I’m blogging at Patheos.com!

If you’ve noticed that things are a little slow here at Bark Around Town, that’s because my time has been tied up with my new writing gig: I’m writing the Heavenly Creatures blog at Patheos.com! My job is to write about animals, life and spirituality – it’s the perfect opportunity for me, and I’m super excited about it.

In addition, Bandit is now writing a column every issue for Pup Culture Magazine. Although he actually writes the column, I do have to spend time editing and making sure he meets his deadline. He’s easily distracted.

So please forgive me for a while if things seem a little slow over here at Bark Around Town. Our guest bloggers are still here, and I’m covering as much local dog news as possible. But as you other writers know … sometimes, you’ve got to focus on where you’re making money. And you know how much these dogs (and the dogmobile repairs!) cost every month. So thanks for your patience and be sure to visit me on the Heavenly Creatures blog!

To vaccinate or not to vaccinate? We ask the experts about Bordatella and Canine Flu

by Joanne Brokaw

To vaccinate or not to vaccinate. The answer depends on who you talk to.

I love the Rochester dog community, so I often visit different trainers and doggie day care facilities. One thing that came up recently was the subject of Bordatella vaccinations. One doggie day care we use requires the vaccine, another doesn’t and actually prefers not to vaccinate for Bordatella (also known as kennel cough). We’ve also started vaccinating dogs for flu.

We vaccinate for Bordatella, but one of our vaccinated dogs also contracted Bordatella. So I thought it would be good to get some feedback from two local doggie day cares as well as a vet about the question of whether or not to vaccinate for Bordatella and Canine flu. You’ll hear from Sherri Romig, owner of Tails of Success training and doggie day care; Lee Wilson, owner of Camp Bow Wow doggie day care and boarding; and Dr. Erik Herrema, from Penfield Veterinary Hospital (where our dogs and cat are well-known to all of the vets.)

As always when we “ask the experts”, you’ll get differing opinions. The idea is to give you information and food for thought so you can then work with your own veterinarian to provide care that meets the needs of your specific dog.

So here are three views – To vaccinate or not to vaccinate for Bordatella or Canine flu:

Vote for Pet$aver Super Store for U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s DREAM BIG Small Business of the Year Award

PetSaver Superstore in Greece is a 2011 Blue Ribbon Small Business Award winner.

In conjunction with its National Small Business of the Year nomination, Pet$aver Super Store has been named a 2011 Blue Ribbon Small Business Award winner. They’ve also qualified for the Community Excellence Award, designed to highlight a business that has found success in the eyes of its community – and they need your vote to win!

The award’s website explains that “The Awards program is designed to honor our nation’s job creators and recognize their significant contributions as drivers of economic growth. The winner of the DREAM BIG Small Business of the Year Award will receive a $10,000 cash prize courtesy of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.”

Pet$aver is a local treasure for pet lovers, with top quality products, low prices, and excellent customer service. Best of all, they’re locally owned and operated.

You can vote for Pet$aver Super Store on the website for America’s Small Business Summit and learn more about Pet$aver on the store’s website.

PetsDating.com connects pets and their owners

 

 

Is Fido lonely? Fluffy yearning for a soulmate? Rex needing a quick romp in the park? Now your pets can do a little online matchmaking at PetsDating.com.

I don’t make this stuff up.

According to the website:

PetsDating.com serves as an online community for pet owners who want their pet to enjoy a long, healthy, and fulfilling life in the company of another pet.

Use our site to connect your pet with other pets in your area. See what other pet lovers are talking about.

It’s actually a nice idea, although I think we’ve taken the “pets as family” too far in this country. Remember when a dog was … well, a dog? But the site is designed to connect pet owners who are looking for other pet owners to meet for doggie play dates, help find missing dogs, and share resources on pet ownership.

Of course, if Fido is feeling romantic, he can look for a romantic match on the site – and maybe his owner can, too.

You can learn more at PetsDating.com.

Vote for your favorite local animal shelter in The Animal Rescue Site $100,000 Holiday Shelter Challenge

The Animal Rescue Site, a partner of Petfinder.com, is hosting a $100,000 shelter challenge this holiday season.

Eighty-three (83) grants will be awarded, for a total of $100,000, to eligible Petfinder.com members. Final prizes will go to the eligible Petfinder.com organization with the highest accumulative votes for the duration of the Challenge.

Prizes range from $1,000 to $10,000, including weekly $1,000 grants, fifty $1,000 grants (one per state), three $1,000 Canadian shelter grants, and a grand prize of $10,000 to the shelter with the most votes overall. (You can see the entire list of prizes on The Animal Rescue Site website.)

Here’s the link to the shelters; just click “NY” for the state and type in “Rochester” in the city. You’ll find a list of all of the Rochester- area shelters. You can vote once a day – so make sure you check back daily!

Rochester Animal Services Open House (photos)

Today was open house at Rochester Animal Services

Today was the annual open house at Rochester Animal Services, kicking off National Shelter Appreciation Week. Not only did lots of folks stop in to tour the shelter and the mounted patrol stables, four dogs and four cats got adopted! Here are some photos from the day: