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Take Your Dog for a Dip! Bow Wow Beach Club at Urban Tails!

Houston summers are brutal!  Want to keep your canine cool? Join Urban Tails in midtown for free puppy swim lessons in their Bow Wow Beach Club.  The Bow Wow Beach Club is an indoor, climate-controlled dog park and pool open for memberships and monthly puppy swim sessions.  Swim instructors, lifejackets, and treats will be provided so all you will need to bring is your furry new friend and pool appropriate attire.  The next free puppy swim lesson wil be April 2nd, 2009 from 5-7pm.  Call them at 713.658.0900 for more information or to RSVP.  Puppies 6 months and younger are invited, if you would like to arrange a private swim time for an older dog please contact Penni at penni@urbantails.cc.

I am excited to take Isabella!

Dogtown Tonight - Against All Odds!

I hope everyone tuned in to last week's premiere of Dogtown! Don't miss tonight's episode!!!

Dog care manager Michelle Besmehn travels to Los Angeles to rescue several older dogs from an overcrowded puppy mill.  Many have severe medical issues and haven’t seen a vet before.  One younger dog, a Chihuahua named Mei Mei, likely spent her life in a cage, and needs Michelle’s training to become house-trained; and Gertie, a bulgy-eyed shih tzu, requires the right home for her special needs.  Then, Charro, an adult Lab mix with a persistent cough, is rescued from a neglectful home by an animal welfare group.  Dr. Mike performs a risky lung surgery on Charro that he’s never done before. 

Each time I watch this show, I am moved by the staff and their commitment to these animals.  I hope that everyone else that watches is as inspired as I am to help in my community!

Let's go Krogering!

We all go to Kroger for our groceries and household needs, but did you know that you can also get your pet's prescription?  

 

Often prescribed medications for pets like Amoxicillin (antibiotic), Humulin (insulin) and Hydrocortisone (skin conditions) can be filled at the nearest Kroger Pharmacy.  Customers must have a valid prescription for their pet and the medication must be one that has a human equivalent.  Kroger recommends that pet owners first ask their veterinarian if the pet's prescription can be filled at a retail pharmacy.

 

This service is part of Kroger's ongoing commitment to provide its busy customers with a one-stop shopping experience. Other pharmacy products and services offering value and convenience include $4 generics and a number of immunizations including flu, tetanus and Zostavax (shingles) shots for humans.

I want to thank the folks at Kroger for making life a little more easier for all of us who already shop there.  If you don't currently shop there, you have one more new reason why you should!

SNAP on Channel 2!

This morning, Laura Welch and I left our homes at 3 am to go out to the Corridor of Cruelty for a SNAP Mobile Day and an interview with Channel 2! The interview was great!  You can check it out here http://www.click2houston.com/video/18999938/.  Thanks to Channel 2's Courtney Zavala, Debbie Levy and Mariza Reyes, not to mention the camera operators!  If you love animals and you love good, in-depth news coverage, look no further than our friends at KPRC!  

Too Funny Not to Share.

I apologize as well :-0)!

 

Way to Go Dakota Rescue!

Congrats to the awesome folks at Dakota Rescue on their successful one-year anniversary event yesterday! The event raised more than $2500 for the amazing rescue org and a great time was had by all!  Pictured here is Dakota, the namesake of the organization.  If you are looking for a furry friend...make sure you visit www.dakotarescue.org

Bayou City Art Festival Memorial Park: Houston’s Spring Art Awakening Starts Friday!

Bayou City Arts Festival starts this Friday in Memorial Park!  Not only is it one of the coolest events in town, but they also benefit some great organizations in Houston...including SNAP! For the past 38 years, Bayou City Art Festivals have raised more than $2.5 million for local nonprofit organizations. Its 2009 Non-Profit Partners are:  Art League Houston; Bering Omega Community Services; City ArtWorks; Center for Hearing and Speech; Diverse Works; Downtown YMCA; Houston Center for Contemporary Craft; Houston Center for Photography; Lawndale Art Center; Memorial Park Conservancy, Multicultural Education and Counseling through the Arts (MECA); Museum of Fine Arts Houston; Orange Show Center for Visionary Art; Project Row Houses; Several Dancers Core; SPARK School Park Program; Spay-Neuter Assistance Program (SNAP); and Texas Accountants and Lawyers for the Arts (TALA).

I will be out there selling drinks to benefit SNAP. Come out and see us!!  Following is more info on the Festival...and stay tuned for more info on a few of the artists you won't want to miss!

Bayou City Art Festival Memorial Park is Houston’s spring art awakening each March.  Kicking off with “Legacy at Memorial First Look Friday,” March 27 through Sunday, March 29, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., the award-winning juried art event is the only festival to take place in Memorial Park, the city’s premiere public park enclave.

Bayou City Art Festival Memorial Park welcomes more than 300 visual and performing artists from around the corner and around the world, including featured artist Larry Stephenson, creator of the whimsical painting, “A Day at the Airport.” The artists, whose works represent 19 media formats, transform the park’s tree-lined, 1.1-mile loop into a canopied outdoor art gallery, bursting with fine art, multi-cultural music and dance and international food, beer and wine cafes.  New this year will be the Epicurean Adventure featuring wine tastings and chef cooking demonstrations.  

Recently ranked the #3 art festival in the country by the readers of AmericanStyle Magazine (Feb. ’09), Bayou City Art Festival Memorial Park received two 2008 International Festivals & Events Association (IFEA) Gold Pinnacle Awards and was named “Best Festival in Houston” by the 2008 Houston Press “Best of Houston” magazine.

