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From The Editor
Greetings, everyone!
This issue of the NewsPetter is dedicated to a dear
friend, Wanda Roush, who passed away suddenly
a few days ago. I never had to explain to her how our
animals were just children dressed up in dog and cat
suits. She
just knew...she "just knew" a lot of things, which I
am sure included how much I loved her. I will miss you,
my friend. Rest well.
Speaking of love, I think the best way we can show we
care about animals is to make sure our companions are
spayed and neutered. The Doris Day Foundation thinks
so too and sponsors "Spay Day" every February. I've
written an informative article about this which you can
read
here, if you'd like:
"Why Spay & Neuter?"
In this month's issue we feature a real earthy,
pet-friendly vacation location, a wacky pet celebration
you won't want to miss, a great photo from one of our
readers that proves the virtue of a good nap, 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...
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Featured Pet-Friendly Activity |
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High-steppin' in the 'Mardi Paws'
Parade
By Patricia Collier
The City of Dunedin's Recreation Division will be
having its 3rd Annual Mardi Paws Parade on Saturday
February 21, 2004 from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in
Pioneer
Park, located on the corner of Main Street and Douglas
Ave.
The event, which is free, will begin at 9:00 a.m. at
the park and proceed along Main Street to the
Pinellas Trail. Squiggy will be the Grand
Marshal of the parade, followed by her Parade Pup
Princesses. (TIP: If you dress up your dog,
she can march as one of the princesses.)
Come see such characters as The Mystic Krewe of
Barkus, Krewe of Pupster and Carnivale Canine. Floats
will be decorated in Mardi Gras colors of purple, green
and yellow.
"Only in Dunedin would people turn out like this to
watch dogs march down Main Street," said Jan Sebald,
Coordinator of Volunteers, City of Dunedin. "Usually, a
parade's a parade. But this one's a lot of fun."
Animal vendors will be selling goodies like Mardi Paw
Beads, King Cakes (doggie biscuits), frisbees,
bandanas and more. "King and Queen Drools-a-Lot" will
be selected with the winners netting a weekend
package to a dog friendly hotel in Florida. And there'll
be other surprises and prizes.
The Mardi Paws celebration always features a
sensational show that lets every dog have its day.
Last year, about 500 dogs proudly pranced down the
street - a pet photographer's heaven! Dogs and
humans alike suit up in outrageous costumes and
shamelessly take the City of Dunedin by
storm.
"Feathered dogs, beaded dogs, royal dogs and
angel dogs -- they'll all be there, right in the middle of
all the fun!" said Sebald.
The 2003 Drools-a-Lot Queen, Tiffany, pictured above,
invites all 4-legged friends and humans, with or without
costumes, to attend this year's Mardi Paws and have a
barking good time.
Mardi Paws is always the Saturday before the City
of Dunedin's Mardi Gras Event. For more information
about either event, contact call Betty Haynes at
727-298-3296.
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Featured Pet-Friendly Vacation Spot |
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Steinhatchee Landing Resort Says,
"Rover, Come on
Over!"
By Patricia Collier
Many of our featured vacation locations are on the
ocean and I suppose I am partial to places near
water.
The Steinhatchee Landing Resort fits the profile of
the type atmosphere many of us find most relaxing. It's
a unique riverside getaway that captures the spirit of
Old Florida
and welcomes our canine companions.
The accomodations are stylish, with 34 Victorian,
Georgian (as pictured below) and Florida
Cracker-style cottages. Ten of those cottages are set
aside for guests of the divine, canine variety.
The Steinhatchee Landing Resort, which opened in
1990, boasts 35
acres of natural landscape, which provides plenty
space for dogs and their guardians to stretch their legs
and work off some steam.
And the beautiful Gulf of Mexico is just three miles
downstream. Dogs are not allowed in the pool, but the
river makes a wonderful playground.
There is no pet fee, but the resort does require a
security deposit and cottage inspection before you
check out. As with all the locations featured by
FloridaPets.net, pet guardians are responsible for
making sure their companions are well-behaved.
As a nice extra touch, the resort offers canine gift
baskets, at moderate prices, filled with goodies like
gourmet treats and plush toys. The baskets are perfect
for one's own companion -- or as a gift for a canine
friend
back home.
At Steinhatchee Resort, you can canoe (see photo
above) kayak, bike, or play tennis, archery, shuffle
board or basketball, as well as relax in the pool and spa.
The Steinhatchee Landing Resort is 75 miles from
Gainesville. Tallahassee, Orlando and the Tampa Bay
area are all about two-and-a-half hours away, making
the resort centrally-located for the Florida resident or
visitor.
For more about Steinhatchee Landing, or to make reservations, click here... »
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From Our Readers |
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Ssshhh...genius at rest
Allow us to introduce you to Scooter, a 5-year-old
Pembroke Welsh Corgi. Please look at his photo very
quietly because, as you can see, he is really enjoying
his nap.
Scooter is the beautiful companion to Fran and Frank
Gorecki of Viera, Florida. This is a dog who likes making
statements. The way his little legs are kicked up in the
air while he snoozes away on his back shows us one of
them is, "A Dog's Life Is Busy, Take More Naps."
Scooter's other motto is stitched on the pillow next
to him which proclaims, "Never Trust Anyone Who
Doesn't
Like Dogs." Hear,
hear, Scooter. We couldn't agree with you more!
View more photos here - FloridaPets.net Readers' Pets »
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Quick Tips and Facts |
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* Did you know? According to the Humane
Society of the United States (HSUS), 38% of U.S.
households have children, but 43% have companion
animals.
* Here's a tip from the Web Mistress of
FloridaPets.net. When on the road, feed your pet as
close to their usual schedule as possible. It helps
prevent motion sickness and makes your pet more
comfortable being away from his/her usual surroundings.
* Ken from Ormond Beach suggests being
careful before allowing your dog to initiate interaction
with a strange dog, either at a dog park or while
traveling around the state. What's true about children
is also true about pets: not everyone's is as friendly, or
well-behaved, or (for pets) up to date on vaccinations
as yours.
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 our pet-friendly vacation accomodations directory... »
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Casting Call |
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Here at FloridaPets.net, we want to give everyone a
chance to brag about their companion animal.
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!
Contact us today! »
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