Summer camps for K9 kids and teens

K9 Kids Ages 9—16
Session includes lessons on Agility, Dog Tricks, Dog Manners, Vet Care, Grooming, Pet Photography, Rally, Search and Rescue Dogs and Service Dogs. We will also play dog themed games and make dog themed crafts. Field trips include the vet and a dog wash facility.

Session 1: June 8—12
Session 2: June 15—19


K9 Kid Juniors - Ages 6—9
Spend a fun week learning all about dogs. We will learn basic vet care
and take a trip to a local vet. We will play games and make dog themed
crafts, meet K9 service dogs, search and rescue dogs and dogs that do
lots of tricks. Bring your own dog on Thursday or work with one of our
rescue dogs.

Session 1: July 13—16
Session 2: July 20—23


K9 Teens — Ages 12—18
This is an advanced session for handlers that have either already
taken a week of camp or other dog training classes.
The focus of the week will be preparing for the Delta Society Pet
Partner evaluation to prepare for volunteering with your dog. We will
also play games, make crafts and learn dog tricks.

Session 1: August 3—7

Sign Language Interpreters
Available

Snacks and Lunch: Snacks and drinks provided. Campers should bring a
healthy lunch and plenty of dog treats. Camp will be held at our Austin
Training facility.

Safety: Two adults will be in attendance at all times. Additional
adults will be on site during the All About Dogs—bring your own dog
day and special presentations. Class size is limited. Both adult
counselors are trained in basic first aid. Should an incident occur
with your dog, a vet is available adjacent to our facility. The
training center is fully insured.

Suitability of Your Dog: If you have ANY concerns about your
child's ability to handle your dog or if you have ANY concerns that
your dog will not do well in a very active environment, please contact
us for an evaluation. We reserve the right to substitute one of our
dogs if your dog becomes an issue.

Registration: Refunds are not available after June 1.

To register for any of the camp sessions, please visit:
http://www.austindogalliance.org/k9kids.htm
<http://www.austindogalliance.org/k9kids.htm>

Want to take your dog to dinner with you in Ausitn? A website compiles dog-friendly eateries

Amy's
Artz Rib House
Austin Java Company
for the complete list
go to dogplaces.com/restaurants

Austin's Town Lake Animal Shelter needs toy donations

Town Lake Animal Center has sent out an alert.

There is a great need toys for baby kitties and puppies -- especially the singletons who are alone with no one to play with in their cage.

The toys give so much comfort to the baby animals and the grown ups too!!

Toys needed for small, medium and large dogs and cats.

Best toys in the shelter environment are those that can be washed.

Soft plush toys for the puppies and kittens to snuggle up to are also very desirable.

FYI: Shelter well-stocked with raw hide chews and treats. Don't currently need those items.

City considers ordinance change for dog-friendly restaurants

Two Austin City Council members proposed an ordinance chance to allow dogs on patio restaurants.

Freshmen council members Jennifer Kim and Lee Leffingwell announced their proposal to change the city's restaurant code at a press conference on Friday. It would give restaurants the option to allow dogs on patios.

The city council will consider the amendment at next week's council meeting. Kim said it's partly a response to restaurants that were taking extreme measures to let dogs in.

from news8austin.com

Great news—Oprah has a new baby in her family! Meet Sadie, a blond cocker spaniel. "She's a beautiful little girl," Oprah says.

It's been a year since Oprah lost her cocker spaniel Sophie, and Oprah decided to do an O magazine photo shoot at PAWS Chicago, a no-kill shelter. During the shoot, sweet Sadie and her brothers captured Oprah's heart. "The dog chose me," Oprah says. "There were like six or seven dogs, and she was on my shoulder, nuzzling."

With Sadie at home, Oprah says there's a bit of an adjustment period. Little Sadie has fought off a virus, and she's still getting used to her new sleeping arrangements. "The first night, we put the crate in the bed," Oprah says. "It's so romantic having a crate right there in the center of the bed."

From oprah.com

Now, Oprah and Sadie are on to their next challenge—house-training!

"I want you to meet her to prove there are all kinds of dogs at the shelter who are waiting to be loved, from puppies and purebreds to your basic lovable mutts," Oprah says. "In these tough times, what was so heartbreaking over at PAWS is that many people are forced to give up their dogs. If you can take care of your dog, have a home and room to spare, consider adopting from a shelter."

Estate Planning for Pets (FREE)

You may wonder what you would do without your pet, but what would your pet do without you? A pet is an integral and loving member of the family and many animals outlive their owners. It is vital that you plan for your pets welfare after you are gone because under Texas law, your pet is a personal possession, which could be distributed or sold with all of your other things. This seminar will teach you about Pet Trusts that set rules and guidelines for the care of animals. The seminar will consist of approximately a one-hour presentation followed by a question and answer session.

The Austin Dog Alliance is delighted to invite all pet owners to this seminar.

Ronald G. Greening, Founder of The Greening Law Firm, P.C., has graciously offered to present a seminar on Estate Planning for Pets March 31 from 7 to 9 p.m. at Austin Dog Alliance, 2129 RM 620 N, Suite 401.

For more info

Tell your tail of animal love on Petco website

Sentimental Tails: The Moment Your Pet Changed Your Life

Tell your tail of animal lore on the Petco site.

