First, we had a planned camping trip, which was lovely. Then I had to travel at short notice to attended a meeting on the Gulf Coast of Texas. Where 2 puppies showed up at my parents’ place after being dumped I don’t know where & I don’t know when. This was followed by completely unplanned food poisoning, which I’m still trying to get over. I hope to be back to “normal” soon and I’ll share some pics of the puppies, whom my awesome parents have adopted!
Pet Project News!
Hi guys! I wanted to let you know about some exciting goings-on here at Pet Project.
Podcast
My first podcast debuts this month on iTunes. I’ll post a link to let you know where to go and how to subscribe. My friend & producer, Steve Ewing, had the idea and has been encouraging & educating me about audio recording. I can actually listen to myself now without hiding my face, though we decided Steve has to do the intros because I feel like I’m pretending to be a radio dj when I do them—cue overly-enthusiastic announcer voice.
The first podcasts give you a chance to get to know me some. You may have noticed it took me forever to get something posted “About” me on the blog. It’s hard to sum yourself up in a few words. I’ll be talking about my life with pets in the first podcasts—that was easy to talk about! In the future, I’ll be interviewing people and talking about news, tips, and issues. Exciting! I never thought I’d be doing any of this.
Logo
Pet Project is getting a logo. I’m pretty excited about this, because it will give the site a visual identity and now when people ask me if I have a business card, I can say, “Why yes I do!” And if I make any more Top 10 lists, they can use my logo. When I made the Top 10 DIY Sites list for Discovery’s Planet Green site, I didn’t even spot it because I didn’t have a logo for them to use.
Redesign
The site is getting a redesign. It will look a bit different—different colors & a different banner—and it’ll be much easier to find archived posts. Yea! I want you to be able to access the archive easily and it’s gotten too big to do that the way it is now.
Giveaways
And I’m finally getting around to the giveaways! No really! That fall down a flight of stairs in December really put a hitch in my plans. Keep your eyes out for information on how to enter. There are actually a few giveaways, so I can say a big “Thank you!” for your support. Y’all rock!
Pet Food Recall: Merrick Jr. Texas Taffy
The FDA has announced the recall of Merrick Pet Care’s, Inc. Jr. Texas Taffy pet treat (ITEM # 27077, UPC # 02280827077, All Lots up to and including 10364) due to possible Salmonella contamination. The Merrick Pet Care site says to return the unused portion to the place of purchase for a full refund. Contact Merrick at 1-800-664-7387 M-F 8:00am – 5:00pm CST with any questions.
What you need to know about Salmonella
Salmonella can cause serious illness in cats and dogs and cross-contamination to humans is possible resulting in serious illness.
- Here is good information on the symptoms & treatment of salmonellosis in dogs & cats.
- The FDA has information on safe pet food handling to prevent food born illnesses like salmonella.
- The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention has a very informative page on salmonellosis in humans.
Giveaways!
PetProject is close to 1000 fans on Facebook and that coincides with our 4.5 year anniversary. I’ve planned some giveaways to celebrate and to say thank you for your support. Y’all rock! Details will follow soon.
Friday Is Take You Dog To Work Day
This Friday June 25th is Take Your Dog To Work Day. I’m thinking, unless you already take your dog to work at least sometimes or you have the most laid back dog and you know the other dogs at your workplace will be laid back too, this may not be the best day to take your dog to work for the first time.
But, that’s not to say you can’t bring attention to the value of dogs in the workplace or focus on the TYDTWD mission of spotlighting the benefits of adopting your dog from an animal rescue organization. In fact, participating workplaces are asked to partner with animal shelters to help increase adoptions of shelter dogs.
Some tips on a successful Take Your Dog To Work Day:
- bring a familiar blanket or bed
- take your dog for a walk before taking her to work
- keep you dog confined to your workspace
- make sure your workspace is pooch-proofed
- identify an appropriate potty place outside & bring poop bags
- bring a puzzle toy like a Twist ‘n Treat or Tricky Treat Ball
- make sure your dog is clean and flea free
- provide water
- avoid any situations where resource guarding may occur
- don’t leave your dog unattended
- keep your dog leashed when outside and in common areas
- be considerate of co-workers
- have a back-up plan if your dog isn’t happy and needs to go home early