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From The Editor
Greetings, everyone!
We've reached one of the best months in
Florida for traveling. Moderate temperatures, fewer
tourists, and lower
hotel and motel rates make November a great time to
take off with your
pet for some rest and recreation. This month's featured
Pet-Friendly Vacation Spot, Faraway Inn in Cedar Key,
is an excellent choice.
Also in this month's NewsPetter, we've got a wonderful
photo
from
one of our readers, more tips and tricks for traveling
with pets, news about a fun, pet-friendly activity
that benefits a state-wide rescue group, and more.
Did you know that November is National Animal Shelter
Appreciation
Month? Animal shelters provide many services to both
animals and people. Why not take this opportunity to
visit your local shelter and find out what you can
do to help out?
Even if you don't have time to volunteer, you can
still make a difference. Having your pets spayed or
neutered and
adopting from shelters can be your contributions to
bringing an end to the pet overpopulation problem in
your community and easing the burden the local animal
shelters and rescues face, day after day.
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!"
Here's an early "Happy Thanksgiving!" to everyone.
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 now read the entire issue online by clicking here
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Pet-Friendly Fun Stuff |
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Have a 'Lab'-a Dab-a-Doo
Time
at Lab Fest 2003
By Patricia
Collier
Loyal, perceptive, intelligent, good with children.
Those are just some of the personality traits that draw
people to labrador retrievers. They are among the most
social
of dogs, a trait that also sometimes works against
them.
According to Lisa Amundrud, North Florida District
Coordinator for Labrador Retriever Rescue of Florida,
this enthusiastic pursuit of ''all things fun'' is often
misunderstood or miscalculated as a behavior problem.
What many people find so engaging about labs may be
a nightmare for others less educated about the breed.
Amundrud said over 160 labs have been rescued so far
this year by the Jacksonville group alone and most
were
surrendered by people who'd always heard what great
family dogs labs make.
"And they really are wonderful family dogs,''
Amundrud said, ''but as puppies, they are hard, and
that's when a lot of people give up.''
Labrador Retriever Rescue of Florida, Inc. (LRRoF)
was
started in Tampa and there are now over 100
volunteers throughout the state. Many of the families
who foster the labs have already adopted a lab -- or
two -- and want to help the group achieve it's goal
of ''saving labs throughout Florida, one dog at a time.''
As you might imagine, caring for and providing
medical
attention for so many dogs is expensive, about $4,000
for the Jacksonville group and over $20,000 statewide
last year.
In an effort to raise some funds to help
offset some of those expenses, the Jacksonville group
is
hosting Lab Fest 2003, to be held November 8,
2003, from 10 a.m. to
2 p.m. at Dogwood Park, located on Salisbury Road,
near the intersection of I-95 and Butler Blvd.
Admission to Lab Fest is free, but the group will
gladly
accept donations for dog park access, microchipping,
concessions and a raffle. There will be lots of activities,
including games for
labs
like t-shirt relay, popcorn toss and musical chairs, and
short seminars for the humans. And they'll be lots of
yummy prizes for everyone!
Organizers tell us you don't have to be a lab to
attend;
heck you don't even have to be a dog! The important
thing
is to come out and support this special non-profit group
and help them help the animals.
Three dogs who know the power of volunteers are
pictured above. From left to right are Cody, Max and
Comet. All are currently in foster care, awaiting forever
homes -- maybe yours?
Labrador Retriever Rescue of Florida, Inc. is hosting
several events all over the state of Florida this month.
For more information about the group, labs available for
adoption, or planned activities in your area,
check out their Web site, listed below.
For More Information About Labrador Retriever Rescue of Florida, Inc. »
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Featured Pet-Friendly Vacation Spot |
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Wander With Us to the Faraway
Inn
By Patricia Collier
Somewhere on the west coast of Florida, there is a
vacation destination where doggie biscuits and/or kitty
treats are available every day and where pet showers,
grooming tables, towels
and squeak toys are provided -- all at no charge.
The pet haven described is Faraway Inn in Cedar
Key. Just please don't tell our oldest Dachshund,
Shortcake, about the place or she will demand we
move
there immediately.
Oliver and Doreen Bauer, owners of the Faraway Inn in
Cedar Key, are happy to cater to
pets visiting with their human companions. After all,
the Bauers have a few dogs of their own.
