Here comes the sun...or is it?

Hello all my furr guardians, how are you staying afloat with all of this rainy weather? I lucked out today and found a break in the rain for me to visit my daily dog walks...phew, it was a close one! I wanted to first wish my friend Sidney a heartfelt "get well soon", and I'm looking forward to starting up our walks again very soon! I also wanted to wish Nanny Katy a very wonderful Birthday today, (I'm blowing an imaginary party horn).

You know, sometimes I read about things that I just can't believe and recently I read a HORRIBLE story about a 14 year old Boy who was filmed, (by his Brother) abusing his own family cat "Dusty". He set up the "scene" by appearing with a covered face, and as he walked into his bathroom said "the topic of the day is animal abuse". The video was posted on YouTube and thankfully taken down almost immediately. www.kenny-glenn.net And as I glanced over at my beloved Blackjack sitting on his very own office chair, (see photo) it got me thinking about how absolutely important it is to educate young people, (really from birth) to be kind to our fellow earth roamers, and came across an educational opportunity offered by the WONDERFUL Silicon Valley Humane Society. They offer a variety of programs for children, teens and adults which are highly interactive, student-centered and age-appropriate. They also have a "Compassion in Action" program which allows middle and high school students to explore animal welfare subjects impacting their community, and the "Animal Pals Club" allows 8 to 13 year olds the opportunity to interact with a wide variety of animals. On top of this, they also offer "Caring Communities" classes to Santa Clara County teachers, and K-12 education presentations are also available by request. So, even if you do not have children you should pass this information on to any family members, or even teachers that you think may be interested in this. We really must take an active interest as a community to ensure that our furr friends are respected and well taken care of.

On the topic of the Silicon Valley Humane Society, I also wanted to make sure you all knew that the 2009 "Fur Ball" is being held on Saturday, April 25th. This is a great event that benefits the Humane Society, and yes...it's black tie...and YES...you can bring your canine furr kid!!!! The tickets are $250.00 which includes dinner, desert and some other fun surprises. You can also sponsor a "Top Dog" Table of 10 for $5,000.00. This includes VIP parking, table sponsor name included in the program and The Fur Ball 2009 web site and your table guests receive a special gift! Last years event grossed more than $400,000 for the shelters animals!!! How totally awesome is that! Not to mention that there is a fabulous silent auction that goes on throughout the night. You may just see a great gift package from your friends at SVPN.

The pet sitter NEMESIS is back!!!! Yes my furr guardians, your loyal pet sitters do have a nemesis...no, it's not fleas, no, it's not the squirrels that run in front of us when we walk your pups...it's ANTS! Each year we do battle with these pesky little work horses, and sometimes they win! Ants are one of those inevitable things that none of us can effectively prevent...they live in our walls, in the ground outside, pretty much everywhere and BOY-OH-BOY do they LOVE pet food! It really helps your loyal pet sitters to make sure you have some type of ant bait, spray, etc around just in case as well as either a swiffer wet jet or paper towels for us to clean up their little carcases. If you find yourself doing battle with these little dudes a great tip that your loyal pet sitters us is to place your pets food dishes in a shallow pan of water. The ants cannot swim, so they cannot get into your pets food. Another good thing to do is to make sure your pet food is in a sealed container so they can't get into extra food. I had one situation where one of my clients had a 50 pound bag of dog food left out in the open and I am not kidding...ants were EVERYWHERE even at the bottom of this huge bag...it was the most ants I have ever seen in one setting and took nearly 2 hours to clean up. Your furr kids do not like ant appetizers so they may go a full day without food...a little prevention goes a long way. Don't worry...your loyal pet sitters are always ready to do battle and will fight off these pesky little dudes with all the gusto we have!

Well, I guess that's it for now...I hope you all have a wonderful evening and hopefully enjoy some sun for a change. Give all your furr kids a big kiss from their beloved pet sitters!

Walking doggies in the rain!

Hello all my furr guardians, how is this rainy weather treating you? As the title of this post says, we had quite the walking dogs in the rain type of day. Yes, that and picking up poop are the two downsides to this position, but that's not too bad is it. Just like your nanny friends, most of the dogs we walk HATE being out in the rain, and sometimes it's quite the struggle to get them into the wet weather...and they just don't seem to understand that it's potty time. Like most of you know, if it's REALLY raining we do not actually walk your pups, but they do need to go out and potty. Here is a quick account of my day with four wet doggies.

11:53am - Get to Sake's house just as it starts to pour! Get in to the house, and as soon as he saw my umbrella he got that "oh no, you're not getting ME out in that rain". He was quite hesitant to go out, but after a bribe of a treat or two, or three he finally gave in. Let me tell you, that was the quickest pee I have ever seen and then ZOOM ran right back up to the front door. When we got back inside he looked at me like I had dropped him in the ocean, and he was only a bit wet. Me on the other hand was well on the way to a very soaked pair of shoes and socks.

12:16pm - Pull up to Smush's house, (he lives right around the corner from Sake) and of course, it's raining even harder now! I get my already soaked umbrella out and walk up to the front door. I decided to leave my umbrella out on their stoop instead of getting their floor wet, which in retrospect didn't work out too well. I went upstairs and there was my cute Smush boy all smiles and wags. I thought to myself, "this isn't going to last too long" because Smush HATES being in the rain! I put his harness on, and out we went...or, out we eventually went. First off, my umbrella was whisked up by the wind and there it sat upside down acting like a bucket to catch the rain, and then Smush saw that rain and put on his puppy breaks. I finally got him to go out and we walked under the eaves in front of the garages. Smush stayed bone dry...me on the other hand...not so much. Here is a little video of my Smush Boy just in case you want to see a darling pup.



12:35pm - Get to Sidney's house, and then the anticipation of getting the dog who hates the rain more than any other dog I have ever watched, (well, except for Tuna) started to worry me. I got up to his home and he was thrilled to see me as usual, (he is such a sweet Boy) and I purposely left my umbrella outside the front door so he wouldn't get the chance to dart back upstairs. Once we got out the front door I saw the "OH NO" look on his sweet face...I tried to play it off by telling him that it's just to keep the SUN off of me, but I don't think he bought it. We get to the front door of his building and by now it's not just raining...it's a DOWNPOUR. I had to coax him out the front door, but he would not take a step into the rain, which of course I do understand considering I was nursing a pair of very wet shoes and socks. With a little encouragement he finally went potty, but it was tough!

12:50pm - I get to my "baby's" place, and finally my fear of the rain struggle disappeared. You see, Bolt is a puppy, and basically puppies don't hate much of anything including the rain. I came in and there was my sweet baby dog looking at me with a "yeah, you're here" look. We went out in the rain, he pottied, attacked my shoe, then tried to pick up any goodies he could find on the ground. Unfortunately for him, I have become the QUEEN of stopping puppies from eating things, so he wasn't very successful in his quest.

So, that was my day of potty breaks in the rain...I'm sure the other nannies had very similar days, and nursing wet socks and shoes.

I stumbled upon another wonderful story about a little dog named Babe who was born with only two legs. I always think that we, (humans) can learn a lot from animals, and thought you may be interested in learning about this sweet little girl



Wasn't that the sweetest story!

Does everyone have plans for Valentines day? Have you all bought your furr kids a valentines day treat? I came across this recipe for "Red Velvet PUPCAKES", and I thought maybe this would be a fun treat for your furr pups.

Not only is beet juice the secret behind these pupcake's crimson hue, it is also a source of the ideal fiber dogs need to maintain healthy digestion. Iced with low-lactose cottage cheese, these trendy treats are also a balanced meal.

1/4 Cup Canola Oil
1/2 Cup light brown sugar
1 Cup applesauce
1/3 Cup beet puree or fresh beet juice
1 1/2 Cups whole-wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 Cup low-fat cottage cheese

Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Line a 6 cup muffin tin with muffin cups.
In a large bowl whisk together oil and sugar, stir in applesauce and beet puree.
In a separate bowl, combine flour and baking powder. Slowly stir flour mixture into the wet ingredients.
Spoon batter into muffin cups to three-quarters full and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into a pupcake comes out clean.
Remove pupcakes from the pan and cool on a rack.
In the bowl of a food processor, puree cottage cheese until smooth, about 30 seconds.
Keep frosting refrigerated until pupcakes are completely cool.
Frost and serve.

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Now, we all know that kitties are notoriously picky eaters...especially Blackjack...but I found this fun recipe and thought this could be a fun valentines treat for your kitty.

