Best Friend’s Voice ~ June 2011

	June 2011 Newsletter
	Summer Days Summer, minus the hot days, seems to be upon us. The kids will soon be out of school and there will be lots of activities and trips and guests visiting. This is a good time to be sure to make everyone aware of the responsibilities of pet ownership and go over the do’s, don’ts and must remembers.The distractions of visitors and the excitement of summer plans can cause us to forget to give our pets fresh water, every day. The gates to and from the backyard need to always latch securely. Shady areas for laying comfortably on soft grass or cool dirt need to be cleared away and planned for. Food and treats need to be purchased in advance of a holiday that leaves pets at home with the neighbors or a pet sitter. Changing your pet’s diet when they are already stressed at your absence, can lead to an ill pet on your return.   Flea control and preventative products for itchy, irritated skin needs to be on hand. A good supply of Advantage or Frontline, Royal Coat, Itch Free, De Flea Shampoo and De Flea Pet Area Spray should be in the cupboard. I also like to have a supply of cotton squares and hydrogen peroxide. A bottle of cleaning/drying solution for pet ears needs to be in the cupboard along with a good pet shampoo. Ask us about any of these products before you need them. We also have G-Whizfor urine spots of grass. It really helps keep the urine from killing the grass, especially newly planted grass. If you are traveling with your pets and need a calming tablet for travel or the noise of the 4th of July, be sure you have Happy Traveler. For tummy upsets. Gentle Digest is a probiotic that restores a nervous or upset digestive problem. De-Skunking I recently came across a home remedy for de-skunking just in case you run into that problem: 1 quart 3% hydrogen peroxide, ¼ cup baking soda, and 1 teaspoon of dish detergent. Wet down your dog, rub the mixture into his coat. Leave on for 10 minutes, then rinse thoroughly. Discard any left over mixture as it can become combustible when stored. New Books A new book came across my desk called, “A Dog’s Purpose,” by Cameron. I tried to read it but couldn’t. It was too upsetting to me. An interesting premise about dog reincarnation and the same dog that kept dying and being reborn. That is a good thought, but I could not read about each new death. A book that I liked was “Until Tuesday, ” by Montalván. “Tuesday” is the fabulous Golden Retriever service dog that was raised by Puppies Behind Bars (one of our charities) and trained by East Coast Assistance Dogs. Tuesday’s story is entwined with her new owner, a disabled veteran of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. He had physical impairments and severe Post Traumatic stress. Tuesday is the beautiful dog that saved this soldier who was unable to lead a normal life. The soldier voices his opinions and political comments so be aware of that, but the description of the training these animals go through and the work they do is remarkable and life affirming. It is a very interesting book and if you already love Golden Retrievers it just confirms your opinion. “Pet Lover’s License Plate” Thanks to Kathy, one of our great customers in the Inland Empire, we learned about this new CA license plate that when purchased will allow proceeds to go to the local shelter you choose. Other amounts from the cost will go into a spay/neuter fund. This would make the DMV renewal fees palatable when you consider the help this would provide. The plates won’t be made until they have 7500 orders to start production. You can follow up and find out about the plates at: www.caspayplate.com/index.php Their telephone number is 800 390-1541 or e-mail your questions to info@caspayplate.com Shelters We have recently worked towards trying to find homes for dogs and cats that need to find a home before they get sent to a shelter. We have been successful recently, because someone always stepped forward to take an animal that needed help due to no fault of their own. It would always be better to have an animal in a home situation instead of the scary and noisy place most shelters are. We are lucky to know of some very good shelters in Orange, LA and Riverside counties. The volunteers that watch over and support these shelters deserve every bit of our help and support. If you live in Irvine, Mission Viejo, Long Beach and San Dimas you are lucky to have good shelters that work very hard to make a safe and secure home for their “guests.” We will be spending the day, in our booth, at the City of Irvine Shelter on June 11th for their Super Adoption Day. Dogs and Cats from all over Southern California will be brought to the Irvine Shelter grounds in cages and offered up for adoption. We hope to see you there between 10 and 4pm – 6443 Oak Canyon, Irvine, 92618 Thank you for your referrals that came in this month. Be sure we thank you with a $10 credit on your next order. We donate to Best Friends Animal Society and to Puppies Behind Bars each month. We do that because YOU make it possible. Thank you. Talk to you soon, Karen Pete and Sean Leave us a comment! Twitter with Sean at- #whiskerspawsca

