June 24, 2008Kitty salon, anyone?I got this e-mail from a co-worker today: "I was looking through your blog to see if you knew of any cat groomers in the area. It seems every place I call only works with dogs. My cat, Kali-Ma, has very long hair and is impossible to brush. She's been hair-ball-crazy lately and I'd like to get her groomed. Do you know of any places?" My kitties have short hair so I can groom them myself with a brush (Thai actually will rub himself against the bristles if we hold it for him, effectively brushing himself) so I was no help here. What do you say, readers? Anyone know of a cat groomer in the Roanoke area? June 23, 2008Doggie daycare wagon
May 29, 2008You dirty dogsI have visited Six Wags Dog Park in Salem several times and have always had a wonderful time there with my two hounds, but I had yet to try their doggy bath tubs. The Dirty Dog Clean Dog Wash can be used by anyone, not just dog park members. 
It was in the back of my mind to try it soon, since we are moving from the spring mud season to the summer dirt season and since Coral has discovered the joys of "gardening" under the steps of our deck and is turning our tan carpet a nice shade of terra cotta. Yesterday, I got an e-mail from a co-worker who gave the self-wash stall a try and she loved it. She wrote: "My boyfriend and I have a long-haired Aussie/Chow mix who loves to get filthy and we were paying $30 or more just to get him washed. At Dirty Dog Clean Dog... it's $15 for a wash, or $10 on Tuesdays, or $25 for five washes. Everything is provided - wash bin, shampoos, conditioner, blow dryer, etc. We saved money and had a blast doing it!" According to the Web site, Dirty Dog Clean Dog is offering a bathing, brushing and blow drying class for pet parents of long- and curly-haired dogs, although it does say short-hairs are welcome as well. The class is June 21 at 3 p.m. and costs $50. That could be a real bargain if you save future grooming fees, which for our two short-haired hounds is $30 each. Have any of you tried the self-wash tubs at Six Wags or any other park? Spill the beans on your experience with do-it-yourself doggie baths. (Photo from Six Wags Dog Park Web site) March 18, 2008A man with a missionSomedays we are all just tired of the crap. It seems to just pile up and pile up with no end in sight. Who can you turn to for help? 
Call The Scoop Group. Matt Williams, a Southwest Roanoke County resident, started The Scoop Group, a company that specializes in dog waste removal. He said his motto is "making the valley a better place, on scoop at a time." For a price, Williams will remove all the mess your dogs can make on your lawn. Fees depend on how many pooches you have leaving presents in your yard and how often you want your yard tidied up. The collected poo is double bagged and put it in designated dumpsters or take it directly to the transfer station. According to a press release, Williams recently moved back to Roanoke after serving in Air Force. He was looking for a new line of work and thinks he may have found it in waste removal. The Scoop Group can be reached at 819-8839 or through its Web site, www.TheScoopGroup.net. November 16, 2007Kennel time approaches...Next week is Thanksgiving, and we will be off to visit family in Indiana. The only thing I dread about holiday travel is leaving my pets. My in-laws’ home is not pet-friendly, so the four-leggers have stay behind. While we have a neighbor who can take care of the cats for us, Dexter has to go to a kennel. We've had good experiences at About Pets Center in Salem. We call it our “doggy spa.” We have left Dexter there a couple of times and he always seems happy and content when we pick him up. The facility is clean and comfortable, the play yard is spacious, and they give us a report card that lets us know how he spent his days, who was his best buddy, etc. They are also aware of breed behavior and match him with other sight hounds when they can.
November 14, 2007Roanoke service dog foundation is accreditedCongratulations to St. Francis of Assisi Service Dog Foundation. This week they became the first accredited organization in Virginia by Assistance Dogs International, a coalition of non-profit organizations that train and place service dogs. The Roanoke-based foundation places assistance dogs with adults and children with ambulatory and emotional disabilities. 
"To be recognized and accredited by an international organization like ADI is a tremendous validation of our work," Executive Director Cabell Youell said in a statement. "We look forward to expanding our services and continuing to serve those in need by providing highly skilled service dogs free of charge." Service dogs are specially trained to perform a multitude of tasks, like opening and closing doors, retrieving dropped objects, even pulling wheelchairs. A service dog can make independent living possible for many people. November 8, 2007No place like a hotel for the holidays!
