Humane Society of the Ozarks 17th Annual Dogwood Walk

After one postponement and one rescheduling, we finally had the 17th annual Dogwood Walk at Gulley Park in Fayetteville. I think it always cuts down the turnout when you postpone or reschedule, but despite that I think this was still a good event. Northwest Arkansas has some great pet events every year, and this one is not an exception. It was a little soupy, but what's a pet event without a few muddy paw prints on your pants?

I think I would give the "Best Booth" award to the "Love and Peace" booth from Weddington Animal Hospital this year. Their booth was so creative.

We should have the winner for our "Guess the cookie jar" contest ealy this week, so stay tuned to see if you are the winner!!!

Fayetteville Animal Shelter Offers Free Boarding

The Fayetteville Animal Shelter is offering free boarding to residents without power. According to the Northwest Arkansas Times:

The Fayetteville Animal Shelter is offering free boarding to pet owners without power.

"A lot of folks are trying to tough it out at home, while some people are bringing their pets with them to work," Jill Hatfield, Fayetteville Animal Shelter superintendent, said. "We just want people to know that we are the site for sheltering if people need a temporary place for their animals during the power outage."

Hatfield said the shelter won't charge impound or boarding fees, but all animals must be vaccinated and have a city license.

The shelter lost power at about 2 p.m. Tuesday. Electricity was restored Thursday.

All animals in the shelter made it through the power outage safely.

"It was really tough," Hatfield said. "We gave lots of blankets to everyone and made sure they had fresh food and water. We don't have a generator here, but it's definitely something we'll be looking into soon. We may see if we're eligible for some type of [Federal Emergency Management Agency] assistance."

Although Jill is offering this service for free, she states that most animals adapt to the cold quite easily, as long as they have shelter, food and water. Animals at the shlter were all fine as they were without power from Tuesday through Thursday. The best place for the pets is with their owners.

This would be a great alternative people who still do not have any power, and have several BIG dogs, and taking them to a hotel is not really an option.

This is one of those rare instances where I wished I owned a boarding facility so that we could follow suite. Getting to help out our community is a big driving force for what we do with the resacues and shelters, and from a marketing stand point, this would have been a GREAT opportunity for a local shelter here in Benton County, or even a boarding facility to step up and help out.

Kudos for Jill - This was a win-win all the way around.

Strut for a Mutt 2008

Thursday, Sept 18th at 7:30 PM was the second annual Strut for a Mutt, sponsored by Lola Boutique, Lux Beauty, and yours truly! I personally witnessed three applications being filled out for adoptions from the Fayetteville Animal Shelter last night. The 50 VIP tables were sold out in 2 hours when the tickets went on sale. The line outside of the Dickson Street Theatre was wrapped around outside the patio well into the beginning of the event, as it was practically standing room only.

I hope I can post some real numbers on how sucessful the event was last night, but it seemed to be too big for the theatre venue. Jade and her mom even spoke about possibly needing a bigger venue next year. Congrats to her and her team for what seemed like a very well planned night, that seemed to go without a hitch.






The events pre-party began at 6:30, at which point all of the models dissappeared into the loft area to prepare for the event

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Shortly after 7:30 the models began their trek down the catwalk, and the event has kicked off. I actually couldn't get close enough to get any good pictures of the fashion show. Maybe next year we can pony up and get a VIP table. That looked fun.

Dog Parks Petition Available Online

The Walt Eilers for Mayor Campaign kicked off a collaborative push for additional dog parks July 5th by holding a short dog parade at the Fayetteville Farmers' Market. More than twenty local people and their pets participated. The campaign passed out gourmet treats contributed by BigWag. The campaign also used the event to collect information from dog owners through a simple survey it distributed. That same survey and a petition can now be found at walteilers.com.

The city has tried twice before to add additional parks, but its efforts have been defeated both times by citizens opposed to the idea. Committed pet owners must come together to convince the city that these dog parks will benefit the community. They will provide dogs and their owners a safe place to exercise and socialize. The Walt Eilers for Mayor Campaign wants to see a proper dog park in each of the Parks and Recreation Department's four quadrants, but making those parks a reality will take a collaborative effort.

The city currently offers one dog park next to the newly renovated animal shelter. The Parks and Rec Department hopes to make Lake Wilson Park an off-leash facility. While we welcome the move, Lake Wilson is located east of the airport in Fayetteville, making it somewhat inconvenient to most. That said, should the park be made an off-leash site, dog owners should make frequent use of the facility to demonstrate their support.

We encourage everyone to complete the (very) short survey at to sign the petition, both of which can be found at walteilers.com. (And for those concerned about politics, doing either in no way represents an endorsement.) The campaign plans to present the information and signatures gathered to the city as proof that citizens are committed to making additional dog parks a reality.

Feel free to email concerns, questions, or ideas to eilersformayor@gmail.com.

Submitted by guest blogger Greg Leding - campaign manager for Walt Eilers.

