It's time to do some BARK IN THE PARK!

Hello all my furr guardians, and happy September to you all. I hope everyone had a relaxing and fun Labor Day, and surviving this strange weather!

As you can tell by the title of this blog...this Saturday, September 19th is the awesome and always fun San Jose Bark in the Park! I know I have mentioned it in past entries, but even if you're not a canine furr kid guardian you should make it a point to try to make it to this event. Not only is it the largest dog festival in the United States, it's just a big old furr kid love fest. And trust me, there are some fun things for you kitty furr parents to see too and even our friends 13th Street Cat Rescue will be there! I will have an awesome raffle prize up for grabs which will include some free pet sitting visits + tons of fun toys for both your feline and canine furr kids. We will have a booth located close to the pet first aid booth, (our booth number is B9) for those of you who visited us last year we're in the same spot. Please bring your furr kids over to say hi to us!

http://www.barksanjose.org/
Saturday, September 19th, 10:00am to 5:00pm
Williams Street Park, (at Williams and S. 16th Street).

DNA for Doggy!
One of my furr guardians told me that she invested in a doggy DNA kit to finally put the mystery of her furr kid's breed background to rest. She found out quite a lot about her furr kid, and found the whole process very cool. If you would like a DNA test run on your Heinz 57 furr kid you can visit http://www.fetchdog.com/item/A40041 If any of you do this, please let me know what you turn up...technology is coooooooool.

Old Dog Paws,
So, as you know I'm always looking for interesting pet related items to blog about and with the average human age extending far past what it was a decade ago it only makes sense that our furr kids life spans are extended as well. I came across http://www.olddogpaws.com/ which specializes in the "care and comfort of old friends". It's actually a very interesting site which contains articles about aging doggy issues, alternative medication and treatments, as well as a store that offers items that may make your old pal a bit more comfortable. I myself was on the site for well over an hour and haven't seen everything yet. Yeah for our old furr kid friends!

Dog Chefs of America!
So, check this out! There is a site called Dog Chefs of America http://www.dogchefs.com/ and it is a site dedicated to learning how to cook for your furr kid! Here is their statement from their homepage:

"Dog Chefs of America is a unique '50s diner style working kitchen that doubles as a classroom. This whimsical environment doubles as a TV set backdrop as well as a location for film and educational CD/DVD production. We are not a "cutesy" doggie bakery! Master Dog Chef Micki Voisard creates daily prepared meals of real food for dogs, and teaches future dog chefs how they can improve their dog's health through implementation of a real food diet. Sharing this novel space is the "Oh My Dog!" Fine Art Gallery that reflects all things canine. Fabulous steel sculptures, vibrantly colored paintings, and ceramic critters are all designed to make you smile!"

Now, don't get too excited about visiting this cool place...unless you're in Arizona, but they do have workshops that travel around and a great store where you can buy doggy food recipe books! So funny!

House Cat, House Calls,
So, I recently found out that there is a kitty version of the Dog Whisperer!!! I had NO idea, but they are about to enter into their 3rd season! How did this slip under my radar!?!?!?!?!?! The show is sponsored by Purina Cat Chow, and is on Animal Planet Saturdays at 10:30am and Sundays at 8:00am, (EST). This is what the show is about:

"Each week, Dr. Katrina visits cat loving families and, with the help of the Housecat Housecall Mentors, Dr. Karen Sueda and Dr. Rich Goldstein, she'll try to make some sense out of a wide range of feline puzzlers. Whether it's just a quirky behavior or something more complex, Dr. Katrina and hr team work out real solutions that help bring peace, harmony, and well-being back to the homes of cats and owners"

Let's see...I think I know a few kitties who might qualify for this...Blackjack being one of them. Check out the site and watch some of the funny videos. http://www.housecathousecall.com/

You know, I often talk about Blackjack...well, he is after all the mascot of the business, but I started to feel a bit guilty that I don't mention our other kitty Corn. So, I put together this "Corn Montage" so you can get a feeling for our other furr kid. The first part of the video is something that cracks me up no matter how many times I see it. Corn sleeps SO deep that we can lift his head, arms, legs, tail etc and he doesn't wake up!!!! I've tried this on Blackjack, but he must be a light sleeper because it's only worked on him once or twice. The second part of the video is how Corn actually likes to bundle up under "his" blanket...yes, he does this himself. He's quite the interesting kitty character and I hope you enjoy.



