News from the Humane Society

Hey Everyone!

I went out to the Humane Society today to deliver the treats you were so awesome to donate.  While I was there, Clay Morgan shared some exciting news with me.  Tomorrow, Saturday, May 1, 2010, the Humane Society will be having an adoption event at Petco in Rogers from about 10:30am-4:30pm.  During this time, the US Postal Service will also be unveiling and selling their new Animal Rescue: Adopt A Shelter Pet stamps.  The post office is selling these stamps as a way to raise public awareness of the need to adopt animals from shelters.  When you buy the stamps you will also be helping purchase quality meals for a million shelter animals, because Halo Pet Foods is donating food for each stamp purchase.  Read more about the campaign and  the animals featured on the stamps.

Clay also said that he has had several adoptions over the past couple weeks!  That's fantastic news.  The adoptions include a pair of kittens who were very wild and found a home with a family who raises horses and will give the kitties a home in their heated barn.

 These are the wild kitties two weeks ago.  They were NOT happy to have their picture taken!

Plus Swirl, who you met at the Bunny Hop found a home in Joplin!

And, there is another huge adoption pending, but Clay said he didn't want to formally announce it, because he was afraid to jinx it.  So, if it goes through, I will announce it here in a couple weeks!

There are still lots of sweet adorable animals in need of homes though.  There are some puppies who are probably Min Pin mixes and some really cute Schnauzer pups as well.  And there's even a dog who looks like my Hannah!

I wish I could take them all home.  If you happen to have room at your house, I suggest you visit the Humane Society.  They're at  407 E. Nursery Rd in Rogers (just past the corner of 1st and Nursery in Rogers) You can call them at (479) 636-3703.  They're open from 10:30-4:00 on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday and 10:30-3:00 on Saturdays.

If you don't have room in your home, but would like to donate, you can send monetary donations to:

Humane Society for Animals

P.O. Box 476 

                                                               Rogers, AR 72757-0476

The shelter relies completely on donations, they are not funded by tax dollars.  They are also in need of cleaning products such as laundry soap and Pine-Sol.  You can take donations to the Humane Society of bring them to Bigwag.  (We will also be holding our annual Puppy Shower at the end of the month, if you'd like to donate then.)

 

Fayetteville's Controversial Fostering Policy

Hey Everyone!

Yesterday, Jen Cole sent me a link to an article that I found confusing and disturbing.  Apparently, the Fayetteville Animal Shelter has revamped their fostering policies to include a time limit of two weeks for healthy animals.  After two weeks, the foster animals must be surrendered back to the shelter.  If there is room, the animals will be put back onto the floor but if not, they will be euthanized.

This policy is misguided, to be gentle.  It will likely significantly decrease the numbers of people willing to foster.  Not to mention, two weeks is simply not enough time to make progress with animals who have issues.  Plus, the policy seems ill explained and the reasoning behind it hard to comprehend.  To me, it sounds like they had people abusing the fostering program, keeping animals long term but never adopting and never being willing to surrender them either.  But having to guess at the reasoning behind a policy that could affect the lives of thousands of animals is never acceptable.

If you are a Fayetteville resident and you are opposed to this new time limit or simply have questions about it, I strongly encourage you to call Justine Middleton, Superintendent of the Fayetteville Animal Shelter at (479) 444-3456.  If that doesn't work, take your concerns to Mayor Jordan - you can contact him here or you can even try his Facebook page.   Have your voice heard on this issue!  If you aren't a Fayetteville resident, get the word out to your friends who are!

I'm including the article below, but you can also read the original article here.  Please note, you will have to have a subscription to nwaonline.com to read the article in it's entirety.  (Subscription run about $5.95 a month if I remember correctly)

VOLUNTEERS SAY SHELTER’S FOSTERING PROGRAM ‘TOO STRICT’

By Kate Ward
Monday, April 26, 2010

The Fayetteville Animal Shelter’s fostering program, in which volunteers temporarily take in homeless animals in hope of finding them new homes, is facing criticism from some of those very volunteers.

A new fostering policy went into effect April 1. It allows volunteers to foster healthy pets for a maximum of two weeks. After that, the animals must be returned to the shelter, where they are placed on the adoption floor if space permits.

If there’s no room, the animals are killed.
Unfortunately, we only have so much space,” said Justine Middleton, the shelter’s superintendent.