Catnip Cookies for Cats

1 Cup all-purpose flour
1/4 Cup of whole wheat flour
2 Tablespoons of wheat germ
2 to 4 Tablespoons of catnip
1/3 Cup of milk
2 Tablespoons of vegetable oil
1 Tablespoon molasses
1 egg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl
Combine the wet ingredients in separate bowl
Mix the dry and wet ingredients together and work it into a dough
Lightly flour the counter or other work surface
Remove a portion of dough and use a rolling pin to uniformly flatten the dough to a thickness between 1/8 of an inch and 1/4 of an inch
Cut the dough into 1-inch squares using a rolling pizza cutter or a cookie cutter of your choice, (heart shaped maybe).
Place the cookies on a lightly greased cookie sheet.
Bake the cookies for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the cookies are crisp and lightly browned.

This recipe will make approximately 50 medium sized cat treats.

Since these treats are preservative free, they will not last forever, so to extend the life of these treats, store them inside the freezer in several small freezer bags. As needed remove a bag from the freezer and leave it out for several hours to thaw. Once the treats are thawed, transfer into a Tupperware container for easy access and store the treats inside the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Let me know if your furr kids enjoy these treats! I think Blackjack will be enjoying a saucer full of tuna juice as a Valentines day treat.

Well, I guess that's it for now. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and please give your furr kids a big hug from their nannies.

Can you believe the weather?

Hello all my furr guardians, how did January treat you. For those of you who are new to this area, I must ask...are you enjoying the weather or what!?!?!? As a native Californian I must caution to not get the idea that this is the way it is every winter, but enjoy it while it's here!

We have had one puppy filled January, and yes, it's as fun as it sounds. Last week I started doing mid-day potty break visits with Bolt, who is a 12 week old Shiba Inu and as cute as they come!!!! He is the new "Brother" to Toshio a handsome 3 year old Shiba Inu, and let's just say...he's not too thrilled with the new addition. Of course anyone would be jealous of a sibling who comes in and tries to play with all of your toys, gets all the attention, and who is a bit rambunctious. When Bolt tries to pounce on or play with one of his toys Toshio will give him a quick growl and either knock little Bolt over or snatch his toy out of Bolts mouth. It doesn't phase Bolt at all...he knows that his Big Brother is there for his pleasure and is just playing "hard to get". The Boys had me rolling on the ground laughing the other day when Bolt continued to lick Toshio's mouth as he was growling up a storm. I think deep down Toshio liked it, but of course could never admit to it!!!! Once Bolt gets the hint that his Brother isn't interested in playing he happily runs back over to me and attacks my shoe laces. Here is a short video I shot showing this cute little Boy and a "not so happy" Toshio in the background. Don't worry...I give Toshio plenty of attention once the little one is back in his pen.



I wanted to make sure that I mention the awesome upcoming fundraising event for 13th Street Cat Rescue! It is the "13th Street Cat Rescue Tea" and it's being held on Saturday, March 14th at 2:00pm. The tickets are $25.00 and this includes a full afternoon Tea at a historic private residence and San Jose Landmark. This tea will have a delicious selection of savory tea sandwiches, mini quiche, scone with butter, jam and lemon curd, petite dessert, handmade chocolate, fresh fruit & nut cup. All served accompanied by a lovely selection of teas. The seating is very limited, so please reserve and purchase your seats early, (should Saturday sell out, they may add another seating on Sunday, March 15th at 2:00pm). They recommend that you place your orders as a group, so that they can ensure you are seated together. This will be really fun, and it will be a chance to not only enjoy this event but also to see myself and Nanny Katy. You can find the information for this event by clicking on this link http://www.13thstcats.org/ If you cannot attend this event, but would still like to donate to this wonderful organization you can do so through the same link. Hope to see some of you there!

