Pet of the Week!

Mia M.

Hello my name in Mia and I am a 1 year old German Shepherd. This is my first time staying at Best Friends. Since I love to play with other dogs I am doing the PLAY AND STAY, where I get to play with my new friends for most of the day. I love to chase after the ball and play catch as you can see in the picture. I love to be petted and loved, which all my human friends have no problems doing. I am hoping that since I have had so much fun playing with my friends that I can come in for Doggy Daycamp too.

Pet Of The Week!!!

Cody L.

Hello, my name is Cody and I'm a 1 1/2 yr old german shepard mix who's filled with oodles of energy!! I've been coming to Best Friends now for a little over a year, and OMG it's Woof-Tastic!! You see I used to board and my mommy would put me in their playgroup which is 45 mins of pure bliss playing with some fuzzy friends. But now they have a new programs called Play N Stay and it's only $3 dollars more than the playgroup and I get a minimum of 4 hours of group play a day!!! Kudos to my mom, that $3 is the best money spent on me here at Best Friends yet!!! So talk, well woof, to your moms and dads that you wanna join me in Best Friends Play N Stay!!

Pet of the Week

PET OF THE WEEK

LUCY L

HI! My name is Lucy. I love it when I come stay at Best Friends

and we play outside because there is ALWAYs room

in the pool for one more!

 I am a Golden Retriever and I LOVE (love love love love LOVE!)

to play catch and fetch in playgroup. My mommy signed me up for the

new PLAY N STAY at Best Friends which means I now

get to play ALLLLL day long. Gimme that ball!

Come on throw it..I can catch it!

(I am after all the *Catch Me* queen of Best Friends!)

Pet Of The Week

Hope D.

 Hi, My name is Hope. I got my name beacause my Mom adopted me around the Christmas Holidays. I was just a little tiny thing when she took me home, but she had another dog at home "Sable" & he thought I was just great! He took me under his wing and showed me around and taught me all I needed to know about how to wrap Mom around my little paw! Mom had been bringing Sable to Best Friends for a long time, so now I get to come & stay too. As you can see, I just love to roll around in the grass. Ahh, Summer....

Best Friends Interview with The Cute Pet Gazette!

During the New Jersey Super Pet Expo Danielle the manager from our Windsor, NJ location was interviewed for the "How Cute is Your Pet" segment of The Cute Pet Gazette.  This is a great interview loaded with awesome information on Best Friends Pet Care.

Puppies as Presents?

With the Christmas Holidays hot on our *tails* Best Friends will be sharing a series of helpful articles on our pets and the holidays and how to survive them safely. Come back each week for the newest addition. We will run new articles through January 1, 2010. 

MEET THE STAFF

We're a bit late in putting this out because of *technical issues* (aahhh isn't technology just GRAND!) but better late then never. This week we are introducing one of our fabulous Animal Care Attendants.

Welcome Mike McManigal

Graduating from High School in 2007, Mike began his career working at Best Friends while still in school. He has been a much valued employee of Best Friends for four and a half years. As a Animal Care Attendant he is the one responsible for the *creature comforts* of your beloved fur kids. He makes sure they are fed on time. He also keeps their water bowls topped off with the sparkly clean good stuff and stays on top of keeping their suites spic and span. He's even better then Mr. Clean! Mike also takes your pets out for their play times and other good activities. He really enjoys being around all the pets and lists that as his favorite reason for working here. Of course he has his favorites, but they are way to numerous to list.

In his spare time Mike is an avid computer man. He does enjoy a good movie (he really enjoyed 300) and his favorite TV show, Family Guy. While watching you may find him noshing on his most favorite food, the good old American Cheeseburger!

We all enjoy working with Mike. He's hard working, attentive to every detail and his love of the animals shows in his care and treatment of them. When you come in with your pet, or just to visit give a shout out to this weeks "Best of the Best"- Friends, Mike!!!!

Winter Pet Safety

Winter is the one time of the year when keeping our pets safe from the cold is a mandatory thing to do. As the temperatures drop, it's easy to get caught up in the demands of the end of one year and the beginning of another, and forget about the needs of our most important non-human friends, our pets. Our pets face special challenges in the winter, but it's easy to avoid problems with a little consideration and extra preparation. Responsible pet owners need to stay focused on weather changes and react accordingly. If you feel uncomfortable with the outdoor temperatures, then your pet might be feeling that as well. If at all possible, try to keep pets inside as often as possible when Winter weather comes around.

Best Friends Pet Care recognizes the importance of Winter Safety for our pets. Throughout the remainder of October we will be posting Winter Safety Tips to our blog once a week. Stay tuned as all the tips we will be providing are of value to you and your pets!
For our first installment lets talk about our pets being outside in the cold and snow:

Never leave a pet locked in a car during cold weather. Cars can actually act like a refrigerator and hold cold air in, putting your pet at risk. Don't let your dog off his leash in the snow, unless they are in a safely enclosed outdoor area or they are completely trust worthy on staying close to you and coming back when called. Dogs can lose their scent and become lost very quickly when it snows. More dogs get lost in the Winter than any other time of the year. Keep a winter survival kit in your car. Include blankets, towels, water, bowl, first aid kit and a sign that your pet is in the car.
Cats left outside and wild animals sometimes climb onto car engines or beneath cars to seek warmth. Bang on the hood of your car, or honk the horn before starting the engine to warn them away.