Middleton said the animal shelter has always allowed volunteers to foster sick or newborn animals, as well as cats and dogs with behavioral issues, for an unlimited time or until an adoptive home is secured. The shelter’s new policy, she said, aims at providing an opportunity for healthy animals to be fostered, especially given space limitations at the shelter.

“With this new policy, we hope to give people an extra chance to advocate for these animals,” Middleton said.

Marcia Donley, a member of the Fayetteville Animal Services Advisory Board, said she and several other foster volunteers view the new policy as too strict. Those volunteers often promote the adoption of their foster animals by placing pictures on pet websites or taking the animals to local events where potential adopters might see them.

“By the time we take their pictures and put them on the website, a week has already gone by,” Donley said. “I can’t imagine the pressure people would feel by giving them a two-week time limit. It just doesn’t seem right.”

In years past, Middleton said, foster volunteers were allowed to keep healthy animals until an adoptive home could be found, but that policy was dropped about a year and a half ago.

After talking with staff, we found a new option that would work for us and give people the opportunity to foster for space if they wanted to,” Middleton said. “So far, everyone at the shelter seems to be on board.”

Donley, who’s previously fostered a cat and several dogs, said she doesn’t think the policy reflects the goals of the city or its residents.

“I think the Fayetteville Animal Services Advisory Board’s duty is to facilitate communication between citizens, the City Council and the animal shelter,” she said. “This is a classic example where the actions of the animal shelter aren’t consistent with the goals of the community. One reason I feel so strongly is because the goal of every shelter, I think, should be no kill. One of the main components of that is having a strong foster program.”

According to the city’s website, the Fayetteville Animal Shelter is an “open admission” shelter, meaning it takes in all animals, regardless of age, health or temperament. “No kill” shelters selectively accept animals, knowing they can be placed up for adoption.

Middleton said cats and dogs are put on the shelter’s adoption floor for a minimum of two weeks, depending on space. If an animal hasn’t been adopted by then and if the shelter is at capacity, the animals will be euthanized, she said.

The Fayetteville Animal Shelter in 2009 took in 4,910 cats and dogs, nearly half of which were euthanized.

Like at all shelter animals, Middleton said pictures of foster animals are placed on pet adoption websites like Petfinder.com. Foster volunteers, she said, are encouraged to seek out adoptive homes by bringing their pets to public events, like the Fayetteville Farmer’s Market and PetSmart adoption drives.

“We try to get them to do what they can by bringing that cat or dog into public view,” she said. “We’re also working on coming up with some creative ways by featuring pictures of foster pets in the front office of the shelter.”

Middleton said giving foster volunteers a two-week time frame helps prevent the volunteers becoming too attached to the animals.

“There have been issues in the past where we’ve let them keep an animal for too long,” she said. “Sometimes they don’t want to bring the animal back or formally adopt. In the end, the responsibility falls on us.”

Judy McCollough, animal technician for the Springdale Animal Shelter, said she has yet to see the same issue with foster volunteers in Springdale.

“We expect our fosters to keep the animals until they find a home,” she said. “Whenever we have one that’s sick, we have people foster them until they take all their medication or until the problem is resolved and they get adopted. We’ve only been doing this for about a year, but so far it’s worked out well.”

Rogers Animal Shelter Manager Bud Norman said he’s in the midst of setting up a foster program, though he has yet to decide on any official policies.

Fayetteville resident Meghan Gallo, who’s fostered both cats and dogs, has her own suggestions toward forming a foster policy.

“In my personal fostering experience, it can take months for an animal to be adopted, but it seems that it eventually does happen,” she said. “We just have to wait for the right family to come along. For many of these animals, all they need it time. I worry what will happen to them if that time is taken away.”

Gallo said foster volunteers help the shelter reach a greater pool of potential adopters and cut down on administrative costs of off-site adoption programs. In addition to expanding the shelter’s capacity at no cost to taxpayers, pet fosters increase the chance for adoption by providing animals with more socialization and attention than dogs kept in a shelter, she said.

"Imposing a time limitation on fostering that culminates in the animal’s return and possible immediate demise may alienate foster volunteers,” she said. “Many foster parents are against the idea of unequivocally agreeing to let their foster animal be killed if the shelter doesn’t have room for it when the two-week period is up, but are more than willing to let them stay in their home for an extended period of time.”

