TGIF Cute Frenchie Photo

TGIF! We’re about as happy as this little guy is right now! Share your weekend adventures with on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Photo credit: Frenchie The Bulldog

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Fetch! Pet Care Names James Mowery President

DAYTON, OH, FEBRUARY 21, 2017

Fetch! Pet Care, Inc., franchisor of the nation’s largest provider of professional dog walking and pet sitting services, today announced James Mowery will assume responsibility for system-wide growth and maximizing franchisee performance throughout the franchise system as President.

“James has been a key part of our success and we are thrilled to promote him to President,” said Fetch! Pet Care’s Chairman Harry Loyle. “His accomplishments in strategic planning, integrating teams, implementing innovative technology as well as a keen eye toward process improvement align perfectly with what is needed to fuel the next stage of growth for Fetch! Pet Care.”

Prior to joining Fetch! Pet Care in 2014 as Chief Operating Officer, Mr. Mowery served as President of a nationwide tax franchise, from 2008 to 2010 and Chief Operating Officer & Chief Information Officer from 2006 to 2008 as well as Director of Information Technology and Process Improvement for a health services company from 2012 to 2014. Mr. Mowery founded The Biome Coach in 2010 and continues to provide coaching and consulting services to small and medium business owners. He and his wife, Lynne, were Pet Butler franchisees in the Greater Dayton region from 2007 to 2016.

Mr. Mowery is active in the International Franchise Association and earned the Certified Franchise Executive (CFE) designation in 2007. He currently serves as a member of the Institute of Certified Franchise Executive Board of Governors to enhance and promote the highest levels of quality training and education in the franchise industry. He is a Project Management Professional (PMP), Certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt (CLSSBB) and a Certified ScrumMaster (CSM). Mr. Mowery received his MBA from Baker College Center for Graduate Studies and BS from the University of Dayton.

Concurrent to Mowery’s appointment as President, Paul Mann, the Founder of Fetch! Pet Care, will assume responsibility for developing marketing strategy, assisting franchisees implement local territory marketing initiatives, developing national campaigns and partnerships as well as franchise development activities to drive brand and unit growth as Chief Marketing Officer.

About Fetch! Pet Care
Fetch! Pet Care is the nation’s largest provider of professional dog walking and pet sitting services, serving thousands of pets and parents from coast to coast. For the convenience of pet owners, Fetch! Pet Care’s skilled Pet Care Coordinators personally match all of their dog walkers and pet sitters – who are trained, bonded, insured, background checked – to meet the specific needs of each pet. With thousands of satisfied clients nationwide, Fetch! Pet Care has earned the reputation as the most relied upon and trusted pet care service in the country. In 2016, Inc. Magazine ranked Fetch! Pet Care No. 2608 on its Inc. 5000 List of America’s fastest growing companies. Find Fetch! Pet Care at http://www.FetchPetCare.com, on Facebook or by calling 866-FETCH-ME.

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Help Cowboy Recover and Find His Forever Home

This is a message from our friends at Orphan Dog, a Northen California-based dog rescue NPO. Cowboy was just brought to the rescue today with serious injuries. We’d love for you to consider donating to help Cowboy recover at and to spread the word so that he may find his forever home once he is well, again.

From Orphan Dog:

No animal, no person, no one, no body should ever have to experience what Cowboy has experienced. Never, ever.

This kind of inhumanity diminishes us as humans.

Cowboy came into our partner rescue, Bone Pet Rescue in Covelo with two fractured leg bones. Upon examination, it was discovered that, at some point, he had also suffered a broken jaw that had healed badly. This means that his tongue is always hanging out of his mouth.

The surgery bill for Cowboy will be in the $4,000 range. There have been many generous donors and they need a few more. Donations can be made directly toward his bill by calling Wasson Memorial Veterinary Clinic.

When Cowboy recovers, he will be coming with Orphan Dog to our adoption events to find a new family. He has already shown himself to be a wonderful boy that need a ton of love to make up for his already rough start.

If you’d like to be considered for adoption for Cowboy, please go to OrphanDog.org and put in an application and include that you are applying for Cowboy in the comments.

If you’d like to learn more about his story, you can go to Bones Pet Rescue.

Thank you.

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Puppy alert: I don’t know what you are but I will have you!

This is one adorable puppy! Who else just wants to kiss this smooshy face? Names, anyone?

Photo credit: HBorn

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Healthy Ways To Keep Your Dog Warm And Active

In the winter months it’s hard to stay active while staying warm, and just like humans, dogs are not always fond of the chilly weather. Your furry friend needs to get exercise, and staying cooped up in the house all day is just not fun for anyone.