Best Friends Voice ~ May 2011

	Hi Everyone, Hope everyone had a nice Mother’s Day. I did as my boys remembered me and I had a day to do what I wanted. Too bad my beloved Lakers ended their season so raggedy but I can only do so much. Saturday, as I watched a man struggle through the store buying charcoal, prepared hamburger patties, and a “Happy Mother’s Day” cake, I thought about how much “easier” it is for wives and Mothers to plan and prepare most of the other holidays during the year. It is just that one day that Mother’s get the day off. One holiday that is for the special recognition of all the love and caring that each wife and mother gives to her family. We salute all the Mothers that choose to buy their dog and cat food from us and we say thank you. We appreciate your smart decisions, thoughtful choices and the loving care that you give to your pets. Website Update Look for our website to change a bit. We are discarding the old and sometimes incorrect system that calculated our online orders. We have worked with our graphics designer to come up with an easy and straightforward way to place your order. It will no longer go through a system that captures your credit card information directly. We will still get your clear order and communicate its receipt back to you. We will charge your invoice at our office where your card information is kept under lock and key.We have grouped our products in a better, more cohesive way that should make it easier for you to find and order what you need. Chicken & Rice in SMALL SIZE BAGS again! For those of you that like to order the small size, 8# bags of Chicken and Rice we have them again. We appealed to the manufacturer based upon your requests. They agreed. We do have the $30 minimum order for delivery though so keep that in mind if you want it delivered. New Size Package of California Chicken Pieces KONA CHIPS Our Kona Chips are made from CA grown chickens. They are safe to chew and eat for even our smallest customers. These sliced and dried chicken breasts are healthy and chewy so even our most discriminating dogs are requesting them for their special treats after they have done their daily chores. 8 oz package – $16 Tie for Most Requested Food Topper - We are having trouble keeping our warehouse stocked with SMUNCHIES ($15 bag) and THAWED RAW (starting at $28lb.). Both of these healthy products are in such demand we need to reorder constantly. Some of our little dog customers are buying Thawed Raw for the complete diet of their pets. It is a grain free food that is easy to feed, store and use. We also found SMUNCHIES to be an irresistible treat to most dogs. It is sugar-cubed-sizes of freeze dried liver. That is all that is included. So it is not a complete diet because it doesn’t have vitamins and minerals added to make up the essential nutrients needed for a healthy diet. Our oldest dog, Beau, has recently decided to play games at feeding times. He now knows that I will crush a few SMUNCHIES on top of his kibble and he races to lick his bowl clean. If I don’t, he waits and acts as if I have forgotten something. Just because he is such a good dog, I am willing to give him just what he wants. He deserves it. Allergies We have been suffering with Spring allergy symptoms and if you are too, here are a few tips for humans as we live with our animals: Wash your bedding and cover your entire bed in protective coverings – box springs, mattress and pillows. “Bed, Bath and Beyond” carries a doctor recommended brand. Regularly change your home’s HVAC filter. Install a new pleated MERV 12 rated filter every 3 months. Vacuum when the allergic person is not home. Vacuuming makes indoor allergy symptoms worse by blowing particles back into the air. Cat allergens remain airborne for two hours; dog allergens, which are heavier, stay suspended for about 12 minutes. Keep pets out of the bedroom. Animal dander builds up over time on pillowsand bedding, making symptoms worse at night and in the morning. These are some of the more moderate recommendations from The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. Note: Thank you again for your referrals that came in again this month. Be sure to ask us if we haven’t thanked you with your $10 discount for referring a new customer. Make sure you also know that we donate to “Best Friends Animal Society” each month and to “Puppies Behind Bars.” We do that because YOU make it possible. Talk to you soon, Karen Pete and Sean Leave us a comment!

