Pet Dish
I usually wash my dogs in the backyard with the hose. It's a cold, chaotic, treat-heavy experience. But today, I turned my guest bathtub into a mini dog spa to sample one of a new line of animal skin care products recently launched by Bellevue organic chemist Adelia Ritchie.
June 20, 2008
Pet Dish
After closing its doors for a long nap, High Maintenance Bitch reopens this weekend. If you haven't heard of High Maintenance Bitch (HMB) or read the sassy, pink book by the same name, or watched brother-and-sister founders Lori and Ryan Pacchiano on reality TV (Ryan most recently on Showdog Moms and Dads), you probably aren't the proud, pampering parent of a blinged-out lap dog.
June 19, 2008
Pet Dish
The Northwest School of Animal Massage is best known as a place for professionals to earn certificates in animal massage and study related pet health and wellness topics. But the new Wellness Workshop series welcomes the rest of us who want more holistic tools in our pet's health toolbox without going to "grad school."
June 13, 2008
Pet Dish
So I'm just back from a book signing in Boulder, Colorado, and I'm happy to report that the Berkeley of the Rockies is one dog-infatuated town.
Lean, shiny, smiling mutts peer out from nearly every funky truck bed,
snooze under every sidewalk café table, and pad alongside nearly every
lean, shiny, smiling human. For outdoor-adventure-loving quadrupeds,
it's hard to imagine a better hometown or destination than Boulder.
June 11, 2008
Pet Dish
My dog will not wear the Velcro-strap, rubber-soled booties that look so adorable on sled dogs. Whenever I put them on her, she goes into a berserker frenzy. So, when I saw Pawz Protective Dog Boots, I thought, maybe.
June 4, 2008
Pet Dish
Today, while working on a piece about cat training for next week, I was happy to learn that it's possible to teach a cat tricks and good habits despite my abject failure (or rather non-effort) with a cat named Katie oh-so-many-years ago.
June 2, 2008
Pet Dish
While families tethered kayaks to roof racks, laid in the charcoal briquettes, and scrambled to finish up work details before the holiday weekend, details of a settlement in the largest pet food recall in the nation's history began to surface.
May 26, 2008
Pet Dish
Late last winter, I swabbed the inside of my dog's cheek with a Q-tip-sized bristle-brush and sent it off with $65 to the labs of MetaMorphix. The life sciences company in Belstville, Md., had just launched something called the Canine Heritage Breed Test, and I was curious to discover exactly what breeds braided through the DNA of my Seattle Animal Shelter dog.
May 25, 2008
Pet Dish
Writing on one of our rare sunny days, I find myself thrilled with the prospect of rain. Not because I miss the rain, but because with rain comes mud and with mud comes the chance for my dog -- or yours -- to become a Lees Carpet spokes-pet, win prizes including a year's supply of dog food and new carpet, and raise money for the Seattle-based Delta Society.
May 9, 2008
Pet Dish
Since Monday, the Seattle Animal Shelter has been promoting
Be Kind to Animals Week. I love the sentiment and admire the work of the
Seattle Animal Shelter. I have a major soft spot for them, since that's where I found my dog Lulu. In the spirit of the thing, the Shelter suggests excellent actions such as encouraging family and friends to spay or neuter their pets, creating spaces for wildlife, reporting animal abuse or neglect, volunteering at your local animal shelter and speaking out on the importance of respecting animals.
May 8, 2008