Though some may be opposed to the policy, others say a two-week time limit is better than no time at all.

University of Arkansas student Peyton Thompson has been fostering shelter cats for the past few months. She currently cares for three kittens, all less than 30 days old. Thompson said the shelter’s new policy doesn’t take away from the rewarding experience she gets from fostering a homeless pet.

"I grew up with pets my whole life and I’d been thinking about adopting a dog, but my apartment complex wouldn’t allow it,” she said. “Fostering is a good short-term solution and an easy way for people to get more involved if you don’t have the option to completely adopt an animal.”

Though she struggles from becoming attached to her foster animals, Thompson said she knows she’s prolonging their chances of finding a good home.

Fayetteville resident Jeffery West has more than a year of pet fostering experience under his belt. So far, he’s helped find homes for five dogs and one cat.

“In my opinion, almost every dog at the shelter has behavioral issues,” he said. “If your intent is to turn the animal into an adoptable pet, rather than a hyper, wild dog — which is why most dogs end up at shelters in the first place — then I think it takes at least six weeks for someone to do permanent good.”

West said his feelings are mixed about the new foster policy, but that he trusts the intentions of the animal shelter.

“It’s subject to interpretation, but I’m sure they put this policy into effect for a good reason,” he said. “They work with these animals on a regular basis and see what goes in and what goes out.”

For more information about pet adoption, volunteer opportunities or to make a donation, contact the animal shelter at 444-3456 or visit www.accessfayetteville.org/government/animal_services/index.cfm

By The Numbers
2009 Fayetteville Animal Shelter Statistics
Cat And Dog Intakes — 4,910
Adoptions — 1,699
Animals Reclaimed— 713
Animals Euthanized — 2,301

An Update on the Weight Loss of a Dog & Her Girl

Hey Everyone!

Just wanted to give you all a quick update on how Hannah and I are doing with our exercising and weight loss.  As of today, I have lost just over 8 pounds and Hannah has lost about 1.5 pounds.  We are well on our way to our goals!

Hannah would probably be losing more if I took her with me every time I exercise, but I find that I get bored doing the same things and there are only so many directions I can walk!  So today, I mowed the lawn for execise.  (I figure 2 hours of pushing the lawn mower is equivalent to half an hour of walking, at LEAST!)  Unfortunately, it's not really an activity Hannah can participate in.  But, overall, I'm really pleased with how she's doing and I'm amazed at how well she is walking on a loose leash.

Also, today I had my glucose levels re-tested.  To my chagrin, they were actually higher than last time.  You'd think the weight loss would help (I know, patience is key) but it's frustrating.  But, I did learn something REALLY important today.  The blood pressure medicine I began taking a year ago can actually increase the incidents of new on-set diabetes!  So, when my doctor calls to discuss my test results, I fully plan to discuss that with her.  Now, I'm not saying that I don't need to continue to take measures to reduce my risks, but I think this could be a major player.  So, for those of you out there taking beta-blockers and having issues with blood sugar, you may want to talk to your doctor. I'll let you know what mine says!  And, I'll update everyone in another few weeks on our progress.

P.S.  Thanks to all of you who e-mailed your support!  Knowing that other people are out there dealing with the same issues makes it so much easier to keep a positive outlook. 

P.P.S. To those of you who commented on Facebook, Cary read your comments to me and I appreciate them!  I am on a (probably misguided) mission not to have my own personal Facebook page in an attempt to keep things simple, so please don't be offended if I didn't respond. (Our blog gets posted to our Facebook page, by the way, so that's how my musing end up there, for those who were wondering!  I can respond to comments on the blog or to e-mails sent to sales@bigwag.com)

Poker for Pets

Hey Everyone!

Last Saturday, April 17th, Northwest Arkansas Animal Rescue held their 2nd Annual Charity Poker Tournament.  The tournament helps raise money for the animals that NWAAR cares for, which includes many of the cats you see at Petco, Lucky and countless others.  They're also raising money toward the goal of having a mobile spay/neuter unit for Northwest Arkansas.  Spaying and neutering will help reduce the populations of unwanted animals and is really the only way to empty our shelters and Humane Societies!

