Annie

Sunday afternoon (after taking care of the horses), I rushed over to the Cow Palace with my friend Ms. Pat to watch Annie (Steve O'Donnell's dog) in the agility demonstration. We made it just in time and it was so worth it! I was able to catch Annie right before she went on. I could tell she was nervous. She gave me a bunch of kisses and stepped into the ring. The crowd went wild. They cheered her on as she made her way through the maze of posts with Steve walking beside her encouraging her the whole way. She certainly was not the fastest but I believe she was the favorite. She was the essence of dog in that ring. Scared but brave and doing her best for those she loves. Big Hug Annie. You were amazing!

January 2010

Looking for something to do?

If you're looking for something to do this weekend, consider a drive over to Alameda.

Remember Monica?

Monica Sanchez used to work for Very Important Pets 5 years ago. She is the pretty, ambitious, smart young woman, mother, wife and entrepreneur (among many other things) that worked at Very Important Pets for a couple of years. She and her husband were managing Ultimate Grounds on Park Blvd in Oakland when I asked her to come to work for me. She did some part time work while developing her own pet sitting business "Pick of the Litter" all the while working at Ultimate Grounds (aah youth.....). Anyway, fast forward to 2010. Monica and Miguel are now proud owners of Wesend, a coffeehouse at 1536 Webster St. in Alameda www.thewescafe.com ! It is beautiful AND DOG FRIENDLY!!! They have thought of everything. They have installed an awning for protection from the elements on their gorgeous patio! Heat lamps, lights, a fountain, etc... -all the comforts of a perfect stop for breakfast, lunch, snack or whatever you and the pup are in the mood for. They have hit the ground running and their little shop is already a hit. Monica would be thrilled to see some of her "Very Important Pets alumni". Stop by to see her before or after an outing in Alameda.

FYI - There are a couple of dog parks near Wesend. A small dog park (under 30 lbs) www.alamedasmalldogs.org and the big dog park right next door within Washington Park . I recommend sitting in the parking lot and watching the crowd before going in so you can make sure the dogs are playing nicely. There is also the Main St. Linear Dog Park @ Main Street and Atlantic Ave. It is right next door to the Alameda ferry terminal. It stays pretty quiet and it has a beautiful view. No water for the dogs though so bring your own. For a lovely walk (with or without the dog) go to the shoreline at Crown Beach (another East Bay Regional Park gem) . The beach is off limits to dogs but the walking path welcomes leashed well behaved canines. There are bags supplied for picking up after our pets.

For more information regarding Crown Beach go to: /www.ebparks.org/parks/crown_beach. It is a lovely way to spend a day in Alameda.

How to Make your own Pet ID

www.marthastewart.com/article/pet-id-tags

Photo: Johnny Miller

Tools and Materials

• Shrinky Dinks printable plastic sheets
• Regular or decorative-edge scissors
• Hole punch
• Pet ID tag template

Instructions
1. Download Pet ID tag template to your computer's desktop. Open the file and type your pet's name and your phone number.

2. Print tags on a Shrinky Dinks printable plastic sheet. Cut out with regular or decorative-edge scissors and punch a hole where indicated. Bake according to package instructions; let cool. Seal both sides with matte clear-coat spray before attaching to collar.

For all you cat lovers- look familiar?

something to smile about

Sundays at Hossmoor

Every Sunday rain or shine I can be found at Hossmoor a beautiful piece of heaven. It is an equine stable and boarding facility located at 1151Bear Creek Rd. in Briones. Felicity (Sonny's mom) - shown riding Ellie Mae, introduced me to this place 2 years ago and suggested that I volunteer. My friend Karen and I make the trek with coffee and carrots to fuss over our charges Dusty and Amber. For 2 to 3 hours we escape into the sounds and smells of the horses. All problems and worries seem to disappear as we walk, groom and spoil our adopted ponies. Hetty (owner/operator of Hossmoor) is a real cowgirl and it's not uncommon for us to see her out in the pastures or barn running things as only Hetty can do. One day she gave Archie and I a ride in the cart to the arena. Archie was in heaven. Most of the dogs I take out to the barn get a real kick out of watching all the commotion. When I take Amber for walks, we always stop by the truck to greet the dogs. Hetty has a spot for dogs to hang out. She provides front row seating under a shade tree with a water bowl and chairs so we can all sit and watch the world go by. To learn more about Hossmoor you can check out their web site @ www.hossmoor.com

