Thursday, June 29, 2017

These Five Podcasts Will Make You A Better Pet Parent

Fitness Woman And Dog On Beach

We love a good podcast. Podcasts are hands down one of our favorite ways to consume media about pets and pet ownership here at Fetch! Pet Care. You can listen to your favorite shows on the road, while you’re at work, and the best part — they allow you the flexibility to listen on your own schedule. What is a podcast you ask? A podcast is a digital audio file located on the Internet for downloading to a computer or mobile device. You can download a podcast from it’s homepage, however, it’s easier when you utilize a podcast app. There are many apps available for downloading and listening to a podcast so we recommend navigating your device’s app store to find one that works for you. We live in the world of online media where there is no shortage of quality pet-centric podcasts, however, these five are Fetch! Pet Care tested and approved. The must-have’s of the pet podcast world.

Pawprint

Hosts Nancy and Harold Rhee have been married for over 20 years and have fostered over 60 dogs. Pawprint is a weekly podcast dedicated to animal rescue where they interview the heroes who make animal rescue happen. Their goal — to inspire you to get out into your community and help, perhaps even become a rescue hero yourself. This is one listen that will give you all the feels.

Dr. Dunbar’s iWoof Podcasts

Dr. Dunbar’s iWoof Podcasts are great because they cover a wide range of topics. From real life scenarios like Marcy in Boston who has an unpredictably aggressive dog that bites at the ankles of houseguests and likes to attack skateboards. Whats so refreshing about Dr. Dunbar’s iWoof Podcasts is that you never know what you’re going to hear about next. One week we may learn about leash-pulling, the next it’s about dogs eating poop followed by Marina and her squirrel-chasing lab.

Canine Nation

Updated monthly, Canine Nation is a great resource for dog parents who enjoy nerding out on behavioral science in dogs. Feed your brain with knowledge on dealing with demanding dogs, how to make training rewarding for you and your pet, or, what to do if you think your dog is “dominant”. Understanding exactly how your dog operates will make your life easier as a pet owner. A more relaxed and understanding pet owner makes for a happy pet. It’s a win-win!

In Dog We Trust: This American Life

An “oldie but goodie” which has been around since way back when podcasts were a thing. This American Life’s In Dog We Trust is an hour long series of essays about pets (dogs, cats, fish — the whole gang), and exactly how they’re caught up in our everyday family dynamics. With Ira Glass & David Sedaris as featured storytellers, these stories are downright hilarious. You know it’s going to be an entertaining hour of narration when one of the latest episodes is entitled “If Cats Ran Hollywood”.

The Dog Trainer’s Quick & Dirty Tips for Teaching & Caring for Your Pet

The Dog Trainer’s Quick and Dirty Tips for Teaching and Caring for Your Pet wants you and your dog to have a wonderful time together. These weekly tips cover all the bases: “Help! My dog bit my baby”, “Learn how to choose a veterinarian”, and, “Can dogs detect generosity” are just a few of the episodes The Dog Trainers have delivered. Every episode is replete with knowledge and is well-worth your time.

Do you have a favorite pet podcast? We’d love to hear about it! Let us know by sending an email to this address.

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Wednesday, June 21, 2017

Fetch! Pet Care of Silver Spring To Celebrate 10th Anniversary

Fundraiser Event to Benefit Dog Training Nonprofit

Girl Hugging Her Pet While Holding Him In Her Arms

Silver Spring, MD June 19, 2017 – Fetch! Pet Care of Silver Spring, a local woman-owned and operated business based at Four Corners in Silver Spring will be hosting its 10 Year Anniversary Celebration in downtown Silver Spring at All Set Restaurant and Bar’s outdoor patio on Sunday, June 25 from 5 to 8 pm.

Fetch! Pet Care of Silver Spring has provided quality dog walking, puppy care, cat sitting and general pet sitting for the past 10 years in Silver Spring, Takoma Park, North Bethesda and Washington D.C. Fetch! Pet Care of Silver Spring will celebrate this accomplishment and say thank you to its many loyal clients and walkers by inviting all for spirits and snacks.  Four-legged companions on leashes are invited as well, since the event will be held on an outdoor patio.

Fetch! Pet Care of Silver Spring will also share its love of companion animals by holding a fundraising silent auction of pet care products and services for Your Dog’s Friend, a nonprofit organization whose goal is to help keep adopted dogs from being returned to shelters by educating and supporting their humans.

