July pet events near Seattle

Yappy Hour: Tour in Seattle - a party for singles and their pets

July 22, 5:30pm - 7:30pm

$50 admission fee (benefits Homeward Pet Adoption Center)

Wendy Diamond, of NBC's Today Show and other guests to appear at this local event. People and their furry companions can all party together to help benefit Homeward Pet and meet new friends. 

Call (212) 629-0392 x204 for more information.

Go Dog, Go - Kirkland Canine Festival

July 24, 10am - 3pm

Admission is FREE

Taking place at Crestwoods Park: 1818 6th St, Kirkland. Contests, games, agility tests, yoga demos and more. For info: kirklandcaninefestival@gmail.com

Ice Cream Sunday's for Dogs

July 25, noon - 3pm

Admission is FREE

At Earth Pet: 660 Front St. N, Issaquah. They will have doggy ice cream and all the toppings they love! 

Gilda's Club Seattle Dog Walk at Magnuson Park

July 25, 10am- 1pm

$30 per person; $60 per family

A 1 or 3 mile walk is available. Proceeds go to help Gilda's Club spread cancer awareness and support. For more information contact: (206) 709-1400 or email marlenediskin@gildasclubseattle.org

Animal games

If you remember the old stand-up console video games - the ones where a quarter gave you a decent amount of game play - then you might recall Donkey Kong and Rampage as some of the only few featuring animals as the lead characters. Nowadays you can get your digital animal fix on your home console, PC or Mac. After doing many searches it seems that Nintendo has the market on this, especially for the Nintendo DS. It makes sense as it's a portable system that can be accessed on the go for those virtual pet games like Nintendogs.  If you have a pal with a DS, too, then you can connect and visit each other's critters interactively. The DS also features such games as Farm Frenzy and Virtual Vet.  For home computers, Zoo Tycoon has been a fun simulation game that held my interest for quite a while. Building up a zoo from aspects such as staffing, admission fees, breeding and concessions can be tricky to balance and takes some practice to have a booming zoo of your own. The new kid in town seems to be Facebook gaming. Where else can you be working on your companies sales in Excel while keeping a window eye on your farm, zoo, or aquarium? Facebook games are designed to take about 10-15 min per day as check-in and maintain. But, if you're like me, they can lead to social recruiting and an obsession to have the latest upgrades and specialty items! Zoo Paradise, Country Life, and Pet Society are just a few that I play. I'm sure if you search through Facebook's extensive list of applications you can find hundreds more. So when the sun goes down and you can't find much on tv this summer, plug in the electronics and start bashing buttons!  

Bad Dog Hats for Good Dogs

Bad Dog Hats is a locally owned hat company in Seattle, WA that delivers cool and sophisticated hats for you and your pooch (or cat if you have one that'll let you!) They have a strong philosophy on keeping jobs in the US - for themselves and their designers, packagers and shippers. They do not use feathers in their products; as their web site states "We believe feathers look best on the original owners."You can purchase a matching beret, top hat, or holiday hat for you and your pooch. If you're thinking - how will I get Spot to wear a hat - wonder no more. Bad Dog Hats even includes handy instructions for how to introduce your pet to the stylish world of head accessories! 

Hats have elastic loops for ears to help keep them on. In addition, some include a longer string to help tie behind the neck... for those windy days. 
And like a lot of our great Seattle companies, Bad Dog Hats likes to make appearances at local events such as Ballard Sea Food Fest, Pet-a-Palooza, and the Fremont Sunday Market.

Fetch yours!

206-226-4834

www.BadDogHats.com

www.facebook.com/pages/Bad-Dog-Hats/60613364039

(all photos taken from Bad Dog Hats and Rischa Leinweber Design LLC web site)

Where to stay with pets in Seattle

Summer vacationers coming into Seattle for a stay may opt to bring their pet along. But if you're not staying in your own RV, where can you sleep that'll take the Basset Hound, too?
Here are some Seattle area hotels that accept pets with no pet fees.
Happy Tails!


