B.A.R.K. Woof And Wags Walkathon

6th Annual“Woof and Wags” Walkathon
The Barking Biscuit has proudly supplied some prizes for event participants. For full details about this exciting fundraiser, check out the BARK website.
WHEN: Sunday May 6, 2007
WHERE: Arboretum (Central Experimental Farm; detailed map on pledge form)
Time: Registration 8:00am (coffee and donuts will be served)
Walk: 9:00am- anyone not collecting pledges can pay a$20 registration fee. Barbecue and Social to follow walk - free drinks, burgers, and dogs (hot dogs that is!)
BIG PRIZES for the 10 people collecting the most money; dozens of valuable draw prizes.
One of my favourite photographers will be there...URBAN dog photog Sue Bird will be taking 5 x 7 photos for all participants who want one.
There will be lots of fun & free things available for all participants. This is BARK's biggest fundraiser of the year. Hope you can help them out!

Back to the lighter side of life

As I mentioned in an earlier post, my life changed a month or so ago when we finally got high speed out here in the country. Now that I don't have to wait 2 minutes for every page to load, I've been busy whipping around the internet, checking out blogs, discovering artists, and lots of fun & creative stuff.
This all inspired me to set up a little shop of my own on Etsy.com. (a place where only hand made things are sold) So far, I've added only 4 little watercolor paintings but we'll see where it goes. This is the first painting I did in March when the end of winter blahs were getting me down. I needed some color in my life so I painted with reds and purples. If you check out etsy, beware! There are lots of amazing artists there.
The funny thing is, when you're visiting different places, you never know where you're going to end up. I am in awe of all the creative people in the world. I think it was through Etsy that I discovered the Pay-It-Forward I was involved in with Beebee Mod. See my previous post "In Search of Good Peoples". My PIF went to Snow Angel Designs. You'll have to check her blog...she'll be carrying on the PIF soon.
So, today's thought is...take some time to do the things you enjoy!

On a more serious note

In light of the continuing avalanche of announcements withdrawing pet products from the market because of contaminated ingredients (now some dog biscuits have been added to the growing list), it is important to remind pet owners that there are many quality pet foods and treats made with human quality ingredients.
I was recently at a "girls night out" dinner, and we started discussing life expectencies of animals. It has become apparent to me that many of our beloved pets in fact have a shorter life span now than they did many years ago. This, despite the huge advances in veterinary care over the years.
Yes, dogs and cats can undergo treatments for cancer and other diseases. But why is this becoming such a common practice? Why are so many pets falling victim to so-called human diseases? One can think of the common ills of our society...pollution, chemicals, pesticides, immunizations. Commercial pet foods also comes to mind.
Commercial pet foods came to being about 80 years ago. The pet food industry in North America is self-regulated. In Canada, the only regulation is the Labelling Act, which states that the label must contain the name and contact information of the company, whether the product is made for a dog or a cat, and the weight of the product. There are no other standards.
It becomes apparent, then, that the quality of pet food is dependant on the integrity of the companies producing the food. The words "whole chicken" on an ingredient list bring to mind human quality chicken pieces, when in fact it may just mean ground up chicken feathers, beaks, and claws. (after all, they are part of the "whole chicken") What our minds lead us to believe when viewing the television commercials of dogs running through a sun drenched field toward a meaty bowl of food, and the reality of what is actually in that bowl of food, are often different things.
There are many options available to the consumer.
One option is to make our own dog or cat food with natural ingredients. There are many books available on this subject. This is the option that we have chosen with our own dogs, and surprisingly, it takes little time and the costs are quite comparable to purchasing commercial dog foods. One of our dogs is a Giant Schnauzer, who came to us as a puppy with an endless variety of health problems. There was no recourse with the breeder, who declared bankruptcy and moved to another province.
We switched to a preparing our own natural food when she was 2 years old, and she became a different dog. Over the years, we took the results for granted and forgot what an effect the natural diet had on her health. A few years ago, our family took a two week vacation, and switched to commercial dog food to make it easier for our 16 year old son to look after the dogs. When we arrived back home after 2 weeks away, our lovely girl could no longer run and was in pain at the end of every day. Within one week of switching back to her natural diet, she was again running and playing like a puppy. Never again will we underestimate the power of natural foods.
There are many foods (both fresh and frozen) produced locally that will allow the consumer to feed their dogs natural diets without having to forsake the time to prepare it themselves.
Small, local companies using high-end ingredients in small batches produce many of these treats and foods. The ongoing recalls of pet foods and treats is a good reminder of both the value of purchasing locally and the importance of quality. The old maxims are still valid; "you get what you pay for" and "you are what you eat".

Thank you, thank you very much

A big "thank you" to Tina from Peppermaster.com.
Yesterday was an interesting day (I have them from time to time), and was filled with a variety of things. One of my missions was to visit a craft show in Ottawa to scope out some booth layouts. I am in the process of putting together an application for a Christmas craft fair. One of the things I have to include is photos of "my booth". Well, I've participated in lots of informal shows in the past few years, but never anything on a big scale. So, I toured a show in Ottawa yesterday, and stopped and talked to Tina from Peppermaster. I explained who I was and what I was doing, gave her my card, and asked if could take a couple of photos of her booth. I think she thought I was nuts, but she graciously allowed me to snap a few photos. If you're a chilihead, you must check out her website! Brooks Pepperfire Foods is a Canadian manufacturer of Extreme heat Global Fusion cooking and grilling sauces. Spice it up! Yum.

K9 Spring Fling

This is Sherman. His photo was taken by Natalie Heath at last year's K9 Spring Fling.

Please join us for The 2nd Annual K9 Spring Fling!
Where: Forever Friends Dog Training School
17 Grenfell Crescent, Unit 6, Ottawa
When: Saturday April 28th from 10am to 4pm
Who Benefits: Bullies In Need dog rescue

Natalie Heath will take a professional 5 x 7 portrait of your dog for a $10 donation.
You can buy beautiful blankets, dog beds, and more...all hand made by volunteers.
Browse the vendors' booths for unique gifts and pet supplies.
And...The Barking Biscuit will be there selling our dog biscuits and fund raising button pins!
Please come by and say hello. All friendly, leashed dogs are welcome.
For more information email Kim or Bullies In Need.

Spring Fever #2

Taken today with Mulligan (our mixed breed adopted from BARK) and Giant Schnauzer Cinder. Notice anything different?

Button Pins #2 - for charity

I'm going to use our little 1 inch button pins as fundraisers for my favourite charities. I'll be selling them when I'm out & about at various events, but you can order them here anytime.

It's easy! Pick the color(s) you want, and let me know which of my 4 favourite charities you want me to donate the proceeds to. I'll donate $1 from each button to charity.

Colors available: orange, golden yellow, light blue, dark pink, olive green, kelly green, and apple green (not shown).
Buttons are $3 each (includes applicable taxes and shipping). If you're ordering more than one button there is a shipping discount.
Here are the charities to choose from:
B.A.R.K. - an all breed rescue organization
Cancer Sucks (but life does not have to) - making hats for cancer patients
Canines with a Cause - training dogs to help people with disabilities (other than blindness)
N.C.C.P.D. - dedicated to the education of dog owners, this group will attain it's charitable status later this year

If you want a pin, email me with your choices. I'll email you with payment instructions.
It's easy!