Here are a few easy ways you can keep your dog active, while also staying nice and warm during the winter season.

Short Walks

Even though it might be cold outside, a quick walk will help to keep your dog active while also staying warm. Remember, if you’re cold, they’re cold too, so don’t stay out too long! Consider keeping their feet warm in booties, so their paws will stay protected from the cold ground, or any ice or snow.

In areas that often have snow, the ground can have salt or chemicals to prevent slipping, these things can be harmful to your dog’s paws if not careful to keep them safe. If you have a short haired dog, put a warm sweater or coat on them to keep them warm.

Challenging Toys

Dogs need interaction, and often their toys are too simple to keep them occupied when they’re in the house all day long. A challenging toy will keep them busy and active, so that they’re doing more than just napping! Certain dog toys have traps, or pockets that store treats and food, so that your dog has to figure out a way to open those traps and retrieve the treat.

Although these feeding toys keep them entertained, too many treats can be unhealthy and make them gain weight fast. Try using their dog food if it’s small enough, or healthy treats, such as chopped up carrots, as a great alternative.

New Tricks

Despite what you’ve heard, it’s never too late to teach a dog new tricks! Learning tricks in the home is an easy way for your dog to stay active, without being out in the cold this winter. These small activities will help to keep them busy, while remaining healthy and fit.

A good 15-20 minutes a day is simple exercise, and you can reward them with their favorite treats when they obey! Make sure not to go overboard with the treats as this could defeat the purpose of the activity, and feed him or her the calories they just worked off while doing tricks.

Explore

If you’re going to venture outside your home in the cold for a short period of time with your dog, then why not make it exciting? Explore your town, and discover new parks, hiking trails, or even dog parks. If this is too difficult, or too far, then try creating a new walking path than the typical one you walk when going outside.

Your dog will love finding new places, and exploring, and the excitement of the adventure will help him or her get plenty of exercise and burn off calories. Since they were so excited while on the new adventure, they will surely be tuckered out when you get home, so make sure to give them plenty of water and rest before your next activity.

Fetch

It seems simple enough, but playing with your dog in the house for short periods of time throughout the day will keep them active if they can’t go outside. Tossing their toy around the living room and making them run about, will not only keep them fit, but they’ll be thrilled to have your attention.

If your home is too small to throw toys, then tug-o-war is another way to play and won’t knock over anything in the house. With entertainment like this, they won’t even notice that they can’t go outside in the cold all day!

In the winter months it’s often difficult to keep your dog happy, while maintaining an active lifestyle. Just like their owners, if dogs stay stagnant in the home all day for an extensive period of time, they could potentially get overweight, and lead an unhealthy lifestyle. Dogs love activity, and getting out and about, but sometimes it’s just too cold for them to be outside for extensive periods of time. These tips and techniques are an easy fix to the restlessness, and boredom your dog might face while being in the house all winter long!

Author Bio: Carl Turner is a freelance writer and a professional dog trainer from Los Alamitos, California. With over 10 years of experience training and taming canines, he has developed an expertise for helping dogs of all shapes and sizes. When he is not busy working with his clients’ pets, he enjoys writing informative articles for avid readers on the web.

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Cat Introductions {Guest Post}

That cute kitten was simply irresistible, so you are adding a new feline to the family. Or maybe it is an adult cat that caught your fancy and will be moving in. Either way, know that the introduction to a new space could be tricky for both you and the cat, particularly if you already have pets — and 62 percent of pet-owning households do have more than one pet, according to a 2012 demographic study by the American Veterinary Medical Association.

When pets don’t get along, it can cause their owners great stress. With that in mind, we offer this quick guide on how to introduce a new cat into its new home — plus to current pets and even the baby — while also keeping the peace.

Welcome Home

Cats like confined spaces and hiding places in which they feel safe, and initially could be overwhelmed in the big, wide world that is a new home. So welcome your cat in a “sanctuary” room — such as a den, spare bedroom or even the laundry room — for at least the first week until it adapts to being in a new place. This holds true whether there’s a pet in the home already or not. Provide food, water, a litter box, a scratching post and toys. If there aren’t already hiding places in the room, cut some holes in boxes to create some. Cutting at least two holes in a box provides that alternative escape route that cats seem to like.

Let your new cat warm up to family members gradually with gentle interaction and perhaps by also using clothes as bedding so the cat becomes familiar with everyone’s scent. Introduce play a couple of days later. Make sure the cat is eating well and drinking. When your cat seems ready, let it explore the rest of your home at its own pace. For kittens, this may take more than a couple of weeks. When it is comfortable roaming the home, move the litter box to its new, permanent location.