Howard Johnson Express Inn; 992-1234; no large dogs; $15.00 flat fee
November 2, 2007Pet loss support groupThe Pet Loss Support Group is starting regular meetings on the first Sunday each the month at Six Wags Dog Park in Salem. This meeting is an opportunity to share feelings in a compassionate environment with people who understand the loss a beloved pet. The meeting is from 4 to 5 p.m this Sunday. November 1, 2007Fencing in FishburnI am still getting caught up on my local news from the week I was on vacation, and I just came across this article from The Roanoke Times dated Oct. 24. Fencing in Fishburn Park is the only way the off-the-leash dog area will be useful to most dogs. I have a greyhound, so there is no way I can let my very fast dog, hard-coded in his DNA to chase moving objects, off the leash in an unfenced area, especially one that close to the busy traffic of Brambleton Avenue. No way, uh-uh, not gonna happen. The group NewVa Connects is trying to raise money to add the fence and other necessities like water fountains and trash receptacles. This is a wonderful idea and an good example of community involvement and they should be commended and supported. The group of dog-loving young professionals has also suggested charging users a fee to help offset maintenance costs, an idea The Roanoke Times editorial board finds unappealing. As a pooch parent, I would be happy to pay a small fee to offset the maintenance for a fenced dog park. I would also be happy to bring my own poop baggie and forego the fee. I just want place to let Dexter run off the leash in fresh scenery. I’d also like to have a dog park on my side of northern Roanoke County, but let’s build one fence at a time. Post a comment and share your thoughts about the fences, fundraising, user fees and the need for more than one off-the-leash dog parks. October 17, 2007Read before you adoptComedian and talk show host Ellen DeGeneres is in the headlines after she tearfully confessed that she gave a dog she adopted from a California rescue group to her hair stylist. During a post-adoption call, DeGeneres told the non-profit group, Mutts and Moms, that the dog, Iggy, did not get along with the cats in her home and she had given Iggy away. The owners of the rescue group later seized the dog from the hair stylist's home. DeGeneres admitted she did not realize re-homing the dog would be a violation of her adoption contract, and she has asked that Iggy be returned to her hair stylist's family, where she said the dog had bonded to the woman's 11- and 12-year-old daughters. According to the Associated Press, the owners of the rescue group said they will not give Iggy back to his new family, citing a policy of not allowing families with children under the age of 14 to adopt small dogs. They also said today they have received death threats since the incident became public. In what seems to be one giant overreaction after another, everyone in this mess claims to have the best interests of this little dog at heart. And yet Iggy has bounced to two homes and now has no home at all. 
Bill Watson, executive director of the Roanoke Valley SPCA, said that his organization's adoption contract stipulates that if an adopter cannot keep an animal, they ask that the SPCA be notified within 30 days of sending the pet to live with another family. If you cannot find another family, they ask that you return the animal to them. But, since space is limited, they may not have room for the returned pet. "We have to recognize that we can't take back every animal," Watson said. “Our goal is to make sure animals are put into a good home." In an e-mail, Laura Walters of the Pulaski County Human Society said it is their policy that an adopted pet be returned to them if the new family cannot keep it. However, she wrote, in a case similar to the one DeGeneres has described, they would probably not seize the dog from the new family. "...we would still request that the new family complete an application and let us check it out," Walters wrote. "If the dog was at risk with a family that had a questionable pet history, the situation would be different." Before adopting a new pet from a rescue group or shelter, carefully read the contract and try to be realistic in your expectations of the adjustment period for the animal. Contact the adoption agency if things aren't going well. Most shelters test a pet's temperament to better match the animal with a home where both the pet and the family will be happy, but sometimes it just doesn't work out. "Once an animal is away from here," Watson said of the SPCA shelter, "its environment can change and behavior can change." Walters said they will work with families to see if additional training is needed so a pet can stay in the new home. October 9, 2007May I see your license?Did you read The Roanoke Times story yesterday about Bedford County government officials contemplating raising the license fee for dogs ? From talking with friends and co-workers, I know there are many pet owners who are unaware they even need to license their dogs. In Virginia, dogs need to be licensed in the city or county where they live. After Jan. 1, you can expect to get a bill from your local treasurer's office some time after you get your dog vaccinated at your vet's office. 
This may sound like more government bureaucracy, and indeed it is adding another chore for the workers in local government, but the tax is minimal and it helps to pay for necessary services like animal control. It also has an added benefit for dogs and owners. If your dog is lost, the license tag on a collar could help your pet find his or her way home. It also helps when you want to take your pooch on a social outing, like a play date at a dog park or an event like last weekend's Dogtoberfest. A few dogs were turned away at the gate because they did not have proof of vaccination. Having that license tag will save you from toting around your dog’s vet records. Until you do get the bill in the mail, you can pay your dog license fee at the treasurer's office in the city or county where you live. October 2, 2007Low-cost microchips
On Saturday, Oct. 20, the Roanoke Valley SPCA will host a low-cost microchip clinic to anyone who wants this protection for a pet. The clinic will be held at the RVSPCA Adoption and Education Center at 1340 Baldwin Avenue from 10 a.m. to noon. |
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