Bayou City Art Festival Memorial Park showcases clay, drawing/pastel, fiber/textiles, furniture, glass, jewelry, leather, metal, mixed media, painting, photography, printmaking, sculpture, watercolor and wood creations.  

To engage budding artists, the Festival sponsors an Emerging Artists program encouraging area high school students to create and exhibit their 3-D installation art in the park.  Younger children will enjoy the on-site Capital One Bank Creative Zone, an interactive area designed for children and families to explore the fun of art such as mini art car building, ornamental rocks, spangles that dangle, wax hand sculptures, mosaic frames, sun photos, assemblage animals and springy bonnets and bowlers. 

In addition, Art BaYou returns to the Capital One Bank Creative Zone.  Festival goers of all ages can collaborate with GONZO247 and CKC StART Street & Urban Arts on the creation of mosaic masterpieces in a hands-on, collaborative public art project.  GONZO247 will be demonstrating the mosaic process on benches that will grace area Spark Park facilities. 

Houston Arts Alliance produces the performing arts stage with ongoing multi-cultural musical and dance entertainment.  With the park grounds as its stage, CORE Performance Company will conduct a world-premiere program, "WIND-UP, implode, Begin."  There also is a wide range of international food and beer and wine cafes for refreshments, plus the new Epicurean Adventure with wine tastings and chef demonstrations.  

The City of Houston, Budweiser Select, Capital One Bank, Legacy at Memorial, Houston Parks & Recreation Department, and KTRK-TV are the Festival sponsors.  The Festival is funded in part by grants from the City of Houston through the Houston Arts Alliance.

Over the past 37 years, the Art Colony Association, the 501c(3) organization that produces the Bayou City Art Festival Memorial Park and Bayou City Art Festival Downtown, has raised more than $2.5 million for local non-profit organizations.

Admission is $10 for adults and free for children 12 and under.  Cyclists may park their bikes at the new KPFT 90.1FM Bike Depot for $2.00 Per Bike for All-Day Care.  There is no public parking of cars in Memorial Park.  The Festival provides free shuttle service 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. to and from Memorial Park on Friday from Northwest Mall on Hwy. 290 at 610 Loop at 18^th Street; and Saturday and Sunday from Northwest Mall and Downtown: Memorial Drive at Rusk, Rusk at Smith and Smith at Capitol. 

For schedules and further information check www.bayoucityartfestival.com or call (713) 521-0133.

New Site for Your Pooch's Pic!

ABOUT ANAMIGO Anamigo.com, your pets place online. They're there when you wake up, when you get home from a long day and when you're ready to get into bed. And yet, you can?t get enough of your pet. We get it. So we created Anamigo.com, an online pet community dedicated to giving our pets their own place online. They are such crucial players in our lives in the real world, and we believe they deserve to come online as well. By design, our site is only as immersive as you want it to be. Relax during a short break from the day-to-day and browse the cutest dog, puppy, kitten and cat pictures from pet people just like you. Create your pet's profile and upload as many photos as you like. Or dig in and participate in our forums, blogs and groups. Anamigo.com is a place where you choose how engaged you want to be - and our aim is to make sure you're rewarded for every moment you spend here. We believe that the bond between pets and people is very close to perfect - and anamigo.com celebrates that.

A Happy Tail Indeed!

Last week we posted a story on an event being held at Happy Tails, benefitting the Miniature Schnauzer Rescue of Houston and we just got some great pics from the event!  A great time was had by all and the event raised $5000 for the rescue group!  Way to go!  Organizers want to thank everyone who came out in support of the event!

Houston Dog Blog Review! Dogtown's New Season - Episode 1 - The Survivors!

We just received an advance copy of the newest season of National Geographic Channel's Dogtown and just finished watching this Friday's upcoming episode, The Survivors.  As usual, this show will really hook you in!  It profiles three different stories and all are equally as compelling.  Episode 1 introduces us to Aristotle, a terrier with a major skin problem, a pack of abandoned Beagles and an aggressive neglected Chow.  Your heart will melt for each pooch, but you will be more inspired by the work they do at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary.  Wow!  These talented folks give everything to these animals -- sustenance, protection, companionship, healthcare and most of all -- LOVE.  

Not only does the show bring animal cruelty and neglect into the limelight, they also educate on important issues like spaying and neutering.  When eight Beagles are rescued from euthanasia in Florida, we are taken on a road trip to Texas where the Best Friends staff meet the rescuer.  Turns out there are a few un-neutered males on board for the long trip from Dallas to Utah.  One of the first things they do when they get them to Best Friends is to neuter them, a big step in getting them adopted.  

We also meet Waylon, an aggressive Chow, who has lived most of his life in isolation.  Through the dedication of trainer Pat Whitacre, Waylon begins to progress and we can see the importance of human contact and a lot of patience.  

Dogtown is such a great show.  I think it serves as great motivation for rescue and adoption groups throughout the US and for anyone who is dedicating themselves to caring and advocating for needy animals.  One may say its a thankless job, but just looking at the faces of the animals they help, I assume, is all the reward these advocates need.  

We will be reviewing the rest of the season and sharing our thoughts with you weekly.  Make sure you set your TiVo, DVR, VCR or, even better, schedule time to sit and watch the show with your friends and family.  Check your local listings or visit Dogtown's website!  Here is a sample of what you can expect from the first episode.