Mary Lou Pohlman just sent me some of the first pictures from the event and when I get more details on how much the event raised and who won the 50" plasma TV, I will pass those details on!

The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

Hey Everyone!

We started carrying Nature's Select in 7.5lb buckets this week.  For those of you unfamiliar with Nature's Select, they make their all natural, holistic food in a plant in North Texas.  Doug and Danielle Magdych run the operation here in Northwest Arkansas and they are super knowledgeable about dog food and what it takes to make a great, healthy food.  Doug and Danielle will actually deliver Nature's Select food to your door, if you're looking for large quantities (like the 25lb or 50lb bag)  You can order from them at nsnwa.com or by calling 1-888-676-3692.  But due to the price of gas, it's hard for them to deliver the smaller size.  So they came to us and we are as pleased as can be to work with them.  We have their Chicken & Rice, Salmon & Sweet Potato, High Protein and Feline formulas in stock.

My favorite part?  The 7.5lb comes in a re-usable bucket!  How better to celebrate Earth Day every day than by reusing containers?  And, if you buy the 7.5lb bucket here and then bring it back to be refilled, you save 15% on your food.  It's a win-win! (Plus their food comes with a money back guarantee.  If you're not satisfied, you bring it back and your money is refunded.  That's confidence in the quality of your product!)

Danielle was also kind enough to share their "The Good, The Bad & The Ugly" of pet foods.  It's a great reference when you're wondering what exactly is in your dog's food and why.

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

The Good
Lamb Meal: An excellent source of protein. It is great for muscle development & overall body maintenance.
 
Poultry Meal: A good source of protein and fat that provides the essential energy component, & provides the fresh meaty flavor that dogs love. It also promotes muscle, tissue, bone and teeth development. (Please note that poultry meal and poultry by-product meal are NOT the same thing!)

Poultry Fat: Makes pet food highly palatable. Poultry Fat is high in Omega 6 (3.4%) & other essential fatty acids needed to develop a healthy skin & shiny coat. It also provides energy, and acts as an antioxidant.

Rice: Dogs and cats can almost completely absorb carbohydrates in white or brown rice.


Oatmeal: Supplies carbohydrates and amino acids, and is a good source of fiber. It is also high in iron.
 
Vitamin A: A source of natural Preservatives.

Vitamin D: Helps in the absorption of the calcium.

Vitamin E: Helps to maintain a dog's healthy immune system. As dogs age, antioxidants like Vitamin E can help reverse the age-related decrease in immune responses.

Rosemary Extract: A natural antioxidant.

Thiamine Mononitrate: Good source of Vitamin B

Calcium Pantothenate: An enzyme for energy metabolism.

Riboflavin: Promotes growth & good metabolism.

Niacin: Form of Vitamin B that helps in digestion.

Vitamin B12: A source of enzymes that aid in proper growth.


Biotin: Strengthens the claws and keeps them from chipping and cracking.


Sodium Selenite: A source of selenium that acts as a biological antioxidant.

Folic Acid: Provides Vitamin B that helps develop strong claws.

Flaxseed: Excellent source of Omega-3 (0.5%) essential fatty acids, which help to keep the skin & coat in tip-top shape & maintain lower cholesterol levels.
 
Dried Whole Egg: High in protein with superior bioavailability.

Potassium Chloride: Plays a vital role in the osmotic balance between cells and body fluids. It is the water balance in the body.

Choline Chloride: Enhances digestive system in the stomach.

The Bad
Corn: Hard to digest & far less nutrients than in rice.

Wheat: The available nutrients from wheat are poor because of the digestibility of the grain.

Soybean: Contains large quantities of natural toxins or "anti-nutrients". (For more information on the dangers of soy, see Cary's article, "Soy and Dog Food".)

Corn, Soy and Wheat are three of the biggest culprits as far as food allergies in dogs. Itchy, red, flakey skin, a dull coat and intestinal upset are common symptoms of food allergies. Soybean meal, wheat, corn glutens, corn meal, whole corn, crushed corn and ground corn are commonly used for the protein content in pet foods and are generally poor sources of protein versus meat. Corn gluten meal or wheat middlings added to pet foods are the left-overs after the grain has been processed for human use, containing little nutritional value.

Brewer's Rice: The small milled fragment of rice kernels that have been separated from the larger kernels of milled rice. It is a lower quality rice product that is missing many of the nutrients found in ground white rice & ground brown rice. It is basically a waste product of the alcohol industry.