Well, I guess that's all for now. I hope to see many of you this Saturday...it's really the only time we get to see each other!

Give all your furr kids a big hug and kiss for us, and thank you again for being a part of the SVPN family!

(Oh...remember to book early for the Holidays!)

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.

I LOVE what I do for a living!!!!!!

Hello all my furr guardians, how was your 4th of July? Were your furr kids okay with all the loud BANGS! My cats spent the majority of the time under our bed, but with all the M80's that were being set off I wish I could have fit under there too!

So, as you can see from the title of this blog...I LOVE WHAT I DO FOR A LIVING! I just wanted to introduce all of you to my newest furr kid, and what a doll she is! Her name is Penny, and she's a 10 week old Bernese Mountain Dog. She is the new Sister to Oliver and Autumn, (kitties) and just arrived Monday. She is a sweetheart, who loves her Brother and Sister, (although the feeling is not mutual at this time) and adores her guardians, (and me too). She is so cute that I had to post two videos of her...I hope you don't mind.





Now, how CUTE was that!!!!!! She is also quite the people magnet, and makes everyone who runs into her smile...what an awesome talent to have. We're still working on the potty training, but she is SO smart, and is taking to it very quickly.

We have had quite the strange Summer so far...cold, hot, SUPER hot, cool, and cold again. Well, according to the news it's supposed to warm up again and I thought I would include a couple of cool doggy treats that you can whip up for your furr kid.

Blend a couple of spoons of peanut butter with mashed banana, add a spoonful of honey and mix in about a half cup of water to make a better freezing consistency. For optional extra crunch, throw in a few unsalted peanuts...and FREEEEEZE.

If you want to be a bit creative, try mixing and matching various fruit juices with your dog's favorite fruit such as apple bits or canned peaches along with plain yogurt before freezing into cubes. You may even want to go all out and blend smoothies or slushes for your dog to lap up or crunch in frozen cubes. However, stick to fruit juices and water for liquid as many dogs cannot easily digest milk. Creamy treats can be made by mixing half cottage cheese and half water and freezing into cubes.

For dogs who prefer meaty tastes, freeze chicken or beef broth, or even thin unsalted gravies into cubes. For an extra surprise, add a chunk of baby food meat, a piece of milkbone, or a cheese bit into each cube before freezing.

If you're not feeling particularly "Martha Stewart" you can also go with something like this:
http://www.kooldogz.biz/

And of course there is always:
http://www.chillow.com/chillow.html

The Chillow works for kitties too, although Blackjack wasn't fond of his he prefers the cold floor in the bathroom.

I haven't forgotten about my feline furr kids, (although they aren't fans of super cold things). I found these awesome kitty treat recipes and thought I would share them with you!

Crispy Trout Pieces
1 egg yolk
1 small trout fillet
3 tbsp oatmeal
1 tbsp vegetable oil

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Beat the egg, dip the fish in it, and then coat it with the oatmeal. Put the oil in a small baking pan and lay the fillet in it, turning it over once or twice. Bake for 15 minutes, turn over and back for another 15 minutes. Remove the fish to a dish, allow to cool and cut into bite-sized pieces. If it looks a little dry, add a dash of cream.

Chicken Cheeseburger
2 oz finely ground beef
2 oz finely ground chicken
1 tsp canned thick chicken soup
2 oz whole grain bread crumbs or oatmeal
1 baby carrot, cooked until soft
1 egg
1/2 cup grated cheese

Mash the meat and chicken with the soup, then add the bread crumbs or oatmeal, mushy carrot and egg. Make into two small burgers and broil (leaving much rare than you would for yourself). Sprinkle with grated cheese and broil again until the cheese is melted. Allow to cool until warm to the touch and serve.

I often think "ahhhhhh, I would love to be some of the furr kids I watch...what a life"...and this video explains it sooooooo well!



