|
Greetings, everyone!
From The Editor
Our small fur kids, J.R., Shortcake and Bert, slipped into
their spoooky Halloween bandanas for this photo. All
three "just appeared" in our lives through the years.
You should see their happy dance when we ask, "Day
trip?" (Our big dogs want equal press time
next month.)
A new year! Fresh starts, renewed
determination to take better care of ourselves. This is
also a great time to make sure our pets have what
they need, in terms of heartworm prevention and flea
and tick protection -- year-long necessities down here
in the sunshine state.
In this month's issue, we feature one of the most
pet-friendly vacation locations we've come across so
far,
details about the area we are deeming the "Dog Park
Capital of Florida," a photo from one of our readers of
a real "shadowy" character, a few travel tips and more.
We hope you enjoy this issue of the NewsPetter.
Please pass the word about FloridaPets.net and write
us with any suggestions or requests. Until next month,
thanks for "tailing" along with us and
remember, "They're part of the family, so take
them along!"
Patricia Collier
Editor
Special Note: If you cannot see the
photographs in this NewsPetter, you are missing out on
a lot of neat stuff! Some of our readers just can't get
email in the HTML format that allows them to view
pictures and other artwork, so we've come up with this
solution.
You can read the entire issue online by clicking here...
|
|
Our Pick For "Dog Park Capital of Florida" |
 |
And The Winner Is...Orlando!
By
Patricia Collier
If you and your doggie pal have never been to a
dog park, you are missing out on some unleashed
romping,
sniffling, playing, fun stuff!
The dog park craze has hit Florida full-woof and
there
are now more than 100 scattered throughout the
state.
Orlando
alone has five dog parks, so we've decided
they've earned the distinctive title of "Dog Park Capital
of Florida."
The Grand Opening Ceremony for one of these parks,
Downey Park Dog Park (pictured above,) will be held
Tuesday, January 20, 2004 at 10:00 a.m.
We believe dog parks are good for communities
because they offer a chance for dogs and their
guardians to socialize. We know a lot of hard work from
many dedicated volunteers goes into
getting a dog park in a particular area, so
FloridaPets.net is giving the Orlando area five paws up
for a extra-super effort!
To read more about the five Orange county dog parks,
just click on
the link below. It will take you to the Orlando dog park
page on FloridaPets.net where you can read all the
details. And some of this info is hot off the press!
For more about Orlando area dog parks, click Here... »
|
|
|
Featured Pet-Friendly Vacation Spot |
|
Lorelei Resort Motel Is Animal
Heaven
By Patricia Collier
Not only are pets permitted at this
month's
vacation
destination, the owners don't even accept guests
without them.
Norman and Lise Doyon bought Lorelei Resort Motel
seven years ago. Their facility is located on Treasure
Island, in
Pinellas County, and
is just minutes from the Tampa/St. Petersburg area.
While there are several pet-friendly vacation spots in
Florida, this is probably the most pet-friendly
one we've found so far.
At Lorelei, there are no pet fees or deposits.
Proving they totally accomodate pets and their human
guardians, the Doyons also offer free pet
sitting
services
and a veterinarian is available to guests in need 24
hours a day.
The facility has a lovely courtyard which is totally
fenced in so, as Norman said, "the animals can have
complete run of the place."
If your energetic canine would like even more room
to cavort, there are several dog parks in the
Tampa and St. Peterburg area, both easy driving from
Lorelei. (See the following links on FloridaPets.net for a
listing of dog parks in these areas:
St. Petersburg Dog Parks and Tampa
Dog Parks.)
Clean, nicely-decorated rooms and apartments offer
ceramic tile floors,
complete
kitchenettes or full kitchens, queen size beds, and
cable. There's even a two-bedroom house, pictured
here, that offers a fireplace and waterfront view. Rates
are one of the most reasonable we've found among
pet-friendly facilities.
Unlike many motels and hotels that accept pets,
Lorelei has no restrictions on size or type of animals
accepted. (Well, OK, maybe a horse would be too big,
Norman chuckled, but that's about it.)
"We're had all kinds of animals here," Norman
said, "including 250-pound dogs, 1-pound dogs, cats,
snakes, ferrets, pigs, even chimps."
The Doyons agree that pets bring the nicest people
to
stay and Norman noted how the pets make friends with
other pets, just like their human counterparts.
"This becomes the animals' home away from home,"
he
said, "they remember things and people, from year to
year, even
the unit they stayed in before."
For more about Lorelei Resort Motel, or to make reservations, click here... »
|
|
|
From Our Readers |
|
Shadow-Speak
This handsome gentleman is Shadow, a 13-year-old
black Labrador Retriever who proudly wears a white
star on his chest and a few gray hairs on his chin.
Shadow's human guardian, Jackie Mescavage, said they
found him when he was a puppy. He was scared and
shaking, but soon grew accustomed to the comfy life.