Food Colorings: Food colorings are still commonly used in pet foods despite the fact that
they are not necessary & some have been linked to medical problems.
 
The Ugly
Chemical Preservatives: BHA, BHT, propylene glycol (also used as a less-toxic version of automotive anti-freeze), and ethoxyquin are found in many pet foods. Scientific studies have shown
that these chemicals can promote liver disease and other medical problems including seizures and cancer.

By-Products: They can consist of the internal parts of animals such as necks, heads, undeveloped eggs, feet, intestines, lungs, spleen and liver and almost all the other parts not generally consumed by humans.
 
Animal Fat, Tallow and Meat meal: Processed dead dogs, cats and other animal materials, zoo animals, road kill and 4D (dead, diseased, dying and decaying) livestock by a rendering plant. These plants are depositories for restaurant grease and garbage, meats and baked goods past the expiration dates (Styrofoam trays and shrink-wrap included). In the United States these animal parts are denaturing before rendering with substances that include crude carbolic acid (a constituent of coal tar), fuel oil, or citronella (used to repel insects).
 
Animal Digest: Animal Digest is a cooked-down broth made from unspecified parts of unspecified animals. There is no control over quality or contamination.

Cinco de Shaggy?

We are super excited about our Cinco de Mayo Yappie Hour this year - because we will be featuring some great treats for dogs, like our Margarita treats and our Dogritos, but we will be having some human fare as well. This year we will be featuring some margarita punch with chips and salsa, but not just any salsa - Shaggy's Salsa.

Pets still don't get any salsa I'm afraid...

For those who have not heard about Shaggy's Salsa yet - Shaggy and Paige are local Northwest Arkansasites who have stumbled across what will sure to be the mother of all Salsa recipes, and they have been growing their business from the ground up. Not only will we be dishing out some for everyone to try, but we'll also be giving away jars for free to the first few Yappie Hour goers. (BTW - they won the 2009 NWACC Cinco de Mayo Salsa Competition PEOPLES CHOICE AWARD).

 "Shaggy came up with this amazing recipe and has been wowing salsa lovers for several years now. We finally decided to market the stuff - and it is good. Period. It's different - flavorful and smooth - which makes it almost too easy to eat an entire jar all by yourself - we highly recommend!"

Shaggy's Salsa can also be purchased at these locations:

• Every Saturday at the Bentonville Farmers Market
• Fayetteville: Ozark Natural Foods (aka "the Co-op")
• Rogers: White Oak Station (by the mall)
• Bentonville: Library Cafe (Bentonville Public Library)
• Eureka Springs: Silly Chile on Spring Street
• Springfield, MO at MaMa Jean's Natural Market
• El Dorado, AR at The Olde Towne Store
• Little Rock, AR: Whole Foods Market

We love being able to keep it local - and we are excited to get to try some of this Salsa after following them on facebook for sometime. Hopefully they bring us some of their new "HOT" flavor as well. Don't forget - the Cinco de May Yappie Hour is Tuesday, May 4th from 5 PM to 7 PM. Come out and try some of this salsa, take some home, become a fan on their facebook page, and support your neighbors! I almost can't wait. (I should have had them drop it off at the store early for some "pre-testing").

p.s. - while you are loading up facebook, fan our page as well!

Can't Stop at Just One

Hey Everyone!

Another quick blog about chips. (micro-chips that is...) I had a chance to speak with Brett Harris, Director of Springdale Animal Services. He tells me they will be holding a low cost micro-chipping clinic at the Springdale shelter on Wednesday, April 21st from 11am-1pm. The cost is $20 and the clinic is open to all interested parties. (This includes people that are not Springdale residents). There will be future clinics, but they don't have set dates yet, Mr. Harris said when he knows more dates, he'll let us know and we'll include those dates in our newsletter!

For those of you who live in Springdale and already have your pet micro-chipped, you'll need to go by the Springdale shelter to fill out a form about your micro-chip. The form will verify information such as which vet inserted the chip and other registry information. It may be helpful to take your micro-chip paperwork with you to fill out this form. There is no fee for this registration.

Once you have a chip and have registered with the shelter you will not have to go back annually, you are simply responsible for keeping your information up to date with whichever national database you use. (If you allow your information to become out of date, you will be considered out of compliance!)