I was at PetSmart the other day and came across something really cool that I had no idea existed! I'm not sure if everyone knows, but PetSmart has it's own charity division and they donate to many wonderful causes. I normally donate a dollar each time I make a purchase, but then I came across a display full of pre-paid mail bags. You can grab one of these bags and send them your eligible inkjet cartridges and Digital Cell Phones! There are some restrictions, but I have been sending in my empty ink jet cartridges that normally I would toss out. They also say that if you purchase recycled Inkjet and Laser cartridges through this company PetSmart Charities will receive $2.00 to $5.00 per purchase! Not a bad way to donate, especially if these items would be trash otherwise. The website for this company is http://www.cartridgesandphones.com/ and PetSmart Charities is http://www.petsmartcharities.org/

My Mom gave me the most wonderful San Jose Mercury News article last week! I'm sure many of you read it, but I wanted to mention it for those who like me, who did not get the chance to see it. It was an article about this wonderful woman named Lynea Lattanzio, who founded "The Cat House on the Kings". It's a rescue like nothing I have ever seen! This woman basically converted her home and 6 acres of land to a no kill cat, (and dog) rescue facility. The crazy thing is, that she has around 700 kitties residing in this facility...no cages, no boundaries and they all live in harmony...even with a couple of dogs running about! It is the most amazing thing I have ever seen, and although she has helpers this organization is relatively unknown. Here is a video about the facility:



If you would like to visit their website you can find it at http://www.cathouseonthekings.com/

If the video of the cats didn't warm your heart enough, I thought I would post the wonderful video produced by my friend Seth Casteel, who owns Little Friends Photography. I know I have mentioned this before, but Seth donates his time and materials to professionally photograph shelter dogs to give them a better chance at finding a forever home. His photos bring out the personality of these pups, and just take a look at their big sweet smiles.



It's wonderful knowing that people like these are roaming the world, and making a difference in animals lives.

Just so you all know, I have been taking videos of some of your furr kids. I have them posted on my YouTube page which you can find by typing in svpetnanny in the search field. I know that I'm not an expert videographer, but I've been having a lot of fun doing it!

Well, I guess that's it for now. I hope you and your furr kids have a wonderful weekend and enjoy this lovely weather! Give your furr kids a big hug and kiss from their nannies!

Happy 2009 everyone!

Hello all my furr guardians, how are you enjoying this AWESOME weather!!!!! I guess this is why we pay the big bucks to live here, not too many places are 70+ degrees in January. Blackjack really enjoyed being on the balcony today...nice and sunny. Don't ask me why black animals enjoy to bask in the sun for hours...I would burn up, but he loved every minute of it. He's now snoozing on his chair...yes, he has his own chair in the office...he's my mascot, what can I say.

I hope you all were able to get out and enjoy the weather, and hopefully your furr kids did too. I had a great weekend full of kitty merriment. Actually the fun all started on Thursday when I met nanny Chandel at one of our newest furr guardians houses. She just started doing daily visits with an 8 week old Maltese Poodle named Chloe, and OMG...she takes the cake for being one of the cutest puppies I have ever seen! She basically looks like a snowball with eyes!!! She romped around the floor as we gushed over her, and took full advantage of having two sets of hands and two faces for her to lick. She is quite the smart girl too...at only 8 weeks old she can sit AND she knew to use her potty pad when she had to go. Nanny Chandel said "I just want to eat her she's so cute"...it sounded much cuter when she said it. She is pure white with a black nose, black eyes and black lips...really, a snowball with eyes. As we sit there gushing and playing with that little sweetheart, we both looked at each other and said "this is the best job EVER"...and it is!

I also had the pleasure of visiting Oliver and Autumn, two of the sweetest kitties I have ever come into contact with. Oliver, (a Maine Coon mix) must weight close to 22 pounds and is the first cat I have ever grunted while lifting. What a cool kitty he is...talkative, sweet, HUGE, and very smart. His "Sister" Autumn is quite the beauty, and she knows it! She was named after her autumn like coloring, and is soft as a bunny. We don't get too many kitties that like to sit on our laps, especially when they first meet us, but then there was Autumn. As soon as I sat down she made herself right at home on my lap, and WOW she was the best hot water bottle ever! Unfortunately she was not interested in sharing my affection with her Brother Oliver, and if he tried to get in on the action she gave him a swift swat on the head. So, poor lovely biggallute Oliver kept a safe distance all the while talking to me, between quick glimpses of Autumn making sure he wasn't in for another swat. Here is a picture I took of this very thing...Autumn is on my lap and just look at Oliver's nervous face. Don't worry though, I made plenty of one on one time with my big guy Oliver, so he only had to endure this for about 5 minutes. I'm sure they both will be thrilled to see their guardians, however I wish I had a bit more time to spend with these two lovely kitties.