Best Friend’s Voice ~ April 2011

April 2011 Newsletter It is almost time for Easter and bunnies and warmer weather. I am sure we are all ready for screen doors, sunshine and longer days. Lots of sneezing and allergies, too. Watch out for similar reactions in your pets. Be ready with our good, soapless (Tropiclean) shampoo, Royal Coat, G Whiz for lawns and Itch Free.How are you doing with using Fresh Breath Clean Teeth Gel for your dog’s teeth? We have a nightly ritual where both dogs allow me to run my finger, filled with gel, around their teeth just as we go to bed. Lots of licking and smacking of gums. We recently spent well over $200 to have Beau’s teeth cleaned. A blood panel before and anesthesia during, to clean his teeth. We want to avoid doing that again, anytime soon.We want to thank those loyal customers that rave on about our food to their friends, neighbors and co-workers. We are getting regular new customers through referrals. We thank you so much and the little token of our appreciation is $10 off your next order. It allows many customers to treat their pets to a new chewy or a bag of biscuits. Everyone wins. How to Feed a Big Dog or One who gulps down their meal A newsletter from “Dog Watch” just came across my desk. It is published by Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. An article about Gastric Bloat and Torsion was interesting and served as a good warning to all of us with large breed dogs. These are dogs that typically gulp down their meals, drink a large serving of water and then engage in strenuous activity. This can result in a combination of food, liquid and air intake that blends with normal digestive secretions yielding an intolerable high amount of gas and abdominal pressure. Torsion occurs when the distended stomach twists upon itself. The early signs of distress are anxiety, restlessness, pacing and whimpering. This is the time to call the vet and be ready to leave for the hospital if the vet deems the symptoms could be this problem. The dogs most diagnosed with this problem are: Great Danes, Akitas, German Shepherds, Greyhounds, Saint Bernards, Labrador Retrievers and Irish Wolfhounds. Smaller dogs with elongated abdomens such as Doxies and Bassetts are also at elevated risk. The article goes on to say that the risk of gastric bloat can be greatly reduced by feeding two to three small meals a day to a large dog, rather than one large meal. Further recommendations were that dogs in general not be allowed to consume large amounts of water or engage in strenuous exercise for at least two hours following a meal. I would also suggest getting a brake-fast bowl to use with dogs that gulp down their food. www.brake-fast.net I wanted you to know that we lost another of our pack in February. It was Wilma our beautiful Dobie mix. It was a very virulent case of Lymphoma. We opted not to try Chemotherapy and she went very quickly. I wrote about her the day we put her down and we just recently posted the letter in our Bereavement section with her picture on our website. My favorite picture of her is with Sean who originally brought her to us after making a delivery just after we started our business. We now have the two smaller dogs left, Beau and Lou. We won’t be getting another dog for a while. See you soon, Karen Pete and Sean Leave us a comment!

(714) 751-9600 | www.whiskersandpawsca.com | info@whiskersandpawsca.comFor Franchise Information visit: www.whiskersandpawscatering.comCopyright © 2011 Whiskers & Paws Catering, Inc. All rights reserved.

Best Friends Voice ~ March 2011

	Can’t believe Spring is almost here. We turn forward the clocks on Saturday Night, March 12th and our daylight savings time begins. Longer days, kids playing out later and days stretching through the Summer. I think we are all just about ready to relax a bit from the cold and rain we’ve had.   Lots of you wanted to start some dental health at home and we have Fresh Breath Foam and Fresh Breath Clean Teeth Gel in stock. We also still have our Breathless Brushless/chewing gum for dogs and our CET Hextra Chews. All of these products help reduce bacteria, plaque and tartar. Don’t forget to have your Shampoos on hand for warm days that sometimes occur on weekends. Perfect times to bathe the dog or cat. The shampoos from Tropiclean are soapless but make lots of suds. We have Papaya, Oatmeal and Awapuhi for bright coats. All smell great and make dogs and cats happy when their bath is all over. Two new Cookie Flavors We have two new cookies that you might want to try. They are human grade ingredients, after all. Small package, small cookies ( one inch round). We still carry Turkey & Sweet Potato and Blueberry but we also now have Peanut Butter Crunch and Smoked Salmon all priced at $6.50 a bag. You should really try each one. A Dog Food Question… Question: Now that my dog is older should I change his diet? Answer taken from “Good Old Dog” – Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine. As long as he is healthy there is no reason to believe that due to chronological age something must change in the way he is fed. Continuing to feed him a well-balanced adult diet he has been eating should satisfy his nutrition requirements as long as he doesn’t develop specialized dietary needs. Events If you are looking for something to do the weekend of March 19th – March 20th we will have a booth at the Orange County Marketplace Pet Days. There will be lots of shelter groups with wonderful pets hoping someone will come by and take them home. We will be there passing out samples and wanting to find homes for these deserving dogs and cats. Why don’t you come by? See you soon, Karen Pete and Sean

Best Friend’s Voice ~ January 2011

We had a nice Holiday and know most of you did too. We thought we’d be less busy but we have been even busier as January charged in with rain and cold. Our heating bill will most likely be ginormous. Watch out for your pet’s skin getting flaky and dry from the indoor heat and outdoor cold. Be sure you have some Royal Coat on hand for relief. Just a small amount on top of the food, once a day.