Best of the East Bay 2009 - Paws and Claws

Paws and Claws won "Best of the East Bay" 2009. Ruth (left) Diane (center) and Vanessa (right) are the dynamic team that make Paws and Claws the success that it is. Ruth and Diane are the owners of this little gem and Vanessa is their right hand woman! Hard work and a commitment to their customers have earned them the bragging rights to this very competitive "Best of the East Bay" award.
Walking into their store is like going to your best friends house. There is a comfortable and friendly energy to greet you and a sincere desire to help. They make time for everyone providing first class service and product selection. They are located at 2023 MacArthur Blvd. Parking can be a pain so I will share a little known secret with you. The liquor store across the street allows short time parking in their lot.
Tell Ruth, Diane, or Venessa you are a client of Very Important Pets and see what that gets you. I know you will (at the very least) get a warm welcome and maybe (just maybe) a little somethin somethin for your pet!

TGIF

East Bay Regional Parks

The East Bay Regional Parks is the largest regional park district in the nation. It is made up of 100,000 acres, 65 parks and over 1100 miles of trails. Redwood Bowl is one of my favorite parks within the system. Not only are the trails beautiful, the bathrooms clean, water fountains for people and pets, the rangers are wonderful. Everyone that works there loves animals. When I take my groups to the Bowl, the dogs go nuts when they hear the carts (aka mules). I have to leash most of them so they wont throw themselves in front of it. The rangers always stop to say hi and fawn over the dogs calling them by their names! Most of the rangers have dogs and cats of their own so they have a real soft spot for animals in general. If you find yourself in the area, stop by and say hi. Let them know how much they are appreciated. They work very hard to keep the park safe and clean for us. Check out their web-site. I have provided a link under "resources".

Another Great Idea

Sylvia dosRemidios had the brilliant idea to make a "Missing Dog" poster to have on hand in case of an emergency.
In light of the horrible earthquake in Haiti, I thought I would share her idea with you. I have also put a link to the ASPCA site with their list of recommendations. Most important, make sure your pet has legible identification with current information. I cannot tell you how many times I have found dogs wandering the street with tags that are impossible to read! I know alot of my kitty clients do not have collars with identification. The Oakland Hills Firestorm had a number of cats delayed in being reunited because they were burned beyond recognition. They were finally identified once their fur grew back. How sad was that?!
Best Friends Animal Sanctuary is currently working in Haiti. I have planned to donate 10% of January's income to them from
all of us at Very Important Pets.
Now where is my camera? I have some posters to make!

A good day to snuggle

Meet Earnest (top) Julio (left) and Bella (right)
For 16 years it was Ernest and Julio. Littermates, brothers, best friends, and partners in crime. Ernest and Julio were inseperable. For the past year plus Ernest had been living with an illness that affected his mood and appetite. Julio was his constant companion. A little over a month ago Ernest passed away. Everyone was heartbroken but none more so than Julio. I was told Julio walked through the house calling out for his brother day and night sometimes howling from the pain of his loss. Debra and Brian did everything they could to try and help him adjust. Food therapy, lots of attention, tons of cuddling but nothing seemed to be working. Last week (with alot of uncertainty) they made the decision to get another cat. Meet Bella. A one year old Berkeley stripe. They found her at the Berkeley Animal Shelter. Julio was mortified. His wailing and howling turned into hissing and growling. Bella ignored him. She gave Julio his space - occasionally offering her friendship. Each day was a little less hostile. Finally this morning Julio gave in to the sweetness of his new friend. Although Bella will never replace Ernest hopefully she will help fill the emptiness in Julio's heart. Looks like they are off to a good start.

Very Important Pets Slideshow

High Five!

Give me 5! My web site is up. Still some fine tuning to do before I unveil the finished product but I am happy to be on the internet. Thank you to all for putting up with the whining and complaining. This was my New Year's resolution from last year.

I am a little like Archie (but not as cute) I might take a while to get there but I do eventually show up. Hope it's worth the wait!