Here's one story we wanted to share:

"My baby had died almost 2 weeks before and my mom and I were not taking it well. Being at home was so difficult that the first weekend, we went on a weekend get-away, so that we didn't have to stare at the empty house. The following weekend my mom told that we needed to get another dog immediately because she was so sad. I set off to find us a new member of the family and found our little one. She was home with us the next day and for the last six months has brought so much joy and love to our home. She is so different than her big sister and in some ways so similar. She continually keeps us on our toes, but we enjoy every minute of it."
read more

Engineers offer guide to cats

See video

What happens when an engineer has a dog

See video

Make Your Pet a Star!

So, you think your pet’s a star! All our animals are our own leading ladies and gents, but it takes that extra je ne sais quoi to thrive in the limelight. Not to mention the hard work and dedication of you, the pet parents! We talked to Victoria Wells, ASPCA Manager of Shelter Behavior and Training, to find out more about pets and showbiz. Wells has worked as a trainer on commercials for the SciFi channel, music videos (including Eve and Sean Paul’s “Give It To You”) and other exciting projects involving animals. Her top ten tips!

Sago Palm Plant Kills Puppy

It’s hard to believe a houseplant could harm a tough cookie like the Woytek family’s Lab mix, Amber. A survivor of Hurricane Ike, the young pup was diagnosed with distemper in the months after her adoption from the Houston SPCA in September 2008. But according to Laurie Woytek, Amber defeated the often fatal virus—and went on to form a tight bond with her canine “sister” and partner-in-crime, Scout, a one-year-old Rhodesian ridgeback mix.

Early last month, Laurie discovered that Amber had eaten parts of a sago palm plant. Sago palm—with its dark green leaves and hairy trunk—has become a popular houseplant in recent years, but unbeknownst to many green-thumbed pet parents, it’s also highly toxic to cats and dogs.

Click here to continue reading story from ASPCA newsletter

Austin dog park project provokes growling

Photo by Ricardo B. Brazziell, Statesman photographer

Red Bud Isle has undergone volunteer-driven renovations.

By Patrick George

Two Austin groups are in a dispute over how to keep Red Bud Isle from going to the dogs.

The 13-acre, leash-free dog park off Red Bud Trail below Lake Austin's Tom Miller Dam has been undergoing a series of repair and improvement projects for two years, thanks to the Friends of Red Bud Isle, a volunteer organization that is working to combat erosion and invasive plants.

But Monday, another group that includes many dog owners accused the organization of violating city codes, approving projects in secret and possibly damaging the park's ecosystem.

"The projects they were working on were good at the beginning, but larger projects have been flawed," said Phil Burns, who led a public meeting Monday in West Austin to voice concerns about the direction the park is taking. "One group is running the show, and that's a problem."

Burns — and several others at the meeting, which included about a dozen fans of the park — takes issue with what it calls the aggressive clearing of underbrush in the past two years. He said the clearing has taken away from the park's "primitive" look and made it tough for any plants to grow. He said crews have come into the park and cleared away trees without the city's approval or the public's consent.

Read rest of story

COME CELEBRATE WITH THE AUSTIN HUMANE SOCIETY AND HELP WIN A 1,000,000 DOLLAR SHELTER MAKEOVER FROM ZOOTOO.COM!

THURSDAY, MARCH 19th
4:30pm to 6:30pm
at the Austin Humane Society
124 W. Anderson LaneSHOW YOUR SUPPORT FOR AHS!
THERE WILL BE FOOD,
LIVE MUSIC FROM THE DIVING CAPTAIN
ACTIVITIES & MORE!

ZooToo Shelter Makeover story on News 8 Austin

What your Dog with the "herding instinct" really wants to do

See dog sledding story from nytimes.com

Local pooch revived with stem cell treatment, Statesman reports

Susie Lynch and her Newfoundland dog Samson (in photo at right) at their home on Tuesday, March 3, 2009. Samson recently underwent a new procedure to treat arthritis in dogs, where a veterinarian took some of his fat, isolated the stem cells inside of it and then reinjected the cells into areas in his legs where he was suffering from arthritis. Lynch says he has greatly improved from the procedure. Read the story by Claire Osborn on the Statesman website

Photo by Statesman photographer Deborah Cannon

Rescue advocate traveling the country to photograph dogs for book that will benefit rescue groups in Austin Saturday March 7

Melissa McDaniel, a pet photographer who is traveling around the country this year photographing shelter dogs will be at Groovy Dog Bakery in Austin on Saturday from 11 to 5. The photos of rescue dogs and deaf dogs will go into a couple books that will benefit animal shelters. She will be at Groovy Dog to do photo sessions with pet owners (not necessarily rescues) and talk to people about rescues. She plans to put one photo of an Austin family and their rescue dog in her book.

Melissa chronicles her travels and the dogs she photographs on her blog. This is what she had to say about Milo (pictured, above), the second dog she photographed:

"Milo is everything you want a dog to be. Well, at least everything I look for in a dog. He's smart, well-trained, adorable, playful, athletic and a real sweetheart. Milo is also deaf. Milo's mom Julie met Milo when he was still a puppy. A neighbor was fostering him, and Julie, seeing this adorable all-white puppy, fell in love immediately. Julie and her husband Adam have done a fantastic job training Milo. He knows almost 30 hand signals. They are great trainers, but it doesn't hurt that he's a very smart dog, too. In another year or so, I have no doubt that Milo will be making them breakfast and doing their taxes."

"Is That A Snarl on Your Face, Or Are You Just Happy to See Me?"

Body language specialist Sarah Kalnajs will hold a workshop in Austin, TX – May 16-17, 2009. Learn to recognize and interpret canine body language, nose to
tail. Cost: $210 both days/ $120 single-day. Lunch provided.

For more information, Call 1-866-353-DOGS (3647)
Additional information and registration is available at:
http://www.northcoastdogs.com