, that means tha over $300 was raised for the Humane Society!

If you had pictures made, they will be available for pick up at Bigwag on or after Monday, November 24th. If you didn't get a chance to stop by and see Santan but you'd still like to help the Humane Society, you can come by and get a tag off the Angel Tree to provide much needed supplies this Christmas season. In fact, we've already recieved some generous donations, and we're looking forward to getting more!

Thank you to everyone who came out to have pictures taken and make donations. We wanted to say THANK YOU! to Pets Rock for their talent and patience. Also a big thanks to our Santas, Steve and Jimmy, and to our Dog Park volunteers, Toni, Georgia, Mary Lou, Sarah, Julie and Dian.

Happy Holidays,
Erin

Texas Hold’em Poker Tournament

Northwest Arkansas Animal Rescue held their first annual Texas Hold’em poker tournament November 8^th, 2008 to help raise funds for a mobile spay-neuter clinic, cover NWAAR operating costs and to protect animals. Over sixty five people came to watch and participate in Northwest Arkansas Animal Rescue’s first annual Texas Hold’em poker tournament fund raiser. Play was intense with players wanting to win the grand prize a 50” flat screen television. Players started entering the event at the Rogers-Bentonville Elk’s Lodge BPOE #2144 at one in the afternoon. Play began at two with sixty five players with Chris Peplinski of the Northwest Arkansas Poker Club overseeing play. Intense play continued until almost nine that evening. Drawings were made throughout the event for prizes ranging from gift certificates to a paint ball gun. People played at side tables entertaining themselves while waiting for the final winner to be announced.

Final play came down to the last table consisting of nine players. Onlookers watched as play slowly came down to the final grand prize winner Richard Coleman. Mr. Coleman had just lost his television and was very happy to win the 50” flat screen television.

Northwest Arkansas Animal Rescue held their first annual Texas Hold’em poker tournament November 8^th, 2008 to help raise funds for a mobile spay-neuter clinic, cover NWAAR operating costs and to protect animals. Northwest Arkansas Animal Rescue would like to extend a special thank you to Chris and Chrissy Peplinski for assisting NWAAR with organizing and holding the event. NWAAR would also like to thank all the sponsors, players and volunteers for their contributions. Just over two thousand seven hundred dollars was made during this event.

Who: Northwest Arkansas Animal Rescue
What: First Annual Poker Tournament Fund Raiser
Where: Rogers-Bentonville Elk’s Lodge BPOE #2144 located at 501 South 40th Street, Rogers
When: November 8th, 2008
Why: To help NWAAR raise funds for a mobile spay-neuter clinic, cover NWAAR operating costs and to protect animals
E-mail: spaynwa@yahoo.com
Phone: 479-439-7978
Website: www.nwa-animalrescue.blogspot.com
Founder: Mandy Keenen
Media contact: Pam Lamb