I am very excited about the new furr kid that I will be visiting Monday's and Thursday's starting this week. Her name is Nomi, and she is one of the smallest Yorkie's I have ever seen! Sweet as sugar this little girl is, and loves to be held like a baby. Her guardian calls her monkey, which is funny because that's what I call Blackjack, so this nickname should be easy for me to remember. During my meeting with her guardian, she went and got one of her favorite toys, which was about twice as big as her!!! She played fetch with this toy like it was no problem at all, but to see this tiny girl lugging around a large squeaky toy really made me laugh. I will make sure to post a picture of her as soon as I'm able to snap on.

So, we took the Christmas in the Park tree down on Friday, and although it had been through some pretty rough rain it held up remarkably well!!!! The ornaments were a bit dirty, but in great shape! You know, I was going to send all of you furr guardians your kids ornament, but I have decided that I enjoyed being a part of the community and having a tree, so I am planning on reusing their ornaments next year. Of course you are welcome to have your furr kids ornament if you would like...just let me know and I will send it to you ASAP. But, if you would like another year of your furr kid being a Christmas star you can opt for me to keep the ornament to use next year.

I'm really excited about 2009, and hope to add a lot of new fun stuff to the website. Of course we will be at Bark in the Park 2009, and possibly a couple of other events. I'm working on getting new t-shirts, and potentially doggy shirts...I'll keep you updated.

Remember that if you would like your pet(s) to be the next "newsletter pet" just drop me an email with a cute story. I'm most likely going to go green with my newsletter and instead of a physical paper version doing an e-version. I know that this isn't ideal for everyone, so if you would rather have a paper version just let me know and I can print a small amount of them.

Also, if you do not see your furr kids picture on our site feel free to e-mail one to me. I want to make sure all of our furr kids get the chance to make their debut on the website, especially because once we visit them, they are a part of our family.

I guess that's all for now, but I will make sure to post soon.

Time to reflect

Hello all my furr guardians, how was your holiday? Did your furr kids get lots of gifts? As far as Blackjack goes, he prefers the wrapping paper and ribbon as opposed to actual toys. He did however receive a very nice stocking full of toys from his friend Angels furr guardian, and actually played with quite a few of them!

We had a blast visiting all of your furr kids this holiday season! By the end of this month, (tomorrow) we will have enough dog and cat hair to knit 10 sweaters, will be pulling litter out of our shoes and socks for days, trying to get the crusted drool off of our pants and having sweet dreams of all the fun times we had. You know, I actually saw a news report on a lady who makes bags out of cat hair, (she's a groomer) wonder if we could team up.

I was driving around today, and I really started to reflect on all the furr kids that I have had the pleasure visiting with over the four years I've been in business. I cannot tell you how lucky I feel to have chosen this career and have worked with so many wonderful furr guardians. I received a holiday card from my old friends Jane and Johnny, who trusted us to care for their furr kids Tuna and Fruitcake for many years while Johnny was a part of the San Francisco 49'rs coaching staff. How sad it is for us when one of our furr kids moves away...it's like a part of us goes with them.

I was thinking about my old friend Jackson the Boxer, and one of the most enduring things that has ever happened to me in my many years of furr kid care. I hope you don't mind me sharing it with you, (although I'm sure I have gushed over it to some of you already). Jackson was, (and still is) a beautiful goofy Boxer Boy who I had the pleasure of visiting weekly for well over a year. His nickname was "my buggah" for no particular reason...it just came out one day. He is a big Boy, but had the temperament of a sweetheart. He never told me, but I think it hurt his feelings when people would walk the "long way around" instead of visiting with him. One day I was told the heartbreaking news that Jackson would be relocating to Oakland with his furr guardians, and my heart was nearly ripped out of my chest.

The last week of our visits were very hard for me, and I know that Jackson picked up on it...I mean, I was his fun Auntie Carolyn who was always smiling and playing not this depressed sad person who so obviously had a lot on her mind. As the last day approached I told myself that I wasn't going to cry, I was going to be strong for "my buggah" and make our last visit a super happy one...then I opened the door. Here he was standing right inside the door waiting for me with his earth themed ball wedged in his mouth and his big Boxer lips folding over it so you couldn't even see his nose. I burst into laughter, but at the same time I could feel the tears coming. I spent extra time with Jackson on that last visit and by the time I took him up to his apartment I was choking up. I took him inside, wrote my last note to his guardians, gave him his chicken treat and then said my goodbyes. The tears flew down my face non-stop and Jackson started to act very upset. As I closed the door for the last time, he watched me until there was only a small crack left. I went to my car blubbering, sad that I lost my good friend.

