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From The Editor
Greetings, everyone!
According to the Travel Industry Association of
America, dogs and cats are popular travel companions,
with 14 percent of all U.S. adults (29.1 million)
reporting they've traveled with a pet on a trip of 50
miles or more, one-way, away from home in the past
three years. Those kinds of numbers present a major
opportunity for businesses like motels,
restaurants and shops to connect with this
market. And it's our goal here at FloridaPets.net to
continually work to connect you with all that is
pet-friendly, at least in the sunshine
state.
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Well, we finally did it. We signed FloridaPets.net up
for
an ezboard
message
forum and yesterday, an anonymous contributor
actually paid the fee for our first three months! In case
you hadn't noticed,
we've been trying out different message boards during
the past few months. Some we liked; others we didn't.
But
one thing remains the same: we hate ads, especially
pop
ups, and just refuse to subject readers of
FloridaPets.net to those any longer! We now realize
that "free" often equals ads that have nothing to do
with
Florida or pets. It's worth
paying a few
bucks to not wear out
everyone's eyes with
banner and text ads all over the place. We want the
best for you, our devoted readers. So, please be sure
to check out and join in on the NEW, very cool,
FloridaPets.net
Message Forum, found here. And a BIG thanks to our anonymous
angel!
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In this month's issue, we feature a dreamy, tropical
vacation spot, an all-American event that's literally
gone to the
dogs, a day at a
museum with the non-humans, a great photo
and uplifting story of a rescued dog, a few travel
tips, tales and
more.
We'd like to welcome all our new subscribers and
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. 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 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 Activities |
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"Take me out to the bark
park!"
By Patricia Collier
While you might be able to snag a hot dog or two
at this event,
they'll be lots of other kinds of dogs hanging out too -
of
the non-food variety, thank you very much!
Yup, it's time for Bark In The Park night at
Pro
Player Stadium in Ft. Lauderdale. Bring your best friend,
like the fellow pictured here wearing his favorite team's
t-shirt,
and cheer on the Florida Marlins as they take on the
Houston Astros Thursday, May 20, at 7:05 p.m.
Ticket are $12.00 for adults, $6.00 for kids, age 12 and
under and $6.00 per dog. All proceeds from the dog
tickets will benefit the Humane Society of Broward
County.
They'll be lots of fun stuff, including kiddie pools
where your canine pal can cool off a bit in between
innings.
And while you're at the game, your dog can even try
out for David Letterman's Stupid Pet Tricks.
According to the event organizers, all dogs guests
must
be
up to date on their vaccinations and have their current
rabies tag displayed prominently.
Tickets may be purchased at the Humane Society
of Broward County by calling Sandy at 954-266-6818.
You can also acquire tickets online by downloading an
order form at the groups' Web site given below, at the
end of this section. If you have questions or would like
more information, send an email to
events@hsbroward.com.
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Get fluffy, furry, feathery and slimy -
at the museum, where else?
By Patricia Collier
The animals are taking over at G. WHIZ, the
Hands-On Science Museum in Sarasota Saturday, May
15 from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Visitors are invited to bring - on a leash or in a
cage - their non-human pals for Pet Mania
Day, filled with contests, presentations and fun.
Contests, judged by local celebrities, will begin at
11:15 a.m. with the "Cutest Pet" contest, then at
11:45
a.m. it's the "Greatest Pet Trick" contest, followed by
the "I Look Like My Pet" contest at 12:15 p.m.
Dr. Anne Chauvet, veterinary neurosurgeon, will
present the science of animal medicine and Drs. Bernie
Waxman and Dan Weiner will discuss general animal
care.
Don't have a pet? The Humane Society of Sarasota
will have available an adoption station called, "I Wish I
Had a Pet"
where you can stop by and pick out a new best friend.
Cost is included in the G. WIZ general admission:
adults
$7, kids (ages 2-18) $5 and seniors $6. Current G.WIZ
members
get in free.
To register for contests, call the museum at
941-309-4949, Ext. 104. The registration deadline is 5
p.m.
Friday, May 14.
G.WIZ is a non-profit organization, located at 1001
Boulevard of the Arts at the Blivas Science &
Technology Center in downtown Sarasota. Check out
their Web site at http://www.gwiz.org.
For More About Bark In The Park (the first article in this section) please click here... »
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Featured Pet-Friendly Vacation |
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Just the right amount of "tropical"
By Patricia Collier
It's simply amazing how many beautiful, lush
vacation spots Florida offers it's residents and tourists -
and how many of those places are pet-friendly.