Many of you have sent me emails asking how Blackjack is doing, which I think is SO wonderful and thoughtful! He's doing much better, although Corn is still hissing at him which hurts his feelings. His hair is starting to grow out a bit, and he's looking a bit more black than silver. The good news is that he hasn't thrown up ONE hairball!!!!! That is cause for celebration!!!!

Well, I guess that's it for now, but I wanted to mention that the annual Obon Festival is going on this weekend in Japantown so if you want to experience a lot of fun and culture you should make plans to visit...you just might run into your loyal petsitter! http://www.sjbetsuin.com/Events/HomePage

Poor Blackjack

Hello all my furr guardians, how has this awful hot weather been treating you??? I wanted to make sure to wish all my Canadian furr guardians a very happy Canada day, and hope you celebrated it in the true spirit of a Canuck!

Well, before any of you worry about our kitty mascot, Blackjack is just fine, but the hot weather lead me to try something that I never had before...yes, I had Blackjack shaved. The utter embarrassment and humiliation in his face was absolutely heartbreaking for your loyal pet sitter, and although I tried to reassure him that he will be MUCH happier without his thick black coat he just looked at me with this pathetic "I'm ruined" face. It was quite the traumatizing experience for him, as he had to be sedated...well, it was either that or the tech who gave him his trim would have been walking with a sever limp. Blackjack is not one to go for a car ride quietly, in fact he yowled the entire way to Fremont, (yes, my Vet is in Fremont, but he's the best in the world...in my opinion that is) and a few times it was quite the ear piercing howl. My Mom went with me for moral support, so we both chuckled at some of his very strange howls...under our breath of course not to make him feel bad. Not surprisingly he was absolutely quiet on the way home, probably a mixture of the drugs and being exhausted after his horrible day, (he was there for nearly 6 hours). When we got home he was wobbly, but quick to escape the HORRIBLE cat carrier. I'm sure he was feeling so embarrassed, but it was made worse when our other cat Corn hissed at him!!!! We're not sure if it was the Vet smell, or maybe Corn just didn't recognize this no furr kitty in front of him. So, Blackjack wondered the house looking for somewhere, ANYWHERE to hide. He seems a bit better today, but still staying clear of Corn and looking uncomfortable with his new haircut...believe me, I know how he feels! But as you can see in the first photo, he still doesn't mind showing off his gut, and although the Vet said he was "chunky" I still tell him "no you're not, your just "big boned" like your Mom".

I have heard many of my furr guardians complain about the lack of options for pet travel via air, and how most airlines are being super difficult regarding arrangements and most of all fee's for our beloved furr kids to fly with us. Well, I came across a very cool new service that offers furr kids first class air travel! It is SO cool, your furr kid flies in the front cabin, (in a kennel for their safety) which has temperature control and fresh air pumped in. They are monitored by an attendant and get this...NO HUMANS ON BOARD, (well besides the flight staff of course). This is all about your furr kid!!!! You can go online and track your pet, they have a "MyPaws" club that will save you money on flights and pet friendly hotels, and a bunch of great information regarding traveling with your pets! Unfortunately the closest "hub" is Los Angeles, but who knows it might be worth the drive down!

As you all well know, 4th of July can be such a blast for us Humans, but can be HORRIBLE for our furr kids. Here are some tips on how to keep your furr kids safe this coming 4th of July, (supplied by the wonderful Humane Society of the United States.

• Resist the urge to take your pet to fireworks displays.
• Do NOT leave your pet in the car! With only hot air to breathe inside a car, your pet can suffer serious health effects - even death - in a few short minutes. Partially opened windows DO NOT provide sufficient air, but they DO provide an opportunity for your pet to be stolen.
• Keep your pets indoors at home in a sheltered, quiet area. Some animals can become destructive when frightened, so be sure that you've removed any items that your pet could destroy or that would be harmful to your pet if chewed. Leave a television or radio playing at normal volume to keep him/her company while you're attending 4th of July picnics, parades, and other celebrations.
• If you know that your pet is seriously distressed by loud noises like thunder, consult with your veterinarian before July 4th for ways to help alleviate the fear and anxiety he or she will experience during fireworks displays.
• Never leave pets outside unattended, even in a fenced yard or on a chain. In their fear, pets who normally wouldn't leave the yard may escape and become lost, or become entangled in their chain, risking injury or death.
• Make sure your pets are wearing identification tags so that if they do become lost, they can be returned promptly. Animals found running at-large should be taken to the local animal shelter, where they will have the best chance of being reunited with their owners.

Remember, taking precautions can help your furr kid get through the loud 4th of July without too much anxiety. Fireworks are fun for us, but not so much for our furr kids...especially when you get the M-80's exploding outside!!!!

Well, many of you have been asking, and now we have the answer...YES, we will be doing Bark in the Park 2009! We look forward to this every year, so how could we NOT! So, mark the date because this is one doggy fest you DON'T want to miss! Saturday, September 19th! It will be a blast, and make sure to bring your furr pups to visit their loyal pet sitters.

Well, I guess that's it for now! I hope you all have a wonderful, and SAFE 4th of July. Nanny Carolyn, Katy, Allison, Chandel, Stacy, Maria and Jennifer all sends hugs and kisses to your wonderful furr kids, and we thank you for being a part of the SVPN family!

Where did May go?????

Hello all my furr guardians, how did the month of May treat you? I can't believe how fast the month flew by, and it's going to be June in a few short days!!!!! Did you receive any good Mothers Day gifts for your furr kids? I personally didn't, but Blackjack made sure to wish me a happy day, and that's a great gift in my eyes. :o)

Your loyal pet sitters had one heck of a busy month, and welcome all our new furr kids and guardians. We had a great time at the 13th Street Cat Rescues annual open house, and was very pleased with the turnout! Hershey the chocolate lab kept everyone entertained weaving in and out of all the attendees with her favorite tennis ball in her mouth with eyes beaming with hope that someone would take the slobber injected ball and play with her. Our dear Coco was in his run because he's not as well behaved as his Sister Hershey, but everyone made their way out there to say hello to him.

I was looking at one of my favorite sites, (http://www.cathouseonthekings.com/) and after watching their informational video, (for the millionth time) checked out some of the other information that was mentioned. These are really, REALLY cool sites and ones that I think anyone who is a furr guardian or for that matter just an animal lover should be made aware of.

freekibblekat.com such a great idea, and can you believe it that a 12 YEAR OLD founded it!!! This is her story...

"Mimi Ausland, a 12 year old girl from Bend, Oregon, wanted to help feed the hungry animals at her local animal shelter. "There are 10's of thousands of dogs and cats in animal shelters across the country, all needing to be fed a good meal". Say hello to freekibble.com and freekibblekat.com!

Freekibble.com's primary mission is to provide good, healthy food to dogs and cats to those shelters who are working so hard to see that none of them go hungry - they need our help. In addition to providing free kibble to the Humane Society of Central Oregon, we've added 13 new shelters to the program (from Oregon to Florida!) and plan to expand the program to many more! Thanks to everyone for supporting freekibble by playing the trivia game - every piece of kibble counts!

We're happy to say that we're partnering with Castor and Pollux to feed these hungry dogs and cats a very high quality, all natural kibble - a very decent dinner! We also want to make it easy and fun for you to help provide free kibble by playing Meow Trivia - and we hope you learn a few interesting things about dogs and cats along the way. Thanks and enjoy!"

So, basically you go to http://www.freekibblekat.com/, (for cats) or http://www.freekibble.com/, (for dogs) and answer their daily trivia question. This is a daily question, and right or wrong they will still donate 10 pieces of kibble to animal shelters. It takes like one second and you can sign up for daily trivia reminders. I'm always thrilled when children take an active interest in helping out our furr friends, good for you Mimi!

The next site which I found very cool and wonderful is http://www.goodsearch.com/. The following info is edited due to the amount, but it should give you a good understanding what this site is all about.

"We all have a cause we care about - whether it's finding a cure for cancer, saving the environment, finding homes for abandoned pets or so many other worthwhile endeavors. But what we don't all have is the time or money to support these efforts as much as we'd like. So, what if we could raise money for our favorite charities and schools by doing something we do every day - searching the Internet?

GoodSearch is a search engine which donates 50-percent of it's revenue to the charities and schools designated by its users. It's a simple and compelling concept. You use GoodSearch exactly as you would any other search engine. Because it's powered by Yahoo!, you get proven search results. The money GoodSearch donates to your cause comes from its advertisers - the users and the organizations do not spend a dime!

In 2007, GoodSearch was expanded to include GoodShop, an online shipping mall of world-class merchants dedicated to helping fund worthy causes across the country. Each purchase made via the GoodShop mall results in a donation to the user's designated charity or school - averaging approximately 3% of the sale, but going up to 20% or even more."

How totally cool is that! I mean, most of us are on the computer all day long looking up information, shopping, chatting, and we could be using it to help our beloved furr kids, (or any other charity of course).

The weather is getting WARM outside and I wanted to make sure that you have some tips on keeping your furr kids safe and healthy during the scorching summer months:

• Always have a supply of cool, fresh water available for pets.
• Add a few ice cubes to a dish of water for a cool, refreshing treat.
• When on the go, keep a water bottle filled with cold, fresh water for your pet.
• Wait 30 - 60 minutes after meals before taking a pet for its run.
• Walk your dog in grass or keep pavement walks brief. Sensitive paws can quickly burn on hot asphalt; consider paw protectors such as shoes or booties.
• No doggy days at the beach! During extremely hot temperatures, your pet would prefer shade to sunshine. Excessive panting, raspy breath and discolored gums are signs of heatstroke. To treat, get the animal in a shady place, cool it with wet towels and call a veterinarian.
• NEVER leave your animal in a vehicle! Even with the windows open, the temperature in a parked vehicle can reach more than 100 degrees in a matter of minutes.
• Coolant/antifreeze leaks are sweet tasting and attractive to animals. But drinking coolant can be fatal. Use animal-friendly propylene glycol coolant rather than ethylene glycol in your vehicles. Never let your pet drink out of strange puddles.

HELP ON YELP...many of you use Yelp in reviewing local eateries, business, etc, but did you know that your loyal petsitters are on Yelp, and would LOVE more happy reviews! If you're a Yelp, (or Angies List) user please leave a review for us...your furr kids would want you too! :o)

I thought I'd leave you with a "little Nomi" the adorable Yorkie that I'm fortunate enough to visit with twice a week. Until next time, hug your furr kids for me, Nanny Katy, Nanny Chandel, Nanny Allison, Nanny Stacy, Nanny Jennifer and Nanny Maria and we thank you for being part of our family.

Sad month

Hello all my furr guardians, I hope this post finds you all very well. You know, you're probably really tired of hearing me apologize for the delay in getting up a new post, but I feel that this time it is totally warranted. WOW, over a month has past...needless to say I'm very embarrassed by this and really have no excuse besides the fact that it was tax month and I was in an accounting frenzy! Uuuuuugh, taxes...the ONE bad thing about being in business for yourself...at least it only comes once a year!

Besides the tax horror, this was a very sad month, (well April) for your loyal pet sitter having lost three of my furr kids. My lovely Boy Smush who has a video on one of my past blogs moved back to Los Angeles with his guardians...I'm broken hearted since I have been watching him since he was a tiny pup, (see photo). Yes, it was a teared filled last visit which intensified when I opened the gift from his guardians and it was a beautiful full color picture of him in a lovely frame. I wish there was a clause in my contract that restricts my furr guardians from moving away...or at least gives me visitation rights, (one week out of every summer?) but since that's not going to happen I had to say goodbye to my Smushie Wushie, Smushtah Wooshtah, Mushie Mushie, Little Licker, Mushta Mush and it was awful! Not only was it horrible losing my Smush Boy, but I adored his guardians and will totally miss them too. I was lucky enough to be able to get together with his furr Mom for some coffee, (well tea) the day before they left, but it was still sad. I wish Smush and his furr guardians all the luck in the world, and hope the pop by every now and then to say hi.