Please note, this ordinance applies to BOTH cats and dogs in the city of Springdale.

Mr. Harris also said that enforcement of the ordinance will begin May 14th, but that initially they will be doing more education than enforcement. However, I still recommend that if you live in the city limits of Springdale, you get your pets microchipped as soon as possible.

For more information:

Springdale Animal Services

321 Randall Wobbe Lane

Springdale, AR 72764

Phone: (479) 750-8163

Hours of Operation

Sunday Closed

Monday 12:00pm - 6:00pm

Tuesday 12:00pm - 6:00pm

Wednesday Closed

Thursday 12:00pm - 6:00pm

Friday 12:00pm - 6:00pm

Saturday 09:00am - 1:00pm

Pets of Springdale to Get Chips (But No Salsa!)

Hey Everyone!

Last night the City of Springdale passed an ordinance requiring animals that live within the city limits to be micro-chipped.  The ordinance will go into effect in 30 days.  According to an article by Steve Caraway on NWAonline.com "The ordinance includes increasing fees for each time a pet owner is convicted for their animal running loose, with an extra charge for animals that have not been spayed or neutered."

The idea is that micro-chips aren't easily lost or removed like collars and tags, meaning that lost animals can be returned to their owners.  It will also prevent the intentional dumping of animals because it would be easy to track those animals back to their owners.  In addition, micro-chipping will reduce costs to the city because workers will no longer have to track tags and the paperwork that goes with them.  And perhaps most importantly, it should reduce the number of animals that the city will have to euthanize each year.

I called the Springdale Animal Shelter and spoke with Karen Valle, who was working there this afternoon.  She said they are in the process of arranging some micro-chipping clinics that would work much like the rabies clinics in the area.  They don't have specific dates for those clinics yet.  As soon as we hear anything, we'll be sure to let you know.  We'll also include any information we have in our newsletter, so if you're not signed up and would like to be, click here.

Karen also told me that the micro-chipping will replace city tags which were previously purchased annually at either animal services or the city clerk's office.  In fact, she said they have not sold any city tags this year in anticipation of this ordinance being passed.

As an aside, if you're interested in micro-chipping your animals, whether you live in Springdale or not, Northwest Arkansas Animal Rescue holds monthly spay and neuter clinics where they also do low cost micro-chipping.  For more information on their upcoming clinics you can check e-mail them at spaynwa(at)yahoo(dot)com or call them at (479) 439-7978.

Elaine Tayrien of NWAAR helps a pet owner at last year's

low cost vaccination/micro-chipping clinic at Bigwag     

A Little Catching Up...

Hey Everyone!

As most of you know by now, I was out of the store on Thursday and Friday because Cary had surgery.  And while a couple of days doesn't ever seem like much, it's time to miss plenty!  So I thought I'd dedicate this blog to sharing the things that have happened over the last several days.  You may know them, you may not, but I thought I'd share anyway. :D

DOG DAYS DOWNTOWN CANCELED
This is probably the most intriguing news I have to pass on.  Dog Days Downtown was scheduled for 9am-1pm on April 24th at Frisco Station Park in Downtown Rogers.  Sharon Gruetzmacher of Pet Emporium was chairing this event and she came by Friday (after stopping by Main Street Rogers Offices to find no familiar faces on hand) to let us know that the event will be canceled and not rescheduled.  Apparently Main Street Rogers is undergoing a bit of a shake up, to say the least.  They have let their paid staff go and many events that were previously organized by those staff members have now been canceled.  This should not affect the 3rd Friday Twilight Walks, so many of the events that were planned for Dog Days will now likely occur during August's Dog days of Summer Twilight Walk.  Look for details on that in the future.

BUNNY HOP SUCCESS
I've already posted pictures of the Bunny Hop, but now I have some financial news to go with it.  Toni Carter reports that the event raised over $650 for the Humane Society and Murphy Dog Park.  Thanks go to Dave Routon at NWARestaurants.com for donating the proceeds of his sales as well as to Dixie Land  Products for donating the proceeds of their sales! For those of you who aren't familiar with Dixie Land Products, it's the brain child of Ellen Leonard and her daughter and they make all natural lip balms and other skin products using wax from their local bee farm.  I personally love their mint lip balm and their lotion stick is awesome on dry skin.  The perk? They donate all their profits to the Humane Society for Animals of Benton County!  So every purchase helps a needy animal!  You can contact them at Dixielandproducts(at)yahoo(dot)com if you're interested in ordering.