Our choice destination this month is the Holiday
Inn of
Naples. While not smack dab on the beach, it
is
snuggled right in the middle of a lovely beachside town
and has all the charm of the old Florida days. The
location is perfect as base camp, from which day
trips can be planned to explore the famous
Tamiami
Trail, the pure white sands of the Gulf, the excitement
of the Everglades and all the abundant scenery,
shoppes
and snackeries along the way.
(Snackeries? Yes, I
made up that word -- it's poetic license for writers, you
see.)
The Holiday Inn of Naples has 137 rooms with every
amenity you could desire, including a sparkling pool,
from where you can enjoy a favorite chilled beverage.
A
particularly special feature of this facility is the
restaurant, known as "Beau's Paradise Grill." Beau's
offers musical entertainment in the poolside lounge
several nights a week.
There is no deposit required for pets, but there is a $20
per night, per pet fee. There's also no limit on the size
or type of pet, so they truly are pet-friendly! They told
us they've even had a pig and a lion as overnight
guests, well-behaved ones, at that!
One note of caution: there are a limited number of
pet rooms available, so be sure
to make a reservation ahead of time.
Holiday Inn of Naples is located on US 41. To get there,
traveling north to south, you'll want to take I-75 and
Exit 107. If you're coming from the east and south,
traveling north or west, take I-75 (Alligator Alley) west
to Exit 101. Directions after taking the exits are
detailed thoroughly on the hotel's Web site, given
below.
We can truly say whatever you are interested in,
you can find at the Holiday Inn of Naples, or within a
short drive away. It's all tropical and it's all good!
For more info about Holiday Inn of Naples, or to make reservations, click here... »
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From Our Readers |
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Life gets better for dog and her
humans
Meet Honda, the proud owner OF Susan Anderson
and
Gary Kupfer of Clermont, Florida. This adorable gal was
adopted in July 2003 from Seminole Animal Services in
Sanford.
According to Susan, "Honda has the greatest
personality; her 'happiness' shines through in her
actions
every single day."
An intelligent, sharp and protective companion,
Honda loves her homestead. Susan said she has her
own pillow which sits on the floor in front of the living
room window from which she performs her "dog guard
duty."
Honda absolutely loves the water, and is the talk of the
dog park with her antics of diving her entire head
underwater and trying to climb into the water bucket.
"Everyone comments on what a lovely dog she is,
happy and full of life," Susan said. "She just turned a
year old in February, so she is also full of energy!"
Susan and Gary spend a lot of time with Honda,
taking her to the off leash park at least three times a
week. She is walked daily and loves to chase squirrels.
It's clear that Honda, Susan and Gary all feel
lucky!
Editor's Note: Honda is a perfect example of
why FloridaPets.net feels dogs don't have to be pure
bred to be pure fun! Our own household is honored with
the presence of previous
rescue and shelter dogs and cats and we can't stress
enough how many marvelous, loving animals out there
need love. If you are ready to provide an animal with
their "forever home", please check our list of Florida
humane
societies at the link given here.
Click Here For Humane Societies Listed On FloridaPets.net... »
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Travel Tips and Tails |
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Kami of Central Florida, who travels a lot with her
Jack
Russell "terrors" says, "Only take your pet along
[on
trips] if you plan on doing things your pet can do, like
walking trails, hiking, even easy climbing. Your pet isn't
going to be happy if you take him/her, then leave them
in an
unfamiliar hotel room all day, every day!"
Early summer is a good time for this reminder from
FloridaPets.net: **Never** leave your pet
unattended in a parked vehicle. On warm days, the
temperature in your car can rise to 120 degrees in
minutes, even with the windows slightly open and it
only take a few more minutes for your beloved pet to
suffer a heat
stroke -- or worse!
And now for the funny tale of the month: Wes
Strange, yes, that is his name, was traveling with his
wife and their black standard poodle last year and
settled for a few days at a nice
oceanside motel on the west coast of Florida.
One day, while walking "Florentine" in the
designated area, Wes became aware he was being
watched. A child, maybe four years old, suddenly
appeared at Wes's side and asked if she could pet
the "Great Pain." Wes chucked and told the girl his dog
was a poodle. He later realized she had been trying to
say, "Great Dane" and probably got confused since
standard poodles can be pretty big. But he said
actually, Florentine sometimes can be a
"pain" so the child
had it half right! Wes's wife later told us the
child was actually talking about Wes. ;)
Do you have a handy tip or cute tale about
traveling with pets?
Send it to
WebMistress and we'll share it here with other
readers of the NewsPetter.
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 show off their beloved companions.
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!
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