This was also a sad month for losing two more of my furr kids, and unfortunately not from a move. My furr kid Sidney passed away in April after a very long life with his furr guardian. Sidney was a wonderful quirky Boy who always entertained me! After our visit he would wait for a treat while I wrote his guardian a note and if I took too long he would make this strange sneezing noise! He also wouldn't walk on certain surfaces, so he would jump over the entrance to their elevator, and jump over rail road tracks. He totally hated the rain, and I would have to leave my umbrella outside so he didn't see it, (he knew umbrella = rain). He would always be upstairs on his guardians bed when I would show up, and it was always fun to hear the "thump" after I called him, and then the "thump, thump, thump" and he jolted down the stairs to meet me. He was such a wonderful old Boy and I was lucky enough to be his friend till the very end.

My girl Maya also passed away in April, and FAR too soon for this sweet wonderful girl. She was the funniest Bully Bull I have ever met, and kept me laughing while she rolled around on her back while her big Bulldog lips flapped around. She was SUCH a bulldog...she wasn't thrilled about leaving the comforts of her own chair, and when she didn't want to walk...she didn't walk! I'm telling you, although she was probably only around 40 pounds it was ALL muscle and she was strong! Her guardian loved her SO much and so did Katy and myself, (we were both nannies for Maya). She will always live in our memories as our My-oh-my, myaloo, and maya-angeloooo, and maya-looinski. This was such a shock to hear since Maya was only 5 years old, so make sure you give your furr kids a big hug and kiss every chance you get.
WOW, what a complete buzz kill this blog is! I'm so sorry! I just wanted to make sure to mention these friends of mine and how much I will miss them all! We really become part of your family and truly care about your furr kids so much, and when they "leave" it really effects us quite a lot.

Well, let's try to lighten the mood a bit shall we and nothing lightens the mood like the topic of SHOPPING! This is kind of an exciting thing that I'm planning on launching! My Cousin and his wife own a couple of super awesome doggy boutiques in Healdsburg and Saint Helena, and during our recent visit out there I came across some REALLY cool, very unique items in their store! So, I am going to start featuring about 3 to 4 original items on my website that you can purchase for your furr kids! I have never seen these items in any other store, and when I saw them I actually said "this is the coolest thing I have ever seen". So, hopefully within a month or so you will be able to shop for some unique items that will make all your furr guardian friends will be green with envy!

The next shopping item is something that is near and dear to not only my heart, but the majority of my family, (my Sister, Dad, Brother-in-law, and of course my Husband). I have decided to offer a line of items designed by San Jose State University Art Students. This is in the works now, and we should be offering everything from t-shirts to skate board decks. All of the designs will feature a pet related topic, but it could be anything from a dog collar to a cat dish...who knows, I am giving them the freedom to use their creativity and surprise me! I'm not sure exactly when this will be up and running, but keep an eye out for it.

As most of you have probably noticed I have stopped sending out my newsletter. Although this is heartbreaking for me, and many of you have expressed your sadness on this decision, it was one of necessity. For one, I am trying to reduce my footprint and since my furr guardian count is expanding I was using a lot of paper. So, I tried signing up for Constant Contact, (the e-newsletter service) and I'm telling you, you have to be a rocket scientist to figure it out! So, I will try to keep up with my blogs to let you know all the new news with us. I apologize for the disappointment that some of you have experienced.

One of my wonderful furr guardians sent me the link to the Best of Silicon Valley, and although there isn't a pet section focused on "pet care" it would be awesome if all of my furr guardians could vote for us in the "best pet daycare" section. I know that we're not really a pet daycare, however since there isn't a best pet sitting category I feel it's completely appropriate to nominate us. Maybe next year they will have an actual pet sitting category...who knows.

Anyway, I guess that is all for now...I promise that I will be much more diligent on getting my postings up and apologize again for the delay. Give all your furr kids a big smooch and hug for us and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Bad Rap is a GOOD thing!

Hello all my wonderful furr guardians, have you all "dried out" by now? I must say that I have really been enjoying this beautiful weather and your kids have too! It seems that there are so many good smells in the air for them to smell and sunny places for them to bask in...oh, to be a furr kid with a great furr guardian! Maybe in my next life...you can only hope.

