Birthday Party ends with a Wag

Brandi getting the cupcakes ready

On Saturday, July 24th at 9 AM Bigwag Dog Bakery celebrated it's 4th year in business. We've done this every year as a "customer appreciation day", a "hey we are still here day", and a "here are our friends" day. The day starts off with 100 goody bags for the first 100 people who show up starting at 9 AM. The goody bags are generally gone in about 30 minutes.

Outside in our side parkinglot we have donuts (provided by Daylight Donuts of Lowell), coffee (provided by Mountain Bird Coffee), and juice, along with 18 vendors, rescues, shelters, groomers, pet sitters, boarders, photographers and dog parks. These are area pet businesses or groups that have come to talk about their business or rescue, give out more freebies, get your face painted, pet some dogs, or get your dog microchipped.

Starting at about 10:30 AM, we break out the burgers and hot dogs, and start the grilling. All food is free, and the grilling was provided this year by Arkansas Fireplace and Grill.

Maddie - our phto contest winner of a year of free treats

Throughout the day we hold giveaways - in "Lets Make A Deal" style, where we ask participants to sing a song, call the hogs, find items in their purse, or answer trivia to win a wide array of prizes. We gave away over 100 lbs of dog food, gift baskets, collars and leads from Lupine and Planet Dog, toys, gift certificates, and salsa from Shaggy's Salsa.

The event is capped off with the "Biggest Wag Contest", a tradition started in our second year of business, where dogs and their owners are encouraged to exhibit as much enthusiasm as possible, and where truly size does not matter..

To see all of our photos visit our Facebook page or our Facebook Photo Album.

Thank you to everyone who came out and partied with us, and to all of the pet businesses and groups that came out and set up a tent with us or donated prizes for the give aways and the goody bags. We feel truly blessed to be part of such a wonderful pet community in NWA.

Thank You Lillian, Stella & Margaret!

Hey Everyone!

I've typed this blog about a hundred times, but I can't seem to express the words that are in my heart as well as I'd like.  You see, yesterday Lillian and Stella, our winners of last year's Year of Free Treats, came in for their very last free treats.  And it made me want to break down and cry right there in the store.  I know, that probably seems ridiculous, but here's the thing.  Lillian and Stella are truly remarkable dogs.  And I feel blessed and honored to have been able to provide their treats over the past year.  I'm sure I'm still not making any sense.  Perhaps I should mention that Lillian and Stella are search and rescue dogs.  And that they recently worked at Albert Pike State Park.  Along with their owner Margaret Choffel, they do a job that I can only imagine is back breaking and heartbreaking.  I know that I could never bring myself to do their job and that makes me so grateful that they do it, because I also know that families need answers and closure in situations as devastating as the recent flash floods.  So, I feel like giving Lillian and Stella treats for a year was the very least that we could do and I feel like there will never be enough words to express how truly grateful we are that they do the work they do.

And since the words to say all of that are just not making themselves available, I will simply say this.  Thank you Lillian and Stella and thank you Margaret.  I am truly honored to call you customers.

Below is Margaret's winning entry from last year's story contest.  We will be announcing the winner for this year's photo contest at our birthday party on Saturday.

"My name is Margaret Choffel, I am part of the K-9 unit for Washington County Search and Rescue. I've been part of the team for the past ten years. My first search dog, Annie, was a hero, with finds to her credit, sadly died in her prime at five years of age. I currently have two Labrador females, Stella does area air scenting live find searches and cadaver searches.. She has helped to find lost victims, and has been on recovery missions as well, she is five years old and when she isn't doing SAR work, Stella goes to the Veteran's Home weekly to visit the patients, I also show her in local dog shows.. She loves her ball and as a Lab she loves treats as well.

Lillian is a yellow Lab, she is half sister to Stella and is a year younger at four years of age. Lillian's speciality is land cadaver, she has a very nice passive indication and loves treats as a reward. On her off time she also joins her sister in weekly visits to the Veteran's Home and likes to strut in the show ring when she can.. Search and Rescue requires lots of time and effort and is all voluntary. 99% of the expenses are born by the handler, the Girls work for treats, so a year's worth of treats for rewards would be very welcome."

Birthday Press Release

Hey Everyone!

I just finished sending out the press release for our birthday party, but since you never can tell whether a press release will get picked up by a media outlet or not, I thought I'd go ahead and post it here.  That way I know that I didn't do all that work for nothing :D  We're so excited about our birthday party and the Year of Free Treats contest - We've already received some fantastic photos, but be sure to keep them coming.  You have until the 21st to submit those great pictures of your dogs eating our treats.  And you know you want a year of free treats!  (Or at least your dog does!)

For immediate release

Bigwag Dog Bakery Celebrates 4th Birthday

Rogers, AR… July 8, 2010

Saturday, July 24th from 9am-12pm, Bigwag Dog Bakery is celebrating their fourth birthday. But they don't expect to be the center of attention. Rather the focus of their party will be the pet community of Northwest Arkansas. Bigwag's birthday will include vendors and pet organizations such as Angel Pet Sitters, Friends of the Lowell Animal Shelter, Murphy Dog Park and many more. Also a focus of the party – the guests, both two-legged and four-legged. The first 100 guests will receive goody bags. Guests who don't receive a goody bag will still have much to enjoy, including low cost microchipping provided by Northwest Arkansas Animal Rescue, coffee from Mountain Bird Coffee Company of Eureka Springs, free food and free cake for both dogs and people. There will be giveaways all day with prizes ranging from gift baskets to bags of premium dog food and collar and leash sets. The day will conclude with the Biggest Wag contest and the announcement of the winner of a Year of Free Treats. To enter to win a Year of Free Treats, guests can submit a picture of their dog enjoying Bigwag treats to treats@bigwag.com through Wednesday, July 21st.

About Bigwag Dog Bakery

Bigwag is located at 2301 W. Walnut, Suite 23, Rogers, AR in Turtle Creek Plaza. It opened July 29, 2006.

Bigwag can also be found online:

Online Store http://www.bigwag.com

Facebook http://www.facebook.com/BigwagDogBakery

Twitter http://www.twitter.com/BigwagDogBakery

Blog http://www.blog.bigwag.com

Further Information:

What: Free food, goody bags for the first 100 guests, low cost microchipping provided by NWA Animal Rescue, vendor booths, contests, prizes and much more!

Where: Bigwag Dog Bakery

2301 W. Walnut Suite 23

Rogers, AR 72756

(Behind Popeye's Chicken)

When: Saturday, July 24, 2010 9am-12pm

Why: Bigwag is celebrating it's 4th year of being business

Who: Open to the public

Cost: Free

It's Our Party...

Hey Everyone!

It's our birthday, Saturday, July 24th from 9am-12pm!  This year we're turning four and the party promises to be spectacular, topping even last year's event, which was amazing.  We have prizes lined up from lots of great vendors including Taste of the Wild and Lupine.  Plus we have goodies from your local favorites too!  You'll want to start warming those tails up for the Biggest Wag Contest, and in the coming days look for the announcement on how you can win a Year of Free Treats!  (Let me just say, you should start sorting through your photos now...)  But for now, the invitation: