Non-Profit Spotlight: Fences For Fido

A while back, I wrote a blog post about a non-profit organization called Dogs On Deployment. I have been thinking about this organization lately and it gave me the idea to spotlight organizations that are doing exceptional work. Today, I would like to draw attention to Fences For Fido. This 501(c)(3) non-profit is base in Portland, OR and their mission is to create safer improved conditions for chained dogs by providing shelter, a fenced yard instead of a chain, veterinary care, and spay/ neutering services when necessary.

This organization was first started in May of 2009 and since then, they have unchained over 800 dogs!! They do not have any paid staff and rely completely on donations of money, material and labor. Fences For Fido also does not pass judgement on their clients. There are a lot of reasons dogs end up on chains. FFF simply wants to remedy the situation, strengthen the bond between humans and dogs and educate. They even visit families after the initial fence and shelter are built in order to make sure dogs remain unchained, safe and healthy. If for some reason, the dog/ human relationship is not working out, Fences For Fido provides foster care for the dogs until a home is found.

If you would like more information about this organization, please visit their webpage. They also have a wishlist up on Amazon if you would like to donate supplies that are much needed!

Canine Candy Store!

 Bark City has been planning and plotting some super secret ways to make our facility an exciting experience for both you and your dog. We will be announcing different additions throughout the next year (We like to keep our customers on edge and guessing with anticipation!) Our first announcement happened this Howl-ween:

Yep, that's right. We will be opening a candy store for your canine family members. We figured there is enough candy around for humans, but our little pups get left in the dust. We want to change the phrase, "Like a kid in a candy store." to "Like a puppy in a candy store." (I am coining that phrase as of now...) If you happened to stop by our facility during Howl-ween for the costume contest, you probably saw a glimpse of what some of the treats will look like:

Aren't they great?! Aside from the candy, we had some great costumed pooches come in for our contest. You can see all of the costumes on our Facebook page. Here are the top three winners:

3rd Place goes to:

Kolea and Abe the Monsters. They will win a $50 credit to Bark City's Candy Store. 

2nd Place:

Zoey the Dancing Taco. She will win a year subscription of BarkBox.

And the 1st Place Winner is (drum roll........):

Winston as Marilyn Monroe!!! He will win a 20 full day daycare package! 

Last but not least, I am going to leave you with some sneak peeks at some of the super secret happenings:

This is our new prospective Manager getting some butts in line. I am going to keep you guessing on why I have 40 dog butts lined up on my counter. 

She takes her modeling career very seriously. These are some totes. We got the idea off of Wear The Canvas. I put my embroidery skills to the test...seriously.

This is the back of the tote, because we have to advertise somewhere....

We like to start training our future employees early. Besides cloth dog ears can always make good "Vogue" mittens.

Staff Training

Owners are often relieved when their dog(s) pass the temperament screening test and are allowed to participate at a doggy daycare. But, the question that most owners do not ask the daycare is whether or not their staff is trained to handle a large group play structure. At Bark City, our staff is trained through "The Dog Gurus" program. Today, I would like to share with you a bit of their promotional material!

This is the staff training program that we make all of our staff study. You could say they are enrolled at Bark City University...

These are the two founders of "The Dog Gurus" and their credentials:

Robin Bennett is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer who founded one of the largest dog training companies in Virginia. Her first book, All About Dog Daycare is the number one reference on opening a dog daycare.

 Susan Briggs owned a large pet care center in Houston, TX for 12 years and was an early pioneer of dog daycare services. She began teaching other pet professionals to speak dog and understand dog play at her Academy in 2005.
















 Both Susan and Robin are authors, consultants and experts on dogs! They have been “reading dogs,” teaching families how to train dogs, and working in the pet care industry helping others keep dogs safe for over 20 years. Co-authors of Off-Leash Dog Play… A Complete Guide to Safety and Fun, and an extensive staff training program called, Knowing Dogs.

Remember when choosing a doggy daycare, always ask if the staff is trained. For more information on choosing a doggy daycare, visit this past post!

Feral Cat Statisitcs

How to deal with feral cats in your neighborhood is a very controversial issue. It often elicits fights amongst neighbors, because if affects the whole neighborhood. In fact, it affects a lot more than just your neighborhood, it's an ecological problem. It In this post, I am going to give you a few statistics and websites for educational purposes. I am an animal lover, I have two cats of my own. As a cat owner, I feel it is my responsibility to educate myself about how my actions as well as my pet's actions affect the environment and others. As a side note: This post mostly refers to cats in an urban setting. I realize that on a farm in the country, cats serve an entirely different purpose and some rules/ stats don't necessarily apply to all scenarios. 

 

Cat Stats: 

First, I need to clarify the difference between a feral, stray and free-roaming house cat. A feral cat is a wild cat. They are scared of humans. A stray is a cat that is not scared of humans, but is lost or has been abandoned. A free-roaming house cat is a cat that has a home, but it's humans let it go outside.

•  Cats are very territorial and often live in colonies.
• A cat can become pregnant at 5-months-old.
• A pair of breeding feral cats and their offspring can produce 420, 000 kittens over a 7-year period. 75% of the feral kittens will die by 6-months of age.
• Outdoor feral cats can transmit diseases to other wildlife as well as humans. These diseases include rabies, toxoplasmosis, fleas and other viral and parasitic diseases.
• Deadly diseases that feral cats can transmit to your house cat are: Felin Leukemia Virus, Feline Immunodeficiency Virus, Kidney Disease/ renal failure, Feline Panleukopenia (Feline Distemper) and Feline Rabies. To read a bit more in depth about these diseases, click here.
• Each year 9-million dogs and cats are euthanized a year. Approximately 25,000 healthy, adoptable cats die in shelters each day. 
• Cats kill wildlife at amazingly high rates. In a recent report, cats are the single greatest human linked threat to wildlife in the nation. They are killing machines. They can kill 1.3- 4 BILLION birds and 6.3-22.3 BILLION mammals ANNUALLY. Birds help pollinate plants, distribute plant seeds and control insect populations. They are a vital gear in our environmental machine.

So, what can you do?

Solutions?

• If you have a house cat that is driving you crazy by constantly bolting out the door or yowling to be let out, there are ways to provide a more stimulating house through "Catification". You can also try a pheromone plug-in or leash walking (I know, it sounds kind of "Crazy Cat Lady-ish"). Please do not just let your cat roam the neighborhood. It is very unsafe. Your cat could get injured by another animal, vehicle, poisoned or bring the above diseases home.
• For Feral cats, find out if your community has a Trap and Release program (TNR). These programs will humanely trap a feral cat, fix/ neuter it and then release it back into it's territory. This at lease will cut back on the amount of reproduction and overpopulation. TNR programs cost about $50/ cat as opposed to $100/ cat for euthanizing. If you are feeding a feral cat, please be responsible and have it spayed/ neutered.  

Extra Reading and Where I got my Info:

• Solano Feral Cat TNR Task Force, http://www.solanoferals.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=60&Itemid=65
• Feral Cat Project, http://www.feralcatproject.org/aboutthecats_truths.aspx
• The Wildlife Society, http://joomla.wildlife.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=845&Itemid=183
• The Impact of Free-Ranging Domestic Cats on Wildlife in the United States, http://www.nature.com/ncomms/journal/v4/n1/full/ncomms2380.html
• Conservation Connections, http://conservationconnections.blogspot.com/2013/04/the-sound-of-silence-what-happens-to.html

Minty Dog Treats

Last spring, I planted a few innocent mint plants in my garden in order to ward away pesky bugs that were eating my bean plants. Being a novice gardener, I did not realize how rapidly mint can spread. This year, I have enough mint to start my own mint farmer's market. I've become very innovative on different ways to use my mint.

Minty Dog Treats

Ingredients:

• 3 c. whole wheat flour
• 3/4 c. beef broth (If you want to make your own broth you can follow these instructions, but substitute a meaty beef bone from your local butcher instead of chicken)
• 1/3 c. unsalted butter
• 1/2 c. powdered milk
• 1/3 of a banana mashed
• 2 Tbs. of minced fresh mint leaves

Preheat your oven to 350-degrees. Mix all the ingredients together. If the dough seems too sticky to roll out on your counter, add small amounts of flour to your dough until it is the right consistency. Then, simply roll out your dough and grab a cookie cutter! Cut out your favorite shapes and place them on a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes. Turn off the oven and leave the treats in to cool while the oven cools. This will give you a crunchier treat.

Dogs on Deployment

I would like to share with you one of my favorite 501(c)(3) organizations: Dogs on Deployment (DOD). This organization helps military members find foster homes for their animals while they are on deployment. This is a need that most of us that are not in the military probably don't even think about. But often, if a military member cannot find someone to look after their pet while deployed, their pet ends up in a shelter.

DOD was started in 2011 by husband and wife, Shawn and Alisa Johnson, after they ran into their own obstacles while trying to find a way to keep their dog and fulfill their military commitments. (Read full story here) Since then, DOD has successfully place over 500 military owned pets into foster care. AND:

• Have awarded over $15,000 in financial aid to military members to help with pet care during times of hardship or emergency. 
• They help active duty, veterans and Wounded Warriors. 
• Assist all branches of the Armed Forces.
• They are open to all animals (not just dogs!)
• Promote awareness for the benefits of service dogs for those suffering with PTS.
• Advocate standardized military pet policies.
• Promote lifelong companionship between owners and their pets.  

For more information, please visit their website or "like" them on Facebook!  

Pupsicles!!

The summer heat is slowly creeping up on us and it's time to remember to keep your dog cool during these next few months. Last summer, I wrote a post on ways your can Keep Your Dog Cool. Today, I am going to list a few of my favorite pupsicle recipes:

There are actually five different recipes on this link from The Dogington Post. There is whole fruit pupsicles (featured above), Apple-honey, bacon, chicken and Banana Peanut Butter.

These Gourmet Pupsicles are from Wear. Wag. Repeat. and have THREE ingredients: peanut butter, yogurt and blueberries.