Well, the next day I had to come back to the complex to visit another furr kid, and I ran into Jackson's guardians. They told me that Jackson had been inconsolable the entire night, whimpering and throwing up. I told them about the sad goodbye and they said "he must REALLY love you", and then they thanked me for caring so much about their Boy and how I made such a difference in his life. My heart warmed up and I have to admit I smiled...not because Jackson was sick of course, but it showed how much of an impact we have on your furr kids and how much they love us. I still miss Jackson, and think about him all the time. I think I'm going to add a new part to my contract forbidding my furr guardians to move. Just kidding, but I wish I could.

I hope some of you had the chance to visit our tree at this years Christmas in the Park! I received emails from some of my furr guardians saying "I found my kid" which in itself is a challenge. My Sister went by the tree the other day and said it was holding up amazingly well, which I'm thrilled about. This is the last week the tree will be up, and I must take down the decorations on the 2nd, so if you haven't seen it you may want to make a little time to pop on over there. If you have children, (the human kind) you can make it a game...let's see if they can find their furr sibling(s).

Some of you already know, but I was actually able to take a few days off and visit Las Vegas! It was a really great time, but of course my allocation of money into the slot machines left my pockets a bit empty, but I guess that's the way it goes in the city of bright lights. On the flight there I picked up one of those EVIL Skymall catalogs and actually found some pretty cool pet related stuff. Just for fun, here are the items that I thought were really cool.

The Indoor Dog Restroom: http://www.skymall.com/shopping/detail.htm?pid=102628291&c=10710

The Coolaroo: http://www.skymall.com/shopping/detail.htm?pid=102100479&c=10710

Swoop Mini Pooper Scooper: http://www.skymall.com/shopping/detail.htm?pid=102760900&c=10710

Climate Control Pet Carrier: http://www.skymall.com/shopping/detail.htm?pid=102704142&c=10710

Litter Robot, (wonder if it's as good as the reviews say it is): http://www.skymall.com/shopping/detail.htm?pid=102181776&c=10720

Fling-ama-string Cat Toy: http://www.skymall.com/shopping/detail.htm?pid=102681663&c=10720

The Door Hung Cat Climber: http://www.skymall.com/shopping/detail.htm?pid=102828842&c=10720

So, I guess that's it for now. I wanted to thank you all one last time for allowing us to care for your furr kids. Katy, Chandel, Samantha, Naomi, Gretchen and I hope all of you have a wonderful and SAFE New Years. We will see your furr kids next year!!!!

HAPPY 2009!!!!!

WOW, a whole month has passed!

Hello all my furr gaurdians, I hope you had a wonderful November and are still stuffed with turkey and all the trimmings. I can't believe it's been an entire MONTH since I last posted a blog, and the only excuse I have is that November was crazy busy!

There has been so much going on I don't even know where to start! I guess let's start with something fun and in my mind really cool. Our tree at Christmas in the Park!!!!! We had SUCH a fun time decorating our beautiful tree and I still can't believe we were able to get all the ornaments on!!! I believe that we had close to 200 ornaments all of which are pictures of your furr kids. I personally handmade each ornament, which was quite the project! The other items on the tree are candycane shaped rawhides, kitty jingle balls, stuffed mice, doggy squeeky toys, and the tree is topped with a round doggy ball. We also have a fire hydrant, and a shiney red bowl with red glass ornaments in it.

I have mentioned to some of you that finding your furr kid could be as difficult as finding a needle in a haystack, but if you see a picture of your furr kid on our website then he/she is up on the tree! We are really proud of this tree and being a true part of the community. Christmas in the Park goes through January 1st and our tree is #633 right next to Santa's House. If you get the chance you should really spend an afternoon viewing all the cool displays and the many decorated trees. http://www.christmasinthepark.com/

There are so many fun pet related holiday events going on in December, and I wanted to mention a couple of them.