YAPPIE HOUR & THE BIGWAG NEWSLETTER
As many of you know, ever since out website got hacked a couple months back, we've been dealing with newsletter issues.  The issue being that only about a third of you are getting the newsletter at any given time.  We have finally sorted out the problem and found a way to resolve it (as of 11:30pm last night)  I am hopeful that I will get a newsletter out sometime this week, once I learn to navigate the new system.  I am so grateful to all of you for your continued patience.  In the meantime, I wanted to post our Yappie Hour specials for the rest of the month here.

Today, Tuesday April 13th - Tax Relief Yappie Hour.  You don't pay sales tax tonight as we help you get some relief from the looming tax deadline!  (Sorry, we can't help you file anything or make the lines shorter at the post office, but we figure saving money is the next best thing!)

Tuesday, April 20th - Earth Day.  Great deals on green products.  Save the Earth and some money the the same time!

Tuesday, April 27th - 70s Night.  Wear your crazy 70s clothes and come in for a night of peace, love and treats!  The dog with the most creative 70s costume will win a gift basket, so start cooking up those costumes now!

OTHER NOTES
Bill Gross stopped in today and told me that Susan Bradshaw (Dugan and Julian's mom) is in the hospital.  So please keep her in your thoughts and prayers.

The Weight Loss Diary of A Dog (And Her Girl)

Hey Everyone!

I recently went to the doctor for my annual check-up and it turns out my numbers aren't all that great.  I need to lower my cholesterol, my triglycerides and my blood sugar.  It doesn't seem fair, since I've lost weight since last year when my numbers were fine, but I guess that's the toll a year takes.  At any rate, I was talking to my mom yesterday and she told me about Dr. Oz's 10 Years Younger in 60 Days  She told me that she and my dad had done the 3 day jump start and had already lost weight and loved the food.  Well, that definitely caught my attention, so she said that she'd send me the plan, but being my impatient self, I had to Google it.  And what I found was fairly impressive.  First of all, I can do anything for 8 weeks... (I say that, but I'm sure it will be harder than I expect or I'd already be skinny.)  Second, I really liked the "Daily To Do List" because they seemed like simple, achievable things.  And among that list is walk for 30 minutes every day. 

When I stopped and thought about it, I realized that Hannah could benefit from a daily 30 minute walk as much as I could.  Every time my dad visits, he comments, "Hannah you're a chunk!"  Which, I have to admit, irritates me, because I don't like being called fat and I don't like anyone calling my dog fat either.  But, the truth is, well, she could stand to lose 5-10 pounds.  And we're constantly preaching about the necessity of healthy foods, but that's only half the battle.  Hannah does eat healthy.  She eats Taste of the Wild Pacific Stream (which is the salmon flavor) and she really doesn't get as many treats as you'd expect a dog in a dog bakery would eat.  She usually gets a couple a day and not the iced ones, unless it's a special occasion.  But the most exercise she usually gets is running to the door to go out and come back in.

So, today a Hannah and I are beginning a walking regimen.  We're going to walk 30 minutes every day and we're going to get healthy!  And we felt like the best way to actually stay accountable was to tell you that we're doing this and let you follow along with our progress.  Maybe next year we'll even participate in Bark for a Cure.

So this is us today after our first walk:

Hannah weighs 60lbs and her goal is to lose 5lbs by the end of May.

I weigh significantly more than Hannah and my goal is to lose 10lbs by the end of May.

Hoppin' Down the Bunny Trail

Hey Everyone!

Sorry I haven't blogged in a few days, Cary had surgery for an umbilical hernia on Thursday.  It was an outpatient procedure, so he's home and he's doing well, but we've been rather preoccupied the last couple days and I haven't had much chance to sit and type anything.  Thanks to everyone for their thoughts and prayers.  But, I digress...  The real point of today's blog:

Today was the fourth annual Murphy Dog Park Bunny Hop.  The event raised money for the dog park as well as for the Humane Society for Animals of Benton County.  The weather was perfect and we had a wonderful turnout for the event.  I just wanted to post a few photos of the event here!