With January we have tried to cut back on our Holiday eating routines after having gained a few pounds. It’s a good reminder that we should focus on our pet’s weight, too. Even though they didn’t partake of glasses of champagne and See’s chocolates, you might want to review their weight.

A new book we just bought has got us more committed than ever to monitor our dogs as they age. We have two that are over 12 and one that is about 3. The name of the book is Good Old Dog, edited by Nicholas Dodman, BVMS and the Faculty of the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University. This school conducts some of the most cutting edge research on geriatric dog care. They see over 8000 old dogs per year at their clinic.

 

Weight
Three topics in the book really hit home as we realize a lot of dogs are overweight. A study was done on two groups of dogs from puppyhood through old age. One group was kept “trim and healthy.” The other group was fed 25% more food which kept them overweight but not fat throughout their lives. A full fifteen years later the thinner dogs were less likely to have hip dysplasia and osteoarthritis. But, more importantly, the thinner dogs lived an average of two years longer.

 

Dog and Cat Food
You have probably heard us mention our food complies with AAFCO – Association of American Feed Control Officials. AAFCO is a voluntary membership association of local, state and federal government agencies charged by law to regulate the sale and distribution of animal feeds and animal drug remedies. We count on this body to regulate our food and we can claim that the food provides “complete and balanced nutrition.” Our manufacturer also employs a Veterinary Nutritionist to establish our recipes. Some dog foods like the Vet prescribed Rx diets are for “intermittent or supplemental use only.” These food should be used only when your dog has a particular illness in which less of certain nutrients may be beneficial (as in less protein if your dog has advanced kidney disease.)

*We will probably talk more about food from this source in the future.

 

Dental Health
Brushing your dog’s teeth daily is not something we have done. However, new products are making it easier. The idea in this book is that dental health is as important to the quality of life for your pet as it is to our own health. We are considering stocking a gel and a foam to use, daily. These products would reduce tartar and work towards keeping bacteria down and plaque reduced. The products we would use are made by Tropiclean, the same company that makes our soapless shampoo. One product that is easy to squirt into a dog’s mouth to keep the mouth and gums clean is Instant Fresh Foam, 4.5 fluid oz. for $10. Clean Teeth Gel removes plaque and tartar and is applied to the gums, 4.0 fluid oz. for $15. Are you willing to buy and use these products? Please let us know and we will keep them in stock. We need your feedback, please!

This book ends the preface by discussing the role of preventative care or wellness care in adding to the health and life of your pet. “Keeping your older dog trim, watching for particular changes in your dog’s body or in your pet’s behavior that should prompt a call to the veterinarian, making sure to feed the most well balanced diet possible — you’ll see that all of these and more make serious contributions to pushing back age-related illness and infirmity and sometimes even avoiding them altogether.”

We hope you consider some of these points as we know you care about your pets as much as we do and we wanted you to hear the latest. The book we are quoting is at Amazon or at your local libraries.

 

3 Dog Placement
The end of the year brought us into contact with people needing to find good homes for three beautiful, pure bred dogs. One was a Wheaton, one was a baby Bassett and the other was a beautiful Golden Retriever. No we didn’t adopt any of them but we did work towards finding them good homes. They each were lucky enough, with responsible and caring owners, to go from the homes they grew up in, to new forever homes. That was nice way to end 2010.

 

Other news
We stopped donating to the Humane Society of the US when we learned of Michael Vick’s redemption offered by the representative of their board. We are considering establishing a regular donation instead, to “Best Friends Animal Sanctuary” or “Living Free” in the San Bernardino Mountains. We will post our decision on the website.

We’ll be talking soon. Happy New Year.