Santa Paws at PetSmart! This is an event that benefits my friends at 13th Street Cat Rescue and it's a great opportunity for you to meet these wonderful folks. Your furr kid can pose with Santa Claus and have their picture taken for a resonable $9.95. Five dollars of your fee will do directly to 13th Street Cat Rescue, which will help them incredibly. This event will be held on December 13th and 14th between 11:00am and 4:00pm at the PetSmart located at 607 Coleman Ave, San Jose, CA 95110. To learn more about 13th Street Cat Rescue please visit their website at http://www.13thstcats.org/

Santa Paws at Santana Row! This is a fun event where you can bring your four-legged friends, (cats and dogs only) to Santana Row's Park Valencia for a keepsake photo with Santa Claus! Photos are just $20.00 and a portion of the proceeds will benefit Humane Society Silicon Valley. This will be held on Sunday, December 7th from 11:00am to 3:00pm. Registration begins at 10:30am, so make sure to come early.

I know that this isn't really pet related, but coming from a long line of SJSU alumni I thought I would mention it...besides, we all would love to see happy Children. The SJSU University Police Department is collecting contributions for its 16th annual holiday toy drive. Each year, UPD delivers new and gently used toys to 1,000 needy children living near campus. You can help by contributing cash or toys. Cash contributions should be made online or via check or money order to the Tower Foundation of San Jose State University, One Washington Square, Attn: UPD Holiday Toy Drive, San Jose, CA 95192-0183. Please write "UPD Holiday Toy Drive" on the reference line of your check. Toys can be dropped off in the UPD office lobby on the ground floor of the Seventh Street Gargage by December 12th. To learn more you can contact Liza Rios, UPD administrative analyst, at (408) 924-2171. Since 1991, the San Jose State University Police Department Holiday Toy Drive has been providing community children with toys to celebrate the holiday season, and over the years, Santa's list has grown from 50 families to more than 300!

This is the second year in a row that my Sister, Mom and I have donated and I must say...we go a little overboard. :o)

I wanted to welcome all our new furr kids to our SVPN family...Gadget, Mia, Cherry-Pie and Hummer, Newbie and Pinky, Buck, Chocolate, Cisco, Duff, Hudson and Slash, Clara, Muddy-Pie, Killer, Loverboy and Rebel, Candy and Nugget, Bentley, Gucci, Ambrosia and Clem and Toshio. I also want to welcome and thank all you furr gaurdians who have allowed us to care for your wonderful furr kids. If I have forgotten any of you please let me know and your furr kid will be included in the next entry.

Since it's the holidays, I thought it was only appropriate to include a yummy "Howliday Recipe" for your pooch or kitty if they are adventurous eaters.

Giggy's Corn Muffins with Turkey Giblets!
Yield 12 to 18 mini muffins

2 oz. bacon grease or shortening
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 C. flour
1/3 C. water
1 tsp. parsley flakes
7.5 oz. box corn muffin mix
2 -3 oz. chicken/turkey giblets, (enclosed pack minus the neck)

-Set a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F.
-Grease a muffin pan with nonstick vegetable spray.
-Melt the bacon grease
-Puree the liver and giblets in a blender or food processor.
-In large mixing bowl, whisk together the pureed liver, water and bacon grease.
-In separate bowl, stir together the corn muffin mix, flour, and spice. Mix into the liquid mixture.
-Divide the batter evenly among the muffin slots and bake for 15 minutes or until the toothpick test is dry, turning the pan once for even baking.

I guess that's all for now...enjoy this last bit of our Indian Summer and a wonderful weekend.

Until next time.....

WOW, does time FLY!

Hello all my furr guardians out there. First, I must apologize for another HORRIBLE delay in posting a new blog, as well as the delay in getting my newsletter out. It has been a really crazy month, and with my first cold of the season lasting nearly two weeks it hasn't been easy to get to them both. With the cold behind me, and my head much less congested it's time to get back on the blog and newsletter Horse.

