Greetings, everyone!

We'd like to welcome our new subscribers and offer a warm welcome back to all our current readers. Bert, our youngest dachshund, pictured here, would like to add his smile of appreciation to everyone.

The FloridaPets.net Message Board is a great place for NewsPetter readers to connect with each other. It's a free, fun and safe spot to discuss the pet-friendly lifestyle in Florida. We've got different discussion forums, including general topics, animal issues, fun pet art, lost and found, polls and more. So whether you're a rescue group searching for a place to post some photos of animals needing good adoptive homes, or you're just wanting to chat with other pet lovers, the Message Board awaits.

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In this month's NewsPetter, we feature an event that's "bad to the bone", a "fruity" vacation spot, a feel-good story, a few travel tips, and of course, FloridaPets.net's contest for subscribers.

Speaking of contests, congratulations to Melissa Wallace and her pug, Stewey, of Hollywood, Florida who won last month's prize, a Patriotic Dog Leash Pooper Scooper Bag Holder and Bandana.

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We hope everyone will enjoy this issue of the NewsPetter. Please pass the word about FloridaPets.net and write us with any suggestions or requests. Your opinion matters to us. Until next month, thanks for "tailing" along with us and remember our motto:

"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 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:

Easter's here, bring on the...bones?
By Patricia Collier

Not that the Easter bunny doesn't plan a good bash, but what good does a colored, hard boiled egg hunt do a dog, you may ask?

That's a question answered by a certain wonder pooch named Buc Riley and his Doggie Bone Hunt & Easter Parade. This paw-ticular fun event will begin at 2 p.m. Saturday, March 19, at the Promenade Shopping Center on US 41 in Bonita Springs, center court by Ben & Jerry's.

Participants of the canine variety will search high and low for doggie bones instead of Easter eggs. Lots more activities are planned, including having a great picture taken with the Easter Bunny and your dog, for a small donation.

Funds raised at Buc Riley's Doggie Bone Hunt and Easter Parade will benefit the Animal Refuge Center. For more information about the bone hunt and parade, consult ARC's Web site or call them at 239-418-1542.

Survivor of last year's storms says, "Come visit!"
By Patricia Collier

While most Florida beaches are divine, there's something extra special about the Gulf of Mexico. The waters are blue and green and aqua and the sand is so bright-white you need sunglasses even on cloudy days.

Add that kind of awesome scenery to some terrific pet-friendly accommodations and you've got the Pineapple Beach Resorts in Panama City Beach.

"Everyone here is an animal lover," said Lauren Gouin, Office Manager. "We adore pets and encourage them all around the facility, even here in the office."

All of the 1, 2, and 3 bedroom condo units at the Pineapple are pet-friendly. There is a non-refundable $10 per pet, per night fee, but a deposit is not required. While there aren't (yet) any pet-friendly beaches in Bay County, Gouin said there is a nice lake-front walk area in the Frank Brown Park in Panama City that is hospitable to leashed dogs. It's only about 3 1/2 miles from the Pineapple.

According to Gouin, the period around Memorial Day is a good time to visit the Resort. Guests can enjoy the gulf-side swimming pools, hot tub and other water sports. Many people don't know that Panama City Beach is the second most explored scuba diving and snorkeling destination in Florida. The golfer in the family can choose from six nearby courses. And the winter-weary can simply sit on those beautiful white sands and daydream away some hours.

A happy tale of a wiggly tail
By Patricia Collier

Meet Chico, companion to Joe and Sara Maurer of Tampa. Adopted from a shelter in Denver before moving with his humans to Florida last June, Chico is a very handsome 15-month-old border collier mix.

"He is one of the sweetest dogs I've ever known," Joe said, who added Chico likes to be around people and other dogs, loves running very fast and being chased.

"When he looks at you with those big eyes, you can tell that he's just thinking happy thoughts about playing and whatnot," Joe said.

Joe and Sara have two other canine companions, Bezoar, a 7-year-old dalmation and Apache, an 8-year-old blue heeler.

"My wife and I enjoyed going to the dog park regularly when we lived in Denver," Joe said, "and since moving to Tampa, we've been exploring all the dog parks here, thanks to your Web site!"

Would you like FloridaPets.net to feature your pet (s) in the NewsPetter or as Pet of the Week on the Web site? If so, please email WebMistress. Send 1-3 photos of your pet(s) and tell us about your pet, i.e., breed, age, sex, personality traits, likes and dislikes, how you found each other and anything else you would like to share with others. Please type "Submission" in the subject line of your note and send your photos, in JPG or GIF format only. Thank you for sharing!

Roxie, 3 1/2-year-old pit bull companion to Danielle & AJ Morgan of Valkaria, Florida, is proud to be wearin' the lucky green and we've selected her as Sponsor Dog for this month's Travel Tips & Tails. "Hail O'Roxie lassie!"

When traveling with your pet, keep on hand a health certificate from your veterinarian certifying that your pet is in good health, along with medical records, including proof of that rabies vaccine.

Check out the Petition to Allow Pets in Condos. Thousands of senior citizens in Florida have been denied the opportunity to improve their health and well-being with pet companionship in dwellings they own. Private home ownership should allow responsible persons to keep pets. For more information, go to Citizens for Pets in Condos. The petition is on that page, under "Sign Petition."

Did you know? Over 16 million people call Florida "home" and this figure is expected to grow to over 18 million people by the year 2010.

And now, the important monthly, subliminal message from FloridaPets.net:
"Doggie pooper scoopers, use them, always, everywhere you go. Good human."

Have a handy tip or tale about traveling with pets? Send it to WebMistress and we'll share it with other readers of the NewsPetter.

We carry the wonderful Liquid Syn-flex

Syn-flex in liquid form is an awesome alternative to harmful arthritis drugs for both pets and people! Because we buy in bulk, we have quite possibly the best prices around on Liquid Syn-flex. And for each bottle for which shipping is paid, the 2nd or 3rd bottles ordered SHIP FOR FREE!

You'll find Syn-flex under Winter Specials in the FloridaPets.net Paw Patch Shoppe. While you're there, check out our great prices on pet toys, pet care items & more!

Email: webmistress@floridapets.net

Phone: 904-879-9352

Web: http://www.floridapets.net