“Providing reliable dog walking and pet sitting services for the past 10 years in Silver Spring has been amazing,” said Jaime Deason, founding owner and manager for Fetch! Pet Care of Silver Spring.  “But we couldn’t do it without our wonderful clients, dog walkers and pet sitters. So when we started thinking about how to celebrate, we knew we had to thank everyone and pay it forward to another great pet-related organization. We chose Your Dog’s Friend because it provides wonderful educational opportunities for dogs and their humans with the goal of adopted dogs being kept rather than returned to shelters due to behavior issues. We encourage our sitters to attend their workshops to further their education. We also always recommend Your Dog’s Friend to our clients. I hope we have a huge turnout and raise lots of money for this great organization.”

About Fetch! Pet Care

Fetch! Pet Care is Silver Spring’s premier provider of professional dog walking and pet sitting services. For the convenience of pet owners, Fetch! Pet Care’s skilled Client Service Team personally match all of their dog walkers and pet sitters – who are trained, bonded, insured, background checked employees – to meet the specific needs of each pet. Part of a national franchise serving thousands of satisfied pets and parents from coast to coast, Fetch! Pet Care has earned the reputation as the most relied upon and trusted pet care service in the country.  Find Fetch! Pet Care of Silver Spring at www.FetchPetCare.com/Silver-Spring, on Facebook or by calling 301-850-1274.

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Wednesday, June 14, 2017

American Humane’s Adopt-a-Cat Month® Reminds Us To Adopt a Cat or Kitten! (And To Spay & Neuter)!

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The American Humane Association has dubbed June as Adopt-a-Cat Month® — a time where the pet community more loudly than ever advocates the adoption of cats and kittens across the United States. Each spring during “Kitten Season,” thousands of newborn kittens join the millions of cats already in shelters. Local shelters are now abundant with fluffy newborns in addition to all the other cats already waiting for their furever home — from mellow senior cats to everyone in-between.

Fetch! Pet Care is a community who has always been passionate about pet rescue and adoption. With Adopt-a-Cat Month® near and dear to our hearts we’ve dedicated our Corporate Social Media Channels ( Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & Pinterest) to Adopt-a-Cat Month® by sharing adoptable cats from shelters all across the country all month long. This is how we are doing our part to help raise awareness about “Kitten Season” and cat adoption this June, and to ultimately (fingers crossed), help match these fearless felines with their open-hearted owners. Take a look at some of the cats that have been featured on our social media so far…

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Beautiful Clara in St. Paul, MN., at Cats Meow Dogs Bark Rescue

 

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Lovely Ambrosia in Los Angeles, Ca., at Friends for Life Rescue Network

 

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The handsome Jean Luc in Alpharetta, Ga., at Angels Among Us Pet Rescue

To put “Kitten Season” and the homeless cat epidemic into perspective we’ve gathered some interesting facts that may convince you, even if you aren’t a cat-lover, to adopt…

1.  “Kitten Season” is the unofficial name for the mating season for cats and is generally assumed to last between the months of March and November;

2.   An un-spayed female cat will go into heat every 3 weeks;

3.   The average size of a litter is 4-6 kittens;

4.   One mother cat can produce up to 18 kittens per season;

5.   A female cat can begin having kittens at 6 months old;

6.   In 7 years 1 female cat and her offspring can theoretically produce 420,000 cats!!!

7.   During “Kitten Season” the number of kittens far exceeds the number of homes available;

8.   During “Kitten Season” you will see signs everywhere for kittens for sale. They are sold by the wayside, they are dropped off in boxes at grocery stores and they end up in animal welfare organizations;

9.    There are more kittens available then there are families to take them in;

10.  During “Kitten Season” it is difficult to find loving homes for adult cats.

There is only one solution — spay and neuter your pets! You don’t have to miss out on that “Kitten Experience” — visit your local animal shelter, volunteer to be a surrogate parent to a pregnant female cat or ask to work with orphaned kittens as a foster.

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Interested in adopting? Here are some great online resources to help match you with the purrrfect cat:

PetFinder

Shelter Pet Project

The Humane Society of the United States

Petful

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And if you’re interested in reading more about our coverage on cat adoption here on the Blog at Fetch! Pet Care we recommend the following…

American Singer-Songwriter Miranda Lambert Adopts Kitten Curtis Leow

The ASPCA Wants You To Adopt A Senior Pet!

Our Tips For The First 30 Days of Cat Adoption

The ABCs of Altering Pets: Why You Should Spay & Neuter

We’ve already heard about some wonderfully heart-warming adoption stories so far this month and we’d love to hear more! If you’ve adopted a cat recently or this June for Adopt-a-Cat Month® tell us about it for consideration for a feature by writing us at social@fetchpetcare.com.

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Wednesday, June 7, 2017

Julie’s Story: A Day In the Life of a Fetch! Pet Care Dog Walker

Silhouette Of Young Woman And Pet Dog Shaking Hands At Sunset

Some of the best things about dog walking are spoiling other people’s dogs, working outside, getting regular exercise, and having a flexible schedule. Over the past 4+ years I have walked over forty-one dogs, cared for fifteen cats, and looked after one hedgehog.

