Andy's Pet Shop is in trouble!

Hello all my furr guardians, and a happy month of August to you all. What a strange Summer we have had this year...cold, then hot, then SUPER hot and back to cool. I hope all your furr kids have been dealing with the weather better than I have!

As you see from the title of this Blog, the beloved Andy's Pet Shop is in trouble! I'm sure some of you aren't familiar with Andy's, but it is a San Jose treasure and it would be such a loss for our community if it were to vanish. Andy's just can't compete against the corporate chains, and counting on the community to help preserve this icon on San Jose. Here is a bit of history behind Andy's:

"Andy and his wife Geraldine Camilleri opened a pet shop on The Alameda in what used to be California Highway Patrol headquarters. CHP cruisers were parked in the old garages out back. Andy's Pet Shop was known for exotic animals and customers who today are parents and grandparents recall seeing the monkeys and rare birds when they were children. Look closely at the old lighted sings out front and you'll see one that says "Monkeys". Mrs. Camilleri continued the business after her husband's death and was well-known and widely respected in the pet trade. When she passed on, the daughters sold the business in 1993 and the store changed hands a couple more times. In December 2007, Lissa Shoun and Eric Bong became the owners. Today all the pets in the shop come from a shelter, a non-profit rescue group, or are surrendered for re-homing due to foreclosure, illness, etc."

For any of you who haven't been to Andy's you should make a point to drive on by. It is a throwback of what pet stores used to be, and the charm of this place will overwhelm you. My friends at 13th Street Cat Rescue, and many other local rescues depend on the adoption center set up by Andy's. Andy's will be having a Fundraiser on August 22nd, and will have live music, a raffle, a garage sale, vendors and more. Your loyal pet sitter will be donating a prize of free pet sitting along with a nice dog/cat prize basket. Please join the rest of the community in supporting Andy's Pet Shop by either attending the fundraiser, or donating via PayPal to them. For more information on Andy's Pet Shop, please visit their website at http://www.andyspetshop.com/.

I don't know, I've been feeling a bit CREEPY lately! Hahahahaha, how do you like that introduction to my newest venture. We are all familiar with our beloved dogs and cats, and how much we love to be with our furr kids, but some people prefer the company of kids that have no furr, who slither, or hiss, or spin webs! Well, this is what the new business is focused on..."alternative pets". The website is a fun with a Tim Burton twist, we will be offering "pet" sitting services to our fellow pet guardians who just so happen to have snakes, insects, reptiles, frogs, etc...if it's "creepy" we'll be there! Some of you are probably saying to yourself, "is Carolyn really going to visit them?" and the answer is NO! I have a couple of specialists who will be doing these visits, and that's the whole point of this. Many pet sitting agencies offer care for exotics, but many of them do not understand what it takes to properly care for these animals. My assistants, (Katy is one of them) have years of experience caring for these types of animals and know what type of care they need to be happy. If you get a chance, check out the new site at http://www.creepypetsit.com/ and let me know what you think!

Did you know that there is actually a SURF SCHOOL for Dogs, who also has a doggy surfing contest!!!!! It is the coolest thing, and I thought I would post this video from the competition held last month. ENJOY


So, I stumbled upon a really, really cool website, (by accident) and thought I would share it with all of you. It's called the "Animal Rescue Site" and their website is http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/. They have all sorts of cool gift, clothing and pet related items for sale which a portion goes to animal rescue organizations. I bought a really cute pair of walking shoes with a purple paw print and a small purse covered in multi-colored paw prints. I think my favorite was the photo frame that said "all my grandchildren have paws". Tooooooo cute!

I'm sure many of you enjoyed the video of Penny the Bernese Mountain dog puppy that I have the pleasure of visiting. Well, Penny is getting MUCH bigger, but her desire to play with Oliver hasn't changed. For your viewing pleasure, here is a recent Penny/Oliver encounter that I like to call "Penny tries again".



Speaking of funny video's, I just have to post one more. This is the lovely and handsome Jackson. I have been visiting with this love bug for about two years and he still remains one of my all time favorite kitties. He ADORES his cat tree and I was lucky enough to capture him playing in it. ENJOY



Mark your calendars...there is a new event coming our way! The "Adopt-a-Palooza" will be held at the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds October 10th, 2009. This event is a "companion animal adopt-a-thon in the South Bay bringing homeless animals from multiple organizations together in one place to find loving homes. We'll have cats, dogs, rats, guinea pigs, rabbits and more. Have fun in teh Kid's area with great entertainment and fun for all. Kids can learn how to approach animals and about their basic care. Live shows may include Frisbee, obedience, rally and Schulzhund. Need help training your dog or dealing with behavioral issues? Come talk to professionals for FREE advice and demonstrations. Bring your dog and the whole family! You may find your next best friend waiting there for you. Dogs must be on a 6ft leash or shorter and we'd greatly appreciate a $2.00 donation or can of pet food for each dog you bring."

Sounds like a pretty good time to me! The event will go from 10:00am to 5:00pm, Saturday, October 10th at the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds. www.adoptapalooza.com

Well, this was a pretty long blog, so I guess I will sign off now, but until next time please give your furr kids a kiss and a hug from their pet nannies.