Karen Pete and Sean

Best Friends Voice ~ December 2010

	Ho, Ho, Ho, Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah. The weather’s cold and dark and we are bundling up and rushing around to get everything done. Lots of food to prepare, lots to organize and lots of remembrances. Everything seems so magnified at this time of year. Strong feelings ,tears and laughter are all in the mix. We hope you are all well, safe and surrounded by loving family and friends. Our pups are so important to our happiness and they are always on their best behavior at this time of year, counting on big payoffs, Christmas morning. Deliveries Sean is delivering mid month and then again on the last week of the year. Be sure you have enough food, treats and supplements on hand to make it through the holidays.   Annie We want to thank all of you for your many kind words and sympathy about our recent loss of Annie. We even got a really nice children’s book that is very helpful in dealing with what is a very common and difficult time for everyone. Thank you, Melinda. The title is “Dog Heaven” written and illustrated by Cynthia Rylant. It is comforting, clear and very believable. I would definitely recommend it to anyone that wants to be reassured that dogs go to Heaven and to children who wonder how their pet will get along without them.   Recent Event Pete and Sean recently were asked to take over a table at the “Gift Room” for the American Music Awards held at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood. The vendors that purchased the table display space, were unable to attend and we were asked to show up and give away a “gift” to celebrities that would stop by. The celebrities who took a gift would also stand for a picture. Since it was last minute we had to use what we had on hand. So, we used holiday gift bags, a sample of our food and two vendor gifts that were to be given away by the original vendors that couldn’t attend. The celebrities were unfortunately not the winners of any awards. They were many young children starting out in the business and older celebrities that you might recognize. The children were all very polite and some were in the Twilight series and others were unknown to us but could one day be big stars. So, Sean and Pete handed out bags, met the kids, flirted with the girls and had a great time. I don’t believe anyone will call us for an order but it was an experience not to be forgotten.   New Blog We know you are very busy and we appreciate your even taking the time to read our newsletters. If you ever want to “leave us a comment” you can do that by clicking on “leave us a comment” and your opinion, thought, idea will be added to the blog at the end of each newsletter. IF you want to send us a private e-mail like your own order, you can do that as well by clicking on the e-mail address: info@whiskersandpawsca.com. Thank you for being such good customers and ordering your pet’s food on a regular basis through what has been a difficult time for everyone. We look forward to a New Year that we hope will be brighter and easier for people to keep jobs and take a breath. We thank you for all your referrals and all your kind words and support. We all look forward to answering your telephone calls, e-mails and drop-bys. We love when you bring your pets to see us at the office and Sean loves checking in on your pets as he goes about his deliveries. What a great way to make a living. Happy New Year. Karen Pete and Sean

Best Friends Voice ~ November 2010

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The year is tumbling fast toward the Holidays. IF you want to order a sequined collar or a Holiday pet goody bag please get in your orders now. Otherwise, we won’t have the supplies on hand to create that last minute gift to take to the Open House or Holiday Party. We will be delivering mid December unless you need something sooner. You can see the pictures and prices on our website. One of the best products I have used lately is the Waterless Bath. It sprays on and gives your pet an easy to use bath, refreshing smell and a shiny coat. It is hypo-allergenic and should not irritate even those pets with sensitive skin. I just sprayed, towel dried and gave a quick brush to Wilmie and her coat was shiny black, clean and fresh. It is also an in-between grooming appointment idea that works well during the cooler months of the year. Recent Recall of Competitors Food I recently learned of a couple of popular pet foods that have been recalled due to different problems. One involves salmonella and the other includes too much Vitamin D. You can read about the Blue Buffalo, Iams and Eukanuba foods on our website under Latest News.   Good Idea for a Pet Bed – Very Inexpensive and so comfy It is so simple and has worked so well for us that I wanted to pass along an idea that you may want to make for your own older dog or cat. I bought a piece of egg crate foam from a company in North Orange County. They cut it to size for me. It must bring long term relief to pets with arthritis. The reason I say that is that Beau is crippled and has always had joint pain from a car accident when he was a puppy-escapee from his former home. So, he never lays in one position for long without tossing and turning. He doesn’t do that with this bed. He sleeps comfortably all night long. I made the foam the size to fit the chest at the end of our bed. Then, I bought a piece of cotton flannel big enough to cover in a busy dog print. I washed, dried and ironed the fabric. I folded it in half. I seamed the ends. Then, I sewed the two sides (right sides together) and then turned it right side out so it, showed the right side of the fabric with the seams on the inside. Basically, I made a simple pillowcase to enclose the piece of foam. I made it to fit loose to be able to wash and slip in the foam easily. I made it a little long to tuck under the open end. It looks neat and it can be washed and dried easily, each time you wash your own sheets. Anaheim Foam and Fabric 714 776-2764 is where I got my foam.   Sad News We had a very big loss this last week and if you want to read about the life of our beautiful Golden Retriever, Annie please check out her picture and her Eulogy in our Bereavement Section of the website.   Thanksgiving and Holiday Celebrations Just a reminder about feeding your pets with table scraps. It may seem kind and generous and maybe even funny, but it is best to leave your pets comfortable and away from the table when lots of family and friends gather to share a big holiday meal. The food smells delicious and is usually much richer and salty or sweeter than what your pet is used to eating. Feeding the dog or cat under the table is not a good idea. Tummy upsets and serious gastrointestinal upsets can occur. Be sure to always have Gentle Digest on hand, too.   Thank you Thank you for lots of recent new customers. Sean and Pete have attending events and passing out lots of samples but we still get most of our new customers from your referrals. We love to have that unsolicited testimony about how the food and service is working so well for your pets. We can’t tell you how much we appreciate your kind words. It is so gratifying and makes us just want to keep doing this forever! Happy Thanksgiving, Karen Pete and Sean