La Quinta INN and Suites, Downtown
2224 8th Avenue
Seattle, WA, US 98121
Hotel Phone: 206-624-6820
Reservations: 877-411-3436


The Edgewater
2411 Alaskan Way
Seattle, WA 98121
(206) 728-7000

Executive Hotel Pacific 

400 Spring Street

Seattle, WA, US 98104

Hotel Phone: 206-623-3900

Reservations: 877-411-3436

Westin Seattle

1900 5th Avenue
Seattle, WA, US 98101
Hotel Phone: 206-728-1000
Reservations: 877-411-3436

The Red Lion on Fifth Avenue

1415 5th Avenue
Seattle, WA, US 98101
Hotel Phone: 1-206-971-8000
Reservations: 877-411-3436

Alexix, A Klimpton Hotel

1007 First Avenue
Seattle, WA, US 98104
Hotel Phone: 888-850-1155
Reservations: 877-411-3436

Hotel Monaco

1101 4th Avenue
Seattle, WA, US 98101
Hotel Phone: 206-621-1770
Reservations: 877-411-3436

So you and your dog are in town, found a place to stay, now what to do for entertainment you can both enjoy?

The Olympic Sculpture Park is a dog friendly, on-leash, place to roam. Pack a picnic and take a break afterward at Myrtle Edwards Park! Most local Farmers' Markets welcome dogs as long as they are on a leash and kept away from food carts. For a special treat try Le Marcel Specialty Bakery for dogs. They combine yummy flavors like apple, peanut butter, garlic or pumpkin into cookies that look as though a human should be eating them!  If you need more ideas, Bring Fido has a great list of dog parks and beaches in the Seattle area.

Feeling hot hot hot

I think we officially hit summer yesterday afternoon here in Seattle. This week they say it'll be in the 80's. With such a sudden shift, it's time to remind everyone of hot weather pet safety and boost my wits about leaving Rolo at home -- even when she tries to convince me with her big brown eyes.

Dehydration, heat stroke, sun burn... we've heard about these issues in our fellow humans, but animals can suffer these same devastating effects, too. There are stories every summer about a dog left in a car; a good samaritan calls the police; they are too late; the dog has died from the scorching temperatures created in a parked car. It's heartbreaking, yet very preventable! The ASPCA has posted a great page of safety reminders for hot weather. I'll highlight a few that seem most common to me and a few you may not have thought of.

• No Parking - do not leave your pet in a parked car. Period. If they are with you traveling from point A to B, remember that they are covered in fur and you're not!  Buster may like to hang his head out the window, but in stop-and-go traffic he's not getting cooled down enough. Time to roll up the windows and turn on that aid conditioner. I have read that temps in a parked car can rise up to 20 degrees above the outside temperature! While you're at it, put a towel over those vinyl seats for your own legs, too.
• Sit in the Shade - asphalt is hot on the feet and creates hot air that rises closer to your pet's nose than yours. Make walks short and include shady places to rest - at the park or at home in the yard. A cool patch of grass is a welcome treat to a pet's belly.
• A New Do - if you have a long haired cat or dog, a summer trim may be the best thing, even if your friends giggle a little. A Lion Cut on a cat can help alleviate overheating and help avoid brambles and other debris getting tangled in their fur while out exploring more in the dry weather. Same for dogs; a trim down to a short haired dog length can make a world of difference when all you have is your tongue to cool you off.
• Water it - Leave clean water in the house, on the porch, where they are kept in the yard, etc. If you're traveling with your pet remember to pack a bottle of water for them as well. Collapsable travel bowls are available at pet stores, but a stainless mixing bowl works well, too. You can usually find them at thrift stores for under $3. But remember, bacteria loves heat. Wash bowls frequently and replenish water.
• Know the Signs - This may be the most important thing to learn to observe in your pet over the summer. Symptoms of overheating can include excessive panting, increased heart rate, drooling, weakness, stupor, diarrhea, vomit, and even seizures. Flat faced critters like Pugs and Persian cats need extra special attention. They cannot pant as efficiently as their friends and overheat faster. It only takes a few degrees over normal body temp to cause serious problems! A note from experience: last summer temps here reached 100 for about a week. It was heat unlike typical Seattle summers. My Pug, Lou, suffered greatly. In a car with the A/C and a house with fans, he still ended up ill with diarrhea and stupor. Luckily, some fast thinking in a kiddy pool of cool water with a gentle hosing of his ears and he recovered fairly well. In cases like this, time is everything!

Let's not forget our smaller pals: rabbits, hamsters, gerbils, etc. They need some TLC in the summer heat, too. Keep them away from direct A/C drafts. Check your windows - what was once a nice space on the dresser may have turned into a direct sun spot now. And if you use electric fans, make sure that the cages aren't too close. The vibration may seem like nothing to you, but for sensitive rodent ears it can be stressful. Keep fresh water in the cages and change it daily if possible. Leave fresh veg & fruit treats that will be cooling and provide extra water consumption as well.  For bunnies you can use a damp washcloth or a gentle spritz from a spray bottle of water to cool their ears. Make sure their outdoor hutch has a shaded space to hide in.