I'm sure you were probably wondering what the heck I am talking about in my title...well, let me introduce the newest non-profit that I'm in love with. The organization is called Bad Rap, (Bay Area Doglovers Responsible About Pitbulls) and they are SO fabulous! I know many of you may have mixed feelings about American Pit Bull Terriers, but the bad publicity that this breed gets is really unfair. Silicon Valley Pet Nanny has NEVER discriminated against "bully breeds" and to be honest two of the absolute BEST furr kids that we visit are APBTs! Let me tell you about Samson...the big old goof ball that we were lucky enough to have been chosen to be his nanny back in 2007. Usually when furr guardians call us and have a APBT, they immediately say "do you accept pit bulls", but meeting Samson was a bit of a surprise because his guardian did not let me know prior to our first meeting. I walked into this very, very cute house in Willow Glen, met the guardian and then here came Samson with a huge "smile" on his face. I said "is he a pit bull" and his owner looked at me with a worried face and said "yes, will this be a problem" and my reply..."absolutely not". We sat down in her lovely kitchen and what did Samson do...he put his HUGE cow head right in my lap and looked at me with the most loving look I have ever seen. His guardian then began to tell me the story on how she became Samson's guardian, and it nearly brought tears to my eyes. She said that she went to the Humane Society to adopt a "small lap dog" but as she walked by all the well deserving furr kids she locked eyes on the big galoot with the name tag "Samson". She said that she walked away from him thinking "ugh, it's a pit bull, he's HUGE, and I want a dog that can sit in my lap" but the image of Samson, (Sammy Wammers) was burned into her subconscious...so, what did she do...what do you think, she scraped the small lap dog and brought Samson home.

Bad Rap's home page reads, "Welcome to one of the most "Pit Bull Friendly" spots in the San Francisco Bay Area! This site was created to help American Pit Bull Terriers (APBTs) and their people find the support they need to enjoy the best bully experience our home by the bay can offer" and they are NOT KIDDING! Their site is full of wonderful information about the breed, dispelling a lot of the "myths" surrounding APBT's and educating the public on them. They have a wonderful adoption gallery, and some really, really cool branded items you can buy! I knew about this organization, but it was really brought to my attention by one of my furr guardians who recently lost her beloved Boxer Cognac and decided to bring a new furr kid into her pack. After spending nearly an hour on their site, I made a small donation and contacted them to see if there was anything I can do as a business owner to support them. If you get a second, you should really take a look at their site, http://www.badrap.org/ Not only do they seem to be a cool bunch of people, but they are also doing wonderful work! Thank you Bad Rap!

As most of you know, I am always in search of really cool pet related items that I can pass on to all my furr guardians...well, the most recent one blew my mind!!!! Being in this industry I am bombarded with solicitations from start up pet industry companies, and for the most part I'm underwhelmed to say the least, but get a load of this!

http://www.dogpoweredscooter.com/Home_Page.html

Yep, that's right...now you can kick back and have your pooch take you for a ride! I have so many furr guardians who would love to bike with their dogs, but it's just too much of a challenge to keep a good hold on the leash, and hope that a squirrel doesn't dart in front of you to temp your kid to take off after it. Now, you have the best of both worlds!!!! Take a look at this video!

How totally cool is that! I wonder if my cat would be good at this...nah, probably not. The cool thing is that they also have skateboards, folding bikes, BMX bikes and a Trike that will work with this too!!!!! I think the BMX bike idea would be perfect for your "human kids" to exercise them...that way they are BOTH tired at the end of the day!

This is a sad subject for me to bring up, and I'm still getting used to the change. Many of your furr kids have been cared for by Nanny Samantha, and over the past two + years has been one heck of a furr kid care provider. Well, unfortunately for us, Nanny Sam has decided to hang up her nanny hat and will be going back to school full time to complete her degree. This was a horrible shock for me, but after it wore off I realized that this was an awesome opportunity for Sam, and will do nothing more than really help her in her future. "You can always come back to pet sitting" I said, and she replied "you never know, I may miss my furr kids so much I may have to". I want to wish Sam all the luck in the world, and for you furr guardians who have loved and trusted her over the years, don't worry...I have hired on Nanny Stacy and Nanny Maria who will be taking over for her. They both have 5+ years of pet sitting experience, and BOY do they know their stuff!

Well, I guess that's it for now...some happy, some sad, some really cool information and I hope you enjoyed reading this edition. I hope you have a wonderful weekend, and give your furr kids a kiss from their nannies!