Fayetteville Animal Shelters Grand Reopening

The Fayetteville Animal Shelter hosted it's Grand Re-opening Party Saturday, from 11 AM to 3 PM at it's facilities on Armstrong Rd. Dog Party USA, Angel Pet Sitters, The Humane Society of the Ozarks, as well as Bigwag were there in support of their efforts. It started to rain about 2 PM, so we bugged out a little early, but the event was winding down anyway. There was also a demonstration by Dogs Deserve Better, a group dedicated to raising awareness about dogs who spend their whole lives chained to a dog house (See the second photo above). The HSO also presented Jill Hatfield, the shelter director, with a check for $20,000, to help defray the deficit of funds that were cut from the city budget this year. Funds from the HSO 2008 planner were used to help make up the difference.

Renovations included a new air filtration system, UV lighting to help reduce microbial and bacterial infections, as well as new paint, to help the shelter feel more homier, according to Mrs. Hatfield.

More Photos from Springfest and the Dogwood Walk in Fayetteville, from Jennifer Cole

Springfest - Dickson Street, April 26th, 2008

Dogwood Walk - Gulley Park, May 3rd, 2008

Fayetteville Dogwood Walk at Gulley Park

Despite a cold start to the morning, dog walkers were out in full force Saturday at Fayetteville's Gulley Park. A great turnout, and a great finish to the day makes it all worth while. Our free sample treats were such a hit this year we had to call in reinforcements, despite bringing twice as many from last year.

Fayetteville dog walkers snapped up the goodie bags quickly, and were very excited to learn that we were offering free shipping to anywhere in Arkansas - greatly helping with the current gas crunch. We know it's hard to get up to Rogers on a weekly basis for our yummy, all-natural treats. Those fortunate enough to get a goodie bag were also treated to more free samples as well as a coupon for 10 free treats from us at our store in Rogers.

Demonstrations highlighted with agility training by Canine Connection, and Arkansas Search and Rescue, as well as the myriad of vendor booths from folks like us, and the shelters and rescues made for a great amount of information for participants.

This video is just a panoramic shot of Gulley Park during the Dogwood walk. The walk itself is very impressive to see, with the line of people stretching from the gazebo all the way to new north parking lot. I was so busy this year chatting with people I didn't get a chance to photo or video the actual walk - maybe better luck next year!

BigWag at Springfest

The weather was perfect at Springfest on Saturday, April 26th 2008. These are some pictures of our booth in "Doggie Alley" along with Dog Party USA and the Humane Society of the Ozarks.

Last year we got roasted, burnt and crispy, but our new booth design really let us spend more time in out tent with our customers talking about our treats, Lupine collars, and the cooling collars we had this year. The cooling collars were a big hit. They absorb water and slowly evaporate it over several hours, creating a cooling effect around your dog's neck.

There was a dog parade that started down at Wassabi's at 2:00 PM, and ended at Doggie Alley, which was down by the train bank. Prizes were given away for the most unique dog, the most Springfest Spirit, and the biggest wag (of course!) .

The video is of a little boy that went dance crazy with our mascot "Bubby" the BigWag Dog. He was so cute. Bubby helped lead the dog parade, took pictures with the kids down on Dickson street, and helped people find Doggie Alley. Bubby should be making another appearance at the Dogwood walk this Saturday, May 3rd, 9 AM at Gulley Park in Fayetteville.

We'll also be having a booth at the Bark Park walk the same day. If you would like more information about the up comming events, check out our pet calendar.

Another Rawhide Story

Here's a story that is circulating the internet right now. It's a tragedy for sure:


To Whom It May Concern...(Is There Any Justice For The Loss Of My Bestfriend) November 08, 2007 5:40 PM

Well on Oct. 28, 2007 I had to get my most loyal and loving BlackJack put
to sleep because she was so sick and dying...I still can't believe she's gone forever. My baby was only about 3yrs old...I will not let go what happened and I want my voice to be heard !!!!! I purchased some rawhide bones from the 24hr Walgreens on Main St. here in High Point, N.C. when I gave my dog one within an hour of chewing half of the bone my BlackJack became sick, vomiting very badly...this went on for a few days and she seemed to get better or so I thought, I noticed her gums, tongue, skin, and white of her eyes was yellow...I was like no way, my dog has jaundice so I took her to the vet. They kept her for 3 days and done blood tests, X-ray, IV's, Etc. and they ruled out blood disease, foreign objects, any kind of blockage, and said my dog was way too healthy & had very good bloodwork prior to get this sick, this fast!! They sent her home with me and wanted to try medication...but nothing worked she just got sick more each day until she could barely walk & would not eat, she was suffering and the outlook didn't look good even with surgery as weak as she was...It was like she had been poisened, even the vet that put her to sleep said that...and she had from that bone. Now I'm at war with the company and want some justice for the life of my bestfriend, she was the kind of dog that if your lucky you might run into one once in your lifetime. Now take note on the information below:
- There sold at: Walgreens
- Brand Name ( Bag O Bones )
- Company Info: Specialty Products Resources Inc.
49 Harrington Rd.
Waltham, M.A. 02452 USA
Tel: (781) 894-1411
Fax: (781) 894-1811
Website: www.specialtyrawhide.com

Please Check Out & Sign The Petition To Make Sure Another Bestfriend Is Not Lost!!! http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/a-life-lost

---------------------EOM--------------------------

At first glance, I want to rush out and sign this petition. I know rawhide is a horrible product, and more is sold at this time of year than any other. But there is so much information out there about rawhide. You can google it, read blogs about it, talk to your vet about it, talk to your boarder, your local dog bakery, trainers, fellow dog parkers; I would think there has to be information about how rawhide is so bad coming at people from every angle. If that is really the case, then why do people still buy it? Stores wouldn't stock it unless people were buying it.