Another simple three ingredient recipe for doggie ice cream brought to you by  Dog Milk. The Ice cream pictured above is strawberry, but they also have a recipe for peanut butter. If you are feeling a little crazy, you could probably add carob chips to make it peanut butter, "chocolate" chip! (Remember to always use carob chips for dogs! Actual chocolate is poisonous to our four-legged friends.)

I think the giant label on the the photograph speaks for itself... but here is a clickable link for the recipe.

On the same topic of keeping our dogs cool, we also have the winner of last month's photo contest!

Meet Barney the sweet St. Bernard that ALMOST takes up the whole pool. (We need a bigger pool, I guess...) You can see another dog's paws politely waiting their turn in the corner.

Remember to vote for your favorite picture every month! These pictures are taken by our employees. The employee who takes the winning photograph gets a gift certificate to a local business of their choice! Like us on Facebook and VOTE!

New Prices and Services!

 

Aside from the slight increase in prices, we now offer Special Attention Services: Leash walk, 1-on-1 time, personal photo updates (via email) and Laundry services.  Our intact male policy has also changed a bit: We will try intact males in our groups up to 12-months-old. All intact males over 12-months-old will no longer be allowed in group until neutered. Intact males also have a slightly higher boarding fee.

Just marginal price increases on the Luxury Boarding, but still the same awesome services!

Zogoflex = Awesome

Have you ever witnessed a dog DESTROY a toy in what seems like less than a second? Imagine how many toys a doggy daycare could go through in just a day! Not us. We use a special toy from local West Paw Design. These toys are made from a material called Zogoflex.

Zogoflex lasts a long, long time. They bounce, float, bend and stretch (great for tug-of-war, fetch and swimming!). They are BPA-free, phthalate-free, non-toxic and FDA compliant. Eventually these toys do start to break down. But unlike most toys, they do not end up in a landfill. They can be recycled almost indefinitely!  To learn more about West Paw Design's "Loop", click here.

PLUS... they made us movie stars!!!

We also use West Paw Design's beds in our facility. These beds are great because they are SEWN BY HAND in the USA and the stuffing is made from a material called IntelliLoft. ItelliLoft is an extremely fluffy material made from recycled plastic bottles.

See how comfy this dog looks? Or you could be this dog and prefer a hose....
 

Unspayed Females

Since we have a bunch of really cute photos from our Valentine's party, I thought they would be useful for the topic of boarding intact females.Whether you, as the owner, decide to spay or neuter you dog is entirely up to you. We won't stand on any soap box and preach one way or the other. It's your business. But if a female comes into heat while at Bark City, we have the obligation as the responsible caretaker to kennel her. It is for her safety as well as for the other dogs.

A dog that is in heat, will release pheromones that will drive dogs CRAZY with frustration.  It is not uncommon for a male dog to scent a female in heat from a mile away. Male dogs will MOVE MOUNTAINS to get to the desired female and will become aggressive competing for her. The female in heat may also become aggressive with other dogs in order to drive them away from a chosen male and/or  because she might be experiencing some pain during ovulation. The female must be kept under constant supervision to make sure there are no "oops puppies". Like I said, male dogs will move mountains...

What is the most logical step for your intact female? I would recommend keeping track of her cycle and to not board her when she is going to be in heat. A female will generally start her first cycle anywhere between 6-24 months old (No, we do not expect you to wait two-full years to board your dog! That is a bit unreasonable!). Typically, the smaller the breed the earlier. The cycle will last approximately 18 days. Males will be attracted to the female the whole time, but the female will only be receptive for about half of it. You can expect your dog to go into heat about twice a year (approx. every six months). There is a lot of good information via the web about what to expect when your female goes into heat. I would recommend reading up BEFORE it happens! You WILL need to be prepared...

Plantain Fritters.... and Photo Contest Winner!!!

The temperatures have dropped again. It's cold outside. One of my favorite comfort foods that are easy make are Plantain Fritters (Yep, your dog can eat them too!.. in small quantities). Plantains are those "giant bananas" you see in grocery stores. Here are the ingredients:

•  1 cup of flour
• 1 1/2 tsp of baking powder
• 1/2 tsp of salt
• 2 ripe plantains (you can also substitute bananas. Today, I used one plantain and one banana)

Throw all of the ingredients into a food processor and puree. Then fry the batter by dropping spoonfuls of the batter into heated vegetable oil (or any oil of your choice).

To flip them, I use a fork as a spatula.

 Once done, I take them out of the oil with a pair of tongs and place them on a paper towel to absorb some of the extra oil.

 This is my dog version with no extra thrills.

And these are for me. I sprinkle powdered sugar on the top. As sides, I like to dip them in my homemade cranberry sauce or the whiskey marmalade my husband brought back from Ireland. You should  not give your dog all these extras. Keep them simple and plain for Fido... and try to limit the quantity eaten in one sitting since they are fried!

... and last, but not least... THE JANUARY PHOTO CONTEST WINNER GOES TO....

Hardi's "Selfie"!!! 

The Bark City Employee that took this picture won a gift card to Rib and Chop House. February's photos are already starting to be posted! Be sure to vote on your favorite picture via Facebook. The employee whose photo wins will get a gift card to a local business!!