 The Field is Ready...

But first, The Biggest Wag Contest...

 

Bella (left) and Sienna (right) were both participants in the contest 

 

So were Sophia (left) and Bozley (right)

And these cuties

The winner of The Biggest Wag Contest... Jeff Smith!

Then, The Bonnet Contest

Willow wears her bonnet with a rakish tilt!

 

Bambi (left) was the winner of the small dog category.  Kilo (right) took the honors in the large dog category.

Ashton & Izzy won the owner/dog look-a-like category

Finally, the main event...

And they're off!

Mine!

You want me to do what?

Found some!

Mmm... There are treats in these

 

These sweethearts are available for adoption at the Humane Society for Animals in Rogers

Egg Stuffing Yappie Hour

Hey Everyone!

Last night during Yappie Hour we stuffed eggs for Saturday's Bunny Hop at Murphy Dog Park.  Our great group of volunteers were so quick that we managed to stuff all the eggs in about forty minutes.  Each year we get quicker and quicker.  Two years ago it took us over two hours to stuff all the eggs!  (It probably helped that Dian Sosaya was kind enough to store the eggs at her house this past year, which meant they weren't warped from being in the heat at the shed in the Dog Park.)  But I'm just gonna go with we can all add professional egg stuffers to our resumes :D  You can check out the past two years of egg stuffing by clicking on the links: Egg Stuffing 2009 & Egg Stuffing 2008

There are LOTS (I didn't get a count) of eggs, stuffed with treats and prizes, so please join us this Saturday from 11am-1pm at Murphy Dog Park in Rogers for all the fun.  You won't want to miss out on the bonnet contest or the biggest wag contest!  There will be vendor booths, NWA Animal Rescue will be on hand for low cost micro-chipping, and NWARestaurants.com will be selling restaurant gift certificates for half price.  There's so much you don't want to miss out on.  You can register here for$5 per dog or at the gate on the day of the event.  Come out and support the Humane Society of Benton County and Murphy Dog Park.  You'll be glad you did!

Don't let the bags fool you, these were not mere grocery bags, but the supersized version.  Plus there was a trash bag full of eggs as well.  So there are plenty of eggs to go around!

Spring has come to Bigwag!

Hey Everyone!

I hope you are enjoying the beautiful weather that we've had the past few days. It certainly seems that spring is in full swing. That's true here, with spring flowers not only outside but inside as well!






 Pupperflies Orange Blossoms Tasty Tulips Crazy DaisiesThese treats have already proven popular with orders for them starting in early March from around the country. So stop by and check them out today!

And remember, tonight, April 6th, from 5pm-7pm we'll be stuffing eggs for Saturday's Bunny Hop. If you stop by to help you save 20% on all your purchases.

Details about the Bunny Hop

When: Saturday, April 10th from 11am-1pm
Where: Murphy Dog Park at the corner of 1st and Nursery in Rogers
Cost: $5 per dog, you can pre-register at Bigwag or pay at the gate the day of the event.
For more details: http:/www.calendar.bigwag.com and click on the name of the event

Faces of the Humane Society - April 2010

Hey Everyone!

Yesterday I had a chance to go to the Humane Society for Animals in Rogers to deliver the treats you donate so generously.  While I was there, I took some pictures of some of the fabulous dogs who are currently calling the Humane Society home, because I thought you guys might want to see the faces of the animals that you make so happy with your donations.  I'm making it a goal to post pictures once a month so you can see the beautiful animals.  Maybe together we can help find these sweethearts homes.  And remember, if you don't have room in your home for another pet, you can help support the Humane Society with donations of money, supplies or time.

Hopefully, as I continue this project, I'll get better at getting pictures.  I realize now that most of these are through the chain link and many are blurry, since the dogs were moving around.  Bare with me!

Clay tells me this sweet girl's family moved and they were unable to take her with them.

How can you not love this face?

This is Frisco.  I love him and frequently threaten Hannah and Sam that I'm going to trade them in for Frisco.  (Like when they track mud all over the house)  Frisco has been at the Humane Society for several years now.  He was the king of Mardi Gras three years ago and while the queen found a home, Frisco is still at the Humane Society.  He really is a sweetheart, don't let his bulky frame fool you!

This guy was cute and wiggly and loved treats!