Let's see...I feel like I have so much to talk about!!!! I guess I last left off with the Bark in the Park, which you should really take a minute or two to look at the pictures if you haven't already. Some exciting and heart warming things have happened since that wonderful event, and hope you don't mind me sharing them with you. First off I had a wonderful article in the San Jose Mercury News back on September 20th!!! Some of you have mentioned that you really enjoyed the article, and it really helped you be more prepared for your loyal pet sitters. For those who weren't able to read it or didn't know about it here is the link: http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_10559861?IADID=Search-www.mercurynews.com-www.mercurynews.com

The next story is a heartwarming one, and I still have a happy feeling just thinking about it. A good friend of mine emailed me for help about two weeks ago. Unfortunately his Grandmother passed away and she left behind her beloved mini Poodle "Spike". The family wasn't able to keep Spike, and they were desperate to find him a loving new home with people who would love and adore him like his late person did. I sent an email to some of my furr guardians who I felt may have the space and desire to give Spike a new home, and was overwhelmed by the response that I received. Within 5 minutes of sending the email I received emails from 5 of my clients, all with questions regarding Spike, and within 30 minutes Spike had a new home!!!! In fact, it just shows what a small world we live in...Spikes new person actually worked in the same building as my friend, (not the same company) so when I told my friend about him not only did he work right downstairs, but my friend also knew him!!!!! My friend just took a stroll downstairs to talk face to face with him about Spikes adoption, and within 3 days he brought Spike to his new person. Spike was able to spend the whole day at his new person's workplace, and brought smiles to everyone who worked there. I heard wonderful news that Spike bonded with his new person almost immediately, and followed him from room to room the entire day. I want to thank all of you who were so generous by sending out my help request to your friends and families, and to Corrine who forwarded it to Spikes new person John. You all have such great hearts and I appreciate you taking the time to help Spike.

The "Spike story" should also remind you all to make sure you have made arrangements for your beloved furr kid if something were to happen...either and illness, accident or anything else. You can contact the Silicon Valley Humane Society to discuss their "Pet Guardianship Program" which ensures that if you cannot find a suitable furr guardian the SVHS will do everything in their power to find a perfect person for him or her. www.hssv.org/donate_guardianship.html or you can call Bridget Keenan at (408) 727-3383.

Your loyal pet sitters awesome service record has been celebrated! We have been chosen to be preferred vendor for the Prometheus Real Estate Group!!! What does this mean? Well, Prometheus manages three new apartment communities that reside in Santa Clara, Palo Alto and Mountain View. When new furr guardians move into their communities they will be given your loyal pet sitters information. Some of you were nice enough to allow the management team to talk to you regarding our service level, and I thank you so much for that. With the background check out of the way my hope is that the furr gaurdians will feel confident in their managements choice, and give us the chance to care for their furr kids. This is a big honor for your loyal pet sitters, and we look forward to visiting with our new furr kids! Don't worry, this will not affect your service or nanny availability, in fact if this goes well I will be hiring a dedicated nanny who will service only these properties.

My furr guardian Holly sent me the COOLEST thing the other day, and she said I could share it with all of you. She found a company called "ArtPaw.com" who transformed three separate pictures of her girls into a VERY cool work of art! She was nice enough to allow me to list the link on my blog so you can see the transformation:
http://www.artpaw.com/proofpages/proof_hjones.html

She said she opted for Proof #2, and ordered a 24 x 36 portrait that she now has proudly hanging in her home. She thought that many of you might think it was cool as well, and with the holidays approaching might make a great gift.

And to another potential very cool holiday gift...I came across an advertisement for "Mutt Lynch Winery" who produce custom labeled wines that feature your furr kid!!!! I read their entire website, and they look like a COOL bunch of pet loving people! They even have a listing for animal charities and feature a wine program called "Club Mutt". If nothing else you should take a minute to check out their site...I had a lot of fun going through it. http://www.muttlynchwinery.com/

I wanted to welcome all my new furr kids that have joined the SVPN family since late September...Goldie, Zakin, Anya & Max, Sandy, Cassie, Max, Emmitt, Boo, Scruffy, Toby, Isabella, Alex, Tahoe & Emma, Mozart & Pixel, Baily, Guinness, Mighty & Sparky, Bianca & Sophie and Kiely. I am so happy that your guardians have allowed us to care for you while they were either at work or on vacation. If I have forgotten any of our new kids please drop me a line and I will add them on my next blog.

One last small reminder...if I do not have a picture of your furr kid on my website PLEASE email one to me.

I guess that's all for now, my fingers are starting to burn...but thank you so much for being a part of our extended family and I appreciate all of you very much.

Until next time...