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 (If you allow your information to become out of date, you will be considered out of compliance!)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     

Girl Scout Visit

Hey Everyone!

Last week we were host to Girl Scout Troop 192 of Springdale.  This is the second time their troop has visited us to bake treats and learn about dog nutrition.  They are also a big help at lots of local dog related events - look for them selling refreshments or helping with set up.  They even have created an annual Woofy Walk that benefits the Springdale Animal Shelter.  They really are a great group of girls and we had lots of fun hosting this event.

 The girls helped mix up the dough

They helped cut out the treats

 And they even participated in a scavenger hunt in the store!

It was a great visit and we thank them for coming!

Rolling Into Fall - Event Season

Well, as the air turns crisper it seems fall is upon us. Still feels a little early to be having such cool weather, but it reminds me that it is once again Pet Event Season.

Pet events are a lot of fun. They allow local businesses to "Keep Arkansas Funky", so that our neighbors can shop locally and stimulate our own economy. They also are a great tool to socialize your dog, getting them over fear anxiety, playing and sniffing other dogs, seeing other people, and it gives them someplace to go in the car other than the vet, which can develop car ride anxiety. These events can also be a good source of knowledge, since often experts in their fields will be on hand to answer questions on nutrition, behavior, grooming, boarding, and medications.

Here's a recap of some of the big events that are lined up:

Responsible Dog Owner Day

When: Sat, September 12, 11:30am – 1:30pm

Where: Murphy Dog Park (map)

Description: The annual RDOD sponsored by the NWA Kennel Club. Events include Lure Coursing, NWA K-9 Disc Club demonstration, Biggest Wag Contest, vendor booths and more! Burgers will be available from Backyard Burger for only $3 with proceeds benefiting Murphy Dog Park and The Humane Society. I'm glad the NWAKC is continuing this event with James at the helm. This was our first ever dog event we ever attended in 2006, despite the wind and grit in our teeth, it holds a special place in our hearts. I'll never forget all of the weird looks we got that day. I still think not that many people know what a dog bakery does, but we broke onto the seen in our first RDOD. Last years event was cancelled due to inclement weather, but these have been huge events in the past, and are lookign forward to another great one this year.

National Pet Memorial Day

When: Sun, September 13, 4pm – 6pm

Where: Bark Park, Bentonville, AR (map)

Description: Sponsored by Save Our Strays
This is the first year for this event, and it may be the first event at the Bentonville Bark Park since it's completion. Recognizing the importance of remembering our cherished pets, the International Association of Pet Cemeteries (IAPC) has designated the second Sunday in September as National Pet Memorial Day.

Weiner Dog Races

When: Sat, October 3, 9am – 12pm

Where: Glasgow Road Softball Field, Bella Vista, AR (map)

Description: The 3rd annual Weiner Dog races benefit the Bella Vista Animal Shelter. More details will be available at a later date. We attended this event for the first time last year, and it was a blast. I didn't even know that many weiner dogs lived in NWA. So moch fun to see them all running, lose interest and then run off the field, ears flopping. Another great event in Benton County. Should be a great photo op. This is the third year for this event at the softball field in Bella Vista.

Pugfest 2009

When: Sat, October 3, 11am – 2pm

Where: JB Hunt Softball Park, Springdale, AR (map)

Description: We will have games, a fashion show, and other happenings at the event. Ryan Greig with 98.3 KKEG will keep things moving during the day as Pugs, small canine friends and human friends enjoy the day and compare Pug Experiences. If a dog clothes designer would like to participate in the fashion show - please contact me as soon as possible. We already have one designer set up to show their clothes on the RUNWAY (ok sidewalk). Get your costumes ready now and participate in the costume contest and of course - as we do each year - we will crown Mr & Miss Northwest Arkansas Pug - Includes a crown and trophy! If interested in becoming a vendor, contact Reta Parton at rpsodapop@aol.com or call 479.... We had over 120 pugs in attendance last year. This year we expect more! Come enjoy the day and meet our pugs up for adoption. A Pug is a comedian with a fur coat and generously gives love to everyone - come join our celebration.We've got a great pug rescue in NWA, and these little guys are so cute! Come out and support this great group.

Howl-O-Ween Carnival

When: Sat, October 31, 1pm – 4pm

Where: Murphy Dog Park (map)

Description: Costume Contest with 4 categories: cutest, scariest, most creative and owner/dog costumes. Carnival Games Bigwag Biggest Wag Contest Trick or Treat Vendor prize for best decorated Howl-O-Ween Booth prize will be a free 4x3 sign at Murphy Dog Park Silent Auction Food Goodie Bags T-Shirts. Ever since we started attending dog events in NWA, we've heard of the mythical "Howl-o-ween" event, but it has been on hiatus since 2005. This is purportedly going to be huge - silimiar to the Dogwood Walk in Fayetteville, and a ton of fun. We are looking forward to seeing the reemergence of this spooktacular event in NWA.

We should be offering (almost) live coverage via Facebook and Twitter. Be sure you don't miss out!

Springdale Gets New Animal Shelter Director

Lindsey Droste is no longer supervising the Springdale Animal Shelter. As of Monday, Brett Harris is the new director. No specific reason was given as to why Lindsey is no longer with the shelter, other than she moved out of town.

Harris started work in his new position Monday, taking over after former director Lindsey Droste moved out of town. Harris was picked from a pool of 23 applicants, according to David Tritt, human resource director. Tritt, Mayor Doug Sprouse and Public Works Director Sam Goade, supervisor of animal services, interviewed five candidates.

"Harris has a very impressive resume," Goade said. "His experience made him a very good candidate."

Harris, 39, has served as a police officer, an animal control officer, a veterinary technician, an animal caregiver and an euthanasia technician. He holds a bachelor's degree in animal physiology from the University of California in San Diego.

Harris worked in Montana and Colorado before moving to Northwest Arkansas with his wife and two children. His wife, the former Candice Kettle, is a native of Springdale.

You can read the entire article here. We thought Lindsey did a good job improving the shelters image, and are sorry to see her go. We are always excited to get a chance to work with the rescue groups and shelters who are trying to make a difference, and we're looking forward to meeting Mr. Harris and seeing if there are ways we can work together to help better the pet community here in NWA.

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.

Springdale Woofy Walk by Girl Scout Troop 192

Here are some pictures of the 1st annual Woofy Walk, put on by Girl Scout Troop 192. J. B Hunt park was so pretty Saturday, we think this would be an ideal location for future dog walks - maybe even see it grow to rival the Dogwood walk given some time. We enjoyed helping raise some supplies for the Springdale Animal Shelter, and the beagle mix puppies were so cute. I hope they find some forever homes soon.

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!