I have the pleasure of working in Alexandria, Virginia where I get to walk in historic, tree-lined neighborhoods dotted with parks, dog-friendly businesses, and waterfront trails.

Welcome to my typical day.

7:30AM
Feed and water my own furry, feline companions. Mrs Norris and Nano start my day with a yowl. Their daily battle for dominance usually starts on my bed at around this time of the morning. Nano is the instigator while Mrs Norris loudly voices her opposition. Gray fur flies and paws thunder through the house.

My work day usually starts around 11AM, so the mornings are my time. Sometimes I cart kids around, some days I work out, attend an exercise class or go ice-skating, other days I get some work done around the house or run errands. Before I leave, I always check the weather, verify that I have my phone, get my hat, and apply my sunblock – so much sunblock.

10:30
Today I’m starting a little early. Tosha the friendly, orange cat is on my schedule this week and he needs his belly rubs. After some food, a change of water, and a clean litter-box it’s time to play. Tosha likes to hunt his bird toy from the comfort of his furry rug.

11:00
Off to walk the always joyful Leo. I started walking this brown dog of happiness four years ago when he was about 10 months old. Leo lives in the historic district of Old Town Alexandria, so our walks take us on a historical walking tour of Old Town which include City Hall and Market Square, Carlyle House (any Mercy Street fans?), and Gadsby’s Tavern. We also have to stop by the brick house on the corner and look for the cat that we saw there once, four years ago. There was no cat today.

11:45
Headed north to walk Scout the Yorkie. We go to a park on the Potomac River to sniff trees. His legs move so fast that he’s like walking a giant, furry centipede.

12:05
Cooper the black lab mix lives in the same building as Scout. A quick trip downstairs finds Cooper ready to go to the dog park. I bring my chuck-it and Cooper sniffs at least 12 balls before he finds the dirtiest, smelliest ball in the park.

12:45
A short ride to the Del Ray neighborhood brings me to Chester, the shepherd mix. Chester likes playing with other dogs at the park, belly rubs, and trying to eat things he finds on the side of the road. Remember Mr. Creosote from Monty Python? Chester also eats everything and I keep a running list of things I have pulled out of his mouth: multiple banana peels, a half-eaten fajita of unknown age and origin, dirty tissues, chicken bones, and one brillo pad. Today he came up short.

1:05
Dexter the beagle lives just across the street. He is an 11-year old charmer who has trained me to give him a treat when he prances. Today he showed off this skill to another dog walker who was duly impressed.

1:40
A short drive brings me to my second Cooper of the day. Cooper the Brittany spaniel is a ball dog. We walk to the local park where he chases balls and occasionally lies in the shade to rest. He has a great smile.

2:15
I double check my schedule to make sure i haven’t forgotten anyone and mark my visits as complete. The rest of the day is mine.

I love walking dogs and caring for animals. Being outside every day has improved my health and cleared my mind. I have maintained a fifty-pound weight loss by walking 10,000 – 15,000 steps every day with these dogs. The people I meet and connections I make on my routes has made me feel like a bigger part of my community – sometimes I feel like I know everyone with a dog in Alexandria. Working with pets is like being a favorite Aunt. I get to enjoy all the positive aspects of pet ownership with my clients’ animals. It’s really hard to have a bad when these furry faces are so happy to see you.

About the Author: Julie works for Fetch! Pet Care of Alexandria and lives in Old Town with her husband, Davis and their 15 year-old daughter, Lydia. They have two naughty, gray cats. She volunteers as an English teacher for Bienvenidos and assists with behavior and training at the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria. She likes stand-up comedy, modern and contemporary art, and is a huge fan of the Washington Capitals.

Want to become a Fetch! Pet Care dog walker & pet sitter? Click here to apply online.

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Thursday, June 1, 2017

7 adorable photos of pets having the best birthday ever

Our pets are our family, and just like any other member of the family, our pets’ birthdays are often celebrated in style. From party hats, to birthday cakes, celebratory décor and more, these 7 birthday pets are having the best birthday ever. Life — be it dog, cat, or human, is short and sweet and should always be celebrated. Let these photos remind of just that!

13 years young! Photo credit: Mental Acrobatics That cake was worth every penny just to see this pup's reaction! Photo credit: tastyhouse His big smile says it all! Photo credit: ALL_CAPS Happiest cat there was! Photo credit: peachesofjoy Nice hat, but where's the cake? Photo credit: Nexamin With my bestie on my birthday! Photo credit: colemontate dog birthday

Is your pet celebrating a birthday soon? Share your photos with us by writing in to social@fetchpetcare.com for consideration for a feature!

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