There is another part of me that thinks, with all of the information available at hand, how is this person not personally accountable for this? Stores simply sell what people want. If nobody wanted it, good or bad for you, nobody would sell it. Doesn't that make us, everyone who buys rawhide products, accountable for this also? Anyone thats purchased rawhide in the last year send this person one dollar, and she'll feel better. Like that will ever happen. Now, if this was something new, a new product that's untested, a mistake, never happened to anyone before. I could see some accountability on the part of the company. But rawhide, and the horrible stories that go with it, have been around a long time. I think it's really up to us to spread this word. The companies and manufacturers aren't going to stop making it unless everyone stops buying it. Stores like Wal-mart are going to continue to sell it, because it keeps making them money. It's only small stores like our bakery that take a stand on junk like this (See Rawhide is for shoes).

I won't sell rawhide, I've never sold rawhide, and I won't even sell the pressed rawhide, which is supposed to be the lesser of the evils. If there should be a petition, lets tell the retailers we don't want this in the stores anymore. Lets get this on the news so other people know about it and can make an informed decision. Let's not just sue the retailer for punitive damages. Put your money where your mouth is - or your dog's mouth anyway. Just say no to rawhide. There are plenty of alternatives. Be an informed consumer. Read the ingredients. Stores like Wal-mart are very much a democracy. If the public votes they won't buy something, it gets yanked pretty fast and replaced with something else. They have to move product off of their shelves to make money, and under performing products are always replaced quickly, or else it effects their year end numbers. Bonuses are at stake. Vote NO on rawhide! Spread the word!

How To Crate Train Your Dog In 30 Minutes

I hear complaints of people who can't potty train their dogs, or they destroy furniture at night, or the sleep in their bed with them and become aggressive if the owner wants them down. The simplest solution to all of these problems is to crate train your dog, but how do you do that? they ask.

First step is to buy a dog crate. I got mine from Wal-mart. I like the metal ones with the slide out plastic liner to make accidents easy to clean up. The only trick here is to make sure you get the right size. You don't want too small, but too big, and they will feel like they can use the bathroom at the other end of their "house". It needs to be just small enough to where they won't want to go to the bathroom - dogs have a natural sense to not potty where they sleep. If they do use the bathroom and then sleep in it, I will address that at the end.

The second step is easy. Now, your job is just to make the crate a fun place. I usually place it in the living room, or someplace they are familiar with, and let them be around it for a little while. Let them smell it, walk in it if they are brave enough, explore it, and become comfortable with it. Then, once they have had a chance to become familiar with it, I try to entice them into it with a treat. I try not to push them in - I want it to feel like their choice. Once they go in, I give them a treat, call them out, and hug and praise them a whole bunch. I repeat this, using the phrase "Do you wanna go to bed". This does two things. First, it associates the crate with someplace fun, where there are treats involved, and lots of praise. Second, it gives them a verbal cue "Bed" that they know with the crate, and the associated treats and praise. This usually takes about 30 minutes, maybe a little more with reluctant or scaredy cats.

Dogs are natural den dwellers. Sometimes draping a towel over the crate will make it more appealing. I like to put a towel with my scent on it (I rub it all over my body) and place it with a favorite toy at night so they feel close to me. Overall, the crate makes them feel safe. They will run to it when they are scared or frightened. All I have to do is mention the word "bed" and they are racing down the hall to see who can be first in their crate.

If they are young, especially puppies, they may not want to remain in their crate throughout the night. You have to determine if this is just because they want out, or because they really have to use the bathroom badly. If they just want out, then I would ignore them. They should eventually quiet down. I have used a glass of water thrown on them so that a really stubborn dog knows this is unacceptable behavior.

What you want to avoid is having them use the bathroom and then lying or sleeping in it. If this happens, you can undo any good crate training cold do. It's like it psychologically damages the dog, so that they will urinate on themselves and not care anymore. It can undo pottie training they may have mastered. I use the rule of thumb that for every month the puppy is old, they can go an hour before needing a bathroom break. Hopefully, by a year old they should be able to go all night without a problem. I have a dog that can get so distracted on their end-of-the-night outside trip that he forgets to go to the bathroom. Each dog is a little different, and you will have to find that balance and learn with them.

Getting this technique down is a great way to potty train a dog too. When you let them out in the morning, have a treat ready, and go out with them. They will more than likely have to use the bathroom if they went all night without going outside. As soon as they start, start praising them (but don't touch them - let them finish their business) and then when they are finished, give them a treat and praise and hug them. This will reinforce going outside is good. It's about the only time of day you know with 100% certainty that they will go to the bathroom, and it's really a slam dunk. The more you praise them for going outside, the faster they should catch on.