(714) 751-9600 | www.whiskersandpawsca.com | info@whiskersandpawsca.com For Franchise Information visit: www.whiskersandpawscatering.com Copyright © 2010 Whiskers & Paws Catering, Inc. All rights reserved.

Best Friends Voice ~ October 2010

Happy Fall.
It is so exciting this time of year as we hurtle toward the end of the year. The weather changes, we get to VOTE, we start to use our furnaces, we clean out our rain gutters and chase lots of leaves off the lawn. Allergies are very prevalent at this time of year for us and our pets. The moldy leaves, the damp air and the growth spurt of our plants all leads to itching and skin issues. Don’t forget to stock up on Royal Coat if you know your pet is prone to be sensitive. Our Sensitive Low Grain diet has the most Omega 3 and 6’s of all of our regular dog food diets.

WE NOW HAVE 8lb. bags of Chicken and Rice dog food. So many little dog customers have asked for smaller bags and we have convinced the manufacturer to package up our most popular diet for dogs. We now have those smaller sized bags for customers that order once or twice a year when all we had to offer was a 20 lb bag. It goes down in price if you buy more than one bag at a time. 8lbs – $18 16 lbs. – $32 24 lbs – $42 The minimum delivery price still remains at $30 per order so you will need to either come by to pick up one bag or increase your order to meet the minimum for delivery.

I want to thank you for all the many sweet messages from readers after last month’s newsletter about Johnny. I hear all the nice comments really went to Johnny’s head. We really appreciated learning his story and sharing it with you.

We have a new feature to make it easier to communicate with us. Please see the end of this newsletter for an easy way to leave us a comment. We are finally getting a little more “with it” in our social media skills. We also always appreciate an e-mailed picture and a brief description or comment under your pet’s photo.

We have had lots of reorders or our new ALL HUMAN GRADE ingredient cookies. Nice packages of $6.50 biscuits that come in delicious flavors – Turkey/Sweet Potato,
Blueberry, Cranberry/Orange and Minty.

But, our SMUNCHIES are the biggest hits as they are so versatile. What dog doesn’t like beef or chicken LIVER? These are cubes of freeze dried liver treats that can be used for just treats, training or as a TOPPER. You can crumble the cubes over your dog’s food and they will gobble it up faster than ever. $15

We love getting your referrals of family, friends, co-workers, relatives and neighbors. These customers come to us assured by your remarks that their pets are going to be treated as well as yours are. Ask us how you can save $’s by combining your order with a neighbor or co-worker who gets an order the same day/same place. We also gladly give you a $10 referral fee on your order for every new customer that you refer to us. We love to get returning customers too, who tell us their pets were not as healthy or satisfied on an Rx diet and their coats never looked as shiny. Remember that the more you order each time, up to sixty lbs for dogs and twenty four lbs for cats, you get a reduced rate per lb.

Christmas is coming before we know it. So, my job is cut out for me. I am making my sequined collars again this year. We will have all of the colors — RED, HOT PINK, SILVER and BLACK.

The nice thing about these collars is that they can be given as a gift or used for your own pets. They are stretchy, comfortable and very fetching. They fit almost all dogs and could also be used with cats. They come small, medium and large (8”, 12” and 16”) – all just $15 ea.

 

Our Holiday Bags will be stuffed with either dog or cat treats and toys. All healthy, good and delivered mid December — $30 ea.