Introducing the New Cat and the Resident Cat

Cats are territorial by nature, so it’s important to keep your new and current cats apart for at least that first week. Allow your current cat(s) to first get used to the new cat’s scent. This process can be aided by brushing them with the same brush, rubbing each one with a towel or blanket and then leaving it in the other’s space, or even switching their spaces to let them explore the other’s spot. Let them “visit” or play “paws” on opposite sides of the door, and give them a treat — or even make this the regular feeding spot — so each will associate the scent of the other cat with a pleasant experience. A face-to-face introduction is not recommended at this early stage, however. Throughout this period, your current cat may hiss or hide, or be more aggressive toward you — or even ignore you. Eventually, acceptance should kick in, however.

When it’s time for the cats to meet face-to-face, either let your current cat into the “sanctuary” room or use a neutral space. Make sure each cat has an “escape” route, and be prepared to break up a fight, protecting your hands and arms with a blanket or towel. There may be some hissing or posturing, in which case this activity will have to be repeated at a later time.

Don’t force the introductory process, which could take weeks. Let both cats proceed at their own pace to better the chances for a future harmonious relationship. Pay attention to body language to decide when to move on to the next step. Also, give the resident cat extra attention during this period so it doesn’t fear that its social status is threatened. For the first few weeks, don’t leave the cats alone unsupervised. There are a couple more points when it comes to how to introduce a kitten to a cat: Because of their size difference, don’t let the older cat play too rough, and keep in mind that a kitten could be intimidated easily, making the process take longer.

How to Introduce a Cat to a Dog

You want tails wagging, not tales of woe, when cat meets dog. The good news is cat-to-dog introductions tend to be less adversarial than cat-to-cat meetings. The same avoidance of face-to-face interactions for the first week applies, however, as do the methods for sharing scents and feeding near the “sanctuary” door so the pets relate each other’s scent to positive things.

For their initial face-to-face meetings, the dog should be leashed or caged so the new cat can dictate the terms of the introduction. This will also protect the cat if the dog has strong hunting instincts or likes to chase whatever runs. Make sure the cat has an escape route, and reward your dog for not being aggressive. You can even tire the dog to some degree by walking it first. Let the pets sniff each other. If either appears aggressive, separate them and try again the next day. If the sniff fest goes OK, repeat these meetings several times before determining the pets will respond well when they are unsupervised.

As you follow the suggestions of how to introduce a new cat to a dog, keep in mind some dog breeds just will not respond well to living with a cat. That’s nature. Take extra time for the introductory phase if this is the case. Use food treats to reinforce good behavior. Try not to scold the dog for bad behavior, as the dog will associate the cat’s presence with a negative experience. Also, keep cat food where the dog cannot reach it, keep the cat out of the dog’s food, and don’t let the dog nose around the cat’s litter box.

The New Cat Meets Baby

Bringing a new cat into a home with a baby is somewhat different than the reverse, as the cat is not having its space invaded. It could still be wise to acclimate the cat to the baby’s presence, however, such as by sharing objects that hold the baby’s scent.

You can condition a cat to get used to possibly having its tail, fur, whiskers or ears pulled by gently pulling them yourself. Give the cat treats while doing this, however, so that having body parts gently pulled is thought of as a positive experience.

Never leave your baby alone with the cat — animals can act in unpredictable ways. Set up a baby gate to keep the child separated from the cat’s “sanctuary” space, and put mosquito netting over a bassinet or carrier to keep your cat from jumping into it. Play with the cat in the presence of the baby to create positive associations. Keep in mind that a crawling baby can scare a pet. Keep the cat’s food and litter box out of the baby’s reach, as well as the cat’s toys — which could be choking hazards or full of germs.

Keeping the Peace

Once the introductory phase is complete, keeping the peace between your pets and children still could require time, patience and work. If your cats’ relationship is still shaky, feed them at opposite ends of the room and gradually move their food bowls toward each other. Consider using flower essences or remedies or a plug-in diffuser with simulated cat hormones to reduce stress and anxiety. Remember that cats prefer solitude sometimes, so spread out a number of safe sleeping places if you have more than one pet. Also, pay attention to litter box locations: A cat should not feel cornered by another cat or the dog while in its litter box. Spaying or neutering your cats also can reduce aggression.

Mark Carrott Odden is the Digital and Product Implementation Specialist at Figo Pet Insurance. Figo is committed to helping pets and their families enjoy their lives together by fusing innovative technology—the first-of-its-kind Figo Pet Cloud—and comprehensive pet insurance plans.

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{Must-Watch Video} Space Cats — Magic Fly

This video will make your day, and may even be your new favorite song. Here’s to cats in outer space singing awesomeness — enjoy!

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