Small dogs can be an extra consideration. They have less body mass so they have less protection against harsh winter weather. They are also closer to the ground. More then decoration, dog boots, sweaters and coats are a must have. A raincoat in particular helps protect your dog's skin and coat from pelting rain and snow. A cozy dog sweater raises your pets body temperature. It's important to note that most breeds that we cherish in our mid-west/eastern climates aren't natural to the region, therefore not bred to the Winters we face. Small dogs aren't the only ones in need of extra warmth. Short-haired breeds, dogs who are sick, puppies and older dogs may also need extra protection in the winter weather.
No matter what the temperature is, windchill can threaten a pet's life. A dog or cat is happiest and healthiest when kept indoors. If your dog is an outdoor pet, he/she must be protected by a dry draft-free dog house that is large enough to allow the dog to sit and lie down comfortably, but small enough to hold in his/her body heat. The floor should be raised a few inches off of the ground and covered with cedar shavings or straw. Be sure to use straw and not hay as the seeds from the hay can germinate and grow in your pets house. The house should be turned to face away from the wind, and the doorway should be covered with waterproof burlap or heavy plastic.

Pets who spend a lot of time outdoors need more food in the winter because keeping warm depletes energy. Feeding your pet a higher protein diet can help him/her hold up better in cold temperatures as well. Higher protein food can also help to keep your dogs fur in better shape to protect against cold temperatures. Routinely check your pets water dish to make certain the water is fresh and unfrozen. Use plastic food and water bowls rather then metal: when the temperature is low, your pets tongue can stick and freeze to the metal.
Next week we will talk more about outside pet safety and how to care for their feet and their coats during the winter.

Contributing to this article:
Kyle Raun; University of Minnesota, Veterinary Medicine
University Commons; Naperville Illinois
Partners for Animal Welfare

Pet and Make Over of the week 10-10-9

Drum roll please...................here are our Pet and Make over of the Week winners for October 10, 2009!!!!!!!!

HI My name is Patrick. I am an American Bulldog, not to be confused with me English *cousin*. (we're not really related) I love to come and play in daycamp. but this is my first over-nighter with my Best Friend's and I have to say, pretty cool dude! I get to play and visit with my friend's and even made a couple of new ones. My bedroom was WAY cool, lots of room for a big boy like me! Cow-a-Bunga dude I LOVE to play outside with my friends! This was a GREAT sleep over!

HI MY name is Sassy. I'm a Shih Tzu, an older lady really but that just puts
a feather in MY cap. I'm a wise lady with a world of love and knowledge in my eyes. This is my first time in to see my new Best Friend Sara. Didn't she do the best job on me? Of course I gave her the perfect *canvas* to work with too, being naturally beautiful to start with. And now I get to go home looking, feeling and smelling just lovely. Spa days are SOOOO good on the soul! You can see my before and after pictures (that's Sara my groomer...say Hi Sara!). I look SO good!

Shopping Extravaganza!

WHAT?? BEST FRIENDS IS HAVING A PARTY??!!

That's right, you read it corrctly........

Through the month of September all of our retail (except for the Frontline) is at a 50% off sale! it's the PURR-FECT time to do some much deserved Christmas shopping for your fur-kids!

From leashes and collars, to toys, treats, grooming supplies, bowls and beds we've got it all and more! You won't find better prices on our retail selection for the remainder of 2009. And to set this into a realm of it's own we are hosting a PUPPERWARE PARTY!

That's right, I said a PUPPERWARE party on September 19th. Running from 10 AM to 2 PM we are hosting a party at our Indianapolis store. Bring your kids, (the human form and the furry variety) for some fun and shopping. It's a fun way to enjoy a shopping experience and a great way to get out and about with your pets.

We will be having a door prize drawn every 30 minutes (you just need to fill out a form to enter for that!). We will have treats, drinks and balloons for everyone. Make sure to bring your four legged friend to help pick out their favorite toys or treats.

Bring your kid dressed up in their furry finest and win a special prize! We will have the *Best-Dressed-Friend Parade* at 1 PM, with the winner taking home something very special.

We're all looking forward to the party and hope to see you and your poochie pals there this coming Saturday! (mark your books for the 19th of September!)

Cats and Kittens at Best Friends!

Let's talk a little more about kittens! Why? Because they are so darn cute!!

Best Friends Pet Care works closely with Southside Animal Shelter to help find homes for some of their cats and kittens that are available for adoption.

We house several of Southside's cats and kittens and have helped find homes for about a dozen so far. If you are interested in adopting a new feline friend, stop by our facility to see the adoptable cats. Or check out Southside Animal Shelter's Website for more information.

We even put some of the kittens to work while they are staying with us. This is Sampson answering phones during a busy moment. Obviously he has it backwards, but at least he is trying!

He has mad computer skills and is putting together a powerpoint presentation with the click of a mouse!

He works for peanuts too!!

Doggy Summer Camp in Session!

Doggy Summer Camp is now in session! We have indoor and outdoor space for the dogs to play. Sign them up today and let the fun begin!