The big guy loves to go for walks and is devoted to
his family. "When I am home, he rarely leaves my side,"
said Jackie.
Jackie said one of the best things about Shadow is
all the different sounds he can make.
The clever lab huffs and puffs when he is impatient.
He whines
when he wants something really bad. He barks when he
plays. When he likes the way you pet him, he smacks
his lips. Jackie said Shadow has a fearsome bark and
growl when angry
or scared.
"And," added Jackie, "he uses his tail to bang on things
to wake me up."
We think Shadow sounds so smart, he may be
getting ready to publish an eZine, possibly
entitled, "The Shadow Knows."
All we know is Shadow is one cool Florida
canine!
View More Photos Here -- FloridaPets.net Readers' Pets Photo Album »
|
|
|
Quick Tips and Facts |
|
|
* This tip from one of our readers: if you attend
events with your dog, like festivals, nature hikes or
obedience shows, be careful around children. Pets draw
kids like magnets and if your pal isn't used to being
patted -- hard! -- or rushed on by a little person
speaking very loudly, they could perceive the child as a
threat to you and react accordingly.
* Traveling with a cat? Take along at least one gallon
of water from home for your feline to drink. Unfamiliar
water can give them diarrhea. Several of our readers
found this to be true, for both cats and dogs, even
with in-state travel.
* Another tip from a reader who said he learned the
hard way: if you have one pet and acquire another
one, say from your local shelter, shortly before
traveling with both try to make sure they've had some
time to get used to one another before being confined
in the car together for the trip. (We guess the same
thing could be said about people!)
Have a handy tip about traveling with pets? Send it to
WebMistress and we'll share it here with other
NewsPetter readers.
Click here for FloridaPets.net pet-friendly vacation accomodations directory »
|
|
|
Casting Call |
|
Thanks to everyone who has submitted photos and
stories for the NewsPetter! Here at FloridaPets.net, we
want to give you a chance
to tell everyone about your pets and show off their
photos.
If you haven't already done so, send your stories
and/or photos to
WebMistress. Depending on which you are
submitting, put "Story" or "Photo" or "Story and Photo"
in the subject line of your email.
NOTE: Please do NOT send stories as attachments.
Either type the story in a text editor, then copy and
paste the story into your emails, or type the story
directly into the body of your emails. You may send
photos as attachments. Thank you for your
submissions!
|
|
|
Our Special Sponsors |
|
Syn-flex, A Non-Drug Answer for Cat
and Dog Arthritis
"Our dog used to have a lot of trouble on his
walks.
Thanks to Syn-flex, he now runs!"
- Mary and Mac the terrier, current Syn-flex
customers.
As owners of FloridaPets.net, we never
recommend
anything to our readers we don't use ourselves. This
past summer, our 10-year-old dog, J.R., started
showing
signs of arthritis, such as dragging his rear legs and
experiencing difficulty getting up.
We started J.R. on a small dose of
Syn-flex every
day. He now gets around beautifully and has that
sparkle back in his
eyes. We did a lot of research about this product
before making our initial purchase and learned Syn-flex
is made of natural ingredients and not only helps ease
pain, it actually rebuilds cartlidge and renews joints.
We are thrilled with Syn-flex and think you will be
too, if you give it a try. To read more about Syn-flex
and our experience with it, visit FloridaPets.net Product Picks.
Syn-flex normally sells for up to $30.00 a bottle
and, from what we've seen, around $25.00, including
shipping, on eBay. We've made a special bulk purchase
that allows us to offer it to FloridaPets.net readers for
$19.95, plus a small charge for shipping. If you'd like to
try Syn-flex for your dog or cat, you can order securely
at FloridaPets.net.
Your total satisfaction is important to us and so, if
you purchase Syn-flex from us and do not see an
improvement in your companion animal's condition after
using Syn-flex faithfully for a month, contact us and
we
will refund your money, no questions asked.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
* * *
Lighthouse Animal Rescue, a no kill shelter
located in Edgewater, Florida, is selling "Prayer Pets" as
a fundraiser.
These are adorable little stuffed dogs and cats,
paws in place for nightime prayers. Press the dog or
cat's tummy and you'll hear, in a child's voice, the
following:
"Dear Lord, hear my prayer, for all your creatures
everywhere. For animals, both big and small, and for my
pets, please bless them all."
These would make adorable gifts for all the
pet-lovers you know. We think they're a great way to
teach the little ones that animals should be loved and
treated gently, just like their human family members.
Prayer Pets are only $9.99 each, plus $3.00 for
shipping. Remember, by purchasing a Prayer Pet (or
maybe more than one?) you'll be helping the efforts of
a no-kill rescue and adoption group. To order, go to Lighthouse Animal Rescue.
|
| Quick Links... |
|
|