But, in order for us to have enough to go around, if you are planning to take some to a party, hostess gift, family gift exchange or for your own “kids” please get your order in so we can make sure we won’t be caught short and you won’t be disappointed.

Have a Safe and Happy Halloween.

 

Karen Pete and Sean

Best Friend’s Voice ~ August 2010

“Here’s….. Johnny”

We were so happy to hear this heartwarming story from a returning customer that we had to share it with you.

Our customer, Anna from the Inland Empire lost her beloved dog, Sage, in January, this year. It was a difficult disease, a difficult decision and a loss that has been hard to heal. Anna, even though she was well known in her neighborhood for being an experienced and dedicated dog owner, wasn’t able to welcome another dog into her life.

In July of this year she received a referral via an e-mail from a friend who had heard about Johnny. Johnny was a very exceptional dog and one that almost everyone had given up on. Johnny was homeless for over a year. He lived near the Pomona Animal Shelter and the professionals there had tried and failed to capture him. One dedicated volunteer spotted Johnny on her way in to the Shelter and decided to do what she could to befriend and capture Johnny. He crossed back and forth across the 71 fwy many times. He lived near abandoned buildings in an industrial area. This volunteer angel, Jill, drove to the area and put out food and water every morning and every evening for about a year. Traps, large groups of people with nets, and nothing would fool Johnny. He was too scared, smart and cautious to be caught. They finally shot him with a tranquilizer gun. Jill took him home to her family and 3 other dogs where he began to learn to trust. After many months, Jill knew it was time to try and find a forever home for Johnny.

In May Johnny was finally adopted by someone who kept him for 5 weeks and had to return him back to Jill. This was a setback for Johnny who again learned to be cautious. Jill sent an e-mail to Anna’s dog trainer friend and that’s how Anna heard about Johnny. Anna was told that Johnny might need her TLC. It was reported that Johnny was also terrified of children.

At first Anna declined, then considered, then agreed to meet him. He was scared and cautious. Jill promised Anna that if she kept him for a few days and then wanted to give him back, that would be OK. Anna said, “I don’t do give-backs.”

She agreed to keep Johnny who is probably 4-5 years old and a Border Collie/Springer Spaniel mix. Anna took Johnny to the groomer and he came back looking beautiful. The next day on a trip to the vet, Johnny was startled by the cowbell on the entrance door and pulled out of his harness and took off. Anna and 3 vet techs ran after him but he was gone. Anna looked for him until midnight. Jill and her family also came to help. Posters were put up all over the area. At 6 the next morning Anna started looking again. At 6 pm that night, a call from a homeowner suggested that he might have her exhausted and frightened dog in his yard. Anna said, leave him alone and I will be right there. She arrived and opened her car door. As soon as Johnny saw Anna he ran right into the car. That was it!
He was home.

It has been 4 weeks and now Johnny is a happy and well adjusted, if cautious, dog. He gets a walk twice a day and goes to the local dog park. He goes everywhere in the car with Anna.

When people at the dog park see him they can’t believe he is the same dog as when he was first introduced to them. When called he comes right to his friends. He loves children and other dogs. He can be at home and if the garage door opens, he doesn’t run away. He goes everywhere with Anna and loves life. Of course, Anna is an exceptional Dog Mother and Johnny realizes he’s got it good. Now, he is also going to be receiving our Best Friend’s Choice dog food — what more could a dog want?

It is such a pleasure to share this story with you and I hope it will inspire someone else to stop and return a loose dog or pick up a starving cat. I hope it encourages someone to consider adopting one of the many dogs and cats that are waiting in shelters for their own Anna. See, I knew you’d love this story.

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Two new treats you need to know about:

100% human grade ingredient cookies
no corn or wheat. One inch round. Four Great flavors to choose from:
Blueberry, Cranberry/Orange, Mint or Turkey/Sweet Potato – Only $6.50/bag

And

SMUNCHIES
Freeze dried cubes of Beef or Chicken Liver
Irresistible – we have noticed. Can be used as a crushable topper for kibble, as a training treat or just used as a good dog treat. $15/bag

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Thank You
to all of you who have referred new customers to us. We love your confidence in our food and our service. We won’t let you down. Don’t forget to remind us if we forget to give you your $10 credit for referring a new customer!

Good Luck to all the kids going back to school and congratulations to the Moms for making it through summer.

Karen Pete and Sean