"The folks who stay here are animal people," Doreen
said, "and that gives everyone a connection point to
start getting to know each other."
The Bauers vacationed at Faraway Inn three years
ago, returned home to New York, decided to ditch
the corporate world in which they were both
entrenched, and buy the Florida retreat. They've
owned
Faraway for three years now and haven't looked back.
The facility is spread out over a half a city block and
includes 5 cottages, 2 efficiencies and 5 regular rooms,
3 of the latter with gulf views. All units have the
modern conveniences of home.
"The entire island is pretty pet-friendly," Doreen
said, noting it's not uncommon to see dogs on leashes
in the downtown shops.
The accomodations are very modern and
Faraway is not so far from anything important, within
walking
distance to the main public beach, city dock and
restaurants. A relaxing pavillion area, shown below,
with old-fashioned swings, allows one to put
their feet (or paws) up and enjoy the breeze and
slowed-down rhythm of the island.
Faraway Inn provides bicycles, canoes and kayaks
for
its visitors. Cottage and/or room rates are very
reasonable and an extra
night is usually thrown in for visitors who stay at least
six nights.
There is a per-pet fee of $5.00 per night, or $30.00
per week. The Bauers have no size or breed
restrictions, but all pets must be well mannered and
maintained on a flea and tick prevention program --
things that define a responsible pet owner.
Thanksgiving is a special time at Faraway, as the
Bauers have a reunion and party for past guests. One
such group is pictured above, in front of the Faraway
Inn's sign.
Cedar Key lies on a group of small islands three miles
out in the Gulf of Mexico, 55 miles southwest of
Gainesville, Florida, at approximately the same latitude
as
Ocala and Daytona Beach. It is an area abundant with
nature's blessings and is aptly called, "the gem of the
Nature
Coast."
While vacationing at the Faraway Inn, you can also
enjoy nearby breathtaking surroundings such as
the Wacassassa Bay State Preserve, the Cedar Key
Scrub
State Preserve and the Lower Suwannee River Delta.
(Psstt! Take your camera!)
"You'll like it here if you know how to relax," Doreen
said. "and once you've been here, we bet you'll come
back."
Learn more about the Faraway Inn here... »
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From Our Readers |
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A Dog, Her Boy, Their
Travels
This is 5-year-old Logan with his 6-month-old
canine pal, Ellie. The family refers to Ellie, who is a
still-growing Bullmastiff, as
Logan's "sister." Both appear here to be on a
well-deserved
break in the back seat during a recent family vacation.
According to Logan's father, "Ellie is a
wonderful member of our family and is included as such
in every possible way.
"We draw the line at eating on the kitchen table,
but
that's about the only rule we have. She sits, or most
often sleeps, on
our sofas and watches Animal Planet with Logan," he
said.
Sounds like quite a good life for a dog. And for her
boy, too.
NOTE: Above photo used with parental
permission.
It is always the policy of FloridaPets.net to not publish
the last
names of children shown in photographs on our Web
site or in the NewsPetter.
View More Photos Here - FloridaPets.net Reader's Pet Photo Album »
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Quick Tips and Facts |
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Flying With Pets
We frequently get asked about the policies of
airlines and pets. We called each airline listed below
October 28, 2003 and here is the information we
received:
American Airlines
1-800-433-7300
$80 pet charge, 20 pound limit, crate size limit
23"L
x 13" W x 9" H
Continental Airlines
1-800-525-0280
$80 pet charge, 40 pound limit, crate size limit 22
x
14 x 9
Delta Airlines
1-800-221-1212
$75 pet charge, 40 pound limit, crate size limit 17
x 12 x 8
United Airlines
1-800-864-8331
$80 pet charge, 20 pound limit, crate size limit 22
x
14 x 9
Southwest Airlines
NO PETS allowed on planes.
Note: If you are planning a trip, be sure to
verify the pet
information shown here as we've been advised policies
change frequently in the airline industry.
Have a handy tip about traveling with pets? Send it to
us at WebMistress and
we'll share it here with other readers of the
NewsPetter.
FloridaPets.net's Pet-Friendly Vacation Accomodations Directory »
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Casting Call |
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Here at FloridaPets.net, we want to give you a chance
to tell everyone about your pets and show off their
photos. We know everyone will enjoy them, so don't be
shy.
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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